Welcome to Gaia! ::

Warren to his seat and looked around at the passengers. A lot of Able was missing and this was the first time he thought about how many of them died. Guess he had a new reason to go the ceremony being held on earth, he was sure these marines name's would be there.

Lipton fired the Nonlinear Rifle until its charge was consumed. He watched with joy as an enormous floating machine erupted into a beautiful firework display of broken metal and exposed wiring. The hulking form came crashing to the floor with a resounding explosion that made him whoop in victorious jubilation. He pumped his fist in the air once then fell back to the IIC when Hammer gave the signal. Lipton put the Nonlinear Rifle away and began to help as many of the survivors onto the IIC as he could. The number of Spartans was amazing, and he knew that they hadn't come from the Monterey. They were members of Blue team, the ones that disappeared during the first battle of Earth. Dr. Halsey was also supposed to be dead. Of course, he wasn't going to question providence.

The Major waited until everyone was aboard before climbing into the back of the craft himself. Fortunately Hammer closed the rear hatch just as he came aboard. Lipton watched the Sentinels as the IIC shot out of the bay. They just sat there. He sighed and took off his helmet. He really didn't want to have to write the report for this flaming ball of s**t, but he'd probably get stuck with it. That, or debriefing all the traumatized kids who had just gone through hell. He had to smile though, they had made the pickup and they had gotten their men out.

The Sergeant looked up at the Lieutenant. And with a grim smile, he said, "Looks like you have burial duty this time Lietuenant."

He scratched his head. "How many?"

Warren could see some people were starting to open up conversations and such, but Warren decided to take this chance a reflect on the mission and how it was nearly a complete failure. He found himself thinking about the odd feeling that was telling him to find that computer, that put his body threw a blender. In the fire fight he completely forgot about his body and pain began to leak into him. He thought of Ashton for some help, but he looked over at the marine, he was just as bad condition and was talking to himself. He decided to let Ashton be and figured he would talk to him after the ship was safely in slip space. Warren found himself with his eye's closed and drifting into sleep.

He was reading threw the information copied into his brain from the terminal that he touched and it was quite fascinating. They seemed to be logs by a man known as Chemis, or C for short. He opened what he figured was the first log.


I've been working on our latest medical break through in tissue regeneration and we seem to be successful, but the side effects are unacceptable, and any subjects we inject with this new vaccine seem to lose there evolved mind and go back to primitive thoughts, also there body becomes very mutated. So vaccine #0236 has failed and we will begin work on vaccine's #0237-0278 soon. I'm starting to lose hope and I would not mind a vacation soon, but the work must be finished. As for the failed subjects will be put into containment on the installations 001-007. Chemis logging off.

Seth sat there allowing the silence to settle in properly. After Karr spoke there was a kind of suspended feeling. The man himself had gone through this.
Seth could feel the welling up inside his chest, the contortion of his face in horror and illness as he began to reflect.
But he concentrated, thinking hard on the floor his eyes rested on, his boots were scuffed, a bit singed, he'd have to get repairs done to his armor, it wouldn't look like they'd come off easy. His shoulder wound in itself would require some grafting, not something he looked forward to.

Through this thought Seth distracted himself from the thoughts that would truly plague him.

In a disconnected, dissonant voice Seth responded, "No." He gave half a pause and continued, his voice was absolute and solid, "But they'll do their job, and I'll do mine." It was a bit cryptic, but Seth's words could have been made clearer if one observed his hand that was absently stroking his pocket filled with dogtags being forced to rest on his lap.
Beyond that they were filled with a more personal sentiment.

Seth had dealt with a lot of death before, and he had learned how to keep his head and let the emotions, and the breakdown hit him later, while he was off duty, in his bunk--Or alone. As things stood these Marines, these survivors didn't need to see their LT throwing a fit half way through their evacuation.

Seth's voice was tired sounding, not weak but tired, "How're you holding up Karr? You intact?" It wasn't avoidance, but legitimate concern. The feelings in regards to the fallen Marines had been made clear, via silence and thought. Seth didn't have time to mourn, none of them did, not yet.
Maybe, not for a long time.

Seth took a seat next to Karr, his feet felt unsteady, his movements were ginger.
Seth thought about what Karr said for a moment, nodding at his comment on his skills in battle, then responded, "Make the plan Sergeant. But it's not up to me." Seth looked significantly at the cockpit of the IIC, "It's up to the Commander."

Seth assented with a casual nod, "Get a plan together Sergeant, we'll talk after the debriefing on the Monterey." Seth paused, the conversation was doing a good job at distracting from whatever aches and pains would plague him, both mentally and physically, "If it's solid, you'll have my full support Karr. I'll recommend it to him myself if need be."

The XO of Able stood up after the pressure in the doors releaced, and the light of the Pelican bay flooded over the remaning inhabitants of Able Company, 301st Strike Division.

"Lieutenant; if I have your permission, I would like to accompany you to to the briefing room. Its my job as XO to deliver the losses, so I best do my job."