Beyond the Sea

[acts_of_gord]

There's going to be a lot of swimming very soon. Gordon's good with that. Maybe not all that enthusiastic about it, though. He's read about Irukandji syndrome. It's almost enough to make him wish for Xen leeches instead.

Almost.

It's a night swim, is the thing. The only way they could reach the Combine desalination plant undetected during the day would involve Pi portaling the Borealis directly alongside the rig and dropping them off faster than the Combine could shoot them all down. Alyx has the machine up and running again, but nobody wants to take a chance on Pi's current stability. And for all that people in the Resistance occasionally seem to think he's the Messiah, walking on water is not in his portfolio. So... they have to get to the rig under cover of darkness, through jellyfish-infested waters, and creep aboard undetected. And then pretty much put an end to the existence of anything on board with a pulse. Alyx won't be there, and the stalkers won't have any other way out.

He'll handle that part himself, if he can.

For now they've driven here from the Borealis They've got a dark equipment shed near the shoreline ready so that the handful of them who'll be going can get their eyes used to what lies ahead. They're all in their dive gear, as far as he knows. He's got his HEV suit and his helmet on. Hopefully it'll stand up to the jellyfish like it's done to the Combine. This is going to be a very short trip otherwise.

Comments

[boston_bruiser]

"We have...wait one, Otter." Voodoo looks around at the raiders, who're now policing up useable weapons and ammunition. Jan's got a bad cut on his arm, but it's nowhere near anything major. Logan's pretty messed up all around, but he'll make it. As for the rest, they're in one piece and happy to be.

"Otter, we have two WIAs. Both are still combat effective. No KIAs or MIAs to report, over."

"Hey, Voodoo!" Brandon shouts from a nearby doorway.

"Yeah?"

"You're gonna wanna see this!"

"Wait one, Otter," Voodoo says, then follows Brandon into the room.

And stops dead in his tracks.

"Holy shit."

It's what looks to be the command post for this rig - more importantly, it's an intel goldmine. Radio receivers, encryption algorithms, maps - whatever the Combine war machine needs to control this rig, it's in here.

"Otter, this is Voodoo. We just hit the jackpot. This place's CP has intel out the wahzoo. Maps, radios, codebooks, you name it. Even got a map of Combine positions all over the continent."

[hecu_marine]

"Say again, Voodoo?"

"You heard the man," interrupts Freeman, who's come over to have a look himself. "He's not exaggerating."

There's a whistle from the other end. "Mother pus bucket," says Shephard. "Tell you what, soon as I git off the horn with you I'mma go see if Manny can't raise Beatrice on the horn back Andamooka way and find out what they got in the way of beer, all right? Sounds like you fuckers earned it."

[boston_bruiser]

Voodoo grins - it's beer, how can he not?

"Roger that, Otter. We'll be here. Out." He turns to the raiders. "Police this place up. Search it top to bottom for any materiel or intel we might've missed. Debriefing will be held in the galley soon as we get back on board." He looks over them again and nods. "You've done a goddamn fine job tonight, but this is far from over."

[acts_of_gord]

"We know. But thank you," says Aanjay, and the others murmur their agreement.

Jan, who has been mostly poking at his arm to see why he didn't notice getting hurt in the first place, glances up and over Voodoo's shoulder. It's Gordon, who was quietly surveying one of the maps a moment ago. "Thank you," Freeman says. "This... goes a long way."

He's going to go find somewhere to sit down while his ears stop ringing, but for now, he's managing.