Categories > Original > Sci-Fi > Explorers: The Last Bastion
Chapter 2
'Alright people! Listen up!'
The noise quickly lessened inside the crowded control room at HQ. It was an impressive sight, the main blast-door entrance leading an amphitheatre-style setup for the briefings, with the rest of the cavernous room full of the latest technology from the laboratories, the far wall being one massive plasma screen, allowing the Ops officers to keep track of everything that was happening all over England.
'We've finally tracked 40 cent's crew to their hideout. It's an old abandoned school, the one used to be known as 'boy's high'. No doubt this was chosen because they were familiar with it, though I'm sure the idea of planning their conquests from inside the place they saw as representing everything that they were rebelling against had something to do with it too. We need to take this place, and soon. Battle plans are up on the wall, we move out in two hours.' With that, the Ops officer stepped off the platform, and walked back down towards the line of computer terminals that sat beneath the wall screen.
'So what do you think of this then?' Claire asked, as she walked up behind Nick, who was standing at the bottom of the briefing area.
'Well, it should be interesting, I wouldn't mind seeing just how much of my old school is left standing. It could be quite a difficult fight, the chances are that there are hundreds of them in there,' he replied.
'Wanna go down the ranges for a bit? Get some practice in before the fight?'
'Yeah, sure, I need to sort out the sights on the new assault rifle prototype I'm taking with us to test in battlefield conditions' he said, grinning like the proverbial Cheshire Cat.
The pair of them walked slowly down through the dull concrete tunnels; lit only by the harsh glare of the tungsten strip lights. Passing through the vehicle test area, they made their way to the weapons lab, to pick up the enormous gun Nick was going to be taking. Following that, they walked out of the other set of doors to the firing ranges, where they proceeded to riddle the targets set out at the bottom of the range. It was clear that Nick was struggling to control the recoil from his massive assault rifle, the enormous muscles in his arms and shoulders shaking with the effort.
After a few scant minutes, Claire's targets all had sets of neat holes around the general facial area, and Nick's were just completely torn apart, with massive gaping holes around the torso and face. 'That's a pretty nice gun there...' Claire commented with a wry smile on her face, 'It's a shame that you're gonna be the only one capable of controlling it. Come on, lets get outta here, we gotta get down to the Hangar before they leave without us.'
With that, the pair of young warriors walked out of the firing range, and jogged down to the vehicle hangars to meet the rest of the force that would be attacking the remains of the old school. Walking into the hangar, they ran into Ellie, the team's resident field medic. Nick caught her in a hug as she almost fell over, clearly flustered by something.
'You alright Ellie?' He asked, concern evident in his voice.
'Yeah, course I'm fine, slightly nervous about the upcoming battle, but yes, I'm fine.' She brushed off the question, and tried to free herself from his grip. Nick let go, and she ran off down the corridor without another word.
'What's up with her?' Claire asked Nick, as the pair of them watched her run down towards the armoury.
'Beats me, though I'm sure we'll see soon enough.'
'Alright people! Listen up!'
The noise quickly lessened inside the crowded control room at HQ. It was an impressive sight, the main blast-door entrance leading an amphitheatre-style setup for the briefings, with the rest of the cavernous room full of the latest technology from the laboratories, the far wall being one massive plasma screen, allowing the Ops officers to keep track of everything that was happening all over England.
'We've finally tracked 40 cent's crew to their hideout. It's an old abandoned school, the one used to be known as 'boy's high'. No doubt this was chosen because they were familiar with it, though I'm sure the idea of planning their conquests from inside the place they saw as representing everything that they were rebelling against had something to do with it too. We need to take this place, and soon. Battle plans are up on the wall, we move out in two hours.' With that, the Ops officer stepped off the platform, and walked back down towards the line of computer terminals that sat beneath the wall screen.
'So what do you think of this then?' Claire asked, as she walked up behind Nick, who was standing at the bottom of the briefing area.
'Well, it should be interesting, I wouldn't mind seeing just how much of my old school is left standing. It could be quite a difficult fight, the chances are that there are hundreds of them in there,' he replied.
'Wanna go down the ranges for a bit? Get some practice in before the fight?'
'Yeah, sure, I need to sort out the sights on the new assault rifle prototype I'm taking with us to test in battlefield conditions' he said, grinning like the proverbial Cheshire Cat.
The pair of them walked slowly down through the dull concrete tunnels; lit only by the harsh glare of the tungsten strip lights. Passing through the vehicle test area, they made their way to the weapons lab, to pick up the enormous gun Nick was going to be taking. Following that, they walked out of the other set of doors to the firing ranges, where they proceeded to riddle the targets set out at the bottom of the range. It was clear that Nick was struggling to control the recoil from his massive assault rifle, the enormous muscles in his arms and shoulders shaking with the effort.
After a few scant minutes, Claire's targets all had sets of neat holes around the general facial area, and Nick's were just completely torn apart, with massive gaping holes around the torso and face. 'That's a pretty nice gun there...' Claire commented with a wry smile on her face, 'It's a shame that you're gonna be the only one capable of controlling it. Come on, lets get outta here, we gotta get down to the Hangar before they leave without us.'
With that, the pair of young warriors walked out of the firing range, and jogged down to the vehicle hangars to meet the rest of the force that would be attacking the remains of the old school. Walking into the hangar, they ran into Ellie, the team's resident field medic. Nick caught her in a hug as she almost fell over, clearly flustered by something.
'You alright Ellie?' He asked, concern evident in his voice.
'Yeah, course I'm fine, slightly nervous about the upcoming battle, but yes, I'm fine.' She brushed off the question, and tried to free herself from his grip. Nick let go, and she ran off down the corridor without another word.
'What's up with her?' Claire asked Nick, as the pair of them watched her run down towards the armoury.
'Beats me, though I'm sure we'll see soon enough.'
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