Aaron walked into the lab, his security clearance allowed him immediate access. "Broken Spartan here!" he said loudly disregarding the chance that there may be a need for silence. His words got the desired effect though as several lab techs appeared out of no where to assess the severity of the situation. "The HUD is off, I ran out of bullets and it still told me I had 400 rounds left, I think the spin speed is reading a thousand or two RPMs off too."
"We'll get right on it" one of the techs said as he removed the helmet from the armor and quickly began hooking it up to computers and devices. Another tech removed the BG-M from its hooks and did the same to see if the problem was lying within the gun. While a third tech drug cords and cables and hooked them directly to Aaron's armor and begaun running a diagnostic.
Aaron stood there with his arms out tapping his foot impatiently. "No ones going to offer me a chair?" he said sarcastically. "Do we have a solution to my problem?" he added after a few seconds passed and he got no response to his sarcasm.
"Looks like you have a burnt out circuit in your arithmatic board and the meter thats used to measure the barrel speed is in seven pieces." the techs said as they moved quickly in order to fix the problem and get the Spartan back into service. "We got the spare parts right here and can swap them out right now. We also have to realign the buffer in your armor so you dont die when you get his by something."
"Thats a very good thing."
Aaron said with a nod, "Cause me dying is definatly a bad thing."
There was a feint click as the intercomm switched on and a base wide page was made. "Attention all Spartans! Will Spartans-283, 313, 314, 369, and 372 report to the spartan command for briefing." The intercomm clicks off.
"Well...you heard 'em. Put me back together!"
Aaron said, rushing the techs. This was his first Class 2 assignment and he didnt want it getting handed off to some newbie because he was
plugged into a computer.
After several minutes the techs finally got
Aaron put back together and ready to go. After a bit of instruction and a few cautionary statements he ran off to the
spartan command.
"Tell me the truth?"
Spook said making light of her whole ordeal as the techs wheeled her gurney into the lab. After all she had survived on board the pelican for five days with only a field dressing. She doubted she was going to keel over cause one of her armor panels had been hammered into the meat of her thigh. "I'm not gonna make it am I?" She grabbed the nearest marine by the shirt collar and pulled him close "Make sure my headstone reads only 313. Mom and Dad would have wanted it that way..." She released the marine to ponder the crudeness of her twisted humor and noticed how strange her bare leg looked in accordance to the rest of her armor clad form.
The doctor did nothing but roll his eyes at her sarcasm. "Did the medical staff on the
Stratavarius happen to tell you why they couldnt fix you up there?" he asked with obvious irritation.
"Their current medic wasn't familiar with Spartan physiology."
Spook told the doctor "Something about him being a replacement after their former doc dying in a lab fire. He was really twitchy, I was gonna be damned if I let him touch me with a knife."
"Gotta love Boot Doctors." the man said as they transfered Spook from the gurney to the sliding table positioned outside of a box that seemed to be made of an odd green energy. Once she was prepped they slid the table in till her entire leg was inside the box, as her leg went in Spook noticed that it was going numb the second it touched the energy. The doctor wheeled over a little table with a good about of shiny steel tools.
"So you've done this sorta thing before or is the 'bot going to do it?"
Spook asked, placing her arms beneath her head so she could watch the progress.
"We dont use automaton surgeons here. They cant make split-second decisions or really do anything that lands outside their programing." The surgeon said as he pushed a few buttons and a virtual display appeared infront of him that showed her leg, under the armor, and all the bones and veins inside. "Hmm, looks like you were about an inch and a half from being the first Spartan to die due to leg injury."
"Really?"
Spook said leaning up to look, this of coursed caused her leg to move. She'd gotten used to the pain a few days ago.
When Spook moved and jerked the doctor sat back in his chair quickly and then let out an annoyed sigh. He looked up at her with a very serious look, "Ma'am, you are going to have to stop moving or I will be forced to immobilize you."
"Promise?"
Spook asked, behind her helmet she was smiling wryly.
The doctor put up a sarcastic smile and held up his hand with his pinkie extended. "Pinkie promise." then he went back to work. The armor plate had been obliterated and several pieces had embedded themselves into her leg. He set to removing the large noticable pieces sticking out of the skin and setting them on the table with all the tools.
"So this is all gonna be good as new right? It's got gonna hamper my speed any is it?" There where benefits to being the smallest Spartan on a squad. Sure Aaron could carry twin 50. cals and enough ammo to put down a small army. But could he; or any of the others for that matter, crawl into a ventilation duct or sprint threw enemy territory undetected? She didn't think so.
"Well im no tech but it looks like your going to need a new leg piece cause this one is scrap." the doctor said was the pieces began to stack up. "Your leg, however, should heal within a week allowing you to return to your usual life of ass-kicking. Until that week you will be restricted in your movement."
"Gee really?"
Spook said somewhat sarcastically. "Think you can spare a tech to help me out of my armor? I don't see wearing this stuff around while I'm hobbeling all over the base till I'm released."
"You may need to keep at least the chest piece on." the doctor said without looking up from his work. "The chest piece has special equipment in it that will help you recover and prevent infection. And if you still get an infection it will alert you and us to the fact. So I would suggest keeping it on."
"I can do that."
Spook told the doc "But I'm getting rid of the shell, don't want to look like one of those Space-Watch babes, running in slow motion threw zero gravity or anything. I'll never keep Shaft off my tail." She removed the outer shell while she spoke, all the bits she would need to save her from infection or alert the medics was encased in the lining of her under-suit, which was detachable from the rest. Even better she could take a shower without frying herself.
The doctor had finished removing the shattered armor and had begun working on repairing the flesh and bone underneath. This was a much more delicate procedure so he had chosen not to respond to Spook.
Since the Doc had become unresponsive
Spook attempted to amuse herself during the long arduous process. She'd broken down Baby at least a dozen times enrute back to the base but in her mind she began the process of breaking Baby down once more. This caused her to wonder weather or not any of the guys had had the foresight to take "him" to the armory.
The doctor continued to work in silence, making sure that he didnt leave an artery open or a stitch loose. About 45 minutes later he slapped on a special leg brace and armored cover and ran a wire from it up to the chest piece. "There. You should be good to leave." He said as he turned off the machines. "I administered some pain killers to the site so you shouldnt feel any pain, just make sure you dont go driving or flying anything and if you start hallucinating head straight here with some help."
"Count on it Doc."
Spook said sliding off the bed, the effects of the medication weren't noticeable while she was laying down but she suddenly felt as if she'd been rufied and steadied herself by grabbing the Doc's shoulder "Woah, nice... Do I get a fancy cane or am I supposed to limp everywhere on my own?"
"Well if you had kept your suit on it would help stabalize you in conjuction with the leg piece, but since you removed it." The doctor said as he painfully removed her hand from his shoulder. Most Spartan's underestimate their strength when dealing with others. He pressed a few buttons and a wheelchair was brought in.
"Yeah, well I can't very well move around with only one leg armored now can I?"
Spook asked and steadied herself, getting used to the sensation of walking by means of her own strength. "There's at least a five inch height difference, the weight distribution will be all wrong and lets not forget how silly I'd look." She said it as if she actually cared what people thought. "As soon as it's repaired and painted I'll be back in it and this thing'll be just another scar." She caught sight of the chair being wheeled in "That doesn't look like a cane...."
"Im afraid we are all out of Mjolnir canes." the doctor said with his usual sarcastic tone. "It's either that or you move around on your own power."
Spook looked at the doctor and made a note not to get shot again, they guy may be one of the best surgeons she'd ever seen, the guy definatly had no sence of humor. She shooed away the medic and sat down in the rig. "Fine, but no escort." she scooted herself a few feet, testing out her new wheels and asked the doc "That all or do you have plans for more humiliation?"
"I think getting that severe of an injury and armor damage is enough humiliation for a Spartan." The doctor said as he began cleaning the station and equipment. "Dont do anything that would affect your vitals as it will alert the medical staff and they will get to you in no less then a minute."
Spook would have had a few things to say about her wound but she wasn't sure of the doctor's level of clearance and the flood probably wasn't something she was free to blab about to just anyone. "Trust me, I don't wanna be back down there." She turned then and wheeled herself out, though not quite as intimidating as she'd hoped to be. It was hard tl be stoic and disgruntled when your tires squeaked.
Scorch walked in from the way of the
Spartan Hanger and held his arms out wide. "Alright boys, suit me up! I feel naked over here."
Several techs appeared with his armor in several pieces and began snapping, bolting, and sliding the armor onto Scorch. "We went ahead and repaired several small items that needed attention. We also upgraded a few small systems so your systems should operate smoother over all."
"Sweet, have you figured out a way to stop the flamethrower from exploding yet?"
Scorch asked them curiously, that was his biggest problem after all. The poor gun always exploded after so long and that's where the brunt of the damage done to his armor came from
"It clearly states in the manual for the weapon, that you should have read during training, that you should not do continual spray. You are supposed to do short bursts of 3-4 seconds, that will keep the weapon from backfiring and exploding." One of the techs said as they fastened and attached the shoulder joint.
"I'd like to see you try that when you're surrounded and out of shotgun ammo."
Scorch told them sharply. "Hell I'd love to see you surrounded and out of ammo anyway."
The tech just rolled his eyes and finished fastening the last seal around the neck and walked away. A different tech walked up to him and held out Scorch's helmet, "Here you go Spartan."
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Halo C.E. RPG
Stumble!