Dearest Elena

[Cairath]

The Combat Information Center was abuzz with action, staff officers frantically working at their overwatch consoles while the executive officer’s hands were busy, one hand shakingly holding a mug of coffee while the other held a damp handkerchief that continuously wiped his brow of sweat. The command channel wasn’t much different, the remaining squad leader asking for orders while the pilot officers’ last few words were heard, alongside bloodcurdling screams of death.Glued to his chair, commander Vasily Du’Galle stared down at a framed picture, one that displayed a younger him alongside his wife and only child, a thumb grazing the glass pane.

“They’re aboard the ship!” A random marine yelled over the common communication channel, gunfire and vicious, animalic roars soon following suit on that channel. The situation was dire, the ship was being lost to these unknown creatures and the commander blamed himself, mulching over mistakes that he had made while the others on the ship wondered if they’d join the squads that already fell or if they’d manage to escape.

A robotized, staggered female voice soon announced “Evacuation sequence commenced, all personnel aboard the Tryton must board an evacuation pod. Pods will automatically launch in: T minus 3 minutes.” It was A.L.I.C.E., the Tryton’s AI. This came after the executive officer deemed it right to call an evacuation, the commander apparently frozen in his seat at this point, not responding to anything.

“We must go, commander!.” The lieutenant commander requested, his hand tugging at the commander’s arm franticly, a glimpse of the picture caught “We’ll make it, you’ll get to see your family again! Let’s go, sir!”

The commander rose up from his seat and walked over to the crew monitor, a few buttons soon displaying the dead crew members and marines, an ever increasing long list. With a desperate, trembling voice, the commander said “But they won’t. Lieutenant Commander, head to an evacuation pod right now, that is an order, I will make sure that these marines did not die in vain.” The commander’s handgun was soon drawn, the man staring a slow and steady pace towards his console.

“Evacuation pods departing in T minus 40 seconds.” A.L.I.C.E said, queuing the lieutenant commander to dash out of the combat information center, the man managing to sneak past some fighting marines and enter an escape pod in time. This trek alone was a gruesome one, for the hallways were littered with red and green blood, a mixture of human and alien limbs and organs creating a stew of death and decay.

“Evacuation process completed.” A.L.I.C.E. announced, only to then follow it up with “Self-Destruct Sequence commenced: Manual Override Required. The ship will self-destruct in T minus 2 minutes.” This last announcement came alongside loud, blaring alarms, the few that got stranded on the ship now wondering if they should even fight further.

Commander Vasily was in his chair now, as he had been for most of the operation, now recording a message on his console, one that was to be sent home. “Dearest Elena, by the time you receive this message I will be dead.” Another button on the console starting up a rather calming orchestral piece, the man continuing his monologue “I wish that I could’ve seen little Mihail grow up, but life is not like a fairy tale, heroes die. My pension will make sure that both you and him will live wonderful lives, all I ask is that you remember me. Tell Mihail his father became an angel and that he’s now watching over from the heavens now, not from a ship.”

The blaring alarms and the music combined to make an eerie atmosphere. With the message sent, the man’s eyes closed, listening in on A.L.I.C.E.’s last message “Self Destruct in T minus 10 seconds. Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.” What followed was a loud bang and a curtain drop, death having claimed not only the commander, but every alien and living marine on the Tryton, turning the ship into a pile of wreckage. Whether his family received the message or not, Vasily did not know in his last moments, but he happily joined the men he commanded in heaven.

[James5734]

Whew, that's pretty good

[TehSpoderman]

*clap

this is bueno

[Recounted]

truly a tear jerking moment
+1

[notasyndie]

cool stuff +1

[solidfury7]

A nice story.