TSW 11: John's Dream

[23:21]	IcePickLobotomy	New York Harbor, 1973, USS Morace Assault Carrier.
[23:23]	IcePickLobotomy	The hold smells of oil and salt water. Your fatigues are worn and sweat stained, the last several weeks working in the quarantine have been hard on you. And now you got some hot-shot jackass captain forming a new unit, and you were on the fast-track for it. Said jackass hasn't showed up yet, leaving you and almost 50 others from a assortment of units from the area, waiting in this hold.
[23:25]	IcePickLobotomy	(This is a dream)
[23:25]	IcePickLobotomy	(So play along for now, John has no reason to think anything is wrong here)
[23:25]	JohnH	(sounds good)
[23:32]	IcePickLobotomy	Several minutes pass, you don't know anyone else here and no one is in the mood to talk. The door opens and a man wearing a strange uniform walks in. It's not like the normal fatigues, it's closer clinging, but padded with armor plates on the chest and legs. A slim backpack with a hooze emerging out of it and into a attached helmet and gas mask is held in one hand. The rank pips on his chest...
[23:32]	IcePickLobotomy	...indicate he's a captain, but you see not nationality icons on his uniform.
[23:37]	IcePickLobotomy	He clears his throat. "Gentleman. I'm going to be breif. You all have been selected for the opertunity to transfer to a new unit. One that is specifically to deal with the viral outbreaks. You are all free to decline and return to your units with anything on your records, however I can assure that the best way to serve your nation, to serve humanity, will be under my command."
[23:37]	IcePickLobotomy	"If you wish to leave, step through these doors." He gestures to the doors he walked through. "If you wish to join, remain here."
[23:38]	JohnH	knows he can be of use, so he stays
[23:41]	IcePickLobotomy	A few men filter out, but most remain. The captain nods. "Good, more than I expected. I welcome you all to the Multinational Experimental Technologies Institute, Section 1: Sanitation." A pair of men in similar gear to him walk into the room, carrying a large crate. "Remove your uniforms and we will go over how to wear and use your new armor."
[23:43]	JohnH	goes to get a new set of armor, strips into his underwear, and dons the new gear
[23:44]	IcePickLobotomy	JohnH: It's tight, and quickly grows rather warm. But it doesn't limit your movement.
[23:45]	JohnH	nods in approval, then stands at attention
[23:46]	IcePickLobotomy	"This is the newest generation of NBC Protection equipment, specifically designed to filter out the Red Death. You have 12 hours of air under heavy viral load levels. 24 under normal operational parameters. Let me be clear, you *will* be operating in the Red Zones. If your suit is breached, you *will* die. This plague is 100% lethal and if you come into contact with it. . . I'll do the...
[23:46]	IcePickLobotomy	...merciful thing and shoot you, and I'd expect the same for me."
[23:55]	IcePickLobotomy	He looks you each in the eye and seems satisfied. He pulls out a map of New York, marked by red circles of carrying shades, and each exit to the city is marked by a thick, red line. "This is the Red Line. Nothing passes this line without our authorization. If /anyone/ , and I do mean anyone tries to, you kill them. Man, Woman, child, your mother, your son, your wife, the president of the...
[23:55]	IcePickLobotomy	...united states himself, anyone who tries to pass this line dies. Brazil fucked this up and now we're dealing with their mess. Most of you will be sent to oversee checkpoints and ensure that the local forces are. . . doing their duty. If any of you have any issues with this, I will find alternate duties for you, and if any of you fail to uphold this, it will be the last thing you regret."
[23:57]	IcePickLobotomy	"The rest of you however, will be with me for sanitation duty within the Red Zones. Any questions?"
[23:58]	JohnH	swallows hard, grim thoughts passing through his mind
[23:59]	JohnH	has no questions, knowing that they will likely just cause frustration
[00:00]	IcePickLobotomy	He picks a handful of people at random, including you, for Sanitation duty.
[00:01]	JohnH	lets out a slight sigh of relief, knowing he won't have to risk shooting people
[00:05]	IcePickLobotomy	You stop at the armory, several members of the unit brag flame-throwers, about 1 in 6, while the rest take up assault rifles. All of you take several incendiary grenades. Loaded for bear, you step up to the flight deck. The air is cold, with a thin film of rain that serves only to somewhat obscure the sky-line, and the several pillars of smoke snaking out from the city. You divide up into...
[00:05]	IcePickLobotomy	...black-hawks, several heading out to the checkpoints, while yours and a Sargent Ramirez head for one of the Red Zones. There isn't much side chatter between the others, aside from equipment checks.
[00:08]	JohnH	has a bit of an internal grin as the cold metal of the flamethrower rests in his hands "Good to go" he says, as weapon checks go on
[00:08]	IcePickLobotomy	"Someone sounds eager," your neighbor, Pvt Smith, observes.
[00:10]	JohnH	"About as eager as I can be given the situation"
[00:10]	IcePickLobotomy	"Fair enough, though between you and me? Better you than me."
[00:11]	JohnH	"You're here with me, don't think you got off so lucky"
[00:13]	IcePickLobotomy	"Least we got these new suits." he gestures down below to a checkpoint. "Those poor fucks ain't got 'em. And the normal gear's about as effective as pissing in the wind so far as the Red Death is concerned."
[00:14]	IcePickLobotomy	"Hell, I heard that one of the first to die was a guy in a full bio-hazard suit working through one of those boxes with the gloves stuck in the side."
[00:14]	JohnH	"You sound like you've been into this already"
[00:14]	IcePickLobotomy	"
[00:14]	JohnH	(the rhetoric has me on the edge of my seat)
[00:15]	IcePickLobotomy	"I did clean-up in Houston before I got sent here." He trails off "80% Infection rate for us, even past the gear. Half the unit deserted, other half died, and what's left got transferred here."
[00:16]	JohnH	remains silent
[00:17]	JohnH	a grim look on his face
[00:17]	IcePickLobotomy	"Masks on people, we're entering the Yellow Zone."
[00:20]	IcePickLobotomy	The chopter passes through a column of smoke emerging from a gutted apartment block. Smooth gestures to a dark and empty street. "There it is, Red Zone 17. You know why it's so important we clear these out?"
[00:21]	IcePickLobotomy	His voice is muffled, almost inhuman, through the mask, but still clearly understandable
[00:21]	JohnH	"Not a clue" John finds it harder to talk
[00:24]	IcePickLobotomy	"Simple. The plague clusters. The viral levels spread out in a linear fashion from a single point. Closer you are, the more likely you'll catch it, farther away less likely. You burn out a node and the surrounding area's load drops. . . at least until another node pops up. You can tell the nods by the collections of dead and Stage 3's." The helocopter starts to descend, and he points to a...
[00:24]	IcePickLobotomy	...building on the other end of the street, several half-rotted corpses lay on the front steps. "Like that one there, that's a node. We'll be burning that and the surrounding buildings down."
[00:24]	JohnH	"Are there any civilians in there?"
[00:26]	IcePickLobotomy	"Well, at least half of those bodies are still alive I reckon. They look fresh. Not like it matters though, orders are orders." The copter sets down and the men begin to clamber out. The tank on your back sloshes in anticipation.
[00:26]	JohnH	(the tank sloshes in anticipoation.)
[00:26]	IcePickLobotomy	(No, it's anticipation)
[00:28]	JohnH	(fucking fite me)
[00:29]	IcePickLobotomy	(COme on, let's get back on track here.)
[00:29]	JohnH	(waiting on you)
[00:29]	JohnH	(unless you want me to set to work)
[00:29]	IcePickLobotomy	(Nah)
[00:31]	IcePickLobotomy	You move forward as a group, the rifleman keeping a sharp eye out even here. The street is empty and quiet. You can hear the distant crack and chatter of rifle reports in the distance, but here it is silent. You step past a car, and step into something warm and mushy, sinking past your ankles.
[00:34]	JohnH	cringes
[00:35]	JohnH	risks a glance down
[00:38]	JohnH	I mean
[00:39]	JohnH	(redact that)
[00:39]	IcePickLobotomy	You step in a plague victim, Stage 3 without a doubt. The skin on their face has mostly liquefied by now, along with a patch running the length of their right arm, the bone peaking out in the air. As has their sternum, which you stepped in, the warmth of necrotic flesh and liquefied organs is distinct through your boots, and you are quite glad for the gasmask at this point.
[00:39]	IcePickLobotomy	Then you notice the shallows, weak, rise of their chest. They're still alive.
[00:44]	JohnH	knows that the flamethrower won't do it in time, so he calls a squadmate over to end the poor soul before torching the lot
[00:46]	IcePickLobotomy	The sharp report of from the rifle, followed by a quick squeeze of Agent-Blue sees the now-dead corpse burning away. Smith waves you over. "There, that building needs to go." He points to the same red-brick apartment block you saw on the way in, the floor and steps littered with the rotting bodies of the dead and dieing. "Stevenson and his men are out back in case anyone tries to get clever...
[00:46]	IcePickLobotomy	...after you set the fire.
[00:48]	JohnH	nods, trying not to think about whoever could still be inside as he squeezes the nozzle
[00:50]	IcePickLobotomy	A long stream of blue fire leaps forth, consuming the bodies and ground floor before you move it up through the open windows and roof. A minute later you hear the chatter of automatic gunfire from the other-side. You see movements as someone rushes through the doors, their body covered in flames. They make it 2 steps before 3 men open up on them with their rifles, the body jerks back,...
[00:50]	IcePickLobotomy	...sending a spray of blood and flaming flesh before it collapses onto the ground.
[00:52]	JohnH	tries to justify this by knowing that he is ending suffering
[00:55]	IcePickLobotomy	The rest of the day passes much the same, a haze of smoke, fire, and blood. 3 more Red Zones are cleared out by your unit. You return to the carrier in the later afternoon, the suns fading rays filtering past the sky scrapers and smoke to cast the ground in a somber, reddish-yellow glow. The captain is waiting for you. "Sargent, how did things go?" he asks. "Went well Sir, rookies are a tad...
[00:55]	IcePickLobotomy	...shaken up but that's expected. They did well." He jerks his head in your direction. "That one most of all, took fire-duty the whole time without complaint." The Captain turns to you. "Is that so? Tell me, what do you think of your work today son, permission to speak freely and off the record."
[00:57]	JohnH	"Off the record, sir, this was unexpected."
[00:58]	JohnH	"I have a hard time burning innocent civilians. I know what we're doing is right, but it's not easy."
[01:00]	JohnH	"I just hope that we won't be condemned for this"
[01:02]	IcePickLobotomy	"Good, it never should be easy son. And if it's ever too much you're free to leave. No black marks on your record, just a classified service file and a letter of commendation from me for services above and beyond the line of duty." He pulls the mask of. "You understand why we ain't getting any medals out of this, so that's the most I can offer."
[01:03]	JohnH	nods "I understand sir"
[01:03]	IcePickLobotomy	"Good. Go get some rest, you and the rest of your team are off duty for the next few days baring a emergency. Go pray, drink, or whatever it is you need to do to cope."
[01:04]	JohnH	"Drink, eh? After this, I might give that a try..."
[01:04]	IcePickLobotomy	"I'm sure you'll be able to find something while I look out at the sea for the next few days."
[01:06]	JohnH	"Sounds good sir."
[01:06]	IcePickLobotomy	JohnH: You drink well into the night with some of the others. And then you dream. You dream of Strange Vistas and Starless Skies.
[01:07]	JohnH	(sexy)
[01:07]	IcePickLobotomy	Your eyes flicker open, you're in your bed.
[01:07]	IcePickLobotomy	And something else occurs to you.
[01:07]	IcePickLobotomy	The Captain was your father.