NationStates Jolt Archive

Undercover of the pitch-black that is a Cruxgrad evening, the non-descript aeroplane could clearly be heared. A curfew had been placed on citizens nearest the airport with double the number of SDC's patrolling the fencing. Occasionally one of the searchlights would pick up a beggar, but otherwise the evening was quiet.

"General Marx, the ambassadorial plane has made contact, should we light up the runway?"

"Yes." General Marx was pensieve to say the least. If anything were to go wrong it could look very bad for Cruxgrad, explaining the purpose behind such an order would be difficult at the least.

The runway was suddenly illuminated by a series of red lights, showing over a mile of landing space. In the distance, Gregor was positive he could see a blinking light.

"How much longer until arrival?"

"Approximately three minutes, General."

Gregor nodded.

****

From the control tower, Gregor watched the plane being unloaded. Crate after crate of what he presumed to be the Truth Serum was being taken to one of the hangers, 5-ton trucks waiting inside for the cargo. It took quite some time to move the crates of truth serum into the hanger, but it was clearly complete for even now the sound of the hanger being closed rang out into the night.

****

Kaimer wiped the sweat from his brow and looked over at Juhnov. They were both nothing if not nackered, yet there were still another set of crates. Heading up the rear ramp, followed closely by Juhnov and a few of the other lads, he flicked on his torch.

[DANGER]
[FRAGILE]
[CAUTION]

Red stamps were plastered everywhere over the crate, causing him to snort. The Government had imported so much stuff with similar stamps that it meant little to him now.

"Right lads! Careful moving these crates to the dolly!" Best to be on the safeside, it was best not to trust anything brought in by the Military, especially if what arrived wasn't what they had been told originally. Looking shiftily, he was only too aware of the volume of SDC's standing around him.

"CAREFUL!" His below came too late, Milhilov had just dropped his end of the crate. The sound of splintering wood was not what concerned Kaimer though, it was the sound of breaking glass.

At once Milhilov and Juhnov let out a scream and clutched at their heads, causing everyone to back away cautiously, but already others had begun to do the same. Now what was that smell? Kaimer would never know.

****

Gregor watched as the men failed to leave the plane. Turning to the controller, he asked simply and as politely as he could: "What the fuck are they playing at? We have a deadline!"

"Uh, I'll ask the pilot, General." Reaching to the microphone, "Ambassadorial carrier, what is the status of the work crew?"

Ksssshhhhhtt-

"Ambassadorial carrier? Ambassadorial carrier, are you there? What is the status of the work crew?"

Ksssshhhhhtt-

"No answer, General..."

Gregor frowned. "Blue alert. I want that plane lit up now, bring in the SDC's from outside the gate..."

"General?"

"Do not question it." Gregor had a horrid feeling that the absence of communication from the Ambassadorial plane could only mean something had gone terribly awry.

As soon as blue alert was ordered, the patrolling SDC's poured into the airport landing strip, surrounding the plane. Spotlights were trained onto the craft and all doors, as well as the electrified gates, had been sealed. As two of the SDC's members approached the plane, they began to clutch at their heads and writhe in agony, their hands clawing at their motor-cyle styled helmets.

"Hold your fire!" Their commanding officer raised one hand up, each member raising up their own P-17.

Within seconds the men had dropped to the floor, clawing at themselves. Movement could be heard inside the plane, but no one dared move any closer. A helmet was torn off after much struggling to reveal the insane look of the wearer.

"What the f-" The command opened fire on the SDC as he charged, forthing at the mouth at his former colleagues. Several men too near to the plane suddenly clutched at their heads. "Everyone move back! I went a good hundred feet between us and that plane!"

Quickly obleiging, though many had already carried out the order prior to it being given, the SDC's dropped back, making a wider circle. The other infected SDC had by now torn off his helmet and was feasting on the flesh of the fallen infected man.

Bloodied and ragged, five of the work-crew ran from the plane, each one had huge chunk torn from their flesh by teeth and looked completely insane. Looking around, they studied the SDC's then sprinted at them; despite taking horrific injuries from the highly amounts of plastic bullets, they kept running. Three had fallen, coughing blood, when two lunged into a pair of SDC's, yet those three were replaced by the three infected SDC's.

****
Fire fighting had broken out down below. "Those men attacking the SDC's, traing the MG's on them and fire!" Gregor watched as the shells tore through the infected and those who were too close with equal ease.

"I want that whole area quarantined for the next four hours. Get a decontamination team down here immediatly but give no more details. Once you have done then, try and get a head count, I want to know how many we have lost and preferably, who."

"Yes General!"

This was very shoddy service, he could only hope nothing had been seen by anyone. To be safe... "And order more SDC's to go through the local neighbourhood with a fine-toothed comb asking if anyone saw anything. They have orders that anyone who saw or heard anything unusual here to be brought for further questioning."

"Yes General!"

Media control was not yet complete, this could not be leaked, it would be an international scandel.

OOC: Damn fine writing, lad. Very good.

(OOC: Thanks alot, I appreciate that :D )

The plane was being vigorously hosed down by the d-c boys, the quarantined SDC's were now being treated for shock and the corpses were burning at the bottom of the runway. Gregor nodded approvingly, Kortz had done well with his boys, got them trained up better than the army in parts.

"General, we lost thirty-five men, twenty-eight of those were SDC's." The tiny airport official looked highly intimidated, clearly knowing the General's political might.

Gregor swore, "Very well, send a private report of these events to Minister Kortz, if he wants to tell the Imperator... well, better him than us, eh?" He offered a warm grin, though he was fairly sure it just seemed sinister, oh well.

Without warning a van screeched to a halt. Two men leaped out of the back and began to furiously photograph the decontimination process while a side door had opened and a woman was standing with her back to them, she must be reporting to a camera.

"Stop them! Disable the van!" Up on the nearest watch tower the sounds of machine gun fire tore the night. One of the photographers dropped to the ground while the rest of the team dashed back into the van.

"What are you waiting for?!" A redundant order really, four SDC's had already run to their armoured cars while the side gate was drawn back slowly. If those photographs got out it could mean his career, damn those guards.

"You two on the tower!" He drew his pistol and shot up at one of them. A loud cry came, indicating a hit, followed by a shadow toppling over the edge. A sickening thud followed shortly. "Next time, keep your eyes open! Someone bring me that photographer!"

By the great God, let those SDC's chase down that reporting crew. "Well, what are you all doing?! Get this mess cleaned up, it will be dawn within the hour!" He began to gnaw on his knuckle, things were going very badly. Perhaps it was time to involve Zachis and Kortz.