IC-GOLD-Sanctuary(Drake/Evans/Rourke/older characters)
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:18 am
Z-Day - 2:28 PM Mountain Time - Warren Air Force Base, west of Cheyenne, Wyoming
In the Stryker-
Inside the Stryker M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicle were nine people dressed head-to-toe in orange Racal suits. Six of them were USAF Security Forces personnel whose job it was to secure the gate during the brief period of time when it would be open, and to disarm and escort the civilians. The other three were members of the quarantine clinic's medical staff. Captain Isaac Drake was a skilled surgeon who was used to operating under fire in Afghanistan and Iraq in similar vehicles, but the current situation was like nothing he had ever experienced. Now his home was the battlefield, and this base was one of the last bastions of civilization after only a dozen or so hours of chaos. Assisting him was Lt. Sara Evans, a nurse who often worked with him in the operating room. She was also in charge of the nursing staff, and had chosen to come rather than put one of the other nurses at risk. The last person on the Stryker was Airman Catherine Rourke, who served as an orderly. She had volunteered for this duty too. This was the first time today she was going off-base, even if it was just outside the gate. She had also eagerly volunteered to be sent to the motel from which the incoming survivors had fled, but had been turned down - more due to lack of space on the helicopters than anything else. There had been no room for anyone who wasn't part of the communications team, the medical research staff, or the Security Forces troops. The only open spot had been given to Javier Ramirez. In a way, Catherine had been lucky. Of all of the people who had been sent out to the motel directly from Warren, only Zorie Spooner had survived.
The rumbling of the gate sliding open could be heard from within the compartment, and the Stryker began to slowly roll forward. It performed a U-turn and then backed up. "Please remain where you are," said the driver from a loudspeaker on the vehicle. "Keep your distance from the barricade while we move it aside, and keep your weapons pointed away."
After a minute, there was a shotgun blast, apparently the infected person they had been told about killing himself. Then the SF sergeant opened the rear exit, which became a ramp leading down to the asphalt of Randall Avenue. Then he led his squad outside and wheeled the barrier blocking the road aside. After a short wait, the squad returned with four people in tow. Zorie Spooner, in an orange suit identical to theirs, was helped up the ramp by Airman Frank Hodges. Lt. Rebecca Doolittle came aboard next, glad to finally be back on base after many harrowing ordeals and brushes with death. Senior Airman Roger Coltrane brought up the rear.
"Let's get moving!" shouted the SF sergeant. "We've got hostiles incoming, so make it snappy!" He closed up the ramp and took his squad to the side of the road. He waved his arm, and the Stryker began to roll forward, back through the gate and into the base.
"Sir," said Lt. Doolittle, saluting Captain Drake. "Lt. Rebecca Doolittle reporting for duty."
"As you were, Lieutenant," said Dr. Drake. "I'm Captain Isaac Drake. I'd like to introduce Lt. Sara Evans, my senior nurse, and Airman Catherine Rourke." He indicated each woman in turn.
"Senior Airman Roger Coltrane, sir," said Coltrane, saluting. He nodded to Lt. Evans. "Ma'am."
"I'm Zorie Spooner," said Zorie, lying down on one of the gurneys.
"You're going to be all right, ma'am," said Sara Evans. "You're in the best of hands."
On Randall Avenue-
David started up his semi again and followed the Stryker as soon as it started moving. Amanda drove behind him on her Harley, waving for her son Keith and Melinda to follow in his truck, and for Colin in his. Lisa slid into the shotgun seat of Colin's truck. "Let's get inside already," she said. As if to accentuate her point, the snipers inside the base began to fire at the lurching figures in the distance to the northwest that were getting ever closer. The Stryker rolled through gate and into the base, heading straight ahead past the intersection with Missile Drive, which went southwest, and Central Avenue, which went northeast.
In the Stryker-
Inside the Stryker M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicle were nine people dressed head-to-toe in orange Racal suits. Six of them were USAF Security Forces personnel whose job it was to secure the gate during the brief period of time when it would be open, and to disarm and escort the civilians. The other three were members of the quarantine clinic's medical staff. Captain Isaac Drake was a skilled surgeon who was used to operating under fire in Afghanistan and Iraq in similar vehicles, but the current situation was like nothing he had ever experienced. Now his home was the battlefield, and this base was one of the last bastions of civilization after only a dozen or so hours of chaos. Assisting him was Lt. Sara Evans, a nurse who often worked with him in the operating room. She was also in charge of the nursing staff, and had chosen to come rather than put one of the other nurses at risk. The last person on the Stryker was Airman Catherine Rourke, who served as an orderly. She had volunteered for this duty too. This was the first time today she was going off-base, even if it was just outside the gate. She had also eagerly volunteered to be sent to the motel from which the incoming survivors had fled, but had been turned down - more due to lack of space on the helicopters than anything else. There had been no room for anyone who wasn't part of the communications team, the medical research staff, or the Security Forces troops. The only open spot had been given to Javier Ramirez. In a way, Catherine had been lucky. Of all of the people who had been sent out to the motel directly from Warren, only Zorie Spooner had survived.
The rumbling of the gate sliding open could be heard from within the compartment, and the Stryker began to slowly roll forward. It performed a U-turn and then backed up. "Please remain where you are," said the driver from a loudspeaker on the vehicle. "Keep your distance from the barricade while we move it aside, and keep your weapons pointed away."
After a minute, there was a shotgun blast, apparently the infected person they had been told about killing himself. Then the SF sergeant opened the rear exit, which became a ramp leading down to the asphalt of Randall Avenue. Then he led his squad outside and wheeled the barrier blocking the road aside. After a short wait, the squad returned with four people in tow. Zorie Spooner, in an orange suit identical to theirs, was helped up the ramp by Airman Frank Hodges. Lt. Rebecca Doolittle came aboard next, glad to finally be back on base after many harrowing ordeals and brushes with death. Senior Airman Roger Coltrane brought up the rear.
"Let's get moving!" shouted the SF sergeant. "We've got hostiles incoming, so make it snappy!" He closed up the ramp and took his squad to the side of the road. He waved his arm, and the Stryker began to roll forward, back through the gate and into the base.
"Sir," said Lt. Doolittle, saluting Captain Drake. "Lt. Rebecca Doolittle reporting for duty."
"As you were, Lieutenant," said Dr. Drake. "I'm Captain Isaac Drake. I'd like to introduce Lt. Sara Evans, my senior nurse, and Airman Catherine Rourke." He indicated each woman in turn.
"Senior Airman Roger Coltrane, sir," said Coltrane, saluting. He nodded to Lt. Evans. "Ma'am."
"I'm Zorie Spooner," said Zorie, lying down on one of the gurneys.
"You're going to be all right, ma'am," said Sara Evans. "You're in the best of hands."
On Randall Avenue-
David started up his semi again and followed the Stryker as soon as it started moving. Amanda drove behind him on her Harley, waving for her son Keith and Melinda to follow in his truck, and for Colin in his. Lisa slid into the shotgun seat of Colin's truck. "Let's get inside already," she said. As if to accentuate her point, the snipers inside the base began to fire at the lurching figures in the distance to the northwest that were getting ever closer. The Stryker rolled through gate and into the base, heading straight ahead past the intersection with Missile Drive, which went southwest, and Central Avenue, which went northeast.