Plight of the Senecan Preppers; Part One
As Fahrenheit Company traveled down Route 6, craters from missile strikes riddled side roads, and even parts of Route 6. The Ghost was out front of Fahrenheit Company's convoy, pushing felled powerlines, trees and debris out of the way. The O.P-D.S.A was proving its usefulness in the field as it helped the convoy carry on.
As the convoy reached the turn towards Seneca, the Ghost noticed a lone farmer tending to his field.
"Everyone halt!" He ordered, dismounting the tank once more. The Ghost, alone, made his way up the long gravel driveway of the farm, heading to speak to the farmer.
"Pardon my intrusion sir."
The farmer turned around and nearly had a heart-attack as this bulky suit of armor stood at such a close distance to him.
"AH! GOOD GOD!"
"Woah now, take it easy friend. I'm from Ottawa."
The Farmer looked at the Ghost with skeptical suspicion. The O.P-D.S.A had the Ottawan flag on it, and judging from the convoy, he'd journeyed with them. "What uh... What can I do for you?"
"What can you tell me about the current state of Seneca?" Inquired the Ghost as he ripped up the stump the Farmer had been trying to remove.
"It may seem like a dead town, but have a bit of patience and faith. It's far from dead." Said the Farmer dusting off his hands. "Try the high school if you're looking for survivors."
The Ghost nods, "Thank you sir." As the Ghost was about to leave, he turned back to the farmer. "What about you?"
"What about me?" Replied the Farmer hopping onto his tractor.
"Why stay out here?"
"No reason to leave yet. Come back this way once you've completed your mission, soldier."
The Ghost smiled and nodded, "Then why not come with us? We could use a guide." Said the Ghost to the Farmer. The man thought for a moment, then shifted his tractor into gear. "Tell your boys to follow me."
As the Farmer on his tractor, followed by the Ghost, made the turn onto the blacktop headed for Seneca, the Ghost motioned for the tanks to follow them. Once the Convoy caught up, the Ghost held onto the side of the lead tank as they descended the winding hill into Seneca. Once they'd reached the bottom of the road, the Farmer led them to Seneca High School.
"This is it, Seneca High School." Said the farmer.
"Thank you." Said the Ghost as he signaled for the tanks and troops to move towards the High School. However, as they began pushing forwards, the concrete began cracking as the weight of the O-61s was too much for it to handle. "Woah, hold up." Called the Ghost, halting the tanks.
"Tanks are just too heavy G of O. What's the plan now?" Asked General Daniel.
"We go on foot. Weapons up, be ready for anything. We have no idea what's here. I need Keegan and his men with me, General Daniel and his pick of men too. In the meantime, everyone else remains on guard. Nothing in or near our vehicles. General Allen, you're in-charge while we're investigating the school."
With a nod from Roger Allen, the Ghost's team pushed up on foot into the school. As the Ghost ripped the doors off of the building, the removal of the doors triggered a trap, releasing a grenade from the ceiling that landed at the Ghost's feet.
"GRENADE!" Yelled the Ghost as he used the O.P-D.S.A's anti-concussive-blast, drop barrier to shield everyone. The blast shot shrapnel everywhere except into the soldiers. The drop barrier had done its job as not one of the Ottawans or Morrisians was injured or hit. As the Ghost removed the damaged barrier and tossed it aside, a green laser rifle sight appeared from the darkened halls of the school.
"FREEZE! NOBODY MOVE! THIS IS THE OTTAWAN DEFENSIVE RECOVERY TEAM! IDENTIFY YOURSELVES!" Called out General Daniel. As a moment passed, a figure moved towards them, hands raised, a rifle slung around their neck.
"FREEZE! I SAID IDENTIFY YOURSELF!"
The figure stopped and called out in response to Daniel, "I'm US Marine Reserve, Gunnery Sergeant Hoge. I am putting my weapon on the ground and kicking it over to you."
After a moment, an M16 skittered across the linoleum-tile floor towards Daniel.
"Is there anyone else in there with you?" Asked Keegan.
"Yes and no. There are others in the building, just not near me."
"Alright, we're coming in." Said Daniel as he ordered everyone up.
As they pushed inside, the Ghost picked up the Gunnery Sergeant's M16 and handed it to General Daniel.
"What are you doing here Marine?" Asked the Ghost, turning to face the man.
The Marine looked the O.P-D.S.A up and down for a brief moment, then spoke to the Ghost. "Patrolling."
Daniel moved towards him. "Look here, I'm General Daniel Mateo of the Ottawan Defensive Recovery Team. I know it sounds odd, but that's the way we split up."
"There are more of you?" The Gunnery Sergeant asked.
"Yes, we're looking for any survivors. Know where we can find them?"
"Yeah, but that's something on a need to know basis. Seeing as you're not from here, I can't say."
Daniel was about to speak when the Ghost stopped him. "General Allen, I need you in here."
After a moment of waiting, Roger Allen walked into the school.
"Everything alright Ghost?" He asked as he made his way to the group.
"Yea, just have a US Marine here. He's refusing to give up information. You could try to..."
Before Roger got the chance to speak to the Marine, the Ghost of Ottawa stepped in.
"Gunnery Sergeant Hoge, I am now known as the Ghost of Ottawa, former US Army. General Roger Allen there, served in the US Army during the Vietnam conflict. We both can understand holding the location if it has to do with safety and security. However, I am the leader of the New Ottawan Coalition, and I mean the people you are protecting, no harm."
The Gunnery Sergeant breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god. I thought you were soldiers of Mr. Bucketts."
"Mr. Bucketts?" Inquired the Ghost and General Allen.
"You see, in the time before things hit the fan, Senecans believed they were ready for anything. Hell, I believed them. That call changed about a month before everything turned to shit. Some big billionaire decided to move here. At a town hall meeting, someone let it slip that we were doomsday preppers. Bucketts bought the goddamn bunker located beneath this school. Once the US collapsed on itself with the missile strikes, Bucketts demanded "Fair Compensation" for entry into quote "his bunker". He took everything those who did enter had. To my knowledge, they're all still down there. It's just myself, Old Farmer Maierhofer... which it seems you've brought with you, and Tom Buchanan, head of the preppers."
As the two Ottawan Generals thought about what this Marine had said, the Ghost looked at Gunnery Sergeant Hoge. His gaze, even in the bulky armor, cut through to the marines soul. "Where is the entrance to the bunker?"
"Follow me."
As Hoge led them to the massive door in the "Off limits" section of the High School's basement, he shook his head.
"This door is designed to withstand a nuclear detonation. I'm not sure as to what your...." Hoge was cut off by the Ghost jamming his hand through the concrete floor. Everyone stepped back as he activated the O.P-D.S.A's advanced series of outer hydraulics. At first, nothing seemed to happen. However, Hoge's eyes bulged wide as the Ghost bent a massive slab of concrete away from the floor, revealing the top of the bunker's steel corridor.
As he pushed the slab out of the way, he recentered himself on the newly formed opening. The Ghost took his hands to the sides of his legs, where one particular attachment, of the armor's many hand attachments, bolted onto his hands. It was a diamond-tipped jackhammer Madie Sue had designed the armor for construction, demolition, defensive military action and natural disaster clean-up.
"Everyone, you need to get several feet away from me. Once I've made a hole, the weight of this armor will drop me into the bunker and anything within five feet of me if Dr. Sue's calculations for the suit are correct."
Once the team set up a rope system to lower themselves down into the hole, they all backed away to a safe distance. The Ghost fired up the jackhammers, and slammed them into the metal. It only took a few seconds for the armor's weight to overwhelm the steel, dropping the Ghost into the bunker below....