RE: USS Special Operation - Antarctica Black Op

Resident Evil: USS Escort Operation Alpha
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Antarctic winds tumbled across Rockfort Island. They whispered between the buildings as if spreading secrets behind its many dark corners. The island had more than enough of them to spare between Umbrella and the Ashfords, letting the wind talk of a few likely wouldn't be a problem.

If it became one, Umbrella would most probably find a way to have it killed and/or infected with some viral mutation or wiped off the face of the earth with an explosion. It seemed to be their solution to everything. Thankfully if they were about to blow up the island for some insane reason, the Umbrella Security Service's Alpha team were already on a cargo plane heading away from the island.

Not that HUNK really cared about their methods, the job and the mission were all that mattered. Other than being his employers, he didn't really care what Umbrella did or didn't do. Although that standard only applied outside of himself and his team. if Umbrella did anything to jeopardise the security of his troops or his mission, he wasn't happy about it.

As he stood in the loading bay of the aircraft, HUNK was not happy. He had been instructed to safeguard the transport of a container from an Umbrella facility in Antarctica to Rockfort Island. That was about as far as information on the task went however.

Other than being told  it would be a B.O.W. capsule there was no indication of what particular kind of biological weapon was inside. Which also meant that in the event of an incidental release of the monster, neither HUNK nor his team would have a decent counter-strategy immediately available. Against the sort of nightmares the Umbrella Corporation liked to unleash, that could prove fatal.

Enthusiasm is not a word often associated with HUNK, if ever it could be. Needless to say, it was not an appropriate description of his emotional state during the assignment. He was not afraid, tense perhaps, as well as irritated, but not afraid. Fear could not be allowed, it could risk the mission's success.

Spec Ops were as the name implied, special, coincidentally, they were also HUNK and his team's speciality. The rest of his team, all four of them, were sat two on each side of the loading bay. Two standard troops, new to the group sat opposing one another. HUNK had not been on a mission with them before but orders were orders.

The other two that sat opposite one another were two soldiers he knew well. Hyde, the team's medic and M, another gun at his side and a skilled one at that. Hyde was a serious individual with reddish brown hair and eyes, he looked young for a thirty year old white male. He shared his name with a rather unfortunate fictional doctor and might as well have been fiction himself. Being a U.S.S. member, he was essentially a ghost to the general public and had ceased to exist in their databases a long time ago.

M sat opposite him, her brown hair fell just short of her shoulders and her green, almost blue eyes were locked on HUNK's back as he stood stoic during the journey. Caucasian, twenty six years of age, American and most definitely not a people person. Though she made exceptions to that rule for certain people.

Hyde and HUNK were two of them, possibly the only two. Even if HUNK never seemed to notice her, or if Hyde didn't ever seem to take his damned eyes off of her for two seconds. Even inside the plane's hold he still peered at her over the rims of his glasses. She was about to say something about it when the first rays of light slipped in from the loading ramp.

When the loading bay ramp of the plane lowered, the low hanging winter sun glinted off of the vermilion lenses of HUNK's gas mask. They had finally arrived at their destination. Once the ramp was fully descended, he glanced back at his team and indicated they should follow with a hand gesture.

The black uniformed team stood out like sore thumbs amidst the snowy plains of Antarctica, though the doctor in grey much less so. Even so close to the facility there was no escaping the blustery winds of the snowy southern desert.

The team could also look forward to an overnight stay at the facility. Between refuelling the plane and the one hundred and eight safety checks associated with the B.O.W. capsule, they weren't going anywhere for at least twenty four hours. By the time they'd be ready to leave in the same day, it would be nightfall but it would be far too dangerous to travel by night.

Clandestine operations vehicles didn't exactly have the luxury of visibility to avoid fatal crashes with other far less cloak and dagger transports. By night, the extreme weather would hamper travel poorly enough, but one chance encounter with another aircraft later and there'd be a monstrous bio-weapon stalking the tundra. As well as five dead members of the U.S.S. Alpha Team, HUNK most definitely would not be amused by that result. It would be a mission failure and definitely not something he could allow.

His team were met by a small group of Umbrella scientists, as well as their guards. Introductions were unnecessary, both groups were aware of their orders. Other than operating as initial points of contact to one another, they were to stay out of each others' way for the most part.  

The only additional involvement they would have with one another was for the U.S.S. to supervise the safety checks on the B.O.W. capsule, which were to be performed by the scientists. After a brief nod was exchanged between HUNK and the lead scientist, the two groups left the harshness of the tundra behind, for the protective walls of the facility.

The day begin with little in the way of eventful occurrences, first the U.S.S. Alpha Team were given a tour of the facility. Where they could and couldn't go within the facility was outlined during the process, most of the facility was available to them, but there were some exceptions.  

Alexander Ashford's Study was off-limits to the U.S.S., though the scientists were not permitted entry either unless summoned. Under ordinary circumstances they would not be permitted access to the worker's quarters either, but as the B.O.W. was currently stored there, an exception was made.

When they were led around the facility, HUNK couldn't help but feel that a certain aspect of the building hadn't been shown to them. Umbrella had their secrets, of that he was more than aware, but between the lack of information on the B.O.W. and what he guessed was a secret chamber, his unease over the mission only grew greater. He decided he would outline his discontent in his report after the mission was completed, politely of course, anything else would be unprofessional.

They arrived at the room containing the B.O.W. capsule about one hour thirty minutes after they landed at the facility. Upon laying his eyes on the capsule, HUNK's unease deepened. Providing an escort for a B.O.W. container was not the sort of thing his team would normally be found doing.

Transporting such vessels was easy work, with minimal risk. Umbrella's experiments were so under the radar outside interference was almost impossible. At the most they would simply need someone to keep an eye on the container during transit, any grunt could accomplish that. Why the U.S.S. were drafted in for this particular escort, HUNK couldn't fathom, but something was unique about the capsule itself.

For starters it was suspended from a rig over a vast, industrial-size freezing unit. Obviously the capsule was going to be transferred inside another form of containment. It clearly needed to be kept cold almost constantly.

The vessel had only been lifted out of the freezer for the sake of safety checks and would need to be placed inside the freezer again for at least an hour before the checks could continue. They would be need to be performed sporadically throughout the day in between the periods of re-freezing.

So began the day's events, they had arrived at the facility at 9:42, having left Rockfort at 6:42 that morning. They were able to supervise the first few safety checks performed for only fifteen minutes before the capsule had to be lowered into the cooling chamber again. It was going to be a long day.

The total known population within the confines of the facility on that day was sixteen. The three scientists and two guards that greeted HUNK's team, HUNK's team themselves which added another five to the number, as well as the two pilots of the plane they arrived on and finally three technicians and an engineer that were already on site and waiting with the capsule.

The pilots had been instructed to remain on the plane and were not permitted within the facility. Only the U.S.S. and those already on site were granted any access to the base at all. Top secret operations and experiments don't stay secret if you let people come and go as they please.

HUNK had instructed the rest of his team to unwind for a while, dismissing them to another room while he stayed behind with the technicians and receive a full briefing on the capsule. His attempts to obtain additional information were fruitless however. All he managed to accomplish was to confirm what he already knew about the mission and a few of his theories, the scientists remained silent about the exact nature of the B.O.W..

There weren't any real guest quarters in the facility, secret bases hidden in Antarctica don't typically have visitors. As a result there was little in the way of leisure facilities to pass the time and a break room was essentially non-existent.

There were a few disused rooms with stray furniture, two in fact, so the four members of the team that weren't currently busy divided into pairs and picked a room. Hyde and M occupied one, while the new recruits chose another.

When M and the doctor were alone, they finally had a chance to discU.S.S. their mission.

"This doesn't feel right." Hyde stated, adjusting his glasses slightly.

"Didn't realise it was your job to state the obvious Hyde." M commented, sitting on a nearby sofa, removing her gun from its holster and placing it on the coffee table in front of her.

"I'm a doctor. We tend to do it a lot." Hyde replied dryly. "Oh so you dropped a metal crate on your toes and now it hurts to walk, you've got broken toes. See? Obvious."

"Oh doctor, you have me in stitches." M retorted flatly.

"Clever."

"I like to think so."

"You can think?"

"Apparently." M said. "Want to know what I'm thinking right now?"

"Something that I don't care about?"

"You know for a doctor, you have an awful bedside manner." M practically growled, her eyes narrowing in irritation.

"You're on a sofa..."

"Nice work having a sense of humour there."

"Not a part of my job description."

"Funny. Sitting next to a giant crate filled with some unholy abomination isn't part of my job description either. Now shooting them is an entirely different matter."

"You love your job too much."

"I get to kill stuff, what's not to like? Besides you obviously."

"Hilarious." Hyde sighed. "I still don't like the feel of this mission."

"Neither do I, but orders are orders. Besides, the commander is here, what could possibly go wrong?"

"You definitely place a lot of faith in HUNK don't you?"

"Not faith. Trust. He's got skill, that's all anyone ever needs."

"I know he's the best, but against whatever is in that crate, without a plan, I doubt even he would stand a chance."

"He'd still do a better job than you."

"I'm a doctor not a sharpshooter."

"Yeah, sharp definitely isn't how I'd describe your shooting."

"I'll remember that next time you need me."

"When do I ever need you?"

"When you're bleeding to death, same time everyone needs me."

"I'd rather take a bullet."

"That can be arranged."

"Good luck pulling that off without a gun."

"What are you talking about I have one right-" Hyde questioned as he glanced down to find his holster empty. "...here?"

When he looked back up M had a gun clutched lazily in her hand, but the gun she had placed on the table was still in front of her. It was more than a little obvious just where she had gotten the second weapon from.

"What? I just borrowed it." M smirked.

"How long have you had it?"

"Since we walked in here." She said, gripping the gun by the barrel and holding it out for Hyde to take.

"You are far too good at that." He sighed in reply, accepting the gun and placing it back into its holster.

"A compliment from you? I thought those only happened during outbreaks." M grinned, swinging her legs off of the sofa and walking over to the window.

Hyde walked up behind her, standing a little closer than M was comfortable with. He peered out of the window himself.

"What are you looking at?" He asked her, unable to spot whatever it was that caught her eye outside. The air was thick with snow flitting about on the wind, making visibility poor. She turned to face him again, taking a step closer to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. Hyde was surprised by this and so remained motionless.

"At the moment..." She whispered, cocking her head to one side slightly and looking at Hyde with an almost interested stare. The stare swiftly turned to a glare however and her eyes narrowed. "I'm looking at the ass who invaded my personal space." She hissed, releasing her arms from around his neck as she kicked him in the shin. It was only a tap, but her thickly lined boots made the impact a little more rough than she had intended.

Hyde cursed before seating himself on a nearby chair, glaring at M. She cocked an eyebrow at him before she returned to the window, looking at the same spot as before. The wind had calmed down for a while and her eye-line was clearer. She could see more easily now and spied six practice targets lined up in the yard outside.

"To answer your question." She said, turning back to Hyde and leaning on the window sill. "I thought I spotted some training targets while we were being shown were we could and couldn't go, like the obedient little dogs we are." She paused, glancing out of the window again. "It looks like they have a few set up. I might ask the commander to see if I can-"

She stopped speaking as her view changed from the window to the room again and she spotted the commander himself stood in the doorway. A few minutes passed with nothing but silence exchanged between the pair, until HUNK spoke.

"They've managed to complete forty five percent of all the necessary checks." He said calmly. "One of their machines that monitors the B.O.W. stopped operating after the most recent checkpoint, one of the technicians and the engineer took a look at it. According to her, it could take two hours to fix the machine."

HUNK paused for a moment. "They're keeping the capsule sealed in the freezing chamber till they can monitor it properly again. I've sent the new recruits to keep an eye on things and to notify me as soon as anything changes."

Footsteps in the hall caused HUNK to turn away from M and Hyde for a moment. The source of the footsteps was one of the new recruits to the team, the expression on his face didn't look promising.

"Sir." He said curtly with a salute.

"Soldier." HUNK acknowledged with a nod.

"The engineer and the technician would like to update their estimated time sir."

"Not good news then."

"No sir. They say it could take up to three hours to repair the machine."

"All right soldier, return to your post. If you have any updates for me, you will find me in the training yard."

"Sir." The new recruit replied, saluting before he walked away.

HUNK then turned his attention back to M and Hyde.

"As you heard, I'm going to train. Join me, if you need to practice." He said, looking at them both before vanishing into the hall. The pair were silent until M spotted HUNK in the yard outside, training his sights on a target.

"How long do you think he was watching us?"

"Who knows? Guy's like a ghost."

"He has his moments." M admitted. "Doesn't matter anyway, I think I'll go train as well."

"Are you serious? It's freezing out there, it was cold enough when we arrived." Hyde said, surprised. "I don't even want to imagine what it's like out there now."

"Harsh conditions are better for training. You never know what kind of territory we'll find ourselves in."

"You are way too dedicated to this job."

M didn't reply and simply cocked an eyebrow at him. She watched HUNK for a few more moments, impressed at his accuracy. He hadn't missed a shot yet, even with the wind and snow making conditions less than ideal for aim.

Eventually she walked over to the table and collected her own gun. She checked the slide capacity before holstering the weapon again. As she was leaving the room she looked back at Hyde for a moment.

"At least I'm good at mine." She smirked. M disappeared into the hallway before Hyde could offer a retort.

Shortly after she left he rose from the chair he was sitting in and stood by the window. He watched HUNK consistently land headshots on the training targets. A few minutes later, M stepped into the yard. HUNK glanced back and nodded to her to acknowledge her presence, then carried on shooting as if she wasn't even there.

"He makes it look easy." Hyde muttered to himself, eyes flicking from Hyde to M and back again. "You two enjoy your jobs far too much. Have fun freezing your asses off." He sighed, retreating to the sofa. Though with the sound of gunfire just outside the window, comfort was one thing he couldn't find.

Eventually he grew bored of trying to relax amidst the sound of gunshots and went to the window again. He kept himself entertained that afternoon by watching Hyde and M train together. HUNK seemed to never miss a single step, every shot delivered as calmly and accurately as the last. M was good, though occasionally her aim faltered, but only occasionally.

M stood calmly as she lifted her gun and aimed it at the target. Though in the time it had taken her to do that, HUNK had already fired three shots flawlessly into the heads of his own targets. M fired her own shot, striking the target directly between the eyes.

She then flicked her aim onto her other two targets, her second shot went straight through the forehead of one of the other targets, but her third embedded itself in the wall behind its own intended location. It had missed by mere centimetres.

HUNK continued his own practice and fired three shots himself. Each one hit the intended target between the eyes in quick succession. He even seemed to hit them more quickly than last time.

"You make it look easy sir." M said, looking over at her commander, though when he glanced back at her she quickly set her sights on the targets again.

"Practice." He replied simply.

M began lining up her shot again, more quickly than the last time. While she was doing that, she became acutely aware of the fact that she couldn't hear HUNK firing his own weapon. She glanced quickly to her right and realised that her commander had lowered his gun and was watching her intently.

She let out a few slow and calm breaths before returning to her practice. With HUNK watching her, she didn't want to miss this time. She squeezed off the first round almost as quickly as her barrel lined up with the target. The shot hit the target's forehead.

Her second shot was lined up and ready to fire almost a second after the last. One press of a trigger and a noise like thunder a second later and the second target found itself the benefactor of a brand new facial piercing directly between its eyes.

M's third shot was almost as good as the last two, though it was a little off course from where she wanted it to go. The shot was fired as quickly as the previous two. It found itself lodged where one of the target's eyes should be instead of between them.

Undeterred M lined up her shot once again, shooting the targets in reverse order that time. A bullet found itself between their eyes, each as quickly and accurately as the last. She lowered her weapon and glanced at HUNK.

He looked at her silently for a time. Before he could say anything though, his attention was distracted  from M to the doorway leading into the facility from the yard. One of the new recruits was walking out of it towards them.

"News?" HUNK asked.

"Yes sir. The machine is operational again. The on-site team are ready to continue."

"Good. Take the other recruit and get some rest. You're on night shift with me. I'll have the others take over from here."

"Sir." The recruit saluted.

"Dismissed." HUNK said, permitting the recruit to take his leave. He disappeared back into the building leaving M and the commander alone in the yard.

HUNK turned back to M, then glanced at the targets. He fixed her with a stare from behind his red lenses. Eventually he nodded his approval at her.

"You've got skill and potential. It's good to see you aren't wasting them." He said. "Walk with me."

"Thank you, sir." M replied, trying not to smile too obviously as the two of them walked back toward the facility.

"You and Hyde will take over supervision of the safety checks until nightfall. I will handle the duty of any further checkpoints and guarding the capsule with the recruits after that point." He stated as they stepped into the doorway. "Meet with Hyde in the workers quarters, I've already sent a messenger ahead to notify him."

"Sir." M responded with a salute.

HUNK looked at her silently for a time as they stood in the entryway to the base. "Practice." He said finally, walking off into the base.

Hyde was watching the exchange through the window, though he couldn't hear a word. It wasn't until one of the new recruits coughed politely behind him that he guessed the gist of the conversation.

"Doctor Hyde. Your presence is required alongside-"

"M. Obviously." Hyde stated, interrupting the recruit.

"Yes sir."

"I'm on my way." He sighed. The recruit left the room first and vanished into the chamber that he shared with the other recruit. A short while later, Hyde stepped out into the corridor and made his way to the worker's quarters. When he arrived he found M waiting for him.

"What took you so long?" She said.

Hyde just glared and stood beside her, watching over the safety checkpoints as they were performed. It was early in the afternoon when they began their watch of the capsule and were notified that the technicians had finished refuelling the plane. For the most part the rest of their time at the facility was uneventful. By the time the duties switched around at nightfall, eighty five percent of all the security checkpoints had been completed and accounted for.

The remaining fifteen percent was related to loading the capsule and its freezing chamber onto the cargo plane. It was agreed that such a task would be easier to perform the next day. The on-site team retired to their chambers for the night, while HUNK and the recruits kept a close eye on the freezing unit.

Before M retired to rest however, she went out onto the roof of the facility for a little while. The sky was pitch black, but illuminated by an uncountable number of stars. Though it was dark, the snow could still be easily seen and an icy breeze whispered across the land, stirring it up wherever it spoke.

She leaned on a railing and gazed out at the horizon. She hummed a tune quietly to herself for a time, it was a melancholy melody that seemed almost haunting at times. M eventually fell silent and after a short while she retreated inside of the facility, retiring for the night.

In the morning the scientists and technicians wanted to perform a few of the most important security checks again. This consumed a large portion of the morning but gave HUNK and the recruits time to recover from the night shift.

Eventually the capsule was loaded onto the plane inside of its freezer. It required its own large battery units to continue providing a  charge to it. With the final checks completed and their objective loaded on-board the vehicle, the U.S.S. left the base at 13:32. They began their journey back to Rockfort and arrived there with the B.O.W. At 16:32.