Blood On Our Hands (Red vs Blue)

Shot

I would never admit it out loud, but the forest creeped me up. The further and further we walked, the more and more bodies we found. Some where handing from the tree, lifeless eyes still wide open and dried blood down their bodies, maggots crawling around inside the inflicted wounds. After the first ten, I was done with examinint the bodies. My gut was suffering enough as it was, and I'm not a squeamish person. If I had to reach my hand down any other body's throat, I would throw up. Though I'm pretty sure CO's already been the first one to get that award.

I don't know where exactly we are, I never had the chance to ask. But the damned forest is one of the largest and most entangled mess of roots, branches, and whatever else that's growing in here that I've ever seen. I thought it was going to be a simple forest, you know, like the ones you would camp at during a trip up into the mountains, or a stroll through trails. Nope. We're stuck in this mess with a... clearly marked path leading north. I don't even know if we should be following it. For all I know, it leads straight into an Innie ambush at the end of it all.

And I doubt that would be the most ideal situation considering the state we're in.

I could tell all six of us were tired, our legs aching from the half walking, half obstacle dodging that we're pulling off, climbing over a giant mass of entangled roots, cutting through foliage that had grown across the 'path', and whatever else we managed to find on our 'trip'. Branches thwacking against my thighs and arms have even caused small little scratches that burn, more like a papercut more than anything else. I'm still surprised they managed to slice through whatever that material is. The... underarmour? I don't know. Not any more, that is.

The silence that settled over the group gave me to opportunity to silently converse with Zeta, something I haven't been able to do in hell knows how long. He's been quiet, real quiet, since the explosion, especially since I got out of the med bay and back into a not-so regular schedule with the others. It has me worried, in more way than one. When an AI like him is quiet, it can mean one of two things. Either A: he's thinking about something that's taking all of his concentration away from everything else, or it's B:

Something's wrong.

Z, are you sure something isn't wrong? No matter how many times I talk with him in my own head, it always feels weird, knowing the fact that he's in my head, and I'm talking to him. I know it's something that I should be used to now, after all the time I've spent with him and the rest of his siblings.

Nev, I'm alright. Simple reply, just like all the othetr times I've asked him the same question.

You would tell me if something was, wouldn't you? I couldn't help but be worried about the little guy. There's been a lot that we -all of us, really- have been through together. Stuff like that is what makes two people -in this case, machines and people- bond.

Of course I would, Neva. You know me. That's exactly what has me worried. I know the the little guy better than anyone -he's is in my head, afterall- and I know something has to be wrong. Maybe it's just my own personal worry, maybe he's worried about something or another. I don't know. But there's something that doesn't seem right, something that's just a tad bit off. Maybe it's just me, maybe it's just him. Or, maybe it's not.

I mentally sighed, closing my eyes under my helmet. Please, Z, just tell me if something's wrong. I guess this could be considered little more than pleading with an AI, basically begging him to tell me something, something that would keep my mind at bay for the time being. For at least a little while.

I will, Nev. You know me. That's exactly why I thought he was hiding something from me. I know him, better than anyone besides his own brother. He is in my head for god's sake, you would figure that I knew everything about the little guy by now. But I don't, and I doubt I ever really will. He didn't answer me, his presense leaving my ming. Logged off. I cursed under my breath, knowing he wouldn't come back online unless he wanted to tell me something.