Thread: Beginning Of The End (Xavierroll & IronMaiden24)

Xavier's opening post, moved it from PMs to the right place It all happened so fast it was hard to tell where it started. People just started getting sick and dying and it seemed like it had traveled across the globe before the various governments began taking it seriously. We listened and watched the various reports of events around the world with a feeling of helplessness. Widespread panic began to break out as hospitals around the world were overwhelmed with the sick and dying. We were insulated from it all, for a while at least. Until we got the call to evacuate the embassies. As our ship steamed up the Adriatic sorties went out to the various Capitals evacuating all 'non-essential' personnel. Mostly family members like wives, and children. The mood was somber but still under control though unrest was beginning to break out, the local governments were holding things together. We were careful to screen all those we brought for fever or any signs of the illness. We thought that would be enough, but we were wrong. We had hardly gotten the civilians onto a transport for the trip back home when the first Marines began to fall ill. Before we knew it sick bay was beginning to fill up, then the first deaths came. This wasn't a disease for the old and frail, these were healthy fighting men. The world was beginning to fall apart, even in the states there was trouble. Panic was setting in and it was bringing out the worst in people. My squad, well what was left of my squad, was tasked with security for evacuating everyone from the embassy in Sarajevo. It was pretty rare for an embassy to be completely evacuated, it was like the fall of Saigon or something like that. As we flew in we could see fires burning all around. There were a few mob scenes that we could see, though it would have been worse but for all the sick and dying. It seemed like I was the only healthy member of the group though I kept quiet about it. Even the pilots seemed to be falling ill which made me a bit nervous. As we landed in the embassy compound only a handful of the staff was there ready to go and they looked like hell. We set up a perimeter and waited while all the staff was gathered onto the birds. As we looked out it was like nothing we had ever seen before. Those that were still well enough were looting and taking anything useful and edible for themselves. It was like a free for all, the last death thralls of civilization. There were gunshots in the distance but no one challenged us directly. It was a good thing too, most of my men were about whipped, one even delirious. Once we got the all clear we headed back to the last bird. I carried the worst of my men on my shoulders, several others getting help from the healthier ones. We were a pretty sad looking fighting force, but somehow I still felt fine. From the back, I couldn't see the blue waters of the Adriatic coming into view but I could smell it in the air. I always felt a bit safer over the water, probably because that is where our ships were. But when the second pilot started to lose it that feeling of safety disappeared. We could feel the bird begin to drop off sideways. Several Marines tried to take the controls but flying a helicopter isn't like a video game. We were going down, that much was clear. I don't remember any of it, but I was thrown clear just before the Super Stallion burst into flames. A quick and violent death for my comrades, perhaps better than what would have otherwise been in store for them. I lay face down unconscious safely clear of the wreck, but surely the thick black smoke of the burning fuel would attract someone.