The Weird Story Bin

A lone squad from the Second Division at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, has been debriefed by the Pentagon concerning their current assignment. Their primary mission objective is to infiltrate the three dimensional equivalent of Level 50 in the puzzle game Psychopath, secure the perimeter and capture the finish point. Their secondary objective is to rescue any hostages or non-combatants found in the level, so long as it does not put their primary mission in jeopardy. They have classified orders to disregard rules of engagement and fire upon any imbedded terrorists within the area, regardless whether they are fired upon or not. In the event that the mission fails or any of them is captured the United States Government will deny any connection with the infiltration and the marines will be reported as having gone awal three days prior.

July 14, 2005 04:00 Hours

Squad Alpha-Gamma arrives over the drop point in an undisclosed area of Checkoslovakia. Upon landing they rendezvous with Sergeant Johnson and separate into three fire teams. Using stealth tactics, they follow Johnsons orders and Fire Team One proceeds to the left flank of level 50, while Fire Team Three proceeds to the right. Fire Team Two and Johnson are to set up demolitions behind the second black block from the right that's protecting the starting position of the level. After placing charges of Composition B on the upper and lower areas of the block, they break into two teams and fall back to the left and right flanks with Fire Teams One and Three. As soon as the rubble cleared from the explosion, Fire Team Two proceeded through the hole, flanked closely by Fire Teams One and Three, which took up positions on the left and right sides of the hole. Johnson ordered Craigg and McMillan forward to push on the first pink block in their path. The block slid forward with relative ease. They were then ordered left to push the block beside it down, while Johnson, Sullivan and Evans took up firing positions behind them. After pushing the block down, Fire Team Three was ordered inside the building and Fire Team One divided and filled in the exposed position left by Fire Team Three. Fire Team Three took firing positions behind Fire Team Two while they worked to push the pink block behind them up into the crevice. After clearing the block they realized that their intelligence had proven false, and there was another pink block in their path, instead of up in the crevice where it should have been. Johnson ordered both teams behind the corners of the nearest blocks while McMillan placed charges on the misplaced block. As soon as the all clear was called the block was blown and Fire Team Three proceeded into the hallway and paused before turning the corner to the left. Several shots rang out as an unseen enemy fired from the indention around the corner. Sullivan went in low as a distraction while Craigg whipped around the corner, popping off three shots and killing the Islamic terrorist instantly. Fire Team One was then ordered inside the building and continued to flank the squad, two of them on lookout towards the hole blown in the side of the wall, the other two facing inward as a rear cover for the other two Fire Teams. At this point Johnson decided it would be safer to blow the next pink block than to move the one beside it left and then moving the block down, taking the risk of losing marines to whatever threats might loom in the hallway beyond. His intuition paid off, for when the block was blown, before the rubble even cleared, a rocket whizzed past them and struck the opposing wall, killing Lieutenant Rogers and wounding Wilson, who were holding up the rear flank. Return fire was immediately discharged and the wielder of the rocket slumped to the floor, his head against the wall in a bloody mess. Wilson was ordered to stay where he was with Rodrigez and continue to hold the entrance, as only his right leg had sustained injuries and he was now incapable of proceeding any further. Fire Team Three was now ordered to take up position in the large indention below the recently blown block, while Fire Team Two proceeded cautiously forward toward the opposite end of the hallway. Near the end of the hallway Evans thought he heard a noise and signaled everyone back against the wall. He pulled out a grenade and lobbed it at the inner side of the pink block the dead terrorist was slumped against, and it bounced into the hallway beyond. Screams were heard split seconds before the immanent explosion, and an undisturbed silence followed. Johnson ordered McMillan to the upper corner to take up position behind the pink block, while he and Evans proceeded around the corner. No survivors remained. A large crater was left in the floor, and blood and entrails were covering the walls and surrounding floor. Johnson gave the all clear, and Fire Team Two proceeded forward down the hallway. The order was given for Fire Team Three to move up and take a flanking position behind Fire Team Two, as they approached the end of the hallway. McMillan and Evans then proceeded to push the pink block to their right inward, while Johnson and Craig covered them from both sides of the newly acquired entrance. To their surprise, as the block cleared the black one beside it, a snipers bullet whizzed through the gap, past McMillan's head, and struck Sullivan from Fire Team Three in the left shoulder. Johnson quickly dispatched the assailant, who was perched on top of a black block two spaces down. Sullivan signaled that he was fine, that his kevlar jacket had stopped the bullet and he had just had the wind knocked out of him. Fire Team Three moved up to the newly acquired position, while Fire Team Two proceeded forward once again. According to intelligence, the only way around the next pink block was by blowing it, so the charges were set, and the all clear was given. The block blew, sending chunks of rock flying in all directions, along with a new hail of bullets and a Rocket Propelled Grenade that struck the opposite wall and blew a hole in it. Through the new hole another rain of bullets started flying out at them. Johnson pulled a grenade and casually tossed it through the hole, eliminating the threat that was on the other side. Apparently though, the central power supply resided through that hole also, because as soon as the grenade exploded, all of the lights in the building shut off. Johnson knew this was to their advantage; they worked better in the dark anyway. He flipped down his night vision goggles and held up his hand for everyone to stay where they were. He was doing this next maneuver alone. He rushed into the hallway, weapon blazing on auto, and wiped out two terrorists in the attached area. Through his goggles he could see the bright streaks of tracer rounds flying past the area where he had been split seconds before. Evans moved up to give him some cover, as he leaned around the corner and dispatched the lone assailant. Seeing that the area was now clear, he ordered Fire Team Three forward and commanded them to take up positions on either side of the hall. They could now hear voices coming from around the corner, and electronic beeps and gurgles. Johnson gave the order for tear gas, and they put their sleek black gas masks into place, covering their faces. The gas grenade was tossed into the next room, and seconds after it went off they proceeded forward cautiously, dispatching enemy soldiers in their wake. When the gas cleared bodies littered the ground around them. McMillan lay on the ground, having taken a two bullets, one in the arm and one in the abdomen. He was breathing heavily, trying desperately to pull himself up. Cowering in a corner beside the finish point of level 50, was none other than Osama Bin Laden, covering his eyes with his hands and crying like a baby.

July 14, 2005 05:00 Hours

Having achieved their primary objective, the squad took up a command post at the finish point of level 50, and took it in turns going throughout the level on sweep and clear operations. In all they killed twenty-seven terrorists and found two hostages, both of whom were alive.

Upon returning to the United States, Johnson was awarded the purple heart for bravery in combat and the highest honors for the live capture of the coward terrorist Osama Bin Laden.

Here ends the story of the United States Marine Corp, Tactical Infiltration of Level 50.

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