Author's note: This is the first Hell is Underground story I have written and the sequel I am currently writing (and presented in the summary) is at Chapter 15. They are based on the same main characters and world, so I would advise reading the preceeding story below to get the full picture and best experience. The summary for this story is as follows:
Personnel are mysteriously disappearing from a geology research station on LV-493. Two junior agents from an elite anti-xenomorph security firm are hired to investigate. Aliens are involved, but they're like nothing anyone has ever seen before. Rated M for violence, language and sex. NOT FOR CHILDREN.
I have not received much in the way of feedback for this initial story and reviews are much, much appreciated. Pleased drop me a line and let me know what you think.
Many thanks,
Hoobajoo
Aliens: Hell Is Underground I
Chapter 1: Introduction
My name is Marcus Stanford.
I work for Proctor Osman Corp, known as "PROS" for short. It is a company that specializes in Xenomorph handling and security. Rescue missions, infestation eradication, seek and destroy missions, site rehabilitations, specimen capture and reconnaissance. Whenever there's a place that has a Xenomorph problem, PROS has a squad or squads that can handle it, or at least assist.
The company is a very elite and expensive outfit, with contracts mainly coming from big business exploration companies and mining conglomerates and government.
I work at PROS as a member of Blue squad. I joined 8 months ago.
My background is quite extensive in the military and police force. I started out as a police officer in Alarium, a large residential and farming district back on Mars. My arrest rates were high and I generally excelled at all the standard tests, both intellectual and practical. Fitness tests, fake hostage rescues and dispute resolutions, hand-to-hand combat and fire arms; I was easily above the average in all areas and was recommended by my senior officer to the Military where I applied for the Special Ops division back on Earth.
I was successful and passed the rigorous testing and training regimes after lots of hard work, earning me graduation honours. I saw action as part of the Russian Fracture conflict of 2254. Russia erupted into civil war as numerous states and ethnic minorities within Russia lobbied for independence and succeeded after a bloody campaign with the Russian central government. I was involved in a hostage situation, several assassinations, search and rescue missions and providing escorts for supply runs and officials which often came under fire. I had a personal kill tally of over 90 Russian rebels and was given several military badges and medals for my efforts. The highlight of which was getting a President's Cross (one of the highest awards you can get) after successfully infiltrating a rebel group as an under-cover operative to rescue a captured senior US diplomat.
However, towards the end of the conflict, I was shot and nearly killed by a sniper during a supply run escort. My leg was blown off above the knee, halfway up my thigh. I spent a month in the hospital as the doctors reattached my leg and spent another six months in rehabilitation learning how to walk again and strengthening my leg. I was left with quite a nasty looking scar right around my thigh, which medical insurance then enabled me to get skin grafted and smoothed, and is barely visible now.
The whole experience was very traumatic for me. Whilst I wanted to continue in my line of work, I was wary of being in active conflict again.
I became friends with a bouncer at a club one night and he introduced me to an agent for a security company. I then worked the next 3 years as a body guard for various rich and famous people, culminating in my preventing an assassination attempt on a popstar, a blonde haired beauty by the name of Angel Spencer. She was the hottest popstar of the decade.
A mafia gang attempted to kidnap her during one of her nights out with her girlfriends, when I was the acting bodyguard. I knew something was wrong when the lights in the club suddenly died. I ran to find Angel and she wasn't where she was supposed to be. I stormed out the back and saw her being bundled into a van. I jumped onto the back of the van as it sped away and managed to kill the driver and stop the vehicle. I also managed to kill all of the remaining assailants and rescue her, ironically, just as the photographer's came.
It was one of the most famous images of the time, a picture of me, half covered in blood, my clothes torn, cradling the near-naked and traumatised Angel in my arms.
Ironically, after that incident, Angel's representatives cancelled my contract and bound me with a gag order, not to talk about the incident or talk to the media about her. I didn't mind, since they paid me handsomely to buy my silence.
However, I had a difficult time after that incident trying to find new work. Although the gag order was in place, my name was leaked to the media and I became a celebrity of sorts as well. Angel's fans were especially grateful to me….. I never had any trouble seducing them. Angel herself was grateful and we dated for a short time. It was a whirlwind of sex, money, fine wine, fast cars, high society and infamy. I quit being a bodyguard at 32 to become a full-time man of leisure. I was a very rich man, after all.
Life was great, but I missed doing what I was best at. I woke up one morning feeling like shit after a big night. I looked back at the three sleeping naked women in my bed, but then looked down at myself and saw the onset of a pot belly.
I was angry at myself. I am a soldier, not a playboy.
I ditched my decadent lifestyle and threw myself hard into the gym. After a 4 month binge of weights, running and a strict diet, I was back in the best shape of my life. I was rippling with muscle, fit and fast again. I went to a shooting range and was glad to see my steady hand had not lost its edge at all.
An old friend of mine from back from the Russian Fracture days gave me a call and told me of his plans to apply for PROS. He wanted to join the elite organization and asked me to apply too.
We both applied, passed the aptitude test and were sent off somewhere for a hologram test exercise. I remember getting suited up, being given a pulse rifle and being sent out into a hologram simulation of a xenomorph infestation. The objective was to "rescue a scientist" on the other side of a maze whilst either avoiding or eliminating a swarm of holographic xenomorphs.
I remember the sheer fear and exhilaration I felt when I saw the first of the xenomorphs swarm over the maze's walls and tackle other applicants down, eliminating them from the simulation. My friend was lost in the mad scramble, as many applicants tried to stay and shoot them down. I knew better and darted down a maze corridor, I had memorised the way when they showed us a map before. I stopped at a T-junction as xenomorphs approached me from both sides. A woman bumped into me from behind as I drew up my gun. Barely looking at her, I simply barked at her to cover the left as I shot down the ones approaching from my right.
In only a few seconds we had torn them down and quickly proceeded further down through the maze. She was only a small woman, black hair and really lithe. Without even thinking about it, we were acting like a well co-ordinated team. She did a great job of covering me as I acted as point man, leading the way. Her aim with her rifle was inhuman.
Not long after, we successfully reached the end of the course, being marshalled into a safe area. Caught in the heat of the moment, elation and adrenaline coursing through my veins, I grabbed her and gave her a bear hug, screaming at the victory. I remember seeing her smiling, laughing wildly, returning the hug and cheering. We felt like we had just cheated death together.
Panting and sweating, the adrenaline surging as I started to calm down somewhat, I collapsed down onto a leather chair in the, as yet, empty debriefing room. The woman did the same, falling down next to me, giggling and sweating profusely.
She spoke first, "Nice work, friend. Looks like we both made it."
"Yeah, that was one hell of a test. I've never done anything like it. I was scared shitless out there!" I wasn't lying. I doubted I would be able to sleep for a while after that ordeal.
"Yeah, me too. I didn't realise how fast those things could move or how hard it was to get a bead on them."
"Bullshit! You were an amazing shot out there. You did a great job covering my ass!" I grinned at her.
Her eyes flashed at me as she undid her tight bun of black hair, sending it bouncing down to her shoulders and cascading across her face and blue eyes. "You did a great job leading the way! We're a fucking good team aren't we? We did great! Woo hoo!" She held up her hand for a high five.
I slapped her open hand with gusto and gripped it tightly. "Yeah, we are a good team." Our eyes locked for a moment and I seemed to forget where I was or what I was doing.
She seemed locked with me, but stammered through the awkward silence, "Um… I'm Mary. Mary Blazich."
I adjusted my grip on her hand to shake it like a proper hand shake, "Marcus Stanford."
"Pleased to meet you." Our eyes were still locked, I couldn't stop staring at her slate blue eyes. I felt like I was a goofy teenager meeting a girl for the first time.
"Yeah….." I smiled at her and she smiled back. I had to catch myself otherwise I swear I would have leaned in and tried to kiss her right there and then. Thankfully, a man in a suit broke my trance when he walked into the room. We both sat bolt upright and stared straight ahead.
He eyed us both, sensing what was going on, but proceeded anyway, "Well, Marcus Stanford. Mary Blazich. You were the only applicants to successfully complete the course. Congratulations. You are both graduate agents of Proctor Osman."
"Thank you, sir" we both said together in time, continuing to stare straight ahead.
The man in the suit crossed his arms as he slackened his posture, "I must say, I have never seen anyone team up and perform as well as you both did. You don't know each other do you?"
"No, sir." We both replied.
"Hmmm, well, the test is over, you can both relax now. Feel free to meet up with the other applicants through here and head back to the lockers to clean up. You'll be given further instructions from there. Dismissed." The man simply turned and walked out the door before we had a chance to reply.
Grinning at each other, we didn't say anything more as we filed out of the room and off to the lockers. It was disappointing to meet up with my friend and see the genuine sadness on his face. He had desperately wanted to get in, but he was obviously happy for me.
Fast forward 8 months and it has been a great time for me, exciting, in the company of many other men and women like me. Many of the people at PROS are ex-army, police or special ops of some sort. It was a vindication to have stepped up from baby sitting annoying celebrities to being at the top of the tree with these people. As I said previously, PROS is an elite organization, only the best get through due to the extremely hazardous nature of our line of work. I felt right at home.
The training I have endured so far has been extremely interesting and tough. Learning about xenomorphs, their tactics, physiology and life cycles. The way we handle xenomorphs is a far cry from the first encounters, usually at the hand of the Colonial Marines. My official training finished only a few weeks ago and Mary and I became active junior agents, ready for live missions.
Whilst I am a member of Blue Squad with 7 other members, it was common knowledge that Mary and myself were a damn fine duo. Every time we worked a xenomorph combat hologram exercise, we would pair up and perform the best compared to everyone else.
As in the application exercise, it always worked that I would act as point man, working up in front, deciding where to go and what to do and take the brunt of an attack in close quarters combat. She would hover behind me and provide infallible sniper cover. I remember one exercise where I had to hot-wire a door and she had to hold off a swarm of charging aliens behind me. I trusted her so completely, that I didn't even know until she told me after that an alien crept right up next to me as I worked in the door before she blasted it.
The other agents got wind of my celebrity status of having saved Angel and knew that she was my girlfriend once. I, therefore, had a reputation for being a playboy and womaniser, even though I hadn't had sex with anyone since that 'pot-belly morning' over a year ago. Rumours persisted that Mary and I were an item. Although Mary wasn't going to win any beauty pageants, they way she acted, her demeanour and good humour, meant she was an attractive woman, at least in my eyes. God I wanted to get her in bed with me!
However, we were strictly professional on the job. Don't get me wrong, we are great friends. Friday nights at the bar would be us together all night talking and telling stories. We are best friends. Even though I wished for something more, I couldn't bring myself to make a move. I dunno. Something just held me back all the time.
This morning, Clive, our squad leader gave me a call to meet upstairs tomorrow for a client meeting. Apparently there was a chance that a client wanted a couple of agents for a bodyguard role. If that were the case, I would be pairing up with Mary for our first real mission.
I almost dribbled at the prospect.
