Chapter 2: Storming the Front
On the space station, a pale corpse of a human soldier in a protective suit was lying down on the highest floor. A Reaper Splitter walked by and threw the body off the edge. There was no need for corpses in Timesplitter installations. At the top, the Timesplitters were testing the time machine once again to see if it would work. It managed to work; its portal rippled outward in a circular motion as the Timesplitters watched in awe.
Meanwhile, the human ship was nearing the Space Station,
"Alpha Base, do you copy? Over." said Hart over the ship's radio.
"Roger," responded the General on the other end of the radio, "You are clear to go. Proceed as planned and good luck!"
"We need to move fast," said Locke, "Additional Intel indicates that the space station may be on low alert, but the place is riddled with turrets. If the 'Splitters manage to turn them back on, it will be harder for us to get in, or out of the station."
The shuttle began to park on the docking bay. Unfortunately, a group of Reaper and Berserker Splitters were there. In a moment's notice, the Splitters ran to the ship, identifying it as human.
"Activate ship cannons!" hollered Johnson.
The ship's guns popped out from underneath the ship's wings and massacred all but a single Timesplitter in the hangar. The lone survivor managed to escape to the elevator.
"Damn! He went into the lift!" grumbled Bailey, "This place will be crawling with 'Splitters in no time!"
The ship lowered its ramp. "Okay, move out!" ordered Hart, "Bring the lift back to our level Greenwood!"
Greenwood approached the elevator controls and pressed its only button. Suddenly, a gunshot echoed throughout the hangar and Johnson collapsed on the floor, dead.
"Sniper!" shouted Greenwood as he and the other remaining soldiers headed for cover. Locke knew where the shot came from. He examined the bay windows on the walls of the hangar with the scope on his sniper rifle. In one of the bay windows was a Scourge Splitter armed with a sniper rifle of its own. Locke fired and the 'Splitter was killed by a laser directly through the head. By this time, the elevator was back at the hangar.
"The docking bay's clear," announced Cortez.
"Go!" yelled Hart. The five remaining commandos boarded the elevator. Cortez pressed the button, and the elevator began to rise up to the second floor.
"You've got a patrol on level two," the General said as the lift approached the next floor. When the elevator arrived at the second floor, there was indeed a group of Timesplitters waiting near the elevator. The five soldiers managed to take them out.
"Incoming! On your right!" yelled the General. There was a Reaper Splitter to the right at the intersection.
"Yeah," Cortez smiled as he threw a grenade at the alien. The explosion was heard from the highest level.
"Good work," complimented the General. Our heroes moved onto the left. As soon as the next elevator was in sight, Greenwood noticed that more Timesplitters were in pursuit.
"Take the lift and move on!" hollered Greenwood, "I'll stall them a bit!"
The other four marines went up the elevator, leaving Greenwood behind with the Timesplitters. Greenwood pulled out a grenade, pulled out its pin, and shouted his war cry.
This explosion was also heard from the top floor. The Timesplitters there knew what that meant; their security has been breached. In a desperate attempt to slow down the intruders, the Timesplitters disconnected the Time Crystals from the machine's control panel.
"We've detected a power surge on the bridge," the General alerted the four soldiers as they advanced after making it up the elevator. As they did, the Timesplitters each grabbed a crystal and jumped into the time machine leading to random locations and time zones. Suddenly, the door to the machine opened. Cortez, Hart, Locke, and Bailey shot a few rounds at some Timesplitters.
"Looks like we're too late," uttered Hart in defeat, "they're already moving the crystals!"
"Cover me! I'm going in!" yelled Cortez as he rushed through the door, shooting. The other soldiers followed him. Cortez was too late to stop the last Timesplitter holding a Time Crystal from jumping into the machine's portal.
"Watch out!" cried Cortez. More Timesplitters had snuck up from behind! One of them had zapped Bailey.
"Man down! Man down!" screamed Locke. In the midst of the battle, Hard shot the gate controls, causing the gate to close, trapping a Timesplitter in between the gate doors.
Lock exhaled and said "You two go on, I'll hold them off here," and ran to the time machine panel.
"Looks like the Splitters forgot to erase their travel records," reported Locke, "We can use them to track down the Crystals."
Lock pressed a few buttons. "One of them is at Oblask Dam, Siberia, 1990," he suggested.
"We'll start there," Cortez agreed. Just as he and Hart were about to go through the portal, Locke had one more thing to say to them.
"Good luck."
"Thanks," saluted Cortez and Hart. They then jumped into the portal.
