Chapter 4
Cat and Mouse Part 1
Later after meeting up with the band of survivors, Bastian and Matland are separated from the group when necromorphs attack. They unknowingly find themselves near the station's Church of Unitology, both remember Isaac Clarke heading towards the area, they're forced to take a route to their objective that leads through the church. They hit a few necromorphs ambushes along the way, when they come to an observation they deck witness an EarthGov gunship firing into the tower at the top of the church.
"What the hell is going on over there?" [Bastian wondered]
"Let's go we need to keep moving." [Said Matland]
Upon reaching the end of the deck and onto the next section, both see the same gunship at a lower part of the church's exterior firing at an unseen target. Then a large necromorph flies out the side landing on the gunship's underside. Matland does a scan on the person with the creature.
"ID confirmed Patient four: Clarke, Isaac terminate with extreme prejudice." [Matland's of their RIG announced]
Then the gunship suddenly explodes launching Isaac threw a window in the residential areas and seconds later the same necromorph is thrown towards them, both jump down off the upper area as the Tormentor crashes through the glass roughly landing below them.
"Hall breach rectified." [PA system]
The Tormentor bashes the collapsed bridge off itself and rises roaring at its new prey, its missing arm regenerates then lunges at them.
"The fuck is that thing?!" [Bastian exclaimed]
"Just shoot it!"
Their shots reflect off its thick armor as it moves towards them.
"That armor is too thick this isn't working run!"
They run down a hallway with it not far behind them, Matland falls to the floor having injured his leg when they jumped earlier. Bastian notices a few fuel tanks and shots them when the beast got close enough to them, the explosion stuns it long enough for them to escape.
"Come on I got you." [Helps him up]
They find a storage room and hide inside while the Tormentor prowls around for them.
"Thanks… ah fuck my leg first my arm now my god damn leg." [Hushed]
"Can you walk?"
"Yeah I just need a moment."
The necromorph gives up its search and leaves the area.
"Okay I think it's gone."
He opens the door seeing the beast has gone away but as he turns back into the room a Slasher pins him to the floor and violently stabs him with its bladed pincers, but in a blink he's standing up again in the doorway.
"Kid you okay?"
"Y-yeah had another hallucination."
Bastian looks down the hall they ran from seeing a figure staring at him, upon focusing his vision he comes the eerie realization the figure looks exactly like himself. The double figure looks as he does wearing the same outfit but darker with pale skin having no eyes, only black eye sockets that wept blood. Matland notices Ryder's trance-like state induced by his fear, he gets up calling to him but doesn't answer.
"Kid what's wrong… kid."
[He finally answers]
"Please tell me you see that."
"See what?" [Looking in the same direction]
"Him." [Points]
"Kid there's no once there."
Right then Ryder's vision fluctuates in yellow and orange and the man disappears.
"Okay Bastian your starting to worry me."
"Believe me I'm starting to worry myself, come on let's go before that thing decides to come back."
They continue onward to through the church avoiding heavily damaged and infested areas.
"Hey, that guy you said you saw what did he look like?"
Bastian was silent feeling uncomfortable about the encounter.
"He looked just like me but he… he looked like he was dead."
"That's creepy try to shut it out, ignore it."
"Thanks."
"Okay we should be close, according to the waypoint it shouldn't be too much further."
[Matland's RIGLink opens]
"Lieutenant Matland why have you not returned to Government Sector?"
"Director Tiedemann what can we do for you?"
"You can explain why you're not here where we need you."
"We're out here escorting survivors were moving to the crossover tubes as we speak."
"How noble of you don't not take too long lieutenant otherwise you'll join the dead."
"With all due respect Director what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" [Matland questioned]
"Exactly as it sounds Isaac Clarke and Noland Stross are still running about and they pose a grave threat to our operations, if you see either one of them you are to shoot them on sight, is that understood."
"And what exactly are these operations that two people can ruin so badly?"
"That's classified, apart from them the outbreak is spiraling out of control and it must be contained if you and the stragglers are not here in under half an hour you will be trapped there."
"Yes Tiedemann… [RIGLink closes] bastard."
"Not a big fan of him?"
"Hardly anyone on this station is."
The Tormentor thrashes out from a pile of rubble behind them, both instinctively run away.
"Damn it this thing again!?"
"We have to kill this thing if its following us we can't lead it back to the group or Gov Sect!"
"Agreed, I recognize this area there's a trash compactor here!"
They split up, Bastian distracts and lures the Tormentor while Matland gets the compactor operational.
"Alright everything looks good I have to be here to activate it you need to get in the chamber!"
The beast manages to grab Bastian and throw him across the hall hitting the hall hard, he struggles to recover and it moves close to him as it drools with hunger. Then an injured red haired woman emerges from a darkened hall armed with a plasma cutter shooting its back gaining its attention.
"Over here ugly bitch!" [She taunts]
It goes after her instead as it lunges at her she quickly stasis it and runs to Bastian's aid.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah thanks." [As she helps him]
Both quickly move as the stasis wears off and its momentum builds up again.
"Bastian you alright?"
"Yes get ready its coming our way!"
They make it back to the compactor station luring the beast into the crush chamber. The creature peeks into the chamber gazing at them after a few seconds it charges at them, both stasis it and run out of the chamber.
"Matland now!"
The compactor activates slamming down on the creature after it broke free of stasis only managing to get its head out though the door, the entire machine acts as a guillotine crashing its body and decapitating the Tormentor. Its severed head flails about hemorrhaging blood till it finally stops moving. The woman picks it up with kinesis and hurls it into the chamber where its crushed with the rest if its body.
"Nice work looks like we won't be seeing this bitch anymore, so who might you be?"
"Karrie… Karrie Norton, engineer."
"Lieutenant Charles Matland this is Private Bastian Ryder."
"Your hurt." [Bastian notices her injuries]
"Yeah long story but I'm okay for now… so do you guys mind if tag along?"
"Of course we haven't seen much other survivors lately it's nice to see another."
"Thank you."
They leave the area to rendezvous with their group.