THE THING II: Hawke Station
Disclaimer: John Carpenter's THE THING is property of Universal.
This chapter was written while listening to the soundtracks for John Carpenter's THE THING (1982) by Ennio Morricone, John Carpenter, and Alan Howarth; Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990) by the late Michael Kamen; and ALIEN (1979) by the late Jerry Goldsmith. Music tracks from each film are as follows:
Shape - THE THING, The Shaft - ALIEN, Parker's Death - ALIEN, Bestiality - THE THING, Burn It - THE THING, The Runway - Die Hard 2, Icicle - Die Hard 2, and Snowmobiles - Die Hard 2.
Chapter 10: Dog Day Afternoon
Date: Winter of 1982 - 1983
United States Antarctic Research Outpost "Hawke Station"
Inside the rec room, each man eyed the other nervously. Stiles glanced over at Walters, who was still holding his cattle prod tightly to himself as he eyed everyone else in the room. Kinner, who had finally been coaxed out of the kitchen, sat on the floor, looking around at everyone else suspiciously. Van Wall and Harvey had both been ordered by Barclay to head outside and secure the helicopters as preparation for the oncoming storm. Connant and Carrington had both been given permission to be in the lab as they helped Atkins continue Thorne's work.
Unfortunately, most of Thorne's papers notes had been destroyed by whoever had killed him, leaving everyone in the station fearful and paranoid of who they could trust. There was no doubt in anybody's mind now that there was an imposter among them, and while the number of imposters was debatable, every single man in the station suspected the man next to him of being a monster. Nobody wanted to be too close anybody, and Connant and Carrington's efforts were yielding no results thus far.
"So, we have until tomorrow evening before the storm hits us," Silva said to Barclay as he ate a can of green beans. "I'll make sure that the dogs are taken out before then," Pomroy said tiredly as he sat cross-legged on the floor. Over at the pool table, Ralsen and Dutton were playing cards, before Ralsen folded and gave up.
"Fuck it. I can't take this," Ralsen said angrily. "Until Doc and the others can find a test, we're all confined to the station," Barclay said. "I get that," Ralsen said. "I meant I can't take the boredom. There's gotta be something we can do to pass the time without... endangering ourselves," Ralsen said.
"You wanna wheel a TV in here and put on a movie? Wanna borrow Walter's DiscoVision machine, or my VCR?" Barclay suggested. "Well... sure. I mean, why not?" Ralsen replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Which will it be?" Barclay asked, looking over at Walters. "Huh?" Walters asked after finally noticing Barclay looking at him.
"Walters, may we bring your DiscoVision machine in here so that we can watch a movie or two? To pass the time safely?" Barclay asked him. "Uh... s-sure," Walters said, hesitantly nodding his head. "What movies do we have on that system?" Stiles asked from his spot on the couch where he was reading the same issue of Playboy for the twelfth time in a row.
"We got... I think we've got Star Wars on tape, and Alien," Ralsen said. "We got Flash Gordon on that disc thing, I think," Walters said with some uncertainty. "Is that the movie with music by Queen?" Silva asked him. "Uh, I think so," Walters replied. "Alright, let's go see what we've got," Barclay said as he walked over to the exit. "Ralsen, Walters... I'd appreciate your assistance in gathering the movies and devices," Barclay said.
"Okay," Walters said reluctantly, while Ralsen merely sighed in response.
One Hour Later...
After retrieving a large TV and wheeling it into the rec room on a cart, alongside the LaserDisc player and VCR, Barclay and Ralsen had retrieved a large selection of tapes and video discs for the crew to watch together. The movies had been carefully deposited on the pool table before everyone began sorting through them. The selection, while not great, offered a small amount of variety.
In the time that the trio had been retrieving their goods, Harvey and Van Wall had returned from their duties securing the helicopters. They immediately joined in with sorting through the selection of films on the table. "Hey, we've got some documentaries... on rocks... and volcanoes," Van Wall said in a disappointed tone as he held up the tapes.
"We've got The Shining?" Dutton asked as he saw the movie on the table. "Uh... let's not watch that one," Crenna said. "Yeah, I'm with Crenna. Given our current situation... that one might not be the best," Barclay said. "Hey, we do have Flash Gordon," Silva said as he held up the movie by its sleeve.
"We got Star Wars as well," Crenna said as he held up the tape. "Who wants to watch Star Wars?" Barclay asked. Almost everyone raised their hands. "Okay, that's the first pick," Barclay said. "Ooh, Jaws," Caldwell said as he saw the LaserDisc title on the table.
"Yeah, let's watch a movie that takes place at a warm summer beach, reminding us of where we aren't," Ralsen snarked bitterly. "Hey, Ralsen? Do you mind not being an asshole?" Sanchez asked him. "Bite me," Ralsen retorted.
"Settle down," Crenna said sternly. "Yes, gramps," Ralsen said indignantly. "Ralsen, seriously. You're being an asshole. Knock it off," Barclay said firmly. "Hey, Debbie Does Dallas," Caldwell said. Everyone turned their head in his direction. "Uh... just kidding," he said. "Dammit, man. You got my hopes up," Stiles said in disappointment.
"Sorry," Caldwell muttered in apology. "What time is it?" Silva asked. "It's seven-I mean, nineteen, or seven... uh... nineteen hundred?" Sanchez said hesitantly. "Yeah, that's right," Barclay said as he checked his watch. "We've got enough time," he added after looking over at the windows and seeing the dark sky outside.
The men soon set up the VCR and TV, with Ralsen checking both machines to make sure that there would be no problems with playback. "And in a galaxy far, far away... someone's having a better week than we are," Ralsen muttered as he turned on the TV and the VCR. "Okay, let's distract ourselves from our paranoia," he said before inserting the tape into the VCR. He quickly made his way over to the light switches.
"Hey, should we turn the lights off?" Ralsen asked. Everyone glanced uneasily at each other for a minute, wondering if having the lights off would be a safe course of action. "Uh... turn one set off, and leave the others on," Barclay said reluctantly.
"Okay," Ralsen said before hitting one switch. He quickly made his way over to the rest of the group and settled in for two hours of temporary relief from terror and nightmares. As the movie played, however, not everyone was able to lose themselves in the space opera, with some men occasionally glancing around and making sure that everyone else's limbs were kept to themselves. Occasionally, Silva would glance around and listen for odd noises before returning his attention to the TV, while Walters constantly sat as far away from everyone as possible, still gripping his cattle prod tightly.
Even with the grand spectacle in front of them, none of the humans in Hawke Station were able to truly ignore the grim reality of their situation, especially when they remembered which of their comrades would never be around to watch it with them again.
DAY 09
Standing outside in the snow, Pomroy waited for the sled dogs to finish relieving themselves in a location only a few meters away from the entrance to the kennel. The sound of boots crunching in the snow drew his attention. "Pomroy," Barclay said as he approached him.
"Hey, Bar," Pomroy said before looking away, taking in the sight of the tarp-covered helicopters and the open doors of the vehicle garage where Ralsen was parking one of the thiokols. "We're gonna get hit this afternoon by the storm. Make sure the dogs go one last time before it hits us," Barclay said. "I know. I know," Pomroy replied, nodding his head.
"How's Hendry doing?" Pomroy asked Barclay. "He's calmed down," Barclay said, sighing. "Is he still dangerous?" Pomroy asked him. "I don't know," Barclay said quietly. He looked out over at the dogs as they went about their business in the snow, before running around and playing with each other.
"Did Silva or Stiles say how long this one is gonna last?" Pomroy asked as he looked out at the sky. "Probably two or three days," Barclay said. "Are the docs any closer to coming up with something?" Pomroy asked. "No," Barclay said, shaking his head.
"If it's okay, I think I'll stay with the dogs for most of the time until they figure something out," Pomroy said. "That's fine. Just make sure to let me or someone else know when and how long you'll be in the kennel area. And keep a cattle prod with you, just in case," Barclay said, not noticing how one of the dogs was staring at him intently, before it finally diverted its attention elsewhere.
The Recreation Room
"That's the wrong cable," Sanchez said. "I know what I'm doing," Dutton retorted as he disconnected the wires from the VCR. "Come on, man. Just leave it hooked up the way it is," Sanchez said in protest. Dutton sighed in agitation at Sanchez's whining. "I'm just gonna test this Disco-thing to make sure that it works. That's all I'm doing. I'll hook the VCR right back up after I'm done," Dutton said.
"Fine," Sanchez said. "But if that TV doesn't work later, I'm gonna make sure that everyone knows whose fault it is," Sanchez said. "Yeah, shouldn't you be in the radio room with Caldwell right now?" Dutton asked him. Sanchez shook his head and sighed in consternation before walking away.
The Dining Room
Kinner sat in a chair at the main table and leaned back before looking down at the can of minestrone soup in front of him. He looked back up over at the doorway to the kitchen, where his services were no longer needed or allowed until a test could be devised to prove who was or wasn't human. Looking back down at the can of soup, Kinner picked up a spoon and began slowly eating it.
The Radio Room, One Hour Later...
"Look, what exactly do you want me to tell them?" Caldwell asked Barclay. "Just tell them that we'll be silent once the storm hits us. We've only got a few hours before the atmospheric conditions start playing havoc with the radio equipment outside, right?" Barclay responded as he leaned back against the door frame.
"Less than that, and what about our situation? Bar, three of our own are dead, not to mention Outpost Thirty-One, that Norwegian camp, and the Soviet station," Caldwell said. "He's right, Bar. We can't keep quiet on this very long. Someone's going to investigate one of those places when contact is lost, especially the Soviet station," Sanchez said.
"And when someone sees that their helicopter is missing and that we have it here, what do you think is going to happen?" Caldwell asked him. "Someone will jump to conclusions," Barclay said. "Yes. We have to tell them something, Bar," Caldwell said.
"Tell them that... there's been an outbreak. Whatever the Norwegians found in the ice managed to spread to the Soviet station, and by the time we arrived to help, it was too late," Barclay said. "Bar, we have pictures of the space ship. We still have that charred alien body," Caldwell said.
"What!?" Barclay asked in alarm. "That alien body that Carrington brought back. He's still got it locked away in one of the storage rooms," Caldwell said. "I thought it was destroyed. Didn't I order all of those things' remains to be taken outside when I burned them?" Barclay asked.
"Carrington tested it, Bar. It's dead. He's tested the samples from it. It's not gonna come back to life like the others," Caldwell said. "And Carrington is positive about this?" Barclay asked him.
"Yes. Absolutely. Besides, we're going to need that body to prove our story when we finally tell people what happened here," Caldwell said in response. Barclay tilted his head back against the door frame and sighed. "Fine. We'll keep that one. For now... just contact McMurdo and tell them that we'll be getting hit by that storm soon. Let them know that we won't be able to make radio contact once it hits us. I don't want them sending anyone over here until we've found out who's still human," Barclay said.
"You got it," Caldwell said before grabbing his headset and microphone to call McMurdo Station. Barclay slowly turned around and made his way towards the rec room. He paused and glanced over at the door to the green house. Even though he had stayed with the group to watch Star Wars the previous night, Walters had once again locked himself inside the green house, only coming out to use the bathroom, when Barclay would call everyone to meet up in the recreation room, or when going to his dorm room to sleep at night, following Barclay's example and orders to use duct tape to seal the gaps between the door and the floor and walls.
Turning away and continuing his trek to the rec room, Barclay decided to change course and headed for the medical lab, occasionally looking over his shoulder after hearing foot steps behind him now and then. Pausing one last time, Barclay listened as the foot steps stopped, turning around seeing Kinner pausing outside the door to the kitchen. "Is something wrong?" Kinner asked him.
"No. Nothing," Barclay said. Kinner quietly nodded his head before opening the door and disappearing into the kitchen. Barclay quickly resumed his trek to the lab, stopping just outside the doorway before peeking in to see Atkins, Carrington, and Connant all gathered around a lab table where they had several papers strewn about.
"You guys have a computer system sitting over there," Barclay said as he pointed to a recently donated machine that had been set up in the corner of the lab. "It isn't working. I went to turn it on this morning, but nothing happened," Connant said. "Is it plugged into a power outlet?" Barclay asked. "Yes. Yes, it is. I had Dutton open it up for me earlier, but... he said that certain components were missing when he looked inside," Connant replied.
"Oh," Barclay said. "And we have no idea when this little act of sabotage occurred either, because none of us have thought to use the damn machine until now," Carrington spat. "Well... anyway, have you guys come up with anything yet?" Barclay asked, steering the conversation away from the computer system.
"No. Nothing yet. One of Thorne's surviving notes mentioned the... Thing's ability to infect at a cellular level being something to focus on, but we have no clue where to start. If we had any trustworthy blood left, we might have something to work with," Carrington replied bitterly. "I see. Oh, Carrington?" Barclay asked.
"Yes?" Carrington replied. "How secure is that alien corpse in the storage room?" Barclay asked him knowingly. "Oh. Well... it's dead. Completely dead, Bar. I'm positive. I took some samples of it prior to the incident with the blood and tested those samples. It's not coming back to life, if that's what you're worried about," Carrington replied. "I want you to check on it with someone tonight before going to bed. Make sure that it's in the same place tomorrow morning," Barclay said.
"Of course," Carrington said, nodding his head. "Now, I'm gonna go escort Hendry to the bathroom before checking on everyone else. We'll be gathered in the rec room in a few hours, watching movies until it's time for shut-eye. Tonight's movie is probably gonna be Jaws," Barclay said. "I think I'll pass," Carrington said, having never been a fan of horror movies.
"Hn. Jaws. Because we all aren't scared enough as it is," Connant muttered in distaste. "Well, come up with something before the storm ends and I'll let one of you guys pick a movie," Barclay said. "Storm?" Atkins asked. "Oh, right! The, uh, storm that Stiles mentioned," he said in embarrassment. Carrington raised an eyebrow at Atkins before returning his attention to his papers.
"I'll be back later," Barclay said before leaving the lab and heading for the dorms.
The Recreation Room, Later That Evening...
As the sky outside became dark and the snow began to fall, the men of Hawke Station had once again gathered inside the recreation room. "Okay, who wants Jaws?" Barclay asked the group, observing how Atkins, having taken a break to clear his head, was now amongst the group. Of the fourteen men in front of him, nine raised their hands. "Majority vote is the shark movie," Barclay noted as he took the disc out of its sleeve.
"Hey, Walters, why exactly do you have a horror movie in your video collection?" Stiles asked, noting that most of Walters' Laserdisc titles were documentaries. "I ordered it by mistake over the phone," Walters replied curtly. "Mistake?" Ralsen asked skeptically. "I was asking for the shark documentary that was said to have been viewed by the filmmakers when making the movie. The lady on the phone mistook that as a request for the movie itself," Walters explained.
Sanchez snickered as he listened to Walters' story. "Sucker," he said quietly. "Okay, this little button means 'PLAY' and this little button means 'PAUSE'," Barclay said to himself as he looked at the remote control that Walters had brought out of his room. "This one is... reverse? And this one is... fast forward," he muttered as he looked over the other buttons on the remote. "And these arrows are... Walters, what exactly are these little arrows on here for?" Barclay asked the botanist.
"They're directional buttons, for navigating the disc menu," Walters replied. "Menu? It doesn't just play on its own?" Barclay asked, being very unfamiliar with the laserdisc technology. "It's interactive," Walters explained. "Oh," Barclay said. Ralsen snickered at Barclay's inexperience with the home video technology in front of him.
"Are you telling me that the military doesn't have advanced video technology like this?" Ralsen asked him. Barclay glared at Ralsen. "That's classified," Barclay retorted, unwilling to give Ralsen an actual response. "That's just sad," Ralsen muttered with a smirk.
"Well, I'm gonna go feed the dogs while you get this figured out. I'll be back in about ten to fifteen minutes," Pomroy said, getting up from the couch. "Take your time," Ralsen said to him. "Captain Barclay probably won't have this figured out until Spring arrives," he added with a snicker. "Ralsen, shut up," Barclay said, sending a glare towards the mechanic.
Pomroy chuckled lightly at the banter before exiting the room and making his way down the hall. Taking a left turn, Pomroy entered the left-side visitor lobby near the right entrances before entering the kennel hallway, which also doubled as a storage hallway. Dog food, sled equipment, and other supplies for the animals were kept along this hall.
Pomroy briefly stopped at an opened crate with bags of specialized dog food before remembering that there were still two unopened bags up near the kennel itself, along with an already opened one that hadn't been emptied yet. Making his way over to the steps that led up to the kennel, Pomroy stopped and noticed and turned on the lights for the kennel area.
"Okay, boys. One last meal for the night," Pomroy said as he made his way up the short stairs and taking a right turn down the small kennel storage and supply area, which was basically a tiny hall with several more boxes of supplies lining it. Grabbing the dogs' bowls and a bag of food, Pomroy placed each bowl on a small cart nearby and filled them up using a measuring cup.
When he was finished, he wheeled the cart over to the gate of the kennel and unlocked the door. "Okay, who's hungry?" Pomroy asked as he looked at the Malamutes and Siberian Huskies laying inside. Jake and Vince, two Alaskan Malamutes, both looked up at him with expectant expressions as they saw the cart and food bowls. Morris, another Siberian Husky, quickly stood up and slowly wagged his tail in anticipation.
Pomroy looked at the other five dogs, all of whom seemed to be slightly disinterested in the food. "Sykes? Hoskins? Cole? You guys are normally the first ones to greet me at meal time," Pomroy said. Said Siberian Huskies both glanced over at him before looking over at Cole and Colin, two Alaskan Malamutes. Sitting up in the back, Sid, the final Siberian Husky, glanced over at Cole as well. The dog merely raised his eyebrows at the others in response. Soon, all of the dogs were watching as Pomroy began taking the bowls off of the cart and making his way towards them with their food.
Back In The Rec Room...
"Shit, what did I do?" Barclay asked rhetorically as he tried pushing various buttons on the remote. The TV screen was blue with a small white square in the top corner. "Dude, you stopped the movie," Stiles said. "I was just going to pause it until Pomroy got back. Besides, you told me that this thing would have a menu before the movie started playing," Barclay replied as he glared at Ralsen. Ralsen snickered at his technological illiteracy. "This is just too good," Ralsen said with a grin. "Well, maybe you'd like to show us how it's done, Mister Wizard," Barclay said as he tilted his head to look at Ralsen.
Barclay sighed in annoyance and glared at the mechanic. "Ralsen, shut the fuck up." Dutton began chuckling as well. "Oh, not you too, Dutt," Barclay said in dismay. "I'm sorry, but he's right. How did you ever pass basic training when you don't even know how to use a remote control?" Dutton asked in response.
"Well, I know that if I shove it down your throat, you'll choke to death," Barclay said with a glare. "Come on, fellas. Just calm down," Crenna said from his chair.
"Here," Barclay said as he handed the remote to Ralsen. "What? Giving up already?" Ralsen asked him smarmily. "Just... make the movie play," Barclay said with a frustrated sigh. "Pfft, whiner," Ralsen muttered in amusement before selecting the PLAY button.
Well, I'm so sorry for not knowing how to use this piece of junk," Barclay retorted. Atkins sighed in dismay. "Something wrong, Doc?" Sanchez asked him. "Oh, I just thought that maybe relaxing a bit out here would help me in figuring out a new test," Atkins said. "Well, has it?" Dutton asked him.
"No. Listening to everyone bicker and argue is just making it harder for me to think of anything. Look, I'm just gonna go back to the lab and see what Connant and Carrington have come up with in my absence," Atkins said as he stood up. "You guys still haven't thought of something?" Ralsen asked in disbelief.
"Jesus. At this rate, we might as well just go with that plan to let the dogs find out who's human or not," Silva said. "Oh, please. We've already discussed this," Caldwell said. "I don't know, Vic. Dogs have some sharp noses, and there isn't a man in this room who hasn't been bitten or had blood drawn by those animals at some point," Ralsen said with a hint of humor in his voice, not really taking his own words seriously. Van Wall nodded his head in agreement.
Barclay, however, soon raised an eyebrow as he processed Ralsen's words. "Wait a minute..." Barclay said, trailing off in thought. "Something on your mind?" Crenna asked him as he noticed Barclay's expression. "Yeah. The dogs. This whole time; maybe we can use them," Barclay said in response. "Uh, Bar? Wasn't it already explained to us that the dogs wouldn't be able to tell who's an imitation?" Stiles asked.
"That's not what I mean," Barclay said. Ralsen quickly paused the movie and gave his attention to Barclay. "Alright, what exactly do you have in mind? Wanna letthe dogs bite us and see who transforms to defend themselves?" Ralsen asked him snarkily. "Ralsen, shut the fuck up," Silva said.
"No, Ben," Barclay said to Ralsen. "I just figured out a new blood test," he added as he looked around the room. "Huh?" Caldwell asked him. "The dogs are still dogs, right? We can use their blood for a new serum test," Barclay explained. "How the hell would that work?" Harvey asked him skeptically. "Wait a minute," Atkins said thoughtfully. "I think you're onto something," he added.
"Yeah. Normal human blood and normal dog blood won't mix well, but the blood from an imitation would try to assimilate it," Barclay explained. "We take blood from one of the dogs, and we go person by person to see who's human and who isn't," Barclay finished. "It could work. No, it should work," Atkins said with a grin.
"Atkins, go get Connant and Carrington. Get some sterile equipment prepped. I'm gonna go get Pomroy and have him get the dogs ready," Barclay said before leaving the room. Atkins quickly exited the room as well and made his way to the lab while Barclay entered the kennel hall, jogging over to the steps. When he arrived, Pomroy was watching the dogs eat their food as he stood next to the cart.
"Hey, Bar. What's going on?" Pomroy asked him. "We have a new blood test," Barclay said. Five of the dogs' ears twitched and their slyly glanced over in Barclay's direction as they listened to him speak.
"What kind of test?" Pomroy asked him. "A blood serum test. We're going to use the dogs' blood to find out who's human," Barclay explained to him. "The dogs?" Pomroy asked him.
"Yeah. I mean, they aren't infected, right?" Barclay asked him. "I don't think so. I've been around them just about every day since that Thing attacked Reynolds," Pomroy replied. "Okay. Doc's in the lab with the others right now, getting the gear ready. I'm gonna go check on their progress, and then we'll come back here and draw the dogs' blood," Barclay said. "I'll get the dogs ready," Pomroy said, nodding his head before Barclay turned around and left the kennel.
Turning back to face the dogs with a sigh, Pomroy shook his head. "Well, sorry boys. Looks like you've got yourselves a visit from the doctor," Pomroy said as he made his way over to the short hall where the supplies were located. He quickly began gathering leashes and muzzles, along with veterinarian supplies.
After a few quick trips back and forth, Pomroy had deposited the veterinary equipment and leashes and muzzles on the outer perimeter of the kennel, along with several harnesses. Making his way into the kennel, Pomroy began retrieving the dogs' food bowls. "See? I knew you guys were hungry," Pomroy said after seeing that each bowl was empty.
As he collected the bowls, Cole, the alpha of the pack, subtly looked over at Sid. Cole nodded his head, prompting Sid to quietly stand up and slowly begin walking alongside the inner perimeter of the kennel, carefully and intently making his way to the door. Cole then look over at Colin and Sykes, nodding his head before he got up himself and made his way to the door, quietly following Sid as he slipped between the door and the cart.
The two dogs then pushed the cart out of the way before closing the door of the kennel and pushing the lock in place. "What the?" Pomroy asked as he saw the two dogs leering at him from outside the kennel. "Cole? Sid? What are you guys doing out there?" Pomroy asked as he walked over to the door and tried to open it, only for Sykes and Colin to dart over in front of him and snarl.
"Hey, hey! Stand down. Sykes. Stand. Down," Pomroy said firmly. Behind Pomroy, Jake, Morris, and Vince both stood up and began growling at the other dogs. "Everyone calm down!" Pomroy said as he looked around. Outside, Cole and Sid both began walking away, heading down the outer hall towards the exit.
Back inside the kennel, Jake, Vince, and Morris had formed a protective circle around Pomroy as the other dogs circled them. Pomroy began to feel very uneasy, as this was not normal behavior for his dogs. He soon heard a heavy breathing sound and looked over at Colin, who was panting while... smiling at him.
"Colin?" Pomroy asked before he saw the liquid dripping from the dog's mouth onto the floor. "Are you okay, boy?" Pomroy asked as the pit in his stomach began to grow. He looked over at Sykes and Hoskins, both whom were also staring with wide eyes at him and the other three dogs. The lips of the dogs soon began to curl, as though they were smiling, before the animals began to shiver. The shivering soon turned into shaking, and then the three normal dogs became even more agitated.
Pomroy watch in bile fascination and horror as Sykes' lips soon peeled back all the way, before the flesh of his lower jaw split open, letting the bone fall to the ground. "Jesus Christ!" Pomroy exclaimed as he backed up. Jake, Morris, and Vince were all barking like mad at the transforming beasts surrounding them. "Bar! Dutton! Doc! Someone! Help!" Pomroy called out as loud as he could. "Bar! Bar!" he called out again.
Spidery legs soon sprouted from the torsos of Sykes and Colin, while Hoskins stepped up on two legs as his front limbs cracked and bled. The dog's eyes were now bright green in color, and a terrible hiss emanated from its maw as its fur began melting and its hind legs began to shift in shape. A ripping sound was heard as tendrils sprouted from the back of the animal and latched onto the rafters above.
Dozens of worm-like tendrils began sprouting from the other dogs, and they opened their maws to begin spraying some unknown substance at Pomroy and the other dogs. "Bar! Bar-gaahh!" Pomroy cried out as the liquid hit him in the face. Pomroy stumbled back and fell to the floor, before Hoskins moved forward and fell on top of him. "Ahh! No, no!" Pomroy cried out as he tried to push the bloody beast off of him. Tendrils soon began flowing out of the abomination and wrapping around him, coiling around his limbs and ripping apart his clothes.
As Barclay helped Atkins and Connant load syringes and petri dishes into a safe travel case to put on one of the medical carts, the sound of barking echoed through the halls. "Bar! Dutton! Doc! Someone, help!" Barclay and the others stopped what they were doing as the howling and barking grew louder, and Pomroy's shouts grew more panicked and terrified.
"What the hell?" Connant asked. Barclay's eyes suddenly grew wide as he realized what was transpiring. "The dogs..." Barclay whispered before running out of the room and making a B-line to the winter gear closet. He quickly stepped inside and grabbed a flamethrower, checking it to make sure that it was full before strapping the harness onto himself and prepping the hose and nozzle.
"Shit, shit, shit!" Barclay hissed as he realized his blunder. We never checked the dogs. We never thought to make sure that they weren't infected! This whole fucking plan was a waste!
Pomroy's cries grew louder, as did those of the dogs, which soon became sharp and pained before growing silent. The feeling of dread in Barclay's stomach grew stronger as he rushed out of the room before stopping by the fire alarm. Acting quickly, he pulled the alarm, alerting the other men to the danger. He watched as Dutton and Stiles both exited the rec room down the hall.
"Bar, what's going on!? Where's the fire!?" Caldwell asked in panic as he ran out of the rec room. "It's the dogs! It's the dogs!" Barclay cried out before running into the interior kennel hall. When the men saw the flamethrower strapped to his back, they began to understand his meaning.
As Barclay made his way over to the steps, he almost tripped before grabbing onto the crude railing and hoisting himself back up, quickly rushing into the hall and turning the corner. "Just hold on, Marvin!" Barclay shouted as he ran in front of the gate to the kennel. "Mar..." Barclay's words died in his throat as he saw the horrid sight in front of him.
Marvin Pomroy had been fused to the underside of one of the dog Things, while the other dogs were in the process of being absorbed by the other beasts. Blood, bone, flesh and tendrils filled the kennel, with one mass of flesh and eyes, with spidery legs, turned its malformed dog-head to look at Barclay. The abomination let out a horrible screech as several dozen tentacles began emerging from its underside, and the arachnid legs lifted the Thing up as it positioned itself to face Barclay.
"Bar! Bar! We're coming!" Silva shouted as he and Van Wall entered the kennel hall, carrying a flamethrower and a fire axe, respectively. "Dear... God!" Silva muttered in disgust and awe as he saw the monstrosities that inhabited the kennel. The Thing that had once been Colin turned to let loose another hideous screech, unearthly and yet carrying a faint trace of of man's vocie combined with the howls of a dog.
Barclay tilted his gaze down when he heard the gate being opened, and looked down to see several tendrils wrapping themselves around the wooden board to move it out of the way, while also pushing the cart away as well. "Son of a bitch," Barclay muttered as he aimed his flamethrower at the tentacles and stepped back before letting a brief stream of flame engulf them.
A raspy breathing sound soon caught Barclay's attention, and he turned to see Pomroy, or what was left of him, looking at him with terrified eyes. His one arm was reaching out, fused with the flesh of the Thing, but sending a clear message of desperation. As Barclay aimed his flamethrower, the Colin-Thing charged, ramming into the kennel door. "Shit!" Barclay exclaimed as he backed into the wall. He heard foot steps and looked over to see the rest of the men entering the hall, with Ralsen and Stiles carrying fire extinguishers.
The creature let loose another howl, this time with a warning tone in it as it snarled. The bright green eyes of the beast glowed as goo dripped from its maw. Barclay aimed his flamethrower up and sent a stream of fire at the beast, sending it back in fear. "That's right! Fuck you!" Barclay roared angrily as he stepped forward and opened the gate before sending blast after blast of fire at the Things in the room. He quickly stepped back to allow Silva room.
Silva aimed his flamethrower at the Thing that had once been Sykes, which was now fused with Jake and Vince, with two twisted dog heads screeching, as Vince's still un-assimilated head let out a pained whine as the fire overtook the rest of its now deformed body. "I'm sorry," Silva whispered tearfully as the fire engulfed the dog. Silva sent another blast at it, trying to drown out the sound of the dog's whines.
Barclay soon pushed Silva back and sent fire at the Colin-Thing as it tried to rush him again. The beast was completely on fire now, and its horrific wailing pained everyone's ears as each blast of flame caused the volume of the wail to increase. "Just die already!" Barclay shouted at the Thing.
The Thing's neck soon split apart as it fell to the ground, with each split end having rows of teeth lining it. The dog head now hung limply from the one end, before Barclay sent another blast of fire at it, engulfing the monster. Looking over at Pomroy, whose head was now being absorbed into the torso of the beast, Barclay aimed his flamethrower at him and sent another burst of flame. He then prepared to send another, only for the flame to sputter.
"What the? Silva, finish... finish him off," Barclay said solemnly as he tried to fix his flamethrower. Silva nodded his head before stepping forward and sending a stream of napalm at what had once been Pomroy, engulfing him and the Thing completely. As he stepped back, he looked over at Barclay, who had taken off his flamethrower and was kneeling on the floor, inspecting the fuel tank.
"Damn thing's almost empty," Barclay muttered. "I'll get it refueled," Van Wall offered as he stepped forward. "Thanks," Barclay said tiredly as Van Wall picked up the flamethrower and carried it away. Barclay stood up before looking back into the kennel. He then looked over at Ralsen and Stiles, who were both anxiously holding the fire extinguishers as they looked at the flames. "Let them burn for another minute, and then get read to take them out-" Barclay was interrupted by the sound of a door being opened down the hallway.
Quickly running over to the other corner, Barclay looked down the hall and saw two sled dogs pushing the door open before running outside. "Fuck!" Barclay exclaimed. "What's wrong!?" Stiles asked. "We missed two of them!" Barclay explained. "What?" Atkins asked. "Two of the dogs-Things! They've escaped!" Barclay cried out, looking back over at the others.
"Shit! We have to go after them!" Silva exclaimed. "I'll go after them. Silva, stay here and make sure that these Things are destroyed," Barclay said as Ralsen and Stiles stepped forward with fire extinguishers to put out the flames. "Harvey, go get one of the snowcats prepped. I'm gonna grab another flamethrower, and then I'm gonna go after the dogs," Barclay said.
"If I'm gonna get the snowcat started, I might as well come with you," Harvey said. Barclay nodded his head before looking back over at Silva. "Silva! While me and Harvey are going after the dogs, I need you to help the others get those things taken outside and burned thoroughly," Barclay ordered. "You got it," Silva replied. "Make sure to refuel that flamethrower when you're done. Keep it on until we come back," Barclay said.
"Right," Silva said, nodding his head as Barclay and Harvey marched past him and down the hallway. "Dutton, take these keys and grab a shotgun from the armory. Use the slugs, not the pellets, understand?" Barclay said as he handed the keys to the gun locker to Dutton. "Wait, why?" Dutton asked him.
"Bring one to me, along with a box of ammo. Take them outside to me if I've already left the building," Barclay said as he reached down and felt his colt in its holster. "Bar, we've seen that bullets aren't gonna stop these things," Dutton said in protest. "We've only fired on them when they've transformed. Maybe shooting them in the head while they're still in disguise will do something. After all, if the brain is imitated perfectly, then it might behave the same way as a normal brain when shot," Barclay said.
"I hope you're right," Dutton said as he ran out of the hallway. Harvey had already made his way to the winter gear storage room and was leaving while putting on his jacket as he made his way to the exit. Barclay quickly entered the room, looking down near the corner where Van Wall was busy filling up the flamethrower's gas tank. "What's wrong?" Van Wall asked as he glanced up, seeing Barclay's worried expression. "Two of the dogs escaped. They're infected, and we have to go after them," Barclay explained as he grabbed one of the remaining M2A1-7 flamethrowers, hefting it up and feeling the weight.
"This is full, right?" Barclay asked Van Wall. "It should be," Van Wall replied. Barclay performed a quick safety inspection before nodding his head in satisfaction. He then grabbed one of his spare winter jackets, an old and worn brown flight jacket with dust on it. Barclay quickly dusted it off before putting it on and strapping the flamethrower onto his back, grabbing the safety goggles hanging up and making his way outside, closing the door behind him.
The storm had already begun to hit them, with a thin layer of snow already covering the tarps that shielded the helicopters. The cold temperature and winds nipped at Barclay's bare hands, causing him to swear as he took a pair of gloves out of his jacket's pockets and quickly put them on. Marching through the snow, both on the ground and falling from the sky, Barclay made his way to the first snowcat in sight, which already had its lights and engine turned on.
Looking over at the kennel entrance, Barclay ran over and looked at the tracks in the snow, following their direction. He looked back at the building, and then over in the direction of the tracks before making his way over to the snowcat. Seeing that Harvey was already occupying the driver's seat, Barclay hurried over to the other side of the vehicle and opened the door before climbing inside, shutting the door carefully before leaning back with the flamethrower's gas tanks between himself and the seat.
"You ready to go?" Harvey asked him as he buckled his seat belt. "Not yet," Barclay said as he looked over and saw one of the station's entrance doors opening. A figure ran out into the snow and made their way over to the driver side door of the snowcat, carrying something in their hands.
"Open the door," Barclay said. Harvey opened the door and looked down at Dutton, who was carrying an Ithaca Model 37, along with a box of ammo. "Here," Dutton said as he handed the gun and ammo to Harvey. "We already have a flamethrower," Harvey said. "Bar said he wants one with you," Dutton said.
Harvey glanced over at Barclay incredulously. "Are you serious? Like you'll see far enough to hit anything in this weather," Harvey spat. "Just take the gun and put it in the back," Barclay said. Harvey relented with a sigh and grabbed the weapon, holding it by the barrel and trying to aim it away from Barclay's head as he pulled it up into the cabin. Harvey then grabbed the ammo box and placed it on the console between him and Barclay.
"Dutton, go back inside and make sure that all of the other doors are closed. Make sure that those bodies in the kennel are taken outside and burned again. I already told Silva what to do, so you guys just hang tight until we get back," Barclay said. "Okay. Okay, we'll take care of that," Dutton said.
"What if you guys don't come back?" Dutton asked. Barclay adopted a look of thoughtfulness on his face before giving Dutton an answer. "Keep Doc and the others working on a test. No one leaves this continent until we know for sure who's human," Barclay said before gesturing to Harvey to close the door. Dutton stood back as the vehicle moved forward through the snow, its headlights providing just enough illumination through the storm for the occupants to see where they were going.
Cole and Sid ran through the heavy snow, their fur coats providing the warmth needed to keep going until they could find a place to hide and dig a shelter. After stopping for a moment, Cole felt around the ground with his paws, looking for soft enough snow to begin digging up. There would be no point in transforming out in this weather, as both imitations were well aware.
Their best option, as both of them had realized, was to simply get as far away from Hawke Station as possible, stay out of sight, and dig a hole in a snowy embankment where they could hide until the storm subsided. They both knew from their previous encounters with the humans that when a group leader emerged, they were a force to be trifled with unless assimilated early on.
After finding a suitable location to begin digging, Sid and Cole set to work. The two used their imitated muscles to their fullest, until their ears picked up a noise amongst the building wind. Cole put a paw on Sid's side to usher him to stop. Both animals briefly stepped away from the hole to look into the distance and see the small lights approaching in the dark.
The humans had followed them. Frowning at the approaching vehicle, Cole growled in frustration and anger, before looking at Sid. Sid looked at Cole and tilted his head, until Cole made motions with his head and his paw. Sid soon nodded his head in agreement with the plan, and both imitations split up, with Sid making his way towards a spot where he knew the humans would be able to see him, while Cole disappeared from sight. Sid waited for a couple of minutes before slowly turning around and trotting away, making sure to stay just ahead of the headlights' range.
"Are those tracks? In the snow up ahead?" Barclay asked as Harvey kept driving the snowcat forward. "I can't tell," Harvey replied. Barclay glanced back over his shoulder at the shotgun in the back, before he spotted a crate on the back floor. "Harvey, what's in the crate behind us?" Barclay asked him.
"Huh?" Harvey asked, briefly glancing back at the crate before returning his attention to the snowy world ahead of them. "Uh, I think that's dynamite," Harvey said. "Dynamite? What's it doing in here?" Barclay asked him. "It wasn't me. Someone else probably brought it out for something and forgot to put it back," Harvey said.
"How long has that box been sitting out here?" Barclay asked incredulously. "No idea, Bar. Like I said, it wasn't me," Harvey replied. "Jesus," Barclay muttered. A few minutes later, Harvey leaned forward and squinted his eyes. "Do you see that?" Harvey asked him.
"See what?" Barclay asked as he also leaned forward. "There!" Harvey said as he took one hand off of the steering controls and pointed forward. Just ahead of the lights, both men could make out a furry tail. "We've caught up to them," Barclay said before checking the hose and nozzle of his flamethrower.
"So, why exactly did you want that shotgun?" Harvey asked him. "Do you know how to use one?" Barclay asked him. "Yeah. I used to go hunting using one. Mine had a longer barrel, though," Harvey explained. "Good. So you know the rules of firearm safety then?" Barclay asked him.
"Yeah. You have to when you buy a gun," Harvey replied. "Right?" he asked after failing to hear Barclay agree with him. "Pretty sure," Barclay finally said. Up ahead, the dog soon began to pick up its pace before changing direction, slowly shifting to its left. "That's right. Keep running," Barclay said under his breath.
After another few minutes, however, Harvey and Barclay both let out yells of surprise when the dog darted to the right and they realized that they were heading straight for an snowy embankment or hill of some kind. "Slow us down! Turn! Turn!" Barclay exclaimed as Harvey tried to change the vehicle's course, slowing down as the vehicle plowed into a snow bank.
The two men shuddered at the impact before Harvey managed to stop the vehicle. "Son of a bitch! Bastard tried to crash us!" Barclay exclaimed. "What do you mean 'tried'!?" Harvey asked him indignantly. "Can we move?" Barclay asked Harvey. The helicopter pilot looked over his shoulder before trying out the controls. The vehicle jumped a bit as it began rolling back a few feet.
"Yeah," Harvey replied, still shaken from crashing. "This thing's smarter than we thought," Harvey said after a minute. "Yeah," Barclay said as he kept his gaze on the windows, holding his flamethrower closely. "Harvey, get that shotgun and make sure its loaded," Barclay said as he undid his seat-belt. "What are you doing?" Harvey asked him. "I want you to move into the back area and get that shotgun. Do it," Barclay ordered.
Harvey quietly acquieced the order and put the vehicle in park before undoing his seat belt and crawling into the back. "Bar, what the hell good is a shotgun gonna do against these things? We know it won't kill them," Harvey said. "Have we ever shot an imitation in the head when it wasn't transformed?" Barclay asked in return.
"Huh? Well... I don't think so," Harvey replied. "Now's our chance to find out," Barclay said with a thoughtful expression. "And what if it doesn't do anything?" Harvey asked him. "Then I've still got my flamethrower. And there should also be at least one flare gun and extra flare in here. All of our vehicles should have those," Barclay replied.
"Fine," Harvey said as he loaded the shotgun. "So, what's your plan?" Harvey asked Barclay. "I'm gonna go outside and lure those things in close, and then-" Barclay was interrupted by a thud on the roof. Both men looked up as the thumping continued over the roof, before they saw a Siberian Husky jump down onto the snow in front of them. The dog turned around and stared at the occupants of the vehicle.
"Where's the other one?" Harvey asked quietly. "Somewhere," Barclay asked as he glanced away from the imitation dog standing outside. The dog looked straight at Harvey, before turning its attention to Barclay, who soon returned his attention to the dog. The imitation narrowed its gaze at the man and furrowed its brows as it curled its lips and growled.
Barclay lifted a gloved fist into the air and flipped the beast off. "Yeah, fuck you too," Barclay said to the animal. The dog slowly began to circle the vehicle, walking over to the passenger side door, the only thing separating it from the man inside, before continuing to stalk around the side and back of the vehicle.
As the dog circled the snowcat, Harvey raised the shotgun and trailed the animal outside, keeping his finger on the trigger guard, waiting for the moment to strike. As Barclay followed the animal's movements, he slowy reached over to the handle of the door and turned it with his left hand. "Harvey, the moment I open this door... that Thing is either going to charge for me, or its going to retreat if I can position myself quickly enough," Barclay said quietly, briefly glancing to the side out of his peripheral vision.
"What if it gets to you?" Harvey asked him. "Do what you have to do," Barclay said. "Don't let me become one of those Things," Barclay said. "Got it," Harvey said, nodding his head reluctantly. The dog soon slowed down as it neared the front of the vehicle. It then stopped, raising its head to stare at Barclay, who was already opening the door and keeping the igniter pointed outside.
Barclay locked gazes with the dog as he continued slowly pushing the door open. Man and beast stared at each other, almost unblinking, as Barclay slowly poised himself once the door was fully open. His heart was racing a mile a minute, and he could almost hear the pounding in his ears, as he prepared to step outside and face the imitation. "Do I feel lucky?" Barclay asked the imitation quietly, quoting one of his favorite movies.
Barclay and Sid stared into each other's eyes for a full sixty seconds as Harvey watched them with baited breath.
Then Barclay leapt into action. The imitation quickly feinted forward, before stepping back. Barclay paused at the animal's actions, until he remembered something very important: there was still another dog. Quickly spinning around as fast as he could, Barclay sent a stream of flame out towards the other dog as it ran towards him. The Alaskan Malamute quickly turned mid leap and let out a howl as the flame torched its tail.
The imitation quickly fell into the snow and rolled around to put itself out before jumping back up onto all fours and turning to face Barclay. The imitation took a defensive stance as it snarled at him. Barclay kept his hands on both the firing trigger and the igniter trigger of the flamethrower, his gaze constantly darting back and forth, scanning for the other imitation.
He then heard the sound of paws running on the snow, and knew that the other animal was beginning to circle around, flanking him. Barclay knew that he only had a few seconds at the most before he was beset upon. Then he heard the sound of a door opening and a shotgun blast sounded through the night air. Barclay watched as the dog in front of him, Cole, flinched slightly at the sound, before another shot rang out.
Barclay took one step forward, and so did Cole. The dog glared at Barclay, before another shot rang out. "I think I got it!" Harvey called out. "Good!" Barclay shouted, keeping his focus on Cole. Cole then raised a paw forward, before shallowly curling its lips to form a grin, revealing its teeth. Barclay saw the animal's eyes take on a greenish hue as its body began to shiver.
Thinking that the Thing may be rendered immobile while transforming, Barclay quickly stepped forward and released a stream of napalm, only for Cole to quickly bolt forward and away, heading for the driver's end of the snowcat, out of the range of the oncoming flame as the imitation leaped onto the roof of the vehicle. Barclay turned his head in surprise and watched as the dog kept moving, leaping down to the side of the vehicle. A shot rang out and Harvey began screaming.
Quickly running over to the back of the vehicle and running to the side, Barclay saw the dog already clamping its jaws around Harvey's throat, drawing blood before snapping to the side, breaking Harvey's neck before tearing flesh and bone away as Harvey let out a dying raspy gurgle. Blood sprayed out and covered the dog's muzzle before it chewed and swallowed the flesh it had torn. Barclay felt rage and and hatred boiling inside of him as the imitation let go of Harvey's head and looked up at him, giving him the same smirk from earlier before reaching a paw out and pressing it into the man's mouth, forcing his head backwards into the snow. Barclay glared at the beast and almost produced a snarl of his own in retaliation.
The imitation adorned a contented look on its muzzle before quickly turning around and running around to the other side of the vehicle. Barclay reached down and drew his Colt M1911 with his right hand as he held the flamethrower in his left hand. He quickly raced over to the other side and aimed at the dog as it darted ahead.
Lining up the iron sights on the pistol, Barclay fired at the dog's head, just at the tip of the muzzle. With the dog moving forward at the same time, the bullet flew straight into the back of its head, causing it to stumble and trip over itself as it dropped to the snowy ground. Taking in a deep breath, Barclay re-holstered his pistol and gripped his flamethrower properly as he marched forward, keeping the nozzle aimed at the imitation collapsed on the ground in front of him.
As he got closer, he watched for any signs of movement from the body. "How perfect are you?" Barclay asked quietly, wondering if a perfectly imitated brain would cease functioning just as an original brain would under the circumstances. Would the disconnect of gray matter from the other nerves in the body cause a total collapse of function? Or would an imitation heal such wounds and restructure the damaged flesh?
Barclay scanned the dog's body, watching the chest to see if it was rising and falling. He saw no such activity. "Perfect. Too perfect," Barclay muttered. He slowly turned around and took a few steps away before stopping and marching in place for a few seconds. He then heard a soft, very subtle shuddering and rippling sound. Turning around, Barclay saw the torso of the dog rippling as it began to bleed. The blood started out red, but soon gave way to greens and yellows as the torso began shuddering, and a horrible combination of fleshy twisting and cracking sounds emanated from within the body.
Barclay stepped back and watched as the dog's fur and flesh began simmering and melting, not falling off, but melting back into the body, becoming gooey and slime-like as the limbs of the animal began twitching, with the paws bleeding before the flesh violently rended itself from the bones, curling backwards and folding in on itself as the muscles and tissue still connected to the bones seemed to breathe before snapping off. The whole body began violently shuddering as a terrible gurgling sound was produced from the creature's maw, which soon rose up from the snow. Barclay watched in bile fascination as the bullet and its various bits were soon forced out by pulsing flesh and bone.
The green eyes of the Thing glanced around before focusing on Barclay, malice and hatred infused in them as it turned its head further. The body began to roll as it shuddered, with the limbs of the animal becoming grotesque as they bent in all of the wrong directions, and the "belly" of the dog rippled as a ridge began to form. The ridge of flesh soon gave way as a serrated fin-like series of spines, made of red flesh and bone, protruded from it, with a veiny membrane sticking between each spine, forming a sail.
The Thing's tail began to simmer, and steam rose up as the fur melted together with the flesh and bone, soon forming something long and bony, with a stinger seen on the end. The Thing rose up on its now grotesque limbs and it let out a horrible cry, inhuman and not of this world, towards Barclay before snarling and snapping its jaws. Barclay narrowed his eyes at the creature as its muzzle split apart into mandibles, with a tongue in the middle whipping around, while the green eyes soon rose out on opposable stalks that formed out of its head, twisting in the air.
Barclay raised the flamethrower and frowned at the Thing as it began lumbering forward. "Get off of my planet," Barclay spat before sending stream after stream of napalm at the Thing. The monstrosity howled as fire engulfed it. "Burn in HELL!" Barclay roared as he let loose another jet of flame, torching the Thing.
The Thing cried out before collapsing to the ground again, its limbs giving up and spasming as fire consumed it. It continued howling as Barclay set it ablaze once more. He waited until it stopped moving before turning around and walking back to the snowcat. As he approached the open passenger door, he looked over at other open door and heard a noise. Reaching in and opening the glove compartment, Barclay found an unused flare and the flare gun.
Quickly pulling it out, he ignited it and walked around to the other side of the vehicle, where he was taken back by the gruesome sight before him. Sid, the other dog imitation, had moved itself onto Harvey's body and was fusing with it, merging the flesh of the two beings together as tendrils ripped apart Harvey's clothes. The abomination, its flesh fusing with Harvey's at its front legs and head, looked up and let out a cry.
Harvey's mouth also opened and let out a raspy growl, his eyes turning green and his lips curling into a snarl. Barclay watched as Harvey's right arm reach out and grabbed the fallen shotgun on the ground, bringing it closer to his body as it tried using the one limb to hold and aim the weapon. Barclay threw his flare at the mutation's open mouth, letting it land on the chin of the creature before it began to immolate it. The Thing let out a howl and thrashed around, with both bodies twisting and turning, the shotgun being flung around and landing somewhere on the ground.
Barclay then raised the flamethrower and sent another stream of napalm at the beast, setting it ablaze. Barclay fired again and again, not letting up until he was out of fuel. When his canisters were finally empty, he tiredly made his way over to the other side of the snowcat and got inside, taking off the harness for the flamethrower and throwing the weapon in the back. He put the flare gun back in the glove compartment and closed the passenger door.
Looking at the dash board, Barclay took survey of the instrument panel and saw that allowing the vehicle to run continuously had not put too serious a dent into the fuel supply. Crawling over into the driver's seat, Barclay got out and walked over to where the shotgun had been tossed, picking it up and inspecting it before taking the slugs out of the loading port and removing the one in the chamber. He collected the bullets and put them away before placing the shotgun on the back floor.
Looking back over at the burning bodies of the Thing, Barclay let out a tired and worn breath. He glanced back over at the crate of dynamite in the back of the snowcat and looked out over at the other burning Thing in the distance. Better safe than sorry, he mentally told himself before grabbing a bundle of dynamite from the case and carefully separating two sticks and their wires. Opening the glove compartment, he found one more unused flare.
Shutting the doors and getting in the driver's seat, Barclay took the vehicle out of park and backed it up until it was clear from the burning bodies of what had once been Harvey and a dog. He stopped the vehicle, parked it, and then got out with the dynamite and the flare. Making his way over to the farthest burning corpse, he got the flare ready, until he realized that the body still being on fire negated the need for it as long as he was accurate with his throw.
Taking a pose and aiming, Barclay tossed the stick of dynamite at the burning corpse, watching with satisfaction as it landed directly on top of the body... and in the center of a burning fire. Quickly covering his ear and closing his eyes, Barclay dove to the ground as the dynamite went off a few seconds later, lighting up the sky for a moment. As Barclay soon got up, he watched as burning pieces of Thing remains danced through the air on their way down to Earth.
He then repeated the process with the other body before making his way back to the snowcat. Getting inside and closing the door, Barclay buckled his seat belt and looked at the thermometer and fuel gauge. "I should have enough," he said to himself as he began turning the vehicle around and driving it back towards Hawke Station.
Twenty Minutes Later...
Barclay's eyes widened when he heard the engine sputter. "No. No. No! Come on, do not do this to me!" he pleaded as the vehicle soon came to a stop. "Motherfucker!" Barclay swore angrily before lashing out and hitting the dash board. "God DAMMIT!"
He then leaned back and took a deep breath to calm himself. Looking at the thermometer, Barclay saw the temperature inside the vehicle stay steady for a few minutes... before it slowly began to drop. "Fuck," he whispered to himself.
Looking up ahead, Barclay could just make out the lights of Hawke Station in the distance. It would be at least a twenty or thirty minute walk if he pushed himself. Looking back at the thermometer, Barclay reached into the glove compartment and pulled out the flare and flare gun, pocketing both. He looked back at the empty flamethrower.
If he took it with him, it would slow him down, and with the outside temperature being as low as it was, he had to move as quickly as possible if he wanted to survive. He could always come back to get the flamethrower later, but it meant that there would be one less defense inside the station. Reaching back, he opened the case of dynamite and took out a bundle before looking for something to strap them with.
Seeing a box on the floor, he opened it and found a safety harness inside with pockets and straps. Barclay quickly took off his jacket before putting on the harness and replacing the jacket. He then set to work stowing the dynamite, flare, and flare gun. Reaching down, he patted his holstered Colt M1911 to reassure himself before he grabbed the safety goggles for his flamethrower, threw them on, and stepped out into the night air. He pulled out the flare and ignited it before beginning his trek back home through the snow, the wind, and the cold.
Hawke Station...
"Are you sure?" Ralsen asked as he saw the undergarments in Dutton's hands. "Look at the name tag!" Dutton said as he thrust the shredded Long-Johns into Ralsen's hands. "No. No, this ain't right," Stiles said worriedly as he paced around the rec room. "He was one of those Things the whole time," Kinner said in dismay, sinking into the couch and putting his head in his hands.
Almost everyone had been gathered into the rec room after burning the bodies outside, with the exception of Walters. Walters had, once again, retreated into the safety of the green house after learning about the incident in the kennel. No one had bothered to try coaxing him out after coming back inside.
"Now, let's not lose our heads here," Crenna said as he stood up. "Where did you find these?" he asked Dutton. "They were in the trash can in the office. I knocked it over by accident when I was going over to the gun cabinet," Dutton said. "But when did it get to him?" Atkins asked.
"Could have been any time," Carrington said thoughtfully. "When the lights went out?" Caldwell suggested. "No," Van Wall said thoughtfully. "I mean, it's a great opportunity, but he was with us when it happened. Well, not right when it happened. I mean, he only arrived in the room a couple minutes after, but that's not enough time to be attacked and turned by those things," Van Wall added.
"No, but it is enough time to kill someone and hide the body if he has someone else turn off the lights for him," Dutton said solemnly. "What do you mean?" Silva asked him curiously. "I went into his room after checking on Hendry, to keep him abreast of the situation, and I found this," Dutton said as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a coil of thin wire, just like the kind that Thorne had been strangled with.
"No. No, no, NO!" Silva spat out angrily as he began pacing around the room. "It doesn't make any sense, though," Crenna said quietly. "Wait, how could he murder Thorne and then turn off the lights and get into this room only a minute later?" Silva asked skeptically. "He had help. Remember, there's at least two imitations running around," Carrington said.
"Harvey's out there alone with him," Ralsen said in horror. "Oh dear god," Carrington said as he leaned back against the wall. "But why? I mean, this whole time... he's been wasting those things, though, hasn't he? He wouldn't go around roasting other Things if he were one of them, would he?" Van Wall asked.
"If it meant getting us to trust him, he very well could have forced himself to do it," Dutton said with a tinge of bitterness in his voice. Crenna marched over and grabbed the underpants from Ralsen's hands and looked at them. "They're... they're his," he whispered to himself sadly as he read the name-tag stenciled on them.
A. BARCLAY
Thirty Minutes Later...
Barclay took another step forward before leaning on the side of the storage shed. He held the flare above his head as he took a breath and forced himself to begin walking again. His limbs and muscles ached, and his body felt cold, but he was determined. He staggered forward, forcing himself to think of his warm bed or a hot bath, incentivising himself to keep moving forward.
"Keep... moving... Allison," Barclay said to himself through gritted teeth. Snow and frost had begun to cover his beard, and he could barely feel the tips of his fingers. "You're almost... almost there," he told himself as the howling wind blew past him. "Just a few more steps," he said before finally reaching the door.
He leaned forward and raised a fist into the air before slamming it into the door. "Is anyone there!? Silva!? Dutton!? Van Wall!?" Barclay shouted as he continued knocking on the door, begging to be let inside. "Please! Pease, anyone!" Barclay pleaded desperately.
He soon heard the door handle being turned from the inside. A smile, a joyous smile, quickly broke out over his face as he watched the door open from inside. He quickly tossed the flare into the snow and stepped forward before collapsing onto the hallway floor, pulling himself forward as the door was closed behind him.
"Thank you. Oh god, thank you!" Barclay said in relief. "Where's Harvey?" asked a cold voice. Barclay rolled over and looked up at the men who were surrounding him. Looking down at him were Dutton, Ralsen, Kinner, Stiles, Sanchez, Silva, and Van Wall. Ralsen and Dutton were both holding flamethrowers, aiming them at him, while Silva held his away, a conflicted look adorning his face.
"Did I miss something?" Barclay asked them hesitantly. "Where... is Harvey?" Ralsen asked him coldly. "He... he's dead," Barclay said quietly. "I'll bet he is," Dutton said, frowning. "Tell me, Bar, don't dirty laundry go in the hampers? Not, you know, the trash can?" Ralsen asked him as he reached into his vest and pulled out a shredded pair of underwear, depositing them on Barclay's jacket.
Barclay looked at the name stenciled on them. He then looked back up, realizing what was going on. "Uh... I've been framed," Barclay said. "Hm... hear that?" Ralsen asked as he looked around. "I don't quite believe that. Oh, there's also the wire we found in your room. You know, the wire that you murdered Thorne with!" Ralsen spat at him, pushing the nozzle of the flamethrower closer to Barclay's head.
"I've been framed," Barclay repeated slowly. The disbelieving looks on everyone's faces, however, told him that they weren't listening. Except, perhaps, for Silva. Unfortunately, Dutton and Ralsen had taken charge, and Silva was following their lead. "I say we waste him right here and now. He's vulnerable," Ralsen said, narrowing his eyes at Barclay.
"No!" Silva shouted. "We have to prove that he's an imitation before we can kill him. Otherwise... we'd be murderers," Silva said. "He's right," Van Wall said. "Well... what do we do with him then?" Ralsen asked. "I have an idea," Carrington said. Barclay did not like the tone in Carrington's voice, and so with a grimace, he simply allowed his tiredness and exhaustion to take over, and he drifted into unconsciousness as the men bickered above him.
Author's Notes: And there is chapter ten! And what a roller coaster ride it was. For those interested, the scene with the dog chase was inspired by an un-filmed sequence in the John Carpenter film. The sequence was included in the novelization by Alan Dean Foster, but his novelization was based on an earlier draft of the screenplay.
For those of you wondering when the dogs got infected, please remember that when the Childs-Thing attacked the kennel, I described a brief sequence where some of its tendrils had gotten through the chain-link and were attacked by some of the dogs.
In the next chapter, we have yet another Thing attack, and the most famous test in Thing lore is finally discovered by the crew of Hawke Station.
Be sure to let me know what you think of this chapter and/or the story so far in your reviews.