AN: This chapter is dedicated to all my gorgeous reviewers: Squabble (8), Logan the Awesome (7), vampireluvr15 (5), TBells17 (5), Rue Mo (4), Kathryn Hart (4), lov3is4lif3 (4), Raeni12345 (4), Stephanieella96 (3), Illia Beckett (2), The Whisperer's Song (1), Nimbus Llewelyn (1), KatYes (anonymous reviewer) (1) and Brumeier (1).
Look at that! WOW!15 reviewers and even though 4 of them only reviewed once, I have 49 reviews! Shows how dedicated some of you people are, and I love you all for it! Especially Squabble, who has reviewed the most.
….
The thick, repulsive saliva slowly dripped out of its open mouth, as I stood stiller than I ever have in my entire life. I could hear the rattle in its bony throat; it resonated across the room like the accelerated and frenzied ticking of a deathly clock, counting down the last moments of my life. I would not give in, I would not cry, I would not run and hide like a child, but I would make myself believe I had control of the terrifying situation.
I gripped my last weapon in my sweat-slicked hand, the device threating to slip and fall clattering to the floor with every one of my panicked heartbeats. I dreaded the sound of the device falling, the clattering sound echoing though the room, my mind and my soul. The abysmal silence of the rest of the building seeped through my skin, and I realised only then how many were dead, how they suffered and bled and perished, how they would have screamed with agony and distress, and I wondered how I could be as cold and detached so that I didn't hear it. Now it was just me. My ragged breathing caught excruciatingly in my throat as I strained to keep utterly soundless. It would be seconds now.
The creature tensed itself, and I felt my organs clench tightly around my spine, as though my body was physically preparing itself for the unbearable tearing and gashing that lay ahead. I let my final breath go with a quip, pressed the button my life depended on and closed my eyes, thinking of the last thing I wanted to remember, my team…
Hang on, what AM I talking about? This isn't the right story!
…
BetterThanBecker has just signed in
BetterThanBecker: Hmmm… :(
BetterThanBecker: Anybody here?
BetterThanBecker: Nobody?
BetterThanBecker: Hello! And welcome to the Connor Temple Show! Today I will be talking about how nobody can be bothered to talk to me! Actually no, scratch that, I'll be talking to Darth Vader. So, Mr Vader, or can I call you Darth?
BetterThanBecker: *heavy breathing*
BetterThanBecker: Well, that's very interesting. Anything else?
BetterThanBecker: *more deep breathing*
BetterThanBecker: Well, that's annoying. Next on the Connor Temple show we have the amazing Scooby Doo, who-
KamikazePilot has just signed in
KamikazePilot: Connor, what ARE you doing?
BetterThanBecker: Um, nothing.
KamikazePilot: I can see the chat history you know. And you want us to respect you and stop calling you a freak?
EgyptianGoddess has just signed in
BetterThanBecker: I was doing my own TV show ok, because I was bored. Nobody else was here!
EgyptianGoddess: That's because we've all been typing up the report on the latest anomaly alert.
ActionMan has just signed in
BetterThanBecker: Oh, I finished that ages ago. I've been tweaking the detector, but I electrocuted myself twice so I stopped and logged on here.
ActionMan: I love that detector.
BetterThanBecker: Oi, you can stop that right now Becker!
KamikazePilot: You tell him Connor!
BetterThanBecker: I will Danny, oh I will.
ActionMan: How come everyone's ganging up on me all of a sudden? Danny, we enjoy picking on Connor so much!
KamikazePilot: I need a change of victim.
BetterThanBecker: :D
ActionMan has signed out
KamikazePilot: Is it just me, or can you imagine him flipping his hair and stomping his foot like a girl just then?
EgyptianGoddess: Not just you.
BetterThanBecker: Definitely not just you.
LizardGirl has just signed in
LizardGirl: Hi folks, what's going on?
BetterThanBecker: Danny and I are ganging up on Becker.
LizardGirl: Very funny Connor. What's going on guys?
BetterThanBecker: It's true! Isn't it Danny?
KamikazePilot: Uh-huh. I was getting bored with teasing Connor.
NotClaudia has just signed in
LizardGirl: Woah, that's certainly a change.
NotClaudia: But a good change.
BetterThanBecker: Unquestionably a good change :D
NotClaudia: What is everyone up to at the ARC? Any good anomalies lately?
EgyptianGoddess: Just yesterday one opened in a town centre. Luckily, the actual thing was down an alleyway, but there were dodos everywhere.
BetterThanBecker: Luckily there weren't any parasites in this bunch. They were as docile, as, well, dodos.
KamikazePilot: Parasites?
LizardGirl: Last time we encountered them they were carrying a deadly parasite.
KamikazePilot: Ouch.
BetterThanBecker: Yeah :(
EgyptianGoddess: We had to go with the story of an escape of some exotic chickens from a private zoo, but Becker was incredibly irritated by the whole escapade.
NotClaudia: Why?
KamikazePilot: They got very attached to him, he almost drowned in dodos!
BetterThanBecker: Wouldn't that be a way to go? Cause of Death: Drowning in Dodos.
LizardGirl: Quite epic Connor.
BetterThanBecker: I know, haha
EgyptianGoddess: But it is good he didn't actually do any dodo drowning.
BetterThanBecker: Of course…
KamikazePilot: *snickers*
BetterThanBecker: I have an activity for us all, let's spy on Becker!
LizardGirl: Spy on him?
JennaTheAwesome has just signed in
BetterThanBecker: Why of course. I placed secret video cameras around the place to follow his every move. I've got a bet with Danny.
JennaTheAwesome: Oh gosh Connor, what now?
BetterThanBecker: I betted he talks to the armoury equipment.
KamikazePilot: I said "Even Becker's not that sad".
BetterThanBecker: Shall we see? I'll load the live footage onto your screens.
Video window "BECKER_OFFICE_CAM" has been added to the chat
EgyptianGoddess: Is he talking to himself?
KamikazePilot: Nope, he's talking into his earpiece.
BetterThanBecker: There's time yet.
JennaTheAwesome: You know, I never knew Becker actually did written work.
LizardGirl: Why, what did you think he does all day?
JennaTheAwesome: Wave his gun around looking dramatic.
LizardGirl: Figures…
KamikazePilot: Look at him, he could be Lester's twin.
ItalianSuitMaster has just signed in
ItalianSuitMaster: What makes you think that Quinn?
KamikazePilot: He's got loads of paperwork and he's actually sitting in his office doing it. He actually looks normal!
ItalianSuitMaster: Yes, Captain Becker and I are two of the few people in this blasted facility that do any sort of work.
LizardGirl: You have to admit, this is pretty interesting. I love watching people.
BetterThanBecker: Is that why you randomly stare at me sometimes at home?
LizardGirl: Yes. That is definitely why.
EgyptianGoddess: I like people watching too. In fact, I would have liked to study human behaviour at university, but I just loved Ancient Egypt too much.
ItalianSuitMaster: Well, look on the bright side. You can still study people, and the best part is, they don't answer you back when they're dead.
LizardGirl: Connor, he's getting up!
JennaTheAwesome: Where's he going?
BetterThanBecker: Out into the corridor, it's the only place he can go, unless he stuffs himself in the filing cupboard.
LizardGirl: Well change the camera then!
Video window has switched to "MAIN_CORRIDOR_CAM"
KamikazePilot: Becker's office has a filing cabinet?
ItalianSuitMaster: All the offices do Quinn, it's just you never use yours, you seem to prefer the floor under your desk.
KamikazePilot: It's close at hand then.
BetterThanBecker: He's going into the armoury Danny! Let's have a look shall we?
Video window has switched to "ARMOURY_CAM"
JennaTheAwesome: He's heading towards his favourite gun, Connor, this may be you winning the bet!
BetterThanBecker: Of course, he is most likely to talk to that one.
KamikazePilot: I stand firmly by my decision. I think.
ItalianSuitMaster: What imbeciles I work with.
BetterThanBecker: YES! Result! Did you hear that Danny?
KamikazePilot: Yes :(
NotClaudia: I didn't, somebody dropped something in the room next door. Sounded like a tea-tray. Oh well, they should know how to pick it up. What did he say?
BetterThanBecker: "Hello Marcus"
NotClaudia: Marcus? Are you serious? He's named it Marcus?
BetterThanBecker: Yep :)
LizardGirl: How do you know there's not somebody around that corner who is called Marcus?
ItalianSuitMaster: There isn't.
KamikazePilot: How do you know Lester? You can't see him any better than us.
ItalianSuitMaster: Maybe not, but I do happen to have information on all the staff that are employed here. And none of them are called Marcus.
KamikazePilot: :'(
EgyptianGoddess: He's polishing it now, what is the world coming to?
LizardGirl: He's talking to it again! He said "You've got dust all over you; I really should invest in a cover. Not to mention finger marks everywhere, but I can't combat that. I couldn't have my Marcus made out of stainless steel now could I?"
BetterThanBecker: Danny, you owe me £1.
KamikazePilot: Damn it.
ItalianSuitMaster: You made a bet for one pound?
BetterThanBecker: Yeah :D
ItalianSuitMaster: What is the point of that?
KamikazePilot: Making a bet: £1
BetterThanBecker: Setting up the camera system: £10
KamikazePilot: Realising you could use Johnson's old cameras: -£10
BetterThanBecker: Taking the mickey out of Becker: priceless
KamikazePilot: :D
JennaTheAwesome: Do you use that face loads because it has a D for Danny in?
KamikazePilot: :(
EgyptianGoddess: So (anny, what next?
BetterThanBecker: (anny?
LizardGirl: Because he didn't use a D in his face, Sarah used the bracket he used instead of the D to spell his name with, as his name begins with a D. This was a continuation of Jenna's joke.
BetterThanBecker: Oh right :)
LizardGirl: Becker's gone now, he's GONE GUYS!
Video window has switched to "MAIN_CORRIDOR_CAM"
LizardGirl: Office, Connor, office.
Video window has switched to "BECKER_OFFICE_CAM"
EgyptianGoddess: He's using the computer! Hide the video! DELETE THE CHAT HISTORY!
Video window "BECKER_OFFICE_CAM" has been removed from the chat
ItalianSuitMaster: I may stay for this…
ActionMan has just signed in
ActionMan: I'm back.
BetterThanBecker: We noticed.
LizardGirl: So, what have you been doing since you logged off Becker?
ActionMan: Oh, you know, this and that.
EgyptianGoddess: Like what?
ActionMan: Paperwork, some stuff to file.
KamikazePilot: Ooh, adventurous. Anything else?
ActionMan: Yes Quinn, I visited the armoury, if you must know. Why so interested?
KamikazePilot: Well nothing much is going on around here.
JennaTheAwesome: Yeah, you'd be surprised how interested people get in normal everyday activities.
KamikazePilot: I'm not as bad as Abby, the obsessive people watcher.
LizardGirl: It's a CONDITION!
KamikazePilot: I'm pretty sure it's not.
LizardGirl: It's not, I just wanted to say that. I've been watching far too much Invader Zim lately; I'm quoting it like mad.
BetterThanBecker: There's no such thing as "too much Invader Zim".
LizardGirl: We are so alike Connor, it's scary. In a good way.
JennaTheAwesome: *snigger snigger*
EgyptianGoddess: *cough cough*
KamikazePilot: *splutter splutter*
ActionMan: *sneeze sneeze*
ItalianSuitMaster: Sneeze sneeze?
ActionMan: I couldn't think of anything else.
BetterThanBecker: Guess what guys! I'm feeling in a very intrusive mood today, so I found out some interesting information about all of you to tell everyone here in the chat room.
EgyptianGoddess: WHAT?
KamikazePilot: WHAT?
LizardGirl: WHAT?
ActionMan: WHAT?
JennaTheAwesome: WHAT?
ItalianSuitMaster: Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me.
NotClaudia: Ha-HA! I don't work there anymore, no information on me Connor!
BetterThanBecker: Sadly mistaken Jenny, the files are all still here. Gosh, your personal files are so easy to hack into.
NotClaudia: D:
BetterThanBecker: So here we go…
KamikazePilot: Oh god.
BetterThanBecker: Danny used to be afraid of the dark so much he wet the bed at night.
KamikazePilot: What? CONNOR! Don't you dare laugh Jenna. I can see you.
JennaTheAwesome: I'm. Not. Laughing. *stuffs fist into mouth to stop laughter escaping*
KamikazePilot: Connor, that is not cool. How did you even find that?
BetterThanBecker: The personal files are very thorough. Contains details of every doctor's visit you've ever had. What I didn't mention was that you did this until you were 13.
KamikazePilot: You are not getting your pound, apart from possibly by my fist.
BetterThanBecker: When Jenna was five and was just learning to dress herself, she walked into the hairdressers with her mum, lifted up her dress and said 'Look I've got no knickers on!'
JennaTheAwesome: :O
LizardGirl: o.O
KamikazePilot: *cracks up*
JennaTheAwesome: I was FIVE!
KamikazePilot: It's still funny.
BetterThanBecker: Sarah used to scribble on the toy phone in nursery all the time, and eventually got expelled.
ActionMan: Really? Expelled? From nursery?
EgyptianGoddess: It was a strict school.
BetterThanBecker: Lester used to have the most horrific tantrums in living memory, and often in very public places like town centres and restaurants. Stomping feet, screaming, post-box-red face, rivers of tears, violence, you name it, it happened.
JennaTheAwesome: I'll bet that creased your suit Lester.
KamikazePilot: Not to mention messed up your carefully arranged hair.
ItalianSuitMaster has signed out
BetterThanBecker: Abby thought that cars could talk and were secretly plotting to take over the world. She only stopped believing this when she finally watched 'Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo' when she was 10.
LizardGirl: That's not all that bad.
EgyptianGoddess: No, it isn't. I wonder why? *cough cough*
LizardGirl: Oh quit it Sarah.
BetterThanBecker: Jenny was a late baby and apparently she didn't want to come out, and, how shall I put this,-
NotClaudia: NO!
BetterThanBecker: -opened her bowels inside her mum and was born covered in her own faeces. She had to go on the thing that clears your airways so she could breathe, it was all in her nose and mouth and hair…
NotClaudia: That's enough Connor!
LizardGirl: Ew.
KamikazePilot: That's rank Jenny.
NotClaudia: Hello! Baby! I wasn't even technically born when it happened!
BetterThanBecker: And last but not least. Becker has a first name.
LizardGirl: Becker?
KamikazePilot: First name?
JennaTheAwesome: You're pulling our legs.
EgyptianGoddess: No, he does have a first name. It's Captain!
KamikazePilot: No wonder, seeing as he's from a military family.
JennaTheAwesome: Nice one Sarah, but don't you know his first name?
EgyptianGoddess: He wouldn't tell me. I got my own back with the fossil though.
LizardGirl: You're going out with somebody you don't even know the name of?
EgyptianGoddess: Not for long.
ActionMan: D: What?
EgyptianGoddess: I mean, Connor's going to tell us your name.
BetterThanBecker: :D
ActionMan: Temple, I'm warning you…
BetterThanBecker: Marcus doesn't scare me.
ActionMan: Marcus? How do you know that?
BetterThanBecker: Wouldn't you like to know Oswald?
ActionMan: Oh no you didn't. Please tell me you didn't just go there.
BetterThanBecker: Read my screen name. I went there alright.
LizardGirl: That is quite…
EgyptianGoddess: Cute! Why didn't you tell me?
ActionMan: I thought you'd laugh.
EgyptianGoddess: No way!
KamikazePilot: I'm afraid this does mean I will be calling you Ozzy now.
ActionMan: This is exactly why I didn't tell anybody.
LizardGirl: It's ok Becker, I think it's a cool name.
JennaTheAwesome: Me too, but I also will be calling you Ozzy.
KamikazePilot: *high five*
JennaTheAwesome: *high five*
….
So, there we go! Chapter TEN! Longest chapter yet, there's 2,648 words! How many reviews can we get? Can we please get to sixty before chapter 11? Hope that's not too unrealistic.
What did you think of Becker's name choice? It has sentimental value to me (Ozzy was what my school bus of five years was called by my bus crew, and Oswald's is a café in the town near me which also makes it appropriate) and it's just a simply amazing name! Also Captain Oswald Becker has a certain ring to it, don't you think?
As for the embarrassing facts, three of them were from my own personal experience (basically they happened to me). Any guesses as to which three? I would love some guesses here guys, try to see who gets it right! Person who gets all three correct has the next chapter dedicated to them.
Also, could people please tell me their favourite parts of the chapter in their reviews? That really makes me smile when people do that. Hugs to you all,
Ratty xxxxx