Everyone had regrouped in the atrium. Everyone save for Duke, who seemed a little too pleased to have been left behind with Sam again. Sarge was at the head. To his left stood Destroyer. Mira stood beside Destroyer, adjusting Goat's borrowed vest around her small frame. Portman stood beside her. Then stood Mac and Reaper. Finally, Kid stood at Sarge's right. They stood in a circle, reloading their weapons and gearing back up for a second assault.
"We're going back in." Sarge said.
"We're not calling in backup?" Portman asked.
Sarge looked at Portman. "The Ark is sealed. Nothing gets back through until everything on this planet it dead. We're going in hot." He shouldered his weapon.
"You're serious?" Portman asked.
"Pick up your weapon Portman." Reaper said.
"Come on Portman." Destroyer called.
"Didn't you all see how that thing greased Goat?" Portman asked.
Mira's head rose. "No, Portman. I think we missed that."
"See, sliced through Mira and her vest like butter. We don't know what we're dealing with." Portman continued. "It's SOP to call in reinforcements when a situation is-"
"We are the reinforcements." Sarge snapped. She stepped closer towards Portman. "Now you shoulder your fucking weapon, soldier."
Portman shook his head slowly.
Sarge narrowed his eyes.
Portman grabbed his strap and pulled it over his shoulder.
"Pray for war." Sarge said.
"Pray for war." The others chimed.
Mira slammed a fresh clip into her weapon. "*Molitʹsya za voĭny."
"Destroyer, you Kid, and Portman, air lock. We'll take the dig." Sarge said.
Everyone nodded shortly and broke into teams.
Sam was hunched over the body of the creature. She'd decided to call it an 'imp' due to its thin, gangly like appearance. Duke was still off looking for the bone saw. Sam filled her time by investigating its skin surface.
Above her, the lights flickered with a power surge. Sam stopped working and looked up at the flickering lights. As the lights came back on, Sam turned to get back to her work. Seconds later the light above her died completely.
Sam looked around the room. The power was fluctuating all around her eerily. Sam put her scalpel on the tray and walked away from the creature.
"Duke?" Sam called. He still hadn't returned from his search. Sam was starting to get worried about him. She walked toward the nanowall and entered her code.
The nanowall destabilized in front of her. The corridor was empty, no sign of Duke at al. Sam stepped through the wall and sealed the wall. The corridor in front of her was completely silent. Utterly silent.
Sam started walking briskly through the corridor. "Duke?"
Still there was no answer.
Sam broke into a jog down the hall. "Duke?"
She rounded the corner and slammed into something. Sam screamed in shot.
"Hey, hey, hey." Duke called. "It's just a power surge."
Sam relaxed against the wall.
"You okay?" Duke asked. He held up the saw. "Here's your bone saw."
Sam took the saw from him and started back towards the lab.
"So which of you's the oldest?" Duke asked.
"What?" Sam asked. "Oh, me. By two minutes."
"Twins? Shit! Identical right?" Duke joked.
The lights in the corridor cut off. Sam turned quickly towards Duke. Duke had turned to look down behind them. He turned again, looking for a threat. A deep growl came from the corridor beside Duke. Duke turned, shining his gun light on a dog. It was low to the ground, growling at Duke.
"Sam get back in the lab." Duke ordered.
Sam moved slowly toward the nanowall, not taking her eyes off the dog. She entered her code in quickly and opened the door. Sam slipped through the nanowall and waited for Duke.
Suddenly the dog began whimpering. It rose from the ground and ran from Duke. As Duke moved towards the retreating dog, Sam caught sight of movement behind him. She only had enough time to scream before it lashed its arm out at Duke.
Duke was thrown into the wall nearby. He turned at the imp and fired.
"Run!" Sam yelled.
Duke tried to fire again but his weapon jammed. "Shit!" He reached for his pistol as the imp was recovering.
Duke pushed himself off the wall and moved backwards towards the door. He fired at the charging imp. "Close it!"
Duke jumped through the nanowall into the lab. Sam looked at the wall to see the imp still coming. She screamed and slammed the locking control. The imp entered partially through the nanowall when it solidified. The imp sot outs its tongue at Duke and Sam. The tongue overshot them, sliding on the smooth floor, far from them.
Sam exhaled deeply, leaning against Duke's chest.
"That's why I don't do nanowalls." Duke said.
translation:
pray for war.