We moved in silence Sarge and Mac in front with me and Reaper behind. I caught Reaper checking on me every few moments. I ignored him as we all moved silently through the dark dank corridors to the excavation site. I could have led us there with my eyes closed, when I was younger it was the only place I felt safe, that was a life time ago now.
"Pinky, we're entering the archaeological dig site now." Sarge informed Pinky as we went into the dig site, the rubble walls were a welcome change from the creepy corridors. There were squeaks for lack of a better word coming from one of the off shoots of the mud room we were in. Sarge glanced over to me and Reaper and nodded for us to check it out. I glanced at Reaper to take the lead. He nodded and we moved off towards the noise. We cleared the way working as a two man crew, sweeping in circles as we moved down the corridors. Once upon a time it wouldn't have mattered that the lights were out, I would have been peaceful just wondering around, looking at all the finds. Now. Now was a different story, now I was ready to shoot the first thing that moved. There was a breeze coming through the rocks, it sent shivers down my spine as I focused as much of my attention on clearing the area rather than how uneasy the whole place now made me feel. Suddenly some rocks fell, in a heartbeat both me and John shone our lights on the rock fall. My heart started to race faster than before. I glanced at John as he looked over at me. We were sharing the same expression. We knew how much a few loose rocks could take away from you.
"You ok?" I whispered softly lowering my gun slightly. All the anger I had for him disappeared seeing the rocks falling. It reminded me how quickly things could be taken away from you.
"No. You?" John asked watching me carefully.
"No." I answered honestly as we continued to move down the corridor. Ever step felt like a vice was tightening round my chest. The fear was controlling me. I couldn't help it, as soon as I saw the rocks fall I knew where exactly we were. We were standing feet away from where our parents died. Where my father died. After the evacuation back to Earth I tried to block out that place. I erased it from my mind, or so I thought. I knew coming back to Olduvai, facing the demons of my past would involve coming back to the place where my life fell apart. It was one thing knowing it, a completely different ball game standing there. We moved closer to a window vent, my heart pounding in my chest as I couldn't tear my eyes away from the small window.
"I've never been so scared in my life." I uttered so softly I wasn't sure John could hear me. The tremble in my voice was so clear, the fear had gripped me.
"Me either." He replied in a soft hush as he hit the button that opened the vents. Sure enough we were standing, looking onto the site where they all died. My eyes scanned the red rocks, the way they fell down into the man made cavern. My hands started to shake slightly as I remembered walking into the medical room, holding John's bandaged hand when the ground shook. It was worse than any earthquake I had felt back on Earth. I remember gripping John's hand out of fear as all three of us huddled together as the lights flickered and the nurse inside called for us to huddle near her. I remember when the technicians ran in screaming that the rocks had fallen, crushing our parents. I remember Sam crying, John just hugging her, the shock and confusion plastered on his face. I remember looking at the pair and just feeling completely alone. I remember John holding his bloody bandaged hand out to me, the tears in his eyes as I ran over and we all held each other. I remember when they brought the bodies in, John and Sam screaming. I couldn't make a noise, but they were screaming so loud. The nurse knocked them out, telling me it was for the best. I remember the marines winking at me as they moved in from the Ark, organising the evacuation of the site until it was deemed safe. I remember never leaving Sam and Johns sides all the way until the Ark travel.
"I can't believe how much I remember." I whispered out, as I touched the vents with a shaky hand. My voice was laced with a million emotions I had buried long ago.
"It never leaves you." John replied looking down at me as we both shared a knowing look. I nodded taking my hand back when we heard footsteps behind us.
"Is this where it happened?" Sarge asked from behind us. I couldn't answer him, I could barely talk to Sam and John about it all. I bowed my head as I tried to fight the fear gripping my whole body.
"Did you find the door?" Reaper asked changing the subject as quickly as he could. Sarge stood there for a moment before disappearing down the corridor. I looked up at John and shook my head.
"I'm sorry I'm being a dick to you. I just can't... if I fall here, you've got Sarge and Mac to cover your back. If I fall with Sam, who has she got to keep her safe?" I asked softly hoping to make him see why I was so determined to get back out here.
"Let's just find the door. Get the hell out of here?" John asked closing the vent as we both watched the most horrific part of our lives fall back into darkness.
"John, Bones." Sarge's voice came over the comms and we fallowed the direction he went.
We fallowed Sarge until we reached the air lock. Sarge was crouched over two dead bodies, checking I.D's. The bodies both shared the same morbid expression of utter fear. They were running for their lives just as much as Dr. Carmack.
"Clay. Thurman." Sarge confirmed as I looked at the bodies. "Look at them. They weren't trying to stop something from getting in. Something stopped them from getting out."
"One of those things?" I asked looking from Sarge to Reaper. The answer already clear for all three of us.
"Your guess is as good as mine Bones." Sarge sighed tapping his ear. "Mac hang tight. Destroyer report."
"We've reached the air lock, it's secure. Console indicates that nothing has come in or out for the last twenty-six hours." Destroyer confirmed to us when we herd a thud from down the corridor.
"Mac?" Reaper whispered as we raised our guns and moved out. Reaper in front, me then Sarge. We worked as a unit clearing the corridors.
"Mac?" Sarge asked as we moved silently but quickly back towards Mac's position.
"Mac come in." I added as we moved. A part of me knew why he wasn't answering.
"Mac!" Sarge almost hissed as Mac still didn't reply to us. We cleared the corridors sweeping it in pairs as Sarge jogged to keep look out. "Talk to me Mac, talk to me!" Sarge almost begged as we continued to move. I got a bad feeling about it all as we got closer and Mac still hadn't replied. Sarge turned the corner before us and cried out. "Shit!"
"Mac." I whispered out as we came round the corner and saw Mac's body detached from his head, it looked like a clean cut. I crossed myself, taking some solecist in the fact it was a quick death. I didn't have much time to think about Mac because we heard a growl, similar to the growl I heard before Goat and I was attacked. I raised my gun and looked at Reaper and Sarge. We were all thinking the same thing, we just needed to know which way it was coming for us.
"Contact!" Reaper yelled firing at something down the corridor we had just come down. We took attack formation, I dropped to my knee covering Reaper as he took the lead and Sarge fallowed.
"We're in pursuit moving fast out of the dig!" Sarge yelled taking off after Reaper. As soon as they started to move I got to my feet, and covered our backs fallowing after the pair who took it in turns to cover the other as we chased the monster down the corridors back out of the dig. "Pinky what do you see?!" Sarge barked as we all fired at the moving shadow.
"It's big, very big." Pinky confirmed, not that it was that helpful to us. "Moving fast, back towards the lab complex." He added as we moved out of the dig site, through the back to the corridors that were a maze. We reached the corner just before the labs and saw the blood smears heading inside.
"It's back in the lab." Sarge confirmed as we all took a beat to look at each other. It was a bad, bad thing that the creature had gotten that far. Reaper took the lead going in first with Sarge fallowing both cleared the corridor as I continued to watch our flank. I backed into the corridor and glanced as The Kid, Portman and Destroyer came back. "Damn it's fast!" Sarge growled shaking his head.
"Did you get it?"The Kid asked as we all looked at each other. Sarge shook his head, cursing under his breath.
"All round defence men!" Sarge ordered as we grouped up in a circle. The Kid, and Destroyer turned their back on us making a protective circle as I continued to watch the way we came in. I knew the damn thing were fast, I knew it could sneak up on us. "Pinky?!" Sarge sighed looking annoyed.
"Yes Sarge?" Pinky asked.
"Anything gets through that door, use an ST grenade! It can not get back to Earth!" Sarge ordered looking at all of us. We knew just how much damage this thing could do on Earth.
"No, if he pops an ST in there he's going to blow the Ark!" Portman cried out terrified that he was going to get stuck on the planet with the things.
"Reaper, Kid cover formation, sweep the floors go." Sarge ordered completely ignoring Portman whining. Reaper and Kid took off taking a second to glance back at us. I met Reaper's hazel eyes and gave him a small nod which he returned.
"Destroyer, you and Portman stay here, shut the air lock, maintain a perimeter." Sarge ordered Destroyer as Portman got more worked up.
"How the hell are we supposed to get the fuck home?!" Portman cried out to Sarge. I looked from Destroyer to Portman and finally to Sarge. Portman was on the edge of freaking out, thankfully Sarge knew how to handle him.
"Portman, shut the fucking door!" Sarge glared at Portman, making him instantly scurry away and well, shut the fucking door.
"Sarge?" I asked as Sarge looked at Portman scurrying away. I wasn't sure where I was going yet.
"Where are you heading?" Destroyer asked Sarge. In turn Sarge grinned from Destroyer to me.
"Me and the good doctor here are heading to the armoury. I think we're going to need something with a bit more kick. On me Bones." Sarge said looking over to me. I adjusted my strap and nodded, fallowing Sarge down the corridor and away from everyone else.
