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Thank you, and enjoy…
Chapter 14: Fallacy
"Of all the hazards, fear is the worst."
-Sam Snead
Mission Profile: Tech Reconfiguration/Hold-out Fight
Time: 1700 Hours
Mission Time: 31000 Hours
Marine Casualty Count: 07
Marine Kill Count: 27
Kill/Casualty Ratio: 4:1 (Rounded)
Mission Status: Configure Distress Beacon For Extraction
Nathan
As he looked into the hive, he couldn't help but wonder if it was truly the end of the line at this point. It would obviously be something that you would think twice about going into; a Xenomorph Hive. If anything went wrong, it would immediately be on your head.
Extraction from the situation was currently four floors down, on the bottom floor area. There would be no way for the APC to reach you at this rate, and the elevator was all the way at the other end.
If you truly had a death wish, one that warranted a slow death, your best bet would be to enter a Xenomorph hive. You would be given the treatment of any host; nabbed, plastered against the ceiling, and given your very own Face-Hugger to attach itself to you, and impregnate you with a Xenomorph.
However, extraction's key lay beyond the hive, and if anything, you had to enter, you had to go inside, you had to face whatever fear you had. As a Colonial Marine, there was no fear. There was only the fight to carry on.
And with that being said, Nathan took a moment to take a breath and reply to his squad "We're going in." he paused a brief moment "Let's do standard line. Protect Standard at all costs, and don't engage unless engaged. This is their house, and let's just get in and get out. Look sharp. Sussex, you go in first"
"Yes sir" Sussex replied, stepping into the entrance and into the hive.
"Everyone else, standard line." Nathan replied, as they made their way inside.
Xenomorph Hive
If anything could be said about the hive in one word, it would be "Grotesque". For everything in it was obscene and deathly at the same time. It was all meant to be one of the safest places for Xenomorphs, the place where they could meet in numbers and hunker down.
Ghastly resin secretions were all over the walls, and one of the biggest things one could imagine that came from a human's chest was found inside the hive, in addition to some of the most horrifying scenes imaginable.
All around, were hundreds upon hundreds of eggs, leathery sacs which dripped with the obscene slime, and held inside either an empty space, or the deadly payload of a Face-Hugger.
And all along the walls were the displays of hosts, in various scenes of agony, with their chest cavities violently ripped open, and the burst creature having proceeded often to feast on the remains, exposing dry, rotting flesh to the outside, and often letting the stench of death and decay waft through the air.
All around, in the ribbed walls, were scenes like this one, along the corridors that seemed to never end.
Nathan
As he entered the Hive, he couldn't help but almost gag at the stench. For a brief moment, he almost fell prey to a reflex.
However, he was able to regain his composure, and move forward. Nothing would get him down if he had any say in it.
As he went forward, he turned off his flashlight and lowered night vision, before telling everyone else to do the same.
It was dark in the hive, and there was no way that he wanted to let the Xenos get the better of him like that. He was a Marine, and if anything, he was going to do his job of "Death-In-A-Can" if it killed him. However, he didn't want to die yet, and knew that his duty was also to keep himself alive.
As he tread carefully forward, toes crunching on the entrail-like side-secretions around empty eggs, he couldn't help but imagine what kind of horrors lay ahead.
However, there was no need to imagine anything, because they soon came across their first victim of a facehugger.
It was a small child, less than four years old, a little girl with curly blonde hair, tied up in pigtails. She was wearing the usual clothes of a little girl, and even had a security blanket inside of her hand.
However, a massive gaping hole was to be found in the middle of her chest, and most notably, it having opened up the entire ribcage.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pelinski do the sign of the cross once more, noting the fact that since she had been raised Catholic, she had inside of her a habit older than gunpowder itself. She usually kept the sign of the cross reserved for the most ghastly of sights, and this time, it was a shoo-in.
There was another body too, right across the wall. This one was of a woman, about in her thirties, who had been pregnant. Her chest had been burst open, and in all certainty, had begun to expose the dead fetus that was inside of her at time of death, the open skin area and the weight inside beginning to tear her apart.
And then in front, dangling from a coolant pipe, was a teenage male, about 17 or 16. He had long hair, piercings, a tattoo, and some headphones on. The device was also still playing music, blasting satanic death metal into the room, casting the sound all over to add to the atmosphere.
"You know what this place is?" Henley asked "This place is hell"
"And we go straight into hell and back" Nathan managed, trying his best to keep the Marine mindset. He had never actually fought the Xenos. Nor any member of their squad. This was their first bug-hunt.
They were used to Free-Trade Knight cells, the terrorists always trying to take down Weyland-Yutani. If there was ever a better reason to be afraid, it would be know. However, they knew that courage was just fear holding on a minute longer, and going through the fear, not letting it ride you, but riding it.
"Don't touch anything" Yost instructed through the headset "Just keep going forward. There's a fork up ahead. Let me know when you're at it."
"Copy that" Nathan replied. He turned "Let's keep moving. You heard the lady. Touch nothing."
They continued to walk forward, and into more of the hall of death. This time, it was a man, about in his late 30's, early 40's. He appeared that way, if only because he was grossly overweight. In addition to a chest burst from in the smallest manner, having been blocked out by a large amount of body fat, there was also a sign that even after death, he became a massive feast for the chestburster, having been gorged upon until there were massive holes in him, exposing flesh that had begun to rot.
"It's like they just ate him alive." Edwards commented, fear to his voice. He was starting to shake, and sweat.
Everyone was starting to sweat, it was hot as hell in the hive, and as they kept going in, the heat just kept rising.
"Hot as hell in here Corp" Sussex commented, walking ahead.
"Just keep moving guys" Nathan replied "Sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get out of here."
They kept walking forward, going past a woman, about in her early 80's, who had been plastered against the pipes. She was dressed like a typical retiree, and her skin, wrinkly and all, hung in bags around her, in the agony death throes. Her chest had been burst from massively, splattering the nearby wall with a massive stain, about 3 feet around.
"Let's get out of here guys" Edwards complained "They're all over the place."
Nathan knew this wasn't good. If Edwards was complaining, then things were really bad. However, he hadn't seen a single Xeno at all since they entered the hive.
Edwards was usually not like this. There had to be something up.
DUTT-BOOP
DUTT-BOOP
DUTT-BOOP
DUTT-BOOP
DUTT-BOOP
DUTT-BOOP
DUTT-BOOP
DUTT-BOOP
Something was moving somewhere. The range showed it to be about 30 feet ahead, and 50 feet to the left.
"Damn" Nathan replied, judging the movement. It was only one thing, but it was BIG.
A normal Xeno only took up a small portion of the area, while this thing was taking up a massive chunk of the screen. However, it wasn't getting any closer or changing location at all.
"Let's keep moving" Nathan replied, calm air forced to be natural. He wanted to get out as much as they did, yet knew this place was creepy.
They kept walking, and at 30 feet, came across the fork Yost described.
"Yost, this is Dutch" Nathan called in
"I copy." Yost replied.
"We've found the fork" Nathan explained "Which way to the tower?"
"Left" Yost instructed "Follow it and you'll reach the elevator"
"Roger" Nathan finished "On our way."
They walked forward, and within a few moments, reached the next turn, which seemed to be forcing them on a walkway over some very deep pits. In addition, there was a mass of the hive all over the walls that were nearby.
"Let's keep moving guys" Nathan announced, seeing on a small bare piece of wall, a sign that read ― To Control Room Elevator
They were getting close to their destination. Soon, it would be time for them to go home.
Yost
Sitting in the watchbox, she couldn't help but feel nervous. Something didn't sit right with her on the walls that they were passing by. She was already able to tell what the resin usually stuck as in certain places, and a few of them were obviously not right.
She watched them keep moving, and obviously couldn't help but bite her nails. The basic bug-hunt knowledge was to go into a hive with the most numbers to get the most out of your superior firepower.
At this point, their best bet was that the bugs didn't attack you.
She couldn't help but be nervous, it was killing her. She wanted to smoke so badly, even though it had been at least 7 months (Awake, she'd logged much more time asleep) since she last had a cigarette.
It would help if she had some way to relieve the tension. However, she knew that if she smoked, then she'd be right back into the vicious cycle that plagued many smokers. And she wasn't in an active combat position anymore, like Grimes was. If she started smoking heavily again, she'd easily get out of shape fast.
Jic'nya
Up on top of the vehicle, he couldn't help but feel bored. As much as he wanted to practice using the shuriken as a hand weapon, he couldn't help imagine the possibility of another trophy for close-quarters stalking.
If anything, the fact that the Ooman's heartrate was starting to increase was probably a good sign. If the Ooman Female smoked those nasty sticks, then she'd probably go out and smoke one soon. It would certainly make for some good stalking.
Especially noticing the pistol at her hip. Heartrate vision also can detect whether someone is armed, and this Ooman definitely was.
Nathan
Back in the Hive, he couldn't help but wonder where the Xenos were. They were in their house, and if anything, the fact that they were just going through an area that they guarded with their lives seemed to make things somewhat dangerous.
"This place gives me the creeps" Edwards repeated for the 17th time.
"Just shut up." Nathan retorted "We haven't seen a single Xeno yet. You're complaining's gonna draw them to us."
Out of everyone, Henley, who was taking up the rear, seemed to be the most unmoved by the entire place. He simply was taking everything in, vigilant to keep up the rear, making sure they still had a way back.
Yost
Scanning the screens, she saw something interesting with Henley. The Private was simply scanning around everywhere, trying to keep an eye out for anything.
And something was up.
She saw something move along the wall, a certain protrusion which had begun to shift.
"Henley, pan back" She commanded, switching the relay to him.
Henley
He wasn't zoning off, yet he wasn't too focused when Yost called in for him.
"Henley, pan back" Yost called.
"Yes ma'am" he replied, turning his head back to where the protrusion was. However, something wasn't right.
It wasn't moving, yet it wasn't in the same position as the last time. Rather, it seemed to have shifted position.
This wasn't too bad, but it wasn't too good either. It didn't upset him too much, but it wasn't unfazing either.
"What exactly am I lookin' at Lieutenant?" He asked into the com.
Nathan
As he was leading ahead, he heard Henley start talking into the headset, and fall behind.
He raised his fist in the air, commanding that they stop walking.
"What's going on here?" he asked.
However, before he knew it, the walls had literally started to move, shifting everywhere, and the motion tracker was picking up at least 50 blips.
"We've got Xenos!" Nathan yelled "Look sharp. Cover Standard people. Let's move!"
Henley began to fire upon one of the spots on the wall, that seemed to have morphed into a Xeno. However, he was completely powerless against another one that came from behind and grabbed him.
"Get to the elevator!" Nathan shouted, firing a short, controlled burst at a Xeno that was about to grab Standard.
He immediately changed to holding the Pulse-Rifle with one hand, and grabbed Standard by the arm. "Let's go!"
Sussex had thrown himself to the targeting computer, and was bagging Xenos left and right.
"Sussex," Nathan yelled "Cover us! Let's go Marines!"
Pelinski immediately ran past Nathan and Standard, rushing to clear the way forward.
Edwards had given up using his Pulse Rifle after it had run out of ammo, and instead, had begun to aim with the Flamethrower.
"Let's go Standard" Nathan replied to the Artificial woman, leading her past Sussex, following Pelinski.
Pelinski
She ran with all of her might, moving with a speed fueled purely by Adrenaline. She was quick with her shooting, firing off short, controlled bursts at the first things that moved.
It wasn't long before she had outrun the rest of the group and reached the elevator.
She took a moment to sling the Pulse Rifle as she quickly keyed the elevator to come down. She looked at the label Control Room Lift. This was definitely the ticket out of there.
For a brief moment, she went to check to see if her medkit was still there, and that she hadn't dropped it.
Checking that it was there, there was a sigh of relief.
BANG-CLACK-BANG-CLACK
The lift was slowly approaching the level, already audible from 10 stories up. It was making an incredible racket, and before long, she could see the bottom lights as it approached.
She turned around to call out that the elevator was ready "LIFT'S READY!" she yelled with full force upon turning around.
Instead of an empty passage to the rest of the squad catching up behind her, there was in it's place a massive hunter-type Xeno, ribbed and all, mouth right in her face.
She reached to grab the pistol at her waist, and was helpless as the first set of lips opened, to reveal a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, hiding a second mouth as it's tongue.
Just as she unhooked the gun from the holster, she was grabbed, and immediately brought up along the shaft's outside, as the second mouth came, piercing her face, sending brain-matter all over the place.
Edwards
Switching to Flamethrower, he turned on the pilot light, and immediately, relied on the tracker to see everything. He could only see Xenos everywhere, swarming as they crawled to get to him.
He started to sweat, and immediately, his fear was replaced by a happy feeling, sadist in stance, as he shot off a few practice bursts of flame.
"You wanna go?" he asked, smile on his face "Let's dance!"
He immediately began to burn all around, from every angle, completely ignoring Sussex telling him to keep moving.
Nathan
He glanced behind him for a brief moment, and saw Edwards pulling a crazy stunt of going mad with a flamethrower, completely ignoring Sussex' objections.
"Come on!" Nathan called through the headset, yelling the response. "The lift's waiting."
Sussex started moving back once the xenos had started to swarm in ever-increasing numbers, throwing himself to the targeting computer ever more.
BANG-HISSSS-GRAAANNNN
A look forward showed the lift had made it down to their level.
"Let's get out of here Dutch!" Standard screamed.
"Wait for me!" Sussex yelled, backing out slowly.
Nathan led Standard to the lift, with the walls starting to move again as they got closer.
Standard was the first to get inside, and she quickly pulled Nathan in behind her.
Sussex was slowly backing up, oblivious to what was behind him as more Xenos appeared.
"Sussex!" Nathan yelled "Get your ass in here!"
Sussex quickly turned around and replied coolly "I'm gonna distract them. You make sure that you can get home." He then proceeded to take his hand off the trigger, and salute Nathan "Just make sure you don't die on me sir"
Nathan paused for a moment, before returning the salute to Sussex "Make me proud Corporal Sussex" Nathan replied, shutting keying for the lift to leave.
Just as the door closed, he couldn't help but see Sussex at his prime in a firefight, taking down more Xenos in five seconds than anyone he could think of doing the same in ten minutes.
The lift began to groan as it pulled upwards. Nathan couldn't help but be amazed at the honor of the SMART gunner. The British always were more honorable than their American cousins.
"Dutch" Standard asked, breaking the silence "You should probably call it in"
"Right" he replied, trying to save face. He thumbed for Yost's frequency, and called in "Dutch to Yost, we're on the lift"
Yost
Sitting in the watchbox, she heard Van Hold's call "This is Yost. I copy. I'm picking up some static on your camera. From what I can tell, you and Standard are the only ones left. You reprogram that beacon, and try and get out on the outside. Sussex is still alive, and he's bagging them like crazy, but his gun's down to about halfway."
"Copy that" Dutch replied "Have him get out if he can. We'll probably be a while."
"Roger" Yost replied "over and out."
She keyed for Sussex "Sussex, this is Yost. Do you copy?"
"I copy" Sussex replied, gunfire taking up most of the signal "What's the deal?"
"Dutch and Standard are gonna rappel down" Yost explained "You get out of the hive immediately. They aren't coming down the lift."
"I copy" Sussex replied "I'll be there A-SAP"
"I'll be waiting." Yost finished.
The tension was killing her. She wanted to smoke so badly. Why did Grimes have to be killed with his smokes on him?
She got up from the watchbox and looked around. In Grimes' seat, there appeared to be a pack of menthols right where he was last sitting. They must have slipped out of his pocket on the ride.
"Might as well" she sighed, shrugging. She went and took the pack, before going to the door.
She knew the Xenos might be around here, and decided a little extra heat wouldn't hurt.
She took a couple of grenades from the rack, and slipped them onto her belt.
With that, she opened the door to the APC, and stepped outside.