I'm so sorry about the epic delay between chapters. I remember when I used to update this everyday. I am pleased with where this story has gone. Initially, it was just a one-shot but then it escalated into a full story. I've made this chapter pretty long to make up for all the chapters I haven't uploaded recently. Thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming.
Cheers: JJZ-109
CHAPTER 21. ALIENS IN THE SHED
Ripley and Vasquez slowly walked through the darkness of the maintenance shed, guided by Ripley's flashlight. She called out Arnold's name several times unsuccessfully, and her voice echoed around the immense shed. She soon gave up and contacted Hammond on the radio.
"Okay...I'm in." Ripley said on the radio and Hammond got the message back in the emergency bunker.
"Alright...There should be a metal railing next to you. Follow it until it leads you down a metal staircase." Hammond said on the radio, while looking at the blueprints of the shed with Hudson next to him.
"Going down the staircase..." Ripley reported as she and Vasquez slowly made their way down into the depths of the shed. It was meant to be an innocent warehouse, but right now it seemed like it was designed to frighten you.
Ripley followed Hammond's guiding instructions on the radio, leading her through the eerie blackness. As she went she wondered, if Muldoon was okay, if she would ever see her husband and adopted daughter again, and most importantly; would they survive? Eventually Hammond's directions hit an inaccuracy as they approached a dead end. Ripley felt a feeling of despair sweep over her as she looked into the metal wall lined with piping and valves. They had finally gotten lost in the unforgiving maze the XP staff called a shed. She sighed and spoke onto the radio.
"Its a dead end...What now?" She asked, fearing they might get trapped in a dead end with a Warrior Xenomorph.
Hammond got the message and was confused; he had been sure that all of his directions had been correct. He flicked through the blueprints as he spoke on the radio and Hudson sighed in despair next to him.
"Wait a minute...There should be a right turn somewhere..." Hammond said, clueless.
Hudson snatched the blueprints out Hammond's hands and studied them. Blueprints were his specialty; he could remember guiding the Colonial Marines through Hadley's Hope like it was yesterday. He eventually found where Ripley should be and grabbed the radio away from Hammond.
"Ripley...Look above you. There should be some red metal piping above you. Follow that." He told her and Ripley got the message.
"Following the piping..." She said and gestured for Vasquez to walk in front of her, so that if there was any trouble she could fire without Ripley being in the way.
Ripley aimed her torch at the red pipes lining the roof and followed them silently with Vasquez. Finally they came to another dead end; only this time they found what they were looking for. The Park circuit breakers were lined up against a panel, with several other buttons and levers. A row of small, black screens was also next to the breaker panel.
"Okay, found it." Ripley said and Hudson sighed in relief as he handed the microphone back to Hammond.
"You can't turn on all the systems by hand. You have to pump up the primer handle in order to get the charge. It's large, flat and grey." Hammond told her and Ripley nodded as she approached the large handle sticking out from the panel.
Meanwhile, near the Xenomorphic Park perimeter fence
Hicks, Newt and Tim groggily carried on walking back to the visitor's center until they finally reached a sign that they were near; the Park's perimeter fencing. It stood several stories high, and the power lights at the top were both off; indicating that it should be safe to try and climb over. But Hicks still didn't feel sure about it when he saw the 10,000 Volts sign and motioned for the kids to stay put while he checked out the fence.
He picked up a random stick, and threw it against the fence. Nothing happened. He turned back to the kids and shrugged; they just stood there just as unsure as he was. Hicks slowly place his worn hands onto the fence, and as soon as his hands made contact; he started screaming and shaking violently.
"ARGH!" He screamed out as he shook, and Newt and Tim yelled out in terror.
Hicks carried on screaming for another second, but then had enough and burst into laughter at the kids' reactions. It was all an act, and he thought it was hilarious despite the serious situation they were in. The fence was off; so he took his hands off it and turned around to grin stupidly at Newt and Tim; who had calmed themselves now.
"That wasn't funny." Newt s growled at him.
"That was great!" Tim disagreed and chuckled.
Hicks shook his head and tried to find a way through the fence. The tried to pry a hole in it with his hands; but the fence was made from acid-proof titanium so that wouldn't work. He looked over the huge fence again and decided that the only way to get past it was to climb over. He flicked his head in the direction of the fence and started climbing; the kids did the same.
"I bet you I can get over onto the other side before you can even get to the top." Newt challenged Tim.
"Come on guys, it's not a race." Hicks said, even though he noticed Tim had started to fall behind them as they climbed.
Back at the Maintenance Shed
Ripley grabbed the heavy primer handle and started pumping it; giving the circuits the charge.
"One...Two...Three...Four...Okay we're charged." Ripley said and Hammond got the message.
"Below the handle should be a large green button that says 'push to close'." Hammond told her on the radio.
Push to close...oh, here it is. Ripley though and place her thumb on the large green button.
"Okay I found it."
"Push it." Hammond instructed her.
Ripley pushed down on the button and sure enough, the whole panel lit up and several options were displayed. Ripley knew what she had to do now; she had to turn on all the park systems individually. They were displayed on the side of the panel, and each had red button on them that would turn them on.
Back at the perimeter fence
Hicks, Newt and Tim had just climbed over the edge of the lifeless electric fence and were starting their way down, when suddenly a loud buzzing sound broke out. The lights on the electric fence had just flickered back on, and the sound had scared Tim. He almost fell, but grabbed onto the fence at the last second. Hicks saw that the fence was activated but not quite on yet; and it could turn on any second now. He gasped and yelled out to the kids.
"Hurry!"
Back at the Shed
"On your left all the park systems will be displayed in red. Switch them on." Hammond ordered Ripley and she complied.
She lifted up the plastic cover and started switching on all of the systems. Queen Paddock? Check. Visitor's Center Main? Check. Tour road? Check. Warrior Paddock? Check. Visitor's Center security? Check. Compound fencing? Check. Ripley thought as she switched on all the parks different power locations, and eventually came across the one that said Perimeter Fencing. she lifted the cover and pushed down on the on button.
Meanwhile at the perimeter fencing
Hicks and Newt had managed to hurry their way down the fence and anxiously waited for Tim at the bottom; who was halfway down and the fence was buzzing. they desperately called out for him to hurry up but he couldn't, then suddenly...WAZAP!
The fence was activated and the burst of power sent Tim flying off the fence, and into Hicks' arms. He was knocked over when he caught Tim, and as soon as he pushed Tim's limp body off of him, he desperately tried to revive him. He checked his pulse and his chest.
"He's not breathing..." Hicks whispered to no one in particular and tried to give him CPR.
Back at the shed
Ripley flicked on the switch that turned the maintenance-shed power back on and the lights slowly flickered back on; lighting up the haunting corridors they had came through. The place all of a sudden didn't seem so scary; and Ripley felt good about it. They had succeeded. There was now a good chance that they might survive the encounter on the island; and Ripley felt a joy sweep over her when she announced the news to Hammond over the microphone.
"Mr. Hammond I think we're back in business!" She exclaimed, but suddenly the relief vanished. The buzzing of the circuit panel was suddenly drained out by another chilling cry.
"RRAAAAAGGGHH!" The head of a warrior alien smashed through the thin metal behind her and Ripley screamed in horror and surprise.
"JESUS!" Ripley grabbed a frozen Vasquez's arm and pulled her away from the circuit panel.
They were just about to go through the door that separated the circuit panel room from the rest of the shed when suddenly another Warrior Xenomorph jumped in front of them, trapping them between him and the other alien. Vasquez didn't hesitate this time and fired a long burst from the M56. RATATATATATATANG! All the shots smashed into the long head of the relatively small Xenomorph; killing it instantly. Vasquez lowered her Smartgun and they both continued running back the way they came.
Vasquez could hear the clunking of Warrior's footsteps on the walkway and they were starting to become much more frequent and fast paced. The Warriors were gaining on them and quickly. As they neared the door, she turned around to see a mixture of Drone and Warrior aliens chasing them down the hallway, and she gave them her usual treatment. A ton of 10x28 millimeter bullets. They were turned into a huge steaming pile of green and black flesh that burnt through the steel floor, but that wasn't the end of the attack. More and more Xenomorphs, mostly drones, charged down the hallway towards them. Vasquez was occupied with holding them off and as she shot she wondered. Weren't the drones meant to be the tamed ones? And how come there were so many? As she shot a terrifying realization came into her head. Only one of them could escape the shed, and that someone needed to be able to hold off the aliens with the Smartgun long enough for the other to escape.
Vasquez knew what she had to do, and it wasn't going to be pretty. But then again, it was better her than Ripley. Ripley was married, and had an adopted daughter and a career in biology. A life. Vasquez had nothing, she had never loved anyone (Except for that brief moment with Hudson) she only worked as a waitress in a Mexican restaurant and was alone with no family. But this wasn't the time to feel sorry for herself; it was the time to give the aliens one final fight.
"Go! I'll hold them off!" Vasquez yelled out over the roar of the Smartgun.
"What? You'll never make it!" Ripley shouted back.
"Only one of us can get away. You need to go now otherwise we both die. You have a life Ripley, I don't. NOW GO!" Vasquez yelled and Ripley felt tears burning her eyes.
As much as she hated to admit it, Vasquez was right. It would be best for everyone if she escaped. And it wasn't like she could rule out Vasquez completely right? She was an ex-colonial marine that had survived LV426. Ripley hoped as she ran; that somehow Vasquez would survive and be her friend again.
Vasquez watched as Ripley left; and continued furiously shooting at the horde of Xenomorphs. The Smartgun started to overheat, and she ran eventually ran out of ammo. The good thing was, Ripley was safe and long gone. Vasquez sighed in defeat but she wasn't finished yet. A Warrior launched itself at her but she dodged it, and hit it with a roundhouse kick to the stomach. She fled the stunned Xenomorph and was backed into a wall.
Vasquez then felt a warm, masculine hand grab her shoulder. She exhaled in relief as she saw the dark skin on the hand.
"Mr. Arnold..." She breathed, but instead of Arnold letting go of her shoulder, the hand just flopped lazily on her. What the?
She turned around not to see Arnold; but just his arm that had been severed at the shoulder joint. She gripped his torn off arm in a mixture of fear and shock and backed away from the wall. The hand still had the M1911 that Muldoon had given him in it. Arnold was long dead.
Vasquez then felt a massive weight knock her to the ground, and before she knew it, she was in an intense wrestle with a Warrior. She held it by the throat just far enough away so that the inner jaws would pop out and bite her throat. The Xenomorph suddenly broke free of her grip and struck her across the face with its hand; knocking her out cold. Vasquez felt herself drift off, and her last conscious feeling was one of pride. She had fought to the last breath.
Back outside, in the jungle
Muldoon silently stalked a Warrior Xeno through the foliage, with his M41 pulse rifle bared. He saw the faint black body of a warrior behind a fern and paused. Here's my chance! He slowly and silently cocked the pulse rifle. Cla-Chik! and extended the stock so he could rest it against his shoulder. He carefully raised the pulse rifle and aligned the iron-sights over the Warrior's head. Got you...
Muldoon's hand slipped down onto the trigger and he prepared to fire. Just as he was about to shoot, he heard some rustling in the bushes. A long, black head then popped out from behind some ferns next to him and snarled. He had just been beaten at his own game and outsmarted by his own animals. The alien's lips retracted revealing its long, grey, drool-covered teeth and the extra set of jaws inside them. Muldoon's eyes opened wide in terror and he turned around to face it.
"Clever girl..."
"RRAAAGGHH!"
Muldoon swung around to aim the pulse rifle at the new threat, but it was too late. The inner jaws sprung out from the Warrior's mouth and grabbed him by the throat. He tried to scream, but the Xenomorph's jaws crushing his windpipe took away the shrill sound before he even made it.
How was it? Has Vasquez finally met her end? Find out! This was a long chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to review!