CHAPTER XXIV: WRATH OF THE STALKER

...a Void Sphere creates emptiness and nothingness. When activated, it instantly corrupts and completely decomposes the very fabric of Existence, Time, and Space...

"Make haste, humans. According to your time-measuring system, you have less than twenty minutes to stop Stalker before he opens the Gateway. If he succeeds, he will be able to summon reinforcements from Stroggos and they will decimate you. You must not fail!"

Kyle was starting to feel that leading desperate battles against otherworldly enemies was becoming his routine in life... It was as if the Universe was punishing him for the innumerable prayers for something to happen during the boring hours on duty at Mars City. After just a few minutes, he would face Doctor Stalker once again, and he had no idea what the scientist had in store for them.

The monorail car slowed down and stopped near the unfinished dimensional research installation. It was perfectly quiet – the only sign of trouble was the dead body of a marine, which lay near the entrance to the auxiliary hangar. The three marines had already reloaded their weapons and outfitted themselves with blue combat armor vests. Kyle had put on his old helmet, which had accompanied him since the invasion on Phobos. The scratches from his first two Barons of Hell at the Phobos Anomaly... the bloodstain from the first Cyberdemon at the Tower of Babel... all these gave him a feeling of security, just like a collection of prized trophies would. He had crawled through the depths of Hell twice, and he would definitely not allow a sick scientist to dictate the rules of his game!

They entered the hangar quietly and examined it. The large hall was completely empty – there were several puddles of blood on the floor and traces of small explosions near the wall. They were ready to cross the empty space and continue their search into the laboratory, when the whisper of the Gatekeeper interrupted them.

"Be warned – I sense a threat such as you have not encountered yet. It is very close. My last aid for you will arrive soon to tip the scales in your favor..."

Kyle turned to the other two men:

"Careful, guys... we are about to face an unpleasant surprise. Keep your fingers on the triggers. The time has come..."

Major Boyd just nodded and headed for the center for the room, the other two marines followed closely. The situation reminded them of the occasion when they first encountered the mutants... could Simon Stalker use the same trick again? It was without any doubt that the mutants were most dangerous in wide spacious areas. Corporal Harlan could not shake away the thought that Stalker could have produced more of the creatures using corpses of colonists killed during his small invasion...

A slight noise indicated that a door at the other side of the hangar had opened. A familiar face appeared on one of the upper platforms – Dr. Stalker looked down at the three marines and grinned sadistically.

"So, you actually managed to find the way, soldier boys? I was starting to get worried..."

"I am saddened to see that your mental status is just as hopeless as the last time we met, Doctor Creep," Major Boyd replied, "Why don't you come down here so that we can shoot you right now, sweetie?"

"Ah, Nicholas Boyd – proud and arrogant as always. And the inimitable Kyle Harlan – the grand savior of humanity, who, strangely enough, has become the best friend of a high-ranking demon. And a an obviously frightened Private who literally begs to be put out of his misery. No wonder the human race is in such a state..."

"Enough of this drivel, Stalker!" Kyle snapped, "Cease any operations you are currently performing, and surrender. I will personally make sure you are delivered to justice alive. Your so-called army is no more. It is over."

"It is not over unless I say it is over!" Stalker barked, "Within the journals of the brilliant Dr. Schabbs was a section I was only able to decode today. Within them was the knowledge of the greatest jewel in the crown of that amazing scientist. The ultimate killing machine created by man... the one he named Über Mutant..."

Numerous doors opened simultaneously, allowing a group of terrible beings into the hangar. Private Boaventura felt sick when he saw them... Standing two meters tall, comprised of several bodies stitched together, four arms, cleavers held by the pale fingers... and modified chainguns mounted in their chests. There were about twenty or maybe thirty of them... Kyle could still not reason how Stalker found so many corpses in order to create such an army.

"My mentor and ally was kind enough to supply me with usable flesh," Stalker added, "And now this flesh, reborn, shall feast on yours!"

The doctor turned around and exited the room. The creatures turned towards the three marines as one. More than twenty chainguns were prepared to shoot at them any moment. There was no place to hide within the empty hangar. They would not be able to reach an exit before being hit by the hail of bullets. As the situation seemed desperate, Kyle could only hope that their demonic ally would do something.

"I hear you, marine. Your support is here. I would advise you to fight – perhaps he will not be able to handle the undead on his own... and try not to get in his way."

Following these words, a slight tremor made the creatures simultaneously turn their heads towards one of the big cargo gates. A mere second afterwards, the huge reinforced gate was torn into pieces by something that walked right through it. Kyle stood as hypnotized as an enormous Cyberdemon rushed into the room. He came to his senses when an explosion blew away two of the undead monstrosities. He yelled for the other two marines to open fire and ducked to the floor.

One of the creatures was crushed in the wall, kicked by the Cyberdemon's massive metal leg. All the others focused their fire on him, realizing just how quickly the enraged demon could annihilate them. Roaring with pain, the colossus released a barrage of rockets, which sent fleshy chunks flying in all directions. Another of the Über Mutants was mercilessly kicked across the room. Their purple blood mixed with the puddles left from the injured demon. With the marines' efforts, there were only about five of them left.

The Cyberdemon, bleeding from thousands of bullet wounds, fell to his knees, apparently unable to carry on with the battle. When the mutants turned towards the marines, the only thing they could see was the Major's rocket, which landed in the middle of their group. One explosion, and the hangar was quiet once again. The Cyberdemon let out a heavy sigh and collapsed on the floor.

"Leave him alone... he is still alive and only needs some time to recover. Now move, you have very little time left. Stalker must be stopped before he delivers the Makron his prize."

Major Boyd rose, cleaned the dust from his combat uniform, and said with an icy tone:

"Ok, marines. Let's finish this. Stalker waits for us in the laboratory. His mad schemes end now... Corporal Harlan, maybe you will reconsider keeping him alive."

They got up and headed towards the door. Trudging through the remains of the undead abominations, they felt nearly invincible, having survived unimaginable perils and ordeals. Behind the door at the bottom of the corridor awaited their ultimate enemy.

The doors slid open without a noise, revealing one of the nearly finished test grounds. In a cleared central space, among all the crates and terminals stood a construction that Kyle recognized. A dimensional gate, UAC Prototype H3X-A, the same that was used at the Deimos Anomaly. Next to the Gate were a few devices the marines had never seen, and a massive red crate, locked with reinforced mag-lock seals. Next to one wall were several dead bodies of scientists – apparently Stalker had decided to get rid of them after the Gate was constructed and adjusted. The screens nearby showed that the static field projection was nearly complete and the Gate would be activated at any moment – the coordinates for the destination were encrypted and could not be seen.

The silence was suddenly broken by the sound of an alarm. The lights flickered for a second, and the metallic voice of the emergency announcement system echoed through the empty halls:

"Critical environment systems running under minimal safe levels. Ninety per cent of primary reactor power redirected, destination: test Gate one."

The message was repeated once again, amid strange sounds that came from the direction of the Gate. Sparks ran across its surface, but it would still not activate. Blood-chilling laughter echoed through the laboratory, and one of the dark corners was lit by several spotlights. There, sitting in a chair, Doctor Stalker laughed, looking at the three marines with the expression of a man who is absolutely convinced in his imminent victory.

"You are late, gentlemen, there is really nothing you can do to stop me."

Stalker stood up and slowly walked to the Gate. He pointed to the strange devices next to it.

"The UAC could never see and appreciate my talent and potential! They were blind fools who only believed in their own profits and social influence. Here you see the culmination of years of hard work. They never noticed me, never recognized my genius, never even thought to check how my projects go. They mocked me for my ideas... but here you see these projects brought to fruition. The Reality Stream Converter, which can track the destination of any Gate after someone has passed through it. They mocked me, but here it stands today – real and fully operational! And the slipgate – better and faster than any teleporter, but still very unstable and in need of refinement. It alone could go anywhere... even beyond the Shield... you know what I am talking about, don't you?" Stalker was looking straight at Kyle.

"They were fools..." Stalker continued, "But there was another who would unite with me, and appreciate everything I could do. The wrath of Stroggos is about to be unleashed unto you, marines! Within this red crate is the key to the most valued possession of the defeated Lord of Hell. It is ours now, together with the power to claim the greatest power in this Universe!"

Another alarm sounded and the marines raised their weapons.

"Shut down all systems from e4rp through 56xz0... Balancing magnetic field... Gateway opening... gateway opening." the metallic voice announced.

Loud cracking sounds and howls heralded the opening of the portal. Dim light sipped through the raging vortex, as the rift that connected two worlds expanded and assumed a stable form within the frame of the device. Doctor Stalker smiled and spoke with a patronizing tone:

"You, marines, dared attempt to fly as high as I can... but there are many fearsome things prowling above the clouds. Small and harmless birds and bugs... and big nasty things like this fine specimen of a Strogg Hornet!"

Following his words, blue sparks erupted from the Gate and something enormous passed through it. The marines watched in terror as an enormous flying abomination entered the room. Its twisted form was outfitted with enough weapons to contend with a battleship. It rose higher in the air, producing sounds that, the way they sounded, could be either mocking laughter or groans of intense agony. Its body was covered with strong armor, even though its horrific visage alone was more than enough to paralyze any potential attacker. While the marines still stood staring at it, a section of its body moved. Kyle felt very cold when he realized what was going to happen...

"Take cover!"

Several rockets were simultaneously launched towards their position. The explosion that followed left the marines deafened and disoriented. Staying low, they started moving along the line of crates that offered some protection. Not impressed by their quick maneuver, the monstrosity revealed its two chainguns and rained hot lead upon their heads. Kyle crawled towards a massive terminal that could offer better protection, praying that the creature had a poor aim at long range.

The three men gathered behind the terminal, followed by the deadly music of raining bullets, and the maddening laughter of Dr. Stalker. The scientist did not pass through the portal yet, waiting to see the death of the three marines – a sight that would ensure his satisfaction for many years to come.

"I guess we are really done for," Shade gasped, "Look at the armor of that thing... and its firing rate is impossible!"

Without interrupting its barrage, the Hornet, as Stalker referred to it, moved closer to their position. It was a matter of one minute to reach a spot, from which the humans could not be able to escape or hide. Then, they would perish for sure.

Major Boyd could not rise and shoot, as he was pinned down by the deadly hail. Shade was also unable to move in any way, and Corporal Harlan was the only one who could think of something and do it before their last twenty seconds of life ran out.

Kyle feverishly tried to think of something that could get them out of the situation. They were alone – the Gatekeeper had given them everything he could, and he could not rely on the demon anymore. It was time for him to solve the problem using his own human capabilities. If only he had a BFG...

The shadow of the flying Strogg came closer. Corporal Harlan suddenly felt weak and drained of all strength and will – had Destiny's favor finally turned away from him? It was in that moment that he noticed the unusual heat that he felt on his back... as if his backpack was on fire!

He turned around and saw that the old trusty pack was fine, but it was unusually warmed up and a low hum could be heard from inside. He opened it and blinked against the shine that erupted from within. The Void Sphere, the one that had accompanied him since he took it from the Temple of Darkness on Earth, was now glowing faintly. It was active once again! Kyle quickly reasoned what had happened – it was somehow deactivated when the Gatekeeper's portal exploded... and now, the opening of Stalker's Gate had somehow rekindled the Sphere's power. Kyle felt that all he had to do was throw it hard enough... and it could be broken to unleash the power stored within.

All the anger, frustration, and irritation of the past few days rose in Harlan's soul like a burning tide. With a battle roar of fury, such as the mythical ancient barbaric warriors gave out, he jumped up and raised his arm, showing his prize to his enemy. When Stalker saw the Void Sphere he froze in place, and his laughter ceased. He recognized the artifact.

"No!"

Kyle threw the warm orb with his full strength, aiming for the Gate. Simon Stalker hesitated only for a second – it appeared that the artifact in the red crate had suddenly become less important than his survival. A mere second before the orb hit the floor, Stalker jumped forth and disappeared into the Gate. What followed was something none of the three marines had even dreamed about.

The orb broke, and from its depth came a sphere of absolute blackness. Kyle was instantly pushed by a force that could only be compared to being in a spaceship with a hull breach, with the air escaping into the cold void of space, sucking all objects with it... Kyle and his companions grabbed the solid terminal desperately, trying to resist the terrible force that was pulling them towards the growing black sphere. All of the heavy crates flew like feathers and were swallowed by the raging void. The Hornet was pulled down and sent screaming into the all-devouring emptiness.

For Harlan, it seemed that seconds became as long as years – the Sphere was consuming not only space, but also time, slowing down his thoughts, creating the ghastly feeling of losing grip on reality, as it was consumed by the ancient artifact. He could still see his comrades holding desperately to the metal edge...

"Hold on just a little more, guys... It should end soon," Harlan thought.

Through his blurred vision, he saw that the black orb had grown so much that it was standing within half a meter from him. After a few seconds, it could devour him, just as it happened with the nightmarish Strogg.

It all ended suddenly. The orb simply vanished, the howling wind calmed down, various objects fell to the floor after their chaotic flight was interrupted. The central area of the lab was completely cleared – the Gate and all crates and equipment were gone, having vanished without a trace. Only the red crate was in its place – untouched and not damaged at all. It had not even moved a single millimeter away from its position – whatever artifact was kept inside, it could resist the power of a Void Sphere! Still, the seals were gone, and the container could now be opened with ease. Very close to the "invincible" crate was a medium-sized crater – the only marker of the place where the sphere was activated.

Strangely, Dr. Stalker's two machines had also survived the small disaster that erupted in the lab – they were pushed toward the back end of the room... that could only mean they contained elements such as science did not yet know. Private Boaventura was still standing still, looking at the devastated room. It was amazing to him how the whole Gate and everything else was gone... he had never thought he would witness such things in his military career. Major Boyd looked around with renewed fervor.

"So, Harlan, Boaventura... I see you are fine. What happened to Simon Stalker? Is he dead?"

"No, sir," Kyle uttered, "I saw him escape into his Gate just a few moments before it was devoured by the void. He is alive and currently on Stroggos."

"Damn... this is a serious setback. Okay, no matter," the Major sighed, "Now, marines, we should go get the survivors, call for help, and put Io Base Alpha in some order... if possible."

"Wait, Major... let's first take a look into the red crate. Let's see what Stalker's secret trump card was." Kyle said.

"Go ahead, Corporal. You deserve the honor to open it."

Kyle Harlan, having just caught his breath after escape death for probably the hundredth time, approached the red high-security crate and slowly opened it. A supernatural golden glow shone onto his face, which changed into an expression of great surprise. He stood like paralyzed, having recognized the object inside... still unable to believe. His hand gently touched the wooden handle, his eyes literally sunk in the ornamented golden blade.

What the other two marines saw was Corporal Harlan standing still for a minute, as if struck by fear or great surprise. Then he lifted something from inside, and turned around to face them.

In his hands, Kyle held the legendary Spear of Destiny.