Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Alien/Predator series or any characters and may not follow all customs and cultures found in Alien/Predator movies.
She gazed through the small window of the van, seeing nothing but sand and barren land. It wasn't much as expected when driving through a desert. The boredom was thick and heavy, the silence deafening. The wind, despite where they were, chilled her skin through the thick layers of her uniform. On top of the anxieties this mission presented already, the others did little to alleviate her.
Herself and a ragtag group of different specialists were being escorted to destination unknown. Two were from the Navy SEALS while the rest were special ops, in similar positions like herself. All of them headed towards one classified location. It appeared sketchy already and the mission hadn't even started. I wonder if they also know why we're here. And to what end?
Her thoughts drifted back to when special agents, vague as fuck, approached her platoon leader. Some words were exchanged until she was pulled aside and given a dossier with classified information. She had to read the entire thing in a matter of minutes, which didn't help with the overload being etched into her brain. It wasn't long after that she was transported somewhere in the Nevada desert. It was useless to dwell on her unanswered questions. She sighed, turning away so she didn't have to see the others. She would have to wait until her new commanding officer informed her of more.
They eventually reached a guarded, fenced-in entrance at the border of the cliffs, brand new and reinforced with road spikes. Two guards posted at each side, one walked up to the van as it stopped. He was masked and armed to the teeth with a submachine gun, helm and goggles. He raised a hand to halt the driver.
She felt the guard's eyes gaze over her and the others. "State your business."
The driver handed something to the guard. She noticed his finger itching at the trigger, the weapon raised slightly. She practiced her breathing technique as the guard stepped back, tilting his chin to his shoulder to radio their arrival. There was a loud sound as the spike trap retreated and the gate creaked open. "Move along. Head to Gate 3."
Their van passed by and traveled into the rocky maze of the cliffs. As expected of a labyrinth, the paths all looked the same, nothing but rock and a few dead ends. But the driver knew where to go until they arrived in front of a road block. She heard the others mumble about where this was leading them, thinking that this was bizarre.
She noticed two more guards stationed. She presumed they were guarding something, not paid for idle chat. The van stopped again, the same process as before repeated itself. No words were exchanged this time, and the guard moved towards the cliff face and pressed on it.
The Earth vibrated as though an impending earthquake was coming, and Sara braced herself along with everyone else. She gasped as the wall split in the center, never expecting that. Her eyes widened as it slowly revealed a dark tunnel. She felt chills run down her spine. The guards waved then to proceed and the driver took them into the abyss, the rock door closing behind them. No going back now.
A few minutes went by, seeing nothing but granite walls until she spotted more lights at the end. The tunnel soon merged into a well-lit area with soldiers and vehicles moving around like an ant colony. The activity was bustling in her ears, the muffled barks of commanders and leaders giving orders to the soldiers. It was a base organized with military finesse. So this is Area 51 . . .
She had heard rumors about this place, mostly about how secretive it was, it's very existence a close guarded secret. There were a lot of conspiracy theories, the main one being that Area 51 was a place where aliens came and where the government was hiding their existence. She wasn't a believer in those things. She was focused on other matters; some that were a harsh reality she'd rather not face again.
The van finally stopped at a junction where other military issued vehicles were parked. As soon as they halted, a soldier opened the side door and screamed for them to get out and into formation. Instincts put her in action, grabbing her bag and rushing to stand stiff with the others before the commander arrived. She stood at attention as her commander walked back and forth. He was silent, his cold eyes raking over them individually. It was unnerving at first during her first days of training but necessary to keep soldiers in line.
"Listen up!" Everyone straightened,"This is not a playground for those who think this will be fun and easy." His steps reverberated loud, "You were all given your assignments before you have arrived." He stopped abruptly, eyed a recruit for a second before continuing.
"I expect you ladies," Sara felt his eyes on her as he talked, being the only female in the squadron, "to have read everything."
He glared, "Dissension will not be tolerated. This is the real shit!" He stopped dead on her, narrowing his eyes like a predator focusing for its prey. "Understood?"
Everyone yelled,"Yes, sir!"
The commander nodded and dismissed them. The others gathered their belongings and headed to wherever they were assigned. She was about to do the same when the commander stopped her, "Lieutenant Sara Gibson."
"Yes, sir." She saluted him.
"At ease." He nodded, "I'll escort you to the lower levels."
They headed for the elevators towards the back and entered. It groaned for a minute before smoothly descending down. It was way too quiet for her liking.
It wasn't long before they reached the bottom level and entered white and glass hallways with several rooms. She followed the commander through this new maze of corridors and doors. There were several people that were from the military but majority were scientists, having the standard white coat, glasses, aseptic gloves, and carrying tablets. She wasn't interested in those things, not at all.
Still, it got her looking and she tried to see what the others were doing as they walked but the rooms were blurred and soundproofed so she couldn't hear their conversations.
"Here we are," the commander stepped to the side of a metal door, secured with a electromagnetic lock. "You can enter."
As soon as she entered, her eyes were drawn to the General sitting at his desk. "General Woodhurst," she immediately went to stand in front of the desk, her fingers touched her forehead, "Squad Leader Sara Gibson from the 75th Rangers of the US Army reporting for duty, sir!"
She kept her eyes front, focused on the wall decorated with military achievements and accolades. She heard him shuffle papers and waited for him to speak, "At ease, soldier."
Sara finally glanced down at him as she relaxed her posture. She noticed that he was an old man in standard uniform, around mid-sixties, the four stars on his collar caught her eye. He seemed frustrated about something, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. With an exhausted sigh, he stood. She tightened her posture as he moved around the desk.
She didn't move a muscle as he leaned against his desk. His tired eyes wandered, inspecting her. After a long moment, the General pulled away, "Do you know why you're here?"
"Only from the debriefing, sir," she spoke hastily.
"Good. Better to tell you myself than from a piece of paper." He sat back into his seat. "I was told that you were the best shot in the Regiment. The platoon leader gave such recommendation for your skills, no easy feat in such a harsh environment."
"I'm well aware, sir."
General Woodhurst coughed, "I'm glad you are. You don't hold the title of a JTF-2 sniper for nothing. But that doesn't mean you'll get special treatment here."
She huffed mentally. I don't expect to.
He went back to the table and grabbed a piece of paper, handing it to her. "Starting today, you'll be under the Special Operations directly under myself and the Lieutenant General."
Sara raised her chin, "When do I start, sir?"
The General sudden demeanor changed. He displayed few to no emotions until she asked. His eyes descended towards the floor, distracted by something else. It lasted no more than a second, making contact with her again. "Your introduction has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. For now, you'll deal with training new recruits as you previously did before."
He threw a folder on the desk, "Until further notice, the Lieutenant General will guide you. Other details will be given to you when appropriate."
It was bizarre to hear such delay right as she got to her location, hardly professional. Unless the status quo changed.
There was a succinct knock at the door. The General did not look away as he spoke, "Enter."
A soldier came inside, also in military uniform but with more badges than the General, one had three stars that symbolized he was the Lieutenant General. He was young, half the General's age with dirty blond hair and green eyes. He seemed kind, especially with that smile directed to her but very odd. No one smiles like that in the army.
"General, sir," he saluted.
"Lieutenant," Woodhurst waved, "This is my second-in-command, Lieutenant General Adam Evans. He'll get you settled into our base. We'll talk more later."
They were dismissed and they were back into the maze of rooms. It was quiet between the Lieutenant General and herself but she couldn't help suspect there's an underlying sense of purpose from him.
"Platoon Lieutenant Gibson."
Sara inhaled sharply, "Yes, sir."
He smiled again, "Sorry about the sudden change in your initial debriefing. General Woodhurst is trying to figure things out right now, especially with the new development we'd received."
"New development, sir?" Sara spoke. She wondered if he would brief her on more, better for understanding such delay. Her muscles solidified in expectation.
Instead, Evans smiled, "You'll find out soon enough . . . when you're ready. But call me Evans if you like. No sense for formalities all the time between us."
She didn't expect that. Sara knew the army was completely against informality, regardless if they are a foot soldier or the General of the Army. This was a professional standing, not a place to socialize. It reminded her too much of her previous encounter with—
She dug her nails into her palms. No. Don't think about it. Don't mess up!
The Lieutenant General, realizing his mistake, coiled back. "Or you can call me Sir Evans if you're more comfortable."
"Yes, sir. Sir Evans."
Warning bells went off in her mind, this was only a pretext. Don't let your guard down. This was trending too close and personal for her. She closed her eyes in anguish mixed with enmity.
That haunting voice returned. I protected you from getting killed or wandering the streets like a whore. You owe me.
Her body broke out in goosebumps, arms and legs feeling cold. She bit her lip, her hands clenched to her sides subconsciously into solid ominous feeling returning for vengeance. Not now. Remember your training.
She breathed in sync with her heart. It worked like a charm, relaxing her body enough to speak without feeling, "I prefer being professional if you don't mind."
Sara was glad her superior didn't pursue further. Evans nodded, "Of course. Follow me."
They only spoke on their walk when Evans showed the different rooms and introduced a few people he knew, mostly scientists. There were a lot more of them than she expected. They got closer to the end of one hall where she saw recruits training, hand-to-hand combat arenas and shooting ranges set up everywhere. It felt like the base was morphing from a lab to an encampment.
"And here is the training area where you can test new weapons or existing ones. There's personal rooms if you want to be by yourself. And then there's—"
"Watch out!"
Out of nowhere, two soldiers rolled around the corner with metal crates. They were moving so fast that they almost hit Evans on the knee. Realizing their mistakes, they saluted. "Our apologies, Commander!"
The mood suddenly changed in Evans, like a flip of a switch. He stomped his foot right at the edge of the metal crate and glared,"I thought I gave orders to take the specimens through the detour, not this hallway!"
The soldiers shrunk, "We're sorry, Sir. We had to find another way due to—"
"I don't need excuses!"
Sara flinched, not prepared for the abrupt outburst from Evans. She was accustomed to being screamed at but this was a whole new level. The poor soldiers receded into submission, grabbing the metal boxes in a hurry. That would have been the end if the biggest metal box not started screaming like a terrified pig. The voice was deafening, like nails on a chalkboard. What was that!? She had to plug her ears. It hurts so much!
"Can't you keep it quiet!?" Evans kicked the cage again. Everyone jumped at the cringed sound but the box went silent. "There."
Sara lowered her hands, concerned at the display of animosity and disgust around him. What's his problem? Why is he so angry at that thing?
"Take this thing to the hunting grounds this instant. That's an order!"
The soldiers gasped, scurrying the box out of the way like scared deer, "Yes, sir!"
They were gone from sight, disappearing behind a corner when something slithered out of the cracks of the crate. It appeared like a pink tentacle with grotesque, black spots. What the fuck? Whatever the soldiers brought along, it ticked Evans off more than anything. He took deep breaths, looking at her with a weakened smile. "Sorry about that. It's my fault on that."
Sara stood in silence. She didn't want to ask more than she wanted to know right now. Whatever happened, Evans wasn't happy and the soldiers that took the creature inside the crate were scared to death.
Evans spoke, "Like I said, you'll know in time. Let's get you to your sleeping quarters. It's been a long day and will be starting tomorrow."
She had no dispute about ending the day. She needed to get her rest before the real work began. This was her golden opportunity to make something of herself, to prove that she wasn't as worthless as many believed. Still, that little shard of curiosity drilled deep inside her head. She hoped her superiors would give her answers soon. If not, she worried the truth had to be sought out by her own terms, against orders if she must.
She had to bide her time . . . for now.
Hi everyone!
Finally, after a few months of waiting, the first chapter for Rise Up is here! I hope you enjoy and leave a review, all are welcomed and great motivators!
Happy Hunting to all!