Chapter 2: Besieged

(part1)

~

Charles woke up, and found himself, in the hands of a scientist.

"Where…. where am I?"

"You're safe. However, I'm afraid that your team is missing, and, there's not much that I can do."

Charles looked down, and saw that, aside from his uniform, his armour was all missing. He was still wearing his heavy duty helmet, with visor, and he was still wearing his boots. However, his weapons, ammunition, uniform, backpack.. All the other necessities were missing.

"What happened ?"

"I don't know what became of your things, nor of your friends. However, I bet you want to know what's going on around here."

"You're telling me."

"I'll explain it to you, as briefly as I can."

~

"It's like this. This base, like most other government research facilities, deals in all manner of research, particulary theoretical physics.

Teleportation, to begin with, is not like getting to A and B. After all, we don't even know what is A & B in an instant. So, we were busy trying to develop a definite system of teleportation.

During one of our test runs into simple teleportation we, by accident, ran into another plane.

We were overwhelmed. It was another world, another mix of dimensions. It was extra-terrestial, and, even though I may not be a person of the arts, an artistically minded individual would be in awe of what he would have seen before him.

This world was, without a doubt, hostile. We detected a possibility o xenophobia, but, in truth, it was all speculation. The problem, nonetheless, was clear: we were facing a new world.

The government, upon hearing this, came up with the plan of colonizing this world, and gaining its benefits, if any. We, thus, began testing on the inhabitants of the new world we found. Call us orthodox, but, as scientists, ethics tend to get in the way of beneficial research.

Research went on smoothly until, the aliens, in retaliation, attacked us. The initiated a mass invasion into this facility. It all sounds far0-fetched, even as I say it now, but, with Man's constant dabbling into Nature, the boundary between reality and fiction is enough to make one schizoprenic.

Through manipulation, the government managed to get one of their agents to stop the invasion, and, thus, unwittingly, attack the world and thus gain. Curently, as I speak, the government is building a base on this new world, as we do our research.

You were all called here to eliminate the threat, and to do what the previous lot couldn't do…."

~

Charles's worst fears were confirmed, ever since he last read about them in the comic books he had enjoyed as a youth.

He had to evacuate, and fast.

"Can you tell me a way out of this facility ?"

"I believe it's a long way…. The sick bay you're in now is actually locked out of the rest of the facility. I locked myself in here: I'm too frightened to leave. However, I think that you can make your way out of here.

Outside the sick bay is a basic laboratory. You can't leave there as this whole are has been buried by rubble, BUT, if you're careful, you can access the sewerage system. From there, you have to work out on your own."

"And what of my weapons ?"

The scientist gave a sigh, before getting up from the sdoft black couch he was resting on, and procceeding to a large cupboard.

He unveiled a load of military hadrware.

"I thought of keeping all this for myself, but, I suppose you'll need it more that I do.

Take care of yourself, soldier. And I hope you can find your team mates"

~

For a short while, Charles was tempted to take the scientist with him.

But, that hardly mattered, in the light of a dangerous foe.