Chapter 8: Status Report
Chris moved silently through the halls of the abandoned base. He shifted his eyes and peeked around a corner and down a hallway. It was empty, but at the end of it was a door with a red light above it and a mechanical object lying on the floor that looked similar to a trash can. Chris moved closer to investigate. 'What the hell is that?' he thought to himself. When he was about ten meters in distance from it, a steel ball on a metal pole extended from the top and rotated. It seemed curved poles were coming from its side and touching the ground. The object pushed itself up on these poles, and shifted a little. A computer voice then sounded. "Security Alert. Security Alert. Intruder spotted on Level Three, Crew Corridors. Orders to terminate." The robot then began to move towards Chris quickly. "That's a mobile sentry gun!" Chris yelled, and ducked into a room that was directly next to him. The sentry moved down the hall, unable to locate him at the moment. Chris clutched his gun and closed his eyes. "Come on, don't fail me now." He said softly to himself. He leaped from the empty room and into the corridor behind the sentry. He pulled the trigger on the weapon he acquired from Jack earlier, and the spiked barrel opened and turned rapidly. The robot heard the noise, and turned its metal head around and spotted Chris. When the barrel of Chris's gun had reached a maximum velocity, a quick projectile shot from the barrel and made a large hole in the sentry's torso. The sentry recoiled and returned fire.
Chris was hit by what seemed like a metal slug. It left no hole in him, only a bad bruise. He was pushed back a bit and scrabbled for cover, although the only safety was in the rooms. He stood and fired the weapon repeatedly. The robot was pushed back further for every bullet fired from the weapon. When the sentry seemed finished, Chris pulled the trigger only to hear a small, click. 'Not now, oh please not now.' he pleaded in his mind. Unfortunately, he was right. The gun was out of ammunition, and he had no spare rounds to load into the rifle. He jumped into another room, trying to find another weapon. Where he had landed was a janitor's closet, with a broom and some metal pipes. He had no choice but to go hand-to-hand. He picked up a pipe and ran towards the broken sentry. The sentry saw Chris's blind attack, and brought out what seemed like a type of sword. Chris stopped and the sentry limped towards him. He ran towards him again and took the fight to the bot. Him and the computer were exchanging heavy blows between their steel weapons. Finally, the bot's blade bent, and then snapped, leaving Chris with an opening. He kicked the sentry, and then when it fell over, he leaped in the air and landed a decisive victory blow into the sentry's head. The sentry made a shutting- down noise, and then red lens on its head faded. Chris got up from the attack and stood firmly, with his arms sore and his shoulder with a few cuts from the attack. He picked up the gun he had dropped and wrapped the strap firmly around his shoulders. He then slowly walked towards the door with confidence that nothing could stop him from getting to where he needed to. He walked up to the solid door and looked around it. There was a small keycard access holder next to it. He needed a keycard in order to obtain entrance. He started rummaging thought the empty rooms. 'Damnit, where is that keycard?' he thought to himself. He searched everywhere. Then he found an office with a locked desk drawer and some notes on it. He took a metal bar and hit the lock on the drawer with force. The drawer made a creaking noise and then jutted open. He opened it fully and fumbled around the papers inside. In a folder he found some security papers and a keycard attached to it with a paperclip. He took the keycard, and then decided to grab a few papers. He took some of the security layout designs and the schematics for the cameras and turrets. He folded them up very small and shoved them into his pocket. He then ran towards the door and slid the keycard into it. The light above the door flashed green and the door made a confirming beep noise as it opened. He stepped inside slowly and looked around. All he saw were crates stacked upon more crates. What was so secret about this place? He heard heavy footsteps and some mechanical tinkering along with them. Suspicious as ever, he moved close to a pile of three stacked boxes made of very weak wood. Some had stronger coverings that could withstand bullet fire or explosions, so he made sure to keep track of where those were if he ever needed to use them. He heard the clanking and heavy, pounding footsteps draw closer. He peeked around the corner and saw something that was obviously not something he expected. These men were strapped inside of some kind of mechanical hard- suits. They were all metal and glass, which seemed to be a problem. They ranged at least eight feet tall, and seemed like they weighed a ton. They moved very slowly and when they stopped, they swung their massive arms around just to be able to turn. Chris was terrified; not only were they big, but they also had better weapons and he had no ammo. The bullets might now even be able to penetrate their think armor, even if he had any. He had to sneak around them in order to reach whatever was on the other side of this depot. He first climbed up into a small array of boxes in order to avoid a passing guard. He then jumped out and moved slowly through a small passageway made by a group of stacked crates. He snuck past another guard when he want looking, and then ducked into a small duct and crawled to another side of the compound. He then saw a set of switches carefully hidden behind a set of boxes. He moved closer, evading any guards and dashed into the fray of wood and steel. He approached the switches carefully. It was obvious what they did, seeing as how each one had a label. They read: Power Supply Security Defenses Maintenance Bot Fire Extinguisher Chris wondered what he should push. If he activated the power supply and security defenses, then the guards would be cut to shreds by the dormant sentries that were ready to be activated. Of course, Chris would also be a target. But then he could activate the fire extinguishers to short out their circuits. It was just crazy enough to work. But he had to take into account that if he was discovered his cover was blown for good. He lifted the power supply switch first, and the lights and machinery came online. The guards started to wonder what was going on. Then Chris lifted the security defense switch, and the turrets made a beep noise as they activated and went into defensive mode. The guards began to try and find cover, but most were cut down by the fast firing slugs shot by the sentries. Some found a way to avoid them, and turned and fired back in an effort to destroy them. The guards were smart, but didn't appear to have much combat experience. They dispatched a small team to investigate the origin of the security system coming online. When they got to the control panel, there was no one there. The bars had been crunched, so there was no way to turn anything off. The guards cautiously raised their large rifles and peered around. Chris was in a panic. 'Shit, oh shit! I have to get out of here!' he thought to himself. He peered around a crate and saw an open entrance at the end of the hallway. If he ran for it, he would be cut down by the sentries and the guards. He tried to find an alternate way. The only other way was around the guards who were preoccupied with the turrets. That is when he had an idea. He dashed past the crowd of guards who stood there, oblivious. He ran into a stack of boxes and his behind them. He looked on and saw that there was one guard who was pinned down from a turret. He look frightened and couldn't move. His buddies didn't even notice him. That is when his idea took a change of plans. Chris jumped over the pile of boxes and ran on top of the platform looming over the sentry firing at the guard. He saw a box covered with hard edging and steel. He put his back to it and pushed as hard as he could. He inched the box off of the platform and smashed it onto the sentry, crushing its head and crunching it under the extreme weight. The guard peered from behind his cover, and saw what had happened. Chris jumped down right in front of him and confronted him with no fear.
"You.you saved me! But, how did you get in here?" he asked in the midst of battle occurring between man and machine. "No time to explain. Listen, I need you to get me on the other side of this hall. Can you do it? Please?" Chris begged. The soldier looked confused and put his hand on the back of his head and removed the glass helmet. His eyes darted about, thinking of what was the right thing to do. "Sure, I'll help you, but please, get me out of this place. I don't want to be here. Wherever you came from, get me out!" he pleaded. "Alright, I'll take you with me. Now, can you get me out?" Chris asked again. The guard nodded his head and pointed to a wooden crate pile a little distance from where he was standing. "Those boxes; we need what is inside of those boxes if we are going to get out of here." He told him. Chris nodded, and turned and ran towards the pile of crates. The guard followed slowly behind him. Luckily, the rest of the soldiers were preoccupied at the moment. "Crack them open. There are weapons in one of there. We need them." He explained. Chris pushed a box off of the top and when it broke it revealed nothing. He pushed off another, and nothing appeared. He kicked one open and bent down and looked inside. He was dumbfounded. Inside was an entire cache of weapons. They fell out and the lid was taken off the side. "Take the laser rifle and four pistols. We need those." The guard said. Chris obeyed, and grabbed the stack of guns and separated them. The soldier, standing idly for the moment, pushed a button on his suit, and it split in two and opened itself up. He stepped out of it, appearing regular size, and closed it back up. "Give me the laser rifle and two pistols. You get the other two." He ordered. Chris handed him the laser rifle and two pistols, and he took two of his own and placed them firmly in his pockets. "Come on, we have to hurry. It wont be long before they realize I'm missing." He explained. They took off towards the other side of the hall, and stopped near a sentry. "Ok, listen, there are two ways out of here: that ventral duct up there, and that door over there. We cant let the others know where I am, so we should take the duct." He said. Chris nodded, and asked him a question. "How do we get past the sentry?" "Watch." The guard turned the corner slowly, and lifted the laser rifle towards the sentry. He fired a short burst, and when it impacted it, the armor began to glow yellow, then orange, then red, and finally, it exploded with a flash of light. Chris shielded his eyes, and looked back to see a pile of scrap where the sentry once was. "No time to explain, just crawl into the duct. I'll cover you." He ordered. Chris jumped up and grabbed the duct by the edges, and pulled himself into it slowly, but effectively. The solder tossed his rifle across his shoulders, and put the pistols in the holsters at his side. He jumped up and grabbed the duct, pulling himself inside and crawling along the insides with Chris. Once they reached the end of the air duct, Chris hopped out and pulled his weapon out immediately, scanning the area with his eyes and rolling for cover. There was no one in the hall, or for that matter, even on rounds. He went at ease, and the heavy guard stumbled and fell out of the duct and on his rear on the hard floor. He dusted himself off, and stood up. "Ok, I think we should get acquainted." He suggested. Chris smiled, and extended a hand. "My name's Chris, and I came in here looking for someone." He reported. The soldier took his hand and shook it firmly. "Private Smith Celsius. My friends call me Frosty, but you can just call me Smith. Who exactly were you looking for?" he asked. "Well, I came in here with a friend, and we split up. Here, I got this map from inside the halls. Take a look." He explained, pulling something out his left pocket, and unfolding it. "See, we split up here, in Sector C. We encountered something, well, strange in that area. A guard that looked like an alien. What was it?" Chris asked. Smith scratched the back of his neck and shook his head. "No idea. Command never informed me that they had replaced us in Sector C. Listen, if you need to know how to get around, I can help you. Do you have a picture of who you are looking for?" he questioned. Chris nodded, and pulled out a picture of Melfina with the group that they had taken a while back, and then said he has no picture for Heero. He described his as best he could though. "I believe I saw a group of officers taking two prisoners to the main floor. It is about twelve stories from here, and the elevator is broken, so we will need to find another way around. You sure are a little spy aren't you?" Smith asked. Chris just smiled. The two of them proceeded down the halls of the empty building, and looked around. They were getting higher up, via the stairs, and noticed the medical and science labs surrounding them. Once they reached the eleventh story, Chris noticed something strange. "Listen." He said, stopping Smith short of his walking. Smith was silent, and perked his ears attentively. They heard something like low breathing. Low, but heavy enough to be heard. Chris backed up against the wall, and Smith followed quietly. Chris drew his handguns, and raised them at level with his shoulders. He looked at the ground, and found hunk of scrap metal. He picked it up, took careful aim, and threw it at a nearby wall on the other side of their position, making a clang as it came in contact with the steel wall. Chris then heard a disorientating grunt. Everything Chris was hoping not to find was seamlessly crushed as he heard heavy footsteps walk towards the area the metal had hit the wall. Chris tapped Smith's arm, and pointed towards the wall. Smith looked puzzled, and then Chris pointed at himself, and then his eyes, signaling that Smith should watch him. He nodded, and stood stiff, moving his eyes as Chris moved. The footsteps stopped, and Chris held his breath. He then heard a quick gasp, and Chris began to fire blindly and the wall with his weapons recoiling only slightly. Smith thought he was crazy, until he saw blood being spattered onto the wall, seamlessly from nowhere. There were some groans of pain and some heavy breathing as Chris stopped shooting. "Fire! Fire! Shoot at it!" Chris yelled at Smith. Chris dropped his laser rifle and pulled the pistols from his holsters. He opened fire on the area where the blood had splattered, and sure enough, there were more shrieks and grunting as his bullets hit their target. Soon, his weapons went empty, and he heard the clicking noise to signal this indefinitely. He dropped his pistols and raised his laser rifle, but stopping once he heard a thud as something heavy hit the ground. Chris was breathing heavily; in and out, every breath seemed to be too much. He swallowed hard, and moved in closer with Smith trailing by only a few feet. Chris waited for a noise, but there was none. Instead, he saw distortions coming from where the thud had originated. There were some flashes, and soon enough, the beast was unveiled. It was the same kind of guard that they had encountered earlier in the compound. "That's him alright." Chris said nodding. Smith was very surprised and shocked. He knelt down and looked over the dead alien. "Well I'll be damned. He is one ugly son of a bitch isn't he?" Smith said enthusiastically. The creature made no movement at all; not even a twitch. "Listen, we have to keep moving. We didn't bring any extra clips with us, so you will have to use that laser rifle only. Understand?" Chris asked. Smith nodded his head in a confirming gesture. Chris stood up and walked over to a nearby door; the same door Jack was trying to figure out how to open a few hours ago. "Smith, can you open this?" he asked. Smith looked up from the dead alien, and walked over to where he was standing. He tapped the metal, and listened to it ring. He looked over it once more, and then stood back. "I think so, but it will drain the rifle's battery." He explained. Chris nodded, and stood back a little ways. Smith sighed, and raised the rifle up, aiming at the center of the door. He held down the trigger and it released a burst of energy. The door was glowing red, and then scarlet as it lost its strength, and finally began to melt. Chris stood back in awe, and was amazed at the power of the weapon. Smith stopped and released his finger from the trigger. There was a hold in it big enough for someone to crawl through, so they could easily access the other side. "This is what the rifle was made for." Smith said smiling, and lead Chris through the hole of the Level Three security door.
Chris moved silently through the halls of the abandoned base. He shifted his eyes and peeked around a corner and down a hallway. It was empty, but at the end of it was a door with a red light above it and a mechanical object lying on the floor that looked similar to a trash can. Chris moved closer to investigate. 'What the hell is that?' he thought to himself. When he was about ten meters in distance from it, a steel ball on a metal pole extended from the top and rotated. It seemed curved poles were coming from its side and touching the ground. The object pushed itself up on these poles, and shifted a little. A computer voice then sounded. "Security Alert. Security Alert. Intruder spotted on Level Three, Crew Corridors. Orders to terminate." The robot then began to move towards Chris quickly. "That's a mobile sentry gun!" Chris yelled, and ducked into a room that was directly next to him. The sentry moved down the hall, unable to locate him at the moment. Chris clutched his gun and closed his eyes. "Come on, don't fail me now." He said softly to himself. He leaped from the empty room and into the corridor behind the sentry. He pulled the trigger on the weapon he acquired from Jack earlier, and the spiked barrel opened and turned rapidly. The robot heard the noise, and turned its metal head around and spotted Chris. When the barrel of Chris's gun had reached a maximum velocity, a quick projectile shot from the barrel and made a large hole in the sentry's torso. The sentry recoiled and returned fire.
Chris was hit by what seemed like a metal slug. It left no hole in him, only a bad bruise. He was pushed back a bit and scrabbled for cover, although the only safety was in the rooms. He stood and fired the weapon repeatedly. The robot was pushed back further for every bullet fired from the weapon. When the sentry seemed finished, Chris pulled the trigger only to hear a small, click. 'Not now, oh please not now.' he pleaded in his mind. Unfortunately, he was right. The gun was out of ammunition, and he had no spare rounds to load into the rifle. He jumped into another room, trying to find another weapon. Where he had landed was a janitor's closet, with a broom and some metal pipes. He had no choice but to go hand-to-hand. He picked up a pipe and ran towards the broken sentry. The sentry saw Chris's blind attack, and brought out what seemed like a type of sword. Chris stopped and the sentry limped towards him. He ran towards him again and took the fight to the bot. Him and the computer were exchanging heavy blows between their steel weapons. Finally, the bot's blade bent, and then snapped, leaving Chris with an opening. He kicked the sentry, and then when it fell over, he leaped in the air and landed a decisive victory blow into the sentry's head. The sentry made a shutting- down noise, and then red lens on its head faded. Chris got up from the attack and stood firmly, with his arms sore and his shoulder with a few cuts from the attack. He picked up the gun he had dropped and wrapped the strap firmly around his shoulders. He then slowly walked towards the door with confidence that nothing could stop him from getting to where he needed to. He walked up to the solid door and looked around it. There was a small keycard access holder next to it. He needed a keycard in order to obtain entrance. He started rummaging thought the empty rooms. 'Damnit, where is that keycard?' he thought to himself. He searched everywhere. Then he found an office with a locked desk drawer and some notes on it. He took a metal bar and hit the lock on the drawer with force. The drawer made a creaking noise and then jutted open. He opened it fully and fumbled around the papers inside. In a folder he found some security papers and a keycard attached to it with a paperclip. He took the keycard, and then decided to grab a few papers. He took some of the security layout designs and the schematics for the cameras and turrets. He folded them up very small and shoved them into his pocket. He then ran towards the door and slid the keycard into it. The light above the door flashed green and the door made a confirming beep noise as it opened. He stepped inside slowly and looked around. All he saw were crates stacked upon more crates. What was so secret about this place? He heard heavy footsteps and some mechanical tinkering along with them. Suspicious as ever, he moved close to a pile of three stacked boxes made of very weak wood. Some had stronger coverings that could withstand bullet fire or explosions, so he made sure to keep track of where those were if he ever needed to use them. He heard the clanking and heavy, pounding footsteps draw closer. He peeked around the corner and saw something that was obviously not something he expected. These men were strapped inside of some kind of mechanical hard- suits. They were all metal and glass, which seemed to be a problem. They ranged at least eight feet tall, and seemed like they weighed a ton. They moved very slowly and when they stopped, they swung their massive arms around just to be able to turn. Chris was terrified; not only were they big, but they also had better weapons and he had no ammo. The bullets might now even be able to penetrate their think armor, even if he had any. He had to sneak around them in order to reach whatever was on the other side of this depot. He first climbed up into a small array of boxes in order to avoid a passing guard. He then jumped out and moved slowly through a small passageway made by a group of stacked crates. He snuck past another guard when he want looking, and then ducked into a small duct and crawled to another side of the compound. He then saw a set of switches carefully hidden behind a set of boxes. He moved closer, evading any guards and dashed into the fray of wood and steel. He approached the switches carefully. It was obvious what they did, seeing as how each one had a label. They read: Power Supply Security Defenses Maintenance Bot Fire Extinguisher Chris wondered what he should push. If he activated the power supply and security defenses, then the guards would be cut to shreds by the dormant sentries that were ready to be activated. Of course, Chris would also be a target. But then he could activate the fire extinguishers to short out their circuits. It was just crazy enough to work. But he had to take into account that if he was discovered his cover was blown for good. He lifted the power supply switch first, and the lights and machinery came online. The guards started to wonder what was going on. Then Chris lifted the security defense switch, and the turrets made a beep noise as they activated and went into defensive mode. The guards began to try and find cover, but most were cut down by the fast firing slugs shot by the sentries. Some found a way to avoid them, and turned and fired back in an effort to destroy them. The guards were smart, but didn't appear to have much combat experience. They dispatched a small team to investigate the origin of the security system coming online. When they got to the control panel, there was no one there. The bars had been crunched, so there was no way to turn anything off. The guards cautiously raised their large rifles and peered around. Chris was in a panic. 'Shit, oh shit! I have to get out of here!' he thought to himself. He peered around a crate and saw an open entrance at the end of the hallway. If he ran for it, he would be cut down by the sentries and the guards. He tried to find an alternate way. The only other way was around the guards who were preoccupied with the turrets. That is when he had an idea. He dashed past the crowd of guards who stood there, oblivious. He ran into a stack of boxes and his behind them. He looked on and saw that there was one guard who was pinned down from a turret. He look frightened and couldn't move. His buddies didn't even notice him. That is when his idea took a change of plans. Chris jumped over the pile of boxes and ran on top of the platform looming over the sentry firing at the guard. He saw a box covered with hard edging and steel. He put his back to it and pushed as hard as he could. He inched the box off of the platform and smashed it onto the sentry, crushing its head and crunching it under the extreme weight. The guard peered from behind his cover, and saw what had happened. Chris jumped down right in front of him and confronted him with no fear.
"You.you saved me! But, how did you get in here?" he asked in the midst of battle occurring between man and machine. "No time to explain. Listen, I need you to get me on the other side of this hall. Can you do it? Please?" Chris begged. The soldier looked confused and put his hand on the back of his head and removed the glass helmet. His eyes darted about, thinking of what was the right thing to do. "Sure, I'll help you, but please, get me out of this place. I don't want to be here. Wherever you came from, get me out!" he pleaded. "Alright, I'll take you with me. Now, can you get me out?" Chris asked again. The guard nodded his head and pointed to a wooden crate pile a little distance from where he was standing. "Those boxes; we need what is inside of those boxes if we are going to get out of here." He told him. Chris nodded, and turned and ran towards the pile of crates. The guard followed slowly behind him. Luckily, the rest of the soldiers were preoccupied at the moment. "Crack them open. There are weapons in one of there. We need them." He explained. Chris pushed a box off of the top and when it broke it revealed nothing. He pushed off another, and nothing appeared. He kicked one open and bent down and looked inside. He was dumbfounded. Inside was an entire cache of weapons. They fell out and the lid was taken off the side. "Take the laser rifle and four pistols. We need those." The guard said. Chris obeyed, and grabbed the stack of guns and separated them. The soldier, standing idly for the moment, pushed a button on his suit, and it split in two and opened itself up. He stepped out of it, appearing regular size, and closed it back up. "Give me the laser rifle and two pistols. You get the other two." He ordered. Chris handed him the laser rifle and two pistols, and he took two of his own and placed them firmly in his pockets. "Come on, we have to hurry. It wont be long before they realize I'm missing." He explained. They took off towards the other side of the hall, and stopped near a sentry. "Ok, listen, there are two ways out of here: that ventral duct up there, and that door over there. We cant let the others know where I am, so we should take the duct." He said. Chris nodded, and asked him a question. "How do we get past the sentry?" "Watch." The guard turned the corner slowly, and lifted the laser rifle towards the sentry. He fired a short burst, and when it impacted it, the armor began to glow yellow, then orange, then red, and finally, it exploded with a flash of light. Chris shielded his eyes, and looked back to see a pile of scrap where the sentry once was. "No time to explain, just crawl into the duct. I'll cover you." He ordered. Chris jumped up and grabbed the duct by the edges, and pulled himself into it slowly, but effectively. The solder tossed his rifle across his shoulders, and put the pistols in the holsters at his side. He jumped up and grabbed the duct, pulling himself inside and crawling along the insides with Chris. Once they reached the end of the air duct, Chris hopped out and pulled his weapon out immediately, scanning the area with his eyes and rolling for cover. There was no one in the hall, or for that matter, even on rounds. He went at ease, and the heavy guard stumbled and fell out of the duct and on his rear on the hard floor. He dusted himself off, and stood up. "Ok, I think we should get acquainted." He suggested. Chris smiled, and extended a hand. "My name's Chris, and I came in here looking for someone." He reported. The soldier took his hand and shook it firmly. "Private Smith Celsius. My friends call me Frosty, but you can just call me Smith. Who exactly were you looking for?" he asked. "Well, I came in here with a friend, and we split up. Here, I got this map from inside the halls. Take a look." He explained, pulling something out his left pocket, and unfolding it. "See, we split up here, in Sector C. We encountered something, well, strange in that area. A guard that looked like an alien. What was it?" Chris asked. Smith scratched the back of his neck and shook his head. "No idea. Command never informed me that they had replaced us in Sector C. Listen, if you need to know how to get around, I can help you. Do you have a picture of who you are looking for?" he questioned. Chris nodded, and pulled out a picture of Melfina with the group that they had taken a while back, and then said he has no picture for Heero. He described his as best he could though. "I believe I saw a group of officers taking two prisoners to the main floor. It is about twelve stories from here, and the elevator is broken, so we will need to find another way around. You sure are a little spy aren't you?" Smith asked. Chris just smiled. The two of them proceeded down the halls of the empty building, and looked around. They were getting higher up, via the stairs, and noticed the medical and science labs surrounding them. Once they reached the eleventh story, Chris noticed something strange. "Listen." He said, stopping Smith short of his walking. Smith was silent, and perked his ears attentively. They heard something like low breathing. Low, but heavy enough to be heard. Chris backed up against the wall, and Smith followed quietly. Chris drew his handguns, and raised them at level with his shoulders. He looked at the ground, and found hunk of scrap metal. He picked it up, took careful aim, and threw it at a nearby wall on the other side of their position, making a clang as it came in contact with the steel wall. Chris then heard a disorientating grunt. Everything Chris was hoping not to find was seamlessly crushed as he heard heavy footsteps walk towards the area the metal had hit the wall. Chris tapped Smith's arm, and pointed towards the wall. Smith looked puzzled, and then Chris pointed at himself, and then his eyes, signaling that Smith should watch him. He nodded, and stood stiff, moving his eyes as Chris moved. The footsteps stopped, and Chris held his breath. He then heard a quick gasp, and Chris began to fire blindly and the wall with his weapons recoiling only slightly. Smith thought he was crazy, until he saw blood being spattered onto the wall, seamlessly from nowhere. There were some groans of pain and some heavy breathing as Chris stopped shooting. "Fire! Fire! Shoot at it!" Chris yelled at Smith. Chris dropped his laser rifle and pulled the pistols from his holsters. He opened fire on the area where the blood had splattered, and sure enough, there were more shrieks and grunting as his bullets hit their target. Soon, his weapons went empty, and he heard the clicking noise to signal this indefinitely. He dropped his pistols and raised his laser rifle, but stopping once he heard a thud as something heavy hit the ground. Chris was breathing heavily; in and out, every breath seemed to be too much. He swallowed hard, and moved in closer with Smith trailing by only a few feet. Chris waited for a noise, but there was none. Instead, he saw distortions coming from where the thud had originated. There were some flashes, and soon enough, the beast was unveiled. It was the same kind of guard that they had encountered earlier in the compound. "That's him alright." Chris said nodding. Smith was very surprised and shocked. He knelt down and looked over the dead alien. "Well I'll be damned. He is one ugly son of a bitch isn't he?" Smith said enthusiastically. The creature made no movement at all; not even a twitch. "Listen, we have to keep moving. We didn't bring any extra clips with us, so you will have to use that laser rifle only. Understand?" Chris asked. Smith nodded his head in a confirming gesture. Chris stood up and walked over to a nearby door; the same door Jack was trying to figure out how to open a few hours ago. "Smith, can you open this?" he asked. Smith looked up from the dead alien, and walked over to where he was standing. He tapped the metal, and listened to it ring. He looked over it once more, and then stood back. "I think so, but it will drain the rifle's battery." He explained. Chris nodded, and stood back a little ways. Smith sighed, and raised the rifle up, aiming at the center of the door. He held down the trigger and it released a burst of energy. The door was glowing red, and then scarlet as it lost its strength, and finally began to melt. Chris stood back in awe, and was amazed at the power of the weapon. Smith stopped and released his finger from the trigger. There was a hold in it big enough for someone to crawl through, so they could easily access the other side. "This is what the rifle was made for." Smith said smiling, and lead Chris through the hole of the Level Three security door.