As they approached the entranceway, the pounding became a clear ringing, as
if someone was banging on the metal door. The emergency lighting this far
down the hall had malfunctioned, and Lennier could make out a few shadows,
but couldn't tell what they were.
Anne reached into the bag and pulled out a small flashlight, which she then turned on to reveal what was ahead.
The inner door on the air lock was lying on the floor, looking like it had been beaten down and then ripped off the hinges. It glistened slightly in the light, and it was because there was blood on it.
In the air lock, banging on the outer door, which was already looking like it was about to give way, was Pris. Her knuckles were covered in blood, but she seemed oblivious to it as she continued to pound at the door.
"Pris," Lennier said, trying to get her attention.
She stopped her pounding, and turned her head towards his voice. At first he thought it might have been a trick of the light, but then he realized that her eyes were glowing a dull red.
Anne drew her breath sharply when she saw it too. She looked up at him, wondering what to do next.
Lennier put his PPG away and held up his hands, to show he wasn't armed, as he started to move slowly towards her. She turned around completely to face him, and he saw that the bandage had come off, revealing her skin beneath, which had turned a greenish-gray.
Very, very slowly, he tentively stepped towards her, keeping his hands up to indicate that he meant no harm. He prayed that Anne wouldn't freeze up, and remembered what she had to do, and that Pris wouldn't notice.
She kept her eyes on him, and took a defensive position as he came closer.
He took another step. She didn't react.
He stepped closer, not even daring to breathe, until he was inches from her.
"Pris," he said quietly.
For a moment, it seemed she was herself. The hard, wary expression she had been giving him melted away, and she lowered her defensive position.
He reached forward and gently put his hand on her arm, and quickly realized that he had made a mistake. Her expression hardened, she grabbed his wrist and elbow, and threw him up against the wall.
Lennier was stunned for a second, and had only an instant to avoid the fist, which came for his face. He ducked away moved back to reposition himself, and take notice of the significant dent left in the wall, which was considerable.
Pris was strong, but she wasn't that strong, at least not normally. He was going to have to rethink this.
She took another swipe at his face, and he leaned back to avoid her. He had now circled around her, and she had turned to face him, which meant that while his back was to the door and he had little room to maneuver, her back was to Anne, who was getting something out of the bag she'd been carrying.
He continued to parry her almost casual swings, until she took a step back, and then threw herself into him, knocking him off his feet. They hit the ground hard, almost winding him.
She was strattling his chest and had him effectively pinned as she straightened up and delivered two well-aimed punches at his chin.
Lennier fought the ringing sensation in his ears and the pain spreading from his jaw, and blocked her next punch. She swiped his hand away easily and went for his throat.
Her hands were soon crushing his windpipe and spots were forming before his eyes. He punched her square in the face, snapping back her head, but her grip didn't loosen.
His vision was going blurry, and he was about to go under again, when suddenly her eyes went wide, she stopped and swung behind her, knocking Anne into the wall.
The blonde slumped down the floor, as Pris got up to finish her off, but stumbled instead. She wobbled slightly, and looked confused, until she noticed the empty syringe, which had been knocked from Anne's hand, lying at her feet.
Pris tried once more to lunge at Anne, but Lennier tripped her up and she fell into the wall, and didn't get back up.
Anne had curled herself into a ball, and was now peering out at the unconscious woman.
"Ok, now what?"
"Now," he said, getting up, "I have to send a message."
Anne reached into the bag and pulled out a small flashlight, which she then turned on to reveal what was ahead.
The inner door on the air lock was lying on the floor, looking like it had been beaten down and then ripped off the hinges. It glistened slightly in the light, and it was because there was blood on it.
In the air lock, banging on the outer door, which was already looking like it was about to give way, was Pris. Her knuckles were covered in blood, but she seemed oblivious to it as she continued to pound at the door.
"Pris," Lennier said, trying to get her attention.
She stopped her pounding, and turned her head towards his voice. At first he thought it might have been a trick of the light, but then he realized that her eyes were glowing a dull red.
Anne drew her breath sharply when she saw it too. She looked up at him, wondering what to do next.
Lennier put his PPG away and held up his hands, to show he wasn't armed, as he started to move slowly towards her. She turned around completely to face him, and he saw that the bandage had come off, revealing her skin beneath, which had turned a greenish-gray.
Very, very slowly, he tentively stepped towards her, keeping his hands up to indicate that he meant no harm. He prayed that Anne wouldn't freeze up, and remembered what she had to do, and that Pris wouldn't notice.
She kept her eyes on him, and took a defensive position as he came closer.
He took another step. She didn't react.
He stepped closer, not even daring to breathe, until he was inches from her.
"Pris," he said quietly.
For a moment, it seemed she was herself. The hard, wary expression she had been giving him melted away, and she lowered her defensive position.
He reached forward and gently put his hand on her arm, and quickly realized that he had made a mistake. Her expression hardened, she grabbed his wrist and elbow, and threw him up against the wall.
Lennier was stunned for a second, and had only an instant to avoid the fist, which came for his face. He ducked away moved back to reposition himself, and take notice of the significant dent left in the wall, which was considerable.
Pris was strong, but she wasn't that strong, at least not normally. He was going to have to rethink this.
She took another swipe at his face, and he leaned back to avoid her. He had now circled around her, and she had turned to face him, which meant that while his back was to the door and he had little room to maneuver, her back was to Anne, who was getting something out of the bag she'd been carrying.
He continued to parry her almost casual swings, until she took a step back, and then threw herself into him, knocking him off his feet. They hit the ground hard, almost winding him.
She was strattling his chest and had him effectively pinned as she straightened up and delivered two well-aimed punches at his chin.
Lennier fought the ringing sensation in his ears and the pain spreading from his jaw, and blocked her next punch. She swiped his hand away easily and went for his throat.
Her hands were soon crushing his windpipe and spots were forming before his eyes. He punched her square in the face, snapping back her head, but her grip didn't loosen.
His vision was going blurry, and he was about to go under again, when suddenly her eyes went wide, she stopped and swung behind her, knocking Anne into the wall.
The blonde slumped down the floor, as Pris got up to finish her off, but stumbled instead. She wobbled slightly, and looked confused, until she noticed the empty syringe, which had been knocked from Anne's hand, lying at her feet.
Pris tried once more to lunge at Anne, but Lennier tripped her up and she fell into the wall, and didn't get back up.
Anne had curled herself into a ball, and was now peering out at the unconscious woman.
"Ok, now what?"
"Now," he said, getting up, "I have to send a message."