CHAPTER 7 The Darkness Revealed
"Chris......thank you." Schwartz clapped the young man on the shoulder. His hair was dishevelled, and he was breathing heavily. He'd been right in the thick of the battle.
"Thank you...." replied Chris. "....but if it hadn't been for the way everyone fought, I never would have gotten the chance to close those doors"
"Well, we must've killed at least five hundred of the bastards." Mac chimed in, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Yeah.....but at what price?" Chris looked around. Blood, both human and Alien, was splashed on the walls and floor. Corpses of both species were strewn everywhere - Alien ones were missing heads, limbs or were just filled with holes, human ones were gashed all over, headless and limbless, and one or two were chestbursted - and guards and scientists alike were tending to the wounded, and cleaning up the bloody mess left behind from the battle.
"Poor souls...." Mac bowed his head for a moment.
"That jack-off Cusack will pay for this...." Marissa walked over to Schwartz. Her uniform was ripped, and she looked tired, but she still stood tall as she had when facing the monsters. She cuddled Schwartz from behind.
"I don't see how. His office is wired with security systems. We'd be shot to pieces before we knew what hit us." Schwartz sighed. They all wanted to get this bastard badly, but there didn't seem to be any way.
Michelle came to the group. Her hair was all out of place, but she was unhurt. She walked over next to Chris.
"Charles, I was going to ask you something..." Chris cuddled his girlfriend tightly.
"Go ahead, Chris." replied Schwartz.
"This isn't just about us surviving anymore..." A grave look appeared on Chris' face. "If Cusack knows how to produce those super Aliens, then the safety of mankind could be threatened. And who knows what will happen to the regular ones"
He paused. "I want check out the Special R&D section. I have a feeling....something isn't right here. That's where the infestation started....there has to be an answer in there somewhere. Also, we may yet have to come up against this Omega Alien. They could have been working on some top secret weaponry down there"
"Chris, it's suicide!" snapped Schwartz. "There's more Aliens down there than anywhere else"
"I'll be fine....and besides, Samson and Lafayette are going with me." Chris nodded to the two who had just walked up to the group. They were fully armed and ready to go.
"Wouldn't the Weapons section have this 'top secret weaponry?'" quizzed Marissa, tilting her head.
"No, the Special guys handled the real secret weapons." replied Michelle. "In fact, the Special labs handled secret projects from the other three sections." She wasn't so scared anymore....her moment in the battle had given her much needed confidence.
"Well, OK..." Schwartz nodded, and turned to leave. "However, I'm moving everyone to the launch bay. The rescue ships will be here momentarily, and I want everyone off this station ASAP"
"That's affirmative." Chris nodded.
"Chris, mate!" Mac spoke suddenly. "I'm coming with you"
"So am I!" Tsukino spoke, having just joined them.
"Me too....." Michelle squeezed Chris' hand.
"Well, if you're all sure......" Chris smiled. "Thanks, guys"
"Let's just get movin' kid!" grinned Samson. "You can thank us later"
The group headed over to the armoury to get equipped, taking as much ammo as they could, before moving to the Special door. As they headed for the lift, they could see everyone heading through the massive door to the launch bay.
"We'll be back in time, folks!" Samson said, as if to reply to the question inside everyone's heads.
Once more, the team of humans descended into the darkness....
Cusack was getting very tired of him. Once again, Chris had foiled his plans. He was now unable to gain door control, and the survivors had escaped to the launch bay.
However, he would get the last laugh. "Once they're gone, I can easily retrieve the data, and the Omega if possible"
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something. A group of them had just headed down the lift leading to the Special section! One of them was Appleyard.
"Are you my personal devil?????" Cusack smashed the camera screen in fury. They would find the data.
He took his SOCOM, and headed out of his high security office. Down the corridor, he went into a door marked 'ZERO-G'. Inside, he changed into a Zero-G spacesuit.
Moments later, he opened the arlock in the same room, and floated out into space. He activated the magnets on the suit's boots, and was attached to the surface of the station.
It would be a long walk, but there was no way he could let them find the data.
As he walked, the cold emptiness of space enveloped him, and one thought entered his mind.
"You will die before you finish me......"
The team had left the lift, and were proceeding through the Special labs. As expected, the layout was identical to the other sections. However, ths place's security was much more advanced. Mac had noticed some laser beam generators in the walls. If they'd been on, they would have been frazzled. Somebody, probably Cusack, had wanted something kept hidden badly.
"Any idea what we're looking for?" Tsukino quizzed Chris.
"Data...probably kept on a computer or something..." Chris shook his head. "It wouldn't just be lying anywhere"
"How about in here?" Lafayette was standing outside a door marked 'XENOMORPH CONTAINMENT.
"This has to be it...." Chris nodded.
Samson carefully opened the door. They'd already encountered some Aliens on the way, and he was willing to bet there were more in here. He thrust open the door and jerked his gun forward.
Nothing.
The room was moderately sized, and boasted several banks of computers, wired up to two large canisters. The canisters were smashed, and judging from the signs on them, it was obvious what had been inside.
ALPHA was above the left canister, and OMEGA was above the right.
"I'll check the computer." Chris and Michelle walked over to one of the terminals, while Samson and Lafayette kept watch on the door. Tsukino and Mac decided to take a look at the canisters.
"Those things could've broken out any time they wanted to...those canisters wouldn't have held them." said Tsukino, rubbing her chin.
"Chris was right...something doesn't add up." mused Mac.
"Everyone.....take a look at this...." Chris was staring at the screen with a look of sheer shock. The others came over to join him.
"What is it...?" Samson looked closely, and his eyes widened. "Shit"
Chris read from the screen. "Xenomorph samples taken from LV-426. Subjects deemed acceptable for experiment. Follwing breeds have been created"
He scrolled down. "Light Attack Warrior class, designation ALPHA. Approximately double the strength of regular specimen. Combat efficiency: 90. However, ALPHA cannot sustain much damage, and rlies on speed to achieve maximum efficiency. Brain control device: Fully functional.
Heavy Assault class, designation OMEGA. Approximately three times the strength of reglaur specimen. Combat efficiency: 99. Is impervious to all projectile weaponry, but energy weapons do cause reduced damage. Is slower than average specimen by 30. Continued damage to the head will cause an electrical overload, stunning the OMEGA for a few moments. Brain control device: Partially functional, will only accept a single order.
Conclusion: An OMEGA supported by several ALPHAs is without a doubt an unstoppable force. The possibilities of these breeds is limitless.
Recommendation: Immediate mass production"
"I don't believe this!" growled Samson. "They were making the things here"
"It makes sense now...." spoke Tsukino. "They found the specimens on LV-426, and brought them here. The plan was to create a super Alien soldier, which wouldn't be a threat, because of the control devices."
"That explains the report Morrissey had...." Chris breathed. "He knew about it"
"The fool should never have gotten involved." The familiar icy voice spoke from behind them...Cusack.
Samson spun round, readying his smartgun. However, he'd failed to noticed the SOCOM in Cusack's hand. Before he could react, a loud bang echoed through the lab....and Samson was blasted back, the bullet going through his head. He was killed instantly.
"SAMSON!!!!!!" shouted Lafayette. He made to shoot Cusack, but the SOCOM was then pointed at him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Cusack's cold, brown eyes stared at Lafayette, then Chris. "You've all been quite an annoyance, especially you, Mr. Appleyard. I can't allow any of you to leave here alive"
"You murdering scumbag!" Mac yelled. "You made those things!!! You'll burn for this"
"Ha ha ha ha...." Cusack's mocking laughter entered their ears yet again. "You all still have no idea...." He coughed, then continued speaking, his gun still pointed at them.
"This lab was, on the surface, set up for all these beneficial research projects. Weapons, planetology...you know the rest. In all truth, it wasn't"
"What do you mean?" Tsukino asked, puzzled.
"Magnus Industries are not the multi-tasking corporation you think they are." grinned Cusack. "They poured money into only one bit of research.....the creation of super xenomorph soldiers"
"What?!" Chris gasped.
"All the other research was just a front for those assholes on the inspection committee." Cusack shook his head. "These xenomorphs are the most amazing things they've ever seen. Imagine them under our control...imagine them being used in a warzone, or on the streets. They are the ultimate assault or suppression weapon"
"They're vicious killing machines!" shouted Chris. "They kill anything that isn't their species, then infest everything they touch! They keep expanding and killing and infesting until they've killed every last thing in their way, and that includes us humans! You can't control them"
"I can control them, and they will help me." Cusack laughed, blinking. "I hijacked the experiments...I wanted the prototypes for myself. I was going to create my own Alpha and Omega army, and then I would use it to teach mankind a lesson or two"
"You're sick....." Michelle shook her head in disgust.
"I don't care what anyone thinks of me." Cusack suddenly turned aggressive. "The Alpha and Omega are mine, and with them...I will rule over humanity! Those who resist....such as you....will die"
He pointed his gun dead on at Chris. "However, the Alpha is dead, and the Omega, as you will have guessed, is not under my full control. I need the data from those computers, in order to be able to create more. You will download it it to a disk and give it to me....or I start shooting. And Mr. Appleyard will be the first one to die"
Sweat began to drop down Chris' face. He couldn't possibly give the data to Cusack, but he didn't want to die, not in this place.
"I can easily get it myself. You have 10 seconds....10.....9...." Cusack calmly counted down. Chris could dodge Aliens, but there was no way he could dodge a bullet.
"Forget it.....I'm not giving you the data." Chris stared defiantly at Cusack. expecting his death to come swiftly. He would die, but the others would get him. At least Cusack would finally be stopped.
"Chris!!" Michelle screamed, panicking.
"5.....4.....3.....2.....1....." Cusack's finger prepared to pull the trigger. At last, this fool would be beaten.
There was an almighty crash from behind Cusack. A large chunk of the wall came off, and there was a loud thud.
The group and Cusack stared in shock at what had come through the wall. All of them recognised it, especially Tsukino and Cusack.
"It's....it's the one from the upper hub...." Tsukino just stared at it, shocked.
The Alien stood up to its full height. It wasn't like any other alien, however. It was covered head to toe in a gold plated metal. Its arms bore two scythe-like blades, merged with the regular claws. It's tail was similar in manner to the arms. It was also much bulkier and muscular than any other Alien, even the buffed out Alpha. Only its jaws were exposed, and they looked just as menacing as any other Alien.
There was no mistaking it.....it was the Omega Alien.
With frightening speed, it lunged forward, and grabbed Cusack in its left arm.
"What the?? What are you doing?????" screamed Cusack. "ARRRGGGHHHHH"
The Omega's secondary jaws shot out and into his head. The attack was so powerful that Cusack's head was ripped clean from his shoulders.
"Holy shit!" exclaimed Mac. Without a second's thought, the group began to run for the door. Lafayette was the first through, and Chris was last.
The Omega hopped down to the door just as Chris got through, narrowly missing him. A loud thud echoed through the corridors as it smashed against the door.
Chris and co. kept running. "God, that thing is nasty!" shouted Michelle, breathless.
"Look out!!!" Tsukino shouted, bringing her gun up. Regular Aliens suddenly emerged from in front and to the sides. Everyone ran, firing every which way and dropping Aliens left and right. The Omega's little moment had attracted their attention.
"Damn it!!! looks like it's party time for these bastards!" cursed Lafayette over the roar of his smartgun.
"We're almost to the lift! Come on!" Chris took aim and caught a Drone in the head. The group continued running, but all of a sudden, they coud hear metal clanking. Tsukino already knew what that sound was.
Behind them, the Omega crashed around the corner, knocking a chunk off the wall. It roared, louder than any Alien they'd heard, and charged at full speed towards them.
"Slower than the average specimen?!" screamed Michelle. "It'll be on us in a few seconds!!! It's too fast"
Chris took aim with his pistol, and fired straight at it. The bullets thudded into the armour, not doing any damage at all.
He cursed, but then remembered soemthing from the data.
"Continued damage to the head will cause an electrical overload, stunning the OMEGA for a few moments"
"The head!" Chris shouted. He emptied an entire clip into the charging Omega's head. Tsukino let rip with a blast of pulse rifle fire. The bullets thudded into the Omega's head, and all of a sudden electricity zapped the Omega, jumping all over its body. It screamed and crashed to the ground. It worked!
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall." he grinned.
The group finally reached the lift. Chris got a sense of deja vu.....he was getting tired of seeing these lifts.
"Watch out!" Lafayette opened up on the incoming tide of Aliens with his smartgun, covering the others has they ran through. Unfortunately, one of the Aliens crashed into a a cylindrical object, which was in fact a canister of gas. Mac was too late to notice, and the canister crashed onto him, knocking him to the floor and trapping his legs.
"Mac!!!" Chris shouted, seeing his friend's predicament. He rushed forward to try and pull the canister off him, but Mac's next words stopped him.
"There's nothing....you can do...mate....ahhhh.." He bit back the pain in his legs. "Just...go....give those sonsabitches one for me"
"Mac......" Chris protested, but he knew he was right. The Aliens would be on top of them before they could get him out. He reluctantly got onto the lift with the others.
"It was.....nice knowing you....Chris....!" Mac yelled after him.
"Same to you...Mac...." Chris bowed his head as the lift doors closed.
Seconds later, the Aliens swarmed forward, heading straight for Mac, hissing and roaring. Their claws made clacking sounds on the metal floor.
"Ha ha...." Mac laughed. "Hey boys.....I have a little...surprise for you"
He pulled out a grenade that he'd kept in his jacket. He'd always kept it as a lucky charm, from his Marine days. The explosion would blow the gas canister, and trigger more explosions in the gas main. The whole Special section would be blown to bits in seconds.
"This is Private MacGuire....signing off......" Mac pulled the pin on the grenade, and laughed.
Chris and the others felt the explosion. The lift shook, knocking them every which way.
The explosion blew the gas canister, killing the nearby Aliens. The nearby gas main also blew, spreading flames through all the labs. Any Aliens around were suddenly Kentucky fried chicken. A series of explosions rocked the Special section, blowing some areas completely to hell, and exposing the section to the void of space.
When the bangs subsided....all that was left of the Special section was a blackened shell.
Well, Chapter 8 is the last one! I can start something good, it's finishing I have trouble with Oo
Chris the Phoenix Knight