ESUN Outpost 21
Chapter 7: Breakdown
Heero and Treize readied the explosives as Hilde stood watch. Taking care of the ship would be easy but then came the hard part, killing the monster. Heero thought about killing Relena before but his time it was different, she was already dead. Lighting the explosives the three hurried outside and ran to the main building. The tool shed and its immediate surroundings exploded lighting up the area.
Back inside they were greeting by Catherine and Lady Une holding lanterns. Sally soon joined them.
"Was she?" Catherine asked.
"Yes," Heero replied.
"She was building some type of ship to escape in too. I think it acquired mechanical knowledge from Duo," Treize said checking his gun.
"How?" Hilde asked confused. "I torched the copy."
"Telepathy I guess. Its alien so there is a lot we don't know."
"In any case where is Wufei?" Heero asked.
"Haven't seen him in a while," Lady Une replied.
"I saw him run outside before the power went out," Hilde said.
"Think it got to him?" Catherine asked.
"Don't know," Heero replied. "But watch out for him just in case."
"So did it get inside?" Sally asked concerned.
"Most likely," Treize replied. "It probably still looks like Relena. If you see her don't hesitate to kill her."
"How? It can regenerate," Hilde asked.
"Burn it," Treize replied. "We still have flame throwers and torches."
"That might not work," Heero interrupted. "When we were chasing the dogs the damn thing increased its size considerably. He may need something else."
"I don't thin we have anything that inflicts extensive damage on a cellular level," said Sally.
"Guns are useless in that case," Treize added. "Even incendiary rounds have their limits."
"We could hose down in fuel and light it," said Hilde.
"But how de we make sure we got it all," Lady Une interrupted. "Napalm would work but we don't have any."
"Thermite is risky," Heero added. "Besides it doesn't last long. Why not electrocute it?"
"If it trashed the generator then that's pointless."
"Yet if it still intact there maybe a chance. Hilde?"
"I'm not as good as Wufei but I can get that thing running as long as it isn't badly damaged."
"Then lets do it," Treize said assertively.
"Wait a minute," Sally said as she dug through her pockets. "These might come in handy." She handed each of them a small capsule.
"Poison?" Hilde asked.
"I don't think it can imitate dead life forms so this may save you from agony. If it gets you bite down."
"This is becoming more suicidal every minute," Heero laughed. "Lets go."
In the lower basement they found the generator to be intact but missing a few parts. Hilde quickly fixed it and they prepared their trap. Installing copper wire underneath the floorboards in the basement they hoped to electrocute the monstrosity. However just to be safe they still had the flamethrowers and blowtorches and Heero made Molotov cocktails. Patiently they waited for the thing to show up.
"Is it coming?" Sally asked tightening her scarf.
"It knows we're here," Treize replied.
"Think it caught on?"
"I don't know."
Suddenly the ground began to shake.
"Get ready," Heero said and motioned to Hilde prepare to turn on the generator.
Then it burst through the ground. A large distorted mass with tentacles leapt towards them.
"NOW!"
Hilde threw the switch and the creature howled. Heero could see the skin begin to smoke from the high voltage. As the monster wailed and shook Heero then noticed something.
"Damn it! The bastard is under the ground."
"What?" Treize shouted.
"This is only a small piece. Fucker broke it off."
"Then where is it?" Lady Une asked.
The ground began to break apart and tentacles shot out.
"RUN!"
They dashed up the stairs and Heero hurled a Molotov at the creature, which skillfully evaded it. Upstairs they bolted the door shut. They relaxed but all too soon. The creature began to crush the door with its mass and finally broke. Panicked they ran and separated. Hilde and Sally ran into the infirmary.
"Hilde turn on the torch"
"Right," Hilde said turning on the blowtorch.
They looked around but were met with eerie silence.
"Guys?" Hilde shouted. But again silence.
The door began to creek and Sally grabbed a bottle of alcohol from the table. She then placed a piece of cloth inside and prepared to light it. But there was only silence.
"Guess it's gone," Hilde said
"Yeah," Sally sighed.
Then a large claw broke through the outside wall and seized Hilde. Sally lit the alcohol but hesitated to throw it because of the monster's captive. It tore the torch off Hilde and dug its claw in deeper. Hilde began to cough up blood and knowing she was done for bit down on the poison capsule in her mouth. It then yanked her still body outside. Sally hurled the bottle but it landed in the snow. Then a tentacle broke through the window and knocked the young doctor to the ground forcing the capsule out of her mouth. Sally soon found herself surrounded by tentacles and other ghastly appendages. The blowtorch was smashed and she found not other weapon. She fumbled through the desk and found a syringe and a bottle of morphine. At least death will be peaceful, she thought. However unwilling to consign herself to darkness she made a break for the door and ran out. But it followed her.
Knowing she was trapped Sally ran into the bathroom. She stood terrified as it tried to reach under the door. Sally filled the syringe with morphine and after acknowledging she had a fatal dose injected herself with it. A short euphoria set in before she drifted off.
Meanwhile Heero and Treize looked for their companions amid the noise. Both men were armed: Treize with his gun and Molotov and Heero with a flamethrower. They traveled down the dark hallway looking for any sign of their lost companions.
"Catherine! Sally! Lady Une! Hilde!" Treize shouted.
"They're probably dead," Heero said depressed.
"You're probably right."
They approached the infirmary and found a large hole in the wall. On closer inspection they found the remains of a parka.
"Its Hilde's," Heero said.
They looked outside to find the girl's body lying in the snow torn up.
"Why didn't it absorb her?" Treize asked.
Heero got closer and soon detected the smell or burnt almonds. "She used her capsule. Maybe Sally was right it only absorbs live organisms."
"Sure it's not a fake?"
"What would be the point of imitating cyanide?"
"Gotcha."
They headed back in and started into the hallway. They then noticed the bathroom door was smashed in on the lower portion. Opening it they found Sally lying on the floor dead with a syringe a few inches away.
"And then there were four," Treize said sadly.
"Fuck it!" Heero shouted. "Lets just up and torch the goddamn place!"
"What?"
"Lets blow the motherfucker to hell! We can raise the temperature in the process preventing it from sleeping. What do you say?"
"I think you lost it."
"We have nothing left to lose. At this rate its going to get us anyway so I say we stand and fight."
Treize thought for a minute. "All right! Lets do it."
They ran into the supply room and took out all of the explosives. Heero then took all of the liquor out of the bar. Together they attached the explosives to fuel drums. Heero then turned all of the flaming spirits into Molotovs.
They readied the last drum and mad for the stairs. Just then the wall broke open and a large claw came out and landed on top of Treize severing his abdomen in two. Heero fell back as he watched his commander's guts fall out. The creature then lifted the living half of Treize and began to wrap itself around it. Tentacles penetrated what was left of the man and slowly his flesh bonded to the tentacles. Heero watched in silence as the hideous creature assimilated Treize. Soon it was all over. Heero then turned on his flamethrower and sprayed the creature.
"Burn you fucking bastard! BURN!" It soon flung out a tentacle and sent Heero into a wall knocking off the flamethrower. Then another knocked him through a wall leading to the outside.
Shaking off his daze Heero noticed a small snow tractor near him and got in. He turned the key and it started up. "Okay asshole! Lets go!" Heero drove the tractor right into the building. The thing saw him and charged. The tractor collided with the beast but it held its ground. "Damn you!" Heero stepped on the gas and the tractor plowed into the creature. Just then it opened up revealing a familiar face. "Relena?" The face smiled as a tentacle wrapped around Heero's coat. "Goddammit!"
"Heero," it said.
"Huh?"
"Heero, you wouldn't hurt me would you?"
"NO!"
"Would you?"
"She's dead."
"Heero."
"STOP FUCKING WITH ME!"
"Will you kill me?"
"Knock it off."
"Bastard."
"Join us Heero," another voice said, this time Treize.
"Why can't you leave them alone?"
"Join us," the voices said in unison.
Heero struggled with tentacle wrapped around his waist that began to burn through his gloves. He managed to reach his knife and cut himself free.
"Join us."
" You know I said this a lot," he said removing his foot from the gas pedal. "But this time I mean it. I WILL KILL YOU!" He stepped on the gas and drove the creature through the wall. In retaliation it threw him from the tractor. Heero got up and noticed it was approaching. He then noticed the tanks of venier fuel. Thinking fast he pulled an explosive stick form his pocket and lit the fuse. "SEE YOU IN HELL!" Tossing the stick he ran off. A massive explosion tore the camp apart and loud screaming could be heard. Fires raged in the darkness of the night.
In the wreckage a figure moved. It was Heero covered in blankets and holding bottles of brandy. He sat down close to the fire and began to warm his hand. He knew he had to stay warm or risk frostbite or hypothermia. There were footsteps and he turned his head to find Wufei covered in snow.
"You the only survivor."
"Where were you?" Heero asked shivering
"I thought I saw Relena and I went out after her. Is it dead?"
"I don't know."
Just then more footsteps approached. It was Lady Une and Catherine.
"Good somebody made it," Lady Une said as she sat beside them.
"Where were you two?" Heero asked.
"After we were separated we went out into the storm and got lost," Catherine replied as she sat down.
"Four of us, are you who you say you are?" Wufei asked.
"That's a moot point right now," Heero laughed. "Its not like we do anything if any of us are."
"Well, what do we do?" Lady Une asked.
"Lets wait here for a while," Heero replied. "There isn't much else we can do."
Wufei then removed a plastic bag from his coat. "The last of the pot. Anybody want a drag?" They all reached their hands out.
"Better to die laughing," Heero laughed.
"What about the alcohol?" Catherine asked as she nestled against Heero.
"Why not," he said passing a bottle around.
"Will we make it?" Lady Une asked puffing a joint.
"Maybe its better if we don't," said Wufei.
"But the rescue team!"
"There is nothing we can do. Maybe recording survived though. I hid it in the safe." Heero said finishing his joint. "Now lets concentrate on staying warm.
The fires burned through the night as silence filled the land.
The End.
