Aliens: Colonial Marines
By:
Arron Alderson
The winds and rain of LV 892 were the same; A dark day followed by an even darker night with heavy rain and even worse winds that sometimes reach such a high speed it would rip flesh from the bone.
The colony here had been set up because of the planets rich oil quantities along its northen edge, only because of the sheer profiet had the personal signed up to join the "Shake and Bake" colony.
Dr. David White, Chief Medical Officer, awaited the Crawler that carried the exploration team that had reported in some six hours ago, though the transmission was pretty messed up they got the part that someone was hurt badly and they were coming in.
The outside of the colony held the local Bar and Hanger Bays that held the Crawler's and other equipment needed. The colony itsself was enclosed by a wall that kept windspeeds from reaching the complex. Down the other end of the colony held the Uplink Tower and Operations.
To the back of the Docter was the North Entrance Bay which led to Med-Lab and the Personal Quarters, the Entrance Bay was currently filled with Medical Personal and a few kids who had come to see what the gathering was about.
250 people and I have to care for them all, I should get more pay then the crap there giving me. He thought as he looked out to the outta walls that held back the high speed winds, as always the place was dark as space and it sometimes felt like space to him aswell.
Just four weeks ago his Sister, Liza White, had left LV 892 for Gateway were she was heading up a new job as a Comm Tech Officer and he was very glad she had left this hellish place.
"Hey, Doc!" A voice called out from the rear of him. "There comming though the Gate now, should be here any time!" His voice was very silent to him, because of the noise of the winds outside almost everyone had to shout when outside.
True to his word there came a large engine noise followed by an object becomming visable though the dust. The Crawler came in fast and slowed down as it neared the Bay, the medical personal getting there equipment ready for whatever it was there exploration team had done to themselfs.
These sorts of teams went out for weeks on end to look for anything out of the place, something so the Company would take notice and pay them for what they had found, and almost each time one of them came back hurt; either pushing themself to hard or not drinking enough water etc.
The Crawler pulled to a halt and one of the team leaped out and looked around, he wore a large jacket bearing the Company logo on the top left segment, as if only just noticing the Doctor the man ran towards him.
"Doc, you gotta take a look at this crap!" He said, he held a look the Doctor had never seen before it was as if his eyes had been to hell and back and couldn't close without seeing the demons he had seen there.
"What happend!" He called back as they both wlaked towards the Crawler.
"We found..." He cut himself off, as if trying to find the correct words to use. "We found SOMETHING, I've never seen anything like it. It was some sort of building, but it was like it was alive...I...I mean the walls moved and all"
He gave way for the Doctor to enter the cramped Crawler the other three team members all wore the same look as the other guy, however one of them was on the floor with something on his face. It looked like a spider, however it had an orange colour to it and a large tail now wrapped around the team members neck. To glands moved up and down as if the creature was breathing.
"What the hell is that?" The Doctor called out as he checked the mans pulse and breathing rate.
"I have no idea, we found something inside this building...it looked like an Egg pit, one opened near Jeff and this happend" He made a cross mark on his chest as he stepped back to allow the medical teams to take the man away and move the team members inside.
Four Weeks Later...
Slater Jones opened the comm channel once more, the transmission from LV 892 was strange to say the least and already he had his new staff member, one Liza White, demanding to know why all comm traffic had been cut off with the planet. On closer inspection of her file it was clear why she was so demanding on the subject, her brother and most of her family were on that planet while she was stuck here not knowing what was going on.
He pressed the open button on his screen and the last message from the colony played:
"Accident...unknown hostiles...people missing...low on moral...creatures come in the night, hug are friends and familys...knew creatures starting to show as of two night ago...killed twenty people already...forty missing...need evac."
Although the transmission was short it clearly showed that something was happening on the planet, and because the colony had been out of contact for four weeks the Company had agreed to send a Squad of Colonial Marines to investergate. The depart time for this mission was two weeks away, and now Slater had problems of selecting someone who knew the layout of the colony to go as a adviser to the Marines.
His office door rang.
"Yeah, come in" He said as he closed to screen holding all the information on the colony.
The women standing in front of him was Liza White, she was tall had brown hair and had piecing eyes that now looked down upon him.
"You son of a bitch" She spat out as her fist hit his desk, making his Tea move within its own cup.
"Nice to see you to Liza" He said as he stood up and offered her a seat, which she soon took after carming down.
"You knew all along about LV 892 didn't you? I just heard that your sending a group of Marines to check it out? What the hell is going on there?" Once again she stood up, anger getting the better of her as her face shot red.
"Carm down. I am not sending them, the Admin Staff are. I just agreed to send a Tech along who knew the layout of the place and could fix the communication equipment if needed" He sat back down and took a small sip of his Tea, watching her gaze all along incase she tried to attack him instead of his desk.
"Well? You just going to keep me waiting or you gonna tell me who your sending?" She seemed ready to burst a vain, as many stress marks were now showing on her head and neck.
Advertisement
"Well I haven't made my mind up yet" He toyed with her.
"Goddammit! You know am the only one who truly knows the layout of that place, AND I can fix any of there equipment"
"I was going to send you anyway, I just like making you get angry"
She seemed to relax after hearing that, and gave him a small smile as she left.
"I'll have the information you need sent to you" He called to her as she left.
He once again opened the file.
One Week Later...
Liza sat in her apartment at Gateway; she was reading the information Slater and the Admin staff had sent her about the mission, the names of the Marines that they were sending in and the overall person who would be in charge of the mission, one Lieutenant Kirk. The thing she couldn't sort out was why were the company also sending two more people. Unlike the information on the Marines these two people, one man, one women, there names were the only things she could access everything else was above her level of sercurity.
She stood up from the console and moved about abit, trying to get rid of the pains in her side, as her door rang.
"Who is it?" She called into the intercom.
"Its Lieutenant Kirk and Doctor Rachel, were here to speak to you."
She opened the door and allowed the two people to enter, she automaticly new who the women was, she was one of the people who she couldn't get any more information on.
Well now she's here I can get all the info I want Liza thought as she watched the two take seats within her now cramped room.
"What can I help you with, Lieutenant?"
"Were both here to ask if theres anything else we need to know about the colony, theres one week left before we enter hypersleep and we just though..." He was cut-off by the other women, Rachel.
"What the Lieutenant means to say is: Is there anything not in the plans about the colony we need to know about?" She looked at Liza as if she was some sort of spy and her mission was to get her to confess.
"What are you talking about? Everything you need to know you already have"
Rachel stood up and headed for the door. "If that is the case then we don't need anything else" The Lieutenant stood following suit.
"Wait a sec, just who are you Rachel? Why are you needed on this mission?"
Rachel stood with her back to Liza, as if thinking of an answer. She soon turned around, a small smile on her face. "The Admin staff want to make sure there colony is in workin order and that a complete report is produced"
Without saying anything else she left, the Lieutenant put his USCM cap back on and turned to leave. "See you in one week"
They left and Liza turned to her console, no matter how hard she tried she couldn't find any more information on this Rachel, or her 'friend' David, who she hadn't met yet. Instead she once again called up the Marines roster and took alook.
Why would we need these men anyway if its just a mission to find out why they have stopped transmitting? She thought as she moved down the list to look at the equipment, depart times and other information
From the mission briefing she was given early today she had been told that thoughout the mission she would be staying, alongside the two Admin Staff, in the APC with the Lieutenant that way there safty was guarentied and the Marines would handle any other problems that might arise.
One Week Later...
Liza stood in the loading dock of the USS Intrepid, the ship that would take her back home. She remembed the first time she had left, less then three months ago, she had high dreams and wanted to become a Comm Tech at Gateway and due to the right connections she had got the job, she never thought of comming back until now.
She knew for a fact the colony were she had grew up had falty equipment and the sheer power of the weather there could cause hell on any sort of transmission. Ever since she had been told about the mission she hadn't been able to stop thinking about the fact that if it was just a problem with the equipment, why did it take the people this long to fix.
Techs and other staff ran around making last minute changes to the ship, she carried a duffle bag which had an extra set of cloths and other things needed for a trip back home, though she would be in hyper sleep for three weeks a women still needed the basics.
She heard knew voices over the Techs, as she turned she sighted Rachel and David along with the Lieutenant and two more Marines. Not even saying anything to her the group walked past and headed for the Cargo Bays of the ship. She caught one of the Marines as he ran past.
"Emm, excuse me am an adviser for this mission and I was wondering you have any idea were am meant to go right now?" She asked him, the man infront of her was tall his hair brown and combed back, with the top brow spikey.
"Geez, we seem to have alot of you here. Look head on over to the Equipment room, there should be a locker set aside for you. You can put your gear there am sure someone will tell you were to go afterwards" He gave her a quick smile and ran off.
She asked a few of the Techs and found the locker area and quickly found hers, as she put away her bag the two Admin members of the mission walked in, stowing away there belongings, not even paying much notice of her. She looked in the mirror which was connected to the door of her locker, she looked very tired. She hadn't had the chance to sleep much during this whole thing and the effects were begining to take there tole on her, she really was looking forward to this Hypersleep.
Noises came from the entrance to the locker room and the ten Marines, followed by there Lieutenant walked in along side with some Techs.
"Ok everyone, for you first timers you will need to remove excess clothing for the sleep. That means jackets and the likes" One of the Techs called over to the group as he worked on the sleep controls.
The Marines removed there cloths quickly, while making comments on her and the Admin people. She couldn't help looking at the Marine who had directed her to the locker room as he changed.
Great time to find someone I like. She thought. as she removed her jacket and got ready to move into the cryo-tube.
"Alright people, you know the drill tuck yourself in and its lights out" One of the Marines said as he put his gear into the locker.
"I heard ya, Sarge" One of the Marines said, a dark coloured guy and if she remembed the personel files the Sargent's name was: Chris Johnson.
"Ok everyone, we need you in places now" The Tech called over after he had finshed with the controls.
"People, lights out" Chris said as he moved over to his tube and moved into it, the rest following suit.
"You have know idea how much I hate these damn things" One of the Marines said, James was his name as she once again recalled the files on the group.
"Yeah you keep telling us every time we go out" This time it was a female voice, she was called Nikki.
Everyone was in, the Admin staff looking a little scared as if this was there first time. Liza waited.
"Sweat dreams" The Tech called over as he turned the cycle on.
The chamber closed around her, she remembed this part. There was a sudden blast of air as the chamber froze over, she began to lose feeling in her body as her eyes closed over. Her last waking thought was that of her brother.
Three Weeks Later...
The USS Intrepid now was in orbit around LV 892, its rotation matching the planets. The computer began to power-up the inside of the ship; warming the rooms and sending refreshed oxygen around the ship.
The lights came on in each segment, the weapons in the locker room once again visable, the dropships and launch area fully lit up. The cryo-tubes began to close down, the computer ending the sleep cycle as the chambers lit up. Ten minutes later the chambers themselfs opened up and for the first time in three weeks the ship had movement inside her.
Arron awoke slowly, the rooms lights began to take shape as his eyes adjusted to not being used for a few weeks. His body felt numb but that was to be expected, he slowly rose up, rubbing the top of his head as he watched the rest of his Squad wake up.
"Hey Arron, you look like crap as always" James said as he rose out of his chamber.
"Yeah same to you" He said back as he got up and moved his arms around.
"Ok people what are you waiting for? Your Dads ain't comming to wake you up, ya know? For being so damn lazy you got eight mins to get your asses changed and in gear" Chris said as he marched up and down making sure everyone got up.
Arron moved away from his cyro-tube towards his locker, as he drew closer he sighted the women who had asked him for directions before they had left Gateway. He smiled at her as he walked past.
The floor was cold to his feet but he beared with it for now as he opened his locker to find his green shirt and combat knife connected to his belt that were on his grey camouflaged pants.
"Arron, you have any idea who the buisness dudes are?" Joe said as he got changed, Joe had been in this Squad, like Arron, for almost three years and they had saved each other many times during combat. Although Joe held a small problem with Arron being a Corporal and him not.
"I don't have any idea, I haven't been told what this is all about either" Arron said as he finshed getting changed and closed his locker door. He looked over the other locker areas, sighting the Squad either cracking jokes or getting yelled at by Sarge.
"Oh, really? I always thought Corporal's were told everything" He laughed as he to closed his locker and moved away towards Nikki.
Arron sighed and moved away towards the Lieutenant who was finshing up getting changed. Kirk was an ok commander in Arron's books, though he had problems creating combat moves in the middle of a fire-fight he had come though and the Squad had grown to respect him, though the respected there Sargent more.
As if by reading Arron's mind, the Lieutenant put on hand up. "Stow it, Corporal. You'll all be told about this mission later" He walked off, everyone else heading towards the mess room were they would get some food and drink, which was needed after the body hadn't eaten anything in over three weeks.
He walked in and helped himself to some orange juice and food, the synthetic Lee handing out knifes and other things that the group might need. He took his place with his team mates and started to eat, overhearing the converstation from the table.
"I hate this crap they give us to eat, how they expect us to work like this?" James said as he chucked some of his food on the floor.
"You better pick that up boy before I make you" Chris said as he pointed his knife in the direction of James, an evil grin forming on his face.
"Ok Sarge, god you make me think you want to kill me"
"Hes not that only one who wants to kill you, James" Joe said as he drank some water and put a whole load of Egg in his mouth
Nikki looked at Joe eat, distaste forming as she looked "You eat like a pig"
"Its all the same market" He said back with his mouth full.
"It will keep your strengh up, James. So eat it" Arron said to James as he drank.
"Yeah, I guess your right"
Arron looked at Chris, trying not to draw to much looks to himself. "Looks like are good friend the Lieutenant is trying to score points with the Admin boys"
The Sarge looked up the table to were the Lieutenant sat with the Admin Staff and the women Arron had met before. "Guess hes trying to fast-track a promotion"
"The Lieutenant's a jerk" Joe said as he too looked up and noticed the Lieutenant trying to score points with the 'higher ups'
"Maybe, but don't let him hear you say that, Joe" Arron shot back as they finshed up eating.
"Ok people, you get your mission briefing in twenty mins in Bay five. Make sure your there on time." Chris said as he stood and left with the Lieutenant and the other group of people.
Four Weeks Later...
Liza walked into Bay five along with the Lieutenant, Admin Staff and there Marine Sargent Chris, the other Marines already sitting around waiting for there leaders to brief them. God knows what he will brief them about. She thought as she came closer to the loaders and other equipment.
"Squad, Officer on deck!" Chris called out as the Admin staff took the postion behind the Lieutenant.
"Hello again, Marines. I trust the effects of your cold sleep of worn off by now?" The Lieutenant asked.
"Like hell, my feet are freezing here!" Joe called out from the group of Marines.
"Shut your trap, Joe!" Chris shot back, Joe soon falling silent.
"We didn't have time to brief you when we left Gateway as we were all short on time, so heres your briefing now. Over ten weeks have past since the planet, LV 892, sent its last transmission to the Company. As far as we know there has been no contact at all and we arn't sure why. If it was just a down transmitter or problems with there subspace communications it would of been fixed by now. So are job is to go in and check it out."
"So no combat again?" James asked, his fist hitting a cargo box as if in dispair.
Liza knew there was no need for combat, there as one colony on that planet and none of them would cause any problems to these people.
"Know to tell us about the colony lay-out, here Liza White. She grew up there and has the best information on the place" Kirk said as he backed away so all the Marines eyes were on Liza.
"Ok, well, emmm. The colony is based near the northen side of the planet, its always dark and has heavy winds that can reach deadly speeds" She said but was cut-off by Joe.
"Deadly speeds? You mean they pull out a gun and shoot you?" He laughed as he spoke.
"Shes talking about high speeds, fool. As in rip the flesh off your bones" he Marine called Arron said. "So that happens all the time, or just certain times?" He then asked.
"Well it mainly happens during the night, past eight pm. So we'll all have to make sure were inside the colony by then. The colony has heavy duty walls that repell the winds so its safe to walk outside once your past the walls. To the north of the colony is the Northen Entrance Bay which leads to Med-Lab and the crew rooms, the southen section leads to the Southen Entrance bay and Operations which controls the uplink towers and other computer needs. The centre of the colony holds the generator room which moves power thoughout the base" She then moved back to give the space back to the Lieutenant.
"Ok, listen up people. I want weapon preps done by 0900, dropship prep will have six hours. Move out" Kirk said, he then moved away and back into the ships followed by Liza and the Admin Staff.
Nine Hours Later...
Arron stood inside the locker room putting out the M41a Pulse Rifles and flame units onto a flat blue table for easy access. They were due to depart in less then thirty minutes. The rest of the Squad came in, Chris already in his Marine armour and barking out orders.
"Alright people, time to lock and load. Get moving!" Chris shouted as the marines charged about to there lockers putting on there armours.
Arron moved towards his locker and withdrew his own armour, like the others it was a dark green and had many different pattens added by himself, the one that stood out the most was "Kick Ass" that was on the front left side. He connected the armour up and slapped the knee pads on, only then did he put the heavy looking helmet on that held a communication mic and remote camra feed that was connected to the computer units in there APC.
"People, you know why were here. Were here to kick some butt, were here to own this land. We come here to rule and take are place. Are you up for it?" Chris shouted to the Squad as they grabbed there weapons, Arron moved and took a Pulse Rifle.
"Yeah were up for it, baby!" Joe barked back as he shoulded his Pulse Rifle and Motion Tracker Unit.
Arron didn't say anything and shoulded his Rifle and his own Motion Tracker Unit and moved towards the exit.
"You up for it?" The Sarge barked again.
"Were up for it!" Nikki shouted back as she took hold of her Flame Unit.
"Ok people, on the ready line! Move it out right now! Lets go!"
In cue to the Sargents words the Squad charged out of the locker room and made there way to the flight deck were the APC waited for them. Arron and the rest of the group stood in line, being checked over by there Sargent. He never do's find anything wrong with us, so why do's he keep doing this?. Arron thought as Chris continued to look at his men.
"Yep you guys are ready, get on the APC now!" He barked as he opened the door to the cramped inside of the APC.
Arron got in first and moved to the rear, sitting down he pulled the safty bar down and put his Pulse Rifle in the holding slot next to his chair. The APC could hold upto 25 people and had room for ammo and other objects due to that sort of equipment being stored in boxes that were in racks on the roof of the APC. He waited and watched the rest of the team bored, soon followed by the Admin Staff, Liza and the Lieutenant who took his chair near the computer consoles and began checking the camra feeds to the Marines.
"Lock 'em Joe" The Sarge called over from his seat. Joe then went about checking everyones safty bars and making smart comments about the upcomming mission.
"Hey Arron, I bet we don't fire one damn bullet during this whole thing." He said a with sly grin as he checked his bar.
"Yeah, and not fireing at anything is such a bad thing" Arron sighed while saying it.
"Yep, I know" Joe said back not even knowing Arron was being sarcastic to him. He watched Joe take his seat.
"Ok, Lee lets go load us up into the Dropship" Kirk said into the comm.
The APC soon moved into the loading hangar of the Dropship, the bumps already comming from the moving of the ramp as the people waited for the dropship to go. A mans voice came over the intercom as he checked the locks and ship information.
"Ok people, sand by eight secs to launch" Eddie the pilot of the Marines said.
"Five...four...three" His voice echoed in the cramped sapce of the APC.
"Hope you didn't eat to much people, the next bit is soooooo much fun!" Joe called out.
"Zero" Eddies voice called out as there was a sudden drop and the APC felt like it was falling below them as it headed into the carm before the storm.