Chapter Fourteen.
Clegg frowned ever-so slightly, hoping that the plan would work in their favor, but with everything that had happened that day, he was feeling negative thoughts about what they were all about to do. Looking down a the complex operating system, he knew what he had to do, sadly there was only one flaw to the plan, someone had to stay behind to disengage the base door controls and deactivate all the system failure mechanisms. Xeno's were not the smartest of creatures, and a short circuit with their blood on the controls would activate the system reactivation, opening all the doors and leading the monsters to the escapees. So someone had to stay and hope they could keep the aliens from moving anywhere other than the directions he wanted them to go.
Once everyone were clear from the base, Clegg would activate the base self-destruct, maybe there would be enough time for him to get the hell out of there before it went boom, but that was just the slightest of chance that it would work out best for him. Everyones face showed everyone single emotion they were feelings. The remaining civilians filled with dread, almost expecting everything to wrong, and Clegg could see their point of view, the base was meant to be safe from Xenomorph attacks, but they had gotten in quicker than he could ever believe they would.
Looking over to the marines he could see the strength in their souls, eventhough at first they seemed sceptical about Carters plan, they knew it was their only chance to live and to give one back to the bugs, blow some of them up, get even. Sadly he could also see the fear in their eyes also, the sense of despair, but they hid it well, fixing their carbines and weaponary. They all wore acid protective armour, so they would have to worry about that, but blood did not bother them, it was the teeth and talons.
Everyone was seemingly at peace, knowing their possible grusome fates, but they would fight for their lives, even the civilians held carbines and suited up in armour, they would not be taken that easily, and would put a bullet in their own heads rather than be hosts to the monsters. The clicking sound of guns being loaded gave a little hope as the sounds of screetching monsters ripped closer towards them. Clegg stood up and waved for everyone to huddle together before he would flick the switch.
"I want to tell you how brave you all are before you go. What you are about to do is something many people would cower away from, but the fight you are all giving makes me proud to make this sacrifice or you, and I hope that maybe I might see you all soon, living and away from these demons." Carter and the other marines saluted the Captain, knowing that they would probably not see him again. They had thought he was not brave when they had first been put in his order, but he was, the bravest man to make a sacrifice to save them. And they would not forget his strong heart. "Godspeed, all of you Godspeed."
Everyone moved towards the back to a small grey door, that was hidden from view as it looked just like the wall of lights and computer screens. Carter gave it a solid whack and with an ache sounding huff the door slid open, lit with low red glowing lights. "Everyone, come on, get it, we need to hurry.. Aj, take front and I will take rear." Carter took command for the time being and everyone seemed to listen as they all headed into the small space.
Baxter stepped towards the opening, but hesitated and turned towards his Captain. "Its been a pleasure and an honor Captain." Baxter seemed almost lost for words, not knowing what to say. Clegg smiled as the young marine stepped into the red light and disappeared down the corridor.
"Captain, I am staying with you." Seb looked at Clegg, nothing was going to change his mind but hoped that Clegg would agree, but even if he did not, he would stay. Clegg looked at Seb, smiled and then looked over to Carter who would yet to leave and follow the others. Carter moved behind Seb and went to grab his arm to pull him through the hidden door. "No, I am staying. I am not leaving you here alone, I might be able to help if something goes wrong, or if you need help getting out of here. Please let me stay and help Sir..." Carter had no other choice and grabbed tight hold of Seb's arm and pulled him into the red light.
"Frank, see you soon my friend." As the door shut and Clegg was alone, with only the coloured lights for company and monsters on the computer screens. His head sunk slightly as it finally hit him, he was going to die.
Raising his head once more he looked at the switches and punched in the activation code of all the base doors, not taking his eyes of the screen. He pressed the code to control the doors and the base map came up on the screen, indicating the doors that were open and closed. Watching to see the aliens reactions, but nothing seemed to be happening yet, all the aliens stood still, watching as the doors slid open. He would hear their hissing, not knowing what was happening.
"Come on you bastards!"
It was working, the aliens moved into the direction of the doors that opened before them. After they had moved so far down the dark corridors, Clegg shut the doors behind them, smiling at their stupidity. Yet something kept hitting him as he watched the plan actually work. Soon it would be over, but he hoped that it would be by his hand. In less than five minutes he would activate the self-destruct, not before hearing from Carter as they got clear from the base.
Something was wrong, the door should be open. Eyes were staying at her, as if she had committed the worst crimes of humanity. She kept pressing in the code but nothing was happening, she could not understand, it worked only the day before, she had helped move supplies into the Sanctuary supply closets, but this moment in time, the code kept on being denied. Eyes were still staring.
"Is there a problem Lexa?" Guy looked at her, and he could see that she was distressed at that moment, he knew something was greatly wrong, and from the look of it. Lexa had no clue what to do at that moment in time as she pressed in numbers and letters, but still the door remained closed. "Come on lady, get the door open." She was trying her best, she thought of previous codes and then started pressing random symbols on the screen, still nothing.
"I don't know what wrong, it worked yesterd..." Before she could finish her sentence Jacques stepped up to the door, looked at the screen and typed in a six digit code. The screen flashed and an image of the room appeared with a glowing green dot on the other side of the door. Lexa looked at the screen amazed that Jacques could get into the system, also realising what the dot was. "Someone is in there!"
Darkness surrounded them as they moved quickly and quietly down the tightly fitting passageway. It seemed to go on forever, no turned for what seemed hours, knowing that only minutes had passed and time played tricks on their minds, as did the dark red glow tha seemed to be fading, thank god for the small beams of light on the ends of the carbines. It was also hot in the tunnel, and even they all felt sweat over their bodies, and it seemed almost too quiet, not a single shriek or hiss and they were not sure if that was a good sign.
Seb moved slowly, holding up Carter as they made they way to safety, feeling guilty for not putting up a fight and staying with Clegg, not wanting to accept his gloomy fate. Wondering if the monsters would get to him before he destroyed the base, hoping that they would make it away in time. "We have to go back for him." but no one seemed to be listening to him, just making sure they did not trip in the darkness and he felt Seb pushing him down the passage, urging him to hurry.
"How do we get in there?" Lexa did not answer, because she had no clue. She could still feel the eyes staring at her, options were slim as the hissing and shrieking in the background began to get louder. She did guess that whoever was in there had destroyed the door mechanism and thats why the code to open the door did not work. Closing the doors was simple, a small switch on the other side of the panel would shut the door, and there was one on each side, but it was no connected to the opening switch in any way, so there was no way to activate the door via that switch.
Guy looked at Jacques and smiled, "If we can use the compressor on the grenades to create a shockwave strong enough to jolt the door, we can get it open just enough to let us work with it, get some hands at the button, it might disable the shutting mechanism so whoever in there won't be able to close it." It seemed logical, but removing the compressor from the grenades was tricky and he got right on top of it.
Jacques knelt down and took out a grenade and started to take it apart, it was a very delicate procedure and one slight movement or knock would cause the explosive to blow. Everyone watched him hearing the sounds of the aliens get even louder. Guy could feel that Stephen had no more time, they had to get into the Sanctuary now or the boy would die very soon. Looking down as Jacques worked as carefully yet quickly as humanly possible, and as only moments passed, he looked up and smiled.
"Everyone step back." Jacques placed the compressor at the bottom of the door set a small timer for a few seconds. They all took a few steps back as the timer count down. Nothing happened and Jacques took a step forward to see what was wrong. As he knelt down the compressor exploded throwing him back into the others, also a cloud of thick dust covered the small corridor space they all were in. Sitting up from the floor Jacques looked to see if it had worked.
Shrieks echoed painfully in their ears as the first alien appeared through the hole behind them. Jacques and Lexa lifted up their guns and started to shoot as Guy began to try and lift the door that had slightly jarred open, he could hear a whimpering on the otherside. "Help us open the door, NOW!" But there was no reply. Sam quickly lifted her carbine and took over from Jacques, yelling at him to help Guy get the door open.
The hold poured out aliens, so close and so many as the wall of bullets blew into the monsters, their blood melting at the metal holding the ceiling and walls up, the hole itself grew as more aliens broke through it, only to be met by explosive rounds making only bits of black shell of their heads and bodies. Jacques and Guy worked at the door and had gotten it open, just enough to fit a small child through, and they lifted with all of their strength when they saw some human hands from the otherside appear and start to lift, and in only a few seconds the gap was large enough to fit through, just.
Stephen was pushed through first and Jacques had raised his gun to allow Sam to get to safety. Lexa kept her gun shooting, but had to move away when the sound of no more ammo clicked in her ear.
Only Jacques, Guy, Lexa were now outside the door as the aliens now a wall of them came towards them. Seconds seemed like hours as the rounds blew the monsters apart and Sams face appeared in the doors gap. "We can't shut the door from this side!" Yelling for the others to hear. Guy grabbed Jacques whose eyes were on fire as his carbine brought death the aliens.
"We gotta go!" and he pulled Jacques down to the gap, Lexa was helping them through when see looked at the aliens, no longer looking upon them as her way to heaven, an empithany of sorrowed thought at her wrong doings. Guy made it through and only Lexa remained, she knew what she had to do, as Sam appeared again to grab Lexa and pull her through, but Lexa jumped to the doors panel and looked at Sam.
"Thank you for saving me..." as she pushed the closing switch.
She turned to look upon the demons of her dreams coming towards her, hissing, screaming. Lexa closed her eyes and all went black.