Chapter 15

(Bonus Material at end of the chapter)

Artorus entered into the main room, were the others waited for him. "What our situation?" He asked, facing Harmon.

The tall human looked up. "We took back eight pulse rifles with us- containing various amounts of ammunition." He paused. "And we have one flame thrower that is almost full."

"All the guns are now at 100 hundred percent." Einrich remarked. She then turned to Salazar and tossed one to him. "Catch." She spoke as she turned back to the others, not bothering to see if the marine had been successful or not.

Artorus picked up his harness that carried the M1 grenades for his gun. "I've loaded my launcher, plus I have 22 rounds left in this clip, and two more with 100 rounds each." He paused. "My Side arms are still good, too." He then tossed the harness down onto the table, still carrying five more in it.

Einrich cocked her rifle and snatched up the remaining grenades. She quickly began loading them. He gun then displayed 100%. She then took out her handgun and pulled back the slide, loading a slug into the chamber and place back in the holster.

Harmon tossed a clip to Rita, who managed to snag it in mid-air. "Just in case." He remarked.

"I've got 89 rounds in mine." Rita remarked. "But I didn't bring any M1s." she admitted.

"Don't worry about, those things can be really dangerous, so its best if you just stick with the bullets." Artorus remarked, looking at her with a smile.

"Jackson!" Harmon called across the room, causing the marine to start to attention. "You're not going to be doing much fighting if we can help it, since you're the brains of this operation." He explained. "Still, take this." He added as he handed him the flame thrower.

Jackson nodded. "I'm no coward; I can use a piece If I have to." He replied boldly.

Harmon smiled slightly. "Well then, lets just hope you don't have to." He replied.

"Holy shit!" Salazar swore. "Right into the belly of the fuckin' beast!"

.o.o.o.

Artorus pulled off his jacket and then slipped his armor back on, over his shirt. He tossed his helmet aside and slung his gun over his shoulder. He then grabbed his pack and dug through it. He pulled out a light mount and snapped it onto the side of his gun. He slipped his shoulder holders on and fastened in his Sig. Pro-9. He then checked the Desert Eagle at his hip and then looked up.

Rita walked up behind him. "One of the buckles is loose." She commented as she reached around him to fasten it. She then stopped and snaked her arms around him. "Artorus..." she began.

"I know." He replied as he turned to face her. She was wearing her armor over her gray shirt and held her Pulse Rifle in one hand. Her Walther was visible at her hip. A small pack hung on her shoulder. "I've go the 'present' ready." She replied with a smile.

"Good." Artorus replied. He began to leave, but then stopped and turned to face her. "When we get out of here, I want to take to see Hamlet back where I live."

She blushed. "A date?" She asked with a cut smile.

"Call it what you like." He replied and then left the room. She quickly followed him.

.o.o.o.

Artorus and Rita joined the others.

Harmon finished loading grenades into his gun and set it down. He then opened his back and pulled out a strange looking weapon. "It's an old 12 Gauge my dad gave me." He explained to the two. The gun was small and sleek and had parts that were made out of finished wood. "It's called a frontier special because of the rifle-style lock-n-load mechanism on the handle. I think there was one of these in an old movie." He tucked it into a holder her had strapped to his back.

Harmon then took out a revolver. "This bad boy is a favorite of mine." He commented as he opened the wheel and checked to make sure every slot was full. He cocked his wrist and the wheel snapped back into place. He tucked it away at his side.

Einrich walked up. "Cowboy." She remarked. She then looked at Rita. "Let me see your gun for a minute, and the other clip." She instructed calmly.

Rita nodded and gave the other woman both.

Einrich pulled out a role of black tape and wrapped the bottom of the 2nd clip to the bottom the loaded one. "Now you can quickly switch to the other one." She remarked as she handed the clip back to Rita.

Harmon put his helmet on and turned to the others. "Time to fly."

.o.o.o.

Salazar held up the motion detector and watched the display come to life. "Nothing." He thought to himself as he starred at it. He then looked up at the door.

Something came down on his shoulder and he jumped in terror.

"Fuck man!" Jackson exclaimed as he watched his comrade jump back in fright.

"Goddamnit Jackson, you scared the fuck out of me!" Salazar complained.

The other four marines entered the room, accompanied by Clement and Stanton.

Artorus held up his hand. "We're moving out now. Harmon and Einrich- take the lead, and Salazar and Rita will take up the rear." He instructed them.

"What the hell about you two?" Salazar demanded.

Artorus looked at him. "We'll catch up shortly."

The other left and Artorus turned back to Jackson. "Did you do it?"

The marine nodded. "I downloaded the virus into the Facilities xenomorph data repository- the whole thing is worthless now." He replied.

"Then all the data in the comp is ruined." He replied. "And the copy we have is now the only existing set?"

"Yes." Jackson replied. "But why did you insist that I crash the mainframe?"

The wolf looked away. "The information in that machine should never have even been gather in the first place- man was never ment to tamper with things like that." He explained. "I was made with science, so this may sound totally hypocritical to you, but I at least was 'made' to help mankind." He paused. "Those things that Dr. Geraldy grew and trained serve only one purpose." He remarked.

"Death." Both men said in unison.

Jackson shook his head and reached into his pack and pulled out the drive. "This is it then." He began. "The culmination of years of immoral research twisted meddling- purchased with the lives of our friends and all of these people who worked here." He finished.

"Quite a price to pay." Artorus remarked.

"Too high." Jackson smiled and looked him right in the eyes. "I get it now." He announced. "I know what this thing is." He remarked.

Artorus silently waited as his colleague began to speak once more.

"This is," Jackson began. "This is the stuff that dreams are made of." He finished.

"Our very own 'Pandora's Box'." Artorus offered.

Jackson shook his head. "Except, this box wont be opened- ever." He finished as he placed it on the floor.

Artorus then watched as Jackson pulled out his pistol and pulled the slide back. The gun clicked. He squeezed the trigger and a 9mm round tore through the device. He then unloaded two more rounds into it. "Fuck Science!" He exclaimed.

"It's done." Artorus spoke.

.o.o.o.

Redford sat lazily in the cockpit of the drop ship. He then snapped to attention as the ships censors went off. He looked down at the display. "Frost, get in here!" He exclaimed.

The girl ran in. "Did you here anything from the others?" She asked frantically.

"No, but look at this." He instructed her as he pointed at one of the screens of the control deck.

"What is that?" Frost asked as she spotted a blip on the rader.

"It's another ship, and its entering orbit." Redford replied.

"What is its designation?" Frost asked.

Redford looked at the data. "It's a Weyland Yutani M-Class Cruiser." He answered as he peered at the screen.

"But, what are they doing here early?" Frost asked.

"Kid, I don't have clue." Redford answered.

.o.o.o.

Abel waited outside the compound. He held up his portable display unit. He frowned at the read-out.

Crew Manifest
Blake-------------Deceased
Jaeger------------Deceased
Redford----------Active
Frost-------------Active
Haggert----------Deceased
Hernandez-------Deceased
Einrich-----------Active
Swanson---------Deceased
Jackson----------Active
McNealand------Active
Hammond-------Active
O'Brien----------Deceased
Harmon----------Active
Salazar-----------Active
Goldman---------Deceased
McKenzie--------Signal Lost [?]

He then looked back up at the sky. "Seven down so far, and more are to be expected." He spoke to unseen being on the other line of his com-link. "Yes, I'll update you as necessary."

End of Chapter 15

Well, this chapter really came together for me while I wrote it. I had no time to work on this story during the summer because of cram-courses and work. But, now I'm back and I'm ready to rock.

And, I'd like to say thanks to BlackDawn, Zinic, and all the others who have supported me through this ordeal.

And now for a little info on how I got to this point in the story.

1. "The Story"

The original idea was never all that clear, it took several revision and a lot of concept art before I could get a clear idea of what I wanted. Originally, Artorus was going to be a member of an Alien race that was working along side the USCM unit. But, I began to dislike that version and I eventually came up wit the idea of him being a genetically engineered soldier and part of a USCM Unit. The infiltration idea basically stayed intact from the beginning, except for a few minor changes.

2. "Artorus McNealand"

As for Artorus, I want to show that he was made for the primary function of combat and warfare. But, I also felt that he needed to be very human, so I took it to the extent that he had been raised by foster (human) parents. He acts very much like a human would and his opinions and mannerisms are mostly human. I wanted a character that wasn't really going out of his way to seem different, but rather- was successfully fitting in. Artorus is skillful, well mannered and intelligent, and he also possesses a certain gentleness that is sometimes seen in him.

Basically, he wanted to be more than he was originally made for, so he strived to excel in many fields outside the military such as literature, art, history, and foreign cultures.

He was raised be humans, more specifically a retired military officer and his wife. The couple were unable to have children of there own, so they were offered the unusual chance to raise a young hybrid child. They agreed and instantly regarded the very young Artorus as their own. As a result, he has always had a very happy relationship with his foster parents. Artorus believes that their caring natures were the primary reason for him being the person that he is.

3. "Rita Hammond"

Rita is a character that I like a lot. She is a young female marine with lots of enthusiasm and a strong sense that she can really make a difference. Like a normal person, she has certain insecurities and sometimes is very hard on herself- interpreting many things as flaws in her. To some, she may seem weak, however- she possesses and inner strength that will always see her through even the darkest of times.

Her father was a famous war hero and a highly respected officer in many military circles. Rita was his only child and she longed to find a way to get closer to him. Her efforts eventually led her into the USCM, where she hopes to finally be able to earn her father's admiration. It is not yet clear if she ever actually needed to go to such great length for his approval- as he often claims that all she needs to be is his daughter and that would make him happy.