ALIEN: WOLF SOLDIER
Chapter 18
"We're here." Artorus remarked, picking up his rifle and facing the door.
Everyone else jumped to attention and prepared themselves for anything.
The doors slid open and water spilled into the elevator.
"What the hell is this?" Salazar complained.
Jackson looked out into the darkness. "The best explanation would be that the cooling system ruptured and the condensation is creating water from build up." He explained.
Harmon stepped forward. "It makes no difference, we have to keep going."
Artorus nodded and looked out. "I'll take the lead with Salazar." He then turned to the others. "Harmon, Einrich, you two take the rear."
The water rose up past their ankles in most places, and up to a few inches below the knee at the deeper points.
Rita felt uneasy at the lack of lighting, the corridors and chambers were illuminated by the eerie red emergency lights.
Artorus observed as the water seemed to have reached a height of about a foot deep, sloshing up against his knee pads. "Jackson, are you picking up anything on the radar?"
"No, not yet."
"Keep looking, we can't afford to get caught off guard anymore." Artorus explained.
Jackson walked up to a doorway. "This is it, this will lead into the final corridor and then we'll hit the railway tunnel."
"Well, hurry up and get the door open man." Salazar exclaimed.
"Watch it!" Einrich warned him, fixing him with a deadly glare.
Jackson set about unlocking the door, hacking into the mechanism and watching it slide open. "Done."
"Move out, marines!" Artorus called out.
"We need to close this door, after we get through, so the last one in will need to use this to close it and put it into blast mode." Jackson announced.
"I'll do it." Harmon replied, taking the remote.
Artorus nodded and entered the corridor with Salazar. They were then followed by Jackson and Rita, who had Dr. Clement in tow.
Harmon looked around and then nodded at Einrich, who moved through the doorway. He glanced around and then stepped through the doorway while looking back into the darkness- his gun in one hand and the remote in the other.
He stepped into the damp dark corridor and held up the remote. "Time to seal the tomb once and for all." He remarked, pressing the button and watching the door slide shut. Then, a pair of dark hands with ling bony fingers appeared and a familiar face emerged between the doors to hiss at him.
"Shit, not this time!" Harmon yelled as he fired at the xenomorph, blowing it away as he stepped back. The door failed to close all the away when the body fell between it. The metal straining against the hard exoskeleton. He could see more of them in the background and fired at them, but his gun soon made the familiar clicking noise. "Goddamn!" He exclaimed, realizing his rifle was out of bullets.
The tunnel shook as he was forced to kill one of the creatures with a grenade. Another one was killed by a grenade as he slowly back-stepped away from the door. "Shit!" He yelled.
.o.o.o.
"What's happening now?" Salazar yelled as he turned around, along with the others.
"Something is happening to Harmon!" Rita exclaimed.
"I'll go get him." Einrich remarked as she left the group to go catch up to Harmon.
"Wait!" Artorus yelled.
.o.o.o.
Harmon pumped the grenade launcher again, but the weapon jammed somehow. He then through it at the monsters as they slowly crawled through the gap in the door.
The weapon violently exploded, killing several more of them, but something hot hit him in the face through the smoke. It burned like acid- it WAS acid!
"Ahhh!" He screamed.
"Harmon?!"
"Einrich?" Harmon gasped. "Get away from here, it's too late, get out of here!" He yelled.
"No, I won't abandon you!" She yelled back.
"You don't have a choice!" Harmon yelled, pointing his side arm at her through his blood gaze. "Run, go, I'm closing the doors from the other side! This is IT!"
Artorus appeared beside Einrich. "Harmon, what are you doing?" He called out.
"Closing the doors." Harmon answered, trying to wipe some of the blood out of his eyes. He then vanished into the smoke.
"NO!" Einrich screamed.
". . .We have to go." Artorus told her, taking her hand and dragging her away.
"We can't leave him!"
Artorus looked at her sternly. "He made his choice, I won't let you get killed going after him!" Artorus looked her in the eyes. "That's an order, Marine!"
.o.o.o.
Harmon blew a hole in one of the alien's head, killing it instantly; another similar shot dropped another one. He unloaded the rest of the revolver clearing a path to the doorway. He was almost there. He tossed his revolver to the side and pulled out his shotgun.
Harmon let loose several blasts making his way back through the door, blowing off one head after the other!
When the shotgun was spent, he disposed of it and pulled out his last grenade. He punched the locking device. "The door is closed!" He looked around as the xenomorphs encircled him.
"My ancestors fought for what they believed in. My people have waged war for three thousand years, and I'll die like they did, as a warrior!!!" He flicked off the cap on the grenade and pushed the arming device down. "Enjoy your trip to hell!"
.o.o.o.
"He saved my life." Einrich spoke quietly.
Artorus looked at the female Marine as he led her back to the others. "I'm sorry too, he was a good man, but he understood that he'd just slow us down with his injuries. He wanted to end it that way, he wanted to. . . die with honor."
"I know, sir, but I just felt so helpless." She replied.
"We all feel that way sometimes, but we have to go on, we have to survive. It's the only to make the other's death mean something- if we live through this, then they didn't die in vane." Artorus answered.
.o.o.o.
"Rita, help me with this." Jackson instructed the other marine.
She nodded. "What can I do, Jackson?"
He smiled weakly. "For starters, call me Lewis." He spoke. "The next thing you can do is watch the display on this device while I hack the locking mechanism." He instructed her as he handed her a small machine with a digital display screen on it. "Just read out the number as it goes along, and I'll enter them."
Salazar watched Artorus and Einrich rejoin them. "Where's Harmon?" He asked.
Artorus shook his head.
"Damnit!" Salazar yelled and kicked the wall.
After a few moments, the door opened and the group descended into the railway tunnel.
.o.o.o.
"Sir, the forces have been divided up into two groups, just as you ordered." The Commander informed Abel.
Abel turned to face him. "Good, have Blue Squad Sweep the Southern Complex." He instructed. "You will lead Red Squad to the Northern Complex; I will accompany you and oversee things for matters of posterity."
"Yes sir!"
.o.o.o.
"This tunnel goes on for about a half a mile and then leads directly into the Northern Complex." Jackson explained to the others. "Additionally, all scans show zero hostile activity anywhere in this entire area."
"Yeah, but that's how it started out the last time those things showed up." Salazar replied.
"I'm really getting tired of your bitching!" Einrich snapped at him.
Salazar whirled around to look her right in the eyes. "You and your damned protocol! Fuck protocol!" Salazar yelled back. "Maybe you haven't been keeping score, but all of our fancy protocols and tactics haven't been worth shit! Ellis and Jaeger are both dead, along with over half the team!" He yelled, as he advanced towards her.
Einrich flared up. "Did you forget some how that you are still a marine, and are expected to carry yourself as one?!"
Salazar stared at her dangerously. "All the USCM rules didn't do shit for us in the end, so I'm done, I'll do things my way!"
"Both of you; shut the HELL up!" Artorus shouted. "Pull yourself together Salazar!" He then turned to look at Einrich. "And you, back off!" He yelled.
Both of them became silent.
"We are getting out of here, but we have to stick together." He reasoned. "Now. . . It's time we moved on. We're almost there; we just have to stay calm.
.o.o.o.
Dr. Geraldy looked up the various displays around him. "So, Wolf, you yet endure, but for much longer." He spoke to no one. "Bit by bit, I will break you down, and prove that I am the true superior mind."
He then looked at a flashing red button and turned on another display. "More soldiers?" He remarked. "Now it seems that my children must contend with two forces. The soldiers in the Southern Complex will prove most entertaining to my children." He remarked with a smile.
He then looked up at the screen that showed him the small group of marines and single survivor from the Southern Complex making a slow but steady march towards the entrance of the Northern Complex.
"My children will have to deal with the human contingency in the south, so I will pull them back." He thought out loud, smiling to himself. "But what can I use against this Wolf. . .?"
He then snapped his fingers. "Yes, the special units!" He exclaimed. "This will be the perfect time to test them." He then turned to the computer. "Begin revivification of the all of the 'eX-Class' Units."
He watched the computed proceed with the order.
Commencing Revivification. . .
No faults detected. . .
All Units will activate in 60 minutes.
-(60:00)-
.o.o.o.
-End of Chapter 18-
Well, you guys asked for it, and now you got it! 18 Chapters and going strong! Anyway, I hope you guys will continue to check in and leave me some reviews and suggestions.
I also hope you all enjoyed reading this, as I certainly enjoyed writing it. And finally, I'd like to thank Zinic, BlackDawn, Stormseer88, Warrior, Hartman, Corpral. Hicks and everyone else who's reviewed and supported this story. I couldn't have done it without you guys.
Later.
-Bojack727