A/N: Sorry for the delay, hope you like this chapter.

Chapter 9:

Tink hopped on one of the gurneys and looked over at Goat. All the other guys (except Mack who was still in the atrium) were crowded around him trying to revive him. A cold shot ran up Tink's back.

This wasn't supposed to happen…it was a simple mission, they weren't supposed to loose anyone.

Tink looked down at her stomach. It was stinging again. Well, it hadn't stopped stinging it just got a lot more intense all of a sudden. She looked at the three scratches and the ribbons that had been her flat jacket.

That thing had shredded it like it was paper soap. Tink couldn't believe it. This thing was big and strong and fast. Tink didn't like it…it was like they were on uneven footing.

Tink noticed something on one of her scratches. It was small and black. Tink picked it off with her nails. She held it to her face. It looked organic and was slimy. She flicked it away shrugging it off.

She looked up as the life support started to beep. Her mouth fell open, as her heart seemed to swell two sizes. Goat was gone. He couldn't be. Tink realised her hand was shaking as she felt tears start to sting the back of her eyes.

There was a crash as Reaper kicked a tray of implements. Tink couldn't believe it, it wasn't happening. She looked over at Sarge who was yelling at Samantha. Tink couldn't seem to take in what they were saying. Sarge stepped back and pulled the body bag off the monster. Samantha screamed Tink just stared. She couldn't believe that it was real.

"Is there anyway this thing came from the outside, on the surface?" Sarge asked gruffly.

"The planet is completely dead." Samantha answered not taking her eyes from the creature.

"It came from somewhere, lady." Portman interjected. Tink looked at him.

"Portman, shut up." Sarge barked.

"The atmosphere on the surface can't support life." Samantha answered him ignoring Sarge.

"Maybe it doesn't need air, it could've come from another planet or something." Portman snapped ignoring Sarge also.

"What, like an alien?" Samantha scoffed. Tink looked at her. It seemed pretty simple to imagine that thing as an alien…it didn't look human.

"LOOK AT THAT THING!" Portman screamed at her. Tink jumped at the burst of noise.

"PORTMAN! You need to shut the fuck up!" Sarge yelled at Portman. Portman looked at him affronted.

"That's not what we shot at in the genetics lab." Tink looked at Reaper. He was telling the truth. The guy in the genetics lab certainly didn't look like he had been turned inside out, but he did look like he was gonna.

"Is there any other way into the labs?" Sarge asked.

Samantha looked slightly confused by the question. Reaper answered for her. "Yes, the door to the archeologically dig."

Tink stood in the circle of men, uncomfortably aware of the loss of Goat. Sarge was yelling at Portman to shoulder his weapon. Tink was somewhere else. Trying to get in side her own head and get back in control.

Goat's death had shaken her up to no end. She needed to get a hold of herself. They all went back into the labs. Splitting up again. Tink went with Reaper, Sarge and Mack.

It seemed to take an eternity to reach the dig sight. Reaper looked at her.

"You okay?"

"Fine," was all Tink trusted herself to say.

"Ya, know you are aloud to be shook up. You were right there…" Tink looked at him as they entered the dig sight.

"Well it sure is a good thing I'm not." She marched in after Sarge. The place was dark and looked like it was in hazard of caving in at any minute.

Tink looked to Sarge for instructions. With a few hand signals he sent Tink to the front. Keeping low she looked through her sights. She was lucky; Duke had found her gun after the rest had found her, Reaper and Goat's body.

Moving slowly but efficiently Tink headed up the small team. All she saw was dirt, rocks…and more dirt.

She could hear Sarge behind her. She couldn't hear what he was saying though. Then she saw them.

She took a deep breath and scanned the area again. "Sarge," Tink called out a little surprised how horse her throat sounded.

He followed her and stood behind her and saw them, two very dead scientists that had been torn to shreds.

"They weren't trying to keep something out, something was keeping them in." Sarge said to both Tink and Reaper.