Final Fantasy VIII [2nd Instalment]
Grace Barton
Chapter Eight
The circuit room was in total darkness. After a few seconds the emergency lights came on, flooding the room in a dark red light. The humming sound did not return, and much of the console was still dark. The overhead PA system crackled into life and a voice echoed throughout the room.
"Electrical System Malfunction. Maintenance Team: Investigate Immediately."
The PA system crackled again and clicked off. Zell, looking up at it, started to inch towards the door. "We should get the hell out," he said. "Now…"
Selphie stepped away from the console and rubbed her hands together. "Alright!" she said in a cheery voice. She turned to Irvine and Zell. "NEXT!"
They hurried out of the circuit room. As the door closed behind them, the two maintenance soldiers they had met earlier came running down the corridor.
"Hey, you!" the first soldier shouted, stopping by them. "What's going on here!"
Selphie and the others froze. …Ahh, man… thought Selphie. Really bad timing…
For a brief moment, Selphie thought to end this charade and begin an all-out assault on the base. They'd succeeded in cutting out the power, but that was only a temporary problem. These two maintenance soldiers would restore the power in no time. No, Selphie decided. They needed the power to stay off so they could continue to infiltrate the base and ensure that the missiles did not launch.
With that thought in mind, Selphie stood at attention and saluted the soldier. "We were just about to go call on you!" she said to him.
This seemed to appease the soldiers. "Alright, then," said the other soldier, relaxing a little. "Let us take care of it."
Then the soldiers ran past the group and into the circuit room. Selphie looked at Irvine and Zell. They both nodded, sharing her thoughts. They could not allow these soldiers to undo the work they had done. Drawing their weapons from beneath their armour, they ran back into the room.
The two soldiers were by the consoles. Before they could turn, the three SeeDs charged and leapt on them from behind. They dragged the soldiers away from the consoles and onto the floor.
"AHHHHH!" the first soldier cried as Selphie pulled him down. "W-Who are you…!"
Selphie did not reply. The two struggled and Selphie won, scrambling on top of him. She punched the soldier ferociously, not holding her punches. When the soldier managed to grab her arms Selphie got to her feet—standing on him—and stamped her boot in his face.
Zell and Irvine were fighting with the other soldier, trying to restrain him. Her job with the first soldier done, Selphie turned and ran over to them. She swung her Crescent Wish. A single, well-aimed blow was all that was needed to send the soldier reeling. He sank to the floor along with his companion. "Ughhh…" he groaned. "Damn it…" He tried to lift his head but failed. He slumped, unconscious.
Selphie stood over the two soldiers. She flicked her nunchaku, caught the swinging bar and then placed the weapon back beneath her armour, out of sight.
Irvine and Zell took charge in removing the unconscious bodies of the two soldiers. They dragged them to one side and dumped them in a corner between two consoles. With the dark emergency lightning, no one should see them if they happened to come in.
Once that was done the trio ran back out into the corridor. Selphie threw up her hands. "Whoo-hoo!" she cheered. "Let's keep movin'!"
Irvine cast the girl an appraising gaze. This was a side of Selphie he had never seen before. There was a wild, fervent look in her eyes and an eager, almost wicked smile. Normally Irvine would have found this side to her exciting. Instead, he felt just a little bit nervous.
…Geez… he thought, feeling his heart thud in his chest. Selphie can be a little outta control at times…
While he was thinking this, Selphie turned and ran back down the corridor. Irvine looked at Zell. The fighter shrugged but said nothing. They hurried after Selphie, trying to catch up with her. They knew where she was heading. The disruption caused by the power outage meant the soldiers would be in a state of confusion. They could use this to their advantage to slip in and out of rooms unseen.
They caught up to Selphie at the top of the stairs leading to the launch room. She did not turn but motioned for them to stand with her. The two men did so and followed her gaze, looking down into the corridor.
They saw why she had stopped. A Galbadian soldier was still standing guard outside the launch room door, even with the commotion. The other soldier was here too, guarding the other door. That posed a major problem. Without a solid reason, the soldiers would deny them entry.
Reaching behind her, Selphie started to draw her Crescent Wish. She started to make her way down the stairs, holding her weapon behind her. Zell and Irvine walked down after her. If they struck quickly enough, they might be able to dispatch the two guards without drawing too much attention.
Before they were halfway down the door to the launch room opened. Another soldier stepped out. Selphie and the others froze on the stairs. Luckily they were not seen. Keeping as still as possible, they observed what was going on. When the third soldier came out, the other two soldiers turned and saluted him.
"Hey, could you lend us a hand?" the newcomer said to the two guards. "The power's down and we need some help."
"Uhh, I guess so…" said the launch room guard. His companion came away from the other door and joined him outside. The third soldier nodded and then went back into the launch room.
The other soldier started to follow. He stopped inside the doorway and turned to his companion. "Come on," he said.
The two soldiers went inside and the door closed behind them. Selphie sheathed her weapon. That was a stroke of luck. Now both doors were unguarded. They could not get inside the missile launch room now, but perhaps they could find out what was behind that other door instead. They walked down the stairs and headed towards the door.
Just as they were passing the launch room the door opened and that soldier came out again. When he saw Selphie's group passing by, he stopped and pointed at them. "Hey! You!" he called. "Haven't seen you around before…"
Selphie froze. Her eyes darted about in alarm. What to do…? What to do…?
"Well, we need some help in here," the soldier continued, not noticing. "I guess it doesn't really matter who… Do you think you could lend a hand?"
Unable to say anything else, Selphie nodded.
"This way," the soldier said. He turned to the door and then looked back at them over his shoulder. "Follow me." He walked into the launch room. "Unbelievable…" they heard him mutter under his breath. "Power failure at a crucial time like this? What the heck are the maintenance guys doing…?"
Selphie, Zell and Irvine said nothing, but they grinned at one another. It would be a long time before the maintenance guys did anything to restore the base's power. They were enjoying a nice, long nap—courtesy of them.
They followed the soldier into the room. Inside they saw a number of soldiers standing around one of the missile launchers they had seen in the storage bay. The soldiers were gathered around one side and were pushing against the crate. They were trying to move it up against the wall, in line with the others.
Seeing all those soldiers, Selphie was glad she did not charge in. They would have been sorely outnumbered. They went to the soldier in charge. He turned to them and gestured towards the crate.
"Yeah, that's the one," he told them. "Alright, one in between the two guys, and two on either side."
The group nodded and moved into position. Though they loathed the idea of aiding the soldiers in moving the launcher into place, right then they had no other alternative. Selphie took up position in between the two soldiers, while Zell and Irvine stood on either side of them. Once they were in position the soldier in charge raised his hand and then brought it down.
At his signal, the group and the soldiers started to push against the crate. It was unbelievably heavy and even with five of them, the crate refused to move. The soldier in charge egged them on by waving his arms and shouting encouraging words, urging them to keep going. Selphie and the soldiers grunted and groaned and heaved and puffed as they pushed on the launcher, trying to make it move.
Gradually, the crate began to move. When he saw it move, the soldier in charge shouted at them more fervently, spurring them onwards. The wheels of the platform holding the crate started to turn. Everybody pushed harder, trying to keep the momentum going. The wheels scraped across the ground as the crate moved more and more, heading towards the wall.
At last they reached the wall. The crate clicked into place. The platform started to descend, sinking into the floor. With their task complete, Selphie and the others stepped back. They were all panting hard. That was more difficult than it looked!
The lead soldier clapped his hands. "Good work," he told them. "All we need to do now is confirm the coordinates on the control panel. The program should be ready to go." He pointed at Selphie, Zell and Irvine. "You guys get on it."
Selphie saluted, along with the others. Heeey! Selphie thought, her heart racing in excitement. The control panel! Now we're talkin'!
They left the launch room and looked around. A new soldier had taken up position outside the other door. The control panel the soldier had talked about was right next to the launch room. Selphie and the others gathered around it.
"Let's just smash this baby!" said Zell, careful to keep his voice down so the soldier would not hear him.
Selphie nodded. Yeah, bust it up real good! But… "It'll be a mega bummer if WE launch the missiles by mistake," she pointed out. "So, should we hold back a little and just mess around with it a bit?"
Zell grunted and folded his arms. "Tch…! Yes, I guess…" he conceded.
Selphie turned to the console. It was operated mostly via a touch-screen, and when Selphie touched it the screen lit up. The log-in screen came up and before she had a chance to think about, the system logged her in automatically.
Once logged in, the main menu flashed up on screen. There were only a handful of options and these weren't too difficult to understand. The console's main purpose was to provide data for the launch and upload it into the missile's targeting systems. The three crowded around the screen, examining the options.
The topmost option was to view the missile data for the upcoming launch, as well as see a simulation of the expected trajectory. The target settings were locked and though they could view the simulation, they could not alter its course at all. Selphie was saddened that she could not alter the trajectory, and consigned herself to messing with the panel's other controls.
In another section she found information on the missiles. An image of the missile launchers, labelled 'CGR2083B' showed up on screen. There was little to say about these, other than that they contained the missiles.
Selphie scrolled along until an image of a missile came up. The label called it a 'Galbadian Army Cruise Missile BAG0003A'. The girl paused, her finger hovering over the screen. So this was what they were going to be firing at Garden. They looked impressive… and powerful.
Zell peered over her shoulder and pointed at the missile. "This is the kind where you set the coordinates…" he explained. "Maybe if we set the error ratio all the way up, it'll lower the chance of a direct hit?"
Selphie frowned, thoughtful. It would be better if they could stop the launch altogether, but it was apparent they could not do it from this panel. They would have to find the control room in order to do that. But in the event that they were unable to stop the missiles, they could at least give Balamb Garden a chance by lowering the chances of a direct hit, like Zell said.
She typed into the console. Finally the data for the error ratio settings came up. It was currently set at a low level, which meant that the missiles would react quickly and with greater accuracy. Selphie used her finger to drag the icon along, setting the ratio ratings to 75%, the highest it would go. Now there was a 75% chance that the missiles, if launched, would miss Balamb Garden.
Lastly she pulled up the upload screen and uploaded the data she had put in. At least this way, Balamb Garden had a chance. She logged out of the computer. All she had to do now was locate the control room, cancel the launch entirely, and then blow the base to smithereens.
They turned from the console. They appeared to be at a dead end. The only place they had not explored was that room the soldier was guarding. That must be the control room, they figured, since it was the only place left. Selphie looked at Zell and Irvine. They nodded back at her. Selphie turned away, took a deep breath, and then strode down the corridor towards the door.
As they approached, the soldier thrust out his hand.
"This place is off limits," he snapped. "You're not allowed up here."
"But we've come to report on the missile coordinate data!" Selphie lied, saluting.
The soldier stared at her, suspicious. Then he relaxed and sighed. "Oh, very well," he said, though he did not sound too happy. "Go right ahead."
He stepped aside. Selphie and her friends went on through. As the door closed behind them, the soldier retook his position. He folded his arms across his chest.
"Did we have someone that puny in our base…?" he asked himself.
Selphie and the others entered the control room. They stopped just inside the doorway and peered in. It was just how they thought it would be: a large room filled floor to ceiling with consoles and other complicated devices. A large screen on the left wall was scrolling with data. A world map was visible behind the data, showing the trajectory of the missiles. Big, glowing icons labelled 'Galbadia Missile Base' and 'Balamb Garden' showed most prominently on the map.
A Galbadian officer stood in the centre of the room. Two other soldiers stood on either side of him, manning the consoles. They were working furiously as they continually typed data into the computers in preparation for the launch.
"All systems go, sir!" the soldier on the right shouted.
"Everything's all set, sir!" said the one on the left.
The Galbadian officer heard their reports and nodded his head. "We had some minor setbacks," he said to them, "but proceed as scheduled. We're running behind, but prepare for the final launch phase."
"Roger," the soldiers replied.
The soldier operating the left consoles stopped what he was doing. He pushed a button and spoke into a microphone. "Attention. This is the control room. We are now entering the final phase of the missile launch. Take your designated positions and prepare for the launch!"
Hearing the officer's words, Selphie clenched her fists. Even with most of the base's power out, the Galbadians were still able to complete their preparations for the launch. This was it, then. They had to stop the launch now, at all costs! Selphie ran up the stairs into the room, followed by Zell and Irvine.
The officer turned to them. "Huh? What are you doing in here!" he demanded.
Selphie stood at attention. She raised her hand and saluted. "We've come to report on the missile coordinates!" she replied.
"Oh…" The officer started to relax. He looked away and rubbed his chin. Then he turned and raised his gun-arm, pointing it straight at them. "Don't move!" he ordered, so sharply that Selphie and the others jumped. "I thought you looked suspicious. You're the intruders! No use hiding it now! That salute you just did was completely wrong!" He pointed at Selphie.
Selphie glanced at her hand. The officer was right. The salute she was doing was not the Galbadian Army salute, but the SeeD salute. In her anxiousness, she had performed the wrong one. Yikes…! she thought in alarm. Well, at least we made it this far. It's about time we rumbled!
She turned to Zell and Irvine. The three nodded in silent agreement.
The officer, still watching them, stepped back warily. "What are you doing!" he started to demand.
He stopped as a bright white burst from the three SeeDs. The officer cried out and covered his eyes to protect them from the light. The soldiers did the same.
In the midst of the light, the Galbadian uniforms that Selphie and her friends wore were discarded. When the transformation was complete and the light faded, Selphie and the others stood in their own clothing, their weapons drawn.
"TA-DAH!" cried Selphie. She lowered her arms and rubbed at her hands and wrists. "Hooooo, finally. This military uniform is itchy, and it stinks!"
The three soldiers stared. The officer then snapped out of his shock and motioned for his soldiers to come to him. The soldiers obediently left their posts and ran to stand beside their commander. They drew their swords and stood ready.
The Galbadian officer raised his arm. "Time for us to get serious!" he shouted, and he brought his arm down. This was the signal the soldiers were waiting for, and they charged.
Selphie and Zell also charged and met the two soldiers head on. Zell dodged the first swing of the soldier's sword and then struck back, punching him in the chest. When the soldier keeled over Zell yanked him down and then jumped over him. He charged towards the base commander. The officer stepped back as Zell punched, missing him. Grabbing his outstretched arm, the officer swung Zell around and then released him, sending him crashing into the far wall.
The second soldier raised his sword and blocked a blow as Selphie whipped her nunchaku in front of her. The girl switched hands and delivered a backhanded strike, and the chain wrapped around the blade. She yanked but failed to wrench the sword from her opponent's hands. In response the soldier thrust his sword up over his head. The Crescent Wish was pulled from Selphie's grasp. The upward swung sent the weapon flying and it clattered to the floor across the room.
With a yell, the soldier brought his sword down again. Selphie jumped back out of the way. Before the soldier could recover Selphie jumped and landed on his shoulders. She jumped again and when she landed she dropped to the floor as the base commander opened fire.
She rolled across the ground beneath the gunfire until she reached the spot where her nunchaku landed. She scooped it up and then rolled onto her knees. She channelled Blizzard into the weapon as she swung it. Ice shards fired like bullets from the weapon towards the officer. They struck and the officer fell back onto the ground, dazed.
There was a flash of metal, and Selphie turned in time to see a sword blade heading towards her. Quickly Selphie grabbed both bars of her weapon and held them out. The blade caught on the chain between them. The soldier, holding the sword, pressed down on the chain. Selphie grunted as she pushed back, but the soldier was stronger than she was, and she soon started to buckle.
A gunshot sounded and a bullet whooshed past the soldier's face. Alarmed, the soldier jumped back and lowered his sword. He turned to Irvine, standing nearby. The gunman raised his sword and fired, and again the soldier jumped back. The bullet clanged off his shoulder armour, leaving a dent.
As he backed off, Selphie darted forward. Irvine ceased firing as she got within range of the soldier. The girl swung her weapon and its moon-shaped hilt caught underneath the edge of the soldier's chest armour. Selphie gave a yell as she tugged hard and pulled the soldier towards her.
She thrust out her hand and placed it on the soldier's chest. Thunder magic crackled around her hand. It exploded and the soldier was thrown back away from her. He slammed against one of the consoles, causing the screen to flicker.
Across the room, Zell was engaged in a fierce battle with the other soldier. The fighter was on the defensive as the soldier swung his sword in rapid arcs, leaving Zell with no room to attack.
Gripping his sword in both hands, the soldier thrust it at Zell's head. The fighter turned his head aside, and the blade missed him by a hair's breadth. Side-stepping out of the way, Zell ducked down and performed a sweeping kick that knocked the soldier off his feet.
Meanwhile, Irvine finished reloading his gun and raised it. He called out to Selphie, who jumped back from the soldier she was fighting. Irvine fired, and the bullet ripped through the soldier's shoulder armour. The soldier cried out in pain and clutched at his right shoulder. Hearing his comrade's cry the other soldier started to turn, but was then grabbed by Zell and thrown over his shoulder.
Pushing aside the pain from his wound, the soldier turned and charged at Irvine. Irvine smiled and raised his gun again. As he started to pull the trigger, the soldier swung his sword. The sword caught on the underside of the barrel, pushing the gun upwards just as Irvine fired. The shot hit the ceiling.
With the gunman's guard open, the soldier raised his fist and punched Irvine in the jaw. He knocked Irvine back, and while he was off-balance the soldier gripped his sword and thrust it at the gunman's gut. Sensing the impending strike, Irvine twisted his body out of the way. He felt the coldness of the blade as it sliced across his side. He winced, feeling the warmth of blood flowing.
Unfortunately for the soldier his thrust went too deep, and now it was he who was caught off-balance. Using this to his advantage, Irvine ignored the pain in his side and continued to twist his body around. He moved away from the soldier and, once he was clear, he raised his gun and fired. The soldier gave an anguished cry as the bullet pierced his armour a second time. He fell to his knees, clutching at the wound.
The Galbadian officer got to his feet. The last remnants of the ice shards fell from his body and sprinkled onto the ground. He watched his two soldiers as they struggled against the intruders. At first he had thought them simple intruders and that they would be easily dealt with, but as the battle went on he started to have doubts. They were no ordinary intruders, he realised. Their skills were impressive and focused, well-trained. His eyes widened. Could it be that they were…?
"Are they from Garden?" he asked, finishing his thoughts aloud.
He had no time to ponder this thought, for Selphie suddenly appeared in front of him swinging her weapon. Seeing the flash of movement the officer jumped back out of the way, as the metal bar of the Crescent Wish came slamming down onto the ground in front of him. Selphie raised the weapon and placed it against her shoulder. She raised her hand, signalling for the officer to come at her.
"Selphie, look out!"
Hearing Zell's call, Selphie turned. The soldier whom Zell was fighting with had turned from his battle and was now charging towards her. With a yell he raised his sword, but thanks to Zell's warning Selphie was prepared. She dodged the blow with ease and started to raise her own weapon.
A loud yell made her stop. Selphie turned and saw Zell storming towards. His face was an ugly red as he barrelled towards her. Selphie stepped back in alarm. The fighter charged right past her and crashed into the soldier as he was recovering. The impact forced the soldier off his feet and onto the floor, and Zell fell down on top of him. They rolled, struggling with one another.
With the interruption done, Selphie turned her attention back to the base commander. The officer had now recovered from his initial shock and was fumbling to ready his gun-arm. Once it was ready he started to raise it, but before he could fire Selphie was on him again.
The officer raised his arms to guard himself as Selphie commenced a relentless stream of attacks with her nunchaku. She left the base commander with no room to counterattack as she struck again and again. With just a flick of her wrist Selphie sent the weapon flying in all directions. Her attacks were perfectly controlled, and she was able to keep the officer on the defensive.
The officer accepted the blows, keeping his arms raised. He bade his time until an opening appeared, and once it was there the officer thrust out his arms and struck Selphie in the chest. He pushed her away and the girl stumbled back. Losing her balance, Selphie fell onto the floor. While she was down the officer ran at her. He brought down his fist and Selphie quickly rolled out of the way, leaving his fist to smash into the ground.
The officer gave a yell and clutched at his hand. He rubbed his bruised knuckles. That girl… he was going to make sure she went down first. He turned to Selphie.
Selphie was already on her feet. The girl's eyes were closed and she had her nunchaku over her head, swinging it in a wide circle. The air around her weapon began to whistle as she spun it faster and faster. Soon the air around her began to move, forming into a whirlwind with her at its centre.
Zell, Irvine and the two soldiers stopped and stared as the whirlwind flowed around Selphie. It grew stronger, and the wind's whistle turned into a low drone. Zell and Irvine shared a glance before pulling away from the soldiers, leaving them to stare at Selphie.
The swirling winds grew stronger. Selphie's hair was blown about her face and her dress rustled around her thighs. She spun her nunchaku faster until it was almost a blur, carried by the force of the wind.
Selphie opened her eyes.
"Tornado!"
The swirling winds erupted. They moved away from her and spread out across the room. The winds caught the officer, who cried as he was pulled off his feet and lifted up into the air. The officer struggled, flailing his arms as he was carried through the air by the winds, but it was no use.
The two soldiers stared in awe as their commander flew through the air above them. They were so shocked by the sight of him flying that they did not notice the windstorm was still growing. The winds caught hold of them and swept them off the ground as well, flinging them through the air along with their commander. They struggled but could not break free. One soldier tried to slash at the air with his sword, but of course it did nothing. As though in retaliation, the winds wrenched the sword from the soldier's hands and sent it flying across the room.
Standing at the heart of the storm, Selphie was the only one unaffected by the winds. Zell and Irvine were at the edges of the room, pressed against the walls, keeping just out of reach. Selphie continued to swing her nunchaku over her head, in rhythm with the drone of the wind.
Above her, the three soldiers cried out as their bodies were battered by the winds. They were like dolls, unable to do anything against the wind.
Knowing that reinforcements could arrive at any moment, Selphie decided it was time to end this. She quit swinging her nunchaku and brought the weapon crashing down onto the ground. Like an axe cutting through wood, the storm was split in two. The winds ceased in an instant. It released its captives, who were sent flying across the room. The soldiers crashed into the ground, landing so hard that both Zell and Irvine winced in sympathy.
Selphie raised her weapon and stood ready. Zell and Irvine came over to stand beside her. They faced the soldiers.
The officer and his soldiers got to their feet. The first soldier did not even take a step before he ground and slipped onto the ground, landing facedown on the floor. The other soldier managed to take just a few steps before he also fell to his knees.
"C-Captain…" he moaned, and then he too slumped onto the ground.
The officer tried to raise his gun-arm. His trembling hand reached for the trigger. His finger hovered over it, twitching. Then his arms fell limp, his hands falling to his sides. He groaned and fell to his knees before falling forward onto the ground.
Selphie sheathed her weapon. "Ok then!" she said. She turned to Zell and Irvine. "Let's stop the missiles, blow the place to smithereens, and get outta here!"
Zell looked around at the control room. "We should be able to stop the missiles from here," he said.
"So like…" said Irvine, "let's just split up and start lookin'."
The group split up and spread out around the room. They started to examine the consoles, trying to find the one that would stop the launch. Selphie took the console on the left side of the room, while Zell and Irvine took the ones to the right and back. Selphie looked down at the console. This was where one of the two soldiers was working before they intervened. She examined it and began to push buttons. Data flashed up on the screen. Selphie stared at it, and her eyes widened. She jumped and pointed at it.
"Heeey! I found it!"
Zell and Irvine turned from the consoles they were examining and hurried over to her. They peered over Selphie's shoulder. Sure enough, the data for the launch had come up on the screen. Selphie felt her throat go dry and her heart started race in her chest as she typed into the console.
"Push this, then that…" She bit her lip, concentrating. "… There!" Selphie pushed one last button and stepped away from the console. "I'm done! Whoo-hoo! All we need to find now is the self-destruct mechanism!"
The group spread out again, searching for the self-destruct mechanism. Selphie took a different console on the far wall and examined it. "Hmmm…" she mumbled as she examined it. "… I don't think it's this one." Leaving that one, she went over to another console. That wasn't it, either.
Selphie stepped back from the consoles. She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. None of these consoles appeared to contain the destruct mechanism. Her gaze turned to the door at the far end of the room. That was the only place left to check. She went through the door, followed by Zell and Irvine.
The room beyond was unmanned, and filled with even more consoles. At Selphie's signal the group spread out once more, examining the consoles.
After a minute of searching, Selphie cried out. Zell and Irvine turned as Selphie started to jump up and down in excitement, pointing at the console.
"Heeey! This is the self-destruct mechanism for the base!" she cried. She leaned over the console. "Hmmm… Let's see here…" She began to press buttons on the console. Then she frowned. "Huh? We have to set a time?" The girl folded her arms, thinking. A time limit? How annoying! But then again, they did need enough time to get out of the base before it exploded. Making up her mind, Selphie started to type again. "Hmmm… Let's see here…"
When she finished inputting the data, a red warning light flashed on the console. A computerised voice spoke over the PA system.
"Self-destruct mechanism operating. Ten minutes until destruction. All staff evacuate the base immediately. I repeat…"
"Whoo-hoo!" cheered Selphie, cutting in over the PA. She clapped her hands and turned to the others. "Let's hurry on outta here!"
The men nodded, and they hurried out of the console room. They jumped over the unconscious bodies of the three soldiers and ran out of the door. The soldier guarding the door was gone. They chose not to wait and headed back through the base as quickly as they could, making their way towards the exit.
Following the announcement of the base's destruction, monsters were released into the hallways as part of the base's last defence against intruders. The group encountered one of these as they made their way through the base. A Thrustaevis soared down from above, its beak open as it made its piercing screech.
Knowing they had less than ten minutes to escape the base, Selphie and the others wasted no time fighting it. They ducked beneath its swoop and kept on going, leaving the Thrustaevis behind.
They reached the main corridor. The door leading to the final room was just ahead. Selphie started to pull the keycard from her pocket, but the door slid open automatically as they approached. They ran on through.
Inside the control room, one of the soldiers stirred. He groaned and raised his head, which was still ringing from the impact. His visor was smashed, and there was blood running down his face. Using his elbows, the soldier dragged his aching body across the ground towards the left console he had been manning. When he reached it, he lifted a hand and grabbed hold of the edge. He pulled himself up and leaned against it. His vision swam, but he fought to remain conscious.
He chuckled. "Heheheh…" he laughed. "It's not over yet…"
He pushed a button. A green light flashed. The soldier chuckled again before his face fell slack. He slumped against the console, sinking towards the floor.