"Pinky, we're entering the archeological dig." Sage said. He descended a small set of stairs.
They stood at the mouth of the dig site. Thirty feet from the stairs was a large table. Its surface was covered with rock samples and equipment. Several lights running on independent power supplies were still activated, adding low lighting to the black dig sight. As they walked past the table, Reaper caught sight of mounted photographs on the wall. He recognized an older one containing his parents just before the accident. Another one contained Sam, smiling content, happy even. Her words echoed through his mind. "Does it ever bother you, you could've spent your life looking sat a microscope instead of a sniper scope?' Did it bother him, hell yes. It bothered him to no end as of late. He seemed to be making one mistake after another in his life. But it was too late to go back and fix them, no matter how bad he needed to. They walked past the table, deeper towards the center of the dig.
Sarge motioned Reaper to take point. He turned to Mac, "Secure the exit."
Mac nodded and moved along one of the walls.
Not too far from leaving Mac, Reaper entered an equipment section of the dig. Multiple pick axes, chisels, and chain saws hung from the installed shelving units. Reaper noted one was missing from the unit. Probably inside the cave. He walked past the unit and dug deeper into the cave.
Mira took up the rear, following a few paces behind Sarge and Reaper. Close enough to hear their footsteps, but far enough to be out of sight. Hidden as she roamed the tunnels behind them, making herself a target. She kept her gun light toward the ground, illuminating her path ahead. Her eyes scanned the walls, watching for any signs of movement. The walls of the dig site reminded her of the sewer tunnels. Close, confined, constricting internally. Mira shook her head, shaking the thoughts and returning her focus to her trail.
A slight shift of rocks caught Reaper's attention. he pivoted on his heels, shining his light on the pile. He exhaled slowly, just another slide. No monster. Just a shift. Like the one that had taken his parents. Reaper turned his eyes from the slide, trying to keep frosty. But his parents voices echoed through his mind. He could still hear their screams, feel the earth shift beneath him as his parents were buried alive right before his eyes. Reaper was so engulfed in his thoughts, he didn't notice Sarge and Mira catching up on his position.
"Reaper?" Mira called.
Sarge shook his head. He signaled Mira to take point and keep moving. Mira cast Reaper a concerned look before following orders. She vanished around the corner into the darkness. Sarge turned to Reaper. "Is this where it happened?"
"Did you find the door?" Reaper managed, coming out of his reverie.
Sarge took a breath and followed Mira down the corridor. whatever was bother Reaper, he needed to deal with it. They'd already lost one man, they couldn't afford to those another. Sarge moved down the corridor, leaving Reaper to look after himself.
Reaper listened as Sarge continued through the dig site. He closed his eyes. He needed to stay focused and frosty. They'd already lost Goat. Plus Portman and Kid were still coming down from whatever shit Portman had. He needed to keep in check or he wasn't going to survive. His comm buzzed in his ear. "John."
Reaper turned and moved quickly down the corridor. He rounded a sharp corner and found Sarge kneeling over two dead bodies dressed in white lab coats. The floor and door were covered in blood. One of the scientists lay slumped against the wall, blood pouring from an open wound on his neck. The second was laying on the floor, his neck twisted completely round, looking up toward the ceiling.
"Clay." Sarge said. Clay's back had been completely ripped open, his spine lay atop of his exposed back, bent out of shape. "Thurman." Sarge rose from the scientists. "Look at them. They weren't to stop something from getting in. Something stopped them from getting out."
Mira rounded the corner beside Sarge.
"The door?" Sarge asked.
"Sealed." Mira answered. "Locked and there's no sign that anything tried to open it." Her eyes glanced at the two scientists on the floor.
Sarge pressed his comm. "Mac stand by. Destroyer, report."
"We've reached the north airlock. It's secure. Console indicates nothing come in or out for twenty-six hours." Destroyer replied.
A deep, powerful, inhuman roar echoed through the comm units, nearly deafening everyone in the process. Sarge, reaper, and Mira cringed at the sound bursting through the comms. They ripped their comms from their ears, and hear a muted version of the roar inside the tunnel. Each one shared a knowing and concerned glance. Mac was back at the entrance. They quickly placed their comms back in. Mira sprinted down the corridor toward the entrance.
"Mac?" Reaper asked. he sprinted after Mira.
No answered.
"Mac do you copy?" Sarge called.
Still nothing. Reaper picked up the pace.
"Talk to me. Talk to me Mac." Sarge ordered.
reaper and Sarge reached the entrance where Mac had been station. Their lighting quickly fell upon Mac's headless body. His head had been ripped off his shoulders and rolled several feet from his body. His weapon lay beside his body in a pool of blood.
"Shit." Sarge muttered.
Mira rose between two exam tables near the far side of the room. She tossed a hunk of metal toward Reaper. He caught it easily, despite it begin wet. Reaper looked in his hand and saw that Mira had tossed Mac's bloodied tags. Mira moved from the tables, where Mac's head had apparently landed.
"Leaves looking better and better." She whispered in passing.
Reaper silently agreed. He pocketed Mac's tag and brought up his weapon. Whatever had decapitated Mac couldn't have gotten far. A deep growl echoed from the tunnel in front of Reaper, catching his attention. He could sense Sarge and Mira raising their weapon. Reaper watched the dark tunnel in front of him, waiting for his moment.
A massive, bulky shadow moving into his line of sight and rushed back down the tunnel.
Reaper opened fired. "Contact!" He sprinted after the creature.
"We're in pursuit, moving fast out of the dig!" Sarge informed.
Sarge and Mira ran after him. Reaper ran ahead, catching sight of the creature just as it rounded the corner, much too fast for Reaper to open fire. He chased is down the corridor, firing as it moved out of sight again.
"Pinky what do you see?" Sarge asked.
"It's big. Very big. Moving fast, back towards the lab complex." Pinky explained.
Reaper moved quickly through the corridor toward the lab entrance. He rounded the corner, finding nothing but the open door. The creature was back in the lab. He lowered his weapon and looked at the floor, a trail of black blood ran through the lab door into the complex.
"Clear." Reaper called.
Mira and Sarge rounded the corner, finding Reaper at a stop.
Sarge came around the corner and looked at the ground. Bloody footprints decorated the clean facility floor. "It's back in the lab."
Mira walked to the lab door and examines it. There were no claw marks on the door. Somehow the creature had managed to open the door without damaging it. Like it knew what it was doing. "It opened the air lock."
Sarge didn't seem too fazed by the news, but Reaper shared her grim acknowledgement. Whatever they were dealing with was obviously smart. Add to the list of brutal, strong, and fast, and they had a very shitty chance of catching it. Sarge held his weapon up and leaned against the lab door. Reaper and Mira slipped beneath Sarge into the lab. Reaper took left while Mira took right.
"Clear." Reaper said.
"Clear." Mira replied.
"Damn it's fast." Sarge said.
Drumming steps sent Reaper lifting his weapon, nearly blowing the Kid's head off his shoulders as he, Destroyer, and Portman came around the corner.
"All around defense men." Sarge ordered.
"Did you get it?" Kid asked.
Sarge shook his head grimly. "Pinky."
"Yes Sarge?"
"Anything gets through that door, use an ST grenade. It cannot get back to earth." Sarge ordered.
"No, he pops an ST in there, he's gonna blow the Ark." Portman stated.
"Shut up." Mira snapped. She wasn't in the mood for Portman's pussy behavior right now.
Sarge turned to Reaper. "Reaper, Kid, cover formation sweep the corridors. Go!"
Reaper looked to Kid and nodded. They moved down through the corridor, quickly vanishing around the corner into the next hall.
"Destroyer, you and Portman, stay here. Shut the airlock, maintain a perimeter." Sarge ordered.
"Yo, he blows the Ark, how the hell are we supposed to get the fuck home?" Portman demanded.
"Portman, shut the fucking door." Sarge ordered. He turned to Destroyer. "If he starts giving you trouble, shoot him and we'll leave him here."
Portman's eyes widened in fear.
"Where're you going?" Destroyer asked. not mentioning Sarge's cryptic yet honest order.
"We're going to the armory." Sarge explained. "I think we're gonna need something with a little more kick."
Sarge turned to Mira. "Let's move out."
Mira nodded and followed Sarge down the corridor.
Sarge and Mira moved fast through the corridors. Sarge took the first corner and paused. Mira moved around him, entering the corridor and stopped at the next corner. Sarge took lead and continued through. Mira recognized the corridor as the one they'd chased Carmack through. Sarge hopped the stairs and turned to next corner. Mira followed and stopped when she saw Sarge pick up the several arm. She tried to ignore how the arm seemed to flop limply in his grip, decomposing quickly. She was glad Sarge hadn't given it to her to hold.
"Let's move." Sarge ordered.
Mira nodded and followed him toward the armory. Sarge led the way through the maze like corridors. Mira kept the pace, looking over her shoulder every few seconds. Sarge rounded another tight corner in front of Mira.
A sound from behind caught her attention. She stopped and turned fast. Her eyes scanned the dark corridor in front of her, but she could see nothing. She paused for a moment, waiting for the same sound to echo again, but nothing happened. Mira turned, expecting to see Sarge just a few feet from her. Instead, Mira found herself completely alone in the hall. Sarge had proceeded without her. Mira started through the hall after Sarge, hoping to catch up. But two halls later, she had lost him completely.
Mira pressed her earpiece, "Sarge what's your position."
Sarge didn't respond.
"Sarge we've been separated, what's your position?" Mira repeated.
Still she had nothing.
"Pinky, can you give me Sarge's location?" Mira asked.
Again, she was given no response.
Mira frowned. "What the hell's going on? Reaper, Destroyer? Does anybody copy?"
Nothing.
Mira lifted her comm from her belt. She rolled through the frequencies, only to realize that the damn thing was completely dead. "Shit."