Darkside: Extinction
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Guessmyname
- Posts: 3301
- Joined: 28 Apr 2005, 21:07
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Guessmyname
- Posts: 3301
- Joined: 28 Apr 2005, 21:07
Battle! Sex! Warfare! Reinforcements!
├óÔé¼┼ôI spent most of my carrier trying to hold down the rank of corporal├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike muttered as he ran down the corridors, heading to his new 'theater' or war. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow they have botched that up big time├óÔé¼┬Ø he finished, coming around the corner and almost running into some marines. They were standing guard on a corridor, wearing exoskeletons and holding ZX's equipped with D.U rounds. They weren't guarding the corridor very well, as Mike had run into them and actually surprised them. ├óÔé¼┼ôKeep a damn weather eye out├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike snapped and the marines snapped to attention. Then he started to run down the corridor again.
He arrived at the staging area where his two squads stood. To his surprise Eve was there. She was looking a bit nervous, but she shouldered her rifle. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure you need that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked, walking up to her. Eve shook her head ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe enemy don't know that├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI want to use you as the vanguard soldier. I want you in the thick of it, where you can do the most damage to the enemy├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve looked a little sick ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I'm not sure I can take...that...now├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike eyed her up ├óÔé¼┼ôVery well├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut whatever you can do, tell me├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I can stop bullets. Some of them are too heavy and too fast, but I can deflect them. I can move friends. In closer range I can...cut the enemy. I can shape shift and take more bullets then most. But close combat is just...just too much├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI'd rather have you then a crazy you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be fine├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena was also there, her knee bound up. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't run├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I can still shoot├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike nodded and saw Mankowski reliving himself. It was not bad, in an exoskeleton, as all Mankowski had to do was turn a valve on his chest and stand there. Mike waited until Mankowski turned the valve back ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy waste chute is a bit clogged├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop eating so much then├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, walking past him to the other squad.
It was a six man group. He read off name tags; Madella, Doe, Lee, Drew, Smith and Hans. ├óÔé¼┼ôSquad two├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI need a head count. Witch one of you is a sniper?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Drew raised his hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're with Helena, right there├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. Drew nodded and walked to Helena. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhich one of you are riflemen?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Madella and Hans raised their hands. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou team up with Hicks and Mankowski. Two of you take up the heavy M.G and get ready to set it up├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. The two men nodded and ran to work. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow who is good at running?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Smith slowly raised his hand, nervous to be called on for a job that needed a lot of running. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're Eve's runner├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm a...what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith asked looking confused. ├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôShow him├óÔé¼┬Ø. He threw her gun up into the air. It stayed there. Then it slowly began to move from side to side and spin around in the air. The other squad members gaped at it. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe can do the same with you're lower intestines├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're going to make sure no one shoots at her and she still has some targets├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôO...Okay├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said as he walked to her side ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll watch out for you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then what Mike had set set in and she walked over to Mike and hissed in his ear ├óÔé¼┼ôMike I said├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't have to kill├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need prisoners, after all. So just...knock them out├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve blinked, as if she had never thought of that.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow...Lee and Lowery, what good are you two?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm a demolitions woman├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee said. Mike sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't need holes in our ship. Team up with the riflemen├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lee shrugged and joined with the riflemen. ├óÔé¼┼ôLowery?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Lowery cricked her neck and said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm an Irregular├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're our Irregular. Do whatever needs to be done├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lowery snapped a salute and said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan do, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow here is the plan├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to flush out an enemy encampment in this supple bay. There breaching procedures 'accidentally' vented most of the air into space, so keep you're helmets down├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow here and here├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôAre two airlocks. No way we're getting there. So we're going to set up a tent here and cut through into the wall. Then our riflemen take the breach. Eve, you cover us with a shield├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded, still looking nervous. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen Helena and Drew cover us with you're rifles and Mankowski and Hicks set up the M.G here├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed at his map ├óÔé¼┼ôand the rest of you riflemen shoot at anything that doesn't wear our colors├óÔé¼┬Ø. The rest of the marines nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd make sure nothing explosive gets in our shield. Eve how big can you make it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Eve shrugged ├óÔé¼┼ôAbout...three meters, I think. My mind isn't as strong as it was├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The raiders worked in a almost complete lack of air with a practiced ease. They wore the exoskeletons like second skins, every sound they made sounding tinny and old. So no one noticed the cutting sound from one of the walls. Until someone saw the light of the melting metal and shouted over the radio. The door burst open and the marines poured into the gap. ├óÔé¼┼ôOpen fire!├óÔé¼┬Ø Douglas shouted, even thought he was not in command. His voice joined with the officers shouting the same thing. The rifles sounded distant and tinny in the almost lack of air. They all fired, bullets spitting out of their guns. It was a turkey shoot. The bullets, no matter how low caliber, would eventually find their way into the weak points of the enemy armor.
Then Douglas head his gun chime over his radio. It was empty. Then he gaped. The bullets were floating a few feet from the enemy. The bullets, which had come from every angle as the raiders surrounded the enemy, made a half sphere around the enemy position. It seemed like everyone was looking at them. Then one of the enemy marines lowered her hand and the bullets fell to the ground in a patter of tinny clatters. ├óÔé¼┼ôFire...keep firing!├óÔé¼┬Ø An officer shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir...├óÔé¼┬Ø Douglas said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're out of bullets├óÔé¼┬Ø. He reached for his second magazine. Then the enemy started firing. Douglas would have admired their precision, if it hadn't hurt so damn much. They aimed for nonlethal spots. One bullet went through his kneecap and Douglas fell, air hissing out of his suit. He placed his fingers over the hole, trying to stop the pressure loss. He gritted his teeth, pain swamping his system.
The battle was over. Eve looked completely worn, looking around at the injured enemies. The marines had taken no casualties. Then enemy had take two when bullets hit the wrong spots, but mostly they were all alive and kicking. She felt...good. That was why she felt so bad. It was...strange. She didn't think she should feel good after using her powers, but she did. So she felt bad about feeling good. Eve ran her un-gloved hand through her hair and and sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike was saying to the rest of the squad ├óÔé¼┼ôI have some good news. We've brought a halt to the enemy in this area├óÔé¼┬Ø. They had also shunted some air to the room, pressurizing it. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo this has bought us three hours bunk time. If you have things to do, do it. Then meet back here and we're going to press on into the enemy territory. Keep you're gun close and if lots of baddies show up, run to Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôHey!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve objected. Mike frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're out numbered and out gunned. Reports are in that another battalion is coming with shuttles and our guns aren't firing. They are getting on board with no casualties. We are going to need you. So get you're head wired on├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve felt a little hurt as Mike dismissed the rest of the squad. Then she squared her shoulders. She wasn't some kid anymore. She walked over to Hick's, who was lighting up a cigarette. ├óÔé¼┼ôHicks├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, grabbing hold of his shirt ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're with me. And lose the cig├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks blinked and dropped the cigarette. Drew, who was also a smoker, picked up the unsmoked cig and placed it in his mouth.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's gotten into you, Eve?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks asked as she hauled him to the corner. ├óÔé¼┼ôNothing├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut Mike's right. I need to get my head screwed on├óÔé¼┬Ø. She started to set up a small tent. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what are you doing now?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSetting up a little private area├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe only have three hours to get laid so I say you get to work too├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôUh├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Eve turned around and smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI was thinking getting screwed will work just as well as getting my head screwed on├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks gaped ├óÔé¼┼ôThat makes no sense├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Eve shrugged ├óÔé¼┼ôTrue├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut what the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike watched the two of them set up a small fort with crates and some cloth that were inside those crates. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir...what are they doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôBuilding a fort├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey're not kids├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think they're not going to do very...kid things in that fort├óÔé¼┬Ø Drew said, slapping Lee on the shin. Lee blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan Drew and I have that next?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGo ask├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. Lee stood up. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo how long have you two been together?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked, looking at Drew, who was holding a rations tin as if it were on fire. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think├óÔé¼┬Ø Drew said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat our relationship started...about ten seconds ago, maybe?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then he got up, pulling off what was left of his exoskeleton.
Smith and Mankowski stood guard over the enemy prisoners. The critical cases had been carted away by Doe and Hans. The rest of them were placed up against the side of the wall, sitting and looking at their feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø Douglas spoke up. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell was it you have?├óÔé¼┬Ø Douglas asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...what did we lose to?├óÔé¼┬Ø. An orgiastic moan sounded. Then Eve almost shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôYes! Yes!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mankowski looked at the fort and then back to the prisoner. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat woman thats getting...getting what sounds good├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said. Douglas closed his eyes and banged his head against the wall ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôIs everyone on this ship crazy?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Mandela said, butting into the conversation as he lit up a stick of marijuana.
├óÔé¼┼ôMandela!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike shouted at the corporal ├óÔé¼┼ôNo drugs!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mandela took out a vial of counteractive medicine and waggled it in the air. ├óÔé¼┼ôMandela├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI want you in the right mind. No drugs, recreational or other wise. Put the stick out├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mandela made a face and put out the marijuana stick with his fingers. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan I have it?├óÔé¼┬Ø A raider asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, you prick├óÔé¼┬Ø Mandela snapped. Mike looked away, rolling his eyes. Eve was walking out of the fort, pulling her shirt on. Hicks walked out too, looking dazed. Lee and Drew filed in after them. Then the sounds started again. Mike closed his eyes. Then he checked his watch. They still had two and a half hours sack time. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan I take Lee after Drew?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowery piped up.
Mike jumped ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are you asking me! I just met you all!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lowery smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're a officer. You know everything├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've noticed that Lee doesn't seem to mind who she's shacking up with├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôPretty much yes├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowery said, closing her eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôLee...Lee is what some people would call a nymphomaniac. I just call her energetic, but you know how some people are├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about Drew?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lowery blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôUh...Drew is a nice guy. Mandela likes the drugs a bit too much. Steve reads the most and Hans loves to shout at people in German when he's angry. Other then that nothing much remarkable├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMe?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowery said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm...me├óÔé¼┬Ø
Mike sighed as the sounds from the fort got even louder. Lee shouted something. Then, a few minuets later, Drew walked out. ├óÔé¼┼ôLowery get your but in here!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee shouted. Lowery, amazingly, blushed. Mike closed his eyes and banged his head against the wall ├óÔé¼┼ôIs everyone on this ship insane?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôLook in the mirror├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, walking past him. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. Eve sat next to him ├óÔé¼┼ôI can handle it├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Eve snapped her hand forward and a blade snapped out of a ball socket on her wrist. The blade looked very sharp. Eve smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôMy mother did this...I hear├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLizzy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Eve shook her head ├óÔé¼┼ôNo...my biological mother├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, snapping the blade back into her arm.
├óÔé¼┼ôI've also got something neat to show you├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. She lifted her right hand and concentrated on it. Mike blinked, waiting for something to happen. Then Eve's hand fell of. Mike yelped. But no blood spurted, and Eve didn't seem too perturbed by the sudden loss of her hand. Then the hand started to crawl around with its fingers, like some kind of mad spider. It crawled up Mike's leg and onto his chest. Mike gibbered at it. Eve smiled and the hand reached out with two fingers and tweaked his nose. Then she reached out her handless arm and the hand snapped back on with a slight squelch. Mike looked at Eve. ├óÔé¼┼ôNeat trick, huh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. Mike nodded slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôCan...can you...see with it.
Eve concentrated. Then she raised her hand and showed Mike her palm. A single eye looked out of it. Mike felt like laughing at the insanity of it. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you scout out this position, here?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked, pulling out his map and pointing out an area ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is were the second wave is setting down├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôCan...Can i get a quick turn in the love nest first?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLove nest├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey have a name for it now?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI think people need a way to relax...so I seem to have become rather popular for giving one to them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mankowski, too Mike's surprise walked out of the tent. ├óÔé¼┼ôHas Lee ever left?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I'm not sure├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI spent most of my carrier trying to hold down the rank of corporal├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike muttered as he ran down the corridors, heading to his new 'theater' or war. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow they have botched that up big time├óÔé¼┬Ø he finished, coming around the corner and almost running into some marines. They were standing guard on a corridor, wearing exoskeletons and holding ZX's equipped with D.U rounds. They weren't guarding the corridor very well, as Mike had run into them and actually surprised them. ├óÔé¼┼ôKeep a damn weather eye out├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike snapped and the marines snapped to attention. Then he started to run down the corridor again.
He arrived at the staging area where his two squads stood. To his surprise Eve was there. She was looking a bit nervous, but she shouldered her rifle. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure you need that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked, walking up to her. Eve shook her head ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe enemy don't know that├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI want to use you as the vanguard soldier. I want you in the thick of it, where you can do the most damage to the enemy├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve looked a little sick ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I'm not sure I can take...that...now├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike eyed her up ├óÔé¼┼ôVery well├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut whatever you can do, tell me├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I can stop bullets. Some of them are too heavy and too fast, but I can deflect them. I can move friends. In closer range I can...cut the enemy. I can shape shift and take more bullets then most. But close combat is just...just too much├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI'd rather have you then a crazy you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be fine├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena was also there, her knee bound up. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't run├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I can still shoot├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike nodded and saw Mankowski reliving himself. It was not bad, in an exoskeleton, as all Mankowski had to do was turn a valve on his chest and stand there. Mike waited until Mankowski turned the valve back ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy waste chute is a bit clogged├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop eating so much then├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, walking past him to the other squad.
It was a six man group. He read off name tags; Madella, Doe, Lee, Drew, Smith and Hans. ├óÔé¼┼ôSquad two├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI need a head count. Witch one of you is a sniper?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Drew raised his hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're with Helena, right there├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. Drew nodded and walked to Helena. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhich one of you are riflemen?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Madella and Hans raised their hands. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou team up with Hicks and Mankowski. Two of you take up the heavy M.G and get ready to set it up├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. The two men nodded and ran to work. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow who is good at running?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Smith slowly raised his hand, nervous to be called on for a job that needed a lot of running. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're Eve's runner├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm a...what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith asked looking confused. ├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôShow him├óÔé¼┬Ø. He threw her gun up into the air. It stayed there. Then it slowly began to move from side to side and spin around in the air. The other squad members gaped at it. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe can do the same with you're lower intestines├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're going to make sure no one shoots at her and she still has some targets├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôO...Okay├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said as he walked to her side ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll watch out for you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then what Mike had set set in and she walked over to Mike and hissed in his ear ├óÔé¼┼ôMike I said├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't have to kill├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need prisoners, after all. So just...knock them out├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve blinked, as if she had never thought of that.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow...Lee and Lowery, what good are you two?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm a demolitions woman├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee said. Mike sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't need holes in our ship. Team up with the riflemen├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lee shrugged and joined with the riflemen. ├óÔé¼┼ôLowery?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Lowery cricked her neck and said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm an Irregular├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're our Irregular. Do whatever needs to be done├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lowery snapped a salute and said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan do, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow here is the plan├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to flush out an enemy encampment in this supple bay. There breaching procedures 'accidentally' vented most of the air into space, so keep you're helmets down├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow here and here├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôAre two airlocks. No way we're getting there. So we're going to set up a tent here and cut through into the wall. Then our riflemen take the breach. Eve, you cover us with a shield├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded, still looking nervous. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen Helena and Drew cover us with you're rifles and Mankowski and Hicks set up the M.G here├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed at his map ├óÔé¼┼ôand the rest of you riflemen shoot at anything that doesn't wear our colors├óÔé¼┬Ø. The rest of the marines nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd make sure nothing explosive gets in our shield. Eve how big can you make it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Eve shrugged ├óÔé¼┼ôAbout...three meters, I think. My mind isn't as strong as it was├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The raiders worked in a almost complete lack of air with a practiced ease. They wore the exoskeletons like second skins, every sound they made sounding tinny and old. So no one noticed the cutting sound from one of the walls. Until someone saw the light of the melting metal and shouted over the radio. The door burst open and the marines poured into the gap. ├óÔé¼┼ôOpen fire!├óÔé¼┬Ø Douglas shouted, even thought he was not in command. His voice joined with the officers shouting the same thing. The rifles sounded distant and tinny in the almost lack of air. They all fired, bullets spitting out of their guns. It was a turkey shoot. The bullets, no matter how low caliber, would eventually find their way into the weak points of the enemy armor.
Then Douglas head his gun chime over his radio. It was empty. Then he gaped. The bullets were floating a few feet from the enemy. The bullets, which had come from every angle as the raiders surrounded the enemy, made a half sphere around the enemy position. It seemed like everyone was looking at them. Then one of the enemy marines lowered her hand and the bullets fell to the ground in a patter of tinny clatters. ├óÔé¼┼ôFire...keep firing!├óÔé¼┬Ø An officer shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir...├óÔé¼┬Ø Douglas said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're out of bullets├óÔé¼┬Ø. He reached for his second magazine. Then the enemy started firing. Douglas would have admired their precision, if it hadn't hurt so damn much. They aimed for nonlethal spots. One bullet went through his kneecap and Douglas fell, air hissing out of his suit. He placed his fingers over the hole, trying to stop the pressure loss. He gritted his teeth, pain swamping his system.
The battle was over. Eve looked completely worn, looking around at the injured enemies. The marines had taken no casualties. Then enemy had take two when bullets hit the wrong spots, but mostly they were all alive and kicking. She felt...good. That was why she felt so bad. It was...strange. She didn't think she should feel good after using her powers, but she did. So she felt bad about feeling good. Eve ran her un-gloved hand through her hair and and sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike was saying to the rest of the squad ├óÔé¼┼ôI have some good news. We've brought a halt to the enemy in this area├óÔé¼┬Ø. They had also shunted some air to the room, pressurizing it. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo this has bought us three hours bunk time. If you have things to do, do it. Then meet back here and we're going to press on into the enemy territory. Keep you're gun close and if lots of baddies show up, run to Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôHey!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve objected. Mike frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're out numbered and out gunned. Reports are in that another battalion is coming with shuttles and our guns aren't firing. They are getting on board with no casualties. We are going to need you. So get you're head wired on├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve felt a little hurt as Mike dismissed the rest of the squad. Then she squared her shoulders. She wasn't some kid anymore. She walked over to Hick's, who was lighting up a cigarette. ├óÔé¼┼ôHicks├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, grabbing hold of his shirt ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're with me. And lose the cig├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks blinked and dropped the cigarette. Drew, who was also a smoker, picked up the unsmoked cig and placed it in his mouth.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's gotten into you, Eve?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks asked as she hauled him to the corner. ├óÔé¼┼ôNothing├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut Mike's right. I need to get my head screwed on├óÔé¼┬Ø. She started to set up a small tent. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what are you doing now?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSetting up a little private area├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe only have three hours to get laid so I say you get to work too├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôUh├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Eve turned around and smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI was thinking getting screwed will work just as well as getting my head screwed on├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks gaped ├óÔé¼┼ôThat makes no sense├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Eve shrugged ├óÔé¼┼ôTrue├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut what the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike watched the two of them set up a small fort with crates and some cloth that were inside those crates. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir...what are they doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôBuilding a fort├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey're not kids├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think they're not going to do very...kid things in that fort├óÔé¼┬Ø Drew said, slapping Lee on the shin. Lee blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan Drew and I have that next?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGo ask├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. Lee stood up. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo how long have you two been together?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked, looking at Drew, who was holding a rations tin as if it were on fire. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think├óÔé¼┬Ø Drew said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat our relationship started...about ten seconds ago, maybe?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then he got up, pulling off what was left of his exoskeleton.
Smith and Mankowski stood guard over the enemy prisoners. The critical cases had been carted away by Doe and Hans. The rest of them were placed up against the side of the wall, sitting and looking at their feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø Douglas spoke up. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell was it you have?├óÔé¼┬Ø Douglas asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...what did we lose to?├óÔé¼┬Ø. An orgiastic moan sounded. Then Eve almost shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôYes! Yes!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mankowski looked at the fort and then back to the prisoner. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat woman thats getting...getting what sounds good├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said. Douglas closed his eyes and banged his head against the wall ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôIs everyone on this ship crazy?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Mandela said, butting into the conversation as he lit up a stick of marijuana.
├óÔé¼┼ôMandela!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike shouted at the corporal ├óÔé¼┼ôNo drugs!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mandela took out a vial of counteractive medicine and waggled it in the air. ├óÔé¼┼ôMandela├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI want you in the right mind. No drugs, recreational or other wise. Put the stick out├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mandela made a face and put out the marijuana stick with his fingers. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan I have it?├óÔé¼┬Ø A raider asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, you prick├óÔé¼┬Ø Mandela snapped. Mike looked away, rolling his eyes. Eve was walking out of the fort, pulling her shirt on. Hicks walked out too, looking dazed. Lee and Drew filed in after them. Then the sounds started again. Mike closed his eyes. Then he checked his watch. They still had two and a half hours sack time. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan I take Lee after Drew?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowery piped up.
Mike jumped ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are you asking me! I just met you all!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lowery smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're a officer. You know everything├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've noticed that Lee doesn't seem to mind who she's shacking up with├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôPretty much yes├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowery said, closing her eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôLee...Lee is what some people would call a nymphomaniac. I just call her energetic, but you know how some people are├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about Drew?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lowery blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôUh...Drew is a nice guy. Mandela likes the drugs a bit too much. Steve reads the most and Hans loves to shout at people in German when he's angry. Other then that nothing much remarkable├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMe?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowery said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm...me├óÔé¼┬Ø
Mike sighed as the sounds from the fort got even louder. Lee shouted something. Then, a few minuets later, Drew walked out. ├óÔé¼┼ôLowery get your but in here!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee shouted. Lowery, amazingly, blushed. Mike closed his eyes and banged his head against the wall ├óÔé¼┼ôIs everyone on this ship insane?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôLook in the mirror├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, walking past him. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. Eve sat next to him ├óÔé¼┼ôI can handle it├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Eve snapped her hand forward and a blade snapped out of a ball socket on her wrist. The blade looked very sharp. Eve smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôMy mother did this...I hear├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLizzy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Eve shook her head ├óÔé¼┼ôNo...my biological mother├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, snapping the blade back into her arm.
├óÔé¼┼ôI've also got something neat to show you├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. She lifted her right hand and concentrated on it. Mike blinked, waiting for something to happen. Then Eve's hand fell of. Mike yelped. But no blood spurted, and Eve didn't seem too perturbed by the sudden loss of her hand. Then the hand started to crawl around with its fingers, like some kind of mad spider. It crawled up Mike's leg and onto his chest. Mike gibbered at it. Eve smiled and the hand reached out with two fingers and tweaked his nose. Then she reached out her handless arm and the hand snapped back on with a slight squelch. Mike looked at Eve. ├óÔé¼┼ôNeat trick, huh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. Mike nodded slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôCan...can you...see with it.
Eve concentrated. Then she raised her hand and showed Mike her palm. A single eye looked out of it. Mike felt like laughing at the insanity of it. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you scout out this position, here?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked, pulling out his map and pointing out an area ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is were the second wave is setting down├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôCan...Can i get a quick turn in the love nest first?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLove nest├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey have a name for it now?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI think people need a way to relax...so I seem to have become rather popular for giving one to them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mankowski, too Mike's surprise walked out of the tent. ├óÔé¼┼ôHas Lee ever left?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I'm not sure├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said.
The crawling hand!
Eve is getting a larger bag of tricks, as demonstrated...
BY A NEW EPISODE!!!!
Oh and Laurence SO deserves what happens to him.
├óÔé¼┼ôI...I...I have...I er...I... uh├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said, practically gibbering. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe will add an additional four million to you're pay roll├óÔé¼┬Ø His employer said. Laurence looked around. He was alone in this corridor of the ship. Officially this part of the ship was supposedly unpressurized. But Laurence was a Security Officer, and he was able to fool the still only half operational computer into thinking this hallway had a huge breach in the hull. The count was now twelve million credits for Laurence's pay. He nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôthen I'm going to board one of you're medical shuttles and get to the non-war zone├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right├óÔé¼┬Ø his employer said ├óÔé¼┼ôA medical shuttle is leaving in two hours. Be on it or don't leave├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Sarris heard a buzz on the door's knocker. She looked away from the map of the ship she was using. An orderly hovered at her shoulder, ready and willing to go dashing through machine gun fire to bring messages to the other area's of the ship. Sarris sighed. She was working with out a network. Each little computer node was only a third as useful without being connected to every single other computer on the ship. The com system was also down and they were still trying to figure out exactly what the bomb strike had damaged. For some reason the hard restart without the Aux D.C computers had scrambled everything. The buzz rang again and Sarris walked to the door.
She looked through the camera. It was a Security Officer, one she didn't know by sight. He was holding a dispatch case. She opened the door ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats the message?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. The Security Officer stepped into the room and opened the dispatch. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe message is this├óÔé¼┬Ø. He slid the silenced pistol out of the case and fired a shot over Sarris's shoulder. The orderlies head splattered and he collapsed to the ground. Sarris immediately tried to bring her hand smashing into Laurence's arm. The gun went of as his fingers spasmed in pain. He grabbed the arm and ran. Sarris grinned. Then she felt a spot on her chest. Her fingers were red. Sarris blinked, trying to wonder why the world was going gray. Then she hit the ground.
The raider's had occupied a full two thirds of the ship. They had even set up makeshift hospitals in large enough rooms, where medical shuttles docked and carted away wounded. Two of the raiders stood in a hallway that lead to Marine held zones, one of them with his helmed down. The other had his helmet up and was puffing on a cigarette. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know those things'll kill you├óÔé¼┬Ø The other raider said, his voice tinny and electronic sounding through his helmet. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit!├óÔé¼┬Ø The raider shouted, spitting the cigarette out of his mouth and yanking his helmet up. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey...don't panic├óÔé¼┬Ø His friend said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's unarmed and unarmored├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The teenager walked down the corridor, her hair spilling down over her face. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey, girl!├óÔé¼┬Ø the first raider shouted, walking forward ├óÔé¼┼ôthis is a secu-├óÔé¼┬Ø. The raider's upper torso fell forward, his legs toppling backwards. There was a haze of red. The remaining Raider gibbered, eyes wide. The girl was walking towards him, glowing on the infrared. He brought his gun up and started to fire. The girl kept walking, the bullets clattering to the floor around her feet. The raider turned to run, shouting into his radio ├óÔé¼┼ôBackup! We need backup!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then his corpse fell forward onto the ground, his head rolling off his shoulders as if it had never been connected. Blood fountained.
Eve slowly cricked her neck. She kept her eyes closed. If she opened them she would see the corpses and the blood. She was already breathing as shallowly as possible through her mouth, trying to keep the smell of blood out of her nose. If she saw the blood or smelt the blood she would realize what she had done. And she was trying to not think about it as much as possible. If she just thought of them as manikins to be pulled apart as quickly as possible then it was...easier. She got past the corpses and opened her eyes. Clean hallways stretched in front of her. ├óÔé¼┼ôRelax├óÔé¼┬Ø a voice said in her mind ├óÔé¼┼ôenjoy the sight of blood...no matter how much you try there's going to be a lot of it today├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve squared her shoulders and heard the sound of footsteps. Then ten raiders ran into the corridor, guns ready. They had received the panicked message from the raider. ├óÔé¼┼ôFreeze!├óÔé¼┬Ø one of them shouted. Eve sighed slowly. Then she took a single step forward. ├óÔé¼┼ôFREEZE!├óÔé¼┬Ø the leader shouted, louder this time. Eve took another step. ├óÔé¼┼ôFreeze or we shoot!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve looked up ├óÔé¼┼ôWalk away├óÔé¼┬Ø she said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôLeave this ship...and you will live├óÔé¼┬Ø. There was a nervous chuckle from the raiders. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're not even armored├óÔé¼┬Ø the leader said ├óÔé¼┼ôThese bullets will tear you limb from limb├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey'd have to hit me first├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. She took another step forward. ├óÔé¼┼ôFire!├óÔé¼┬Ø the leader shouted.
There guns lit up and bullets tore down the corridor at Eve. She tensed slightly. These were exploding rounds. As they impacted on her shield they exploded violently. Smoke filled the hallway, covering everything. ├óÔé¼┼ôCease fire!├óÔé¼┬Ø The leader shouted. He stared through his snoopers. The dust was mucking with infrared. He thought he could see some thing...but that could be residue from the explosions. Then the dust cleared. Eve stared back at him, unharmed. She was still wearing her unassuming black marine uniform without gear, without a single mark marring either it or her skin. Eve took another step forward. ├óÔé¼┼ôW...What are you doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø The leader shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôKeep firing!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø one of his marines said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're out o-├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then that marines head slid off his shoulders. Blood spurted and the corpse fell to the ground, gun clattering out of his lifeless hands.
├óÔé¼┼ôLeave├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, her voice dead ├óÔé¼┼ôOr I will kill all of you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôr...retreat├óÔé¼┬Ø The leader said ├óÔé¼┼ôRetreat!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The raiders started to run. Then they stopped, holding onto their guns. They didn't want to move. Eve smiled as they jerked on their now frozen guns. Then she started to crush them. One of the guns crumpled up like a soda can. ├óÔé¼┼ôLeave them├óÔé¼┬Ø the leader said, his voice calmer now. He looked back at Eve. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy...why did you let them live?├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice in Eve's head asked ├óÔé¼┼ôThey will just get new guns and attack you again. And again. And again until you're dead├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve shook her head and waved her hand. The guns all crumpled into crushed disks of metal. Then those clattered to the ground, harmlessly.
├óÔé¼┼ôHoly shit├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike muttered, looking at the hacked video feed. They had to cut into the security camera's direct, witch was gumming up the computer systems even more. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow many enemy casualties?├óÔé¼┬Ø Drew asked, hovering over his shoulder. Drew had been the commander for the squad before Mike took over, and was still trying to have some say in the combat. ├óÔé¼┼ôOne├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôSend Smith to Sarris's office. Tell her that we've got a reason for the enemy to parley├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat reason?├óÔé¼┬Ø Drew asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, as if it were obvious ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean she just took out two squads of raiders without armor or guns├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Smith ran down the corridors, worried that some raider assault squad would hit him. The marines and the raiders were keeping their distance from one another. Still...you'd never know what would happen. As if to make him even more nervous Smith literally ran into another man when he was going around a corner. He and the other man slowly got up. A silenced pistol had fallen to the ground and skidded down the hallway. It had landed right in front of the General's room. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said. Then an arm fell out of the open door, grabbing the pistol. The other man spun around. Then the General, a blood hole in her chest, dragged herself out of the room.
├óÔé¼┼ôGotcha├óÔé¼┬Ø she gasped. Then the gun made two coughing sounds. Laurence took a half step off, two bullets tearing bloody hole through his left lung. He looked at the bloody holes in his body, then up at the General. The General took slightly better aim. Then fired one last time. The back of Laurence's head exploded, splattering blood on the wall behind him. His corpse landed, head catching against the wall. His left foot twitched. Steve gaped, looking at the General. ├óÔé¼┼ôGotcha├óÔé¼┬Ø She said again. Then the pistol clattered out of her hands onto the floor.
├óÔé¼┼ôMedic├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith said, running down the corridor. Then he saw there was no one else here. He ran to Sarris, trying to stop the bleeding. ├óÔé¼┼ôMEDIC!├óÔé¼┬Ø He screamed, looking around. There was no one. Smith grabbed the head set of Smith and tuned to broad band frequency. It would broadcast to everyone in three decks. ├óÔé¼┼ôMedic! MEDIC! The General has been shot!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The blood slowed under his fingers. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't you die on me├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith muttered, pressing harder on the wound. Sarris's eyes rolled back into her head and she started to convulse. Then, amazingly, medics ran around the corner, not even noticing Laurence's corpse till they ran it over with a gurney. But they got to Sarris and loaded her onto the gurney. A blood pack attached itself to Sarris's arm and started to pump blood into her.
Smith stood ├óÔé¼┼ôThank God├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, looking at the medics. Then he saw their uniforms. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh hell├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, looking at their badges. ├óÔé¼┼ôHands up├óÔé¼┬Ø One of them said, pulling a pistol. Smith raised his hands ├óÔé¼┼ôJust...just save my general, please├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'll do the best we can├óÔé¼┬Ø the medic said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow hands up├óÔé¼┬Ø. Smith raised his hands and the gurney started to wheel away. He followed, hands still raised. There was a dead line from the heart monitor. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø the medic said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to get her on the other ship. They can resuscitate her├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI won't let my General leave this ship!├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't have much of a choice├óÔé¼┬Ø The medics said, running with the gurney. Smith kept following them. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know you guys don't follow the Articles of War├óÔé¼┬Ø Smiths said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou should have never let Dobson go after having him in you're cells├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôListen buddy├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the medics shouted as they reached an enemy hospital ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're the ones not following the Articles of War. Using a minor in warfare is definitely aloud├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMinor?├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith asked as they loaded Sarris's corpse onto a medical shuttle. The shuttle was choked with casualties. Each of them had lost a limb, many of them two. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...what cause this?├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith asked stepping on board with his General. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing on that shuttle?├óÔé¼┬Ø One of the medics asked him. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to...I need to protect my General├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith said, face hard ├óÔé¼┼ôHow could I just let her fall into enemy hands?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The medic snorted ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've got our self's a Johnny Reb here├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats not what A Johnny Reb is!├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith objected. Then the shuttle door closed and the thing detached from the Hannibal.
Eve looked around the corridor. She hadn't had any choice. The camera's would prove it. The enemy had started to come and they hadn't stopped coming. She hadn't killed anyone...if they had got tourniquets on. But the arms and legs still littered the hallway, a silent testament to what she had done. ├óÔé¼┼ôEve!├óÔé¼┬Ø someone shouted. Eve turned around. Hicks ran down the hallway ├óÔé¼┼ôEve!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to get out of here!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe enemy have decided that you're to big of a threat├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey are going to bring down thunder on this entire deck!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThunder?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôArtillery!├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks said, grabbing her arm ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you survive a vacuum?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve is getting a larger bag of tricks, as demonstrated...
BY A NEW EPISODE!!!!
Oh and Laurence SO deserves what happens to him.
├óÔé¼┼ôI...I...I have...I er...I... uh├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said, practically gibbering. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe will add an additional four million to you're pay roll├óÔé¼┬Ø His employer said. Laurence looked around. He was alone in this corridor of the ship. Officially this part of the ship was supposedly unpressurized. But Laurence was a Security Officer, and he was able to fool the still only half operational computer into thinking this hallway had a huge breach in the hull. The count was now twelve million credits for Laurence's pay. He nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôthen I'm going to board one of you're medical shuttles and get to the non-war zone├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right├óÔé¼┬Ø his employer said ├óÔé¼┼ôA medical shuttle is leaving in two hours. Be on it or don't leave├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Sarris heard a buzz on the door's knocker. She looked away from the map of the ship she was using. An orderly hovered at her shoulder, ready and willing to go dashing through machine gun fire to bring messages to the other area's of the ship. Sarris sighed. She was working with out a network. Each little computer node was only a third as useful without being connected to every single other computer on the ship. The com system was also down and they were still trying to figure out exactly what the bomb strike had damaged. For some reason the hard restart without the Aux D.C computers had scrambled everything. The buzz rang again and Sarris walked to the door.
She looked through the camera. It was a Security Officer, one she didn't know by sight. He was holding a dispatch case. She opened the door ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats the message?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. The Security Officer stepped into the room and opened the dispatch. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe message is this├óÔé¼┬Ø. He slid the silenced pistol out of the case and fired a shot over Sarris's shoulder. The orderlies head splattered and he collapsed to the ground. Sarris immediately tried to bring her hand smashing into Laurence's arm. The gun went of as his fingers spasmed in pain. He grabbed the arm and ran. Sarris grinned. Then she felt a spot on her chest. Her fingers were red. Sarris blinked, trying to wonder why the world was going gray. Then she hit the ground.
The raider's had occupied a full two thirds of the ship. They had even set up makeshift hospitals in large enough rooms, where medical shuttles docked and carted away wounded. Two of the raiders stood in a hallway that lead to Marine held zones, one of them with his helmed down. The other had his helmet up and was puffing on a cigarette. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know those things'll kill you├óÔé¼┬Ø The other raider said, his voice tinny and electronic sounding through his helmet. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit!├óÔé¼┬Ø The raider shouted, spitting the cigarette out of his mouth and yanking his helmet up. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey...don't panic├óÔé¼┬Ø His friend said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's unarmed and unarmored├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The teenager walked down the corridor, her hair spilling down over her face. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey, girl!├óÔé¼┬Ø the first raider shouted, walking forward ├óÔé¼┼ôthis is a secu-├óÔé¼┬Ø. The raider's upper torso fell forward, his legs toppling backwards. There was a haze of red. The remaining Raider gibbered, eyes wide. The girl was walking towards him, glowing on the infrared. He brought his gun up and started to fire. The girl kept walking, the bullets clattering to the floor around her feet. The raider turned to run, shouting into his radio ├óÔé¼┼ôBackup! We need backup!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then his corpse fell forward onto the ground, his head rolling off his shoulders as if it had never been connected. Blood fountained.
Eve slowly cricked her neck. She kept her eyes closed. If she opened them she would see the corpses and the blood. She was already breathing as shallowly as possible through her mouth, trying to keep the smell of blood out of her nose. If she saw the blood or smelt the blood she would realize what she had done. And she was trying to not think about it as much as possible. If she just thought of them as manikins to be pulled apart as quickly as possible then it was...easier. She got past the corpses and opened her eyes. Clean hallways stretched in front of her. ├óÔé¼┼ôRelax├óÔé¼┬Ø a voice said in her mind ├óÔé¼┼ôenjoy the sight of blood...no matter how much you try there's going to be a lot of it today├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve squared her shoulders and heard the sound of footsteps. Then ten raiders ran into the corridor, guns ready. They had received the panicked message from the raider. ├óÔé¼┼ôFreeze!├óÔé¼┬Ø one of them shouted. Eve sighed slowly. Then she took a single step forward. ├óÔé¼┼ôFREEZE!├óÔé¼┬Ø the leader shouted, louder this time. Eve took another step. ├óÔé¼┼ôFreeze or we shoot!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve looked up ├óÔé¼┼ôWalk away├óÔé¼┬Ø she said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôLeave this ship...and you will live├óÔé¼┬Ø. There was a nervous chuckle from the raiders. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're not even armored├óÔé¼┬Ø the leader said ├óÔé¼┼ôThese bullets will tear you limb from limb├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey'd have to hit me first├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. She took another step forward. ├óÔé¼┼ôFire!├óÔé¼┬Ø the leader shouted.
There guns lit up and bullets tore down the corridor at Eve. She tensed slightly. These were exploding rounds. As they impacted on her shield they exploded violently. Smoke filled the hallway, covering everything. ├óÔé¼┼ôCease fire!├óÔé¼┬Ø The leader shouted. He stared through his snoopers. The dust was mucking with infrared. He thought he could see some thing...but that could be residue from the explosions. Then the dust cleared. Eve stared back at him, unharmed. She was still wearing her unassuming black marine uniform without gear, without a single mark marring either it or her skin. Eve took another step forward. ├óÔé¼┼ôW...What are you doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø The leader shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôKeep firing!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø one of his marines said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're out o-├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then that marines head slid off his shoulders. Blood spurted and the corpse fell to the ground, gun clattering out of his lifeless hands.
├óÔé¼┼ôLeave├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, her voice dead ├óÔé¼┼ôOr I will kill all of you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôr...retreat├óÔé¼┬Ø The leader said ├óÔé¼┼ôRetreat!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The raiders started to run. Then they stopped, holding onto their guns. They didn't want to move. Eve smiled as they jerked on their now frozen guns. Then she started to crush them. One of the guns crumpled up like a soda can. ├óÔé¼┼ôLeave them├óÔé¼┬Ø the leader said, his voice calmer now. He looked back at Eve. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy...why did you let them live?├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice in Eve's head asked ├óÔé¼┼ôThey will just get new guns and attack you again. And again. And again until you're dead├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve shook her head and waved her hand. The guns all crumpled into crushed disks of metal. Then those clattered to the ground, harmlessly.
├óÔé¼┼ôHoly shit├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike muttered, looking at the hacked video feed. They had to cut into the security camera's direct, witch was gumming up the computer systems even more. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow many enemy casualties?├óÔé¼┬Ø Drew asked, hovering over his shoulder. Drew had been the commander for the squad before Mike took over, and was still trying to have some say in the combat. ├óÔé¼┼ôOne├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôSend Smith to Sarris's office. Tell her that we've got a reason for the enemy to parley├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat reason?├óÔé¼┬Ø Drew asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, as if it were obvious ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean she just took out two squads of raiders without armor or guns├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Smith ran down the corridors, worried that some raider assault squad would hit him. The marines and the raiders were keeping their distance from one another. Still...you'd never know what would happen. As if to make him even more nervous Smith literally ran into another man when he was going around a corner. He and the other man slowly got up. A silenced pistol had fallen to the ground and skidded down the hallway. It had landed right in front of the General's room. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø Steve said. Then an arm fell out of the open door, grabbing the pistol. The other man spun around. Then the General, a blood hole in her chest, dragged herself out of the room.
├óÔé¼┼ôGotcha├óÔé¼┬Ø she gasped. Then the gun made two coughing sounds. Laurence took a half step off, two bullets tearing bloody hole through his left lung. He looked at the bloody holes in his body, then up at the General. The General took slightly better aim. Then fired one last time. The back of Laurence's head exploded, splattering blood on the wall behind him. His corpse landed, head catching against the wall. His left foot twitched. Steve gaped, looking at the General. ├óÔé¼┼ôGotcha├óÔé¼┬Ø She said again. Then the pistol clattered out of her hands onto the floor.
├óÔé¼┼ôMedic├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith said, running down the corridor. Then he saw there was no one else here. He ran to Sarris, trying to stop the bleeding. ├óÔé¼┼ôMEDIC!├óÔé¼┬Ø He screamed, looking around. There was no one. Smith grabbed the head set of Smith and tuned to broad band frequency. It would broadcast to everyone in three decks. ├óÔé¼┼ôMedic! MEDIC! The General has been shot!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The blood slowed under his fingers. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't you die on me├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith muttered, pressing harder on the wound. Sarris's eyes rolled back into her head and she started to convulse. Then, amazingly, medics ran around the corner, not even noticing Laurence's corpse till they ran it over with a gurney. But they got to Sarris and loaded her onto the gurney. A blood pack attached itself to Sarris's arm and started to pump blood into her.
Smith stood ├óÔé¼┼ôThank God├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, looking at the medics. Then he saw their uniforms. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh hell├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, looking at their badges. ├óÔé¼┼ôHands up├óÔé¼┬Ø One of them said, pulling a pistol. Smith raised his hands ├óÔé¼┼ôJust...just save my general, please├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'll do the best we can├óÔé¼┬Ø the medic said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow hands up├óÔé¼┬Ø. Smith raised his hands and the gurney started to wheel away. He followed, hands still raised. There was a dead line from the heart monitor. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø the medic said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to get her on the other ship. They can resuscitate her├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI won't let my General leave this ship!├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't have much of a choice├óÔé¼┬Ø The medics said, running with the gurney. Smith kept following them. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know you guys don't follow the Articles of War├óÔé¼┬Ø Smiths said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou should have never let Dobson go after having him in you're cells├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôListen buddy├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the medics shouted as they reached an enemy hospital ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're the ones not following the Articles of War. Using a minor in warfare is definitely aloud├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMinor?├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith asked as they loaded Sarris's corpse onto a medical shuttle. The shuttle was choked with casualties. Each of them had lost a limb, many of them two. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...what cause this?├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith asked stepping on board with his General. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing on that shuttle?├óÔé¼┬Ø One of the medics asked him. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to...I need to protect my General├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith said, face hard ├óÔé¼┼ôHow could I just let her fall into enemy hands?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The medic snorted ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've got our self's a Johnny Reb here├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats not what A Johnny Reb is!├óÔé¼┬Ø Smith objected. Then the shuttle door closed and the thing detached from the Hannibal.
Eve looked around the corridor. She hadn't had any choice. The camera's would prove it. The enemy had started to come and they hadn't stopped coming. She hadn't killed anyone...if they had got tourniquets on. But the arms and legs still littered the hallway, a silent testament to what she had done. ├óÔé¼┼ôEve!├óÔé¼┬Ø someone shouted. Eve turned around. Hicks ran down the hallway ├óÔé¼┼ôEve!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to get out of here!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe enemy have decided that you're to big of a threat├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey are going to bring down thunder on this entire deck!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThunder?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôArtillery!├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks said, grabbing her arm ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you survive a vacuum?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Lizzy gets lost. Artiller in a space ship is a bad idea. Promotions all around. Blood! Guts! Possible death!
All of this and MORE in this episode of Darkside: Extinction!
Hicks stumbled. Then the corridor behind him exploded. Eve fell forward, the explosion buffeting her forward. Hicks helped Eve to her feet and shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've got to get going!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded and the started to run again. The many fragments from the explosion dropped from the air where Eve had been holding them. Two marines were standing at a large bulkhead that had been set up, blocking a hallway. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're the last ones!├óÔé¼┬Ø the marine on the left said ├óÔé¼┼ôThen we're closing this corridor up!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded as another massive explosion rent the side of the hull. Eve was shoved through it by Hicks. Then the other marines pushed in. Then finally Hicks ran in and the bulkhead shut behind them. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo they're just hitting that area?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked, gasping.
├óÔé¼┼ôThats what we heard├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the marines said. Eve nodded, trying to picture the war on a large scale. If this part of the ship was now unpressurized then that meant the fighting would only intensify on the other side of the ship. Eve looked around ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat if they send space suited people through?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're staying here in case that happens. If they cut through we can tell the rest of the ship├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the marines said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou two get to the medical bay's if you need to. If not go to...junction 7-C. Thats a staging area for the next big push├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Keller looked at the corpse. ├óÔé¼┼ôShove him out the air lock├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd tell Mike we found Laurence├óÔé¼┬Ø. He looked at the room where Sarris had been coordinating as best she could. ├óÔé¼┼ôSecurity feeds, once we hacked into the live wire├óÔé¼┬Ø an aide said ├óÔé¼┼ôShows enemy medics took her down the corridor to a known staging area├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy was our C and C post so close to the front?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSarris said that no one would think to look here. Officially this is a cleared medical zone├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller nodded, rubbing his eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôNot that these guys seem to care much about medics and wounded├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey've been a bit tetchy after we sent Eve after them├óÔé¼┬Ø his aide pointed out.
Keller walked into the command post and looked around. The runner who had worked with Sarris was dead. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe know she's alive, if the enemy med techs are still working├óÔé¼┬Ø. He turned to his aide ├óÔé¼┼ôFind the next higher up and get him or her here. We need someone working this place├óÔé¼┬Ø. His aide nodded. Keller turned back to the command room and closed his eyes. He would worry later. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd tell me why our network is still down├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFrom what our reports are├óÔé¼┬Ø the aide said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have no idea├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell send someone to find out├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're deaf dumb and blind without our network├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôwell├óÔé¼┬Ø His aide said ├óÔé¼┼ôMost of the crew are fighting with the marines, tending to the wounded and trying to keep the hull from breaching├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Keller nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôSend a message to the enemy ship. Request a link up with General Sarris, my quarters. Immediately├óÔé¼┬Ø. His aide nodded and looked at Keller's runner. Keller's runner wrote down the words that Keller said, placed them in a dispatch case and started to run. He ran down the corridors, worried that someone on either side would shoot him. He saw small gun battles between guards on both sides, neither side really committing to the battle. He avoided those and kept running. Then he reached the laser communication hub. It used to be you can put you're message in any computer and it would be shunted down to the laser com hub. Now he had to actually run down there, braving gunfire, vacuum, lasers and other horrible ways of death.
The runner started to think that this universe was pointless and cruel when he arrived and had to wait for ten minuets in line while other people stood at the laser com hub, feeding in their messages. The runner didn't know what the other messages were for, and really didn't care. Then he finally fed in his message. Ten seconds later, unlike many of those who waited in line, a message was bounced back. It said: ├óÔé¼┼ôMessage received. Live link up in five minuets├óÔé¼┬Ø. The runner checked his watch and realized that it would take him at least fifteen minuets to get to where ever Keller was. So he hoped Keller was in his rooms.
He was, actually. Sitting at his desk, frowning at the wall of his rooms. Then the wall flickered on and the enemy captain, Michelle, came into view. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello├óÔé¼┬Ø she said cheerily. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've bombed my ship and shot up my crew. Half of my decks are swarming with you're raiders and now you've kidnapped my general├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôI want her back├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry but we can't just give you guys back such a fine general. It wouldn't be...sporting├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller stood up ├óÔé¼┼ôYou may think this is a game├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut this is very serious. You and you're entire crew have turned on a fellow Colonial Ship├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôFellow...Colonial...ship├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said, slowly as if she wasn't quite sure what Keller was talking about ├óÔé¼┼ôI was under the impression that I was getting paid an exorbitant amount of money to turn my guns on you. So I did├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou used to be part of the Navy! Doesn't that mean anything to you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, not really├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said, shaking her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...money├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôDoing this for money?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot just money├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said, turning her head ├óÔé¼┼ôSomething far more....far more then you can imagine├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle smiled at him ├óÔé¼┼ôGodhood├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Keller gaped ├óÔé¼┼ôGodhood?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Michelle nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôGodhood├óÔé¼┬Ø she said again.
The staging area looked very disorganized. At least five marines squads were gathered, all in some state of disrepair. Hicks and Eve tried to find their squad, but no one knew where they were. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø a Sargent shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôOur squad is down two men. We could use you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, walking there. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere's you're exoskeleton?├óÔé¼┬Ø the sarge asked. Eve opened her mouth to explain when there was a shout from the front of the staging area. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø a thickly accented voice shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôAnnouncements!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The marines quieted down and Capitan Himmler walked onto a pile of box's at the front of the large room. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've some bad news├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're moving out in ten minuets├óÔé¼┬Ø. One marine cheered. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the General has been shot├óÔé¼┬Ø. That sent murmurs through out the crowd.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Himmler said ├óÔé¼┼ôI am taking command. First things first we need to take and hold this area of the ship. Once we've taken this area we will have clear access to our large munitions. That is tanks, missiles and nukes. Not that they are useful in space, but it will give us more ammo├óÔé¼┬Ø. That sent up a cheer from some of the more ragged looking squads. They really needed that ammo. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø the Sargent of the squad said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is George, Harry, and Beth├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed out the squad members ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm Matsumoto but you can call me Mat├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi Mat├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm Eve Montoya and this is Hicks├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked at him ├óÔé¼┼ôno last name that I know of├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy parents decided to ditch last names when I was born├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks said.
├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Mat said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you good at?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSniper├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôand...some...other things├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOther things being├óÔé¼┬Ø Mat said. Eve blushed ├óÔé¼┼ôYou haven't heard of me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNope├óÔé¼┬Ø Harry said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI might have heard of a Montoya on the ship├óÔé¼┬Ø Beth muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôWasn't it Elizabeth Montoya├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôElizabeth Montoya's just a myth├óÔé¼┬Ø George said ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care what you say on the contrary├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve blushed even redder ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôJust some odds and ends├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks hurramphed ├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôShow them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve raised her hand and George yelped as his gun jerked itself out of his hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, looking at the rifle. Eve let it drop.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe's a god damn spoon bender!├óÔé¼┬Ø George almost shouted, grabbing the gun. Mat rounded on Eve ├óÔé¼┼ôThats amazing!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy aren't you with the captain or Himmler? They could use you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI was but I got a bit separated├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell get to him RIGHT NOW!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mat shouted, pointing. Eve nodded, a bit cowed. She walked through the crowd till she got to the new General. Himmler was pouring over a large map of the area they were going to hit. ├óÔé¼┼ôLieutenant Glickson and Dobson are coordinating five other squads here├óÔé¼┬Ø Himmler was saying ├óÔé¼┼ôThey should hit the decks right below us├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't have time for civilians├óÔé¼┬Ø Himmler said, not turning around. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI am reporting for duty├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Himmler asked, still not turning around. ├óÔé¼┼ôEve Montoya├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, snapping a salute. Himmler turned around slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôGood to see you mam├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI heard a lot about you're powers. What can you do?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve cracked her knuckles. Then her left hand detached and started to crawl around the ground. Himmler laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôJust like Evil Dead├óÔé¼┬Ø He said. ├óÔé¼┼ôwhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked, picking the hand up. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind├óÔé¼┬Ø Himmler said, still smiling ├óÔé¼┼ôI also heard that you can...cut things├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôYes...sir├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, trying to keep the self disgust out of her voice. She hated it so much.
├óÔé¼┼ôwell├óÔé¼┬Ø Himmler said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're going to have to rework our plans then├óÔé¼┬Ø. He turned to the map. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets see├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we get a runner to Glickson and Dobson before the attack starts?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo sir├óÔé¼┬Ø the runner said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts going to go in five minuets├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Himmler said, looking at his map ├óÔé¼┼ôEve can you go forward here. I can reroute my troops to cover you if you need, but I'd prefer to risk as little as possible├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôI think├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, her throat getting a bit dry ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I can handle that without backup├óÔé¼┬Ø. Himmler looked at her ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you one hundred percent?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Eve shook her head ├óÔé¼┼ôThat Doesn't matter├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can hack it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Himmler frowned. Then he nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI believe you. Go forward now and see what you can do├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShould I try and capture some enemies?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot a priority...in fact I want them running for the hills. Try and scare the crap out of them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Douglas looked at his rations ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski shouted, walking away from the small 'prison camp' he was supposed to be guarding ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not getting much better, damn raider├óÔé¼┬Ø. Douglas sighed and started to eat what tasted like a plastic imitation of a hamburger. After a few moments Mankowski came back, with a small round cylinder under his arm. He placed it on the ground ├óÔé¼┼ôSee this├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, looking at the five raiders who were in his prison camp ├óÔé¼┼ôthis thing is an automated turret. If you try to move past this point├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed at the ground ├óÔé¼┼ôIt will open fire and kill you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Douglas gulped. That was a serious threat. Without his exoskeleton even a low caliber round could potentially kill him. Mankowski nodded and walked away.
├óÔé¼┼ôDamn fools can't tell a ration container from a turret├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski muttered, lighting up a cigarette. He walked into the second staging area. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre the prisoners stowed?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lieutenant Glickson asked. Mankowski would always think of the perpetually cigar chomping, dark skinned man as Sarge. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust about├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said, puffing on his cigarette and sighing ├óÔé¼┼ôThey're not going to move. Without their exoskeletons they're about as smart as newborn babes├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI hope you don't fall into that trap├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, not looking up from his map. ├óÔé¼┼ôI survived Dantana without an Exoskeleton├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski objected. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo did I├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike and Glickson said at the same time. ├óÔé¼┼ôMe too├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôEveryone's against me├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski muttered.
Then Mike's watch bleeped. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're moving out!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The other four squads stopped their talking. Mike caught glimpsed of familer faces, like Lee and Mankowski and Helena. Mostly just a bunch of faceless marines with their exoskeletons on and helmets down. They moved out at a brisk pace, each squad tackling one of the many corridors. Mike and Glickson stayed back, keeping tabs on everyone with their maps. Then the map died. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked, looking at the map. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts out of batteries!├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said, yanking out the battery and throwing it away. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust plug it into the ship├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis area hasn't been cleared├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson ├óÔé¼┼ôThe enemy could still hack into this network!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is no network anymore├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts down!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShip wide...yes├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said ├óÔé¼┼ôLocal network...no├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn computers ├óÔé¼┼ôYou take squads three through four. I'll take One and five├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about two?├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson asked. Mike tapped into radio ├óÔé¼┼ôHelena├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôyou're promoted to Sargent. Take care of you're squad├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôO...Okay├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, blinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôWas that a good idea?├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe'll be fine├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena looked around at her squad, all of whom were looking at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôMove out!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, gesturing. They all did so.
Lizzy walked down the corridors. All right. Enough was enough. She had it. She was lost. Lizzy stopped, trying to find a computer terminal with a map. But all of them said she didn't have enough clearance to use it. She could have wandered into enemy territory for all she knew. Lizzy swore, looking around. Then she sat down and decided to rest for a bit. Her legs still felt quite wobbly. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot to bad for a dead chick├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered, feeling her pockets. She found a cigarette in her left pocket. ├óÔé¼┼ôSweet├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered, sliding the stub between her lips. Then she had no matches or lighters. For some reason that made the universe seem all the worse. Then she heard a scream.
Lizzy stood up, un-holstering her pistol. Then she heard a slight swish and the splattering of blood. Then someone ran around the corner, clutching his newly missing arm. Then his head toppled off, blood gushing momentarily. Eve walked around the corner. Then she looked at Lizzy. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôhi mom├óÔé¼┬Ø.
All of this and MORE in this episode of Darkside: Extinction!
Hicks stumbled. Then the corridor behind him exploded. Eve fell forward, the explosion buffeting her forward. Hicks helped Eve to her feet and shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've got to get going!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded and the started to run again. The many fragments from the explosion dropped from the air where Eve had been holding them. Two marines were standing at a large bulkhead that had been set up, blocking a hallway. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're the last ones!├óÔé¼┬Ø the marine on the left said ├óÔé¼┼ôThen we're closing this corridor up!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded as another massive explosion rent the side of the hull. Eve was shoved through it by Hicks. Then the other marines pushed in. Then finally Hicks ran in and the bulkhead shut behind them. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo they're just hitting that area?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked, gasping.
├óÔé¼┼ôThats what we heard├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the marines said. Eve nodded, trying to picture the war on a large scale. If this part of the ship was now unpressurized then that meant the fighting would only intensify on the other side of the ship. Eve looked around ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat if they send space suited people through?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're staying here in case that happens. If they cut through we can tell the rest of the ship├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the marines said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou two get to the medical bay's if you need to. If not go to...junction 7-C. Thats a staging area for the next big push├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Keller looked at the corpse. ├óÔé¼┼ôShove him out the air lock├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd tell Mike we found Laurence├óÔé¼┬Ø. He looked at the room where Sarris had been coordinating as best she could. ├óÔé¼┼ôSecurity feeds, once we hacked into the live wire├óÔé¼┬Ø an aide said ├óÔé¼┼ôShows enemy medics took her down the corridor to a known staging area├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy was our C and C post so close to the front?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSarris said that no one would think to look here. Officially this is a cleared medical zone├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller nodded, rubbing his eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôNot that these guys seem to care much about medics and wounded├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey've been a bit tetchy after we sent Eve after them├óÔé¼┬Ø his aide pointed out.
Keller walked into the command post and looked around. The runner who had worked with Sarris was dead. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe know she's alive, if the enemy med techs are still working├óÔé¼┬Ø. He turned to his aide ├óÔé¼┼ôFind the next higher up and get him or her here. We need someone working this place├óÔé¼┬Ø. His aide nodded. Keller turned back to the command room and closed his eyes. He would worry later. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd tell me why our network is still down├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFrom what our reports are├óÔé¼┬Ø the aide said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have no idea├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell send someone to find out├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're deaf dumb and blind without our network├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôwell├óÔé¼┬Ø His aide said ├óÔé¼┼ôMost of the crew are fighting with the marines, tending to the wounded and trying to keep the hull from breaching├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Keller nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôSend a message to the enemy ship. Request a link up with General Sarris, my quarters. Immediately├óÔé¼┬Ø. His aide nodded and looked at Keller's runner. Keller's runner wrote down the words that Keller said, placed them in a dispatch case and started to run. He ran down the corridors, worried that someone on either side would shoot him. He saw small gun battles between guards on both sides, neither side really committing to the battle. He avoided those and kept running. Then he reached the laser communication hub. It used to be you can put you're message in any computer and it would be shunted down to the laser com hub. Now he had to actually run down there, braving gunfire, vacuum, lasers and other horrible ways of death.
The runner started to think that this universe was pointless and cruel when he arrived and had to wait for ten minuets in line while other people stood at the laser com hub, feeding in their messages. The runner didn't know what the other messages were for, and really didn't care. Then he finally fed in his message. Ten seconds later, unlike many of those who waited in line, a message was bounced back. It said: ├óÔé¼┼ôMessage received. Live link up in five minuets├óÔé¼┬Ø. The runner checked his watch and realized that it would take him at least fifteen minuets to get to where ever Keller was. So he hoped Keller was in his rooms.
He was, actually. Sitting at his desk, frowning at the wall of his rooms. Then the wall flickered on and the enemy captain, Michelle, came into view. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello├óÔé¼┬Ø she said cheerily. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've bombed my ship and shot up my crew. Half of my decks are swarming with you're raiders and now you've kidnapped my general├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôI want her back├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry but we can't just give you guys back such a fine general. It wouldn't be...sporting├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller stood up ├óÔé¼┼ôYou may think this is a game├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut this is very serious. You and you're entire crew have turned on a fellow Colonial Ship├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôFellow...Colonial...ship├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said, slowly as if she wasn't quite sure what Keller was talking about ├óÔé¼┼ôI was under the impression that I was getting paid an exorbitant amount of money to turn my guns on you. So I did├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou used to be part of the Navy! Doesn't that mean anything to you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, not really├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said, shaking her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...money├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôDoing this for money?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot just money├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said, turning her head ├óÔé¼┼ôSomething far more....far more then you can imagine├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle smiled at him ├óÔé¼┼ôGodhood├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Keller gaped ├óÔé¼┼ôGodhood?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Michelle nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôGodhood├óÔé¼┬Ø she said again.
The staging area looked very disorganized. At least five marines squads were gathered, all in some state of disrepair. Hicks and Eve tried to find their squad, but no one knew where they were. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø a Sargent shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôOur squad is down two men. We could use you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, walking there. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere's you're exoskeleton?├óÔé¼┬Ø the sarge asked. Eve opened her mouth to explain when there was a shout from the front of the staging area. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø a thickly accented voice shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôAnnouncements!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The marines quieted down and Capitan Himmler walked onto a pile of box's at the front of the large room. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've some bad news├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're moving out in ten minuets├óÔé¼┬Ø. One marine cheered. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the General has been shot├óÔé¼┬Ø. That sent murmurs through out the crowd.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Himmler said ├óÔé¼┼ôI am taking command. First things first we need to take and hold this area of the ship. Once we've taken this area we will have clear access to our large munitions. That is tanks, missiles and nukes. Not that they are useful in space, but it will give us more ammo├óÔé¼┬Ø. That sent up a cheer from some of the more ragged looking squads. They really needed that ammo. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø the Sargent of the squad said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is George, Harry, and Beth├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed out the squad members ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm Matsumoto but you can call me Mat├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi Mat├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm Eve Montoya and this is Hicks├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked at him ├óÔé¼┼ôno last name that I know of├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy parents decided to ditch last names when I was born├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks said.
├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Mat said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you good at?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSniper├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôand...some...other things├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOther things being├óÔé¼┬Ø Mat said. Eve blushed ├óÔé¼┼ôYou haven't heard of me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNope├óÔé¼┬Ø Harry said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI might have heard of a Montoya on the ship├óÔé¼┬Ø Beth muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôWasn't it Elizabeth Montoya├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôElizabeth Montoya's just a myth├óÔé¼┬Ø George said ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care what you say on the contrary├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve blushed even redder ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôJust some odds and ends├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks hurramphed ├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôShow them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve raised her hand and George yelped as his gun jerked itself out of his hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, looking at the rifle. Eve let it drop.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe's a god damn spoon bender!├óÔé¼┬Ø George almost shouted, grabbing the gun. Mat rounded on Eve ├óÔé¼┼ôThats amazing!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy aren't you with the captain or Himmler? They could use you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI was but I got a bit separated├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell get to him RIGHT NOW!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mat shouted, pointing. Eve nodded, a bit cowed. She walked through the crowd till she got to the new General. Himmler was pouring over a large map of the area they were going to hit. ├óÔé¼┼ôLieutenant Glickson and Dobson are coordinating five other squads here├óÔé¼┬Ø Himmler was saying ├óÔé¼┼ôThey should hit the decks right below us├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't have time for civilians├óÔé¼┬Ø Himmler said, not turning around. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI am reporting for duty├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Himmler asked, still not turning around. ├óÔé¼┼ôEve Montoya├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, snapping a salute. Himmler turned around slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôGood to see you mam├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI heard a lot about you're powers. What can you do?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve cracked her knuckles. Then her left hand detached and started to crawl around the ground. Himmler laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôJust like Evil Dead├óÔé¼┬Ø He said. ├óÔé¼┼ôwhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked, picking the hand up. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind├óÔé¼┬Ø Himmler said, still smiling ├óÔé¼┼ôI also heard that you can...cut things├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôYes...sir├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, trying to keep the self disgust out of her voice. She hated it so much.
├óÔé¼┼ôwell├óÔé¼┬Ø Himmler said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're going to have to rework our plans then├óÔé¼┬Ø. He turned to the map. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets see├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we get a runner to Glickson and Dobson before the attack starts?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo sir├óÔé¼┬Ø the runner said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts going to go in five minuets├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Himmler said, looking at his map ├óÔé¼┼ôEve can you go forward here. I can reroute my troops to cover you if you need, but I'd prefer to risk as little as possible├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôI think├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, her throat getting a bit dry ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I can handle that without backup├óÔé¼┬Ø. Himmler looked at her ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you one hundred percent?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Eve shook her head ├óÔé¼┼ôThat Doesn't matter├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can hack it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Himmler frowned. Then he nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI believe you. Go forward now and see what you can do├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShould I try and capture some enemies?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot a priority...in fact I want them running for the hills. Try and scare the crap out of them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Douglas looked at his rations ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski shouted, walking away from the small 'prison camp' he was supposed to be guarding ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not getting much better, damn raider├óÔé¼┬Ø. Douglas sighed and started to eat what tasted like a plastic imitation of a hamburger. After a few moments Mankowski came back, with a small round cylinder under his arm. He placed it on the ground ├óÔé¼┼ôSee this├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, looking at the five raiders who were in his prison camp ├óÔé¼┼ôthis thing is an automated turret. If you try to move past this point├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed at the ground ├óÔé¼┼ôIt will open fire and kill you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Douglas gulped. That was a serious threat. Without his exoskeleton even a low caliber round could potentially kill him. Mankowski nodded and walked away.
├óÔé¼┼ôDamn fools can't tell a ration container from a turret├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski muttered, lighting up a cigarette. He walked into the second staging area. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre the prisoners stowed?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lieutenant Glickson asked. Mankowski would always think of the perpetually cigar chomping, dark skinned man as Sarge. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust about├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said, puffing on his cigarette and sighing ├óÔé¼┼ôThey're not going to move. Without their exoskeletons they're about as smart as newborn babes├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI hope you don't fall into that trap├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, not looking up from his map. ├óÔé¼┼ôI survived Dantana without an Exoskeleton├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski objected. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo did I├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike and Glickson said at the same time. ├óÔé¼┼ôMe too├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôEveryone's against me├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski muttered.
Then Mike's watch bleeped. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're moving out!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The other four squads stopped their talking. Mike caught glimpsed of familer faces, like Lee and Mankowski and Helena. Mostly just a bunch of faceless marines with their exoskeletons on and helmets down. They moved out at a brisk pace, each squad tackling one of the many corridors. Mike and Glickson stayed back, keeping tabs on everyone with their maps. Then the map died. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked, looking at the map. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts out of batteries!├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said, yanking out the battery and throwing it away. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust plug it into the ship├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis area hasn't been cleared├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson ├óÔé¼┼ôThe enemy could still hack into this network!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is no network anymore├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts down!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShip wide...yes├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said ├óÔé¼┼ôLocal network...no├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn computers ├óÔé¼┼ôYou take squads three through four. I'll take One and five├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about two?├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson asked. Mike tapped into radio ├óÔé¼┼ôHelena├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôyou're promoted to Sargent. Take care of you're squad├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôO...Okay├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, blinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôWas that a good idea?├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe'll be fine├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena looked around at her squad, all of whom were looking at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôMove out!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, gesturing. They all did so.
Lizzy walked down the corridors. All right. Enough was enough. She had it. She was lost. Lizzy stopped, trying to find a computer terminal with a map. But all of them said she didn't have enough clearance to use it. She could have wandered into enemy territory for all she knew. Lizzy swore, looking around. Then she sat down and decided to rest for a bit. Her legs still felt quite wobbly. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot to bad for a dead chick├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered, feeling her pockets. She found a cigarette in her left pocket. ├óÔé¼┼ôSweet├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered, sliding the stub between her lips. Then she had no matches or lighters. For some reason that made the universe seem all the worse. Then she heard a scream.
Lizzy stood up, un-holstering her pistol. Then she heard a slight swish and the splattering of blood. Then someone ran around the corner, clutching his newly missing arm. Then his head toppled off, blood gushing momentarily. Eve walked around the corner. Then she looked at Lizzy. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôhi mom├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Its getting cold and dark...both figuratively and literally.
The night of the long knives has become in earnest.
Lizzy took a slight step backwards, looking at the corpse at Eve's feet. Eve blushed and cupped her neck with her hand, looking so sheepish it was almost funny. Lizzy forced her eyes up ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôI am a bit lost├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then there was a shot. The bullet slammed to a stop behind Eve. She turned around and saw two raiders letting fly at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet behind me├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. Lizzy stepped to the side, a bullet cracking through the space she had been in a few seconds ago. Then Eve looked at the two raiders. They were at least ten meters away, too far to-. One of their heads fell of his shoulders in a welter of blood.
The other turned to run, but then his torso jerked itself backwards, leaving his legs to topple forward. The torso dropped, spilling intestines and other guts everywhere. Eve looked back at Lizzy and smiled. Then her smile faded as she saw the look on Lizzy's face. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø her mother said. She didn't have anything else to say, so she repeated it ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôThe front lines are that way├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy nodded. Then she smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôBe careful├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then she took one step and a bullet almost slammed into the side of her skull. Lizzy turned, feeling a slight pressure in her hair. A bullet hovered a few inch's to the side of her head. Then fifteen more bullets joined that, all of them halting the same distance from her face.
Then they all dropped to the ground at her feet. Lizzy blinked and looked at the raiders who had came around the corner. Eve snarled. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is personal├óÔé¼┬Ø She muttered. Then she snapped her hands out and two forearm blades snapped out of her arms and she ran down the hall, crouching down in a low stoop. Lizzy took a step back behind some cover before bullets started to fly. Then she ran to the front lines, away from the blood and death. She felt sick in her stomach at seeing her daughter...her beautiful baby girl being used this way. She squared her shoulders and focused on the run back home, trying to keep her feelings down.
Eve slammed into the enemy with both arms, blades slamming through the back of his chest. Blood sprayed and Eve grinned into his visor, knowing she would be the last thing he saw. Then she jumped off him, landing between two other raiders. A quick snap of her arm she decapitated one, feeling a slight tug as her blade went through the man's neck. The head spun in the air and landed on the ground, making a slight squelching noise. The last raider turned to run. Eve leisurely reached forward and hook her blade on his neck. With a slight tug she brought the raider to her. He slowly turned around, breath hammering out of his helmet in quick gasps. Eve smiled at him. Then she stabbed him in the stomach and kicked him off her blade.
Lizzy came around the corner. Then the sentry shot her. She looked at the bleeding bullet wound and sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm a friendly├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, raising her hands├óÔé¼┬Ø. The sentry looked surprised that she was still standing, the low caliber bullet easily tearing through her shirt and into her body, right were her old lungs had been. But she was a brain core. People kept forgetting that, at a time, riddling you're body with implants was all the rage. How Lizzy had gotten metal lungs, a revamped central nervous system, a new stomach and metal plated bones was as complicated as the why. But it did come in handy with trigger happy sentries. She sighed, and winced in pain as she fished around in the wound. She found the bullet, crushed up against her left lung.
She dropped the bullet on the ground and walked to the sentry. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Sentry asked. Lizzy tried to remember her rank as given to her by Keller. Was it...Civilian Consultant?. She decided to go with that. ├óÔé¼┼ôCivilian Consultant Montoya├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. The sentry pulled out a data slate and read some data on it. After a few moments he nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're listed as MIA. Orders are if you're found to send you to send you up to the bridge├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have a band aid?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight here├óÔé¼┬Ø The sentry knelt and opened a small medical station set next to his post. ├óÔé¼┼ôCall the Capitan, tell him I'm on the way├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôDidn'tcha hear?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Sentry asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe entire network is down├óÔé¼┬Ø The Sentry said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe entire ship has been using runners├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy looked around ├óÔé¼┼ôBut the computers are still working?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø The sentry nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôMost of the navy is running frantically too and fro trying to keep everything in tune without being able to talk to on another. I only hope the raiders are-├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then entire corridor went dark. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh hell├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy muttered, looking around. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit...fuck├óÔé¼┬Ø The sentry muttered. There was a clatter. Then light bloomed from the sentries helmet light. Then he looked around and found a back up helmet.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis helmet is a mark four tactical helmet. Without power armor it acts just like a regular helmet and com system, built in flashlight. With power armor its also got a full circulatory system and neural back up if you're a brain core...and I think you are├óÔé¼┬Ø the sentry said. Lizzy nodded. Then she remembered it was pitch black and the light was focused on the helmet. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah I am├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø The sentry said ├óÔé¼┼ôif you need to light up an entire area, press this button and you get five minuets of daylight├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy nodded, taking the helmet. Then she slid the helmet on and turned on the light. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood luck├óÔé¼┬Ø the sentry said after her.
Mike looked around at the shards of light that stabbed through the corridors. From reports over the broad band the entire ship had gone dark. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts gonna get awfully cold├óÔé¼┬Ø One of the marines said softly. ├óÔé¼┼ôEveryone keep their exoskeletons on...full shutters├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said over the full frequency. Sure the enemy could hear it, but it was sure to get to everyone. IF someone cracked their suits they could be risking hypothermia in the coming hours. For now it was fine, but, as the marine had said, it was going to get cold. Fast. He already felt cold, looking around the darkness. The attack was halted, that was for sure.
Charles ran down the corridor, Maggy a few feet behind him. He felt off balance. His right arm was gone. That fact was still working down his spine. His arm had been there one second. Then it had...fallen off. It had just slipped from his shoulder and blood had sprayed a second before the joint of his suit snapped close and cauterized the wound. Then the lights had gone out. He was, to put it bluntly, terrified. Charles stopped, jerking his helmet light from side to side, trying to see things. There was nothing down the corridor one second. Then there was something. A eighteen, maybe nineteen year old girl. Charles took a step back, wanting to bring his right arm up along with his left. It felt damned odd to not have an arm.
The woman held up her right arm and then a blade snapped out of her arm, pivoting at the wrist. The blade looked wicked sharp. Then she started to advance. Charles took a step backwards. Then he slipped on a severed arm. The arm skidded away and Charles saw the decapitated head of Maggy, recognizable despite the helmet. Charles looked up at the woman who continued to advance on him. ├óÔé¼┼ôI-I surrender!├óÔé¼┬Ø He shouted, bringing his left arm up to protect him. The woman paused. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I surrender├óÔé¼┬Ø Charles gasped, breathing heavily.
There was a gunshot. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. The marines had gone to alert, whispered conversation buzzing between suits as they speculated where the shot had come from. ├óÔé¼┼ôSniper!├óÔé¼┬Ø a voice crackled over the radio. It was...It was Glickson. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike muttered, knowing he shouldn't leave the squad. ├óÔé¼┼ôHick's has been hit├óÔé¼┬Ø Someone said over the broadband. Mike stood up ├óÔé¼┼ôSquad├óÔé¼┬Ø he said on a short range frequency ├óÔé¼┼ôStay down. I'll be right back├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then he ran down the corridor and turned at the junction. He felt very alone in the darkness.
Hicks sat up, giggling. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou god damned idiot├óÔé¼┬Ø Lieutenant Glickson said, looking at him ├óÔé¼┼ôYou didn't check you're chamber? You were cleaning you're gun and you didn't check you chamber!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks nodded, feeling the bruise on his chest where the bullet had richened off. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're lucky you didn't get penetration├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to place a reprimand on your record as soon as the computer gets back on├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike ran to the squad. Five guns turned to face him. ├óÔé¼┼ôFriendly!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, raising his hands. No one fired, thankfully. ├óÔé¼┼ôIdiot here got himself shot up a bit by his own gun├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said. Mike knelt next to Hicks and looked him over ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know if you die Eve is not going to stop until everyone else on this ship is dead, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôCool├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôA nice girlfriend I've wrangled myself├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike nodded.
He stood up. Then a bullet slammed through his chest plate and he fell backwards. ├óÔé¼┼ôSniper!├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôSniper! GET US LIGHT!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Someone slapped their lantern and the entire corridor lit up. They saw the sniper. He had been quite clever, actually unscrewing a grate at the far end of the corridor and hiding in the air vent. It was a tight fit, but he had gotten a great shot out. Full penetration, as the forensics experts latter found the bullet half way down the corridor from Mike, embedded in a wall. The cover was perfect for protecting against rifle fire. But Glickson brought his grenade launcher to bear, aimed, and lobbed a single grenade.
The grenade clattered around the sniper rifle and under the sniper's chest. He opened his mouth. Then the grenade went off and smoke poured from the grate. ├óÔé¼┼ôMedic├óÔé¼┬Ø someone shouted. Then Mike sat up, feeling the wound. ├óÔé¼┼ôOw├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat one went right through my lung├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWha-├óÔé¼┬Ø someone said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's a brain core├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson sighed, not wanting to really explain everything at that moment. Mike nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy wind is going to be hurt until I get a new lung. Need to just use on of them...can someone hand me a bandage please?├óÔé¼┬Ø. A medic did so, actually taking the chest plate off when they were safely behind cover and spraying sealant into the hole. Mike grumbled. The air was getting colder.
Lizzy shivered. It wasn't just the darkness, thought that was a huge factor. It was the air was actually getting colder. She stopped, dancing from one foot to another. Something about this place seemed familer as she slowly scanned the area with her headset light. Then she realized she was right next to her old room. She worked her fingers into the powered door and hauled off with all her strength. The door budged slightly. She yanked again and the door opened slightly more and then she was able to squeeze through and was in her room. Once she was there she grabbed the blankets off her bed and draped them about her shoulders. Then she squeezed back out of the room and started walking to the bridge again.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow we are down to pocket calculators and ham radio├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller muttered, tapping his pencil against the paper. This paper had been used ten times this last hour, erasures making it looked very wrinkled and old. Now he was doing the figures on his supplies. Not that he was sure the census he had gathered was accurate. Not that he was sure he would live the next few hours. A small back up generator hummed in the corner, lighting the room and heating it at the same time. A small lap top was plugged into it, doing some really important calculations that couldn't be done with the human mind alone. A orderly worked there, typing as fast as he could.
Then the laptop slid from his lap and smashed onto the floor. The orderly looked completely horrified. Then he picked the lap top and whacked it experimentally. It still worked. Everyone in the room breathed an easy sigh of reline. Then there was a knock on the door. The guard at the door slid open a small slot they hat cut through the door, to allow them to see who was on the other side with out the cameras they normally were privy too. ├óÔé¼┼ôOpen the god damned door!├óÔé¼┬Ø Someone on the outside rasped ├óÔé¼┼ôIts getting fucking cold out here!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Keller nodded to his guard. He thought he recognized the voice. The guard grabbed his pry bar and pried the door open. Then he hurried the blanketed woman into the room before too much heat could escape the extra insulation people had set up. Right now the ten back up generators were running in the three medical bays, one cafeteria, the bridge, the laser com system, two storage rooms and two entire generators were devoted to the Hydroponics bay, running the sunlight lamps. They had to keep the plants growing. These safe area's had heat, insulation, food, and the guards required to keep them safe. The navy and the rest of the marines were there. Orderlies wearing exoskeletons were running to the marines back to the safe rooms. It was going to be a long winter and the marines intended to leave the Raiders out to dry.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere's Eve?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. Lizzy warmed her arms up, rubbing them quickly ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was what I was about to ask you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I was also going to ask you what the hell are you thinking?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller snarled ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, placing her helmet on the table, almost crushing the calculator and Keller's fingers ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are you putting my daughter on the front lines?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am doing it├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôbecause its my job. Its my job to lead the sons and daughters of hundreds of men and women into battle and death. I hate it, but I'm going to do it until I get back to the Homeworld. Then I'm going to stop. And I will be glad of it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy frowned, looking at the table. Then she nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow where is Eve?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôI was going to ask you├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The night of the long knives has become in earnest.
Lizzy took a slight step backwards, looking at the corpse at Eve's feet. Eve blushed and cupped her neck with her hand, looking so sheepish it was almost funny. Lizzy forced her eyes up ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôI am a bit lost├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then there was a shot. The bullet slammed to a stop behind Eve. She turned around and saw two raiders letting fly at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet behind me├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. Lizzy stepped to the side, a bullet cracking through the space she had been in a few seconds ago. Then Eve looked at the two raiders. They were at least ten meters away, too far to-. One of their heads fell of his shoulders in a welter of blood.
The other turned to run, but then his torso jerked itself backwards, leaving his legs to topple forward. The torso dropped, spilling intestines and other guts everywhere. Eve looked back at Lizzy and smiled. Then her smile faded as she saw the look on Lizzy's face. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø her mother said. She didn't have anything else to say, so she repeated it ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôThe front lines are that way├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy nodded. Then she smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôBe careful├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then she took one step and a bullet almost slammed into the side of her skull. Lizzy turned, feeling a slight pressure in her hair. A bullet hovered a few inch's to the side of her head. Then fifteen more bullets joined that, all of them halting the same distance from her face.
Then they all dropped to the ground at her feet. Lizzy blinked and looked at the raiders who had came around the corner. Eve snarled. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is personal├óÔé¼┬Ø She muttered. Then she snapped her hands out and two forearm blades snapped out of her arms and she ran down the hall, crouching down in a low stoop. Lizzy took a step back behind some cover before bullets started to fly. Then she ran to the front lines, away from the blood and death. She felt sick in her stomach at seeing her daughter...her beautiful baby girl being used this way. She squared her shoulders and focused on the run back home, trying to keep her feelings down.
Eve slammed into the enemy with both arms, blades slamming through the back of his chest. Blood sprayed and Eve grinned into his visor, knowing she would be the last thing he saw. Then she jumped off him, landing between two other raiders. A quick snap of her arm she decapitated one, feeling a slight tug as her blade went through the man's neck. The head spun in the air and landed on the ground, making a slight squelching noise. The last raider turned to run. Eve leisurely reached forward and hook her blade on his neck. With a slight tug she brought the raider to her. He slowly turned around, breath hammering out of his helmet in quick gasps. Eve smiled at him. Then she stabbed him in the stomach and kicked him off her blade.
Lizzy came around the corner. Then the sentry shot her. She looked at the bleeding bullet wound and sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm a friendly├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, raising her hands├óÔé¼┬Ø. The sentry looked surprised that she was still standing, the low caliber bullet easily tearing through her shirt and into her body, right were her old lungs had been. But she was a brain core. People kept forgetting that, at a time, riddling you're body with implants was all the rage. How Lizzy had gotten metal lungs, a revamped central nervous system, a new stomach and metal plated bones was as complicated as the why. But it did come in handy with trigger happy sentries. She sighed, and winced in pain as she fished around in the wound. She found the bullet, crushed up against her left lung.
She dropped the bullet on the ground and walked to the sentry. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Sentry asked. Lizzy tried to remember her rank as given to her by Keller. Was it...Civilian Consultant?. She decided to go with that. ├óÔé¼┼ôCivilian Consultant Montoya├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. The sentry pulled out a data slate and read some data on it. After a few moments he nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're listed as MIA. Orders are if you're found to send you to send you up to the bridge├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have a band aid?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight here├óÔé¼┬Ø The sentry knelt and opened a small medical station set next to his post. ├óÔé¼┼ôCall the Capitan, tell him I'm on the way├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôDidn'tcha hear?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Sentry asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe entire network is down├óÔé¼┬Ø The Sentry said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe entire ship has been using runners├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy looked around ├óÔé¼┼ôBut the computers are still working?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø The sentry nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôMost of the navy is running frantically too and fro trying to keep everything in tune without being able to talk to on another. I only hope the raiders are-├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then entire corridor went dark. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh hell├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy muttered, looking around. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit...fuck├óÔé¼┬Ø The sentry muttered. There was a clatter. Then light bloomed from the sentries helmet light. Then he looked around and found a back up helmet.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis helmet is a mark four tactical helmet. Without power armor it acts just like a regular helmet and com system, built in flashlight. With power armor its also got a full circulatory system and neural back up if you're a brain core...and I think you are├óÔé¼┬Ø the sentry said. Lizzy nodded. Then she remembered it was pitch black and the light was focused on the helmet. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah I am├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø The sentry said ├óÔé¼┼ôif you need to light up an entire area, press this button and you get five minuets of daylight├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy nodded, taking the helmet. Then she slid the helmet on and turned on the light. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood luck├óÔé¼┬Ø the sentry said after her.
Mike looked around at the shards of light that stabbed through the corridors. From reports over the broad band the entire ship had gone dark. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts gonna get awfully cold├óÔé¼┬Ø One of the marines said softly. ├óÔé¼┼ôEveryone keep their exoskeletons on...full shutters├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said over the full frequency. Sure the enemy could hear it, but it was sure to get to everyone. IF someone cracked their suits they could be risking hypothermia in the coming hours. For now it was fine, but, as the marine had said, it was going to get cold. Fast. He already felt cold, looking around the darkness. The attack was halted, that was for sure.
Charles ran down the corridor, Maggy a few feet behind him. He felt off balance. His right arm was gone. That fact was still working down his spine. His arm had been there one second. Then it had...fallen off. It had just slipped from his shoulder and blood had sprayed a second before the joint of his suit snapped close and cauterized the wound. Then the lights had gone out. He was, to put it bluntly, terrified. Charles stopped, jerking his helmet light from side to side, trying to see things. There was nothing down the corridor one second. Then there was something. A eighteen, maybe nineteen year old girl. Charles took a step back, wanting to bring his right arm up along with his left. It felt damned odd to not have an arm.
The woman held up her right arm and then a blade snapped out of her arm, pivoting at the wrist. The blade looked wicked sharp. Then she started to advance. Charles took a step backwards. Then he slipped on a severed arm. The arm skidded away and Charles saw the decapitated head of Maggy, recognizable despite the helmet. Charles looked up at the woman who continued to advance on him. ├óÔé¼┼ôI-I surrender!├óÔé¼┬Ø He shouted, bringing his left arm up to protect him. The woman paused. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I surrender├óÔé¼┬Ø Charles gasped, breathing heavily.
There was a gunshot. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. The marines had gone to alert, whispered conversation buzzing between suits as they speculated where the shot had come from. ├óÔé¼┼ôSniper!├óÔé¼┬Ø a voice crackled over the radio. It was...It was Glickson. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike muttered, knowing he shouldn't leave the squad. ├óÔé¼┼ôHick's has been hit├óÔé¼┬Ø Someone said over the broadband. Mike stood up ├óÔé¼┼ôSquad├óÔé¼┬Ø he said on a short range frequency ├óÔé¼┼ôStay down. I'll be right back├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then he ran down the corridor and turned at the junction. He felt very alone in the darkness.
Hicks sat up, giggling. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou god damned idiot├óÔé¼┬Ø Lieutenant Glickson said, looking at him ├óÔé¼┼ôYou didn't check you're chamber? You were cleaning you're gun and you didn't check you chamber!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks nodded, feeling the bruise on his chest where the bullet had richened off. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're lucky you didn't get penetration├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to place a reprimand on your record as soon as the computer gets back on├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike ran to the squad. Five guns turned to face him. ├óÔé¼┼ôFriendly!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, raising his hands. No one fired, thankfully. ├óÔé¼┼ôIdiot here got himself shot up a bit by his own gun├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said. Mike knelt next to Hicks and looked him over ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know if you die Eve is not going to stop until everyone else on this ship is dead, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôCool├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôA nice girlfriend I've wrangled myself├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike nodded.
He stood up. Then a bullet slammed through his chest plate and he fell backwards. ├óÔé¼┼ôSniper!├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôSniper! GET US LIGHT!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Someone slapped their lantern and the entire corridor lit up. They saw the sniper. He had been quite clever, actually unscrewing a grate at the far end of the corridor and hiding in the air vent. It was a tight fit, but he had gotten a great shot out. Full penetration, as the forensics experts latter found the bullet half way down the corridor from Mike, embedded in a wall. The cover was perfect for protecting against rifle fire. But Glickson brought his grenade launcher to bear, aimed, and lobbed a single grenade.
The grenade clattered around the sniper rifle and under the sniper's chest. He opened his mouth. Then the grenade went off and smoke poured from the grate. ├óÔé¼┼ôMedic├óÔé¼┬Ø someone shouted. Then Mike sat up, feeling the wound. ├óÔé¼┼ôOw├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat one went right through my lung├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWha-├óÔé¼┬Ø someone said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's a brain core├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson sighed, not wanting to really explain everything at that moment. Mike nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy wind is going to be hurt until I get a new lung. Need to just use on of them...can someone hand me a bandage please?├óÔé¼┬Ø. A medic did so, actually taking the chest plate off when they were safely behind cover and spraying sealant into the hole. Mike grumbled. The air was getting colder.
Lizzy shivered. It wasn't just the darkness, thought that was a huge factor. It was the air was actually getting colder. She stopped, dancing from one foot to another. Something about this place seemed familer as she slowly scanned the area with her headset light. Then she realized she was right next to her old room. She worked her fingers into the powered door and hauled off with all her strength. The door budged slightly. She yanked again and the door opened slightly more and then she was able to squeeze through and was in her room. Once she was there she grabbed the blankets off her bed and draped them about her shoulders. Then she squeezed back out of the room and started walking to the bridge again.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow we are down to pocket calculators and ham radio├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller muttered, tapping his pencil against the paper. This paper had been used ten times this last hour, erasures making it looked very wrinkled and old. Now he was doing the figures on his supplies. Not that he was sure the census he had gathered was accurate. Not that he was sure he would live the next few hours. A small back up generator hummed in the corner, lighting the room and heating it at the same time. A small lap top was plugged into it, doing some really important calculations that couldn't be done with the human mind alone. A orderly worked there, typing as fast as he could.
Then the laptop slid from his lap and smashed onto the floor. The orderly looked completely horrified. Then he picked the lap top and whacked it experimentally. It still worked. Everyone in the room breathed an easy sigh of reline. Then there was a knock on the door. The guard at the door slid open a small slot they hat cut through the door, to allow them to see who was on the other side with out the cameras they normally were privy too. ├óÔé¼┼ôOpen the god damned door!├óÔé¼┬Ø Someone on the outside rasped ├óÔé¼┼ôIts getting fucking cold out here!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Keller nodded to his guard. He thought he recognized the voice. The guard grabbed his pry bar and pried the door open. Then he hurried the blanketed woman into the room before too much heat could escape the extra insulation people had set up. Right now the ten back up generators were running in the three medical bays, one cafeteria, the bridge, the laser com system, two storage rooms and two entire generators were devoted to the Hydroponics bay, running the sunlight lamps. They had to keep the plants growing. These safe area's had heat, insulation, food, and the guards required to keep them safe. The navy and the rest of the marines were there. Orderlies wearing exoskeletons were running to the marines back to the safe rooms. It was going to be a long winter and the marines intended to leave the Raiders out to dry.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere's Eve?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. Lizzy warmed her arms up, rubbing them quickly ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was what I was about to ask you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I was also going to ask you what the hell are you thinking?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller snarled ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, placing her helmet on the table, almost crushing the calculator and Keller's fingers ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are you putting my daughter on the front lines?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am doing it├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôbecause its my job. Its my job to lead the sons and daughters of hundreds of men and women into battle and death. I hate it, but I'm going to do it until I get back to the Homeworld. Then I'm going to stop. And I will be glad of it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy frowned, looking at the table. Then she nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow where is Eve?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôI was going to ask you├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Hurray for raising hopes...then dashing them mere seconds later!
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean...gone?├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Hannibal, mam├óÔé¼┬Ø Her orderly was visibly quaking as he told her the news. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts completely gone├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can't detect it with the sensors and its dropped off the telescope├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôOur Raiders...where are they?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø the orderly said ├óÔé¼┼ôTheir ships were hooked to the Hannibal's power system├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then the computer started to bleep. Michelle pressed the activation button. A haggard face appeared on the screen, lit from below. It was the commander of the Raider forces, a rather humorless man named Cain. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, nodding ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have a spot of trouble here├óÔé¼┬Ø. His message was very staticy, almost incomprehensible.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is the problem?├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle asked ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd whats the problem?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe power systems are down├óÔé¼┬Ø Cain said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd every single ship hooked to the power systems is down. So we have managed to get this message through with backpack batteries. We need some more shuttles sent over here with some cold gear and generators├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'll send the last of the reserves├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAlso├óÔé¼┬Ø Cain said ├óÔé¼┼ôA girl, eighteen or so, has been cutting into our forces├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle leaned in, her stomach fluttering ├óÔé¼┼ôThere are some supplies that I have been given recently├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey have been packed into the crates on the first shuttle over. Use them to capture this woman and bring her back. Then pull out├óÔé¼┬Ø. Cain blinked, surprised. Then he nodded.
Douglas shivered. He and at least fifty other people were jammed into a cafeteria, with a generator devoted to heating. The pale light given off by heaters made the entire place seem more like a cave then a room. Everyone was huddled in blankets, the cloth draped about their shoulders. Were people could, they were clustering together in huge knots. It was the best way to stay warm. Douglas soon realized that no one cared he had come from the Excalibur and not here. They were all prisoners in this damn place, kept from the doors by sheer cold. The darkness was oppressive as well. For some reason knowing that ALL of the lights were off was even worse.
├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø Someone grunted. Douglas turned slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôHere have this├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, giving him a bowl. ├óÔé¼┼ôT...Thanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Douglas said, taking the bowl. It was empty. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow fill it up and I don't shoot you├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, showing him the pistol that he wore at his hip. Douglas got up, groaning. Getting up and walking was fine, but uncurling made the cold bit that much deeper. The insulation wasn't working well, and the heater barely managed to keep the entire room luke warm. Now the rations would probably be out and he'd be shot for not getting the nonexistent rations. Douglas sighed, trying not to think about that.
He got to the rations container. It looked oddly familer. Then he frowned. It looked like the 'turret' his boorish guard had placed in front of him and his squad. Bastard. Douglas sighed again and slide the bowl into the rations container. After a few moments goo slurped out. Douglas looked at the goo, hunger roiling in his belly. Then he realized that the guy, whoever he was, would never find him in this croud. He pushed his way in the opposite direction and found a spot, this time next to a woman. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm named Lee├óÔé¼┬Ø. Douglas took her hand and shook it ├óÔé¼┼ôDouglas├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, spooning some goo into his mouth and chowing down. The world was starting to look up a bit.
Lizzy stalked around the bridge, shivering. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's dead├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, dully. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked, looking at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôEve is dead├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe must have frozen by now if she's in the corridors├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats crazy├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's...she's made of sterner stuff then that├óÔé¼┬Ø. She resumed her pacing, rubbing her already double layered arms. The heater in the room was still sputtering, making dim light and heat. The bridge was smaller then the other rooms, but it was still damned hard to heat effectively. The simple fact that there wasn't fifty people in the room also hurt the fact. There was a pounding on the door. Lizzy stopped her pacing.
The guard at the door stood up and slid open the slit. They had furbished the slit they looked through with some glass, to help keep the heat in. The guard opened the door and a man wearing a full exoskeleton walked in, faceplate down. He flipped it up. It was Mike. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, saluting to Keller. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is the situation?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôGlickson's down with frostbite├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôHis suit happened to have a faulty toe covering. By the time we noticed it...it was too late. We had to amputate├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat must have been fun├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut he'll be back in a few hours├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd Himmler is still out there. We're covering every entrance we can, now that we've pulled back to a smaller sphere of ground├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhats the enemy doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôAs far as we can tell├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, his breath steaming in the room ├óÔé¼┼ôNot a damned thing. Even the small skirmishes have stopped├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about Eve?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. Mike frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôNo singe of her├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, shaking his head. Then there was a loud knock on the door. After a few seconds a voice managed to get through. It was faint, but it was recognizable. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me in!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve shouted. She hit the door again, hard enough to dent it. The door jerked open and she was hauled in by two pairs of hands. Mike hugged her first. Eve's eyes bugged as he gave her a literally spine crushing hug. ├óÔé¼┼ôOw├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. Mike smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can take it├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, letting her go. Eve felt her back slightly.
Then Lizzy hugged her, much lighter. But much longer, and with a lot more ├óÔé¼┼ôNever ever do that ever again├óÔé¼┬Ø. Another knock sounded on the door and the guard slid the slit back open, sighing. ├óÔé¼┼ôRaider├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôRaider!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts okay├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôhe's a prisoner I took├óÔé¼┬Ø. She beamed at Lizzy, so proud. Lizzy smiled back and hugged her again. The door opened and the raider was hustled in. The door shut behind him. Charles sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôIts getting cold out there├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. He was wearing an exoskeleton, but it was lower grade then the marines. It must have been getting cold for Charles. Lizzy pulled her pistol out and pressed it to the side of his head ├óÔé¼┼ôOut of the exoskeleton├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôOr I splatter you're brains over the wall├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Charles raised his hands. ├óÔé¼┼ôMom├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's...nice for a raider├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know├óÔé¼┬Ø Charles said, slowly unplugging his power. Suddenly his exoskeleton felt like an extra fifty pounds, rather then the supplement it had been. He unlatched the chest plate and slid it off, slowly so as to not worry Eve's mother. He soon had a pile of his exoskeleton parts. Now he felt very very cold, wearing nothing but the thin layer of cloth that he wore to prevent chafing. Lizzy, grudgingly, handed him one of her coats. He slid it on and felt the better for it. Eve sighed, looking at the others. They looked so cold. But she was feeling fine. In fact she was feeling better then fine.
├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, looking at his paper wrote notes ├óÔé¼┼ôcan you do another job├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy cut him off, putting her hand over the notes. She didn't crumple the paper in her fist. She had grown up in an asteroid colony, where destroying or even damaging paper was unthinkable. Tree's were rare enough on homeworld, let alone outer space. But she still looked at Keller. She wasn't above decking the Capitan. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts freezing├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts dark. The enemy are not moving. Why bother antagonizing them any more!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller frowned. Lizzy's other hand, the one at her side, tightened into a fist. Then Keller nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're right├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI wish I could set up some way of getting the power back on. If we could work together...if even for a little bit...then we can get the power on├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a really dumb idea├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena muttered. Drew, who had also drawn the unlucky card, nodded. He held, no matter how stupid it was in pitch darkness, a large white flag. They were both in exoskeletons, feeling surprisingly comfortable. It was an illusion, Helena knew. The suits were going to run out of batteries long long long before the generators inside the 'hot rooms' and then they would get really cold really fast. They kept walking, trying to talk as much as possible. The sooner the enemy knew they were coming the better. Keller was worried the enemy might not have radio's listening for enemy transmissions. God knows that Keller didn't have radio's (or power) to spare for listening in on things.
Helena and Drew walked around the corner, still waving the flag. Then a voice rang in the hallway ├óÔé¼┼ôStop!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena raised her hands and Drew waved the flag. The enemy head lamps came on and played over both marines. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to talk with you're leader├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts about the power├óÔé¼┬Ø. One of the raiders looked at his partner. The partner nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'll take you to our leader├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut first you need to be searched├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, walking forwards with her hands still raised. Drew followed, still waving his flag. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd put that damn thing down├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the raiders said, gesturing to the flag.
Douglas finished off his alloted rations. Those, plus the ones he had...borrowed from the man with the gun, made him feel actually full. Lee was finishing her rations as well, eating them as fast as possible. The room felt more...alive. As if people were adjusting to the night. Some people were finding the easiest way to banish the strange fear that was creeping in, to banish the night some people would say, was to do what early humanity had done. Telling stories. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø one man said ├óÔé¼┼ôI was like, Sally we can't do that, not on an shuttle. But she still crouches down in front and starts├óÔé¼┬Ø he mimed a rather vulgar motion. The navy crew members and the marines around the man started to laugh. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen she spits it in the barf bag├óÔé¼┬Ø the man was laughing with them ├óÔé¼┼ôRight in the god damned barf bag!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Douglas said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat brings you out here?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose...├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt sounded like fun├óÔé¼┬Ø. Douglas smiled and was about to say something. Then he was cut off by another round of laughter from the circle of friends. More conversations were starting up all over the place, and more laughter joined them. Douglas sighed. For some reason the people around him turned from faceless automatons, just gobbling food and not looking at one another. Now they were...well...people. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee said ├óÔé¼┼ôwant to grab some privacy?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Douglas blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know of a little place under a table. Its draped over with curtains and if you bite down then-├óÔé¼┬Ø. Douglas shook his head ├óÔé¼┼ôNah├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm gay├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike sat down. His squad was circulating, and he was on down time. There was word trickling around that navy members were donning exoskeletons and working with the Raiders to get the power lines back on. He didn't know what to think of it. Supposedly Helena and Drew had drawn the short straws and had walked into the largest Raider encampment with nothing more then a large cloth tied to a pipe. A white flag, for crying out loud. Mike sighed. He wanted to drink something hot. He wanted to be somewhere hot. He wanted to be with someone hot. His mind drifted to Lizzy. Yeah. She was hot. Mike laughed, wondering if he had gone crazy. He closed his eyes and the dim light inside the room became blackness.
Then something bloomed in his eyes. He opened his eyes. Light. The lights were on. Mike stood up, hope flaring in his heart. The sixty odd other people holed up in the room were also standing, gaping at the lights. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe power├óÔé¼┬Ø someone said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe power!├óÔé¼┬Ø someone else chimed in. Then the lights dimmed. Mike felt his hope strangle, knowing that it was going to fail. He prayed that it was just a slight set back. Then the lights died. Mike and the others were dejected, returned to the twilight provided by the heater unit. Mike sat down. For some reason having a slight glimpse of day just made the night all the worse. He sat down. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø someone muttered. Mike looked. It was Mankowski. He was puffing a cigarette ├óÔé¼┼ôI'd pay anything to just...be home. Or in a cryo tube, if you can believe that├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve sat in the bridge, propping her legs up on a console. She looked around. Her mother was at the heater, sitting near it. Eve thought about moving closer to the heater, but she...she didn't want to talk to her mother right now. The way Lizzy had just stepped in and...and shot Keller down without even asking if Eve wanted to do the mission, whatever it was, just made her angry. She sighed, knowing Lizzy was just trying to keep her safe. It still made her angry. Lizzy moved. Eve looked at her. Lizzy knelt, her hands clasped together and bowing her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôHoly father├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy murmured, stumbling over the half remembered words ├óÔé¼┼ôwho...who...are...heaven, something├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Lizzy wished she had the notes Daniel had wrote for her. She had lost them...ages ago. When she had decided that all this superstitious mumbojumbo wasn't worth the bother. But she felt like it was important to still pray, every once and a while. For Daniel. For Amber. For Jason. For everyone. She started to cry, her eyes screwed up. The tear traced a hot trail down her nose and landed on the ground of the deck. As she prayed something very strange happened. The darkness on the inside of her eyelids was...intruded on. A strange red haze was beating in on them. It was...light. Lizzy opened her eyes, wondering if for once her prayer had actually done something.
Then she saw the lights in the room were coming on. The computers were also coming on. ├óÔé¼┼ôHoly├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller muttered, looking around. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey did it├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve murmured, also looking around ├óÔé¼┼ôAmazing!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey must have├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, smiling ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'll be getting heat back on so...├óÔé¼┬Ø he trailed off. The lights dimmed. Lizzy's hope failed. Then the lights went off. Lizzy sat back down. ├óÔé¼┼ôHell├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. Eve looked back at her feet. Keller sat down and begin to rub his arms, trying to coax warmth into them. ├óÔé¼┼ôI hope Sarris is okay├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean...gone?├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Hannibal, mam├óÔé¼┬Ø Her orderly was visibly quaking as he told her the news. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts completely gone├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can't detect it with the sensors and its dropped off the telescope├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôOur Raiders...where are they?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø the orderly said ├óÔé¼┼ôTheir ships were hooked to the Hannibal's power system├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then the computer started to bleep. Michelle pressed the activation button. A haggard face appeared on the screen, lit from below. It was the commander of the Raider forces, a rather humorless man named Cain. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, nodding ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have a spot of trouble here├óÔé¼┬Ø. His message was very staticy, almost incomprehensible.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is the problem?├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle asked ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd whats the problem?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe power systems are down├óÔé¼┬Ø Cain said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd every single ship hooked to the power systems is down. So we have managed to get this message through with backpack batteries. We need some more shuttles sent over here with some cold gear and generators├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'll send the last of the reserves├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAlso├óÔé¼┬Ø Cain said ├óÔé¼┼ôA girl, eighteen or so, has been cutting into our forces├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle leaned in, her stomach fluttering ├óÔé¼┼ôThere are some supplies that I have been given recently├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey have been packed into the crates on the first shuttle over. Use them to capture this woman and bring her back. Then pull out├óÔé¼┬Ø. Cain blinked, surprised. Then he nodded.
Douglas shivered. He and at least fifty other people were jammed into a cafeteria, with a generator devoted to heating. The pale light given off by heaters made the entire place seem more like a cave then a room. Everyone was huddled in blankets, the cloth draped about their shoulders. Were people could, they were clustering together in huge knots. It was the best way to stay warm. Douglas soon realized that no one cared he had come from the Excalibur and not here. They were all prisoners in this damn place, kept from the doors by sheer cold. The darkness was oppressive as well. For some reason knowing that ALL of the lights were off was even worse.
├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø Someone grunted. Douglas turned slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôHere have this├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, giving him a bowl. ├óÔé¼┼ôT...Thanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Douglas said, taking the bowl. It was empty. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow fill it up and I don't shoot you├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, showing him the pistol that he wore at his hip. Douglas got up, groaning. Getting up and walking was fine, but uncurling made the cold bit that much deeper. The insulation wasn't working well, and the heater barely managed to keep the entire room luke warm. Now the rations would probably be out and he'd be shot for not getting the nonexistent rations. Douglas sighed, trying not to think about that.
He got to the rations container. It looked oddly familer. Then he frowned. It looked like the 'turret' his boorish guard had placed in front of him and his squad. Bastard. Douglas sighed again and slide the bowl into the rations container. After a few moments goo slurped out. Douglas looked at the goo, hunger roiling in his belly. Then he realized that the guy, whoever he was, would never find him in this croud. He pushed his way in the opposite direction and found a spot, this time next to a woman. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm named Lee├óÔé¼┬Ø. Douglas took her hand and shook it ├óÔé¼┼ôDouglas├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, spooning some goo into his mouth and chowing down. The world was starting to look up a bit.
Lizzy stalked around the bridge, shivering. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's dead├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, dully. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked, looking at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôEve is dead├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe must have frozen by now if she's in the corridors├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats crazy├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's...she's made of sterner stuff then that├óÔé¼┬Ø. She resumed her pacing, rubbing her already double layered arms. The heater in the room was still sputtering, making dim light and heat. The bridge was smaller then the other rooms, but it was still damned hard to heat effectively. The simple fact that there wasn't fifty people in the room also hurt the fact. There was a pounding on the door. Lizzy stopped her pacing.
The guard at the door stood up and slid open the slit. They had furbished the slit they looked through with some glass, to help keep the heat in. The guard opened the door and a man wearing a full exoskeleton walked in, faceplate down. He flipped it up. It was Mike. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, saluting to Keller. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is the situation?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôGlickson's down with frostbite├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôHis suit happened to have a faulty toe covering. By the time we noticed it...it was too late. We had to amputate├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat must have been fun├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut he'll be back in a few hours├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd Himmler is still out there. We're covering every entrance we can, now that we've pulled back to a smaller sphere of ground├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhats the enemy doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôAs far as we can tell├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, his breath steaming in the room ├óÔé¼┼ôNot a damned thing. Even the small skirmishes have stopped├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about Eve?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. Mike frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôNo singe of her├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, shaking his head. Then there was a loud knock on the door. After a few seconds a voice managed to get through. It was faint, but it was recognizable. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me in!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve shouted. She hit the door again, hard enough to dent it. The door jerked open and she was hauled in by two pairs of hands. Mike hugged her first. Eve's eyes bugged as he gave her a literally spine crushing hug. ├óÔé¼┼ôOw├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. Mike smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can take it├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, letting her go. Eve felt her back slightly.
Then Lizzy hugged her, much lighter. But much longer, and with a lot more ├óÔé¼┼ôNever ever do that ever again├óÔé¼┬Ø. Another knock sounded on the door and the guard slid the slit back open, sighing. ├óÔé¼┼ôRaider├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôRaider!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts okay├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôhe's a prisoner I took├óÔé¼┬Ø. She beamed at Lizzy, so proud. Lizzy smiled back and hugged her again. The door opened and the raider was hustled in. The door shut behind him. Charles sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôIts getting cold out there├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. He was wearing an exoskeleton, but it was lower grade then the marines. It must have been getting cold for Charles. Lizzy pulled her pistol out and pressed it to the side of his head ├óÔé¼┼ôOut of the exoskeleton├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôOr I splatter you're brains over the wall├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Charles raised his hands. ├óÔé¼┼ôMom├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's...nice for a raider├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know├óÔé¼┬Ø Charles said, slowly unplugging his power. Suddenly his exoskeleton felt like an extra fifty pounds, rather then the supplement it had been. He unlatched the chest plate and slid it off, slowly so as to not worry Eve's mother. He soon had a pile of his exoskeleton parts. Now he felt very very cold, wearing nothing but the thin layer of cloth that he wore to prevent chafing. Lizzy, grudgingly, handed him one of her coats. He slid it on and felt the better for it. Eve sighed, looking at the others. They looked so cold. But she was feeling fine. In fact she was feeling better then fine.
├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, looking at his paper wrote notes ├óÔé¼┼ôcan you do another job├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy cut him off, putting her hand over the notes. She didn't crumple the paper in her fist. She had grown up in an asteroid colony, where destroying or even damaging paper was unthinkable. Tree's were rare enough on homeworld, let alone outer space. But she still looked at Keller. She wasn't above decking the Capitan. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts freezing├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts dark. The enemy are not moving. Why bother antagonizing them any more!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller frowned. Lizzy's other hand, the one at her side, tightened into a fist. Then Keller nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're right├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI wish I could set up some way of getting the power back on. If we could work together...if even for a little bit...then we can get the power on├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a really dumb idea├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena muttered. Drew, who had also drawn the unlucky card, nodded. He held, no matter how stupid it was in pitch darkness, a large white flag. They were both in exoskeletons, feeling surprisingly comfortable. It was an illusion, Helena knew. The suits were going to run out of batteries long long long before the generators inside the 'hot rooms' and then they would get really cold really fast. They kept walking, trying to talk as much as possible. The sooner the enemy knew they were coming the better. Keller was worried the enemy might not have radio's listening for enemy transmissions. God knows that Keller didn't have radio's (or power) to spare for listening in on things.
Helena and Drew walked around the corner, still waving the flag. Then a voice rang in the hallway ├óÔé¼┼ôStop!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena raised her hands and Drew waved the flag. The enemy head lamps came on and played over both marines. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to talk with you're leader├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts about the power├óÔé¼┬Ø. One of the raiders looked at his partner. The partner nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'll take you to our leader├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut first you need to be searched├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, walking forwards with her hands still raised. Drew followed, still waving his flag. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd put that damn thing down├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the raiders said, gesturing to the flag.
Douglas finished off his alloted rations. Those, plus the ones he had...borrowed from the man with the gun, made him feel actually full. Lee was finishing her rations as well, eating them as fast as possible. The room felt more...alive. As if people were adjusting to the night. Some people were finding the easiest way to banish the strange fear that was creeping in, to banish the night some people would say, was to do what early humanity had done. Telling stories. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø one man said ├óÔé¼┼ôI was like, Sally we can't do that, not on an shuttle. But she still crouches down in front and starts├óÔé¼┬Ø he mimed a rather vulgar motion. The navy crew members and the marines around the man started to laugh. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen she spits it in the barf bag├óÔé¼┬Ø the man was laughing with them ├óÔé¼┼ôRight in the god damned barf bag!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Douglas said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat brings you out here?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose...├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt sounded like fun├óÔé¼┬Ø. Douglas smiled and was about to say something. Then he was cut off by another round of laughter from the circle of friends. More conversations were starting up all over the place, and more laughter joined them. Douglas sighed. For some reason the people around him turned from faceless automatons, just gobbling food and not looking at one another. Now they were...well...people. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee said ├óÔé¼┼ôwant to grab some privacy?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Douglas blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know of a little place under a table. Its draped over with curtains and if you bite down then-├óÔé¼┬Ø. Douglas shook his head ├óÔé¼┼ôNah├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm gay├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike sat down. His squad was circulating, and he was on down time. There was word trickling around that navy members were donning exoskeletons and working with the Raiders to get the power lines back on. He didn't know what to think of it. Supposedly Helena and Drew had drawn the short straws and had walked into the largest Raider encampment with nothing more then a large cloth tied to a pipe. A white flag, for crying out loud. Mike sighed. He wanted to drink something hot. He wanted to be somewhere hot. He wanted to be with someone hot. His mind drifted to Lizzy. Yeah. She was hot. Mike laughed, wondering if he had gone crazy. He closed his eyes and the dim light inside the room became blackness.
Then something bloomed in his eyes. He opened his eyes. Light. The lights were on. Mike stood up, hope flaring in his heart. The sixty odd other people holed up in the room were also standing, gaping at the lights. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe power├óÔé¼┬Ø someone said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe power!├óÔé¼┬Ø someone else chimed in. Then the lights dimmed. Mike felt his hope strangle, knowing that it was going to fail. He prayed that it was just a slight set back. Then the lights died. Mike and the others were dejected, returned to the twilight provided by the heater unit. Mike sat down. For some reason having a slight glimpse of day just made the night all the worse. He sat down. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø someone muttered. Mike looked. It was Mankowski. He was puffing a cigarette ├óÔé¼┼ôI'd pay anything to just...be home. Or in a cryo tube, if you can believe that├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve sat in the bridge, propping her legs up on a console. She looked around. Her mother was at the heater, sitting near it. Eve thought about moving closer to the heater, but she...she didn't want to talk to her mother right now. The way Lizzy had just stepped in and...and shot Keller down without even asking if Eve wanted to do the mission, whatever it was, just made her angry. She sighed, knowing Lizzy was just trying to keep her safe. It still made her angry. Lizzy moved. Eve looked at her. Lizzy knelt, her hands clasped together and bowing her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôHoly father├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy murmured, stumbling over the half remembered words ├óÔé¼┼ôwho...who...are...heaven, something├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Lizzy wished she had the notes Daniel had wrote for her. She had lost them...ages ago. When she had decided that all this superstitious mumbojumbo wasn't worth the bother. But she felt like it was important to still pray, every once and a while. For Daniel. For Amber. For Jason. For everyone. She started to cry, her eyes screwed up. The tear traced a hot trail down her nose and landed on the ground of the deck. As she prayed something very strange happened. The darkness on the inside of her eyelids was...intruded on. A strange red haze was beating in on them. It was...light. Lizzy opened her eyes, wondering if for once her prayer had actually done something.
Then she saw the lights in the room were coming on. The computers were also coming on. ├óÔé¼┼ôHoly├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller muttered, looking around. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey did it├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve murmured, also looking around ├óÔé¼┼ôAmazing!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey must have├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, smiling ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'll be getting heat back on so...├óÔé¼┬Ø he trailed off. The lights dimmed. Lizzy's hope failed. Then the lights went off. Lizzy sat back down. ├óÔé¼┼ôHell├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. Eve looked back at her feet. Keller sat down and begin to rub his arms, trying to coax warmth into them. ├óÔé¼┼ôI hope Sarris is okay├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered.