This is an incredible story Parhelion! I love it! It's better than most commercial short stories I've read, and I cant wait to see how it all finishes. Please keep up the good work!!!
(Hmmm, the Onos hasn't been featured in the story yet.... I smell a climax coming on <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::onos::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tiny.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tiny.gif'><!--endemo--> )
<!--QuoteBegin--Delta|Cpt.Terran+Jul 13 2003, 11:08 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Delta|Cpt.Terran @ Jul 13 2003, 11:08 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->And this would be the climax...yes? Ahh...where every single evil thing has piled up on our poor hero...who will hopefully find a way to win. I just don't like it sad endings <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Aw, well...I don?t think it?s the climax of the story ? I would probably call it a turning point, but it?s up to you <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> Hope you enjoy chapter 12.
<u>Chapter 12: Blitzkrieg</u>
Seven separate incidents? Systematic attacks by the Kharaa? <i>Unbelievable</i>, McNamara thought to himself. ?The Trans-Govs must be running to change their underpants,? he muttered, with a wry smile. The minerals from the Ariadne Arm fulfilled 67% of the nano-sludge requirements of all the countries in the Charter, and if these reserves were lost...pandemonium would be a very impressive understatement to describe what would ensue. McNamara re-read the transmission twice more, committing it to memory, and then deleted it in accordance with TSA procedure for classified material. Two minutes later, the entire ship shuddered as Anderson repaired the damaged circuitry, and an instant after that, a turret factory appeared in the Feedwater Control centre, allowing a ring of turrets to be grouped around the slimy pool of water, bacteria and alien blood.
Returning swiftly to the docking bay via the large cargo elevator, the five marines saw Thompson, re-equipping himself with a heavy machine gun and strapping a large pack to his back. Nodding in grim satisfaction, the others picked up the jetpacks stacked near the prototype lab, and entered the Starboard Airlock, which Blackburn sent spinning with a flick of his wrist.
Jetpacks were a relatively new addition to the TSA arsenal, even though the entire concept of a marine-sized propulsion system was high on the priority list of the Research and Development team. Maybe it just took time to get the design right...and in this case, it was well worth the wait ? these packs were recharged instantly upon contact with the command network, and allowed for fast, easy and effective transportation to any point in a combat zone. McNamara watched as his six-man team advanced to the drilling shaft of the ship, where they stopped momentarily. Then, as one, the six green dots on his screen jumped down the shaft, hurtling towards the bottom in a close group before activating their packs briefly to touch down lightly, guns at the ready.
This area of the mining ship must have involved treatment of the mineral ores, by washing with water to remove soluble impurities. There was a large pool of water which stretched for metres, above which was suspended a small bridge. Progressing in single-file, Thompson taking the point, they stopped when they saw the bulging, throbbing distillation sac of another Kharaa resource chamber. While the customary offensive chambers were in place in front of the resource chamber, Thompson could distinguish two or three defensive chambers behind the cluster, which appeared to emit puffs of a red, gelatinous spray every few seconds. Signalling to Marlow to come forward, Thompson backed away, watching six grenades fly in rapid succession through the narrow gap in the wall.
As Marlow fell back to reload his launcher, the other five marines initiated the ramjets of their packs, blasting through the entrance to the room. The defensive chambers were hurriedly trying to repair the damage from the grenades, but the heavy machine guns spat out their devastating cones of lead, and within seconds, the entire room had been cleared. Rejoined by Marlow and his loaded launcher, the group proceeded carefully into the next room, aware that the hive was nearby.
The doorway to the refinery glowed a dark, ominous red ? since it was free of alien structures, Thompson nodded slowly and started to move into the cavernous area. The six marines paused just inside the entrance, scanning at eye-level with their guns, when suddenly a hail of spikes and globs of acid rained down upon them. ?Scatter!? cried Thompson, and the six marines burst into the air as the many clusters of offensive chambers on the upper walkways of the refinery opened fire. Rocketing to the ceiling together with Anderson and Thompson, Blackburn gasped in horror as he saw two fades perched in defensive positions under the hive, acid rockets flying from their shoulders. A second later, he received an even greater shock as the group of five lerks swooped from their alcove at the top of the hive, propelling their deadly spikes with savage force.
Umm...screwed. Right around now...I think that those jetpacks will run out of energy, and that they will plumet to the ground and break something...it is a drop from the roof of refinery down. trust meh, i know <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->.
<!--QuoteBegin--Delta|Cpt.Terran+Jul 18 2003, 11:57 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Delta|Cpt.Terran @ Jul 18 2003, 11:57 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Umm...screwed. Right around now...I think that those jetpacks will run out of energy, and that they will plumet to the ground and break something...it is a drop from the roof of refinery down. trust meh, i know <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Are you sure? I?m fairly certain that you can fly up to the roof of Refinery with enough energy to break your fall once you land...they activated their packs, and then just reached the roof in the split-second the lerks flew out. Well, I?ll stop here momentarily while I wait for an opportunity to experiment myself (or get a third opinion) ? thanks for bringing this up Delta <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
he's right, I chace lerks around refinery all the time <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
its a good sport.... there's penty of fuel in that jetpack... you just have to know how to use it.
That_Annoying_KidSire of TitlesJoin Date: 2003-03-01Member: 14175Members, Constellation
<!--QuoteBegin--VoltaGe+Jul 19 2003, 12:32 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (VoltaGe @ Jul 19 2003, 12:32 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> he's right, I chace lerks around refinery all the time <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
its a good sport.... there's penty of fuel in that jetpack... you just have to know how to use it. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> true, you did, but with 2.0 JP are no longer FPS reliant, and they revert to what they were origonaly intended for...
but chasings lerks is very fun <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Wow, I’ve been horrendously busy – I haven’t had the time to finish the last chapter. I’ll probably get around to it after Wednesday, and either leave it at that (i.e. a long final chapter) or include an epilogue...we’ll see first.
Blackburn, Anderson and Thompson cut power to their jetpacks and plummeted to the floor, a split-second before the spikes whistled through the air where their heads had just been. Landing lightly on the floor, they trained their weapons around the room as their packs recharged and chaos unfolded around them. Marlow and Deluca had landed just inside the control room of the refinery – the former began unleashing his grenades into the clustered groups of offensive chambers as the latter provided cover with his heavy machine gun. Ronaldson, on the other hand, was zipping around the room like an oversized fly, gun blazing, touching down on the floor periodically to allow his jetpack to recharge.
<i>- “Scav and Ice, help Ronaldson out – keep the Kharaa’s attention pinned to you while Marlow’s grenades take out the offensive chambers. Voltage, proceed to my waypoint, stat.”</i>
Skirting past incoming sprays of acid, Anderson ran to the blinking icon on his HUD as Blackburn and Thompson blasted off the refinery’s floor to aid Ronaldson in his dogfight with the five lerks.
Back in the command console, McNamara clicked frantically, ordering the network to create a plentiful supply of ammunition and medical nanite packs for the men in the battle. It seemed to be a stalemate – the lerks’ spikes seemed unable to pierce the armour of the marines, while the sharp, evasive manoeuvres of Blackburn, Thompson and Ronaldson made aimed fire a very unlikely possibility. In the other battle raging on, Marlow’s grenades were wreaking havoc on the alien chambers, but the defensive towers grouped behind them healed everything quickly with waves of healing bacteria.
Landing near a stack of medkits and ammunition, Thompson paused to reload his heavy machine gun, watching the other two whirl around in the refinery with glowing blue gases being emitted hastily out of their jetpacks. Barely fifteen seconds later, they too landed, shaking their heads grimly as they rammed new clips into their guns. “It’s impossible!” Ronaldson muttered, and in agreement, the three activated their packs and landed on the ramp leading to the refinery control room, joining Marlow and Deluca as the five lerks sent a flurry of spikes pinging against the strengthened glass windows.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Blackburn saw another alien walk slowly out from underneath the hive...a gorge! Bellowing loudly, the fat alien appeared to give an order to the lerks, which twisted in midair and dove into the tunnel leading into the water treatment plant. Simultaneously, the two fades leapt off the upper walkway, landing heavily on the floor and following the lerks. A second later, McNamara’s voice burst over voice comm.
<i>- “Quick! Get back there, immediately!”</i>
A blast of heavy machine gun fire erupted down the tunnel, together with the rapid chattering of sentry turrets. Galvanised into action, the five marines raced into the tunnel, to find the Kharaa desperately trying to destroy a turret factory that Anderson had built. The Frontiersman, himself, crouched behind the factory, frantically trying to activate a strange-looking contraption as lerk spikes and acid flew about him. In an instant, the marines raised their weapons and depressed their triggers, cutting down three of the lerks and a fade, but not before all the sentry turrets had been destroyed. Rushing forward to protect Anderson, the five men formed a circle around him and the turret factory, guns flashing.
Anderson sighed in relief as he switched his welder off – the active siege turret revolved once on its central support before stopping, pointing directly at the wall in the direction of the refinery hive. “Stay back, this is gonna be l-” was all that Anderson managed to say before the turret spun its amplified electromagnets, sending a pulse racing through the ship which tore the alien structures apart. As the turret fired again and again, the six marines walked slowly back into the refinery room. The hive had fallen from its lofty perch, and on the floor Kharaa writhed in convulsive jerks before dying. Finally, all movement ceased, the turret was silent, and the men nodded in grim acknowledgment before turning and returning to the upper level of the ship.
Two minutes later, after logging out of his console to stretch his cramped legs, McNamara looked up as the six marines entered the bay from the airlock. “Good news,” he said, “the other teams have cleared out all the Kharaa hives in the Arm – we’re going home!” As victorious grins spread across their faces, McNamara smiled. “This is the way it all ends,” he laughed. “Aye,” came Blackburn’s soft reply.
The seven men in the docking bay stood at ease, waiting for the TSS Solaris to phase them back into the transport ship. Behind them, seven bloodied corpses lay side-by-side, all with three pistol bullet holes in their heads – the Frontiersmen were anything if not cautious. Listening intently to the message transmitted to his headset by the Solaris’ commander, McNamara signalled to his team, and they lined up next to the phase gate, which lit up and hummed softly with a resonant power.
One by one, they stepped onto the gate and vanished with a flickering flash of light. Last in the line, McNamara stepped up to the gate, and was about to activate it when he saw a blur of movement hurtling towards him. Startled, he paused – allowing the skulk to latch onto his arm. With a muffled cry of pain, he pressed the switch on the phase gate, warping the two into the hold of the transport ship where the rest of the team turned around, transfixed in horror.
McNamara wrestled with the skulk, which seemed to have barely survived the siege turret’s spectacular destruction of the refinery hive. It seemed to be covered in some green slime, which glowed faintly and was nauseating even to touch. The skulk clawed weakly at his armour, scratching it deeply before six pistol bullets slammed into its body. Dropping to the floor, it raised its head and glared at McNamara, its red eyes glowing furiously before they closed. Breathing a final sigh of relief, McNamara turned away just as the skulk exploded with a concussive blast, bullet fragments scything into the walls. Sent flying across the hold, the commander crashed into the wall, slumping lifelessly onto the plated deck. The other six men were also thrown backwards, heads cracking against titanium and steel.
Opening his eyes slowly as he regained consciousness minutes later, Blackburn lifted his head and surveyed the gruesome scene – beside him, Anderson and Thompson stirred, but the rest of the team remained motionless. Getting gingerly to his feet, Blackburn hobbled over to each marine, shaking his head sadly each time. At the very end of the hold, he reached McNamara’s crumpled body, and turning him over, saw only the faintest trickle of blood ooze from the corner of the commander’s mouth. Joined by Anderson and Thompson, Blackburn felt for a pulse that was no longer there, and letting his hand drop to his side, bent his head in respect for the man who led them to victory. “A hollow victory,” he muttered, “a hollow victory.”
Oblivious to the carnage wrought within, the TSS Solaris powered steadily away from the Altairian system, the gleaming silver words on her side fading slowly in the dimming light:
<i>“The Frontiersmen: standing on the edge of the unknown, between humanity and whatever would threaten it.”</i>
And...9,182 words and 17 pages later...it is finished. Thanks to everyone who’s read it and offered criticism, encouragement or advice – it has been greatly appreciated <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> I don’t know when I’ll write another story, or what it will be about...but when it begins...you’ll know about it <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.natural-selection.org/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
its a bummer that you didn't snag yourself a copy of half-life 2, I think you deserved it <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
I think that if people enjoy this story half as much as I did then its going to be very sucessful
Thanks Volt <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> I?m quite pleased with how it turned out in the end...it?s not exactly the happy ending Delta|Cpt.Terran wanted, but it?s not a sad ending either. Viva la ambivalence <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
Comments
(Hmmm, the Onos hasn't been featured in the story yet.... I smell a climax coming on <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::onos::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tiny.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tiny.gif'><!--endemo--> )
how goes the writing?!
Aw, well...I don?t think it?s the climax of the story ? I would probably call it a turning point, but it?s up to you <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> Hope you enjoy chapter 12.
<u>Chapter 12: Blitzkrieg</u>
Seven separate incidents? Systematic attacks by the Kharaa? <i>Unbelievable</i>, McNamara thought to himself. ?The Trans-Govs must be running to change their underpants,? he muttered, with a wry smile. The minerals from the Ariadne Arm fulfilled 67% of the nano-sludge requirements of all the countries in the Charter, and if these reserves were lost...pandemonium would be a very impressive understatement to describe what would ensue. McNamara re-read the transmission twice more, committing it to memory, and then deleted it in accordance with TSA procedure for classified material. Two minutes later, the entire ship shuddered as Anderson repaired the damaged circuitry, and an instant after that, a turret factory appeared in the Feedwater Control centre, allowing a ring of turrets to be grouped around the slimy pool of water, bacteria and alien blood.
Returning swiftly to the docking bay via the large cargo elevator, the five marines saw Thompson, re-equipping himself with a heavy machine gun and strapping a large pack to his back. Nodding in grim satisfaction, the others picked up the jetpacks stacked near the prototype lab, and entered the Starboard Airlock, which Blackburn sent spinning with a flick of his wrist.
Jetpacks were a relatively new addition to the TSA arsenal, even though the entire concept of a marine-sized propulsion system was high on the priority list of the Research and Development team. Maybe it just took time to get the design right...and in this case, it was well worth the wait ? these packs were recharged instantly upon contact with the command network, and allowed for fast, easy and effective transportation to any point in a combat zone. McNamara watched as his six-man team advanced to the drilling shaft of the ship, where they stopped momentarily. Then, as one, the six green dots on his screen jumped down the shaft, hurtling towards the bottom in a close group before activating their packs briefly to touch down lightly, guns at the ready.
This area of the mining ship must have involved treatment of the mineral ores, by washing with water to remove soluble impurities. There was a large pool of water which stretched for metres, above which was suspended a small bridge. Progressing in single-file, Thompson taking the point, they stopped when they saw the bulging, throbbing distillation sac of another Kharaa resource chamber. While the customary offensive chambers were in place in front of the resource chamber, Thompson could distinguish two or three defensive chambers behind the cluster, which appeared to emit puffs of a red, gelatinous spray every few seconds. Signalling to Marlow to come forward, Thompson backed away, watching six grenades fly in rapid succession through the narrow gap in the wall.
As Marlow fell back to reload his launcher, the other five marines initiated the ramjets of their packs, blasting through the entrance to the room. The defensive chambers were hurriedly trying to repair the damage from the grenades, but the heavy machine guns spat out their devastating cones of lead, and within seconds, the entire room had been cleared. Rejoined by Marlow and his loaded launcher, the group proceeded carefully into the next room, aware that the hive was nearby.
The doorway to the refinery glowed a dark, ominous red ? since it was free of alien structures, Thompson nodded slowly and started to move into the cavernous area. The six marines paused just inside the entrance, scanning at eye-level with their guns, when suddenly a hail of spikes and globs of acid rained down upon them. ?Scatter!? cried Thompson, and the six marines burst into the air as the many clusters of offensive chambers on the upper walkways of the refinery opened fire. Rocketing to the ceiling together with Anderson and Thompson, Blackburn gasped in horror as he saw two fades perched in defensive positions under the hive, acid rockets flying from their shoulders. A second later, he received an even greater shock as the group of five lerks swooped from their alcove at the top of the hive, propelling their deadly spikes with savage force.
Are you sure? I?m fairly certain that you can fly up to the roof of Refinery with enough energy to break your fall once you land...they activated their packs, and then just reached the roof in the split-second the lerks flew out. Well, I?ll stop here momentarily while I wait for an opportunity to experiment myself (or get a third opinion) ? thanks for bringing this up Delta <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
its a good sport.... there's penty of fuel in that jetpack... you just have to know how to use it.
its a good sport.... there's penty of fuel in that jetpack... you just have to know how to use it. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
true, you did, but with 2.0 JP are no longer FPS reliant, and they revert to what they were origonaly intended for...
but chasings lerks is very fun <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Sorry about the long delay.
Blackburn, Anderson and Thompson cut power to their jetpacks and plummeted to the floor, a split-second before the spikes whistled through the air where their heads had just been. Landing lightly on the floor, they trained their weapons around the room as their packs recharged and chaos unfolded around them. Marlow and Deluca had landed just inside the control room of the refinery – the former began unleashing his grenades into the clustered groups of offensive chambers as the latter provided cover with his heavy machine gun. Ronaldson, on the other hand, was zipping around the room like an oversized fly, gun blazing, touching down on the floor periodically to allow his jetpack to recharge.
<i>- “Scav and Ice, help Ronaldson out – keep the Kharaa’s attention pinned to you while Marlow’s grenades take out the offensive chambers. Voltage, proceed to my waypoint, stat.”</i>
Skirting past incoming sprays of acid, Anderson ran to the blinking icon on his HUD as Blackburn and Thompson blasted off the refinery’s floor to aid Ronaldson in his dogfight with the five lerks.
Back in the command console, McNamara clicked frantically, ordering the network to create a plentiful supply of ammunition and medical nanite packs for the men in the battle. It seemed to be a stalemate – the lerks’ spikes seemed unable to pierce the armour of the marines, while the sharp, evasive manoeuvres of Blackburn, Thompson and Ronaldson made aimed fire a very unlikely possibility. In the other battle raging on, Marlow’s grenades were wreaking havoc on the alien chambers, but the defensive towers grouped behind them healed everything quickly with waves of healing bacteria.
Landing near a stack of medkits and ammunition, Thompson paused to reload his heavy machine gun, watching the other two whirl around in the refinery with glowing blue gases being emitted hastily out of their jetpacks. Barely fifteen seconds later, they too landed, shaking their heads grimly as they rammed new clips into their guns. “It’s impossible!” Ronaldson muttered, and in agreement, the three activated their packs and landed on the ramp leading to the refinery control room, joining Marlow and Deluca as the five lerks sent a flurry of spikes pinging against the strengthened glass windows.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Blackburn saw another alien walk slowly out from underneath the hive...a gorge! Bellowing loudly, the fat alien appeared to give an order to the lerks, which twisted in midair and dove into the tunnel leading into the water treatment plant. Simultaneously, the two fades leapt off the upper walkway, landing heavily on the floor and following the lerks. A second later, McNamara’s voice burst over voice comm.
<i>- “Quick! Get back there, immediately!”</i>
A blast of heavy machine gun fire erupted down the tunnel, together with the rapid chattering of sentry turrets. Galvanised into action, the five marines raced into the tunnel, to find the Kharaa desperately trying to destroy a turret factory that Anderson had built. The Frontiersman, himself, crouched behind the factory, frantically trying to activate a strange-looking contraption as lerk spikes and acid flew about him. In an instant, the marines raised their weapons and depressed their triggers, cutting down three of the lerks and a fade, but not before all the sentry turrets had been destroyed. Rushing forward to protect Anderson, the five men formed a circle around him and the turret factory, guns flashing.
Anderson sighed in relief as he switched his welder off – the active siege turret revolved once on its central support before stopping, pointing directly at the wall in the direction of the refinery hive. “Stay back, this is gonna be l-” was all that Anderson managed to say before the turret spun its amplified electromagnets, sending a pulse racing through the ship which tore the alien structures apart. As the turret fired again and again, the six marines walked slowly back into the refinery room. The hive had fallen from its lofty perch, and on the floor Kharaa writhed in convulsive jerks before dying. Finally, all movement ceased, the turret was silent, and the men nodded in grim acknowledgment before turning and returning to the upper level of the ship.
Two minutes later, after logging out of his console to stretch his cramped legs, McNamara looked up as the six marines entered the bay from the airlock. “Good news,” he said, “the other teams have cleared out all the Kharaa hives in the Arm – we’re going home!” As victorious grins spread across their faces, McNamara smiled. “This is the way it all ends,” he laughed. “Aye,” came Blackburn’s soft reply.
The seven men in the docking bay stood at ease, waiting for the TSS Solaris to phase them back into the transport ship. Behind them, seven bloodied corpses lay side-by-side, all with three pistol bullet holes in their heads – the Frontiersmen were anything if not cautious. Listening intently to the message transmitted to his headset by the Solaris’ commander, McNamara signalled to his team, and they lined up next to the phase gate, which lit up and hummed softly with a resonant power.
One by one, they stepped onto the gate and vanished with a flickering flash of light. Last in the line, McNamara stepped up to the gate, and was about to activate it when he saw a blur of movement hurtling towards him. Startled, he paused – allowing the skulk to latch onto his arm. With a muffled cry of pain, he pressed the switch on the phase gate, warping the two into the hold of the transport ship where the rest of the team turned around, transfixed in horror.
McNamara wrestled with the skulk, which seemed to have barely survived the siege turret’s spectacular destruction of the refinery hive. It seemed to be covered in some green slime, which glowed faintly and was nauseating even to touch. The skulk clawed weakly at his armour, scratching it deeply before six pistol bullets slammed into its body. Dropping to the floor, it raised its head and glared at McNamara, its red eyes glowing furiously before they closed. Breathing a final sigh of relief, McNamara turned away just as the skulk exploded with a concussive blast, bullet fragments scything into the walls. Sent flying across the hold, the commander crashed into the wall, slumping lifelessly onto the plated deck. The other six men were also thrown backwards, heads cracking against titanium and steel.
Opening his eyes slowly as he regained consciousness minutes later, Blackburn lifted his head and surveyed the gruesome scene – beside him, Anderson and Thompson stirred, but the rest of the team remained motionless. Getting gingerly to his feet, Blackburn hobbled over to each marine, shaking his head sadly each time. At the very end of the hold, he reached McNamara’s crumpled body, and turning him over, saw only the faintest trickle of blood ooze from the corner of the commander’s mouth. Joined by Anderson and Thompson, Blackburn felt for a pulse that was no longer there, and letting his hand drop to his side, bent his head in respect for the man who led them to victory. “A hollow victory,” he muttered, “a hollow victory.”
Oblivious to the carnage wrought within, the TSS Solaris powered steadily away from the Altairian system, the gleaming silver words on her side fading slowly in the dimming light:
<i>“The Frontiersmen: standing on the edge of the unknown, between humanity and whatever would threaten it.”</i>
Cheers.
its a bummer that you didn't snag yourself a copy of half-life 2, I think you deserved it <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
I think that if people enjoy this story half as much as I did then its going to be very sucessful
- Volt.