<span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>Chapter 34 - Scorpian That Hovars Without Flapping</span>
Moving at a speed which surprised both Sophie and Jack, the Scorpian dived downwards, pincers out-stretched. Jack and Sophie leapt out of the way, just in time as the Scorpian rammed hard into the area where they were standing seconds ago.
The both of them staggered to their feet. Upclose, they could see that the Scorpian was covered in a hard and shiny exo-skeleton which glinted eerily. It was as dark as the darkest sky and almost as big as the Onii. Armed with two gigantic pincers capable of sniping a man into half, eight terrible clawed legs and the worst of all, a monsterous long tail ending in a curved sting.
As the Scorpian turned to face Jack, he could hear its segmented body creaking and smelled its reeking stench. There were eight eyes, tiny but hideous and abominable. Raising a pincer up high, the Scorpian advanced steadily towards Jack.
Horror-stricken, Jack began to back away as he stared helplessly at this new foe. Raising his HMG, Jack aimed at its jaws with two jagged mantibites. Yet, as his gaze was held by the dreadful stare of the bestial eyes, Jacks shuddered in fear and his hands wavered. Stumbling on his feet, Jack cried out as he fell backwards. Snarling loudly, the Scorpian crept forward and was upon him. It seemed to turn into a thick cloud of death, stretching out and ready to engulf him. The pincers opened wide and reached forward, ready to grab him.
All of a sudden, there were gunshots and sparks were on the Scorpian's armored back. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! SHOOT!!!" Sophie screamed from a distance away. The Scorpian hissed loudly as bullets bounced off its back and it spun around to face Sophie.
Jack regained himself, and he got up and fired wildly at the Scorpian's tail. It was of no use and Sophie turned and fled as the Scorpian went after her. Galloping in an awkward but fast manner, the Scorpian was gaining on her.
Switching directions suddenly, Sophie lowered her head and ran under a web of pipes and metal. The Scorpian wasn't quite short enough to go under the pipes but it followed through anyway. Pipes and metal crashed onto the Scorpian's back as it rammed right into them. Sophie stopped and turned as the pipes piled up on the Scorpian's back and covered it. Was it dead?
Another loud shrill sounded and the Scorpian bursted out of the rubble. Taken by surprise, Sophie was hit in the shoulder by a pipe and fell. Her vision began to fade and as she looked up, the Scorpian was already upon her.
Jack shouted suddenly and leapt into the middle of the two of them. The Scorpian, shocked and confused, retreated several steps and was bathed in a hailstorm of bullets. Several bullets went into its jaws and it hissed loudly in pain and raised a pincer to block the bullets.
"Get up!" Jack shouted as he pulled Sophie up and the two of them fled together. Ignoring their pain or tireness, they ran and ran, past the giant missiles and metal strutures, hoping to find the control room and stop the nukes. If they were to stop the nukes, then they would be able to die without regrets.
Jack turned, half-expecting the Scorpian to be lurking behind, but it was gone.
Jack "Wait, stop!" Sophie "The Scorpian......where did it go?" Jack "Careful, this could be a trap. It could be right in front of us" Sophie "Stopping the nukes is more important than our safety, Jack. Let us find the control room first!" Jack "No, our safety is more important. If we die, then no one would be able to stop the nuke" Sophie "Promise me one thing Jack. If I get caught, or die, leave me and find the control room" Jack "No. No way would I ever abandon you. If we are to die, we shall die together!"
A ear-piercing shrill appeared to sound all around them and they looked around desperately. Everywhere were missiles and pipes, but the Scorpian was nowhere to be found. They heard another shrill, this time from the top, and they looked up together.
As if by some unseen magical force or having no gravity, the Scorpian was floating many metres in the air, slowly and steadily.
"Its a Scorpian that hovers without flapping or wings......." Jack muttered as he stared blankly at the hovering creature. Together, Jack and Sophie raised their HMGs in unison and took aim.
yeah and also, is the SKORPiAN THAT HOVERS WITHOUT FLAPPING OR WINGS a kaharra? I would think it would have some kaharra buddies with it+ the fact that no more kaharra ooze on the walls means it might not be kaharra....i hope u can explain it later..I think this explains why the "rebel" fade stopped attacking the commander. The scorpian was probably attacking kaharra and the fade was ordered to attack. Also what i dont under stand is.....why they arent dead yet, i mean the Kaharra were able to kill about 1,500 marines (i forget the marine count on the behemeth ship) but it cant kill a handful?Maybe the scorpian thinned there numbers...?
the 1,500 marines on the BH didnt expect kharra to invade when they did n over run them so fast so they werent fully prepared.... these hndful of guys knew what they were up against and were aware there would be a onos around the corner waiting to eat one of us any minute now...
Ah, thanks for the replies guys, I now see a major flaw with my story.
The Fade spared Reza because of the birth of the Queen, where all Kharaas at a particular area would have to assemble at the birthplace. In this case, the Main Bridge.
Hmmm......when all my chapters are done, I will include a "Guide to the special aliens of Behemoth". Also, I will do Proof reading and correct all past errors or flaws, like the 'Rebel-Fade' which isn't really a rebel fade but just about to kill Reza when it received the message 'Guard the Queen'.
<span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>Chapter 35 - The Hidden Sting</span>
The Scorpian saw them, and it swooped down directly at them. "NOW!!!" Jack shouted as he and Sophie fired at the incoming creature with their HMGs. It was too late, for the Scorpian was too fast for the bullets. Sophie felt a sharp wind upon her face and shielded herself with her HMG. The Scorpian appeared to fall on her and Jack heard her scream.
"NO!" He cried as he ran at the Scorpian, firing madly at its back. He could see her HMG crushed under its clawed leg but where was she?
"Jack! Here!" Sophie suddenly appeared from the Scorpian's side, crawling away desperately from it. Jack felt great relief, but at the same time, he was also aware that they were both in the striking range of the Scorpian.
As the Scorpian's pincers reached out again to grab Sophie, Jack fired several pot shots at its face and it halted. Jack pulled Sophie up with a hand while his eyes were still fixed on the Scorpian and gun ready to fire. "Come, Sophie. Get behind me" He said as he fired another shot at the Scorpian's jaws again and it shrieked loudly.
Sophie had lost her gun and he was fast running out of bullets. Also, he could not be sure if his pot shots at its face were doing any effects. Certainly, while it did not have any of the fury the Onii had, it had a much thicker armor, and was more well-protected. What were they to do?
"Sophie, listen" Jack muttered quietly. "I will guard against it, while you try to scout around and look for the Control Room"
There was a tone of haste in Sophie's voice as she replied ,"But we had said we were not going to separate. Remember? We live together and we die together!"
The Scorpian inched closely, and Jack fired a shot at its jaws again, but this time, it raised a pincer to deflect the bullet.
"What about your minimap?" Jack asked quickly. "Any chances of it showing us the Control Room?"
"No, the data shown only reveals the location of the Missile Silo, and not its details" Sophie continued as the two of them retreated several steps together.
The Scorpian suddenly made a weird buzzing cry and its tail reared up high, sting ready. Jack's eyes widened in shock as the Scorpian sprang forward suddenly. "Watch out!" He cried as the Scorpian's tail came bearing down on the two of them. Pushing Sophie away, he leapt to the side as the deadly sting pierced into the floor.
Immediately, Jack aimed at its jaws and fired again, the Scorpian retreated several steps and its tail reared up again. It's great sting came down at Jack's body and he rolled away quickly. Piercing into the floor once more, the Scorpian pulled its sting out and reared its tail up again. The tail of the Scorpian was like a coiled cobra, ready to lash out suddenly.
Hurling his body to the side, Jack narrowly avoided the sting, which lashed down only inches from the side. Fortunately, this time, the sting seemed to be stuck on the floor. Seizing the chance, Jack sprang up and dashed away, but the Scorpian swung its great pincers outwards and tripped him. Jack's gun fell from his hands as the Scorpian held Jack down with a pincer while the tail reared up again, this time determined not to miss its target.
Sophie suddenly fired down at the Scorpian's eyes and it shrieked in pain and let go of Jack. Jack jumped on his feet and dashed away as Sophie continued to fire on the Scorpian's eyes and jaws. Until at last, the Scorpian raised its pincers and shielded its face once more. Yet, Sophie's fury did not stop as she blasted the Scorpian's sting. It let out another shrill and tucked its tail below its belly.
'Clik Clik Clik'. The dreaded reply came from the HMG at last. It was out of ammo. Fortunately, the Scorpian continued to guard itself and it retreated into a corner, pincers raised and tail tucked safely.
"Now is the time! Run for it now!" Jack screamed and Sophie tossed her HMG down. Together, they sprinted away from the Scorpian.
You cant kill the scorpian that hovers without flapping! <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
you'll be suprised what 10 b-grenades can do <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
story is excellent fire eel. keep up the good work !
AngeluszHarmonic entropistJoin Date: 2003-07-10Member: 18072Members, Forum Moderators, Constellation, NS2 Playtester
<!--QuoteBegin--{LD}-Darkcommando+Feb 9 2004, 03:50 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (-{LD}-Darkcommando @ Feb 9 2004, 03:50 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> aw rebel it would of been so interesting to have the REBEL fade come and help sophie n jack out....
would be so cool to see alien vs alien.... <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> and mess up the ns storyline. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Good story <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Jack glanced behind as he ran, and saw the Scorpian lowering its pincers, and he ran even faster than before. "Don't stop, Sophie! Don't stop no matter what!" Jack muttered under his teeth as he and Sophie dashed past a sharp corner and headed straight ahead.
In the far distance, missiles lined their sides and some strange strutures were at the end. From behind, Jack and Sophie heard the metallic shrills of the Scorpian again and loud creaking sounds as it took after them. Without stopping, Jack tossed his head upwards and took several deep breaths. He was getting far too tired. From behind his neck, he could feel a scorching air, as if the Scorpian was breathing down its neck.
They were getting nearer to the end now, and what looked like a box attached to a pole and a tall crane were visible. "Sophie!" Jack croaked tiredly. "There! We will find cover!"
They had gone many metres, and soon found themselves so tired and exhausted that they pratically dragged themselves onwards. Beside him, Jack could see Sophie stumbling and lurching forward, and yet he himself was dazed with weariness. Not yet! Jack thought. Not yet! Not while there was still hope. He didn't know how much time was left, but from the looks of things, there were still some time left.
The box turned out to be a small rectangle room, directly underneth it was a ladder, and both were joint to the wall. A large metallic crane, towering many metres high up was positioned beside the room. Huge steel cables were suspended in the air, one side joined to the crane and another side leading into a hole in the floor. Large crates hanged from the cable and from the looks of it, all these machines had not been used for a long time.
The same thought flashed in Jack's and Sophie's mind : That was likely to be the control room. And the both of them dashed right for the ladder. Sophie jumped on the bars and began climbing up desperately while Jack pushed her bottom up with his palm. If that was the control room, if they could stop the nukes, then the Scorpian can kill them and it wouldn't matter.
As Sophie reached the top at last, and climbed into the room, out of Jack's sight, he suddenly realised that he had not heard the Scorpian at all. Jack made the grave mistake of standing his ground and turning back.
Faster than lighting, the huge outline from a darkness flashed across Jack's face and he was smacked many metres away. Hitting the floor hard, Jack laid there for a few seconds and pushed himself up slowly with a trembling hand.
Immediately, he coughed heavily and threw up blood. Dazed with confusion and pain, Jack shook his head a few times and looked upwards.
The Scorpian was directly upon him and before he could even get up, it had clamped its enormous pincers around him. There was a strong pressure at both his sides as Jack was squeezed much harder than he could ever be hugged. Screaming in pain, Jack tossed his head upwards and closed both his eyes, thinking that he would be crushed to death.
The pressure stopped suddenly, and Jack felt something cold and hard carassed his cheek. He opened his eyes only to realise in horror what was happening. The Scorpian was stroking his face with its tail. The tail felt smelly and disgusting, a filthy stench was also coming from it.
In anger, Jack spat on the Scorpian's eyes. It winched back, as if shocked then tightened its grip on Jack's waist. The sting on the Scorpian's massive tail suddenly flicked down into action. As the Scorpian lowered its tail sting near Jack's face again, he could see it flashing as if polished. And a drop of amber liquid suddenly seeped out from the tip of the sting and dripped down. Until at last, the Scorpian raised Jack high and reared its tail upwards.
That's gonna be a major spoiler so I won't say anything.
Also, the next chapter, Final Conflict is gonna be a great last chapter I promise, and it has got quite a surprise too. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DON'T MAKE IT END <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo--> or you could just wright another <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>Chapter 36 - Final Conflict</span>
Jack grunted in pain as he started to suffocate from the tight grip of the Scorpian. A great shadow suddenly loomed over them and Jack looked up in surprise. Another alien? There was a whirling sound as the crane adjusted itself directly overhead the two of them. The great chain clanged loudly and a huge crate hanging loosely was released.
There was a moment of silence as Jack stared, shocked at the enormous crate falling at the two of them.
The crate fell directly on top of the Scorpian and not even its tough carapace could protect it from being crushed. Amazingly, the crate only crushed the Scorpian's body, legs and tails but its pincer along with Jack was still left intact. The grip of the pincer suddenly loosened and Jack was released.
Rolling away quickly, Jack stared in awe at the remains of the Scorpian. Much of its body save a few claws and several pieces of carapace was shattered under the crate. Thick blue blood oozed out profusely under the crate. The only thing that remained intact were the two great pincers.
Breathing heavily, Jack glanced back up at the control room and saw Sophie flashing a thumbs up at him. He smiled weakly and flashed a thumbs up as well. Sophie got out from the room and slided down the ladder and raced towards him.
Sophie "Jack! Jack! Oh my god! You are still alright!" Jack "Yeah. Thanks for all that. You saved my life" Sophie "I was fortunate, the control manual for piloting the crane was still around and the power supply was intact as well" Jack "Seriously. I can't believe you would drop a crate on the Scorpian! Who taught you how to do that?!" Sophie "You 'd be surprised at what one can do when the situation is dire" Jack "Yes, enough talk. Did you stop the nukes?" Sophie "........................................." Jack "Well?" Sophie "No....that wasn't the control room we were looking for" Jack "DAMN!" Sophie "It's alright Jack. I happened to find a poster of the layout of the Missile Silo. The Control Room is quite near. Theres still hope!" Jack "Good, cause we only have eight minutes left!"
Together, they fled the scene quickly. Before he left however, Jack looked back again at the flattened remains of the Scorpian. "What is that thing anyway?!" He thought quietly as he followed Sophie.
This would be the final chance. This would be the ultimate moment when they would stop the nukes and the plans of the Kharaa once and for all. This would be the moment when Burt, Reza and Mike did not die in vain. Jack smiled again as he thought of all these. As he turned, he too could see Sophie smiling. Maybe they were thinking of the same thing. In her eyes, he could see great courage and valor, dispite her rugged and tired appearence. After all these is over, they would perhaps die in peace, and take down all the many Kharaas with them. Yes, after all, they were alone here.
An invisible force threw itself between Jack and Sophie and they were knocked aside like mere pins. The two of them heard the bellow of a great beast, which was menacing and yet strangely familer. "Oh no..............." Jack thought in horror. It was the Onii.
Jack stumbled up and limped away, but as he turned, he could see Sophie slumped against the wall. "Sophie! What are you doing?! Come!" He shouted repeatedly. "Sophie! If you do not come soon, Onii will get you! Quick!"
Sophie trembled in fear as cold sweat mixed with her blood and dripped down her forehead. She could barely hear Jack shouting. She could barely sense anything else. But she could feel the presense of Onii, right in front of her, sniffing at her, ready to eat.
The Onii finally shown itself, and Sophie screamed at the hideous sight before her. The Onii's entire body was charred into a coal black shape. It's great nose horn was broken and one of its eyes was bleeding badly. Huge chunks of meat and flesh was stripped from it and horrifyingly, its internal organs could seen. Sophie could even see part of its ribcage, pouring with greenish-yellowish blood. It opened it's blood-filled maw and took a step forward of which more blood and flacks of splinter would come off it. Much of its great frill had been blasted away and its soft, vulnerable head flesh was visible.
The Onii roared once more, it was only metres from Sophie and she was too terrified to even move. Dispite his weariness, Jack desperately climbed up a missile using the poles and bars of metal as a ladder. He had to save Sophie no matter what, even if it would cost his life.
"Jack! Don't care about me! Just run! Save Earth!" Sophie cried out as she saw Jack on a missile metres high. "No! No, I won't leave you no matter what! I don't even know how to get to the Control Room! We are doing this together!" Jack shouted back as he saw the Onii inching closer and closer to Sophie. She desperately pushed herself backwards but the wall prevented her from getting away.
"All personnal please evacuate the Missile Silo. Missile launch commencing in 3 minutes and 59 seconds. Repeat. Missile launch commencing in 3 minutes and 53 seconds" The cold robotic voice began again.
Now seven metres high, Jack clung on the missile and looked down at the Onii. There, he could see the scorched back of the Onii, which was smoking with the smell of burnt flesh. Uttering a final prayer, Jack leapt.
It was a direct landing, and Jack hit the Onii's back with a loud 'thump'. He gripped the carapace on its back firmly as the Onii roared loudly in surprise and charged around, trying to fling Jack off its back. The world begun spinning 360 deg around Jack, and he hugged the scorched back of the Onii even harder.
"JACK!" Sophie screamed in horror as she saw Jack on the Onii's back, but he could not do anything. The moment he even loosen his grip, he would be flung off, and all their past efforts would had been in vain.
<span style='font-family:Times'>Burt "That sounds...........good. I can......see.....my......family.........aga............." Reza "MY LEGS ARE BROKEN!!! I CAN NO LONGER FIGHT!!! TAKE THIS AND GO STOP THE NUKE!!! OR BURT AND I WOULD HAD DIED FOR NOTHING!!!" Mike "You two, remember to stop the nukes. Goodbye"</span>
"NO!!!" Full memories flowed back into Jack's mind. They died to save Earth. Now, he will stop the nukes! He must not die!
Determined to end this once and for all, Jack kicked the Onii's carapace and pushed himself nearer to it's head. He reached into his pocket and whipped out a knife.
"Astala vista, baby" Jack cried at last as he plunged the knife into the Onii's head, piercing through its flesh and stabbing into its brain. The Onii froze for a moment and let out a long dying scream and collasped on its side. There, it no longer moved, and its lifeless eye stared up, staying in that position. From the wreck rosed Jack, drenched in blood and sweat, and Sophie smiled gladly, tears blinding her eyes.
Together, they walked into the control room, and most surprisingly, the single computer was switched on. A timer on it shown numbers, 0:2:31. Pictures of missiles, the TSA logo and several options were there. One of the options read 'Cancel launch'. Sophie clicked the button. 'Are you sure?' was the response. Sophie clicked 'Yes' and the long waited robotic voice said "Missile launch has been terminated. Repeat, missile launch has been terminated"
It felt as if a great weight was finally off their chest and they stared at each other, almost not believing that they had finally stopped the nuclear missiles. But they had. They had saved Earth as last. Strangely enough, all weariness and pain had gone from their body. There was a window at the side of the room, from it, Earth could be seen.
It seemed weird, but looking at Earth brought calmness into their heart. It seemed like a small delicate crystal, swirling blue, their homeland. Fragile but deadly. Just like humans.
Sophie turned to face Jack, her eyes were swollen with tears, and she had never felt this glad. "Jack. We done it. We stopped the nukes at last!" She cried happily. Jack smiled as well. "Yes, Earth has also fired its nukes at BH. We will die, but its alright, because all the other Kharaas will be wiped out as well"
Sophie "Jack......." Jack "Sophie........" Sophie "I am glad that you are with me after so long, to the end of all things" Jack "And you are with me too" Sophie "We done what we set out to do, we succeeded after so much" Jack "Yes, and with great sacrifaces. I shall remember the words of Reza and the courage of Mike" Sophie "Jack, I......" Jack "I love you Sophie" Sophie "I love you too, Jack"
Visions of their parents and family members went past their mind, and lastly Burt, Reza and Mike. They embraced at last, never letting go for even a second.
A minute later, the nuclear missiles from Earth struck The Behemoth. There was a huge blast, and a mighty shockwave ripped everything apart, going through the Main Bridge, through the Hanger, through the Missile Silo. Kharaas fled and wailed, but it was over for them all. At that precise moment, everyone looking up at the sky could see a beautiful nova in the stars, as if it was some kind of magical fireworks, and little knew that it was also the sign that Earth was saved.
Much of Behemoth shattered apart and debris went towards Earth, most of which got vaporized at Earth's atmosphere. This was the day when Earth almost got destroyed, when men almost got wiped out by the weapons they had built to fight the Kharaa. Earth has been saved by the five brave humans known as Burt, Reza, Mike, Sophie and Jack.
It is not over yet. For now, men would not build anymore fancy spaceships or gigantic weapons. But it was only temperory. After all, with men comes war. As long as mankind and Kharaa exist, war would still continue. But for now, there was peace.
<span style='font-family:Times'><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Standing On The Edge Of The Unknown, Between Humanity And Whatever Would Threaten It</span></span>
THEY WHERE IN LOVE ? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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Moving at a speed which surprised both Sophie and Jack, the Scorpian dived downwards, pincers out-stretched. Jack and Sophie leapt out of the way, just in time as the Scorpian rammed hard into the area where they were standing seconds ago.
The both of them staggered to their feet. Upclose, they could see that the Scorpian was covered in a hard and shiny exo-skeleton which glinted eerily. It was as dark as the darkest sky and almost as big as the Onii. Armed with two gigantic pincers capable of sniping a man into half, eight terrible clawed legs and the worst of all, a monsterous long tail ending in a curved sting.
As the Scorpian turned to face Jack, he could hear its segmented body creaking and smelled its reeking stench. There were eight eyes, tiny but hideous and abominable. Raising a pincer up high, the Scorpian advanced steadily towards Jack.
Horror-stricken, Jack began to back away as he stared helplessly at this new foe. Raising his HMG, Jack aimed at its jaws with two jagged mantibites. Yet, as his gaze was held by the dreadful stare of the bestial eyes, Jacks shuddered in fear and his hands wavered. Stumbling on his feet, Jack cried out as he fell backwards. Snarling loudly, the Scorpian crept forward and was upon him. It seemed to turn into a thick cloud of death, stretching out and ready to engulf him. The pincers opened wide and reached forward, ready to grab him.
All of a sudden, there were gunshots and sparks were on the Scorpian's armored back. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! SHOOT!!!" Sophie screamed from a distance away. The Scorpian hissed loudly as bullets bounced off its back and it spun around to face Sophie.
Jack regained himself, and he got up and fired wildly at the Scorpian's tail. It was of no use and Sophie turned and fled as the Scorpian went after her. Galloping in an awkward but fast manner, the Scorpian was gaining on her.
Switching directions suddenly, Sophie lowered her head and ran under a web of pipes and metal. The Scorpian wasn't quite short enough to go under the pipes but it followed through anyway. Pipes and metal crashed onto the Scorpian's back as it rammed right into them. Sophie stopped and turned as the pipes piled up on the Scorpian's back and covered it. Was it dead?
Another loud shrill sounded and the Scorpian bursted out of the rubble. Taken by surprise, Sophie was hit in the shoulder by a pipe and fell. Her vision began to fade and as she looked up, the Scorpian was already upon her.
Jack shouted suddenly and leapt into the middle of the two of them. The Scorpian, shocked and confused, retreated several steps and was bathed in a hailstorm of bullets. Several bullets went into its jaws and it hissed loudly in pain and raised a pincer to block the bullets.
"Get up!" Jack shouted as he pulled Sophie up and the two of them fled together. Ignoring their pain or tireness, they ran and ran, past the giant missiles and metal strutures, hoping to find the control room and stop the nukes. If they were to stop the nukes, then they would be able to die without regrets.
Jack turned, half-expecting the Scorpian to be lurking behind, but it was gone.
Jack "Wait, stop!"
Sophie "The Scorpian......where did it go?"
Jack "Careful, this could be a trap. It could be right in front of us"
Sophie "Stopping the nukes is more important than our safety, Jack. Let us find the control room first!"
Jack "No, our safety is more important. If we die, then no one would be able to stop the nuke"
Sophie "Promise me one thing Jack. If I get caught, or die, leave me and find the control room"
Jack "No. No way would I ever abandon you. If we are to die, we shall die together!"
A ear-piercing shrill appeared to sound all around them and they looked around desperately. Everywhere were missiles and pipes, but the Scorpian was nowhere to be found. They heard another shrill, this time from the top, and they looked up together.
As if by some unseen magical force or having no gravity, the Scorpian was floating many metres in the air, slowly and steadily.
"Its a Scorpian that hovers without flapping or wings......." Jack muttered as he stared blankly at the hovering creature. Together, Jack and Sophie raised their HMGs in unison and took aim.
is it going to show up later on?
The Fade spared Reza because of the birth of the Queen, where all Kharaas at a particular area would have to assemble at the birthplace. In this case, the Main Bridge.
Hmmm......when all my chapters are done, I will include a "Guide to the special aliens of Behemoth". Also, I will do Proof reading and correct all past errors or flaws, like the 'Rebel-Fade' which isn't really a rebel fade but just about to kill Reza when it received the message 'Guard the Queen'.
The Scorpian saw them, and it swooped down directly at them. "NOW!!!" Jack shouted as he and Sophie fired at the incoming creature with their HMGs. It was too late, for the Scorpian was too fast for the bullets. Sophie felt a sharp wind upon her face and shielded herself with her HMG. The Scorpian appeared to fall on her and Jack heard her scream.
"NO!" He cried as he ran at the Scorpian, firing madly at its back. He could see her HMG crushed under its clawed leg but where was she?
"Jack! Here!" Sophie suddenly appeared from the Scorpian's side, crawling away desperately from it. Jack felt great relief, but at the same time, he was also aware that they were both in the striking range of the Scorpian.
As the Scorpian's pincers reached out again to grab Sophie, Jack fired several pot shots at its face and it halted. Jack pulled Sophie up with a hand while his eyes were still fixed on the Scorpian and gun ready to fire. "Come, Sophie. Get behind me" He said as he fired another shot at the Scorpian's jaws again and it shrieked loudly.
Sophie had lost her gun and he was fast running out of bullets. Also, he could not be sure if his pot shots at its face were doing any effects. Certainly, while it did not have any of the fury the Onii had, it had a much thicker armor, and was more well-protected. What were they to do?
"Sophie, listen" Jack muttered quietly. "I will guard against it, while you try to scout around and look for the Control Room"
There was a tone of haste in Sophie's voice as she replied ,"But we had said we were not going to separate. Remember? We live together and we die together!"
The Scorpian inched closely, and Jack fired a shot at its jaws again, but this time, it raised a pincer to deflect the bullet.
"What about your minimap?" Jack asked quickly. "Any chances of it showing us the Control Room?"
"No, the data shown only reveals the location of the Missile Silo, and not its details" Sophie continued as the two of them retreated several steps together.
The Scorpian suddenly made a weird buzzing cry and its tail reared up high, sting ready. Jack's eyes widened in shock as the Scorpian sprang forward suddenly. "Watch out!" He cried as the Scorpian's tail came bearing down on the two of them. Pushing Sophie away, he leapt to the side as the deadly sting pierced into the floor.
Immediately, Jack aimed at its jaws and fired again, the Scorpian retreated several steps and its tail reared up again. It's great sting came down at Jack's body and he rolled away quickly. Piercing into the floor once more, the Scorpian pulled its sting out and reared its tail up again. The tail of the Scorpian was like a coiled cobra, ready to lash out suddenly.
Hurling his body to the side, Jack narrowly avoided the sting, which lashed down only inches from the side. Fortunately, this time, the sting seemed to be stuck on the floor. Seizing the chance, Jack sprang up and dashed away, but the Scorpian swung its great pincers outwards and tripped him. Jack's gun fell from his hands as the Scorpian held Jack down with a pincer while the tail reared up again, this time determined not to miss its target.
Sophie suddenly fired down at the Scorpian's eyes and it shrieked in pain and let go of Jack. Jack jumped on his feet and dashed away as Sophie continued to fire on the Scorpian's eyes and jaws. Until at last, the Scorpian raised its pincers and shielded its face once more. Yet, Sophie's fury did not stop as she blasted the Scorpian's sting. It let out another shrill and tucked its tail below its belly.
'Clik Clik Clik'. The dreaded reply came from the HMG at last. It was out of ammo. Fortunately, the Scorpian continued to guard itself and it retreated into a corner, pincers raised and tail tucked safely.
"Now is the time! Run for it now!" Jack screamed and Sophie tossed her HMG down. Together, they sprinted away from the Scorpian.
story is excellent fire eel. keep up the good work !
would be so cool to see alien vs alien....
would be so cool to see alien vs alien.... <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
and mess up the ns storyline. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
WTH FINISH THE BOOK NOW IM DYING AHHH I CANT BELEIEVE I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THIS MAGNIFICENT 21ST CENTURY NOVEL. NOOO
I really think the scorpian is a stupid side track to the story :\
ive been reading your chapters for an hour and 45 minutes now...wow. best thing ive read in years, seriously.
Jack glanced behind as he ran, and saw the Scorpian lowering its pincers, and he ran even faster than before. "Don't stop, Sophie! Don't stop no matter what!" Jack muttered under his teeth as he and Sophie dashed past a sharp corner and headed straight ahead.
In the far distance, missiles lined their sides and some strange strutures were at the end. From behind, Jack and Sophie heard the metallic shrills of the Scorpian again and loud creaking sounds as it took after them. Without stopping, Jack tossed his head upwards and took several deep breaths. He was getting far too tired. From behind his neck, he could feel a scorching air, as if the Scorpian was breathing down its neck.
They were getting nearer to the end now, and what looked like a box attached to a pole and a tall crane were visible. "Sophie!" Jack croaked tiredly. "There! We will find cover!"
They had gone many metres, and soon found themselves so tired and exhausted that they pratically dragged themselves onwards. Beside him, Jack could see Sophie stumbling and lurching forward, and yet he himself was dazed with weariness. Not yet! Jack thought. Not yet! Not while there was still hope. He didn't know how much time was left, but from the looks of things, there were still some time left.
The box turned out to be a small rectangle room, directly underneth it was a ladder, and both were joint to the wall. A large metallic crane, towering many metres high up was positioned beside the room. Huge steel cables were suspended in the air, one side joined to the crane and another side leading into a hole in the floor. Large crates hanged from the cable and from the looks of it, all these machines had not been used for a long time.
The same thought flashed in Jack's and Sophie's mind : That was likely to be the control room. And the both of them dashed right for the ladder. Sophie jumped on the bars and began climbing up desperately while Jack pushed her bottom up with his palm. If that was the control room, if they could stop the nukes, then the Scorpian can kill them and it wouldn't matter.
As Sophie reached the top at last, and climbed into the room, out of Jack's sight, he suddenly realised that he had not heard the Scorpian at all. Jack made the grave mistake of standing his ground and turning back.
Faster than lighting, the huge outline from a darkness flashed across Jack's face and he was smacked many metres away. Hitting the floor hard, Jack laid there for a few seconds and pushed himself up slowly with a trembling hand.
Immediately, he coughed heavily and threw up blood. Dazed with confusion and pain, Jack shook his head a few times and looked upwards.
The Scorpian was directly upon him and before he could even get up, it had clamped its enormous pincers around him. There was a strong pressure at both his sides as Jack was squeezed much harder than he could ever be hugged. Screaming in pain, Jack tossed his head upwards and closed both his eyes, thinking that he would be crushed to death.
The pressure stopped suddenly, and Jack felt something cold and hard carassed his cheek. He opened his eyes only to realise in horror what was happening. The Scorpian was stroking his face with its tail. The tail felt smelly and disgusting, a filthy stench was also coming from it.
In anger, Jack spat on the Scorpian's eyes. It winched back, as if shocked then tightened its grip on Jack's waist. The sting on the Scorpian's massive tail suddenly flicked down into action. As the Scorpian lowered its tail sting near Jack's face again, he could see it flashing as if polished. And a drop of amber liquid suddenly seeped out from the tip of the sting and dripped down. Until at last, the Scorpian raised Jack high and reared its tail upwards.
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Next Chapter
Final Conflict
Also, the next chapter, Final Conflict is gonna be a great last chapter I promise, and it has got quite a surprise too. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
i like plot twists/surprises
/me wants
DON'T MAKE IT END <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo--> or you could just wright another <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Jack grunted in pain as he started to suffocate from the tight grip of the Scorpian. A great shadow suddenly loomed over them and Jack looked up in surprise. Another alien? There was a whirling sound as the crane adjusted itself directly overhead the two of them. The great chain clanged loudly and a huge crate hanging loosely was released.
There was a moment of silence as Jack stared, shocked at the enormous crate falling at the two of them.
The crate fell directly on top of the Scorpian and not even its tough carapace could protect it from being crushed. Amazingly, the crate only crushed the Scorpian's body, legs and tails but its pincer along with Jack was still left intact. The grip of the pincer suddenly loosened and Jack was released.
Rolling away quickly, Jack stared in awe at the remains of the Scorpian. Much of its body save a few claws and several pieces of carapace was shattered under the crate. Thick blue blood oozed out profusely under the crate. The only thing that remained intact were the two great pincers.
Breathing heavily, Jack glanced back up at the control room and saw Sophie flashing a thumbs up at him. He smiled weakly and flashed a thumbs up as well. Sophie got out from the room and slided down the ladder and raced towards him.
Sophie "Jack! Jack! Oh my god! You are still alright!"
Jack "Yeah. Thanks for all that. You saved my life"
Sophie "I was fortunate, the control manual for piloting the crane was still around and the power supply was intact as well"
Jack "Seriously. I can't believe you would drop a crate on the Scorpian! Who taught you how to do that?!"
Sophie "You 'd be surprised at what one can do when the situation is dire"
Jack "Yes, enough talk. Did you stop the nukes?"
Sophie "........................................."
Jack "Well?"
Sophie "No....that wasn't the control room we were looking for"
Jack "DAMN!"
Sophie "It's alright Jack. I happened to find a poster of the layout of the Missile Silo. The Control Room is quite near. Theres still hope!"
Jack "Good, cause we only have eight minutes left!"
Together, they fled the scene quickly. Before he left however, Jack looked back again at the flattened remains of the Scorpian. "What is that thing anyway?!" He thought quietly as he followed Sophie.
This would be the final chance. This would be the ultimate moment when they would stop the nukes and the plans of the Kharaa once and for all. This would be the moment when Burt, Reza and Mike did not die in vain. Jack smiled again as he thought of all these. As he turned, he too could see Sophie smiling. Maybe they were thinking of the same thing. In her eyes, he could see great courage and valor, dispite her rugged and tired appearence. After all these is over, they would perhaps die in peace, and take down all the many Kharaas with them. Yes, after all, they were alone here.
An invisible force threw itself between Jack and Sophie and they were knocked aside like mere pins. The two of them heard the bellow of a great beast, which was menacing and yet strangely familer. "Oh no..............." Jack thought in horror. It was the Onii.
Jack stumbled up and limped away, but as he turned, he could see Sophie slumped against the wall. "Sophie! What are you doing?! Come!" He shouted repeatedly. "Sophie! If you do not come soon, Onii will get you! Quick!"
Sophie trembled in fear as cold sweat mixed with her blood and dripped down her forehead. She could barely hear Jack shouting. She could barely sense anything else. But she could feel the presense of Onii, right in front of her, sniffing at her, ready to eat.
The Onii finally shown itself, and Sophie screamed at the hideous sight before her. The Onii's entire body was charred into a coal black shape. It's great nose horn was broken and one of its eyes was bleeding badly. Huge chunks of meat and flesh was stripped from it and horrifyingly, its internal organs could seen. Sophie could even see part of its ribcage, pouring with greenish-yellowish blood. It opened it's blood-filled maw and took a step forward of which more blood and flacks of splinter would come off it. Much of its great frill had been blasted away and its soft, vulnerable head flesh was visible.
The Onii roared once more, it was only metres from Sophie and she was too terrified to even move. Dispite his weariness, Jack desperately climbed up a missile using the poles and bars of metal as a ladder. He had to save Sophie no matter what, even if it would cost his life.
"Jack! Don't care about me! Just run! Save Earth!" Sophie cried out as she saw Jack on a missile metres high. "No! No, I won't leave you no matter what! I don't even know how to get to the Control Room! We are doing this together!" Jack shouted back as he saw the Onii inching closer and closer to Sophie. She desperately pushed herself backwards but the wall prevented her from getting away.
"All personnal please evacuate the Missile Silo. Missile launch commencing in 3 minutes and 59 seconds. Repeat. Missile launch commencing in 3 minutes and 53 seconds" The cold robotic voice began again.
Now seven metres high, Jack clung on the missile and looked down at the Onii. There, he could see the scorched back of the Onii, which was smoking with the smell of burnt flesh. Uttering a final prayer, Jack leapt.
It was a direct landing, and Jack hit the Onii's back with a loud 'thump'. He gripped the carapace on its back firmly as the Onii roared loudly in surprise and charged around, trying to fling Jack off its back. The world begun spinning 360 deg around Jack, and he hugged the scorched back of the Onii even harder.
"JACK!" Sophie screamed in horror as she saw Jack on the Onii's back, but he could not do anything. The moment he even loosen his grip, he would be flung off, and all their past efforts would had been in vain.
<span style='font-family:Times'>Burt "That sounds...........good. I can......see.....my......family.........aga............."
Reza "MY LEGS ARE BROKEN!!! I CAN NO LONGER FIGHT!!! TAKE THIS AND GO STOP THE NUKE!!! OR BURT AND I WOULD HAD DIED FOR NOTHING!!!"
Mike "You two, remember to stop the nukes. Goodbye"</span>
"NO!!!" Full memories flowed back into Jack's mind. They died to save Earth. Now, he will stop the nukes! He must not die!
Determined to end this once and for all, Jack kicked the Onii's carapace and pushed himself nearer to it's head. He reached into his pocket and whipped out a knife.
"Astala vista, baby" Jack cried at last as he plunged the knife into the Onii's head, piercing through its flesh and stabbing into its brain. The Onii froze for a moment and let out a long dying scream and collasped on its side. There, it no longer moved, and its lifeless eye stared up, staying in that position. From the wreck rosed Jack, drenched in blood and sweat, and Sophie smiled gladly, tears blinding her eyes.
Together, they walked into the control room, and most surprisingly, the single computer was switched on. A timer on it shown numbers, 0:2:31. Pictures of missiles, the TSA logo and several options were there. One of the options read 'Cancel launch'. Sophie clicked the button. 'Are you sure?' was the response. Sophie clicked 'Yes' and the long waited robotic voice said "Missile launch has been terminated. Repeat, missile launch has been terminated"
It felt as if a great weight was finally off their chest and they stared at each other, almost not believing that they had finally stopped the nuclear missiles. But they had. They had saved Earth as last. Strangely enough, all weariness and pain had gone from their body. There was a window at the side of the room, from it, Earth could be seen.
It seemed weird, but looking at Earth brought calmness into their heart. It seemed like a small delicate crystal, swirling blue, their homeland. Fragile but deadly. Just like humans.
Sophie turned to face Jack, her eyes were swollen with tears, and she had never felt this glad. "Jack. We done it. We stopped the nukes at last!" She cried happily. Jack smiled as well. "Yes, Earth has also fired its nukes at BH. We will die, but its alright, because all the other Kharaas will be wiped out as well"
Sophie "Jack......."
Jack "Sophie........"
Sophie "I am glad that you are with me after so long, to the end of all things"
Jack "And you are with me too"
Sophie "We done what we set out to do, we succeeded after so much"
Jack "Yes, and with great sacrifaces. I shall remember the words of Reza and the courage of Mike"
Sophie "Jack, I......"
Jack "I love you Sophie"
Sophie "I love you too, Jack"
Visions of their parents and family members went past their mind, and lastly Burt, Reza and Mike. They embraced at last, never letting go for even a second.
A minute later, the nuclear missiles from Earth struck The Behemoth. There was a huge blast, and a mighty shockwave ripped everything apart, going through the Main Bridge, through the Hanger, through the Missile Silo. Kharaas fled and wailed, but it was over for them all. At that precise moment, everyone looking up at the sky could see a beautiful nova in the stars, as if it was some kind of magical fireworks, and little knew that it was also the sign that Earth was saved.
Much of Behemoth shattered apart and debris went towards Earth, most of which got vaporized at Earth's atmosphere. This was the day when Earth almost got destroyed, when men almost got wiped out by the weapons they had built to fight the Kharaa. Earth has been saved by the five brave humans known as Burt, Reza, Mike, Sophie and Jack.
It is not over yet. For now, men would not build anymore fancy spaceships or gigantic weapons. But it was only temperory. After all, with men comes war. As long as mankind and Kharaa exist, war would still continue. But for now, there was peace.
<span style='font-family:Times'><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Standing On The Edge Of The Unknown, Between Humanity And Whatever Would Threaten It</span></span>
Hope its good. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Anyway, what's coming up next is a reference guide to the monsters of Behemoth.
I do have a request though......can anyone draw a good picture of a Scorpian hovering or a bunch of testicles, erm, make it tentacles.
* reads it again*
THEY WHERE IN LOVE ? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
No, seriously. You have heard of it don't you?