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Aliens vs. Master Chief Part 1
Date: 26 October 2005, 12:32 am

Aliens vs. Master Chief


Lieutenant James Parker pushed a crate slowly down the hall of the Selik Space Station. He was mumbling to himself in frustration as the noisy crate-on-wheels kept thumping over every crease in the grated path. The light's faulty wiring kept going on and off, and was constantly being replaced by the dark red back-up lights, giving the tunnels a creepy feel to it. The same dead path, that same awful smell of rusting or melted metal made him wince. He had done this too many times; delivery. It was always delivery…ever since his last major assignment at least. They had laid him off for awhile, to jobs Lieutenants don't normally do, so that no one would suspect him. He was clearly starting to get fed up and aggravated. That same line, that came in somewhere along his journey; the stereotypical "Be careful with that son". He was a glad that he was to be escorting these crates to the Margos Taken research labs; finally a new environment. But this time was a little different…he had no idea what he was delivering. Usually they'd tell you. Fragmentation grenades, ammo, fuel, some wacky battle armor for the freak they love so much…but not this time. He had considered opening the crate to take a little peak, but the big red letters on the side did say "CAUTION: DO NOT OPEN." If they wasted the paint on warning you…well then, you'd better not open it. Perfect logic.
He rounded the corner out into the Pelican Bay. The bay was just a big open room, with people working on the fork-lifts and oil stains on the floor. It had loose wires hanging from the ceiling, rusted crosswalks outlining the walls and a few cargo crates stacked up in the back, near the huge shuttle bay doors. Not much else. To put it this way: It's definitely not where the tourists would go. Why couldn't they at least hire someone to clean up the filthy place? It looks as if they hired everyone else.
I mean, I'd do it if I was paid more...
He smiled and nodded at the people who greeted him…he'd been doing this so long people recognized him. He curled his lip, and started for the Pelican that was going to deliver the crates. Five other Pelicans were in the shuttle bay. Some where refilling fuel tanks, others were assigned for minor repairs, and only two were excepting delivery. As he got closer to his assigned Pelican, he held his breath as the awful stench rolled over yet again. Fuel, exhaust, humidity and sweat all combined; it was awful. The people could at least get rid of the sweat part by taking a shower…either that or install a little A/C. He walked up the ramp to the assigned Pelican and looked around the cramped storage space. Five other crates had the same "CAUTION: DO NOT OPEN" sign that he had come to know and love. He scoffed as he secured the crate, and told the pilot that he was ready for take-off.

Derek was on his sixth trip to the laboratories with the mysterious crates that had arrived to the Margos Taken research ship this afternoon. He wondered what the other scientists were working on that was good enough to be called "classified". He had been working for the Margos Taken labs for two years now, and he still was confined to mini-jobs and research. It wasn't because he wasn't good at what he did; it was probably because he had a tendency to be a little "careless". He didn't like to admit it, but there were quite a few times that he had made major mistakes.
As he continued to walk down the quiet halls, he listened to the tranquil pattern of thuds the crate made on the way down the tiled hallway. He sighed inwardly as a new breeze of chemical smells leaked out into the narrow hallway. Every five feet or so, a new door, a new laboratory, and a new smell would waft into the hall. People would probably call him crazy but…he enjoyed the smell and the general cleanliness of the laboratories, since it was rare that he would even get to enter one. As he continued, he watched as the bright lights shined every four feet and became a pattern of light and shadows as he passed under them slowly.
He arrived at laboratory 23 and slid the thin I.D card through the slot. The door "beeped" green and opened. He rolled the crate inside with the others. As he pushed the crate farther back into the lab, maneuvering it past garbage can and a couple of counters, he noticed a computer on one of the desks. It had a file opened on the screen that someone had probably forgotten to shut down. He let go of the crate and looked around; no one was here. Finally curiosity caught him in his own snare. He leaned over and read:

>FILE ENCRYPTED/SPECIEFIED EYES ONLY /DR.CELCOVY, DR MADISON, DR.BELLINGHAM /18827596057431-SA
>DERCRYPTION KEY: [OPERATION: CLASSIFIED]
>SPECIFIC INFORMATION-[UNKNOWN ALIEN FOUND]
>SENDER/ SELIK SPACE STATION
>
>
>>Professors,
>
Six unknown egg-like organisms have been sent to you for your analyses. We believe that these organisms are hostile and should be examined with great care. One of our scientists has already tried to examine one, but was later found with something attached to his face…some sort of parasite. Soon after the parasite seemed to die and fall off. We don't know what happened, but the scientist is currently under quarantine. We shall get back to you when the results come in, for further information. Until then, do not examine these organisms.
>
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/:
>
One of the eggs we have sent you is larger, and a darker brown. We do not know what is different about this egg so please take extra caution when around it.
>
Thank you
>>
>>>Lieutenant Stafargler
>>
[END FILE:/]

Derek leaned back and frowned. He looked at his watch; 3:03 pm. He had to get back to work soon. Thinking about it will just have to wait until after his shift. Perhaps he'll ask one of the doctors about it. He gave a puzzled look to himself, but as he turned around to leave, he noticed that one of the crates was open and its lid was on the floor.
"Hello?" He called out. No one answered. He looked around again and slowly walked over to pick up the lid, but before he closed the crate, he peered inside. He suddenly took a step back as the large dark brown egg opened four flaps releasing a horrible smell. Derek winced and considered going to get help, but his curiosity got the better of him. He slowly bent over and glimpsed inside again…a red hand, or claw started to craw out. Derek started to turn around and run but it was too late.

The thing jumped onto Derek's face and curled its tail around his neck….Darkness covered him.

It had begun.

Derek woke up and gasped for breath. He clutched his chest, closed his eyes, and took in a deep lungful of air. He let it out through his nose, in an attempt to calm himself down, and remember what had happened; nothing yet. He slowly opened his eyes and saw that he was sitting in a corner, on the floor, in some lab. He looked at his watch: 3:19pm. How long had he'd been like this? His memory had started to come back to him piece by piece. He closed his eyes again and the pictures of his memory flashed. He went through the scene as though he were watching a movie. He couldn't remember much; he saw the number 23, a door opened and he saw some crates, a computer (he tried reading what was on the screen, but with no luck.) He looked back and he saw an open crate. The last of the "mind movie" was something jumping toward his face. He opened his eyes in a flash. He remembered everything now. He started looking for the bug-thing in a panic. He glanced to his right and gasped. The parasite was one the floor next to him. He tried to push himself farther into the wall he was leaning on. The parasite didn't move.
Is it dead?
He leaned closer to take a better look. It was all curled up like a, well, a dead bug. He sighed with relief, leaned back, and closed his eyes yet again. Suddenly he clutched his chest again as he felt immense pain in his ribs. He broke out into a cold sweat and he looked around with frightened eyes as the chest pain grew worse. Derek let out a last scream as—

The young Queen Chest-Burster screeched as she drew in her first and wonderful breath. She quickly observed her surroundings as her vision adjusted to the new light. The Queen slithered out of her host and scanned the area as she saw and compared heat sources and hiding spots. She quickly determined that under a desk across from the dead host, would be best. It had the darkest lighting, and it was in a place where she could see everything. An alarm sounded in the background and she heard footsteps outside; she knew something was coming. Someone burst through the door and ran over to her dead host. The man, who had just come in, yelled something like "help". She silently approached this yelling person and jumped onto his back. She used her teeth and her jaw to dig herself a hole in the human. The "Yeller" cried out again as she crawled inside another host. This would provide both food and shelter for her survival. She felt him crash forward onto the floor, and all her highness had to do now, was feed, and wait.

Aliens vs. Master Chief Part 2
Date: 9 November 2005, 12:41 am

Two Weeks Later-Eridious Space Station

"What do you mean "New Alien Species"?" The Master Chief asked slightly concerned, but more excited by the fact. After ten years of no activity, he had gotten used to the fact that he was going to lose his purpose, but was more frightened by it. He tried to hide his smile. Instead he clenched his jaw and scratched his scalp.
"Our men landed on a nearby planet in the Eridious system, and found some egg-like "thing". Our scientists have tried to study it, but were unaware of the creature it held. Two and a half weeks ago one of the scientists had something attached to his face. They call it an unknown parasite. Later it seemed to die and come off by it self. The scientist seemed fine…until…" The Captain passed a closed file folder to the Chief. The Master Chief took it slowly and opened the file folder, revealing snap-shots of the scientist with a bloody "hole" in his chest. The Master Chief closed the file folder and looked at the Captain, folded his hands, and gestured that he was ready for him to continue.
"The parasite had seemed to lay some sort of embryo in the scientist's throat or chest. Then, this is what came out of him," The Captain clicked a button on a keypad near by, and a picture came up on a large screen of a snake-like creature, all covered in the scientist's blood. The Captain clicked the keypad again, showing a picture of another alien in a glass cage. But this thing didn't resemble anything like the snake. It was shiny black, (covered in what looked like slime or mucus) and seemed to have bulbous veins sticking out along its four limbs. Its head curved back along its slender body, ending in a very long tail, with a razor like spike on the end. From what the Master Chief could tell it had no eyes.
"This is what the Alien's really like. We've lost transmission with the entire space station soon after. And before the incident with the scientist, the doctors down at the Selik Space Station sent six of the eggs over to the Margos Taken research ship for the scientists to do a quick study on the eggs as well." The Captain clicked once again showing a man in his early twenties with a hole in his chest also. Another click resulted in a man on a morgue table entirely mutilated. It looked as if he was turned inside out.
"The scientist said that he was found with a hole drilled in his back," The captain added. "That was the last word we got from the Margos Taken."
"So, what do you want me to do?" The Master Chief asked slowly.
"Do what you do best, Master Chief…search and destroy. I will send you a complete file of your mission later. Dismissed." The Captain waved a hand gesturing towards the door, and continued to flip through the various photos on the screen. Again, the Master Chief hid his smile. He left the conference room and started for the weapons division, as well as the General Operations room to get fitted into his Mark IV armor, wondering what he was about to face.


It's all a dream…none of its real!
James kept telling himself that…but he knew it wasn't true. He slowly opened his eyes hoping it would be a different environment. It was still the same. He closed his eyes again, so tight that they were starting to hurt…
HIS can't be happening! NONE OF ITS REAL!!!
He suddenly heard load guttural screeches from outside his hiding spot. He opened his eyes in a flash and looked up through the grates which brought protection from the…whatever they were.
He had found a section under the floor earlier back, and had hiding here for almost a week (surviving off candy bars and small fruit drinks he had raided from a near by candy machine.) It was near the Margos Taken's storage house, on the top level near the end of the ship where the medical bays and general labs were located. He had escorted the crates here about a week and a half ago, and he was offered a small room for living while staying here. Two days after he arrived, he woke up in his cot, with no one around. They were all dead…because of those creatures. He didn't want to die. Not here, not today. The screeches were heard again. Right above him, claws dug into the grated path as the creature crawled past. James watched as little bits of slime dripped into his hiding spot. He closed his eyes tightly, put his face in his arms, and started to cry.

The Master Chief's mission was clear. Go to the Margos Taken research labs, and investigate what was going on. If there is a hostile threat, eliminate it. From what the pictures and reports said…there wasn't a very good chance that the communication grid was down on both the Selik Space Station and the Margos Taken. These things just can't be a coincidence. The chances are too slim, but, maybe he'll get lucky and it is just a coincidence…
I doubt it. The things got loose. This mission isn't going to be a walk in the park. Don't even think otherwise, you can't afford to mess-up.
Positive that his mind was on the right track, the Master Chief, in full armor, quickly entered the armory with a confidence that was there whenever a stressful mission was about to begin. He walked through the cramped space, opening small compartments on the walls revealing SMG's, pistols, and other small guns. The room had two tables, which were covered with various knives and armament. He quickly hefted a shotgun, which was lying on one of the tables.
This should do me some good.
Satisfied with the choice, he grabbed the required ammo on the opposite counter and divided them into his belt pouches. He quickly decided on an SMG, and also grabbed the required ammo. The SMG's "lightness" would be easier to manage with a shotgun. He quickly finished his prep by grabbing a couple of grenades and a sleek combat knife. He rubbed his finger swiftly across the knife's blade, and nodded with content. He was going to have fun with this. He put the knife in it's sheathe, attached to his thigh, and started for the station's Pelican Bay.

The Queen had been busy. She and Her children had managed to conquer the entire ship. There will be others soon. More hosts to Her beloved children. Patience was the only way that She could keep Her hive pure and thriving. Soon, the ship will be captured by the humans, and Her hive will conquer the new space.
The Queen was connected with Her hive, and every hive that was before Her. It was not only instinct, it was Her knowledge. With every disturbance in the chain, the hives would learn, and understand how to survive in each new environment. She learned how to understand Her enemies, and predict what they were going to do. She knew what was going to happen next. She had seen it. Some warrior was coming. No warrior will defeat Her hive. She will survive.
Come children. Come vision what your Mother has foreseen. Yes. Prepare My children. Your ultimate prey is coming soon.
Her children saw Her message in their minds. They knew what to do.

James awoke to the loudest howl he had ever heard. Something is bigger. He backed up farther into the corner and wrapped himself in an even a tighter ball.
Make it STOP!
The roaring continued. He prayed that whatever was out there, he wouldn't get the chance to see it. He just wanted to get out of here; out of this nightmare. He continued to pray as he heard metallic footsteps on the grated path. He looked up through the small open rectangles that made up the path, and saw a figure…of a MAN!
"Down HERE!!!" James called as the figure stepped closer. Maybe he was going to be saved after all. He hoped.

Aliens vs. Master Chief Part 3
Date: 12 November 2005, 3:17 pm

Two Hours Earlier

The Master Chief had boarded the abandoned Margos Taken research ship on the upper most level, nearly a half an hour ago…and nothing had confronted him yet. The lights were unusually dim, some flickering, some shown no light. The air was musty, clouded, and stale. The Master Chief was suddenly reminded of the Flood; the only true horror he had ever experienced. The air was clouded with spoors from their rotten flesh, and their stench had engulfed whatever space they so heartlessly walked by.
That was ten years ago…it's all over, no more flood...but the air…so similar.
Haunted by his own mind, the Master Chief paused and turned the self condition system to "cool". He inhaled two slow breaths of cold, fresh air, and turned the mechanism off.
You haven't even started the fight, and already you're loosing it.
It had been a long time since the he last fought…did he lose his touch?
But I kept training; kept working…its ok…it just needs time…
He stepped slowly through the corridors, avoiding the black slimy veins that seemed to overwhelm the entire ship.
Well whatever it is, it sure made itself a home…
He continued to walk, his shotgun trained to the safe position of the floor. He started to notice the floor getting more difficult to walk on, as the slimy mucus stuck to the bottom of his boots. The hallway walls started to close in as the vines became larger and more bulbous, and the Chief lifted his shotgun slightly as he continued to traverse the unknown world. He checked the ceilings, the floor, and every corner of the walls. With each conformation of emptiness, he became more nervous, and more alert.
At least I know something's here...
He rounded the corner and stopped dead. The hallway walls held endless pod-like crevices. He tried to focus on the gaps in the walls, but everything seemed to melt into itself, every detail was one. He continued stepping slowly, shotgun at almost aiming position. The Master Chief started to sweat, and he watched as individual beads of salty warm liquid dripped down his nose and forehead. Suddenly he heard an almost liquid like slithering sound behind him. He turned around in a flash, shotgun fully trained, and prepared to fire; Nothing. He heard it again to his right, then to his left. The quiet hallway was now alive with the eerie noises. The Master Chief peered down the hallway and saw crawling shadows, followed by hollow screeches. He started to step backwards and aim, but he was soon face first into the floor of mucus. He tried to get up, but something was holding him down. He felt claws dig into his exposed gel layer of his back. The thing screeched loudly, and the Chief had finally realized what had happened. With one fluid motion, he threw his shoulders back, and the creature lost its balance. The Chief recovered his shotgun, and turned on his back. He aimed and shot the powerful weapon. He hit the Alien square in the head, and its whole front body seemed to explode, spewing yellow-green blood everywhere. The liquid hit his shields and the Master Chief watched as his shields flickered, and weakened.
More screeches were heard and the Chief, still on his back, tilted his head upside down and blasted his shotgun. The movement continued toward him, and the Chief started to fire continuous bursts. The blood had started to rush to his head, but he ignored the painful thuds of his heart trying to circulate. The last shell shot out, and the Chief's "Spartan Time" kicked in, and he could almost see the bullet slicing through the air and hitting the last Alien in the head.
The creatures ceased, and the hallway was filled with corpses and stained with bright yellow blood. The Master Chief stood up and looked around; motionless. He listened, but was disturbed by the utter silence that was recognized at the end of battle. The noisy environment just seconds before, was now dead; literally. The Master Chief started to load his shotgun, but saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see the wall moving and the figure of the enemy crawled out of its crevice.
The Master Chief tried to load one shell, but the Alien was too quick. It grabbed the Master Chief's head with both hands, and lifted him off the ground. The Chief grabbed the Aliens arms, but he struggled to keep hold of the slimy creature. The Alien opened its mouth and a fountain of misty drool poured out. It gave an almost guttural hiss, as it slowly swung its tail over its head. The Master Chief struggled to release himself, but failed, as the Alien tightened its grip. Finally the Chief lowered his left hand, and managed to pull his knife out of its sheathe. He raised the sharp weapon and stabbed the creature clean in the head. The Alien closed its mouth, and its lip quivered slightly. For a moment it didn't move. Steaming yellow blood began to trickle out of the wound, and the Alien finally let go of its grip and fell to the floor along with the Chief. The Chief stood up, and bent over to retrieve the knife. When he pulled the knife out, he heard it sizzle and pop and the liquid melted the blade.
"What the…?" the Master Chief said out load. He dropped the knife, slightly disappointed. The Chief picked up his shotgun and continued further into the haunted ship.

One hour later

After the battle that took place about one hour ago, the ship had remained quiet. No opposition. Even the vines had receded to the point where they were only on the walls. The Master Chief sat down on the floor and opened his Comm System on his HUD, and multi-tasked with some notes to send to HQ. He had to leave on the mission without Cortana, but he could still use her to communicate with the space station. He had tried to get a hold of them for thirty minutes now; so far no luck. He hesitated, and then tried again.
"Cortana, Cortana do you read me?" The Master Chief asked. There was a pause.
"Chief, glad to hear from you." Cortana's voice replied fluently.
The Master Chief sighed with relief.
"I've been trying to get a hold of you for thirty minutes. Where have you been?"
"Sorry Chief, but our Comm system wasn't responding. I couldn't get the correct frequency…what do you have so far?"
The Master Chief hesitated again.
"No survivors."
"Oh."
"The whole ship has been taken over. But the things seem rare to find. I've only been confronted once so far. But they are definitely here."
"Are you ok?"
"Fine. But the creatures are harder to fight then we had imagined. They're extremely strong, swift, and their blood seems to be made of some sort of acid…it doesn't make sense."
"I'll report this to the captain. Anything else?"
"No. I'm sending my report shortly. Then I'm going on Black.
"Affirmative, Chief. Good luck."
The Chief cut off the Comm and continued the small report. But as he started a new sentence, he heard something. A loud horrible howl, that made him jump. It lasted for about thirty seconds…thirty seconds of agonizing low pitched echoes. He wasn't sure what it was…but it was big. Then he heard something else…it wasn't a howl…A voice? The Chief stood up, shotgun in hand, and walked slowly toward the direction he heard the sound. He stopped when he heard "down here!". The Master Chief looked down and saw a man underneath the grates.
"Don't worry, I'm going to get you out of there," The Master Chief said to the marine. He was wearing a battered uniform, and looked like he hadn't showered in days.
"NO! NO! Don't let them get me!" The man replied.
"Nothing's going to get you, now I'm here to help. You're safe with me."
"Not true! Not true! I've seen those things! I just want to get out of here!"
"I'm Spartan117-MasterChief. I'm the safest escort off this ship you'll ever find."
"You're a Spartan!? Oh great! This just keeps getting better and better! Now I have to trust a freak to survive? No way man! I'm going to live!"
The Master Chief had made a decision, that if he found someone, he wasn't going to leave them behind. And he wasn't too keen on changing that conclusion.
"What's your name?" the Master Chief asked.
"Parker…Lieutenant James Parker."
"Well, Lieutenant, I'm not going to leave you here so…"
The Master Chief gripped the grate path and pulled. The metal squealed as the Chief pulled the grating off. He threw the deformed plate aside, and held out his hand for the taking. The Lieutenant refused to take his offer.
"No! Now I'm staying here!" the Lieutenant replied.
"Now look, if you plan to get out of here alive, make up your mind…"
The Master Chief watched as the Lieutenant slowly took his hand, and gripped it loosely. He helped him out of the hole, and let go. He began to take out his SMG.
"Do you know how to use this?" the Master Chief asked, showing the SMG.
The Lieutenant nodded slowly, taking it, and looked away. He was frightened, dirty, and a little dazed. The Master Chief started to second guess handing him the weapon.
"Maybe you should just stay behind me…"the Master Chief gestured to take back the weapon, but the Lieutenant pulled the gun away.
"No, really I got it," The Lieutenant replied. The Master Chief nodded and handed him some ammo clips. For some reason, the Lieutenant wouldn't look at him. He had his eyes to the floor and no where else. The Chief had to press on.
"Ok then, let's get going." The Master Chief said crisply.
The Lieutenant didn't move, and was still looking down.
"What happened here?" The Master Chief asked demandingly.
The Lieutenant didn't answer. He opened his mouth, but then closed it.
"I…I don't know," He finally said. "I woke up one morning and…"His voice trailed off.
"Pull yourself together, you're going to get out of here alive, but first you have to pay attention and corporate. Do you understand?
The Lieutenant, eyes on the floor, nodded again.
"Ok," the Master Chief replied. "Then let's go. I've have to finish my mission first, but I'll protect you…don't worry."
The Master Chief didn't know exactly where he was going, but the hollow screeches that occurred every now and then, were a big clue.

James didn't want to go. He wanted to get out of here, not help with some mission. And now he is going to have to get involved, use this weapon, and fight.
The thing I've complaining about not being able to do for an eternity, and now when I finally get the opportunity, I shirk out of it?
James kept asking that same question to himself over and over again. He couldn't understand why he couldn't answer. He tried to concentrate on other things for now. Like what would he like to do once he gets out of here? Probably take a shower first thing, eat a nice juicy steak, and play some football. He knew this wasn't going to happen, but he might as well try to pretend it would.
"Hey…"James cut himself off. He didn't want to start a conversation with the guy, and almost did.
"Yes?" The armored man replied without looking back.
"…nothing."

"…nothing," the Lieutenant replied.
The Master Chief was starting to get annoyed. But he knew that the kid was afraid. Of what? He was not sure; him or the Aliens? The Master Chief had to risk a conversation. He lowered his shotgun slightly, and turned his head around.
"How long have you been down here? You're pretty lucky to still be alive," The Master Chief said.
The marine didn't answer. The Master Chief tried again.
"Do you have any family?"
There was a pause.
"No," the Lieutenant replied in a negative tone.
This wasn't working, so he decided that he wasn't going to try any longer. He stepped forward, as a few screeches, almost normal to the environment now, continued.

Aliens vs. Master Chief Part 4
Date: 15 November 2005, 2:49 am

The Queen sensed pain. Her children had been hurt. Killed. Survival was the key. With every death…there shall be replacements. She ordered Her children in Her precious eggs to respond. And the eggs opened. Her small children's fate lay in the hands of their hosts. She sent them to the unconscious hosts attached to the wall, and one by one…they stuck themselves on the hosts in Her cocoons.
While the Queen was watching as the Her children fell off one by one, dead, She howled loudly, signaling for Her drones to come over to Her. She told them.
It is time Children…for a princess to emerge…
Her children gave out a cry of salute, and the crones began transforming the One egg.

James heard load howls. It seemed as if every monster howled at once. He watched as the Spartan raised his weapon in aiming position.
"What the hell was that?" James asked.
"I don't know…but it's not good." The Spartan replied.
James raised his own weapon, and looked around franticly.
"Be calm, don't move…" the Spartan said clearly.
James did so, but he couldn't remember any of his training. He glanced over to the Spartan who was now a few feet away from him, checking the corners. James started to do the same, but he couldn't see anything in this light. The Spartan turned around and shook his head.
"Whatever it was…" He paused.
James couldn't relax. He tried to calm himself down, but it was a failed attempt. He had to concentrate on other things…
"So…what are you exactly?" James asked. He already knew very well, but he had to say something.
The Spartan hesitated.
"I am a Spartan…a genetically altered super solider, trained for war. I was taken off my home planet when I was six and then trained for fourteen years, was augmented, and fitted into armor," The man replied.
"Whoa…they never told us that much…" James lied.
"Who's "they"?"
"Rumors…"
"I see."
He didn't know what to say after that…so he kept quiet. He started to feel fairly safe around this guy…he guessed that's what they all said…he was reliable…even though he was a freak.

The Master Chief sensed that the Lieutenant started to ease up a little. "So…What are you exactly?" The Master Chief asked.
The Lieutenant laughed slightly
"I'm an under paid storage worker, doing nothing but loading crates and taking orders…"
"Sounds like fun," the Chief added smartly.
"Loads!" replied the Lieutenant sarcastically.
The Chief laughed to himself, and everything fell silent…except…
"Do you hear that?" The Lieutenant asked.
"Yes…" replied the Master Chief as he tried to pinpoint where the slithering sound was coming from.
"…Check the walls," the Master Chief continued.
He was aiming at every corner, every little niche there was; nothing. He faced the Lieutenant, who was also looking around with SMG up. Then he saw a sleek bony-like extension drop down from the ceiling. It curved, bent back a little and thrashed at the Lieutenant. It drove its spike straight through the part of his leg. The Lieutenant screamed in pain, and the Chief fired his shotgun. The appendage shot off and dropped, spraying yellow blood everywhere. The Master Chief avoided the spray as he heard screeches, and hissing sounds directly above him. He shot at the ceiling; more screeches. He shot the powerful gun again, and was finally rewarded with an almost serene thud; then silence. The Master Chief lowered his weapon and ran over to the Lieutenant, who was now on the floor, and knelt down.
"I'm dead! I'm dead!" the Lieutenant screamed.
"You're not dead, you're still alive…" the Master Chief replied reassuringly.
He examined the damage. A large gash covered half his calf muscle, and it was bleeding rapidly. His uniform was torn off at the point on his leg, and some other parts were in shreds as well. The Master Chief quickly opened his left belt pouch, and took out some white bandages and a can of biofoam.
"It's not too bad. This should help with the bleeding. Now look at me, keep your eyes on me." The Master Chief said as he applied the biofoam. The marine kept his eyes on the Chief, and winced. The Master Chief finished dressing his leg with the bandage. He helped the Lieutenant up, and made sure he could stand, before trying to continue.
"There should be some sort of medical bay somewhere, we should try to find you some better dressings before we continue," the Master Chief said firmly.
It would be using up valuable time, but he didn't want to risk the marine bleeding to death. The Master Chief slowed his pace, and helped the marine along the slimy floor.

As the nutrients seeped into the egg, Her Child would transform into a Praetorian. The drones had regurgitated special nutrients, and cocooned the egg. The Queen knew it was ready. She ordered Her Child to hatch, and She watched as it crawled out and attached itself to a host, on the outlining wall. Only a few minutes later, the young queen tore out of the host, and made her way to her Queen. The Queen ordered the drones to bring Her Child food. She'd eat, shed, and become Her right-hand daughter, and if anything were to happen to her Queen…she, would take her place.

It hurt like Hell itself. James had never been in so much pain before, and it felt as if a part of his leg were missing. He'd have a nasty scar after it healed…
If it healed…
He limped his way along side the Spartan. The Spartan had slowed his pace and was guiding him along the corridor. This he was thankful for. James suddenly tripped on something and was sent forward. The Spartan caught him before he hit the ground, and looked back to see what he had tripped on. He went over and looked at the floor. A moment later the Spartan picked up what looked like human skull.
"We must be getting close," The Spartan said as he showed the skull.
"Oh god…" James gagged at the sight. He wasn't normally this weak around things like that; it was just that he already felt sick in the first place.
"Your nose is bleeding…" The Spartan said and walked over.
James quickly put his index finger to his nose, and felt the warm liquid. He pulled the finger back to see. He gagged again, but this time he bent over and actually threw up. James coughed and managed to straighten himself up a little.
"Come on, we need to get you to the medical bay," The Spartan said hastily. James felt himself almost being lifted off the ground, as the Spartan hefted him along the path. He kept his finger to his nose, but the blood trickled over his finger and dripped off.
God…Am I dying?
This was yet another question...he could not answer.

Aliens vs. Master Chief Part 5
Date: 18 November 2005, 12:18 am

The Master Chief had found the medical bay, and fortunately the Aliens hadn't found out how to open doors, so everything was almost perfectly preserved. He guided the marine over to a chair, and then began opening cabinets and drawers, looking for supplies. He found a cloth and tossed it over to the Lieutenant.
"For your nose…" the Master Chief said as he continued to look through the counters. The Lieutenant caught it, and replaced his hand with the cloth. The Master Chief started looking at labels on bottles, and dividing potentially useful medicines. He took some painkillers, opened another drawer and took a medical kit, and walked over to the Lieutenant, who was now leaned back in his chair with his eyes partially closed.
"Keep awake," The Master Chief said firmly. The Lieutenant jerked awake, and looked at the Chief with weary eyes. He looked almost deathly pale. The Master Chief opened the bottle of painkillers.
"Take two of those…I'm sure the doctors won't mind."
The marine laughed.
"You sure you know what you're doing?" The Lieutenant asked, with the cloth still on his nose.
"Positive," the Master Chief replied as he opened the medical kit, revealing some bio-foam, rubbing alcohol, some bandages and some stitching equipment. The Chief sighed.
"It looks as if we're going to have to do this the "old-fashioned" way…"
The Lieutenant smirked, and chucked the two pills into his mouth. The Master Chief peeled back the bandage on the side of his leg, and the sticky blood clung to the cloth. The bio-foam had already charred and hardened, and was falling off in little pieces. The Chief grabbed a fresh cloth, went to a sink, ran it under some water, and went back to the Lieutenant. He scraped away the dried bio-foam.
"Good news," The Master Chief said "It looks as if it stopped bleeding for the most part." The Lieutenant smiled, let out a small chocked laugh, and tilted his head back. The Master Chief knew he was starting to get delusional from the pain. This was bad.
"You need to stay with me, stay awake," The Master Chief pressed.
"I am with you man…" The marine replied in an almost drunken sense.
The Master Chief became more worried, but in the mean time he'd have to patch this up. He grabbed the stitching supplies and threaded the small needle. He poked the needle through the skin, and started sewing. The marine winced.
"I'm gunna die down here…aren't I?" The Lieutenant asked as he closed his eyes.
"No you're not; you're going to get out of here alive. Don't worry," the Master Chief said as he pulled the needle through again.
"No, you don't know that…" The Lieutenant replied pointing a finger at no one. The Master Chief didn't know what to say to that. He was right. He didn't know. But how could he reassure the guy? He thought on this as he continued to stitch.
"You said that your name was Master Chief? What is your real name?" the marine asked.
"John," the Master Chief replied.
"My name's James…" He replied again in a more drunken sense.
"Well, James, we're just about done here…" The Master Chief finished his last stitch, and cut of the thread. He then took another set of bandages and rapped them around James's leg. The Master Chief grabbed his shotgun on the counter, loaded it, and checked the marine's SMG. It was still in good condition; Excellent.
"Let's head out again," The Master Chief said as he helped the marine around his shoulder. The Master Chief walked over to the door with the marine, and tugged at the door knob. It was locked.
"Oh great," James said. "Good one."
The Master Chief tugged at the door again; no luck.
"Back up," The Master Chief said, and James did so. The Master Chief did a powerful kick at the door, but it only dented the metal it was made of. The shotgun wouldn't do much either. The Chief looked around for another door or another way of escape; there was one door, but it said "Storage Closet". Nothing that would help them get out. No other way out was presentable, unless you wanted to squeeze through the vent shaft. That, the Chief wasn't even sure would hold his weight. The Master Chief stood there thinking of what to do next.

James was exhausted. He wanted to sleep, and never wake up. He sighed and clumsily limped over to the chair he had been sitting in. He sat down and closed his eyes. He heard as the Master Chief walked around the room, looking for something useful. He opened his eyes a slit and looked at him.
"You know, nothing can get in here…can't we just stop and rest?" James asked.
The Master Chief stopped and looked at him. He hesitated.
"I suppose so…I need to finish a report anyway…"
James closed his eyes and smiled. Finally, he'd get some rest. He turned to a comfortable position, careful not to move his leg too much, and sank into the first real sleep he had in days. He felt safe.

The Master Chief sat down and watched as the marine fell asleep in what seemed to be a very uncomfortable position. The Lieutenant had twisted himself into almost impossible angles, and saw that he started to drool; a motivation that would probably keep him awake. The Master Chief continued to work on his report. When he finished, he sent it to HQ, and then opened up his Comm system.
"Cortana, do you read me?" The Master Chief asked.
"Got you Chief," Cortana answered almost immediately.
"We have a survivor down here…"
"Only one?"
"Yeah, so far," The Master Chief replied. "I rescued him out from underneath the grating a little while back. He was then injured by one of the Aliens, and I took him to a medical bay."
"Is he alright?"
"I think he'll be fine. A little delusional, but he'll pull through. We're currently locked in the medical bay, and we're taking a short rest before we continue.
"Alright. What's the survivor's name?"
"Lieutenant James Parker. He says he was a storage worker before he came here."
"What is a Lieutenant doing as a storage worker?"
"I don't know…that's what I thought."
"I'll check him out."
"Ok, I'm going on Black," replied the Master Chief, and he shut off his Comm system. He hefted his shotgun and then added how much ammo was left; about forty-four. He paused to look around, his mind suddenly on a different track. He sighted a rather large cabinet that he had forgotten to check. He walked up to it, and found a cheap pad-lock on it. He simply tugged hard enough and the lock gave free. He opened the cabinet, and was satisfied with what he saw; a high assortment of large knives, and small medical knives. The Master Chief smiled as he took two hefty ridged knives. He put them in the same sheathe, and made sure that they would stay there. He grabbed at least twenty-five other small medical knives that could easily fit in the left-over belt pouches. Although small, if thrown at the correct angle, they could easily kill a medium sized animal.
But it might be different for the Aliens…
His old combat knife seemed to work pretty well, but it also melted. Remembering this, he began to wonder if he should even bother taking the knives. Maybe something could be wrapped around the knife that would prevent this? He couldn't think of anything. And even if he could, he'd bet it wouldn't even be on this ship. He walked back to the same chair he was sitting on before, and sat down. He leaned back and started to close his eyes. He caught himself.
You, on the other hand, need to stay awake.
The Master Chief was also very exhausted. And watching as the marine snored his way to a seemingly comfortable position, made him even drowsier.
Only a few minutes…some motivation…
The Chief closed his eyes, and fell into what seemed to be a light sleep.

The Master Chief jerked awake, and looked around. The marine was still sleeping. He looked at the time on his HUD. He had been sleeping for a little over and hour.
His stood up, and shook off the drowsiness. He grabbed his shotgun off the counter next to him, and started for the sink. He took off his helmet and ran the faucet. The Master Chief cupped his hands and splashed cold water over his face; which reminded him.
Where's a goddamned bathroom when you need one?
He put his helmet back on and turned to the Lieutenant, who was now awake and staring at him, with a horrified look on his face.
"What's wrong?" the Master Chief asked.
James pointed at the wall. The Master Chief looked behind him, and something jumped and attached itself to his helmet. He grabbed the creature, and pulled as hard a he could. The thing didn't let go. There was only one option. The Master Chief took off his helmet and sent it flying. It hit the table and fell to the floor, but in a flash the thing let go and jumped toward the Chief's face. The Master Chief crossed his arms, and put them up in front of his head, stopping the creature from reaching his face. The Alien was strong, and it pushed against the Chief's arms making him lean back. The Master Chief looked out of the corner of his eye to the Lieutenant.
"Do…something," The Master Chief gasped fighting against the unbelievable strength of the creature.

James didn't know what to do. He looked around and saw the open medical kit on the table. He noticed the rubbing alcohol, and in a flash grabbed the bottle and opened it. He ran up to the Chief and splashed the Alien with the liquid. It screeched, and let go, falling to the floor. It twisted all around, screeching in pain. Then it stopped, and twitched, steaming. James opened his mouth and stuttered incomprehensible words, as the parasite lay there dead.

Aliens vs. Master Chief Part 6
Date: 19 November 2005, 10:10 pm

      The Master Chief gasped for a first breath he had had in minutes. He looked to the marine, who was a dumbfounded as he was.
      "How did you—?" The Master Chief asked.
      "I…I don't know, I just grabbed whatever I could get…" The Lieutenant replied.
      "Well…it worked."
The Master Chief scratched his scalp. He noticed that his hair was slightly above regulation, and his "long" bangs stuck to his forehead. He took another cloth and wiped the alcohol off his face. He took a deep breath and looked at the marine, who was staring at him in the same dumfounded face. The Master Chief looked up to his hair, and felt extremely embarrassed. How could he have forgotten?
      Usually hair was the last thing you thought about when you had a helmet on all of the time.
After his self explanation, he finally pulled his glance away from his hair, and looked to James again.
      "You know, you're a lot less intimidating with your helmet off," James said.
      "Yeah, well that "intimidating" helmet saves my life," The Master Chief added.
James nodded slowly, and looked at the creature on the floor.
      "That's the thing that started this mess," James said gesturing to the floor.
      "The alcohol killed it; see if you can go find some more. Check the storage closet back there," replied the Master Chief pointing.
James headed for the back, and the Master Chief kicked the parasite with his boot. It jerked, and its sticky form stuck to the tip of his boot. The Master Chief gave out a disgusted cry and shook the thing off. He took his towel and picked it up. It felt hard, but it soon turned soft, as the parasite started to ooze its yellow blood. The Chief dropped it reflexively onto the floor. The cloth steamed like some one had just put it on a hot stove. He watched waiting for something to happen, and thinking on whether to just leave it there. He decided against it, and plucked the towel off carefully. The parasite was gone. There was a hole in the floor the size of the Chief's boot.
      "Shit," The Master Chief said out load.
      "What?" James replied in an apprehensive tone, and sticking his head out from around the door. "What?!"
      "The parasite melted through the floor," the Chief replied.
      "Melted?!"
      "Yeah, I suspect their blood is acidic."
      James let out a long moan.
      "What do you mean "Acid for blood"? Better! The situation is still getting better!" James added sarcastically, as he let out another moan. The Master Chief sighed inwardly, and watched as James went back to the storage closet. He went over to the counter and retrieved his helmet off the floor. It had a few scratches on it, but nothing that would cripple its use. He slipped the helmet on and sealed the locks that made a slight hissing sound in the process. James came out with two gallons of rubbing alcohol, and set them on a table. He went back into the closet and came out with two more.
      "We have at least two more gallons," James replied dully, as he started limping back to the closet.
      "Good," the Master Chief responded after hesitation.
The Master Chief began opening cabinets and retrieving cleaner squirt bottles, and dumped its contents down the sink. He carried about ten over to the table. He took out one of his knives and cut the nozzle to let more liquid out at a time. He was careful not to cut too much, so that they'd still have some "squirt" effect. The Master Chief wasn't sure if it would kill the adults, but it might fend them off for just enough time to reload. He began filling up the bottles as the marine limped back out with one more gallon.
      "That's all we have," The Lieutenant said.
      "This will do. Now try to find something to cover up that hole in the floor."
James nodded and stumbled back to the storage closet again. The Chief continued to pour the alcohol into the bottles, and was soon finished, with about two and a half gallons left. He felt uneasy about wasting the leftover alcohol, but he had no choice, the gallons would slow them done. The Lieutenant walked over to the hole on the floor and put a rather large piece of wooden board over the gap. He stared at the board and shook his head quickly. He got up and went to the storage closet again.

      James looked around the cramped storage space looking for something else to use; nothing.
      Nothing is useable in this goddamned place!
James began to give up, just as the Chief stepped into the closet. He hummed a thoughtful murmur from that emotionless helmet. Then James watched as he took a duffle bag from the highest shelf with ease. James nodded, and followed.
      "Nothing, we have nothing," James said. "I don't know what to do," He watched as the Chief started to pack the bottles, and some extra medical supplies that were spread out across the counters. The Chief zipped up the duffle bag and looked at James. James let out a stricken face of defeat and exhaustion.
      "James, don't give up now," The Chief responding demandingly. "Now, I want you to pull yourself together, and find something that'll work. Got it?"
James sensed aggravation in his voice.
      "Yeah," James hesitated and continued "Yeah, I will."
James walked back to the storage room without saying another word.

      The Master Chief looked down at the floor and closed his eyes for a second. He felt stressed, and knew that was too harsh. He cursed and lifted his head.
      He's the one who almost got killed…cut him some slack…
The Master Chief slowly nodded a few of times in agreement. He walked over to the closet, and saw James rummaging through some boxes.
      "Hey, you know what? Why don't you take a brake…I'm sure you're still in pain. Sit down, I'll take care of it," the Master Chief said as kindly as he could.
James looked up, almost surprised; lifted eye brows, mouth slightly open. He lowered his eye brows slightly, and looked to down to his left.
      "Oh…ok then…" James said and started for the door. The Master Chief stepped aside as he limped into the main room, and sat down on a chair, still confused by what the he had just heard.

      James didn't understand…why had he told him to basically "suck it up" then cut him slack? Did he feel pity? Spartan's aren't supposed to feel anything. Pain maybe, but not pity. James narrowed his eyes and looked to the Spartan. His last assignment had made it clear that Spartans were made only for the purpose of fighting. And when they are fighting, they were supposed to be utterly fierce, emotionless…machines. No more then an android…but now…one emotion showed above all. Pity; a sign of weakness.
      No, stop thinking like that. He saved your life…doesn't that mean anything to you? Forget what they've told you. Forget it. It won't be any good, especially since you want out alive.
      James was having a full conflict with himself. Who do you trust? Spartans…or what your last assignment told you? James suddenly wanted to take back his thought. He had been told they were machines…but was there more? Maybe if he stuck around long enough…he'd find out.
      Go ahead, press on…prove them wrong. Prove yourself wrong.
Something told him…he was wrong, and didn't even need to prove it.

Aliens vs. Master Chief Part 7
Date: 22 November 2005, 12:40 am

      The Master Chief watched as James sat there silent. He noticed slight changes in facial expressions now and then. From what it looked like, it seemed to be first hard, then puzzled, then suddenly soft and relaxed. It was at this point the Master Chief knew James had come to some sort of conclusion…the question is…with what? James looked up.
      "How old are you?" He asked.
The Master Chief was taken aback by that question. Either it was totally random, or it was more information to support his "conclusion".
      The Master Chief had to think about that. How old was he? He hadn't had a "birthday" since he was six…the age he was taken away to Reach. He quickly did the math, suddenly curious himself.
      "Fifty-one," He answered quickly "I'm fifty-one"
      "That took quite awhile…"
The Master Chief knew it had.
      "Is that old?" He asked.
James shook his head and chuckled.
      "It depends on what you call 'old'," James replied.
The Master Chief just stared, not knowing what to say. James laughed again.
      "No, it's not that old," James finally replied reassuringly.
The Master nodded and looked to the side slightly embarrassed. James smiled.
      "It's ok, you're still living, and that's all that matters."
He was right. Survival is all that needs concentration. He smiled back, but James didn't notice.

      No…not another…you must be stopped…STOP HIM!
The Queen was furious. Her child had failed. She let out another loud cry, and let Her saliva free from Her glands. The Queen hissed and then retreated into Her crown.
      My children…do what ever is necessary to kill him…both of them…
The Queen bared Her teeth, and hissed again. Then stopped…She thought…
      No…don't kill them yet…let's use them…toy with them. Yes. It's perfect .Herd them to us…
She let out a laugh, and so did Her children. The drones left Her chamber, and headed to play the game that only She could win.

      The Praetorian lay underneath her Mother, singing softly to Her, to comfort Her, calm Her. she knew her Mother was hurt. Hurt to lose Her children, hurt because of this beast…this enemy. she continued her song, whistling and hissing her melody like soft liquid pouring out of her lips. she finally sensed her Mother become peaceful with Her environment, and she saw more of her Mother's eggs open slowly releasing another child. Praetorian climbed up the advanced intricate webbing holding her Mother and Her egg sac in place. she hid under Her crown and stroked her Mother's neck as she waited for the time when she would become a Queen.

      One hour later

      The Master Chief had been looking for a way out for nearly an hour now.
      Another hour of wasted time…
Well not completely wasted. He caught up on some sleep, stocked up on supplies, and finally gotten out to James. He was no longer looking at the floor, or mumbling. He even seemed to be having a good time. Which was alright, but that can also lead to inattentiveness. The Master Chief had warned James about staying alert at all times, but he seemed way too confident that he was in no danger if talking.
      "Denial of mortality", maybe? He looked young…young enough at least.
When you are below the age of twenty-three, you tend to believe that you're never going to die, at least at that time. It makes you do stupid, reckless things. Sergeant Johnson had told him about that once, and the Master Chief was thankful that he never thought like that.
      "Many Marines die that way son, don't make the same mistake," He had said.
And he didn't. Every fight, every single battle, he had gotten in the mind frame that he wasn't going to "make it"…but not out of the frame that said he wanted to live. It was a perfect and effective balance. He was reminded of his fellow Spartans, and how they all discussed this, and seemed to learn how to deal with death. But it was harder to deal with when almost all his brothers and sisters were "Missing in Action". They weren't allowed to die. The only Spartans left were Fred and Kelly. Linda and some others had "disappeared".
      That's not true…she was murdered…
The Master Chief held his breath, recalling the story. He had found Linda, in her room, on the Eridious Military Facility, where he and the remaining Spartans had stayed for the past nine years or so. It provided them with food, shelter, a gym, training centers, and even a shooting range. He had gone to see her one day, but found her on the floor, eyes open, lying in her own blood. She was bleeding from her nose, mouth, eyes and ears. He stared into her blood shot eyes; her mouth lay open, as if she had screamed. He could almost hear her scream. Her face nearly engulfed in blood…what had happened? He called the medical bay, but there was nothing they could do. He hadn't heard any news after that. He remembered he kept pushing for answers, but they simply told him "soon". That was almost two years ago. He didn't know what had happened to the others…they had told him they had gone missing too. They had simply covered the story up, saying that she had gone missing. But that was how things had to be told.
      Still…it's not right…she deserves better then that…
The Master Chief shook the memory away, and let out his breath that he had been holding for nearly three minutes. He looked at James who was sitting in his chair, tapping his fingers on a table, and then paused to scratch his leg. The Master Chief sighed.
      "I don't know how we're going to get out of here."
James looked up.
      "Beats me..."
The Master Chief stood there thoughtfully, still trying to come up with some sort of a solution.
      "Maybe we could—"
The Master Chief was cut off by a loud bang. He looked at the door, and saw that it had dented inward. He heard screeches outside the door, and it was rammed again.
      "They're trying to get in!" James yelled, his voice quivering, as he shot up from his chair and clumsily ran to the back where the Chief was. The Master Chief, with sudden bursts of adrenaline, dove toward the hole that the parasite had melted through. He grabbed two grenades, and knelt down. Another bang sounded, followed by more screeches.
      "James! Find something that sticks!" The Master Chief yelled.
James quickly went into the storage room, and the Master Chief watched as the metal door continued to dent in.
      How are they doing that?!
There had to be more then one of them out there.
      "James!" The Master Chief said in warning as he watched a thin slit open in the metal and alien claws scratching through the opening. James ran out with some medical tape, and the Master Chief snatched it out of his hands. He struggled to fold the tape and stick them on the grenades as the tape stuck to his hands instead. The tear of tortured metal announced that the door was ready to let the creatures in, but finally the Master Chief managed to tape the grenades, and then quickly snake his arm down the hole. He stuck the two grenades on the ceiling of the next floor, and then hastily searched for the pins. He fumbled to find them as the commotion continued behind him. With relief, he found the two pins, and pulled them simultaneously.
      "Get Down!" The Master Chief yelled as he pushed James to the other side of the room, and then knelt down to protect himself from the blast. James did the same.
      Two…one…

Aliens vs. Master Chief Part 8
Date: 24 November 2005, 3:51 pm

      The explosion echoed through the room, and debris of tiles shot up and flew in all directions. James covered his head to shield himself from the bits of floor falling down upon them. It had all happened so fast. But soon the room was quiet; too quiet. James's ears started to ring as the serene environment didn't cease. He watched the Chief lift his head and look at the door. James did the same. But he couldn't see anything as the dust slowly settled and clouded his view. When it finally cleared, the door was bent in, a large hole made out of twisted metal. The Aliens were no where to be seen. The Master Chief stood up and looked to James.
      "Did you see where they went?" The Master Chief asked slowly.
      "No…" James replied softly.
He watched as the Spartan searched the room for the shotgun. He dug underneath some debris, retrieved it, as well as the SMG James forgot he even had. The Spartan quickly picked up the duffle bag that was now on the floor, and tossed it to James. James reflexively caught the heavy bag, and felt the weight hit his arms. The Master Chief turned away, and headed for the door.
      "Where are you going?" James asked hastily, standing up.
      "Stay here," The Master Chief replied.
      "Why? Where are you going?!" James asked again.
The Spartan turned around
      "I'm just checking outside."
James let out a worried look, and then nodded. The Master Chief crawled through the hole and exited the room. James began absently scratching his leg, as he looked to the hole in the floor; loose tile, rigid shards of metal and cement surrounded the gap. He slowly treaded toward the gaping hole, leaned over slightly, and saw the floor below. Dust also covered the area, and the various large tubes outlining the walls. It looked like another lab, and the floor below was easily a twenty-five foot, maybe thirty foot descent. James didn't want to go down. He'd rather keep his feet on the floor.

      Perfect…yes children…perfect…
The Queen knew that now that the door had been opened, Her prey would continue their way down to Her chamber…but would they require further herding? This would sacrifice more of Her precious children, yes, but was it necessary?
      "Yes, Mother…it is…" one of the Queen's children was speaking to her…
      "Yes…Yes…we will herd them..."said another.
      "They need to be guided…" the other answered.
      "Agree, I do Mother…" another replied.
      "Final…Mother…" The last one agreed.
The Queen respected her children's judgment on what they could, or could not do. They were Warriors after all…
      Yes…go children…
Her children's laughter filled the humid air as the five left the chamber and followed the directions that the drones were giving to them in their minds.

      Follow closely…
The Leader ordered with pristine accuracy.
      "Doing so Leader…"the Voice said.
      "I hear you Leader," the Secret answered.
      "Leader understood…" the Meaning replied.
      "Saw, Leader…" the Final answered last.
The Leader followed the telepathic trail a drone was giving them to the entrance of the room the Prey was located. Then they would chase, toy, and herd them to the lower levels…
      "Are we almost there, Leader?" the Meaning asked.
      Patience, the Meaning…we must arrive slowly, stealthy, swift…unnoticed…
      "Heeded, Leader," The Secret responded, and the others hissed in acknowledgement. The Warrior stopped to jump on an outlining wall.
      Walls…
      "Acknowledged," replied the Voice.
The remaining Warriors split and simultaneously jumped and glided across the walls.
      Mother, we are nearly there…
      "Wait," their Mother replied. "Wait until the time is right…"
      Yes, my Mother…
The others said their approval.

      The Master Chief had walked out into the hallway, and saw nothing. The air was much staler then he remembered, and he could hear nothing.
      How can things be so silent?
He stepped carefully down the hallway. Not even his boots were making a sound. Was his helmet malfunctioning? He turned around and decided to walk back into the medical bay and check it out. He stepped through the door and saw James looking down the enlarged hole in the floor.
      "Say something," the Master Chief said.
      "What?" James asked.
      "Good, I can hear you…"
      "What are you talking about?"
      "Don't you notice that it's unusually quiet? Especially out in the hallway. Come listen."
      "Yeah, I have, but what does this have to do with anything?"
      "That's what I'm trying to find out."
With that, James walked over to the Chief and followed him out the door. The Master Chief managed to quickly hand the SMG back to James as the entered the discomforting silenced hallway.

      It was quiet. It was as if something had muted a scene from a movie. He could hear nothing.
      "Isn't this odd?" The Master Chief asked.
      "Yeah…" James breathed. "I don't understand…"
      "Me either, but we aren't going to get out of here this way."
James nodded. He was about ready to get moving again.
      "Which way are we taking?"
      "We're repelling done to the lower level through the hole."
      Thought so…
He watched as the Master Chief walked back into the bay, and after a quick look down the hallway, followed. The Master Chief had crouched by the hole, and James went over to the corner and retrieved the duffle bag.

      The Master Chief had some sturdy repelling gear attached to his utility belt. He hadn't used it in ages, but he checked it before he came to the Margos Taken.
      "Let's hope this works," the Master Chief said out loud.
      "Is there a way it couldn't?" James asked.
      Many…
But the Master Chief didn't want to say that, so he ignored the Lieutenant's question. He didn't want the kid to get nervous again. The Master Chief unhooked his carabiner from his utility belt and looked around for something to latch it to. He decided that a leg from a table would be best. Luckily the tables were attached to the floor, and the Master Chief hoped that that would be enough. He walked to the nearest, undamaged table and wrapped the rope connected to the carabiner around the table leg, brought it back and then hooked the rope. The end of the rope was already attached to the belt. The Master Chief tugged a few times to make sure it was sturdy, it was, then he slowly crouch-walked backwards, letting the rope slide carefully through his hands. He quickly looked to James.
      "Ok, I'm going to go down first, and then you slowly climb down the rope. Understood?"
James gave a blank look.
      "Do you think you can manage to climb down with your injured leg?"
      "Yeah but—"
      "Good," the Master Chief interrupted. "Don't worry, if you fall, I'll catch you."
James laughed slightly, and the Master Chief nodded quickly. He looked behind him as he began moving toward the edge. He continued to feed more rope as he did so, and finally reached the hole. He put the arch of both feet on the edge, and slowly stretched his body length out. He held onto the rope as tightly as he could, and gently pushed away, letting more rope out as he did so. The Master Chief hung suspended for a few moments, then started his descent as he fed more rope, and repelled downward.
      So far, so good.
He rope suddenly caught, making the Master Chief jerk slightly and also sounding a rather loud clack.
      Go figures…
      "Is everything ok?" He heard James ask from above.
      "Yeah, the rope just jammed. Hold on," the Master Chief responded. He vigorously tried to un-wedge the caught rope. He began to tug and the rope was slowly ripping. He tugged slightly harder and the rope gave free. The Master Chief lost control as the rope unreeled itself. He felt himself plummeting down the remaining twenty-five feet, hit the floor, and the sound of scraping metal, was his last recognition.

Aliens vs. Master Chief Part 9
Date: 6 December 2005, 3:34 am

      There was a loud crash and James quickly ran over to the edge. The Master Chief was lying on his back, motionless.
      "Chief?!" James called out. No answer. "John?!"
James started to panic. He quickly grabbed the Chief's shotgun, the SMG and the duffle bag. He decided to throw the duffle bag down, and it landed with a soft thud. He shouldered the shotgun and tucked the SMG under his arm.
      "Hold on!" James shouted to the Spartan below. He grabbed the rope slowly and managed to warp his body around it. James began to shimmy down the rope at a pace he didn't even know he could bring himself to go. When he finally reached twenty-five out of the thirty feet down, he let go and dropped to the floor. James let go of the shotgun and SMG, and ran over to the Master Chief. He knelt down and gently shook his shoulder. The armor felt awkward, and the Chief didn't respond to the shaking. James kept trying, but soon stopped.
      How would you check a pulse through armor?
James carefully grabbed his helmet and tugged; not even a budge. He had seen the Chief put it on, so he finally tried to mimic. He twisted the helmet, and there was a slight "pop and hiss" as James managed to pull the helmet off. The Spartan was bleeding from his nose, part of his forehead, and his mouth. He quickly found the Spartan's pulse. It was still beating. He didn't know what was normal for a Spartan, but the only thing he cared about was that it was beating. James checked for breathing.
      Ok, ok…he's unconscious...pulse, breathing…
James had finally remembered a part of his training.He started to recite the steps in his head.
      Victim has pulse, and is breathing… recovery position.
He had to turn him over on his side. He gently put one hand under the Master Chief's neck and another under his gel-covered back. He tried to lift and push the Spartan onto his side, but he could even shift the man.
      God, he must weigh a ton!
James pushed as hard as he could, forgetting the correct hand placements. He finally managed to succeed, and push the Spartan on his side, facing away from him. James caught his breath, and crawled to the other side. He carefully put the Chief's arm underneath his head, and he moved the left leg forward slightly. James leaned back. All he could do now was wait.

      Leader had seen both of the prey enter the hallway, and then walk back into the room. It was as if the beast had something to show the limp one. Leader suspected it must have been the silence that the Secret had made. The Secret possessed the ability to block most sound waves, making it deadly quiet. Their prey, being unable to hear, would allow a stealthy attack.
      Each of the Warriors possessed some special ability. He, was the leader, and was capable of almost all talents to some degree, but not enough to use them quite as effectively as his pack. The Voice was a caller. He commonly distracted with high pitched or low pitched frequencies and often spied and returned with necessary information. The Secret was simply a stealthy character, his abnormally slender body enabling him to sneak up on prey. The Meaning was a Juggernaut. The fighter. He was larger and stronger then the rest of the team, and couldn't easily be defeated. And the Final had a certain way with "finishing touches". Like a vulture, he picks and mauls at the injured or weak, until they are useful to him or the hive.
      You can cease now, the Secret.
The sound came back in one big wave. Blocking sound was more like putting up a barrier before it. When that barrier is released, all flows out. He had the Secret block the sound because he wanted to concentrate on the prey. Complete silence helped him to visualize what was going on in the room without actually entering. Now, he had to make sure.
      Once the sound levels returned to normal, Leader stepped forward in front of his pack.
      The Voice, go see what our prey is up to…
      "Yes, Leader," the Voice answered and crawled up to the ceiling and silently entered the room.
      The Secret was restless and was swaying in his spot. Then he finally skidded up the wall in one fluid motion and melted into the vines, making him nearly invisable to Leader himself. The Secret hissed like a steaming tea kettle.
      "Leader, when do we get to kill them?" the Secret asked.
      All in good time…
      "You get to kill them as soon as I'm done with them," the Meaning answered in a deep guttural voice. "We'll leave you the remains."
The Final hissed threateningly.
      "That's my job."
Enough, the Leader whispered. Patience…

      "Isn't there anything you could do?" the man asked desperately.
      "No, I'm sorry," the nurse answered.
      "Nothing?"
       "There isn't anything we can do. She's been dead for nearly two hours…I'm sorry."
      "Don't tell me you're sorry!" the man shouted. There was a pause, and the man sighed, put his hands to his face, and rested his elbows on the table next to the deceased woman. There was slight motion in his body.
      "Leave," The man said quietly. The nurse hesitated.
      "Leave!" the man shouted even louder, his voice echoing through the near empty room. He had removed his hands, revealing a tear stained face, and the nurse quickly exited. The man returned to the woman and continued to cry.

      The Master Chief jerked awake, and a new pain flowed back in a second.
      "Ah…" the Master Chief managed to make a sound as he slowly tried to lift his head off the ground. It was too heavy, so he laid it down gently. The throbbing in his head continued, and his mouth consisted of a metallic taste. The Master Chief slowly put his hand to his mouth and pulled away revealing blood stained fingers.
      "Oh man, are you ok?" He heard James ask. He was kneeling next to him.
      "I think so," the Master Chief managed to say. He winced, and pushed himself off the ground.
      "It doesn't look too bad..."
The Master Chief coughed and blood dripped away from his lips. He licked them as he managed to sit upright.
      "How long have I been out?" the Master Chief asked as he leaned back against the surrounding counters.
      "Only for about a half and hour," James replied.
      Only…
The Master Chief scoffed and smoothed his hair.
      "We have to get going again," the Master Chief said.
      "Maybe you want to clean yourself up a little first, you look terrible," James suggested.
      "I thought you said 'I didn't look too bad'," The Master Chief replied smartly.
      "Your condition, doesn't look too bad, you, look like shit."
The Master Chief laughed, but soon coughed. He winced again, put his two fingers in his mouth, and pulled out a molar. He dropped the blood-covered tooth on the floor, and looked to James.
      "That's not the first time that's happened…"
      "Let me guess, that one was a fake," James replied.
The Master Chief laughed again and shook his head. He was about to reply something equally as smart, but was interrupted by a loud whooshing sound, like someone had opened a window during a hurricane. Only this was no hurricane.
      "What is that?!" James shouted trying to over power the noise.
The Master Chief didn't answer, but he grabbed shotgun instead.
      I hate reminders…
He trained the shotgun on the hole above, to where the sound was originating from. But just as he did so the noise ceased within a second. Not even a gradually ceasing, it just…stopped.
      "What was that?!" James repeated.
      "I don't know," The Master Chief answered. "There are a lot of things I don't know."
      "This is one hell of a fun house…"

Aliens vs. Master Chief Part 10
Date: 21 January 2006, 4:58 am

      James felt uneasy. Whatever that noise was, whatever all these loud howls are coming from, it isn't going to be good.
      If only we could get some answers…
      He watched the Master Chief walk around trying to find something to clean his face with. He had picked up his helmet and was carrying it like someone would carry a motorcycle helmet. The Master Chief had finally found what looked like a cloth, and was carefully wiping the blood off his face.
      James looked around amazed at his surroundings. He hadn't even noticed the room he was in. In was another lab, but it was a different kind of lab. Like the kind you read in some wacky sci-fi novel. Test tubes and beakers all along the counters, huge glass tubes filled with things he didn't recognize as living, different chemicals and supplies scattered along the varies tables and shelves. James jerked a look over to the Master Chief as he heard the compressing sounds of the helmet being put on. James stared at him for a few moments, and hoped that when they finally got out of here, that John-guy would leave his armor off…it was giving him the creeps; so expressionless. He finally managed to pull his glance away from the Spartan and continue to look around. As the Master Chief checked the supplies and tried to figure out why the rope had become loose, James walked along the aisles of large tubes carrying the unknown organisms.
      What is that?!
James leaned closer to one of the tubes and found a snake-like something floating stiffly. Its flesh was flaking off, as if it had spent too much time in the yellowish liquid that seemed to so delicately preserve it.
      "Hey, uh…John?" James said with slight hesitation.
The Master Chief looked over to James as if he had said something wrong.
      "Yes?" He finally replied.
      "Do you know what this is?" James asked pointing to the snake.
      The Master Chief looked over his shoulder and after a few moments, dropped what he was doing, and walked to where James was standing. James watched as the Master Chief focused on the snake.
      "Yes, I do," He answered quickly.
      "What is it?" James asked
      "You remember that parasite?"
      "How could I forget?"
      "Well, that parasite is believed to lay an embryo in your chest. This is the creature which matures from that embryo. I suppose when it's ready to come out…" He paused "It comes out."
      "Oh God…and where does that parasite come from?!"
The Master Chief hesitated for a second.
      "An egg," he replied.
James had finally realized.
      That's what was in those crates…
Why had it taken him so long to make that connection?
      "I'm the one who started this…" James said.
      "What?" the Master Chief looked to James puzzled.
      "I started this! They were in my crates! And I delivered them! The eggs were in the crates!"
      "James, talk to me," the Master Chief said calmly.
      "I told you I was a storage worker, there were these crates, and they didn't tell me what was in them…and the warning…I didn't care!"
      "This is not your—"
      "I didn't care!"
The Master Chief grabbed James by the shoulders.
      "Listen to me, this isn't your fault. And even if it was, it wouldn't make a difference now."
James focused beyond the Chief still shocked. The Master Chief let go, and silently stood where he was.

      The Voice returned after a short while.
      "Leader, the beast was down, he fell…"
      What is of him now?
      "Injured…"the Voice replied menacingly.
      Good…
      "Send me in," the Final said."I'll make sure of it…"
      "No, I'll go…" the Meaning argued."I'll do a better job; I'll make them press on instead, I'll chase them, down to the next level…"
      Agreed…the Meaning, go, we will meet you there…
The Final hissed, but Leader bared his teeth. He took the warning and backed away. The Meaning headed toward the door, while Leader and the other three continued down to the lower levels. The Secret practiced his stealthy moves by hopping from wall to ceiling repeatedly, as if it was a game, and the Final slowly followed behind the Voice and Leader, slightly disappointed, and he wondered when he'd get his share.

      The Master Chief knew how James felt. It was common for a person to want take the blame, even if it wasn't their fault. But this is not what was needed right now. He needed answers to what was happening in the present, not the past. They had to concentrate on the future. The Master Chief caught himself.
      But, that's exactly the opposite for what you wanted to hear.
The Master Chief swallowed hard, and blinked away the feelings before they could take over. He shook his head slightly.
      "Come on, let's get out of here," James said grimly. The Master Chief agreed. He grabbed the duffle bag and the shotgun, and James hefted the SMG. The Chief swung the bag around his shoulder, and then held the shotgun with both hands. As the walked toward the door, which exited out into the hallway, a loud thud sounded behind them. With slight hesitation the Master Chief and James looked behind them. A large, no huge creature stood on two legs, about ten feet away, and greeted them with a slight, almost maniacal, grin. It was easily the size of a Hunter, maybe larger. Its bulky arms dangled in front of it, and its upper body moved to accommodate its massive breathing patterns. Saliva poured onto the floor as the Alien-on-steroids gave out a guttural roar. Its hands tensed, bearing large claws, and it squatted, ready to leap at its "prey".
      I'm not prey…
The Master Chief aimed the shotgun and fired, but the Alien was already in the air. The continuous fire from James's SMG filled the room with pings of ricochets, and the roars from the creature that tried to overpower them. After about sixty rounds from the SMG, the creature finally screeched, but the massive predator didn't cease. It moved slowly, as if it was taking its time. Its pants overpowered the gunfire as it stomped clumsily across the floor. The Master Chief aimed again, and fired, but the Alien simply dodged it, and continued forward, undamaged by the SMG fire.Click, click, click.
      "I'm out!" James cried.
      "Hang on," the Master Chief replied and started firing continuous bursts from the shotgun, as James stood, paralyzed with fear. The creature took a bullet clean in the head, but it only managed to jerk its head back, before it continued toward them. As the Master Chief fired his last round, the Alien had jumped, and landed directly in front on them. It raised its claw, and swiftly brought it across, sending both weapons flying across the floor.
The creature roared in two pitches at once; a high screech and a low resounding howl. The Master Chief dropped the duffle bag. In mid howl, the Master Chief preformed an ax kick into the creature's large head. He quickly swung himself around in one fluid motion, and kicked again, this time, with so much force it knocked the creature down.
As the Chief was preparing for his next move, the Alien had already recovered, and reading to strike. It didn't hesitate as it tilted its head sideways slightly and charged at full speed. The contact with the Chief followed soon after, as the Alien drove him into a wall beside the door. Tile from the walls shot out as a result of the ton force that had raged into it.
      The Master Chief falling to the floor, managed to grab the Alien's bulbous head, bringing it down with him. He managed to lift his left arm, angle, and punch the Alien in the head. Screams of pain followed, but soon converted into growls of aggravation.
      The Master Chief did a backward summersault, propelling in the air slightly, and landed on all fours, his legs considerably spaced. He looked up to see the Alien in a similar stance.
      The Alien stared, and the Master Chief decided it was his turn to make the first move. He sprinted toward the Alien and then, as the creature started to leap, the Master Chief quickly jumped and did back flip, kicking the Alien clean in the jaw. The Master Chief felt the vibrations of breaking bones, which seemed to echo up his leg. He landed hard on his back, and for a few seconds, blacked out. But only to wake up to the Alien's pretty face. It had pinned him down, its arms and legs at his wrists and ankles.

      "Forget the orders…kill it now!"
And with that, the Meaning opened his mouth, and let his second jaw snap a few times at his query, before he decided to angle it for the final kill.

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