Last Man Standing
Skulkinator
Join Date: 2004-05-30 Member: 29016Members
Join Date: 2004-05-30 Member: 29016Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Survival of the Fittest</div> Gunfire suddenly erupted in the dark, tiny hallway, and Gordon heard the unmistakable cry of a leaping Skulk. He swiveled around at the direction from which he heard the screaming, and raised his LMG. It was too late. The Skulk was approaching rapidly, and he was helpless to stop it.
Andrew heard the Skulk's cry before Gordon did, and was already halfway through his clip by the time Gordon started to aim. The muzzle flash of his LMG lit up the hallway in a strobe-like effect, eerily illuminating the blurred form of the Skulk. He heard several solid impacts, and saw tiny bits of alien blood fly.
The Skulk bounced harmlessly against Gordon's armor, falling in a lifeless heap at his feet. He lowered his LMG, and stared at his hands. They were shaking. He looked at Andrew, and said, "Th...thanks."
Andrew simply nodded at him, and reloaded his gun. He looked at Bowles and Lawson, who had stopped building their turrets to help. They finished up the turrets, which came to life with a pair of beeps.
The hallway was silent again. The only sound was coming from the low humming of the turrets. The four marines stood in the hallway, awaiting further orders from their commander. When none were received, Andrew spoke up on the voice channel.
"Commander? Where do you want us now?"
No reply came. After a few seconds, all four of them suddenly heard loud static in their helmets, and then the voice of their commander, Ed Brighton.
"Two Fades in the base! Our defenses are down. Get back here, on the dou - "
Each marine heard three rapid beeps in their helmets, then a whining sound. Brighton had logged out of the chair. Through the open voice channel, they heard three blasts of a shotgun, the deadly swishing of claws, then a choked scream. A second later, a death notice appeared on each marine's HUD.
Bowles bit his lip. "We're on our own now," he said.
Lawson nodded, and looked at Andrew. He had proven himself the most able and ready marine of the four, so the duty of commanding was passed onto him.
"Okay, men. We're without an interfaced commander, as well as a command chair. We'll have to call for emergency reinforcements, and hold out in here until they arrive."
The others nodded at him, and spread out to take positions around the hallway. It was especially narrow, and could fit two people in width, at most. There was an exit at each end.
As Andrew busied himself with the emergency call, Lawson thought he heard something in the distance. It sounded like an electrical humming, yet it was getting louder. He turned off the safety on his LMG, and raised it, preparing himself.
Before he heard the next hum, the form of a Fade appeared in front of him, its wiry shape silhouetted against the hallway lights. He cried out, and was promptly cut down by a deadly claw.
Bowles turned and emptied a full clip of his LMG into the Fade. Pieces of its alien flesh flew off onto the walls, but it seemed relatively unfazed. He reloaded as quickly as he could, but it was not quick enough.
The Fade stepped forward, and brought its claw down on his left shoulder, causing him to drop the gun. It drew back its other claw, preparing for the fatal strike, when Bowles drew his pistol and unloaded ten shots into the Fade's chest.
The Fade reeled backwards, stunned. Bowles threw his pistol at the Fade and drew his knife, intending to finish the Fade, rather than let it blink away. Before he could, however, a Skulk creeped out from the top of the exit, and jumped down at Bowles's head.
Andrew quickly finished his emergency call, and ran towards Bowles, firing his pistol at the dropping Skulk. Five bullets tore into the Skulk's body, killing it instantly. He holstered the gun and unslung his LMG, then began to fire it at the stunned Fade.
The final bullets were too much for the Fade, and it collapsed on the ground, a broken mess. Bowles turned to Andrew, his face pale, and managed to say weakly, "Thanks...commander."
Before Andrew could think of a proper reply, he and Bowles heard heavy gunfire behind them, on the other end of the hallway. There were no lights on that end, so he could only see the flashes coming from Gordon's LMG. Suddenly, he heard two loud tearing sounds, and the flashing stopped. He and Bowles looked at each other, and quickly ran to the pair of turrets, which had begun to fire.
Each of them ducked behind a turret, their guns resting on top. Bowles saw two small shapes hurtling towards them, and screamed, "At least two Skulks!"
Both fired their guns at the shapes, and one fell to the ground, its green blood eerily bright, even in the dark hallway. The other continued towards them, jumping left and right, from wall to wall. Soon, it stepped within the circle of light created by the glowing of the marines' machinery. It screamed and leapt forwards, but was cut down in mid-air by a turret.
Andrew reloaded, and barely had time to jam his clip in when he heard rapid clicking. More Skulks. He heard simultaneous cries, and three Skulks leapt at them, their forms blurred by the speed at which they flew.
Two slammed into Bowles's face and chest, knocking him down and spraying blood back onto the turret factory. The third was knocked off-balance in mid-air by the firing of the turrets, and missed its intended target, slamming into Andrew's shoulder plate instead. He fell back, wincing, and jammed his knife into the Skulk.
One of the remaining two Skulks continued to bite at Bowles's chest, attempting to tear through the armor. The other turned to Andrew, and jumped into the air, aiming at his throat. He ripped the knife out of the Skulk on his shoulder, and jammed it into the open belly of the airborn Skulk. The Skulk slid off of the knife, and rolled over in the air, landing on his chest. He stabbed it again.
The final Skulk finished mutilating Bowles, and noticed its two dead comrades. With a seeming rage in its eyes, it crouched back, in an attacking posture. Andrew quickly propped himself up against the wall, his knife in hand.
The Skulk charged at Andrew, crossing the already short distance almost instantly. With a lightning-quick motion, he jammed the knife downwards, pinning the Skulk to the floor. Panting, he removed the dead Skulk from his shoulder, and slumped over on his side. The hallway was once again silent - except it now reeked of death, both alien and human.
On that day, Andrew emerged at the top in natural selection. It was survival of the fittest - he had proven himself the fittest, and had survived the aliens.
To this day, however, he wishes he had not survived.
Andrew heard the Skulk's cry before Gordon did, and was already halfway through his clip by the time Gordon started to aim. The muzzle flash of his LMG lit up the hallway in a strobe-like effect, eerily illuminating the blurred form of the Skulk. He heard several solid impacts, and saw tiny bits of alien blood fly.
The Skulk bounced harmlessly against Gordon's armor, falling in a lifeless heap at his feet. He lowered his LMG, and stared at his hands. They were shaking. He looked at Andrew, and said, "Th...thanks."
Andrew simply nodded at him, and reloaded his gun. He looked at Bowles and Lawson, who had stopped building their turrets to help. They finished up the turrets, which came to life with a pair of beeps.
The hallway was silent again. The only sound was coming from the low humming of the turrets. The four marines stood in the hallway, awaiting further orders from their commander. When none were received, Andrew spoke up on the voice channel.
"Commander? Where do you want us now?"
No reply came. After a few seconds, all four of them suddenly heard loud static in their helmets, and then the voice of their commander, Ed Brighton.
"Two Fades in the base! Our defenses are down. Get back here, on the dou - "
Each marine heard three rapid beeps in their helmets, then a whining sound. Brighton had logged out of the chair. Through the open voice channel, they heard three blasts of a shotgun, the deadly swishing of claws, then a choked scream. A second later, a death notice appeared on each marine's HUD.
Bowles bit his lip. "We're on our own now," he said.
Lawson nodded, and looked at Andrew. He had proven himself the most able and ready marine of the four, so the duty of commanding was passed onto him.
"Okay, men. We're without an interfaced commander, as well as a command chair. We'll have to call for emergency reinforcements, and hold out in here until they arrive."
The others nodded at him, and spread out to take positions around the hallway. It was especially narrow, and could fit two people in width, at most. There was an exit at each end.
As Andrew busied himself with the emergency call, Lawson thought he heard something in the distance. It sounded like an electrical humming, yet it was getting louder. He turned off the safety on his LMG, and raised it, preparing himself.
Before he heard the next hum, the form of a Fade appeared in front of him, its wiry shape silhouetted against the hallway lights. He cried out, and was promptly cut down by a deadly claw.
Bowles turned and emptied a full clip of his LMG into the Fade. Pieces of its alien flesh flew off onto the walls, but it seemed relatively unfazed. He reloaded as quickly as he could, but it was not quick enough.
The Fade stepped forward, and brought its claw down on his left shoulder, causing him to drop the gun. It drew back its other claw, preparing for the fatal strike, when Bowles drew his pistol and unloaded ten shots into the Fade's chest.
The Fade reeled backwards, stunned. Bowles threw his pistol at the Fade and drew his knife, intending to finish the Fade, rather than let it blink away. Before he could, however, a Skulk creeped out from the top of the exit, and jumped down at Bowles's head.
Andrew quickly finished his emergency call, and ran towards Bowles, firing his pistol at the dropping Skulk. Five bullets tore into the Skulk's body, killing it instantly. He holstered the gun and unslung his LMG, then began to fire it at the stunned Fade.
The final bullets were too much for the Fade, and it collapsed on the ground, a broken mess. Bowles turned to Andrew, his face pale, and managed to say weakly, "Thanks...commander."
Before Andrew could think of a proper reply, he and Bowles heard heavy gunfire behind them, on the other end of the hallway. There were no lights on that end, so he could only see the flashes coming from Gordon's LMG. Suddenly, he heard two loud tearing sounds, and the flashing stopped. He and Bowles looked at each other, and quickly ran to the pair of turrets, which had begun to fire.
Each of them ducked behind a turret, their guns resting on top. Bowles saw two small shapes hurtling towards them, and screamed, "At least two Skulks!"
Both fired their guns at the shapes, and one fell to the ground, its green blood eerily bright, even in the dark hallway. The other continued towards them, jumping left and right, from wall to wall. Soon, it stepped within the circle of light created by the glowing of the marines' machinery. It screamed and leapt forwards, but was cut down in mid-air by a turret.
Andrew reloaded, and barely had time to jam his clip in when he heard rapid clicking. More Skulks. He heard simultaneous cries, and three Skulks leapt at them, their forms blurred by the speed at which they flew.
Two slammed into Bowles's face and chest, knocking him down and spraying blood back onto the turret factory. The third was knocked off-balance in mid-air by the firing of the turrets, and missed its intended target, slamming into Andrew's shoulder plate instead. He fell back, wincing, and jammed his knife into the Skulk.
One of the remaining two Skulks continued to bite at Bowles's chest, attempting to tear through the armor. The other turned to Andrew, and jumped into the air, aiming at his throat. He ripped the knife out of the Skulk on his shoulder, and jammed it into the open belly of the airborn Skulk. The Skulk slid off of the knife, and rolled over in the air, landing on his chest. He stabbed it again.
The final Skulk finished mutilating Bowles, and noticed its two dead comrades. With a seeming rage in its eyes, it crouched back, in an attacking posture. Andrew quickly propped himself up against the wall, his knife in hand.
The Skulk charged at Andrew, crossing the already short distance almost instantly. With a lightning-quick motion, he jammed the knife downwards, pinning the Skulk to the floor. Panting, he removed the dead Skulk from his shoulder, and slumped over on his side. The hallway was once again silent - except it now reeked of death, both alien and human.
On that day, Andrew emerged at the top in natural selection. It was survival of the fittest - he had proven himself the fittest, and had survived the aliens.
To this day, however, he wishes he had not survived.
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