Chapter 11

Unwelcome Guests

April 7, 2556
Firebase Victor, Equestria

“So what, another round of 20 questions?” I asked as Brayden and Matt stood at my ten o’clock and two o’clock positions. Matt looked to Brayden, who shook his head subtly as his hand twitched to raise his gun. The awkward silence continued for another few minutes, and my patience was thinning greatly.

“All right guys, ho-“ I couldn’t finish my sentence before Matt was up in my face. His foot smashed against the back of my knee before I could finish my sentence. The world spun as I fell back, and Matt grabbed my head by my hair before placing a knife along my throat. The seconds dragged on for what felt like forever before Matt dropped me and spoke.

“All right, if you were one of the little bat demon things, ya would have just bit me there. Drawled Matt as he sheathed his knife and walked over to a terminal in the wall. I say he is clean.” I scrambled to my knees and put a hand to my burning throat. Pulling my hand away, I found a crimson smear on my hand. The bastard nearly cut my throat! Glaring daggers into his back, I stood as Brayden walked over to me and gave me a look over.

“Ya look like shit.” Drawled Brayden as Matt cursed in the background and growled at the terminal. I looked to Brayden with a scowl; I apparently had been changed into a patient’s gown during my time in the infirmary.

“Well, I am terribly sorry, but I didn’t have time to clean up during the two days of unconsciousness. Then I wake up to this.” I snapped as I made a motion to the mess hall, making special emphasis on the dead scientist. “It’s a small wonder why Del Rio never liked putting us in charge of shit.” Rubbing my throat absent-mindedly, I looked around the mess hall for a drink. “Christ, I am thirsty. The hell happened while I was sleeping?”

A small bark of mirthless laughter came from Matt as he ran a hand through his blond hair; “The better question is, what didn’t happen while you were sleeping?” Looking over to him, I saw him stand and toss a bottle of water over to me before giving up on the terminal and sitting on one of the few clean tables. “Well, first off we found two scientists dead, then some bug-eyed pony monster thing happened to be able to transform into our guys and impersonate them, and finally we flushed him out, but he bit me in the shoulder and then shot me for good measure and hacked the security systems and locked most of us in our rooms and activated the turrets up top to kill pretty much anything they see.” Drawled Matt as he counted each event off on his fingers before thinking for a few seconds and looking to Brayden with a deadpan look. “Did I miss anything?”

Brayden snorted as he leaned against the wall and leveled Matt with a playful glare, “Wellllll, there was the part where you screamed like a bitch when the thing bit you in the shoulder.” Snarked Brayden as Matt glared at him and rolled his eyes. Shaking my head in disbelief, I tried to process what they just said.

“So let me get this straight; there is an indigenous monster on the loose that can transform into our people, it hacked our security system and turned the turrets and lockdown procedure against us, and now we don’t know where it is or who it is?” I asked as Brayden and Matt looked to each other for a second to confirm before nodding in affirmation. I could feel a small twitch building in my left eye as I tried to control my temper. “Well, where the hell is everyone else?” I yelled, my patience wearing desperately thin.

“Lane and Wolffe were working on a project in the labs when the lockdown went into effect, and Blake and Gunny were running interference for us by making a big show about looking for the beasty over in the labs while we cornered him in the CIC upstairs,” Brayden said as he took a look at the terminal, Matt had given up on earlier, after a few seconds he gave up on it as well.

“As for Sasha, well, I haven’t heard from her since she came down to check on you yesterday.” I tensed slightly as I remembered the fight with her and how I had pressed the wrong buttons. “That was about eight hours ago, I think, so I honestly don’t know if she’s alive, dead, or something in between.”

I sighed and sat down on a table for a few moments and let everything sink in. The only noise in a mess for a few minutes was the sound of Matt's grumblings. Finally, I fought down the lingering fears and stood up. “The well, the first thing I need is to get some real clothes,” I grumbled as Matt knelt and messed with a bag. “Next thing we need to do is regroup and figure out how the hell to fix the system.”

Standing up, Matt tossed me a set of ODST BDUs that he had pulled from the bag. They were a lot like the pairs Matt and Brayden were wearing, only not covered in blood. “Here, we raided a spare container full of clothes when the little tricky bastard hit the power relay for the armor room. Luckily none of us were in it when that happened, but sadly none of us were armored when it happened either.”

Nodding and sliding the BDUs on under the gown, I looked to Brayden, who had a bag in his hands. “We also raided the weapons range, so we have some form of defense.” Reaching into the bag, Brayden pulled out a pistol and an ammo clip and tossed them to me separately. “There are three pistols and an assault rifle. We have two clips for the Assault rifle and nine for the pistols.”

Loading the pistol and strapping it into the holster on my side, I nodded and looked at both of them. “Good, so how we getting to the lab without being made Swiss cheese?” I asked as we began to walk through the halls towards the door outside.
“Well, they're always splitting up and running for it. One of us will make it probably.” Said Matt with a smug look as I glared at him. “What? I’m slightly faster than you two, so I’m confident I can make it.”

“Pfft, You’re also the biggest fatass out of us so that the turret will lock onto you first, jackass.” Snapped Brayden as he pulled the Assault Rifle out and popped a clip in. “I have a much more entertaining idea.” Chuckled Brayden as Matt glared at him, and I gave him a deadpan look.

“Brayden, if it involves shooting up the generator to disable the power to the turrets, we are not doing it. We still need those.” I said as Brayden stopped and looked at me with a slightly confused look.

“Oh shit, I was just going to shoot the turrets up and call it a day, but that plan is way better!” Smiled Brayden as he laughed. I just sighed and facepalmed miserably as we stood outside the airlock door.

“Ya know, just when I think I have you figured out, ya go and do that,” I complained as Matt and Brayden laughed somewhat.

“Dude, I’ve known Brayden for as long as I’ve been in the military, and I STILL haven’t figured him out.” Snarked Matt as he placed a hand on my shoulder, “Hell, I gave up after the first fifteen years.”

After a few moments of laughter, I got us back on track. “Anyhow, I think we can combine those two plans. Split up and sprint for it, but cover each other by drawing fire from the turret if any of us get shot at, deal?” After a quick nod from both of them and us all drawing a firearm, we stacked up on the door, and I pressed the release button.

The door opened, and we all entered the chamber before the door behind sealed shut, and the pressurization process began as we were mentally prepared for the sprint. After a few seconds, the door opened, and we sprinted out and split off as bullets rained down behind us.

I split right, and Matt split left as Brayden trucked forward for about twenty yards before spinning around ad unleashing a few rounds from his assault rifle at the turret. The rounds bounced off the reinforced hull but saved Matt the pain of a few bullets. “Thanks!” Yelled Matt as he crossed towards the research building.

Brayden turned to start sprinting, but a few rounds dug into the steel plates around him. “FUCK!” Yelled Brayden as he fell to the ground, his assault rifle bouncing just out of reach. Spinning around, I drew my pistol and fired off four rounds into the machine's hull.

“HA, gotcha bitch!” I grinned with triumph for a few seconds before it turned and acquired me as a target. “Oh shit.” Losing my grin, I turned and began to run as the bullets spewed past me and buried themselves into the dirt. I kept running and finally made it to the science facility entrance where Matt was waiting, his pistol barking off rounds at the turret.

Rolling into the alcove where Matt is standing, I turn to add my own pistol fire at the turret chasing Brayden. After a few more seconds of tense firing and sprinting, Brayden dashed into the alcove, and Matt slapped the activation switch, snapping the door shut as rounds bounced off the door for a few seconds before finally subsiding. The only sound for a few minutes was us panting in silence. Finally, Brayden broke the silence.

“Whe-where the fuck… Where the fuck, where the fuck was that supporting fire earlier?” Chuckled Brayden playfully as Matt gave him the bird and slid to the floor.

“Hey, screw… screw you, man. I gave you assholes tons of covering fire.” He laughed at Matt as he leaned against the wall and sucked in deep breaths of air. After a few seconds, Matt laughed and smirked. “Told you I was faster.”

I laughed from my position where I laid on the floor and quipped, “Yeah, only because you were full on sprinting and not covering us.” Brayden chuckled, and Matt just pouted, so I pressed my advantage. “Where did you learn to run like that? Your prom night when your two dates figured out you went with both of them?”

This time Brayden laughed out loud, and Matt just glared at me. “All right, last time I ever tell you a funny story motherfucker.” Growled Matt as he walked up to the door and activated the switch as Brayden and I laughed. “Now, if you will excuse me ass holes,” drawled Matt as the door began to unseal and open. “I need to go have a long talk with a recent friend.” Matt stepped through the door and into a shovel that swung around the corner and into his face.

Author's Note

WE'RE BACK!!!!