Well, AliensVs Humans continues. We find out a little background about the characters, and are treated to some action. The third and final part will be up next week, and I've got something special planned for the week after that.
Private Sara McCraw sat behind the ramparts atop the human base, letting the heavy rain patter against her hood. She stared towards the alien base in silence. She had been sitting there for the last two hours, not moving once. She didn’t turn around when Aaron opened the access hatch.
“Sergeant’s told me to relieve you.”
“Go away.”
“Come on Sara, you can’t mope forever. You need to get some rest.”
“I can mope for as long as I want.”
“You’ll catch a cold if you stay up here too long.”
“There’s no cold virus on this planet.”
“Fine, you’ll catch something else then.” Aaron sat down next to Sara. “You really loved him, didn’t you?”
Sara didn’t reply.
“We’ll get him back. The sergeant’s a good man, he won’t let something as simple as an order get in his way. He never leaves a man behind, never.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“Of course.”
“Heh, then you’re more of an idiot than I thought. How long have you served under him?”
“Since the first day I signed up. That was over six years ago now.”
“Then you wouldn’t know.”
“Know what?”
“His first mission as a sergeant. This was before the aliens attacked, before the war. I was a raw recruit, fighting for the first time. I trusted him as only a rookie could. He led us straight into an ambush. Almost everyone died, only four of us got out alive. It wasn’t until three years later that I learned the truth. He knew it was an ambush. We were a distraction, sacrificial lambs to the slaughter. I’ve only ever told two people what I found out. The others were survived. One of them got angry and challenged Steel.”
“What happened?”
“Steel shot him. Right in the forehead, one bullet. It was covered up as a suicide of course.”
“What happened to the other man you told.”
“He’s in the other end of this canyon. It was Francis. So when I say the sergeant won’t rescue him, trust me, I know what I’m talking about.”
The two soldiers sat in silence for a while, letting the rain splatter all around them. The silence was broken when Antonio Macklin opened the hatch.
“Good news friends. The alien fleet surrounding the system has been destroyed. The aliens on the planet have been cut off. We’ve received new orders to attack and finish them off once and for all.”
The rain cleared up quickly. The sun had come out to shine down into the canyon. It’s radiant light sparkled in the raindrops that were still clinging to the human vehicles. Kathy Thom took up her place in the Warthogs’ driving seat. Eric Raynor clambered onto the back and released the safety on the chain-gun. Sergeant Steel sat in the passenger seat, his shotgun at the ready.
Antonio Macklin fired up the tank. John Middlebrooks, Sara McCraw and Aaron Stacey readied their weapons.
The sergeant turned to the three soldiers. “Now, you three remember the plan right?”
“Yes sir.” John replied while the others just nodded.
“Good, now get going. Radio us when you’re ready.”
The three soldiers ran off towards the alien base. They stuck to the shadows provided by the western cliff-face. They made good time, getting as close as they could without being spotted. Unfortunately the cliffs widened suddenly, leaving over 200 yards of open ground between them and the base. They quickly found what they were looking for. Just a little way along the cliff jutted out at the top.
John readied his rocket launcher. He fired his one missile at the outcrop. His aim was perfect, striking the rocks in just the right way. The three soldiers dove for cover as the rocks crashed to the ground between them and the enemy base. The terrain was empty no longer.
The aliens noticed the explosion and if they didn’t they certainly noticed the sudden crashing of over 20 tons of rock. John, Aaron and Sara used the newly formed cover to get even closer to the base.
They didn’t get far before they came under fire. They dove behind the rocks as bullets whizzed past their ears.
The aliens poured out of the base, swarming around the rocks. The soldiers ducked and weaved around, shooting any aliens they came across, but they were forced into a corner. While John and Aaron held the aliens off, Sara turned on her radio.
“Sir, we’re in position, but we’re pinned down. Any chance of some help?”
She didn’t receive a reply. Even as more aliens joined the group firing at them, the radio remained stalwartly silent.
Sara joined her comrades in firing randomly at the foe. For a few minutes it looked as if they would hold out, but both John and Aarons’ guns ran out of ammo simultaneously. As they frantically reloaded Aaron got hit in the shoulder. He collapsed to the floor, clutching his open wound.
Just as John reloaded and stood up to resume firing, the aliens fell to a hail of bullets. Green blood splattered all over John and Sara. Suddenly the Warthog flew through the air above them, using one of the rocks as a ramp. The surviving aliens scattered. The Warthog landed directly next to one, who had his chest blasted open before he could raise his weapon. Sergeant Steel cocked his weapon and shouted, “Now that’s what I call riding shotgun!”
“You’re a bit late sir, Stacey’s been shot.”
“Hey Stacey, you’re still alive aintcha?”
Aaron groaned in lieu of a reply.
“Good now quit yer yapping, Macklin should be opening the door any minute now.” Steel jumped out of the Warthog just as the tank fired a round at the base, “Perfect timing. Let’s go.”
Sergeant Steel signalled Kathy to get moving. The Warthog drove up to the newly-opened door. The aliens who had come to inspect the damage were surprised to find a barrage of lead heading in their direction courtesy of Raynors’ chain-gun.
“All clear sir.” Raynor called back once the smoke cleared.
“Good. You keep an eye on things out here. Thom, go get Stacey and look after him. The rest of us are going in.” Steel signalled John and Sara to follow him as he entered the alien base.
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