"Well I guess that's helping of a sort," said Asia as he continued to struggle with the vines, before watching the grenade fly into the Triffid right in front of him. "You'll kill us all!" Asia tried to scramble away, as Howl shot the vines apart, and running with tabby beneath the stairs. They threw themselves into the corner as the grenade exploded, taking down the Triffids in sight. Tabby ran into the corridor to check for any more plants while Asia writhed in pain under the stairs.
"Are you hurt?" asked Howl.
"Nope, just slammed myself against the everflame box." Howl pulled Asia up and helped him run through, finding the door to the chamber. They pulled at the door finding it locked. Tabby hitched her rifle on her back and looked around, finding white computer consoles, covered in multicoloured buttons beside the door.
"Hey, look at this, man. I seen that somewhere," she said.
"How?" Asia looked at her, eyebrows raised.
"Let me try somethin'" She pulled a few switch, and pressed one of the larger green buttons. The door opened.
The chamber was enormous. A space surrounded by smooth walls, reaching down hundreds of metres into the complex, filled mostly with the impressive machinery at its centre. A large smooth block of white casing covered endless machinery and electronics. A catwalk reached out, over the endless drop, to the user interface. It was a small specimen recepticle with a laptop beside it. Cables connected to circuitboards were strewn around it from modifications made by the scientists. Asia stepped into the chamber, opened the energy dampening box, releasing the everflame, filling him with irrepressible joy. He held it to his chest and smiled before turning to the machine and running to interface. Half way there, a ceiling panel fell, clanging against the catwalk and falling into the abyss. Right after it, Afgha Kali, in full military enhancement suit, jumped down, landing on the catwalk.
Asia stopped, still with a smile, his eyes darted around, looking for a way past.
"Asia, put it down," said the commodore, his brother. Asia stopped looking around, and his smile grew.
"Afgha? is that you under all that?"
"Asia, put it down, I'll keep it safe, out of reach of everyone." Afgha stepped forward, reaching a hand out to the everflame.
"Afgha, what's wrong?" Asia replied, stepping back, holding the everflame to his chest.
"It's not ours!"
"Asia, get down!" Howl yelled, aiming his gun at the commodore. Asia dropped to the ground, and the wolf fired straight at Afgha's helmeted head. The energy blast slammed against the Commodore, knocking his head to the side, but he did not fall. Afgha leapt over Asia, high in the air as Howl fired full automatic at the enemy as he dropped down on Howl, crushing him to the catwalk. Afgha picked him up and threw him over the edge. While this happened, Asia got up, and ran to the console, while Tabby planted her feet and aimed her sniper rifle. In lightning speed, Afgha darted to her, pushing the gun away as it fired, piercing through the ceiling. Asia pushed the everflame into the recepticle and reached into his pocket, pulling out a scrap of paper covered in codes. As he typed them into the laptop, Afgha grabbed Tabby by the throat. He looked back across the catwalk, seeing his brother.
"Asia, stop!" He turned and hurled Tabby across the catwalk, slamming her into Asia. They crumpled into a heap. Tabby crawled forward and heaved a cough.
"Korius, help!" she yelled, as she stood to her feet, between Asia and Afgha.
Howl fell, dropping into the darkening depths of the chamber, watching the fight up above shrink to dots. In the darkness, voices called out to him. Screams, songs, lullabies. He heard the Seeker.
"The connection is here. Welcome Howl. Welcome to the spirits." He closed his eyes and landed against the steel floor of the chamber, all breath and heartbeats forced out, leaving only a corpse.
On the GA Demolition, Kate's shot pierced the guard ribs, and he fell to the floor. He grunted in pain and crawled to the wall, resting against it, keeping his eyes on the marines. Max continued to writhe on the ground, breathing hard between screams. The guard lifted his gun, wobbling in his left hand.
"Get back to your cells. It's better for all of us!" His right hand reached for his helmet, turning on the comms.
"Security, there's an escape... attempt. Bring medics... three..." His breathing became harsh, and he a cough scraped along his throat. Blood spurted inside his helmet. Letting go of comms, he pulled it off, letting him breath, showing his blood covered human face.
Topic: Everflame (Finished) (Read 35851 times)