USCMRPG

Several explosions rocked the engine room in rapid succesion, the force from the explosions were so tremendous they knocked the wind out of the nearest marines. Some of them were knocked over. Had it not been for the visors and helmets the Marines would certainly have been deaf by the enormous sound. Mayhem and fire was all over the place. Pieces of eggs and aliens showered everwhere, spreading the lethal acid in wide arcs. Ricochetting bullets screamed as they bounced away into the darkness. Streaks of tracer ammunition flashed past, bursts of flame. The walls flickered from the multiple muzzle flashes, sending twisted and distorted shadows on the resin covered walls. The engine room truly was a scene from hell.

Steel pressed thre trigger, the gun recoiled in his hand and the sound was piercing as the slug excited the muzzle a decimeter from his face. The facehugger jerked and went limp, white acidish blood rapidly started eating its way through the visor, helmet and neck collar in a gush of white smoke. Steel desperately clawed for the helmet release mechanism, he had mere seconds.

The Queen was mortally wounded. Armor piercing 10mm rounds stitched patterns all over her as she made her way towards Eagle, set on his destruction before her own demise. Multiple Marines were concentrating their fire on the Queen - Suddenly Private Green unexplainably into a heap. The Queen ignored him and stepped over him - With a triumphant snarl she saw Eagle, but multiple rounds struck her head as she took two staggering steps closer to Eagle, she stumbled and as she struggled to get up a rocking explosion threw her to her side. Just as she fell her tail shot out piercing Eagles chest plate throwing him violently into the metal slab with tremendous crash. With that the Queen fell over to her side, dying.

The other Alien creatures had been cut down rather effeciently by the Marines, one or two of them rapidly withdrew into holes in the walls as the queen fell. The eggs had ceased opening and the few facehuggers still alive scuttered off into the darkness.

Ronald dropped everthing and puts his hands over his head despite the fight was over, he sobbed slightly but his radio was off so no one would hear it, he shoke like a leaf within his suit, ignoring what would happen and just waited to die or that someone would come, telling him he was alive. He hadnt fired a single bullet throughout the fight.

Bojan said to Morrison over the comm, "You guys ok? Why's it so quiet.

Indeed it was quiet, it was deathly still. The engines once powerful rumble had disappeared in the fight with the queen.

The unexpected silence took Eileen by surprise, it took her a second to realise it wasn't just the sudden absence of gunfire but the whole structure of the ship going still. She recalled the computer's warnings back in the CPU room. Right, that meant the silence was somewhere between not good and really bad, and god knew how long before more of those creatures arrived. Time to get out of here.

"Don't just stand there, people, finish this job. Bojan, Alexander, find a terminal, tell me what state this ship's in."

"Morrison, if there's any civilians still in one piece in here, find them, get them ready to move."

"Honeysett, go check on Eagle and get Green on his feet."

"Move it now, I want us ready to leave in two minutes."

Eileen took a deep breath and only then noticed Steel struggling with his helmet. Quickly she hurried over to assist.

Stalking over to Jim swiftly, Jacob remained on alert for any new threats - just because the big gribbly had gone didn't mean they'd all go...

he commed in "sir, it's dead out here - I'm covering your exit - you're safe to get out of there...think you can help me with Ron, he's gibbering in a heap and I can't lift him alone..."

after a pause he flicked the com back in

"Jim...thankyou"

Instantly Jacob hated himself for it - he never usually thanked people, as he felt indebted to them afterwards.

Today was an exception though, Jacob realised, if it hadn't been for him he didn't reckon that anyone in this unit would be alive...losing only one marine was pretty good going if you considered the odds...suddenly he felt a bursting feeling and, he didn't know or care if the com was on or off - but Jacob laughed, he laughed as the release of tension flew away - they'd made it through, they'd survived!

As he waited for Screaing Eagle to move out Jacob resumed his twirling on the spot - rising in and out of crouch and aiming up and dow, he had all angles covered - and still he laughed.

tashw wrote:"Morrison, if there's any civilians still in one piece in here, find them, get them ready to move."

"Copy that, ma'm." Morrison answered as he reloaded his pulserifle with shaky hands. He gestured a 'follow me' to Vaughuan, and started making his way into the giant room, his eyes scanning left and right, high and low, looking for signs of danger, and also for civilians. Then his eyes glanced over the Big One, and he felt a sudden, euphoric, rush.

"That was hell of a fight, Marine! Remind me to make that two rounds when we get back! Hell! That goes for all of you!" Morrison said over the comnet, before laughing, and playfully hitting Pvt. Vaughuan over the shoulder.

After his short outburst, Morrison once again went into workmode, and he started to look around for any signs of a civilian presence.

Just as she fell her tail shot out piercing Eagles chest plate throwing him violently into the metal slab with tremendous crash. With that the Queen fell over to her side, dying.

James struggled to rise, he had no strength in his arms and he found breathing to be a struggle. It was then that he realized he couldn't move because he was pinned down with the weight of the Alien's tail on his chest and legs. Through the haze he noted that all the noise gunfire, alien and human screams, and the engines had fallen silent.

he commed in "sir, it's dead out here - I'm covering your exit - you're safe to get out of there...think you can help me with Ron, he's gibbering in a heap and I can't lift him alone..."

after a pause he flicked the com back in

"Jim...thankyou"

"Your welcome marine!!! I would come out and help you with Green, but I can't seem to get up. The alien's tail is laying over my lower body. Jacob, I don't don't suppose you can come in here and help me get up so we can take care of Pfc. Green together."

Bojan gave the motion tracker to Shepherd and said to the new guys, "You two stay here and on the whole squads channel, anything happens or is tracked, give us a holler. I need to go back with the med kit and help Con get a terminal to work."

Over the comm, Bojan said to his superiors, "Im leaving Shepherd and Ranburgh here to cover this hallway with the motion tracker just in case and am coming back with the med kit."

Bojan headed towards the engine room with his rifle ready as he checked to find a terminal on the way. As he entered he was momentarily stunned by the sight but quickly got back to work. He gave the medi kit to Honeysett and headed over to Con as he checked for a terminal in the engine room.

Pale Rider wrote: "Your welcome marine!!! I would come out and help you with Green, but I can't seem to get up. The alien's tail is laying over my lower body. Jacob, I don't don't suppose you can come in here and help me get up so we can take care of Pfc. Green together."

"shit, sorry sir - didn't realise, thought you were tip top in that cubby hole..."

reaching in Jacob proffered his hand to Jim and tried to help him pull himself free, he also unsheathed his knife and offered it to him "cut yourself free?...............wait - I remember what that blood did to my finger, never mind..."

"Don't sweat it soldier. Get LCPL. Morrison and the LT, between the three of you someone should be able to get me out of here."

Lt Vincent successfully helps Steel removes his helmet and breast plate. The atmosphere in the engine room is still somewhat intact but it smells horribly in here.

Bojan manage to find a terminal. After a few moments he find were to plug in after removing som resin.

Fifteen seconds later a klaxxon sounds and a computerized male voice appears:

"Self destruct sequence initiated. Self destruct in...four...minutes...fifty...seconds. Abandon ship. Abandon ship. Warning self destruct sequence initiated. Self destruct in...four...minutes...thirty...eight...seconds. Warning..."

The mantra continues and for a few moments the Marines are stunned as they realize they are running out of time. Fast.

"Self destruct sequence initiated. Self destruct in...four...minutes...fifty...seconds. Abandon ship. Abandon ship. Warning self destruct sequence initiated. Self destruct in...four...minutes...thirty...eight...seconds. Warning..."

At the sound of the voice Con snapped out of the trance that had held him almost the whole battle. His intentions were only the destruction of his enemies and the imense fear but the voice, balring out of the speakers all around him again told him of the danger they were still in.

Con tried to crack a joke or even just to say something but his throat was so dry all he could manage was a loud gasp of air and a few coughs. Instead he just pointed to the closest door in a very obvious sign of "lets get out of here".

Bob had stayed silent thus far during the mission, simply nodding in reply and following his orders. Now was probably the worst time for him to speak, but he spoke nonetheless. "Fuck." He said in a low breath, as he lowered his rifle.

"Self destruct sequence initiated. Self destruct in...four...minutes...fifty...seconds. Abandon ship. Abandon ship. Warning self destruct sequence initiated. Self destruct in...four...minutes...thirty...eight...seconds. Warning..."

He looked up, as if to verify the audio warning, quickly he raised his rifle again, "Sir? Orders?" He began a sweeping arc, hoping not to catch sight of any of those ghastly abominations.

OOC: Sorry for the late reply, I was confused as to where I was, and a couple of things came up. Won't happen again.

Shepherd takes the motion tracker and takes up a position of cover and scans the area as the steady tik..tik..tik..of the tracker plays through the silent ship. At the start of the verbal alarm Shepherd shakes his head. "How can this get any worse?" he chuckles as he continues to track for bogeys.