Chapter 9
Weaver, Carter and their bodyguards ran through the halls of the Exis UAC facility, the droning hum of the portal rings throughout the structure. A horde of creatures were getting closer from behind when the Councillor uses his authorization to close a security door, trapping the demon on the other side. They race back to reception and through the front doors, a dark spiralling cloud churned directly overhead, strong gusts of wind sends debris flying. A bolt of lightning strikes the top of the facility above their heads as Weaver attempted to convey coded reports over his mobile, only to be interrupted again by the deafening roar of the Icon of Sin emerging from the facility. The storm intensifies, they witness the giant demon standing above the walls of the adjoining buildings, the stomping of the Icon shook the ground, staggering the investigators as they approached their vehicles. The cars pull away, they release a swarm of surveillance drones as they speed back the way they came.
Arcs of intense electric discharge course around the Icon as it plows through a set of overhead cables, then knocking the transmission tower onto a factory. It then smashes through a barrier of bent connecting pipes, pumping industrial gasses into the air. The demon emerged from a wall of vapour, tendrils of gas trailing as it stomps through a lot of transport vehicles, flattening dozens of trucks under its smouldering hoofs, then tearing down the wall of a warehouse and stomps through to the other side, crushing support columns as the structure came crashing down around it.
The convoy of vehicles were on the overpass that connects to the freeway when the Icon smashed through a massive wall and stomps onto the bridge, crushing it under the demon's weight, the car in the rear loses control and crashes into the concrete barrier, it then falls below as the bridge crumbles.
Hordes of demon continued spilling from the facility, spreading in all directions, through narrow streets and along the path of the Icon's destruction, many of the workers in the area had no escape. The dark swirling cloud overhead had consumed the sky, lightning erupts all around the Icon of Sin, drivers pause on nearby roadways, gawking in disbelief as the massive demon's roars filled the air. Demonic portals swirl around the Icon of Sin, numerous floating demon drift through the gates.
The creatures cross into the city, twisted and flattened wreckage trails the Icon. Along a crowded intersection, the forming of dark clouds could be seen coming closer, the roar of the Icon reverberates from nearby, Cacodemon drift from behind tall buildings, mobs of frightened civilians ran screaming for their lives. A crimson portal manifests in the middle of a busy road, a glimpse of Hell's lowest depths could be seen through the gate as an enraged Hell Baron stomps through. Crowds are sent running from the roars of the massive horned demon, its hoof comes down on an approaching vehicle, bringing it to a halt. Cacodemon drift in the distance, Pinky and Imp emerge from connecting streets as the Baron rips out the car door and pulls out the single occupant, showering the road in blood as limbs are torn.
Location: UAC Facility, Leipzig, Germany
Administrator Horn, Diane and Kasper were in the Genetics Laboratory, the alien genome from the BSK agent twirled in the holographic light of the monitor.
"This genetic structure could very well indicate an extra dimensional origin. The protein structure has nothing matching conventional mapping, some of the proteins themselves are completely alien to our scientific records" the Administrator remarks as he scrolls through charts of technical details.
"This could be crucial to stopping these creatures, we need to find the right people that know how to handle this" stresses Diane.
"Listen, keep this quiet. If the military catches wind and gets their hands on this, we'll have no idea what kind of progress is being made. If any" the Administrator instructs.
"I would agree, we need a loyal UAC science team to dissect these findings" Kasper says, nodding.
"Have you been able to find any other traces of the marine in the alien dimension?" Horn asks Kasper.
Kasper's eyes dart around in thought.
"I had intended to mention this sooner, the landscape of the alien dimension has recently gone through a significant change. Any trace of them has been wiped, we have no idea if they're still alive" Kasper calmly explains.
"Hmm. Unfortunate, perhaps they will resurface" Horn replies.
"Video up-link requested" a nearby terminal sounds.
The Administrator taps the receiver icon, a grid of video feeds from several connected calls fills the monitor. The faces of disgruntled government, military, and corporate faces stared back, their roaring argument consuming the quiet laboratory as harshly worded assertions compete to be heard over each other. The UAC president interrupts the discord.
"Dr. Horn, there's been a major alien incursion, they're spreading from the industrial area just outside Oslo. I must inform you that, depending on how this progresses, your facility may have to serve as a base of military operations soon" President Rosenberg explains as the call descends back into a cacophony of debate.
On the surface of Mars, demonic hordes had reached the UAC base. The security force attacked from the rooftops, bullets streak across the barren surface, bursting grenades throw plumes of Martian dust into the air, the mounds of slain demons was growing. A burst of plasma is seen cutting across the wave of approaching hell spawn, a space marine appears, running toward the station and roasting the aliens in his path to the airlock. He moves toward the protruding hatch as a sizable wave of demons followed, the doors unexpectedly open as he approached. He races inside and slams the panel to cycle the airlock with enough force to crack the touch-screen surface, the doors slam shut on the arm of an attacking Imp. The chamber cycles and the opposite doors part, Revok steps into the station, Security Chief Marceau and some members of his staff were waiting close by.
"Corporal, we were informed by your ship that you were coming, but in all the confusion of managing this emergency the front-line defence force weren't notified. I got down here as fast as I could when I saw you over surveillance to over-ride the airlock system and remotely cycle the chamber" Marceau explains.
"I appreciate it, you can see how close that shave was" Revok says, throwing his thumb toward the chamber door, Marceau silently observes the twitching alien limb crushed between the seams.
"Where's Pamela?" Revok abruptly asks.
"Your daughter is in the living quarters in sector B, level five" Marceau replies, Revok turns toward the nearest elevator as his radio crackles to life.
"UAAF Vapour to Corporal Revok, please respond" it sounds.
"Revok, here" he answers.
"Sir, we have received priority orders to return to Earth immediately and assist with an emergency operation. We have recovered the specimens from Phobos, only Dr. Nexson has survived. I am obliged to depart now, Vapour out" the Captain states before the transmission is cut.
In the orbit of the red planet, the main engines of the UAAF Vapour had been ignited and glowing brightly, the ship veers out of its orbital path and escapes the gravitational field, streaking through space on a course for Earth.
Michael Revok rode the elevator to level three, passing a sealed security door, then cuts through a spacious cafeteria to reach sector B and reaching the rows of living units lining the wide hall.
"Pamela?" Revok calls out, his daughter came running toward him from around a corner, a child-care robot following behind.
"Daddy, Daddy! I missed you" Pamela cries, running into his arms.
"I missed you too, honey" Michael says, lifting her above the frame of his armour, her arms wrapping around him tightly.
"I heard over the speaker that there's an emergency, what's going on?" Pamela asks.
"I'm here so there's nothing to worry about. I told you I'd be back, didn't I?" Revok says in a reassuring voice.
"Uh-huh" she replies.
"Hey, I saw that you levelled up again in Read Along with Commander Keen" Revok reverts, trying to sooth his daughters nerves, Pamela smiles.
"Listen, sweety. I need to take care of something but I'm not leaving, I'll be on the top level" he explains.
"Ok, Daddy" Pamela says.
"I love you, honey" Michael says.
"I love you too, Daddy" she returns.
After another hug he sets his daughter down and returns to the service elevator, the robot leading Pamela back to the child-care area.
Within the Deimos colony, the Marine moved through a gaping circular passage that connects to the curving halls of Echo research complex, green fluid drips from pipes overhead, a burst of distant radio static is heard from beyond. A blob of demonic growth had engulfed a nearby flight of stairs leading down, upon it, a slurping fanged orifice surrounded by swaying tentacles followed his movements. He steps around the vile growth and moves through the gaping passage, struggling to remember where the portal lab was located. He passes the doors of various laboratories, one set around a scanning apparatus, another held a few whiteboards scrawled with complex equations.
Straying deeper into the complex, he wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or not as blood red fluid drips from seams in the alloy plated walls. From ahead, the dry rasps of possessed humans reaches his ears. A group of former scientists wearing blood splattered lab coats shamble unsteadily from around a bend in the hall, wielding an assortment of sharp medical tools.
The Marine levels his pistol, gradually squeezing the trigger as the horde surged toward him. Gunshots ring through the complex, their knives and spinning blades clatter to the floor.
"Attention station security, unauthorized access to restricted area. Intruder on Level 2, Sector C" the voice of the station's artificial intelligence breaks the silence, booming over the intercom system.
A furor of inarticulate radio chatter and the clapping of rushing footsteps echoes from below deck, his annoyance with the AI deepens. Further along the passage, a possessed marine attacks from behind a bank of tall machine cabinets. The shotgun blast cuts across the passage, the Marine returns fire as he closed the distance, knocks the gun from their hands and pushes them over a handrail to the level below. He reaches for the weapon, an identity verification lock engages after reading his restricted user profile, he throws the useless gun aside.
A pair of former Marines step from doors intersecting the hall, their red eyes staring down the sights of their guns. As though from muscle memory, the Marine easily pivots and shoulders from the path of their rounds. He fires back, sending a former human sprawling, then narrowly shifting around bullets zipping past him as he strode closer. A loud snap reverberates as he breaks the zombie's arm, he turned the barrel of the pistol upon them and pressed their hand against the trigger, blood and grey matter sprays against the alloy walls.
"Intruder is now in Sector D" Luna relays over the grunting of nearby demons.
"Shut up, Luna!" the Marine barks as the distant revving of a chainsaw's motor reached his ears.
Demonic portals manifest along the passage, various demons filled the hall. Knowing that possessed members of station security were in pursuit, he abruptly pummels the creatures in his path, then firing on former marines as they emerged from a nearby staircase. Another wave of teleporting demons emerged, he was about to deliver a strike when a chainsaw's blade suddenly slashes between himself and the demon, cutting through the Imp's arm and spraying a stream of blood. A deranged zombie was behind the spinning blade, he rolls out of the path as the saw came down again. He draws his pistol but shots were deflecting off the blade, the zombie strode closer while slicing through the air, the demons were closing in around him.
Adrenaline surges through him as the revving of the motor engulfs the area, he feels Daisy's spirit clutching his shoulder tightly as rage consumes his mind. The chainsaw's blade drew closer, he weaves around the frenzied attack, the zombie inadvertently cuts down the demons around it. The Marine finds an opening and fires but the zombie was unfazed, a round then burrows into their skull, it screeches in anger. The screaming possessed human charges while revving the motor, Imp were suddenly gripping and slashing his armour from behind when he was staring down the sights, but weren't able to shake his aim. The bullet strikes the zombie's hand and the chainsaw goes spinning to the floor before slicing through their ankle. The former human crashes to the floor as blood pools and seeps along the hexagon tiles.
The Marine thrashes, throwing off the creatures clinging to his armour. He snatches the idling chainsaw slowly spinning on the floor, grips the throttle and swings it toward the attacking demons.