Chapter 6

Location: Bio-medical Lab 12

The spotless medical lab was bathed in darkness. Examination tables filled the center of the room, a wheeled scanning apparatus rests nearby, tall medical cabinets were against the walls. A sealed door led to a secured observation room. Alloy tiles line the walls and floors, a lamp hung from the ceiling. Wall-mounted monitor displays demonic characters, a hibernation capsule sat in the center of the room.

"Subject revival is complete. Scan underway" says the emotionless voice of the Automated Command system as the diagnosis system silently checks the subject's vitals.

"Subject vitals normal, procedure successful"

The hibernation pod's seal is released and a curtain of condensed gas drifts from the seam. The lid opens, revealing a man wearing a suit designed for subjects of artificial hibernation. He wakes from stasis, lifts himself from the capsule and examines his surroundings.

The rounded hibernation pod filled the room, hoses and cables converged on the pod leading from outside the walls. The marine couldn't remember much, nor how he came to be placed in hibernation. Through an adjacent passage he sees a suit of space marine armour lying on the shelves of a wide open security locker.

He walks over and picks up the helmet, he found it strikingly familiar. He examines the ID number but finds that it had been removed, only the scratches from a grinding tool remained. He slips into the armour, hiding behind was a pistol and magazine.

Looking closely, more waves of familiarity washed over him. This was his pistol, he was sure of it but the sidearm's serial number had been ground away.

The marine walks through the lab and into the adjoining hallway, where he came upon what would be the first of many gruesome scenes. Scientists were lying dead in pools of blood, claw wounds marred their flesh. One cadaver had been torn in half, another with a critical spinal injury laid beside him. Splashes of blood coated the walls and floor of the hall, an over-turned sample cart rests nearby, its contents spilled upon the floor.

Elsewhere, Pauline and a group of possessed humans moved back along the path taken by Martinez's squad. Charred demon litter the hall and crunch under their shoes, they arrive at the docking port connecting to the UAAF Hurricane. Pauline uses her authorization to over-ride system commands to gain access, the possessed humans enter the ship and take control of the vessel.

The Marine moved through the medical wing of the research complex, the grows of demon echo from ahead. He recognizes the growls from previous encounters but couldn't remember much, he considers if his time spent in stasis affected his memory. An Imp suddenly jumps from the shadows.

He grabs the spiked Imp by the throat and stares into its dimming eyes as his grip tightens, then slamming the demon into the alloy wall. Creatures emerge from vents and adjoining passages, fiery attacks arc through the air.

He remembers fighting these creatures before but his head aches trying to recall anything else about the encounter. The area ahead was lined with examination rooms, medical supplies were scattered upon the floors. A surgical knife is thrown from behind, a zombie wearing a blood splattered lab coat appeared behind him, former medics emerge from shadowed suites. The Marine throws a zombie into a desk against the wall, then levels his pistol to clear a path to the main corridor.

He passes into the hall, cries of agony echo from the left. He follows the wails to find an injured member of station security, a killed demon laid nearby. Lieutenant Felton lifts their eyes upon hearing his approach, gripping his mauled wound as blood pools.

"There's nothing you can do for me, I won't make it, he motions to his blood speckled shotgun, it looks like you'll need this more than me, take it" he offers.

The Marine lifts the shotgun from the floor

"Oh, I almost forgot. Survivors are trapped in the Data Vault in the Central Processing facility, there's too many aliens outside the door for them to reach an escape vehicle. They may not have much time" they pass along.

"I'll do what I can. What happened around here?" the Marine replies.

"I'm not sure how but the portal system came to life and the aliens came through, I think it's still running. They couldn't shut it down" he explains.

The Marine continues along the passage.

"Good luck, buddy. You'll need it" Felton says.

Creatures were surging through the area on the other side of a sealed passage, he puts the shotgun to use and soon comes upon an escape pod against the wall. Being able to recall vague details of the terrifying alien dimension, he activates the pod and steps inside. He studies the control panel but hesitates before launching the vehicle. He remembers that survivors are trapped in the vault, then it occurred to him that the pod could be picked up by the same people that placed him in artificial hibernation. Not wanting to risk being put back in stasis, he steps away from the controls.