Hope's Last Day / 1
Woe the Man whose heart has not learned...to hope
Singleton is such snarky bitch. She also is prepared to throw everyone under the transporter to get ahead.
Morgan Hirsch is trying to redeem himself for going AWOL from the Colonial Marines. Only God can save him, but will it be fruitless works or something more noble?
Meanwhile the Android built and programmed by Weyland-Yutani, known as Holroyd. He/It knows way more than he lets on, it knows about the crash site.
Humans are fickle as far as androids are concerned.
Will they trust him if or when he shares the horrible truth, that he has hidden so far?
The two of the three of them trudge back the final half a click, hungry, exhausted and confused. After days being stuck and no support, then radio silence it was a cause for concern. They had elected to strike back on their own to Hadley’s Hope.
Holroyd listened to the two humans argue about where to enter. It is equidistant to go in thru the ramp to Tannen’s Casino where much needed food and fluids will ideally be in abundance as well as people to get the scoop on WTF was going on.
Or the South Lock which dumps the stranded exhausted crew into the Labs & Control center where they can report in. Obtain a real answer as to why they were abandoned and why they were incommunicado for so damn long.
Hannah Singleton, insists as the senior team member and pilot on hitting the South Gate. Hirsch argues feebly. He has a bad feeling about all this, as the next wave of massive lightening and rain pound them drenching them further yet, they pause to hash out the issue. LV-426 has the meanest weather a Marine would wish for. Harrumph. ‘Marine’ he thought, ‘once a Marine always a Marine. Right?’ he spat and sighed.
He was no Marine.
He was a coward, in hiding. But he had one real friend, Wes, who spent every spare minute in Tannen’s, along with every credit. ‘I need water and food and to take a dump.’ He really just need to check on his friend. This just felt all wrong inside his gut. Was it bad memories or something legit?
Holroyd, chimed in. ‘Your suggestion is logical Miss Singleton.’ he said in his usual calm monotone. ‘However refreshment and sustenance would prepare you for what might be a long debrief and who knows what we may find? He said this, looked ahead and saw through the driving rain, various lights from the settlement flickering on and off. Dead zones where it was pitch black.
Not standard.
Not Right.
Morgan Hirsch chimed in. ‘Look I know you are in charge. Lets go in via Tannen’s grab water, and protein booster on the fly and head to to see the Station Ops Manager…’ Singleton cut him off, ‘Fine, Hirsch, the Casino it is, but Al Simpson is not in charge any more did you not know that? We need to see Miranda. She will tell us what is going on and how we can help.’
Hannah said in her best take charge and be optimistic leader type tone.
‘Or more likely the newly arrived Weyland-Yutani hit team will send us on another forlorn mission.’ Grumbled Hirsh.
Holroyd, stayed quiet, and angled them towards the Casino. In the distance his enhanced vision could see that the Casino Emergency doors were open.
Not Standard.
Not Right.
Holroyd cycled the data, the possibilities. He was sworn to protect humanity, and W-Y’s priorities, profit and people. Would these priorities conflict? He spent a millisecond assessing the options and decision trees.
‘Folks I can see that the Casino Emergency entrance is open. This will aid our timing for you Miss Singleton. However I must caution you this is most irregular.’
‘What the fuck?’ spat Morgan, ‘that is boocoo bad mojo.’ He instinctively gripped the handle on his M4A3 pistol. ‘Oh Jesus Hirsch, come on your drunk ass friends probably popped the door on as a prank, or those two mechanics were fighting again and security threw them out.’
Morgan glared ‘Use not, the Lords name in vain young lady.’
‘Shut up you whack job. No Angels. No Demons and No Devil. Look around you. Did your god make this hell hole? Hmmm Why? Why does something so harsh need to exist?’ Turning away she trudged off toward to the Casino, leaving Morgan thinking that she might be right. But deep in his core he knew his God had brought him here, to live out the rest of his life as a precursor to the real hell to come that was his certain destiny.
He had earned it.
He checked his M4a3 again.
The harsh wind swept torrentially across the hab, the ramp was slick as the grate refused to do its job gripping boots, making for an exhausting ascent. Noting that the door is wide open, the rain and wind blasting into Tannon’s casino, they paused in bewilderment at the sight. They can see the lights flickering inside and hear music playing. Everything sounds normal except for the fact that the doors are wide open.
“Let me go first.” Says Hirsch.
Singleton says ‘don’t be so fucking dramatic. Lets just get inside and get out of this horrible weather.’ She pushes past him, and runs up the last meter of slick ramp, stepping over the threshold into the half light of the entrance and screams. ‘Oh my God,’ she says. ‘Oh my God, she’ says at the top of her voice.
Hirsh draws his weapon and steps into the room, carefully, quartering the entrance, scanning the tables, bar, recess hall hidden in the flickering light. Holroyd the android follows behind.
Hirsch takes knee weapon at the ready scanning the room, looking for threats. He has seen the horror of war before, but this takes the cake, its some demonic next level shit, beyond the worst of war.
Singleton is still screaming. He tells her to shut the **** up.
Finally, holroyd grabs her, puts his hand over her mouth, and pulls her down towards a table near the jukebox, which is still playing way out of date earth music from a century ago.
The rain is lashing inside from behind them, splattering off of Hirsch’s drenched uniform. The floor is wet, blood mingles in the blue neon lighted water soaked floor making patterns around the remains, of torn bodies.
Lights flicker wildly, wind tears through the area, creating disturbing shadows.
Blood and viscera are clearly visible, as are the the bodies of dead Hope team members, their sticky dull puddles of lifelessness exposed against the recent low budget renovation.
Hirsch saw movement by the bar, and pivoted that way. At the same time Singleton, ever wanting to be in charge ran to the person’s side and she started administering first aid. Someone was alive, amazing thought Hirsch.
Despite the fact it was Wes. His only real friend, Hirsch knew better than to rush in. An old earth mythical message resonated, something about angels and fools.
He pied the room, who or what ever had done this was insane.
The worst of the Colonial Marine fighting he had seen, gut churning vomit in your armor type of shit, was child’s play compare to the casinos carnage.
Singleton screamed again, Hirsch reacted, fired a round blind, then he saw it.
Part 2 Coming soon