Out of Space

Chapter 22: Boss

Cries and constant banging of the metal doors grits on everyone's nerves, but the doors remained firmly shut. The 3 of them thus took the time to explore the room thoroughly.

"This racket is making me crazy," Kristine moaned. The banging against the doors and the sounds of drums at the back. "I wish they stop." She lifts up a piece of threadbare rag from the pile of dusty cloth. "Think they ate all these people?" She indicates the pile of rotting clothing.

Karl shrugs, "Maybe," He lifts what appears to be a broken spear, the metal badly corroded. "Nothing of use here, all spoiled." he drops the spear back into the pile of broken weapon shards. "They seem to be using stuff from museums."

James stood at a raised platform in front of what appears to be a block of chiseled stone, but the majority of it has been destroyed and vandalized by the green skins. "This appears to be a kind of throne or stone chair here." He looks around the room in the dim light. 8 finely chiseled pillars with the art defaced standing 4 by 4 on each side of the room. "This is supposed to be a throne room!" He exclaims.

"Yes, it is quite obvious," Kristine gave up her battle against the noise. She indicates the raised platform and says, "That is where the monarch sits, viewing down on his or her subjects." She steps up the platform next to James. "This is probably used for ceremonies. The pillars should be carved beautifully but looking at the vandalism, you can see how they knock off the carvings."

"You seems to know a lot about this stuff," James said.

"Yup graduated from Cambridge, I majored in archeology and history." She replied. "It's actually quite exciting to find all these alien ruins."

"Why did you sign up with the navy?" James asked curiously.

"Well, seeing all my friends get drafted or volunteered. Plus the money pays off my student loans, and I get to see the stars." Kristine shrugs. "You?"

"Well, I came out of college, worked a few years at odd jobs," James said casually. "When the war started and I decided to do my part for mankind." He smiles. "Actually I just wanna escape from my life. A change of pace."

"So how's the change of pace now?" Kristine gestures around them. "Great?"

"Haha, yea, it's pretty exciting actually." James smiles.

"Hey, you 2 lovebirds," Karl spoke up from where he stood at the edge of the doors. "I don't hear anything at all!"

The 2 of them blushed after hearing Karl's words but soon realized it has suddenly gone quiet. The drums, cries and even banging on the doors have stopped. They quickly joined Karl at the doors. "Did help came? They retreated?"

"I don't know, suddenly they all just quiet down. I am getting a bad feeling here." Karl whispers.

"Ok, I take it back my wish, it's starting to feel really creepy," Kristine whispers back.

"Why is everyone whispering?" James asks in a low whisper.

"Cause it's quiet out there!" Karl hiss back.

Sudden the beating of the drums sounds again, except it seems louder. Karl backed off from the doors and raised his shotgun. "Bad feeling," he repeats.

James hands Kristine a pistol and 2 stacks of pistol magazines. "I found your stuff earlier outside, most of it is trashed, but the gun and ammo aren't damaged."

Kristine grasps the G88, works the slide and holds it in a 2 handed grip. "Why didn't you give it back earlier?" She pockets the magazines in the marine BDU chest pockets.

"Erm, you don't have any way to carry it." James gave her a quick check with his eyes, smiling.

"Jerk." She responded, turning away and hid behind a pillar facing the wall giving a small smile.

Bom bom bom bom bom bom!

The drums kept beating louder and louder. It sounds like the drums are just right outside the doors. Karl and James stepped back from the doors, Karl took the left side of the room while James covered the right side.

Bom bom bom bom bom bom!

Than silence.

BLAM! Dust dribbles down from the ceiling and even the pot slides back slightly from the sudden impact. Kristine gave a frightened cry, while both Karl and James, jump in surprise. Another huge crushing blow, the doors creak ajar, a dent could be seen. "What the hell is that?" Karl yells.

The green skins seeing the doors getting destroyed, shrieks excitement and joy. "Karl, you got any grenades?" James asked.

"Nope, I only have 1 smoke." Karl replies.

"I am going to throw my last grenade through the door before they break it down," James says and he pulls his last grenade out, activates it and tosses it through the opening.

A muffled blast sounded, making more rock dust to trickle down from the roof. More screams of pain and agony could be heard beyond the doors. "Nice one!" Karl gave a thumbs up.

A deafening roar erupts from beyond the doors, causing them to flinch, and the doors shook again as something massive hammers against it.

"Eh, I think you made that thing angry." Kristine's voice came out from behind 1 of the pillars where she hid.

"Alright make ready, they are coming." Karl gave a warning as the pot starts to tilt up and down from the constant hammering. "Here they come!"

With a space large enough for the child-sized green skins appears between the door, they mindlessly rush into the room, meeting thunder and fire.

Karl left his shotgun leaning against the pillar and instead drew his Glock 88C. Each magazine in the Glock holds 32 rounds of 5mm CT ammunition. He aims and fires at the green skins that enter one by one, dropping them with single shots. James keeps watch for any stranglers from his side of the room, as the opening was towards Karl, there weren't any green skins for him to shoot at.

James turns around to see Kristine's red hair hidden behind the furthermost pillar at the back. She notices him watching her and gives a small wave with her pistol before turning her attention back to the door.

Suddenly, something massive shoved the doors all the way back, causing the pot to slide to one side, and a creature over 3m wielding what appears to be a part of a stone pillar looms over the mass of green skins that rushed excitedly into the room.

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