FHD Remix Chapter 10
Back to FHD Remix main directory
Previous: FHD Remix Chapter 9: Your Name Is Battle
Chapter 10: The Chase Begins
[Doom 3 third and fourth stages]
Tatakai raids the armory near Marine Command in Mars City. Damage to just about everything forced her to use the administrative wing instead of the main concourse. It also didn't help that Saviour-spawn and other short-term survivors locked down everything they could in the moments after the attack began. Tatakai has a growing collection of access codes in her handheld PDA, but UAC facilities are so highly compartmentalized that no single person, even one like Elliot Swann, can open everything with one PDA.
Tatakai smiles, I guess that would explain Jack Campbell’s universal key: the BFG 9000. Still, they probably got far more than they bargained for. Tatakai deploys her wings to extract more scratch poison for her weapons, realizing that this lousy bargain must be why she's on Mars.
After she leaves the armory, she notices that the Communications console shows an incoming video call from Delta Administration in Delta Sector 1. Hiding from the camera, she answers it. As soon as she realizes that it is Sergeant Kelly, she shows herself.
"Greenborough, I can't believe you’re still alive," he exclaims, "I'm unable to return to Mars City."
"You aren't missing much," she replies, "It's quiet around here and even quieter on the radio."
"All passages out of the Delta Complex have been blocked. I'm setting up a Command Post here. I can monitor status reports of the entire base from Delta Central Authority and communicate with other Marine teams. It's your mission to link up with Bravo Team and get that transmission sent."
"What transmission, Sergeant?" Tatakai inquires.
"They are carrying a military transmission card. It contains encoded data needed to send a distress signal to the fleet," the Sergeant answers.
<What a stupid idea ... unless you’re the enemy.> With that thought, she decides to keep her mouth shut.
"Head towards Alpha Labs, it's the fastest way to find them. I'll update your security clearance from here," Kelly explains.
Tatakai plugs her PDA into the console for him.
"Good job," Kelly congratulates, "and good luck, Marine."
Tatakai closes down the video link.
"Saviour," she whispers, "I really, really don't like the idea of any non-Saviour-spawn, non-Featherwing reinforcements ... all the fleet would do is give this enemy a means to reach Earth. Armageddon could be next week."
The Saviour is silent.
She calls up a system display and finds that the monorail track between Mars City and the Delta Lab is destroyed. Even if she decided to bypass the Sergeant's orders, she can't. She makes her way to the elevator to Administration somehow managing to collect more ammo than she uses. The Sentry Bot she befriended helped on that front.
Tatakai enters the elevator, fallen enemies smoldering at her feet as she reloads her shotgun. Once the door closes, she leans back against the wall and slides herself down to the floor. <Get used to it, he says> Out loud, she laments, "This is going to take a lot of getting used to."
Emerging from the elevator, she hears a sound that raises her heart: The voice of Elliot Swann, carried to her sensitive ears by a ventilation duct to her right.
"I don't think you understand, Dr. Betruger," Swann gripes.
"No, I understand everything," responds Betruger over a small video phone.
"I’m telling you now, Doctor, the UAC is taking over this operation," explains the Counselor.
"Operation?" taunts Betruger, "Is that what you're calling it?"
Elliot, quite frustrated, exclaims, "The situation is out of control!"
"It's not out of control, Swann. You are," explains Betruger, "I'll manage this, and you and your flunkey will be taking control of nothing. Understand?"
"Yes, Betruger," he closes the connection as Tatakai wonders about Jack, "I think I do understand."
Tatakai winces in joy as she hears his voice, "Okay, Plan B."
<Jack, you’re alive!> she cheers inside as she hears the wheezing pant of a zombie off to her left; she caps him with two rounds from a handgun without even looking. <Please let me catch up!>
Next: FHD Remix Chapter 11: A Healing Touch
