Introduction
(THIS STORY HAS BEEN CONTINUED!)
Before you read this, please note that Gordon freeman was a scientist that later turned into the ultimate killing machine, keep an open mind about my character, and take my story into consideration. Using my story, the player will be a marine fighting both aliens and marines.
( Part I )
my The ship was anything but luxurious. Rust covered it all over. It was hard to tell that its original color used to be dark green. This ship’s pilot was deep into his work. He seemed spaced out, staring at the panels of the ship’s control system. My name is Jason Roth; I’m a computer technician. I have virtually no field experience. I am the new guy. I have joined TSA to see if I can straighten out my life. My past was anything but clean. I used to be the head of a major crime operation. We were caught, and I was forced to choose between jail time and the military. Now, my conscience was clear, I was a part of a team that worked towards a better future.
My squad and I were to meet at the mess hall for our final briefing. Our squad leader, Major Eric McCloud, gave his speech. “Our objective is very simple, it seems too my superiors that a number of rouge and terrorist agencies have been communicating subliminally using the communications computer on the Kharaa infested planet, Cane 21. That computer is our target. Our computer technician Jason Roth must be escorted down to the communications computer by two of our grunts, Corporal Mark Adrian and Corporal Bryan Taggart. Jason must then tap the communications computer so that we hear everything they say. It is Exactly eleven minutes until we reach dirt side, so get yourselves ready. That is all, dismissed”. As Eric left the room, both Mark and Bryan gave me strange stares, almost as if they knew something I didn’t. I have a history of feeling paranoid, feeling like someone else controlled my every step, feeling like my future is written and out of my control. This however … this was something else. Their stares cut straight through me. I don’t know what it was, but I knew they knew something I didn’t.
There was three minutes left until we reached dirt side. Being only a technician, I was armed only with a thin Kevlar vest, knife, 10mm pistol, and a standard TSA issued 9mm Light Machine Gun. Mark and Bryan were both armed with TSA issued Heavy Machine Guns, Heavy Armor, knives, and welders to repair each other's armor. The three of us walked into the pressurized air lock where an armored personnel carrier (APC) was waiting for us. Mark took the wheel, which left Bryan and I in the back to wait until we reached the target. Again, Bryan gave me his dirty stare. Amazingly, he said nothing, I thought he would at least insult me, but he just sat there and stared. Ever so often I would hear the APC’s automated guns go off. All that meant was that there was some light resistance in the area, probably renegade Kharaa, nothing to be really scared of when you have two fully armed grunts at your side. We reached a low corridor inside the institution. The APC was now useless to us.
Bryan got up and exited the APC, followed by Mark, then me. Bryan walked up front, killing all Kharaa in our way, almost mechanically. While Bryan was busy with his killing, Mark and I walked in back. I noticed after about ten minutes of walking that Mark was also yet again staring at me. I tried to pretend I didn’t notice. Another ten minutes of walking brought us to our target, the communications computer. It was then that I finally heard Mark and Bryan talk, they said to me “Do your job” almost mechanically. I began tapping the computer, linking it to TSA intelligence so we could hear everything they say, encrypted or not. While I was working, I picked up a signal from another agency, I decided to listen in. “TSA… has overrun… we can’t stop them… stealing our oil… our natural resources… need help… they are slaughtering… women… children… need help…”
It became clear to me. TSA wasn’t a grand corporation working for a better tomorrow. They are just power hungry tyrants killing women and children and controlling other nation’s natural resources. I then realized what I was doing… I was aiding them. Perhaps because of me, more will suffer and die. What was I doing? What was I to do? I could not run. Obviously Mark and Bryan knew this, if I tried to run, they would kill me with no emotion. I couldn’t kill them with their heavy armor and my weak weaponry. It was then that I heard the click of two pistol hammers. I turned my head to see Mark and Bryan pointing their 10mm’s at me. They told me “Finish”. They must have known I figured out what was happening because my work speed vastly slowed down. Of course, there was nothing I could do, I had to finish or they would kill me. I was a coward; I would not take a bullet to save others. I’m not that brave. Once I finished the link, I would not be able to break it. That would require absolute destruction of the communications computer, which would require high explosives. I finished the link. Mark and Bryan gently released their pistols hammer, and then Bryan beat me over the head with his HMG.
I woke up who knows how long later in pure darkness. I was still right next to the communications computer. I activated my wrist flashlight. I saw that my LMG and 10mm lay right next to me. They haven’t completely disarmed me. I realized that the TSA has left me in this infested institution so that I can die. Even if I did somehow escape, I could not prove what the TSA is doing to these innocent people. I could do nothing. My mind was filled with rage. The feeling of knowing that I could not help those innocent people burned my mind. It was then that one single word echoed inside me over and over, “Revenge”. The fact that I could not help the innocent then became my advantage. It meant I had nothing to lose. The rage inside me benefited me I was ready to draw blood. Off in the darkness, I could hear them crawling around, the Kharaa. I picked up my LMG and 10mm. I had a bandolier full of ammo, so I was ready. I aimed my LMG off into the darkness and fired. I did not stop firing. I could hear their screams. It fed my urge to kill. I kept firing, never even seeing their faces. My LMG then clicked. I reloaded, and then continued firing. When I emptied my second magazine, their crawling noises stopped. I reloaded again and continued down the long dark corridor. I knew what I had to do. With nothing to lose, it would be my duty to take down TSA. That was my primary objective. Then, my secondary objective would be to end the threat to the entire human race, I would have to eliminate the primary Kharaa hive.
( Part II )
I had four LMG magazines left, one already locked and loaded, and four 10mm clips left. Somehow, I had this feeling that I was invincible, even in such a dark and dangerous place. While I was walking down the dark corridor, I took a long hard look at my life. I realized I have never really done anything to help anyone else. What I was doing now, it would not save the dying innocent civilians, but it sure as hell would avenge them. After a short walk, I came to the place where I had killed all the Kharaa. I used my LMG at such a long distance, I wasn’t able to see my enemies face, now was my chance. All the bodies were very similar. They were all dog like with claws instead of paws. I remember in a briefing long ago that out general had called these creatures Skulks. They were very small, but decent warriors. I rolled over one of the dead bodies to take a good long look at its face.
When I saw its face, for a while I didn’t consider it an alien, I considered it a demon. It’s glowing orange eyes burned right through me. It was then that my emotion got to me. I whipped out my 10mm and pounded ten round into its skull in a flash. I reloaded then realized that what I done was not such a good idea. Not only had I committed the ultimate sin a marine could make (wasting ammo) but I had also called attention to myself. I heard the crawling noises again. They were directly ahead of me around the corner. They weren’t at such a long range this time; I would not have such good odds of survival. I unslinged my LMG from my shoulder and held it in a ready position. The sounds of crawling continued, but it never seemed to come my way. It even seemed to pass by me unseen a few times. I was scared, so I made the decision to run for the exit. I ran faster than I ever thought my stubby little legs could carry me. I found the exit, and the crawling grew louder. I ran for the exit, a large steel door. I ran inside and shut the door. I barred the door using a wooden chair lying nearby on the ground. The moment I barred the door, pounding sound came from the other side of the door. I figured it wouldn’t hold for long, so I would have to continue my run.
I ran down the final corridor. At the end would be salvation, the light of day. I ran fast, I could hear behind me that they had broken the door down. They were gaining on me. I was too scared to turn and open fire, even though that would have been the smart thing to do, being that they were still at a considerably long range. It was then that I saw salvation; I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I knew the Kharaa weren’t vampires, they wouldn’t fear the light, but I would have the advantage in the light. Their crawling noises grew so loud that they clouded out the sound of my heartbeat, and trust me, that was very loud. I was so close to the door I could smell the fresh air of the outside.
I made it. I was outside in the light with the wide-open desert as my battlefield. I was going to turn around and open fire on the vermin, but it was then that someone had grabbed me from behind and shoved a cloth in my face, and that was all I remembered. I woke up in a bright installation, stripped of everything accept my flashlight. A man in a blue armor vest sat in a wooden chair right before me. I wasn’t tied down, so I felt like standing up, but I got up too quickly and I had to barf right there on the clean steal floor. The man in the blue armor said “Yea, that’s the after effect of the chloroform.” I said, “Why have you brought me here, what is this place?” One more question then popped into my head, “Why aren’t I dead?” The man in the blue armored vest said, “This installation is part of the resistance against TSA. We brought you here because you have proven yourself to be a helluva ass-kicker. You probably haven’t noticed, but you have killed at least thirty skulks back there, not many men can say they have done that at one time. The reason you are not dead is because we saved you, I had an assault team ready to intercept you outside. We feel you would make a great addition to our resistance. My name is Malcom, Malcom Burns, what’s yours?” “Jason,” I replied, still a bit confused even though all the answers to all my questions were just laid out before me.
( Part III )
At first, I thought that Malcom was bullshitting me. Lying to me to favor the TSA somehow. There was one thing I did like about him though. He did not stare at me the way Mark and Bryan used to. His stare was welcoming, innocent. I asked him “Where are my weapons?” He said, “You won’t be needing them, this is a secure facility. We’re still on Cane 21; we’re just underground. This institution is completely secure from both the Kharaa and the TSA. We have automated sentry turrets set up outside and within the perimeter. We also have armed guards. Don’t worry, self defense is unnecessary here”.
“I must go, please give me back my weapons. I have some scores to settle with the TSA and Kharaa,” I told Malcom. “What? All by yourself? You plan to take down both the TSA and the Kharaa all by yourself?” said Malcom. At this he chuckled beneath his breath. “That chloroform must have somehow made you brain-dead,” laughed Malcom, “And after that, do you plan to cure world hunger? Ahahahahaha”. Malcom was laughing so hard, his face was turning red and he was having trouble breathing.
“Don’t mock me,” I said angrily to Malcom. “Just give me back my guns and I’ll be on my way”. “You have got to be crazy, you honestly think you can-“ Malcom was cut off by a screaming red siren that hung over the room. Again, I could tell something was wrong. I could hear screams, gunfire, and strange splashing noises, just outside the room I was being held in. It was kind of ironic that this should happen right after Malcom explained to me that the base was completely secure. Malcom drew his 10mm and told me, “Stay there”. I did as he said, being that I was weaponless. Malcom walked outside the door, and in a split second, some kind of projectile cut straight through Malcom and exploded in a green mist. I knew Malcom was dead; no one could survive being cut in half then melted by acid.
I ran towards Malcom’s upper body and dragged it back in the room. I took his 10mm, his knife, and his bandolier full of 10mm ammo. I did an ammo check, nine clips total. Again, I had the feeling I had in the computer room, the feeling of invincibility. I knew I hadn’t come this far to die now, fate wouldn’t allow that. So I played the odds, and charged out the door, 10mm held ahead of me. Then, I saw what my previous general had called a “Fade”. I saw him very clearly; nothing was clouding my vision now. It was very tall, probably about seven feet. It had very long legs and big feet. It had long claws for arms. Its face was very rough and crude. It seemed almost evil, like the face of the Skulk I rolled over in the computer room. So, I did as I did in the computer room, I pounded ten rounds into its face.
This, of course, was not enough to kill the demon. While it was recovering from the damage I inflicted on it, I dived back into my holding room to reload. After I reloaded, I dived back out into the fades line of fire and emptied an addition ten rounds into the Fades face and gut. This still did not kill, but it seriously harmed it. I did not have time to reload; the fade began to charge me with its claws. I holstered my pistol and drew my stolen knife. The fade was so hurt; it was limping towards me. I charged it as fast as I could run, knife held forward. I drove my knife into the fades left eye, cause yellow blood to spray from its face. When the fade fell to the ground dead, a great feeling of triumph dawned over me. I had just killed a fade with a combat knife. I would have whipped the blood from my knife, but I wanted to let it dry so I would always be reminded how I have knifed a Fade, one of the strongest alien life forms in the universe.
( Part IV )
I reloaded my pistol now that there was no threat too close by. Seven pistol clips left, enough to get me the hell out of this instillation. I walked past the already rotting corpse of the Fade I had just slaughtered. Beyond the dead fade were three doors, two of them were locked and I would not be able to get through without a code. So I did the obvious thing, I tried to shoot the panels out on the two locked doors. It did not work, and I had waster two pistol clips, only five left now.
When trying to bust open the two unlocked doors did not work, I took the indirect approach. I used the unlocked door. Inside I found a very long, thin hallway with steel walls and flickering red sirens. In the center of the long hallway, I could barely make out a dead marine. I ran towards the body, pistol drawn. When I came to the body, I saw that something had shot many holes in him. It wasn’t from any gun though, because there were spikes hanging out of each hole. I remembered my previous general told me about an alien that could shoot spikes, however I could not remember what it was called. Ferk or Merk or something like that. Beside the dead body laid my future best friend, a 12-gauge shotgun. I checked the ammo counter, it was fully loaded, ten shells ready to go.
I holstered my 10mm and promoted the shotgun to primary weapon, at least as long as the ammo held out. I continued down the rest of the hallway. At the end were two doors, one in front and one at the left, both unlocked. I chose to go left first, just a personal opinion. Inside, I found heaven. A small room painted white, with two boxes lying on the ground. One full of 12-gauge shells, the other had two MRE rations. I stocked up on as many shells as I could carry (fifty), ate one MRE, and held on to the other in case I got hungry again.
I left the small room and then used the front door. It lead to what I once and still do call salvation, the outside. Cane 21 is a very hot desert planet. It was very bright and I could see hundreds of miles of orange desert off in the distance. Something caught my eye… a very dark spot out in the distance. I knew what it was; it was the drop ship I came to this godforsaken planet on. I just realized what must have happened. Since my old partners obviously intended for me to die in the computer room, they would have left immediately after I finished the link. The only reason for the drop ship to still be here was that my entire squad was killed, they would not wait for me if they wanted me dead.
Being a computer technician, I had basic knowledge on how to fly ships. If I could reach the drop ship and clear it out of any Kharaa, I would be able to escape Cane 21. So I had made my decision, I would travel to the drop ship, and try to stay alive while clearing out the Kharaa. Judging by how small the dot out in the distance was, I figured it was a good ten-mile walk. Better get started now, I would have to reach the drop ship before dark, that is when the Kharaa comes out to play…
After an hour of walking, it was starting to get dark; I wasn’t even halfway there yet. The four moons looked beautiful along with all the stars scattered around in the sky. They provided just enough light for me to find my way. In this strange world, walking out in the middle of desert with nothing in every direction accept for one drops hip and one underground instillation entrance, I felt invincible again. I knew I was a sole survivor. I knew anyone left in that old instillation was dead, probably their corpses being eaten right now. While I was thinking I hadn’t realized how much time has passed, hours have gone by without me knowing. I was only a two-minute walk away from the drop ship now.
I got to the ramp of the drop ship; blood was splattered all over it, both red and green blood. It was open though, that’s all that mattered. The moment I set foot on the rusted ramp, I heard a pounding noise at the drop ship airlock. It was a huge airlock, I knew of only one creature that could make such a loud noise. But that was impossible, how could one of those get across the desert to my drop ship? It was then I realized that Kharaa could live longer the humans in intense heat; if I could make it any Kharaa could too. The pounding grew louder, but my heartbeat would always be louder then the pounding of the airlock. My worst fears came alive. The airlock door finally flew off. And I saw it, I didn’t need a general to tell me what this was, this was every marine’s worst fear, the dreaded Onos…
( Part V )
My heart had stopped as I looked into the eyes of the bringer of death. No one man in the history of the TSA has ever killed an Onos by himself. Somehow, I was frightened. This was no ordinary Onos, its skin was far too thick, this Onos has advanced itself. It must have had what I have heard was called Carapace level three. This meant that the Onos had about an extra foot of body armor. My 10mm and shotgun were useless, and knifing the Onos’ eye would just make him itch.
My only chance was to evade the creature. The Onos was watching me intently; it began breathing hard with rage. Onoses were known to get angry without reason. He continued his stare, which reminded me of something, I could not remember what though. The Onos charged me, I remember hearing they are like bulls, they always charge in a straight line. I dived left and the Onos missed me. I unloaded six shells into the Onos’ ass, but that seemed to anger him. He turned around and charged, I dived again, and unloaded my last four loaded shells into his ass again.
I could not keep this up; I would eventually get tired, and not be able to dive anymore. As it was, I could not reload my shotgun because I was constantly diving to my left or right dodging the Onos. At one point I actually thought I could kill it, I whipped out my 10mm and after a dive emptied a clip into the Onos’ side, I would have shot his ass, but that was getting old fast. Now I was unable to reload my pistol because I was constantly diving. Shooting the Onos had been a waste of time, he was not even limping, his Carapace was so strong, I had barely even drawn any blood. The Onos seemed to be having a good time, at one point I think I even heard it chuckle, he was barley tired, I was sweating bullets. The only way I could escape a horrible death was to seal myself off from the Onos in the drop ship airlock. Even though he collapsed the front air lock door, there were still four titanium doors left.
After my next dive, I would run straight for the air lock, and seal myself inside. The Onos charged, I dived, and I ran up the ramp. The front air lock door was already open (thanks to the twelve by twelve foot beast right below me) I ran inside, opened the second air lock door, then closed it behind me. I continued this process until the remaining four air lock doors were shut behind me. I could hear the Onos pounding on the second air lock door; I didn’t have long until he broke through the last four doors.
Something had just occurred to me, I wouldn’t be able to take off if the Onos was still on the ramp or in the air lock (he’s just too heavy). I also wouldn’t be able to take off if he destroyed the last air lock door, if the ship left the atmosphere, I would be launched out into space and suffocate. The Onos had to die in order for me to escape. I had little time to think, the Onos was breaking down the air lock doors.
What I saw inside the drop ship was something I had not expected, the dead bodies of my old squad. I’m not saying I wasn’t expecting dead bodies; they were just dead in ways I would not have expected. I was expecting they would have all been bitten or slashed or both. Major McCloud lay on the floor, shot full of bullets. Mark and Bryan, however, were both bitten in half. The sight of this sickened me. I could hear a loud crashing noise behind me, the Onos had broken threw the second air lock. Next to Mark and Bryan laid my ticket to freedom… two HMG’s.
I wasn’t strong enough to carry one HMG in each hand, so instead I took one HMG, and unloaded the second one for ammo. Another loud bang… The third airlock was broken. I had to defend the last air lock so I could leave this godforsaken hell-hole. I remembered that we kept backup equipment in our locker room. I wasn’t sure what I would find, but it was worth a look. I entered the locker room, all the locker doors had been torn off accept for one. I opened it and found any HMG’s best friend, Heavy Armor. I heard another bang behind me, only one air lock was left, and I had to defend it. I slipped into the heavy armor as fast as I could, then I got into position.
I could not let the last air lock be destroyed. I stood in front of the air lock door about thirty feet away, HMG in hand. I opened the air lock door using the locking panel, and then I readied my HMG. There it was, sixteen metric tons of pure killing rage. I opened fire on the beast. It was amazing how fast the HMG used its ammo. I tried to aim at the Onos’ face, but the HMG was so powerful that all I could do was aim in the general location. My HMG was out of ammo, but I still had my remaining cartridge I stole. I began the long reloading process. The Onos was recovering from the massive beating it just took; it didn’t take long. The Onos charged at me. The moment I finished reloading, the Onos rammed me into the back wall, and held me there. The heavy armor was working it’s magic, I barely felt a thing. I took advantage of being this close to the Onos, and shoved my HMG down its throat, and let it loose. I could see the Onos’ neck being destroyed internally, I felt like laughing. I did it; I had killed the Onos. There was just one problem, how was I going to lift off with its body in the docking wing?
There was no way I could roll the body out the air lock, if the body was smaller, I could. That gave me an idea, it would not be fun or easy, but it was necessary for lift off. I took out my knife and started carving the body into tiny pieces.
( Part VI )
I had cut the beast of burden into about twenty pieces. I rolled them all out the air lock accept for one, the head. I thought I would keep the Onos’ head as a trophy. I took the head to the front piloting panels, it smelled very bad, but I felt very victorious every time I looked at it. My heavy armor had a very deep hole; it was useless to me now. I took it off because it was just extra weight. My HMG had about a hundred rounds left in it, just enough for my last crusade (assuming I found more ammo on the way).
Before I took off, I thought I’d inspect things more closely since now I was not pressed for time. I took another look at Major McCloud. I couldn’t understand why he was shot to death and not bitten or slashed. These aliens were smart, but I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t know how to use a gun. Major McCloud was killed by a fellow human, but who? Then there was also the other question, why? Five million credits say Mark and Bryan killed Major McCloud, and later on met Mr. Onos. I was still confused as to why they would kill Major McCloud.
Something had just hit me like a point blank bullet to the face. How could the Onos have killed them? For that to be possible, all the air lock doors would have already been destroyed… something else was still here. My leg suddenly raged with pain. I turned around expecting a Skulk, but there was nothing. I looked at my leg, a spike hung out. One of those Ferk or Merk or whatever creatures were here, but where? I saw another spike fly by my face. Seemed like my enemy was playing sniper.
I remembered its name, Lerk. That was unimportant now. Another set of spikes flew by my face. I fired in the direction of where I thought the spikes came from. Another set flew by me, and I fired again. This continued until I was out of ammo for my HMG. I unslinged my shotgun and loaded two shells, not enough time to load a full ten. The Lerk must have known I could no longer use the major artillery, so it chose that moment to attack.
The Lerk flew out of the shadows in the rafters straight towards me. I fired my shotgun; only a few pellets skimmed the Lerk. He charged me again; I fired again, and completely missed. Damned if that Lerk did not have the intelligence of a teenage human. I swear to Christ it knew I was out of shells. It landed o the ground and walked towards me, teeth bared. I did not know what to do. When troubled by fear, humans don’t think straight. I could have easily solved this problem by introducing Mr. Lerk to Mrs. 10mm, but I was so scared, I forgot I had a 10mm. I kicked the Lerk right in its face. It bit my foot, and now I was as pissed as the Onos used to be.
I don’t know what I was thinking, but I did what I did. I tackled the Lerk. The Lerk seemed to be furious about not being able to fly away. It bared its teeth to try to scare me. I was so enraged; my sight actually became a (human) blood red. It was doing nothing but baring its teeth, I figured that maybe this Lerk was all bark and no bite (hopefully). I shoved both my arms down its tiny throat. I could see my muscles were huge and throbbing. I was really mad. I could feel something soft inside him that was madly pumping. I figured it was his heart, and if it was, the Lerk was more scared of me then I was of it.
The Lerk sunk its teeth into my arm, and that finally pushed me over the line. You can only push a man so far until he starts pushing back. I gripped its heart with both my hand and crushed it. The Lerk’s eyes seemed to widen. This made me feel so happy. I knew the Lerk would be dead in just a few moments, but I decided to go the extra mile. After crushing its heart, I used all my strength and spread my arms. I pulled so hard I thought my arms would break off, and then something great happened. The Lerk burst into two half pieces. The Lerk''s blood was in a mist all around me. The moment I saw this, I did not become sick, I became happy. The moment I saw the Lerk ripped apart by my own hands, the rage immediately drained from my mind. It took me a while to realize I was slightly banged up and that the whole time I had a holstered 10mm. When I found out I had a 10mm, I was not anger. I was just so joyful knowing that I ripped a Lerk apart from the inside.
I staggered towards med lab. Even though the Lerk was dead, it still got its licks in. All my injuries were not serious, simple bandages would help that. I bandaged my wounds, and returned to the docking wing. I picked up my shotgun and fully loaded it, then slung it over my shoulder. I also slung the emptied HMG over my shoulder; maybe I would find more ammo where I was going, Sanjii (could you see that coming?).
( Part VI, Chapter 2 )
Sanjii, wow, I have never been there, but I have heard many things of that place. From what I’ve heard, Sanjii is hell. No one likes living on Sanjii, but it also seems that Sanjii is a gold mine. In this age, all of our military’s civilization is based on something called resources. No one really knows what these resources really are, but we make all of our equipment and building out of it. Hell, I think most our food is even made out of these resources judging by the taste. Sanjii is also where the TSA’s main base is located, my main target.
Recently it has been discovered that the Kharaa’s main hive is located on the same planet. This was also my target, but it was only secondary. The TSA was my primary target. If I was lucky, I could take them both out. I decided to make a final sweep of the ship before I took off, back to the locker room. Like I said, all the doors were ripped open, and I hadn’t had time to check them all. Now, I decided to check each and every locker.
Upon close inspection, all I found from the locker room was an additional 10mm and 10mm ammo, and a CD player. I left the locker room and continued to the docking wing. I noticed something I have not seen before. A room in the main docking wing I must have ignored all this time. I walked inside to find a security room. Many monitors hung on the wall with a REC symbol up in the right hand corner; cameras were placed all over the ship.
I saw one monitor displayed the dead bodies of Mark, Bryan, and Eric. I had a brilliant idea; I pressed the stop, then rewind button. After I few seconds, I pressed play again. I saw them; they were alive again. There was Major McCloud going over some paper work at his desk, and then Mark and Bryan walked in. “Where is Jason?” asked the curious Major McCloud. Mark and Bryan both raised their HMG’s. “What the fu-“ Major McCloud did not finish his sentence; Mark and Bryan had filled him full of lead. “Have you confirmed that the link has been established between the TSA and the resistance?” Mark asked Bryan. “Yes sir” replied Bryan.
I have not slept in about thirty hours now, but I have never understood anything so clear. The truth has been unraveled before my very eyes. The TSA was not evil; Mark and Bryan were enemy spies. The link they had me establish was between the TSA and the resistance. To think I might have joined the resistance if the Kharaa had not invaded. “You got the recording I assume?” Bryan asked Mark. “Right here,” Mark pulled out a CD from his heavy armor pocket. “Should I-“ Mark couldn’t finish, Bryan interrupted, “destroy it now you fool!” Mark threw the CD down on the ground and aimed his HMG at it. Before he could get a shot off, I saw the Lerk I had torn apart fly down and bit him several times. He bit straight threw the heavy armor and through the skin. Bryan seemed to want to help, but the Lerk was so close to Mark that Bryan would not fire his weapon for fear of missing and hitting his comrade. A mist of blood sprayed from Mark's inner intestines… he was dead. The Lerk then flew so quickly towards Bryan that he could not get a shot off. It was all over. They were both dead.
I thought about something, Mark had not destroyed the CD, and I had a CD player… I ran back into the docking wing. There it was, laying right there on the floor. I picked it up suspiciously and then crammed it into the CD player I found. It was the old recording I received from the communications computer that lead me to think the TSA was evil, only it was much more clear, nothing was missing. The original recording I picked up sounded something like this: “TSA… has overrun… we can’t stop them… stealing our oil… our natural resources… need help… they are slaughtering… women… children… need help…” The recording the CD played sounded like this: “TSA, need help! A resistance organization has overrun us! We can’t stop them they are stealing our oil and our natural resources. I repeat! Need help they are slaughtering our women and children, need help!” wow
Wow, I had misjudged them. The TSA really is a grand organization working for a better tomorrow; I had just run into a few enemy spies. The question was, now that I knew the truth, what was I to do?I sat in front of the communications panel and contacted Sanjii. General Chester Payne answered me. “Wow, all of us here at the TSA assumed you were dead, since you’re alive, I’d like a report.” “Yea, I kind of figured. I have cleared the entire base of the resistance and Major McCloud is dead, killed by two enemy spies. General Payne, I have a question… have you assembled a strike force to take down the main Kharaa hive yet?” General Payne answered, “Yea, they are moving in tomorrow.” I told him “tell them to wait for my arrival, I want to be there when this goes down”. The General said to me before logging off “Sure, I guess I owe you that for clearing out the resistance, we will await your arrival.”
I set a course for Sanjii, and lifted off. I waved goodbye to the hell planet, not feeling any remorse for having to leave. The big fight still awaited me on the planet Sanjii, and I waited to greet it with open arms.
( Part VI, Chapter 3 )
(Short chapter...)
It would be about one more day until I reached Sanjii. I had plenty of time to think. By the time this was all over, if I were still alive, I would have fulfilled the sentence appointed by the judge. I would be able to leave the TSA if I wanted to with nothing but probation. When I actually sat down and thought about it, I did not know if I really wanted to leave the TSA or not. Do to recent events, I might want to stay with TSA, they are my only real family. I was thinking about it so hard, I actually fell asleep, not knowing it.
I woke a few hours later, rested and ready to go. It would be just about ten more minutes until I landed. All I had was some shotgun ammo and two 10mm’s, but my family would provide me with some ammo once I landed. I stood in the docking wing waiting for the drop ship to land itself.
There was a loud bump and the air lock door opened. There were four TSA marines and the General waiting for me. They all seemed to be staring at the four smashed air lock doors. Then one of the four marines asked, “what’s that god awful smell?” I remembered my little trophy in the piloting chair, and invited them to take a look. They all seemed astonished I had killed an Onos myself. The general looked at me strangely when he saw the shot up body of Major McCloud, but I showed him to the security room and played the tape back for him and he looked at me like a human again. I also made sure to show him the part of the tape where I ripped the Lerk in half with my bare hands. I wasn’t modest; I could show off a little.
I was lead to a briefing room; I was greeted by an entire platoon of marines. They all seemed happy to see me. I wouldn’t expect anything less of my family. I took my seat and Chester spoke his piece. “Your primary target is the main Kharaa hive. All you have to do is take it down. That will be a lot harder then it sounds. Enter the hostile zone in a penetrating formation (this meant that our strongest man or squad leader would be in front and then the rest of us would follow in a triangular formation). You will all be armed with a heavy machine gun and heavy armor or a jetpack. Remember, there are many large organisms in there, so be careful. That is all, dismissed!”
As we left the briefing room, I noticed there were only five of us together. I would have asked the rest of my squad their names, but I realized that if I got too attached to them, and they went and died, all that would happen is that I would feel more pain. So I chose to stay as silent as the rest of us. We continued down the hall to the load up. I already had a knife and two 10mm’s. We entered a large room with two windows at the end. My squad mates formed a line at the first window, and I was in the back. The man behind the window handed us each an HMG and two HMG cartridges, then we continued to the next window, it was much larger. Each of my squad mates were handed heavy armor, but I was given a jetpack, I didn’t complain.
We entered the structure’s air lock, wed be considered in hostile territory once we left. The air lock door opened, and I had a bit of déjà vu, another vast desert with a dark sport over the horizon. It wasn’t nearly as long a walk as I took when I walked to my drop ship, but it was still considerably long, we stayed silent the whole walk. We approached the dark spot; I discovered it was a bunker entrance, which was where the hive would be.
The entrance to the bunker was colossal. It was yet another air lock from the looks of it. One of my squad mates tapped a code in the panel on the side of the air lock. The doors made a loud metallic screeching noise, and slowly started to open. I heard loud growls from the inside. I remembered when I opened the air lock door to my drop ship and seeing the Onos; imagine that times four.I meant that literally by the way. When the door opened up and the light penetrated the darkness, we could all see four Onoses.
( Part VI, Chapter 4 )
(ARENA)
(Very short)
Oddly, my squad mates were not scared at all, the squad leader just shouted out “Left!” and they all fired at the far left Onos. The Onos was pounded with about one hundred bullets a second. He fell dead in about ten seconds. Our squad leader shouted, “Right!” and we killed the Onos on the far right, just like the one on the left. That left two Onoses dead ahead of us (did I really have to use the word “dead”?). The last two Onoses then charged us; I flew up in the air with my jetpack, and my squad mates dived left and right, seems my old tactic was quite popular.
After diving, my squad mates got up and fired again, I could not assist them airborne, I was afraid of hitting one of them. I could only watch. Another Onos fell dead, then the last one, it was actually quite fun to watch from up in the air. When I landed, my squad mates seemed very happy about themselves, and then continued into the air lock.
I could still feel something was wrong though. I could feel a tremor in the air. I heard more hisses come from within this hell spawning air lock. We were not yet done killing yet. While we were fighting the Onoses, six Fades were preparing themselves inside the air lock. I had a feeling my squad mates had sensed this too, judging by how they started firing blindly into the darkness of the air lock. I could hear many Fades fall dead before the acid rockets flew over our head (haiku?). When the remaining Fades emerged from the darkness, I could see there were only three left. All my squad mates aimed at the center fade and fired, it fell dead almost instantly. Then we all aimed at the far left, The Fade fell. We aimed at the remaining Fade, pulled the trigger, and two bullets skimmed the Fades legs… we were all out of ammo.
Somehow, I had an idea that all the Kharaa seemed to single me out, the fade charged towards me. I launched into the air using my jetpack, and opened fire on the fade with my twin 10mm’s. My team was reloading, so they couldn’t help. I landed hard behind the Fade, and then emptied my clips in his back; he fell dead.
I reloaded my 10mm’s and my HMG, my team finished reloading. What happened next was kind of expected. About fifteen Lerks flew out of the air lock and into the air. My team fired from the ground, every once in a while being hit by the occasional spike. I flew upwards for some airborne battle. I cleared out about six Lerks myself just with my HMG. I then slung the HMG over my shoulders and fought with my 10mm’s. My team killed many Lerks as well. When I ran out of 10mm ammo, I drew my knife (could you see that coming?).
What was great about airborne battle was that I didn’t really have to kill the Lerks with my knife, all I had to do was get a good slash in their wing, they would fall and my team would take care of them. After a few minutes of friendly knife play, all the Lerks were dead. I landed and reloaded again. We all expected that next we would have to fight a horde of skulks, but we didn’t. What happened next was kind of strange. Out of the darkness of the air lock emerged one single Gorge, one single frickin’ Gorge.
It ran towards our squad leader nice and slow, I felt kind of jealous because it didn’t run towards me, usually the Kharaa seem to follow me. After the Gorge did what he dead to the squad leader, I was kind of glad he didn’t come towards me. The Gorge didn’t kill our squad leader like your probably thinking. We all stared in disbelief as the Gorge humped the squad leaders leg like a dog. We all burst into laughter. The squad leader yelled, “You dirty son of a-“ he whipped out his 10mm and pounded a round into the Gorges head.
(WIP)
Additional Work In Progress
The full story will include a deep storyline and many fight sequences. Jasons saga for revenge against TSA and the Kharaa Hive will continue. Please provide me with feedback. Thank You.
By: Eric (TheBetrayed) Zachary.
What it is?
Single player version of the Natural Selection RTS/FPS mod for half-life
What team you play?
I hope both teams, though marine is probably the easiest, as you get to shot the aliens, and the story line is from the TSA marine point of view
How do upgrades work?
Planning on making a certain amount of maps into a mission, where collected resources are traded in for items, and upgrades - this would be a combination of ns 1 - 1.04 Kharra build in the grog, and the upgrade options of the marines - such as having the ability to call on jump jets, or a HMG, if the rules are met for items to be dropped, also the ability to call on resource towers to be dropped, to collect resources at empty resource nodes. Phase gates might be out of the SP, though they could be used well, yet the question is how?
The Team
amckern - team leader / mapper / code tweeker
scars - mapper / website
The Real Quasar -mapper
Asraniel - mapper
Jessen - mapper / code tweeker
oOTOo - mapper / story line
anty - mapper
DeAtH_tO_gOrDoN - story line
breathstealer - PR
MOTA - mapper and other
Elbudster - textures
sam - mapper
RED_NED - mapper
Where are the source code and texture pack?