Chapter One: Arrival

Recon 1 has just arrived at the facility located on a deserted ice planet believed to house weaponry from an ancient race, and are assigned to infiltrate, and salvage whatever they can.

""Recon 1, do you copy?" 

"Comet to Recon 1, please respond" 

Transmitted from the commanding ship leading Operation: Excavation.

"We copy, Comet, we've reached the entrance and are attempting to open the entrance now, making progress, but don't time us." Said Sergeant Williams of Recon 1.

Private Cornette, the brains of the team, was interfacing with the doors controls, in order to open them and lower the security, with some luck, he was able to do it.

"We're in." Reported the private, as he stood up and returned to the formation of the squad.

"Guess' even dead aliens can't stop the power of eggsheads, eh?" Remarked Corporal Riley to Cornette as he returned to her side.

Cornette took a quick look at Riley, reclaimed his weapon, and replied "I'll just take that as a "Thank you" In your language."

"So you have learned something from me since basic training.." Riley continued.

They breached the entrance and, as the doors had opened, an overwhelming sense of dread spread over the entire squad, as the lightly armed five soldier squad felt fear, but couldn't locate a reason for it. 

"Comet, we've breached the entrance, proceeding to enter alien structure, copy?" Reported Williams.

"Copy, Recon 1, report any findings and stay in touch. Keep your communications open and your helmet cameras on." Comet replied.

"Even though we never do." Remarked Corporal First Class, Paige, the heavy weapons specialist before she retrieved her heavy machine gun.

Williams smirked at Paige, "Roger, let's see what sort of toys these guys left behind." Williams snarkily replied to Comet, before shutting off his microphone, with the rest of the team following suit, all except Davis, the new member of the team.

As Davis looked confused, the Sergeant informed him "We're a team, we like being able to talk without the entire ship hearing us." After hearing that, Davis shut off his microphone and nodded at his leader.

Cornette and Riley gave a eyebrow raised look at Davis, being the newcomer to the team. After Williams noticed, he patted Davis on the back and remarked "Don't take it personal, new blood, they'll get used to you."

After staring curiously at the endless-looking doorway into the alien facility, Williams gave the signal to go in, and two of the squad members, Riley, and Cornette, proceeded into the structure slowly, with their weapons raised.

"Paige, stay on the entrance, report if you get any unfriendly visitors, Davis, you're with me, Stay close, Riley and Cornette, you two have point, lead the way, we're right behind you." Williams ordered.

"Yes sir." His team replied.

As the team progressed further into the facility, it became harder and harder for Davis to have the security of looking back to see Paige guarding the door, the fog became thick and it seemed as if the darkess of the facility was swallowing him whole, rows upon rows of symbols and markings that all seemed so different, and it's almost as if you looked at them long enough, you'd understand them. It was quiet as the quadruple journeyed farther into the one way facility, only hearing their own familiar footsteps and the sound of their own breath.

Before getting entirely consumed by the silence and echoes of their footsteps, Riley asked "Why the hell did the UEA even think this facility could contain weapons? I haven't seen anything, This could be a storage unit for bread for all we know!"

"The war is getting bad, we're losing entire planets to this conflict, they're taking any chance they can at finding an advantage." The leader replied

"But why use us? We're trained in warfare and combat, I don't remember signing up to play scout, sir." Riley remarked, Cornette quickly said "These days, who isn't trained in wafare? Either you're trained by the military, or you're trained by your will to survive."

"I just don't understa-" Riley had her words cut off by a single noise, a footstep in the hallway forward, echoing a seemingly infinite amount of times, the team quickly pointed their weapons forward and assumed formation, pointing the lights on their weapons towards the end of the hallway.

Davis could hardly hear his own breath, his eyes widened, and he was staring into the hallway like a deer in the headlights of a vehicle, Cornette positioned himself in front of Riley, and Williams had that same curious stare down the corridor.

"Cornette, you got point, watch your trackers." Ordered the Sergeant.

The team proceeded further down into the facility before Cornette located a carcass, one of which species he had never seen before.

"Found a stiff, sir." he reported.

The Sergeant daringly touched the alien carcass, examining it for a good couple of moments.

"This facility must have been locked air tight, this must be one of the extinct aliens, no signs of decomposition or body decay, no rust on the armor either." the leader noticed before ordering the team to search around the carcass for a cause of death.

Cornette muttered "Makes you wonder why they locked it up so tight, was it to keep us from getting in, or something from getting out?"

Davis launched a fearful gaze down the corridor as it split into multiple pathways, his senses seemingly searching for something occurring down that path.

Author's Note

Please, I welcome opinions, good or bad.

Reviews

[Rana]

The dialect and dialogues they're remarkably well constructed. Characterization, one read and I can tell Davis from Williams from Riley from Cornette from Paige, I think that's the order of who made the most impression already. It's engrossing and leaves me wanting to know what's next, what lurks inside the facility. Crisp. Keep writing!

[Douglas Levi Gribbins]

Thank you for the amazing review :) The next chapter is coming very soon!

[Coyote Poetry]

A very good opening chapter. You set-up the story well. You create good story line and interesting characters. Thank you Douglas for sharing the amazing chapter.
Coyote

[Douglas Levi Gribbins]

Next chapter is coming very soon :3