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Writing Sample #1
Three Months Ago "I'm telling you: I've been on this piece of junk space station for two weeks now and for it being 'just another final frontier outpost', it sure has a lot of restricted areas. Don't get me started on how many files are encrypted beyond normal security measures."
The blonde female licked her lips and sighed as she kept her forest green eyes focused on the computer directly in front of her. The video message was still recording as she collected her thoughts, leaning in closely as if to whisper some unspeakable secret.
"They're bringing something back from one of the nearby hunks of rock. I didn't get too much info, but something about 'The Nostromo'? Does that ring any bells?"
Glancing over her shoulder, the green-eyed blonde slowly pulled away from the computer screen. Turning around quickly, she dropped her voice to a hushed whisper as she stared at the mirror image of herself.
"Regardless, our intel was correct: Weyland Yutani is subletting this station to the Umbrella Corporation. The mutual benefit is unclear at the moment, but if Umbrella is involved...then it can't be anything good. In my professional opinion, we need to launch a full investigative team. Requesting immediate assistance. This is Archangel Michael of the BSAA, signing off."
Reaching forward, the female agent cut the video feed and sent her encrypted message back to headquarters. If command approved her request, it would take months to send back up. Even with the ability of a hyperspace drive, it would still take months to travel from Earth. "Of course they would pick some place out in bumf*ck Egypt." The words were wrapped in annoyance under her breath as she crossed her arms over her chest. Sweeping her gaze across the room, she studied the various tools accompanying her in one of the maintenance bays in medical. Luckily for her, there wasn't an android fetching an item from this one. The situation drudged up memories of her BSAA training back on Earth. I wonder what it would have been like, hunting Umbrella on a single planet instead of the vast reaches of space? They sure had it easy back in the day... The chime on the computer broke her recollection and hurriedly she leaned forward to open the e-mail addressed to her:
Request authorized. Reinforcements being deployed to assist with full investigation. Continue recon.
A small smile of relief danced across her soft pink lips as she shut the computer down and hastily erased all evidence of her ever being there. Hastily she left the maintenance bay and returned to her undercover identity. With a tool bag full of tools, the blonde female mechanic headed to the surgical ward. As the doors slid open, she smiled cheerfully at the two male staff members waiting for her. "Doctor Spencer. Doctor Marcus. What's in need of repair today?"
Now
The solidity of cold steel beneath her shoulder blades was unforgiving in terms of comfort. She was vaguely aware of laying on her back and groaned in agony as she tried to awaken.
"Claire! C'mon wake up!"
Someone was calling to her, their voice so distant and drowned out by a more dominant sound. Is that...the hazard alarm? Slowly Claire opened her heavy eyelids to an blurry, shapeless world with a yellow light flashing over it occasionally.
"Claire, hurry! That thing heard the explosion and it's on its way here."
The voice sounded closer and...younger. Her eyes adjusted and everything came into focus as the face of a ten-year-old boy became clear. "Murphy?" She asked still in a daze, forcing herself to sit up. "We need to hide, now." His voice was a whisper and left much to be desired in the way of explanation, but a soft hiss of static ruined any chance for that. The static vanished followed by an electronic ping. Then another one. Whipping her head to her right, she snatched the scuffed motion tracker off the floor. The lime green grid was laid out on the small square screen and slowly Claire waved the motion tracker in a three hundred sixty spin until what she feared most appeared: a green dot in the upper right corner. The dot was traveling towards the bottom center of the grid; traveling towards where she and the boy were sitting out in the open.
Turning the tracker off, the BSAA agent frantically looked for a place to hide. Spotting a gurney shoved up against a large crash cart, she yanked Murphy to his feet as they made their short dash to the hiding spot. Claire had him go first before she joined him, laying flat on their stomachs with she in front of him. Only seconds later did she hear it and her heart stopped while Murphy trembled against her back. That unmistakable predatory screech. Deep down, she had been praying for a Tyrant, a Licker, a Regenerator-anything, but this monster. Heavy footsteps thudded just feet from where their heads lay, followed by the sound of something dragging smoothly across the metal floor. Absolute terror welled up inside, leaving her feeling hollow as indescribable black claws came into view, followed by the long perforated tail. The creature was only inches away as it walked next to the gurney, searching for the cause of disturbance. It gave a low growl as it hunted, heading away from the two hiding under the gurney. Biting her bottom lip, she squeezed her eyes shut in a futile effort to keep tears from pouring forth. There was no way to adequately put into words the fear gripping every fiber of her being. Opening them softly, her eyes were glossed over with the threat of tears as she silently pleaded for help to whatever higher power would listen.
"This is The Arcadia. Requesting permission to dock."
The female voice rang out crisp and clear over the intercom system and caused Claire to raise her head slightly with hope that was soon shattered by the quickened thuds rushing back to their location. An angry hiss came forth as the creature ran past them before launching itself into an air vent, its body thudding against the metal as it crawled away. Something inside clicked and the blonde slid out from underneath the gurney, dragging the boy with her. Lacing her fingers with his, she squeezed his little hand gently and smile reassuringly despite the teardrop rolling down her cheek. Claire lead the boy keeping pace with her toward the hangar and docking bay. Perhaps her prayers had been answered after all.
Kneeling on one knee, delicate fingers were sifting through the plethora of colored wires that lay behind the keypad she had taken apart. It felt as if her stomach had dropped out and rested at her feet. The Arcadia had docked successfully in the hangar, but there was no one aboard. Stripping the correct wire while the boy next to her kept a look out, the electronic lock released and the large bulkhead door slid open. Jumping to her feet, she stepped in front of Murphy protectively as they entered the darkened crew's quarters.
Suspicion rose over Claire like a black shadow as they moved silently along the row of active hyper sleep chambers. The glass surfaces were frosted over from the prolonged travel in cold space, but the subtle light beneath the layer of ice indicated that everything was functioning normally. Where the hell is the landing crew? And why didn't they wake the others? The woman stopped dead in her tracks in front of one of the chambers as she read the name printed on the outside. Her eyes widened and swiftly, she ripped away the top layer of ice.
"Leon?" The shock in her voice was unmistakable as she laid eyes upon the sleeping DSO agent's face.
"Hey...Claire." Murphy's voice was soft as he headed further down and she tried to break herself fro the grip of shock.
"This one's open! The name on it says....Ada Wong." He looked to her curiously as if she had the answer to why that crew member had clearly woken up before the others.
A sense of dread gripped her as she hurried along the row again, making note of the names. Redfield. Burton. Hicks. Valentine. Hudson. Birkin. Vasquez. Kennedy. Wierzbowski. They didn't just send reinforcements, they sent the god damn A-Team. But why? And who's voice did they hear over the intercoms? Ada's? None of it made sense, but the one thing that was certain was that they needed to get as far away from this station as possible...and they were going to need a crew to do so.
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