
All content with the exception of (\*) is the property of the author. © 2001 Kiera Dellacroix.
This story, characters, and incidents are fictitious. No identification or similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or entities is intended or should be inferred.
Many thanks to Diva for correcting my limited command of punctuation.
This one isn't for the kiddies and definitely rates an NC-17 rating. Excessively Alt., Callous Language, Groovy Violence, Crass Humor.
Enormous thanks to everyone who wrote me regarding Engravings of Wraith I'm a terrible email manager so I truly hope I didn't miss anyone and responded to all of you. Your words were and are very appreciated.
Happy Halloween! kdellacroix@hotmail.com
Another small piece of paper was torn off the tablet on her desk and with a wary glance around, the scrap found a temporary home in her mouth. Her first salvo of missiles had missed their target, a dilemma she felt she would soon rectify as she determinedly zeroed in on the back of Ensign Taylor's neck.
The brown-nosing little shit was completely unaware of her previous assault and she scowled as she loaded her weapon. The spitball was chambered into the end of a soda straw with a minimum of fuss and she took careful aim. Unfortunately, her prior efforts had lacked both altitude and distance so she took the time to carefully calculate all of the environmental factors. Taylor sat at his desk, roughly twelve feet away, with his back to her. Her projectile would have to possess the power to travel through the door of her office and have enough altitude to carry it on to her intended victim.
Finally confident, she inhaled deeply and leaned back in her chair, discharging her weapon with a loud expel of breath. She watched happily as the moist little wad of paper stung the back of the Ensign's neck with a satisfying splat and she turned rapidly to the computer on her desk, innocently feigning productivity.
Instead of finding the monitor, her eyes landed on the stern features of her commanding officer and she silently cursed the painfully transparent glass walls of her office. Judging from the distinct look of displeasure on his face, he had witnessed the entire incident. Fooling no one but herself, she tried vainly to pretend she didn't see him and industriously began to type nonsense into her keyboard. She noted movement out of the corner of her eye and grimaced in anticipation of the inevitable confrontation.
"Commander," he said frostily from the doorway. "I'm going to go get a cup of coffee and return to my office. I strongly suggest you be there waiting for me by the time I arrive."
"Yes, sir," she said quickly, rising from her seat. The Admiral turned and strode away, deftly navigating through a maze of cubicles. She ambled after him, changing course halfway across the room to take the shortcut to his office and arriving quickly at the desk of the attending Yeoman.
"Admiral Eaton requested that I wait for him," she said miserably. A small, knowing smile. "Go right in, Commander."
She tried not to sigh as she entered the room and stood at attention in front of his desk, waiting several minutes for the sound of an opening door. Prudently keeping her eyes focused straight ahead, she waited for the stately elder man to seat himself behind his desk. A long and increasingly uncomfortable silence ensued as he studied her with a mixture of disappointment and frustration.
"Your resignation is tabled," he said finally. "I'd like you to consider an alternate command for a period of at least one year. If after that time you still wish to resign, it will be honored."
"I don't understand, sir," she said confusedly.
"You're a damn good officer when you're not being a complete jackass," he said tiredly. "Your operational record is nothing short of outstanding and I'd be willing to bet your name will be on the promotion list for full Commander within the next eighteen months. I'd like you to take this assignment and use the time to reconsider resigning your commission. The Navy would like to keep you."
She considered silently.
"Yes or no?" he asked impatiently.
"Where?"
"Antarctica," he replied quickly. "It's a Joint Task Force command overseen by the Department of Defense at the request of the NSF."
"Antarctica?" she said in surprise. "Wouldn't that be in violation of...?"
"Yes," he interrupted. "It's a classified operation and facility. The construction finished ahead of schedule and the interim civilian leader down there abruptly decided to depart a season early. You weren't on the list of original command candidates. However, none of those considered are available at such short notice and in desperation, I recommended you for the job. Surprisingly, your nomination was unanimously accepted."
"Why?" she asked bluntly.
"Because," he said slowly. "I want to keep you but I don't want to put up with you any longer."
She smiled. "When?"
"Eighteen hours. All information will be provided in text due to time constraints," he explained quickly. "Yes or no?"
Another thoughtful silence. "Yes."
"Good," he said, rising from his seat. "Your flight leaves from Andrews at 0600 to Christchurch, New Zealand. From there you'll hook up with 109th Air Mobility Wing which will transport you to McMurdo. You can take the rest of the day to get your shit in order."
"Very well," she said. "Dismissed, Commander," he said kindly. She sketched a salute. "Take care, sir," she said with a grin.
"You too," he said fondly, watching with a smile as she turned and strode from his office.
Tired eyes slowly surveyed the people gathered within the confines of the mess hall. He subtly cleared his throat and waited patiently for everyone to get settled, there was no rush. The news he had to deliver would be met with some hostility, even though all knew it was inevitable.
His gaze landed briefly upon each person and he favored every set of eyes that met his own with a small smile and an approving nod. He would miss them, having come to think of the people working within the complex as family. "What's the scoop, skipper?" Dr. Rivers asked cheerfully when everyone had quieted down.
He spared a glance at the little doctor and grinned; the woman was just as cute as she could be. If there was anyone he would miss above all the others, it was Corky Rivers. Her popularity among the staff was second to none and he had developed a fierce paternal affection for her. Lucky if she stood an inch over five feet tall, with shoulder-length black hair that lived in a constant state of disarray, the diminutive figure contained twelve feet of 'don't fuck with me' attitude. She was friendly and fiendishly brilliant, but woe to the individual that pissed her off.
"Show some patience, Corky," he chided. "Is everyone here?"
"All of the civilians are here," Corky replied easily. He sighed. She was going to take the news hard. "Then we're all here," he said reluctantly. "Why is that?" Corky asked, her brown eyes narrowing suspiciously. Bracing himself for the explosion that was only minutes away, he ambled over and sat upon a folding table in front of the gathered people, letting his legs dangle freely off the floor.
"Well," he started slowly, "as you know, I was originally assigned to this project to supervise construction. Now that it's complete and we can concentrate our efforts solely on excavation, the administration of this facility falls into military hands."
His eyes took in a number of resigned sighs and shaking heads, at last coming to rest on a pair of brown eyes burning brightly under a mop of unruly black hair. He could tell from the reddening cheeks that an outburst was building up steam. She took a deep breath and he acted quickly.
"Save it, Corky," he said sharply. "Everyone knew this was going to happen and it's a stipulation all agreed to before signing on."
Corky subsided grumpily, crossing her arms over her chest childishly.
"I tell you this now, because I won't be wintering over this year." He held up a hand against the beginning protest. "I'll be leaving tomorrow with the arrival of the new skipper."
"Goddamn it, Larry," Corky said angrily. "All U.S. operations on the continent are under the purview of the NSF."
"That is true," he said mildly. "However, each and every one of you knows the classified nature of this facility and was aware that the military would eventually take control here. There will be a drastic increase in both civilian and military personnel next season and since I recently decided not to winter over, they're sending the new boss ahead of schedule."
"Who are they sending to replace you, Larry?" Clovis Stokes asked in his gruff voice.
"No doubt some jarhead with a roll of quarters stuck up his ass," Corky mumbled, getting a few hesitant chuckles from her colleagues.
"Actually, you're not getting a jarhead, you're getting a sailor," Larry replied quietly, throwing a disapproving look at Corky.
"Coast Guard?" Clovis asked.
"No, Navy."
"What?" Corky sprang from her seat. "The Navy ceased operations on the continent years ago. How could they be in charge?"
He sighed. "This entire facility is being funded by the DOD, they can send anyone they want. This operation is now considered a Task Force Command."
"How the hell does a sailor fit in here?" Corky demanded angrily.
"You'd be surprised, Dr. Rivers," he said with a hint of warning.
"What's his background?" Dr. Lenard asked reasonably.
"He is a she," Larry replied as he pulled the orders from his pocket and consulted them. "One Lt. Commander Malory Q. Lovecraft. Assigned to Naval Intelligence since her graduation from Annapolis in 1994."
"Is that all the info you have?" Dr. Lenard asked. "Why would they assign an Intelligence officer?"
"It was a last minute posting so the information provided was not all that educational," Larry admitted. "Although, I can tell you that her most recent fitness report described her as unorthodox."
"That's just great." Corky mumbled. "A Section Eight sailor trapped in the dark with us for eight months."
"Dr. Rivers," Larry said sharply. "I suggest that upon her arrival you treat her with respect, that is, if you expect to receive any in return. I wasn't going to mention it, but now I feel I should. Commander Lovecraft is a decorated officer and is held in high regard. She may not find your comments as amusing as you might hope."
An irritable grunt was his only reply.
"Look people," he stated. "The fact of the matter is, this facility would not have been a possibility without military intervention. What is of the utmost importance is the excavation, which is why the majority of you are here to begin with. The United States is not the only government with interests here and you all know that if this complex was discovered, it would be in direct violation of the Antarctic Treaty. I might also remind you that it was the NSF itself that asked the military for their involvement. If we had not done so, we would now be competing over this site with an untold amount of foreign governments."
He spared a glance at his audience and was gratified to note that even Corky had subsided quietly. "That this facility remains a secret is due solely to the military's efforts. The NSF does not and did not have the means to construct this site without it being detected by foreign satellite surveillance. At this point in the game, the military is assuming command and are here to provide continuing security and to administrate and evaluate the ongoing needs of this operation." He sighed and allowed himself a small smile. "Give the new Commander a break and let her do her job. In addition, I better not get a bad report from her on any of you when I return in the summer."
His smile grew affectionate as this news was met with a happy response, most notably from the shining brown eyes of the group's medical doctor.
"Now that we have that out of the way, I've arranged for a little party," he said slyly. "Break out the booze and let's all hope I've provided enough munchies."
He held up a hand to forestall the rising cheers. "But first," he added in a stern voice. "I'll need to see Dr. Rivers in my office, please." With that, he turned and strode from the room without another word.
Corky sighed and slowly stood from her seat to follow Larry, trying her best to ignore the impressively unmusical chorus of her childishly teasing coworkers.
"Corky's in trouble, Corky's in trouble."
---------
Larry puttered into his office and sat down behind the desk to await the arrival of the troublesome doctor. He had finished packing his things shortly before he summoned everyone to the mess and he spared a remorseful glance around the room; the bare walls and shelves a not so subtle reminder that this office, come the morrow, would no longer be his own. He looked up at the quiet knock and noted the sheepish look being cast in his direction.
"Sit down, Corky," he said gesturing to a chair in front of his desk and waiting until she seated herself before continuing.
"I know you have a bug up your ass over military involvement here and for the most part I've ignored your rather contemptuous attitude toward the service men already among us," he stated quietly. "What I don't understand is why."
Corky shifted in her chair uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact with the sturdy and graying older man.
"In the past, I've let you get away with it and I probably shouldn't have," he admitted. "The men here have been invaluable and have been nothing but polite to you, yet you treat all of them as if they are a barely tolerated enemy."
She opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by an upraised hand.
"If you think for one minute the new boss will let you get away with such behavior, you're gravely mistaken," he said sharply. "How do you think it will feel to have your security clearance revoked and to spend the rest of your tour confined to quarters?"
"She wouldn't dare," she said unbelievingly.
"Don't fool yourself, Corky," he replied. "The U.S. has a lot at stake here and there is no reason why someone with your attitude would be tolerated. Also, with that thought in mind, you can rest assured that they wouldn't send an idiot to take charge here. I would assume Commander Lovecraft to be quite formidable."
Corky fidgeted in her chair, remaining silent.
"I'm waiting," Larry said calmly.
"Waiting for what?" she asked lamely.
"Waiting for you to explain just what your problem is so I can help you save your job," he explained indifferently.
He watched a myriad of emotions cross the woman's features, noting at last, the determined and stubborn clench of her jaws.
"You're not leaving this room until you come clean, Corky," he said tiredly.
Her eyes narrowed for battle.
He sighed and reached out to enter the intercom code on the phone in front of him. "This is Daniels," he said, his voice reverberating down the halls outside. "Would PO DeSoto report to my office, please?"
Corky's eyes widened in shock, knowing DeSoto to be the communications officer.
"It's rather late in the game to request a doctor, especially one with your skills," Larry said mildly. "But hopefully we can acquire another before winter sets in."
Corky shrunk in her seat. "Larry..." she began sweetly.
"Don't give me that," he interrupted. "I have two daughters, you're wasting your time playing the sweet and contrite card."
Thwarted, she thought furiously. It was only a matter of seconds before DeSoto arrived.
"You're running out of time."
Corky ground her teeth, wanting to scream in frustration. Who knew that Larry could be so ruthless? She spared a quick appraising glance at the man; she both admired and genuinely cared for him. His approval had come to mean a lot to her and she didn't want to disappoint him by revealing anything. Yet, staying on her current course wouldn't win her any brownie points and she would most likely not only disappoint him, but lose her job.
"Alright, Larry," she said reluctantly, a split second before the doorway was darkened.
"You called for me, sir?" DeSoto asked politely.
"Yes, but I don't think I'll need anything now," Larry said giving Corky a hard stare, gratified when she nodded slightly. "I'm sorry to have bothered you."
"No problem, sir," DeSoto said easily in parting.
Larry waited a moment and leaned back in his chair. "Let's hear it."
Corky took a deep breath, hoping she hadn't underestimated him. "Well..."
A mildly curious gaze occasionally looked up from the papers in her lap to watch the bleak, white landscape speed by from within the confines of the helicopter. The view now was the same as it had been twenty minutes ago when they had lifted off from McMurdo; an endless landscape covered in white, occasionally highlighted with light and shadows from the low sun of polar summer. A sun that would soon disappear and leave the continent in darkness for the eight months of the winter season. Not that it would matter. She would be spending that time completely underground, or more accurately, under the ice.
She returned her attention to the papers in her lap, taking in the details that would make up her new command. Upon her arrival, she would be taking charge over an impressively vast and self-contained complex. The base itself completely hidden from prying eyes and housing a winter population of thirty-one people, the majority of which were from the National Science Foundation.
She scanned the list of military personnel and noted that they numbered thirteen, including herself. All branches with the exception of the Marines Corps were represented. Five from the Coast Guard, six from the Air Force, one from the Army, and of course, one Navy. She thought that a little odd, but then again, the whole endeavor struck her as odd. Considering the ultimate goal was to investigate several anomalous sonar readings almost a kilometer below the ice. According to estimates and if all went as planned, excavation would reveal the discovery to human eyes by October. There were pages of text describing why the scientists were in such an uproar over the project, but they might as well have been written in Latin for as far as she was concerned. She only skimmed the first few paragraphs before tossing them aside and declaring herself a layman. The scholars were creaming their jeans over the expected find but she couldn't muster an ounce of excitement, considering relics and fossils to be about as interesting as watching a lump of shit dry in the sun.
She was more concerned with how she was to occupy herself underground for the next eight months. As soon as the pilot dropped Daniels at McMurdo and returned, the entire facility was to be sealed, allowing no one entry or exit until flights resumed in the far distant summer. She groaned in prediction of a boring eternity spent within the confines of her quarters and again turned to watch the landscape pass by in a never-ending white blur.
---------
Corky looked up from her computer with a frown when the flashing red light on the ceiling caught her attention.
So our new monarch arriveth.
When she got out of bed this morning her first thought was to avoid the new boss lady for as long as she could. However, memories of the scathing lecture she had received from Larry the night before soon assailed her and she thought it prudent to at least give her the benefit of the doubt. She smiled a little, remembering that she had indeed underestimated the man and was going to miss him terribly. Not wanting to give Larry any more reason for worry, she grabbed her jacket and started making her way to the entrance, joining more than one of her colleagues in the halls. All of whom were headed in the same direction and obviously eager to meet the new cheese.
---------
Malory watched with detachment as the helicopter began to descend between two men standing with flares in the middle of apparently nowhere, their figures a stark contrast against a solid white background. She glanced around curiously for any other hint of population or machinery and came up lacking. Upon touchdown, she removed her seat belt and made to open the door but was called up short.
"Commander," Ring said turning in his seat to look at her. "You can get out, but don't stray away from the aircraft, it's a long drop."
She stared at him confusedly and nodded slightly in agreement, sparing another glance at the environment she found herself in and coming away with nothing but miles of white, featureless ground for as far as the eye could see. When her boots hit the snow, one of the two signalmen approached her and saluted, a young man with blonde farm boy good looks.
"Commander," he said loudly over the dying roar of the helicopter blades. "I'm Staff Sergeant Hanson. Please don't wander. Are you ready to enter the facility?"
"Yes, carry on," she said distractedly, more than a little curious to see how things unfolded.
Hanson looked to the pilot and received a thumbs up and another from his counterpart on the other side of the helicopter before speaking into his headset. "We're secure, let it drop," he said and then added. "Commander, please stand inside the barriers."
She let her gaze drop to her feet and was surprised when the ground began to sink from underneath her. The barriers made themselves readily obvious as she found herself on a platform about the size of a tractor-trailer. Within a few seconds, a wave of warm air assaulted her and she chuckled as the platform lowered them, helicopter and all, into the facility, the floor of which was about two stories beneath them.
"Imagine that," she said quietly.
---------
Corky looked on with interest as the platform began its descent, her eyes searching for the woman that would no doubt be a thorn in her side for the duration of the rapidly approaching winter. She wasn't alone in her curiosity, for she couldn't see a face among the personnel that wasn't present.
Her eyes tracked to the figure standing next to the helicopter, which she assumed was soon to be their fearless leader. As the platform got closer to the ground she frowned, the woman was wearing a battered black sombrero that had the front brim pinned back to the crown with the little gold insignia of her rank.
"She looks unorthodox from here," Clovis grumbled good-naturedly from beside her.
"No kidding," she replied, scrutinizing the woman from a distance. Her features couldn't be made out, due in part to the glacier goggles that covered her eyes and the shadow her ridiculous hat cast upon her face.
Corky watched grimly as Larry approached the platform when it completed its journey and offered her his greetings. She wished she was close enough to hear what was being said.
---------
"Commander Lovecraft," he said amiably, offering her his hand. "I'm Larry Daniels, it's good to meet you."
"A pleasure," she said with a smile.
"We need to get the platform back up. Hanson and Terrel will get your gear stowed in your quarters," Larry said. "It seems everyone came out to greet you, any objection to introductions?"
"Not at all, lead the way," she said cheerfully and followed him off the platform to the group of people waiting in the distance.
"Great," he said jovially. "Afterwards, I'll give you the nickel tour?" He looked at her for approval and got both a nod and another smile.
---------
"Here she comes, Rivers," Clovis whispered. "Square those shoulders and puff out that chest."
She swatted him playfully. "Shut up," she added distractedly as she watched the woman stride gracefully in their general direction. They came to a halt in front of Mark Isaaks and her eyes widened in appreciation as the sunglasses came off and the sombrero was swept back to hang from a cord around her neck.
Oh, my gosh. She's stunning.
Corky's eyes took in the wealth of thick, dark red hair that suddenly flowed down past the woman's shoulders, the hair framing a face that was classically beautiful and was home to a pair of startling pale blue eyes.
She was jarred from her thoughts as the woman stopped in front of McNeely and he saluted her crisply. She turned to Clovis and brought a finger to her mouth in a gagging gesture, getting a subdued laugh from her companion.
Malory saw the pantomime out of the corner of her eye and covertly studied the two as she continued making her way through the line of introductions. Catching the undeniably attractive and dark featured little woman rolling her eyes more than once. About the fourth time the gesture repeated itself, she was more than a little irritated.
"This is Clovis Stokes, our senior archeologist," Larry said as she came abreast of a sandy-haired and monolithic man easily six inches taller than her own five-ten height. And from the look of it, almost two hundred pounds heavier.
"A pleasure," she said politely, her hand disappearing within the enormous grasp of his greeting.
"Nice to meet you, Commander," Clovis replied cheerfully.
"This is..." Larry started as they moved to stand in front of Corky, who had an expression of mortal boredom etched onto her features.
"No need for introductions here, Mr. Daniels," Malory interrupted politely. "I would recognize the janitor anywhere."
It took several long seconds and a few audible snickers from those close enough to have heard the comment for Corky to get past the initial shock of being so blatantly insulted.
Malory beat back a pleased smile as the woman visibly ground her teeth.
"Actually, this is Corky Rivers, our MD," Larry said carefully, afraid that his own amusement might show itself.
The Commander shrugged indifferently. "My apologies," she said extending her hand in the brunette's direction, waiting until Corky's grasp was within her own before adding, "it was an honest mistake."
Corky paled in the effort to keep her composure. "Charmed," she finally ground out sarcastically, quickly withdrawing her hand.
"Of course you are," the Commander said condescendingly before moving on to the next in line, purposely dismissing her as insignificant.
What a fucking bitch! Corky fumed silently as the woman moved away.
"And this is..." Larry continued but Malory's thoughts were miles away. It looks like the next six months won't be so boring after all.
---------
The tour ended with Larry showing her to her quarters which consisted of two rooms, one of which served as her office. She noted that all of her gear was stacked neatly against a wall and she took a seat in one of the two chairs that sat in front of the desk, gesturing for Larry to take the other one.
"The facility is impressive to say the least," she said conversationally.
"Yes, it is," Larry agreed as he seated himself. "Any last minute questions?"
"A few, if you don't mind?" she asked politely. "I understand you're flying out tonight and the facility is to be sealed upon the pilot's return?"
"That's correct. I'm looking forward to spending some time with my family and lounging around in a warmer climate for a few months," he said with a smile.
Malory chuckled; she liked the man. "Well then, I won't keep you any longer than I have to."
"What would you like to know?" he asked amiably.
"The military personnel, what are their current duties here?"
"Well, from the Air Force there's Lieutenant Ring the helicopter pilot. Then there's Tech Sergeant Alvarez, Staff Sergeants Hanson and Terrel, and Airmen Daly and Cohen, all of whom are assigned to flight operations, supply, equipment maintenance, and mechanical," Larry reported. "From the Coast Guard there's SCPO Reynolds, the station engineer. PO's DeSoto and Butler, who manage computer operations and communications, PO's Percy and Coy are paramedics. From the Army there's only Sergeant Major McNeely, who oversees day to day operations and takes care of all ordinance and demolition."
"Any problems I should be aware of?" Malory asked.
"Not a one," Larry said confidently. "All of them have performed flawlessly and have been invaluable in service."
"Glad to hear it, " Malory said in satisfaction. "I'll meet with them individually over the next few days. Is there anyone among the NSF I should keep an eye on?"
Larry thought carefully, assessing the woman across from him. There was no mistaking the warning volley she had fired at Corky earlier; indeed, it was the rare person who could flummox the volatile little doctor as easily as she had. In fact, Corky had been suspiciously missing from her post when he had shown the Commander the medical facilities. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to soften the road a little bit.
"Dr. Rivers," he said simply.
"I kinda figured," she answered with a grin. "What's the story?"
"It's complex," he offered lamely.
"I kinda figured that too," she said with a chuckle. "Gimme a summary."
"Let's just say she's had the military run roughshod over her on a few occasions," he explained. "Some of it's very personal and she's still bitter."
"Good enough."
"Commander, I would be remiss if I didn't point out that if she were incapable of doing her job, I wouldn't have approved her position here," he said hastily. "In fact, she's one of the most talented doctors I've ever met. Despite any personality she might throw at you, underneath it all she's a very outgoing and friendly person."
"Don't worry, Mr. Daniels," she said mischievously. "She'll still have a job when you return."
Larry sighed in relief. "I was worried. She knows how to push the envelope."
She laughed. "Sounds like a challenge."
---------
Malory watched with a nagging feeling of foreboding as the men pulled the ski-equipped helicopter off the platform with elbow grease and the assistance of an ATV. It was the last thing to be done before the platform was raised for the winter. She didn't know why, but suddenly the idea of being trapped inside for almost eight months was unnerving. They had of course, the means to travel in the event of emergency, but that luxury was all too dependent on the violent Antarctic winter. A winter spent over a thousand miles from any established outpost on an area of the continent that had an average temperature of eighty-seven degrees below zero and was, more often than not, buffeted by wind speeds ranging from forty to a hundred and twenty miles per hour.
She tried to suppress a shudder as she surveyed the cavernous chamber that served as the entrance and Receiving. She estimated the size of the area to be an acre or larger and the white walls that had been carved from the ice, seemed to be a great deal more ominous now than they had when she arrived. Irritated with herself for her case of the creeps, she was glad to hear Hanson yell out to her.
"Commander, we're ready to seal her up."
It took her a second to give the order. "Do it."
She watched as Hanson spoke into his headset and gave a thumbs up in the direction of a long, narrow window that was situated several meters off the ground in one of the far walls. The distance made it impossible to identify the figure behind the glass of Operations, but she assumed it to be Chief Reynolds.
The platform started its ascent and she abruptly decided that she didn't want to be present when it completed its journey. Her first thought was to return to her quarters and begin the tedious task of unpacking, but she changed course impulsively. She had seen Daniels off earlier, watching with interest as everyone had materialized to bid farewell to the man. Of particular note was the diminutive figure who had rushed forward to embrace him, eventually letting him go and quickly retreating down a hallway, wiping at her eyes.
She entered Medical unnoticed, Dr. Rivers was speaking to the man she remembered as Percy and both had their backs to her. Content to remain unobserved, she waited patiently and inquisitively took in her surroundings, her attention eventually landing on a specimen jar filled with a vile looking green liquid. Morbidly curious, she stepped closer and examined the contents of the container, unable to identify the squishy looking organic mass floating within. Engrossed in her study, she was startled when her presence was finally noticed.
"Commander," Percy exclaimed, coming to attention and throwing her a salute.
"Percy," she said pleasantly. "Lose the salute or its gonna be a long winter."
"Yes, ma'am," he said, standing a little easier.
"Lose the ma'am too," she added, noting that the doctor hadn't bothered to turn around or acknowledge her in any way. "Commander or Lovecraft will do in a pinch."
"Very well, Commander," he replied with a little grin.
"Pass the word, will ya?" she requested. "I don't wanna have to go through this with everyone."
"Will do," he said. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Nope, was hoping to have a word with Dr. Rivers."
"Oh," he said, standing uncomfortably in place for a moment and then lighting up in sudden understanding. "Oh, of course. Excuse me, Doctor," he added hastily, skipping into a less than graceful exit.
Malory watched him leave with a look of amusement, a little miffed that the doctor still hadn't bothered to acknowledge her. Not wanting to be the first to give in, she hopped up on one of the examination tables, reclining with her hands behind her head and crossing her feet at the ankles.
The silence stretched into minutes and still the doctor carried on as if she were alone in the room. Grinning at the back presented to her, she raised eyes to the ceiling and began to count the little holes in the tiles above.
A full twenty-minutes passed, the silence finally broken when Clovis burst robustly through the door.
"Hey Corky, I..." he started loudly but trailed off when he noticed the lounging Commander.
"Uhm... excuse me," he stuttered.
Corky finally turned and opened her mouth to speak.
"Quite alright, Mr. Stokes," Malory interjected quickly. "Dr. Rivers informed me that she wanted to see me naked at the earliest opportunity."
"Uh..." Clovis stuttered but quickly thought the better of it and, with a confused look, simply turned on his heel and left the room.
Malory turned her attention back to the doctor and grinned unrepentantly at the rapidly coloring cheeks, almost laughing as she observed the woman struggle with her temper. When she finally spoke, it came out as a strangled rasp.
"What is it you want?"
"Nothing really," Malory said, smoothing a pretentious finger over an eyebrow. "Was just looking for a place to rest the feet, my dogs are killin' me," she added with a wiggle of her boots.
Brown eyes narrowed to slits. "I thought maybe you had come to apologize?"
"Apologize?" she said with mock confusion. "Whatever for?"
Hands clenched into fists. "Does being in charge entitle you to be a jerk?" Corky asked bluntly.
"Nope," Malory replied easily, nonplussed. "I just get off on it."
"Metaphorically or sexually?"
"Perhaps both."
"So our little conversation excites you in some manner?"
"Too early to tell."
"Odd," Corky said thoughtfully. "Scientifically speaking, I was of the understanding that a frigid bitch like yourself couldn't get wet in the shower."
"Oh, that's more like it," Malory exclaimed happily, raising herself to a seated position. "Now I'm definitely turned on, would you like to confirm? In the interest of science, of course."
Corky wrinkled her face in disgust and stormed silently out of the room.
Mission accomplished, Malory swung her legs around and dropped to the floor. Smiling brightly, she made tracks for her quarters to begin the menial task of unpacking her things.
The next two weeks passed quickly for Malory as she spent the time familiarizing herself with the staff, summoning a few each day and spending a few moments getting to know them and their assigned duties. She soon came to the conclusion that her position was pretty much a formality. The staff all knew their jobs and were dedicated enough that supervision really wasn't required. That suited her just fine, the less she was needed the more time she would have for herself, and now was a good as time as any to indulge. She reached for the phone to summon the only person she hadn't spoken to formally.
---------
"I'm telling you, Corky," Clovis said over his coffee cup. "She's not as bad as you make her out to be."
"Yeah, right."
"I spoke to her for almost half an hour, she's kinda nice," Clovis admitted. "Not what I expected at all."
"She's an asshole," Corky proclaimed, getting a laugh from her friend.
"You're just mad because she's got your number," Clovis chuckled.
Corky frowned. "I am not."
"You think she's cute?" he asked mischievously.
The frowned deepened. "I think she's an infuriating bitch."
"Okay, okay," he laughed. "Do you think she's a cute infuriating bitch?"
She regarded him coolly and drew in a sharp breath.
"This is Lovecraft," the intercom beckoned. "Dr. Rivers, would you report to my office, please?"
"Looks like the Commander saved me," Clovis said cheerfully.
"You're not off the hook, Stokes," she grumbled. "I wonder if she'd be pissed if I didn't show up?"
"Probably," he predicted. "She's called everyone in to talk to them. Hell Corky, everyone likes her but you."
"Hmmm," she grunted.
Clovis grinned. "Go see what she wants."
"Oh, alright," she sighed. "I hope I don't regret this," she mumbled as she rose to her feet and padded out the door.
Her thoughts were dark as she reluctantly made her way through the halls. She had gone to great lengths to avoid the maddening woman since their encounter in Medical. The bitch was an enigma to her, having never met anyone who took such an obvious delight in being irritating. The first words out of her mouth, and just about every word since, had been insulting. What was even more annoying was the fact that the woman had seemingly singled her out of the crowd and targeted her for torment. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why.
As she approached her destination, she paused to school her features into a bored and indifferent expression. With a deep, calming breath, she traveled the last few feet and knocked on the doorframe.
"Ahh," Malory said in delight. "Come in, Dr. Rivers. Have a seat."
Corky entered warily and gently placed herself in the same chair in which she had received Larry's final lecture. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes, I did," Malory confirmed cheerfully. "I've talked to everyone on the staff but you and I was hoping we could take this time to get past any differences you and I might have. After all, we'll both be working together for quite sometime."
Corky eyed the Commander suspiciously. "I wasn't aware that I had done anything that might have given you offense?"
A chuckle. "It usually takes more than one day for someone to muster the nerve to call me a bitch to my face."
"And I suppose you did nothing to warrant such an action?" Corky asked mildly.
"I, of course, admit nothing," she replied with a disarming smile. "But I called you here with the intention of calming the waters."
"How do you propose to accomplish that?" Corky asked trying not to smile at the charm the woman was displaying.
"I thought you might start by telling me what your problem is with the people in uniform?" she asked mildly.
Corky tensed.
"I had a chat with Mr. Daniels about you before he departed," Malory continued, studying the woman carefully. "Don't worry, he didn't say anything he shouldn't have."
A relieved breath. "You won't be offended if I say I don't know you near well enough to have that conversation with you?"
"Of course not," Malory said beaming her best smile. "I wouldn't presume to put you in such an uncomfortable position."
To Corky's dismay, she couldn't help but smile in response to the one being directed at her. "Then I don't understand."
"I have a solution," Malory said brightly. "I was pretty sure you'd refuse to tell me, so I thought you might tell my Executive Officer?"
Corky gaped. "Huh?"
"Just try to keep an open mind, alright?" she asked hopefully.
"I don't get it," Corky admitted, wondering what the woman was up to.
"Just try," she asked again sweetly, begging her with her eyes.
"Okay," Corky relented. "I'll try."
"Great," she exclaimed happily, suddenly bending over and digging in a desk drawer.
Corky watched in confusion, half of her curious to see what the woman was up to and the other half almost positive she was being set up for something. Her lips tightened into a thin line when a small tape recorder was placed on the desk in front of her. However, the stinging comment poised on the tip of her tongue died quickly and she lapsed into a furious trance when another item was placed on the desk. Her eyes focused in on the doll unbelievingly. Within arms reach sat a Chatty Kathy with a bad red dye job, clothed in a childish copy of a Naval uniform and complete with a little black sombrero.
"Now, I know what you're probably thinking," Malory said quickly. "But I've used this approach successfully many times in the past. I'll just hit record and go find something to do for about an hour. Little Lovecraft is a good listener, feel free to tell her anything you want."
Corky could only stare, all traces of color gone from her face.
Trying to keep a straight face until she was out of the room, Malory turned the recorder on and made a hasty exit.
It took almost five full minutes for a nonviolent thought to penetrate Corky's consciousness. The bitch suckered me right in! And to think for a second there I thought she was charming! Why me? What the fuck is her malfunction?
She was suddenly aware that her hands hurt and she dropped her gaze from the doll to find her knuckles white from the death grip she had on the arms of her chair. Fingers uncurled themselves gingerly and she grimaced slightly as circulation reasserted itself. When she had regained some feeling, her eyes again traveled back to the idiotic doll, noting the little cord dangling from her neck. Do I dare?
She debated carefully, but in the end she couldn't help herself. Knowing she was going to regret it, she reached out and pulled the string.
---------
Malory watched from her hiding place, amusement so apparent on her face a blind man could see it, as the doctor stormed out of her office and stomped off down the hallway. She made herself wait until the woman disappeared before she practically ran back to her office, laughing delightedly when she found Little Lovecraft in the garbage can and both lying across the room. As hoped, Corky had forgotten about the recorder. She picked it up excitedly to rewind it and plopped down in her chair to listen.
"Roses are red. Violets are blue. Don't you just hate it when I fuck with you," came the childishly sung tease.
"Fuckin' bitch," Corky said angrily.
A pregnant pause and then. "I know you are but what am I?"
The final taunt was followed immediately by the sound of Little Lovecraft landing violently in the trashcan and then the thud and crash as both were obviously kicked across the room.
Malory fell back in her chair, laughing uproariously.
The next few weeks passed slowly and life for the Commander had become exceedingly dull. She was rarely sought out for anything other than the most trivial of things and to make matters worse, Dr. Rivers had successfully managed to avoid any contact with her. Leaving the mess every time she entered, whether she was done with her meal or not, and taking the precaution of slipping on a pair of earmuffs so she couldn't listen to her the one time she had approached her in Medical. Among other things, Malory decided, the woman was a poor sport.
She was in the midst of another losing hand of computer Solitaire when DeSoto appeared in the doorway.
"Commander," he said in greeting.
"What's up?" she asked distractedly.
"External communications are down," he reported. "I'd like permission to go outside and clear the dome?"
Malory perked up. "Alone?"
"No, I was gonna take Butler with me."
"Cut him loose, I'll go," she said, happy to have a project.
"Very well, Commander," he said warily. "It's quite a hike and the weather is pretty ugly."
"Looking forward to it," she said cheerfully, hopping up from her chair. "Give me a few minutes, please."
"Alright, I'll be in Receiving when you're ready."
"Meet you there."
Ten minutes later, she arrived at the platform, feeling burdened under the weight of all her arctic clothing. She was curious and excited to see what the outside looked like in the winter.
"Ready, Commander?" DeSoto asked.
"Yep, lead the way."
"I kinda thought we'd drive, Commander," he said confusedly.
"Huh?"
"The silo is about a mile away," he explained.
"I thought you said it was a hike."
"It will be going up," he clarified.
She chuckled. "Okay, give me the scoop."
He pointed to a distant door in the ice. "We take a snowmobile down that corridor to the silo. Once there we climb to the surface where the dome is situated."
"Ahh, so who's driving?" she asked with a smile.
"You're the Commander," he said wryly.
"That I am. Show me to my chariot," she commanded the dark featured young man.
Several minutes later, his arms were clinging desperately around her waist as they rocketed down the narrow passageway at a blistering pace. His mind conjuring up images of what he would look like if they crashed, picturing his body a mass of compound fractures lying at the end of a long bloodstain that stood out sharply in the snow. He was immeasurably relieved when they got to the end of the corridor still intact.
Malory hopped off the snowmobile and turned on the flashlight that DeSoto had given her, curiously investigating her surroundings. A few yards away was a ladder that climbed upwards through a circular hole in the ice, the temperature was bitter, even under all of her gear.
"How far up?" she asked.
"About a quarter of a mile," DeSoto answered. "Don't let any exposed skin touch the metal of the ladder."
"So it would be a bad idea to lick one of the rungs?"
He chuckled. "Only if you have the desire to have your tongue amputated."
"Think I'll pass," she grinned. "Want me to carry any of the gear?"
"I got it."
"You're the boss, lead the way."
A few minutes into the climb, she was beginning to think she would've been better off bored in her office. It was frightfully cold and her hands were starting to hurt, the chill of the metal ladder effortlessly penetrating the insulation of her gloves. In addition, it was creepy in the dark and the atmosphere was claustrophobic within the confines of the tunnel. When they finally reached the top, she decided that DeSoto had been correct; it was indeed quite a hike.
They emerged into a small, but thankfully much warmer room filled with a variety of cabling and electronic equipment. She noticed that space heaters were installed within the walls and she turned to DeSoto.
"These heaters run on a timer?" she asked curiously.
"Yes," he replied, shedding his backpack. "They run just enough to keep the equipment from freezing over."
"All of this powered from our own generators?"
"Yes."
"Why so far away from the main compound?"
"Because we needed an outside landscape that could camouflage our equipment," he explained. "The area above the compound is flat ice, hard to hide the dome."
She looked to the ceiling. "Are you telling me we're standing under a glass roof?"
"A special kind of glass, yes. You wouldn't be able see this place from the outside unless you stepped on it."
"Wow, you guys really went all out here," she commented. "So, what do we need to do?"
"Unfortunately, we have to go outside and shovel the snow off the dome."
"That sounds like fun," she said dryly, she was still cold. "How much snow?"
"Depends," he shrugged. "It's not really snow, we don't get a lot of that here. Winds from the coast blow ice into the interior, so the landscape is always changing. Maybe four feet, might be a little less."
"Great," she said grumpily, now certain that she should have stayed in her office.
"Well, we get Mexican tonight for dinner," he offered happily. "Dr. Rivers makes a mean plate."
"Excuse me?" she asked curiously. "Dr. Rivers is making dinner?"
"Sure," the man shrugged. "Usually once a week, a couple of people give the kitchen staff a night off. Dr. Rivers always does Mexican."
"Really?" she asked thoughtfully.
"Yep."
"Hmmm, well let's get after it."
She tried to hide her frown when he handed her a shovel.
---------
Malory trudged back to her quarters and flopped face down onto her cot in all of her clothes, immediately covering herself with blankets. She had never been so cold in all of her life. It had taken most of the day to clear the snow from the dome, due largely in part to the fact that they had to work in shifts. Not being able to endure the weather for more than ten minutes at a time, it had been pitch black outside and the wind could only be described as evil. She knew for a fact that she would not be volunteering herself for another project, no matter how bored she might become.
She peeked out from under the covers to glance at the clock, a little grin twitching at the corners of her mouth. "Almost dinner time," she whispered nefariously.
---------
Corky stood behind the counter jovially filling the passing trays with food. This was one of her favorite activities; she loved to cook and enjoyed the friendly banter of her colleagues. Being the chef also provided the benefit of indulging her ego and she gleefully soaked up the compliments she received for her culinary efforts.
In fact, now that Larry was gone, she had grudgingly decided that things weren't as bad as she had predicted them to be. It had taken a lot of effort, but she was finally able to admit, despite her personal feelings for the insufferable Commander, that everyone seemed to genuinely like the woman. She didn't intrude, was easygoing, and pretty much let everyone do their own thing.
Her own feelings, however, contrasted starkly against public opinion. She hated, or more accurately, she loathed the bitch to the point of being unable to devise a death for the redheaded slag that would be suitably tortuous. Even more maddening was the fact that she couldn't figure out why the woman would go to such great lengths to torment her. She would probably like the woman her coworkers described, but she had yet to see that person and it didn't make her feel special to be singularly chosen for such abuse. The whole thing both pissed her off and perplexed her.
"Uh oh, Corky," Clovis said coming up from behind to deliver another platter of food from the kitchen. "Word of your table has reached the ears of the Commander," he whispered conspiratorially.
"Huh?" Corky asked looking over her shoulder at the man.
"Here she comes," Clovis gestured with a nod.
Corky looked over to see that the Commander had entered the mess hall and she tensed. Trapped! She couldn't very well storm out while serving the food she had prepared for everyone. Her eyes narrowed as it occurred to her that the bitch probably knew this as well and was using it to her advantage.
She tracked the woman covertly as she made her way towards the counter, scoffing internally at the way the she was dressed. What a slob. Her boots were untied, the laces dragging behind her on the floor. The blue fatigue pants half tucked into one boot as if she were too lazy to bother and she wore a gray Annapolis sweatshirt that was covered liberally with white paint stains. Even her hair gave the impression of slothfulness, being tied up but falling out all over the place. It secretly chapped Corky's ass that the woman was pretty enough to get away with looking so slovenly. It bothered her even more that her appearance probably did nothing but endear her to the male population. God I hate her!
She hastily summoned her most impassive expression as the woman grabbed a tray and sauntered forward.
"Good evening, Dr. Rivers," Malory said cheerfully. "Be generous with the grub, I worked up an appetite today."
Corky snatched Malory's tray silently and handed it to Clovis to fill.
"I heard you went outside with DeSoto today," Clovis asked conversationally. "How was it?"
"Cold," Malory replied with a shudder.
"I'll bet," he chuckled, handing her a tray filled to the brim.
Malory's eyes fell to the food in front of her, painfully aware of the brown eyes watching her intently. "What's this?" she asked.
"An assortment of Mexican dishes," Corky said stiffly before Clovis could answer.
Malory eyed her tray suspiciously. "It looks like Pancho Villa puked in my plate."
Immediately bristling, Corky's irritation rose sharply at the sound of Clovis's quickly stifled chuckle. She simmered silently as she watched the Commander poke the food experimentally with a fork, her face twisted in disgust. Finally, she raised a portion to her mouth, grimacing painfully.
"Oh, my God," Malory exclaimed, her mouth full. "It tastes like barbequed shit," she added with a gag, letting the food slowly dribble out of her mouth to land with a moist splat back in her plate. "Jesus, I wouldn't allow a pig to swill in this," she said in revulsion, backing away from the counter with a shudder and finally turning to stride from the room.
Clovis watched the entire spectacle, his jaw clenched tightly to keep from laughing. He had seen Corky start to pale and had noticed her mouth drop open slightly in horror as the Commander let the food fall nauseatingly out of her mouth. He turned wary eyes on her as Lovecraft left the room and noted that the little doctor was so pissed off it was a wonder that her hair wasn't standing on end.
"That miserable cunt," she finally rasped, reaching out to grab the tray of food the Commander had left behind and storming off after her.
It was his first thought to stop her before she did anything foolish, but Clovis suspected that the Commander knew what she was doing. Instead, with Corky safely out of the room, he finally let out the laughter that had been strangling him.
---------
Corky stomped through the halls, her anger growing with every step. As she rounded the last corner, she caught sight of her target heading for her quarters and fury threatened to burst from every pore. The bitch was skipping! Fuckin' skipping! I want her dead. I want her family dead. I want her house burned to the ground...
Malory entered her office and kicked off her boots playfully, a huge smile plastered on her face. Suddenly sensing a presence behind her, she turned to find Dr. Rivers standing in the doorway.
"You forgot your goddamn dinner," Corky growled and hurled the heaping tray of food with a deadly accurate overhand throw.
Malory didn't have time to do anything but bring her hands up to protect her face as the tray hit her elbows and coated her from the neck down in Mexican cuisine. She peeked out from behind her hands to see the doctor breathing so heavily in the doorway she was practically snarling. She couldn't help it, she laughed. She laughed so hard she doubled over.
The Commander's hilarity was just too much for Corky to handle. She rushed into the room, raising a hand with every intention of slapping the dumbfuck smile off the woman's face. Anger transformed the intended slap into a from behind the back haymaker by the time she was within range, and she let it fly with all of her strength. She was stunned when the blow was stopped short with a deceptively powerful grip around her wrist. Startled, she looked up to find pale blue eyes appraising her amusedly. Abruptly, two crimson eyebrows waggled at her suggestively.
"Gimme some sugar, baby," Malory rumbled sexily and darted forward to place a kiss on the flummoxed doctor's lips.
With a gasp, Corky backed up a step and tore her wrist from the woman's grip. "You horrid bitch," she said clearly and was so fast with her slap that it darted past the Commander's defenses and impacted her cheek painfully.
"Wow," Malory said after a stunned second. "I kinda liked that. If I kiss you again will you slap the other cheek?"
Corky gaped at her. "You're fucked in the head."
Malory shrugged. "Are you afraid of me?"
"No!" Corky said fervently.
"You're shakin' like a dog shittin' peach pits," Malory observed offhandedly.
"Maybe I'm just pissed off."
"Wanna take a shower with me?"
"I gotta get out of here," Corky exclaimed, spinning hastily and running from the room.
Malory watched her go with a smile, bringing a hand up to rub her stinging cheek. "Gotcha," she said with satisfaction.
Corky spent the next month in constant fear of another confrontation with the Commander, being left suspicious and confused after every encounter that was met with a polite nod or greeting. The woman baffled her to no end. Having apparently succeeded in her mission to incite a riot between them, the Commander was now very cordial, no longer going out of her way to ignite any emotion or response from her, granting her both distance and respect. Corky wasn't sure if the woman didn't have a doppelganger. Yet, she would die before letting her guard down again, having often considered the notion that the woman had some sort of grand scheme to slowly drive her insane.
In another galling development, Lovecraft was becoming ever more popular with the staff. Often spending time in the mess hall laughing lewdly with the men, obviously sharing coarse jokes and tomfoolery. It left Corky feeling somewhat ostracized, considering that they were the only two women in the compound. To add insult to injury, her best friend Clovis was unable to hide the fact that he adored the fucking woman. It made her want to vomit every time she saw him make goo-goo eyes at the bitch.
She slammed her coffee mug down on her desk, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully, thinking, not for the first time, that she should just call the Commander to the carpet and force her to admit the details of her insidious plan. So lost in her thoughts, she almost screamed in surprise when the alarm klaxon went off suddenly.
"Dr. Rivers, PO's Percy and Coy and all military personnel report to excavation immediately," McNeely barked over the PA system. "Move it, people!"
"Oh boy," Corky said out loud before leaping to get her gear.
Five minutes later she was sprinting down the corridor, pausing as she passed through a heavy fire door to wiggle into a safety harness and strap spikes to her boots. The metal tiles of the hall abruptly gave way to ice only a few feet past the door and she clamped onto the guide rope that led down the icy tunnel to the excavation site.
The corridor made for slow going, being completely carved from the ice and leading down at a forty-five degree angle for close to a quarter of a mile. One slip and it would be a long slide on her ass to the bottom before she was called up short by the safety rope. She moved along as quickly and as cautiously as she could, becoming aware of others making their way down the tunnel behind her.
Almost ten minutes later, she reached the end and emerged into the circular chamber of the main dig site. The room was a little over a hundred yards both long and wide. A shelf about fifteen yards wide ran the circumference of a gigantic hole in the ice that spiraled downward for another quarter of a mile. One reached the bottom by way of a rather narrow pathway cut from the ice that wound down the interior to the floor of the pit.
Upon entering she was assaulted by an unimaginably foul odor, so strong it made her eyes water. "Where's the fire?" she yelled to get everyone's attention, relieved when Clovis emerged from the crowd.
"Stand by, Doctor," Hanson said as he rushed by.
"What's going on, Clovis?" she asked.
"We hit a pocket in the ice," he explained worriedly. "The bottom fell out."
"Oh God," Corky said in horror. "Anyone down there?"
"Just Mark, he was the only one in a bad spot when it happened," Clovis explained. "He's trapped, we couldn't reach him."
"Is he okay?"
"Seems okay but if he slips, he won't make it," Clovis said grimly. "The pocket looks to be about forty or fifty yards deep."
Corky broke away from her friend and pushed through the spectators to see for herself. She looked over the side to see that the cave-in had taken a good portion of the walkway with it, making it impossible to get to the bottom. Where unfortunately, Mark clung desperately to the ice, precariously close to the edge of a nasty drop.
"I'm going over, start feeding me slack," the Commander's voice barked over the radio in Reynolds hands. "Get everybody on the ropes, he's gonna be heavy from this distance."
"We're on it," Reynolds replied. "Slack to come slowly," he added and turned to start barking orders at the men working on a series of ropes that Corky belatedly noticed.
She gasped quietly when she realized what was happening and turned a closer look over the edge, following the path of the ropes to the figure in a black sombrero dangling from the end. Anxiously, she watched the Commander level a rifle across the void directly at Mark, instead of a bullet, it fired a bolt and cable that shot across the distance between them and buried itself in the ice about three feet away from Mark's head.
Corky chewed on her lip nervously as she suddenly let go of the side and started pulling her way across, an exercise that took almost ten minutes before she reached the other side and got a harness and rope onto the man.
"I'm not convinced the bolts will hold both of us, I'm sending him across first," Malory's voice came over the radio. "Is Dr. Rivers there? Mark fell several meters and took a beating. Be gentle with him."
"She's here," Reynolds replied. "And will do."
The crowd watched as Mark spent almost twenty minutes pulling himself across the cable to the other side. Once he got there, Reynolds turned to bark at the men on the ropes. "Pull him up but go easy, he's injured."
Corky looked over the edge trying to assess the man's injuries from a distance; she turned to get Percy's attention. "Did we bring a stretcher?"
"Yes, ma'am," he replied and she nodded in approval.
"I'm headed across," Malory said over the radio.
"Understood," Reynolds replied. "Watch the Commander's ropes, she's moving," he ordered.
By the time Mark was pulled over the edge, the Commander was three-quarters of the way across the cable. Percy and Coy rushed forward to assist the man and Corky's eyes again fell to the figure still below, watching with horror as the bolt on the far side broke free from the ice. "She's falling!" she yelled.
"Brace!" Reynolds yelled at the top of his lungs.
Corky covered her mouth with a hand as the Commander tried to get her feet in front of her to soften the impact. She was only partially successful and was slammed against the wall with stunning force; the men on the ropes grunting with the effort of her falling weight.
"Get her up here now, move it!" Reynolds yelled, dropping his radio onto the ice and running over to grab a spot on the rope.
Every available man rushed over to lend their strength to the effort and Corky nervously watched the figure below for any signs of life, surprising herself with the relief she felt when the Commander lifted an arm and spoke into the radio.
"I'm okay, go easy," she said.
Shoulders slumped in relief and Reynolds clapped Clovis on the shoulder before getting up and retrieving his radio. "Good to hear," he said.
"Dr. Rivers," Percy said. "Isaaks has a broken arm, other than that, just a few scrapes and bruises."
"Let's get him to Medical, I'll be along shortly," she said distantly.
"Right away."
Corky loitered for a few minutes, feeling it her duty to hang back and see if the Commander needed any attention, or at least, that was what she kept telling herself. Presently, the men rushed forward to help her over the edge and she stood shakily, leveling a grin at everyone present and sparing a quick smile in Corky's direction.
"Fuckin'A, that hurt," she exclaimed boisterously, receiving a round of relieved laughs and chuckles.
"Chief Reynolds," she barked after they had subsided.
"Commander," he said coming to attention.
Malory studied him carefully, again struck by the Chief's uncanny resemblance to a younger Sean Connery; a man she harbored a secret attraction to. "Tomorrow you'll explain to me why the people working down here didn't have radios, forcing someone to run all the way to the compound to raise the alarm."
"Yes, Commander," he replied easily.
She walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. "Well done," she complimented and looked around. "All of you, very well done. Is Mr. Isaaks okay?"
"A broken arm, he'll be fine," Corky said. "I'd like you to report to Medical at your earliest convenience."
"Alright," she agreed and Corky turned to begin the climb back to the compound.
"I want to speak to everyone tomorrow at 0900 in the mess hall, excavation is put on hold until I make some decisions and this area is off limits until that time."
A few faces appeared to protest but she cut it off quickly. "No exceptions," she warned. "Mr. McNeely, a word, please."
---------
Malory walked into Medical close to an hour later feeling bone tired. Dr. Rivers was still working on Isaaks so she slumped into a chair by the door and waited. She could hear Corky talking to the injured man in low tones behind the divider and her eyelids started to grow heavy. She thought about just going back to her quarters but her shoulder was screaming at her to stay put. Reluctantly, she acquiesced to the demands of her body and leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes.
When Corky emerged, she was surprised to find the Commander asleep, her stupid fucking sombrero sitting in her lap. After much consideration, she decided to let her be and quietly summoned Coy to help Mark back to his quarters.
It was the arrival of the young Petty Officer that woke Malory and she suffered a few seconds of disorientation, regaining her bearings as Mr. Isaaks was being ushered past. He stopped in front of her and held out a hand, she stood to take it.
"Thank you, Commander," he said sincerely. "That was a brave thing you did."
"You're welcome," she said with a tired smile.
"Commander, would you join me back here, please?" Corky asked.
"I'll let you get to it," Mark said with a smile, releasing her hand. "Thanks again."
"Anytime," she said pleasantly, watching Coy lead him out of the room before turning to face the doctor.
Corky stared at her for a long moment. "Are you injured?" she finally asked.
"Yes," Malory said honestly.
Corky chewed on her lip. "Come have a seat," she said and gestured to the exam table behind her.
"Would you summon, Mr. Stokes first?" she asked tiredly. "I was going to do it but I fell asleep."
"I think if you're hurt we've put it off long enough," Corky said hesitantly.
"Please."
Another long stare, this one of a curious nature. "Alright," she said and moved over to the phone to summon Clovis.
They waited in an uncomfortable silence, fidgeting uneasily until Clovis stuck his head in.
"What's up, Corky?" he asked curiously, his eyes lighting up when he noticed the Commander. An action that didn't go unnoticed by the doctor and she felt a twinge of jealousy.
"Actually, I wanted to speak with you," Malory said. "At the meeting tomorrow I want you to explain to me, as if talking to a child, exactly what it is you expect to find under the ice."
He looked at her confusedly. "You weren't briefed?"
"I'm not one for deciphering scientific texts, Mr. Stokes," she said quietly. "That's why I want you to explain it to me tomorrow, in Fisher Price terms."
A scathingly insulting comment was perched on Corky's tongue but with an effort she swallowed it before it could be voiced. She could plainly see how tired the woman was and it occurred to her that she was vastly overmatched in the bitch department if hostilities were to flame anew.
"Alright," Clovis said slowly.
"Thank you," Malory said. "That's all, Mr. Stokes."
He knew a dismissal when he heard one. "Goodnight, ladies," he said with a departing smile.
Corky waited until the door closed behind him to speak. "You ready now?"
"Alright," Malory agreed, walking over to the table to take a seat.
Corky moved to follow her but was called up short.
"Lock the door, please," Malory requested.
"Why?"
"Just do it, please," Malory said softly.
Corky pursed her mouth thoughtfully and did as she was asked. "Alright, what's the story?"
"My left shoulder."
Corky moved forward. "Let's lose the jacket and shirt so we can have a look."
"You'll have to help me," Malory admitted. "I can't raise my arm more than a few inches."
"Jesus," Corky whispered. "Why didn't you tell me something earlier?"
"Because I was needed and there was another in worse shape."
Corky shook her head and gently helped her out of her parka. "I'll have to cut off the sweatshirt if you think it would be too hard to lift over your head."
"Cut it off," Malory answered quickly.
Soon the sweatshirt was reduced to a rag and Corky examined her quickly, noting the surgical scars discreetly placed along her collarbone and shoulder. "What happened here?" she asked curiously.
"Old injury," Malory said quietly.
"I see, well you have a hell of a bruise on your shoulder, I'd like to x-ray."
"Okay."
Twenty minutes later, Malory was lying down on the examination table, staring up at nothing and waiting for Corky to deliver the bad news. She could hear her grunting over the x-rays and had come back to the table once to poke and prod her aching shoulder, with what she suspected, was a little more force than absolutely necessary.
"Well, Commander," she suddenly exclaimed, walking back to the table and hovering above her. "It would seem to me..."
"You can call me Malory," she interrupted softly.
Corky blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You can call me Malory."
"Why would I want to do that?" Corky asked curiously.
"Because its my name?"
Corky looked at her thoughtfully. "I think I'll stick with Commander."
Malory sighed. "Sorry to hear that."
"Uh huh," Corky said suspiciously. "You ready to hear your diagnosis?"
"Shoot."
Corky straightened into her most professional stance. "It seems you're suffering from... an owie," she said solemnly.
Blue eyes rolled. "Can I get a second opinion?"
Corky chuckled. "In a few months, sure."
"And what treatment would you suggest for this heinous injury?"
"Amputation, of course."
"Why am I not surprised?"
Corky smiled. "Nothing's broken but you did sprain your shoulder. You've had a lot of prior work done in there, must have been pretty bad."
"Yeah."
"Hmmm," she grunted. "I'll give you some meds for the pain but it'll get better quicker than you think, just don't overuse it or abuse it."
Malory nodded.
"Can I ask you a question?" Corky asked reluctantly.
"Okay."
"What's the 'Q' stand for?" she asked mildly
A confused look.
"As in Malory Q. Lovecraft."
"Oh. It stands for Quinn."
"Quinn?" Corky asked curiously.
Malory smiled slyly. "Yeah, I was named after a song. Wanna hear it?"
"I'll pass," Corky said quickly. "But are you up for another question?"
"I guess."
"You sure about that?" she asked. "If you answer honestly, there'll be another question. Maybe a few."
"Go ahead, I'm lying here in my bra, you have me at your mercy," Malory said indifferently.
"Why did you single me out for abuse?" Corky asked bluntly.
Malory sighed. "Because I figured the sooner I got past your attitude and forced a confrontation, the sooner we could be friends."
Corky had been wary of the answer and was actually surprised by the seemingly honest response. "I see," she said quietly.
Malory turned eyes in Corky's direction. "Is there another question?"
"Why did you kiss me?"
"Because I'm attracted to you."
"What made you think I would want to be kissed by another woman?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to do it."
"So you didn't know I was gay?"
"Had no idea."
"That took guts."
"Perhaps."
"Why did you have me lock the door?"
"Because I'm the Commander," she said simply. "Now, as much as I enjoy the interrogation, I would really like to go to sleep. Could you help me get my parka on so I can return to my quarters, please?"
Corky stared at her for a long moment, finally nodding her consent and helping her with her jacket.
---------
Malory shuffled out of her quarters the next morning and made her way down the hall, entering the mess hall and going immediately for the coffee, refusing to acknowledge anyone until she satisfied her craving.
Once the coffee had provided her with the required early morning stamina, she turned to face the crowd and seated herself at the front of the room. "Chief Reynolds," she said. "You have an explanation for me?"
Dr. Lenard spoke up in a rush. "Commander," he said hesitantly. "It seems that several of us are to blame for the lack of radios, we...uhm... often forget to take them."
"I see," she said quietly. "Mr. McNeely, your opinion, please?"
"It'll take a week or more to recreate a safe working environment," he reported. "And I'll need some help."
"Very well, you're in charge," she said. "Use whoever you need, I want to see a duty list by the end of the day."
"Done," he answered with a nod.
She considered quietly for a moment. "When the Sergeant Major informs me he is satisfied with the conditions in excavation, we can resume our dig," she said finally. "No one is to be found in that area without his permission until that time." She looked around for objections and was pleased when she saw none. "Also, in the future, anyone caught working down there without a radio or a safety rope will be relieved and confined to quarters for a time to be determined by myself. Any questions?"
None were forthcoming so she turned to Clovis. "Mr. Stokes, do you have a lesson plan prepared for me?"
"You bet," he said cheerfully.
She stood and gestured for him to take the floor, taking his chair when he got up and shooting a wink at Dr. Rivers, who had been seated next to him. To her dismay, the doctor pretended not to notice.
"Okay," he said gruffly, clearing his throat. "What we expect to find, what we hope to find, is a spacecraft, or more accurately pieces of a spacecraft, that we assume crashed into the ice at some point in very distant history."
Malory was dumfounded. "What?" she blurted in surprise.
Clovis looked at her confusedly.
"I'm sorry, please continue," she said embarrassed, choosing to ignore the few quiet snickers.
"From sonar readings and estimated projection, it seems the craft crashed into the ice with enough force to break apart at impact."
"How long ago was this?" she asked curiously.
"Impossible to tell," Clovis replied. "It would depend on a lot of variables, it may have crashed with enough force to basically bury itself. We think that's part of the equation but undoubtedly, it's been here for thousands of years."
Malory leaned against the back of her chair thoughtfully. "Why do you assume it to be a spacecraft?"
"Because we've uncovered several small pieces of material that apparently broke off of the main craft already. It's of a composition we can't identify, the atomic structure is extraterrestrial."
"And the main craft, is it still intact?"
"It seems there are three large sections still relatively intact," Clovis said. "It is from those pieces that we hope to gain the most knowledge."
She grunted thoughtfully. "Alright off the subject, why did it smell so bad in there yesterday?"
"I would assume stale air."
"You don't sound convinced."
"We haven't had the chance to investigate."
She pursed her lips and stood. "Thanks for the education, Mr. Stokes. It looks like we have some work to do. Let's get after it."
It was four days later when Corky decided to bite the bullet. She wasn't sure if it was the right decision but she felt she owed it to herself to try. The Commander clearly had a multifaceted personality and there was no denying she found the woman intriguing, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise. She suspected that under all of the bravado the woman displayed, there lurked a person she would like to know. The only question remaining was whether or not she could stand to be in her company long enough to find out.
With this mission in mind, she waited until the end of the workday and marched determinedly to the Commander's quarters. Upon arrival, she found a closed door and took a minute to cement the binds on her temper before knocking. When she received no response, she knocked again and poked her head in to find an empty office. She walked a few paces into the room and was surprised to hear singing, or what passed for it, coming from the woman's quarters. Corky winced; it was painfully obvious that vocal talent wasn't on the Commander's list of abilities. She went to knock on the door but paused when she caught sight of Little Lovecraft sitting in the chair behind the Commander's desk. Her eyes narrowed and she had to take a moment to forcibly remind herself why she was doing this.
Finally, she turned and pounded on the door a little more loudly than she had intended. She quickly grew annoyed when it wasn't answered and she was assaulted by another verse being sung in the other room.
"Hush, my darling, don't cry, my darling, the lion sleeps tonight!"
"Jesus, it sounds like she's boiling a fuckin' cat," Corky whispered in disgust and knocked on the door again.
"A wimoweh, a wimoweh, a wimoweh..."
"God help us all," she exclaimed, coming to the abrupt decision to just open the door. "Commander?"
Corky had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. The woman had headphones on and was singing into her toothbrush as she stood in front of her little sink and mirror. Dressed in her fatigue pants and bra, she swayed her ass back and forth in time with the music.
Finally, she turned to see that she had unexpected company and Corky couldn't contain her laughter when she yelped and jumped in surprise, almost falling down. When she got over her shock, she ripped the Walkman off angrily, her eyes flashing indignantly with embarrassment.
"Don't you know how to knock?" she asked irritably and was none too pleased when the doctor indulged in a fresh gale of laughter. "What's so damn funny?" she demanded.
Corky could barely summon the breath needed to answer. "Your face," she choked.
"What about my face?" she asked angrily.
Corky raised a finger to point to the mirror.
Malory frowned and turned to take in her reflection, immediately flushing with a new wave of crimson. "Goddamn it," she hissed and reached for a towel to wipe away the toothpaste that covered her chin and was running down her neck.
"Do you..." Corky struggled, "...do you often foam at the mouth?"
Malory stomped her foot, ignoring the comment and afraid that the doctor's laughter might be contagious. "You might as well come in," she said sarcastically, picking up a T-shirt from the floor to put on.
Corky took a deep breath and wiped at her eyes before walking completely into the room. She looked around for a place to sit down but there wasn't a square inch of space that wasn't covered with something.
Malory saw the dilemma and walked over to throw the clothes covering the room's single chair onto the floor. "Have a seat," she said indifferently.
Corky admired the disheveled room with amusement. "How do you walk around in here?" she asked curiously.
"When it gets tired of me stepping on it, it just gets out of the way," she said dryly. "Was there something you wanted to see me about?"
Corky smiled, the Commander was doing an admirable job of ignoring the blush that still clung to her face. It made her task a little easier. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner and maybe watch a movie?"
Malory blinked. "Huh?"
"Please, don't make me ask again. It was hard enough just to decide to."
A long, befuddled stare. "Sure, I'd like that," she said finally.
---------
Corky picked a spot in the mess that was somewhat secluded and sat down across from the Commander, who had been uncharacteristically quiet. Whether she was still embarrassed over having been caught goofing around or just perplexed at the developing situation was yet to be determined. She watched the woman play with the food on her plate and it suddenly occurred to her that the enigmatic Commander was probably used to being in charge and wasn't sure how to act when the shoe was on the other foot. She decided to press the perceived advantage.
"So, where are you from?" she asked mildly.
"Uh... Boston."
"Interesting, you don't have an accent."
"No, I moved around too much to develop one."
"How old are you?"
"Thirty."
"What's your favorite food?"
"Pussy."
Corky's cheeks ballooned in an effort to stifle a bray of involuntary laughter; she covered her mouth with her hand and looked away in sudden embarrassment. When she had composed herself, she turned back to the table and looked at the Commander unbelievingly.
"Have you no shame?" she both asked and accused.
"Why did you ask me out?"
Corky shook her head sadly and looked at her thoughtfully. "Because, despite the fact that you can be an atrocious bitch, I sense a likable person underneath."
Malory raised an eyebrow. "Does this mean you think I'm a hottie?"
Corky sighed. This was going to be more difficult than expected. "Can you at least try not to be an ass?"
A small smile. "I'll do my best."
"Your best can be very good when you put your mind to it," she stated sagely.
"What in the world does that mean?"
"It means I've watched you," Corky said pleasantly. "I've watched you win over everybody here. You're intelligent, capable, undemanding, and brave. I watched you risk your life to save Mark and unfortunately, I watched you be the most unendurable person I've ever met. Why can't you be the person that everybody likes and admires to me?"
A genuine smile. "Maybe it's a case of teasing the girl you like."
Corky chuckled. "We're not in grade school here. Your idea of teasing and mine are quite different. I've never hit anyone in anger until I met you."
"I had it coming," she said lamely.
Corky just stared. "You enjoyed it and you enjoyed pissing me off, didn't you?"
"I can't say that I enjoyed being struck, but yeah," she answered honestly. "It was a hoot watching you get madder than a one-legged cat trying to bury shit on a frozen pond."
Corky's eyes narrowed and the grip she had on her fork tightened. "Do you ever think before you speak or are you this tactless and tasteless with everybody?"
Chastised, Malory reviewed her part of the conversation. "I guess I could've phrased that differently," she admitted, shoving a heaping forkful of food in her mouth.
"Are you a virgin?"
"What?" she exclaimed around her food.
"You heard me," Corky stated quietly.
Malory hurriedly swallowed. "Why would you ask that?"
"Because you come on stronger than cheap aftershave but don't have the faintest idea how to be flattering," she explained mildly, watching the woman wolf down another huge mouthful of food. "Plus, you have despicable table manners, a crass vocabulary, and you're a slob. I would imagine those qualities don't appeal to many women."
Malory took the diatribe in stride. "You're the one who asked me to dinner, so I must appeal to you in some way."
Corky decided to use the Commander's tactics against her. "Sure, you've got an awesome set of tits," she said agreeably.
"I knew you thought so," she replied triumphantly.
Foiled, Corky scowled. "So you didn't answer my question."
"What question was that?"
"Are you a virgin?"
"Would it make you happy if I said yes?" she asked curiously.
"I don't know, it might answer some questions I have about you," Corky replied honestly.
"Are you?"
"Am I what? A virgin?"
"Yeah."
"No, I'm not."
"Are you a slut then?"
Corky ground her teeth. "No, are you?"
"No, but I'm willing to learn."
The smile came without permission. "You kill me," she stated with a quick chuckle.
"Thanks...uhm... I guess."
"So tell me about yourself," Corky demanded.
"What do you want to know?"
"Anything you want to tell me."
Malory propped her chin on her hand thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, I like needlessly violent movies and I vote Republican."
Corky laughed at her brevity. "Is that all you want to share?"
"I guess," she replied sheepishly. "I'm not very good at this. If you want to know something it would be easier if you asked me."
Corky shook her head. "You vote Republican?"
"Of course," Malory said imperiously.
"Why would a gay officer in the military vote Republican?" she asked curiously.
"Who said I was gay?"
Corky gaped. "Aren't you?"
"Well, duh," she said childishly.
An exasperated sigh. "You're being an ass again."
"Thanks for pointing that out," she said dryly. "I vote Republican because I believe in the bigger picture."
"Care to explain?"
"I won't endorse a party just because of selfishness. I try to balance between what's good for me and what's good for the country as a whole."
"For instance?"
"Take gun control for example. It's the very height of stupidity to believe that taking that right away from me will take guns away from criminals. The men and women that have fought and died for our country's ideals did not give their lives so I could be shot down defenseless in my home because some political hack convinced a majority of Congress that I should no longer have the right to bear arms."
"And this serves the bigger picture how?"
"How do I vote for a party that promises equal rights for homosexuals but wants to take rights away from the nation as a whole?" she asked mildly. "That's the very definition of selfishness. I get something for me at everyone else's expense, that doesn't serve the bigger picture."
"Nice speech," Corky said pleasantly.
Malory shrugged. "I can ride a soapbox when I have to. Your turn."
"My turn for what?"
"Tell me about you."
Corky smiled engagingly. "What would you like to know?"
Malory leaned forward excitedly. "Where are you from? Where did you go to school? Do you have a family? Will you kiss me goodnight? Do you have a pet? How old are you? Do you have a home somewhere? Where do you want to go when you leave here? What kinda music do you like? What's your favorite...?"
"Wait!" Corky exclaimed with a laugh. "Lemme catch up."
"Okay."
"Let's see," she said thoughtfully. "I'm from Corpus Christi, I went to Texas A&M, my parents live in Arizona now, no siblings, maybe, no pets, twenty-seven, I sublet my apartment, I haven't thought about it, and classical."
Malory filtered through the responses carefully and smiled slyly. "You will," she said assuredly.
"I will what?"
"So what do we have in the way of movies to watch?" she asked brightly.
---------
When they entered the small lounge it was empty with the exception of the fair featured Lieutenant Ring, who was sitting up asleep on the couch, his mouth hanging open. Malory walked over and nudged him from behind.
"Looks like your show is over," she said, gesturing to the blue-screened television when he groggily turned eyes in her direction.
"Uh... yeah," he said tiredly, lifting himself to his feet and sleepwalking out of the room silently.
Malory watched him go with an amused smile and turned to her companion. "So what's playing?"
Corky ambled over and opened a large cabinet containing a huge assortment of DVD's. "You choose," she offered diplomatically.
Her eyes widened when she saw the collection. "Oh, cool," she said happily, ambling over to peruse.
"You don't seem to know a lot about this place for being the one in charge," Corky observed.
"I'm pacing myself," she replied dryly, extending a case. "Let's watch this."
Corky looked at the cover and sighed. "Can we pick something else?"
"What's wrong with 'Reservoir Dogs'?"
Corky just rolled her eyes.
"Fine, you choose," Malory said indifferently, walking around and flopping down on the sofa.
"Okay," Corky said cheerfully, spending a few minutes going over her possible choices. "How about 'Hope Floats'?"
"What's it about?" Malory asked curiously.
For an answer, Corky walked over and handed her the case to read, waiting for acceptance.
"I think I'd rather set myself on fire," Malory proclaimed, tossing the case on the coffee table as if it offended her.
Corky closed her eyes and sighed.
After ten minutes of offers and rejections they finally agreed on 'Kingpin'. A movie that Malory enjoyed immensely, often laughing raucously at the crude humor that Corky endured with small sighs, eye rolling, and the occasional small chuckle.
As soon as it ended, Malory spun around in her seat unexpectedly, ending up on her back, her legs dangling over the end of the sofa and her head in Corky's lap. She stared up at her surprised companion hopefully. "You wanna make out now?"
"You're unbelievable," Corky said, amused despite herself.
"So is that a yes?"
"I think I'll pass," Corky said with a grin.
"Come on, you know you want to," Malory rumbled teasingly.
Corky brought a hand up to smooth red hair from the face in her lap. Surprised at herself, she tore her hand away as if it were on fire. Displacing the woman from her lap roughly, she stood and took several steps away from the sofa.
Almost thrown to the floor, Malory resituated herself confusedly and turned a questioning look on her companion. "Well, gee," she said quietly. "A simple no would've sufficed."
Corky threw her a regretful look. "I'm sorry," she said. "Maybe we better call it a night."
Malory frowned but nodded her acceptance reluctantly. "Come on," she said, standing up and gesturing to the door. "I'll walk you to your quarters."
Corky nodded and preceded her into the hall, glancing over her shoulder occasionally at the obviously moping woman. Coming to a decision, she turned when they reached Medical and held out a hand, which Malory tentatively took with a quizzical expression.
Corky pulled her forward and stood on her tiptoes, planting a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Goodnight, Malory," she said sweetly and quickly disengaged to retreat into her quarters, closing the door behind her.
The Commander watched the door close and let a goofy smile take control of her features. She turned on her heel and happily bounced down the hall toward her own quarters.
"A wimoweh, a wimoweh, a wimoweh," she sang cheerfully.
The next morning, Malory entered the mess and was disappointed not to find the doctor in attendance. She poured herself a cup of coffee and took a seat with the educated types, hobnobbing with them cheerfully for close to an hour. When they eventually broke up to go make themselves busy, she rapidly found herself bored. Torn between returning to her office to do nothing and paying the doctor a visit, she chose the latter.
She burst into Medical with a happy smile only to have it slowly change into a frown; the place was deserted. Disenchanted, she was turning to leave when she spotted an abandoned stethoscope residing upon a countertop. Excited at the discovery, she wasted no time in experimenting with it, immediately putting it on and listening to her heartbeat. When that activity became dull, she began placing it on every object she could find, hoping it would make a noise. She was in the process of clicking Corky's desk lamp on and off in the hopes that the light bulb would make a cool sound when a throat being cleared signaled that she had been caught playing.
She turned to find the doctor staring at her from the doorway, her face a mixture of curiosity, peevishness, and amusement.
"Uhm... I was just...uh..." she struggled, noting Corky's raised eyebrow and finally opted for the truth. "Okay, I was fuckin' around."
"No kidding?" Corky asked dryly.
Malory shrugged lamely, watching the doctor set her coffee down and walk over to grab the end of the stethoscope dangling on her chest.
"This is not a toy," Corky said sternly and for good measure flicked the sensor sharply and pulled the scope from her ears.
"Oww," Malory yelped.
"What are you doing in here anyway?" Corky asked, trying not to be amused at the chastised look she was receiving.
"I guess I wanted to see you," Malory said truthfully.
Corky looked at her inquisitively for a long moment, unsure what to say in response. "I..."
"Commander?" the radio on Malory's waist squawked loudly.
Irritated at the interruption, she snatched it from her belt. "What?" she barked.
"Uhm... Commander, are you alone?" McNeely asked strangely.
"No," Malory said confusedly. "Should I be?"
"I think that would be best, Commander," McNeely suggested.
"Very well," she said slowly. "Five minutes."
"Understood."
Malory put the radio back on her belt with a wrinkled brow.
"What was that about?" Corky asked curiously.
"No idea," she said quietly. "Uhm... I have to go," she said awkwardly, making tracks for the door.
"Malory?" Corky said before she could leave and she stopped in the doorway, turning a pleased look over her shoulder.
"Yeah?"
"Drop by my quarters tonight, if you want," Corky said shyly.
A slow, shit eating grin. "Should I wear something sexy?"
"Do you own anything sexy?" Corky asked rolling her eyes.
"Just my birthday suit."
"Come fully dressed."
---------
Malory walked the last few paces to the bottom of excavation, breathing heavily. The conversation with McNeely had been cryptic and uninformative, the man only saying that they had found something and her presence was required. She took the last step and let out a relieved breath; the going down was tiring and painfully slow. The men were standing about fifty yards away, apparently standing around and shooting the shit.
"Sergeant Major," she yelled out and McNeely broke from the crowd, starting an easy jog over to meet her and she admired him as he approached. Easily a decade and change older than her, the Sergeant moved with an easy grace that spoke of a lifetime of physical conditioning. Other than the dark brown hair above his ears that had started to gray, one would suspect the man to be a least ten years younger than he actually was. His green eyes sparkled with intelligence and hinted at a barely suppressed sly humor.
"What's the big deal?" she asked when he arrived.
"Just come take a look," he said with a haunted expression.
She started striding in the direction of the other men, McNeely falling into pace beside her. "What's with the cloak and dagger shit, Sergeant? What the hell did you find and why does it smell like a whorehouse at low tide down here?"
McNeely shook his head. "You'll need something to cover your nose, the smell is worse over by the guys."
Malory watched as he lifted a rag to cover his mouth and nose. Thinking it best to follow the man's advice, she dug in her pockets for a handkerchief and followed suit. "Sergeant, I want some answers," she said threateningly.
"I wish I could give them to you," he said sincerely.
She was about to call the man up short but paused as they came in range of the rest of the men, suddenly feeling uneasy as she took in the expressions on their faces. The crowd parted for her and she walked through them to see what they were all so bothered about, coming to an abrupt halt and tightening the grip on her handkerchief.
Her mind almost refused to process the sight in front of her and she felt her knees go weak. When she finally found her voice, it came out sounding as alien as the appendage protruding through the ice.
"What in the blue fuck is that?"
No one answered her and eventually she recovered enough poise to study the find in front of her. About six feet away was what she assumed to be part of an arm, the skin greenish-black and biomechanical in appearance. At the end of the appendage was what she guessed was the creature's hand, although it only had two fingers and a lethal looking claw that served as a thumb. The fingers themselves arachnid in structure, multi-jointed, and curled around the sides of the wrist like a ram's horns. The smell was overpoweringly foul.
Finally, she turned away from the scene and surveyed the faces surrounding her. "Anyone not here that knows about this?"
"No, Commander," McNeely said. "I wouldn't let anyone leave."
"Good call," she said. "Cover that thing with snow and mark it, then all of you join me by the ramp," she ordered and marched off, her mind already putting up walls to distort what she had seen.
When she reached the ramp she plopped down on the snow and took off her hat, the portable lights making her warm and so bright she wished she had brought her sunglasses. Some of the men had walked back with her and they followed her example as they waited for the ones who had stayed behind to arrive.
Eventually, McNeely and Alvarez walked up and she stood to address them. "Well, I guess we all knew they were digging up a spacecraft, we shouldn't be so surprised to find one of the passengers," she said quietly. "Personally, I never stopped to think about how alien an alien might be."
"No shit there," Alvarez commented getting a few reluctant chuckles.
"Mr. McNeely, how satisfied are you with the safety of present working conditions down here?"
"Went faster than I thought it would, skipper," he said. "I was gonna give the green light by the end of the day."
"Very well," she said thoughtfully. "I want everyone here to keep this under your hat until tomorrow and I'll address everyone in the morning. I'm sure more than one of the geeks will get a hard-on over this. However, I feel the need to take some precautions..."
"I concur with that, Commander," Reynolds interrupted looking at her questioningly; she nodded for him to continue. "We have no idea what we're dealing with here, no telling what that thing is gonna look like or be capable of when they dig it out."
Malory blinked. "Are you suggesting that it might still be alive?"
"What I'm saying is we don't know a damn thing about it. It looked pretty preserved to me, who knows what its constitution might be if thawed out. I would suggest an armed detail to oversee the excavation from this point and to stand guard over anything biological they might pull out of here."
"I am in full agreement with Chief Reynolds, Commander," McNeely said stoutly, prompting several of the men to speak up in conformity.
Malory played with her sombrero thoughtfully for a moment. "Very well, starting tomorrow I want all military personnel issued sidearms, to be carried until it is deemed unnecessary. Also, I want the men providing security over the dig issued rifles. You'll see to this Sergeant Major and I'll want a full accounting on a daily basis."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Additionally, I want to make damn sure that everyone has radios with them at all times. Let's also see to it that we have constant communication with McMurdo, even if this means going outside daily to clear the dome for the communication dishes. And start keeping a closer eye on the weather. Chief, this is your responsibility."
"Yes, Commander."
"Lieutenant Ring isn't down here but I also want the helicopter in a constant state of readiness in the event of an emergency, I'll inform him when we get topside. Is there anything else that needs to be brought to my attention at this time?"
She looked around expectantly.
"Alright then, if an issue comes up take me aside before I address everyone in the morning. Any questions?"
There were none.
She put on her sombrero. "Let's get the hell out of here."
---------
Malory scrubbed herself thoroughly in the shower, attempting to wash away the uneasiness that still lingered. Upon exit, thoughts of space monsters were pushed aside in anticipation of an evening spent with the doctor and she hurriedly made herself presentable. Being unable to contain her enthusiasm, she arrived at Corky's quarters only fifteen minutes after the duty shift.
When the door opened, Malory beamed what she hoped was her best winning smile. "Hi there!" she said brightly to the woman still dressed in her lab coat and wearing a bemused expression.
Corky tried not to laugh. "A little early aren't you?"
"Am I?" Malory asked in mock surprise. "Can I come in?"
Corky considered. "Alright," she said slowly.
Malory immediately brushed past the little doctor and walked into the room, spotting the cot instantly and flopping down excitedly. "You would think that with all the money they poured into this place they could provide more than a cot for everyone to sleep on," she speculated cheerfully, casting a come hither look in Corky's direction.
"Make yourself at home," Corky said sarcastically as she closed the door.
"I will, thank you," Malory said jovially.
Corky shook her head. "You know, I haven't even had time to take a shower."
"I don't mind waiting, go ahead," Malory said with a happy glance at the extremely exposed shower stall situated in the corner of the room and turned a sly expression back in the doctor's direction. "I like to watch," she added conspiratorially.
Corky didn't know whether to be upset or amused. "I don't think so," she said dryly.
"Why not?" Malory asked reasonably. "I'd let you watch me."
A small chuckle. "Why don't I meet you in the mess in about half an hour?"
"Huh?" Malory asked in disappointment. "I thought you asked me to come to your quarters."
"I did, but I'm not taking a shower with you in the room."
"Would it make you feel better if I joined you?"
"No," Corky laughed.
"Why are you playing so hard to get? I know you're warm for my form."
Corky's mouth dropped open. "God," she muttered incredulously.
Malory grinned shamelessly.
"I can't believe you," Corky said in wonder. "Do you honestly expect to win me over so easily with your ham-fisted charm?"
"Well..." Malory considered, raising a finger to her lips thoughtfully, "...yeah," she said as if it were obvious.
Lips tightened into a tense line. "Not too long ago, I would've pissed all over myself in joy if you were to have suddenly died and now you expect me to just jump in bed with you?" she asked angrily.
"What better way to bury the hatchet?" Malory asked, spreading her arms invitingly. "Come get some."
A sharp breath. "Get out," she hissed.
"Huh?"
Corky pointed to the door. "Get out."
"But..." Malory attempted.
"Get out, Commander."
"But..."
"Now."
Malory rose from the cot slowly, belatedly realizing that she had painted herself into a corner. Plans to rectify the situation raced through her mind but one look at the doctor's red face told her anything she might say or do at this point would not be welcomed. Dragging her feet, she slowly shuffled past the fuming doctor and stepped into the hall, the door loudly slamming shut behind her.
Shit.
Still sulking from the night before, Malory emerged from her quarters and sat down in her chair, displacing Little Lovecraft and setting her on the desk in front of her.
"Well, my friend," she addressed the toy. "Looks like I screwed the pooch. Any advice?"
She stared at the doll as if she expected it to answer. "I thought so," she said despairingly. "Any comments?" she asked and reached out to pull the string.
"Like I give a shit," Little Lovecraft said sarcastically and she chuckled.
"Thanks," she said with an amused smile. "You always cheer me up."
She heard footsteps approaching from the hall and hurriedly stuffed her companion into a desk drawer. McNeely stopped at the doorframe to knock but stopped when he saw her at her desk and she gestured him in. He placed a holstered .45 and two magazines on the desk in front of her.
She stood to attach the weapon to her belt. "Everybody equipped?"
"Yes, Commander," he said. "You were the last."
"Anything I need to know this morning?"
"Not that I'm aware of."
"I want everybody to take turns watching over excavation."
"I'll prepare a duty list. I have Alvarez and Cohen slated for the job if they go down today."
"I'm sure they will," she said knowingly. "I guess we're ready, let me call in the troops and I'll meet you in the mess shortly."
"Alright," he said in departure and she reached for the phone.
---------
Clovis burst into Medical excitedly. "Corky!"
She looked up from her desk, smiling at the boisterous greeting. "What's up, Clovis?"
He walked over and whispered conspiratorially. "Something's up. Lieutenant Ring and Chief Reynolds were in the mess this morning."
"So?" Corky asked confusedly. "They not allowed to eat?"
He spared her a condescending look. "They were armed."
"Huh?"
"They were wearing guns, Corky," Clovis said slowly.
"What for?" she asked confusedly. "Did someone attack us in the middle of the night?"
"I kinda doubt that," he laughed but stopped suddenly and eyed her carefully. "But since you and the Macho Nacho are so chummy, I thought I'd get you to ask her what's going on," he said with a knowing grin.
"Chummy," she said dryly. "How would you know?"
"Gimme a break, Corky," he patronized. "Gossip flies around in here at the speed of light."
"Gossip?" she chuckled. "And I thought women were bad."
He shrugged. "So will you ask her?"
"Why would she tell me?" she asked reasonably.
"God Corky, you graduated from medical school, you can't be this dense," he said shaking his head. "The woman's gorgeous, every guy in the place is at half-mast when she walks by but the only person she notices is you."
"Isn't that special," she said sarcastically, still miffed at the arrogant woman.
"Would all personnel assemble in the mess by 0800, please," the Commander's voice blared over the intercom. "Attendance is mandatory."
"Hmmm," Clovis grunted. "Looks like I won't need you to take advantage of the Commander's affections," he added teasingly.
"Clovis..." she started in annoyance.
---------
Malory strode into the mess when she was reasonably sure everyone would already be there, purposely avoiding glancing anywhere in the direction of the doctor. She took a seat at the front of the room and met all of the curious looks directed at her.
"There's been a development," she stated quietly. "Yesterday, Mr. McNeely and the crew working in excavation uncovered part of, what we guess, is a corpse."
A few seconds of silence immediately followed by excited whispers.
"Why weren't we informed immediately, Commander," Clovis asked in annoyance and his colleagues nodded their approval of the question.
"A couple of reasons," Malory said mildly. "First, Mr. McNeely had yet to inform me that he was satisfied with the conditions down there and second, the corpse isn't human."
"What do you mean not human?" Clovis asked, barely concealing his excitement.
"In my opinion, not of this Earth," she replied uneasily.
"When can we view the specimen, Commander?" Dr. Lenard asked.
"I'm prepared to allow personnel to return to excavation today," Malory said. "However, there will be stipulations."
"Such as?" Clovis asked.
"There will be two armed men overseeing the dig at all times," Malory said sternly. "This is just a precaution until we are certain there's no threat. This is nonnegotiable."
"What are we in danger of, Commander?" Dr. Ballenger asked.
"The... life form... was remarkably preserved," Malory said slowly. "And it was brought to my attention that we know nothing of its capabilities. Until I am convinced that it, or anything else biological we find down there is no threat, it's always better to have and not need than to need and not have."
"What are the other stipulations?" Clovis asked.
"As I said before, if anyone is found not in possession of a radio, they will be confined to quarters with nothing but a radio to keep them company. This is for everyone's safety and is also nonnegotiable. In addition, those same consequences will be imposed on anyone working in excavation without a safety rope," she said firmly. "This goes double for Mr. Isaaks," she added with a smile in the man's direction. "Any questions?"
She looked around but no one seemed inclined to speak up. Everyone but the soldiers wore eager expressions. "Alright, I'll let you get to it," she said finally and her audience practically leaped from their seats. "Some last minute advice," she said loudly over the rising clamor. "It smells like angry diarrhea down there, take precautions and don't give me a reason to get pissed off at anyone."
They fidgeted anxiously and she waved them away. "Dismissed," she ordered, unable to keep from smiling at the childlike enthusiasm they displayed and watching amusedly as they fled from the room.
She stayed in her seat, composing scenarios that she could use to approach Corky that didn't give the impression of desperation. It was when the last body filtered by that she saw the doctor had also remained seated and she felt a spark of hope. Perhaps, she wouldn't have to grovel after all. She tried not to let a cocky smile take control and returned the doctor's stare impassively.
The minutes passed and finally, Corky got up to go refill her coffee mug. Malory watched nervously as she refreshed her beverage and walked over to stand a few paces away, staring at her with the same neutral look on her face. She couldn't take the silence, it was only a matter of seconds until she broke and begged for forgiveness. She cut it off at the pass.
"What?" she asked confusedly. "Do I have a booger?" she added, bringing a hand up to rub at her nose.
Corky fought it, but the smile came anyway. "I don't know why I bother," she said finally with a chuckle.
"It's the magic that is me," Malory said sagely.
A sigh.
"Because I want you just as much as you want me," Malory relented truthfully. "I'm just honest enough not to beat around the bush about it."
"That's probably true," Corky conceded.
"So why fight it?"
A deep breath. "If you think you can behave as something other than a randy adolescent, we can talk about it tonight."
"Really?" Malory asked hopefully.
"Really," Corky said softly. "Show up at least an hour after duty shift."
"Okay," she said cheerfully. "There's no one here but us, can I talk you out of anything other than a 'Goodnight, Malory' cheek peck?"
Corky looked around the room carefully and closed the distance between them, leaning over the Commander seductively, bringing her mouth to within an inch of Malory's.
"No," she said sternly and clapped the Commander on the shoulder cordially.
"That wasn't fair," Malory whined as the doctor strode from the room with a cavalier wave.
---------
It was near the end of the day and Malory was sitting in her office playing 'Tomb Raider' when the radio squawked.
"Commander?" Alvarez said.
"Go ahead."
"They uncovered the...uh... thing," he reported. "They want to transport it to the lab."
"I see," she said slowly. "What's it look like?"
"You don't want to know."
She shuddered. "I'll take your word on that. What would it take to get it up here?"
"A lot of time. It's in some sort of fucked up chair. Stokes wants to send someone back for a stretcher."
"Tell them to leave it in the ice until tomorrow, my order," she decided.
"Will do," Alvarez said. "Do you want me to report to you when I get topside?"
"No, thank you," Malory said quickly. "I think I can make it through the night without a description. I'll see it soon enough."
"Understand that, out."
She returned the radio to her belt and checked the time on the computer, a smile in the works. She hopped from her seat to go get ready.
By the time she knocked on the door to Corky's quarters, she had devised a new plan. The meat and potatoes of which consisted of her thinking very carefully before she opened her mouth. It wouldn't be easy, but she was determined.
She waited what she deemed was a polite amount of time and knocked on the door again, the thought that the doctor still might be in the shower entering her mind. Debating carefully, she decided to knock one more time before she poked her head in, knowing a Peeping Tom incident would go over about as well as a concrete balloon. With still no answer forthcoming, she finally opened the door a crack.
"Dr. Rivers?" she called out hesitantly.
Receiving no reply, she entered the room and found it empty. Scowling slightly, she exited and walked one door over to Medical, only to find it deserted as well. The scowl deepened as she wandered from room to room, finally ending up in the mess with still no sign of the elusive doctor. Puzzled and disappointed, she returned to her office where a clue flew in and hit her in the head, she reached for her radio.
"Sergeant Alvarez," she called.
"Go ahead."
"What's your status?" she asked.
"Still in excavation, Commander," he said tiredly.
"Why?"
"They're still fawning over the damn thing."
She could almost see the compact Hispanic man rolling his eyes. "Is Dr. Rivers down there?"
"Yeah, she's here."
Malory sighed. "Very well, give them a little longer and then tell them to wrap it up for the day."
"Will do," he said, obviously happy to get the order.
"Lovecraft, out."
She leaned back in her chair and sighed again, deciding she would pass the time with a movie.
---------
It was after midnight when Corky got out of the shower. Malory had been right, the smell in excavation had been hideous and being in such close proximity to the creature had made her clothes stink as well. Earlier, Clovis had called her down to take a look at it and she found herself unable to resist. Caught up in her own curiosity and everyone's excitement, the time had gotten away from them. That is, until Alvarez had informed them, in no uncertain terms, that it was bedtime and they could play with their new toy tomorrow. It was then she realized how late it was and that she had unwittingly stood the Commander up.
Guiltily, she dressed and slipped out the door, hoping Malory would still be up so she could at least apologize. When she entered the Commander's office, it was dark and there was no light coming from under the door to her quarters. With a sigh, she turned to leave and took a few steps into the hall before turning impulsively, walking back into the office and quietly entering Malory's quarters, closing the door behind her. She stood silently, letting her eyes adapt to the dark and then utilizing the light from the clock to guide her to the Commander's cot. Praying that she was making the right decision, she stripped to her panties and T-shirt before climbing in next to the sleeping woman. She had to nudge her a few times to make room for herself and ignored the sleepy grumbles of protest as she slipped under the blankets.
So far so good, she snuggled up next to a delightfully naked back, putting a tentative arm around her waist and cautiously burying her face into clean smelling hair. She caught her breath in surprise when Malory suddenly grabbed her arm, but ended up smiling as her hand was cuddled between a pair of breasts. It took a few minutes for her to realize the Commander was still asleep but when she did, Corky quickly fell asleep beside her.
Malory noticed several things immediately upon waking up. First, was the floor, and she was staring at it because half of her body was hanging over the side of the cot. In addition, there was a warm weight resting on her back and most surprisingly, there was a possessive grip on her left breast.
Her eyes traveled down her chest to examine the hand that the grip belonged to and an eyebrow went up in satisfaction. It was a small, obviously feminine hand and since it wasn't her own, the odds were favorable that it belonged to none other than Corky Rivers.
She craned her head around to look at the clock, it was set to go off in less than a minute. Smiling, she plastered on her most smug expression and waited to see how the doctor would react to rising in such a compromising situation.
The alarm went off with a shrill and irritating electronic beep and Corky's eyes grudgingly opened, then almost instantly widened as she found her cheek resting on a naked back and a pleasant softness filling her hand that could only be one thing. She froze in horror, immediately wishing that she had thought her impulsive decision from the night before all the way through. She hadn't given a moment's thought to how awkward it would be to wake up uninvited in someone else's bed or to be caught fondling the body that the bed belonged to.
The alarm continued to blare and Malory could feel the tension running through the body resting on top of her, she decided to make the most of it.
She cleared her throat loudly. "Uhm... if it isn't too much of a bother, could you let go of my boob long enough to turn off the alarm?" she asked in amusement.
Corky flushed with embarrassment, silently removing her hand and turning to slap the alarm behind her irritably, instantly wishing she hadn't as she found the resulting silence even more uncomfortable.
Malory was anything but uncomfortable, enjoying the situation immensely. "There's some Kleenex on the nightstand, would you mind wiping the drool off my back?" she asked, almost laughing when she heard the horrified gasp her request had produced.
Corky's eyes dropped to Malory's back in mortification but after a quick examination, they turned to the ceiling in annoyance. "Funny," she said finally, bracing herself against the inevitable laughter.
She was surprised when it didn't come and Malory turned around, gathering her arms around her and pulling her close. "I haven't woken up so happy in years," she said quietly.
It was the last thing Corky had expected and she buried her face into the crook of the Commander's neck with a relieved sigh.
Malory ran her hands inquisitively through Corky's hair, enjoying how soft it felt as she waited for the doctor to emerge from her place of refuge. Eventually, she stirred and lifted shy brown eyes up to meet hers. "I knew you could be sweet if you wanted to," she said triumphantly.
Malory smiled. "I'm not the ogre you make me out to be," she said softly.
"I never called you an ogre," Corky defended.
Malory shrugged indifferently. "So can I have that kiss now?"
Corky chewed on her lip thoughtfully.
"Oh, come on," Malory sighed. "It's the least you could do after having felt me up."
Brown eyes looked away in embarrassment. "I was asleep," she offered lamely.
"If you kiss me, I'll let you feel me up anytime you want," Malory offered brightly.
Corky chuckled. "Okay," she relented, bashfully moving forward.
Her mouth had almost completed its journey when a hand blocked the way, completely obscuring the lips below hers.
"Wait!" Malory said urgently, her voice muffled by her hand and Corky backed away uncertainly, looking at her in puzzlement.
"Could you brush your teeth first?" she asked. "Your breath would make a dung beetle barf."
Corky went completely limp in exasperation, her face falling into the blankets as the Commander's chuckles washed over her. She waited stoically for her mirth to subside.
"You just can't make it easy, can you?" she muttered.
"Nope," Malory said happily.
"Corky, where you at?" Clovis's voice blared from the radio on the floor.
"Oh shit," Corky sprang upright in alarm.
"Corky, you there?" Clovis asked. "You better have your radio with you or the boss is gonna be pissed."
Malory chuckled and reached down to retrieve the radio from the floor. "You better answer him or I might have to discipline you."
Corky snatched it from her hand. "Go ahead, Clovis."
"Where the hell are you?" came the immediate response.
She bit her lip. "Where are you?"
"I'm in Medical."
Malory snickered and received a slap on the arm. "I'm in the mess," she offered, crossing her fingers.
"I just left there, I must have missed you. No biggie, on my way back now."
"Shit," Corky cursed, jumping over the Commander and gathering her pants from the floor in a panic.
Malory reclined on the cot, watching the show with interest as Corky frantically wiggled into her fatigues.
"Goddamn it," she exclaimed, tossing dirty clothes aside. "Where's my other boot? How do you find anything in this shithole?"
"You'll never get there before he does," Malory observed calmly.
"Shut up," Corky exclaimed, then squealing as she found her other boot and dropped to the floor to pull it on.
"What the hell, Corky?" Clovis said. "Where did you go?"
"Told you," Malory said pompously.
Corky froze, totally at a loss.
"Just tell him you're in my office and you'll get back to him shortly," Malory offered reasonably.
Her shoulders slumped in relief. "Sorry, Clovis," she answered. "The Commander wanted to see me, I'll call you back in a minute."
"Alright, got lots to do today," he said cheerfully. "See ya in a few."
She fell onto her back, lying in a pile of dirty clothes. "Jesus," she murmured.
"I'm glad you came by last night," Malory said quietly.
"I am too," Cory replied from her position on the floor.
"Will I see you again tonight?" Malory asked hopefully.
"Only if you clean this place up or come to my quarters."
"I'll come to your quarters."
Corky chuckled and rose to finish lacing her boot, glancing up to meet blue eyes watching her intently from a few feet away. "What are you staring at?" she asked mildly.
"You," Malory said honestly. "You're a beautiful woman," she added, smiling at the resulting blush.
"So are you," Corky replied, trying to ignore the heat on her face. "Most of the time," she added honestly, "when your mouth doesn't get in the way."
Malory chuckled.
"I better go," Corky said, rising to her feet.
"Okay."
The doctor debated for an instant, then hastily stepped forward and leaned in to place a quick peck on the Commander's mouth, withdrawing swiftly and rushing through the door without looking back.
Malory watched her go with a smile and snuggled under the covers contentedly.
---------
The Commander had been checking her watch every few minutes for the last hour, unable to concentrate on anything else but the approaching end of the current duty shift. She was down to counting the last few minutes when McNeely's voice from the radio demanded her attention.
"Commander?"
She sighed pitifully, knowing she would probably have to put her plans on hold. "Go ahead," she said resignedly.
"They were going to page you but I thought I'd give you a heads up. They want you in the lab."
She groaned, having harbored the secret hope that she wouldn't have to look at the thing. "And the heads up would be?" she asked curiously.
"Hope you haven't eaten recently," he said and she winced, knowing that if the burly Sergeant thought to say something, it would be a dreadful sight.
"On my way, Lovecraft out," she said rising to her feet.
She arrived at the lab a few minutes later and found McNeely waiting for her just inside the door. The laboratory was actually the largest room, or series of rooms, in the entire complex. Entering through the main door brought you to a glass enclosed lobby of sorts, where one had to pass through a vacuum sealed door to actually have access to the facilities inside.
She noted Sergeant Terrel and Airman Daly standing behind McNeely, hands tight on their rifles and their attention fixated upon the activity inside. Malory avoided looking for as long as she could, glad that several of the scientists were hovering around the creature, partially obstructing it from view.
"Commander, you'll want to put this on," McNeely said, extending a hand and giving her a nose plug, she looked at the man, noting that he was already wearing one.
"Thank you," she said, fashioning the clip to her nose. "Let's get this over with."
McNeely pushed through the door and she followed him through. Dr. Lenard turned at the sound of their entrance and beckoned her over with a wave. She approached and the scientists parted to give her a full view of the exam table, she wasn't wholly prepared to look at the creature in its entirety.
The thing appeared to be equal parts insect, humanoid, and technology, its skin where visible, was the same greenish-black that she remembered. It seemed to be sitting backwards in a chair, not all that surprising considering its trunk resembled the hindquarters of a cat, only attached in the reverse and covered sparsely with a thick, coarse hair or antennae. Its arms were projected outward as if trying to protect itself from something, the torso covered in a carapace, like that of a huge cockroach, and seemingly fused to the strange looking chair. Tentacles, peppered with imbedded implants of alien technology, protruded from an orifice in the neck and wrapped themselves around the shoulders and groin. The actual head of the alien was the most disturbing feature to behold, resembling a snail's shell with no other visible features except for a frighteningly wide mouth consisting of three different rows of triangular teeth, all of which looked razor sharp and protruded in all directions.
"God," she said softly. "Look at the choppers on that thing."
"No kidding," McNeely said from behind her. "I wouldn't want it going down on me."
His comment brought her out of her study with a chuckle and she looked up at the sound of a familiar laugh, surprised to see Corky on the far side of the examining table. She shot her a small smile and wondered why she hadn't noticed her upon entering.
"Okay, why am I here?" she asked curiously.
Dr. Lenard spoke up. "A couple of reasons, Commander. First, you should be aware that it's impossible for this creature to suddenly reanimate. Its quite dead."
"And you're convinced of this why?"
"That's the second reason," he said, gesturing for the others to help him turn the alien on its side. "You'll notice that the back of the head and a good portion of the rear torso seem to be missing," he said, pointing to several gaping holes and missing chunks in the body.
Malory leaned closer to observe and grimaced upon inspection. "Okay, and?"
"In our estimation," Corky said mildly. "The damage to the creature's body was inflicted by one of its own kind."
"Huh?" Malory blinked.
"We took a cast of the creature's mouth," Corky explained, producing a hideous plaster representation of the alien's teeth. "As you can see," she said, holding the cast up to the wounds on the creatures back. "These injuries were made by an entity with the same dental framework."
Malory watched the plaster teeth line up almost exactly with the ragged wounds in the creature's body. "So they're cannibals," she said quietly. "Or one of them was really pissed off at the other."
"Cannibals would be my guess," Dr. Lenard said quietly. "A good portion of this alien's internal body mass is missing."
She winced and tried not visualize. "Alright, if we find one of these things intact, what are the chances of it getting up and walking around if thawed?"
"None," Dr. Lenard said firmly. "Our atmosphere would be deadly to a living life form of this type."
"And you're a hundred percent sure of this?" she asked.
"Yes."
She pursed her lips thoughtfully, rocking back and forth on her heels for a moment. "Your opinion, Mr. McNeely?" she asked finally.
"I'd prefer to remain cautious," McNeely said quickly. "A lot of unknowns here, the craft might have had more than one kind of life form aboard."
She nodded in agreement. "Okay, everyone remains armed for the time being, but lets cut the guard in excavation down to one."
"Very well, Commander," McNeely said in agreement.
She looked at the gathered scientists. "Is there anything else?"
Dr. Lenard glanced at his colleagues questioningly. "I don't believe so, Commander."
"Very well then," she said. "Please keep me informed," she added and turned to stride from the room, McNeely on her heels.
As soon as they were outside, she reached to pull the clip from her nose, turning to the Sergeant with a sour look. "Is that you or me that smells so bad?"
"Unfortunately, its both of us."
"Jesus, that's rank," she said in disgust.
He nodded to concur. "They weren't pleased by maintaining a guard in excavation."
"No, they weren't," she said dismissively. "But this whole space monster thing gives me the jeebies. Plus, if someone wasn't down there to tell them to call it a day, they'd be at it all night."
"True enough," he agreed.
She gestured over her shoulder at Terrel and Daly. "Stow their rifles and give them the night off," she ordered. "Apparently, that thing isn't gonna get up and table dance."
He smiled and gave her a nod.
"I'm headed for a shower. Goodnight, Sergeant Major."
"Goodnight, Commander," he said amiably, watching her stroll from the room.
---------
Malory lay on the cot in her quarters feeling sorry for herself. It had been over two hours since she had left the lab and suspected she wouldn't hear from the doctor anytime soon. It was a hard pill to swallow playing second fiddle to some hideous, foul smelling monster that also happened to be dead. She was trying not to let it bruise her ego.
She spared a glance around the room and frowned; she had even cleaned her quarters for the woman. With a long, disappointed sigh, she rolled over to turn off the light, stopping halfway there when a knock came at the door.
"Yes?" she said loudly, a hopeful lilt to her voice.
"Can I come in?" Corky asked.
"Of course," she said happily.
Corky entered the room, closing the door behind her and projecting a sheepish look. "Sorry," she said sincerely. "Hey, you cleaned up in here," she added in surprise.
"Are you impressed?" Malory asked, pleased that her efforts had been noticed.
"Yes, actually," Corky said honestly but then smiled knowingly. "You ran out of clean clothes, didn't you?"
"Nope, I did all of this for you."
"Really?" she asked suspiciously.
Malory considered. "Okay, I ran out of clothes too," she admitted.
Corky chuckled. "Uh huh."
"Are you gonna stand by the door all night or come over here?"
Corky swayed indecisively. "Are you naked under there?" she asked, pointing at the blankets.
"Would it make a difference?" Malory asked, smiling seductively.
"Yeah," Corky admitted. "I was hoping we could talk."
"Wouldn't you rather just sit on my face?"
Corky's jaw dropped. "Jesus, could you be less romantic?"
Malory choked back the intended retort. "Sorry," she forced, resituating herself cross-legged on the end of the cot and gesturing to the available space. "Make yourself comfortable and tell me what you want to talk about."
The doctor sighed and sat down, pulling off her boots. "Larry said you were decorated, will you tell me about it?" she asked quietly.
Blue eyes narrowed. "What else did Larry say?"
"Only that you were considered unorthodox," Corky said honestly.
Malory brooded. "He shared more than he should have."
Corky turned to face her, pulling the opposite end of the blankets up over her legs. "Will you tell me?" she asked softly.
"Why?"
"Because I want to know more about you," she answered. "And I know that women in the military aren't typically exposed to situations that result in combat decorations. I also know that a young, female officer wouldn't be the choice of many to oversee an installation of this importance."
"I'll tell you if you tell me why you have problem with the military in general."
"Okay," Corky said softly. "You go first."
"What exactly do you want to know?"
"How did you get your decorations?" Corky asked curiously.
"I was in a helicopter over Bosnia that came under fire and I took a hit in my thigh," Malory said tonelessly. "The aircraft itself took several and was crippled. We were forced off course and crashed into the Adriatic."
"Is that how you hurt your shoulder?"
"Yeah," Malory said. "Compound fracture of the clavicle, dislocated shoulder, torn rotator cuff."
Corky winced sympathetically. "And?"
"And what?"
"What's the rest?"
"There were five people on board, only two survived and made it to the surface. One was a Marine Colonel who had broken his back when we crashed. I pulled him out of the wreckage and kept him afloat until we were rescued almost forty-eight hours later."
"How did you do that with a useless arm and a wounded leg?"
"With a great deal of pain," Malory said honestly.
"I can't imagine how horrible that must have been," Corky said sadly.
"It isn't something I look back on fondly," Malory admitted.
"What were you decorated with?"
"The DSM and a Purple Heart."
"What's a DSM?"
"The Distinguished Service Medal," Malory explained dismissively. "Now tell me your story."
"Its pretty simple really," Corky said peevishly. "Former lover of three years also happened to be in the Army. I never really fit in with her crowd and always felt looked down upon because I was a civilian. I moved across the country twice when she was transferred just to be with her, even though she was distant and treated me as if I wasn't good enough for her. The third time she was transferred she told me not to bother to come with her and informed me that she had been seeing someone else for the last two years. Not surprisingly, another officer."
"Is that how you ended up here?"
"Pretty much. Larry was a Professor I had in college. When I completed my residency, he approached me with the job."
"I'm sorry about your girlfriend," Malory said sincerely.
"I'm not," Corky said truthfully. "She was a horrible girlfriend and an even worse officer," she added, suddenly shy. "She couldn't hold a candle to you. I judged everyone in uniform by what I saw from her and the people she associated with. I look at you and see everything she could never be. Everyone here respects you, civilian and military alike, and not because you're the boss, but because you're a leader."
Malory smiled. "Can we make out now?"
Corky laughed. "No, tell me how you got here."
The Commander sighed heavily and shrugged. "I'm a promotable officer and was going to resign my commission. They threw me a bone."
"You were going to resign? Why?" Corky asked in surprise.
"Because I'm thirty years old and my whole life has been nothing but the Navy," she replied. "I was of a mind to see what life was like without it."
"You changed your mind?"
"They made me an offer. Take the position here and use the time to reconsider. Since I didn't have any idea of what I wanted to do once I resigned, I agreed."
"Do you have a girl in every port?" Corky asked curiously.
"Nope."
"Have a girl anywhere?"
"Nope."
"Are you a virgin?"
"I lost my cherry, but still have the box it came in."
Corky laughed. "Where did you get your vocabulary?"
"It was on sale at Sears. Can I see you naked?"
"Maybe. Have you had a lot of lovers?"
"Numerically, you'd be the second but as far as I'm concerned, the first and only."
"Really?"
"Really on both counts."
"I'm having a hard time resisting you."
"Why would you want to?"
Eyes rolled. "Do you have any idea what a hateful bitch you were to me?"
"It was the quickest way to solve the problem."
"That's it? No, I'm sorry?"
"Did you know the minute I saw you I got wet?"
"Could've fooled me."
"Get over it."
"It's not that easy."
"Yes, it is. Just kiss me."
"You think its that simple?"
"Yes."
"It isn't for me."
Malory threw her hands in the air exasperatedly and abruptly leaned forward, resting on her hands and knees, her face suddenly an inch away from Corky's. "Then I'll kiss you," she whispered and gently covered the doctor's lips with her own. Prodding lovingly with delicate caresses until she felt her respond, then greedily devouring what was offered. Catching a hesitant tongue and sucking it tenderly into her mouth, moaning softly at the bodily sensation it induced.
She sighed in a frustration she felt all the way to her toes when Corky began to gently disengage. Struggling with her composure, she didn't fight it and backed off respectfully, waiting with a barely restrained desire to observe her reaction.
Corky leaned back against the wall and caught her breath. The energy radiating off the Commander was so extreme, every nerve ending in her body was standing at attention. It was an intensity unlike anything she had ever experienced, both seductively powerful and emotionally frightening.
"I want you," Malory rumbled thickly.
Corky looked up into a blue gaze almost dilated black with longing and knew she wasn't yet prepared for the intensity lurking behind those eyes.
"I want you," Malory repeated. "Let me show you how much."
Corky tentatively reached out with a hand to cup her cheek, almost groaning when it was leaned into seductively. "I want you too," she whispered. "But I've never felt so... pleasantly scared."
Malory bit her lower lip almost painfully. "Then lay with me and let me hold you."
Corky almost gaped at the sudden transformation; the sexual aura that had been almost tangible receded upon delivery of the gentle request. The Commander resituated herself on the cot and lifted the blankets in front of her invitingly. Silently, Corky stood on weak knees, stepped out of her fatigues and climbed into the offered embrace. The blankets settled around her and Malory turned to click off the lamp, returning to pull the doctor tightly against her body.
"Thank you," Corky said softly in the dark.
"You're welcome," Malory whispered, her breath tickling Corky's ear. "However, if you wake up in a puddle, it's not because I have a bladder problem."
"God," Corky giggled. "You're so vulgar."
For an answer, Malory placed a gentle kiss on the back of her neck and smiled at the shiver it produced. "Goodnight, Doctor."
Corky rose without the aid of the alarm and frowned upon realizing how late it was. Belatedly, she noticed the body that she held in her arms was about five feet smaller, a hundred and ten pounds lighter, and nowhere near as warm as the one she went to bed with. Her eyes narrowed in the dark and she fumbled around for the lamp. Illumination confirmed her suspicions and she flung Little Lovecraft across the room in disgust.
Not amused at waking up with the doll instead of the Commander, she got up to put her boots and pants on. She was about to enter Malory's office when she heard McNeely's voice on the other side of the door. Trapped for the time being, she went over and sat back down on the cot with a huff, waiting impatiently. The time passed slowly and she eventually lay back down, staring at the ceiling until her eyelids grew heavy.
When Malory finally entered, she snickered at finding Little Lovecraft on the floor and picked her up to seat her on the chair. She threw a glance at the cot and smiled at finding the little doctor asleep in all of her clothes. Deciding to leave her be, she silently cursed the efficient McNeely and started relieving herself of her clothes.
Corky woke up at the sound of running water and froze when she realized that Malory was in the shower. Torn between wanting to make a hasty exit and being present when the Commander emerged, she fidgeted and cleared her throat.
"Good morning," she ventured.
"Good morning," came the immediate bright response. "Decide to get up?"
"Yeah," Corky said. "Why did you turn off the alarm?"
"McNeely, showed up first thing," Malory said. "If he heard the alarm being shut off, he would've known someone was in my quarters."
"Oh," Corky said, suddenly feeling grateful.
"Your buddy Clovis and crew were up before dawn and down in excavation. Butler went down with them. He wasn't pleased at being rousted for guard duty so early," Malory said amusedly. "Neither was the Sergeant Major."
"They're just excited," Corky said defensively. "It's an important find."
"Whatever," Malory said dismissively. "Since you're up, wanna join me?"
Facing another dilemma, the doctor debated carefully. Part of her wanted to spring from the cot and shed her clothes and another part wanted to run from the room. "I think I'll pass," she said finally.
"You sure? I know you're dyin' to see if my carpet matches my drapes. I'll let you peek."
Her brow wrinkled in confusion for a few seconds and then her eyes rolled. "I'm sure," she said shaking her head, glad Malory couldn't see her grin.
"Okay, your loss," Malory said pretentiously.
Corky shook her head. "You're such a pompous ass," she said with a chuckle. "I can't believe how full of yourself you are."
"I'd like to be filled by you," Malory retorted easily.
To her dismay, she started to blush. "I'm going to go," she said hastily.
"Okay," Malory said nonchalantly. "See ya later."
Corky narrowed her eyes at the shower curtain suspiciously, wondering what she was up to. Wary of a trap, she rose to her feet and traveled to the door. "See ya," she said, and quickly left the room.
"Heh," Malory grunted nefariously when she heard the door close.
---------
Corky spent the entire day in a turmoil of emotions, performing her duties in an absentminded automation; her thoughts rarely straying far from the confounding Commander. The woman possessed a multitude of repulsive qualities and Corky was perplexed that she now found them charming when not so recently they would have and did offend her. There was also the lingering confusion left over from the night before, the damn woman exuded a hidden sexual energy that could singe the hair off her toes.
Like it or not, she had fallen under the woman's spell and the only option left was to either take it or leave it. The latter became more unappealing with every minute she spent in the Commander's company and the former meant forging ahead with the confusing woman and letting the chips fall where they may. It was a frightening prospect with no guaranteed conclusion.
At the end of her shift, she headed for dinner still halfheartedly debating alternatives, hoping she could share a meal and have a normal conversation with the woman. She figured the odds of an ordinary dialogue were about fifty-fifty, suspecting that Malory herself didn't know what foot to lead with and flew by the seat of her pants.
She was disenchanted to find the mess relatively empty with no sign of either the Commander or even Clovis to at least exchange pleasantries with. In fact, the only people present were Daly and Cohen so she got a tray and sat by herself, instantly descending into the plight of her dilemma once again.
An uncertain amount of time later, Clovis dropped in the chair across from her with his meal. "What's with the long face?" he asked jovially.
She blinked and glanced at her watch, surprised to see how much time had gotten away from her. "Huh?"
"You're sitting there looking like your dog just died," Clovis rumbled. "What's on your mind?"
"Oh, just thinking," she said, trying to sound offhand. "How did things go down there today?" she added hoping to distract him.
"The cave in sped up our progress considerably," he answered happily. "We're a couple of weeks away from the first section, we can't wait."
She smiled at his obvious delight. "I'll bet," she said, throwing another glance at her watch. "You're up here kinda early."
"We started early," he said with a grin. "And I suspect our Commander has given the order to have our armed escort tell us when to pack it up for the day."
Corky giggled. "I'm sure she did, have you seen her today?"
"Saw her laughing in the hall with McNeely outside of his quarters when I was coming to dinner," he said casually.
"Hmmm," Corky grunted thoughtfully. "Well, I guess I'm gonna go find something to do."
"Okay, Corky," he said amiably, becoming intently engrossed with the food in front of him. "See ya later."
"Bye, Clovis," she with a chuckle.
She made her way to Malory's office and upon finding it and her quarters empty, she began a casual stroll around the compound with the hope of running into her. Her efforts proved fruitless as the Commander was nowhere to be found. Confused, she returned to her own quarters and flopped into her chair with a frown. Where could she be? She thought about using the radio but couldn't come up with a good story to offer in case Malory wasn't alone.
Two hours of brooding later, she impulsively strode from her room and returned to Malory's quarters; again finding them empty. Her face wrinkled in confusion, she retraced her steps from earlier and after having searched everywhere, there was still no sign of the Commander.
Jesus, its almost eleven, where the hell is she? An idea suddenly formed and she returned to the lounge, finding Lieutenant Ring reclining in his usual spot on the sofa.
"Lieutenant," she said, approaching him. "Do you know where the Commander is?"
He turned around sleepily. "Uhm... she's with McNeely in his quarters."
"Thank you," she said sweetly, exiting the room before a frown of gigantic proportions could take control.
She had stomped halfway back to her quarters when it struck her that she was jealous and she paused to consider the notion. Tempted at first to dismiss it as overreaction, she returned to her room confusedly. Was she jealous and if so why? Did she miss something? Malory had said she had only had one lover, but weren't they talking about women?
The idea of Malory being with McNeely brought her blood to a boil and once the thought entered her mind, she couldn't think of anything else. She tried to tell herself that she was blowing everything out of proportion and was probably wrong, but her imagination had taken hold and wouldn't let go.
She glanced angrily at the clock, it was half past midnight. Determinedly, she stormed from her quarters and was not surprised to find Malory's room still empty upon arrival. Throwing caution to the wind, she marched doggedly in the direction of McNeely's room, quieting her approach as she neared her objective. Stealthily, she paused outside of his door and listened closely for any noise that might emanate from within.
Mumbled voices and then the distinct sound of the Commander's laugh brought a full head of steam to Corky's features and she turned to stomp crossly down the hallway, stopping when she heard someone step out into the hall from behind her. She turned a furious glance over her shoulder and was surprised to see Malory emerge, followed by Chief Reynolds and Sergeants Alvarez, Hanson, and Terrel; all of them laughing boisterously.
Stunned, she came to a complete halt, her jealousy vaporizing in favor of a very distinct feeling of embarrassment. She tried to slink away unnoticed and winced when she was called up short.
"Dr. Rivers?" Malory inquired pleasantly.
"Yes?" she said turning a hopefully innocent gaze in her direction.
The men filtered by with polite nods, quickly leaving them alone in the hall.
"What are you doing here?" Malory asked curiously, closing the distance between them.
Corky thought frantically. "I couldn't sleep so I was taking a walk."
Malory snickered. "Uh huh," she scoffed. "What's up? You looked angry."
Corky sighed. "I was looking for you," she said truthfully. "What were you doing in there all night?"
A triumphant smile. "Playing poker. What did you think we were doing?"
"I don't know," Corky said lamely.
"How did you know where I was?" Malory asked, a knowing look on her face.
Corky shuffled her feet. "I asked Lt. Ring," she said feeling somewhat exposed in the hallway. "Can we just go to my quarters?" she asked quietly.
"Sure," Malory said brightly and followed the little doctor down the hall with a cocky smile.
Corky trudged through the halls feeling monumentally stupid and worse, she didn't have to turn around to see the smile on Malory's face; she could feel it. When they entered her quarters, the Commander respectfully chose the chair and seated herself primly, turning an expectant look on her companion.
Corky sighed and took a seat on the cot, leaning her back against the wall. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to play cards tonight?" she asked quietly.
"I didn't get the chance," Malory said with a shrug. "McNeely asked me this morning and before I could say anything, you lit out of my quarters like your ass was on fire."
"Oh," came the quiet response.
"If you had told me you wanted to get together, I would have turned him down," Malory offered. "So tell me, you looked mad enough to blow an ovary, what's the matter?"
"Nothing," Corky said quickly.
"Gimme a break," Malory scoffed. "You can tell me anything," she added softly.
Corky started to play with the hem of her sweatshirt. "It was stupid," she said quietly.
"What was stupid?"
"I thought you and McNeely were...uhm... you know," she admitted uneasily.
Malory smiled brightly. "You were jealous?"
Corky nodded silently.
"My, how territorial," Malory teased.
Brown eyes shot up. "You don't have to be so smug," she accused irritably.
For an answer, Malory leaned down and started to unlace her boots, pulling them off and placing them under the chair along with her socks and standing to remove her sweatshirt.
Corky watched nervously. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, watching the sweatshirt fall to the ground and hands drop to start unbuttoning her fatigues.
"Bustin' a move," Malory said nonchalantly, stepping out of her pants and standing immodestly before the doctor in her underwear.
Corky couldn't find her voice as her body began reacting strongly to the almost nude Commander who dropped to her knees in front of her and began unlacing her boots. She watched helplessly as they were removed gently and her hands were grasped, pulling her forward. Totally powerless, she let Malory lift her arms above her head to remove her shirt and her bra quickly followed without protest. A soft whimper preceded the removal of her pants and soon she found herself completely naked and waiting to be claimed by the woman kneeling in front of her.
"You're very beautiful," Malory said heavily, grabbing the doctor gently around the hips and pulling her forward.
Corky opened her mouth to reply but was silenced by lips that descended upon her own and hands that wound themselves in her hair. The intensity of Malory's attentions gave the impression of being devoured and she surrendered willingly, pulling her closer and urging her for more.
Malory relished every sensation, delighting in the taste of the doctor's mouth, exploring every crevice with her tongue, taking a sensual pleasure in the texture of her teeth, the roof of her mouth, the softness of her lips, and the warmth of her breath as it mingled with her own. Her hands dropped to the small of her back and pulled her gently forward until her thighs rested on the edge of the cot, dropping her attention to the pulse point on her neck and eventually, to her rapidly rising and falling chest.
Corky fell back wantonly against the wall to allow Malory free reign over her body, consumed by the urgent need the Commander conveyed and her own freefalling libido; wrapping her hands tightly in Malory's hair when she felt a breast being suckled teasingly and pulling her forward when she was drawn into her mouth. Her body tingled exotically as her nipples were teased until they hardened painfully and tender teeth chewed on them lovingly. She gasped loudly in anticipation as Malory began a trail down her chest, her mouth and tongue showing an interest in every detail they encountered and when a chin urged her legs apart, she complied without hesitation. Malory's arms dropped to assist and her legs were thrown over the Commander's shoulders with abandon, the air surprisingly cold against the suddenly exposed wetness of her thighs. Breath exploded pleasurably from her mouth the instant she was tasted; ecstasy making her shiver when Malory emitted a satisfied groan of her own, as if finally given something long denied.
One of Corky's hands sought out the edge of the cot to brace against the inevitable while the other tightened its grip in Malory's hair demandingly, an unspoken order to remain where she was. The sensation of Malory's attentions were beyond all of her previous experience and she could feel the Commander's pleasure in the act through the ravenous exuberance of the mouth feeding upon her. Malory's moans were almost as loud as her own, and when a hand left her thigh and the Commander set her knees further apart on the floor, she felt the approaching edge viciously. Malory's excitement was so obvious that it was like receiving a shot of adrenaline knowing she couldn't restrain from petting herself.
When she came, it was with a power that left her neurotic and it was prolonged significantly as Malory's arm tightened around her waist, refusing to let go. Her whole body jumped spastically with every caress and she found herself screaming with the pleasure of it, pulling on the hair in her hand possessively to force closer contact. Exalting in the vibrations traveling the length of her sex from Malory's muffled cries, her lover entangled within the tremors of her own release and grinding into her ecstatically. She rode the wave until she was unable to endure any longer and finally dropped a hand between her legs to intervene, going limp in exhaustion, her body shining with perspiration.
As she caught her breath, she was pleasantly aware of Malory still diligently trying to get past the blockade of her hand. Tenderly sucking on her fingers and occasionally probing for an opening between them. She tardily released the grip still knotted in Malory's hair, surprised at how severe her hold had been and blinking regretfully when the Commander whimpered softly at the reprieve.
"Malory," she said gently, her voice hoarse.
"Hmmm?" Malory purred.
"Did I hurt you?" she asked , petting her head apologetically.
"It was a nice hurt," Malory said easily as she chewed softly on the end of a denying finger.
"I'm sorry," Corky said sincerely.
"Don't be."
"Come lay with me," she ordered, about to start the process of resituating herself but paused when blue eyes raised and looked at her dotingly.
"I love you, Corky," she said clearly.
Corky's breath froze within her chest and she was surprised to feel moisture rise in her eyes.
Malory rose to her feet and removed her bra, tossing it across the room as if it irritated her and stretched like a cat in front of the doctor's desirous eyes. Her outstretched arms returned to cup her breasts and stroke them lightly before sliding a hand into her underwear to touch herself. She sighed lightly at the contact and brought back moist fingers that she sampled with her mouth.
Corky observed her behavior in unconcealed fascination, arousal again stirring within her powerfully as Malory suckled her fingers inquisitively, seemingly unaware of being watched so closely. Apparently satisfied, the Commander lowered herself onto the cot and wrapped gentle arms around her contentedly.
"Why did you do that?" Corky asked, unable to curb her curiosity.
"I wanted to see what we would taste like together," Malory hummed happily.
"And?" she asked intrigued.
"Superb."
Corky released a satiated sigh, bringing a hand up to quickly wipe at her eyes and burying her face in the Commander's chest, nipping at her breasts playfully. "That was ...uhm... that..." she struggled.
"Fuckin' amazing?" Malory offered brightly.
"Well, I won't argue with you there," she admitted, abruptly going stiff in alarm when a loud, persistent knock banged on the door. "Oh, God," she whispered, jumping out of Malory's embrace and anxiously looking around for her clothes.
"Hide," she hissed at the Commander who appeared amused.
"I'll do no such thing," Malory whispered.
Corky pulled her sweatshirt on over her head and shot the Commander a threatening look. "Oh, yes you will."
"Nope," Malory said, stretching out along the length of the cot.
Corky shot her a venomous look as she buttoned her pants. "At least go stand over there where you can't be seen," she said pointing to a spot.
Malory sighed. "Fine," she said offhandedly, rising and walking over to stand with her arms crossed over her chest.
Corky took a deep breath and ran her hands through her hair to straighten it before she opened the door, only to find an empty hallway. Confusedly, she poked her head out and looked in both directions. Spotting no signs of life, she stepped back in to close the door and froze.
"Oh, my God," she said in complete horror, her eyes fixated on the floor.
At the words, Malory gave up her hiding place and approached the doctor from behind. "What's the big deal?" she asked curiously.
Corky could only bring a hand up to her mouth in mortification and Malory gently nudged her out of the way to see what had the doctor's complete attention. Her eyes landing on a pack of cigarettes and lighter, lying within an ashtray that someone had thoughtfully provided. With a stifled laugh, she bent down to pick them up and prodded Corky back into the room, closing the door behind them.
Leaving the doctor standing, she reclaimed her seat on the cot and opened the cigarettes, popping one into her mouth and lighting it. "I haven't had a cigarette in over ten years," she said conversationally.
"My God, someone heard us," Corky finally rasped in dismay.
Malory smiled in amusement. "That's not quite right, Dr. Rivers," she said, taking a long drag on her cigarette. "I was occupied."
A startled gasp.
"Yes," Malory said knowingly. "Someone heard you. Actually, I would be surprised if everyone didn't. There's probably not a limp dick in the compound."
"Jesus," Corky choked. "I can't imagine anything more embarrassing."
"Come to bed, I'll kiss it and make it better," Malory said sweetly.
"How do I show my face tomorrow, or the day after for that matter?" she asked dismally.
"Come to bed," Malory repeated, snuffing out her cigarette and holding out a hand.
Corky rushed over to bury her face between Malory's breasts. "God, what am I gonna do?" she whined pitifully.
Malory stroked her hair. "Tell you what," she said with a grin. "First thing tomorrow, I'll make an announcement ordering everyone not to make fun of you for twiddling your diddle."
A quickly stifled snicker followed by an annoyed swat. "That's not funny," she mumbled. "How would you feel if the situation was reversed?"
"I'm the boss," she said simply. "No one would dare say anything to me. They'd just laugh behind my back."
"You're not helping," she said irritably.
Malory kissed the top of her head and reached down to pull the blankets over them both. "Go to sleep," she said softly, hugging her tightly. "It won't be so bad in the morning."
A pathetic sigh was the only reply and she reached out to turn off the light.
Malory rose with a luxurious stretch and gently disengaged herself from the soundly sleeping doctor so she could answer the call of nature; poking around the room curiously when she was finished, interested in everything that had to do with the little woman. Noting the photographs of her parents and smiling at a family of Teddy bears that resided upon one of her shelves.
The shrill blast of the alarm startled her and she leaped across the room to shut it off, chuckling at the small arm that was irritably swatting at it from underneath the blankets. She immediately dove under the covers and playfully snuggled up to the waking woman.
"You gonna get up?" she whispered into her ear, leaving a kiss behind.
"No," came the pathetic croak.
"Why not?" Malory asked teasingly.
"Were you wearing your gun last night?" Corky asked quietly. "I need it."
"Why?" Malory asked with a chuckle.
"Because I have to kill myself," Corky said seriously.
Malory laughed. "Gee, it's not the end of the world. So what if everybody thinks you were in here thumpin' the man in the little canoe? It's not that big a deal."
Corky turned in Malory's embrace to regard her seriously. "Why do you say that?" she asked curiously.
"Well shucks, Doctor," she said patronizingly. "You're a young, healthy and, as far as everyone knows, single woman. What's there to be embarrassed about?"
"I was screaming like I was being burned at the stake," Corky said dryly. "If I had overheard that, I'd wonder what in the name of God had that woman been doing to herself."
A snicker.
"It's not funny," Corky said sternly.
"Geez, you're a doctor," Malory said amusedly. "You of all people should know that masturbation is normal and everybody does it."
"Do you?"
"Hell no!" Malory said vehemently. "What do you think I am, some sort of sick freak?"
Corky snorted in annoyance and pulled the covers up over her head to hide, ignoring her delightedly laughing companion.
"Oh, come on," Malory chortled. "If anyone says anything you can just tell them you weren't alone."
"What if they ask who?" Corky inquired from under the covers.
"Say it's none of their business. They'll spend days mumbling amongst themselves trying to figure out who the lucky person was."
"What if someone asks you?"
"Asks me what? If I was the one banging the doc?"
"Yeah."
"Corky, there isn't a person in this place that will come out and ask me to my face about my sex life."
A sigh. "I wish I was the Commander," she said childishly.
"No you don't, the pay sucks."
"Really?" Corky asked curiously. "I assumed you were pretty well off in that department."
"I do alright. I mean I make enough to keep me in tampons and 'roid cream."
A silent pause and then a chuckle. "You are so disgusting."
"But you love me," Malory said knowingly.
An ambiguous grunt. "Did you mean what you said last night?" she asked quietly.
"What did I say last night?" Malory asked teasingly.
"You know," Corky said softly.
"Yes, I do know and yes, I do." Malory said starkly. "Now are you gonna come out of there? I'm horny."
"No way," Corky said quickly, pulling the blankets around her tightly. "Everyone would think I was a pervert."
"I could gag you," Malory offered.
"Shut up," Corky said indignantly.
Malory sighed. "I should probably go anyway, McNeely will be looking for me any minute."
Corky poked her head out from under the blankets. "Will I see you tonight?" she asked shyly.
"I'd like to see you."
A small smile.
Malory leaned in to place a soft kiss on her mouth. "Last night was unbelievable, thank you."
A chuckle. "I should be the one thanking you."
"You will later," Malory said with a goofy smile and rose to start dressing herself.
Corky smiled and cast worried eyes to the ceiling, trying not to imagine the horrors that were waiting to assail her when she emerged from her quarters.
Malory leaned over again to place a kiss on her cheek. "Ya gonna be okay?"
"I suppose I'll live," Corky said bleakly.
Malory chuckled. "If anyone says anything inappropriate, you come tell me."
"I'm a big girl," Corky said, smiling at the offer.
"You sure are," Malory said with grin. "I'll see you later," she added and turned to exit the room.
Corky waited for the door to close and pulled the blankets back up over her head.
---------
Corky snuck into Medical, foregoing her morning coffee for fear of entering the mess and encountering anyone. As a result, she had spent a cranky morning looking up sharply whenever she heard footsteps in the hall and sighing in relief every time they passed. Her thoughts swinging back and forth between contemplating the consequences of her inevitable humiliation and elating in the memory of the time shared the night before with Malory.
She was in the midst of reminiscing one of the latter thoughts when the sound of gunshots brought her out of her chair in both surprise and alarm. Seconds later, the klaxon went off followed shortly thereafter by rapidly pounding footsteps racing down the hall.
She ran into the hall and was almost trampled by Reynolds and DeSoto as they raced by, the Chief yelling into his radio.
"Say again?"
"They need a stretcher and..." the Commander's voice faded as the Chief got further away.
Corky waited in agitation, not knowing what was going on and somewhat surprised that nothing had been said over the intercom. At least she knew Malory was okay, relieved to have heard her voice over the Chief's radio. She looked up at the sound of another set of approaching footsteps and gazed at the approaching Lieutenant with anticipation.
"Dr. Rivers, you'll need to prepare Medical to receive wounded," Ring said grimly.
"ETA?" she asked.
He reached for the radio on his belt. "ETA on that, Sergeant?"
"Thirty to forty minutes, out," Alvarez answered tersely.
"From excavation I presume," Corky guessed.
"Yes, Doctor," he said politely.
"Thank you, Lieutenant," she said and turned to reenter Medical.
The time passed slowly and she was eaten alive with curiosity and worry, hoping that all of her friends were okay and wondering why a weapon was fired. Thirty-five minutes later, her radio called for attention.
"ETA 5 minutes, Dr. Rivers," Percy said. "Ballenger incoming with suspected hip fracture, possible internal injuries. Currently stable and conscious."
"Understood," she answered. "Anyone else?"
"Nothing priority, out."
She took a deep breath to prepare for their arrival.
---------
It was a little over two hours later when she emerged from behind the divider to find her domain filled to capacity with people waiting anxiously for news of their colleague. Percy followed behind her and she caught his arm, standing on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear.
"Excellent work today," she said sincerely.
He smiled at the compliment and made his way through the crowd toward the exit.
"Well?" Clovis asked the question everyone wanted the answer to.
"He's okay," Corky said loud enough for everyone to hear. "But he's on his back for the duration and will be on the first flight out."
The news was met by communal relief and then disappointment.
"How bad..."
"Make a hole," Malory interrupted tersely from the doorway, waiting with a furious look for everyone to get out of the way so she could enter the room. She strode through their parting bodies and leveled a look at Clovis.
"Mr. Stokes, report to my office and wait there until I arrive," she ordered, her voice cold. "Now," she barked when he didn't immediately rush from the room, startling him and sending him packing.
"Airman Daly, report to the hall outside of my office and stand at attention," she added her voice harsh and the man almost ran from the room. "The rest of you return to your quarters or stations immediately," she ordered and waited for the room to empty before she turned to Corky.
"How is he?" she asked, her voice noticeably gentler.
"Fractured pelvis, a good deal of internal bleeding," Corky reported sadly. "Could've been far worse if it had taken much longer to get him here. He'll be alright, but he'll need to go out with the first flight."
"I see," Malory said tonelessly.
Corky had a hundred questions to ask but settled for the most important. "Are you okay?"
Malory smiled with an effort. "I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yeah," she said with a nod. "I'll see you later, I have things I need to do."
"Okay," Corky said reluctantly, watching her hesitate as if she wanted to say something else and then turn to walk from the room.
---------
Daly stood in the hall anxiously, the Commander had passed fifteen minutes prior to enter her office, not sparing him a glance and slamming the door shut with enough force to make him wince.
His only hope was that the tirade she was directing at Mr. Stokes would tire her out before it was time to deal with him. Her voice occasionally thundered from inside the room and earlier he had heard something smash against the wall with enough force to shatter.
"Mr. McNeely report to my office, please," her voice suddenly blared over the intercom.
He stood ramrod straight, afraid to let the Sergeant Major see him at anything less than a rigid attention. Shortly, he heard the man's approaching heavy footsteps and McNeely paused in front of him to clap him on the shoulder.
"Stand easy, Daly," he said sympathetically. "You might be out here awhile," he added, rapping a short knock on the Commander's door and stepping inside.
He sighed and slumped against the wall until the door opened almost half an hour later and Mr. Stokes stepped out. The huge man plodded silently down the hall looking as if he had just been spit out of a combine. He grimaced internally and braced himself; it didn't look good.
"Airman Daly," the Commander barked. "Your turn. Get in here."
He stepped into her office crisply and stood at attention, noting the shards of a broken coffee cup in the corner. "Commander," he said respectfully, not meeting her eyes as she sat glowering at him from behind her desk.
"Rest easy, Airman," she said in a friendly tone. "Take a seat," she said gesturing to the chair next to the silent Sergeant Major.
He blinked confusedly but did as he was told.
"I'm glad I spoke to Mr. Stokes first or I would've had a lot of egg on my face," she said mildly. "Since it was my original intention to have your ass removed for discharging your weapon for no apparent reason. However, I've been informed that you probably saved Ballenger's life. Tell me, were you aware that Mr. Stokes allowed Ballenger to unclasp his safety rope?"
"No, Commander."
"That's what I hoped you'd say," she said in satisfaction, rising from her chair. "On your feet, Airman," she added authoritatively, waiting for him to rise. "In recognition for your quick thinking and action in the performance of your duty, I'm pleased to award you the JSAM. I'll make it official as soon as the new season permits. Do you have any objections?"
He smiled. "No, Ma..." he started, "...I mean no, Commander," he corrected quickly.
"Good, now go grab something to eat," she said with a grin. "Dismissed, please shut the door on the way out."
He saluted crisply before turning on his heel and marching out the door, immeasurably relieved and terribly proud of himself.
---------
Corky stripped out of her scrubs and summoned Coy to watch over her patient for the night so she could make a beeline to the mess to collect the gossip. As soon as she entered, she was beckoned over by Dr. Lenard and company so she collected a tray and hurried over to join them.
"So what's the story?" she asked as she seated herself.
"We hit another pocket in excavation," Watkins said. "Not as bad as the first but Ballenger was right on top of it without a safety rope."
"Oh my," Corky said. "I guess that's why the Commander was so pissed."
"Yeah," he agreed. "She confined Clovis to quarters."
"Why Clovis?"
"He gave Dr. Ballenger permission to disconnect his rope, it was giving him problems," Lenard explained.
"So what happened?" she asked curiously.
"The pocket was situated right above the section we were working to uncover. He fell about twenty feet and landed on an exposed section of the spacecraft. We got down to him as soon as we could but there was a large sheet of ice pinning him down. We couldn't lift it so Daly used his rifle to break it in half and we were able to get him out of there," Watkins reported. "So how is Dr. Ballenger?"
Corky went through the medical laundry list. "... we'll have to watch him for the next few days, but I'm confident he'll fully recover."
"Damn," Lenard said sympathetically. "It'll kill him not be involved in this."
"At least he has his life," Corky pointed out.
"Very true."
"Hmmm," Corky grunted. "So you found a big piece of the flying saucer?"
"Yes," Watkins said happily but then scowled. "No telling when we'll be allowed back down there though."
"Why?" Corky asked.
"When Lovecraft found out Dr. Ballenger disconnected his safety rope, she threw a fit," Lenard said.
"A fit?"
"Oh yeah," Watkins said. "Threw her hat on the ground and kicked it. Then told us all we'd be lucky if she allowed us to return and if we couldn't follow simple instructions for our own safety, perhaps the NSF could send another team that could."
"Ouch," Corky said. "So how long is Clovis incarcerated for?"
"He didn't say, but he looked like he had been read the riot act and I'm sure he's feeling bad over Dr. Ballenger. He told him to take off the rope only long enough to fix it," Lenard said. "It was just freak chance that what happened did when it did."
"Speaking of freaky things," Watkins said slyly. "Did you hear that screaming last night?"
Corky immediately tensed and reddened guiltily, flushing darker as the men began to chuckle.
"My goodness, Doctor," Lenard said with a teasing smile. "You shouldn't save it up like that, it's unhealthy."
"Yes," Watkins added. "For all of our sakes, please pace yourself in the future. I was jolted out of a dead slumber thinking I should run for my life."
Corky ground her teeth and crossed her arms over her chest as they laughed jubilantly over their jokes, her face a solid scarlet. "Are you guys finished?" she growled irritably.
"Oh, come on, Corky," Watkins chuckled. "You should take our advice, Grey here does it twice a day, isn't that right?"
"Certainly," Grey admitted casually. "Keeps me on an even keel and I don't impose on my colleagues by carrying on loud enough to wake the dead."
Corky was assaulted by another round of teasing laughter but she set her jaw and held her ground, clamping down on the impulse to flee from the room. "I shall take your suggestions under advisement. Obviously, I'm not as skilled at it as the rest of you."
Her comment delighted the men and they laughed rowdily. Grudgingly, she found their antics to be infectious and began to laugh a little herself.
---------
Malory remained at her desk until well after suppertime, attempting to fight off the straggling remains of anger that still stubbornly lingered. Since taking command, there had been several injuries to a staff that had endured exactly none prior to her arrival and she was feeling responsible. Firmly entrenched in her funk, it took her a moment to realize that Corky was waiting hesitantly in the doorway.
"Hiya," she said gently.
"Hi."
"Can I come in?"
"Of course," Malory said with a frown. "You can come see me whenever you want."
Corky entered and shut the door behind her. "You didn't come to dinner."
"I wasn't hungry."
"Someone looks like they're sulking," Corky said teasingly, getting a small smile for her efforts.
"Maybe."
Corky walked around and scooted Malory's chair back so she could plop down on the desk in front of her. "I visited Clovis in his jail cell. He said you were so mad at him earlier he was afraid you were gonna order him shot," Corky said amusedly.
"I considered it," Malory said seriously.
Corky chuckled and hooked her feet through the arms of the Commander's chair, slowly pulling her forward. "Expecting any company?" she asked lightly.
"Nope."
"How fortunate," Corky said agreeably, leaning forward to kiss her tenderly.
"Well, Doctor," Malory said pleasantly when she withdrew. "Whatever brought that on?"
"I just wanted to," Corky said casually.
An evil smile.
Corky's brow wrinkled. "Why are you grinning like that?"
"Because you're mine now," she said wickedly.
"Is that so?" Corky asked haughtily.
"Uh huh," she purred. "You're powerless to resist me."
"Does this mean you're mine too?"
"I've always been yours, it just took me a while to find you."
Corky absorbed the words thoughtfully. "That was a sweet thing to say," she said finally.
"It's true," Malory insisted softly. "I've waited my whole life for you."
Corky didn't know what to say in the face of such freely offered devotion, it touched her to the point of being unable to form words.
Malory read the emotions on her face. "I know," she said with a smile.
"Y...you know what?" Corky managed.
"You love me too, you just can't bring yourself to admit it," Malory said smugly. "But you'll come around."
Corky smiled. " I want you to come around."
Crimson brows knitted. "What?"
For an answer, the doctor pulled her feet from Malory's chair and leaned forward to turn the Commander's chair around, wrapping her arms around her from behind and placing a kiss on her neck.
Malory leaned into the contact huskily. "Now I see what you meant," she whispered contentedly.
"So, if you're mine, can I do anything I want with you?" Corky murmured sexily in her ear.
"Anything," Malory confirmed.
"I'd like to see if I could get you to be as loud as I was last night," Corky whispered, chewing on an ear playfully.
"I dunno about that, I'm pretty incredible," Malory said conceitedly.
Corky chuckled, dropping her hands to softly knead the Commander's breasts, pleased when she arched her back and purred at the contact. "I won't deny that you're very skilled," she said teasingly.
"Gimme a break," Malory scoffed. "I was so good I almost screamed out my own name."
Corky laughed, momentarily pausing in the application of her attentions. "You kill me," she chuckled, leaning further over the Commander's shoulders to unclasp her belt, letting the gun and radio fall to the floor through the back of the chair and moving on to the buttons of her fatigues.
Malory's eyes dropped to the fingers at her waist, watching desirously as they lightly completed their task and a gentle hand snuck in under the elastic of her panties. She hooked her knees over the arms of her chair in anticipation, shivering with the sensation of the long awaited contact and slowly exhaling the deep breath of a softly contented moan.
"You're very wet," Corky whispered into her ear and curiously withdrew her hand to verify.
Malory watched the hand emerge excitedly, feeling the doctor's interested gaze over her shoulder as she examined her glistening fingers.
"Very wet," Corky confirmed, flushing powerfully in arousal when her hand was seized and Malory erotically sucked on her fingers, her knees wobbling weakly by the time she was finished.
"God, Malory," she stammered.
"Touch me again," Malory said hungrily.
Corky chewed on her neck passionately. "Why doesn't the Commander rate a larger bed?"
Malory blew out a frustrated breath, not in the mood to have a conversation.
"I mean it's so hard to fit two on a cot comfortably," Corky said seductively, brushing her hands over Malory's breasts, smiling at the whimper she emitted at the touch.
"Don't tease me," Malory pleaded hoarsely. "Please touch me again."
"I know a way we can both fit on a cot," Corky whispered, teasing nipples so hard they stood out proudly through the fabric of Malory's shirt.
"I'll do anything you want, Corky," Malory said submissively, biting her lip at the stir created by the doctor's caresses.
"Would you like to be on the top or bottom?" Corky asked, pinching the nipples between her fingers painfully and gleefully soaking up the stifled weep of pleasure.
"Huh?" Malory rasped.
"I want to be on bottom, wanna know why?" Corky asked wantonly.
"Tell me," she squeaked.
"Because I want all of you," Corky said slowly.
Malory flew to her feet and shoved the chair out of the way, engulfing Corky within her arms and single-mindedly capturing the doctor's lips with her own.
Corky wrapped her legs tightly around Malory's waist as she was lifted bodily off the desk, returning the kiss with equal fervor while the Commander bounced them off the furniture and walls haphazardly in the haste to enter her quarters.
The first thing Corky noticed upon rising was Malory's ass, which was inevitable since her cheek was resting on it. They were spread out on the floor, their bodies forming a large 'T' in a mass of scattered blankets and an overturned cot. Her gaze traveled down the length of a shapely pair of legs to note that one foot was still wearing a sock. She smiled at the sight and rolled over onto her back for a long, satisfying stretch.
Her companion was apparently still dead to the world as her soft snoring indicated and Corky rolled back over to place a kiss on her new pillow, happily reliving the memories of the previous evening. Her new lover was relentless in her need to please and be pleased, wonderfully uninhibited, frighteningly passionate, surprisingly submissive, and energetically attentive. Abruptly, her thoughts turned dark and the sated smile she had been wearing slowly transformed into a scowl. Had Malory shared herself in the way she had last night with her previous lover? The idea raised her hackles in jealousy and she rolled over to glare at the sleeping mop of red hair, deciding to ask her about it when she woke.
Another thing that bothered her was Malory's easy confession of love. She seemed so convinced and cavalier about it that she felt guilty about not being able to say it back. The Commander began to stir so she put the thought away for later consideration and turned her attention upon her waking companion.
"Malory," she said softly.
"Hmmm?" she purred contentedly
"You gonna get up?"
"No."
Corky chuckled and craned her head around to bite her pillow.
"Hey!" Malory yelped.
"You didn't like?" Corky asked coyly.
"It just tickled," Malory rumbled.
A smile. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"How long were you with your lover?"
"Which one?"
Corky's brows knitted angrily. "What do you mean which one?" she asked peevishly.
Malory chuckled. "You're so easy."
She rolled her eyes. "I guess I set myself up for that," she said with a sigh. "Are you gonna answer my question?"
"I dunno," Malory said quietly. "I wouldn't consider a few hours of teenage fumbling in the backseat of a car very long."
"Is that it?" Corky asked incredulously.
"Yeah, until I was with you."
"But...never mind."
"But what?"
Corky sighed. "You seem so experienced," she said reluctantly.
"I finally found the person I was meant to be with," Malory said softly. "I love her and I love being with her. I waited a long time to experience that."
"Malory," Corky sniffled, touched.
"Don't get all choked up on me or I'll have to fart to lighten the mood."
An involuntary snort of laughter. "How romantic," she snickered.
"Ya think?" Malory said brightly, lifting a hand off the floor and waving it in Corky's face. "Here, pull my finger."
Corky slapped the hand away with a chuckle. "Don't be so gross," she chided.
Malory dropped the hand back to the floor and shrugged.
Corky raised herself to a seated position and pulled the covers off the Commander playfully. She frowned in disappointment when Malory didn't react in the slightest and slapped her pillow, which only resulted in an arousing raising of her hips.
"Oh," Malory purred. "Do that again."
Corky giggled. "Stop, won't someone be looking for you this morning?"
"Nope, McNeely has a crew in excavation today with a few of your nerdy friends."
"What are they doing?"
"Drilling and taking sonar readings to assure me that we'll not encounter any more pockets and clearing away the cave in from yesterday," she explained. "I'll be glad to see the summer," she added wistfully.
"Why?" Corky asked apprehensively. "You're not going anywhere are you?"
"No," she said. "But they'll be sending a lot more people and installing a long overdue elevator in that stupid pit."
"It's not stupid," Corky defended. "Think about the advances we could make in technology from a find like this. What we could learn."
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe we weren't meant to find this thing?"
"No," Corky said thoughtfully. "Why would you think that?" she asked curiously.
"I find it odd that back in the day when the highest form of life on this planet was probably a lonely protein, those aliens chose the most remote and uninhabitable region on the globe to crash into. What if they did so intentionally? What if they were carrying something that they didn't want found?"
Corky hummed thoughtfully for a long moment. "I never considered that but I should point out that there are several planets in our system they could have chosen that offered them a better a chance of never being discovered. I mean, Earth is the only planet in the system that supports life."
"What kind of life are you talking about? According to what you guys tell me they would've found our atmosphere deadly and who knows, they might consider a planet like Jupiter paradise. And what if they didn't have the time to make a better choice and took the closest and best option?"
"Is that what you think?" Corky asked inquisitively.
"I don't know what to think but I will say I could've lived my whole life without seeing that damn creature you guys pulled out of the ice. It gives me the heebie jeebies."
Corky giggled. "You mean our fearless leader is actually just a big 'fraidy cat?"
"Perhaps," Malory admitted.
"How funny," Corky said teasingly. "Wait 'til the guys hear."
Malory chuckled.
"Speaking of the guys, how long do you plan on imprisoning Clovis?" Corky asked. "He feels bad enough about it as it is and he only told Dr. Ballenger to take it off long enough to fix it."
"He should have clasped Ballenger to his own harness or instructed Daly to anchor another rope," Malory said dryly.
"Malory," Corky said softly. "Clovis isn't a soldier, he did what he thought was best, thinking it would only take a minute to correct the problem. It was just a freak accident, the odds of something happening when it did were astronomical. You were awfully hard on him and he was already coming down hard on himself."
"Did he ask you to plead his case?"
"No, he's a good man, Malory."
She sighed. "McNeely pretty much told me the same thing," she said with a reflective grunt. "Alright, I'll speak to your pal Clovis later today."
Corky smiled in satisfaction and let her eyes roam appreciatively over the form stretched out in front of her. "You know, if I had known how good you looked without your clothes and that dumb hat you wear, I might have warmed up to you sooner," she said conversationally.
"Please, you were hot for me from the start," Malory said knowingly.
"I wanted to kill you," Corky said dryly.
"Fuckin' kill me," Malory agreed. "In that order."
A laugh. "God, you're vain."
"Nope, I just know the score," she corrected.
"Uh huh, and how would you know I had anything else on my mind except your painful death?"
"Because every time you looked at me, angry or not, you had this little twinkle in your eye like someone was ticklin' your cooter with a feather."
"I did not," she said in a mixture of indignity and amusement.
Malory rolled over and cocked an elbow to support her head. "Oh, yes you did. Now, get out from under those blankets and let me look at you."
"No."
She rose to her hands and knees and advanced seductively, watching in amusement as Corky hastily scooted away only to be trapped against the overturned cot. She lifted the edge of the covers and crawled underneath them, tickling the quaking doctor as she slid up her body, her head emerging from underneath the blankets between Corky's breasts where she began a trail with her tongue that ended with a soft kiss.
"I love you."
Any reply on Corky's part was forgotten as the words were followed by a hand that touched her intimately. "Uhm..." she started but was silenced by another kiss.
"Tell me later, I'll be back in a little while," Malory whispered as she disappeared back under the blankets.
---------
Malory almost skipped into the mess to grab lunch, having seen Corky off about an hour before and already missing her. The doctor had left her quarters reluctantly to go check in on her patient and she herself had gone to see Clovis and let the man off the hook.
She had just sat down with her long overdue cup of coffee and was eyeballing her burger and fries hungrily when her radio squawked for attention. She tried not to sigh.
"Commander?"
"This had better be good," she warned irritably.
"The interior of the section unearthed yesterday is accessible, Commander," McNeely reported. "They're requesting more personnel to investigate."
Malory chewed on her lip. "And your feelings on the subject?"
"From what we gather, It's about as safe down here as we can make it, seems to be pretty solid."
"Let 'em have at it," she decided.
"Understood, McNeely out."
She tossed her radio on the table and dove into her food with abandon.
---------
An hour later, Malory strode into the lounge and shook her head upon spotting Lieutenant Ring reclining in front of the television. Even though the man was second in rank only to her, she sort of envied him. His one and only job was to be a pilot, leaving him pretty much without a place in the chain of command. He had no responsibilities other than to fly the helicopter and since air travel during the Antarctic winter was a suicidal proposition, he pretty much had nothing but time on his hands.
"Lieutenant," she said. "Wanna arm wrestle for control of the television?"
He craned his neck around and gave her a smile. "If I won would I still retain control of the TV?"
"Nope, rank hath its privileges."
He chuckled and picked himself up off the couch. "Then I concede to your superior arm wrestling skills."
"Ahh, a wise officer," she said sagely. "You'll have a long and prosperous career."
"Indeed," he agreed genially and handed her the remote as he passed. "Your command console, skipper."
"Why, thank you," she chuckled.
She waited for him to leave and ambled over to peruse the available selections, spending a moment in consideration prior to deciding on an oldie but goodie. She popped it into the machine happily and made herself comfortable on the couch, managing to stay awake just long enough to get through the opening titles.
---------
Voices slowly pulled her from her slumber and she was dimly aware of being caked with sweat, a nagging fear surrounding her like a malignant mist. She struggled for consciousness, feeling it was just within her grasp as noises were already penetrating the fog, a man and woman were talking only a few feet away.
"But you need no doors to find God. If you believe..." the woman said.
"Believe?! If you believe you are gullible. Can you look around this world and believe in the goodness of a god who rules it? Famine, Pestilence, War, Disease, and Death! They rule this world."
"There is also love and life and hope."
"Very little hope I assure you. No. If a god of love and life ever did exist... he is long since dead. Someone... something rules in his place."
"Commander Lovecraft," McNeely said urgently.
Malory awoke with a start, springing from the couch in a near panic, gasping for air and tingling from the gooseflesh that covered every inch of her body.
"Commander," McNeely said, worry evident in his voice.
She shook her head violently to clear the cobwebs, unnerved by a clinging sense of dread. She had been dreaming, about what she couldn't remember nor did she especially want to. Her hands were trembling and she realized she was scared; shitless scared. Her eyes scanned the room frantically, searching for the spectre that she felt sure was stalking her.
"Commander," McNeely called again. "If you don't respond in the next fifteen seconds, I'm tripping the general alarm."
The words had a soothing effect on her near-hysteria and her eyes focused in on the television. That fucking eerie Vincent Price! Reality slowly began taking hold and she shook her head again.
"Last chance, Commander," McNeely barked, his voice serious.
She reached for her radio. "Go ahead," she said shakily.
"Are you alright?" McNeely asked, his concern evident. "I've been calling you for the last ten minutes."
"I...I'm sorry, Sergeant, I must have fallen asleep."
"You need some time?"
"No, I'm fine, thank you," she said slowly. "What's up?"
"They've found something down here they want to bring up."
A feeling of foreboding washed over her, making her shudder. She glanced again at the television and grabbed the remote, powering it off irritably.
"Commander?"
"What is it?"
"I have no clue, but its fuckin' with my backbone."
She closed her eyes. "Gimme the scoop."
"It appears to be a container of some sort, reminds me of that little puzzle box from the 'Hellraiser' movies but about the size of a washing machine. Know what I'm talking about?"
"Yeah, do we know what's in it?"
"It's a transparent box, holding some sort of large crystal suspended in the middle. Appears to be harmless but I gotta point out we found an identical container right next to it that is apparently empty."
"Do you believe it presents a danger?"
"I would lean toward no, but like you, this whole thing bugs me a little."
"Alright, let them bring it up but I want it stored securely in the lab and summon me when they get it stowed. I want to give it a look."
"Understood."
"Lovecraft, out."
The radio took its place on her belt and she sat down hard on the sofa, running her hands through sweat dampened hair. She couldn't remember experiencing such an intense fear at any other time in her life and it was still wreaking havoc on her composure. Her mind tried to rationalize it as having fallen asleep during a creepy movie, but a sense of sinister premonition insisted it was something else entirely. With a shaky, calming breath, she rose slowly and began the journey to the sanctuary of her office, wanting to be in comfortable surroundings while she waited to see what the hole in the ice had revealed.
---------
The call came sooner than expected and Malory found herself in the lab, staring intently at a container that defied the laws of physics. McNeely had sized the object accurately for it was indeed about the size of a washing machine yet a perfect cube and almost completely transparent. A material, both gothic and technological in appearance, lined the edges of the container to present a visible outline but it was the item that resided inside that had Malory's total attention.
Floating magically in the exact center of the box was a long and narrow octahedron that glowed a distinctive Caribbean blue, the intensity of which would probably illuminate the room if someone turned off the overhead lights. Closer inspection revealed the crystal to be a second container for a substance residing within, which was the source of its distinct color. A substance that flawed the outward perfection of the crystal with a multitude of grooves that resembled brain matter.
"I was informed there was an identical container to this one that was apparently broken," she asked the audience in attendance. "What exactly was broken, the inside or the outside?"
"The outside," Lenard replied. "Though not exactly broken, is was just missing the top panel."
"Is it glass?"
"No, an unbreakable transparent epoxy from what we can gather at this time," Lenard answered again.
"Is the crystal itself holding some sort of material? It appears that way to me."
"That is our impression as well."
"Could it be an explosive of some sort?"
"Unknown, but doubtful."
"Can any of you tell me anything for certain?"
"The technological is not really our area of expertise, Commander," Lenard said dryly. "The majority of people here at the moment are archeologists and geologists. Excavation was not expected to uncover anything like this in nature until the end of the winter. The team assigned to research and technological development won't be arriving until summer."
Malory grunted thoughtfully. "Did we at least think to bring the empty container up as well? I want to look at it."
"They're working on it as we speak, Commander," McNeely answered.
She spared an approving nod. "Understandably, no one can tell me anything concrete, so I'd like to hear guesses. Do we think it's a power source of some kind? It appears to me that the box holds the crystal in a sort of stasis, anyone concur?"
"We tend to believe its not a power source, Commander," Lenard said, obviously the spokesman for the group. "The spacecraft we believe was of a 'Y' shape construction and we speculate that the center and most forward section was responsible for propulsion. In our estimation, any power source would most likely be found in that area. We assume this container to be nothing more than cargo."
"That would be the section as of yet uncovered and buried deepest within the ice, correct?"
"Yes."
"Why do we assume that the forward section would be responsible for propulsion?"
"It's all theory at this time, of course," Lenard said. "But the deepest section is buried a considerable distance from the others, suggesting an impact with an irresistible force behind it. The craft had to be traveling at an unimaginable speed to bury itself so deeply within the ice."
"Forgive me for being a layman, gentlemen," Malory said. "But if it was traveling at a speed anywhere near what you suggest, how did it survive so intact? I would think it would pretty much disintegrate on impact."
"The material that the craft is constructed from is impossibly resilient. We've been unable to damage it in the slightest, barring of course, exposing it to a nuclear blast."
"Alright, what do you make of this thing and do you believe it dangerous?"
"We're still very much differing in opinions at this time," Lenard said. "But we tend to think that the container is a kind of automobile airbag for the crystal inside."
"Hmmm," she grunted. "So you think the interior of the cube provides an impact cushion for the cargo?"
"Exactly, Commander," Lenard agreed. "How, we don't know or can even guess at this time."
"Very well," Malory said standing to her full height. "If the crystal inside this box was important enough to our alien friends that they felt the need to pack it in a safety box while gallivanting around in an almost invincible starship, we will follow their example. You have until tomorrow at noon to provide me with additional information. At that time, if opinion hasn't altered radically, and you can manage to convince me otherwise, the container will be isolated and secured from further study until it can be examined or transported to the appropriate authorities for investigation."
"But, Commander..." Lenard started.
Malory held up a hand. "You just stated that you're not the people qualified to investigate a discovery of this nature," she interrupted. "Honestly, I have a hard time picturing anyone that is, but I'll not have a potentially dangerous artifact being subjected to casual experimentation. You have until noon tomorrow to study it, then it will be shelved until the right people either take it away or offer me irrefutable proof that it presents no danger."
She paused and waited for her words to sink in. "Mr. McNeely, you will assign a guard to watch over the find until it is stowed."
"Aye, skipper," he said immediately.
"There will be no attempts to breach the interior of this box," she continued. "The guard will have instructions to intervene immediately if my orders are disobeyed in the slightest. Have I made myself clear?"
She met every pair of eyes in the room to convey her resolve and when satisfied, she turned to the Sergeant Major. "Join me outside, Mr. McNeely," she ordered and strode from the room.
---------
Corky entered the mess that evening and smiled reflexively upon spotting Malory, a grin that quietly evaporated as she noted the Commander was conferring quietly with her non-commissioned officers and Lieutenant Ring.
Slightly disappointed that she couldn't join her, she got her meal and chose a seat next to Clovis, who was so deeply involved in a discussion with his gathered colleagues that he didn't notice her.
Feeling somewhat left out, she went about eating her dinner and let the surrounding whispers fly over her unheard as she was quickly immersed in her own thoughts. In fact, she had spent the better part of the day engrossed in the contemplation of her relationship with the infamous Malory Lovecraft. Where once the mere mention of the woman's name was a death by torture offense, it was currently cause for an internal celebration. Now that she had fully indulged in her attraction to the Commander, she couldn't deny the emotions the woman instilled within her. She still wasn't ready to openly admit the depth of her feelings, but internally, she could no longer deny the power of her sentiments.
"Hey, Corky," Clovis said pleasantly.
"Hmmm?" she said distractedly, emerging from her thoughts.
Clovis chuckled knowingly. "Are you feeling alright, Doctor?" he asked mischievously. "You haven't been yourself lately."
Quiet chuckles rumbled from a few of the men and she began to blush in anticipation of another round of teasing. Thankfully, Clovis took pity on her before it got started.
"Give her a break, fellas," he said jovially. "It's been an eventful winter."
She smiled gratefully at her friend, her blush painfully obvious.
"I was just telling my colleagues here," Clovis gestured to the surrounding men. "That as much as we regret the Commander's decision it would be extremely foolish not to honor it."
Corky was suddenly curious. "What decision was that?"
"To isolate our discovery from study until the arrival of the R and D team."
"What discovery?"
"Where have you been today?" Clovis asked inquiringly. "It's all anyone has been talking about."
"In Medical, of course."
"I'm surprised you don't know," Clovis said. "We were able to enter the section of spacecraft uncovered by the cave in the other day. We found a container with some sort of crystal floating inside."
"Really?" Corky asked intrigued. "What is it?"
"We don't know," Clovis replied. "We hadn't had it in the lab for half an hour when Lovecraft informed us that we only had until lunch tomorrow to study it before it went into storage."
"Why did she do that?"
"Because we don't know what it is or what it's capable of and admittedly, there is no one present really qualified to make a determination on its safety."
"That seems practical, what's the problem?"
"A few among us feel that we're here for investigation and study and to deny us that, defeats the purpose of our mission here."
"Well, that's a reasonable argument," Corky admitted.
"That's what I was telling my friends here," Clovis said. "We have two opposing viewpoints with merit but the fact is, Lovecraft is in charge and she made an informed decision. And personally, after experiencing her ire firsthand, I can see why she was chosen to head our operation here."
"Why do you say that, Clovis?" she asked, interested in his opinion.
"Because she's no paper tiger," he replied. "Some of the guys think that just because she's virtually nonexistent in the day to day stuff around here that they can convince her to reverse her decision on today's find. I've been attempting to persuade them from trying."
"What would it hurt to try?" Corky asked.
"Because she's made a decision and it's final. Questioning that would only insure that the time we do have for study would be taken away immediately."
"I guess I don't understand," she admitted.
"What we're doing here involves a new frontier, Corky," Clovis said. "Discovering technology a thousand years ahead of us implemented thousands of years before us is without precedent. We really have no idea how advanced these beings were and toying with that constitutes an unknown. Who knows how dangerous that could be? I agree with her decision."
Corky grunted thoughtfully, recalling Malory's thoughts on the subject from earlier.
"So how is Dr. Ballenger?" Dr. Tanaka asked, changing the subject.
Corky was in the middle of her answer when she saw Malory stand from her table to exit the room and she hurried through her response, anxious to be in the Commander's company.
---------
When Corky entered Malory's quarters it was just in time to see her fasten the last button on a Red Sox baseball jersey that hung halfway down her thighs.
"Hey," she said brightly.
"Hey yourself," Malory said with a happy smile.
"You turning in early?"
"Yeah, but I was hoping you'd join me."
"Of course," she said thoughtfully. "You look kinda tired, is something wrong?"
"Just a strange day," she admitted. "Has me feeling a little weird."
"Want me to make you feel better?" she asked demurely.
"Is that a proposition?"
"Maybe," she said teasingly. "Can I borrow a sleep shirt?"
"Sure," Malory replied, bending to pull one from her footlocker and tossing it over.
"Thanks," Corky said cheerfully, immediately starting to strip out of her clothes and Malory took a seat on the end of her cot to watch the proceedings attentively.
Corky noted the hungry look being cast upon her body and relished the attention. She removed her bra teasingly and let it drop slowly to the ground, smiling happily as pupils dilated starkly against a pale blue background. She had never been looked at with such an open and needy desire and it made her feel both attractive and special.
"You're very beautiful," Malory whispered.
Corky pulled the gray Navy T-shirt over her head and grinned. "Nah, I'm just cute, you're the gorgeous one."
"Don't underestimate yourself," Malory said quietly. "You're the most beautiful thing in the world to me."
Corky smiled and quickly came forward to gift her with a gentle kiss. "You're sweeter than you let on, Malory," she said tenderly, taking a seat on the other end of the cot and resting her back against the wall. "So tell me what's got you feeling weird," she added, patting her lap invitingly.
Malory didn't need to be asked twice and immediately lay down to snuggle up next to her. "This whole thing I guess," she said softly. "Sometimes I think we're messing with something that maybe we shouldn't."
Corky softly stroked the hair in her lap. "If we weren't meant to find it, we never would have," she said fatalistically.
"I wish I could subscribe to that."
"If you had objections, why did you agree to come here?" Corky asked curiously.
"It was a last minute posting," Malory said. "I really had no idea what is was you guys were digging up. I was dispatched overnight and never bothered reading completely though the textbook they gave me in lieu of an in depth briefing. Not that it would've mattered, I had already committed myself."
"Are you sorry you came here?" Corky asked suddenly frightened of the answer.
"Not at all," Malory said quickly. "I would have missed out on finding the rest of my life."
Corky sighed. "I would've never figured you for such a romantic," she said sweetly.
Malory just shrugged and nestled deeper into her lap.
"Are you bothered by that thing they discovered today?"
"A little. It's kinda freaky and there's no tellin' what the damn thing actually is."
"Hmmm," Corky hummed. "So what's the rest?"
"The rest of what?"
"You said it only bothered you a little, what else is on your mind?"
Malory grunted reluctantly.
"Come on, give it up," Corky prodded.
"It's dumb," Malory said dismissively.
"What's dumb?"
"I went to watch a movie this afternoon and fell asleep," Malory mumbled. "I had some sort of awful nightmare I can't remember and I woke up completely terrified. It's been bugging me all day."
"Ahh," Corky soothed. "Were you watching a scary movie?"
"Not really scary, just kinda creepy," Malory said. "An old Vincent Price flick."
"There ya go," Corky pronounced confidently. "Vincent Price always spooks me."
"Yeah, well that's what I keep telling myself," Malory said bringing up an inquisitive hand to pull out the front of Corky's underwear and curiously peeking inside.
Corky swatted her hand away. "Stop that," she chided playfully.
Malory sighed in disappointment. "Yes, Mistress."
"Mistress?" Corky said amusedly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Why nothing, my little dominatrix," she teased. "By the way, last night was the best night of my life," she added, placing a kiss on the thigh she was resting her cheek on.
"It was the best night of my life too," Corky whispered. "I sort of lost control, I'm sorry. I just wanted you really bad."
"That's nothing to be sorry for," Malory said seriously. "I enjoy every second of being with you."
"Then what's with the dominatrix comment?" Corky asked huffily.
"I was just teasing," Malory said amusedly.
"Did I do something you didn't like?" she asked worriedly.
"Of course not," Malory soothed. "Short of beating me, I'd probably like anything you wanted to do to me. It excites me when you're excited and my body is as much yours as it is mine."
Corky grunted thoughtfully. "That leaves open a lot of possibilities," she said slyly.
"I hope so," Malory hummed lasciviously.
Corky stared fondly at the head in her lap. "You give yourself so completely, Malory," she said quietly. "You're an unbelievable lover."
"Only for you."
"Why me?"
"Because I love you."
"How can you say that so convincingly, we've only known each other for such a short time?" she whispered.
"I trust my heart," Malory answered simply.
Corky debated with herself for a moment. "Then how is it you say you know I love you too?" she asked finally, eagerly interested in the answer.
"Because your heart shows what your mind is trying to reconcile."
"Huh?"
"Your mind tells you there's a thousand reasons not to love me, but its arguing a case its already lost to your heart. Its just being stubborn."
Corky dedicated a moment of thought to that. "And you obtained this mage-like wisdom exactly when in your thirty years?" she asked finally.
"The day I fell in love with you."
"And when was this, how did you know?" she asked inquisitively.
"I suspected it from the start but I knew for certain the day I called you to my office," Malory said, rolling over and beaming a smile.
Corky frowned at the memory. "Uh huh," she mumbled. "Was that before or after you left me in there to converse with your dumbshit doll?"
Malory snickered. "It was when you smiled at me even though you hated me and suspected I was up to something."
A reluctant smile. "I remember doing that and actually thinking for a second you were charming," she admitted.
"I am charming," Malory said defensively. "And lovable," she added with a playful smile, looking up at her companion winningly.
Corky chuckled. "How do you walk through doorways with that fat head?"
"I take a deep breath."
"You're something else, Commander," Corky said playfully, leaning over to place a kiss on her forehead.
"Tell me something I don't know," Malory responded smugly, suddenly turning in the doctor's embrace and nipping playfully at her underwear.
"Stop," Corky exclaimed with a giggle. "That tickles," she added, hastily inserting an obstructing hand between her legs.
Malory grudgingly subsided and threw a quick glance up to meet smiling brown eyes. "Let me see," she said seriously.
"Let you see what?" Corky asked modestly.
"Don't tease, let me see," Malory said gravely.
Corky immediately felt the flush of arousal and glanced down at blue eyes that were steadily transfixed upon their target.
"Let me see," Malory repeated impatiently.
The flush quickly became all consuming and Corky let a hand lower to pull aside her panties, revealing herself to avidly watching eyes. Her nipples hardened pleasantly in reaction to Malory's audible breath of anticipation and time dragged on excruciatingly as the Commander made no further movement or requests and just continued to study her from close range. She squirmed under the excitement generated by the intense scrutiny for as long as she could, trying not to crumble. Her resolve faded rapidly.
"Malory, please," she asked beseechingly.
The request was all it took and she was instantly caressed by a long and agonizingly slow stroke of Malory's tongue that resulted in a sharp exhale and a shiver that ran length of her body. Grinding her teeth, she dislodged her lover gently and clasped her legs together in blockade. Breathing deeply of frustration, she turned a look into questioning blue eyes.
"I showed you mine, now show me yours," she demanded.
Malory blinked confusedly but flopped over on her back almost immediately to wiggle out of her underwear, tossing them across the room hastily when they passed her ankles. Still on her back, she looked up at the doctor quizzically and received a raised eyebrow in response.
"I can't see you from there, turn around," Corky said quietly, watching eagerly as Malory spun around and immodestly spread her legs over both sides of the cot to display herself, her eyes dark with expectation.
Corky leaned forward seductively to place both hands behind Malory's knees, slowly forcing her legs up and back until they rested on the panting Commander's chest.
"You'll need to hold these out of the way until I'm finished," Corky purred prettily. "I want you to watch me do this."
Malory readily put her knees behind her elbows, placing her hands under hips to allow herself an even better view of the impatiently awaited event. She bit down on her lip anxiously as Corky hovered and ran investigational fingers over her.
"God, look at you," Corky whispered. "You're so excited," she added softly and abruptly descended, receiving a hastily muffled squeal at the contact.
Malory's head lolled back in pleasure but snapped up almost instantly in perceived denial, shooting a pleading look at Corky that begged her to continue.
"You have to watch. If you don't, I'll stop," Corky explained maddeningly.
Malory nodded urgently in acquiescence, rapt eyes ardently studying the proceedings and grunting in animalistic gratification as lips tenderly covered her. She tried desperately to prolong her release but the pointblank observation of Corky's attentions brought it forward irresistibly and when brown eyes glanced up from their task to meet hers lovingly, it was not to be denied.
"Corky," she whined and then it was upon her.
Corky smiled in satisfaction at Malory's quick and energetic climax, riding the resulting convulsions out merrily and meeting each thrust of her lover's hips with equal fervor. Waiting until legs dropped in an effort to get away before finally relenting and trapping Malory's body beneath her own, falling forward to place kisses on a belly that still shook with the occasional spasm. She waited a moment for Malory to subside and rose to undo the buttons of her jersey, receiving not a whimper of protest as she nursed heavily from the breasts her labor had exposed.
"Cor..." Malory started.
"Bend over," Corky interrupted demandingly, abandoning the attention she was lavishing on the chest below and rising to kneel on the floor.
Malory swallowed excitedly and rolled off onto the floor. Corky patted a space on the cot and she moved forward to obediently to rest her elbows on the spot the doctor had indicated. Meekly allowing Corky to position her as she wished and suddenly gasping when a hand seized her hair forcefully to pull her head back and the other stroked her skillfully, probing softly for access.
"Yes," she rasped throatily, subserviently spreading her legs widely and arching her back in offering.
All of the fine hairs on Corky's body bristled with the thrill of Malory's gift and she placed a soft kiss on her hip before entering her delicately. Her mouth dropping open with desire as Malory gripped the far end of the cot with both hands and thrust backward onto her two extended fingers powerfully, imbedding them within her and crying out loudly. Malory trembled slightly in aftermath and then renewed her thrusts dynamically, moving wantonly with needy intent. Her aggressiveness was so passionate that Corky enthusiastically moved to meet her, moaning quietly as her own stimulation grew by leaps and bounds.
"Take me, Corky."
The breathlessly whined words only added fuel to the fire of her own already brightly burning libido and Corky lustfully increased the power and speed of her thrusts, her hand colliding into and against her lover forcefully. Malory responded to every stroke with a hedonistic grunt, her arousal so evident that Corky could feel it trickling down her arm.
Her whole body pulsated with a previously undiscovered yearning that clamored for immediate attention. Unable to refuse, Corky released the grip she had on Malory's hair to see to her own urgent demands.
Malory's head fell forward at the reprieve and she turned a glassy look over her shoulder, exultantly climaxing as eyes surveyed the scene that greeted her. Her whole body shook with the pleasure of it and she impaled herself on Corky deeply, crying out blissfully in gratification and collapsing to the floor to catch her breath. Letting the sweat of her effort dry slowly, she sighed in contentment as Corky withdrew from her slowly. After a long, calming moment, she rolled over to watch the doctor pleasure herself.
"I love you," she said adoringly.
Corky offered no response but a sharp intake of breath that was accompanied by a rapid escalation of movement from the hand within her underwear.
Malory moved forward gracefully, taking her time and watching the activity with fascination. "Let me take these off so I can see better," she requested quietly, pulling on the waistband of the doctor's underwear and smoothly removing them as Corky fell over onto her back.
Malory placed a kiss on the back of an occupied hand. "I like to watch," she offered thickly.
Corky responded with a little moan, pulling the hem of her nightshirt up over her breasts and raising her legs to provide a better view.
Quickly captivated, it was only when Corky began to emit a series of rapid whimpers that Malory eased forward to gently replace the frantic finger, sighing happily as legs wrapped themselves around her head in ownership. Her eyes rose to catch Corky experimentally tasting the ends of her fingers and the beast within stirred again.
Malory awoke face down on the cot and shot an arm out blindly in annoyance, slapping the harshly screeching alarm across the room to crash into silence. She smiled at the weight still asleep directly on top of her, Corky's breath whispering along the skin of her back pleasingly .
"She loves me," she said knowingly.
"We'll see," Corky mumbled tiredly and Malory chuckled.
"You weren't supposed to hear that," she said amusedly.
"Uh huh," Corky said around a lengthy yawn. "What time did I fall asleep last night?"
"It was right after you sprayed me and proclaimed me your bitch," Malory said seriously.
"I did not," Corky giggled.
"Speaking of which," Malory said uncomfortably. "I need to use the little Commander's room."
Corky chuckled and rolled off to let her rise from the cot, watching in appreciation as she stretched extravagantly upon standing. Her spine popped audibly several times and she grunted in satisfaction.
"Geez," Corky laughed. "Did that feel good?"
"Yep," Malory said cheerfully, striding over immodestly to sit down and relieve herself.
Corky observed in enjoyment. "You're not the least bit shy, are you?"
Malory shrugged. "I'm here with you, why should I be?"
"I dunno," Corky admitted. "I think it's sort of sexy actually."
"Watching me go to the bathroom is sexy?"
Corky snickered and rolled her eyes, flopping over on her back to stare at the ceiling. "So, what song are you named after?" she asked over the sound of a flushing toilet.
"What brought that to mind?" Malory asked inquisitively.
"Dunno, suddenly curious I guess."
"An old Bob Dylan tune, 'Quinn, the Eskimo'," Malory said mildly as she stood to wash her hands.
"Never heard of it," Corky said. "Are you part Eskimo?"
"No," she chuckled. "How many Eskimos have you ever seen with red hair and blue eyes?"
"Then I don't get it," Corky admitted amusedly, craning her head around to look at her. "How does it go?"
Malory finished drying her hands and turned to Corky with a smile. "Come all without!" she sang noisily as she gyrated ineptly and Corky instantly slapped a hand over her mouth. "Come all within. You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn!"
"Oh, my God! You're such a boner." Corky buried her face in the blankets and laughed delightedly.
"What?" Malory said indignantly, scowling.
Dancing brown eyes peeked out at her. "Was that the Cabbage Patch?" she snickered.
"What are you talking about?" Malory asked confusedly, placing her hands on her hips in annoyance.
"Never mind," Corky chuckled. "Maybe it was just funny because I never saw anyone do it in the nude or with such a complete lack of rhythm."
Malory stomped her foot irritably and Corky hid her face again to indulge in a fresh gale of laughter.
"I do too have rhythm," Malory protested childishly.
Corky rolled over and regarded her lover with a teasing smile. "Whatever you say, Deputy Fife," she snickered and sat up to launch into a comically exaggerated and manic Don Knotts impersonation. "You've got to nip it! Nip it in the bud!"
Corky fell onto her back guffawing in hilarity and Malory growled huffily before pouncing on top of her.
Corky shrieked with laughter and thrashed about wildly, struggling fruitlessly to get away from the Commander's tickling fingers.
"Malory stop!" she pleaded desperately.
The tormenting fingers gradually came to a halt and Malory cast a narrow-eyed gaze upon her heavily breathing companion, waiting until she let her guard down and then darting forward to capture a nipple between her teeth.
Corky yelped and swatted the top of Malory's head. "Why did you do that?" she asked confusedly.
"Don't tease me," Malory stated immaturely.
Corky grinned. "Somebody can dish it out but can't take it," she announced playfully.
"Maybe," Malory admitted quietly, placing a tender healing kiss on Corky's breast.
Corky petted the head on her chest softly. "Aww," she soothed. "Don't be such a big baby."
Malory mumbled incoherently and lay her head on Corky's stomach.
"I'm so exhausted," Corky said after a moment. "And my tummy kinda hurts."
"Maybe it's something you ate?" Malory offered slyly.
"Ya think?" Corky asked with a chuckle.
"Could be," Malory speculated. "Maybe from now on I should wipe front to back."
Corky's face slowly scrunched up in disgust. "That's revolting."
Malory chuckled juvenilely.
"You would horrify my mother," Corky predicted sadly. "I'll have to train you before you meet my parents."
Malory smiled. "You want me to meet your parents?" she asked excitedly.
Corky groaned internally at the unconscious slip but forged ahead bravely. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Yeah, I do."
Malory squealed girlishly in delight and crushed the doctor in an enthusiastic embrace. "Told you."
Corky rolled her eyes but played along. "Told me what?"
"You love me," Malory stated triumphantly.
Corky grunted indifferently.
"Commander?" the radio squawked.
"Damn it," Malory said immaturely, rolling over Corky to snatch the radio from the nightstand. "Go ahead."
"You said you wanted to look at the second container this morning," McNeely said.
"Yeah, I do. But does it have to be so early?"
"No," McNeely chuckled. "I just assumed sailors rose with the sun like the rest of us grunts."
"Is the ship sinking?"
"Not that I'm aware of," McNeely said in obvious amusement.
"Then let me take a shit, shower, and shave and I'll get with you later."
"Understood," he said around a laugh. "McNeely, out."
Corky listened to the conversation with interest, a small scowl etching her features, she opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by a heavy breast that squashed into her face as Malory rolled over her again to put the radio back.
"God, these cots suck," she said irritably. "They're too small."
"Tell you what," Malory said charitably. "If you're a good girl, I'll requisition a larger one for summer."
"Really?" Corky asked. "Can you do that?"
"Sure," she said casually, noting the slight scowl being directed at her. "What's with the look?"
"It bothers me a little that you get along with everyone so easily," she admitted. "You can be one of the guys and one of the girls. How do you do that?"
Malory grunted thoughtfully. "I never really thought about it," she said honestly. "Why would that bother you?"
"I guess it makes me feel like I'm being left out of something," she answered slowly.
"Corky," Malory soothed. "In an official capacity, I'm in charge here and there are parts of that you can't be involved in. But personally, I'm yours completely and would never intentionally exclude you from anything."
She grunted, slightly mollified.
"Would it make you feel better if I let you have your way with me?"
A small smile. "Would you let me spray you?"
Malory laughed. "You've already done a pretty thorough job of marking me. I wouldn't be surprised if there was another pack of cigarettes outside my door."
Corky's eyes widened in alarm.
"I'm just kidding," she chuckled. "My quarters are pretty isolated," she added and received a playful swat.
"Ha, ha," Corky said childishly.
"You never told me," Malory asked curiously. "Anyone tease you about that?"
"I took some ribbing." Corky said mildly. "But surprisingly, it wasn't as horrible as I imagined."
"I kinda figured," Malory said knowingly.
"You did, huh?"
"Sure, these guys have been down here a long time. Unless some of them are butt buddies, I would think they all indulge on a regular basis," she speculated jovially. "Of course, you don't hear them scream out in the middle of the night like they're being fucked with a chainsaw. They're much more discreet, unlike someone who shall remain nameless," she added with an irritating cackle.
Corky favored her with a displeased frown. "Do you ever listen to yourself? Your language is appalling and your terminology is offensive," she said indignantly.
"What did I say?" Malory asked innocently.
Brown eyes narrowed. "You're not meeting my Mommy until you clean up your act," she said sternly, crossing her arms over her chest.
---------
Malory took her time getting to the lab, arriving just before lunchtime to pay heed to the gathered scientists. Judging by the expressions on those in attendance, she expected it to be a short meeting. Prior to hearing them out, she decided to inspect the second container and found it identical to the first with the exception of an empty interior and missing panel. She choked down a sudden feeling of uneasiness but kept a face of utter impassiveness, not entirely convinced that the vacant cube wasn't an omen of sorts.
"Okay," she said finally. "Let's hear it," she added, turning an expectant look on Dr. Lenard.
The man cleared his throat. "It seems there's no evidence or theory we can provide that would convince you that the find does not present a danger," he said unenthusiastically.
"That's pretty much what I expected."
"However," Lenard continued. "We believe we found out how to open it."
Blue eyes narrowed. "That's besides the point and you know it. Under no circumstances would I allow the contents to be exposed to the populace here without some pretty goddamn convincing assurances," she rumbled quietly.
"No one is suggesting removing the crystal, just exposing it to a more informative study," he explained hastily.
"Out of the question," she said strictly.
Lenard opened his mouth to reply but paused thoughtfully, slowly nodding his consent.
"Very well," Malory said with a nod of her own. "I want both containers secure in cold storage within the hour."
"Alright, Commander," Lenard said quietly, watching her turn and tread from the room.
"Damn it," Grey hissed as the door shut behind her.
"We knew hours ago what she would do," Lenard sighed. "Let's get them moved, we have a lot more to do in excavation."
"I'll take care of it," Grey offered reluctantly. "Could someone send Cohen in to give me hand? Have him grab one of the flatbeds so we can haul 'em away."
Lenard nodded as he shuffled to the door to grab Cohen, waving for the rest of his companions to join him and eventually leaving Grey in the room alone and unguarded.
As the last body filtered out of sight, he immediately turned and ran his hand along one of the top seams, his fingertips deftly locating the small indentations. Knowing he didn't have much time, he rummaged through a nearby desk for two unsharpened pencils and gingerly pushed them, eraser first, into the small holes.
A second went by, then two without result and he began to think that they had been mistaken after all. Disappointed, he removed the pencils and was in the process of turning away when the clear top panel began to color a strange gray hue and then separate, retreating liquidly into the seams of all four sides.
As if sensing the change, the material inside the crystal began to churn within itself violently and then calmed as abruptly as it started; the color, once a brilliant blue, fading to a muddy red. Fascinated, Grey put the pencils in his pocket and leaned over to inspect, pulling his face away in surprise when the top of the crystal opened with a separation that made triangles out of the upper four sides of the octahedron.
Cautiously, he leaned over to look inside.
---------
Malory was only a few potato chips into her lunch when the alarm klaxon brought her aggressively out of her seat. She shared a quick look at McNeely and got an unknowing shrug in return.
"I have a man down in the lab, request assistance," Cohen nervously reported over the intercom.
She tried to ignore the fear that clung to her spine and broke into a run, aware of McNeely's heavy footsteps pounding behind her. As she raced down the hall that led to her destination, she found several people already milling outside uncertainly and she brushed past them to enter the lab. She came to a complete halt as she met Cohen standing in front of the glass door and staring inside, her eyes followed his gaze to see both alien containers empty and Grey face down on the floor in front of them. Her fear strengthened its hold on her spine and for a second she was unable to find her voice. When she finally did, her tone was furious.
"Mother fucker!" she exclaimed. "What the hell happened?" she asked turning a glare on the young Airman.
"I went to get a flatbed so we could transport the cubes," he said oddly. "When I got here, the cube was empty and Dr. Grey was on the floor."
"Why didn't you go in?" McNeely asked gruffly.
"He was screaming," Cohen said hauntingly. "He was screaming like nothing I ever heard before. It was...it was..."
"Alright, son," McNeely interrupted. "We need to get him out of there."
Malory nodded absently, her eyes frantically searching the interior of the room.
"Commander," McNeely prompted.
She took a deep breath and held out a hand. "Airman, your rifle," she ordered quietly and he handed it over inattentively.
"Commander, I don't think that's a good idea," McNeely said stiffly and turned to yell out into the hall. "Hanson, Terrel, get in here," he barked.
"No," Malory said softly. "I won't risk anyone else, just keep the door open and shut it as soon as I get back in here."
"Absolutely not," McNeely said sternly. "I'll go in your place."
"I'm not going to argue with you, Sergeant," Malory said distractedly.
"Malory don't," Corky said quietly.
The Commander turned in surprise, unaware that Corky had entered the room and was staring at her fearfully, fretfully wringing her hands.
McNeely spared a confused glance at the doctor. "Commander, I insist," he said just as Hanson and Terrel burst through the bodies crowded in the hall.
"Commander, your rifle, please," McNeely requested, holding out a hand.
She spared Corky another glance and handed the Sergeant her rifle. "Cohen, clear the hall and get Percy or Coy in here with a stretcher. Move," she ordered harshly, turning her attention to McNeely as he raced into the hall.
"I'll hold the door," she said. "Get Grey out of there as quickly as you can, don't stop to sightsee."
"Understood," McNeely said. "Move it, I'll cover," he added with a gesture to Hanson and Terrel. "Just grab him by the arms and yank him out of there."
They nodded and Malory moved to open the door. "Ready?"
She received nods in response and quickly wrenched the door open, allowing Hanson and Terrel to race through, followed closely by McNeely who stood by the door, his rifle raised to protect the scrambling men.
It was a quick exercise as both men roughly grabbed Grey by the arms and dragged him hastily across the floor, dumping him unceremoniously as they passed the threshold, McNeely jumping back in after them. Malory slammed the door and locked it, missing the darting Sergeant by a hairsbreadth in her haste.
Corky dropped to the body, rapidly checking his vitals as Percy and Coy rushed in with a stretcher. "He's alive but his pulse is weak, let's move him, now," she said urgently and Grey was hastily loaded onto the stretcher and rushed from the room.
Malory watched them go. "I want an armed guard posted exactly where I'm standing until I say otherwise. No one is to enter the lab under any circumstances and have Cohen and Lenard report to my office and then join me there, Mr. McNeely."
"Aye, skipper."
---------
The Commander sat behind her desk glaring at both the young Airman and Dr. Lenard as she waited for McNeely to arrive. Her eyes kept straying to Cohen who was still pale from his earlier experience and seemingly unaffected by the irritated and upset scrutiny being cast upon him by his superior. On the outside she hoped she was portraying a countenance of confidence but was all too aware that on the inside, she was perilously close to an unreasoning fear. It was a feeling that had been growing exponentially since the discovery of an alien within the ice and had intensified itself dramatically upon recent experiences.
Finally, the Sergeant Major arrived, closing the door behind him and standing quietly just inside the room.
"Grab the chair out of my quarters, Sergeant," Malory offered and he gave her a slight nod. Entering her room and returning a second later to seat himself.
"Alright," she said after a deep breath. "What the fuck happened?"
Both men remained silent so she turned a glare on Lenard. "Well?"
"I'm afraid I don't know, Commander," he said honestly. "Grey stayed behind after you left the lab to transport the cubes to storage. He instructed one of us to have Cohen grab a flatbed, which he did, and that's all I know."
"So he was alone in the lab?" she asked.
"I would assume so."
"Airman, how long were you away from your post?"
"No more than five minutes, Commander," he said quietly.
Malory leaned back in her chair. "Doctor, you told me you believed you could open the cube. Do you think Grey might have taken the opportunity to try?"
Lenard hummed thoughtfully. "I want to say no, but he was disappointed about your decision to shelve it. I'd like to think he's more responsible than that."
"Could he have opened it in five minutes?"
"Possibly," Lenard said. "Along the seams of the top panel there are two small holes. The depressions are sized and spaced to accommodate what we theorized was one of the alien's hands, or to be more precise, fingers. However, I stress that our assumption was just a theory."
She ground her teeth angrily. "Then our beloved Dr. Grey had more than enough time to test the theory."
"All he had to do was find something small enough to fit in the depressions," Lenard admitted. "But that, of course, isn't a guarantee to open the container. It was pretty much a guess on our part that it might be that simple."
"Airman," Malory sighed, "what exactly did you see when you returned with the flatbed?"
"He was lying face down on the floor, screaming," he said distantly. "Screaming, like... like...it was indescribable."
"Is that all?" Malory asked reluctantly.
"Yes, Commander," Cohen answered. "He was just scre..." he paused, "...wait, I think... never mind."
"Please, continue," Malory said firmly.
"It was hard to make out, his voice was so... so strained but I think he might have said worms," Cohen admitted shakily.
"Worms?" McNeely finally spoke.
"Yes, I think so, Sergeant," Cohen confirmed.
Malory stiffened in an almost panic and sprang to her feet to grab her radio. "Dr. Rivers, respond immediately!"
A second that lasted ten years.
"Go ahead."
Malory almost swayed in relief. "Doctor, does Grey have any signs of being infected by an intruder?"
"What?" Corky asked sharply.
"Cohen believes that Grey might have said worms before losing consciousness."
"Worms?"
"Yes."
"Not to my knowledge, but I'll reexamine his blood sample," Corky said confusedly. "Dr. Grey seems to be uninjured although comatose. His blood pressure and body temperature are extremely low, I can't find a reason for it."
"Please, let me know as soon as you learn anything."
"Alright," Corky said slowly. "Rivers, out."
Malory sat the radio on her desk. "Mr. McNeely dispatch an armed guard to Medical and round up Reynolds, Alvarez, Hanson, and Terrel. We're going to go into that lab," she ordered and he stood to grab his radio.
"Oh, and Sergeant," she added before he could speak. "We'll need a couple of flamethrowers. Dr. Lenard, you'll be joining us."
---------
McNeely tore off his gas mask and kicked it down the hall in frustration, they had spent the last six hours searching every square centimeter of the lab and had come up empty. Malory echoed the man's sentiments as she slid down the wall she was leaning against and rested her rifle upright between her legs. She sighed and rested the back of her head against the wall.
"I don't get it," she murmured quietly.
"I don't either," McNeely agreed.
"Commander," Reynolds said as he emerged from the lab and tore off his mask. "The cubes have been stored, any further orders?"
"Contact the appropriate authorities and inform them of the situation we've encountered," she ordered. "And you might as well let everybody loose for the evening except those on guard duty."
"Very well, Commander," he replied. "Have a good evening."
"You too, Chief," she said sparing a small smile.
McNeely took a seat beside her in the hall as the rest of the men filtered past, waiting until everyone was out of earshot to speak. "What do you make of it, skipper?"
"I don't know, but I got a case of the crawling creeps."
"You think Grey opened the damn thing?"
"Yeah," Malory sighed. "Yeah, I do. I feel like an ass for not watching over it with my own eyes until it was stored. The idiot had to have done it right after I left the goddamn room."
"None of this is your fault," he said seriously.
She spared him a glance. "It feels like it," she admitted.
"That's because you're the skipper and a damn good one," he said honestly. "You're not responsible for the people that disobey your directives. Just as you're not responsible for the unstable conditions in excavation and you're most certainly not responsible because some jackass decided to open that damn box."
"But I am," Malory said tiredly. "I'm responsible for the actions of everyone under my command and that includes the civilians."
"Yes, to a point you are," he agreed. "But you're beating yourself up over something you're not expected to have complete control over."
"Maybe," she admitted hesitantly.
He sucked on his teeth. "Tell me, Commander," he said casually, "why a sailor with no climbing experience would go over the edge of a lethal drop in order to save a life? While you're at it, tell me how a twenty-four year old junior Lieutenant with a gunshot wound and ruined arm could manage to keep herself and a man roughly twice her weight afloat in the ocean for almost two days? And please tell me how a woman who was obviously scared shitless found the courage to prepare to go alone into that lab earlier today?"
She turned a thoughtful look in his direction. "Adrenaline?" she offered lamely.
He chuckled. "Don't hand me that shit."
She shrugged. "You obviously had a look at my file."
"Of course, I did," he admitted nonchalantly. "I expected a Colonel or above, not a female 0-4."
"Sorry to disappoint you," she said sarcastically.
"On the contrary, I don't think they could've picked a better person."
Malory smiled. "You trying to get a blush out of me or cheer me up?"
Another chuckle. "I would've liked the blush but I'll settle for a pick me up."
"You sly dog," she said happily. "Looks like you're not gonna let me feel sorry for myself."
"Nope," he agreed cheerfully. "But I'll sober you up."
"I didn't know I was drunk."
"You keep an excellent poker face but your girlfriend doesn't."
Malory tensed. "My girlfriend?"
"The good doctor," he said offhandedly.
"Well, yes," Malory said slowly. "We're friends."
"Don't bullshit a guy that has fifteen years on you," he chided. "I'm just pointing this out to you because if it became common knowledge, they'd pull you out of here at the first opportunity. I don't want that to happen."
Malory grunted. "Does anyone else know?" she asked curiously.
"I imagine I'm the only one."
"How did you find out?"
"I caught the first clue today when she called you by name and looked about ready to cry to keep you from going into the lab. I knew for sure when you sent me into your quarters to get a chair and I found a set of medical scrubs draped over the back," he explained easily.
"Busted," she admitted resignedly. "I take it you don't have a problem?"
"Please," he said dismissively. "I was actually kinda hoping you would share your technique with me."
"What?" Malory said around a surprised laugh.
"Now that I realize that the doctor wasn't alone in her quarters the other night, I'd like to know how you get a woman to scream like that. An aging stud like myself is always on the lookout for new pointers."
Malory had started laughing before he finished. "That is one discussion we will never have."
He laughed with her. "You won't even throw me a bone?"
Malory shook her head amusedly. "Try going without for thirteen years while spending half of each day thinking about it."
He chuckled quietly and grasped her on the shoulder companionably as he rose to his feet. "You're a stronger man than I am, Commander."
"That remains to be seen," she said cheerfully, rising to her feet as well. "Let's keep a guard on Grey. I've got a bad feeling."
"I'll see to it," he said agreeably.
She grinned, watching him walk away and letting him go a few steps. "And Doug?"
He stopped and turned a look over his shoulder.
"Thanks."
"My pleasure," he said with a rakish grin.
She watched him go with a genuine smile.
---------
Corky watched Malory enter Medical and stop to speak quietly with the young, machinegun-toting Coy, who would be serving as both nurse and guard for the duration of the evening. When the conversation was over, she shot her a wink and went to share a few words with the convalescing Dr. Ballenger. Her rounds apparently completed, she favored her with a bright smile.
"Care to join me for dinner, Dr. Rivers?" she asked politely.
"Sure," Corky said casually. "Let me meet you there in about ten minutes?"
"Okay, see ya in a few," Malory agreed easily and turned to amble out into the hall.
Lest Coy might observe, Corky tried not to watch the sway of the Commander's hips as she walked away. She was only partially successful and mentally chastised herself for the failure. Earlier, she had come to the inescapable conclusion that she was in love with Lt. Commander Malory Lovecraft. The idea only so shocking because of her reluctance to admit it and the full weight of that knowledge had struck with the force of a ton bricks when she had watched her openly frightened lover prepare to enter the lab alone. Watching Malory struggle with her fear had scared her as well and when the Sergeant had intervened, it was all she could do to keep from hugging the man. With a sigh, she rose from her seat and looked in on her patients one last time prior to relaying last minute instructions to Coy.
When she entered the mess, she was disappointed to see Malory sitting across from McNeely and engaged in conversation. She scanned the room for alternative company and came up empty as the only other people present were DeSoto and Butler.
Scowling, she got a tray and made for a vacant table but paused uncertainly when Malory waved her over. She shot a cautious look at her companion and received a nod and another wave so she padded over, choosing a seat across from her and next to McNeely.
"Hi guys," she said brightly.
"Good evening, Doctor," McNeely said with a curious smile.
"Dr. Rivers," Malory said amusedly. "How is Dr. Grey?"
Their demeanor instantly brought up her guard and she narrowed her eyes covertly at the intriguingly smiling Commander. "No change but stable," she said slowly. "I can't find a reason for his symptoms. I have several tests I'd like to run tomorrow, hopefully they'll be a little more conclusive."
"I see," Malory said quietly. "No sign of an intruder in his system?"
"None that I can find at the moment," Corky replied clinically.
Malory digested this thoughtfully as she slowly assumed an alarmingly innocent expression. "Mr. McNeely asked me a question earlier and was quite disappointed when I wouldn't answer it. Perhaps you'd have better luck with Dr. Rivers, Sergeant," she said mildly.
McNeely abruptly stopped chewing the food in his mouth, his eyes widening and then narrowing into deadly slits.
"What question is that?" Corky asked cautiously, not liking in the slightest the look on Malory's face.
McNeely hurriedly swallowed his food in one large gulp. "Nothing of any real importance, Doctor," he said hastily.
"Would it be easier if I presented it to Dr. Rivers for you, Sergeant?" Malory asked helpfully.
He pursed his lips thoughtfully. If the Commander presented the question, it would only succeed in embarrassing him and the doctor. In his estimation, it would only be fair to capture the devious woman in her own trap. "No, I can handle it," he said amiably. "Dr. Rivers, I asked the Commander earlier if she would inform me as to what exactly she was doing to you the other night that resulted in the screams that woke the entire facility."
Corky gasped in surprise and McNeely ignored his own blush as he pleasantly observed the crimson beginning to flagrantly cover the Commander's face.
Malory chuckled slightly at having been outmaneuvered. "You crafty bastard," she said amusedly. "Oww!" she yelped as her shin was kicked from across the table.
"I can't believe you," Corky hissed angrily.
"I didn't tell him anything," Malory defended lamely.
McNeely's blush faded and he went back to the business of eating his meal, casually observing the entertainment unfolding around him.
Corky fumed, her face an angry shade of red. "Do you want us both to lose our jobs?" she asked heatedly.
"That's not something we have to worry about as far as the Sergeant Major is concerned," Malory explained as she reached down to rub her wounded shin.
"You could have at least given me a little warning," Corky accused.
"Where would the fun be in that?" Malory replied with a chuckle.
Corky huffed and crossed her arms over chest, glaring dangerously at her moronic girlfriend. "Well, to answer your question, Sergeant," she growled. "I was screaming because our clueless leader could lick the stripes off an asphalt highway."
McNeely had to bring a hand up to cup his mouth in order to prevent spitting his food across the table and he struggled to get himself situated, risking a quick glance across the table. The Commander had her head stooped and a hand covering her eyes, the hand a severe white in contrast to the visible and almost purple forehead.
Corky smiled victoriously and haughtily went about finishing her dinner, occasionally casting triumphant little looks at the hiding Commander.
"On that note," Malory mumbled. "I'm obviously 0 for 2 this evening and will try to finish my dinner with a modicum of dignity," she added, emerging from her refuge bravely and pointedly ignoring the looks being cast upon her.
"Doctor, is there a series of exercises you could prescribe that might strengthen my skill in that area?" McNeely asked cheerfully, relishing Malory's sigh of defeat and Corky's fresh blush.
---------
"Well, that could have gone better for me," Malory said dejectedly as she flung herself onto her cot.
Corky shut the door to Malory's quarters and chuckled. "Ya know, I like that man," she said jovially. "He had you twisting and churning."
"Yeah," Malory admitted. "He kicked my ass. I'll have to think up a suitable punishment."
"Don't be a poor sport," Corky chided. "You started it."
Malory grunted into the blankets.
"How long has he known?" Corky asked curiously.
Malory rolled over onto her back. "Found out today."
"Is he the only one?"
"Yeah, unless your pal Clovis knows."
"He probably does. He knows about my preference but he hasn't said anything," Corky said mildly. "How did McNeely find out?"
"You called me by name earlier," she said sitting up to unlace her boots. "That and I sent him in here to get the extra chair and he found some of your scrubs."
"Oh," Corky said thoughtfully. "You scared me today."
"I was scared myself," she said honestly, wiggling out of her pants. "This shit freaks me out."
"Do you think whatever was in that thing got inside Grey?"
Malory pulled her sweatshirt over her head and tossed it to the floor. "I have no idea but there wasn't a trace of anything left in the lab. Maybe it just emitted some sort of gas. I just don't know."
Corky came forward to kneel in front of her, reaching around to unclasp her bra. "Is that why you have Coy standing guard in Medical with a rifle?" she asked as she tossed the garment to the ground behind her.
"Yeah," Malory said distantly as Corky's eyes roamed over her chest. "Since you can't find anything wrong with him, I thought it prudent."
Corky leaned in to a pull a nipple into her mouth lovingly. "Do you love me, Malory?"
"You know I do," Malory sighed.
Corky withdrew and flicked at the nipple with her tongue until it hardened. "Then say it," she demanded softly.
"I love you, Corky," she said quietly.
"Are you wet?" she asked as she teased back and forth between breasts.
"Yes," Malory whispered.
"Do you want me?"
"Always."
With a delicate bite on an erect nipple, Corky rose to her feet and began to undress. "Why were you with your first for only one night?" she asked.
"Because I was just curious," Malory answered absentmindedly, her eyes riveted on the figure in front of her.
"Not curious enough to see her again?"
"It didn't work out and I'm glad it didn't."
"Why?"
"Uhm..." she stuttered as panties fell to the ground. "Because I wanted to wait until I felt what I feel with you."
"Was that the only reason?"
"Turn around," Malory requested gently.
"Why?"
"Because I want to see your ass," she said starkly.
Corky smiled and turned around to remove her T-shirt. "You didn't answer my question."
"Uh... yeah," she answered distractedly. "She didn't want to see me again anyway."
"Really? Why?"
"There was...oh boy," she broke off abruptly as Corky bent over deeply at the waist, letting her bra slide off her arms to the floor.
Corky set her feet further apart and wiggled her rear provocatively. "You were saying?" she asked coyly over her shoulder.
"Uh... I don't know, what was I saying?"
"Do you like?" Corky asked teasingly.
Malory could only nod stupidly.
Corky stood and turned around. "Why didn't she want to see you again?"
"Don't tease," Malory whined softly.
"Tell me and I'm yours."
"Because when I took her home that night I ran over her dog when I pulled into the driveway," Malory said quickly.
A hand rose to hide a smile. "You're kidding me, right?"
"No," Malory said, moistening her lips with the tip of a tongue.
Corky couldn't contain her mirth and slowly went from chuckles to an all out belly laugh. She carried on long enough that it completely spoiled the mood for as far as Malory was concerned.
"It wasn't funny," she said indignantly after a moment.
"She had to know it was an accident," Corky laughed.
Malory gave up and flopped onto her back to glare off into space. "She loved that fuckin' dog. She dressed it up in a stupid knitted hat and carried a ridiculous picture of the mutt in her purse."
Corky's eyes twinkled in amusement. "It's not like you did it on purpose."
Malory rolled her eyes and sighed. "After I hit the brakes, she wouldn't move and made me get out to look. It was dark and the driveway was on an incline so when I got to the front of the car I slipped and fell on my ass in a puddle of blood. I freaked out and was hopping all over the place like a big sissy. Anyway, I tried to fling off the little pieces of doggie parts that were on my hands and ended up hurling the pooch's bloody little hat onto the windshield, where it landed with a gross little splat right in front of her face."
Corky brought both hands to her mouth and laughed..
Malory pretended to ignore her. "Understandably, she never called me again."
"You made that up," Corky accused delightedly between chuckles.
"Who in their right mind would make up a story like that and ruin a perfectly good turn on?" she asked irritably.
Corky spent a moment working the giggles out of her system before sensuously climbing onto the cot to cover her lover's body with her own. Legs immediately wrapped themselves around her waist to trap her and she tenderly placed a kiss on Malory's lips. "I love you, Malory," she said softly.
A small gasp was her reward. "Really?" Malory asked meekly.
"Really," Corky confirmed with a whisper, placing gentle kisses on the throat below.
"Say it again," Malory sniffled.
Corky brought her head up in surprise and Malory quickly raised an embarrassed hand to wipe away the tear that had escaped. "I thought you knew?" she inquired warmly.
"I did," Malory sniffled again. "I just didn't realize how badly I wanted to hear it," she added, moving quickly to catch another tear but her hand was intercepted and Corky moved to kiss it away.
"There all better now," Corky said sweetly.
Malory smiled. "Say it again."
"I love you, Malory."
---------
Coy slouched in his chair by the door and yawned powerfully behind his hand. He spared a quick survey of his charges, lingering on the still immobile Dr. Grey before moving on to the sleeping Dr. Ballenger, noting nothing amiss.
When he joined the Coast Guard he never pictured himself performing guard duty in an underground complex at the bottom of the world, yet here he was. He ran a hand through short-cropped blonde hair and sighed, wondering what had possessed him to volunteer for Antarctica. He had spent six months under the tutelage of Dr. Rivers before being seconded to the Department of Defense and thus eventually falling under the command of the newly-assigned Commander Lovecraft.
At first he didn't know what to make of the subtly hostile doctor, although he had to admit that she had certainly loosened up recently. She even flashed a smile in his direction from time to time. He wondered if it had anything to do with the presence of the easygoing Commander, who rumor had it, was extremely formidable if one was unlucky enough to pull a fuck up.
A small whisper of noise came to his ears and he raised his eyes to again scan the interior of the room. Spotting nothing out of the ordinary, he rose and padded across the room to check the status of Dr. Grey.
A few minutes later, he was treading back to his chair, pausing in the middle of his journey to indulge in a yawn and stretch that brought him to his tiptoes. The sound of a rasped gurgle from behind brought him to his heels and he spun to find himself face to face with Dr. Grey. Fear left him motionless as he met eyes rendered frighteningly insane.
Grey brought both hands up and inserted them into his mouth. Without anything but the sound of tearing tissue and cracking bone, he exerted enough force to savagely break his jaw. The corners of his mouth tearing bloodlessly like a fleshy cellophane.
Coy stood mesmerized in terror, all sound and action trapped within a motionless body that refused to respond. It was only when a nest of thick, muddy-red worms filled the doctor's mouth, their tubular bodies contorting in a maddening frenzy, that the rifle came up and he drew in a deep breath to scream.
All sound died in a macabre embrace as his mouth was engulfed by Grey's and filled with a nest of traveling worms, muffling his cries. The invaders fought through his gag reflex unhindered, forcing themselves forward and tearing through soft tissue like barbed needles. His mouth and throat filled with what he knew was blood and his agonized cries filtered silently into labored gurgles. He contorted violently as Grey's teeth cut through his cheeks to solidify their union and he felt his body burning in the wake of the frantically moving intruders. An unholy strength lifted him off his feet and his legs struggled desperately in the air until finally, his activity decreased to a lifeless standstill and his rifle fell uselessly to the floor at his feet.
Percy strolled carelessly down the hall to relieve Coy. His tour of duty ended with the impending summer and he had spent many happy hours contemplating how to enjoy his accumulated funds. In his view, there were benefits to spending a year underground and the best one, in his opinion, was the savings plan. Everything was provided for him and paychecks added up untouched, the funds waiting impatiently for his arrival in an economic environment.
So embroiled in his daydream of an irresponsible spending spree, it took him a moment to seriously register the abandoned rifle laying within a congealing puddle of blood just inside the door to Medical. Stopping in his tracks, he leaped backwards to place his back against the wall of the hallway and hurriedly pulled his gun from his holster. His head turned rapidly back and forth to make sure the hall was clear and he reached for his radio, every sense on heightened alert.
His terse report to the rapidly waking Sergeant Major resulted in the klaxon being activated not five seconds into his explanation.
"Commander Lovecraft and all military personnel report to the hall outside of Medical immediately with weaponry," McNeely barked urgently over the intercom. "All other personnel report to the mess and remain there. This is no drill. Move it people. I say again..."
---------
Malory flew out of bed at the sound of klaxon, dumping a grumpy Corky on the floor.
"What the hell!" Corky complained loudly.
"The alarm," Malory explained curtly, hurriedly slipping into her fatigues and sweatshirt without benefit of any underwear.
Corky sleepily and tardily noted the klaxon, preparing to speak when McNeely's voice reverberated through the complex.
"Jesus," Malory whispered when he was finished and fell to the floor to put on her boots. "Get dressed, hurry. I want you to come with me as far as the mess."
"Shouldn't I go to Medical too?" Corky asked worriedly, reading the depth of fear etched onto Malory's face.
"No!" Malory said sternly. "Hurry, now," she added in a softer tone.
Corky frantically hopped up to get her clothes, trying unsuccessfully to hastily get into her bra when Malory pulled it out of her hands.
"Just pants, shirt, and shoes," she said hastily. "Hurry, sweetheart."
Corky did as she was told, trying to choke down the lump in her throat. Malory's movements were tense and edgy. She got her boots on and had no sooner stood when her hand was grabbed and she found herself being pulled out of the room.
Malory drew her gun as soon as they entered the hall. "You stay in the mess with the others and don't let anybody leave," she ordered, pulling the frightened doctor down the hall rapidly.
They soon found themselves in front of the mess and Malory poked her head inside the door to see people already milling about confusedly. "Go on, now," she said gently, prodding Corky inside.
"Malory..." Corky whined.
"I'll be okay, please go inside now," she interrupted quickly, pecking her cheek speedily and turning to run down the hall.
Corky bit her lower lip in anxiety, trying not to cry. Watching until Malory disappeared around a corner before turning to enter the mess.
---------
As Malory approached Medical she found the soldiers grouped in the hall on either side of the door.
"Report," she said quietly as she came abreast of the men.
"Coy is missing, his weapon is laying just inside the door covered in blood," McNeely whispered. "No one responds from inside and the divider has been drawn so we can't see the infirmary section."
Malory nodded grimly. "Make a hole," she said, waiting for the men to move aside so she could step forward and peek inside.
There was indeed a rifle in the middle of an alarming puddle of drying blood, but more disturbing was the gory footprints tracking from the pool to behind the divider. Even more frightening were the tracks that entered the hall and quickly faded, leaving no trace.
"There are tracks into the hall," she whispered in horror.
"Yes," McNeely confirmed.
She swallowed. "Alvarez, you're up," she barked. "Report to the mess and stand guard."
"Aye, skipper," he said, immediately turning to run down the hall.
"Terrel and Cohen," she ordered. "You're to enter Medical and take positions on either side of the door. Reynolds and Hanson make sure they're clear and then mirror their location. Daly and DeSoto, you have their backs. Nod if you don't understand."
No one nodded.
"Do it."
Terrel and Cohen rushed into the room and slammed their backs against the wall just inside, dropping to a knee and leveling rifles forward. "Clear," Terrel whispered.
Reynolds and Hanson rushed into the room. "Clear."
When Daly and DeSoto were in place she turned to the rest of the men. "Ring, Butler, and Percy, watch the hall. McNeely, you're with me."
McNeely nodded and cocked his rifle. "Ready when you are."
"Let's go."
They entered the room slowly, weapons aimed at the curtain. "Chief, Hanson, take the corners," she ordered and they changed positions. "No one fires without orders."
Bracing herself and holding her pistol tightly, she slowly followed the trail of bloody footsteps to within a body length of the divider that closed off a large section of the room.
"Sergeant, I'll pull it back," she whispered. "You've got the call."
He dropped behind her to one knee. "Understood."
"Say when," she whispered.
"Ready."
She surged forward and quickly pulled the divider open, folding it in upon itself as she hastily crossed the room and dropped to a knee when the journey was complete. She shot a look at McNeely who hadn't moved and was slowly tracking the interior with the barrel of his rifle. He held up a steadying hand, cautiously rising to his feet and making a hand signal that meant he was preparing to move forward.
Malory nodded and gestured Terrel and Cohen to move to cover. From her location she couldn't see but a fraction of the interior and tensely waited for word. It wasn't long in coming.
"Clear," McNeely said oddly. "Commander, you'll need to see this."
Malory didn't like his tone of voice at all, feeling her backbone begin to fidget. "Everybody clear?" she called out.
An affirmative chorus greeted her and she rose to venture forward, closing her eyes briefly in preparation as she observed McNeely standing with his rifle in the crook of his arm, his other hand over his mouth.
Reluctantly, she peered around the broad shouldered Sergeant and instantly turned away with an involuntary gag. "Jesus Christ," she choked out.
She forced herself not to look at the remains and took a deep breath before reaching for her radio. "Sergeant Alvarez?"
"Go ahead."
"Status?"
"Everyone safe and accounted for except Grey, Coy, and Ballenger," he reported.
She sighed in relief. "Stay put and drop anyone or anything that enters the mess without prior radio contact. Daly and Cohen incoming."
"Understood, out."
"Daly and Cohen, report to the mess to assist Tech Sergeant Alvarez," she ordered. "Don't dawdle, we got one dead here and two missing."
"Yes, ma'am," Daly said quickly and they both ran out of the room, their footsteps pounding down the hall.
She put her radio back on her belt and holstered her weapon, taking a long moment to compose herself before turning to the sight that awaited.
"Is that Dr. Ballenger?" she asked quietly.
"Yes," McNeely confirmed. "The pieces of broken plaster suggest that his cast was broken off before they ate him."
"God," Malory whispered in revulsion.
The corpse in front of her had been ravaged almost to the bone. Even the top of his skull had been broken open from the eye sockets to reach the brain matter inside, his chest cavity reduced to a gaping hole deep enough to expose his spine. His groin and legs nothing but a few strips of flesh that clung stubbornly to gleaming white bone.
"Percy," she barked suddenly. "Get a body bag. The rest of you gather around, we got a big fuckin' problem."
---------
Corky sat fearfully next to a concerned Clovis. She had heard Malory issue the orders over Alvarez's radio to open fire on anyone who entered the mess without announcing themselves. She had no idea what could present that much of a danger and dwelling on it only succeeded in scaring her more than she already was. Since Daly and Cohen had arrived, there had been no further word nor any other developments and she was desperately worried about the Commander's welfare.
When the other two soldiers had arrived, they had conversed quietly in a corner of the room with Alvarez and she had forcefully clamped down on the desire to go ask them what was going on. Not that they would tell her, but the impulse to try and weasel something out of them was hard to deny.
"You okay, Corky?" Clovis asked gently. "You've been too quiet for a while now."
"Yeah, just scared," she admitted.
"I know the feeling," he agreed. "Those guys look pretty damn serious," he added with a gesture to the soldiers.
She spared a glance at the grim looking men, holding their rifles at the ready. "Yeah, yeah they do."
"I'm sure it'll be okay," he said comfortingly.
"I hope so," she whispered.
He offered her an enormous hand. "Here," he said softly and she gratefully placed her hand in his.
"Thanks," she said with a little smile.
"I came by your quarters to get you when the alert sounded," he said teasingly. "No one was home and the bed hadn't been slept in. Can I make a guess as to where you were?"
She spared an amused glance at her friend. "You'd probably get it right," she admitted.
He chuckled. "She won ya over, did she?"
"Very much so," Corky said wistfully.
"I'm happy for you," he said sincerely. "Never fear, I'll keep your secret."
"Thanks, Clovis," she said cheerfully.
"You worried about her?"
"Yeah, I think that's scaring me more than anything else."
"Don't be, that woman is hell on wheels when it comes down to the wire," Clovis said casually. "Trust me, she had me believing that she was going to kick the shit out of me the other day. No mean feat considering one of my arms is damn near the size of both of her legs."
Corky chuckled. "She's really not as tough as she lets on."
"No one is, Corky."
She turned a thoughtful look in his direction but was brought up short when Malory's voice came from the Alvarez's radio.
"We're coming in, Sergeant."
"Very well," Alvarez replied.
Every head in the room looked up anxiously as Malory entered the room followed by a squadron of heavily armed men. She strode to the front of the room and sat upon a folding table, placing her rifle between her legs.
"First of all," she started, "get comfortable because everyone is staying in this room until further notice."
Several questions rang out but she held up a hand to silence them. "As you may or may not know, the container discovered in excavation was opened by Dr. Grey, an action that appeared to leave him in a coma. That is until last night, when he apparently attacked Petty Officer Coy who was standing guard in Medical. It's our guess that Dr. Grey was infected by something from within that container, which he in turn infected Coy with."
"Why do you say that, Commander?" Lenard asked curiously.
"Because Dr. Ballenger is dead," she said bluntly. "And both Grey and Coy are missing."
A horrified rumble.
"You think they killed Dr. Ballenger?" Clovis braved.
"We know they did," she said quietly. "We know this because there were two sets of bloody foot prints leading away from and surrounding Dr. Ballenger's corpse."
"Why did they kill him?" Isaaks asked.
"They didn't just kill him, people," she said. "They ate him. We pretty much put a skeleton in a body bag."
"Oh, my God!"
"You can't be serious!"
"They ate him?"
"What?"
Malory again held up a hand. "In case, you missed it," she said loudly. "There are two people walking around down here with full stomachs that are still unaccounted for. Until they are found and removed, no one leaves this room unless I say so. I would order an evacuation but we're in the middle of winter and travel isn't feasible. The weather outside is violent and will remain that way for weeks according to the last reports. Also, we cannot at this time send any word because communications are down and understandably, I won't be sending anyone to the silo to clear the dome until this is resolved."
She sighed in the silence that followed, sparing a quick glance at Corky and noting the regretful tears shining in her eyes, realizing she had lost a patient.
"What are we going to do?" Lenard asked.
"After we grab something to eat, I'm going to assemble teams to search and create a safety perimeter. And until we can expand that perimeter to include the central complex we'll all be stuck in here. No one is to go anywhere alone. Not even to the bathroom. Now, I'm in no mood to answer any questions and I have a long day ahead. I'll only say that I don't want to ever see anything again like I did this morning and if I have to issue orders to shoot those disobeying my directives from this point forward, I will. There are a lot of lives at stake here and I won't have one or two fools like Grey endangering the entire group as a whole. I hope I've made myself clear," she said tiredly. "Let's get some breakfast going so we can get started."
---------
Malory conferred quietly with the soldiers until the food had been prepared then strode again to the front of the room.
"Lieutenant, Sergeants, Chief, Doctors Rivers, Stokes, Lenard, Watkins, and Isaaks, please join me," she called out loudly and strode over to take a seat at a vacant table.
She played with her food until they arrived, happy when Corky sat down next to her and placed a possessive hand on her leg.
"Lieutenant," she started, "I know I should have asked earlier but what are the chances of flying out of here if the weather breaks?"
"A fraction above zero," he said quickly. "We're too far away from any outpost, foreign or domestic, to hope for a suitable break in weather. There won't be one long enough until summer. The current temperatures would freeze the aircraft's hydraulic systems."
"I guess I knew that," she sighed. "Once we've cleared a safe perimeter and if at that time we haven't located Grey or Coy, we'll barricade ourselves in and proceed from there. That will at least allow us to return to quarters."
"We'll have to secure Operations and Mechanical, Commander," McNeely said.
"Good point," she agreed.
"Don't you think this may be a little drastic?" Watkins braved. "It's just two guys."
Malory favored him with a blank look. "Dr. Watkins," she said coldly. "One of these men is apparently infected with something extraterrestrial and therefore outside of our experience. I might also point out that Grey was able to completely overpower a man armed with an automatic rifle without raising any alarm. And I should tell you that there isn't a man in this room strong enough to pull the top of Ballenger's head off from the eye sockets with his bare hands."
Corky gasped and Malory dropped a hand beneath the table to squeeze her apologetically.
"Jesus," Clovis whispered.
"What did you do with his body?" Corky asked softly.
"It's sealed in cold storage."
"Why did you ask to see us?" Lenard asked.
"Because there's a theory we want to run by you."
"Okay," Lenard said.
"As you know, we have a dead alien body and two empty containers in storage," McNeely said. "And it was your opinion that the aliens were cannibals. We're thinking that our current situation might have been previously experienced on board that spacecraft."
"Interesting," Lenard spoke up. "And not very farfetched. One empty container and a half eaten space alien. Now we have another open container and uh... well."
"Exactly," McNeely agreed.
"Unfortunately, it appears that our outer space buddies resolved their situation by crashing almost a mile deep into our planet," Malory pointed out mildly. "Mass suicide isn't an option I'll consider so as soon as its feasible, I want that alien body dissected into particles in search of anything that might look like it doesn't belong there."
"Commander?" Daly said hesitantly as he approached.
"Yes?"
"There are people who wish to leave the mess to use the facilities."
"Grab some of the guys and have them clear a path to the nearest head," Malory ordered. "Two guards in the hall and one at a time, another guard in the room with them."
"Yes, Commander," he said in and turned to carry out her orders.
"Uhm..." Corky said uncomfortably. "I don't think I could go with a guy standing watch over me."
A few chuckles and Corky blushed.
"I guess I could go with you," Malory said mildly. "It depends on whether or not you gotta do number one or number two though."
Corky's blush and the beginnings of laughter vanished in a wave of automatic gunfire that echoed loudly through the room.
"Alvarez, Butler stand fast," Malory ordered loudly. "The rest with me now! Move!" she yelled, grabbing her rifle and running from the room.
Malory stormed out of the mess, the comforting sound of pounding footsteps echoing behind her. She spotted Daly a short distance down the hall hastily inserting a fresh magazine into his rifle. Several yards beyond him stood a bullet riddled Grey clutching a booted and fatigued leg in one hand by the ankle. He was dragging the severed member behind him as he advanced on Daly, creating a crimson smear on the floor.
She dropped to one knee and leveled her rifle. "Daly! Behind me now!" she yelled and he rose and ran back several yards to join the firing line.
Grey came forward undaunted, an insane gleam shining in otherwise lifeless eyes. Dried blood covered his face and chest, his jaw drooping malignantly at a grotesque and unnatural angle.
"Short burst," Malory ordered. "Go for the head on my command," she added, carefully taking aim.
She waited until he was only three body lengths away. "Fire!"
The brief roar of several rifles firing in unison filled the hall and Grey's head exploded from the neck up, coating the walls around him a bright red. Amazingly, he was still on his feet, the headless body still uncertainly moving forward.
"Fuck me," Reynolds whispered from beside her.
Several clumps of a fleshy substance fell to the floor in clusters from the stump of his neck and Malory had to fight back a dry heave to speak. "Half on right knee, half on left. I'm on right."
"Right."
"Right."
"Right."
"Left."
"Left."
"Left."
"Fire!"
Automatic gunfire thundered again in the hall and Grey fell forward, one leg completely blown off at the knee and the other attached by flimsy strands of tissue. When his torso struck the ground a glut of moist and writhing flesh resembling handfuls of ground beef spewed from the exposed orifice of his neck.
"Worms," McNeely said sharply.
"Back up!" Malory almost screamed, her eyes transfixed in horror on the contorting piles. "Flamethrower, now!"
Terrel moved forward through the retreating crowd and doused the entire hallway with a bright orange flame, letting loose several bursts in the interest of diligence.
"Get the extinguishers," Malory ordered, watching the flames consume both the walls and what was left of Grey's body.
Hanson and DeSoto rushed forward to douse the flames and she reached out to stop them. "Let it burn a little longer."
She waited until she began to sweat through her shirt from the heat. "Go," she said finally and they rushed forward to put out the fire.
A few minutes later, the hall was filled with the stench of burning flesh and the only thing left of Grey was a blackened and smoldering lump.
"Daly," she said quietly in the silence that followed. "What happened?"
"Cohen went to check the head in Danforth's quarters, he was turning to leave when Grey jumped out of the shower stall and started tearing him to pieces," Daly said in subdued tones.
"Christ," McNeely said, shaking his head.
Malory suddenly stiffened. "I told you two in the hall," she said in alarm. "Who else was with you?"
"Percy," Daly said in dawning horror. "God, he was right beside me firing at Grey."
Reynolds snatched the radio from his belt. "Percy?"
Malory grabbed hers as well. "Alvarez?"
"Go ahead."
"Is Percy in there with you?"
"Negative."
"Percy, respond," Reynolds yelled into his radio.
"Fuck!" Malory screamed, throwing her radio into the wall where it shattered and fell to the floor.
"Commander," Reynolds said quietly, lowering his radio as his eyes focused over her shoulder.
"What!" she snapped and he gestured behind her with a nod of his head.
"Gimme a fuckin' break," McNeely whispered.
Malory turned to see Cohen pulling himself out of Danforth's quarters using only the stump of his left arm, his other appendages in tatters or missing altogether. Blood flowed freely from his wounds, complicating his efforts to travel and creating a grisly path on the floor. Even as he tried to slink away he was ravenously feeding on what she nauseatingly recognized as one of his own severed hands. She wanted to cry. Instead, her face hardened.
"Terrel," she said coldly. "Burn it. Then burn whatever he left behind in Danforth's quarters."
"Aye, skipper," Terrel said grimly, advancing determinedly down the hallway.
"DeSoto, Hanson, back him up," she ordered and they followed in Terrel's wake.
"I want all of the remains collected and thrown into the incinerator, including Ballenger's and that alien we found," she said, leaning her back against the wall and sliding down to sit on the floor. "I also want Hanson equipped with a flamethrower and I want a shotgun. A big goddamn shotgun."
---------
Corky spent the next three hours on the border of hysterics. She had chewed all of her fingernails down to nubs and the urgent need of her bladder only added to her agitation. After the loud and very close gun battle that had taken place earlier, there had been no word other than a hushed radio conversation that Alvarez had engaged in. Overhearing a snippet of Malory's voice had calmed her considerably but as the time dragged on with no word, her fears had reclaimed their hold on her.
She was more than a little surprised at how completely reluctant emotion for the Commander had transformed so thoroughly into an all consuming need. The very thought of losing Malory scared her to the very core of her being and any reservations she had possessed only a few days before, had effectively evaporated.
The quick rattle of Alvarez's radio startled her and about a minute later the soldiers again entered the mess. Her eyes tracked to the smallest one that sported a head of flaming red hair and she breathed a sigh of relief. Malory's shirt was soaked through in several places and even from a distance, Corky could tell she was exhausted. She smiled in response when blue eyes searched for her anxiously and then filled with relief.
Malory strode to the center of the room and sat down tiredly in her previous spot. "A perimeter has been established. The central complex has been cleared and the North and South fire doors have been sealed and reinforced with a weld. I have guards posted at each one. This means we don't have to camp in here and can return to our quarters," she reported indifferently. "However, pick a partner because you're bunking up two to a room tonight and for the foreseeable future. No one is be alone from this point forward. I know most of you need to use the facilities and I'll let you go in a minute. There are few things you have to know."
She sighed and took a deep breath. "At this time, Dr. Grey is dead as is Airman Cohen. PO's Percy and Coy are now missing."
She let them mumble amongst themselves for a moment. "We believe that Grey was originally infected by an alien intruder and then passed this intruder on to Coy. We suspect Percy to either be infected as well or dead."
"What kind of intruder is it, Commander?" Clovis asked.
"Worms," she said quietly.
"Excuse me?"
"Worms," she repeated loudly. "Dr. Grey was infested with them. Now, we have no idea what they do to you if you become infected but apparently, you develop super-human strength and an appetite for your own kind. Grey tore Cohen to pieces with his bare hands and took unimaginable damage to his body before we were able to put him down. It also appears that whatever happens to you once you become infected, diminished intelligence is not a side effect."
A thoughtful silence.
"So what's our plan of action?" Lenard asked.
"Search and destroy," Malory said determinedly. "We can't evacuate and we have almost four months before leaving becomes a possibility. We're stuck here and until the threat is eliminated, none of us are safe."
"What about communications?" Clovis asked.
"Communications are down and I'm not sending anyone to the silo until I know they'll be able to come back. The complex is under computer lockdown. This means the vacuum doors to Operations and Mechanical have been sealed as have all other doors to areas deemed of importance. This means you better hope either I or Mr. McNeely survive or none of you are going anywhere."
A few minutes of rumbles and Malory stood from her seat. "Choose a roommate fellas and see to your needs. Dinner will be at 2100 hours, attendance is mandatory and I want a list provided to Mr. McNeely as to who you are bunking with," she ordered and strode over to confer in whispers with her men.
A short time later she looked up. "Dr. Rivers, pack a bag. You're with me," she called out with a wave and waited until Corky came forward before leading her out of the room.
Corky grabbed her hand as soon as the doors closed behind them. "Are you alright?" she asked anxiously.
"Yeah," she answered, bringing Corky's hand to her mouth for a kiss. "How are you doing?"
"Scared," Corky admitted.
"You got the easy part," Malory said quietly.
"Was it really bad?" Corky asked reluctantly, not sure if she really wanted an answer.
"It was unspeakable."
Corky chewed on the words thoughtfully, taking comfort in the hand that grasped hers. She remained silent until they entered Malory's quarters and she let out an urgent squeak, her body giving her an ultimatum. Letting go of Malory's hand, she ran across the room frantically unbuttoning her pants and hastily plopped down on the toilet. She moaned climatically in relief.
Malory closed the door and laughed in amusement. "Would you listen to that?" she chuckled. "I'm surprised you're not launching yourself into the air."
Corky ignored her completely, concentrating on her moment of profoundly liberated bliss.
Malory grinned and propped her shotgun up against the wall and unslung the rifle from her back to keep it company. It was followed by a belt of shells and a bandolier of magazines. When she was done unburdening herself, she sat down on the cot and began to unlace her boots, her nose wrinkling.
"God, I stink," she said in disgust.
Corky emerged from her euphoria. "Are we gonna be okay, Malory?"
"I think so," she answered softly.
"You need to know so," Corky said grimly from her throne. "I can't lose you. I won't lose you."
Malory looked at her fondly. "Somebody loves me," she sang childishly.
Corky rolled her eyes. "Malory, this is serious."
"You don't need to tell me that," she said gravely.
"Then tell me we're going to be okay."
"I can't tell you that because I don't know. But I can tell you that I'm going to do my best," she said solemnly. "You're my world, Corky. I wish I could show everyone that."
"Your best is good enough for me," Corky whispered. "I never thought I would hear myself say this, but I can't imagine life without you."
Malory beamed a bright smile. "I shall try and bask in those words and pretend they weren't spoken to me while you sat upon the pot."
Corky giggled. "I guess I could've chosen a more romantic location," she admitted.
"Wanna take a shower with me?" Malory asked hopefully.
"Yes."
Malory rose to her feet and stripped off her stinky shirt. "Let's ride."
---------
Corky breathed deeply of the clean scent emanating from the warm body below hers. Despite the situation, the only thing she could concentrate on was how content she felt lying on top of her snoring lover. Malory lay flat on her belly, having collapsed onto the cot as soon as she finished her shower and had fallen asleep within minutes.
Corky turned slightly so she could cock an elbow to support her head and softly connected the freckles on Malory's back with a fingertip. When she was finished, she lifted a long strand of still-damp red hair and brushed through it gently with her fingers. She marveled at the depth of her feelings for a woman she had recently hated beyond compare. Malory had become a drug she was hopelessly addicted to and like any addict, she yearned to possess a constant line to her supply.
She placed a small kiss on her shoulder and traced a lingering trail down her spine, changing course as she reached the end to delicately squeeze an exposed cheek. Her hand ran itself inquisitively over the back of recently shaved legs and found them luxuriant to the touch. Unable to resist, she let her hand fall between the slightly parted legs and brought it up slowly until she met an exotically warm resistance.
Malory's breath hitched slightly and Corky paused to assure herself that her lover was still asleep. Once certain, she explored and teased deftly until she was able to enter her, freezing when the snores were interrupted by a small sigh. A grin came to her face as Malory shifted slightly in her slumber, unconsciously parting her legs further apart.
Wickedly wondering how far she could go before waking her, she began to stroke her gently. Her excitement growing as Malory's became obvious, she withdrew and teased at her playfully.
A low moan was a prelude to blue eyes snapping open in surprise and Corky went stock still, suddenly caught in the act.
Malory cleared her throat. "Enjoying yourself?" she asked sleepily.
"Uhm... yeah," Corky admitted guiltily.
"Don't let me interrupt," she mumbled.
"I'm sorry, I know you're tired," she said bashfully. "I just wanted to feel you."
"You can have me anytime you want. Don't be sorry."
"Even if you're asleep?" Corky asked playfully.
"Of course," Malory said around a small yawn. "I belong to you."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Then I want you," she said cravingly.
Malory raised her hips and brought herself to her knees, spreading her legs as far as the cot would allow. "Do anything you like, Corky," she whispered.
"God, Malory," Corky said amorously, her eyes riveted on the endowment before her. "When you give yourself like that I soak myself."
"I'm not giving anything you don't already own," she offered submissively.
Corky inched forward to center herself, placing hands on supple hips in preparation. "I love you, Malory," she said earnestly.
"I love you, too," Malory gasped, pressing her face into her pillow pleasurably as Corky began to explore.
---------
Dinner was uneventful, the mood very quiet and subdued. A corporeal undercurrent of unease permeating the room. The monotony only broken when Lenard and Watkins approached at the end of the meal.
"Commander?" Lenard said.
Malory looked up from her plate and gestured for the men to sit down next to McNeely and Reynolds. "What's up?"
"Uhm..." Watkins started hesitantly. "We'd like to be issued weapons."
Malory stared at them. "At the moment, that's out of the question," she said firmly.
"May I ask why?" Watkins countered.
"Because our enemy looks exactly like us and could be any one of us," Malory explained tersely. "I won't create a bigger problem then we already have. Besides, if you encounter one of these things you can empty a weapon into it dozens of times and not even slow it down."
"You apparently killed Grey," Watkins pointed out.
Malory had to clamp down on an angry response. "Yes, we did," she said calmly. "With seven people firing automatic rifles at precise targets. Grey didn't have a head or legs below the knees, yet he still kept coming. Terrel had to incinerate him with a flamethrower to finish him."
"God," Corky gasped from beside her.
"Yes," she agreed quietly. "So unless you want to use the gun on yourself, issuing you one at this time would pretty much be a useless gesture."
The two men sat silently, considering her words. "Alright," Lenard agreed finally. "I see your point. What's our plan then?"
She took a deep breath. "Tomorrow morning, everybody spends the day in the mess while a group of us break the weld on the South door and either confirm the area clear or eliminate Percy and Coy."
"That's a lot of area to cover," Watkins said thoughtfully.
"Yes, it is," she agreed. "A lot of it is close quarters and we can't afford to lose anyone else to death or infection."
"Is there anyway we can help?" Lenard offered.
"The best way to help would be to do exactly as we ask," she said not unkindly. "Stay in groups and don't let anyone stray."
Lenard nodded his consent. "Alright. Are we sure the doors can't be breached?"
"We couldn't dent those doors with a grenade," Reynolds said solemnly.
Malory rose from her seat. "On that note, I'm going to call it a night. Are you ready, Dr. Rivers?"
"Yes," Corky answered, coming to her feet.
McNeely watched them go, waiting prudently until they left the room to speak. "Chief, who volunteered?"
"Alvarez."
"Tell him to keep it quiet," McNeely advised. "She'll hand him his ass if she catches him watching over her."
Reynolds chuckled. "He knows."
---------
Corky dumped her bag of clothes on the floor and flopped into Malory's chair. "Do you think anyone realized I was wearing one of your shirts?" she asked curiously.
"Nah," Malory scoffed as she seated herself on the end of her bunk and yawned tiredly.
"I'm glad we went to get some of my things," Corky said. "I don't think I've ever gone a full day in my life without wearing underwear."
"Actually," Malory considered. "I kinda like the way my pants ride up on me."
Corky giggled.
Malory chuckled and yawned again. "God, I'm tired."
A blush. "Sorry," Corky said bashfully.
"Gee, and I thought I was a horny toad," Malory teased.
"Shut up," Corky demanded playfully.
Malory stood and closed the distance between them, reaching out a hand to gently cup the doctor's cheek. "Don't ever be sorry," she said warmly, leaning forward to kiss her softly.
"Don't you leave me," Corky whispered when she withdrew.
"Never," she said somberly, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. "Now come to bed, it's gonna be a long day tomorrow."
Malory entered the mess the next morning and immediately signaled for McNeely as Corky sauntered away to grab a tray for breakfast.
"Commander," McNeely said quietly, gesturing for her to step aside with him.
She followed him to an isolated corner, bracing for news that she knew she didn't want to hear.
"There are six people missing and they don't respond to radio calls," he said quietly.
"What the fuck?" she hissed angrily. "Why wasn't I informed immediately?"
"I only found out a few minutes ago and I didn't want to start a panic," he explained calmly.
She reigned in a fit of temper. "Who?"
"Jones and Gregory from the kitchen staff. Danforth, Garret, Blair, and Laroux."
"Who else knows?"
"People are beginning to suspect but for now just me, you, and Alvarez."
"Who's on the doors?"
"Reynolds and Ring."
"Get them back here now," she ordered and then yelled out. "Get situated in the middle of the room, we've got trouble."
McNeely barked into his radio to order the men back.
"What's going on, Commander?" Clovis asked.
"Gather in the middle of the room and stay away from the doors," she yelled authoritatively.
"Reynolds and Ring coming in," McNeely yelled out in warning and a second later they burst into the room..
"Pull some of the appliances out of the kitchen to block the east door, move it people!" she barked. "DeSoto, Hanson, you're outside the west door, go!"
The men scrambled into a flurry of activity, most of them running into the kitchen.
"Once the door is blockaded, everyone move to that side of the room," she commanded.
"Commander," Lenard said. "Everyone isn't here yet."
"Everyone not present is now part of the problem," she stated angrily, stepping to the side as some of the men struggled by with an enormous stainless steel freezer.
Once they had the east door effectively blockaded, she checked her rifle. "Those with flame units hang back. Those with rifles concentrate on the head and legs, Understood?"
A chorus of affirmatives. "Soldiers on me."
They gathered around her quickly. "Chief, were the doors breached?"
"No," he said. "There wasn't a sound all night."
"Did we miss something? How the hell did they get in?"
A group shrug and she sighed. "We're going to have to clear it again and figure it out people. If they walked through the door right now, I'm not sure we could drop seven of the things."
"Commander," McNeely said. "I suggest we recruit some more guns."
She released a long breath. "Any objections?"
"I don't think we have a choice," Ring said quietly.
She spared a quick glance at everyone. "Very well," she consented, turning around to face the huddled civilians. "Who among you knows how to handle a weapon? We have a situation and it might come down to firepower."
"I can," Clovis said, rising to his feet and joined by several others.
She nodded and turned back to McNeely. "What do we have for them?"
"Nothing unless I can get to the armory."
"We need to do that first then," she said. "Alright, we need to..."
"Incoming!" DeSoto yelled from the hallway.
"Chief, you're inside with Butler!" she yelled as she dashed for the hall.
She burst through the doors to see DeSoto already on one knee and aiming down the hall where three figures almost thirty yards away ambled drunkenly towards them. "Form a line!" she ordered and dropped down next to DeSoto. "Start on the right and stay on target until it drops!"
The men crowded into the small hallway, kneeling and standing shoulder to shoulder. "Fire at will," she ordered and the deafening roar of gunfire surrounded them.
Blair almost disintegrated under the firepower directed at him and he fell to the floor stiffly, his bodily remains still quivering in the effort to continue forward.
Magazines fell to the floor and weapons were hastily reloaded as the distance between them and their enemies began to rapidly diminish. Malory dropped her empty shotgun and reached around to unsling her rifle, hurriedly taking aim and firing short three-shot bursts. Even with half of his head torn away, Danforth moved forward resolutely. His body flying away unnoticed in bloody chunks.
Finally he dropped, leaving only Gregory who was almost completely untouched and at an alarmingly close range.
Malory inserted a fresh magazine and stood. "Fall back!" she yelled, taking careful aim at the depressingly young body that had once belonged to the quiet and unassuming Gregory.
The men hurriedly retreated into the mess and Malory suddenly found herself alone and three body lengths away from the advancing creature. Her finger moved to depress the trigger but paused when Gregory stopped and stood unmoving in the middle of the hall. He lifted his hands to his mouth and jerked down savagely, completely unhinging his jaw with a sickening crack of bone.
Malory didn't hesitate and emptied her rifle into the man's face, neck, and chest. The assault of bullets only succeeded in knocking Gregory back a stutter-step and he turned a hellishly ruined-featured stare in her direction, abruptly lunging forward with his arms outstretched.
She dropped her rifle and turned to run into the mess, a scream dying in her throat. Her body barely a hairsbreadth across the threshold when Reynolds threw his weight into the door, barely missing her as the door meet a fleshy and unyielding resistance and she was seized by an impossibly strong grip in her hair.
McNeely lunged forward into the door to add his strength to the effort. "Get on the fuckin' door!" he yelled.
All of Malory's forward momentum was stopped by the power of the grip and she was ripped backwards, colliding with the half-open door painfully.
Alvarez leapt forward with a lightning fast draw of his knife and brought it down, cutting off a sizeable chunk of her ponytail to free her. Malory staggered forward with the unexpectedness of her liberty and turned to put her strength against the door.
Seeing the dilemma, Clovis let go of a frantically struggling Corky and ran forward with a roar. He lumbered powerfully across the room and utilizing all of his considerable strength, collided into both the startled soldiers and the door.
The force of his arrival slammed the door closed with a sickening crack of bone as one of Gregory's arms was crushed and almost severed in the doorframe. Blood filled the doorframe like glue and Gregory's fingers twitched madly as the crushed limb dangled from the precarious tissue still exerting a hold on the appendage.
"The door won't hold!" Reynolds yelled.
"Back up," Malory ordered. "Form another firing line!"
The words were no sooner out of her mouth when the door crashed open with stunning force, scattering the soldiers and Clovis in all directions. The edge of the door caught Malory on the side of her face and knocked her several feet backward to land painfully on her back. She groggily rolled over and brought herself to her knees, drawing her pistol.
"Malory!" Corky screamed.
The sound barely registered as she was yanked into the air by the scruff of her neck, catching sight of an evilly unnatural mouth filled with grotesquely gyrating worms descending upon her. She screamed and desperately thrust the barrel of her pistol into Gregory's remaining eye. The bullet splattered brain matter on the wall behind him and the grip holding her aloft was suddenly released. She fell to the floor and collapsed to her knees, dimly aware of McNeely running forward to grab her by the shoulders.
He started to pull her away but Gregory's wildly flailing arm caught him in the chest and propelled him into the air, dropping him with a grunt of pain several feet away. Malory was struggling to get to her feet when the swing that had dispatched McNeely returned to catch her in the side. The blow lifted her off her feet and sent her smashing into a table halfway across the room, where she lay motionless.
Another scream from Corky and she wrenched free of the men holding her, racing over to her fallen lover.
Alvarez rushed into the hall to retrieve Malory's discarded shotgun and walked back into the room loading it. He approached the blind and still thrashing Gregory from behind, coming to just within arms reach and shouldering the weapon. The blast removed what was left of Gregory's head and he followed the shot with two more to the back of his knees, dropping the twitching body to the floor.
"Burn it, Hanson!" he ordered. "Terrel, get the ones in the hall. Everyone still standing find something to block the door with when he gets back, move!"
Corky frantically rolled Malory over and checked for a pulse, tears of relief filling her eyes when she found it strong and steady. She was in the process of searching out any obvious injuries when blue eyes fluttered open.
"Is...is everybody okay?" Malory croaked.
The threatening tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks. "I think so."
"Hey," Malory whispered softly. "I'm alright."
"You better be," Corky sniffled.
"I just needed a little nap," Malory said with a grin. "Now help me up, we got things to do."
"Okay," Corky said wiping at her eyes.
Malory got to her feet and winced, knowing that she had broken or at the very least bruised some ribs. She shook it off and smiled for Corky's benefit, squeezing the hand in hers tightly before turning to assess the situation.
Evidently, she was the last person to regain her feet and the men were busily working to block the door. She turned a look at the broken table that had borne the brunt of her impact and spotted her gun on the floor several feet away. Not caring if anyone might be watching, she released Corky's hand and leaned over to peck her on the cheek.
"We're gonna be okay," she whispered and ambled over to pick up her pistol.
---------
Twenty minutes later, Malory gingerly sipped at a cup of coffee and surveyed the prison they had created for themselves. She had pointedly ignored everyone since obtaining her java and the men had only just finished shoring up the doors to their satisfaction. A task she personally thought was a waste of time; if they wanted in, they were gonna get in and a confrontation within the small confines of the mess hall was a prelude to disaster.
She shot a glance over her shoulder at Corky, who was going about the task of getting what food she could ready for consumption. Not that anyone had much of an appetite after witnessing Gregory's bloody demise firsthand, yet she realized that the doctor was coping with things in her own way. A smile came to her face as Corky stuck an experimental finger into her concoction and brought it to her mouth, nodding slightly in satisfaction. Suddenly, the situation became intensely personal and a grim purpose fought for air. It was a feeling she had only experienced once before and she recognized it for what it was; resolve.
She rose to her feet and spared a long glance at all the people depending on her leadership. It was do or die time.
"Everyone gather around," she commanded, waiting patiently for them to congregate and taking Corky's hand when she came out of the kitchen. "We can't stay here. You all saw what just one of those things did. We're sitting ducks and I'm not going to sit here and play with myself until one of those things decides to make a meal out of me. We have to make some choices."
"What choices do we have, Commander?" Lenard asked.
"There's only one," she said solemnly. "We flush them out and destroy them. I won't order anyone to come with me but that's exactly what I'm going to do."
"Where do we start, skipper?" Alvarez said grimly. "I'm with you and I believe I speak for everyone in uniform."
"Here, here," McNeely chimed in.
"I'm with you," Clovis said.
Every head in the room began to nod.
"It looks like we all are," Lenard observed.
"Alright," she said. "What do we have in the armory, Mr. McNeely?"
"Standard compliment of M16's and 1911's. About six Benelli M1's and a thousand rounds for each weapon minus what we've already used."
"Nothing heavier?"
"Afraid not," he said regretfully. "This is a scientific outpost. The flame units, which we have about a dozen of, are only present because they're excellent for creating tunnels in the ice. We have plenty of fuel for them and some small explosives. That's it."
She hummed thoughtfully. "Lemme hear some opinions."
"I think we need to find out how the hell they got in here," Reynolds said. "As strong as they are, they're not strong enough to break the seals on the fire doors. There has to be something we missed."
"I suggest that we reestablish the perimeter once we determine how they got in," Alvarez said. "Then I recommend we travel as a group, rifles up front, shotguns in reserve for close work and flame units to finish. Fire teams in front and behind."
"I have no objections to any of that, skipper," McNeely said. "But if we can manage to reestablish a perimeter we still have to count on them getting in sooner or later."
"I agree," Ring chimed in.
"Alright," Malory said. "First trip is to the armory so we can get everybody packin'. Then we inspect the quarters of those dead or missing from last night, I'd be willing to bet those rooms can tell us how they got in. Once that's done, I intend to hunt them down. Anyone disagree?"
She looked around. "Good, because it wasn't up for debate. Let's get it together, I don't want to be caught in here. Stock up on the Crations, gear up and clear one of the doors."
Corky squeezed her hand and she turned to her curiously. "I'm coming too, right?"
"You're not getting out of my sight."
---------
Malory stood in the hall outside of Laroux's quarters with her shotgun at the ready, her army of armed civilians standing by behind her. They had proceeded to the armory without incident and had cleared all of the rooms to Laroux's thus far.
McNeely and Alvarez had point and stood on either side of the door; waiting for her signal. She nodded and waited tensely as McNeely pushed open the door and fell back to a cover position as Alvarez dropped to a knee in the open doorway. After a careful inspection, he entered slowly only to emerge a handful of seconds later.
"Clear," he said casually. "Laroux is dinner scraps. No sign of Garret."
Malory sighed, slightly ashamed that it was a sigh of relief. One meal meant one less enemy. "Was Garret his bunkmate for the night?"
"Yeah," McNeely confirmed, curiously peering into the room. "We need the Chief up here."
"Alright," Malory agreed. "Alvarez relieve him and send him up front."
Alvarez nodded and began making his way through the crowd gathered in the narrow hall towards the rear.
"What's up?" Malory asked, reluctant to look inside of the room. Viewing Ballenger's remains had been enough to witness.
"They came in through the floor," McNeely stated factually.
"Huh?"
"There are service tunnels under the complex that contain heating ducts, electrical cables, network cable, and so forth," McNeely explained. "They used those tunnels to get in."
Malory closed her eyes as the information sank in. They could be anywhere, including the places they'd already searched. "Jesus, where are the access points?"
"I only know of the one outside of Operations, the Chief will know," McNeely said quietly. "Here he comes," he added as Reynolds came forward.
Malory turned to him immediately. "Chief, where are the access points to the service tunnels?"
He looked at her in sudden understanding. "Shit," he exclaimed. "One outside of Operations, one in Receiving, and another in Mechanical."
"Can they be sealed?" she asked.
"Yeah, they seal with a vacuum door a few yards after the access point."
"Why didn't they close when the complex went into lockdown?"
"They should have," Reynolds said with a shake of his head. "I can only assume they were propped open."
"Did we do that?"
"No way," he said quickly.
"Would they seal automatically if the prop was removed after lockdown?"
"No," Reynolds replied. "After the computer verifies lockdown it won't send any further commands until it is rescinded."
"Why didn't the computer tell us the damn doors were still open down there?"
"It should have. I can only assume that whoever kept them from closing, blocked the sensors on the lock mechanism. It's the only way I know to fool it."
"So someone was down there when the command was given and was smart enough to block the sensors," she asked unbelievingly.
"That would be my guess," he admitted. "Or someone knows a trick I don't."
Malory chewed on that in dismay. "Alright, where would the safest point in the complex be that is not vulnerable to entry through use of the service tunnels?" she asked, suddenly feeling terribly exposed.
"The lab," Reynolds said quickly. "All heat and power is routed in from overhead. The service tunnel is cut off from entry to that area by another vacuum door. The door itself is permanently sealed. Only you can open it via computer command."
"Then lets roll," she said quickly. "That's the only safe place in the entire compound right now."
"Commander," McNeely said. "The lab is huge, it'll take some time to clear it."
"Do we have another option at this time?"
McNeely considered. "No."
"Then let's go there directly," Malory said. "Chief, you're on point with the Sergeant Major."
"Aye, skipper."
"But first," she added. "Hanson, burn what's left of Laroux."
Hanson nodded grimly and stepped forward, illuminating the hall as he sprayed fire into the room.
---------
The going was excruciatingly slow as every door they encountered was treated as a potential threat and they darted two at a time past each one. They made no overtures to conduct a search effort and traveled grimly toward their destination. Finally, as their objective came into sight, movement became quicker as all hoped to get behind the relative safety of the laboratory's pressure door.
Within twenty-five yards of the entrance, Malory had begun to harbor the small hope that they would arrive unscathed. A hope that vanished as the floor suddenly rushed up in the middle of their party, immediately dropping two men into the tunnel below. The pit in the floor creating two groups, one in front and one behind. The screams started from below instantly.
"Leave them, we can't help!" Malory yelled. "We're running for it, everyone over as fast you can!"
Those trapped on the other side didn't ask questions and took several steps back, initiating a running start to propel them over the four-foot gap in the floor.
"Sergeant, Chief, form a firing line in front of the lab!" Malory ordered, darting around the running bodies and grabbing Corky's frightened hand.
"Stay with me," she said quietly and began pulling her down the hall toward the assembling men.
McNeely started barking orders to get everyone positioned and Malory ran toward him with Corky in tow, turning a quick look behind her to see Isaaks seized in midair from the tunnel below. His face crashing sickeningly into the edge of the floor with a grisly thud that left behind teeth and blood before he disappeared into the tunnel.
His fate went almost unnoticed as the remainder of the men jumped across the void without hesitation and ran forward. As Alvarez passed her and joined the firing line, she released Corky's hand and dropped to one knee.
"McNeely, clear the lab. Use as many as you need to get it done as quickly as possible," she ordered. "Everyone else shore up and hold the hall."
McNeely turned at once and slapped several men on the shoulder to follow him and within seconds, a deadly quiet descended upon the hall.
"What do we do, Commander?" Watkins muttered nervously.
"Keep your shit together and blast anything that moves until McNeely gives us the go ahead to enter the lab," Malory responded quietly.
The sound of nervous breathing and restless fidgeting were the only things to be heard for the next twenty minutes. Malory's eyes vigilantly scanning the hall down the barrel of her rifle and trying very hard not linger on the teeth scattered indiscriminately on the floor a dozen yards away. A hand touched her shoulder and it took every once of willpower she had not to scream and rain gunfire down the hallway.
Corky felt the body under her hand tense powerfully and she squeezed Malory's shoulder reassuringly. "Easy," she whispered and Malory relaxed slowly.
"Commander," Clovis whispered. "If we get into the lab, I need to talk to you."
Malory just nodded, afraid to glance away from the hall for even a second.
Her concentration was so intense that she periodically had to wipe the sweat away from her eyes with her shirtsleeve and she felt the beginnings of a powerful headache. Finally, as she began to believe she had spent a year of her life rooted to the same spot, McNeely called out.
"Lab is clear," he said loudly. "Move!"
Organized chaos ensued as everyone scrambled to get inside and Malory breathed a long sigh of relief as the pressure door was sealed behind her.
"Commander," Clovis said.
She turned to him tiredly. "What is it, Mr. Stokes?"
"We need to change the entry code on that door immediately," he said gravely. "I don't think we can take the chance that it might not be remembered."
Malory closed her eyes. "Who knows it?"
"Everyone but you most likely," he replied.
"Why is that?" she asked peevishly.
"Because you're the only one who never comes in here," he explained. "Everyone else knows it, it's common knowledge."
She sighed. "How do we change it?"
"Has to be done by computer, I'm sure the Chief knows."
Reynolds overheard. "He's right, skipper," he said. "I'll get on it right now," he added, slinging his rifle and ambling over to the nearest computer.
She followed him. "McNeely, Ring, and Alvarez join us, please," she ordered.
When they had all gathered around Reynolds she spoke softly. "Can you change the codes on all the doors, Chief?"
"Yes."
"Do it, make them all the same," she ordered. "The four of us are going to be the only ones with the new code. If one of us falls it needs to be changed again. Who else knows how to do this, Chief?"
"Only myself and DeSoto," he answered quickly.
"Very well."
"How do you suggest we proceed from here, skipper?" McNeely asked.
Malory took a deep breath and fell into a nearby chair. "Obviously, we need to clear the service tunnels and seal the pressure doors or we can't clear the ground we've already covered."
"Only one person at a time can fit down there," Reynolds pointed out. "Unless we travel through them single file."
"I kinda figured," Malory said resignedly.
McNeely scrutinized her intensely. "No way," he said sternly.
"We don't have a choice, Sergeant," she said. "We can't survive in here until summer."
"I agree. But you're not going to be the one going down there," he said stubbornly. "We'll draw straws."
"Rank hath it privileges," she said softly. "And unfortunately, it also has its responsibilities."
"No," he said flatly.
"Sergeant," she rumbled. "I'll admit your dick is bigger than mine, but this isn't your call."
"I'll do it," Alvarez interjected.
Malory's eyes tracked to the formidable Tech Sergeant. "Your offer is gratefully acknowledged, Mr. Alvarez," she said sincerely. "But I won't allow it."
"May I speak freely?" he asked.
"Go ahead," she replied easily.
"Neither you or the Sergeant Major can be spared. You two are the only ones capable of bringing the complex out of lockdown. Lieutenant Ring can't do it because he's our only pilot and the Chief can't be chosen because his knowledge of the facility is too valuable to lose. And honestly, I'm probably the only one who stands a modest chance of surviving. I spent my previous two tours with Special Operations."
Malory studied him thoughtfully. "All good points," she conceded. "But you're not going to change my mind."
"Commander," he continued. "Your survival is paramount. In addition, you are physically the weakest among us and the most injured. I've seen you try to hide it from Dr. Rivers but you took a hell of shot in the ribs this morning. You'll have to stoop to maneuver in the service tunnels and even crawl in certain areas. Your injury will only hinder your ability to act in the event of a confrontation. Not to mention, you risk further injury to yourself by attempting to negotiate the terrain down there."
"Mr. Alvarez..." she started.
"Let me also point out that if you die down there, you'll kill the woman behind me who has been afraid to take her eyes off of you since this began," he interrupted.
She stood angrily from her seat. "That's not only extremely manipulative but way out of line," she said dangerously.
He stood his ground. "It's also true, Commander."
She opened her mouth, taking a deep breath to get some steam behind her tirade.
"He's right, Commander," McNeely cut her off. "On all counts."
She slowly closed her mouth and studied the men silently for a moment. "I'll let you know in the morning," she said finally. "At that time, I'll brook no further argument. Regardless of my decision. Right now, I could use some rest."
They nodded silently and she began to walk away.
"Commander," Reynolds said. "The entry codes have been changed, you'll need to memorize the number."
She stopped and turned to view the monitor, committing the code to memory. "Thank you, Chief. Let's keep everybody close to the door for the evening. Just in case," she suggested quietly.
"Understood," McNeely answered and she walked off slowly in Corky's direction.
Corky was leaning against the wall with her knees drawn up to her chest, Malory noted the brown eyes watching her attentively.
"Hey," she said with a grin as she approached.
"Hey," Corky replied quietly and Malory slid down the wall to take a seat next to her.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," Corky said unconvincingly, reaching out a hand to pet the back of her head.
"Your beautiful hair," she added sadly.
"Huh?" Malory asked confusedly, bringing a hand up to check and finding the stub of a ponytail. "Shit," she said disappointedly, pulling the useless band out. "How bad does it look?"
Corky grinned and studied the now shoulder length hair. "Kinda cute actually."
"Really?" Malory asked warily.
Corky ruffled it playfully. "You look great," she said honestly.
Malory eyed her suspiciously.
"Really, it looks good," Corky soothed.
Malory shrugged. "I guess I'd rather lose a hunk of hair than my ass."
"Your hair will grow back if you don't like it," Corky said amiably and then whispered. "But I want that ass to remain where it is. It looks good on you."
Malory smiled slyly. "It does?"
"Uh huh," Corky whispered playfully. "I'd like to see it right about now."
Malory beamed. "As much as I would love to indulge you, I'm afraid our situation isn't as private as I would prefer," she said with a look around, noting more than one face watching them curiously.
Corky giggled. "I suppose that would ruin your command image."
Malory chuckled. "Pretty much," she agreed and winced.
"What's wrong?" Corky asked worriedly.
"Nothing," Malory said quickly.
Corky didn't buy it and glared at her stubbornly until she reddened guiltily. "Take a deep breath for me," she demanded.
Malory sucked in a gulp of air and blew it out with a triumphant smile. Corky's eyes narrowed and her hand darted forward to probe her side, receiving a sharp hiss of pain for her effort.
McNeely had been watching them for the last few minutes and turned to his comrades. "Hey, fellas," he said conspiratorially. "Check this out," he added with a gesture in Malory's direction.
Four sets of eyes covertly studied the ensuing scene, watching as the little doctor began to quietly scold the guilty looking Commander; eventually rising to her feet and pointing authoritatively to an adjoining room. Malory offered what was apparently an unacceptable response and the doctor bent over to pull her to her feet, again pointing to the next room. Shoulders slumping, Malory sighed and turned to walk through the door Corky had indicated.
McNeely chuckled as the women disappeared. "Looks like someone outranks her."
"I'll be damned," Reynolds said. "Are they together?"
"Yeah," McNeely admitted.
Ring grunted. "I was wondering what was going on with them."
"Who gives a shit?" Alvarez said dismissively. "I'd follow her orders to the Gates of Hell."
"You might have to do just that," McNeely said quietly.
---------
Corky pointed to a table and turned to lock the door. "Take a seat and strip off that shirt," she demanded.
Malory did as she was told, sitting down on the metal worktable and pulling her sweatshirt over her head. Corky gasped from the door and rushed forward.
"Jesus, Malory," she said worriedly, eyeing the massive purple-yellow bruise covering most of her side. "Lift your arm," she ordered.
Malory raised an arm in the air and tried not to wince as Corky gently probed her side, failing twice and receiving extra attention in that area.
"Take a real deep breath," Corky said sarcastically.
"I can't," Malory admitted in a whisper.
Corky sighed. "Oh, baby," she said sadly. "Just take a big breath and hold it for me. This might hurt a little."
Malory nodded and did as she was asked, grimacing as Corky pressed a hand against her in examination.
Corky dropped her hand. "They're not broken but I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't cracked," she said with a measure of relief. "I'll need to wrap them."
Malory blew out a puff of air. "Well, that's good news," she said happily.
Corky frowned at her. "No it isn't," she said sharply. "You're all beat up and I don't like it one bit. One side of your face looks like someone beat you with a hockey stick, you've got cracked ribs and are minus half a foot of hair."
Malory brought a hand up to her hair self-consciously. "I thought you said it looked good."
Corky slapped her on the knee. "I can't believe you," she said, shaking her head. "Out of all that you're worried most about your hair? Don't be such a girl."
An indulgent smile. "I thought you liked girls?"
Corky rolled her eyes. "I do," she said quietly. "But I love you and I don't like to see you hurt."
"I love you too, Corky."
"I was so scared for you today," she said in a small voice.
"Corky," Malory said softly. "I have to go outside in the morning."
Brown eyes looked at her sharply. "No," she said strictly.
"I have to."
"No, you don't!" she said in alarm. "You send someone else."
A sigh. "I can't send anyone else."
"No," Corky said determinedly, gearing up for combat. "You will send one of the other guys, you're not going," she added, stomping a foot for emphasis.
Malory reached out and grabbed her hands. "Corky, I have to go," she said tenderly. "I can't and I won't order anyone else to do it. Neither will I allow someone to go in my place."
Corky stared at her fearfully. "Then we'll stay in here until summer."
"We don't have enough food to last us the week and no matter how secure things are, these things are smart. They'll find a way in here by summer."
"Don't ask me to let you do this," Corky pleaded.
"I won't ask," Malory sighed. "Because it's going to happen anyway."
Corky's face crumbled and the tears started. "Please don't go."
Malory pulled her into her arms, embracing her tightly and ignoring the pain in her side. "It'll be okay," she whispered into her hair. "You'll see."
---------
McNeely looked up when the women emerged from the other room, noting the doctor's puffy eyes and the Commander's look of sad resolution. He knew what it meant and he nudged the napping Alvarez who sat beside him.
"What's up?" he said, coming awake instantly.
"She's going," he said quietly.
Alvarez looked across the room and watched as the Commander took a seat against the wall and the doctor snuggled up to her desperately, burying her face into Malory's chest.
"I knew she would," he admitted.
McNeely sighed. "I did too," he said resignedly. "Think she has a chance?"
Alvarez considered silently for a moment. "Better than average," he said finally.
---------
Corky slept fitfully, snapping awake several times just to make sure Malory was still in her embrace. Finally, she gave up trying to sleep altogether and just lay still in her lover's arms, listening to her heartbeat and soft breathing. She had tried frantically to get Malory to change her mind but it was all for naught. She had even considered throwing herself to the floor in the morning and pitching a fit but discarded it reluctantly, figuring Malory would just have someone drag her into the other room and lock her inside. The fear for both Malory and their situation was making her irrational.
She sighed and opened her eyes, slowly tracking around the room cluttered with sleeping men, her entire body growing ice cold as she met another pair of open eyes staring at her from the other side of the door. Her terrified scream echoed around the room alarmingly, jolting everyone awake instantly.
Malory went from a dead sleep to standing at a rigid attention in a nanosecond, her hands white on her shotgun, eyes flying around the room frantically. "What the fu..." she trailed off abruptly as she met Coy's hopelessly insane stare.
He was standing stock still as if in a trance on the opposite side of the transparent door, his broken jaw drooping hideously.
"He's alone, Commander," Alvarez said. "Let's let him in, we can finish him quick and it'll be one less to worry about," he added and received several nods of approval.
Malory nodded to agree. "Form a firing line," she ordered and the men scrambled to obey her.
"Love... craft," Coy's voice gurgled gruesomely, his devastated jaw slurring his pronunciation.
The entire room froze in their tracks, all eyes slowly turning in Coy's direction.
Malory squeezed Corky against her tightly, her grip on her lover steady to keep her hands from trembling. Not wanting to believe she had heard the thing speak.
"Love... craft," Coy repeated.
Feigning a confidence that she didn't feel in the slightest, she let go of Corky and stepped forward. "What can I do for you?" she asked, feeling proud of the question.
His eyes focused on her drunkenly, his jaw convulsing sickeningly. "Love... craft," he repeated stupidly.
"That would be me," she said impatiently. "What is it you want?"
"Only... for you..." he struggled and coughed a mouthful of worms onto the glass that separated them. "...for you... to...die."
Malory fought back a gag, only barely succeeding. "Why me?" she forced herself to ask.
"Without...you... no hope," he replied.
"There's always hope," she countered quickly.
"Very... little hope... I assure... you," he said with difficulty.
Malory's heart skipped and her face paled as the words struck a familiar cord, her brain jumping through hoops to remember where she had heard them. It came to her suddenly and scared her so bad she took an involuntary step backwards.
"Y... yes," Coy rasped. "We... know."
"Malory," Corky said worriedly taking a step forward, concern etched deeply into her features.
Malory raised a hand to stop her. "What is it you know?"
"Everything," he said. "You will... die... soon."
"Will not happen," she challenged.
"Someone... some...thing rules... in ... his place."
Malory closed her eyes. "What the fuck was in that cube?" she asked in a whisper.
Coy's head twitched violently to the side several times. "S...seventh ... seal," he answered and turned to stagger stiffly into the hall, slowly disappearing from view.
Stunned silence reigned in his departure and Corky came forward to embrace Malory from behind.
"Commander," McNeely said finally. "You are not leaving this room," he added sternly. "If you try, I'll have you subdued."
Malory turned an empty glance in his direction. "It doesn't matter, Doug," she said calmly.
"What doesn't matter?" he asked confusedly.
"Those... things, they know everything."
"What do you mean, Commander?" Lenard asked. "What was Coy talking about?"
"He was quoting Vincent Price from 'The Masque of the Red Death'," she said indifferently.
"Why would he do that?" Watkins asked.
"I had a nightmare just before you found the cube, I was watching that movie at the time," she explained. "I was alone."
"What does that prove?" Lenard asked.
"He knew it scared me, just like he knew I was planning to go out and seal the tunnel doors in the morning. They know everything. They know what we're thinking, what we're feeling."
"Jesus," Hanson said slowly.
"Do you think he was telling the truth?" Daly asked nervously. "About the Seal?"
Malory shrugged. "Who knows?"
"What are we going to do, Commander?" Clovis asked.
"Survive," she said calmly.
"How do you propose we do that?" Watkins asked.
"By taking the fight to them."
"That's suicide, they can be anywhere," Watkins said fretfully.
"We either stay here and starve or we go on as planned," she said. "Either way, I'll bet my last dollar we're not as important to them as the rescue team would be."
"Why do you say that?" Lenard asked curiously.
"They don't want to stay here anymore than we do," she answered simply. "They want to travel."
"Oh, my God," Corky gasped. "If even one of them reached a city..."
"We'd be fucked," McNeely finished for her.
"Commander, come take a look at this," Clovis requested from the door.
She padded over to join him, following his eyes to the clump of worms Coy had coughed up. "Unfortunately, I've seen them up close before, Mr. Stokes," she said dryly.
"They're dead," he said interestedly. "They're already decomposing."
Malory spared a closer look at the grisly pile on the other side of the door as Lenard and Tanaka came forward curiously. Tanaka dropped to his knees to get a better look and hummed thoughtfully for a long moment.
"It would be my guess that they can't survive for long without a host," he said finally.
"I'm inclined to concur," Lenard added somberly.
"Well, now we have something new to think about," Malory said dismissively and took a deep breath. "Chief, if one was traveling from here in the service tunnels, which door is the quickest one to get to and get back?"
"Operations," he answered quickly.
"And the farthest?"
"Receiving."
"I'll need one volunteer, the Chief, the Lieutenant, and the Sergeant Major excluded," she said regretfully.
"That would be me, Commander," Alvarez said.
"You've already got a job, as do I. We need one more," she said grimly.
"I'll do it, skipper," Hanson said quietly.
She nodded. "Lose the flame unit and gear up, you have Operations. Alvarez you're on Mechanical. I'll take Receiving."
"When are we leaving?" Alvarez asked.
"Five minutes"
She turned to place a kiss on the top of Corky's head, bending to whisper in her ear. "See you in a bit."
Corky smiled bravely. "You'd better come back, Commander," she whispered.
Malory beamed her best smile and turned to the crowd. "When you get your door sealed, radio in to the Sergeant Major and then get back here as fast as you can. Chief, give us a flight plan."
Reynolds stepped forward. "I assume you'll be entering the tunnels from the entrance created yesterday?"
"Yes."
"Alright," he said. "It's a straight shot for about thirty to forty yards before you come upon an intersection, Operations will be to the left. The next intersection will be to the right and lead to Mechanical. From there the tunnel curves around to the left, eventually leading to Receiving."
"Alvarez, Hanson, any questions?" Malory asked.
"Got it," Alvarez said quickly.
"No questions," Hanson replied.
"If you succeed and are able to head back, radio your status prior to arrival," she said gravely. "You'll have to be able to get back in here with a reasonable degree of safety for the people inside. Understood?"
The men nodded to the affirmative and she walked over to don her gear.
"Commander," McNeely said. "A quick word in private, please?"
Malory gestured to the next room and followed after him.
"Your orders, in the event you do not return?" he asked as soon as the door closed behind her.
"One way or the other, Doug. I'll seal my door," Malory said quietly. "If the other guys succeed, clear the complex. Then at the very least, you'll need to clear the area outside of the North door so you can either leave the facility at the first opportunity or admit reinforcements in the summer."
"And if things go south?"
"If that happens," Malory said gravely. "I want you to do me a favor."
"Name it," he said seriously.
"First, you cannot allow a rescue to arrive without warning. As a last resort, get someone into Operations and get the dome cleared. Even if you have to take everyone with you," she said grimly.
He nodded. "And the rest?"
"The rest is personal," she whispered with difficulty. "If the situation calls for it, I'd like you to put Corky down so she doesn't end up a meal, or worse yet, one of those things."
McNeely took a deep breath. "Malory, I don't..."
"Please, Doug," she interrupted softly, tears hanging on the precipice. "I can't bear the thought of her suffering like that," she added in a croak.
He closed his eyes and quickly nodded.
Malory breathed a sigh of relief and brought a hand up to wipe at her eyes. "Don't let her see it coming, okay?"
Another nod and he extended a hand. "You watch your ass out there," he said gravely.
She took his grip with a smile. "You can count on that."
Malory walked back through the door, McNeely emerging a second after her. "We ready?" she asked and got nods from Alvarez and Hanson. "Let's blow this pop stand."
She let her best cocky smile fly at Corky and shot her wink, receiving an affectionate smile in response.
"Okay," she said brightly, cocking her shotgun and inserting another round. "Open the door, I'll take point. Alvarez you got flank. Don't stop to smell the roses."
"Good luck, all," Clovis sounded off, prompting a round of well wishing.
Reynolds nodded and came forward to punch the code into the door, shooting a glance over his shoulder. "Ready?"
"Do it," Malory ordered, taking off at a run as soon as she had enough room, pounding through the foyer and into the hall.
The quick footsteps of Alvarez and Hanson echoed behind her and within seconds they approached the missing floor plates from the last attack. Taking a running start, she slid the last few feet on her knees and dropped headlong into the tunnel. It was a longer drop than anticipated and she landed on her hands and knees with a grunt. She rolled away quickly so the men following her had room to enter and found herself face to face with the ravaged corpse of Mark Isaaks, her hand and shotgun resting in the devastation of his chest cavity. She forcibly bit down on the impulse to squeal in disgust and rolled over him with closed eyes as Hanson dropped into the tunnel beside her.
She rose to her feet, having to bend over at the waist to keep her head from scraping the ceiling and leveled her gun down the hallway. As soon as Alvarez joined them and gave her a thumbs up, she proceeded forward as quickly as she could manage, eyes and ears strained for anything of import. Their anxious breathing and the sound of hurried footsteps in the ice seemed conspicuously audible.
Within minutes, she cautiously approached the first intersection and signaled the men to halt. Taking a deep breath and holding it, she rushed forward and leaped across the gap, coming to her knees and signaling it clear. Hanson nodded and gave a two fingered salute before making his way down the adjoining tunnel alone. Alvarez motioned her forward and she turned to continue on, mentally wishing the young Sergeant well.
Ten minutes later, she did the same for Alvarez as the man disappeared toward his destination, finding herself suddenly alone and feeling terribly vulnerable. After a determined sigh, she was again on her way, her breath visible puffs of white as the cold inside the tunnel only added to the oppressive apprehension consuming her.
The tunnel began to veer off to the left and her gaze became even more agitated, the curvature in front of her slightly obstructing the path ahead. The ducting and conduits lining the wall that she wouldn't ordinarily notice took on a sinister appearance, obstacles to be avoided and she was afraid to let any part of her body brush against them.
A lifetime later, she spotted the door beckoning to her in the distance and she went stock still, afraid to let herself hope that she might actually succeed. The walls closed in on her as she hurried forward, her focus reduced to nothing but the objective in front of her. Twenty more yards and she could sprint back to safety. Soon it was fifteen yards and then ten.
Eight yards from her destination she screamed in both terror and surprise as the floor fell in on top of her. The scream cut off abruptly as the wind was forced from her by the obscene strength of the jolting grip that yanked her into the hallway above. Stars danced in front of her eyes as her face collided painfully against the wall, bloodying her nose with a crunch. She went limp in her captive's grip and found freedom as she sunk to the floor. Her arms and neck burning abrasively from having her sweatshirt torn forcibly from her body, she rolled to the side, surprised to find the shotgun still in her hands.
Coy stared stupidly at the rag of her shirt dangling from his hand and turned to recapture his target.
The point blank blast from her shotgun severed his left leg from the knee down and he fell almost comically to the ground, his hands made no move to break the fall and his head hit the ground with the sound of a melon being split.
Malory followed the blast with two more quick shots to his face and neck, she would have fired a fourth but the impact from the rounds forced his body into the hole he had created in the floor and he disappeared from view. The sound of footsteps from behind brought her swinging around to see Percy lumbering up the hall from about twenty feet away.
Not wasting any time, she emptied the shotgun at Percy and dropped it to the floor. Instantly swinging the rifle around from her back and firing it down the hall until it locked open empty. The clatter of the magazine hitting the ground was quickly followed by the insertion of another and the loud clack of the bolt being snapped closed. Her finger depressed the trigger and a salvo of bullets tore into the ceiling as the floor panel she was kneeling on surged upwards, flinging her backwards down the hall. She fell into the hole she had emerged from, landing on her left shoulder with an audible crack and emitting an ear splitting scream of pain that echoed loudly off the walls.
The sudden grip around her ankle brought her back to the moment and she brought the rifle still strapped to her up with her right arm and took aim through tearing eyes. The bullets slammed into Coy's face, neck, and chest, tearing away flesh and splattering the ice walls haphazardly with blood and tissue. Worms began to drop in clumps from one side of his ruined head and Malory screamed again, frantically kicking away from him as his grip left her boot.
She scrambled wildly backwards and bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood when her back connected against something solid. Her head whipped around hysterically and she found herself against the frame of the pressure door. In a second of clarity, she knew she had no other option and hurriedly crawled through, pulling the door closed behind her. Her eyes catching a glimpse of Coy relentlessly pursuing her, using his arms to propel him forward, before the door closed with a satisfying electronic chime.
The tears started in earnest as she entered the code to seal it, effectively locking herself out of the central facility. She fell back against the wall and dropped the magazine from her rifle, digging another one out of her bandolier with her right hand and slapping it home. The agony radiating from her left shoulder was crippling and it sent waves of misery coursing through her when she tried to make a fist. A hand came up to wipe at her nose and she flinched in pain.
Angrily, she took stock of her situation. She had lost her shotgun, but still had her pistol and radio. Other than her rifle and the bandolier of magazines, she was dressed from the waist up in a pale blue bra, the sleeves of her missing sweatshirt gathered at her wrists. The bandage around her ribs that Corky had diligently applied the night before was missing and she suspected her nose was broken. She didn't even want to think about her shoulder.
It took a moment but it slowly dawned on her that she was still in possibly hostile territory and she considered the alternatives. The only place available that offered her a safe haven was Operations and that would require running across the cavernous room that housed the platform and down a long ice hallway, up two flights of metal stairs, another short hallway and the time it took to enter her code and seal the door. Then, if she managed to get there, she would find herself trapped in a small room with no food or water. Sadly, she realized that it was her only choice and she rose with a whimper to travel the few yards the led to the end of the tunnel.
She poked her head out cautiously and rapidly looked back and forth, finding it clear to emerge into Receiving. The wide-open space of the cavern allowed her the small and liberating feeling of having room to maneuver. It was a drastic change from the cramped confines of the tunnel and for a moment at least, she could look around and feel confident of her safety. The temperature here was much colder and uncomfortably emphasized by her lack of apparel as heat was only sparingly applied to this part of the compound to keep equipment from freezing over. Her eyes took in the long column that led to both the platform and the world above and she wished it were as simple as taking an elevator ride to escape. The distinctive outline of the helicopter rested silently on its skis and her gaze roamed over the room's other machinery slowly, reminding her eerily of a hastily abandoned ghost town.
A flicker of movement caught her eye and she froze, watching intently as Dr. Garret lurched slowly out from between several barrels of fuel. He was far enough away that she didn't feel immediately threatened, confident that she could outrun him. She shot a glance at the hall that led to Operations and began jogging towards it slowly, crossing the open space and keeping a wary eye on her pursuer. Her path widened as she approached the hall, keeping distance between her and the entrance in case it was providing refuge to anything she didn't want to encounter. Finding no sign of company, she glanced over her shoulder at Dr. Garret and found him teetering along at a rapidly alarming pace and closing the distance between them. She considered trying to slow him down or take a leg from him, but didn't have much confidence in aiming the rifle with one hand accurately. Shrugging it off, she jogged down the hallway, pausing at the foot of the stairs to shoot a glance behind her. Garret hadn't reached the hall yet and she suddenly remembered her radio, she let go of the rifle and pulled it from her belt.
"McNeely."
"Go ahead," he responded immediately, his relief evident.
"The door is sealed," she said, glancing up sharply as Garret appeared to pick up speed and advanced faster than she thought possible.
"Understood. Your status?" he asked worriedly.
Garret began to jog, the stiffness she associated with the creatures beginning to show signs of wearing off. She brought the radio to her mouth but thought the better of it as Garret frighteningly began to cover more ground and she turned to run up the stairs. Two steps from the top, the radio flew from her hands and dropped to the ground below as a stair collapsed out from under her, the impact of her chest against the next step knocked the breath from her body. Her waist hanging precariously in the air below the staircase, she struggled madly to pull herself up with right arm. The rifle hanging from her side hindered her progress and she began to panic, flailing around hysterically. The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps sobered her and she struck out with her left arm, using both to pull herself up with a piercing scream of distress. Finding her feet, she didn't look back and ran up the second flight of stairs at a breakneck pace, flying down the hall so fast her feet barely touched the ground. Her momentum brought her up against the door to Operations with a thud and she frenetically punched in the entry code, her finger jabbing forcefully into the keypad.
She thanked God she got it on the first try and threw herself into the room, slamming the door shut behind her with a frightened energy. Her eyes came up to see Garret's face ram into the porthole hard enough to leave behind a blood smear and she quickly reentered the code to seal the door. The rifle came up and she backed away from the door slowly, her eyes riveted on the face staring at her blankly through the porthole. Her calves bumped up against a chair and she spun wildly, her eyes flying around the room in terror. Still hyperventilating from her close call, it took several minutes for her to restore any semblance of calm and composure.
Eventually, she balanced herself with a deep breath and unslung her rifle, placing it on the desk in front of her. She sank into the chair that had spooked her and gingerly poked at her shoulder, whimpering at the pain her examination produced. A sleeve from her ruined sweatshirt became a washrag and she tenderly wiped the blood from her face, throwing the soiled garment irritably across the room when she was finished. Starting to fume at the situation she found herself in, she lifted angry eyes to meet those that still maddeningly gazed at her through the window.
A hand came up to reveal her right breast she cupped it defiantly. "Suck me, bitch," she hissed.
Her display elicited no response. Garret just stared.
---------
Corky positioned herself in a corner of the lab and brought her knees up to her chest as soon as Malory disappeared down the hall, praying desperately for her safe return. Clovis joined her a few minutes later and she appreciated the comfort his presence provided, offering him a weak smile of gratitude.
The time stretched on excruciatingly and she schooled herself not to cry. Telling herself that if Malory could find the courage to do what she had, she would be brave enough not to break into heartsick tears. That is, until she at least had the benefit of a little privacy in which to conceal her breakdown. She was determined to give the appearance of strength, knowing that the people surrounding her looked to Malory for leadership and she wasn't going to tarnish that by playing the part of the hysterically inconsolable girlfriend. It was going to be a hard sell, even to herself.
Her eyes rose to the nervously pacing McNeely and stayed focused on him intently, he would be the first to know. The Sergeant prudently kept his distance from everybody, not wanting anyone to overhear any communications he might receive. However, she studied his body language carefully for any clue that he might unconsciously reveal.
A little over a quarter of an hour after Malory and her party had left, she caught the rapid motion of McNeely bringing his radio up, speaking into it tersely. She tensed as the man walked over to address everybody.
"Hanson got his door sealed and is on his way back," he reported. "Let's get ready in case he arrives in a hurry."
The men began to assemble into a large 'U' in front of the door and Clovis got up to join them, leaving to her to maintain her vigil alone. The minutes passed in a tense and impatient silence, one melting slowly into the other. Finally, the radio in McNeely's hand barked urgently.
"I'm in the hall," Hanson muttered uneasily. "It's clear, let me in."
"Open the door," McNeely ordered and presently Hanson ran into the room, the door closing behind him immediately.
Hanson blew out a breath that lasted twenty seconds as the door was sealed behind him, his shoulders slumping dramatically in relief.
"Well done, Sergeant," McNeely said, clapping him fatherly on the shoulder. "Any trouble?"
He shook his head to the negative. "Any word from the Commander or Alvarez?"
"Not yet," McNeely said. "But they had further to go than you," he added and retreated to his private corner again.
Corky looked at the young Sergeant and scolded herself for wishing that it was Malory who had returned instead of him. Her worry was giving her a powerful headache and she lapsed back into her thoughts, eyes again straying to McNeely and taking up residence.
Another ten minutes of oppressive silence and McNeely paused his nervous pacing to raise his radio, crossing the room hurriedly.
"Alvarez on his way back," he said. "His door was already sealed and he's got company."
The men scrambled to their former positions, rifles shouldered and pointed steadily at the doorway.
Sooner than expected, McNeely's radio crackled. "I've got distance, ETA less than a minute," Alvarez reported breathlessly.
McNeely waited almost thirty seconds. "Open the door," he ordered.
Within the span of thee heartbeats, Alvarez raced into the room. "It's right behind me," he said edgily and the door was spirited closed.
All eyes scanned the anteroom anxiously and the sound of plodding steps gradually became audible, eventually revealing the figure that once was Jones.
He entered slowly on an almost ruined leg and missing a good portion of his face. White teeth were visible through chunks of flesh that had been savagely torn away and the wounds moved with a life of their own as worms quivered ecstatically in the attempt to find undamaged tissue.
Corky noted this with unseeing eyes, suddenly rising to her feet. "We need to kill it," she said loudly. "Malory can't get back in if its standing there."
McNeely stared at her in understanding and then turned eyes in Jones's direction as if summing the creature up. "Right, looks like he's been chewed on. Back away from the door and form up in the corners," he ordered and the men scrambled. "His right leg is barely there, everyone on that first. When he drops, burn him."
He turned to verify everyone was in place. "I'll open the door, give me a second to get clear," he added, moving forward.
His finger had depressed the first key when the unmistakable sounds of a shotgun being fired could be heard in the distance and he froze. Corky's hands came up to cover her mouth in comprehension and the room went deathly silent. A few unbearable seconds later, the long and steady burst of an automatic rifle echoed off the walls.
"Oh, God," Corky whined in horror.
Another quick abbreviated burst and silence reigned again, broken quickly with another long automatic salvo. All ears listened expectantly, waiting for anything that might provide more information but the silence weighed heavily and showed no sign of letting up.
"Love... craft," Jones gurgled, his voice receiving everyone's attention. "Love...craft is... dead," he finished and turned to lumber back into the hall.
Corky's resolve floundered at the words and her face altered from horror to despair. Her sob was startlingly loud within the confines of the room but no one could turn to look at her. As the sob was followed by another, Clovis put his weapon down and walked over to envelope her in an encompassing embrace.
The men moved away from them respectfully and McNeely crossed the room to sit down angrily in a chair, spinning in his seat to face the wall.
"McNeely," Malory's voice crackled through the radio.
"Fuck me!" McNeely exclaimed in surprise, bolting to his feet. The radio moving from his belt to his mouth in a blur. "Go ahead."
Corky's head rose sharply to peer out from behind one of Clovis' arms, hope shining in her eyes.
"The door is sealed," she reported.
"Understood. Your status?" he asked apprehensively.
No answer was forthcoming. "Commander?" he asked impatiently.
Corky snatched the radio from her belt. "Malory?" she inquired desperately.
"Commander?" McNeely repeated and did so several times, his frustration growing with every unanswered call. Finally, he threw his arms into the air and made as if to throw his radio against the wall, barely restraining himself at the last second.
"I want a gun," Corky stated quietly in the silence that followed.
McNeely took a deep breath and turned to face her. "Why?"
"Because she's alive and we're going to find her," Corky said solemnly.
"Fuckin'A," Alvarez piped up in agreement.
McNeely nodded. "How many are we up against?"
"I figure six," Hanson said. "We found what was left of Isaaks in the tunnel. We know of Coy and Jones for certain. Garret is still missing as is Percy and we lost Gallagher and Dobson yesterday."
"Six?" Watkins said in distress. "We almost lost our ass to just three yesterday."
"We have a lot more guns now," Reynolds said quietly. "And the complex is secure, whatever is out there is trapped in here. Just like us."
"We can't leave her out there," Corky said determinedly. "We won't leave her out there."
"We're not going to," McNeely said. "However, we'll need a group to stay behind. All of us walking around out there makes too big a target, as we found out yesterday."
"Who stays behind?" Watkins asked eagerly and received several derisive looks in his direction.
"Well, I guess you do," Alvarez said with thinly veiled contempt.
"Knock it off," McNeely said sternly. "Ring, Hanson, Watkins, and Rivers get to keep the home fires burning. The rest form up."
"I'm going," Corky stated steadfastly. "She may need help."
"Doctor," McNeely said softly. "If we find her and she's injured, you can't treat her out there. We'll get her back here on the double."
"I want to go," Corky said firmly.
McNeely sighed. "You're staying here because if she were present, she would never allow it," he said quietly. "And I won't either. You would be a liability."
"I'm going," she said with narrowing eyes. "And you can't stop me," she added defiantly.
McNeely raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yes I can," he rumbled dangerously. "Although I'd rather not. Please, don't make me."
"I will not stay here," she said boldly. "And we don't have the time to be talking about it."
McNeely eyed her carefully. "You're right, we don't have the time," he agreed suspiciously and turned to whisper in Reynolds's ear.
The Chief turned to leave the room, reappearing a minute later carrying several long strands of network cable which he handed to several of the soldiers.
"Do you wish to reconsider, Dr. Rivers?" McNeely asked mildly.
Corky bared her teeth.
With a nod from McNeely, the men began to slowly advance on the little doctor.
---------
Ten minutes later, McNeely sealed the lab door and joined the rest of the men in the hallway, ruefully dabbing at the scratches on one cheek with a finger.
"Jesus," he whispered. "She fought like a fuckin' Comanche," he added, getting several nervous chuckles of agreement. "Alright, DeSoto and Daly you're on point with me. Chief, Terrel, and Butler, bring up the rear. Alvarez you got tunnel duty. Use your radio. The rest of you form up between us single file."
"Right," Alvarez agreed, moving forward quietly and dropping through the hole in the floor. "Clear," he added a moment later through McNeely's radio.
McNeely nodded. "Remember boys, head and legs. Anything else is a waste of time."
---------
Malory considered her alternatives, not particularly fond of any of them. She cursed herself for losing her radio, knowing that if she had retained it, she could at the very least, let everyone know that she okay. She considered using the intercom but to do so would require bringing the complex out of lockdown, an action that wasn't option as it would release the seal on the all the doors. The worry over her own situation was only slightly less than her concern for those still among the living; a diminutive brunette principal among them.
She assumed herself to be the only one in immediate dire circumstances as she had overheard no shots being fired, either before or after her own. She felt sure she would have heard them if any had occurred. Being underground almost guaranteed the resonance and echo of gunfire to travel undiminished from one end of the complex to the other and she considered the lack of such noise a good sign. Unfortunately, if she wanted to look for bad signs, she had to look no further than her own body.
Her left shoulder was definitely dislocated and any further thought beyond that complication was determinedly silenced. The mere idea of undergoing a repeat of the surgery and therapy she had endured upon infliction of her past injury, made her want to cry. Her ribs were now definitely broken for when she moved, she could feel the ends grinding together and she could only hope that she wasn't bleeding internally. Breathing in through her nose was an exercise in stinging pain and even the thought of a gentle breeze wafting over it resulted in throbs of misery. But the biggest kick to the head, the one that really pissed her off, was the telltale cramps that alerted her to the early arrival of her period.
It was just too much.
Angry blue eyes raised to find Garret still staring at her through the window as if she were a rack of lamb and a plan began to form. The creatures were smart but they didn't know as much as Coy had led her to believe.
Intending to prove it, she rose stiffly to her feet and spent a few minutes foraging through the desks and cabinets, eventually accumulating all the necessities to implement the first stage of her plan.
Scotch tape and paper in hand, she approached the door and began to cover the porthole, slowly obscuring her activities from the unnerving eyes on the other side. The results of her labor were not appreciated and the thud of fists pounding against the door became loudly audible.
"Don't worry," she mumbled. "I'll be getting back to ya."
---------
"Untie me," Corky growled from her position on the floor.
Hanson rubbed his watering eye, still stinging from its collision with the toe of the doctor's errant boot. The woman had put up a furious fight, kicking and screaming wildly. More than one of his colleagues had suffered an impact from her madly flailing hands and feet before they finally managed to subdue her.
"I said, untie me," Corky fumed, wiggling violently on the floor.
Hanson shot a look at the Lieutenant and almost laughed, knowing that if the situation wasn't so serious, he would have. Ring was seated with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, looking as if he might vomit or cry, perhaps both. The man had taken a vicious blow to the groin at the onset and was still suffering from the repercussions.
"Untie me, goddamn it!" Corky yelled.
He rubbed his eye again. "Promise to behave if I free you?" he asked gruffly.
"I promise to kick your ass," she hissed angrily.
Watkins chuckled from across the room and he tried to ignore him. "Then I'm afraid we'll have to wait until McNeely gets back," he said mildly.
Corky went completely still and growled her frustration. "Okay, I promise," she ground out reluctantly.
"You sure now?" he baited.
"I said I fuckin' promise," she practically screamed.
"That language isn't very ladylike," he teased.
Corky craned her neck around to glare murder in his direction.
Ring finally emerged from his exile of affliction and chuckled. "Cut her some slack, Sergeant."
"Oh, alright," he relented easily, moving forward and drawing his knife.
Corky fought the urge to charge the man as she regained her feet and threw the cables still dangling from her wrists to the floor in irritation. She straightened her clothes with agitated hands and narrowed her eyes at the smirking Sergeant.
He acted quickly and extended a finger in reminder. "You promised."
Her lips tightened into a thin, tense line and she reached for the only weapon she could think of. "When the Commander gets back," she said threateningly. "I'm telling on you," she added childishly.
Her comment only succeeded in generating a chuckle from all three men.
Corky huffed and stomped off through the nearest door.
---------
"Alvarez, we're halting," McNeely said into his radio and signaled a stop to those behind him.
"Understood."
McNeely wiped his forehead with his sleeve "Chief," he called out with a wave.
Reynolds came forward and knelt next to him on one knee.
"We've cleared half the complex and seen no sign, they've got to be close," McNeely said quietly.
"Yeah, I figured we'd have run into at least one by now," Reynolds replied, searching the hall in front and behind with a cautious gaze, his eye suddenly freezing on the ceiling behind them.
"Doug," he whispered and pointed to the roof.
McNeely followed the finger to a ceiling tile that was slightly ajar and directly above Butler and Terrel. "Jesus," he whispered, standing rapidly to call out to the men. "Butler, Terrel above..."
His warning came a second too late as the roof abruptly rained down on them and Gallagher fell from above, landing on his feet with an unnatural grace. Terrel rolled away as fast as the flame unit strapped to his back would allow, bringing his weapon up but hesitating to fire for fear of enveloping Butler and a group of civilians in flame.
Butler was not as fortunate, Gallagher landed directly behind him and he screamed as his arm was wrenched out of the socket and a spray of blood jutted from the fractured bone protruding through his bicep.
The men closest scrambled to get out of the way and Butler's scream morphed into a warbling gurgle as Gallagher's teeth seized his esophagus and tore through his throat. In his convulsions, Butler's finger clamped down on the trigger to his rifle and he sprayed gunfire wildly down the hall, several rounds catching Terrel in the chest and knocking him onto his back.
Gallagher threw the dying Butler aside like a rag doll and raced headlong into the men fleeing for safety.
"Behind me, now!" McNeely screamed, watching in horror as Dr. Tanaka's head was slammed into the wall with an audible crack.
"Two behind us," Reynolds yelled.
McNeely yanked his head around to see Jones and Dobson casually advancing on them from a distance, his attention returned forward at Tomlinson's scream and he turned in time see the man's jaw completely torn away from his skull. His hand flashed to his radio. "Alvarez fall back to the lab, we're overrun," he yelled and stood to level his rifle. "Drop that fucker and run for the lab!" he screamed and let loose with a long automatic burst that humanely tore through the dying Dr. Garcia and plunged unnoticed into Gallagher's body.
The men followed his example and the now dead Garcia was reduced to tatters in a hail of gunfire. Clovis leveled his shotgun and emptied it at Gallagher's knees and he fell to the floor only to be surrounded by half a dozen men who vengefully emptied their weapons into the creature, blowing it apart by inches.
Reynolds darted past the conflict and slid to his knees next to the unmoving Terrel, cursing when dead eyes stared unseeing into his own.
"Move!" McNeely screamed, indiscriminately shoving the remaining men back the way they had come. "Run for the lab!"
The men took off at a dead run, all with the exception of DeSoto who calmly reloaded his rifle and took the time to empty it again into the quivering pulp that Gallagher had been reduced to.
"DeSoto, with me now!" Reynolds yelled and the young man turned to spare a last look at Butler's corpse before running to join the fleeing men.
McNeely again reached for his radio as they pounded down the hall. "Ring, we're coming back on the double, get on the door!" he yelled and a minute later he was caught up in the swell of bodies struggling to get inside into safety.
The Chief and DeSoto were the last to enter and Ring pushed the door closed with the assistance of several panicked hands.
"Wait! Is Alvarez here?" McNeely yelled.
"I'm here, seal the fucking door!" Alvarez said loudly and Ring punched the code into the door quickly.
A general sigh of relief encompassed the room and McNeely sidearmed his rifle across the room to take out a computer monitor. "Goddamn it!"
Corky ran back into the room at all the commotion and looked around fearfully, not spotting the one she hoped to find and noting with sadness that there were only eleven people in the room.
Watkins observed the lack of bodies too. "Great," he said sarcastically. "Maybe we should build a fire and sing some songs."
"If I were you, I'd shut the fuck up," Reynolds warned ominously.
"I have the right to speak," he said derisively. "The Commander's dead and we're dropping like flies. Are we just sup..."
His words were cut off by the butt of Alvarez's rifle slamming powerfully into the side of his face and he crumpled to the ground in a heap.
"Well done, Sergeant," Corky said mildly.
---------
Malory heard the gunfire and cursed, momentarily halting work on her preparations as she listened intently for several minutes after the last shot had been fired. Fighting against a gnawing feeling of urgency, she hurriedly went about finishing her work.
She had painstakingly rearranged the room's three desks in front of the door to create an obstacle course, leaving only a few feet between each one. She was thankful that the infrequently used room was narrow enough to make each desk a tight fit. When Garret entered, he wouldn't be able to go around and would have to climb over each desk individually, hopefully giving her enough time to get away. As an afterthought, she had used her rifle to knock the casters off the legs on one side of each desk. Her plan would fail if the creature simply shoved each desk together and crushed her at the far end of the room. With the casters removed, this would make that possibility much more difficult, since each one now leaned into the floor at an angle.
Feeling as if she were ready, she checked the magazine of her pistol and chambered a round. Leaving the handgun on the last desk, she slung her rifle and slowly began negotiating the furniture on her way to the door.
She had no doubt Garret was still on the other side, the sound of his fists pounding relentlessly on the door had proven to be a constant source of anxiety and irritation. Steeling herself with a deep breath, she leaned over the last desk to enter the code that would unseal the door. As her finger depressed the last key she scrambled madly back to the rear of the room, leapfrogging the desks as quickly as she was able. She retrieved her pistol as her feet hit the floor behind the last one and waited anxiously for the door to open.
The pounding ceased when the entry light turned green and Garret wasted no time in throwing the door open violently, lunging into the room with an insane glee. His waist slammed into the first desk and Malory took careful aim, letting a round go as he rebounded slightly from his collision. The bullet entered his eye and snapped his head back violently, a red splatter flying into the air behind him. Undeterred, he bowled forward determinedly, the desk scraping loudly as the casterless legs dug into the floor. Her second shot missed its target and struck him in the bridge of his nose, managing to remove a good portion of his brainpan with an impressive patch of hair still attached. Garret rammed the first desk into the next and his momentum came to a jerking halt as he encountered the second obstacle. The .45 roared again and his vision was extinguished in a red mist.
Malory grunted in satisfaction as he began to flail around blindly and holstered her pistol. Garret's movements became frenzied and he lost his bearings, spinning around in a circle and lashing out in a desperate attempt to capture his quarry.
She brought the rifle up and kneeled to steady it against the top of the desk, taking deliberate aim. The bullets were fired one at a time, each one slamming into Garret's right hip. When the rifle locked open, she inserted another magazine and continued firing upon her target until his ruined hip could no longer support the weight of his body. She stood to insert a fresh magazine when he fell and cautiously moved forward, clearly aware of the still thrashing body. With a deep breath of preparation, she hopped onto the two smashed together desks and ran into a short leap that brought her clear of Garret's body and into the open doorway. In relative safety, she again raised the rifle and fired several automatic bursts into his good leg until the calf hung from flimsy strips of tissue. Satisfied, she reloaded her rifle and spared a spiteful smile at the writhing body.
"I'll be back in a little while to crispy critter your ass," she said cheerfully. "Make yourself at home."
She pulled the door closed, entering the code to seal it and turning to make her way carefully down the steps. When she reached the bottom, she hurried under the staircase to retrieve her radio, pausing when she found a hacksaw lying next to it. Her eyes rose to examine the step that had collapsed under her weight and they narrowed thoughtfully; it had been sawed through to a fraction, one side of which now hung perilously from a small strand of twisted metal.
"Devious little fucker," she mumbled and reached to pick up her radio. "McNeely," she called hopefully.
Agitated when she received no immediate response, she was about to call again when she noticed the power light was off. She clicked it on and off and then irritably tossed it into the snow, realizing it had been on when she lost it and the battery had run dry. Resolutely, she rose to her full height and twisted her head around until the vertebrae in her neck cracked.
"Here comes trouble," she said nefariously and began her trek down the hall.
---------
In the lab, the sound of gunfire brought sagging heads up all around the room.
"That was a handgun," Alvarez said coming to his feet.
Several of the men joined him and all listened intently as slow, repeated reports of rifle fire echoed through the complex.
Corky smiled joyfully. "It's Malory."
McNeely snatched his radio. "Commander?" he inquired hopefully.
No reply but an answering hail of automatic fire that quickly ended.
"Commander?" he asked again, waiting several long seconds for a response. He was about to speak again when a figure in the hall suddenly stepped into the foyer.
He lowered the radio slowly as Percy walked to within arm's reach of the door. An expectant silence encompassed the room as all attention focused on the brutally disfigured man.
"He's been shot up," Clovis observed.
"This is the first we've seen of him since he went missing," Reynolds said quietly. "I bet he had a run in with the Commander."
"Well unless they decided to start playing with guns, I would guess she got away from him," McNeely pointed out.
"We..." Reynolds started but ground to a halt as Percy extended a finger and depressed a number on the keypad. "Oh, shit!"
"Form up in the corners, move!" McNeely yelled and everyone scrambled.
Percy hit another button, slowly picking up speed and rapidly entering a series of numbers on the keypad.
"Oh, this is just fucking great," Watkins murmured.
McNeely watched the entry light signal red repeatedly. "What are the odds of him hitting the right numbers?"
"A million to one," Reynolds replied quietly. "But he could hit the right combo any minute or not for months."
McNeely sighed, resting his rifle across his knees and leaning back against the wall. "Looks like we ain't gonna get any sleep."
"Let's let him in, he's alone," Alvarez said.
McNeely considered. "I don't know, they move a hell of a lot faster now than they did at the beginning."
"No shit," Reynolds whispered. "Gallagher was all over us, we'd lose somebody before we could put him down."
"Leaving him outside is good," Watkins said quickly.
Several sets of eyes strayed to the man contemptuously.
"Rigor Mortis," Corky said quietly.
"Excuse me, Doctor?" McNeely asked.
"They're moving faster because Rigor Mortis is wearing off," she explained tonelessly. "It must take a while for everything to loosen up again."
"They're planning now too," Reynolds added. "They must've decided an all out assault was too costly. They ambushed us this time."
"Fantastic," Watkins murmured. "Maybe we should just surrender."
"Watkins," Alvarez warned softly.
---------
Malory sealed the tunnel door and again reentered the complex, spending a moment studying the carnage from her earlier encounter with Coy. There was a remarkable amount blood coloring the inside of the tunnel for several feet but no sign of a body, the red standing out dominantly against the white of the ice walls.
Carefully, she moved forward several feet until she could poke her head through the missing floor panels, her eyes landing happily on her discarded shotgun. She pulled herself up into the hall with a series of painful grunts and made a beeline for the weapon, snatching it up with a grin.
She loaded the weapon to capacity and chambered a round. "Groovy."
Moving cautiously forward, she padded down the hall as silently as she could, coming to a gradual halt when she turned a corner and spotted a slowly moving body several yards ahead. Coy was pulling himself down the hall with his hands, the stump of his leg keeping him from walking.
Malory closed in on him from behind, a little surprised that he was unaware of her presence. As she came to within a few feet, she could see that his leg had clotted and looking closer, took note of the worms working their way in and out of the flesh industriously. Laboring diligently to keep the tissue they resided in functional.
She took careful aim. "Hey," she said amiably. "What's that on your face?"
Coy's head snapped around to capture her with his one remaining eye, most of his head and face missing. He spun wildly on the floor, using his hands in a flurry of motion to thrust himself towards her.
The blast dissolved what was left of his head in a crimson squall and the headless body contorted viciously around on the floor. Eight rounds later, she mechanically reloaded the shotgun and carefully stepped around the ruined pulp on the floor to continue her journey down the hall, humming softly.
Eventually, she arrived at her quarters and she opened the door cautiously, a cruel blue gaze scanning the interior carefully. Satisfied that no one was lurking, she entered her office and, shotgun poised at the ready, flung open the door to her room. Her eyes immediately tracked to Little Lovecraft's severed head and she snarled in fury, bending to pick it up and glancing around angrily in search of the rest of her doll. She found the body under the cot and gently put the two pieces of her beloved companion on top of her footlocker.
"Bastards," she hissed.
With a livid sigh, she rose to strip off her rifle and bandolier, setting the shotgun on her cot so she could carefully pull on a sweatshirt. Once she had it on, and after several sharp gasps of pain as the shirt made contact with her nose and she forced her wounded arm through the sleeves, she pulled a belt from her closet. The belt became a sling as she strapped it around her waist, trapping her left arm inside the loop and snugly tightening the limb to her side.
Feeling considerably better, she reclaimed her weapons and walked back into her office, pausing at the door to snatch her sombrero from its hook before stepping into the hall.
---------
Tension thickly saturated the interior of the lab as Percy relentlessly continued to calmly punch numbers into the keypad. Anxiety rising sharply and then falling off minimally every time the entry light flashed red, denying him access.
"We're gonna have to let him in," McNeely said resignedly. "We can't just sit here and wait for him to chance upon the right code and we should do it before one of his friends show up."
"We'll need some bait," Alvarez said grimly. "I suggest someone expendable and therefore nominate Watkins."
"I second that," Ring said quickly and hesitant chuckles sounded off around the room.
"Fuck all of you," Watkins said ardently. "I'm not moving from this spot."
"Knock it off," McNeely chided sharply, shooting a glare around the room and then smiling slyly. "Besides, with any luck it'll go for him first."
The resulting snickers turned quickly into nervous laughter and even Corky joined in. The echo of a gunshot penetrated their moment of mirth and the laughter subsided swiftly. Eight more reports sounded off in quick succession and then silence reigned again.
"That's got to be the Commander," Alvarez said quietly.
"I know it is," Corky said with certainty.
"Did those rounds sound any closer?" McNeely asked.
"Hard to tell inside, but they seemed louder," Hanson replied.
"It didn't seem to bother our friend out there," Reynolds pointed out.
Indeed, Percy hadn't paused in his mission and continued to persistently key numbers into the door.
"Could they be using weapons out there to break the seals on the doors?" Lenard asked.
"We don't have a weapon in inventory that could break the seal on those doors," Reynolds answered quickly.
"Could any of our weapons break through this glass?" Lenard asked, gesturing to the transparent partition separating them from the foyer.
The Chief looked at the glass thoughtfully. "I seriously doubt it."
"But you're not sure?"
"There's a slim chance that concentrated fire could weaken it, why do you ask?"
"Not to rain on anyone's parade but the chances of Lovecraft being still among the living is remarkably slim," Lenard said regretfully. "These things have shown signs of astonishing intelligence, perhaps they're experimenting."
"Malory is alive," Corky said resolutely.
"I hope so, Doctor," Lenard said sympathetically. "But we should be prepared for just about anything at this stage."
"Well, gee," Watkins muttered. "The thought of those things with weapons gives me a warm fuzzy."
"Watkins," McNeely rumbled threateningly. "If we didn't need the extra gun so badly I'd feed you to those things myself. Do yourself the favor of remaining quiet unless you have something productive to add."
Watkins rolled his eyes and leaned heavily against the wall, McNeely eyed him carefully for a long moment.
"Sergeant Major," Lenard said. "You said we have some explosives. Could they use those to penetrate the room?"
"Yes," McNeely answered swiftly. "But to use them requires a knowledge I would assume no one else has, except for myself and possibly Mr. Alvarez," he added with a look at the Tech Sergeant, receiving a nod of confirmation.
"Even the Commander?" Lenard asked.
McNeely paused thoughtfully. "Possible but doubtful," he admitted.
"Have any of you considered the notion that if Lovecraft is one of those things," Watkins began condescendingly, "she has the knowledge to effectively destroy us all? She could walk right up and open this door or bring the entire complex out of lockdown."
"Malory is not one of those things," Corky growled hotly.
McNeely shared a look with Reynolds and nodded.
Corky cast wary eyes on both of them. "What are you doing?" she demanded.
"Doctor," McNeely sighed. "Unfortunately, Watkins has a point. We have to, at the very least, change the door codes again."
"No!" she protested loudly. "She won't be able to get back in."
"That's the whole point," Watkins said coldly.
"She is not one of those things!" Corky insisted vehemently. "She's out there fighting them, you've all heard the shots!"
"Doctor, if she falls," McNeely said sympathetically. "She could endanger us all."
"You don't know anything!" Corky yelled desperately. "She would kill herself to keep from being taken by those things!"
"That, is unarguably true, Dr. Rivers," McNeely agreed quietly. "But even if she were to do that, we've all seen the dead get up and walk."
Corky opened her mouth to reply but ended up bringing a hand up to cover a sudden sob. She quickly turned away from everyone and faced the wall, her shoulders hitching.
McNeely watched her sadly for a moment and then turned to the Chief. "Do it."
---------
Malory walked boldly down the hall, making no attempt at stealth. Her emotions traveling back and forth between moments of bleak pain and vicious intent. She fought bravely through occasional bouts of wooziness that she knew were the results of internal bleeding. When she found her attention wandering, she hummed out loud in an effort to keep herself grounded, often softly singing the words to the few songs she remembered snippets from.
Her steps came to a faltering halt as she rounded a corner and found the remains of several bodies in the distance. Lips twisted into a snarl and her shotgun came up in preparation as she advanced unwaveringly, noticing movement as she got closer to her destination.
Jones was so intent on his meal that he was unaware of her approach until the last second. He raised his head from the grisly hole in Terrel's belly with an expression of morbid surprise, only to find the barrel of a shotgun three inches away from his face. A ravaged piece of meat fell from his mouth in shock as his eyes rose to meet a pair of blue almost as insane as his own.
"Let me wash that down for you," she growled nastily.
Jones would've found the blast deafening if he had retained the necessary anatomy. Grim intent fueled the next eight rounds and Malory paid no attention to the blood that splattered her from indulging in the close range massacre. When the gun was empty, she casually shook the worms and tissue off of her boots as she reloaded the weapon.
The sound of a footstep caught her attention and she turned to find Tanaka approaching stiffly from a few dozen yards away, one side of his head crushed in comically and the blood on his clothes still moist. She watched his advance indifferently as she chambered a round and inserted another shell to load the shotgun to full capacity.
Another sound from behind alerted her to the presence of Dobson and she gloomily assessed her situation; she couldn't drop them both in time to prevent one from reaching her. It was going to have to be a running battle. She smiled.
"You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn," she sang softly and turned to run in the direction of Tanaka, leveling her shotgun as she closed the distance.
Her rate of movement and the one handed grip on the shotgun affected her accuracy but the consequences of the nine semiautomatic blasts were devastatingly effective. The last two especially as they removed Tanaka's head from the nose up, leaving him blind and flailing around aggressively.
She didn't pause and ran the last few feet as fast as she could, screaming loudly in rage as she ducked her right shoulder and ran into him with all the strength she had available. The collision proved fruitful and Malory managed to knock him off his feet, but couldn't keep her balance as she bowled over him and fell painfully to the ground a few meters behind him, her shotgun skidding away from her.
Her mind fought to overcome a powerful spell of nausea and she floundered several times in the attempt to regain her feet. As she fell to the floor on her third attempt, the impending blackness of unconsciousness threatened to take over and she struggled to stave it off.
The struggle ended with an agonized rasp as she was lifted into the air by the belt that strapped her injured left arm to her side. Disorientated and helpless, she was manhandled roughly in the air until she abruptly found herself face to face with the demonic features of the late Dr. Dobson. A terrified power surged through her and she brought her good hand up to brutally claw into his eyes, digging in violently and tearing several nails off with the ferocity of her attack.
One of his hands clamped around the back of her neck and she felt herself being drawn inexorably forward. She went into a Herculean frenzy of resistance, contorting madly in his grasp, screaming in fear as his mouth began to advance on her own.
Suddenly, she went completely limp in his embrace and her head lolled backwards in apparent unconsciousness. An expression of macabre surprise crossed Dobson's ruined features and he paused in obvious curiosity, studying the limp form that lay helpless within his grasp.
His remaining eye blinked when pale blue eyes snapped open and regarded him savagely as a cool and unyielding object made contact with the roof of his gaping mouth.
"All sales are final," Malory rasped.
The pointblank blast of the .45 scattered the back of Dobson's head all over the ceiling and Malory landed on wobbly legs as the grip on her was released. Wasting no time, she backed up a step and took careful aim, extinguishing what was left of his vision with another roar from the handgun. She emptied the remaining rounds into his head with precision, moving a step with each shot in the direction of her misplaced shotgun, kneeling to retrieve it when the pistol locked open empty.
Keeping a careful eye on the sightless Dobson as he cavorted recklessly around the hallway, she reloaded the shotgun and chambered a round. "I hope like hell that you feel pain," she said hoarsely. "Because I really want this to hurt," she added, leveling the weapon and moving forward single-mindedly.
---------
Corky looked up sharply at the sound of gunshots and blew out a relieved breath. She refused to subscribe to any theory that suggested Malory wasn't the source of all the gunfire.
McNeely rose to his feet and approached the door to the lab thoughtfully, leveling a hard stare on the vigorously determined Percy.
"She's out there," Corky said loudly. "Let that fucker in and blow him away so we can go help her," she added with a dismissive gesture in Percy's direction.
"Fuck that," Watkins said cowardly. "If Lovecraft is alive, there's nothing we can do for the bitch."
Several of the men rose to their feet angrily and Corky spun on her heel to level a homicidal glare in his direction. "You worthless, yellow pussy," she hissed lividly, striding towards him dangerously and extending a hand. "Give me your rifle, you spineless shit."
He clutched the weapon to his chest possessively. "Fuck off, you little queer," he said defiantly. "You ain't got the balls for it."
The sound of several rifles cocking was startlingly loud and Watkins looked up to see every gun barrel in the room pointed at him steadily, the eyes behind shining blatantly with deadly intent.
"Give her the weapon," McNeely rumbled lethally. "Right now."
Watkins froze, excruciatingly aware that the threat outside now paled in comparison to the danger immediately confronting him.
"I said now," McNeely growled impatiently.
He slowly extended the weapon in Corky's direction and she snatched it out of his hands. "Asshole," she hissed.
"Chief, we're gonna need some more cable," McNeely said quietly, still looking down the length of his gun barrel at Watkins. "And a chair," he added as an afterthought.
"With pleasure, Sergeant Major," Reynolds said cheerfully, lowering his rifle and ambling out of the room with a purpose.
Watkins eyes widened. "Wait a minute now," he said nervously. "You can't..."
"Shut the fuck up," McNeely said slowly. "I can think of about twenty people I wish were here with us now instead of you."
"That ain't no lie," Alvarez rumbled. "We lost some damn good people and I'd grease you myself right now if I thought it would bring any of them back."
Reynolds walked back into the room guiding a rolling chair in front of him, which he shoved into Watkins knees. "Have a seat, Dr. Watkins," he said casually.
"You can't do..." he started anxiously.
His words were cut off by the impact of the Chief's backhand and a flurry of distinctly unkind hands forced him into the chair, binding him tightly in place.
"Don't do this!" he screamed in panic.
"Gag him," McNeely said coldly and a few seconds later Watkins was silenced. "Place him against the wall in full view of the door," he ordered.
Watkins whimpered helplessly through his gag as he was rolled into place, his eyes darting around fearfully.
"Alright," McNeely said. "Form up, I'm going to let Percy in. If a stray round strikes Watkins, I'll consider it an accident."
Alvarez and Reynolds turned slyly sinister smiles on the bound man.
"Head and legs. Everything else is a waste of time," McNeely reminded.
He looked around to receive nods of readiness and walked for the door, closing to within three feet before grinding to a surprised halt. His eyes riveted upon the instantly recognizable black sombrero as Malory stepped into the foyer and leveled a one handed shotgun at the back of Percy's head.
"Malory!" Corky exclaimed joyfully.
Percy turned as if perceiving a threat and the occupants inside the lab found themselves viewing a graphic portrait of blood, tissue, and bone as his head exploded onto the glass.
The blood obscured the details of the resulting carnage as eight more rounds thundered through the room. At the last shot, McNeely overcame his paralysis and lunged forward to open the door.
A tense moment later, Malory stepped in on shaky legs and attempted a weak smile in Corky's direction. "Hail to the Queen, baby," she rasped.
Corky's hands came to her mouth in concern as she got a close look at her lover, not knowing what injury to start fussing over first. Both of her eyes were blackened impressively from an obviously broken nose, the bruises so large they melted into the previous contusions she had suffered. Her left arm was strapped tightly to her body with a belt and her complexion was a sickly pale, not to mention the blood covering her from head to toe.
She took a hesitant step forward and then broke into a run as Malory's eyes rolled back and she began to collapse, saved from hitting the floor only by McNeely's quick embrace.
The Sergeant lowered her gently to the floor and Corky fell to her knees beside her, hands flying over her body in diagnosis.
"Get a stretcher," she ordered tersely a moment later. "She's in shock, we need to get her to Medical, right now."
"DeSoto, Daly," McNeely ordered. "On the double!"
The men rushed from the room and McNeely turned to Hanson. "Burn that piece of shit," he said gesturing to Percy's quivering remains. "The rest of you gear up, let's make sure she got them all."
Corky barely heard the commotion going on around her as she tried to professionally detach herself from Malory's injuries. She failed miserably and the tears fell from her eyes freely as she struggled to find a spot on her lover's body that wasn't beaten or bruised.
As the flames from Percy's body were extinguished, the stretcher arrived and the Commander was loaded onto it quickly. Corky slung her rifle over her shoulder and raced behind DeSoto and Daly as they hurried her lover out of the lab and down the hall.
Four hours later, McNeely watched dispassionately as Garret's remains were reduced to ashes and Reynolds walked up beside him.
"Fuckin'A, Doug," the Chief whispered. "She got every one of 'em."
"Yeah," he said quietly. "Yeah, she did."
Reynolds let out a long breath. "Think she'll be okay?"
"I dunno," he replied. "I fuckin' hope so."
"So do I."
McNeely sighed. "Let's get this place cleaned up and stowed away. We still have a few months before we can get the hell out of here. Start with the mess, I'm sure I'm not the only one hungry enough to eat the ass out of a rhino."
"Watkins is still in the lab," he reminded amusedly.
"Have someone tighten his restraints and wheel him into his quarters," McNeely said maliciously. "Let him work his way free."
Reynolds grinned. "I believe Alvarez would volunteer for that."
A small chuckle. "I'll bet," he said. "We might also want to see to the belongings of everyone we lost."
"I'll see to it," Reynolds said sadly. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to Medical," he said determinedly. "Have someone bring me a plate when chow is available."
"Will do," Reynolds agreed. "I'd imagine everyone will be there as soon as they can."
McNeely nodded and turned to walk out of Operations, leaving Hanson and Ring to see to their grisly task.
He found himself alone when he arrived at his destination, the divider drawn across the room. With a tired sigh, he seated himself to wait, all too aware of the steady beep of monitoring equipment hidden behind the curtain.
---------
McNeely was startled awake by a nudge from the Chief, who offered him a hot plate of food and sank into the chair next to him. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and was surprised to find everyone but Watkins present.
"Thanks," he grumbled. "What time is it?"
"1400."
"Any word?"
"Not yet," Reynolds said quietly.
He grunted. "Everything squared away?"
"It's a work in progress," the Chief said. "It'll be a few days."
A nod. "I guess it's time to bite the bullet," he announced reluctantly, rising to his feet and setting his plate in the chair before warily slipping behind the divider.
His eyes instantly landed on the unconscious Commander and he winced in sympathy as she was rendered almost unrecognizable by the metal cast taped across her nose. A thin sheet was tucked meticulously around her body and he followed the IV trail to her arm, where he found the doctor asleep. Corky was slumped over in a chair by the bedside, her face resting on the mattress next to Malory's hand. He approached quietly and knelt next to the slumbering doctor, nudging her gently.
She snapped awake instantly. "Malory," she said hopefully, her eyes anxiously searching.
"Doctor," he said softly, alerting her to his presence and she jumped in surprise. "I'm sorry," he said quickly.
"It's alright," she mumbled sleepily.
"How is she?" he asked guardedly.
She turned tired eyes in his direction. "She's gonna be okay," she choked out, her voice cracking.
He blew out a long, relieved breath. Not getting the chance to speak as Corky's face crumbled and she launched herself into his arms, crying tears of worry and relief. "Oh, hey," he soothed, surprised to find the little doctor clinging to him desperately. "It's all over now."
The men nearby overheard snippets of the conversation and recognized the unmistakable sounds of Corky crying, they muttered among themselves in agitation.
"If the Commander doesn't make it," Alvarez rumbled darkly. "I'm going to execute Watkins just for the fuck of it."
A few mumbles of agreement met his words and several minutes later, the Sergeant Major emerged from behind the divider. All eyes rose expectantly.
McNeely smiled and shoulders slumped universally in relief. "She's gonna be out it for awhile, but she'll pull through."
"Is there anything we can do, Sergeant?" Clovis asked.
"I'm glad you asked that," McNeely said gratefully. "Dr. Rivers will be staying in Medical for the foreseeable future so I'd like you to pack her a bag and grab her a cot. Also, someone go grab her something to eat, I'd imagine she's pretty hungry."
The men jumped to their feet.
"Oh, one more thing," he added nonchalantly. "Someone go tighten the ropes on Watkins and put a plate of food just out of his reach."
"I'll do that," Alvarez said quickly, turning to leave the room.
"Mr. Alvarez," McNeely said before he could leave.
"Yes?"
"Make sure you leave the faucet dripping too."
The Tech Sergeant smiled widely.
Corky bent over her patient studiously, squinting through magnifying lenses as she carefully placed the stitches. She had never sewn a head back on, mostly because the act itself seemed like an exercise in futility, but this was a special case. It was her hope that the endeavor would leave undetectable scars and she went through great pains to make her stitches as small as possible. So intense was her concentration, that she failed to notice the blue eyes that fluttered open behind her.
Malory immediately squinted in response to the bright light situated above her and she spent a few minutes adjusting. When she was able to open her eyes completely, the first thing she noticed was the obstruction on her face and a hand rose to investigate.
"Oww," she squeaked piteously when she poked herself harder than she intended.
Corky's head came up immediately and she turned in her chair hopefully, her face lighting up happily as she met Malory's open eyes.
"Hey," she said softly, a ridiculous smile on her face that she couldn't control.
"Hey," Malory rasped hoarsely, trying a smile that rapidly turned into a scowl. "It hurts to smile."
"I know," Corky said sympathetically, turning to discreetly cover her other patient with a sheet. "Let me get you some juice to drink," she added merrily, bouncing across the room to a little refrigerator.
"Okay."
Malory crossed her eyes in an attempt to view her nose until Corky approached and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "Apple juice, alright?"
"Sure," she replied and was instantly forcefed a straw.
"Suck," Corky demanded playfully.
Malory did as she was told, watching the doctor with wary eyes.
When Corky had determined that she had consumed an acceptable amount, she withdrew the straw.
"You're smiling at me," Malory said quietly. "I take it I'm going to live?"
"Yep," Corky said brightly.
"How bad is my shoulder?" she asked fearfully.
"It was just dislocated," Corky replied quickly. "Nothing was broken or torn."
Malory released the breath she was holding in relief but then looked at Corky suspiciously. "Then why do I feel so bad?"
"You lost a lot of blood," Corky replied. "Most of it internal. You broke three ribs, they were piercing you on the inside."
"Oh," Malory whispered thoughtfully. "What's with the shit on my face? Will I end up looking like the Elephant Man?"
Corky giggled. "Nope, in a few weeks you'll be as pretty as ever."
"Really?" Malory asked hopefully.
"Really."
"Do you have a mirror?"
"Why?"
"I want to see."
"No, you don't."
"Please."
Corky rolled her eyes. "You won't like what you see."
"You said it would heal, right?" Malory asked suspiciously.
"Yes," Corky drawled slowly.
"Then let me see."
Corky wavered uncertainly, but sighed and crossed the room to retrieve a hand mirror. "Remember, you'll soon be as good as new. I promise," she said reluctantly and held the mirror in front of Malory's face.
A gasp and Malory swatted the mirror away. "I look like the ass end of a roadkill," she said babyishly.
Corky smiled. "You're beautiful."
"Whatever," Malory said sulkily. "How long do I have to lie here?"
"A while yet," Corky replied easily.
A childish sigh.
"I missed you," Corky said softly, leaning over to place another kiss on her forehead.
"Do you love me?" Malory whispered.
"More than anything in the world."
"Okay, I'll lie here for a few days," she announced generously.
Corky chuckled. "You don't have much choice in the matter."
"But what if I need to... uhm... shake the dew off my lily?" she asked hesitantly.
Corky smiled and reached down to produce a bedpan.
Malory's eyes widened in horror. "No way," she said determinedly.
"Give it a rest," Corky scoffed. "I've already changed it for you a couple of times," she teased gently. "And the Sergeant Major did it once."
A mortified gasp and Corky broke down instantly with a look at her face.
"Okay, I was just kidding about the Sergeant," she admitted with a snicker.
"No fair picking on me," Malory rumbled. "I'm convalescing."
"Oh, alright," Corky said with a grin. "I couldn't resist."
Malory grunted.
"Speaking of the Sergeant, I should call him. I know he wanted to talk to you when you woke up."
"No."
"Huh?"
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, thanks to you."
"Then I don't want to see him unless it's an emergency."
"Why not?"
"Why not?" she asked sarcastically. "Look at me. I'm so ugly I could make a train back up and take a dirt road."
A chuckle. "So? Its not like he's gonna make a pass at you or anything. Don't be such a little prom queen."
Malory sighed. "Fine, but I'm not using the bedpan. I'd rather teach my asshole how to chew gum."
Corky laughed. "I love you, Malory."
Morose eyes raised. "I love you too," she said softly.
"I know you're feeling moody," Corky soothed. "I have something that might cheer you up."
"What's that?" Malory asked curiously.
For an answer, Corky walked over and pulled the sheet away from the room's other occupant with a flourish.
"You fixed her!" Malory exclaimed happily.
Corky grinned like an idiot at Malory's delight and carried Little Lovecraft over to be clutched in an impatiently extended hand. "She's a tough little bitch, just like her Mommy," she said fondly. "She learned some manners while you were sleeping," she added mischievously.
Eyes sparkled with amusement. "Is that a fact?"
"Yep," Corky said gleefully.
Malory seated the doll on her chest and pulled the string.
"What happened to your nose? Did your parents lose a bet with God?" the doll asked annoyingly.
Malory scowled as her lover laughed merrily. "It's going to be a long winter," she predicted remorsefully.
It had been six days since Corky had seen Malory, something she had been quietly warned to expect on the flight to Washington. So it wasn't a surprise when upon arrival, Malory and the other servicemen had been spirited away and she had found herself, Clovis, Lenard, and Watkins together in a separate vehicle, losing sight of Malory's car as it pulled into an underground parking garage situated beneath the Pentagon From that point, she had been separated from her colleagues and had become an unwilling guest of the government, spending three full days undergoing an interrogation conducted by six stern looking men that had absolutely no sense of humor. On the fourth day, she was given a room key and an escort to a nearby hotel with instructions to remain there until called upon.
The time since, had been spent in a long haze of worry and concern, wondering anxiously what would happen to Malory and the others. They had discussed it a lot in the month before their rescue, both in public and in private. As Commander, Malory was the one held the most culpable and speculating her fate was a constant source of unease that consumed Corky to no end.
Finally, the call had come and had been greeted with both relief and apprehension. Now, the Pentagon loomed in the distance and she looked disinterestedly through a car window as the scenery passed her by.
As the vehicle pulled to a stop, she recognized with a scowl several of the men waiting to greet her as erstwhile interrogators and she got out reluctantly. Unexpectedly, another man emerged from the crowd and her eyes lit up happily as she rushed forward to embrace him.
"Larry!" she exclaimed cheerfully, flinging herself into his arms. "It's so good to see you."
"Well, hello there," Larry said jovially after receiving his mauling.
"What are you doing here?" Corky asked warmly.
"They wanted to talk to me too," he said seriously.
"What's going on?"
"Not quite sure yet," he admitted.
A throat cleared and their escort gestured them inside. Corky scowled, more than a little irritated with all the secrecy, as she fell in with the pace of the procession. The entourage traveling silently through what seemed like never-ending miles of corridor until they arrived at a door manned by a pair of grave looking Marines, one of which opened the door.
"Dr. Rivers, Dr. Daniels, please make yourselves comfortable," he said, gesturing them inside.
Warily, Corky entered the room and smiled happily upon encountering her friends, all of whom were wearing their dress uniforms.
"Hi guys, don't you all look handsome," she said cheerfully, looking around hopefully but coming up empty. "What's the scoop?"
"Don't know," McNeely said. "This is the first we've seen of each other since we landed."
"Where's Malory?" she asked worriedly.
"No idea," McNeely admitted. "But I'll bet we find out today."
Corky grunted thoughtfully. "Is she in trouble?" she asked worriedly.
"She better not be," Clovis rumbled and she smiled at him fondly.
"We were all run through the ringer," Reynolds said quietly. "I can guarantee it was much worse for her."
"So what are we here for?" she asked.
"To wait," McNeely said bluntly.
"For what?"
"We'll have to wait to find out," McNeely said and Corky scowled in frustration.
It had been almost seven hours and the sound of the door opening startled everyone, Corky looked up expectantly and was disappointed to see an elder man in a Naval uniform enter the room. McNeely sprang to his feet and saluted, prompting the other soldiers to follow suit.
"At ease and good afternoon," he said amiably. "Mr. Watkins would you come with me, please?"
The ostracized Watkins who sat by himself in a far corner of the room, reluctantly rose to his feet and preceded the Admiral out of the room. He left the door open in his wake and Corky performed a double take, hardly recognizing Malory as she walked through the door in her dress uniform.
Malory closed the door behind her and turned to find a roomful of salutes directed at her.
"Oh, cut it out," she chided jovially, accepting a flying embrace from Corky.
"Would you look at those legs?" McNeely said in wonder.
"You owe me money," Reynolds said. "I told you she shaved them."
"Look at those ribbons," Alvarez said. "I've seen Generals who didn't have so many."
Malory rolled her eyes and leaned over to kiss Corky on the top of her head. "If everyone is finished having fun at my expense, I'll tell you what's going on," she said cheerfully, belatedly noticing Daniels. "Nice to see you again, Mr. Daniels," she said politely.
"Good to see you, Commander," he replied easily.
Everyone found a seat good-naturedly and looked at her expectantly.
"First of all, everyone has been cleared of any malfeasance, including myself," she announced to communal relief. "And the powers that be have approached me with a proposal to present to you all."
"What's that, skipper?" McNeely asked curiously.
"You have two weeks to decide whether or not you'd like to continue on to other duty assignments or remain under my command. Those of you with the Coast Guard, which falls under the authority of the Department of Transportation, will be permanently seconded to the Navy," she explained. "Those of you with the NSF have the option to become DOD employees under my purview."
A rapid exchange of surprised glances.
"Wow," Reynolds exclaimed quietly. "That's a bag of tricks."
"I don't get it," McNeely said confusedly.
"As improbable as it seems, our government doesn't have an abundance of people experienced in, what one would call, the supernatural," Malory said casually. "The DOD will provide a base of operations for us and we'll be deployed nationally and internationally to investigate... uhm... paranormal phenomenon."
"You're kidding, right?" Clovis asked disbelievingly.
"No, I'm not," Malory said. "I was just as surprised as I'm sure all of you are now."
"Does that include me?" Daniels asked.
"It includes everyone in this room and any staff we care to bring into the fold," Malory explained. "However, our mission and objectives are to remain classified."
"I'll be damned," Alvarez muttered quietly.
"You have two weeks of leave to decide," Malory said. "Those of you interested need to report back to me here, at the end of that time."
Corky pulled on her sleeve, guiding her to a private corner of the room.
"Malory," she said. "What does this mean for us?" she asked worriedly.
A bright smile. "We can do whatever you want. I don't have to be involved in this and neither do you."
Corky grunted and peeked around Malory at the men muttering among themselves. "I want to do it," she said sincerely.
"Then that's what we'll do," Malory said easily.
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
"Can we go see my parents first?"
"Sure."
"Where will we live?"
"Don't know yet, but I used to work in this building. I have a condo in town," Malory said slyly. "It has a king-sized bed," she added rakishly.
Corky giggled. "I can hardly wait."
"Me either," Malory said excitedly. "I've been wondering for months what sex would be like in a real bed."
Corky favored her with a gentle smile. "I'm so proud of you," she said softly. "Let me go talk with the guys, you wait here," she ordered.
"Okay," she said agreeably and watched curiously as the men huddled around the doctor and they mumbled quietly for several minutes.
Eventually, she wandered over to the window to watch the traffic in the distance, becoming lost in her own thoughts.
"Commander?" McNeely said sharply and she turned find everyone lined up in the middle of the room.
"Yes?" she asked apprehensively.
"We've already decided."
"And?"
Daly began to whistle and her eyes widened in recognition, a hand rising to cover her mouth as a group Cabbage Patch began.
"Come all without. Come all within," they sang boisterously. "You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn..."
End
\* Quinn, the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn) Words and Music by Bob Dylan © 1968, 1976 Dwarf Music
\* The Doppelganger Artwork by EricWadley © 2001 Archetypal Visions

