Aliens: Brood War

DEACON

Shaw used the topographer to lead the team to an opening that wasn't much bigger than a regular doorway.

"Looks excavated," Kai said. "Must have been done by the Prometheus' crew."

Zima looked around in amazement. "I can't believe it," she said. "Aliens. I wonder if they're cute little green men."

"Little," Layton said looking around as well. "This doorway may be human size, but the gate looks gigantic."

"Giants," Eastman said. "I'm pretty sure I heard about giants living in Earth's past. Kinda treated like a conspiracy theory. I'm trying to remember what the evidence was but it might have just been stories."

"Mic," Kai called. "You there?"

"Yes," Mic responded from a station aboard the Avellan. "I'm monitoring everything. Your voices, vitals, and camera feeds are coming in crystal clear."

"The structure is right outside the ship," Kai said. "If we need ya, it shouldn't take you long to reach us."

"Expecting trouble, Sir?" Mic asked.

Kai chuckled and said. "It's an alien structure and that last message said something about death. I expect the unexpected. Be at the ready in case things go south."

"Affirmative, Sir," Mic replied.

"Zima," Kai called. "Anything?"

Sticking the motion tracker as far into the doorway while still being able to read it, Zima answered. "No, nothing. Motion tracker isn't picking up anything."

"Ok," Kai began as he passed by. "I'll take point on this. Zima, I want you in right after me. Keep an eye on that tracker. Shaw, you go next. Eastman, cover Shaw. Layton, pick up the rear."

Everyone entered as Kai ordered, slowly and in a single file. At first, it looked like the inside of a cavern. Debris littered the area.

"Must have been a battle," Kai said, noting the large rocks.

Shaw read the topographer. "Likely," she said. "This didn't come from being excavated."

"Everyone, scatter," Kai said. "Head down the corridor. Shaw, talk to me."

Shaw briefly looked down to read the topographer. "Corridor splits in two at the end," she said.

Kai didn't want to, but he knew that if they were going to find anything, they'd have to cover as much ground as possible. "Shaw, Layton, go right," he said. "Eastman, Zima, you're with me on the left."

The group split up as instructed. To them, it was dark, and the corridor almost seemed as big as a cave.

Shaws's eyes were concentrated to the front and on the topographer.

Layton paid a little more attention to the sides. He noticed and asked. "Anyone else see strange markings or writing going along the wall?"

"Look's like cuneiform," Zima said.

Eastman reached up to try running his hands along with it. He just wanted to see how high it was off the ground. "I can't even reach it," he grunted. "You'd have to be huge, at least eight feet tall."

Kai looked at the writing for a moment. "We're gonna have to bring in experts for this," he said.

Eastman tried one more time to reach the writing and grunted before giving up. "...and ladders too."

Shaw looked at the topographer. "Layton," she called. " Corridor splits again, but it looks like there's a big room further up ahead."

Not even a minute passed as Shaw and Layton slowly entered a very large hall.