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Sergeant Steven Dowel - The Time has Come to an End
Posted By: Mark Lieberg<malieberg@msn.com>
Date: 27 June 2005, 2:13 am


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Sergeant Steven Dowel—Section 2

      A metal door was pushed open as a small puddle of water dripped into the flight of stairs that led down into the Underground Facility causing a small flood. The noise of dripping water could only be heard if a man or alien was close by, and that only being was Sergeant Steven Dowel. He had opened the door that made the puddle of water that had formed at the entrance fall into the stairs below, and he paused. Waiting to see if there were any enemy contact below, but he didn't see any. Steven stepped forward into the darkness wearing his night vision goggles.

      The green light that was between the Sergeant and the dark hallways had lit everything. Steven could see pipes, which ran down underground, above leaking water as each drop touched the stained stairways that led underground. Dowel stepped down another step and this time continued, slowly. He didn't want any of the alien patrols coming around; especially those tall ones that wear certain armor color. He had heard that they were strong and fearless, but he never got to know what they were since he had been frozen for twenty years, then he thought, twenty years. Thirty-Six Years ago he was with all his brothers that the military had kidnapped, and now he was alone, brotherless due to the war that's been going for nearly thirty years. What a waste, but he knew it was meant to be. Their futures had already been written, like his own. He knew he would either live or die, it was just time that was in the way.

      He tried to focus more by gripping his rifle tighter and stepping down the rest of the stairs until he reached a one-way hallway going left and right. It didn't look like it would end as he looked to his right. There was a solid wall with a light bulb that flashed in his goggles. The light frenzied his night vision and it hurt his eyes to even take a small peek at it, so he took them off and quickly stuck them in his bag. Hopefully there would be some good dark places to hide from patrol, but for now he had to find out where this vault was. Intel informed the Sergeant that the location of somewhere was in some important documents, which were hidden inside a vault underground.

      One problem is there is a code, which he has, and another problem is that the, vault, was three levels down with a fifty-meter door that slides inside the walls. Not to mention the amount of guards that is trying to cut their way into the vault. Steven didn't like the idea, but he decided it was worth it, if he destroyed those documents the Covenant would have to search for whatever his bosses wanted destroyed longer, but if they got it. Humanity would be gone in a matter of days; perhaps hours by what Intel informed him or the alien's Slipspace drive. Dowel wasn't going to let them have that much time anyways.

      He started jogging down the tunnel on his left aiming his silenced rifle high incase he saw any Covenant patrols. Steven ran through the hallways only seeing the dripping pipes above. Then, when he ran for more five minutes he saw another flight of stairs and to the right side of it, is an elevator, well [I]'was'[/I]. [I]'Strange'[/I], Steven thought thinking if there were more then four floors in this Underground Facility. He walked slowly towards the corner that which was wet with water and covered with pipes. It was quiet except for the sound of methane gas. It must have been those small tiny little creatures, so he took an optic probe, and curved it to view the other side.

      He looked at his digitalized mini-camera and saw that the room on the other side composed of the two small armored aliens. He didn't think that he could deal with them, unless he made noise after he placed some explosives by the door and, no. He couldn't…he can't. It would jeopardize his mission of stealth and only alert the aliens even more, he couldn't risk being detected. He passed the door, and moved on. Steven was examining each door when he looked around, he saw a flight of stairs, and then decided to walk down them instead of the elevator. Each step was another sound coming from his wet boots touching the dry cement.

      He didn't like this one bit, but he managed to make it to the third floor down. When he walked towards the corner, he saw that there were three small aliens. The same kind he had dealt with in the alley topside. He aimed his rifle. The muzzle of the weapon gave a quick flash as three bullets fled into the creatures, killing them in an instant.

      Ten Minutes Later

      Sergeant Steven Dowel reached the final room in the end of the hallway. The last ten minutes seems like a decade as he crept towards the metallic door. There was a small miniature window in the top just enough to get a peek inside. It was silent, and dripping water was only heard. Lights waved above him on their cords nearly broken. He looked around, and then got closer. When he was a meter from the door, it busted open as a Covenant, tall, blue armored, and surprised stared at Steven. It was easily eight feet tall, and its mandibles opened up showing its sharp teeth. Steven responded with quick action while the Elite, the tall Covenant alien looked at him just standing there watching the human quickly react.

      Steven released two shots from his rifle, and slung it around pulling out his nine-inch dagger, still stained from the battle with the bird creature he had versed earlier this noon in the building, and stabbed at the Elite. The tall alien sidestepped, and ran back inside the room as he called for the five smaller creatures to come out and help it. Steven stared in disbelief and grabbed a couple of grenades, which were dangling, on his right jacket side. He primed the devices and chucked them into the room closing the door quickly. The sound of a metal banging on metal rang into the Sergeants ears as three explosions shook the underground tunnel. [I]'This would certainly bring attention'[/I], Steven thought.

      He looked up above him as the pipes rattled and then waited till they fell silent, unmoving continuing to drip water. He looked through the window once more checking the room. What surprised him was when he back up to open the door, it busted open once more to show the Elite that was in the room ran out with its arm gone, bleeding all over the cement. It opened its mandibles and roared out loud. Steven looked at the Elite as its limbless body continued to drip blood onto the ground. The Sergeant ran quickly, and tackled it. The Elite struck the back of the wall, and the Sergeant heard the wall crack as the Elite looked at the Human. It wrapped the Sergeant with its one arm, and squeezed.

      Steven couldn't breathe, he couldn't move, the creature was twice as strong as him. But he ignored the thought, and managed to grab his bayonet with one arm, and in quick motion, slit the alien's throat. The body, now powerless, limped over releasing its grip and fell to the ground. Steven stretched quickly and quietly feeling a few of his bones adjust back to its normal state. That alien was strong, too strong if it had its other arm. He could have died if he didn't react as he had done now. It was a smart move, he thought as he walked into the room facing the vault that stood before him.

      It was the vault that stood between him and the location to whatever was important to the human civilization. Papers, data chips, information that had been recorded from the past fifty years; every military base, number of weapons, vehicles, and equipment was in that vault, even locations to planets he never been too, but one rang in his mind. [I]'Earth'[/I], it was one planet he remembered the Covenant could not get to. It was a priority that he destroyed the papers, to save the needs of the many.

      Steven knelt down and dumped his backpack. He opened the pouch to find the certain device the Office of Navel Intelligence had given him. It was time to use it. The office called it a 'Shiva Warhead'. It was powerful by what he read, and could blow up everything in a mile radius. It was worth it; his life for the lives of countless billions. For the human survival and the location of Earth. It was well worth it. He opened the small glass protection that was in the middle, and stared at the red button.

      He prayed, that Earth would live, to fight and fend off the Covenant. It was the right thing to do; yes…it was the right thing. Sergeant Steven Dowel raised his hand, and with a single thrust, pushed the red button.





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