ALIENS: VOYAGE IN TIME  

Chapter Three

Back on the Cornerstone.

“The warship has ceased  fire, Lt. Stall,” Jackson announces.

“Good.”

“Full throttle ahead, Sir?” Wu asks.

“No.  Hold our position. A passive stance might persuade them  to think we mean them no harm.”

Wu nods and walks over to Jackson.

“I’m getting multiple signals.  Big ones. They're heading straight for the warship, Sergeant,” Jackson says, looking up at Wu.

“Position?” Wu asks.

“Thirty degrees starboard.”

“I believe we have something heading for the warship. Ten signals, Sir,” Wu informs Stall.

“Do we have them on video?”

“Something's coming in, Sir." Wu frowns, watching as a hoard of aliens quickly surround the old warship. “Aliens, Sir!” He cries.

“Ready our offensives, Sergeant Wu, we’re going in,” the Lt. says.

“O.K. Marines lets get ready to rock this place!

“Corporal Able, ready the men for a surface attack. Vacation’s over!”

"Aye, Sir!"

“Jackson!” Wu hollers.

The gunner quickly looks up, “Yes, Sgt?”

“Have you any in range yet?”

“Ten, twelve,” Jackson squints and continues, “fifteen signals in range, Sergeant”

“Then, fire at will soldier!”

“Yes, Sgt!” Jackson answers, quickly pressing the firing buttons. 

While on Capt. Abraham’s warship, news of the alien ambush comes too late. Two large aliens leap up onto the stern,  their tails wagging eagerly, scattering three seamen that had been keeping guard. One of the fleeing seamen slips to the floor, his musket flying from his hands. He shakes his head.  Finally looking up, he sees an hissing alien looming over him. With one swift thrust upward of the creature’s sharp tail, the alien slices the seaman down the middle, spilling guts and glory onto the deck.

“The men are panicking, Captain!” There’s too many of those demons! Everywhere!” Lt. Prayer shouts, his hands holding tightly to his musket.

“Calm down, man!”

Prayer nods his head. “Aye, aye, Captain.”

Prayer and the captain are then startled by the sound of (what perhaps may have been) thousands of muskets firing, shredding the sky around them; a sound extremely uncommon to the two seamen, and to the other seamen onboard the warship. Only an army of  seamen firing their weapons all at the same time could claim such sound as that.

Prayer is suddenly hit by the tip of an alien’s wing.  He is sent slamming into the topgallant mast and knocked unconscious. The alien screeches, exposing its inner teeth. White slime slides of its protruding mouth. The winged alien turns towards the captain, hissing.

Frantically, the Captain begins to think, Where is my musket? He spots it, but it’s far from being reachable.

Then, an explosion rips the air. The alien loses its balance and tumbles forward, giving the Captain ample time to reach his weapon.

Finally reaching the musket, the Captain raises it at his enemy, aims and fires. The bullet zooms through the air, striking the alien in the mouth. The creature squeals and leaps into the air towards the captain. Yet before the alien could pounce on its prey, it's shattered into tiny fragments of bone and flesh by the destructive firepower of a Colonial Marine’s pulse rifle. As  acid flings around, both Captain Abraham and the Marine run for cover.

Another Marine appears, jumping over the acid spill. “Are you all right, Sir?” He asks the Captain.

“What on earth are you?” The Captain points to the Marine.

“Private First Class, Tipy Crane, of the United States Marine Corp at your service, Sir!” The marine hollers.

“You can’t be?” The Captain replies, a baffled look over his face.

“It’s re…” the marine is cut short, when over top of him comes flying another alien, its claws cutting the air, its wings flapping madly.  The soldier swiftly raises his rifle at the falling alien and torches the monster. The alien howls and, like a  batch of dry brush catching on fire, erupts into flames. Its darkened parts slowly fall to the ground.

“It’s regulation, Captain.” Crane finally informs him, watching as the flaming alien descends to the floor.

“Behind you, Tip!” Private O’Neal, Crane’s partner, yells to him.

Tipy turns around to see another alien zooming towards him on its flipper-like feet. Bringing his rifle up, Tipy fires it at the alien. The beast screeches as it explodes.

“Good shooting, Marine,” Captain Abraham congratulates him as he rises to his feet.

“Are those weapons regulation too, Marine?” The Captain asks.

Another fantastic sound pierces the Captain’s mind, a man’s voice, coming from a tiny thing on the marine’s helmet.

“Crane!” The voice screams.

“Yes, Sergeant!”

“Is the upper deck secured”?

Crane looks around. He sees the Captain helping his first mate up. He sees three dead aliens. He watches Corporal Able give the thumbs up as he kicks a dying alien in the gut. He sees other soldiers making there way to him and he decides, “Secure, Sgt!”

“Good,” Wu replies, “I’m coming up.”

“Those voices in your helmet, they are regulation too, I presume?”