Keira turned away from Anna to follow Reese and Jena down the hallway. They had to leave, and they had to leave now, before something else happened. Before the aliens came back to finish them off, or before another member of their group snapped. She couldn't take it anymore - the emotions, the pain, the fear . . . It was time to end it. It was time to leave. "We're not going to lose anyone else," Keira said, stepping forward to look first at Jena and then at Reese. "We're going to get out of here. Now's our chance. We're so close. No one else is going to die. We can't give up hope in the end. It's too late for that." Grinning, she grabbed her gun, raising it in a 'ready' position, and looked to Reese. "Now, where are we heading next, boss? Lead the way."
Donovan did see the sadness in Anna's eyes as she pulled back from him and put the gun away. He knew he had touched her and she could understand the pain he had felt in her life. She left to follow Reese and, aftrer checking himself, he left to do the same. Reese may come off as changed, but like Anna once Donovan lost his trust of someone it was going to take a while to get back. He stayed close to Anna as they left the room. He kept his eyes open watching for enemies and looking after her. Something about her attracted him and he wished he could touch her hand. Instead he made a fist and kept on walking they ahd somewhere to be and the tremor he just felt could be a new problem.
Jena felt a small smile spread, Keira's good humor was contagious. But that was very good. Grinning wider she turned back to Reese. "Yes where to fearless leader? I'll follow you, partly because I don't actually know how to get around this part of the facility very well" She smiled a bit wider, for whatever reason seeing her friend smile had had an amazing affect on her, an emotional uplift, one she desperately needed. But then again, what were friend's for? If there was one thing good thing that came out of this horrible experience it was a better acceptence with herself, and the new, and very strong, friendships she had forged.
Reese nodded and began to lead the group to the electronic control room. That was their key to getting out of here. That was their key and their destiny to going home and forever burying this behind them. "We're going to the electronic control room," Reese said, "It's most likely Oliver and his group is there so be careful."
Vic stood aside, munching on a candy bar while everyone else went nuts. They come under a little presure and totally lose their mind, he thought. It just wasn't his style. When things got tough, Vic got determined, and when determination wasn't enough, he just mellowed out. No sense frettin' over s*** you can't control. Perhaps his apathy was a turn-off to them. After all, no one seemed to take too kindly to him snacking while Anna was threatening to blow her brains out. But what more was there to do? If she wanna kill herself, let her, he thought. We can't have people comin' along with us who aren't in this 100%. If she doesn't whole-heartedly want to get out of this alive, she's as good as dead. Better she kill herself now than have some alien goon rip her in half later. He had taken a personal oath to protect these people as best he could, but he'd feel like d*** fool if he put his life on the line for someone who didn't want to live. WTF, man? But eventually the matter was resolved and everyone began moving on. Vic rolled and lit another blunt, then fell in line with the rest of them. These people better find something to shoot soon. How else we gon' keep 'em from shootin' each other? "We're going to the electronic control room," Reese said, "It's most likely Oliver and his group is there so be careful." Now that's something to shoot at, Vic thought, clutching his handgun with a sadistic grin. "I owe that mutha f**** a bullet," he said.
When Marcellus signed up for this job, nowhere in the description did he read that he would have a bit part in a soap opera. Bleeding hearts and crying eyes was his horror scene. He was too quiet in the beginning, which was his fault, but this was getting to be a little much. Vic seemed to share M's dissatisfaction with the lack of progress being made in the midst of flesh-eating alien life forces. The way he looked was exactly the way M felt. Then Reese spoke as soon as the crowd moved again. He told them that Oliver's crew was probably waiting in the control room. "I owe that mutha f**** a bullet," Vic seemed to reach orgasmic heights with the news of Oliver being there. His step quickened slightly, his grin looked like that of a child molester. It made M laugh.
"At least we'll be running into humans and not aliens. I'm so sick of those things . . ." Keira muttered, more to herself than to anyone else, gripping her gun even tighter as she followed Reese. "What should we do about Oliver when we find him?" she asked, wondering what the others thought about the whole situation. Keira hadn't really trusted Oliver, so should they risk talking with him again, or try to avoid him? Vic offered some amusement, at least. He was off to kill Oliver, and it was kind of funny. "What do you have against the poor man, Vic? He left us behind in a locked room. Big deal. It happens all the time."
"Usually when it happens, scientists are conducting experiments and would rather be left alone in the locked room. At the moment, we don't wanna be locked in anywhere." The tone wasn't anything but calm and straightforward. He was as amused as Keira appeared to be. It was becoming clear that Vic was the pothead M pegged him as. He snickered at the thought of Vic going Rambo on Oliver.
"What do you have against the poor man, Vic?" Keira asked. "He left us behind in a locked room. Big deal. It happens all the time." Vic slowly removed his joint and opened his mouth to speak, but M beat him to it. "Usually when it happens, scientists are conducting experiments and would rather be left alone in the locked room. At the moment, we don't wanna be locked in anywhere." "Stole the words right outta my mouf," Vic said, returning to his smoking. "And if they so d*** good at slammin' doors, why don't they lock up the f***** aliens?" Vic said, blowing smoke. "A whole facility full of pissed off aliens and they lock us up!? Ain't that some s***?" He paused to take a deep breath of good weed. "Yeah, Ima blow dat mutha f**** head off next time I see him. I don't play dat s***, man. Picked tha wrong one to f*** wit."
Jena listened to the conversation in amusement. It was rather funny how mad people were at Oliver, and she was one of them. "Well you know, the reason he locked us up was because we were too 'dangerous' or whatever. And everyone knows the best way to deal with 'dangerous' people is to lock them up in a room, especially when they are with some hella smart scientests who can break them out. Totally foolproof plan."
Donovan laughed at Vic's tirade. The guy was definitely high and hopping mad. It was ridiculous though. Donovan did not care as much about the humans. The aliens are what concerned him. Oliver and his group would get theres and Donovan had two blades with there names on it. but right now what Donovan wanted was to get his mind together. He would kill when needed that was not a problem
Reese stared at Vic. "Don't be like that," Reese said, "He and his crew thought it was the right idea, since it does seem like none of us are mental stable...maybe if I was insane or any of use weren't "insane" we have probably tried to make the most "rational" decision by locking ourselves up too." Reese paused for a moment and looked at them. "They truly believed in their resolutions and they truly believed we were going to be rescued by incoming ships," Reese continued, "They didn't know the situation, they made a decision that doesn't make them look like good guys, but certainly it doesn't mean we have to kill people who are in the same situation as...stuck, near death, trying to survive." Reese wondered if his speech made any sense and he wondered if it were the right thing to say. But then again he didn't see the purpose of killing someone who obviously thought they were doing the right thing to protect them and other people.
"Don't be like that," Reese said, "He and his crew thought it was the right idea, since it does seem like none of us are mental stable...maybe if I was insane or any of use weren't "insane" we have probably tried to make the most "rational" decision by locking ourselves up too." Reese paused for a moment and looked at them. Vic rolled his eyes and waited for the man to go on, though what he'd heard so far hadn't convinced him in the least. "They truly believed in their resolutions and they truly believed we were going to be rescued by incoming ships," Reese continued, "They didn't know the situation, they made a decision that doesn't make them look like good guys, but certainly it doesn't mean we have to kill people who are in the same situation as...stuck, near death, trying to survive." "Hmmm, you make an interesting point, sir," Vic said, speaking in a very prim, proper, tone, with a slight British accent thrown in. "Would anyone like to point out any potential flaws with Mr. Maris's statements before I formulate my rebuttal?" he asked, puffing his blunt as though he were a fine English gentleman smoking a pipe. "No takers? I figured as much," he said after a pause. "Therefore, I will now deliver to you my reasons for feeling Mr. Olivier is worthy of the penalty of death -- a penalty I do not take lightly, mind you. "You see, locking up crazy people is not a rational decision," he said in a calm, even tone. "Never has been and never will be. Many studies throughout the ages have shown that incarceration alone is not adequate treatment for the mentally-unstable. Surely, these scientists knew that. Although that statistical fact holds true here, the situation is slightly different, for reasons I will explain in a moment," he said, taking another puff of his blunt. "You see, locking up crazy people when there are equally-crazy aliens on the loose, makes the lockers seem crazier than the lockees, both of whom are still less crazy than the crazy aliens who got both parties into this crazy predicament to begin with. Understand that we are being detained by a group of people who -- by the very nature of their actions -- are crazier than we and in spite of an encroaching force that makes our levels of crazy look infinitessimal at best. Therefore, it is our role as the lockees to break free from the oppression of the lockers and overcome both them and the aliens with whom we are locked in a fight to the death." "Is this making any sense, Mr. Maris? Shall I go on?" he asked, though he did not wait for a response. "You see, your analysis fails because you fail to recognize that this world fails to fit the accepted social heirarchy of the relam from whence you hail. This is not planet Earth, Mr. Maris. As I said before, we are the aliens here. In this mad, mad, world, things are not as the seem, nor are they as they should be. We should be the predators, not the prey. We should be the captors, not the captives. We should be perched atop the precipice of the almighty food chain, not scrambling in the squalor at the bottom of its abyssmal depths. Man is not meant to turn against man, though man has always struggled against beasts. Yet now we find oursleves fighting for dear life, locked in a struggle against beasts created by man, only to find our struggle further hindered by our fellow men -- men with whom we should stand as brothers, but who would rather choose to trap us as though we are no different from the animals against whom we fight. Sad, is it not?" "And that, Reese Maris, is why I feel Oliver and all who side with him -- who side with the beasts made by man -- must be vanquished. His mind has failed him. He has lost sight of who is friend and who is foe. Therefore, I will purge his mind with a single bullet and absolve him of the sadness that accompanies his poor delusions. I rest my case." "But one last thing," he said after a pause. "Go f*** yourself."
Reese stared at Vic. Vic was really starting to annoy him. "I SAID THEY DID WHAT THEY FELT WAS A RATIONAL DECISION," Reese said, "It was more out of fear then anything, fear that they too would catch our infectious past." Reese stared at Vic. "THEY ARE PEOPLE AND I'M NOT GOING TO ALLOW PEOPLE F@#KING KILL EACH OTHER!" Reese said, "They are in the same boat as us Vic, they are scared....maybe not you since you kill ever god f@#king feeling you have....but at least the rest of and certainly them feel something and I'm not going to allow more of the people I hired, the people I promised safety to get them killed.....you wanna act Rambo go f@#king ahead and do it, but make sure you kill use too....This world doesn't work the way you want it to work either Vic....YOU CAN'T JUST SIT HERE AND MAKE CRITICAL JUDGMENTS LIKE SHOOTING PEOPLE WHEN ALL YOU DO FOR A F@#KING LIVING IS SMOKE WEED AND BE SO F@#KING PROUD OF YOURSELF!" Reese stared at Vic. "No Vic, YOU CONTINUE TO F@#K YOURSELF, BUT DON'T COME IN HERE AND TRY TO F@#K US TOO!" Reese said. Reese stared at the rest of the group. "Let's go, we aren't killing Oliver and his crew mates unless they pull guns on us,"
"Blah, blah, blah, blah,blah!!!!!!" Reese said. "Congratulations. You win at yelling," Vic said, blowing a perfect smoke ring in Reese's face. "Doesn't mean you're right, though. Hahahaha." "No Vic, YOU CONTINUE TO F@#K YOURSELF, BUT DON'T COME IN HERE AND TRY TO F@#K US TOO!" Reese said. "Not interested, man. Big V don't roll that way, homie." "Let's go, we aren't killing Oliver and his crew mates unless they pull guns on us." Vic laughed. "That lil' b**** ain't gon' pull a gun," he said. "But I like the way you think, man. Let's see what he can live through," Vic said, brandishing his handgun and now pulling out a switchblade as well. The twisted grin returned to his face, more menacing than before.
"Shut up Vic...I don't want to hear you speak for the rest of the way," Reese said, "It's already evidence enough that your critical thinking is impaired." Reese began to walk again making sure everyone followed. Reese felt his left side twinge a bit, probably from the yelling he did. It must had disrupted the healing process of his ribs. Then again he kind thought about the healing process. They were never going to heal properly all jacked up and everything, not only that, but what was he going to do about the free floating rib that was so far from the ribcage.
Keira tried to contain her laughter as Vic went on, and on, and on about Oliver's irrational decision, and as Reese counter-acted Vic's every word with one of his own. The argument was getting even funnier when Reese ended it, turning away from Vic. Too bad . . . It was just starting to get interesting. "We don't have time to argue. Let's just get this over with . . ." Keira muttered. It was better to say that than to take Vic's side. Reese wouldn't like that very much. "Even though your speech was well thought out, and in some ways correct, I wouldn't try and pick a fight right now, Vic. Mr. Maris isn't in a very good mood today," she whispered to Vic with a smirk.
Jena could barely contanin her laughter. Really, Vic and Reese's argument was becoming quite interesting. Amazing how much her mood had lifted. smirking she walked over to join Keira and Vic as they followed Reese. "Wow Vic, I didn't realize you could pull off a British accent so well."
"Shut up Vic...I don't want to hear you speak for the rest of the way," Reese said, "It's already evidence enough that your critical thinking is impaired." "Whatever," Vic mumbled to himself. He never really planned on killing Oliver; it was just so much fun getting a rise out of Reese. Ain't it funny how he spends so much energy defending people now? Vic thought to himself. He could still remember the time when Reese would put that same degree of effort into making everyone's lives miserable. Payback is a b****. "Even though your speech was well thought out, and in some ways correct, I wouldn't try and pick a fight right now, Vic. Mr. Maris isn't in a very good mood today," Keira whispered to Vic with a smirk. Vic smiled. At least the ladies had his back. "Me versus Reese?" he said, then laughed. "That wouldn't even be a fight. I'd mop the floor with him." "Wow Vic, I didn't realize you could pull off a British accent so well," Jena added. "Cheerio, mate," he said to get Reese's attention, bringing back the accent. "Care to go for a round of fisticuffs? Loser has to buy the other a few pints at ye olde pub and all the tea and crumpets you can eat. Waddya say, ol' bloke?"
Jena let out a short, quiet, laugh. "Tea and crumpets? Really? I mean I never would have pegged you as someone who liked that stuff. You never cease to surprise me Vic" She said jokingly. She couldn't believe that Vic was still having a go at Reese, well actually she could. She smiled to herself, doing things like this was just so him. She was guessing that he had long ago gone from actually wanting to get back at Oliver to just pissing Reese off for the hell of it. Again, that was just so Vic.
Donovan just looked at Vic and Reese and laughed at the two men. "Looking at our group, I don't see how we are still alive. I am starting to think we are some sort of crazy superheroes with our luck and living. When you two get over yourselves Reese can lead on and Vic you will be that much closer to Oliver. So just shut up and let the man be the tour guide of the facility. It seems to be the only job he is half way good at." Donovan just smiled looking at the two men. He did not care and knew he could kill them both quickly. Vic might be a chalenge, but aunless there was distance between the two Donovan could take him. That was not the point though. Donovan just wanted to get off this rock and get Anna safe. "Anna how are you holding up?"
"Tea and crumpets? Really? I mean I never would have pegged you as someone who liked that stuff. You never cease to surprise me Vic" Jena said jokingly. "Aw, you know me," Vic said, laughing. "I'm pretty much down for whateva." "Looking at our group, I don't see how we are still alive," Donovan said. "I am starting to think we are some sort of crazy superheroes with our luck and living. When you two get over yourselves Reese can lead on and Vic you will be that much closer to Oliver. So just shut up and let the man be the tour guide of the facility. It seems to be the only job he is half way good at." "Luck my a**," Vic said. "Livin' is what I do for a livin'. That's my job, ya dig." He turned to Reese. "Excuse me, Mr. Tour Guide, is this a no smoking area? Hahahaha. Not that I give a f*** if it is." He burst into laughter again, then got quiet, sighed, and looked at his blunt. "Man, I'm so baked right now."
Jena looked at him slightly critically "Uh, yeah you are. But, thats not exactly abnormal is it?" she siad throwing him a teasing smile.
Anna jumped when she heard Donovan's voice; she had been totally out of it. Her hand tightened around her pistol, trying to find comfort and resolve in the familiar grip. "I'm fine," she snapped, not looking at Donovan and attempting to stride away from him to the front of the group, but she was sure it looked more like a wounded dog trying to escape with its pride than a strong warrior. She slowed just short of catching up with Reese--didn't want to be near him, either. Really, there was nowhere she wanted to be other then away from all of them.
Jena glanced behind her to see Anna striding up behind them, stopping just short of Reese. She glanced concerned at Anna, but she didn't say anything, she knew what Anna was feeling and if she didn't want to say anything she wouldn't and no amount of prodding, pushing or persuading would get it out of her. But that didn't mean she wouldn't watch her, no matter what Anna said, Jena was still her friend and good friends stuck by each other even when they weren't wanted, because in the long run that could make all the difference in the world. Slowing her pace she let herself drift to the back of the group until she was the last person. Since Anna, who had been there, obviously wasn't in the best state of mind for protecting them all, Jena figured she might as well take that job over. After all, no matter how light and happy things seemed to be right now, the aliens were still there and they were still in constant danger. But she didn't like being back there...even though she was a only a couple feet behind everyone else the atmosphere in the back was more bleak and depressing. She felt uneasy, like some new horror was close by. She tightened her grip on her gun and continued to follow the rest.
