Thoughts And Philosophies

[Sephirothsicase]

Chapter 8 - Meet The Creeper

Seph picked up the large coil of florescent blue tubing, and wrapped this around his body, around his right shoulder and under his left arm. He then picked up the items he was carrying. A Battle Rifle, a green flare and the flash grenade. He also had modified a combat knife to act as a pretty good throwing knife.

He plugged the tubing into the generator and pulled the box-sled down the ramp and awaited the rest of the team.

A few moments later and everybody was suited up and ready to go out. Well, most people, they didnt have a peice of armour large enough for Chris to go in so he would wait back at the ship for them. Striana also asked if she could stay with him and Elaine, so she did.

Seph made sure everybody was rigged up to the generator before they started out. Seph, Marcus, Jax, Riggin, Jain and Bema began their long trip. Bema had agreed to drag the sled since he was the strongest.

It wasnt long before things started going slightly different than they planned. Everything was going well for two hours, they had just gotten third marker.
"This seems easy." Jain said.
"Dont say that." Bema answered.
"Why not?" She asked.
"Sod's law." Riggin answered, he checked that the clip of ammo was loaded into his rifle correctly.
"Sod's law?" Jain asked.
"If anything can go wrong, it will. Roughly put." Seph answered. "It really mucks a plan up sometimes.
"Well... Alright." Jain answered. "I'll be quite. Can we have a rest at the fourth marker? Something doesnt sound right with this generator.

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They slowed to a stop at the fourth marker, and Jain had a look at the generator.
"Yeah... I thought I had heard a rattling.." She murmered.
"Whats up?" Bema asked.
"I have a feeling it's going to be something I dont like..." Seph mumbled.
"Simply put, the generator is a bit unstable. We couldnt fix it to the sled, and whenever the sled rattles, it damages the soft undercore of the generator." She answered.
"Perfect..." Seph sighed.
"Well, why dont we just go a little slower?" Riggin asked.
"Because we'd run out of juice before we got there." Jax answered. "Come on guys." They all started again.

Seph started out, going infront. Bema dragged the generator out of the radius of the marker and something swooped from above. One beast decided to chance it, and dived downwards. Seph heard the screeching and yelled for everybody to hit the dirt. They did so, but the beast swerved to avoid the floor and crashed into the generator. It smashed into it and the generator fell off the sled hard and smashed on the floor with a metallic clunk.

The generator fizzled, and died. A second later, and the florescent tubes had stopped giving light. Everybody swore and retreated back into the radius of the marker.
"Shiii... What are we gunna do now?!" Jax shouted.
"Calm down." Seph stated calmly. "We have enough lights to make it."
"No we dont.. And you know that.." Riggin growled.
"If you value the vision of your other eye, I suggest you shut the hell up now." Seph growled back.

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"Take the tubes off." Seph said, and unwrapped his own from his body. They left it in a coil near the cylinder.
"What'r we doin' now?" Riggin asked.
"We use what little light we have left." Seph answered and took a green flare from his jacket. He pulled on the fuse and the flare lit up with a hiss. The light was surprisingly bright for something so little.

He asked for Riggin to light up his flare too, he yanked on the fuse hard and lit it up also. Bema dropped the sled and dusted his hands off.
"We move quickly, alright?" Seph asked. Everybody nodded. They started off moving again.

They got to the next cylinder just as the flares died, Seph sighed and had a rummage around in his backpack.
"Errr... I got the alcohol candles.. Anybody got any more?" Seph asked.
"I've got some torches." Riggin answered.
"Oh, one thing." Jax stated, and pulled a large torch-like contraption out of his bag. "I found a battery for the light."
"Where the hell did'ya find one?" Jain asked.
"Ah ah ah! That would be telling." Jax grinned and flicked the light on, the large-torch provided a little less light than the cylinders did. It would last them a good long while.

Seph grinned and motioned for the rest of the group to continue on, Seph stuck close to Jax as to make sure no beast got brave again.

[Sephirothsicase]

They made it to the next few cylinders with no problems, the mountains and nesting grounds where within sight now, so they rested a while. They rested for a few moments.

Everybody shot up to their feet though as they heard an explosion coming from infront of them. They looked forward, and one cylinder flickered and died, a few seconds later, another explosion and one more cylinder flickered and died. The lights were dying slowly in a row, a few more moments and they would be at the light they were resting at.
"Those beasts are blowing up the light source..." Jaine stated.
"Rrrgh! Those sunava-!" Riggin was about to swear, but he gave up and sighed.
"We progress as normal, we cant back down now, we are half way there." Seph said.
"True, captain, true, but what happens if we run out of light?" Jain asks.
"Then we get eaten. Simple enough." Seph answered and grinned, then he motioned for everybody to set off again. They all ran into the darkness.

They reached the last cylinder that was working, they could see the outlines of the beasts coming around the circle of the lights that they shone.
"I bet their taunting us..." Jax hissed.
"Could be, might not though, probably just eager for a meal." Seph answered and shot a few rounds into the horde of black beasts. He heard a few hit home, followed by some hissing sounds. Seph smiled, content that he had made something hurt out of this trip.

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They pressed forward once more, plunging themselves into the darkness. The beasts moved out of their way quite quickly as they moved forward with flares, torches and large battery-powered lightbulb.

A few hissed and moved slightly forward into the light, Seph half dared them to come within fatal-shot distance, but they were smart enough to avoid that. They ran fast, trying to get to the next cylinder, even though it was destroyed, Jain said that she might be able to get a glimmer working so they might see their way back again.

They stopped beside the cylinder, Jain opened her backpack and began getting electrical equipment out. Riggin held his flare high and did slow perimetres of the group.
"I think I've got it.." Jain said, and sure enough, with a zap of energy, the cylinder flickered and began giving off a faint grey glow. Sure enough for them to see their way back.
"Errr... Guys?" Riggin asked. They turned to look and his flare was failing. "I think I'm in trouble."
"We've got enough light, dont worry..." Jain said. But, the beasts appetite proved feircer than their fear of loosing their health.

A clawed hand extended from the darkness and grabbed Riggin by the chest, the talons cut deep into his torso, Riggin yelled and screamed as Seph and Jax rushed forward to help. They didnt make it though, another swipe took off his head and the body was dragged into the darkness.

They could still hear the fleshy munching as Jain got working on the cylinder.

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Jain finished, and the cylinder had slightly increased in its brightness. They could all see where the beast had attacked the cylinder, there were large gash marks running across the panel. The panel did give off some light so you could see what code you were punching in, so that must have attracted them.

Jax was muttering curse-words over and over again, Jain was getting annoyed with him, but she knew better than to ask him to stop. They had formed a large triangle formation with Jax in the middle, giving the whole group light. Seph at the front, Jain on the left and Bema on the right. Jax's light gave everybody a good supply of it.

"Damn lizards..." Jax mumbled for the fifth time.
"That wont bring him back." Seph stated.
"Dont you think I know that?!" Jax shouted. The beasts began whooping and crying again, this seemed to annoy him even further.
"Stop crying about it, he acted stupid and it got him killed." Jain said.
"Actually, it was you that told him it would be fine." Bema stated.
"He's not wrong!" Jax shouted.
"Will all of you just CALM it DOWN?!" Seph shouted. "Moan at each other after we find the distress beacon, alright?!"

The group stayed silent, much to Seph's happiness.

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An hour later, and two dead flares later, they had reached the nest. Jain took out her computer-pad.

"Apparantly, the distress beacon seems to be in the heart of the nest..." She stated.
"Good, lets hurry up and get to it then." Seph answered. They moved through the winding passages towards the signal, they passed a red stain on the floor, Jax couldnt help muttering "Arian.." as he passed. Seph ignored him and continued on.

Little screeches were heard from above, this was deffinatly a nest. They could hear the whoosing of the beasts flying over head.
"So they can fly now?!" Bema shouted.
"They've been flying for a while." Seph stated.
"Oh." Bema answered, and silenced himself for a while.

They moved down further, further into the nest. Beasts were crawling everywhere. They moved with them as the group moved down the passages, taunting cries, screams and the strange alien whooping noises followed them. Seph only grinned and swore at them occasionally, calling their mothers rather nasty names.

They battery in the light was getting low.
"Oh you are JOKING ME!" Jax shouted and banged the bulb. "Guys, this wont hold out for long..."
"Good, because I'm looking forward to a fight." Seph grinned.

[Sephirothsicase]

"You got the flares?" Seph asked Jax.
"You mean the flares or the flares?" Jax asked back. Both Jain and Bema gave Seph a funny look.
"I meant the flares." Seph grinned. Jax produced what seemed to be a box with a handle and a trigger, it had four slots infront of it, Jax also handed him two slightly smaller boxes. Seph took the boxes as the slowed to a halt in the nest. He pulled on the handle, it clicked and whirred for a moment. Seph then pointed the box infront of him and pulled the trigger.

With a "PUM!" a bright red flare shot out from the box and slammed into a beast, it illuminated the way forward. The beast writhed before laying still, the flare burning inside its chest.
"Aaah! A flare gun!" Bema stated.
"Clever boys." Jain smiled. The group then moved forward once more.

Seph saved the flares untill the lights went out, Jax occasionally wacked the light to stop it from flickering, but it was getting worse and worse as they progressed further.
"This is going to die Cryft..." Jax said. Seph had forgotten his name by now, so it took Jax to say it again before Seph noticed.
"What? Oh, probably, but we have enough light. How much further?" He turned to Jain."
"Not too far... Just around this curve I think, it seems that they took shelter in a cave." Jain sighed.
"Poor peeps..." Bema mumbled.

The beeping on Jain's reader was getting stronger, soon enough, the cave was in view. It didnt seem like a cave though, more like an endless tunnel.
"Well hey, dont look at me. The cave might be covered in a reflective ore, the signal might have changed." She stated.

[Sephirothsicase]

They ran into the cave, the screaming and whooping around them increasing in volume. They met another winding passage which they walked slowly down as to make sure nothing jumped up infront of them.

They got far in when they met a hole in the floor, a faint beeping was heard from inside.
"Who's going in first?" Jain asked. Jax immediatly replied.
"Not it!" He shouted. Jain growled and asked politely.
"Who is going in first?"
"Bema?" Seph asked.
"I'm too big, I wont fit in that hole." Bema shrugged. "The curse of being muscley I'm afraid." Seph sighed.
"Looks like it's me then." He answered.
"Good luck." Jain smiled at him.

Seph shot a flare into the hole before entering, he could hear a clicking sound moving away from the flare as he shot it. Something was obviously down there. He stuck his head in and looked around, it was a dank place with a trickle of water running down the side of the wall and into a tiny stream which exited into a small eroded hole on the other side of the room. There was a beeping coming from the hole in which the water was dripping.

Seph dropped into the hole and took out his torch. He scanned the room with it slowly. There seemed to be cuts in the wall, easy places for small creatures to hide, or not, as the matter may be. Seph gave the team the thumbs up and he moved towards the hole.

[Sephirothsicase]

He put the torch through the hole and scanned the room on the inside. It was an extremely large room, it looked as if it had been eroded away by a massive stream that must have come through here many a year ago. More slits in the walls. This room made him slightly nervous. He looked down, there was a large pool underneath him, probably made from the years of dripping water.

He shone the torch directly at the pool, he couldnt tell how deep it was, he only knew that it was very, very deep. He couldnt see any other way down without much difficulty, and if he had his back turned something could easily get him from behind. He came back out of the stream-hole, and slid down the slope.

He slid out of the hole, and managed to take in a large gulp of air before he hit the water's surface. He dropped into the water, it was icy cold. It was an odd green colour, he had to close his eyes instantly upon entering the water since it stung horribly. He pushed his head above the surface and took a gulp of air. He took in the surroundings before swimming over to the side.

He was just about to climb out when he felt something long and slimey wrap around his ankle and pull sharply. He grunted and fought against it for a few seconds, but he had nothing to grip, so he shortly fell under. He managed to take a breath before being dragged into the darkness

[Sephirothsicase]

He was being dragged further and further into the darkness, a particulaly hard yank made him loose his grip on his torch. The torch fell downward at a slow pace, it shone at everything below it.

It shone at the dark beast that was dragging him under, it seemed to be a massive octopus-like creature with several red eyes. He could see it raise a massive yellow beak towards him. The beak snapped slowly, awaiting its next meal. It seemed to be lodged to the rock, it wasnt moving forwards towards him. He hoped it was lodged onto the rock.

Seph took out the large, serrated-edged combat knife he had come equipped with and began hacking at the tentacle that had grabbed his ankle. The octopus roared its anger and began pulling harder, increasing his descent into the darkness.

On the eleventh hack, the tentacle came and was severed. The octopus roared and began throwing more at Seph. He managed to pull the Flash-Bang from his jacket, twist the lever and drop it down towards the octopus. Seph instantly turned and swam away, trying to move faster than tentacles, his lungs screaming for air.

Seph broke the surface and saw the Flash-Bang go off. It was nulled by the dark waters but it must have had the full effect on the octopus. Seph felt the vibration in the water which must have been it screaming or roaring or whatever an giant octopus did as it died. A few rancid smelling bubbles rose to the surface, and Seph pulled himself out of the cold water, quite pleased with himself.

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He brushed the wet hair out of his face and looked for another torch. He sighed, he only found the Zippo lighter that he hadnt taken out of his pocket. He looked around for something to light, but found nothing. He checked the flare-gun and found that he had three more. The ammo box must have been soaked through as he fell into the water.

He took the pistol from its holster, and removed the attachable barrel. He took one flare from the flare-gun and with a strong push, set it into the barrel of the gun. He then lit it with the lighter, and held it like the green flares.

Seph moved forward towards the beaping, he didnt expect to find anybody alive.


He was right, nobody was alive. It was another small cylinder, beaping every five seconds. Seph moved forward, flare-gun in hand and the makeshift-handheld flare in the other. He checked the beacon.

The last date of checking was seven years ago.

Seph sighed, all of it had been for nothing. He turned around and moved to go back when his foot connected with something. It was a skull, a human skull. Must have been one of the people who set the beacon. He turned around to examine the rest of the crew. Most of them had their bones picked clean by the beasts, but one was still fleshy.

Not much of him left, Seph wondered why they hadnt eaten him. They were taking their time about it. He examined the wounds before standing up and leaving. He would have done if not for the fact that the half-eaten man stood up and grabbed Seph's shoulder.

Seph instantly delivered an elbow-smash to the mans face, it passed through him as if he wasnt there. Must be a hologram or something. The man grinned, flesh hanging off his face, and uttered a few words.

"Blood.... For blood..." He said, and then everything around Seph faded to black.

"He finish the test?" Max asked his assistant.
"Yes sir, we are bringing him around now."

Chapter End

[Sephirothsicase]

Chapter 9 - Rock The Hell Outta You

Seph awoke, and the metal gaurd slid out of the way. Max was still sitting infront of the tube with a electronic panel infront of him. Seph didnt know what it showed.

"Well done little soldier. Did you get the last message? Good, you might need to remember that for the next test." Max smiled at him. Seph tapped the glass with a fingernail, trying to get a guess on how thick it was. He heard Max turn to his assistant and ask him what he was doing, the assistant shrugged. Max brushed the thought away since it was impossible for Seph to get out of the tube.

"So! Any ideas why you are here now? Hmm?" Max tilted his head, examing Seph closely. He approached the tube. He had his face so close to the tube the tip of his nose was almost touching it. Seph slammed a hand against the side of the glass, it made him jump back. Embarressed, he dusted his jacket off and sat down again.

"What test shall we do for you know? My daughter seems to like disney movies, how about one of those?"
~If I have to save Minnie Mouse, I'm killing Walt Disney...~ Seph thought venemously.
"Tell me little vampire." Max started pacing around the tube. "How is your sister?" Seph felt a slight tinge of worry appear at the back of his mind, what was he doing? Seph made a rude gesture with two fingers, Max only laughed.
"You might want to start worrying, I've already sent someone to take care of her. Yes, we know who she is. An odd being she is, no?" Seph frowned and growled as best he could through the mask providing him with oxygen.

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Max was bluffing, but he knew Seph didnt know this. He knew it would only worry and anger him. It was true enough that they had been doing some spying on him and they knew who he met. He had sent some mercs after the girl though, the angel person. Shirlea Max thought her name was. He dismissed the thought and smiled at Seph again.

"Well, back to the test. No doubt you've found out that we are simulating these tests around movies, yes?" Seph nodded. "Good, you arnt all stupid." Seph frowned and clenched his fists. "Hahaha! Dont do that, I want you in working order. Dont worry, you wont die in there. I have safegaurds to stop that." Seph sighed, that was a little load of his mind.

"Riight.... Movie movie movie..." Max began shuffling through the load of movies he had been given by his children. "How about the Spongebob movie?" Seph gave him an evil look. "Right, dont want that one.... How abouts... Pirates Of The Carribean? My daughter loves Jack, she thinks he's hilarious.." Seph nodded. "Good! We'll have that one then please. Dont you think I'm so nice letting you pick your own?" Seph growled and nodded slowly, he may as well co-operate since he wasnt getting out of this in a while.

"Load this up for me please." Max said and handed his assistant the DVD. Seph closed his eyes and waited for the machine to take its effect.

[Sephirothsicase]

Seph snapped open his eyes and sat up.

And wacked his head on a wooden pillar.

He cursed and looked around, he appeared to be laying in a hammock.
"Ooh... Pirates Of The Carribean..." He muttered to himself. He had noticed that the machine didnt go directly down the story of the movie, it only went by the storyline, so Seph guessed he'd have to save the girl, vanquish the undead pirates and get the booty also.

Well... Here's hoping it isnt the second movie, eh?

Seph rolled off his hammock and landed on the floor, he appeared to be wearing a lot of strange clothing. It was very obviously pirate clothing. He was wearing a black Tricorner hat with red pluming, a coat which Seph thought was called a "fearnought" which was black and also had red trimming around the sleeves and opening and big black boots on his feet. It also seemed he was wearing a few silver rings with oddly coloured stones.

He checked his pockets and such, it seemed he was carrying a small compass, a small telescope that could fold into itself quite handily, a bottle full of rum and a few golden coins. He also appeared to have three large fencing-type swords strapped around his waist. He pulled each of them out in turn, one after the other. The first was light and short, a good sword for getting into close combat with. The other was long and slightly heavier, maybe used for fighting at a slight distance, and the last was a very nice blade. It was a heavily ornated Rapier. It had a full, silver hand-gaurd which covered the whole of the hand in a silver cover. The cover had a large ruby inset in the metal, it gleamed brightly when it caught the sun. The sword itself was curved upwards slightly, as Rapiers are, it seemed to be made of a strong steel, most likely strengthened somehow. This had a yellow Alexandrite stone set into one side of the sword, he couldnt see how that would be helpfull apart from decoration.

On the other side of the sword, there were black decorations, swirling up the side of the sword like smoke. Seph grinned and felt the weight, it was surprisingly light. He sheathed this again, and something told him to look inside his hat...

He was right, it had "Dont loose me." written in gold stitching across the inside. Probably Max playing one of his tricks.