Drew of the stars

Chapter 7,8,9 and 10.

CHAPTER 7: MEET ANOTHER CREW MEMBER SHELL-SHOCKED

"I think the first thing we need to do is secure some weapons." Drew said. "How many big and scary monsters are out there?"

"I don't know. I saw only one." replied Adam.

"So, there's only one?"

"I don't know. I'm not going to stay around to see if there's more than one if one is busy chasing me."

"Good point. Well, we should head to the security section, then. Maybe we can find some surveillance video footage from security camera to help us find the answer."

"And maybe there'll be weapon stash there nearby.”

"Good point. We'll look for those, too." Since Drew dropped her gun, the only weapons they have were a pistol, a knife, some grenades, and a metal pipe Adam picked up from the ground.

Right around then, another monster came by. It was sniffing its way in. Adam gripped the pipe tight, swinging it in a menacing manner. The monster snarled at the challenge. Drew pulled a grenade off her harness, popped the pin, and said, "Here kitty, kitty!" She rolled the grenade up to the monster. The monster looked at it, sniffed it, and swallowed it whole. A few seconds later, there was a muffled explosion, and the monster bugged its eyes out, howling in pain, before finally lie dying on the floor, making whimpering noises.

"I think that qualifies as animal cruelty." Adam said.

"What do you want me to do? Use my pistol?" asked Drew.

"At least, don't say 'here kitty, kitty' when you're trying to kill something. Do you hate cats or something?"

"Sorry."

"Do you think we should go back and pick up your gun?" asked Adam.

"I don't want to go back there. There maybe another." She didn't have to tell Adam explicitly. Adam understood that Drew was both scared of the big and scary monster, and that she was embarrassed for dropping her gun.

"We need better weapons."

"Agreed. Se where do you think we should go?"

"We don't know where the armory is. So, I think what we should do is to regroup with the others first."

"I told you there's no radio transmission at all. They're dead!" argued Drew.

"Maybe, but the weapons would still be there, or should be."

"Good point. Are you sure we can handle any monster that comes our way?"

"No, but if we can't, we can always run."

"Well, there's always that."

Drew and Adam picked their way through the debris. Adam told her what areas they cleared, and those are the first places they checked. Sound logic, as there would be less monsters and a good place to retreat when the chips are down. This isn't to say that the areas were completely cleared. Between the first clearing and the second landing, some of the alien creatures have moved in. A pistol is a poor substitute for a rifle. Drew was emptying the magazines at alarming rate. She was running low on ammo.

A surprise find in one of the room startled Drew. There on the floor, one of the crew members laid dead. There was no visible wound from what she can see. She was unsure whether she can take the view from the opposite side. It didn't faze Adam at the slightest bit, though. He walked over to the corpse and kicked his butt.

"Wake up you lazy dog! What are you doing napping during the day?" said Adam.
It disturbed Drew that Adam would show such disrespectful attitude toward a dead person. It surprised Drew even more when the corpse actually stood up, looking embarrassed. He wasn't dead after all!

"Adam! I thought you're dead! I'm glad you're alive!" said he.

"Yeah, Kev, so what are you doing just lying down there?" asked Adam.

"Playing possum." answered KEVIN JAMES. "They don't bother you if you don't bother them."

"Is that right? That's not true. They were trying to kill us last time!" countered Adam.

"It's true! I saw it myself. They don't bother you when you're dead." said Kevin. "Oh no! I saw so many people got killed! It was terrible!" Kevin started to cry

"Kev, if they don't attack if you don't bother them, then why did they attack you? Were you trying to kill them?" asked Drew.

"I dunno. Maybe they're just defending their territory." answered Kevin.

"This isn't their territory. It's ours. We built the place." said Drew.

"Maybe it was theirs to begin with, and we just don't know."

"Drew rolled her eyes. “Where is the captain?" she asked.

"Not sure. But we were in the basement of that building..." he pointed to a big building across the yard, "when we were attacked."

"So, where do you think he is now?"

"I don't know. But I know who to ask."

"Who?"

"Danny. The captain's pleasure boy." At this Adam and Kevin laugh derisively.

"Danny our second in command?" asked Drew. Adam and Kevin broke into uncontrollable laughter.

"Drew, he's our whipping boy! Totally useless!" Adam said in between laughter.
"The captain wouldn't trust him with a gun!" added Kevin. "He was manning the radio." Adam sneered.

"He was such a coward, he wouldn't leave the captain's side. Where we find Danny, we'll find the captain." said Adam.

"Okay. I get the picture. How do we find him?"

"Let me get my gear." said Kevin. "There's a beacon finder gear in my pack." Kevin looked over Drew and Adam. "That pistol is all you got?" asked Kevin.

"Um, yes." said Drew.

"You've got guts. I wouldn't go around here without at least an automatic rifle, preferably the big caliber one." said Kevin.

Drew was red with embarrassment and started to look for a rock to crawl under. Adam, meanwhile, was swinging his pipe menacingly. "You think I need more than this to take care of the monsters around here? What a big wussy you are!" Kevin said nothing.

Time 28 minutes
Words: 1012

CHAPTER 8: WHERE IS THE CAPTAIN?

Progress went rapidly with Kevin joining them. Drew mistakenly assumed that radio silence meant no survivor, but Kevin explained that as a precaution, the captain ordered radio silence as to not attract the monster. Each person carries a beacon as part of his gear. Adam feigned ignorance when Drew looked questioningly at him. Kevin teased him endlessly when Adam admitted of dropping his gear.

The beacon signals grew stronger, but unfortunately, the signs pointed to a more distance locations than the last battle scene. It made Drew worried. Although she can sense their unease, Kevin and Adams said nothing. So far they progressed well enough. Kevin's rifle proved very useful in dispatching alien creatures that stood in their way.

They went off to the side and walked through a section filled with piles of debris. It worried Drew immensely. "It could be some hidden nesting for the monsters. Only fools would hide here." thought Drew.

Finally, Kevin stood in front of one of the piles. Then he smiled, and looked at Adam. Adam nodded. Kevin then did something totally unexpected. He started to shoot his rifle up in the air like a maniac while screaming, "Monsters! Monsters! They're coming this way! Run for your life!"

Drew hastily looked around and saw no monsters. She was about to correct Kevin when the pile suddenly shook up, and a very terrified DANNY emerged from the pile. He looked absolutely terrified. "Noooooo! Get them away from meeee!" he was screaming his head off. Kevin and Adam broke into uncontrollable laughter.

Danny who was just now jello with fear, stood up, and puffed his chest out. "What are you morons doing here?" Kevin and Adam kept laughing. "Don't laugh at me like that, you morons! Don't you know who's in charge here?" demanded Danny.

Drew shot a piece of debris under Danny's feet to get his attention. Danny recoiled in surprised. Somehow, he had failed to notice Drew who stood just a few feet away, trying to get his attention. "Yeah, Danny, we know who's in charge." Drew was upset. "It's the captain. Where is he?"

Danny, who glowered at her, suddenly cried. "Oh, no! It's got him! It's got the captain!"

"Who got the captain?" asked Drew.

"The monsters got him!" said Danny.

"Where?"

"I said the monster got him!"

"Yes, Danny, where exactly the monster got him? Where is the captain, now?"

"He's inside the monster's stomach. That's where the captain is now!"

Drew's knees turned to rubber. Kevin and Adam stopped laughing.

Time: 14 minutes.
Words: 426
Total Words: 1438

CHAPTER 9: RESCUING VARIOUS CREWS

Danny proved to be what Kevin and Adam said all along: Totally useless. He bitched, he moaned, and he generally made the life of everybody miserable. Drew could hardly stand him, and apparently, so were Kevin and Adam. Danny went ignored almost immediately.
Kevin was not so useless. It only took a little prompting from Drew for him to start to look for other crew members. They were still short of weapons, and Drew desperately wanted to get some. She noted that Kevin, although still following the beacons, purposely steered away from places of confrontation. Although Drew doubted Kevin's intention, she kept silent.

Kevin knew what he's doing, however. He purposely sought those beacons that are still moving. He reasoned, correctly, that moving beacon means the crew would still be alive. One by one, the crew was found. They shared some of their weapon with Drew and Adam. None was willing to let Danny got a hold of any weapon. Danny kept protesting. Everybody kept ignoring him.

At Drew's request, they visited the place where the captain died. They didn't get there. It was obvious that the place has turned into gigantic nesting place, totally unapproachable without some heavy duty firepower. Reluctantly, she allowed herself to be guided away from the place. Her moral is at an all-time low.

Adam was carrying a shotgun and a pistol, both loaned. Drew was carrying a carbine. Kevin acted as a scout leader, moving from place to place, picking up various crew. Soon, their number swelled up to a respectable size. About half the crew survived. Most freely attributed their survival to the captain's bravery. Everybody respected the captain. None respected Danny.

At last, Kevin stopped. "That's everybody." he glumly announced.

At first, everybody stood around doing nothing. Unsure about what to do next. Finally, Drew said, "Let's rest a bit, and figure out what to do next." Everybody concurred. They sought a safe shelter with predictable entry points, and shared rations.

Time: 10 minutes
Words: 339
Total Words: 1777

CHAPTER 10: NO GUTS, NO GLORY!

It was a hallway. It was a hallway with a doorway. Drew and the crew were watching it from the other end of the hallway. They were hiding behind some crates and other containers. The hallway, both the near side and the far side of the doorways, stood empty.
"What are we waiting for? Huh? Huh?" Danny was as annoying as ever.

"Be patient, Danny," said Drew. "We're trying to figure out whether or not there is some monster behind that doorway."

"There's nothing out there! You can see it clear across to the other end!" said Danny.

"We don't know that. They could be hiding behind the wall framing the doorway." said Drew patiently.

"There's absolutely nothing out there. We've been sitting here for two whole minutes! We are wasting time!"

"Danny, please be patient and wait a little longer." said Drew. Her patience is wearing thin.

"You're just a big coward, aren't you?" said Danny.

"No, Danny. We're trying to find out whether there's any monster behind the doorway," explained Drew for the umpteenth time.

"You're just a coward! Admit it! Admit it!" Danny jeered. This goes on for some time, while everybody else waited patiently, neither stirring nor making a sound. Danny was emboldened by their non-reaction, misinterpreting their indifference as tacit approval. He started to shove Drew around. Drew became visibly upset. So was everybody else.

"Danny, how can you be sure that there's no monsters out there?" Finally Drew ran out of patience.

"Do you see any monster out there? Huh? Huh? You don't see any, do you? What an idiot! Anybody can see that there's no monster out there." answered Danny.

"They could hide behind the walls of the doorway, where they stay hidden from view."

"Do you think monsters are smart? They're just a bunch of animals! Animals are stupid!"

"They can still hide."

"So, we're just going to sit here around all day? Huh? Huh? What a waste of time!"

"We're trying to listen to any sound that it may make."

"There's no sound out there because there's no monster out there! We're just wasting time. You're just a big coward! The captain would have just forged ahead!"

"I don't think the captain would do that, and besides, I'm not the captain." said Drew, her teeth gritted in annoyance.

"Yeah, I get it. You're not the captain. You're just a big, stupid coward who just as soon wastes a whole day sitting around doing nothing! What a waste of time!" Danny sneered.

Adam could stand it no longer. "Danny, why don't you go take a look behind the doorway and see, once and for all, whether there's any monster out there or not?"

"Yeah," Danny said. "I'd do just that! I'm not a coward! I'll just go out there and kick the monster's butt. That is, if there's any monsters, which there isn't."

"So, what are you waiting for?"

"I've got no weapon. No siree. If only I have a weapon, I'd kick their butt big time for sure." Danny said. In response, both Drew and Adam threw down their pistols to Danny. Danny stared at the pistols uncomprehendingly at first, but then made up his mind and took them.

"You guys are just going to sit here while I kick the monsters' butt?" asked Danny.

"Yes."

"Ha! That's what's wrong with you guys! Just a bunch of cowards!" Danny said. "No guts, no glory! Chaaaarge!" Danny ran toward the hallway with pistols in each hand.

Just as Danny reached the doorway, a tentacle visibly slipped to his ankle and tripped him. Danny hit the floor hard. He turned around as lots of tentacles closed in on him. Danny shot the tentacles as he went up past the doorway and hidden from view.
Suddenly, Danny was seen falling to the floor, obviously no longer dangling from the tentacles. For a moment, it was as if Danny was going to crack his head on the floor. Just before he reached the floor, several more tentacles shot out, this time grabbing his hands as well as his ankles. Danny went up once more, and once more, hidden from view. Only the sound of gun firings and Danny's curses can be heard.

"Thud! Thud!" a pair of sound of hits can be heard. It sounded just like when a brute boxer landed a couple haymaker body blows to his opponent. This was followed immediately by the sight of two pistols skittering to the floor. The fight was over in less than 5 seconds.

Drew was just stunned to see Danny's stupidity in action. She knew he was stupid. She just didn't know exactly how stupid. Still staring at the pair of pistols, she turned her head around to the other crews. "Is he always this stupid?" asked Drew.

"Yeah," said everybody.

Time 20 minutes
Words: 815
Total Words: 2592

Chapter 7,8,9 and 10.