|
Doom II (Part 3)
By Aragorn
INT. NUKAGE PROCESSING - ENTRYWAY
The Toxin Refinery's entrance is stocked with armor and radiation gear. Everyone gets suited up. Spotting Yoshida staring strangely at him, Taggart turns from view.
ARLENE
Gallatin, I should dress that shoulder wound. I’m a trained Medic.
GALLATIN
It's fine.
Arlene sighs and grabs a stimpack from a shelf.
ARLENE
Get over here.
Gallatin ignores her as Taggart puts on a helmet and pulls his gloves tight.
TAGGART
How far have we got to go?
ARLENE
The CPU is right on the other side of the plant.
GALLATIN
This place is very dangerous. I need you all to follow my orders.
(to Tij) You think you can handle that?
TIJ
(Sarcasticly) Sure, why not?
GALLATIN
Taggart, you take point.
INT. NUKAGE PROCESSING - PUMPING STATION
A thin layer of green slime covers the floor. The Marines are surrounded by huge vats, fed by pipes coming straight from the sludge falls. An eerie haze hangs over the chamber.
YOSHIDA
Look at that.
A huge pentagram is drawn in human blood on the far wall. Same with the opposite wall.
GALLATIN
What went on in here?
TAGGART
Looks like they held Mass.
As they continue on, they notice that the pumping station has been converted to a gore-spattered altar, complete with burning candles and freshly-peeled skulls.
TAGGART
Yoshida?
YOSHIDA
There's a lot of demon energy here. I don’t think we're alone.
GALLATIN
That's quite an ability you've got, Private. How does one come by the gift of necromancy?
YOSHIDA
I took a correspondence course in high school.
Taggart chuckles inside his helmet. A roar suddenly pierces the air and they all whirl to face the enemy: a Hellknight standing on the second floor, looking down at them.
TIJ
…The fuck is that…?
The Hellknight lifts one giant clawed hand and a dark blue energy starts forming in the curled palm.
TAGGART
I'll catch up with you guys at the core.
ARLENE
Flynn, no.
GALLATIN
Let him do what he wants.
The Hellknight starts down the stairs. Taggart steps away from the others, back through the slime to the center of the chamber. Gallatin heads for the exit. He doesn't look happy, but he
beckons for the others to follow.
The Hellknight's giant feet splash in the sludge as it steps down from the stairs. It bellows at Taggart.
TAGGART
So I've outlived my usefulness, huh? You're not forcing this
soldier into early retirement.
The chaingun winds up and spits fire at the Hellknight. It bears the brunt of the attack without so much as a flinch, hurling the ball of energy from its hand. Taggart takes the hit square in the breastplate. The crackling energy ball penetrates his armor and he screams, falling to his knees.
His lungs seem to wither and die in his chest, his neck tightens, blood vessels burst on his face and Taggart lets out a scream of pain. The Hellknight walks slowly around the barrels, getting closer to him. Already another ball generates within the massive clawed hand.
TAGGART
I guess sometimes...the simple approach...beats all...
He sits up when the creature gets near and slams his fist into the Hellknight's private area. It doesn’t even phase, but it does growl and backhand Taggart with its other hand. Taggart sails over the slime and smashes against the demonic altar, sending everything crashing down. The
candles drop into the waste covering the floor and a ring of fire quickly encircles the chamber.
Taggart dodges the next energy shot from the Hellknight and runs at it, hitting the Hellknight again and again with the chaingun, using it like a bat. It staggers but stays on its feet. It picks Taggart up and throws him across the room. Seconds later, it fires another energy ball which hits Taggart in the stomach, and he doubles over as he lands inches from the burning fire.
A wailing fills his ears like blaring sirens. His vision blurs, but he can still pick out the Hellknight approaching for the kill. Taggart raises the chaingun with a wavering arm and fires haphazardly. The Hellknight roars and then snarls as the bullets hit several vats, puncturing them, causing a spray of waste hits the creature’s back. The vats hiss as they are emptied.
Suddenly they explode as the fire reaches them. The Hellknight is batted aside by a wave of waste that picks up the armored Taggart and slams him against the wall. The Hellknight rises to fight the current, pointing again at Taggart and it lets out a deafening roar.
With the chaingun gone, Taggart grabs a pipe and roars back at the creature. They both charge at each other. By this point the fire has spread and most of the room is burning and exploding.
Wham! A swing from the Hellknight’s clawed hand sends Taggart cartwheeling across the chamber. Taking a cue from its opponent, the Hellknight rakes its claws across another vat,
showering Taggart with slime.
TAGGART
Armor's not gonna hold out much longer…
The Hellknight takes a thundering step towards Taggart but stops and lets out a screech as a hole is punctured into it and blood spurts out.
Gallatin, perched on the overhead platform, reloads his sniper rifle.
GALLATIN
C'mon Taggart!
He blasts the Hellknight in the knee and it buckles. Taggart gets up and runs, making his way to the stairs. However a wall of fire blocks him off. The Hellknight turns to face him as another ball of energy begins forming.
GALLATIN
C'mon, now, now!
Taggart takes a few steps back and does a running jump through the fire. He lands on the stairs on the other side and immediately begins running up, just as the deadly ball of energy passes through the fire and explodes on the stairs where he was just standing. The Hellknight roars in anger as Taggart gets away.
EXT. NUKAGE PROCESSING
Arlene breaths a sigh of relief as the pair emerges onto the second floor from the staircase.
ARLENE
Thank you, Gallatin.
GALLATIN
You owe me. (to Taggart) And YOU, from now on, follow my
orders. Is that understood?
TAGGART
I don't see Hell sending their special ops guys to kill you,
Sarge. I'm the main man here. They want me either out of the picture completely, or back in their grasp. Now let's shut down the CPU, before they get the chance to get what they want.
Arlene places a hand on Gallatin's chest.
ARLENE
We have a job to do...
GALLATIN
Right.
They glance out a window and see the Hellship moving slowly through the now-dark sky, heading right for the CPU complex.
ARLENE
Clock's ticking, let's move out!
INT. CPU COMPLEX
Walls covered in circuitry boards, flawless copper floors and garish fluorescent lighting overhead - it's a strange and unwelcome place, and tight as hell. The group move single-file into the complex.
TIJ
Where's the computer we’re looking for?
ARLENE
We're in it.
TIJ
Holy…shit. How do we shut it down?
Arlene ratchets her new shotgun.
ARLENE
Manually.
To their right, a panel slides back and everyone freezes.
YOSHIDA
It's clear.
GALLATIN
(sarcastic) You mean like the refinery?
YOSHIDA
(clenched teeth) It's clear, sir.
They step through the panel into a new passageway.
TIJ
This place is amazing.
ARLENE
It controls most of the base.
TIJ
You'd think it would be harder to disable.
YOSHIDA
Something's here.
Everyone freezes. He slides his hand over a component panel, then pauses.
YOSHIDA
It’s in the walls.
GALLATIN
Can you be more specific?
He walks past a skull-faced panel. Well what he thought was a skull-faced panel but was really a Lost Soul sitting in an empty slot.
ARLENE
Move Sergeant!
She blasts the thing at point-blank range. Sparks leap out from the wall and Demonic shrieks fill the complex.
TAGGART
Let's take this place apart!
He kicks through a panel and fires his pistol. They all lay into the CPU with extreme prejudice. An army of Lost Souls zooms around the corner and one latches onto Gallatin's wrist. He smashes it into a computer relay, taking out a row of lights.
Three Lost Souls hit Taggart in the chest, full speed, and knock him through several computer walls. He hits the concrete outer wall hard and falls to the floor.
TAGGART
Fuck off, ya friggin' bugs!
He swats the Lost Souls aside with his fists, but they congregate together to make another attack. Taggart turns and wrenches open the door to a nearby maintenance locker.
TAGGART
Heh heh.
Turning to facing the skulls again, Taggart revs a full-sized chainsaw.
TAGGART
Come and get it.
The first one comes right at him and Taggart drives it into a panel. He saws through both bone and circuitry. The other two scream as they zip around the room like flies.
TAGGART
There's more for you, dipshits!
They zoom forward as one, screaming, but he shatters them both with a swing of the saw.
INT. CPU COMPLEX - PREVIOUS ROOM
Arlene, Yoshida, and Gallatin are fighting off what’s left of the Lost Souls, easily taking them on.
INT. CPU COMPLEX - ANOTHER ROOM
Tij is taking out section after entire section of the computerized walls with the double shotgun. Lost Souls are blown to bits before they can even emerge from their hiding places. Dodging a severed cable, she uses the butt of the gun to bash the shit out of a hanging motherboard.
A Lost Soul sneaks up behind her and clamps down on her long ponytail, jerking her to the floor.
TIJ
Help!
Seconds later, Yoshida comes running down the hall and kicks the skull into the air and firing at it, causing it to explode. Tij starts climbing back to her feet.
TIJ
Appreciate it.
YOSHIDA
You bet.
Another skull flies up behind him. Tij grabs a dangling cable and plunges it right past Yoshida, who has no idea what she’s doing, and into the creature's eye socket. Yoshida jumps away and whips around as the skull bursts into flames as it explodes.
Taggart and his friend the chainsaw cut through the walls with ease and bursts into the room through a wall. The CPU is coming down in showers of sparks and Lost Souls left and right, that were hiding about, are being impaled by slivers of circuitry.
TAGGART
Fall back!
Suddenly one of the concrete outer walls crumbles to dust in an explosion. Taggart's wide grin is wiped away by the sight of the gigantic Cyberdemon, which is training its rocket launcher on his head.
Arlene and Gallatin walk up behind him, staring in awe at the behemoth.
TAGGART
Other Way! Now! This fucker is unbeatable, trust me!
They dive out of the path of a screaming missile, and what's left of the room explodes. The Cyberdemon stomps through the rubble of the complex, in hot pursuit.
EXT. CPU COMPLEX - NIGHT
The Marines rushes away, the CPU complex exploding and being torn down behind them as the Cyberdemon pursues. Up ahead is the Mill, an open-air industrial complex now rendered useless by the CPU's destruction. Taggart vaults over a generator and gives the others a hand.
TAGGART
Holy Jesus!
He sees that the Cyberdemon is right on top of them. It dumps three missiles into the earth, upheaving the generator. Gallatin pulls Tij to safety just before the generator comes crashing down.
EXT. MILL - NIGHT
The Marines race down an alley of corroded pipeworks and crippled machinery. The Cyberdemon steps through a dust cloud and brings down a smokestack with its gargantuan fist. Tij stops and turns around to fire the double shotgun.
GALLATIN
Keep moving, Private!
She ignores him, stuffing two more shells into the gun even as the Cyberdemon leers over her.
GALLATIN
That’s an order, Private!
Tij is gone in seconds as a giant missile smacks into her location, the exploding blast knocking Gallatin through a steam pipe. He's back on his feet in an instant, muttering as he uses his bloody hands to raise the sniper rile and take aim from the cover of the mangled pipe.
ARLENE
Gallatin, don't be a hero!
GALLATIN
That's all I know how to be.
Gallatin whispers the Lord’s Prayer as he loads in a single bullet - all he has left.
Gallatin
Our Father, who art in Heaven…
As he continues the prayer, he aims the gun at the creature, looking through the sights for the best spot for that bullet to go. Returning the gesture, the Cyberdemon grumbles as it trains its rocket launcher on the sergeant.
Gallatin fires and his silent bullet speeds up towards the Cyberdemon and slides down the barrel of its rocket launcher. Its arm is ripped to gory shreds in an explosion of metal, flesh, and blood as the ammo contained within that launcher explodes.
The Cyberdemon turns its head away from its own detonating body, roaring defiantly. The creature is obscured by the explosion and its tick smoke. When the red-tinged smoke clears, all that remains are the stumps of its two metallic hooves.
Arlene walks over to Gallatin, who collapses with exhaustion and pain.
ARLENE
I'm sorry about Tij.
Gallatin mops the demon blood from his head.
GALLATIN
She's in a much better place now.
TAGGART
That was fucking awesome, Sarg! I hate to say it, because I think you’re a fucking asshole, but I may have start referring to you as The Man from now on.
As Gallatin smiles, Taggart winces at something and pries off his burning breastplate. He goes wide-eyed at the ugly scar of charred flesh on his bare chest.
TAGGART
One of Hell's hitmen back there did this to me. Kept firing those damn energy balls.
YOSHIDA
Their strength comes from the souls of the damned.
TAGGART
Souls like mine?
YOSHIDA
Corporal, souls are what set Us apart from Them. Souls are the
reason that they hunger for us.
TAGGART
(Sarcastic) Very poetic.
He slaps the armor back on.
TAGGART
The CPU's been wasted. What now?
Gallatin angles his rifle toward the Hellship far overhead.
TAGGART
I'm starting to like you, Sarge.
GALLATIN
(smiling) Wish I could say the same to you. There should be an Ammo shed near here. I’m gone to load up.
He turns and walks away with Yoshida close behind. Taggart turns to Arlene.
TAGGART
What do you think of him?
ARLENE
I don't get involved with Marines.
TAGGART
That's not what I meant...
He trails off. Something unspoken hangs in the air between them. After seconds of silence, Arlene speaks up again.
ARLENE
It was never like that with us, Flynn.
TAGGART
But we both thought about it, didn't we?
ARLENE
Yeah, I guess we did.
TAGGART
Then I break a few of bones in some dipshit's pencil-pushing wrist and I'm shipped off to Mars.
ARLENE
(sadly) I remember. You always did have a temper problem.
TAGGART
You want to know why I did that, Arlene? He wanted to send your squad into that one asteroid belt after that deserted Russian freighter. A suicide mission, and for nothing. Just to revive the Cold War.
ARLENE
You assaulted a superior officer, just to keep me safe?
TAGGART
(smiling) I was trying out that chivalrous thing you were always suggesting I do.
With a sad smile, Arlene slides her hand down the wide of Taggart’s face and looks into his eyes. She pats his cheek and turns to head after the others.
EXT. SHIPPING PLANT - NIGHT
They face several loading docks with overturned trucks ablaze. Roars emanate from some place within the plant.
GALLATIN
Do we even have a chance?
ARLENE
Maybe with that.
She motions up to a small monorail elevated over the docks, leading straight into the plant.
ARLENE
It'll take us right over those bastards.
GALLATIN
Hmm. I could probably pick a few of 'em off from in there.
TAGGART
All right then. Less talkin' and more rockin'.
He ascends the ladder to the train with the others close behind.
INT. MONORAIL TRAIN
As Yoshida powers the train up, lights flicker on, lighting up the interior of the train. The others take firing positions at various windows.
INT. SHIPPING PLANT
The monorail is suspended from the ceiling, bypassing above another maze of crates and offering a clear view of all the zombified scientists and soldiers wandering about below.
INT. MONORAIL TRAIN
Gallatin takes aim in the slow-moving train. Arlene freezes and searches the pale faces of the undead. Gallatin's first shot startles her back to reality. Taggart cracks open a locker on the train and smiles
TAGGART
Oooh baby.
He turns back to the others, cradling a rocket launcher.
TAGGART
Let's see what this makes them look like.
Propping himself in a window, he targets a pathway clogged with growling zombies. They all reach up towards the train, as if beckoning to him.
TAGGART
Open wide, fellas!
A zombie PFC suddenly shoots Taggart in the arm before he can fire. The shot throws Taggart off balance and with a yell he tumbles from the window.
ARLENE
Flynn!
INT. SHIPPING PLANT
Taggart’s hanging by a couple of fingers from the underside of the train. His bad arm is holding the rocket launcher limply at his side.
ARLENE
Drop the rocket launcher and reach for me!
TAGGART
Negative!
Another bullet ricochets off the side of the train, close to Taggart's head.
ARLENE
God damnit, Flynn!
TAGGART
Give me a second here!
Up ahead, a zombie gunner clambers up onto a stack of crates - putting him just within reach of Taggart's feet. Taggart spots him.
TAGGART
Shit.
He lets go of the rocket launcher, which is swallowed up by the horde of zombies below.
ARLENE
Reach!
On the floor, a drooling cadaver picks up the bazooka, but he's aiming it the wrong way when he presses the trigger. The ammo-packed crates explode in all directions like a nuclear blast, vaporizing the undead and causing Arlene, who was stretching out the window to grab Taggart, to fall.
Taggart grabs her with his bad arm and she swoops through the scorching flames in Taggart's grasp.
TAGGART
Gotcha!
With all his strength he starts hauling her back up, but then the entire monorail track squeals and begins to sag. Taggart passes Arlene up to Yoshida and she gets pulled back into the train. However now there's not much track left and it sounds like the whole thing's about to come apart.
YOSHIDA
C'mon sir!
TAGGART
Got no...strength...left...
INT. MONORAIL TRAIN
None of the Marines notice the back door at the compartment's rear sliding open. None of them notice the Imp stalking towards them, half of its face scarred by a grid of deep burns.
INT. SHIPPING PLANT
The blistering flames lick Taggart's boots. He can barely hold on.
TAGGART
This may be the end for me, kid.
YOSHIDA
No!
Yoshida suddenly disappears into the train.
TAGGART
Hey kid, lighten up! It was a joke!
INT. MONORAIL TRAIN
Yoshida spins to shoot the Grid Imp. It fires a fireball at him, which hits him directly and sends him up against the wall.
GALLATIN
Shit!
The cramped space doesn't allow Gallatin to aim the rifle before the Imp slashes at him. Leaving deep gashes in his face, Gallatin is also knocked away. Arlene plants her hands on the backs of two seats and kicks the Imp in the face with both feet.
INT. SHIPPING PLANT
Taggart's going to be peeled away from the train by the approaching wall. With no other option, he pulls himself up against the underside of the car and hopes there’s enough room. He closes his eyes shut.
EXT. SHIPPING PLANT - SECONDS LATER
The train hurtles out of the flaming building with Taggart still intact. He lets go of the train and drops to the soft earth below with a grunt.
INT. MONORAIL TRAIN
The Grid Imp's back up. Arlene's waiting with a left roundhouse. As if knocked loose by the punch, the train lurches and rolls off the track, slamming all its passengers into the ceiling. It hits the ground and keeps right on rolling. The Imp steadies itself and summons another fireball.
Gallatin is spinning across the car, his vision a blur. Suddenly he throws both legs out, catching the walls and coming to a dead stop with his rifle leveled at the Imp's head.
GALLATIN
Party's over.
He gets off one shot to the chest before he's thrown again. The Imp flies back, leaving a line of blood in its path.
The train hits something, HARD. It stops, jolting everyone around.
Gallatin gets back to his feet and slips his arm under Arlene to help her up. Yoshida quickly checks both ends of the car: the Grid Imp is gone.
ARLENE
(Weakly) Flynn...
A window smashes in and Taggart slides through, back into the train.
GALLATIN
Any idea where we are?
TAGGART
Looks like we stopped right outside the Administration Building.
GALLATIN
Good. We need first aid and ammo, and both of those can be found in there.
TAGGART
Then let’s get it.
10/29/2005 6:00:18 PM
Comment on this fan fiction!
|
|
|
