===== Some corridor, Starbase ===== Peter paused for a moment to catch his breath. That freaking alien seemed to 'sense' him everywhere he hid and he could swear they were 'interested' to catch him. Especially him, like they would be angry on him cause he managed to stay alive for so long. Anyway, this time they were very close to get him finally. It took him over an hour since he managed to get rid of the alien that was following him. He had a slight feeling that it was the same ghoul that he managed to hurt several days before. Now he was leaning on a wall, body leaned forward, hand on his knees. For a moment he havent payed attention to his surrounding cause he loud breating. But then he stifftened ... there was something. He heard something ... he was sure ... were that voices? Or was it some trick by a ghoul to get him finally? Anyway, Peter wasnt keen to find it out ... all he wanted was to be miles way form this place. He started to run ... Mercedes ran like her life depended upon it... which it did. She skidded around a corner with Rangi close on her heels. She hoped that ghouls couldn't 'run' very fast, but since they moved through walls it would probably catch up to them soon. Mercedes turned her head for a second to check if Rangi was still behind her, and when she turned back she ran straight into a man and they fell down on the ground with Rangi tripping over them. he ground with Rangi tripping over them. "Peter!!" Rangi gasped "Thank heavens you're alright!" Jason heard the commotion from a distant corridor and with Michael and the other marines of his team in tow, he headed towards the sounds. Jasons eyes had now adjusted to the periods of dark and light. He'd also become adjusted to seeing anything in these corridors well .....almost anything. Turning the corner where he'd heard the sound, he saw a civilian and Rangi Summers and Mercedes Carpenter. Peter's eyes were wide open as he saw Rangi with another female as well. Both teal clothed, both pretty ... but vulnerable like roses. {Geeeeeeez} he thought, {why me?}. What was the biggest trouble was the fact that they were running in the opposite direction than he was ... and in a way like some ghouls were behind them. Peter was sure that there WERE ghouls behind them. With the one behind HIM ... all counted together gave him BIG TROUBLES. He shouted at both women: "One is behind me ..." Like a lightening struck him he saw a complete marine team looking at him from the next corridor. "What?" Rangi gasped struggling free from the heap they made on the floor.She followed Peters line of sight." Lance corporal? " she exclaimed. Mercedes sat up and grabbed the device that hung from her belt. She tapped it a few times before realising that they'd run into Kilpatrick. "Where's the rest of the away team?" she asked as she got up. "I think the fall might have broken this, by the way..." "Colonel Keylors team and my team got seperated by a ghoul Ma'am" Total panic befall Peter. Ghouls behind him, ghouls in front of him and now even blood hunting marines popping out of nowhere. Like a madman he ran towards the marines and waved with both his hands like a ghostbuster. Somehow a picture of an beggy wizard called Rincewind popped into his mind ... "Ghouls! Ghouls!" he shouted in an intensity that could have wakened up even the dead. "Peter!" Rangi ran after the disraught man."Its alright...please....its alright." She forced him to turn to face her."Its alright...we'll be ok now.." but her words died away as over Peters shoulder she saw the chilling form of an alien gliding into view. Mercedes desperately tried to reactivate the device she was holding in her hand. The console flickered quickly but then died away.She grabbed a hold of her phaser, and took aim, firing a line of orange phaser fire at the ghoul. Jason cursed under his breath and raised his rifle; the members of his team doing likewise; taking a quick calculation he decided to let the alien get closer before opening fire; to fire at such long range would be a waste of energy and would make their presence known alot faster, he calculated again and seeing the range was a good one flicked the switch on his rifle and opened fire. He watched as shot after shot hit the alien. That was too much for the poor soul Peter ... He was hardly able to take cover at the wall from the phaser fire before all the terrible marines started to shoot like terminators. He risked a quick glance at the aliens only to realise that they were moving towards them uninterrupted ... like death itself. He instantly knew that staying where he was, was just waiting for death. Wirh a loud cry he sprang to his feet and ran towards the marines "Get down!" Rangi cried as the frightened man scrambled to his feet."You'll be hit!" She started after him, grabbing wildly for his tunic." Dont fire" she yelled at the marines. Mercedes retreated back into the safety of the group of marines and returned her attention to the generator. She removed the generators spent powercell and replaced it with her phaser's powercell. She activated the device and the same rippling effect in the air appeared. Jason stopped firing long enough for Rangi to get the man out of the way and began firing again this time with a vengance "Leap Frog time; lets push it back down the corridor and pin it if we can" He moved foward watching the alien move back motioning the next marine to go foward and past him Jason opened again "Alright folks move it" Peter rocked in Rangi's hands and cried hysterically ... "Leave me, leave me ... they are gonna to kill us all ... kill us all!" In his eyes there could be a clear panic to see, wild animal panic like someone can experience only after a day long hunt ... where HE was the prey. "No no no no...its alright." Rangi replied trying her best to support him with one hand, the other groping in her medkit that was slung from her shoulder. "Peter...listen ....listen" she said looking at him straight on and speaking as calmly as she could. "You're ok...its alright" In her case, her fingers found the hypospray. Mercedes went over to Rangi as she saw her struggling with Peter. She leaned down and took the hypospray from her, and inject Peter quickly in his neck. Within moments he visibly relaxed and became calm. Pulling the medkit closer, she placed the hypospray back in its place. "Do you have communications?" she asked Kilpatrick. ***** To be continued.........***** LtCommander Rangi Summers CMO USS Chimera & Ens Mercedes Carpenter AMO USS Chimera & Lance Corporal Jason Kilpatrick Weapons specialist USS Chimera & Peter Heher Scientist (Npc) by Muma