The DOOM Chronicles

Chapter 12: Failure to Communicate

There was a part of Jack that thought that he would be...well, thrilled wasn't exactly the right word, but, to some degree, looking forward to going outside. Even if 'outside' was airless, frozen dead space, surely it was better than being inside the bloodied chromium corridors of Phobos Base, trapped with ravenous beasts and insane cannibals. Except, he reflected as he stood in the airlock with Sergeant Blackmore, waiting for it to complete its cycle, he was not looking forward to what was coming next. If anything, he was afraid.

The pair of them were heading outside first, to make sure the area was secure. According to the plan they'd concocted, (it was so simple it could hardly be called such), they wouldn't have to go all that far. The airlock would let them out about fifty meters from the auxiliary communications tower, which was built on a small rise of land. It was supposed to be a stable, easily-defended piece of land. And they were hoping they didn't have to defend it at all. Not that Jack had any hope of that. He focused up.

The airlock completed its cycle.

The doors slid open in absolute silence.

Jack once more found himself staring out over the dead, gray surface of Phobos. He couldn't see anything in the immediate vicinity, so he and Blackmore stepped out, each of them clearing their side of the area.

"We're clear," Blackmore reported.

Jack continued surveying the area while the other two cycled through the airlock. The lights along the exterior of the base pushed back the heavy darkness, but only so much. There wasn't a whole lot in this area, though he could see the comms tower ahead of them and, even farther away he could just make out the dark bulk of the other structures they had yet to investigate. They were ringed by brilliant lights. Jack was hoping they wouldn't have to go any further. They would fix the radio, call for help, and wait for the retraction team.

And that would be that.

Jack wasn't a coward and he didn't like to run from a fight but...this was insane. The other two finished cycling through and they did another sweep of the area before beginning their trek across the surface. They moved at as brisk a pace as they could manage, their muzzle-mounted flashlights activated, punching holes in the gloomy darkness. Jack didn't particularly feel comfortable with all that light telegraphing their position from a mile off, but the light here was poor and they didn't really have any other choice.

The silence was ominous and total. All he could hear was his own breathing and the rumble of his heartbeat or the occasional sound over the comms channel. As he continued searching the darkness, Jack found his mind wandering. He wasn't sure if it was the horror of the situation or if he was actually a lot lonelier than he thought, but his thoughts immediately turned to Jennifer. It wasn't just that she was great in bed or that they got along really well in the limited time they'd enjoyed together, it was something more complicated.

He really liked her, and he lamented his current situation because if things had continued the way they'd been rolling along, he would have more than likely pursued a real relationship with her. There was a simple but powerful certainty to her, and he'd always been attracted to women like that. Women who, even if they might be in a shit situation or facing down something terrifying, they persevered and got the job done.

Jack snapped back to reality as he thought he saw something. They were almost to the comms tower. As he slid his flashlight beam across the surrounding area, he saw that the terrain was fairly rocky and uneven.

A lot of places for enemies to hide.

They made their way up the rise of land and came to the comms tower. It seemed to be clear, although it was obvious that someone had been here at some point. The tower itself was a cold steel monolith of metal and technology, rising a good three stories into the airless sky. It was built onto a twenty by twenty square platform that had concrete barriers along its perimeter. Jack frowned as they finished following a simple path that looked like it had been steamrolled, and came at last to the platform.