Sydney heard the crackle of the comms and someone yelling they were<i>... at junction 34J</i>and she looked around for some indication of WHERE she was.  Her suit squelched with urine and the smell was getting overwhelming inside the rebreather mask.  She had no idea where she was on the ship, just following a crouching marine and keeping an eye out for anything behind her.  The rattle and bang of gunfire swelled and receded and she felt her stomach roll in rebellion to all the chaos.  Suddenly she felt searing pain across her left leg and another different one diagonally across her front.  She stopped dead and stood up looking around for the leg wound.  Deep in her psyche she felt the sliced torso was dead before she<i>felt</i>that pain.<br/><br/>Sweat beaded and she felt the wounded marine was nearby...<span style="color: navy">"Hey!  Someone nearby got hurt!  I got to find them!  He's still alive!"</span>She pushed past the marine in front of her and felt him grab her.  She was weeping and struggled to go to help.  The marine pushed her down and forced her head to look around the corridore.<br/><br/>The thing was smaller than the ones she'd seen in school videos.  This one was 'alive' but acting odd.  It would step forward two times then twist and spin, then run back, stop and squat.  Then it started the same movement.<br/><br/>"<b>It's been like this for about a minute.  Never seen shit like this before.  It don't look damaged though.  I'm thinking it's baiting us.</b>"  He panted and his eyes followed the tripod closely.<br/><br/><span style="color: navy">"Well, kill it!  Or are we gonna look at it until the others find us and kill us?"</span>Sydney glared at the marine and suddenly realized he had also pissed his suit and was grinding on her!<span style="color: navy">And Marine.  You will stop humping me now or so help me god, I will make certain you will sit to go to the bathroom forever after."</span>He let up and she wriggled away from him then sighted down the sights of her pistol at the now wobbling enemy tripod.<br/><br/>BANG!  BANG!  BANG!  The three bullets pinged off the tripod and it shivered then kept walking.  The Marine's rifle tattooed a fast burst into the tripod.  The bullets penetrated and sparks flew out of the tripod and it stood up so straight and so fast it dented the ceiling then crashed to the ground.<br/><br/><span style="color: navy">"Whoa.  Hey Marine, tell the Sergeant you killed one.  Let's get moving though.  Stuck in one place seems to not be a good idea."</span>The marine nodded and ran crouching along followed closely by Sydney.<span style="color: navy">"And if we live through this come to my quarters.  I need you for something."</span><div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>