"Damnit." The security guard squeeked as he waddled to the front of the tram, every part body wobbling under his plated armour. He turned back to me. "Is this the right tram for level 3 dormatories?"
"No Otis." I replied "Its Sector D Administration."
"Oh man, I'm way out." He was bouncing on the spot, the tram shook uneasily. "I always get the wrong tram."
"The Time is 9:15am." The announcer kicked in. "Current Topside temperature is 96 degrees, with an estimated high-"
"So which tram to I need to get?" He asked
"Stay on this one until it gets back to the hub. Then board the level 1-4 tramline."
"Thanks buddy."
The tram slowed down outside the Sector D admin block of Black Mesa. I stepped out, giving Otis a casual wave as the doors shut and the tram sqeaked out of the station.
"See you again tomorrow dumbass."
I stepped up to the double doors and they grinded open slowly. One of them stopped halfway and shot sparks in all directions. This place was falling apart. An older man shot past the door towards the surface elevator.
"Hey Dr Breen!" I called but he didn't even turn around. He was probably late for a meeting.
I headed for the reception desk just as the floor started to shake. I fell to the floor and covered my head. One of the ceiling lights fell and hit the floor next the me. Everyone was screaming and hiding under desks and anything else that offered cover from the falling debris. Then the shaking stopped. It was silent for a second and then there was another loud scream.
"OH GOD! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" The security guard behind the desk was pointing his gun at a vent opening. A scientist near the vent turned around and something shot out into his face, knocking him the the floor. I climbed to my feet to see him writhing on the floor, trying to pull what looked like a plucked chicked from his face. Blood was pouring down the sides of his head and I could hear his screams inside the foul creature. He tryed to get up just as the security officer pumped 2 pistol rounds into the thing, killing the poor guy underneath as well. He turned to me.
"What!?" He said, "I wasn't gonna watch him get his face eaten!"
I didn't say anything. I turned away, put my back against the wall and slid down to the floor trying to take in what I had just witnessed.
"Hey!" the guard sounded paniced "There's something else down the hall too. Looks like a squid."
I stood up and walked over to the guard, trying not to look at the corpse of the professor on the floor next to him. I looked through the window in the door to the end of the office corridor and sure enough there was another thing lumbering around the hall. It had two legs and its mouth was surrounded by several slimy tentacles.
"Should we kill it?" Said the guard
"I don't know" I said "Maybe its not dangerous."
"Look at its fuckin' teeth." he responded. Just as he did another guard rounded the corner at the end off the hall and ran straight past the beast. It reacted immeadiatly, firing something from its mouth. The green glob hit the guy in the back of the head, sending him into a forward flip. His helmet flew off to one side, the back had melted away.
"Oh shit!" He yelled as the beast stomped over to him. Within seconds it had clamped its jaw shut around his head and dragged him into a corner. He was still alive as it ripped through his armour and started to rip his guts out.
"God Damn it!" The guard with me screamed and ran over to the door, releasing the emergency lock. He blasted the beast in the right eye. It shot back in shock and turned to face us. Its back muscles spasmed as it brought up another load of its acidic phlegm. It fired narrowly missing the guard and hitting the wall next to me. It fizzed as the metal started to corrode. The beast charged forward as the guard fired another 9 rounds into its head. It dropped and slid to a halt a few feet away from his feet. He kicked it as he passed and walked toward the remains of the other officer. He through a bloody pistol to my feet.
"It's empty." he said "We'll have to go the the lock-up. Come on."