General Nigel Uno... Male...Active* ** (Hicks/Gorman)

Lt. R. T. McKenzie...Female...Active*** (Ripley/Gorman)

Sgt. P. Drilovsky...Male...Squad 1... Active*** (Hudson/Apone)

Cpl. D. Hicks...Male...Squad 2...Incapacitated**(Gorman)

Cpl. A. Lincoln... Female...Squad 1...Active***(Vasquez)

LCpl. Infinity...Male...Squad 3...Active***

Pvt. C. Dickson (aka Numbuh 274)...Male...Squad 1...Active**(Hudson)

PFC. Maurice...Male...Squad 2...(KIA)

Pvt. W. Hudson...Male...Squad 1...(MIA)

Pvt. J. Vasquez...Female...Squad 2...(KIA)

Pvt. A. Apone...Male Squad 2...(KIA)

Pvt. T. Crowe...Male...Squad 1...(MIA)

Pvt. Ace...Male...Active...(MIA/KIA)

Pvt. Gorman...Male ... Active...(KIA) 117

Chapter 8

Battle Planes Part 1

EXT. CONTROL BLOCK - NIGHT

The wind howls mournfully around the metal buildings, dry and cold.

INT. OPERATIONS

The weary and demoralized group is gathered to take stock of their grim options. Lincoln and Dickson are just setting down a scorched and dented packing case, one of several culled from the APC wreckage.

Nigel, Rachel, Patton and Fanny standinf by the table. The rest of the Marines were waiting for instruction on what to do. Pretty much that There in the pits of hell now. There stranded there with now way off Acheron. There only thought was Are they going to die here?.

Hicks indicates their remaining inventory of weapons, lying on a table.

"This is all we could salvage. We've got five pulse-rifles with about fifty rounds each. Not so good. About fifteen M-40 grenades and two flame throwers less than half full...one damaged. And We've got four of these robot-sentry units with scanners and display intact."

He opens one of the scorched cases, revealing a high-tech servo-actuated machine gun with optical sensing equipment, packed in foam.

"How long after we're declared overdue can we expect a rescue?" Fanny asked.

"About seventeen days. pluse another 17 weeks to get ready for the rescue mission, if any survivors are here." Patton replied to his girlfriend. Fanny was leaning agaist him.

Dickson spoke up. "Man, we're not going to make it seventeen hours! Those things are going to come in here, just like they did before, man...they're going to come in here and get us, man, long before..."

Rachel glared Number 247

"This little girl we just find about a hour ago, She survived longer than that with no weapons and no training." Ripley indicates Newt, who salutes Hudson smartly. " So you better just start dealing with it. Just deal with it, Dickson...because we need you and I'm tired of your bullshit. Now get on a terminal and call up some kind of floor plan file. Construction blueprints, maintenance schematics, anything that shows the layout of this place. I want to see air ducts, electrical access tunnels, subbasements. Every possible way into this wing."

Dickson gathers himself, thankful for the direction. Nigel nods approval of her handling of it.

"Aye-firmative. I'm on it." Dickson said.

''I'll be in medical. I'd like to continue my analysis." Number 74 told them.

" Fine. You do that." Fanny said to him.