Alien: Isolation (1st POV Ripley Edition)

#6

The elevator opens. Another useless console with a speaker is immediately noticeable to my left. Atrocity by design, as usual.

And when I slowly take a few steps, a surprise awaits me. A huge shiny gray body gracefully descends from the vent a little further from me at the end of the corridor with a characteristic thump. Monster! Even worse, it looks directly towards me! I have a second before it starts hissing and running!

I don't have time to run away, to fight...

I pull out my revolver and I know it won't help me. But I will fight. Even in vain, if I have no choice. But...I notice something out of the corner of my eye. Maybe all is not lost yet!

I fire two shots at the creature that is preparing to run at me. I didn't hit it, but I didn't aim at it instead, both bullets hit the intended target - two gas cylinders right at the end of the corridor, a meter away from the monster.

The creature opened its jaws and made a slimy sound of triumph before killing its victim and...an explosion behind it scorched it with a short-lived fire element and shockwave. I would have expected the thing to scream, but while on fire it neatly and without any further sound jumped into the ventilation duct above and ran away.

I'm in disbelief and breathing hard. This was close! Too close! I continue on, and with extreme caution. Where to next? The only way is the ventilation duct in the wall, but opening it is a real hassle. I head towards the first room and see something strange. EMP bat stuck in the door. I pull it out in two movements and the door opens. I put the bat away after checking the batteries - enough for two shocks. Still, I decide not to get my hopes up that the club can successfully shock the creature. I prefer to rely on a molotov cocktail and a pipe bomb.

I try to activate the opening of the ventilation space on the console, but it is not so easy. I go to the next room and bring big tubes of some cooling liquid that will allow me - I hope - to open the drain only in the next room.

I finally succeed, but I'm all annoyed. The creature is nowhere to be found and I would hate to discover that it is patiently waiting for me in the ventilation duct I am opening. The motion detector does not register any significant movements.

I continue through the maintenance spaces quietly and with the flashlight on - I sneak up sweaty and hunched over, ready to throw a bomb at the first sight of the tubular monster. But nothing. I would even say that the biggest problem of my stay at this station is the feeling of uncertainty - a feeling that the creature very successfully uses to its advantage.

Almost like a creature, I gracefully land in new chamber.

Great. I jumped into the room, which was like a cabin with a shower and my equipment on the Torrens. But in addition, I discover new creepy corridors that lead deeper into the interior of the medical wing. But a first aid kit is the only thing on my mind, not endless wandering around the station with the occasional unwanted encounter with a monstrous creature.

After cautiously sneaking around, I come to a corridor where gas is leaking. I smile. Excellent. A ready trap without my involvement. If I lure the creature to rush here, the fire might start and defile it - if I'm lucky. But I'm not crazy about luring it here if there's no need for it yet.

I reach the console where I find a message from Dr. Lingard. Poor woman, she died like countless other people here. The message clearly states that she tried to help Captain Marlow's wife who was "infected" by a parasite from the moon LV-426. Her superior also threatened her if she caused any problems. I'm having a hard time watching that message on the small screen.

After finishing, I quietly leave the room and move on. Very quickly I realize that my goal is to get to the second corridor where the gas is leaking - because there is another door that leads further, to my desired first aid kit. Okay...step by step, with a motion detector.