I must have fallen asleep eventually since now the daylight shone through my closed eye lids. I could see the bright orange permeating through which finally woke me up. I slowly cracked open my eyes and let the light in as my eyes adjusted. I could make out a dark silhouette which eventually came into focus.
"Mornin' honey", Dempsey smiled.
He looked tired - the night watch had taken its toll. I smiled back and looked around.
"You're up early. The others are still alseep", Dempsey said as he gestured to Takeo and Nikolai who were asleep.
I then felt a warm body beside me and turned around to see it was Primis. I felt my curiosity getting the better of me as I wondered what he and Richtofen spoke about last night. I then noticed Dempsey looking at something behind me.
"Ahem", a voice cleared their throat.
Primis suddenly awoke and sat up before glaring at whatever Dempsey was looking at.
"Oh no..." Dempsey rolled his eyes.
I swung my head around to find Richtofen towering over me. He was back in the spacesuit and looking like nothing had ever happened.
"I have an annoucement", Richtofen announced - looking down at me in particular.
Takeo had already awoken upon hearing Richtofen's voice. But as usual, Nikolai was still out cold.
"Wakey WAKEY!" Dempsey shouted as he kicked Nikolai's boot.
The deafening decibels of Dempsey's voice caused Richtofen to wince and murmur something under his breath.
"Wha? Hey? What's going on?" Nikolai asked confusedly before he straightened up at the sight of Richtofen.
"Ve vill begin our vork at vonce", Richtofen finally said.
"About time, I'm gettin' pretty damn bored of this place!" Dempsey grinned.
"I have finished repairing zhe generator und now ve must send it to Dr Gersch", Richtofen explained.
"Hmph, und have jou come to a solution?" Primis asked defensively as he folded his arms.
Richtofen looked down at Primis with a raised eyebrow as if it was the most ridiculous question he had ever been asked.
"Ve must launch zhe rocket first", Richtofen began.
"Well that's easy, we've already used the landers to fuel the rocket", I replied.
"Is it that button upstairs?" Dempsey asked as I nodded.
"I'll go up and launch it! I wanna press the big button!" Dempsey squealed with child-like delight.
The marine then ran off up the stairs. Richtofen rolled his eyes again and murmured under his breath some kind of insult.
After a few minutes; the rocket launch tower began to awaken. The tannoy announced the launch initiation before beginning the countdown. Dempsey ran back down outside and waited for the rocket to launch.
"Three... two... one..." the Russian accent counted down.
The rocket began to fire up as the deafening rumble reverberated through everyone. The thrusters began to glow with hot incadnescent flames as they began to propel the rocket up in the air.
"Woah, that's fuckin cool!" Dempsey marvelled as his eyes lit up.
His eyes reflected the bright light of the rocket in his greyish blue eyes. We all watched the rocket make its way up into space. It became smaller and smaller before disappearing from view altogether.
"Right, now zhat zhe children among us have been sufficiently entertained -- I'd like to get on with zhe task at hand!" Richtofen glared at Dempsey.
I then turned to Primis as we just looked at each other in silence. Then, I realised what we needed to continue the steps.
"Do you still have any Gersch devices left?" I asked.
"Ja, zhree left", he replied.
Richtofen looked at me suspiciously.
"Oh don't worry, Doctor. I won't steal your thunder", I said with a smile as Richtofen narrowed his eyes.
"I only know to throw the Gersch device at the generator. You can enlighten us on the rest. I was never big on doing the easter eggs in the game", I continued to explain - which was met with confusion by Richtofen.
"Zhat is vhat they call it in zhe game", Primis said to Richtofen with a smirk.
Richtofen glared at Primis before shaking his head in irritation.
"Very vell zhen, vhy don't jou throw zhe devishce at it zhen?" Richtofen snapped at Primis - even though it was my suggestion.
Primis grinned from ear to ear before obliging. The good doctor got up and began making his way towards the generator. It lay out in the distance to the side of the stairs - the ones which led to the lander and the Soviet mural. We all got up and followed behind as everyone wanted to watch the spectacle unfold. Of course, Richtofen deliberately lagged behind us as he made sure to convey his reluctance to watch and that this was all beneath him.
We all continued to follow behind Primis before he stopped at the edge of the debris. There was a blockade of damaged oil drums and mangled metalwork which prevented us from proceeding. The blockade had not stopped Richtofen from hopping over the mess and making his way to the generator for the repairs. However, Primis decided it was best to keep a safe distance from the gersch device when it engulfed the generator. He looked back at me with a smile before readying one of the devices. He took a deep breath before launching it high in the air.
"Heeeeheeeeeheeeeeeee", a child's voice giggled.
Richtofen began to chuckle as he savoured Primis' failure. He slowly clapped as he dismissed the endeavour. Primis scratched his head; the gersch device had landed before simply vanishing. Just as Richtofen began walking away with a triumphant grin plastered across his face - I quickly spoke up.
"Try it again", I smiled.
Richtofen stopped in his tracks before quickly turning around. His grin had melted to a frown as he looked on with surprise.
"You threw it too far out the map. That's why that happened. It needs to be closer to the generator", I explained.
Primis prepared to throw the device again before Richtofen stepped forward and grabbed it out of his hand.
"Ve'd be here forever vith jou at zhe helm", Richtofen hissed impatiently as Primis glared at him.
The device flew in the air before landing right beside the generator. The familiar purple light flowed out the open device before engulfing the generator.
The blinding purple light receeded back into the device as it closed. We all eagerly waited for the dust to settle before realising the generator was gone. There was a short moment of silence before a voice called out.
"Yes! Thank you! I have the generator", Dr Gersch's voice called out.
"But now, comrades, you must activate the Casimir Mechanism!" He added.
Richtofen nodded to himself and began marching off towards the scrap yard. He did not say a word as we all quietly followed behind him. I walked beside Primis who was still angry about Richtofen's intervention as his eyes bore into Richtofen's back. As we passed through the alleyway we made it to the stamin up room before crossing through the doorway and out to where Primis and I made our camp.
Suddenly, Richtofen stopped as we almost crashed into the back of him. He looked to his left before scrunching up his face. Everyone followed Richtofen's gaze. He had noticed our burntout bonfire under the stairs and the remnants of me and Primis' camp. I laughed a little at his reaction before Primis shot him a glare.
Richtofen then quickly continued on as he made his way towards a nearby computer terminal. The monitor showed the usual symbol of the pyramid and the eye as the capstone - which signalled to me that it was under Illuminati control. Richtofen began typing away and pressing buttons before we heard a beep. There had been a large cylindrical device which seemed to have crashed down in the middle of the scrap yard. We had no idea what it was and simply assumed it was junk like the rest. But after the input into the computer, the cylindrical device began to light up at its base.
"Ahhh, so zhis is zhe Casimir Device", Richtofen smiled to himself.
Primis looked defeated as he watched Richtofen activate the device with such ease. I put a hand on his shoulder because he was always too hard on himself. After all, only Richtofen could know what to punch in. Richtofen then walked over to the device and inspect the light. There appeared to be four in total yet only one was lit.
"Hm..." Richtofen hummed.
"Wait, is this not the step where we have to press certain buttons at once?" I asked.
"Yeah! I noticed these weird buttons around the facility. There's only four I think but they seem to be stuck in the wall", Dempsey chimed in.
"Four buttons for four players!" I explained.
"Aw sweet! We all gotta go press them!" Dempsey grinned.
"But we have to wait until the monkey round. That's what makes them accessible", I explained.
Everyone looked at me in confusion at what I was talking about. Dempsey slumped his shoulder in defeat that the task was not as simple as he had hoped. Richtofen frowned as I turned to him.
"We must be due one by now. We need to kill the crawlers", I explained.
"Then you guys will see what I'm taking about!" I added.
Richtofen looked down at the famas which hung from the strap slung over my shoulder. I felt confident handling the monkeys as they could not do as much damage as the undead.
"It's a good job I graduated from the pistol", I smiled awkwardly at him.
"Oh ja, und it vas magnificent to vatch!" Primis smiled wildly as he turned to look at Richtofen.
"Aw man, I wish I'd been there to see it! Must've been fuckin awesome!" Dempsey grinned.
Richtofen rolled his eyes frustratedly and walked off leaving us behind. We all had to run after him to catch up with his long strides.
"So fuckin serious..." Dempsey grumbled.
We followed Richtofen down into the centrifuge room where the crawlers were. He looked down at them affectionately before he upholstered his MP40. Without any thought, he chillingly put a bullet in each of their heads. The callous manner in which he did it sent chills down my spine.
"Warning! Reentry detected!" the Russian accent announced over the tannoy.
We could already hear the crashes and thuds of the monkeys as they fell to the earth on their lunar landers.
"Quick everyone to a button", Dempsey called out.
"But we need to press them at the same time!" I shouted over the carnage.
"How the fuck we gonna know how to do that?" Dempsey shouted back.
"Takeo, you're the fastest. Head to the one by the speed cola. It's the furthest away", I explained as he nodded in agreement.
"Nikolai you take the one by the juggernog machine! You guys count to ten once you get there!" I gestured as Takeo and Nikolai began to head off.
Richtofen began walking off as Primis and I followed behind. Once he ascended the steps he took a right which indicated that he was heading to the button by PhD Flopper. Primis and I both went to the last button by the stamin up vending machine.
"How are ve going to press it at zhe right time?" Primis asked.
"We'll get it right, don't worry!" I smiled through the noise.
The monkeys began to make their way towards us as I shot the one in front of us. We made our way to the button before I stopped Primis from pressing it.
"Wait, not yet", I shouted over.
A few seconds passed before I instinctively it was the right time. I gave him the signal and as he pressed the button. To out relief, it disappeared back into the wall.
"Yes! We did it!" I smiled.
Primis let out a sigh of relief.
"If we kill all these monkeys before they get to the perk machines we'll get a free perk!" I explained.
"They attack zhe machines?!" Primis asked confusedly.
"Yeah, and what's worse is they can take the perks we have!" I replied.
"But everyone's close to the perk machines as long as we check the alley we can guard the stamin up machine and stop any monkeys getting back to the quick revive machine in the centrifuge room where Dempsey is", I explained.
"AH... AHAHAHAHAHA!" We shuddered as we heard a maniacal laugh cackle in the distance.
"No point for guessing who that is", I grimaced as Primis rolled his eyes.
"I VANT ZHOSE TAILS!", Richtofen bellowed.
We stood our ground and shot at the monkeys as they approached. One managed to jump up and hit Primis when he let it get too close.
"Ouch! Jou beast!" He growled before shooting it with his MP5.
His arm seemed to be pretty scratched up but it was nothing serious.
"We'll tend to that as soon as possible!" I shouted over.
"It's nozhing!" Primis shouted back trying to be manly.
After a few minutes, the round seemed to be over. We then heard Dempsey.
"Woohoo! Max ammo!" He cheered.
"Huh? What's this?" Dempsey's voice echoed in the distance.
Primis and I quickly made our way to Dempsey to see the max ammo power up floating in front of him. I then noticed the bottle power up floating beside it.
"It's a free perk!" I shouted over which made Dempsey grin with delight.
"Aw man that's so fuckin cool!" He smiled.
Once he picked it up. I felt myself feel lighter. It was as if my guns were weightless.
"Did...I really just get mule kick?" I thought.
"I've only just learned how to use this gun!" I grumbled disappointedly.
"Look", Primis called out as Dempsey and I turned to him.
He held his MP5 before reloading it with lightning speed.
"You got speed cola!" I smiled.
"Hey, check this out!" Dempsey grinned before he ran circles around us.
"You got stamin up!" I shouted over.
"Oh, I can go a looooong time... oorah" He smiled devilishly.
"Ayyyy, everybody. Look at what Nikolao can do", The Russian grinned.
He climbed to the top of the stairs in the centrifuge room and jumped off. As he landed on the floor there was a massive explosion. As the smoke and dust settled in the room - he got up completely unscathed.
"I make big boom!" Nikolai smiled giddily.
"Hahaha! That must be that PhD Flopper thingy!" Dempsey chuckled.
Takeo followed in after Nikolai's explosion with a look of disappointment.
"Hey, what's wrong, Tak?" Dempsey asked.
"I-I feel nothing! My ancestors have not bestowed upon me their gifts!" Takeo grumbled.
"You probably have quick revive!" I interjected - which caught everyone's attention.
"If one of us gets downed you can revive us even quicker!" I smiled.
Takeo did not seem relieved by this as he just sat on the steps with a frown. Richtofen then joined us with a massive smile on his face before he readied his MP40. But instead of shooting; he brought out his ray gun. And instead of switching back to his MP40 again, he brought out another gun!
"I have three guns now! I can kill more patients, ja!" Richtofen squealed with joy.
His third gun appeared to be just a wall gun but I guess that's because the mystery box was not nearby. Come to think of it, I wondered where it was exactly. I gazed over at the monitor above the mystery box opposite the centrifuge. The CCTV above cycled through all the locations before I realised it was in the lander room by the speed cola vending machine.
But just as we had regrouped... we heard the clattering of the barricades.
End of part fourty-seven...