The Complete First Season - Episodes 1-5

by J. L. Stowers

  “Except it might be too late by then,” Dani mumbled as she rejoined Jag at the screen.

  “There is a small airlock on the untouched side of the ship,” Cassia said as she projected a detailed view through the holographic display.

  Dani squinted at the docking bay. “It’d be tricky, even for the cruiser.”

  “I’m sure I could ease it in there. Zadria gave me a pretty good lesson,” Jag said as he winked at her, which caused her to slouch down in her seat further.

  Dani rolled her eyes and redirected her attention to Daemon Cruz. “Any idea what it is or where it came from?”

  “No luck yet. Still researching,” Cruz signed quickly before putting his head down and furiously typing away at his console.

  Howard Glenn returned to the bridge with a tray of beverages and snacks. He carried a small bag of jerky over to Dani. “Here, eat this. You need to keep your energy up.”

  “Thanks, Howard.” She accepted his offering and bit into the sweet, salty meat. “What do you make of this whole thing?”

  “I don’t want it on my ship, I can tell you that much.” He nodded to the screen. “It’s reaching to grab onto anything it can.”

  He was right. The black, churning blob was still pushing itself outward and away from the ship occasionally in an effort to reach Dani and her crew on the Osirion. She had purposefully kept them well out of range while maintaining control over the Raleigh by carefully alternating use of their gravitational beam and their thrusters.

  Dani stared at the screen as she chewed. She wasn’t sure what to do. On one hand, whoever sent the distress signal could still be alive. On the other hand, she couldn’t risk contaminating her own ship or crew with whatever that thing was. Going for help was out of the question, too. Osirion’s gravity beam was the only thing keeping the Raleigh from drifting through space. If they tried to go anywhere, then who knew what would happen to the ship and its parasite? Besides, there was the fact that she was supposed to be dead and Osirion wasn’t supposed to exist to complicate things. She sighed.

  “You know what we need to do,” Jag whispered at her side.

  Dani nodded. She knew he was right. “You want to try your hand at flying Osirion?”

  Jag shot her an angry look. “You know that’s not what I meant. I’m not letting you go over there alone.”

  Dani stared into his eyes for a moment. His intense gaze let her know he wasn’t kidding around. Jag was serious about protecting her after things went sideways with their first wormhole trip. “Zadria, Howard, are either of you capable of flying Osirion?”

  “I spent some time on the simulator just in case a situation like this would arise. Patrick and I agreed it would be beneficial to have a backup.” Howard placed his hand on her shoulder as he joined her to look out over the Raleigh.

  “I’ve had far more hours in the simulator than Howard, but I’m not comfortable with this, at all.” Zadria frowned.

  Dani’s eyes lingered on Zadria’s face as she spoke before turning to Howard. “Thanks, Howard. You shouldn’t need to do a whole lot, just keep the ship safe, don’t get to close to that... whatever it is. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

  “Good luck.” Cruz gave an encouraging smile.

  Cassia stepped over her therapy cat Carl, who was protesting as he looped around her legs. She hugged Dani and gave a reassuring smile. “Be safe and stay on the comms. Let us know what you need.”

  “Will do.” Dani smiled as she looked around the bridge at her crew. She was lucky to have such an incredible team to work with. And, even though Zadria was reluctant, Dani was hopeful that she’d begin to mesh better as she learned more about how they operated.

  “You ready?” Dani’s eyes met Jag’s once more. He seemed more at ease now that Dani had accepted his company, even though they had no idea what they were heading into.

  “Absolutely,” he replied without an ounce of fear.

  They collected their comms and silently made their way down to the cruiser’s docking hatch. Once inside, they helped each other suit up.

  “Hey.” Dani turned to Jag before he put his comm on. “Thanks.”

  Jag gave his familiar cheeky grin. “Oh come on, you knew this is how it was going to go. I’m surprised it took you so long.”

  Dani’s smile faded and she bit the inside of her lip. When she worked for the Galactic Conglomerate, she was always the first one in on a rescue mission. In fact, she didn’t usually even give it a second thought. But the destruction of her previous vessel, Alaska’s Vengeance, her time in prison, and her ‘execution’ were taking their toll on her self-confidence. She wanted to make the right choices for everyone, but it was getting harder and harder to know what the right choices were.

  Dani shook her head back and forth, trying to clear the self-doubt from her mind as they grabbed their helmets and slipped into the cruiser.

  The cruiser itself wasn’t very large. The exterior wasn’t made of glowshard, like Osirion, but of standard issue Galactic Conglomerate materials. The theory was that building it out of standard materials would let them pass unnoticed among other similar ships should they need to dock or land anywhere. Inside there were six seats, two captain’s chairs and two small benches along the side that could each hold two additional passengers. Between the benches was a small cargo hatch.

  “I see why there wasn’t room for more than two people when you went to pick up the trackers,” Dani said as she slipped her comm device over her ear.

  “Yeah, it’s a bit cramped for sure.” He turned on his comm and took his place at the controls.

  Dani could have flown the cruiser herself; she quickly adapted to a variety of spacecraft. However, she hadn’t done any test runs or simulation time for the craft, and their docking target was quite small. She was also thankful for the company, as she didn’t know what was waiting for them on the other ship.

  “Wait.” Jag got up from his seat and climbed out of the cruiser, returning after a moment with two energy rifles and hand-held energy pistols.

  “Just in case?” Dani asked.

  “Just in case.” Jag smiled and began the disengage protocol to loose them from Osirion. “Osirion, do you read?”

  “Loud and clear,” Howard’s voice emitted from the speakers on the cruiser and in their comms.

  “Disengaging now,” Jag said as he lowered the ship away from Osirion’s belly.

  As he slowly approached the Raleigh near the docking bay, Dani’s eyes were locked on the organism that had now spread across three-quarters of the ship.

  “I don’t think we’ll have much time in there,” Dani said as it bubbled and stretched.

  “We’ll keep you updated on how it looks from the outside,” Cassia reported over the comm.

  Dani initiated a scan on the ship to try to get an idea for exactly which style of GC ship they were about to board. It was comparable in size to Alaska’s Vengeance, but a sizable portion of the ship was missing while the rest was mostly obscured by the blob.

  “No conclusive data and nothing on record about the interior design of the ship. I’m not getting any life signs under any of the exposed area, so if they’re still alive I’m guessing they’re under the obstructed part.” Dani analyzed the situation. “Cassia, with the way this thing interferes with our scans, our comms may not work in there.”

  “Understood.”

  “Also,” Dani continued, “If anything weird happens or if that thing comes after Osirion...”

  “We know what to do,” Cassia replied once more.

  “Wait, what are we going to do?”

  “Don’t worry about it, Z.” Dani smirked at the girl’s innocence.

  “Docking now,” Jag announced as the nose of the cruiser started its way into Raleigh’s docking bay.

  Dani sat quietly, not wanting to disturb Jag’s concentration. There was little room for error at the small airlock. She cringed as the cruiser jolted, then exhaled a sigh of relief as it shifted, locking into p
lace. “Okay, we’re docked. Heading in.”

  The pair stood and armed themselves. They each holstered a handgun before picking up a rifle.

  “You ready to do this?” Jag asked, clicking off the safety on his weapon.

  “I’ll take point,” she said, slipping her helmet on. “Looks like oxygen levels are minimal in there.”

  Jag popped his helmet on as well, nodding to her.

  Dani opened the cruiser’s hatch, then climbed through into the small airlock. Once inside, she opened the door to the rest of the ship. A portable console on her wrist showed her that oxygen levels on this side of the airlock door were higher, but not ideal. She signaled for Jag to follow her.

  It didn’t take long for Dani to get a feel for the ship’s layout. She had been on this model before. They quietly trudged down the hall, looking in each room along the way.

  “Seems odd that all the doors are open. They must have been locked that way,” Jag’s voice came through the communications device in the helmet.

  “Cassia, can you still read us?”

  “There’s some feedback, but yes, for the most part. It looks quiet from out here.”

  “Okay, let’s try to pick up the pace. I’m getting a bad feeling.” Dani’s instincts were screaming for them to get back to the cruiser, but she couldn’t leave anyone on this ship to die. Not after what happened in PS683.

  “We’ve got a body in here,” Jag said, stepping into one of the private quarters on the ship. “Or what’s left of one anyway. It looks kind of... deflated.”

  Dani watched from the doorway as he crouched down to the figure, which looked more like a discarded glove than a human, and scanned it with the port-con. “How long?”

  “Not long. Maybe a few days.” Jag grabbed the arm and tried to roll the body over, but he quickly withdrew his hands as the body rippled and fell back down face first with a splat. A light green fluid started oozing from the mouth, nose, eyes, and ears. He stood and walked back toward the door, gagging in his helmet. “Okay, I’m not looking for identification. That is disgusting.”

  “I’m sure it smells lovely, too.” Dani stared in horror as the body’s contents continued to spill out onto the floor. “Let’s move on.”

  The light from Dani’s rifle swept into the next doorway, the kitchen. It looked much like the one on Alaska’s Vengeance had after passing through the wormhole, except two crumpled bodies lay on the floor. She again guarded the door, watching the hall as Jag entered and scanned the bodies.

  “Same on these,” he said, shaking his head. “Not long at all.”

  “Shit,” Dani mumbled to herself. Ships of this size didn’t usually have more than eight people on board, and they’d already found nearly half the crew dead.

  Dani continued down the hall to the next room. Her senses were magnified in the dark silence. The only sounds she heard were Jag’s breathing and her own breath and pulse. She found herself stepping with each heartbeat, slow, steady. Her eyes were quick to take in every object her light cruised over.

  The bridge should be up ahead, she thought, and from what she could remember of the exterior, it would be directly underneath the black blobby thing. “Cassia, do you read?”

  No response.

  “I think we’re on our own, boss,” Jag’s soft voice wafted through her helmet.

  Dani proceeded toward the bridge, directing her light across the ceiling, floors, and walls before her. Finally, it landed on the door to the bridge. She entered the standard GC override code onto the control panel, but it didn’t move.

  “The door to the bridge is sealed,” she observed out loud, finding it a bit peculiar when all others were open.

  “You better see if anyone’s home, because I don’t think we should hang out much longer.”

  “Creeping you out, is it?” She chuckled softly, trying to cover up her own discomfort about their situation.

  “Well, that, and that black crap is inside the ship.”

  Dani spun to face Jag, whose light shone down the intersecting hall. Along the floors, wall, and ceiling, the ooze rolled toward them, glacier-like. It bubbled up and extended where the light hit its jelly-like surface.

  “Get the light off of it!” she barked under her breath before sprinting to the bridge door.

  She banged on the door with the bottom of her fist, hoping that someone was still in there and she wasn’t risking their lives for nothing.

  “It’s getting faster.” Jag’s voice quivered ever so slightly.

  Dani glanced over her shoulder as she continued to bang on the door. He was keeping his light ahead of the blob, but just barely. She was tempted to tell him to turn it off, but figured it’d be better to see it than to not see it at all. Come on, she thought as she kicked the door repeatedly.

  Finally, the door shuddered and slid open. A man in a space suit stood before her, two more behind him. They looked utterly bewildered to see her. Dani beckoned them to follow her, but they didn’t move. She rolled her eyes and grabbed the closest man by the wrist, yanking him out of the bridge.

  “Jag, these guys are in shock or something. Help me get them to the cruiser.”

  Jag backed toward them, still keeping his light trained on the hall as the ooze neared the intersection. He gave the man a shove and pointed down the hall they entered the ship from. That seemed to be enough to get him going.

  Dani swung her rifle over her shoulder, grabbing the other two and hauling them out of the bridge. “Is this it? Are there more of you?” she signed.

  She sighed and shook her head at the lack of response. All GC crewmembers were taught sign language to help in situations where verbal communication wasn’t possible. However, the crew of the Raleigh wasn’t even responding to that. Dani grabbed each of them and towed them down the hall after her. They passed through the intersection as the ooze started to pool out of the hall behind them. It was still picking up speed.

  “Cassia, can you read?” Dani said, urgently. “This crap is crazy. Can you see it moving on your scanners? Is the cruiser still clear?”

  “Oh thank goodness, I was afraid we lost you. Cruiser’s good, and yeah, that ooze has a unique signature. I can see your and Jag’s life signatures coming down the hall—is it chasing you?”

  “Yeah, it is. It’s not fast, but it’s creepy as hell.” Jag laughed as he shined his light back toward the ooze behind Dani.

  “Wait.” Dani stopped in her tracks, letting go of the men and swinging the rifle off her back and into her hands. “Just me and Jag?”

  “Yeah, the two of you. Why?” Cassia started to sound a little worried through the comm.

  Dani’s heart jumped into her throat as her eyes met Jag’s in the illuminated helmet display.

  “Because we’re not alone.” Jag’s voice was as cold as the blood pumping through her veins.

  Dani’s attention turned to the two men beside her. She took another look at their dopey expressions. They were pale—too pale. She lifted the light from her rifle up to the face of the man closest to her, the skin rippling as the light hit it. Green liquid started dripping from the gaped mouth.

  “Oh, that’s sick.” Jag’s retch came through the comm, making Dani’s stomach do a turn.

  A few quick jabs at her port-con confirmed it. They were dead, too. She started backing away from the men, keeping her rifle trained on them. “Get back to the cruiser.”

  Jag shoved the man next to him toward the other two. He collided into the others, causing the three of them to fall to the floor.

  Dani and Jag took the opportunity to make a run for it, bolting back down the hall toward the hatch while the mess of limbs and suits tried to get back to its feet.

  She glanced over her shoulder, then turned, continuing down the hall backward, rifle trained on the men who were now pursuing them. Their movements were awkward and slow, but steady. A noise from the room beside her startled her. A quick flash of her light showed the two crewmembers in the kitchen were clamoring to their f
eet.

  Dani turned to sprint toward the hatch, swinging it open and diving inside, Jag right behind her. As soon as he was clear, she swung it shut and sealed it. “Go, go, go!”

  Jag jumped into the pilot’s seat and quickly disengaged from the airlock, the cruiser parting from the Raleigh.

  Dani watched in horror from the small viewing window as the men didn’t stop their pursuit at the airlock. They pushed themselves out into open space, flailing their arms and legs as they floated toward the cruiser. “Jag! Get us out of here!”

  The cruiser shot forward as he engaged the thrusters, causing Dani to topple and roll across the floor. She made it to her feet and got to her seat, collapsing into it, taking off her helmet and shaking her hair loose.

  Clear from the Raleigh, Jag took his helmet off too and stared at her. “What in hell was that?”

  Dani shook her head, and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

  “Are you guys okay?” Cassia’s voice shouted through their comms, causing them both to flinch. She had been asking about their status since they realized they weren’t in good company, but they had ignored her.

  “Yeah, yeah. I think so. That was... something else.” Dani sighed and closed her eyes as Jag steered them back toward Osirion.

  “Halt your approach,” Zadria ordered.

  “What? No.” Jag shook his head and rolled his eyes.

  “Given what we just heard, I can’t let you board. I can’t even let you near Osirion.”

  “She’s kidding, right?” Jag turned to Dani.

  Dani hesitated a moment. They did come in contact with the organism, maybe not directly, but it was all around them and in the Raleigh’s crew. Dani shuddered as she visualized oozing green bodily fluids. “No, she’s right.”

  Jag slowed the cruiser to a drift. “Care to share?”

  “We don’t know what that stuff was or what it’s capable of. I mean, there were dead people walking around on that ship.”

  “Right, I was there.”

  “We’ve been exposed. We can’t risk infecting the crew, or the ship for that matter. Glowshard, remember? It’s alive.”

  Jag groaned and slumped back in his seat.