Ishan

by Saqib Sadiq



  ISHAN

  Ravi Chen

  A SadiSoft production © 2014

  Disclaimer

  All stories are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist, except in the mind of the author. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  ISHAN

  A SHORT STORY FROM THE REAPERS OF THE DAMNED UNIVERSE

  BY RAVI CHEN

  Stellar winds swept across the crater-scarred surface. The winding flows of energy nudged loose small morsels of solidified matter that would have otherwise remained restless. From up above sapphire moonlight fell upon an empty husk of twisted metal and concrete.

  The seemingly lifeless expanse was animated with the sudden gush of landing thrusters. Screaming white streams of compressed air were jettisoned from the underbelly of a massive MediCraft. The torrent of air ripped at the coarse surface scattering loose rubble in its wake. Echoing reverberations were strong enough to shatter nearby mounds. Probing lights swept over the long abandoned asteroid guiding the craft to a smooth patch of rock.

  The side hatch hissed open parting away at the center. An archaic Red Cross insignia plastered across the sliding portal separated in two. Vibrant interior lights flowed from the pressurized airlock. Darkening the silhouette of several armor clad men. They hesitantly left the safety of their vehicle and set foot on the orbiting celestial object.

  They dared not travel alone and quickly gathered into a pack. Seeing that they were all accounted for they cautiously headed towards the foreboding structure. Like the horns of the devil appearing from the east, menacing towers of steel rose from its rooftops. Before departing from home base the medics were briefed as to what lay in wait for them. Recalling those gruesome details, some of them deemed it necessary to inject themselves with syringes full of synthetic adrenaline. The sudden jolt of energy allowed them to muster the courage to enter the battle-scarred space station.

  After surveying the outer perimeter they found a still functioning airlock. They keyed in the commands for an unsheltered entry. The pressurized doorway groaned awake and lethargically swept aside blasting the men with foul smelling air. Luckily for them their pulmonary filters spared them from the reeking stench. Carrying only a handful of medical equipment they entered the forsaken abode.

  Its creators had christened the interstellar outpost with the designation V-323. Its primary purpose was to serve as an off world mining facility. It had been implanted on an asteroid known to have a tremendous store of mineral wealth. However after a few months of continuous extractions things had gone horribly wrong. A group of miners managed to escape before calamity struck. However those who decided to stay behind were the only humans who had bore witness to the unspeakable horror. Managing to send only scattered details back to their home world, a rescue party was dispatched to learn of their whereabouts.

  The facility’s still active automated defense system kicked into gear when it detected the presence of unauthorized DNA. The defense system, controlled by an artificial intelligence known as SENTINEX, activated its weapons and hastily executed termination protocols. The away team was scared stiffed by the sudden chattering commotion of the automated guns; their rotating muzzles would have been spewing out blazing streams of flesh searing bullets had they not run out of ammo from the previous slaughter.

  Upon realizing this, the medics breathed a sigh of relief “Well at least something is going our way. ” One of them spoke up. His voice traveled to the others via short band radio frequency.

  “The thing I don’t get is why those damn guns are firing at us,” another medic said as he nervously watched the weapon precisely track his every movement, muzzle rotating and firing blanks all the while. “We’d be raw meat by now. ”

  “They should have updated SENTINEX with our DNA specs. To let it know we were coming. ” Moving out of the airlock and into a blackened corridor they quickly left the kill zone.

  One of the technically inclined staff sergeants offered a possibility “I noticed the communication equipment on the roof was bent out of shape. According to what we could piece together I assume the com link went out once they made their distress call. ” The man’s voice sounded metallic and distant as it relayed itself from one speaker node to another “Therefore even if they broadcasted our specs SENTINEX would have never received them.”

  The other men did not care to comment in part because of the convoluted details and because they were too busy navigating the silent passageways. One team member in particular, Eduardo Hidalgo was concentrating especially hard. He had recently completed his MediTech training and had finished at the top of his class. The authorities were so pleased with his performance that they immediately promoted him to the elite rapid response team. The eager young recruit wanted nothing more than to move up the ranks and become a world-class combat medic. He saw the rapid response team as an opportunity to do just that.

  Once his superiors had learned of the tragedy befalling V-323 they had immediately dispatched RRT-99 and made sure Hidalgo was assigned to the team. There primary objective was to mount a rescue mission. Now roaming the corridors of the besieged space station the wide-eyed young man would come face to face with his first causality; as they rounded a corner their floodlights revealed a gruesome scene.

  A miner still draped in his uniform lay decapitated on the floor; his body had been violently crushed by falling debris. Eduardo needed only a second to realize he had a low tolerance for gore. He tore his gaze away from the mutilated body and violently wretched splattering his faceplate with vomit. “I see those shock shots had no effect on you” the team’s Master Sergeant named Gerald Austin tried consoling the rookie. The seasoned specialist had been on many away missions and over the years, had developed a hardy constitution “It’s always rough the first time around you’ll get used to it. Once you’ve seen enough dead daddies they’ll all look the same.”

  Without hesitating a veteran medic moved in to get a better look at the body. After a short analysis he spoke up “Master Sergeant I don’t mean to undermine your judgment.” He spoke with a grave expression as he turned to face his superior officer “But this guy doesn’t seem human.”

  “What do you mean?” Austin left the still shaking young man and moved closer to where the dead miner had fallen. Even in the swaying lights he could see that the skin had taken on an odd shade of gray. His analytical mind explained away that anomaly; it could be attributed to the enclosed atmosphere of the space station. However the body showed other definite signs of mutation. When he saw gelatinous white eyes bulging from their sockets he began doubting his analysis.

  “I want you to run a full diagnostic, find out what happened here.” The staff sergeant immediately got to work. Gerald turned to address the others “Until we know what’s going on here I want everyone to remain within radio contact. From this point forward no one and I repeat no one is to travel alone. That goes for ravens and medics. ” He paused to collect his thoughts.

  “There’s more going on here then we’ve been told. However that doesn’t mean we’re going to turn tail and retreat we must remember that we have been given a mission and we must stay the course and finish what we start. ” He slammed a balled up fist into his palm for emphasis “We’ll be able to cover more ground if we split up into teams of two. I’ll be pairing myself up with the rookie. The rest of you partner up. ” Turning to look at the ghoulish corpse he added “Use your training well no telling what’s out there, now move out!” The group immediately dispersed.

  *****

  Austin’s team took the high ground and began searching crew quarters on the second floor. Moving from one room to the next they found a body that had a single wound to the throat; its jaw was still transfixed as in its last moments of agony. Keeping thei
r emotions in check, they methodically assembled their equipment to run a full diagnostic. Part of their mandate specified that in case they find any survivors they were to promptly provide medical attention. Given what the medics had seen so far they doubted the presence of any living miners. In fact after surveying their surroundings they all felt a bit on edge, it wasn’t because of all the death that surrounded them, that they trained for.

  “MediScan online.” Hidalgo was resting on his knees beside the corpse. An elliptical device hovered over the deceased’s cranium. From underneath an electric glow contrasted sharply with the matte black finish of the body spanning medical device. This indicated that the tissue probing sensors were activated.

  “Good now begin cerebral probing.” An embedded screen began displaying the internal contours of the now inactive brain matter. Deep penetration confirmed the absence of any electrical activity. They moved the device further down the body monitoring the pupils for any reactions. They carried out more tests by moving on to probe and stimulate the respiratory tract, circulatory and nervous systems all the while checking for any signs of activity.

  “Looks like another lug joint, sir.” The medics used that term to refer to dead bodies with severe rigor mortis. The slang came about because the cadaver’s limbs were so stiff it was nearly impossible to move them around.

  “Agreed, tag it and let the ravens handle it.” The tag easily identified which cadavers were to be sealed up in body bags. Hidalgo drew a small cylindrical device from his utility belt and aimed it at the dead man’s forehead. He fired off a cartridge filled with high penetration paint. Upon impact it splattered across the pasty skin. The dispersal pattern clearly indicated the status of the body. Even in the steely gloom the vibrantly colored skull could be clearly seen.

  *****

  In the aftermath of disaster, the cleanup crew codenamed the ravens were also responsible for removing any signs of gore. Using industrial strength chemicals they sprayed the walls of V-323. The potent liquid reacted quickly with the decaying organic matter puffing up into thick white foam. The potent cleanser contained enzymes that helped break down protein making it easier to remove. The scrubs as these members of the ravens were casually referred to, set to work wiping down the once gleaming walls of the space station.

  “I don’t see the point in doing all this work.” One scrub spoke to another as he vigorously scoured his section of wall. “I mean once they send in the construction crew there just gonna tear everything down, melt it and then use it in the new mining space station they’re planning to build over at P-626. No ones gonna care if a little dead meat winds up in the furnaces. ” His companion did not care to comment on his thoughtless conclusion and continued scrubbing away at the foaming residue.

  After all was said and done they had found nearly thirty six bodies and no survivors. Some had made a desperate attempt at escape and where found in the airlocks ripped to shreds while still wearing their space suits. It seemed like there was no escaping the calamity, which made the medics, wonder what could have befallen V-323? As a full investigation was beyond their mandate they could only speculate, as to why the bodies they had found had mutated into such grotesque forms.

  One thing was for sure most of the victims had died due to bullet wounds delivered by SENTINEX. They wondered what could have caused the usually reliable automated weapons system to suddenly malfunction in such a catastrophic manner. Normally it would shut it self-down if it detected a problem with its systems, never would it turn on its own people. Not being able to satisfy their questions they would just have to wait for a science team to find the answers. In the meantime they began loading body bags into the refrigerated unit of the awaiting MediCraft.

  *****

  Beyond vacuum scarred walls the guardian entity stood watch. Its gaseous presence hung menacingly in the unrelenting silence of space. The undeniable presence of humans had awakened it from its brief slumber. To its evolved mind it had only seemed like a few moments had elapsed since the treacherous humans had left its domain. Now as it sensed their vile movements it realized that they had returned. It could have easily called its brothers for another attack infecting every last human with their deadly pathogen, altering their DNA and making them vulnerable to their own defenses.

  But it decided not to. Instead it would send in its latest kill, an infected human whose body managed to avoid the raking blasts of the deadly automated guns. The preserved corpse sat as it had when it died, slouched in the cockpit of its wrecked vehicle. This human had led others like him to one of the gas creature’s sanctuary. To them it was nothing more than a piece of rock meant to be molested and raped of its hidden treasures. However when other life forms like itself learned of this they merged with each other to form an unprecedented collective. Seeing the immeasurable might bearing down on the doomed space station, the arrogant and ruthless leader became a coward. He abandoned his men and made a failed attempt at freedom. Once captured the pervasive pathogen had fully and irrevocably infused with the deceased human. This allowed the guardian entity to control the corpse as if it were a meaty marionette.

  Months after its death the cadaver opened its eyes once more. As the putrid eyelids slid back they revealed the tell tale signs of transformation. The gelatinous white eyeballs blindly glared onto an unsuspecting world. The supernatural life force that reanimated the corpse also gave it superhuman strength. Which was used to its fullest potential, a well-placed blow to the cockpit’s windshield shattered the already fractured glass. Resisting the pull of escaping atmosphere the space suit clad zombie climbed over the bulky vehicle and set foot on the rocky asteroid.

  His tendons jerked his legs forward giving him an awkward gait. However he made the long journey back to the space station. The soul of the vile human had left its earthly vessel leaving behind a mindless battered body. Not perceiving what it was doing the animated corpse knew only to follow its master’s wishes. As it continued to trudge towards its target the entity gave his toy soldier marching orders.

  The collective has made me vanguard of this sanctuary, the scene of our first engagement with the humans. These cunning creatures cannot simply be wiped out they will send in more and more humans to learn of each other’s fate. This will not stand! We must crush the human onslaught for their own good, less they destroy the very universe they…nay we live in. Go forth my loyal servant travel with the evil humans return to your home world learn what devious plans they are planning to hatch. You will be our foot soldier in our solemn war against thieving humans.

  *****

  The last body bag was lifted and thrown into the cramp interior of the refrigeration unit. It landed with a thud amongst other slumped sacs. The baggies were about to seal the hatch when Gerald Austin showed up. Seeing that the ranking officer of the expedition had arrived the sheepish workers stepped aside to let him inspect their handiwork. With feet firmly planted on the rugged terrain Austin peered into the confined space with inquisitive eyes.

  For the most part the formless encasings laid one on top of another. The overhead vents dispensed the required cooling air to keep the occupants from decomposing too rapidly. He glanced at the digital thermometer and found the interior temperature was within an acceptable range. However he was troubled by the fact that the body bags did not carry any identification. There were several occasions when he made the suggestion of using nameplates to properly identify the deceased. But his employers did not bother with such formalities. To them their workers were expendable and it was better to cover up the aftermath of an industrial accident rather than owning up to the public. For the most part this strategy worked, the only people who caused trouble were family members who came looking for their loved ones.

  Convinced that the payload was within acceptable parameters he was about to give the go ahead for securing the hatches when something caught his eyes. “Who here doesn’t understand his job?” even despite the slight transmission delay the mingling workers suddenly came to at
tention and nervously glanced in the general direction of the refrigeration unit.

  Seeing no obvious signs of violations they stood baffled and confused, what could have possible set him off, they nervously thought to themselves? “You can’t see that you have left a body out?” his gloved finger pointed in the general direction of a grimy hand poking out from underneath one of the bags.

  A random raven stepped forward to see what the Master Sergeant was talking about. As he looked in the indicated direction he too saw the rotting hand. “I am sorry Master Sergeant I don’t understand how we could have missed that one. I will personally take care of it.”

  “See that you do. I am not about to set foot off of this here rock until every freaking body is properly secured!” He said as he gestured forcefully, “Don’t you realize that without that extra layer of protection those lug joints will stink up the entire MediCraft?” as an afterthought he added “Believe me, you do not want to be the one cleaning up a putrid space craft.”

  The subdued man quietly listened to the barrage of words eyes lowered at all times “Sorry sir won’t happen again.” Gerald relaxed his hunched shoulders and stormed off.

  Eager to get on with their work the cowed workers climbed over the black polymer sacs. Their cumbersome space suits hindered their movements but they did whatever they had to get to the unattended corpse. They dug in their boots the unmistakable sound of crushed bone could be heard. Once they pulled out the body they were amazed to see the type of wound it had sustained.

  Looking up from the newly recovered corpse a sweating worker exclaimed “I think we better call back Master Sergeant Austin he needs to take a look at this.” He nervously eyed his comrades “We didn’t bring this one in.”

  *****

  The ravaged body lay naked on the autopsy table. The first thing Austin noticed was that the deceased did not sustain any injuries due to bullet punctures. Clearly this person was not present when the slaughter took place. Aside from a nasty gash across the forehead the most probable cause of death was the gaping wound in the human’s lower abdomen.