by Woosey, JP
Oscar had heard the commotion coming from the kitchen, but he had struggled to get past the damaged door. Megan hadn’t noticed all the banging noises that Oscar had made as he tried to smash his way through. She had been too busy fighting for her life.
Oscar had found some vodka which he poured over her hand. Megan winced as it ran over the cuts on her fingers and palm. He’d also found a first aid box and placed some dressings over her wounds. Oscar did all that in silence and only when he finished did he look up to meet her eyes. He gently placed his hands either side of her face. Megan thought for a minute that he was going to kiss her, but “I’m sorry.” was all he softly said.
Megan’s heart was still racing, but they did find some edible food and drinkable liquid in the fridge. How long the sustenance would last, Megan didn’t know, but it would have to suffice for now.
The pair left the apartment and Megan followed Oscar closely. He was more cautious now. He checked more frequently to see how she was doing. “I’m fine.” Megan had replied, but she knew Oscar could read her facial expressions. Her left hand was throbbing with pain, she felt dizzy, and a headache raged within her. She just wanted to rest. She felt shaky. The aftermath of shock and the adrenalin rush to her body.
“We’re not far from the holding cells now.” Oscar said as he led her into another stairwell. “It’s just up these stairs.” He grabbed Megan as she lost her balance on the first step. “You don’t look good.”
“I’ll be fine.” Megan tightly gripped the cold metal banister of the stairwell. “I’m just a little shaken up.”
Climbing the stairs seemed to take an eternity. Megan couldn’t remember if she had climbed twenty flights of stairs or just a few. She felt like she was slipping away into a dream every time she blinked her eyes. Oscar waited ahead at a door leading into a different area. The sign above read ‘Cell block 7A’. Megan had never been to any cell block before, but she remembered seeing pictures of them in the pamphlets. They were cheerless, dull and grey.
Oscar opened the door and blocked it from closing to allow Megan to pass. She brushed past him as she entered the cell blocks. The cells were larger than they looked in the photographs. Not as large as her apartment, but nearly. They weren’t much to look at, just cubes of grey metal on all sides except for one which was a large, thick panel of glass. Most of them were empty as the pair walked past, but one cell had so much blood smeared across the glass panel, it was almost impossible to see into it. There were only small clean sections for any visibility, but Megan did not dare to look, she was terrified of what she might see. As they walked along the cell block corridor, they could see that more and more of the cells were occupied. One of the inmates leapt towards Megan making her flinch, but they only crashed into the glass. Another sat hunched in the corner of its cell, others were chanting, and some were pleading to let them out.
Megan ignored them all and followed Oscar. He stopped when he reached the command panel. He typed in some commands, and Megan shifted uneasily on the spot. She didn’t like it in the cell blocks, but she knew it was the safest option. It's best to stay put and wait for help.
“We’ll stay in cell 19. Make sure you bring the supplies, the door cannot be opened from the inside.” Oscar said as he finished keying in on the command terminal. “I’ve left a message on the computer, so when people come they’ll know we aren’t criminals. Other than that the door is scheduled to open in three days.”
Megan followed Oscar into one of the dull grey cells. At least this one is clean. The door slid shut behind them and Megan heard it bolt into place. I thought about being locked in a room with Oscar, but not like this. She watched as Oscar threw down a blanket.
“You need to rest.” He nodded to the blanket and placed a cushion on it. “I’ll stay up and wake you if anything happens.” He smiled to reassure her, but Megan just flopped down on the blanket and fell asleep a lot faster than she thought she would.
Chapter 12
The rooms along the corridor were all deserted, and they looked to have been that way for a while. Luke stepped out of Megan’s apartment and back into the corridor. Where would she have gone? Luke thought, trying to put himself in her situation. She was the only thing keeping him going. Elizabeth was dead and there was nothing he could do to bring her back. Luke had always thought they would grow old together. He was going to propose to her when they returned back to Earth. He was going to take her to his grandfather’s farm, have a picnic beside the lake on a cool spring day, and watch the wildlife blossom around them. Elizabeth had spent the vast majority of her life in cities. The sprawling metropolises hundreds of miles in diameter. Sure there were parks in the cities, but they weren’t the same. They were out-of-place on top of skyscrapers and hidden in-between the mass transit systems. Not like my grandparents’ place… At least now I don’t have to worry about her saying no to my marriage proposal.
The low hum of the ventilation shafts was the only noise Luke could hear. The echoes of the shrieks and screams had subsided. He didn’t know whether he preferred the quietness. At least when they shrieked I knew where to avoid. Now he felt blind. Luke glanced down the corridor and spotted a missing door to the apartment next to Megan’s. He approached it. There was blood around the edges, almost as if someone had gone around the outline of the door with a large paintbrush. There were a couple of hand prints on the floor just inside the apartment. Luke entered as he stepped over the prints to avoid them. The room was identical in size to Megan’s. The furniture wasn’t too dissimilar either. The placing of the furniture was though. The room even had a tank, but not a fish tank. The tank was once home to a snake. Luke could tell from the skin left inside, but there was no snake to be seen. He didn’t focus on the whereabouts of the missing pet, he had more pressing matters.
Luke moved over to a dark red couch, he placed his hand on the arm rest. It was wet. He checked his hand and it was covered in blood. He wiped his hand on a cloth covering a dining table, and left blood stains over the corner of it. He circled the room looking for anything of use. As he passed the rear of the couch he realised it was a light beige colour. It must be soft to sit upon. It soaks up blood like a sponge. Luke resisted the temptation to rest, and continued to search the apartment. He noticed a model space ship in the corner of the room on top of a desk. He walked over and realised it was a replica model of the UCSC Defiance. I wanted one of these. Luke smiled as he picked it up. Elizabeth had told him no. She said it was an ugly little thing. Luke placed the model back down on the table. Maybe I’ll get one when this hell is over. There was a map above the desk in a frame hanging on the wall. Luke pulled it down as he realised it was a map of the ship. He studied it carefully, it was a large semi-commercial ship. An obscure organisation helped fund the building costs. He struggled to remember the name of the company. It was not well known to the public. Luke didn’t mind though, most government built ships weren’t as luxurious, they were built economically, every ship the same as the last, maybe with a few modifications. The UCSC Defiance was unique. The first collaboration built ship between the government and a corporation. The map was no help though. It was never going to tell him where his sister was. He threw it down to the floor, annoyed. Where are you Megan?
Luke felt a buzz go through his arm. He checked his wrist device and it flashed with a ping. Maxwell. He thought suddenly. He quickly glanced around the room, hoping that nothing had heard him smash the map, and then pinged Maxwell back. There was a little delay, and then he received a call on his wrist device.
“Luke?” A voice crackled out of the speakers.
“Yes it’s me.” Luke replied, and then asked. “You pinged me?”
“Yes I have some news for you. Now before I tell you I need you to promise me something.”
What does he want from me? Luke deliberated as he thought, and then questioned. “What do you want?”
“I need you to do something for me, but I don’t expect you to do it now. How can you trust me, that
’s what you’re wondering,” Maxwell went silent for a few seconds. “Am I right?”
“Yes.” Luke didn’t know where Maxwell was going with this.
“So I’ll win your trust. How? You might be thinking, well I’ll tell you.” Maxwell paused again. “I think I’ve found your sister.”
Luke didn’t know how to react, he stood still. He was astounded. He thinks he’s found Megan. “What do you mean, think?”
“Well the intelligence I’ve acquired isn’t exactly new, nor is it from the most reliable of sources. So if it is right, you know what it’s like, she could be dead by now. Or the source could be wrong. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but people are going a little insane.”
“Yes I’ve noticed.” Luke couldn’t help but smile. “So where do I find her?”
“Promise me, Luke. Promise me you’ll help me after you find your sister.”
“I will help you.” Luke replied without hesitation.
“We don’t have time to stay on here long, Luke. Now promise me.” Maxwell’s voice sounded sharp and serious.
“Okay, I promise I’ll help you.” Luke still didn’t know what he was committing to, but he didn’t care, he just wanted to find Megan.
“Thank you, Luke. There is a small resistance group located in a cafeteria in Housing D. It’s by holding cells. That’s all I know. I have to go now. Remember to ping me if you want to speak to me.”
Chapter 13
Megan had lost track of the time. She couldn’t remember if she’d been in the cell for two hours or two days. It felt much longer than two days though. Oscar continued to reassure her by saying, ‘The doors haven’t unlocked yet, so it hasn’t been three days.’ What if something has gone wrong and we’re locked in here until we starve? Megan had thought about replying with that, but I’d better keep that to myself. She sat at the back of the cell, huddled in the blanket to help keep her warm. It didn’t help much, she felt cold to the bone. Oscar sat near the glass. He watched the corridor, he would prick up his head at any sound of movement, but his head would lower again soon after. Nobody around here is sane. Megan thought as she listened to the gibberish from the person in the cell next to them. She could understand his words, but not his sentences. There was banging from within other cells further down the corridor. Megan tried her best to ignore it, but she couldn’t. Each bang went through her and made her jump.
“Someone is bound to hear the distress signal, Megan.” Oscar glanced over at her and tried to give a reassuring smile. They had sent distress signals from their wrist devices, hoping that someone would intercept them and come to their aid. Security personnel, Special Forces, or anyone who was sane and had a weapon. They weren’t going to be picky.
“What if nobody comes? What if we’re the last sane people on the ship?” Megan looked away from Oscar as her eyes began to water. I won’t let him see me cry.
“If nobody comes then the doors will unlock and we’ll look for any signs of a resistance group.” He paused as he thought. “If we’re the last two sane people aboard the ship, then I guess we’ll have to go into deep sleep and wait ‘til we reach Earth.”
Megan didn’t reply to Oscar, she still felt too emotional. What if I never get home? What if I turn insane? What if I never see Luke again? She snapped out of her thoughts as Oscar jumped to his feet.
“Somebody’s coming, Megan.” Oscar held out a hand and helped Megan to her feet. She could hear the faint sounds of muffled footsteps. Megan could distinguish two pairs of footsteps before they were drowned out by the shouting and screaming from the other cells. She walked up to the glass and gazed down the corridor. She could see the two people. They held guns, standard issue side firearms. Megan smiled, they’ve come to help me and Oscar. She knew it. The two people walked along the corridor. They had nearly reached the cell. Megan banged on the glass as they walked past.
“We’re here!” She shouted. “Get us out!” They had barely glanced at her. They didn’t slow, they just continued down the corridor. “Why haven’t they stopped?” Megan felt nervous. “Why aren’t they helping us?”
“Megan, calm down. Look around at the other cells.” The occupants varied from rocking in a corner of the cell, to banging on the glass, screaming and shouting.
“They probably couldn’t tell that you were sane.”
Was that an insult? Megan didn’t think too much into it as the two figures walked back down the length of the room and stopped at the cell.
“Are these the ones?” The taller person said.
Megan could barely hear him speak, he sounded too muffled.
“This is the cell.” The other replied, much calmer, apparently unfazed by the situation. They both wore dark hoods over their heads, and Megan couldn’t see either of their faces. Their clothes were unclean and tattered, their hands dirty and rough. But they are here to free me from this unbearable cell. It almost felt like a standoff. Megan and Oscar stared at the two hooded people as they stood silent and still. Why aren’t they doing anything? Megan was about to speak but before she could, the smaller person pushed back their hood, revealing a woman, who spoke to her companion.
“Let’s get them out of the cell.” Her face was skeletal, her complexion white as a ghost, but her eyes were young and radiant, still full of hope. The tall male nodded to the woman, and walked back down the corridor to the control panel. He kept himself hooded.
There was a short delay, and then the doors unlocked and opened. Megan rushed out of the cell.
“Thank you! Thank…” Megan was cut off as the woman hushed loudly at her.
“Keep quiet. You don’t know what could be around us.” She smiled at Megan with her small narrow lips to try and take the edge off of her command. Megan nodded and glanced down to the floor. She felt like a child being told off by a teacher.
“How did you find us?” Oscar asked in a hushed tone.
“A group picked up your distress signal while they were on a raid looking for supplies. They brought your distress signal back to the Bastion and after deliberation we were sent to find you.”
“What do you mean ‘after deliberation’? You might have left us to starve in this cell? Are there other distress signals you’ve not investigated?” Megan’s voice began to rise as her aggression grew. “There are people dying on this ship!”
“Will you be quiet?” The man snapped at Megan as he returned. “Do you think we don’t know what’s happening on this ship? That we’ve not lost anyone close to us? I found my five year old son butchered from limb to limb in his school class room and my wife was killed investigating a false distress signal sent out by some psychopathic maniac.”
“I’m sorry.” Megan lowered her head. “I didn’t know.”
“No you didn’t. So keep your mouth closed and don’t talk about shit you don’t know.”
“Okay Nelson, she gets it.” The woman placed a hand on Nelson’s shoulder. He shrugged it off and began to walk out of the cell blocks, and into the stairwell. “Come on you two. We’ll take you to the Bastion.”
Oscar grabbed Megan’s hand, squeezed it gently, and then led her into the stairwell. “We’re all tired Megan.” Oscar whispered into her ear. She didn’t reply. She just kept her mouth shut as instructed, she wanted to get to a safe place and Nelson would take her to one if she didn’t aggravate him again.
They had been walking for over an hour before Nelson ordered them all to halt. “I’m going to scout ahead. Kara, keep an eye on those two.” Nelson took one last glance at Oscar before he disappeared around the corner of the corridor.
None of them said a word. Only the soft footsteps of Nelson could be heard. Megan took a step back and rested against the wall behind her. She closed her eyes. It felt peaceful. She imagined the ship before, the busy hallways in the entertainment district, the wide open spaces in the mock up park, the cheerful buzz at frequently held dinner parties. Megan remembered the dinner party where she’d sat at the same table as the captain. He wore a wh
ite naval suit, medals along his chest and the rank on his shoulder. He looked so handsome, impressive, dominant and compelling that Megan was overawed and didn’t say a word throughout the whole meal. Nobody noticed though, the table was buzzing with toasts and cheers. She felt like she was reflecting on somebody else’s life. How can things change so much, so fast?
Megan’s eyes flew open as she heard thuds and bangs. Kara held her handgun up and listened carefully. Oscar found a metal rod. It was a handrail ripped from the wall. The thuds stopped and Megan could only hear herself breathing.
“Megan, relax.” Oscar quietly moved over to her and grabbed her hand. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
A shriek made Megan drop Oscar’s hand and cover her ears. The shriek stopped, but bare footsteps padded along the metal floor. The creature was running, and it was getting closer. It screamed, and Megan heard faint screeches in reply. Is it communicating with others?
“We need to move now.” Kara interrupted Megan’s thoughts. “Follow me.” She ran around the corner where Nelson had been. Megan and Oscar followed as instructed. Kara was fast though, and light on her feet. She barely made a sound. Megan and Oscar on the other hand sounded like a stampede of bulls in comparison. “We need to split up. You two take the left at the end of this corridor, then take your second left after that, and then your first right.” Kara didn’t wait for a response she just darted off down another corridor.
Megan was sprinting her fastest, but Oscar was pulling away. She could hear the footsteps behind her, there was more than the one creature chasing her, but she didn’t turn to look. It felt like they were already breathing down her neck. Oscar had already reached the end of the corridor, he turned to face her, he was waving his hands to encourage her to run faster, but she was too tired, she felt like it was no good running, they were too fast and she was too slow. Megan heard a slip of skin against metal, and then a crash to the floor followed by another, she risked turning her head to see the commotion. One of the abominations had slipped, and another fell as it stood on the head of the one that had fallen. She winced as she saw blood splatter against the wall. She stumbled herself, but regained her composure and ran towards Oscar.