PERIL

by Holloway, Timothy

  “I thought she’d never leave,” Doctor Pierce says.

  “Bains? What’d she want?”

  “More damn scans of the faulty equipment.”

  “She’s just being thorough. Captain Briggs did leave her some big shoes to fill. Cruise, certainly won’t let her forget it,” Magruder replies as she gropes the bulge in Doctor Pierce’s pants.

  Pierce kisses her again.

  “Forget about, Cruise,” Pierce says.

  Magruder proceeds to loosen his belt buckle. Suddenly, the hatch door flies open and Bains walks in.

  “I almost forgot, I need you to run scans on ISIS as well…” Bains says as she enters.

  Bains is surprised to find Magruder and Pierce embracing each other. She turns away immediately while the two quickly struggle to compose themselves. Bains waits a second more then turns facing them.

  “Exactly how long has this fraternizing been going on?” Bains asks.

  “Pardon me, Captain, but I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” Doctor Pierce replies.

  “No? Because it occurs to me that this may have been going on for a while, perhaps before we left Earth. If that’s the case and Magruder’s baby is yours, it means you knew about her pregnancy. It also means you falsified her medical records to hide it! That’s a federal offence, Pierce!”

  “We may as well tell her the truth,” Magruder says.

  “For once that would be nice,” Bains blasts.

  “Our orders to come on this mission were sudden. Neither one of us wanted a baby, but there wasn’t time to terminate the pregnancy,” Magruder explains.

  “My marriage is complicated and we agreed to terminate the pregnancy once we got here, but Magruder changed her mind about that,” Doctor Pierce adds.

  “Spare me the melodrama! Soap Operas went out in the 22nd Century. Christ! I’m try’na run a dig here. I expect you to act like, Officers!” Bains blasts.

  Magruder is standing next to a viewport overlooking the outside. Suddenly, in the distance she sees an explosion. A slight vibration is sent throughout the habitat. Magruder peers through the viewport to get a better look. Bains and Doctor Pierce join her.

  “Oh my, God!” Magruder yells.

  “Bains, to, Reed! What just happened?” Bains yells over the intercom.

  There is no response.

  “HAB report,” Bains says.

  “Scans indicate an explosion in Habitat 3.”

  Reed finally radios over the intercom.

  “Bains, you there?” Reed asks.

  “Here. HAB says that was Habitat 3.”

  “Affirmative! Pendersen and I are in environmental suits and Cruise is on his way Med Lab to get into the DCU. We’re gonna take a look,” Reed says.

  “Good copy! I’m gonna try to raise Habitat 2 and see if they know anything,” Bains replies.

  “Acknowledged! Reed out.”

  Cruise rushes into the Med Lab and Doctor Pierce immediately begins the transfer procedure.

  “I’m not keen on getting into this thing, Bains, Cruise quips.

  “Just do it!” Bains orders.

  Doctor Pierce preps the cryo unit while Cruise reluctantly gets into it. When Cruise is in HAB 1 transfers his consciousness into the mechanical suit.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Reed, Cruise, and Pendersen are headed over to Habitat 3. Bains is now in Main Operations trying to contact Habitats 2 and 3. There was no response from either of the habitats.

  Reed and his party arrive at Habitat 3. The station is completely exposed to the outside. Debris and smoldering rubble is everywhere. Some of its conduits and structure are still on fire. Cruise, Reed and Penedersen makes there way through the area looking for survivors, but there is nobody in sight.

  “Nobody made it out of this alive,” Cruise says.

  “Reed, to, Bains,” Reed calls over the radio.

  “I read you. Go ahead.”

  “Yeah, this thing is a wash. I don’t see how anyone could’ve survived the blast.”

  “Jesus, are you sure? No survivors?” Bains asks.

  “The structure is completely exposed. Wind speeds are up, if there were any, I’m sure they were carried off!” Reed explains.

  “Habitat 2 isn’t responding to my hails. They may be in trouble,” Bains says.

  “We’re on it,” Reed responds.

  Reed and his party leave for Habitat 2. Meanwhile, Magruder, Neil and Dr. Pierce join Bains in Main Operations.

  “Any word on what’s happening?” Pierce asks.

  Still salty, Bains barely glances him and Magruder. She tries to remain focused on the current situation.

  “Not yet. Magruder, Neil I want you two to suit-up. Go over to their dig site. Maybe some of their crew is there at that fortress,” Bains orders.

  “Right,” Magruder says reluctantly.

  “Run some scans while you’re there. I want to know exactly what they were doing. It may have something to do with this,” Bains adds.

  Magruder and Neil exit Main Operations. Doctor Pierce glares at Bains angrily. He can’t believe that she would send Magruder out there in her condition. He wonders if she is doing it to punish them. He quickly exits Main Operations to catch up to Magruder and Neil.

  “Magruder wait,” Doctor Pierce says.

  “What is it?” Magruder asks.

  “She shouldn’t be making you do this. What about the baby?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be carful,” Magruder assures him.

  She is happy that Pierce is finally showing some concern about the child she’s carrying. She knows he cares for her, but he always maintained that he would never leave his wife and the baby would complicate things for him.

  “There’s another DCU in Med Lab. I’ll transfer you into it. At least you and the baby will be here safe.”

  Magruder agrees to the transfer. Once in Med Lab, she gets into one of the empty cryo-units next to Cruise’s unit. HAB 1 initiates the transfer and her consciousness is sent into the other robotic suit.

  Reed, Cruise and Pendersen arrive outside Habitat 2. The blast doors and windows are shut. HAB 2’s computer doesn’t open the outer hatch.

  “What’s up? HAB 2’s sensors should have detected us,” Pendersen states.

  Reed gets on the radio.

  “This is, Commander Reed, of the Ares Corp. team anyone copy?”

  There is no response. Reed looks over the area.

  “I don’t like this at all,” Cruise mumbles.

  “Stay sharp. Cruise access the hatch,” Reed orders.

  Cruise walks up to the control pad and connects his mechanical suit’s hand to it. A series of codes cycles through until the correct combination trips the system and the hatch opens.

  They enter the airlock and wait for a decontamination scan. Nothing happens.

  “My guess is there won’t be a scan. Cruise do your thing,” Reed orders.

  Cruise walks up to the inner hatch and attempts to break down the door. After a few well-placed blows HAB 2’s systems activate. A neon blue decontamination scan intermittently probes them and the hatch opens halfway. HAB 2 begins repeating unrecognizable phrases. Its systems are malfunctioning. Cruise forces the hatch all the way open and the three men enter the habitat’s interior.

  The repeating unintelligible vocal patterns annoy Reed and make the men uneasy.

  “Pendersen, pull the processors if you have to, but shut that thing off!” Reed orders.

  Pendersen complies rushing to a control panel on the wall and mutes HAB 2’s garble. Pendersen then checks his scanning device.

  “The air’s breathable. I’m not detecting any breaches in the structure,” Pendersen indicates.

  Reed and Pendersen removes their helmets. Reed signals for the group to continue down the corridor.

  “Is anybody here?” Reed calls out.

  There is still no response. Pendersen continues to scan as they move along.

  “You picking up any life signs on that
thing?” Reed asks.

  “Negative. I don’t know what the hell I’m picking up here. I’m getting organic readings, but they ain’t human.”

  “What?” Cruise says curiously.

  Reed takes the device from Pendersen and studies it closely.

  “Obviously, this unit’s screwed up like the rest of our gear.” Reed gripes.

  “I don’t think so. My suit’s getting the same readings and whatever it is it’s around the corner up ahead, next corridor,” Cruise warns.

  The men slowly approach the bend in the corridor. They turn the corner and find a mass of mist floating before them. They immediately back up.

  “Quick, go to your own life support! Reed yells.

  Pendersen and Reed quickly throw on their helmets and engage their life support systems. The mist drifts towards them. The Habitat’s power begins to fluctuate and the corridor lights flicker as they go dim. Reed immediately grabs a flare from his environmental suit’s belt buckle and slaps the butt of it to his kneecap. It sparkles like a roman candle sending bright flares into the air lighting up the corridor. The mist stops advancing on them and retreats into a ventilation shaft.

  Emergency lights activates in the corridor allowing them to see.

  “What the hell was that?” Cruise asks.

  “It looked like the mist from the atmosphere, but the habitat is pressurized. How did it get in here?” Pendersen asks.

  “And how the fuck did it move like that!” Cruise yells.

  “Will you two stay sharp?” Reed orders.

  “REED!” Crusie yells pointing to a puddle on the floor that seems to be coming from the other side of a hatch door.

  The door is to the habitat’s Med Lab. The color is hard to make out, because the emergency lights make the corridor look red.

  “Is that blood?” Pendersen asks.

  The men approach the hatch door slowly. They are very tense. Only the mechanical thuds from Cruise’s robotic suit’s footsteps is heard as they approach the hatch. Just as Cruise is about to hit the hatch controls to open the door, Bains’ static transmission comes blaring in over the radio.

  “REED DO YOU COPY! WHAT’S YOUR STATUS?” Bains asks.

  Startled by the abrupt transmission the men jump.

  “JEEEZE!” Pendersen cries out.

  “Bains, standby over!” Reed replies.

  Reed taps the control panel and the hatch flies open. The men are horrified at what they see. They step back to find blood and half-torn apart bodies everywhere. They slowly enter the room. Pendersen almost slips on the blood soaked floor.

  “What in the world!” Reed says.

  “What happened here?” Pendersen asks in disbelief.

  “I say we get out of here and figure it out later,” Cruise snaps.

  Cruise’s suit interrupts the gory scene.

  “Warning! Lt. Cruise you have forty-five minutes to evacuate this suit.”

  “That’s my cue. I’m outta here!” Cruise states.

  “Wait a minute, wait a minute! We gotta figure out what happened here,” Reed asserts.

  “It looks obvious to me. They killed each other! Right now I couldn’t give a damn, my suit’s on countdown!” Cruise exclaims.

  Reed quickly wanders over to an examination table that is covered in blood. There are a few clear opened specimen containers on the floor. One of the containers is unopened and filled with a gelatinous grayish fluid. Reed picks up the container and puts it in a bag attached to his suit.

  “Alright, we’re leaving, but first, Pendersen, download their data base. Maybe it can shed some light on this,” Reed directs.

  “I’m on it!”

  Pendersen rushes over to a console and places his scanning device on top of it. The device quickly begins downloading information.

  “C’mon, Pendersen, make it quick,” Cruise prods.

  Pendersen finishes the download and the three men rush back to Habitat 1. Cruise’s suit continues its countdown. They know that they are cutting it close. Cruise’s consciousness will be lost if they don’t make it back to his body in time.

  Chapter Twenty

  Magruder and Neil finally arrive at the dig site where the fortress is located. They notice that a large area surrounding the fortress is impassable. The ground beneath the floating orb is gone; a deep ravine has replaced it. Magruder and Neil exit the Gambit and walks around the front of the vehicle to the gorge. Magruder initiates her scans trying to determine how it formed. She is careful not to get too close to the cliff’s edge. Neil ventures closer to the edge to look down the narrow fissure.

  “Hey, Neil, come look at this. I’m getting some weird readings here.” Magruder says bewildered.

  “What kind of readings?”

  “Come see for yourself. It’s down there and it looks like mist, but it reads organic. I don’t know what to make of it.”

  Neil turns towards Magruder and some of cliff’s edge gives way. He almost falls into the ravine.

  “Careful, Neil! That’s a long way down.”

  Cruise, Reed and Pendersen arrive at the Habitat.

  “Lt. Cruise, you now have seven minutes to evacuate this suit!” the suit’s computer warns.

  The men rush into the airlock.

  “HAB we’re in the airlock, let us in,” Reed requests.

  “Scanning for contaminants standby. Commander Reed, I am unable to identify the substance in the container you’re carrying,” HAB 1 states.

  “HAB just open the hatch! Lt. Cruise’s, DCU is about to shut down!” Reed commands.

  “Unable to comply. The substance could pose an unacceptable risk to the station,” HAB 1 points out.

  “Open the damn hatch, HAB!” Pendersen screams.

  “Negative. That would be a violation of quarantine protocol. I’m sorry.”

  Cruise finally looses it and begins to pound on the hatch door causing significant damage.

  “Open up or I’ll break down this damn door!” Cruise shouts.

  “Cruise, stand down that’s an order! Pendersen can you trip the system?” Reed inquires.

  “I think so.”

  “Then do it!” Reed orders.

  Pendersen connects his scanning device to the control pad and it cycles through opening the inner hatch. The men race through the corridor. Cruise’s suit is slow and he is panicked. He crashes into the corridor wall and he accidentally knocks Reed to the floor.

  The container Reed is carrying falls out of the bag and rolls next to Cruise unnoticed. Reed and Pendersen remove their helmets. They help Cruise to his feet. Cruise unknowingly steps on the container cracking it open. None of them notice the grayish fluid that slowly leaks from the container.

  “C’mon, buddy, keep it together we’re almost there. Bains what’s your twenty?” Reed asks over the radio.

  “Med Lab.”

  “Is the doc with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, Cruise, doesn’t have much time left were almost there.”

  As they make their way down the corridor, the grayish fluid transforms into a gaseous mist and enters into a ventilation duct.

  Dr. Pierce, Nickolette and Bains scrambled to prep the DCU for Cruise’s transfer back into his body. Cruise, Reed and Pendersen rushed in. Cruise backed his robotic suit into the awaiting knife-like conduit. He stared helplessly at his sleeping body in the cryo-tube. Suddenly, Pierce noticed a problem with the DCU.

  “What the hell?” Doctor Pierce says.

  “What is it? Not another malfunction?” Bains inquires.

  “This unit is not registering, Cruise’s, vitals!” Doctor Pierce explains.

  Doctor Pierce taps aimlessly on the display console button marked, “LT. CRUISE’S UNIT: LOCKED.” The console then reads, “UNABLE TO TRANSFER.” Magruder’s unit reads, “LT. MAGRUDER’S UNIT: UNLOCKED.” With each subsequent attempt to access Cruise’s unit the panel responds, “INPUT FAILURE.”

  “HAB, are you getting this?” Pierce inquires.

>   “Affirmative, attempting to bypass…No affect.”

  Reed notices the timer on Cruise’s suit.

  “Hey, he’s only got six minutes left in this thing!” Reed informs.

  “Do something, man!” Pendersen yells to Doctor Pierce.

  “Attempting a second bypass,” HAB 1 states.

  Suddenly, some of the lights on the cryo-unit and the consoles shut off.

  “Oh shit! HAB what just happened?” Doctor Pierce asks.

  “Several relays are failing doctor. Scans indicate that, Lt. Magruder’s, cells are reanimating and premature labor is imminent,” HAB 1 informs.

  “Oh my, God!” Doctor Pierce utters as he frantically taps on various buttons.

  Bains rushes over to the status units and tries to force them open with a lab tool.

  “Pierce, do something!” Bains yells.

  “Right! Pendersen, get, Magruder, back here ASAP! Cruise, you’re not gonna like this, but I gotta download you into, Magruder’s body!”

  “What? Oh hell no doc! No fucking way!” Cruise objects.

  “While she’s in labor? Can you do that?” Bains asks.

  “This can’t be happening!” Nickolette says in disbelief.

  “It’s either that or death! I can transfer you back into your own body after we get the units fully operational, but right now–––this is what I got!” Doctor Pierce insists.

  Pendersen rushes over to the communication’s console and tries to reach Magruder and Neil.

  Out at the site, Magruder and Neil are still trying to scan the region to figure out what caused the deep fissure beneath the fortress.

  Magruder’s scanner chimes steadily as it picks up random interference. The device’s display goes snowy then it clears up for a moment and then goes snowy again. Magruder shakes the device in frustration trying to obtain an accurate reading. Pendersen’s hails finally reach her.

  “Habitat 1, to, Magruder and Neil, come in!” Pendersen says urgently over the radio.

  “This is, Magruder, go ahead.”

  “Uh, what’s your twenty?” Pendersen says trying to calm his voice.

  “We’re still at the site. As far as we can tell none of the other teams are here and there’s a large ravine directly beneath the fortress.”