by Ben Hammott
Thrown off balance by the sudden movement, the Hunter staggered to the side, tripped to the floor and gazed at the cargo ship sliding past.
Jack also watched the approaching cargo ship and careful to avoid crashing into the ceiling, he lifted the helicopter off the floor and held it at the same slant as the ship. He coaxed it out of the path of the oncoming alien vessel and turned to bring the tail round; the cargo ship screeched by barely a foot from the tail rotor.
Jane looked at Jack with dread etched on her face. “I think the iceberg's about to flip over.”
Jack gave her as reassuring smile as he could muster. “Then I suggest we leave.”
As he steered the helicopter towards the exit, the ship leveled off briefly before tipping in the opposite direction, forcing him to constantly adjust the angle of the helicopter to match the ship's new incline.
Jane stared at the tunnel opening now at an angle. In the hangar Jack had room to maneuver; the tunnel would provide no such luxury. She glanced at the man beside her, his face creased with concern. She placed a hand on his arm. “You can do it, Jack.”
“A piece of cake,” he replied bravely.
Jane glanced around the hangar. The Hunter was on the move again, but the erratically swaying vessel threw it from side to side and slowed it down.
Jack crossed the hangar, hovered in front of the opening that tipped one way and then the other and matched the roll and pitch of the ship. He took a deep breath and propelled the helicopter forward. As they flew through the tunnel, Jack tilted the copter left and right and lowed and raised the forward movement when the ice pitched and yawed.
Jane gripped the seat so hard her fingers hurt.
The Hunter chased the helicopter into the tunnel. Its claws gripped the ice to prevent it sliding from the iceberg's erratic movements and ran along the tunnel walls when it tipped acutely.
The ice tipped to the left, but this time it kept on going. The iceberg was rolling over. Worried the scream that leaped to her lips would distract Jack from his impossible task, Jane clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle it. Sweat beaded on Jack's brow as tipped the helicopter to match the roll of the ice until they were flying at forty-five degrees. Chunks of ice fell from all directions. Some struck the helicopter; others smashed on contact with the walls and floor. Jack blinked away the stinging saltiness of the sweat that ran into his eyes. If he lost concentration even for a second they would both die. He glimpsed the end of the tunnel ahead. Not far now. A lump of ice struck the side of the helicopter and nudged the rotors towards the ice. The tips gouged at the wall, spraying ice plumes into the air. Jack compensated and edged the rotors free. When they shot from the end of the tunnel the wind grabbed the helicopter and swept it towards the rolling iceberg.
*****
When the Hunter emerged from the tunnel running and it saw the helicopter heading nearer, it changed direction slightly. Its legs scrambled for a purchase on the ice as it skewed to the side and as soon as they found a grip, they propelled it towards the helicopter as it started moving away again. When it ran out of ice, it leaped off the ledge with its claws poised to grab one of the helicopters skids. Just as it was about to grab hold, the helicopter pulled away. It shrieked as it plummeted into the cold sea.
*****
When the ship tipped to the other side again and didn't stop, Richard fell and smashed into the opposite wall, which was now the floor of the corridor. The rotation continued, sending Richard sliding down the wall and then across the now upside-down ceiling. He guessed the worst had happened and the large iceberg the ship was trapped in had flipped over. He was just wondering if the ship was now beneath the sea when a cacophony of screeches, growls and scraping of claws indicated he had a more immediate problem to worry about. Fear propelled him unsteadily to his feet and aimed the flashlight at the terrifying sounds. He could have cried at what the light picked out. A group of many different species of monsters rushed along the corridor. It worried Richard that they were not attacking each other, but seemed to have a common goal that had superseded their normal instinct to kill and eat. He didn't imagine, however tasty humans were to these foul creatures, that the thought of feasting on his flesh was responsible. The blast of wind that knocked Richard back a step brought with it a deafening roar. He gazed past the fast approaching hoard of claws and teeth. A wall of water surged violently around the corner and chased the fleeing monsters. For a brief moment Richard froze as his brain processed the latest threat to his life―the ship was sinking and he was trapped onboard. His sense of self-preservation kicked in and spun him around and sent his legs running back along the corridor.
Richard shot a glance behind when the pounding footsteps grew nearer. The monsters were almost upon him. Though he wasn't sure if their instinct to kill had returned, the various sets of vicious jaws snapping at him didn't give him any confidence they wouldn't grab a bite as they stampeded over him. To avoid that happening, Richard dived through the next upside down doorway he passed, scraping his legs painfully along the top of the upside down doorframe. He groaned with pain when his chin struck the floor and screamed when something landed on his back and tumbled over his body. Richard raised his head at the monster crashing into the wall and before it could recover, he jumped to his feet and smashed the rifle butt into its head until it stopped moving.
He turned on hearing the screeches barely detectable above the roar of the approaching water. The creatures rushed by. One tried to claw its way in but the tightly-packed herd carried it away. He rushed for the door control to close it before the flood arrived, but dodged back when another monster appeared in the doorway and snarled at him. As it prepared to leap, the water torrent arrived and swept the monster along the corridor. Water started pouring into the room. Richard waded through the surge almost strong enough to knock him off his feet and pressed the door button, but even when he had pressed it a few times the door failed to close.
His eyes glanced around the room. The bed cubicle was his only hope. He waded over and jumped to press the button now high on the upside-down wall. The interior light lit up as the door swished open. Richard climbed up, fell into the inverted pod and rolled into the control panel, accidentally activating the door control that sealed the enclosure. Kneeling on the mattress fallen to the bottom of the upturned pod, Richard gazed out the window at the two monsters swimming in the rising water. One scratched at the side of the pod and pressed its frightening vicious face against the window before the rising current dragged it away.
Richard switched off the flashlight to conserve its batteries and wondered if the airtight bed pod was also watertight. He pressed his face close to the window, which excited the yet-to-drown monsters outside, and looked down. The water was above the level of the bottom of the door. He checked at the seal around the inside of the door and relaxed a little when he detected no water seeping in. Though he might not drown, he was still trapped and the air wouldn't last forever. Even if it did, he wouldn't.
His gaze fell on the small screen he must have activated when he crashed into the control panel. Though surprised to see the list in English, he stared at one option in particular that gave him hope he might yet survive this hell―Eject Escape Pod. As he stabbed a finger at the option, he was thrown against the door when the ship tipped to the side and noticed the water had filled the room. He stared into the eyes of the drowning creature outside the window before turning away and redirecting his attention back at the screen, wondering why the pod hadn't moved. He saw the confirmation screen and reached out to confirm the command.
Outside a door rasped open, the pod jerked into motion and entered the escape pod chute. As it turned lengthwise, Richard stared out at the long tunnel. Hopefully fate would be looking upon him as favorably as she had done on other occasions. Richard fell back when the pod shot forward and sent him tumbling to the nose when it tipped on its end and shot down a hole in the chute floor.
Though worried by the speed the pod travelled, Richard tr
usted in the alien technology to eject him safely from the sinking ship. His major concern was that if the ship was still encased in ice and not the seawater he hoped, he would be killed, but live or die, he could do no more. He was in Fate's hands now.
*****
Jack brought the helicopter level and added power to combat the strong gusts and pull it clear of the ice. When he had reached a safe distance he spun the helicopter and fascinated by the incredible event, they watched the colossal iceberg roll over.
Almost majestically, the iceberg rose out of the sea. Streams of seawater cascaded down its sheer side as cracks appeared with deep-throated roars that sounded like heavy artillery guns firing off a salvo. Large swathes of ice calved away and crashed into the sea, sending up towering fountains of spray and creating tall angry white waves rolling outwards like mini tsunamis.
As the iceberg rolled onto its side and began sinking, multiple growls of thunder filled the air as splinters crept speedily across its surfaces, splitting the ice into smaller sections that slid free of the entombed spaceship.
As if reaching for the skies in a last ditch attempt to escape the planet, the front of the spaceship rose clear of the ice and, for a few fleeting moments, hung in the air before slipping back into the sea and disappearing below the surface.
“Oh…my…god,” said Jane, stunned by what she had just seen. “That was by far the most spectacular thing I have ever witnessed.”
Jack nodded. “Mother Nature at her most awesome and impressive best.”
“I guess that's it,” said Jane, watching the myriad of large and small icebergs drift apart. “It's over. The alien spaceship and the monsters aboard are gone forever.”
“It's not something I'm going to mourn. I just hope everyone managed to get out in time.” Jack turned the helicopter away and headed for the American ship.
“Jack, are you reading me? Over.”
“It's Captain Ramos,” said Jack, unable to take his hands off the controls he constantly fought to keep the helicopter level and on course.
Jane grabbed the mic. “Reading you, Captain. Over.”
“Jane, is that you?”
“Yes, Jack rescued me. We're returning to the ship.”
“That's great news, but before you do, there's another passenger that needs rescuing―well, not actually rescued, but picked up from the Russian salvage ship. Do you have enough fuel?”
Jack glanced at the fuel gauge. It was low, but not dangerously so. He nodded at Jane.
“Fuel is okay. Who do we need to pick up?”
“You already know her. She was on your team when you discovered the spaceship. Miss Lucy Jones.”
Jane and Jack both wore confused frowns when they looked at each other.
“That's impossible,” Jane argued. “She's not in Antarctica.”
“I don't know anything about that, but I just spoke to a female who said her name was Lucy Jones and that she had been trapped aboard the spaceship until she met up with the Russians. She is now on their ship and requested we come and pick her up.”
“What do you think?” asked Jane
Jack shook his head. “We know it can't be Lucy as she went with Haax, but someone needs picking up and I'm intrigued why someone is using Lucy's name.”
Jane nodded. “Likewise.” She spoke into the mic again. “Okay, Captain, if you give us the Russian ship's coordinates, we'll go pick her up.”
After the Captain had furnished them with the information, Jane replaced the mic in its holder.
“There's something strange going on here,” said Jane. “Whoever this woman is, where did she come from and how did she get aboard the spaceship?”
Jack shrugged. “Maybe Lucy changed her mind and Haax brought her back.”
Jane shook her head. “Haax would have dropped her off at the base camp, not put her back aboard the spaceship full of monsters.”
Jack glanced out at the dim lights on the horizon. “Well I guess we'll soon find out. There's the Russian ship.”
*****
When the large waves caused by the collapsing iceberg dissipated and released their hold on the creature they had swept along, the Hunter gazed back at the ice it had recently vacated to find it was no more. It had been replaced by hundreds of smaller icebergs that offered no salvation from the hostile environment it needed to escape from. When its single good eye scanned the horizon and fell upon the lights of the distant vessel, it started swimming towards it.
It had only reached halfway when the freezing sea began to take effect, and the powerful strokes that propelled it through the rough sea grew sluggish. Aware it would never make it, the Hunter headed for a large chunk of ice and climbed out of the water.
*****
When sensors detected the approaching escape pod, they opened the hull door. Seawater poured through the opening with the fury of a Yellowstone geyser. Richard jumped when the water pounded the pod with a thunderous roar and slowed the pod's momentum slightly. He watched the turbulent water streaming past the window and though apprehensive, he believed the water was a good sign―an indication the spaceship was free of the ice. A few moments later his optimism was proven correct. The pod ejected from the side of the sinking spacecraft and shot through the cold sea before it slowed and rolled as it sought its bouncy level.
Richard stared out of the window at the expanse of sea lit by hazy light filtering down from the surface and highlighting the spaceship heading straight towards him. Richard shook his head in dismay and groaned. Powerless to do anything about it, he watched the spaceship grow larger in the window and then noticed the yawning opening of the hangar bay he headed towards. He would soon be back inside the ship.
As the nose of the pod slipped through the opening, a large yellow shape appeared out of the gloom. The bulldozer struck the pod and pushed it back through the hangar door. It rolled along its large blade and was caught by the water pressure pushed ahead of the spaceship and nudged free from the bulldozer's blade. The pod rolled and bounced along the hull of the spaceship, each bang as loud as a car crash within the confines of the pod. Dents appeared alarmingly in its surface. All it would take was one small fracture to allow the sea to pour in and he would drown. Though Richard had no idea if the pod was deep enough to implode from the pressure, the constant groans and creaks it emitted weren't reassuring.
Tumbled about like a sock in a washing machine, all Richard could do was wait until it ended, one way or another. When the pod settled and floated calmly, Richard peered out at the spaceship sliding past. It was the first time he had truly been able to get a measure of its huge size. When he glanced up its length to see how much more of it there was still to come, he noticed an outcropping of the spaceship directly above. A few moments later the two collided. Trapped under the ledge, the escape pod was dragged down with the spaceship.
Richard quickly realized the danger. Even if the pressure didn't implode the pod, if he remained trapped he wouldn't last long. He gazed out of the window to see if there was a way of getting free. The pod was caught under a metal lip on the outcropping hull. To try and knock it free, he raised his body and slammed it hard against the bottom of the pod, but it didn't budge. The pod creaked ominously from the weight of the water pressing against it. Richard slammed his shoulder against the side of the pod again and this time it moved slightly before returning to its original position. He tried again, but harder this time and ignored the pain it caused. As the pod leisurely rolled over the lip, the window cracked loudly. Richard gazed fearfully at the growing fracture as with agonizing slowness the pod rolled around the edge of the outcrop. Spider web cracks continued to slither across the window as Richard willed the pod to rise. Slowly, buoyancy took hold and drove the pod up towards the dim light.
He looked out as the front of the spaceship slid past. When he stared at the curved windows of the strange, bone-shaped bridge, he saw someone inside. From the description the other scientists had given, he recognized it as the dead alien they thou
ght was the captain. The impression was that he was still at the helm and going down with the ship. Richard watched the alien spaceship grow fainter as its final journey took it to the ocean's dark and just as alien depths. When it finally disappeared, he pressed his face to the cold, cracked window and looked up at the grey light drawing ever closer.
The pod torpedoed fully out of the water before splashing back into the choppy waves and settled on its side. After he righted himself from his latest tumble and winced from the fresh batch of bruises, Richard looked through the window; he wasn't out of danger yet. He still had to attract someone's attention to come and rescue him. He smiled. He couldn't believe his latest stroke of good luck―a ship headed straight for him. They must have detected him somehow.
Richard jabbed at the control screen until the side of the bed rose. He shivered when a wave sprayed him with cold water. He cursed his bad decision as water rolled over the side and started filling the pod; he should have waited until the ship was nearer. He waved his arms furiously to ensure his presence had been noticed. The ship continued to head straight for him, but it showed no sign of slowing.
His brow creased with worry when he noticed no crew onboard or at the rail waiting to pull him to safety. He shouted to attract someone's attention, but the wind dragged his shouts away. Starting to think the ship wasn't on a rescue mission and no one had spotted him, Richard knew if that was the case, he would have to save himself― something he had a lot of practice of doing recently. When the ship was almost upon him he noticed it wasn't a ship but a type of barge. The sides were not that high and if he timed his jump correctly he should be able to climb aboard.
The wash from the bow gliding past began pushing the pod away. Aware he would only get one try, Richard climbed onto the pod, ran along its length and jumped. His outstretched hands grabbed at the side of the boat. His body struck the hull hard, adding to his aches and pains, and the freezing sea grabbed at his legs with a numbing coldness he had never experienced before. He hauled his tired body over the side and dropped to the hard deck. Panting heavily, he rubbed circulation back into his frozen limbs. He was safe at last. Free from the spaceship and its alien passengers.