by Saqib Sadiq
With grim determination the boarding party began marching towards the Command and Control section, the colonel was up front, his automatic weapon's beacon was activated and it cast a blanket of light in the darkness. As they pressed forward the light revealed a startling discovery, blood streaks on the floor. The group of intruders instantly became alert and assumed a tactical formation. They followed the glistening trail of blood to one of the numerous airlocks.
The airlock's inner door was sealed; Ramsey ordered his men to secure the area, they had to make an investigation. When one of his men signaled, all clear, he approached the door's security panel and punched in the code for security override. The door slowly slid open, a strong stench suddenly bombarded the colonel's nostrils. It was a smell he had grown familiar with during his time on the battlefield; it was the smell of a rotting corpse.
Despite an involuntary wave of nausea he cautiously entered the airlock, gripping his weapon tightly. The beacon's light slowly flowed across the floor; the blood streak had grown thicker and was now forming a pool. When the light revealed a decapitated head Ramsey began to wonder if the nonsense Nicolai was rambling on about had some truth to it. "Could the crew of V-323 be under an alien attack?" The light penetrated the airlock further; he found desecrated body parts strewn across the floor. What was more peculiar was the flesh, it was seething and violently convulsing. "This is ludicrous." The grisly scene was making some of the boarding party members nauseous. Not sure what to make of the gruesome corpse and its strange behavior they left the airlock and continued on towards their ultimate goal.
*****
Yamada was tracking the movements of the boarding party using a hand held bio scanner. "They're leaving the airlocks, hurry up!" he said to one of his security officers. Who was crouched down on the floor, tinkering with a small electronic device.
The officer stood up "I am finished over here Sir."
"Great tell the others to move out." the officer entered a small alcove to round up the rest of the security detail. They made sure they didn't leave anything behind and then quickly left the area so that they wouldn't be detected.
A few moments later Ramsey and his men rounded the corner; their battle ready boots echoed in the cavernous corridor. They were heading in the direction of the alcove when they heard the unmistakable sound of grinding metal. The sound had a scratchy quality to it and came from either ends of the hallway. The men instantly formed a circle and aimed their RPG launchers in both directions. The scraping sound grew closer. The men watched as two rotating drill bits came into view. "Drilling rigs, inside of the station?" Ramsey found the situation most bizarre. Never the less, two behemoth drilling rigs turned into the spacious hallway and headed straight for them. Ramsey considered firing the RPGs but decided against it. The close proximity of the detonation would affect them as well. Seeing no other option the men made a hasty retreat for the alcove.
Ramsey did not like being cornered this way, it went against every principle of strategic combat. However if he had stood his ground the rigs would have made mince meat out of him and his men. At least the alcove was too narrow for the huge vehicles, which continued lumbering forward. Their rotating drill bits made a tremendous racket, one of the men suggested firing an RPG using the round enclosure as cover. Ramsey denied the request, the drill bits were impervious to the small explosives, it would be a waste of ammunition, they would just have to wait it out. The intruders watched as the two machines moved closer together. They would have to stop eventually less they smash into each other but they showed no sign of stopping. Had those drill jocks gone suicidal?
Everything about the situation was most bizarre, how did these rigs get inside the station, the ATV Depot’s inner doors were too small for them. Their questions were soon answered when the two drill bits came into contact, instead of a massive explosion the two objects seemed to disappear into each other. The men watched with perplexed expressions as the two vehicles consumed each other. Every now and then they could see them flickering, there surface details would go blank and then reappear. The colonel was the first to realize the ruse "Holograms!" he alerted his men "We've been had!" at that same instant the alcove was drenched in thick white gas. The men grabbed their throats, as they had troubling breathing, their eyes swelled up with tears nearly blinding them. "Very clever Cruchev, very clever!" he cursed his antagonist between labored breaths.
Being resourceful as usual he pulled out a gas mask and instantly donned it. He left the gassed men behind gasping for air. He walked through the lifelike images, easily flowing through the projected beams of lights. Hoping there wouldn't be any more tricks he headed for the upper section of the station.
*****
Cruchev and Yamada’s men barricaded themselves inside of the glass dome. The massive battle crafts hovered in view "He's on the upper level and closing in on our position." Yamada said while consulting his bio scanner. He raised his arms and flicked his wrist forward, security personnel moved forward reinforcing their barricade. The large interlocking doors of Command and Control had been sealed. Gemcore knew that this section of the space station was extremely sensitive and would be a high priority target for hostile intruders. That is why in addition to having horizontally moving sliding doors they supplemented the entrance with vertical sheets of metal. The twelve-inch thick metal curtains were only drawn in emergency situations. Since, this was where they would be making their last stand Cruchev deemed them necessary.
Ramsey got off of the elevator and entered the shadowy corridor. From either side he heard SENTINEX guns scanning him. Knowing that the machines would take no further actions he approached the large metal doors of C&C. Finding them locked he smirked and pulled out a universal access key from his utility belt. Gemcore had adequately equipped him for this hostile takeover. He slipped the rectangular key into the door's security panel. It instantly accepted the key and began to unlock itself. The four sections of the door slid apart simultaneously creating a wide rectangle. As the door slid further apart the rectangular opening grew wider revealing the amassed group of security personnel. He peered through his gas mask and saw Cruchev standing behind the barricade with his senior officers and the entire security contingent previously allocated to V-323. "Traitors every last one of them." Ramsey thought as he entered the large room.
"Freeze!" one of the security officers cried out. Ramsey cocked his head in the direction of the voice and aimed his weapon at the man. A burst of lead from the colonel’s weapon smashed into the man's face, he instantly crumpled onto the floor. Ramsey turned his attention to Cruchev daring him to make his next move.
"Stand down!" ordered Cruchev. His men instantly lowered their weapons.
"Wise decision Mr. Cruchev" Ramsey said in a cynical tone. He pulled off his mask revealing his manic gaze "For I only had to give one command and my fleet would have instantly incinerated you, right where you stand." he said with a hideous grin "Mr. Cruchev, I hereby relieve you of your command."
Under the circumstances there was only one way Nicolai Cruchev could respond "Acknowledged, I hereby stand down as Captain of V-323."
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
The frozen stillness of space was disrupted by the entity, as it raced across the rocky surface of the asteroid. Its swirling mass dipped in and out of razor sharp fissures and bounded across oversized lumps of rock. Its primal mind ached for one thing and for one thing only, nourishment. It became dimly aware of the station’s floodlights as it drew closer. Light was useless for a creature brewed in darkness; it used its biological link with the pathogen to guide itself to its fallen prey. The gaseous body of the entity collided with the cool steel door of the airlock.
Thief prey! I feed on thief prey now. But thief prey is in thief home must get into thief home.
The airlock door was virtually a solid wall of steel and it kept the entity from moving further. Frustrated by the barrier it began ramming it self into the pressurized door. After
furiously battering itself against the unyielding object, it began to peck at the airlock seal, groping for a way in. Its primitive tactile senses “felt” the faint escape of atmosphere from a nano-sized fissure.
Ah! Thief home has hole for me.
Molecule by molecule it made its way into the airlock. On the other side the entity’s entire mass slowly trickled in. Once it had completely transferred itself, the robust creature collected it self until it was whole again. Then without hesitation the silent predator descended on the transformed human flesh, wrapping it in an invisible cloud of bioelectric energy.
It instantly began extracting nutrients from the severed corpse. This was the first time the entity had fed on a higher life form. The complex proteins present in the congealed blood gave it a renewed surge of energy. Its strength peaked and then intensified further. The being gorged on the body until there was nothing left.
Thief prey good! Thief prey give me strength, stronger than before. Must feast on more thief.
The entity made its way out of the airlock and moved deeper into the space station. Its floating mass aimlessly traveled through the abandoned corridors. Its primitive mind surveyed the space station.
Thief home big. Take lots strength to crush thief home. All thief home must be crushed then theifs leave me alone.
It continued on its journey making its way through out the station. On occasion it would pass by an oblivious crewmember. The being was tempted to taste human flesh at such times. However it did not require feeding and continued wandering. After some time it stumbled upon the refinery. Since all mining activities had ceased the ore trolleys were empty and lay inactive inside of the tubules. When the refinery is manned work crew protect their lungs through the use of pulmonary filters, for the air is always filled with pulverized particles of mineral ore. These particles were now stimulating the entity’s senses. It could detect the unmistakable sensation of its sanctuary.
My home in thief home?
The feeble mind of the primitive creature wrestled with the conflicting notions. Following its natural instincts, the creature attempted to locate a crevice or fissure in which it could curl up in and rest. It moved towards the tubules, when they entered the refinery they merged into a single nozzle. The hard polymer exterior of the nozzle didn’t feel comfortable so it decided to move on. However it only came across smooth walls and more alien instruments. The entity was confused clearly it was in its element yet it did not feel that way. It decided to make one last attempt.
The higher concentration of particles on the rock grinders attracted the being. After another failed attempt to hide itself inside of the refinery’s machinery the creature became restless.
This is not my home! This is thief home but my home in thief home, why?
With its curiosity peaked the entity made its way to the conveyor belt that fed a steady stream of raw ore to the grinders. A few chunks were left behind; it immediately pushed them towards the diamond studded drum wheels of the grinder. The stones collided with the wheel instantly shattering into smaller bits.
When he saw the stone falling apart his spotted memory conjured up images of his encounters with the miners; a titanium drill bit bursting into his ancient sanctuary, sonic picks gutting the walls of his home, the sensor array scanning the mining tunnel, watching its every move. The entity had learned enough to figure out what was going on.
Not thief prey is killer. Prey is mean to me. Killer prey must leave, must leave now!
The entity let out a wail full moan. The overwhelming anguish of the discovery welled up inside of him. His psyche was consumed by the thought of the senseless destruction of his dwelling. He couldn’t comprehend why the humans were so brutal. All he knew was that it had to stop.
The distraught creature let out its distinctive battle cry, the bloodcurdling scream that once raced across ancient cavern walls now echoed in the machine encrusted refinery. Onlookers would observe strands of electrostatic energy appearing out of thin air as the scream intensified. It then grew into a piercing shriek; the pulsating sound waves hammered the walls; which began to vibrate.
Its defense mechanisms kicked in to overdrive. The pain inside of its consciousness fueled the continued onslaught. The sound waves began to reach stratospheric frequencies. Human auditory senses would have been unable to pick up the supersonic roar. But they would be able to see that the glowing strands of energy were taking on a more condensed form. They grew into a floating sphere of highly charged particles. The sphere barely contained itself as it drew in more energy. Its boundaries were eager to rupture.
Killer prey mean to me. I told Killer prey to leave but its stays. It hurt home again and again. I will show no mercy!
A cataclysmic detonation of charged particles burst from the entity’s soul. The room was engulfed in a blinding white light. The weakened walls gave way to the deluge, causing the refinery to burst at the seams. The four corners of the blocky structure tore apart as pulsating currents of energy plunged through them.
The harsh vacuum of space instantly invaded the artificial cavity. Clenching the vile machinery in its grip. It tore them away from their grounding and hauled them into the black void of space. Jettisoned on an eternal trajectory into deep space, they could no longer rape the asteroid.
*****
The dead security officer’s body was wrapped in a company issued body bag. It would soon be unceremoniously ejected from an airlock. Management would most likely not uphold the insurance claim that would be eventually made by the deceased’s family members, on the grounds of “willful endangerment of life”. No one threatened the colonel and expected to live.
Some of Yamada’s men defected once they had realized that the station was lost. Those loyal to him and Cruchev were rounded up and disarmed. Gun toting security personnel kept a watchful eye over them as they sat huddled against the wall. Crewmembers that once reported to Cruchev now reluctantly sat at the numerous consoles of Command & Control. Ramsey arrogantly strode amongst them overseeing the handover of the space station.
He had already ended the lockdown of V-323. Even at this moment miners, sifters, and drill rig operators were emerging from their quarters. They had been ordered to begin mining operations immediately. However the brutal death of Jake still hung heavily in their hearts. They were not ready to brave the mining tunnels, especially since the conclusion drawn from the Science Team’s investigation suggested evacuating the asteroid. When the station walls began to violently vibrate, evacuation seemed like a pretty good idea.
“Captain can you feel that?” Yamada sat cross-legged on the cold floor of C&C. He turned towards Cruchev and repeated the question. The captain sat beside him but did not answer. His knees were pulled up against his chest as he hugged himself. He looked towards the glass dome with a vacant expression. The armada still hovered overhead. Their weapons were menacingly trained on the dome. It wasn’t clear if his mind registered what was happening around him.
“Captain!” Yamada tugged at him trying to break him out of his trance. His eyes became alert and were fixed on the Asian man.
“Captain can you feel that?” Nicolai did feel the vibrations and had already figured out what was causing them.
“I have given my word.” He softly replied, “I no longer have the authority to make a move.”
“Since when did you need authority to take action?” Rie questioned
Nicolai smiled “Your right, but under the circumstances we can’t pull a stunt too many lives will be put in jeopardy. Hopefully Ramsey will come to his senses.” Yamada thought that was highly unlikely.
Nevertheless the Colonel was in charge and he had to do something “Are those damn crystals out of alignment?” he barked into the com.
“Negative sir, their harmonic frequencies are within regulation.” Replied the lower level Quasar Cannon operator. He had already retrieved the cannon head from the tattered capsule and was running a series of diagnostic tests.
“The
re must be something wrong with the infernal thing. After all we gave it a pretty good beating.” He said with a cynical chuckle.
“I’ll look into it sir.” Ramsey knew the cannon operators once reported to Cruchev. However he wasn’t worried that they would try something. After all, the weapon was out of commission and a security team had been dispatched to keep an eye on them. The colonel was fairly confident that V-323 would be operational within the hour.
“We might even meet the day’s quota,” he thought gleefully. That was when Ramsey came face to face with Nicolai Cruchev’s “Hallucination”. The scream was loud enough to be heard in the glass dome. Despite being a bit muffled it was unmistakably unnatural. No Man or beast had such an eerie voice. It was enough to raise the hairs on the back of the colonel’s neck. He had to clasp his ears as the scream took on a higher pitch. The station walls began to shake even more. Just when he couldn’t take it any more the bloodcurdling sound ceased.
He cautiously lowered his hands and eyed the vibrating walls with a wary look. “Sir I have isolated the disturbance to the refinery.” One of the crewmembers reported.
The colonel instantly snapped to attention “What the hell is going on down there?”
“I am picking up a massive electrostatic buildup. It can cause a decompression at any moment.”
“Well then get a wrench monkey down there! Must be a god damn grinder on the fritz.”
The crewmember stationed at the wide range bio scanner spoke up “I should warn you that we are picking up bio electric signals.”
“What the hell does that have to do with anything?”
“It’s the entity sir.” He said gravely.
The garish man appeared annoyed “Don’t give me that bullshit!” he shot back, then with great disdain he added “My God! Sometimes I think every last one of you has gone insane.”