Chapter 2: Hell In A Hull

Things complicate quickly

Silence and darkness was everywhere, not a single sound was heard in the entire ship other than our foot steps and our breathing, only dull emergency lights removed the darkness as we moved onward. Ronald had an M-76 Revenant Heavy Machine Gun close to his shoulder, arms tensed for battle, Meagan held an M-9 Tempest Submachine gun low along her hip, poised for quick reaction for the second a threat appeared.

            “Please tell me you have the schematics Graves”My voice seemed unnaturally loud in the dead ship.

“I do, or at least, the best that our scans could do without getting too close. It should be about 70 percent accurate”

“So we stumble blind in a corpse hoping that nothing decides to take advantage of our guessing?” Ronald’s voice was so deep and booming in that deathly quiet that I brought my M-8 Avenger rifle instantly to bear and my frustration had reached its limits 

“Yeah Biggs, and if you have a problem with it you can take it up with me. Understood soldier?”

“Sir! Yes sir!”

And with that we were all back in line. Traveling through the ship forced an uncanny paranoia, we jumped at every shadow, and every time they seemed to move just as they were on the edges of my vision, and though I had no proof I was certain that the others saw it as well. We traveled in this nervous fashion for about 10 minutes, every door opening renewing our anxiety.

It finally came to a head when we opened yet another door, expecting darkness in the room beyond, but became bathed and blinded in bright light from within. Ronald moved in ahead with his hand on the trigger of his rifle, ready to cut down any hostiles within while I went along his side with extra support, as we had so many times; yet it turned out to be a pointless maneuver. As we scanned the room we realized it was empty, completely bereft of life.

“The hell?!” My voice echoed through the room “Why the hell is this room lit? And why isn’t there anything or anyone in it if it’s important enough to still have light?!”

Ronald and I walked further into the chamber, Meagan  trailing behind us, our eyes adjusted to the light, revealing that the room was not completely empty. A terminal was at the far side along the wall, some freight boxes were stacked along the left side, but the most curious part of it was a circular depression in the center, about 15 feet across with no indicator of why it was included.

            Now was the time for me to step into leadership. “Alright, Graves, you check out the terminal, see what you can find out; Biggs keep an eye on that door to make sure nothing shows up.” Ronald immediately took a secure position by the door while Meagan started typing into the terminal; seeing that my orders were followed, I decided to investigate the depression.

            “Any luck on the terminal?” I said as I walked along the circular dip, on closer inspection it seemed less fluid than the rest of the ship, several lines along it revealed machinery beneath, but no indication of what it might do.

            “It was unlocked, full access, all the files in here mention some sort of project and I’m trying to find out what it means” she seemed lost in her hunt for information. 

“Any movement out there Biggs?”

“No Kael but I would still feel better if we hurry this up”

I was inside the circle when I heard an exclamation from Graves

“What is it?”

“Kael! Get out of there, N-“her voice was cut off as massive blast shields closed around me, sealing me in a miniature chamber. I immediately turned on my suit radio 

“Meagan! What the hell just happened?!?!”

Her voice was crackly over the radio “They were working on some sort of cybernetic infusion project; they had a trap set up! I will see if I can get you out!”

            It was then that I could see something emerging from the crates, humanoid forms moving from the shadows and slowly towards the light, a slight blue glow emanated from the bodies. The front line of the mysterious creatures came into the light; they were horribly changed bodies, cybernetics ran along their entire frame, their eyes were blue glowing orbs. Only then did I realize that these shapes were the husks that every Alliance troop had been briefed on, but they were different, changed, evolved.

I knew in that moment that if I didn’t warn them they would be slaughtered 

“RONALD! MEAGAN! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!” I yelled over the radio “Hostiles are in the room! Get back to the ship immediately!” Ronald turned from his position at the door to see the encroaching enemy, as soon as he moved into a position to get them he pulled the trigger, firing multiple shots into each of the enemies bodies, one bullet found its way into the head of one and it dented the face, but didn’t puncture. Meagan moved from her place at the terminal and moved as fast as she could to my prison.

“Kael! We have to get you out!” her voice echoed concern and emotion on the radio, something I hadn’t heard from her in a long time.

“You can’t! There’s no point fighting! They’re too strong! You need to run!”

“But Jason…” she was clogged with emotion

“THAT’S AN ORDER!”

She ran out of the door, firing her gun behind her, Ronald followed, firing his rifle at them to slow them down, but as soon as he left the door he turned and ran at full speed with several husks on his trail, the door shut behind them.

            The rest of them stared, simply gazed directly at me with their sapphire lit eyes, leaving me unnerved. “What the hell do you want?! Let me out and kill me already!” I knew they couldn’t understand me yelling at them, but it still felt satisfying. The blast shield was too thick to be penetrated by anything less than anti-tank weaponry, so I knew that I was trapped until I either died, or until the purpose of containing me was finally revealed.

            Lights flickered above me and dimmed significantly, leaving the room only slightly brighter than the ones before, or it may have just been the husks brightening it, I didn’t have anymore time to contemplate it before a voice, deep and powerful, echoed  through the room. Even into my unbreakable cage.

            “Yes…This specimen shall be perfect.”

I blinked, I thought for certain I had imagined it, but I looked from the direction it had come and saw a form that was slightly different from the others, standing at the terminal. A tall but slightly hunched over figure, I couldn’t make out anymore details in the darkness.

            “Who…. Who are you? What do you want with me?!” I could feel the cold tendrils of fear wrap around my chest. The panic filled my mind now, leaving little room for thought other than one. Survival. I was suddenly lifted into the air and suspended there, simply floating halfway between the ceiling and floor

            “I am beyond your comprehension, beyond your mind.” This voice was so filled with power that my teeth began chattering. Machinery began dropping from the ceiling and the floor; the depression began rising from its position and shed its false metal skin, revealing it to be a container, whirling metal arms moved with blinding speed within it.

            “Whatever your plan…you won’t break me!” I began reciting my service number inside my mind, a pathetic effort to calm myself but it granted some clarity.

            “If breaking you was my goal it would already be done, I will control you”

The metal arms from the container bent themselves out of their original position, leaving them just a few inches from skin; from this new distance I could see that they had blades and a small tool that had light coming from it, a cauterizing device.

            The blades cut through armor, skin and muscle with absolutely no resistance; they moved with lightning speed across my body, shredding it all, though for what purpose I couldn’t tell. More tools began descending from the ceiling, the closest one cut into the back of my skull, a flicker of blood red and pure black was the last I saw before I lost consciousness.