by Aline Riva
She froze. The oil covered corpse was lumbering towards her, arms raised, its colourless eyes fixed on her. She was backing away in the dark, then she collided with a rail and leant on it with a trembling hand to steady herself, trying to recall if there was a way she could work around the edge of the platform and then make a run for the door that led to the place where the others were sleeping...
Vicki turned and ran through a nightmare maze of pipes and machinery, stumbling and fighting for air as panic took over. As she cleared the maze of metalwork, she came to a sharp stop by a low barrier and she grasped it, gasping for air as she looked down at the choppy sea below.
“Just hide...hide here...” she whispered to herself as she held on tight and closed her eyes, remembering she had just negotiated her way through complicated masses of pathways in the dark, now she stood at a corner where she could clearly see the walkway that led back to the residential building. She would have to run for it. She would have to do it before that creature saw her...
She slowly turned her head, expecting to see an oily, menacing figure creeping up behind her, but there was nothing. No movement between the silent machinery, nothing from above, either... and the way out was clear.
She drew in a breath and lurched from her hiding place, sights set on the closed door across the platform. Then it lunged and grabbed her, pulling her into the shadows and as she screamed the waves churned and the wind blew and she knew being this far from the others and with two closed doors between them, she had no hope of being heard as with another last, desperate cry she tried in vain to be heard above the sound of the North Sea.
Her back was against the barrier, his cold hands closed about her wrists as she struggled, she tried to push back but her fingers slid through oil and she leaned backwards as she feared falling, the stench of his flesh and the slippery cold oil chilled her blood as fear took over. She pushed again then turned, he still had her as her hands slipped down oil slicked shoulders, she grabbed at fabric beneath it and the oil covered material tore and something fell to the floor of the platform.
He had her pinned now, if she leaned further Vicki knew they would both go over the edge. Looking down the sea felt like a magnet pull, a swirl that was calling to her, ready to claim her and drown her in depths that would mean instant death. Anything was better than dying like this, with this creature that had her pinned...
“NO!” she yelled, “Let go of me!”
It made a low snarl, eyes fixing on her. Suddenly as the breeze picked up and lifted her hair and tendrils danced on the wind, she was held by the gaze of the corpse as it looked at her in fascination. Its grip slipped from her wrists. It stared on, motionless. She stared back. It extended an oil covered hand, dead fingertips reaching for her shoulder, almost cautiously. Vicki was paralysed by fear and confusion as she realised this corpse was not baring its teeth and moving in for the kill. It just.. stared...as it reached out.
Survival instinct kicked in and she lunged forward, gripped her hands together and slammed a blow into its side that launched the creature off its feet. It crashed into the rail, then toppled, sliding over and falling, hitting the sea below where it submerged.
She was shaken to her bones but had to know for sure it was gone. She took a step closer, placed her hands on the oil stained edge and looked over as she shuddered and her teeth chattered. The choppy sea was rough, but nothing broke its surface.
Vicki turned back, wiped her hands on the sweater and then looked at the trail of oil left behind that shone dark in moonlight. Then she broke into a run, dodging the oil and making a dash for the safety of the residential area.
As she wrenched open the door, shock was setting in. Vicki closed it behind her, locked it and then made for the second door, locking that too. Then she leaned against it, breathless and tearful as she shivered. She was stained with oil and could still smell the trace of that corpse. The look in its eyes haunted her as she went back to her room, where Amy was sleeping soundly.
Suddenly all she wanted to do was shower and get rid of the stink and try and erase the memory with it. She would tell the others soon, but she needed to get clean first.
She went into the small bathroom, closed the door and turned on the water, then she left the oily clothing on the floor and stood under the shower where the heat revived her and she quietly wept, unable to wipe the memory from her mind as part of her still felt stuck there, almost over the edge, as the undead creature held her pinned and stared at her with odd and chilling fascination...
Morning light had broken over the sea as the sun rose and the world seemed to lose its hue of horror. It was crazy how light banished a lot of the fears that darkness had amplified. Vicki had raided the wardrobe again and now wore a white T shirt that she had tied up to fit and she had put her shorts back on. The oil covered sweater was still in a corner in the bathroom and she didn't want to touch it because it stunk of death.
When Amy opened her eyes she was on her side on the top bunk and looked down to see Vicki already up. She had changed her clothes and her face was pale and there was an odd look in her eyes as she sat there on the faded carpet, looking up at her.
“Get up, I need to tell you something,”she said quietly.
As soon as her sister had related the tale, the others were alerted. Half an hour later, on Hayley's suggestion, they met in the canteen where they had dined the night before, and they all sat down as Vicki sat beside her sister, winding a strand of long fair hair around her finger nervously as the others all looked on with alarmed expressions.
“Something got onboard this rig?” Greg said, sounding close to panic, “How the bloody hell can anything get on board?”
“There's diving facility here for the rig's divers,” she replied, “And if a corpse had been washed in when the tide was rough and it was carried high enough I guess its possible. It's not likely to happen again, but we need to think about some kind of watch rota...”
Marc and Greg exchanged a glance.
“We're both armed,” Marc said, “Me and Greg can do that.”
“Do you have any guns?” Amy asked.
Hayley shook her head.
“This is an oil rig, of course there are no guns!”
“I have a couple of flare guns on the chopper,” said Emma, “A box of flares too.”
“It just stared at me...”
As Vicki spoke in a hushed voice, the others looked at her. She was still pale with a haunted look in her eyes.
“What do you mean?” Amy asked.
“It... grabbed me and just looked at me, stared... It didn't try and harm me. It just kept staring...” she gave a sob and her sister who was sat beside her put a comforting arm around her shoulder.
“It was covered in oil...it left a trail...” Vicki added tearfully.
“Show me where the corpse attacked you,” Hayley said, rising from her seat, “I know this place inside out. If it's been washed through a slick it would have left oil everywhere it went. We should be able to figure out how it got on board.”
A short while later, they made their way out into the fresh salt air, to be greeted by a day of sunshine and a sky unmarked by a single cloud. The sea was calm and the waves rippled. There was not a trace of a corpse floating as far as the eye could see – nor could they spot a single boat and the skies were empty as usual, cancelling out any vague flash of optimism that a day like this might bring with thoughts of others and possible rescue. Hayley led the way to the place where the view of the sea below the platform looked lower thanks to calm weather. She saw the trail of oil, puddles and spots and followed it out again, down a walkway, then across the platform. As the largest pool of oil was found close to the door of the residential area, Greg and Marc exchanged a look of alarm.
“I heard it out here last night,” Vicki said as she stood there still pale and uneasy despite the reassurance of the company of the living, “It was trying to get in. I thought it was you, Greg. I thought maybe you'd gone outside and fe
lt unsteady. I saw you sway when you got up from dinner.”
“I was asleep in my bed all night,” he replied, “And I think we should all agree if we hear anything outside no one investigates alone – me or Marc can check it out. We have guns, the rest of you don't.”
“The helicopter seats six,” Emma reminded them, “We could take a chance and fly out once I've refuelled. But I can't be sure if it's safe to take her up again. I really don't want to fly with a fuel leak.”
As they talked, they crossed the vast platform where Vicki stopped beside the oil smeared barrier.
“This is where I pushed him over the edge.”
Hayley stepped closer and peered over. The surface of the sea far below looked blue and flawless as it sparkled in sunlight.
“He's long gone,” she said reassuringly, “He won't be coming back.”
It was then as she stepped back she looked down, seeing a sealed water proof bag.
“What's this?” she asked as she picked it up. She broke the seal and opened it, drawing out three faded photographs. Suddenly Vicki recalled the rip as the fabric of the pocket had torn and something had fallen to the platform.
“It came out of his pocket while I was fighting him off.”
Hayley handed her the pictures and said nothing.
As she looked at the photographs, Vicki got a chill, recognising the man in the picture, his height and build were identical but here he was not a corpse covered in oil... the pictures were faded, the first heavily shaded in sepia and showed him with a young child and a woman on a beach. The next picture was of the child, now older, holding a bouquet at a wedding. The third picture stunned her. The girl as an adult. She had long blonde hair and looks that were similar to her own... Vicki looked up sharply from the picture.
“This must be his daughter.. I look like her...Maybe that's why he didn't kill me!”
Hayley had wondered the same thing but stayed silent. It was bad enough the dead were taking over, she didn't want to start figuring them out, her only objective was to get through this shit alive and hope everyone else did, too...
“They can't think,” Marc said dismissively, “They're dead.”
“But he didn't kill me.”
“So you got lucky,” he replied.
Vicky stood there for a moment, looking down at the now calm water where there remained no trace of the invading corpse who had spared her.
“Maybe not. Maybe part of his memory was still there and he saw me and thought I was her. You wasn't there, you didn't see the way he looked at me.”
Marc shot her a look of disbelief and shook his head.
“What's next? Making friends with the stinking creatures and inviting them in? I'll get a spare room made up for him, shall I?”
Greg smirked and looked away as Vicki glared at Marc.
“Look at me! I don't have a scratch! Ask yourself why?”
“Because the corpse was covered in oil and couldn't get a hold of you enough to take a chunk out. You pushed the thing over board. You did get lucky. It was no more than that.”
The sea breeze blew her hair as she ran her hand over it, pushing a stray lock from her face.
“Think what you like,” she replied, “I know what I saw.”
“Let's go back inside,” Hayley said, then she glanced to the two men, “You guys too – there's no point keeping watch while the seas are calm. We can see for miles and there's nothing out there – for now. Emma, can you fetch the guns and the flares from the chopper?”
Emma nodded.
“I'll do that right away,” she said, and headed off for the helipad.
Hayley led the way as the others headed back, and Vicki walked beside her.
“It's over now,” she heard Amy say close behind, but she just shook her head and glanced to Hayley, speaking in a low voice.
“I know I'm right, I know how he looked at me! I don't think he would have killed me...maybe they can still think on some level.”
“Or maybe he was an exception,”Hayley replied as she opened the door and then led the way inside, “Just don't think about it too much, it's over now.”
“Right,” she said quietly, but as she entered the doorway she cast a glance back over her shoulder, still with a haunted look in her eyes as she thought again about the strange undead creature, the one who had not harmed her, the one that had been different to all other undead she had seen before...
Chapter 4
The sea remained calm and the weather was fine. Now the matter of the trespassing corpse had been cleared up, the mood became more relaxed. Emma brought over the box of flares and two guns from the helicopter, then she set them down on a table in the canteen. Hayley had checked the box and then said in a low voice, “We need to keep these out of sight, I'd prefer it if the guys used them for back up if their ammo ran out in the event of trouble... there's not enough real guns to go around.” Then she took the box and the guns and placed it inside a storage cupboard and closed it firmly.
“What's the situation with the chopper?” she asked, “Could it handle a flight if an emergency came up? I'm willing to risk it.”
“I'm not,”Emma replied, “Unless a mechanic turns up here I can't even guess at how bad the damage is. There's a problem holding the fuel. Just because it didn't ignite last time, it doesn't mean she's flight worthy.”
Hayley fell silent for a moment, recalling Vicki's account of the corpse on the platform. She considered the chance of more undead reaching them remote, they certainly wouldn't be taken over by hordes, not out here on an oil rig...
“It probably won't happen again. If it did, at least with the guys on watch, we wouldn't be invaded. They only need to keep a look out when the sea gets rough. It's not likely anything else will get washed up too soon.”
“I hope you're right,”Emma replied, then she left the canteen, leaving Hayley alone with thoughts she had not shared – it had happened once, it could happen again, and no matter how remote the possibility seemed, that was a thought she didn't want to dwell on.
The sombre mood that had descended over the survivors on the rig had lifted as the day went on, Amy persuaded Vicki to return to the platform and get some sun - anything was better for her than sitting in their shared room, she just wanted to see fear gone from her face. They had lost enough, seen too much horror and now the threat was over, Amy felt sure her little sister was strong enough to come back from this – otherwise, she feared she would give up on herself because now Vicki was all she had left. To see her out in the sun and relaxing gave her hope that they could both mend despite all that had happened and maybe even feel normal once more – if the old kind of normal could ever exist again...
While the two girls were on the level below sitting together on towels and watching the calm sea, up on the helipad Emma had many tools spread out and was half beneath the helicopter using basic knowledge that didn't stretch far enough to explore the possible damage – she had still found no trace of the leak.
Marc was over by a railing, looking out to sea. He had suggested to Hayley that perhaps they ought to keep a flare gun on the platform in case a passing ship could be alerted, but she had just shot him a look of resignation and replied, “There are no ships.”
He had been watching the water for over an hour, and he hated to agree with such a pessimistic viewpoint, but the chance of running into a ship did seem unlikely. Any vessels still out there most likely contained infected or undead, the safest way off this rig would be to fly – if Emma could fix the chopper. But even if she did, where to go next was unknown. It seemed like there were no safe places left. Maybe this rig would be their home for a long time to come...
On the platform, the two women sat together, listening to the sound of the water as the hot sun stood high in the afternoon sky. The sea breeze took off most of what would have been blistering heat back on land. Vicki had rubbed at her leg and remarked that it was deceptively mild out here – but she knew she would burn if they lingered too long.
Then she spoke again as the peace of the moment was something she suddenly appreciated.
“You're right, it's not so bad here,” she said as she looked from the blue sea, “If that corpse was the only one that ever made it on to the rig that means we're probably safe here, maybe we'll get to stay on for a long time...But it's going to be weird, stuck here with four other people we don't know...are you listening to me?”
Amy's head was turned, her sights set on Marc as he stood with his back to them, leaning on the rail as he looked out to sea.
“It will be okay once we get to know them better,” Amy replied.
Her sister laughed and she turned her head, surprised to hear her laughter again after all they had been through.
“What?”
“You mean get to know Marc better.”
“Maybe!”
Vicki laughed again.
“Oh no, I just realised something... four women, two guys... How come you get Marc?”
“He doesn't even know I was considering that!”
“So I get Greg?”
“There's nothing wrong with Greg!”
Vicki thought about it.
“He's a good looking guy,” she agreed, “ But... no, he's not my type.”
“And Marc is?”
At that moment Marc turned from the view of the sea and looked across the platform.
“Don't get sunburn,” he warned with a smile, then as he turned back to the sea once more they both giggled.
“So why not Greg?” Amy asked, “You'd better decide quick, I haven't seen Hayley look at him in that way but he seems to be on pretty good terms with his pilot...”
