Stumbling forward Nathan moved with single-minded leaps toward the door.
If he had air in his lungs or strength in his legs things would have been different. He could have taken his time to move safely. As it was, training he did not even recall ever having received; informed him to glide forward not push off like normal running? It had also subconsciously told him to exhale everything in his lungs in the pod and keep his eyelids mostly closed. Only slitted.
With halting sliding steps, he made it to the doorway. The cold had numbed his fingers and he could no longer feel his ears. There wasn’t even a sensation of pain. Just cold and then numbness and now nothing. There was frozen snot hanging in a snotcle from his blue nose. His Eyes were beginning to lose vision to as ice crystals formed in them.
He did not even notice that the door to the entry of the station was ajar and there was no lights within.
With a crash, a frozen cold form hit the hard metal deck plating a mere 10 feet into the cold structure.
Nathans last sight was a message.
***SYSTEM MESSAGE***
YOU HAVE DIED!
***SYSTEM MESSAGE***
If he were still present, he would have seen the screen on his pod flash three times.
***SYSTEM MESSAGE***
Congratulations!
Your three uses of the Shop Giveaway have resulted in the following.
Wor’Polik Conglomerate Scanner and wrist screen.
Class HEngineering Biolifeform.
Extra Large Pallet of Grrappiea Dung.
***SYSTEM MESSAGE***
Minutes passed as more micro meteors that had been orbiting the space station for eons hit the station and its new addition. The slight change in gravity all that was needed to bring them into a collision course. Finally, after onboard censors detected no life or movement the lights aboard the pod began to dim and the computers went to sleep conserving power.
Chapter0 2 – Death is the Only Adventure
Time passed in the way time will in the void between celestial bodies.
Eventually, a light in the sky around the station grew brighter and bigger. For a short time, it steadily increased in intensity. Unlike the others around it, this light was steady and did not flicker. Then it resolved itself into a black shape illuminated by five triangular plumes of fire. The unmanned delivery drone came by the station and ejected three circular balls of gleaming metal that zoomed toward the last known location of the person who ordered them.
As the ship turned to head toward its next delivery, the spheres flew into the open station doors. There they paused for a nanosecond to orientate themselves before floating over to the frozen form. When they made contact with the dark cold metal floor, they popped like soap bubbles.
Being Vacuum sealed to prevent decay there was no other action as the objects inside each came to rest on the floor a mere few feet from the form.
A small box less than the size of a shoebox, all covered with images and words in a dialect utterly unknown on Earth. A massive dull green plastic like crate big enough that a brand new dump truck could drive in and still have room. A scrolling black Markey moved slowly against its paint. And a Beaker full of a gunmetal grey plasma like substance.
After the dust settled back down, time continued to move forward. The decreasing number of micro meteor impacts the only thing of notice.
Lights begin to flicker as new systems at least new compared to most of the rest of the station begin to whirl to life. With a woosh Nathan is pushed naked through a doorway that quickly closes behind him.
The tiny alcove he finds himself in is barely big enough to hold his lithe frame. Dim green lights waft across the floor underneath his feet, like waves across a pond when a stone is dropped into it.
The air is thin and cool, causing gooseflesh to rise across his pale flesh. Eyes flicker across the unpainted surfaces of the small box and slowly recognition and understanding return to them. A scream of pain, anger, and rage bursts from Nathan as his knees grow weak. Catching himself before he falls to the oddly color floor he pants pulling himself under control a little more with each breath.
Without warning an image flickers to life at eye level upon the wall directly in front of him.
It is an image of him… the other him… the player…
***SYSTEM MESSAGE***
“Okay only got 15 seconds here. You fucking died in less than half an hour… But no time to discuss it. You have been dead three Earth days, the standard respawn time. Due to the unexpected meteors, the company has allowed me to send you this message. I watched the recording of the game play. As you froze, you pushed random buttons on the pod and used three of the freebie items. They were delivered to your corpse. Also, if you can get there in your pack you grabbed a breather mask. It looks … well like a mask with a tiny tube running from the top of the head. Connect that tube to a canister of air and you will be able to breathe. There is also an emergency habitat in the pack. It looks li…”
***SYSTEM MESSAGE***
The screen went dark and the wall suddenly split open. The little air and warmth was sucked out of the alcove pulling Nathan along with it.
The doors slammed shut behind him plunging Nathan into a world of darkness, cold, and vacuum.
On instinct, he began to move. Exhaling all the air in his lungs was not an option this time. If he dared, the vacuum would keep pulling and his insides would decompress along with the air. That made it where he had even less time to find shelter to live.
Taking two quick steps forward he reached out to touch the wall he had briefly seen illuminated in front of him. In his minds eyes he saw the limited layout he glimpsed. He was in a hallway that ran to his right and left. He did not have time to notice more than that, but one direction had to lead him to his things… At least he hoped it would.
Not taking time to consider he turned to his left and began to run keeping one hand on the wall and the other straight out in front.
The biting cold immediately began to sap the strength from him. He tried to count steps but soon the cold was clouding his thoughts. The burning of his lungs becoming harder and harder to ignore. His frozen fingers missed it when the wall disappeared on his right. If he hadn’t stumbled on frozen feet and fell into the opening, he may have passed it by unaware.
Not having any wall to orientate himself upon he ran forward hoping to find something.
With a slam expelling the air from his lungs, Nathan hit the hard deck plating as his feet collided in the dark upon a semi flexible material.
Reaching to where his feet lay partially tangled Nathan tried to smile. Instead, his lips cracked leaking droplets of blood to quickly freeze and float into the darkness. One of the drawstrings of his napsack had caught his feet.
Gagging as the vacuum pulled his insides toward his mouth, he grabbed the napsack. He knew at some deep level he stood no chance of surviving this. However, if this was really a game and he could respawn then perhaps.
On utterly frozen feet Nathan stood with chunks of his lungs literally spilling from his mouth, he shoved his arm through the drawstring, because his fingers would no longer work. Then he lunged with all his might back in the direction he had come from.
His frozen dead corpse thudded hollowly against the bulkhead in the hall across from the entryway into the first room. As the kinetic energy made the corpse rebound off the wall with a snapping sound, it hit the ceiling before floating slower now back into the large entry chamber. The frozen arm holding the drawstring snapped from the extra drag. The napsack fell in the corridor. With it having less movement to burn and it still laying upon the floor, it quickly slid to a stop near the open hatchway between room and corridor.
The sounds of a frozen body bouncing off things continued for a short time longer until its course finally led it into the open dock and the open void.
Time passed again.
Eventually machines spun back to life and movement returned to the abandoned hunk of frozen metal,
alone in space.
This time when Nathan was forced into the alcove there was no message waiting for him. After a brief moment of hesitation as memory returned to him, he prepared himself.
When the sliding door opened ejecting him into the dark void of the hall, he leapt forward using the decompression to help give him motion.
With a leap, he sent his feet into the wall and pushed off shooting down the hallway like a bullet.
He kept one arm in front of him protecting his head as his other remained skimming the wall.
He knew that although much faster this method of movement stole control from him. He had no way to stop or change direction without colliding into something first.
Still he risked it and rolled the dice. The instant his hand lost contact with the wall he shot one foot down and pulled his other limbs close to him.
He had wanted to make contact with the floor and alter his flight. Instead, his foot wrapping into something heavy and cloth like delayed him.
Smiling he lashed out and grabbed the knapsack. It’s added weight reducing his movement. More important though it adjusted his trajectory, his knees and legs hit the deck plating a mere second after his hand closed upon the strap.
The impact almost made him release his prize. Gritting With teeth clenched, he moved fingers beginning to numb over the drawstring.
Shoving his hand into the narrow opening, he felt around. Frantic seconds later he pushed aside the pile of junk until he found something that felt like a mask.
Pulling it onto his head, he found a tank of air and connected it. With numb fingers, he opened the valve and air rushed into the mask.
With a gasp, he breathed in fresh clean cold air!
Not wasting time celebrating nearly frozen hands went back into the knapsack. He had felt what he was looking for this time on his first search.
A moment later some kind of plastic like contraption a foot and half wide, three feet long and half a foot thick pulled free.
This was the only item that matched the odd half memories he now had, for the portable habitat. Feeling around on one end, he found a small box with two buttons.
Pushing one a red light appeared and words scrolled across the tiny box.
“Insufficient space for deployment.
Deploy anyway?
He hit the button again.
Numbers appeared replacing the words. Starting at 30 and counting down.
With a heave, Nathan tossed the habitat in the direction he hoped would be back into the larger room.
The green numbers ticked down as the block flew upward.
As they reached single digits, lights began to glow all over the block. First dimly yet still glaringly bright in the utter darkness of the station.
Nathan however did not see much of it. His eyes had begun to water and his nose ran, as the rest of his body quickly lost body heat to the void.
A dim inner instinct that light was protection got him moving. With a shove, he launched himself toward the light.
As he pushed off the counter reached zero. With an explosion of superheated air, the block burst apart becoming a large inflated structure. The thin metal foil lined flooring was orientated towards the ceiling. So, when magnets on the outside kicked on the habitat zoomed to the ceiling attaching itself. Sensors registering contact sent a signal to the foil. With a surge of power, they became polarized creating a gravity like pull on both sides. Thus, the habitat was firmly secured for the remainder of its expansion.
By the time Nathan slammed into the plastic, it had fully expanded and was beginning to inflate furnishings inside.
It was a large 30ft x 45ft rectangle. A heavy dull yellow plastic like material composed the outer wall. With an inner light the whole structure glowed warmly.
To Nathans cold addled brain it was like seeing the gates of heaven. When he struck the oddly firm wall instead of bouncing off, he was pulled downward by the habitats limited artificial gravity.
Clinging to the wall like a bug on a windshield, he slid slowly until his feet rest flat upon the stations ceiling. The only thing Nathan noticed however was that it was warm.
As warmth traveled back into him and fled out his rear, his mind began to slowly process the situation.
“If I stay out hhhere I’ll frrrrreeze… it will just take me longer nnnow.”
Sidestepping so as much of his body could remain pressed against the habitat as possible he began to move around the structure until he reached the air-lock.
The pad that had been on the outside of the block was now located at the right side of the circular entryway.
Fumbling with blue tinted trembling fingers, he pressed the buttons until lights inside the clear door flashed. Starting with Blue flashes, they turned Green, and finally yellow. Then the outer hatch became slack, allowing him to press his way inside.
Hitting a button inside the outer flap became rigid again and air, blessed warm air rushed in to the air lock.
Nathan did not even notice when the inner flap softened. He had already crumpled to the ground into unconsciousness.
Sensors detecting the sleep like state lowered the interior lighting until only the faintest illumination was visible.
Hours passed as Nathan’s still form lay. Only the soft breath and a low hum of the air purifiers and heaters of the habitat whirring to give the illusion of life to the dead station.
Slowly Nathan began to stir. The warmth of the habitat had restored his flagging body slowly. Still though some lasting damage had been done. Most of his fingers and toes were black from frost burn. Parts of his back had frozen and were covered in blue dead skin. As he stirred, they cracked seeping wet droplets of hot red blood. Even his nose and ears had been damaged. Most of his left ear and all his right were blackened. As was the majority of his nose.
Still though he lived. Finally returning to conscious awareness Nathan pulled himself into a sitting position.
He tried to speak but damaged lips and tongue made him more growl than speak.
“I eel like thit.”
Groaning he stood and took stock of his surroundings. The habitats front third was one large rectangle. The air lock was behind him set directly in the center of the front wall. To his right in the small depression created by the port was an inflated block of plastic. Like maybe for a table or some other kind of work surface.
Along the left wall were more, all set side by side, to create a kind of countertop that ran the length of the left side wall.
Directly in front of him was a narrow hallway that led straight to the back of the habitat. On the right side of the hall was three door flaps. Two more sat on the left, for a total of five.
Starting on the left, he made a circle looking into each door flap. The two doors to the left he guessed led into areas roughly 15x15.
The first area was sub divided into three smaller compartments. Each one held a set of inflated bunks and cabinets for personal storage.
“Huh so fihis is ig enou for 6 feoflle?” Nathan mused.
The last door on the left led into a machine room of sorts. Inside where the heater, air purifiers, batteries, and other mechanical hardware. Unable to use his fingers for fine motor control Nathan wasn’t able to explore this area much at the moment. Frustrated he moved on.
Across the hall, he entered the furthest doorway from the air lock. Inside was a bathroom of sorts. A sink, toilet, and two showerheads lined the back wall in plain view. In the corner and along that wall sat the water tank and solid organic waste container.
Nathan took a second to wonder how he was able to identify all these components by sight. It was not as if he had ever seen anything like this before. Had he? Throwing it into the bin of questions he was collecting he moved on.
The next two rooms were set up as storage. They held an assortment of inflated shelves, cabinets, and countertops. All Empty and depressingly bare.
Returning to the main room Nathan looked around again and sighed. He looked at his hands and
down to his feet. Then gasped with a pain no man ever wants to feel, when he took stock of his frostbitten man parts. The boys were black and the skin was leaking a yellow puss.
“Wa be hell…”
Gritting his teeth, he moved back to the doorway. He had never removed the air mask, so he did not hesitate. Marching into the air-lock, he hit the button that would start the cycle to allow him to leave.
As the lights in the room changed, he stared out of the clear plastic opening.
Looking up toward the station floor he got his Barings from the wane illumination the habitat was giving off to the world outside.
A large empty room lay below him. He assumed it could be used as a cargo bay, or passenger waiting area, or other needs for the three landing pads outside the heavy external hatch. Now though it stood mostly empty.
Below him, he saw the three packages that had been dropped off near his first corpse.
“Odd… ny ody is sill here.”
He eyed the corpse and the clothing it wore. Then looked further into the station. There in the darkness he could just make out the darker spot where the cargo bay opened into eh corridor. He knew the knapsack full of items lay near there.
Plan in mind he took one more breath and then hit the open button.
Heat had slowly been leaking through the airlock with no air on his side. But, the utter ball tearing cold of open void hit him like a hammer to the nuts.
His plan flew from his mind as he crumpled into a ball flipping out into the cargo bay.
It took him three full rotations to begin to come back to himself. By that time, he had already began to shiver so hard that any chiropractor’s office would hire him, as a massage chair…
Pulling himself together with force of will alone he watched for the right time and then kicked out.
His expanded form stretched and he barely touched the ceiling with his toes. But it was enough. His slow flip across the roof turned into a dive to the open hallway.
Stellar Survival Quest Page 2
