Ice Rift

by Ben Hammott

  “It's only a scratch.” He retrieved the ice axes, shook off the drips of blood and lumps of gore and handed one to Jane. “Let's go fetch Lucy.”

  The patter of small feet directed their gaze at the door.

  Jack grabbed Jane's arm and was about to push her behind him, but then remembered what she had just done and removed his hand. They both prepared for battle.

  Three small Hunter monsters, barely a yard tall, appeared through the doorway, glanced at Jane and Jack, screeched, pounced on the nearest dead Clicker and began feeding. Larger footsteps drifted through the open door.

  Jane and Jack edged around the body the younglings were feasting on and gazed through the doorway. Five Hunters approached. The breasts on two of them identified them as female― the younglings' mothers. On spying them, the monsters screeched.

  Jane and Jack fled along the corridor.

  “We'll come back for Lucy when they've gone,” said Jack.

  Jane nodded. “Okay.”

  The adults stepped through the doorway, glanced at the two fleeing creatures and then at the three Clicker corpses. Deciding on the easier opportunity to feast, they gathered around the dead creatures and ripped off chunks of flesh.

  *****

  Richard sped along the corridor and passed through another door. With no regard for his friends that might be following, he closed the door. For a moment, he remained in total darkness while he calmed his beating heart and allowed his fear to reach a manageable level. He switched on the headlight. Though the familiar bonelike struts highlighted in the torchlight gave him confidence he headed in the right direction, his panicked rush had left him uncertain of his bearings. He pulled out the camera and examined the photo of the route. But as he had no idea where he was, it failed to supply him with any clue to his position on the ship or which way he should go.

  He carried on until he reached an intersection that offered him two choices. Straight ahead or turn right. Believing the right turn might lead back to the engine room corridor Henry, Max and Theo were on, he headed in that direction, but paused after a few steps and cocked an ear. Something breathed up ahead. His fear level began to rise. He felt Lucifer squirm beneath his jacket. He pulled down the zip enough to reveal its small form and sighed; its fur had turned red. Convinced his fears were real and something waited in the darkness ahead, Richard zipped up the jacket and slowly retreated to the intersection.

  Cloaked in the darkness of an open doorway, the Hunter watched the strange being approach and stop. The old creature was not as fast as it once was. A damaged leg received in an affray with another creature slowed it down even more. Though its preferred method of attack was to lie in ambush and wait for its victims to come to it, it would give chase if required. Its retreating prey indicated the ambush had failed. The old Hunter stepped out of the room and headed along the corridor.

  When the Hunter appeared in the furthest reach of his headlamp, Richard turned and ran. He turned right at the intersection. Fuelled by adrenalin and the will to survive, he fled for his life.

  *****

  The creature Henry had knocked unconscious, regained its senses and groggily climbed to its feet. It shook its throbbing head and stared at the dark opening above. Sounds of movement within drifted out. It reached up and pulled itself inside. It sniffed the blood leading away from the opening and licked some up. It stared along the dark tube and let out a frightening howl.

  *****

  The ravenous Hunter had left its forest lair to prowl the ship’s corridors in search of something to fill its empty belly. A distant howl brought it to a halt. It directed its gaze upon the ceiling vent where the sound had come from. It moved closer and peered through the metal slats. Though it saw only darkness within, it heard strange sounds uttered by unfamiliar creatures. It gripped the grill with one claw and yanked it free. The discarded grill clattered to the ground. The Hunter climbed inside.

  *****

  Max shot a terrified glance behind when the terrifying howl echoed through the narrow space. Something was in here with them. Claws scraping along the metal shaft announced its approach. Henry and Theo had also heard. They increased their speed.

  A mass of cobwebs choking the vent brought Theo to a halt.

  Max looked past the others and saw the reason for their halt. “That doesn't bode well.”

  Henry agreed, but however uninviting the blockage, they'd have to pass through it or face the horror approaching behind them. “We have to keep moving before that thing behind catches us.”

  With vision of giant spiders foremost in his thoughts, Theo dragged the webs aside, shivered from revulsion at their touch, and crawled through. After travailing a short distance, he again brought Henry and Max to a halt. His eyes focused on the crossroads of side turnings a little way ahead. He thought he had heard something come from one of the openings, but was unsure which one. He glanced back at Henry directly behind him for confirmation. “Did you hear that?” he whispered.

  “What, apart from that monster coming up behind us?” asked Henry, anxiously.

  Theo nodded.

  Henry shook his head.

  “Probably my imagination playing tricks?”

  Max shot a glance behind. “Move!” said Max fearfully. “That thing will be upon us in a minute.”

  Hoping his nerves were responsible for creating the sound, Theo chose the route directly ahead and led them on. He glanced into both side turnings and saw only cobwebs.

  When Max crossed the intersection, a shuffling noise from the vent on his left, directed his frightened gaze into the gloom and cobweb-crammed tunnel. The shuffling grew louder. Something sprung through the cobweb barrier. Max screamed in terror at the vision of the monster caught in his light. Its sharp-clawed hands grabbed him.

  Henry's head spun when the scream echoed through the vent. He glimpsed Max's terrified expression and the vicious Web monster dragging him into the side tunnel out of sight. Max's screams continued. The metallic tang of blood filled the confined space. Henry shot toward the opening. He was halted when something grabbed his leg. He turned. Theo was responsible. “What are you doing? Let go.” Henry struggled to free his leg. Theo held on tight. Blood oozed from the intersection. The gruesome sounds of the monster feeding upon their friend were loud within the narrow vent. The screams fell silent. Henry stopped struggling. Max was dead.

  Theo released his hold on Henry's ankle. “You couldn't have done anything to save him, Henry.”

  Angered by the man's actions, Henry glared at Theo. “But I could have tried.”

  “And gotten yourself killed in the process. Come on, it’s not safe in here anymore, we need to move.”

  Henry glanced at the vent that concealed the monster feeding on his friend. Though he knew Theo was right, he might have also been killed, the death of another team member weighed heavily upon him.

  A screech from back along the tunnel reminded them of the other threat. The monster was gaining fast. They needed to get out of the vent before it caught up with them.

  Henry turned and followed Theo’s hurried dash through the narrow tunnel. The monster, Max's terror-filled eyes, his screams, and the stench of blood would forever remain with him.

  The Hunter in pursuit warily approached the intersection. It sensed another's presence and smelt the appetizing aroma of fresh spilt blood. With its gaze directed at the darkness shrouding the creature it sensed within, it paused at the crossroads to lap up the tasty red pool. It did nothing to quench its hunger. Wanting more, it continued its rush after the fleeing creatures.

  *****

  Jane and Jack slowed their sprint along the corridor and listened. They heard no sounds of anything in pursuit and assumed correctly that the Hunter monsters were busy feeding on the Clickers Jane had killed.

  They paused at an intersection to ponder their next move.

  “We have to go back for Lucy,” said Jane, breathlessly.

  Jack rested his hands on his knees while he caught his bre
ath. “I know, and I promise we will, but not yet. It's too dangerous while those monsters are back there. When they've finished feasting, they should move on. Until that happens, I suggest we meet up with the others and try to fashion some weapons from the gear we left in the cavern, and then we come back for Lucy.”

  Though reluctant to leave her friend alone on the ship even for a brief time, Jane knew Jack's plan made sense. “The others are probably already outside as they took the most direct route.”

  “Then let's go find out.” Jack's head throbbed, his chest hurt, he was tired, hungry and desperately needed a beer. “I've had enough of this place.”

  They headed off in a direction they thought would lead them to the back of the ship and the engine room.

  *****

  Richard paused to catch his breath, cocked an ear back along the corridor and was he relieved when heard no sounds of pursuit― only the creaking ship and his rapidly beating heart. He glanced around at his surroundings. He was even more lost than before. His blind rush through the ship to escape the monster had left him disoriented, and now he'd no idea which direction the engine room was, or even the back or front of the ship.

  Disheartened that he might never escape, he leaned back against the wall to rest. Startled by the door sliding open beside him, he backed away. Though he expected some nightmare creature to leap out, none did. He noticed the button beside the door and realized he must have leaned against it.

  The headlight aimed inside the dark room revealed a shelving rack bent at an angle and leaning forward slightly. Objects that had fallen from the shelf were scattered across the floor. Curiosity moved Richard nearer and he peered inside. Metal racks, stocked with strange items, were laid out in neat rows that ran the full length of the room. Temporarily forgetting his predicament, Richard smiled. He'd hit the jackpot. There had to be something technologically advanced in here he could smuggle out and sell. It would be back-up in case the small alien died, or he failed to smuggle the creature out of Antarctica. He stepped inside to inspect the merchandise on offer.

  Richard's eager eyes roamed over the array of strange items, of which there seemed to be an eclectic mix. Food canisters labelled with strange words and images of their strange contents, material that might be clothing or bedding folded neatly and stored in what seemed to be clear plastic wrapping, canisters of what might be chemicals, unusually shaped objects fashioned from various materials, and many other items whose use he couldn't guess. He ignored all of these. He desired something technical. Advanced weaponry, communication devices, medical equipment, or something he couldn't even imagine.

  He ignored the first two racks filled with items that held no interest for him. It was in the third row he found something that might suit his particular specifications. He snatched the strange, curved triangular object from the shelf. A handle slightly too large for a human hand to grip comfortably, protruded from the base of the unit. The small screen and the few buttons around its edge informed him immediately that this object, whatever its function, was suitable for his needs.

  A type of screen, contoured to the shape of the triangular device, filled most of the top area. Below the screen were three, small, round, red buttons etched with strange symbols. Positioned on the right side was a slightly larger square button. Believing the square button might be an on, off, switch, Richard pressed it. Immediately an image faded into view on the screen. Green thin lines of light glowed brightly against a ghostly grey background. It seemed to be a simple map of some kind. When he moved the device he was amazed to find the image altered. He swept it toward the door. The image changed to show the new position of the walls, shelves and doorway. It even depicted the outside corridor and parts of nearby surrounding rooms ahead of the device.

  It must be a scanner of some sort.

  To find out what the buttons below the screen did, Richard pressed the one on the left. The image zoomed out to reveal a slightly larger area of the ship. It now depicted rooms, corridors and nearby stairways. One more press achieved its maximum reach. He could now see the layout of the ship a few rooms distant from his position. He turned in a circle and viewed areas of the ship on all sides of the store room. He paused when red dots appeared. Two close together―one behind the other―moved through a small tunnel. Another, a short distance away in a side turning, was motionless, and a fourth was moving toward the other dots in the small tunnel.

  It didn't take long for Richard to work out the dots represented things moving through the ship― monsters and his companions, though it was impossible to tell what dots belonged to which. He continued directing the scanner around and again paused on seeing a collection of dots near a doorway. Other dots, both singularly and in groups moved through various parts of the ship within the scanner's reach. Two dots moved quickly along a corridor not far from his position. He thought they might be two of his companions, possibly Jack and Jane. He aimed the scanner in the direction they headed. Caught in the far edge of the readout was a large room containing the outlines of strange shapes, including rows of circular objects― the engine room. Richard traced a route back to his position and found it free of any dots.

  Curious to find out if one of the other buttons would give him a more detailed view, Richard pressed the next button in line. The scanner screen went blank. He turned it left and right, but nothing appeared on the screen. He waved a hand in front. A blurred image crossed the screen. He moved his hand slower and then held it still. He was astonished to see an image of his hand minus the layers of skin. His blood vessels and muscles were clearly depicted, including blood flow. He moved the device along his arm. The image changed to depict each new internal part of his body. He aimed it at his leg and raised and lowered it. He could see the muscles working. He pressed the same button again. The view changed to show only his bones.

  He stared excitedly at the scanner. The medical functions alone made it an invaluable piece of technology to the medical profession. Coupled with the radar-like capabilities, it would ideally be suited to the emergency services to find people trapped in collapsed or burning buildings, or the armed services to hunt down their enemy― they would pay the most.

  Richard wondered if it would work in open spaces. He saw no reason why it shouldn't. In some ways the device reminded him of the scanner Ripley and the crew had used in the Alien movie to hunt down the murderous creature hunting them, although this seemed far more advanced and was actually a real piece of technology.

  Richard stared thoughtfully at the scanner. Though too large to fit in a pocket, if he could smuggle it off the ship he'd be able to conceal it in his bag. He had best do that straight away. If he hurried, he would be able to beat the others to the engine room, climb the ice shaft and conceal the scanner in his bag. He switched to the radar view and checked his route back to the engine room was still clear. It was. He circled to check nothing was creeping up on him and froze when a red dot appeared on the scanner. It was in the corridor outside and slowly approaching the room he was in. It was too close for him to be able to run from the room and escape. He was trapped― again.

  Richard cursed his luck and backed farther into the room. He tripped on something on the floor and fell against a rack. The objects knocked from the shelf clattered loudly on the floor. Richard stared at the scanner. The red dot paused for a moment before moving closer to the open door. Richard backed into the furthest corner of the room, switched off his headlamp and with the ghostly glow of the scanner's small screen highlighting his terrified face he listened to the scratch of clawed feet on the metal floor moving closer. His legs began to tremble. His heart pounded. He turned off the scanner and prayed it would pass on by.

  With the scent of the creature’s trail fresh in the air, the old Hunter paused outside the door it wafted from. Though its desire to feast almost overwhelmed its strict cautionary habit gained from years of experience, it wouldn't rush into the unknown. It bent at the waist, cautiously stuck its head into the room and directed his gaze at t
he almost overpowering stench of fear.

  *****

  Jack and Jane reached the engine room without encountering any other monsters or any sign of their companions.

  “Is anyone here?” Jane called out after the door slid shut.

  Her voice echoing through the large room was the only reply.

  Jack glanced over at the hole in the ship's hull, but saw no sign of anyone outside. “Perhaps they already climbed out. I know I wouldn't wait in this ship a moment longer than necessary with those monsters roaming about.”

  “Then I guess we should too.” Jane followed Jack across the room.

  They stepped through the hole and glanced up the ice tube. No one waited at the top.

  Jack picked up the rope trailing down the hole and handed it to Jane. “You go first.”

  Jane took the rope and smiled. “Jack Hawkins, forever the gentleman.”

  Jack smiled back at her. “Or, it might be that I want to watch your bum when you climb up.”

  “Watch away. You're not going to see much while I'm wearing all this gear.” Jane began her climb.

  “It's alright, my imagination will fill in the blanks,” he called after her.

  Jane smiled.

  When they were both at the top, there was still no sign of the others. They walked back through the ice tunnel, alongside the lake and into the large cavern to find it also deserted. A steady stream of snowflakes and ice particles drifting through the hole in the cavern roof had formed a small pile on the ground beneath. Snow and ice carried by the howling wind rushed across the small opening― their window to a different, normal world.

  Jane sighed with disappointment. “The blizzard seems as strong as ever, unfortunately.”