Absolute Zero

by Phillip Tomasso

  The things were no longer in attack mode. They didn’t flee, but neither did they advance. Again, another good sign.

  Meyers was worried about the blaster charges. The weapons held a charge for some time, but not indefinitely. “We’re going to run,” Meyers announced between shots. “There’s a chamber door not far from where we were. It’s where I sent Ruiz. It separates the living quarters from the rest of the colony.” The compound was set up in segments. Although each segment was attached to the next, people could easily divorce themselves from a specific area. This way, if there were any kind of hull breach, the residents would be safe until a team could repair damages.

  “I’m ready when you are,” Stanton said.

  She slapped him on the shoulder before she took off running.

  Stanton didn’t hesitate. He let two more bolts fly, and then turned and fled.

  The two of them raced toward the door. Spacesuit boots, made special to keep them from floating away, but light enough to wear comfortably, pounded the metal floor. The fast-tempo of each footfall created a peculiar sounding drum roll. They were neck and neck. Ruiz was just inside, and offered up hand waves of encouragement.

  Meyers’ nostrils were filled with the smell of burnt creature. The odor from the fired bolts filled the passages. What made her stomach churn most was the fact that it didn’t smell horrible.

  When had she last eaten? When had any of them eaten, or had something to drink? She knew, then, that she was tired. Losing focus. If she didn’t concentrate, she was going to get tripped up and tumble, and those things would feast on her. No. They would not catch her. She was not going to become their next meal!

  Meyers didn’t have to look back. She knew they were being chased. The things were fast. If she had to guess, she and Stanton were moments shy of being gobbled up alive. “Move it, Captain!”

  She ran all out, giving it everything she had. There was no conserving energy at this point. As far as she was concerned, right now was the end of the race. Kicking it into gear, her strides grew, arms pumped, and within a half of a heartbeat, Meyers pulled ahead. It wasn’t about beating Stanton, it was meant to inspire.

  The technique worked.

  Adam Stanton fought for the lead.

  It became a game. She thought she could see him smile, maybe heard him giggle in an inadvertent transmission. “Never going to beat me, Captain,” she egged him on, and again edged out in front of him.

  Something behind them growled, and despite the spacesuit, Meyers thought she felt a spray of hot breath on her back.

  Stanton—if he had been smiling—no longer smiled. His brow furrowed and jaw set.

  The hatch doorway was five yards ahead of them.

  Meyers wasn’t prepared when Stanton pushed her from behind. She flew forward, losing her balance, but crossed the threshold. She went down hard, but immediately rolled onto her back and propped herself up onto an elbow.

  Stanton, right behind Meyers, spun around and helped pull closed the hatch door with Ruiz. They cranked the wheel lock on the center of the door and effectively sealed themselves off from the south half of the compound. This was confirmed when a red light above the doorway turned green.

  Panting, bent forward, with hands on his knees, Stanton said, “You are fast, Commander. Like a cheetah. You have some cheetah blood running through you?”

  “A quarter. On my mother’s side,” she said, grinning.

  Something big and heavy slammed into the opposite side of the hatch door.

  Stanton jumped. Ruiz laughed at him.

  “Don’t worry,” Meyers said. “We’re going to get out of this.”

  The commander was certain other ways back through the compound existed. She remembered seeing them on the colony blueprints. There weren’t multiple routes leading everywhere like some kind of crazy maze. There were two. There were only two, and now this one was blocked.

  The best she could tell, they weren’t isolated or trapped at the north end. They were just inconvenienced. Restricted. Limited, even.

  The thing on the other side of the sealed hatch door slammed into it a second time.

  And then a third.

  The three of them stood motionless, staring at the door. Meyers knew the same question ran through their minds. It certainly ran through hers. Can those things break down that steel door? “Those hatches are built to withstand a direct hit from a meteor, people,” the commander said. “Some hybrid snake-thing is not going to ram its crocodile head through steel that thick. Just not going to happen.”

  The next thud looked as if the hinges rattled. Had a screw come loose?

  “Let’s get going, The faster we complete our search, the sooner we can get off this …” her mind searched for some word to describe the hell they were now in, but settled for simple, and said, “planet.”

  Stanton gave her a wink. A curious thing, and then he took off at a jog toward what she believed was the mess hall. Ruiz followed him.

  Meyers, staring at the hatch door a moment longer, thought she saw the wheel lock move. There was no way, with those small legs and taloned claws, those things could be smart enough to unlock the hatch.

  It just couldn’t be possible. These were reptile-like animals. Nothing more.

  Unless—no, no, it couldn’t be—unless they were synonymous with the humans of Earth, an intelligent alien race?

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Captain Danielle Rivers, guarding the communications room, stood by the door. She stared out the thick glass but could see only the amber-lit hallway. She heard the sound of a great gunfight and hoped beyond hope that the rest of her team was okay.

  She knew protecting the communications room was an important assignment, but it didn’t feel right. She wanted to be with the commander and the others, fighting.

  She stood on tiptoes and strained seeing down the hallway, and then, when she could, she wished she hadn’t.

  A horde of the serpent creatures slithered her way. One scaled the walls in a serpentine fashion, slithering faster than the others. Its head snaked up and down, and then it stopped. It was perched on the wall opposite the door to the communications room. Its eyes locked on hers.

  Recognition.

  She moved away from the door, turned her head away from the scene. She pressed her back to the wall and tried controlling her breathing.

  Her brow, covered in beads of sweat, was ignored. The sweat rolled down the bridge of her nose. The salt stung the inner corners of her eyes. “This isn’t good. This isn’t good. This isn’t good.”

  Rivers contemplated calling for help. The radios were right there in front of her.

  She had no idea how the others fared in the gunfight. Were they okay?

  Would it be selfish calling them back to help her?

  Did she need help? Wasn’t she safe inside the locked room? So the thing saw her. That didn’t mean it could get inside the room with her. She stayed still and regulated her breathing. Out of sight, out of mind.

  However, she was tempted to turn and look out the glass window. Had the things moved on, or were they waiting for her?

  She was freaking out. Her chest rose and fell fast. The quick and shallow breaths were going to make her hyperventilate.

  This was just a nightmare. It was how she tried to convince herself everything would be okay. They would all survive and get off this crazy planet and be back in the safety of the Eclipse in no time at all.

  That is, if the creatures didn’t kill the commander and the others moments ago.

  No. They were okay. They’d made it to the next section of the colony, she was certain.

  Her comlink squawked. “Captain Rivers?”

  It was the commander. A flood of relief overcame Rivers. Her body shook, and she almost laughed. “Commander? Commander, come in?”

  “We are isolated in the north half of the compound, Rivers. Over.”

  “But you’re okay? Over.”

  “We’re all okay,” the commander said. �
�How are you? Over.”

  Rivers sucked in a deep breath and chanced a look. It was fast. A turn of her head. She saw at least four creatures; three were coiled and hissing just outside of the communication room door. The fourth was crawling over the others, and then she lost sight of it.

  Until its head popped up on the other side of the glass.

  Rivers screamed.

  “Lieutenant?” the commander’s voice came over the comlink.

  Rivers moved back, and away from the door. She couldn’t look away from the thing trying to get in.

  The creature’s head smashed into the glass. The glass didn’t crack or shatter this time. “I’m a—” she said. “It’s good. I’m okay.”

  “We engaged the alien, but they may be headed in your direction.” Rivers heard the concern in the commander’s transmission.

  “They’re here, Commander. At least four. They’re outside the communications room,” Rivers said. She had backed herself up to the table with the radios.

  The snake-thing slammed its head against the glass again. Rivers shuddered.

  “Are you okay?”

  “They’re trying to get in; one of them is trying to smash the glass.”

  The commander did not respond.

  “Commander? Are you still there?”

  “You have your blaster?”

  “Aye, Commander. I do.”

  There was another long pause in communications. Rivers knew the other three were discussing what to do next. She hoped they agreed to come to her rescue. She didn’t want to be alone anymore. Fear ran through her body like blood in her veins. “Commander?”

  “We can’t come back,” Meyers said. “You are going to have to defend the room until we can get to you. We’ve just a few places left to search, and then …”

  “I understand, Commander. I won’t let them in,” she said. There was no way she could stop the things if they smashed through the glass. She raised her blaster, as if at any moment the communications room would be breached.

  Rivers’ finger twitched over the trigger.

  The beads of sweat now irritated her eyes. She used a forearm and ran it across her face, swiping away the perspiration as best she could. “Nothing’s getting in here, Commander.”

  She conveyed way more confidence and determination than she felt.

  “We’ll be back for you, Lieutenant. Soon. Very soon,” the commander said.

  “Aye, Commander. Over and out.”

  Chapter Forty-Five

  On board the Cutlass

  “It is kind of claustrophobic in here.” Lieutenant Marshall Weber stood with his back to the wall on the bridge of the Cutlass but considered it more of a cockpit. Murray Bell sat on the floor beside him. He didn’t look too good. His stump, where his leg had been, was bleeding again. The blood wasn’t gushing, but the man needed medical help and soon.

  The ship’s captain, Aroldis D’Rukker, stood like a statue. Large arms folded across his chest. “If you don’t like it, we can drop you back on the planet surface. Anywhere you’d like.”

  Weber arched an eyebrow at Erinne Cohn. “What I mean is, it’s cozy in here. Very welcoming.”

  D’Rukker didn’t seem to buy it.

  “Look,” Weber said. “Bell and I appreciate your help. And we thank you.”

  D’Rukker bought that. “We’re not in the business of saving people.”

  “No? What business are you in?”

  They were on a pirate ship. Weber knew that much.

  The captain went back to giving him a stoic expression.

  “Is there any chance you can drop us off? There’s a colony not far from here—”

  D’Rukker said, “We know where it is.”

  “Wonderful. That’s, well, that’s just wonderful. So, I’m thinking it won’t be much of a problem giving us a lift there?”

  Looking at Erinne Cohn, D’Rukker said, “We look like a taxi service to you?”

  Erinne shook her head, “No, boss.”

  “Didn’t think so.”

  Weber held up both hands, a surrendering gesture. “I’m just saying, I—we—we appreciate what you guys did for us. Don’t get me wrong, but we’ve got to get back to our crew. They may be in similar danger.”

  “Not our problem,” D’Rukker said.

  “But, the way I see it, it kind of is,” Weber said.

  D’Rukker shifted his weight. He was indeed a beefy guy. “And how is it you see things, Lieutenant?”

  “I mean, unless you plan on keeping Bell and I as prisoners—”

  “You’re not prisoners. At any point since you have been on my ship have I, or anyone else on the Cutlass made you feel like a prisoner?” D’Rukker made his point.

  “Well, no. But—”

  “You and your friend are free to leave at any time,” he said. “There is just one small issue we need to settle. A matter of payment.”

  “Payment? Like, you think I’m carrying a ton of currency on me? We’re on Neptune, sir. I don’t have anything valuable to offer.”

  “You have diamonds, Lieutenant.” D’Rukker offered up a half-sided smile. It was clearly him making his intentions known and insisting Weber understood what was now on the table.

  “Diamonds.” Weber shook his head. “That’s what you want? Diamonds?”

  “We were going to patiently wait for your party to leave the planet before visiting the colony to see what the distress signal was all about.” He shrugged, as if heroism turned him modest.

  “You planned to help them, the way you helped my friend and I?”

  “You could say that,” D’Rukker said.

  “That’s mighty generous and selfless of you,” Weber said.

  D’Rukker grunted. “You think this is funny?”

  “I don’t care one way or the other about diamonds. Take some, take them all. That’s not my game. I’m more concerned about getting back to the compound. You want to negotiate some form of settlement for our safe return, I’ll even advocate for a large sum on your behalf. How’s that?” Weber asked.

  “Now I think we are closer to reaching an understanding.”

  “How wonderful,” Weber said. “In the meantime, my friend here is bleeding, and I’d really like to have a look at his leg.” Weber pointed down at Bell. Bell was not alert. His eyelids fluttered. “Hey, Bell? Bell?”

  Weber dropped to his knees. He placed his hands on Bell’s chest and then touched two fingers to the side of Bell’s throat. “I’ve got a pulse. But it’s weak. Do you have a sick bay on this ship?”

  D’Rukker eyed Cohn.

  Weber snapped. “Hey, this man is going to die if I can’t give him some help. Please, is there a sick bay on the ship?”

  D’Rukker said, “Let’s get him down to Higgs.”

  Weber draped one of Bell’s arms over his shoulder. Erinne Cohn knelt on the other side of Bell and took Bell’s arm over her shoulder. The metallic hand touched Weber.

  He looked over at her. Their eyes met.

  “Sorry,” she offered up.

  He returned a half smile. “Lift on three,” he said.

  “Follow me,” she said, shifting Bell’s weight as best she could, sharing the burden between the two of them.

  “We’re not done discussing things,” D’Rukker said, as the two ambled off the bridge.

  Weber knew there was more to discuss. D’Rukker might think he’s intimidating, and, well, maybe he was a bit imposing, but Weber didn’t scare easily. He knew the man had some kind of heart, or the Cutlass never would have swooped in to rescue them in the first place. D’Rukker and his crew could have let them perish, and then there would be that much left to deal with when stealing the diamonds.

  No. D’Rukker wasn’t half as bad a person as he wanted others to believe.

  And so, Weber did not reply.

  _____

  Warren “Higgs” Higashioka was the Cutlass medic. Asian descent, he had straight black hair and pale skin. He wore thick glasses with black fram
es. His shirt was half tucked into his pants and one sleeve was rolled up his forearm.

  Bell lay on a table in the ship’s sick bay. His clothes had been stripped off him.

  “He might have an infection,” Higgs said.

  Weber stood on the opposite side of the table, across from Higgs. Cohn stood at the foot of the table, watching everything with intent.

  “I was worried about that,” Weber said.

  Higgs wore latex gloves. He removed a rectangle bag from a drawer. Working effortlessly, Higgs held the bag upside down, so that a thin, but coiled tube hung from the end. After suspending the bag on a hook over the table, Higgs uncoiled the tubing. On the open end was a silver needle that, after tapping Bell’s forearm, Higgs pierced into Bell’s skin, inserting the needle into a vein. He used medical tape to secure the needle flat against Bell’s skin, and then twisted a knob to start fluids flowing from the bag into Bell’s arm. “This antibiotic should work fast and help fight the infection. Won’t be long before we see if it is helping,” Higgs said. “In the meantime, why don’t we clean the leg and re-cauterize the wound? I’m assuming you can help me with the procedure, Lieutenant?”

  “Sure, Doc,” Weber said. “Thank you.”

  “Will he be alright?” Erinne asked.

  Higgs traced a finger over the infected area, leaning in close for a better look. “I can’t say for certain. Could be touch and go, Erinne. Touch and go.”

  Erinne grabbed a black, thermal blanket and covered Bell, her eyes never looked away from Weber.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Captain Danielle Rivers screamed.

  The pit of creatures swarmed the area outside of the communications room. Rivers knew she was on her own. The things kept smashing into the door, into the glass. The glass began cracking, spider-webbing.

  They were going to get in. It was just a matter of time. It seemed as if the more they tried to crash through the door, the more enraptured the creatures became. Her scream didn’t help. The outburst served only to rile the things all the more.