by Brad Carr
Angus looked at the man on his right. Slim with narrow shoulders, he was caucasian with balding gray hair and a thin mustache. The man stared up at Angus with his lazy steel colored eyes, studying his facial features. Turning left, a middle aged woman with long blonde hair, and dark blue eyes gazed ahead. Her appearance seemed attractive, healthy, yet slightly overweight for a soldier status. Red irritation from former tears were obvious. Angus gave her a small smile of understanding, sympathizing with how she may be feeling.
Magnus then continued. “Remove your clothes!”
Angus stripped off his clothing, stashing it inside the leather backpack near his feet. It was the first time in five years he revealed his bare skin to anyone else. Most did their best to keep their eyes forward when standing at attention.
Soldier class uniforms were basic; long sleeved button down shirts, with multi pocketed form fitting pants. Similar to the other jumpsuits, their last names were stitched on their right breast. An emblem was missing from the back of the uniforms. Fabricated with layers of interwoven wool, its color reminded Angus of dark whiskey. The undergarments were made of a stretchy material comforted to the skin, to prevent skin irritation that wool typically causes. Standard issue all-terrain boots matched their apparel.
Angus now stared again to the woman to his left. Stitched on her shirt spelled the name of “Papier”. The last name of the man to Angus’ right spelled “Reeves”.
“You’re a Vol?” asked Reeves.
“I am.”
“I am surprised you’re here. Surely you volunteered.”
“No, I was drafted.”
“I was under the impression that this commission was biased. It appears I was wrong and the rumors were true. Are you related to the former king, Brakion Vol?”
“He is my Uncle, although I don’t remember meeting him.”
“It must be an honor for you.”
“Well…”
“What honor?!” Papier chimed in on the conversation. “Brakion did this to us! Took us from our former lives, just to get killed or eaten by some god damned wild animal out in the undiscovered territories.” Papier was clearly upset by the life she was leaving behind. Angus felt like agreeing with her, but it wouldn’t change his new situation.
“Can it Papier!” said Reeves angrily. “I’m leaving behind my husband, my children and my grandchildren. But if we want humanity rebuilt, we have to branch out. Rumors are that even Brakion was given the Exploration Commission, so obviously he is not above the law either.”
“How would you know this?” Angus asked.
“Again, from what I heard, Brakion is over in Mitton leading Outpost Seven,” stated Reeves.
“I don’t believe it,” said Papier.
“We’ll find out once we get there, won’t we?” said Reeves.
“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” interrupted Captain Magnus. “I didn’t say you could speak yet! I want silence while I explain the rest of your instructions!”
Immediately all of the Soldier Class stood back in attention. Although Magnus wasn’t a soldier, he sounded like a thundering storm. Intimidation was natural to his demeanor.
“A map of the ship has been uploaded to your neural link! Go to the sleeping quarters and wait for further instructions!” demanded Magnus.
Many looked around confused by his mention of the word “neural link.” Reeves looked at Angus and Papier and whispered,” The optical scanner was an implant. I overheard the official tell one of the others.”
A clear map could be viewed in the upper right hand corner of Angus’ vision. Strolling at a steady pace towards Helga, he took one last look at Satellite Island. Internally, he said his farewells to the life he knew. Stepping aboard the ship, Angus Vol no longer considered himself a simple man. He promised himself he would become something more. But Angus was going to take it one step at a time.
Chapter 2
Helga’s engines began to hum while the passengers traveled to the barracks. It was a basic sea vessel. The exterior was a flat blue, with signs of oxidation dripping downward from the rivets. Nearly six meters in height above the waterline, two seamen were scrubbing down the forecastle and main deck.
Inside the barracks, gray riveted steel covered the bulkheads. Metal grates “tinked” against the soles of passenger boots. They were filing into stasis capsules. Resembling white metallic bullet shaped coffins, the top lids allowed for a dark tinted window, just large enough to expose an outward view. Passengers called these capsules, “pods.” Piled up as a three tier bunk, it was constructed with a steel mechanism and pulley system. As one passenger got in their pods, another would rotate into place.
Sixty stasis pods filled the large open room of the barracks. The remaining fifteen passengers were directed to another location for the duration of the slow journey to Outpost Seven.
Angus, Reeves, and Papier were among the passengers who had a pod bed to sleep in. The pod fit snug against Angus’ body. Squeezing his leather backpack towards his legs, the lid descended slowly. Darkness surrounded him. A strange odor filled the inside of the pod, making him drowsy. Angus’ eyes closed shut, falling into a deep slumber.
***
Angus stood on a desert plain. The sky appeared red and cloudless. Beneath his feet, the texture of sand appeared normal; however the sound of crunching brittle bones filled every step. Journeying forward, an orange rock mountain appeared. At the base of the mountain, his wife Rola sat near a campfire.
Angus immediately sprinted towards her. “Rola!” he cried. But she didn’t acknowledge him. Crying out to her a few more times, he continued running towards the campfire. Ever closer and closer, she took no notice of him. Rola’s gaze didn’t stray from the flames.
A cold bony hand grabbed Angus’ uniform by the collar. Yet, Angus bursted forward, dragging a skeleton on his back. Pulling the skeleton off, he threw it aside. Glancing behind while at full speed, an army of human skeletons were chasing him. Armed with swords, shields, and armor that were deteriorated with holes, cracks, rips, and tears; they were gaining. Mold and dust covered them. The dust from their armor created clouds of smoke behind them as they made their chase.
Angus faced forward and chugged to the campfire. On his arrival, he slid to his knees. Grasping onto Rola by the shoulders, he screamed, “Babe, we have to go. Let’s go!”
Rola stared into his eyes and said nothing. Her body changed to the hues of decaying flesh. The physical structure of his wife turned as soft as mud, then immediately dried into coarse white sand. Her form crumbled, blowing away in the breeze.
Resting on his knees, he pulled himself up to a standing position, and faced the army of skeletons that were hunting him. They stood immobile in tight formation. The army of skeletons divided into groups of two. A man walked between them, approaching Angus.
The man’s darkened body was in a state of rot. Parts of bone could be seen through sections of flesh that had deteriorated long ago. Profiling a long black beard with missing chunks, he moved closer. Dressed in an ancient Capital Kingdom uniform of basic leather, his face seemed familiar to Angus. Memories of old family projection graphs were recalled. Angus recognized him, although he hadn’t remembered meeting him before. Yet he knew it was Salem Vol, his father.
“Father?” asked Angus, still questioning himself.
“Angus,” Salem spoke with a dark, gruff voice. “Do not be afraid. We are here to help you.”
“Help me with what?”
Salem said nothing else. Grabbing Angus by the shirt collar; picking him up. His feet hovered above the sand. Salem hurled him easily towards the flames. In a mid air approach, he exited the dream.
***
Angus felt a jolt to his body as if he was tackled. Awakening inside the pod as it had crashed against a hard surface, which he could only assume was the floor. Clouded vision began to clear. Within a few seconds, he remembered that he was on Helga. Angus helplessly rolled with the pod, hitting a wall.
Pulling the handle i
nside the pod lid, he crawled out and rose to his feet. Angus felt dizzy and disoriented; he tried to adjust to the blinking blue lights from the ceiling. A massive hole damaged the top of the ship, exposing the night sky. Bright shining stars illuminated the dense darkness.
Looking around the room, he noticed most of the pods were closed, and most likely occupied. Two other pods were scattered across the room on the floor. However, the passengers inside stasis, seemed unfazed by the drop. A steel beam that originally covered the ceiling, was strewn across the room. Realizing that this object knocked all three capsule beds off the wall, he wondered what caused the damage. Scorch marks peppering the area. Obviously, this wasn’t an accident. Heavy weaponry must have caused the charred marks and destruction.
Angus cautiously and silently stepped out of the room, strapping on his leather backpack on the way out. The blue overhead lights blinked intermittently in the hallway of the ship. He could feel the heavy rocking of the seawater beneath him. Constant rising and sinking gave a sense of instability, as well as a touch of motion sickness.
Angus activated the map of the ship in his eye implant with just a thought, and headed toward the direction of the bridge, and control room. Walking on his toes to diminish the sound of footsteps, he could hear heavy stomps in the distance. Every now and again he would catch a glimpse of thick shadows scurrying between the flickering lights.
These shadows were not human, but rather crustacean-like. Angus’ perception was now at a high level due to his fear. Someone, or more likely some “thing” was awake, inhabiting the ship. In these dangerous waters, if it wasn’t human, it was more likely trying to devour a prey.
Angus reached the Captain’s bridge, there on the floor in the flashing darkness, was Magnus. Approaching the old man’s silhouette, Angus was struck with horror. He flinched backward. Magnus’ face was missing, replaced by a deep empty gooey hole through the front of his skull.
Immediately, Angus grabbed Magnus’ laser pistol from the leg holster. Gripping the handle with his right hand, he pointed the barrel in any direction he turned. Surveying the room, blood spattered the walls. Human body parts were scattered across the floor. It was a massacre of Magnus’ crew.
Crustacean carcasses, the likes he had never known, were riddled with burning laser holes through light green and brown shells. Apparently from the amount of creature bodies, the crew put up a hard fight before losing the battle. Angus could only relate the crustacean forms as “lobsters,” except extremely larger. The lobsters were as tall as typical humans, and much wider. Ten legs, including two large claws were connected to their bodies. Barnacles were scattered on their shells.
“They must have entered quickly,” he thought to himself. “There wasn’t time to seal the room before they were attacked.”
A blinking distress signal light was located on the opposite wall in which he stood. Apparently, the crew had sent out the call to the Navy in Mitton. Though this gave Angus some relief, obvious dangers needed to be dealt with until they were rescued. Every passenger was in peril. Angus would need assistance to rid the ship of these lobsters. Stealth would be a primary requirement, so as not to stir up anything larger from the ocean.
Angus collected each weapon from the dead crew in the room. Two laser rifles and three pistols were located. Since all of the bodies were dismembered, Angus guessed that the bridge was formally occupied by five of Magnus’ crew by the amount of guns. He picked up a gray cotton pull string sack from a closet; storing the weapons inside, and removed a fire axe hanging beside the doorway.
Quietly and safely arriving down the passageway, to the crew quarters; he knew that these would possibly be the only passengers awake. Grasping the handle and slowly turning it, he hoped the sound wouldn’t attract too much attention.
The leaking room consistently filled up with sea water from a hole in the floor. A large tiger striped shark was inside. Razor sharp teeth snapped down on one of the passengers, cutting her in two pieces. She squealed helplessly, until the shark bit again removing her head. The remainder of the room was covered in human body parts. Angus squeezed the trigger of the pistol only to hear a “click”. The laser cartridge was empty.
Hearing the noise, the ferocious creature turned his attention to Angus and began crawling on two stumpy arms located behind its gills. The tail dragged behind on the floor. Dropping the useless laser, he fumbled through the cotton sack. Snapping jaws approached rapidly within ten meters. Holding another gun, he aimed the sights towards the shark’s head, which sped up to a meter away from him. Squeezing the trigger, shark brains splattered backward. Quivering, the shark’s body eventually fell limp. The caving hole in its head burned with small flames and smoke. The smell of singed fish odor filled Angus’ nostrils.
The carcass began sliding further away from Angus; he realized that the ship was starting to tip and break off into the ocean. Angus dropped the sack on the floor, holding onto the laser in his right hand and the axe in his left. He couldn’t carry the sack of weapons anymore without compromising his speed. Being silent or cautious was no longer an option. Time was running short. Angus felt the need to wake the passengers in the capsules.
Zooming with an adrenaline fueled run, Angus traveled the passageways, following directions from his neural map. Any creatures on board were now alerted to his heavy sprinting footsteps. Two lobsters scuffled behind him as Angus bustled through the flickering hallway. Never stopping, he turned his head and shot one of the lobsters in the torso. The lobster squealed and flopped to the floor, while another tripped over the injured organism.
Facing forward again, Angus immediately dropped low, skidding under the legs of another lobster standing in front of him. In mid slide, he sliced through the abdomen with the axe. The lobster dropped dead on top of Angus. He was covered in milky white entrails and fluids.
Pushing the carcass off of himself, jumping to his feet, he continued running towards the barracks. Upon his entry to the door, the cacophony of a loud banging hit the side of the room. Losing his footing, he dropped, along with the stasis pods. Lobsters began filling up through the hole in the ceiling.
Without hesitation, Angus started opening pods and waking as many passengers as he could. They were dazed, but some of them helped open other pods to assist others. Reeves happened to be one of them. Without speaking, he handed Reeves the gun. Armed only with an axe, Angus bravely began swinging and chopping down lobsters, trailing towards the passengers.
“We’ve got to go! Now!” screamed Reeves. “There is too many of them!”
In a nod of agreement, Angus and Reeves legged it out of the barracks, heading to the bridge. Two other passengers made it outside the door also. Enormous crustaceans filled the barracks, making it impossible for the rest to escape. Blood curdling screams permeated the ship. While trekking up the stairs into another passageway, rooms lined up both sides. Lobsters piled out behind Reeves and Angus; blocking the path of the two survivors trailing behind.
Angus and Reeves stopped to reverse themselves in assistance. But it was too late. A lobster claw snipped off a man’s head, while the other passenger cried out in agony as her innards were being ripped out of her torso.
“We can’t help them now!” yelled Angus, grabbing Reeves’ wrist. “It’s too late for them now. Keep moving!”
Reeves followed behind Angus, entering the bridge full of Captain Magnus’ dead crew. Hurrying to the control panel near Magnus’ body, Reeves pressed the emergency door button. The thick steel entrance and exit doors were locked down. The ship steadily pulled towards the ocean waters.
“We have to break away now,” Angus commanded without hesitation. “Disconnect the bridge from the ship.”
“What about the others?” Reeves questioned.
“Those in their pods will hopefully float on the water. The others are probably dead. Magnus had sent a distress signal to Mitton before he was killed.” Staring at the lifeless crew of Magnus, he concluded, “Our only hope is this room.
It is sturdy, it can separate itself, and it will float. The rest of the ship is lost. It will pull us down with it. All we can do is wait for the Capital Kingdom Navy to save us, and hope some others survived.”
Reeves looked down at the floor. Discouraged and feeling beaten, he reluctantly hit the emergency detachment button. The bridge stayed afloat as the rest of Helga slowly crawled down to the ocean floor. Part of the ship bumped gently against the side of the emergency detachment along the way. Helga was now part of a watery grave.
“Thank you Angus. You saved my life,” Reeves spoke feeling grateful.
Angus looked back at Reeves with a disappointed look. “I only wish I could have saved more.”
Chapter 3
A cool breeze traveled through the air, transporting the scent of sea salt to the shores. Bright yellow ripples of morning light reflected off the blue ocean. Waves crashed near the shoreline, pushing up white foam. Altostratus clouds filled the heavens. Seagulls gathered on a beach of smooth rocks and coarse sand. Scavenging on the carcass of a beached whale, the gulls used their razor teethed beaks to pull off morels of tasty blubber.
A spry looking man in his early sixties sits on a wooden bench, situated on the porch of his home. His bare torso displayed a firm chest with arms to match. However, injuries and burns from a violent past covered numerous areas. Ivory hair dropped below his shoulders. A groomed beard reached just below his neck, swaying whimsically through the wind gusts. Dark bronzed in complexion, his ice blue eyes seemed brighter because of the contrast. Fading downward from his hairline, curving just below his left eye, was a deep jagged scar enhancing his unique facial profile.
