by Ben Hammott
*****
After running for about five minutes, Lucy paused and panting heavily gazed back along the corridor. Comforted by the lack of any sounds of the recently freed creature's pursuit, she approached the open door ahead and gazed into the room highlighted by the blue corridor lights. It was another of the crew's quarters that seemed to be distributed all over the ship, perhaps to make it more convenient for certain crew members to be closer to whatever duties they had to perform until their ill-fated voyage had taken a turn for the worse. When she was certain it was free of monsters, she stepped inside. She would have preferred to close the door, but that would plunge the room in unwelcoming darkness. Resting her tired body on one of the chairs at the table against the wall, she placed one of the weapons and the spear down while she examined the other futuristic pistol. If she could find out how the weapons worked, they would help protect her against the spaceship's vicious inhabitants.
Lights came on when she turned a dial. Unsure what would happen when she pulled the trigger, she crossed to the door and aimed the weapon along the corridor. Her finger stretched around the trigger, which was a little awkward as it had been designed for bigger hands than hers, and pulled. A startled yelp sprung from her lips when a small red sphere of bright light shot from the gun and travelled down the corridor until it exploded in a bright flash against the far wall. She turned the dial a couple of clicks and fired again. The yellow ball of intense light grew as it travelled away until it reached a width of about two feet. It too exploded against the far wall. Lucy smiled as her eyes adjusted back to the gloomy interior. Nothing could stand in her way now.
A check of the other weapon revealed it was also operational. The two functioning weapons boosted her confidence, but she still needed a portable light of some type. From her past wanderings through the ship she knew not every corridor or room would be illuminated; light was as essential as a weapon if she was going to survive.
Her gaze around the room rested on the tall cupboards along one side of the room. Though she thought it unlikely, they might contain the alien equivalent to a flashlight; she had nothing to lose. There were no handles but when she pressed one of the doors, it swished open. A light source remained elusive after she had searched the contents, but she did find something that might prove useful―some alien clothing. She held up a type of shirt or jacket. There were no buttons or zips; it was worn by pulling it over your head. She slipped it on and pushed her arms through the sleeves. Though far too large, Lucy thought with a few minor adjustments she could design something that fit better.
She grabbed the spear and after trimming off some sections was about to try it on again, when she spied the toilet and shower compartment. Layers of grime and monster blood covered her like a second skin, and her hair was matted with all manner of foul gunk. The irresistible urge to be clean again drove her decision. She crossed to the shower room and turned the lever she found on the wall. Though only a small amount of cold water dribbled from the large circular showerhead, it was better than nothing.
Lucy poked her head out into the corridor and listened. Only the familiar groans and creaks of the ship disturbed the silence. Though she knew it was risky and reckless―anything could be heading towards her―the seed of cleanliness had been firmly planted and too alluring to resist. She collected a piece of clothing from a cupboard to use as a towel, grabbed one of the alien pistols and went to have a shower.
*****
As Richard fled through the industrial-themed corridor and leaped over the fallen ceiling panels and beams, he kept the flashlight aimed in front to light his way. The lines of cables attached to the walls and those hanging from the ceiling he dodged around reminded him of the tentacles responsible for dragging him into these hell-spawned levels. He shook that particular nightmare away and concentrated on the one he currently experienced. He had lost all sense of direction and had no way of knowing if he was heading for the front or back of the ship or crossing its width. Trusting his luck that had kept him alive thus far, he ignored all side turnings and doors and continued straight ahead.
After rounding a few corners, Richard slowed on sighting a red glow ahead and halted a short distance away. The fearful chill that shivered through his body set his alarm bells tinkling. His eyes scanned the area ahead for movement, but all seemed still. He spun and aimed the flashlight back the way he had come, but it was absent the approaching menace he had imagined creeping up on him.
With his nerves so far on edge they were plummeting down the side of a cliff, Richard approached the eerie red light seeping through a window set in the wall and highlighting the strange objects that littered the floor. They looked like someone's poor attempt at making pottery vases. Smooth concentric ridges ran down the sides of the foot-tall objects that glistened as if they were wet and drooped to the side to reveal dark empty interiors. He was under no illusion that something hadn't grown inside and hatched from every single one.
As he drew closer he noticed other far more worrisome objects. He poked one with a foot. It was stiff but semitransparent. It reminded Richard of shredded snakeskin, but the ghostly forms hinted at by the shredded skins were nothing remotely snake-like. As Richard gingerly stepped through the egg graveyard, his eyes constantly searched for the hatchlings, or worse, what they had now matured into. He ducked beneath fallen metal beams propped against the buckled walls. The floor creaked with his steps and though he had the feeling it might collapse at any time, he knew he had to keep moving.
A few moments later, the sounds drifting along the debris-strewn corridor from behind slowed Richard's search for salvation. It was the unmistakable sound of approaching monsters and their bloodcurdling screeches indicated they were gaining too fast for him to outrun. He searched for a hiding place, but his choices were limited. He dropped to the floor, lay tight against the wall and pulled a buckled ceiling panel over him.
The three alien creatures that chased the slightly larger creature along the corridor weren't particularly hungry, as they had hunted and eaten many creatures lately that seemed to have suddenly appeared, but their instinct to eat when normally scarce food was available drove their actions.
The cow-sized creature being chased was covered in long brown hair, had six legs, a triangular head, and was an herbivore. It was also terrified. Terror bulged its eyes and sweat matted its long hair. When it had awoken to its strange surroundings, it had found itself surrounded by many species of creatures that looked at each other hungrily and who seemed just as groggy and confused as it was. It had headed for the nearest exit before they had fully recovered and attacked and hadn't stopped looking for the familiar fields it and its herd had roamed through.
Though it had managed to avoid many creatures, it had failed to avoid the three currently chasing it when it had come across them unexpectedly. It was weak, hungry and knew it couldn't run for much longer.
Richard trembled with fear as the monsters approached and groaned when something heavy thundered across the edge of the ceiling panel he hid beneath, crushing his chest, but he forced himself to silence and peered out at the slightly smaller beetle-like creatures rushing past. Though they had hinted similarities to the shredded skins he had happened across earlier, these had evolved into much larger ferocious creatures. A row of small jointed black legs either side of its golden articulated body―a body that humped in the middle and was adorned with ivory spikes―scuttled the five-foot-long creature along at a surprisingly fast rate. Though no eyes were visible, the front flat segment of the creature seemed to be its head and was armed with two curved, stag beetle-like horns that stuck out like pincers and were set either side of a wide flat mouth.
The bovine beast skidded and crashed into the far wall of the turning. It glimpsed those chasing it almost upon it and spurted forward when one leaped.
Its attacker hit the wall, sprung away and landed on the back of the fleeing beast. It raised the front of its body up and stabbed its pincer-horns into the beast's hairy flesh
, causing it to howl in pain and stumble. As it slid along the floor the other two arrived and after a few vicious stabs, ended its life.
After remaining still for a few moments and listening to the all too familiar sounds of the monsters distant feeding, Richard carefully lifted the panel aside and climbed to his feet. He stared at the T-junction at the end of the corridor where the sound originated from and slowly approached. When he grew nearer he noticed the staircase set in an alcove on the far side of the T-Junction. Though he had no idea how far he was below the hangar level, he believed his best chance of finding the exit was to head up until he came across something he recognized.
Prepared for a rushed retreat if anything appeared, Richard cautiously approached the turning. He hugged the wall, inched towards the corner and slowly peeked around the edge. The three alien beetles were gathered around a gruesome mass of ripped flesh they fed upon. Unfortunately only one of them had their back to him. If he moved for the stairs he would be seen, chased, caught and eaten. As he turned back to consider his options, he noticed a flash of red light at the end of the left T-junction corridor. Though it was only a brief glimpse, he thought he had noticed a dark form moving nearer. When a yellow flash erupted a few moments later and lit up the corridor again, the dark form was definitely nearer.
Richard slowly backed into the darkness of the corridor and pressed his shaking body behind a metal support rib.
*****
The sounds of the hunt EV1L had heard previously and that had distracted it from its search for the two-legged creature, had changed into the unmistakable sounds of feasting―evidence the hunt had been successful. Hopeful it would have the same satisfactory outcome, it turned into the dark corridor that branched off to the right and headed towards the sound of feasting. It stopped each time the two flashes of light penetrated into the corridor from behind and caused the three creatures to shoot wary gazes in its direction. Not realizing they had become the prey, the alien beetles paid the patch of shadow little attention and resumed eating.
*****
Richard warily watched the dark shape drift into view at the T-junction and halt for a few moments before continuing along the corridor. When it had passed by, he moved to the corner and gazed after the shadow demon.
EV1L was upon the feeding creatures before they realized it was there. Its smoky form curled around them and engulfed them all in its dark embrace. Though all three experienced excruciating pain, none were able to scream as their paralyzed bodies became absorbed by their attacker. EV1L writhed in pleasure as their sustenance flowed through it.
Taking advantage of the ghoulish distraction, Richard crossed to the staircase and silently climbed its treads. At the top he stepped off into another corridor he didn't recognize and gazed at the three options open to him. He turned left and fled along the dark corridor spookily highlighted by his nervously held flashlight.
*****
The nutrition EV1L had gained from the three creatures had given it strength but it still wasn't enough to solidify its gaseous form. It turned and headed for the staircase it had heard something climb a few moments before.
*****
Lucy looked and felt like a new woman when she stepped from the room twenty minutes later and aimed the alien pistol each way along the corridor to check it was clear of any threat. She had fashioned the alien jacket into a short dress and used a strip of material for a belt, which she had tucked the spare weapon into. Material wrapped around her feet and ankles held the sections of thick material she had cut into soles in place. Her hair was tied back and though still a little grubby, she felt good and ready for anything the spaceship threw at her.
Lucy placed the spear against the wall at arm's length, aimed the alien pistol at the wall beside the tip and pulled the trigger. The small, red light ball exploded in a bright burst. The cloth wrapped around the end of the spear smoldered before flames grew and spread. Lucy nodded her head in satisfaction and, feeling braver than she had ever felt before, headed along the corridor with the flaming torch lighting her way.
*****
Though Richard saw nothing to explain his latest bout of fear, he sensed something approaching. His suspicions were confirmed when a dark wavering patch of darkness drifted into the beam. The creature from below was on his trail. Richard turned and ran. When the ship trembled yet again, a support beam crashed to the floor behind him. The increased groans and bangs that echoed through the ship did not bode well for its stability. Richard threw caution to the wind and ran even faster. The ship rolled, sending him crashing against the wall; he stumbled, regained his footing and continued on. He rounded a corner and then another and fled up a staircase and along the corridor at the top. When the ship rolled in the other direction and a thundering explosion vibrated through the ship, he swayed off balance into a side room, tripped and smashed his head. The weapon fell from his hands and the flashlight went dark when it struck the floor. Richard's collision with the hard floor also resulted in darkness when the black hood of unconsciousness slipped over him.
*****
In a hurried gait, Sullivan led the SEALs through the ship. They had worked out they were two levels above the route they had taken to reach the spiral staircase, so the plan was to head for the back of the ship to avoid all the obstacles encountered on their outward journey, find a way down to the hangar level and head for the exit.
All felt the increased roll and yaw of the iceberg-entombed spaceship and with it the increased groans and creaks of the protesting ice. When the explosion in the weapon store ripped through the ship they were far enough away to escape the resulting carnage, but heard the resulting crashes as parts of the ship collapsed and felt the vibrations rippling through its rooms and corridors. Though they heard an occasional screech or howl from the spaceship's alien inhabitants, none had intercepted them.
When Sullivan approached a junction, he halted the team, aimed his weapon at the turning ahead and listened to the running footsteps heading towards them. The men raised their rifles. A light flashed on the wall. Shots rang out when something appeared.
Colbert knocked Sullivan's rifle at the ceiling and shouted, “Hold your fire. Monsters don't have flashlights.”
“Don't shoot!” shouted a man's voice.
The SEALs stared at Jack and Jane when they cautiously appeared and stared back at them.
Colbert, a little surprised by their sudden appearance, stepped forward. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”
“Believe me, it's not by choice,” replied Jane.
“We'll explain later,” said Jack, urgently. “The iceberg's growing more unstable by the second and we need to get off this spaceship, now!”
“Tag along with us.” Colbert nodded at Sullivan. “Lead on.”
With Sullivan leading the desperate band of survivors, they continued their dash through the spaceship.
*****
Brusilov and his men ran back the way they had come and reached the first turning when the timer reached zero. The explosion shook the ship violently and sent a radiating wave of chaos out in a circle from the armory. The Russians were thrown to the floor as the blast wave swept over them with a sound like a monster's furious roar. When it had dissipated they glanced behind at the loud crashes that rolled towards them. Collapsing floors, walls and ceilings rushed ever closer. They jumped to their feet and fled.
Babinski shot an anxious glance back along the corridor as the floor dropped away only a few yards away from his heels. “Faster!” he shouted.
When Alexei spotted the missing patch of floor ahead and the pile of twisted wreckage below, he veered into the open door on his right. The men followed him through and away from the entrance as the floor and ceiling outside collapsed and the wall groaned as it sagged at an angle. When after a few moments the ship settled to its usual gasps of stressed torment, the panting Russians roamed their lights around the dark chamber filled with an ominous aura they all felt.
“Well, unfortunatel
y, I guess that's it,” said Nikolay to Brusilov. “Unless we can find another weapon store, our mission has failed.”
Brusilov nodded glumly. “To have come so close and to have it ripped from our grasp by the Americans.” He turned to Nikolay. “Did you see all that alien weaponry? If we could have grabbed just one…”
Nikolay nodded. “There was nothing we could do. We tried our best.”
“I doubt that will carry much weight with our superiors when we inform them we return empty-handed.”
“We do have some alien technology. The computers and other technological equipment we found on the engineering deck may soften the blow of our failure to salvage any alien weapons.”
Brusilov almost smiled. “I admire your optimism, Nikolay, but when they learn the Americans have the weapons we failed to acquire, it will take a lot more than a few alien computer chips to soften the blow.”
“Captain, I think there's a door on the far side,” called out Mikhail.
Brusilov joined his comrades in gazing around the room and for the first time sensed the menacing atmosphere that had infected the men. Any of the plethoras of gloom-shrouded areas could be hiding the evil presence their senses believed they had detected. Brusilov swept his flashlight into nearby dark recesses but failed to pinpoint anything that would explain their apprehension. “We cross to the exit. Rozovsky, take point.”
