by James Bailey
at the young female receptionist. The reception area was sparkling clean with plain white walls and polished tiled floors. Jack almost had to shield his eyes it felt so bright compared to the dull grey steel of the corridors within the station.
"Doc inspecting the body?" Jack asked as he approached the desk.
"Yep, go straight through," the woman said.
Jack smiled and walked past her desk and pushed through a door at the back of the room.
"How's she looking Doc?" Jack asked. Doc stood over the body of the dead woman, who was lying on a gurney with half her head cut open. Doc was wearing a blood splattered apron with what looked like a pair of tongs in one hand and a knife in the other. A complicated looking robotic arm hovered above his head shining a light into the woman's skull.
"She has seen better days Jack. I am sorry to say that I don't think she will make it!" Doc said cheerfully.
Jack rolled his eyes. "Everyone's a comedian today. Same method of death as the other guy?" Jack asked.
"I... think so. There are differences though. Your cohort Michael contacted me earlier and told me a Claxian is suspected of committing the crime?" Doc asked.
"He's in the brig right now, just came from there. Something wrong with him, Twix the Claxian leader, was quite disturbed."
"Wrong how?"
"They seem to communicate as some kind of hive mind. Our killer seemed to have dropped out of the hive for some reason." Jack said.
"Fascinating. I had read of the Claxian's unique social network. I wasn't aware that one of their kind could ever disconnect from the hive." Doc said looking up from his work.
"Seemed pretty new to Twix as well." Jack said.
"Well you might need to have a word with Mr Twix or your new prisoner. I still cannot ascertain how our two victims have been killed." Doc said.
"Really? We didn't find any weapons on the guy but I did see the Claxian in action, he is pretty damn fast and strong too. Isn't it possible he just... stuck his finger in their ear or something?" Jack asked.
Doc looked at him flatly. "A finger Jack? Would you like me to explain for the next few minutes how ridiculous that sounds."
Jack sighed. "What could it be then? Do you have any ideas?"
"Well it certainly isn't a weapon, a traditional one anyway. The damage to the woman's brain is far less than the previous victim. She was unlucky to be honest. Whatever entered her skull nicked a blood vessel which caused her to seizure and die. There is a strange organic residue on her brain that I am scanning now, could indicate some form of parasite of sorts." Doc said.
"Mike picked up something weird biologically in the room of the first dead guy, perhaps it is from the same thing?"
"Very possible. I think that your prisoner could be harboring some kind of pet or parasite that tried to enter these poor people's skulls." Doc said.
A chill ran over Jack as he realised only one of the deputies, Stan, was watching Flox back at the brig. Jack brought up his com-sleeve and tried to contact Stan. There was no answer.
"Dammit!" Jack swore.
"Everything okay?" Doc asked.
"No Doc, far from okay!" Jack shouted as he ran out of the door, out of the reception area and towards the lifts. Reaching an open elevator he frantically pushed the button for the old habitation ring and waited impatiently for the lift to start moving.
"How could I have been so stupid!" Jack shouted at himself, pacing the small floor of the elevator. He thought back to the blood ringing the mouth of the Claxian. "Dammit!"
The elevator door opened and Jack darted out into the promenade. Jack pushed through the throngs of people, heading towards the security offices. As he ran he saw his com-sleeve light up, Mike's face showing. Jack answered the call as he ran.
"Mike, I need help at the brig immediately!" Jack shouted as he ran, clear of the crowds now and almost at the security office near the far end, away from the more popular restaurants and shopping area.
"Oh.. Okay!" Mike replied and hung up.
Jack reached the security office and burst through the doors. Stan was standing in the middle of the security reception staring vacantly at the door, his eyes unfocused.
Jack crept towards him, scanning the room for any sign of Flox. Jack noticed a trail of blood leading from Stan to the brig entrance on the far wall. The other door to the main offices was still closed and locked, as Jack had left it earlier.
"Are you okay Stan?" Jack asked.
Stan didn't move or respond, his eyes didn't even flicker towards Jack.
Jack reached for his stun-pistol at his side and drew it from its holster.
"C'mon Jack, talk to me. What's going on?" Jack asked, creeping slowly closer. Stan still did not move.
Jack noticed a trickle of blood running down Stan's ear and stepped around the man to get a better look. It was just like the blood trail left on the last two dead bodies.
Jack backed away, keeping his gun pointed at Stan.
"Stan." Jack said more firmly now. "I need you to turn around and walk towards the brig."
Stan still didn't move. Jack glanced behind him as he heard a noise and saw Mike and a deputy run up.
"There's something in his head guys. Stay outside." Jack shouted to them.
Suddenly Stan's eyes focused on Jack, his mouth opened and he seemed to be trying to communicate, only strange gurgling noises came out though.
"Its okay Stan, look we just want to help you. We can get the Doc down here right away."
"Leave... me..." Stan gasped out.
"Can't do that Stan. There is something wrong with you." Jack said, gun still pointed directly at Stan’s chest.
Stan growled then ran at Jack with incredible speed, knocking his gun away before he could fire and shoving him aside before running out of the Security Office doors.
Jack struggled to his feet and staggered outside in pursuit to find Stan swiping his hands like claws at Mike and the deputy, who were still outside. The deputy fired a shot from his stun-pistol at Stan but the creature shrugged it off like it was nothing and swung a back-handed blow at the man, catching him in the jaw and knocking him to the ground. Mike tried leaping on to Stan's back but Stan just threw him over his shoulder, Mike made a loud thud as he crashed onto the hard floor. Jack saw a few people that had heard the commotion had begun to poke their heads around the corridor to the security office.
"Stan! Come here! Come get me!" Jack shouted as Stan began moving towards the gathering crowd and the busy promenade behind them.
"Come on Stan, come and finish the job!" Jack shouted again, then ran at the possessed deputy.
Stan glanced back at Jack's charging figure and flicked out his arm, smacking Jack in the face with enough force to knock him to the ground immediately.
Jack struggled to stay conscious as he lay on the ground. As he felt darkness begin to shroud his vision he managed to catch a glimpse of Stan running towards the promenade and disappearing into the crowd.
A minute or two later a groaning Jack rose to his knees, a group of around a dozen concerned people and aliens had gathered around him and his two colleagues. Mike was leaning against a wall trying to catch his breath but the other deputy was still on the ground. Jack could see his com-sleeve flashing with a number of incoming calls, he ignored them.
"Are you injured." Jack heard a familiar monotonous voice ask. He looked over and saw Twix staring at him.
"I'll be fine in a minute or two. Where did you come from?”
“I heard shouts.” Twix replied.
“Don't suppose you saw where he went?" Jack asked as he slowly pulled himself up to his feet.
"Who?" Twix asked.
"Thought so," Jack said, then raised his voice to address the rest of the crowd. "Anyone see where he went?" No one replied.
"A doctor is on the way!" Someone called out. Jack nodded thanks then staggered over to the still fallen deputy. A woman was attending him.
"How bad is he?" Jack asked her.
"He is
still breathing but I don't know," the woman replied shakily.
"Stay with him. Doc will be here soon." Jack said then staggered over to Mike.
"Okay Mike?" Jack asked his wheezing lieutenant.
"Been. Better. Boss." Mike replied. "Other. Deputies. Looking for. Stan."
"Good work Mike. Catch your breath for a minute." Jack said.
Twix sidled over to them. "Excuse Twix. Flox linked again. I wish to visit."
"Flox? The prisoner? You think he will talk now?" Jack asked.
"Flox linked. Will communicate." Twix said.
"Come on." Jack said and slowly walked back into the Security Office. Blood still stained the floor towards the brig, Jack tried not to step in it. As he entered the brig he immediately noticed Flox was far more animated and aware of his surroundings than last time. The Claxian spotted the two immediately and began gesturing for them.
“Come. Link. Come.” Flox said.
Twix moved past Jack and put his arms through the bars of the cell. Jack stayed back against the wall and let the two communicate. The two aliens grasped hands and both looked up at the ceiling of the brig and made a strange high pitched noise for a few seconds before releasing their grip and looking back down. .
Twix stepped back and Flox took a seat on the narrow bunk in the cell, less agitated now.
"Was that your version of a chat?" Jack asked.
"We communicated. Flox sorry for deaths. Flox says was not Flox. Other entity was Flox." Twix said.
"Other entity?"
"Entity control Flox. Damage link.” Twix said.
"Why did the entity want to leave Flox?"
"Claxian speech insufficient for entity to communicate. Human host better." Twix said.
"So it was
