by James Bailey
looking for a human host so it could talk? Why did it kill two people then, possibly Stan too by now."
"Entity learning to inhabit human. Deaths unintentional."
"Learning. Does Flox know why it wanted a human host?"
"Entity looking for host to communicate signal home. Looking for best host to communicate."
"Communicate signal home..." Jack quickly raised his arm and accessed his com-sleeve, calling the admin center. Jack sighed in relief as he saw Caroline's face.
"Caroline! I need to ask, has Stan come up at all?" Jack asked.
"Stan? He got here a couple of minutes ago. He wasn't looking good, he went straight into the Commander's office and hasn't come out since." Caroline said.
A chill went through Jack's spine. "Caroline. I want you to grab everyone and lock yourself in one of the admin offices as far away from the Commander as possible. I am on the way right now with some deputies. Stay away from that room."
"What? What's going on Jack? Is the Commander in danger?"
"Just do it Caroline! I will explain as soon as I can!" Jack said and disconnected the call before he rushed out of the brig.
The crowd outside had mostly dissipated by now apart from the woman who had been helping the deputy. Doc had arrived too and with the woman’s help was administering a bandage to the man’s head. Mike looked like he had recovered and was talking on his com-sleeve.
"You trying to find Stan still?" Jack asked as he ran up to him.
"Yep, no luck." Mike said, his voice still a bit wheezy.
"Don't bother, he is in the Commander's office.” Jack turned to Doc, “He going to live?"
"He has a concussion and some bleeding but he will be fine. Medics are on the way." Doc replied without looking up.
"That’s good enough. Come on Mike, lets go." Jack said.
Mike nodded and glanced over Jack's shoulder.
"I will assist." Twix said from behind Jack, surprising him.
"This could get dangerous Twix." Jack said.
"I will assist." Twix said again.
"Well I won't turn down an extra pair of hands," Jack said and together the three ran for the lifts.
As they waited on the elevator Jack pulled out his stun-pistol and adjusted the setting to the highest possible. Mike did the same.
"Only use it if we have too Mike, at this setting it could do damage." Jack said.
"At the normal setting it did nothing." Mike replied.
"True enough. Twix stay back if you can, don't want you getting hurt." Jack said.
"I will assist." Twix said.
Jack sighed but didn't bother replying.
The doors opened.
Jack stepped out first, looking around warily. He hadn't seen the Admin center this quiet before. He glanced towards the admin offices and saw a dozen staff peering out of the window at him with terrified expressions on their faces. He noticed Caroline make half a wave at him, Jack nodded in reply.
"Okay guys lets head to the Commander's office." Jack said and slowly walked towards the office door, gun at the ready, Mike and Twix behind him.
As he reached the door Jack listened for any noises or signs of struggle. He could hear nothing. Jack stepped back and kicked the door in and rushed into the room, scanning for any sign of Stan or the Commander. Stan was lying on the ground, blood slowly oozing from his ear. The Commander was not in the room but the door to his communications room was ajar.
"Mike, check on Stan and cover him, just in case the entity is still in him. Twix, you stay with Mike." Jack said and crept towards the communications room.
Jack pushed the door open with his stun-pistol and saw the Commander in the communications room with his back to him, tapping away at the transmission dish console. The room was small and circular with various monitors and screens surrounding the room. Jack knew enough about communications arrays to know that the Commander was repositioning the transmitter.
"Commander Charles. Step away from the console." Jack said.
Charles glanced over his shoulder at him and snarled, his fingers still typing on the console.
Jack bit his lip in frustration before firing a shot from his stun-pistol at Charles' back, the blast leaving a scorch mark in his uniform. Charles visibly shuddered but didn’t drop to the ground in agony like Jack had hoped. He did however, stop typing and turned around to face Jack.
"You die now." Charles said, his voice still distinctly the Commander’s but with a strange unnatural accent. Charles began to move towards Jack menacingly.
"Crap," Jack swore and fired another shot. Charles flinched again but kept walking towards him.
Jack backed up into the Commander's office. "Mike! Going to need help here!" Jack shouted over his shoulder.
Mike appeared at Jack's side and shot a blast directly at Charles' chest. The Commander staggered but kept moving. Jack fired again, then Mike fired again, and finally the Commander dropped to the ground.
Mike crept forward and nudged Charles with his foot. Suddenly the Commander sprung up with unnatural force knocking Mike to the floor of the office and sending his weapon flying.
The two rolled on the floor as Charles tried to choke Mike, Jack kept his gun ready but was reluctant to fire for fear of hitting and killing Mike.
"Try and keep him still!" Jack shouted.
Mike tensed up and used all his strength to push Charles up in the air. Jack fired his weapon directly at Charles' head, a high pitched screech sounded from inside Charles skull and his body went limp and collapsed on top of Mike.
"Dammit Mike that was close. You okay?" Jack asked.
Mike didn't reply.
"Mike?" Jack asked.
Suddenly Charles' body was flung to the side and Mike sprung to his feet, blood spraying from his ear. With a backhanded swipe Mike struck Jack in the head, knocking him back into the wall of the office. The now-possessed Mike walked towards him, ready to finish him off when suddenly Jack heard a stun-pistol fire from the corner of the room. Again a shot fired. Mike shuddered and began to turn towards the shots when another caught him in the head. Mike toppled over, landing in a heap on the floor. Twix stood in the corner of the room, holding Mike's dropped stun-pistol shakily.
"Twix I could bloody hug you right now!" Jack exclaimed, staggering to his feet.
"Please do not." Twix replied.
"Thought you lot didn't do violence?"
"Saved Mike. Not violence to Mike." Twix replied.
"Technicality. I like it." Jack said.
Jack walked over to Mike who was still on his back, not moving. Jack could see his chest rising and falling though which gave him hope he was still alive.
Movement near Mike's head caught Jack's eye and he saw a strange caterpillar like creature wriggling slowly away from Mike's head. It appeared to be injured.
Realising it must have been what was controlling him and the others Jack quickly brought down the heel of his boot on the creature, squishing it completely.
"Got him." Jack said.
Later that day Jack sat on a chair in the medical bay. He had never seen so many full beds there. Jack, Stan, Charles, Flox and the deputy all taking spots in the large room. Doc was sitting next to Jack, exhausted, while the nurses looked after the patients now they were past danger.
"They'll all live then?" Jack asked.
"They will. Stan got the worst of it but the bleeding on the brain has stopped. Everyone else just needs rest. I wish you hadn't stepped on that creature Jack." Doc said with a look of disapproval.
"Bloody thing had just taken over two of my friends, punched me in the face twice and tried to call in its mates. Sorry if I overreacted." Jack replied flatly.
"Fair enough. Fair enough. Would have been interesting to study though. Have you contacted Earth?"
"Got off the com-station half an hour ago. They were very interested to say the least. A research unit is en route as we speak. These new creatures have got the bosses very worried. Luckily the Claxian people have be
en completely exonerated. I sent them the coordinates the creature had set the transmission dish too as well."
"Did it manage to send a signal?"
"No, but that doesn't mean more of those things aren't coming." Jack said.
"Well we should have some time thanks to you." Doc said, smiling.
"Thanks to all of us, Twix too. Lets just hope there isn't a next time." Jack said.
"There is always a next time." Doc said with a sigh, rising from his chair. "I'm off to bed, I suggest you do the same."
"See you later Doc." Jack said.
Jack sat there for a moment longer, watching his friends sleep before leaving the medical bay and heading to the local bar. As he walked he saw Twix walking nearby on the promenade. Jack hurried over and put an arm around the alien’s shoulders.
“Twix my friend, I am going to take you out for a drink.” Jack said with a grin.
###
