SubsDeep Chapter 1: The Aurora's Downfall, a subnautica fanfic

[Before I start I would obviously like to say that the universe this take place in is Subnautica and that I do not own it, contribute to the making of the game, or work for Unknown Worlds. This is entirely my own fan fiction of the universe that it takes place in. I'm saying this just to be extra safe, just in case. Hey that rhymed! I'm creating this because I felt really inspired by coincidencless' story "In Charge" which is a story on Ampeels and I really recommend reading it!]

[Xander Neal]

Before I knew it everything was shaking and I was flung across the small interior of the broom closet and mops were falling over as water spilled out of soap filled buckets. I fumbled around the room until the door automatically opened to let me out. I saw multiple prawn workers pushing past each other as they were scrambling down the hall towards the life pod launching bay #0106 near the starboard side of the ship. Those idiots are going to get themselves killed. The nearest launch bay (#0294) was on the port side And in trying to go to the starboard side it would take another few minutes. I know this ship inside and out, it's MY domain. I travel theses halls once per "day" and nobody cares to ask me for directions. My fellow custodians hop onto a push cart with towels inside and use a mop and broom as a paddle to use as some sort of makeshift vehicle. I'll give them credit for one thing, they did go faster than the prawn workers running, until they went too fast into some fire. Rest in peace for my friends' souls my lord. I grab the carryall from the floor where I left it and bolted as fast as my noodle legs could take me. I headed for #0294 as I saw scientists and Mongolians argued who'd go into what I presumed at the time #13 until a Mongolian shoved the scientists aside and left BY HIMSELF. Nothing like a disaster to bring people apart. I quickly dropped my carryall down the ladder into the pod and slid down along with it.

"Attention, hull failure imminent, all personnel abandon ship." A booming voice cried.

I slid into a chair as the restraints hit my body with great force, I think it did more damage to me then actually entering the atmosphere did. I could feel gravity returning to the pod as it also returned onto the pod itself breaking pieces off with shooting of sparks and the light crackle of fire embers shooting through the pod. The fire extinguisher was no longer held back on it's handle as it roamed freely around the pod. And to think without the restraints that would also be me, and every bone in my body would also be floating around the room freely. The thought made me cringe for a second until a loose panel from the wall next to the fabricator shot out of its place and lobbed itself at my face head on. Then darkness, like if you were to suddenly go blind and shoot off into a world without you needing to think. This is actually the least stressed I've been in a while.

In my limitless dreams of working, working, working, and more working because that's all I think about apparently I can hear wind blowing past my face. My first thought was "Oooo! The cotton candy troll has come to collect my soul and dazzle sprinkling dastardly glitter across my forehead as he breathes his magic breath!" until I heard an unsettling boom and more shaking ensues. I eventually snap out of it as I awaken with an absolutely splitting headache. With the yellow bars gripped around my shoulders tight I could barely move. I felt warmth, like the feeling of a nice day at the beach with the sun beaming on your face. Then it became hotter and hotter, until it became burning! I looked up to see a raging fire charring at the metallic floor, presumably from the fuel lines being cut by something. Thank goodness it wasn't in the middle of combustion. The inferno ensued to eat away at everything around it. I think fast as I politely try to push some buttons on the keypad beside me until a bashed it's face in with my hands trying to desperately escape. It started to crack as I was hitting it and finally it gave way to let me out. I get out fumbling to the floor as I try my hardest to get up. I scurry my way over to the nearby fire suppressor and picked it up as it let loose onto the bonfire taking place in basically my house. The fire was suppressed but there was still smoke and sparks flying around the room.

"My carryall!" I exclaim out loud.

I look around to that my bag was somehow tied around the bars of the ladder into a neat knot just sitting there basically screaming "Help Me"

"How in the universe did you get there?" I muttered under my breath.

I rummage through my inventory as I retrieve my all important PDA with my work documents on it. The screen changes suddenly from my work files to an Alterra loading screen as it plays that familiar jingle.

" Alterra! "

"You have suffered minor head trauma. this is considered an optimal outcome. This PDA has now rebooted in emergency mode with one directive: to keep you alive on an alien world. Please refer to the databank for detailed survival advice. Good luck."

"OK. I'll do that after I survey the rest of my bag."

I look back into my back to see my eevee plush that I carried along (I'm a super Pokemon nerd) and besides that there is a standard Alterra dive suit and oxygen mask. I slip on the dive suit over my underwear, because I don't want to be in the ocean naked. But I leave the helmet inside until I surveyed my new alien surroundings. I look around my pod to get to know it better, and the prominent features were a panel-less wall, a smoking radio, a standard fabricator, some storage and a medical kit fabricator. The storage had some water and healthy and nutritious nutrient blocks. There were water proof flares in the storage as well, probably to see in the darkness and not for signaling rescue planes that happened to be flying over uncharted planets. And where would they land? These questions troubled me even I knew that was unlikely. I gulped to realize the the only thing left to do was exit the pod. I held my breath (If that would actually do anything) and climbed the ladder to see a creature on the mood of the pod's hatch. I push the hood slightly to get the thing to go away and it took off. I climbed up onto the top of the pod and it gave me a clear view of the terraforming science vessel Aurora right in front of me.

"The Aurora suffered orbital hull failure. Cause: unknown. Zero human life signs detected." My PDA beeped

"Zero human life signs detected."

These words spun in my head over and over again as I finally realized, I might not go home.