John Shazari finally stopped running, and tried to make sure his lungs could supply his body the oxygen it had been demanding for so long. He scrunched his face in realization as he reached over his shoulder and winced, as he pulled a bony protrusion from a bloody puncture.
He sunk to his knees. He looked to the people now surrounding him with wary eyes.
"Ouch." The single word he could manage, before allowing the abyss to take him from his pains.
Like a Spartan, he was now spent from all he had done.
Earlier that day:
05/19/2257 8:52 AM
John Shazari fitted the last of his security gear to his person, making sure it moved well. Didn't wanna be a stiff out in a potential danger zone.
This was his third day out in the small-sized satellite city. It was, by no means, small relative to a moon. It was indeed a couple of square miles big. But, then, most large ones were the size of Earth's moon, and could inhabit a good chunk the population of Earth itself, now bordering 10 Billion, and getting more crowded every day.
He only took the security job, as it would give him some field work under his belt, and get him closer to being a more official officer. Maybe he could switch to a desk job later, and earn a decent pension. In either case, he had to do something to earn enough to go to college and get a degree, yaddah yaddah.
He generally hated the bureaucracy behind it, but this field work might give him the experience necessary to be a little better at what he would later put himself towards.
This would be john's first official day by himself, lightly patrolling the flowing corridors of what the locals colloquially referred to as "Cloud 9." It was rather fitting in most aspects. It was rather cloud shaped, and it was very nicely furnished with leisure, food and other sections the commons found pleasant. John would be honestly surprised if there was something it didn't have, other than being the size of a moon.
John exited the station, and checked his nav data, holographically showing his route to himself. No one else could see where he was headed, but himself.
Cloud 9 was generally in the formation of communal habitation and utilities being central, the engineering below, including engines, oxygen maintenance, and so on. Above was communications and political. And anything else more pleasant off another side, and some career-based protrusions, such as gas collections, and other useful things plopped about where necessary.
All in all, 25 cubic miles, and 7.8 million people didn't make for a bad place to live, just painful to commute sometimes.
He lightly skimmed the commons, making sure a dispute didn't turn into an all-out brawl, and a girl's kitten wasn't bothering the neighbors. Simple things seemed to be the theme of today.
Then he left the commons and followed his next course through one of the more luxurious sections. He checked his time. 10:37 AM. It was mostly established to give a semblance of home. No need for time barely out of earth's solar system. They were barely a few months' travel form home, but not many people wanted to be in the middle of nowhere, except those seeking a good job, or to get away from the Earthen scourge that was overpopulation.
In fact, it almost reached the next system over, being a month from the newly discovered, and very cold, Tauni system. It wasn't discovered because it was a dark, or dead system, and scientists just recently discovered manners of detecting dead systems. It was a mining thing, and mining only. Purely for the money of a rock.
John didn't see it, but then he didn't get a lot of things.
He peered at a data pic and smiled.
He did get being with someone who could make you smile for simply thinking of them.
John noticed a suspicious man walking away from a store with shifty eyes. The security system did beep, and John of course began walking towards him. The man broke into a run when he saw John closing. "Halt, Orbital Police!"
John pinged his nearest squad. "Possible suspect thief heading from commodities to commons, requesting assistance, over."
He got an immediate response "John? That you? I'm en route, on floor 27, soon to be 29. Not bad for a first day, over."
John smiled, that would be Connor. The guy who showed him the ropes here. Not a bad guy, if a bit serious. Always had a smile though.
The guy tried ducking down a flight. 28, huh? That was going to make this a little easier.
"Suspect heading down to floor 28, closing at distance of 40 meters, over."
"Copy. Requesting all officers on floor 28 in this sector to close in on this position. Corral the fleeing suspect, over."
They were greeted by several 'over's and a slight pattering in the distance by the said officers.
As they all reached a plaza, and the man tried to do a turn-about, John slid around the plant décor, and tripped the man, sending him into the arms of two fellow officers. A cheap and flashy shot, but effective nonetheless.
One stepped forward. "Good catch, John." Connor slapped some cuffs on the suspect, patting him down and picking out a few pieces of jewelry with the tracking tags still attached, but of course, barely visible to the untrained eye. "And we have a few counts of theft in pocket. Station 73, the papers, and the works. Read him his rights." Connor ordered. Two officers brought the suspect back, one holding, and the other trailing.
A few bystanders clapped. The civilians didn't like the lawbreakers any more than they did, but they understood that some people had nothing and jail was simply home by now.
John faced Connor. "That's how many did you say this week?"
"17, and counting." Connor asked, as they returned to their patrols.
They began getting close to the outer viewing decks of the commodities section of the deck.
"Jesus, that's not good. We may need some honest expansion jobs out here. Some new habitation areas and whatnot. It could do the station some good to have more space. May as well make more oxygen jobs and comms jobs too, while they're at it. Do you think we could have enough resources for it?" John asked.
"Maybe with some of the next couple of shipments at the end of next week. We might be able to make more habitation and oxygen sections, but the rest is gonna be a pain. We're in the growing economy painful part now. The kind of slump economies hit sometimes. Good to be an officer right about now." Connor said. He let on to way more than he said right with just the bit of what he said, meaning so much in a simple few phrases.
"Oh." John said. It was finally sinking in how much of the human economy was having a pain expanding to new systems. He was actually pretty lucky to even be here.
Connor patted him on the back. "Cheer up kid, we can try some new beer at clock-out. I hear some space-gas brewed ales are pretty interesting."
John nodded and continued his route with Connor returning to his.
John finally reached the viewing decks, and he was still awed by it. So much glass, so many stars, and simply…. So much.
It made him wonder and feel small at the same time.
He looked once more at the data pic. Her gentle features, and soft stance made him relax for the rest of the section's route. He was near the end of his route on the viewing deck. He checked his time once more. 12:52 PM. Almost break, and he could try a tofu burger. He never actually had one. He looked once more into the abyss, ready to turn to the inside route.
Then… he spotted something.
There was a kind of movement along space, far off.
He got closer to the window.
There was a speck in the distance, growing slightly, moving closer, and by the rate it was growing, faster. It was misshapen.
"John to nav section 84. Are we scheduled for any asteroids nearby, today? Over." He said into his comm, unsure of what he was supposed to say for this kind of thing.
"Nav deck 84. We only have some gas clouds on radar. What seems to be the problem?" they replied.
John looked onto the thing coming closer to the station, now actually beginning to have a shape, and a few passersby actually noted the shape as well. "There appears to be an asteroid or some anomaly headed towards the station at a high speed some miles off here, and if I'm not mistaken headed towards the upper habitational section and I'm not the only one seeing this. Check some 82 degrees off commodities. Over."
"Copy. Over." There was a bit of static, momentarily, as the deck 84 checked the anomaly headed fast towards them. It now had some lop-sided shape to it, not a real solid shape, but more… jello-like.
Some more people were gathering near the windows now. John backed from the window, now apprehensive of the whole thing.
Some sirens blared, red lights going every hundred meters. "Warning. Asteroid approaching. Return to safe deck barrier zones." The thing repeated itself.
John began directing people up to deck 30, going quickly himself, keeping a noted eye on the approaching and enlarging entity.
"This thing is over a quarter mile wide, and a half mile long! It will wipe out the section of habitation attached to engineering! It's headed here at over 300 miles per hour! We have less than two minutes to impact!" pinged deck 84 to the officer's channel.
John immediately pinged the habitation frequency "All people in habitation are to move to safety decks above and below engineering. I repeat, move to alternate safety decks." John desperately hoped it would be enough.
He got the last few people in the hall into a safety deck zone, checked the asteroid one last time, its mass encompassing the previously beautiful view, and shut the hatch.
"Everyone, brace for impact!" he shouted holding onto the crash door itself. He also clicked on his suit's sealed mode, allowing it to be an atmospheric shield as well. He hoped it wouldn't come to that. He hoped it wouldn't come to allowing some suit tech be the last line of defense, and not something he could do himself. He felt helpless.
Then, it happened.
The impact.
The meteor tore through most of the side of habitation and some of engineering, clipping necessary parts of communications in the process.
In no more than 5 seconds, 3 million people were killed immediately.
The entire station shook.
People fell to the floors, grasping for a hold, even each other.
As the last of the decks were sealed over the next few minutes, about 70 thousand more died, by either structural integrity failing, or atmospheric loss. This was simply too big of a scale to deal with at once. The defense systems they had up barely dented the thing, but left a few bits trailing around the Cloud, seeing as with communications down, some relay pieces were not going to work for the turrets.
It was time for engineering to go into overtime, and the real work to begin.
By the time 1:30 passed, a single relay was put back into works for inter-station comms to work.
Many people stood still for it. John still had a bruise on his temple for it.
"People of Cloud 9. We have experienced one of space's worst anomalies at its finest. With the strike of this asteroid, we have lost more than a quarter of the people aboard. We shall recover as many as possible for communal wakes, and any ensuing events for those who have been affected as soon as possible. Engineering is repairing damaged sections of the Cloud, and recovering communications as we speak. As it stands, the asteroid is still lodges in the lower habitation area, and will be analyzed for further evidence as to its origins and possible usage to finance and further the Cloud. My personal condolences to those affected. For further information or aide, contact the administration offices for you floor. This is Captain Darius saying; please have a pleasant stay aboard Cloud 9." The intercom cut off after that.
This simple iteration on the event had some people crying, and others infuriated by the cold, detached manner of addressing it.
John simply shook his head.
"They have a word for every situation, eh?" commented Connor.
"With the few thousand injured in the trample, infirmary bay will be on over-time too." Replied John.
Connor simply shrugged and got back to work telling people where they could find certain shops, and how to contact administrations. It was tedious and almost boring, but a few more thieves tried to make use of the distraction, and by the end of shift at some time after 6:30 PM, both John, Connor, and anyone still on shift were exhausted. They both decided to try a tofu burger.
Connor was used to similar health foods, and seemed not to notice the difference.
John was rather surprised at the similarity between regular burgers and the tofu burger. The texture wasn't very different, but the aftertaste was exotically simple, and deserved further trying, so he ordered another.
Connor got a kick out of it, and got him a bag to enjoy, in light of recent events.
John thanked him for all his help, work and otherwise, and of course, in his civvy clothes, proceeded home to what he hoped was left of his room. He used a tram, and listened to the chatter.
Some were going on about the asteroid and how it might be useful mineral-wise.
Those would be the engies.
Others wondered where it came from, and whether this was divine intervention of some kind.
Some of those were Unitologists.
He also listened into a few saying crime rates harshly spiked.
Those would be a mixture of reporters on their last runs, and a few like himself, retiring to habitation quarters… or rather what was left of it.
He even heard a few discussing something extracted from the asteroid, a large monolith of some kind with carvings and etchings, and even an organism. This instantly made him wonder if it was some primitive sort of space vessel.
John dropped the thoughts and forgot the harsh new violent outbreaks, and attempted to find his quarters amidst the crowd.
He finally got to his door at floor 17 of habitation, and, even though it was crowded in the hall, got into his small abode. Despite the bustle outside, the noise was instantly halved when the door slid shut. Noise reduction seals had their perks.
After 7:42 PM, John had a glass of water, surprised with the faucet still functioning, and promptly went to bed.
His peace, however, was short lived.
There never again would be peace, on Cloud 9.
There was a racket at his door, someone banging for him to get up.
Based on the urgency and wording, he guessed Connor had found him, despite the foot traffic.
He opened the door, allowing Connor to shout into his face.
"Whaaat?" he mumbled, still half-awake.
"There are people dying, and all around, reports are coming in of people and things murdering each other!" Connor shouted.
With the voice now in focus, John snapped to, grabbing his quick-set issued by the officers academy. He immediately began following Connor.
"Please, return to your assigned quarters, and lock all doors necessary. This is a quarantine level 5. I repeat, return to your assigned quarters and lock all doors necessary. This is a quarantine level 5." An automatic voice spat from the intercom systems. Some main access doors closed, but others remained for people to return to their quarters.
The previously white and modern station began to take on a silent air to it.
People scurried to their quarters. Some screams rang in the distance.
"They started the reports around the escaped organism, but then they also started pouring in from engineering, saying the same things from the mining teams. We lost all contact with them, and are sending in all officers to fix the issue and find out why so many corpses are turning up or people going missing." Connor panted, as they dashed up to floor 24.
They were approaching floor 25 when the signs of what was wrong began to appear.
Some doors were open. Blood streaks were dragged from a few doorways.
Even a random limb was on the floor. John thought it was an arm.
They immediately drew their weapons. Both had their zero-O2 sub-machineguns at the ready. These rifles could fire, even in no atmosphere, because of specially installed oxygen tanks on the inner hilt piece. They could fire three full magazines before being unable to keep shooting.
"Holy shit." Breathed John.
"Tell me about it." Muttered Connor.
They met with another officer around the corner, slowly walking, taking in the carnage, like they were.
"Any idea what circus of freaks did this?" asked the officer.
"No clue, but it might have something to do with that damned asteroid and what we found in it." Replied John.
This raised an eyebrow from Connor. Guess John heard some things he didn't.
They went up to floor 25, and saw more blood and a few bodies.
There was mutilation and blood strewn down the previously spotless halls, making a mockery of modern décor with all its red glory of space.
The trio continued on, meeting another, and silently working towards an entry to engineering.
Some com chatter spat over their pieces.
"Shit! They keep-"
"-no. no! NOOO!"
"Ruuuun!"
So many screams and horrified voices spilled over the com pieces in their suits, and headgear, it was a miracle it was even intelligible.
"Their arms! Go for-"
"Cut em all up! Slice-"
They hurried now, spurred on by this activity, this flurry of fear now, but a curiosity to know its origin all too prevalent in their training and experience.
An officer with a few scraps of armor, came hurdling out of an entry bay to engineering, panting and slipping on a blood spatter. He sprawled, and before anyone could help the frightened soul, a growling monstrosity barreled from the same passageway.
A pure mockery of the human figure pounced on the fleeing man, gouging holes in anything it could get a hold of.
They filled it with a magazine apiece, even somehow shooting off its head, and it then began flailing towards them, haphazardly, like a chicken with its head cut off. Another few rounds separated a few limbs and put it down for good.
The officer was dead, and so was the thing.
Before any more analysis could be done on anything, another thing barreled down the same passageway, coming right for them, they unloaded a full clip each, once more, and the things just tore through the distance, and began shredding the officer who they just met.
They immediately beat the shit out of it, tearing it apart, trying to get it off of the officer, and somehow got the other one stabbed in the hip as well.
They put it down with another few shots, but more were already rocketing down the hall, ready for more.
John and Connor ran, the other officer trailing and being overtaken by a few of the things.
The pair ran slipping and sliding on their comrades and fellow spacers' blood, down every path imaginable, tearing down beast after beast, if it came to it.
They somehow made it from Engineering deck on floor 25 to part of the infirmary on floor 21.
They were rounding a few bends, when they came to a waiting room, and there before the locked drawn-down door was a horde of the things, trying to get in. There were limbs and things scattered about, John and Connor didn't care, unless they could use it at this point.
One took notice of their sudden appearance on the scene and traded guttural roars with its neighbors. The horde charged, they fled, this mass of limbs and bladed bone trailing after, hungry for death. Deformed features rushed after them, eager to show them what was beyond life in the vessel of flesh.
It was a suicide run. Their bullets had little effect, save for the limb or two flying off.
John and Connor rounded another few bends.
There was another two of the things, these creatures partway down the hall.
John looked at Connor, realizing one thing: he had to escape. He needed a distraction.
John continued running and shooting for another few moments.
Before Connor could realize what he did, he shot Connor's lower leg, and slid beneath the pair of creatures, letting the horde swallow the gunfire and screams of his mentor. He ran down some more halls. Floor 20. He shot some more limbs off. After a while, he stopped shooting.
He let tears run down his face. He didn't quite know why yet.
He rounded another bend to yet another waiting room with another group of the creatures assaulting the entry way to the infirmary.
The docs were defending as best they could, but they were locking the ways in, and they had the keycards. Fire rang out, and went slowly silent as the last few banged on the doors, disappointed they could not have their quarry.
John looked around, eager for a better weapon, and one with some kind of cutting power.
He spotted a plasma tool of some kind in the hand of a limb on the far side of the room. Right as a few noted his presence, he charged, sliding down to the weapon, and rolling to avoid some bone-swords slashing his way. Pain blossomed in his shoulder. He scooped the tool, and began firing and ducking and bashing his way through the creatures remaining. They kept coming, clawing, biting, and whipping things to make more carnage for what reason he couldn't fathom.
They wanted him dead, and he couldn't want to live more than he did right now.
He finished the last of the small horde that had encountered. He staggered a little in the waiting room, swaying a bit from tiredness.
There were fresh roars.
John immediately face the way he originally came from.
A larger horde was on its way to bring him down.
"Come on! Get in here!" shouted a medic from the half-way opened blast door.
John sprinted towards it, his life actually depending on his athletic ability.
He slid down the blood under the door, into a mass of faces he was never familiar with to begin.
The sounds halved as the door slid down behind him.
He stood, unsure of his footing, and looking around, rather perplexed not to see anyone running as well. Why wouldn't they run? The things were coming.
He tried to get going again, but exhaustion took its toll on him.
John Shazari finally stopped running, and tried to make sure his lungs could supply his body the oxygen it had been demanding for so long. He scrunched his face in realization as he reached over his shoulder and winced, as he pulled a bony protrusion from a bloody puncture.
He sunk to his knees. He looked to the people now surrounding him with wary eyes.
"Ouch." The single word he could manage, before allowing the abyss to take him from his pains.
Like a Spartan, he was now spent from all he had done.