By N. E. Shaw
October 1998
The cave on Wrorick B was like a giant mouth in the ground. On a grassy hillside miles from civilization, the dark maw lead curious spelunkers into a world of stalactites and blind cave-dwelling creatures. On most days, the silence was interrupted only by the dripping of ground water. Today however, the crunch of boots echoed hollowly off the ancient rock walls.
"Fire up your scanners," Andros ordered, shining his palmlight up ahead. The Rangers were gathered at the bottom of the entrance slope, where the ground levelled out and the ceiling vaulted high. Adjusting their handheld scanners, they prepared to search for the rare trace mineral they had come here for. Orbital scans said the right conditions were present, but the mineral itself gave off too weak a signal. A surface mission was required.
So here they were, wandering into the dark, moist environment, looking for rocks. Many of them could think of better things to be doing with their time.
Ashley, for instance, complained, "I can think of better things to be doing with my time."
TJ walked next to her, and admonished "Come on, make a sacrifice in the name of science."
"What are they gonna do with this stuff anyway?" asked Cassie.
Andros, in the lead, shrugged distractedly. "They didn't say. The transmission just asked for a 2 kilogram sample of Bortite to be sent to the research station as soon as possible. I guess we were the most convenient ship in the area to get it."
"Figures," grumbled Carlos. "Who can resist rock-hunting in the dark on a Saturday night?"
They scanned meter after meter of wall, working late into the evening to find their sample. Eventually they decided to split up (communicator channels left open) and search the smaller tunnels as well. After a few hours of this, they had still found nothing.
Ashley gave a frustrated sigh as another meter of scan turned up empty. Tugging at the collar of her environment suit, she lifted her communicator and said, "I dunno about everyone else, but I think it's time to quit. There's nothing to scan down here."
Cassie was quick to agree. "She's right, we could search all night and never find a trace of this stuff."
"I could use some fresh air," Carlos put in. "It's like breathing soup down here."
"How 'bout it Andros?" called TJ. "You ready to pack it in?"
But there was no response from Andros.
"Hey Andros, you there?"
Silence filled the channel.
"Well this isn't good," said Cassie. "Set your scanners to life-signs." The Rangers quickly did as she suggested, adjusting their equipment accordingly. Ashley was disheartened to see only one of her friends registering on the screen.
"We're too far apart, I can only see Carlos. Andros was in the next sector last time I saw him. Who's the closest?"
"I am," said Cassie. "I think I've got a lock on his signal."
The four Rangers quickly converged towards each other, listening to the sound of Cassie's breath over the channel. Finally, she stopped and made a confused noise.
"What is it?"
"I'm stuck. There's a wall between me and where Andros should be."
"I'm close," said TJ. "I'll see if I can get around. What are your coordinates?"
This time, Cassie didn't respond.
"Cassie are you there? Damn..."
"Everybody check in," Ashley said quickly.
"Carlos here..." said Carlos. And then there was nothing.
"Teej??"
"Ashley I'm coming to find you," Carlos warned. "Meet me at...where the hell am I?...the last lateral passage before the big chamber."
"I'm on my way. I knew we shouldn't have split up in a place like this..."
At that moment, she heard a muffled thud over the channel. It sounded like someone hitting the ground.
"Carlos...?"
As she feared, there was no response.
"Smeggin'..."
So Ashley turned and started running back the way she came. Carlos had gone off her scanner readout, but he had said to meet him at the passage before the big chamber. He couldn't be too far from there now. She skidded to a halt as she reached the rendezvous point. Of course, Carlos was nowhere around.
"Carlos! I'm here, where are you??" she hollered. If he made any response, she couldn't hear it for all the echoing. "Carlos, can you hear me??"
The last reverberations of her cry died down to nothing. She was left with silence again. Drawing her blaster, she began to stalk forward again, hoping luck would lead her to her friend.
But instead, just as she reached the big chamber, she heard a scrabbling sound and felt a few pebbles strike her head.
In a cave environment, dark and spooky, when one knows something is lurking in the shadows eating your friends, the tiny sound of pebbles falling would give anyone a fright. Ashley stiffened, her hair standing on end, and looked up to see what had made the noise. On the dark stone cieling there was a small dark shape. It was round and maybe as big as a football. Ashley stared a moment, and the shape just stared back, so she began to think it was just a trick of the light.
Then, before she could blink, it fell. There was a glimpse of spindly legs and an insectoid underbelly, and then it landed smack! on her face. She was blind. She couldn't breathe or scream. The critter had her.
In a state of pure panic, Ashley dropped her blaster and staggered backward, striking the wall hard. Her hands groped at the thing, trying to tear it off her face, but it held on tight--surprisingly tight. She couldn't budge it. Agonizing seconds went by as she struggled with the terrifying creature. Her knees were growing weak and her head beginning to swim with lack of oxygen. She was going to suffocate for sure! If only she could blast the thing off without frying her face as well. If only her friends were here!
Soon her shoulder hit the hard ground and she realized she had fallen. Her time was up. Her lungs begged for oxygen which the creature wouldn't allow. Ashley felt consciousness fading...
And then there was nothing but blind sleep, and the sound of the cave water dripping.