A/N: Welcome back, dear readers. Hope you've enjoyed the story.


CMS ROANOKE

Chapter 12


Swaddled in a blanket, Ellie watched out the broad windows of the command deck. Bright sparks lit up the deep void, snaps of fire and unfelt heat. Mines, she guessed. Debris or asteroids often detonated the mines. Sometimes debris or asteroids would pelt the Roanoke's cold skin, sharp, clear knocks that stirred the Necromorphs.

How long had they been stranded? Santos said it would be thirteen days according to her calculations. Ellie had lost count almost the second they crashed landed. The last few days had been agonizing, monotonous, boring.

In the bowels of the ship, a faint sound echoed up the decks. A metallic whine, a similar clang. Had she imagined it? Holding her breath, she listened, but heard nothing more. Her mind had played tricks on her before, so it continued to do so.

She relaxed into the blanket. Her stomach growled. They had eaten the last of the food supply twelve hours ago. All that remained was a paltry few units of water. Soon, she would have to venture again into the ship to scavenge for food.

Loud, horrifying screams rang out, close enough that beside her, Santos jumped awake. Ellie stood, tense, watching the vents. Those shrieks carried on around them, but after a moment, she realized that they were moving away. Nothing came out of the vents.

"What's going on?" Santos asked. Buckell had also woken and scrubbed his grizzled face with his hands.

Ellie shrugged and peered out the windshield, pressing her face flat on the frigid glass. She couldn't see anything except space, Tau Volantis, and the Roanoke's dead body. "I think something's got the Necromorphs riled up."

Faint, distant roars sounded. Did she imagine the quick report of a plasma cutter? The Necromorphs had been active ever since she and Santos had stirred up the leviathan. They had been so active that Ellie had avoided leaving the command center.

"Is it the leviathan?" Santos asked. "Usually if that moves around, the Necromorphs react."

Ellie pushed back from the glass. There was nothing to see. "Earlier I thought I heard something like a door."

"Do you think…do you think it could be Norton?" Santos was breathless. When Ellie looked at her, she had tears streaming from her eyes. "Could we be saved?"

"I don't know," said Ellie, afraid to hope, afraid for Robert, for Isaac. "We'll have to see."

For a long period of time, the Necromorphs would carry on, howling and snarling, and then there would be silence. The rhythm repeated itself until the leviathan breathed a low wail through the innards of the ship. They heard the tentacles slam the sides of the generator well, heard the leviathan cry out until it cut off. They waited.

Then a quiet hum vibrated the stagnant air. Lights and control panels and vidscreens flickered, brightened, came to life. Stale air blew into Ellie's face from the vents. Her relief weakened her, but Santos caught her up in a hard hug.

"Oh my God," Santos cried, "the power's on! The power's on!"

Ellie squeezed her eyes shut, but her tears fell anyway. "It's Isaac! Robert came. They're alive!"

Buckell wrapped the both of them in his arms. The trio had survived. They laughed and sniffled, until Ellie hustled them up the steps to the elevator doors. Both elevators signaled occupants. From the left came Robert. His blue eyes and competent face swelled joy inside her.

"Oh, God. You found us!"

Robert opened wide his arms. "Oh, Ellie, baby," he groaned in happiness when she flung herself to him. "I knew you were too stubborn to die."

The kiss alleviated her worry; Robert was fine, he'd survived, he'd come for her. Everything would be okay as long as his arms stayed wrapped around her. From behind, Buckell said, "Captain, this him?"

Robert released her from the hug, but tucked her safely to his side. "Uh, yeah. That's, uh, him."

Ellie's heart twisted. Seeing him was like a punch to the chest. Isaac was gaunt, haunted, and unshaven. Even though she expected to see him, actually seeing him was much different than she expected.

"Isaac Clarke, great to meet you!" Buckell said. Santos was bent under Buckell's arm. "Austin Buckell, Marker Ops. And this here is Jennifer Santos, our little lady with the big brain."

"If it's true you can decipher the Marker script, this mission might still have a chance," Santos said.

Ellie saw her opportunity. "Isaac, thank you for coming." Robert squeezed her shoulder, and she felt his fingers dig into her soft flesh.

"Like I had a choice," Isaac told her. His sarcasm pricked at her heart. So the distance remained between them, a gaping wound, an unbridgeable crevice. What had she thought? That things would be the same between them? Still, she had to hope.

She tugged free of Robert's grip to move closer to Isaac. "I know. I'm sorry. But I have so much to tell you."

A low, garbled sound washed over them in the command center. Everyone, already rattled, went on alert, tense from the unknown. Ellie noticed Carver's finger curl in on the trigger of his rifle, and the constriction that signaled terror on Santos's face.

"Woah!" Robert said, worry lines etched on his forehead. "Alright, c'mon. We have to get out of here. Now!" He reached for Buckell.

"No! Not yet! Isaac," she turned back to Isaac, to plead with him, "we need to stop the Marker. The trail ends at the Admiral's quarters. She'd written Marker scrawl all over the walls. The answers are in there! I know it." When she looked to Robert, he supported Buckell with an arm, already at the elevator door. "We cannot leave until we know what it says!"

Robert answered her from across Buckell's lolling head. "Yeah, well, then let Isaac handle the translating. We're leaving, now. I got Buckell, you get Santos. Let's go!"

Before she could argue, Robert hoisted Buckell into the second elevator. Santos was almost to her knees beside Ellie.

"Go on, take care of your crew. They need you more than I do," Isaac told her.

She saw his profound sadness etched on his face, in his eyes. And she was sorry. She was sorry so much bad shit had happened to him, but he had said what she needed to hear. Without any further words, Ellie supported Santos to the side where Carver held open the elevator doors. Norton, grim, bore Buckell's weight with a patient steadiness.

As they rode down in silence, Ellie hoped Isaac could understand what the Admiral had written and how, if possible, it related to what was found on Tau Volantis.


A/N: And end cut scene. It's been fun, but now the story is complete. As always, please leave your thoughts, questions, or concerns. Until next time! =)