Chapter 4. Time to get the REAL plot started, with a Necromorph outbreak. Next Chapter we head back to Remnant. This Chapter, Necromorphs, guns, space suits, a look into how team Dead Space battles monsters in this fic, and explosions. What could go wrong? Lots...

-01010000 01101111 01110011 01110100 00100000 01000101 01111000 01110100 01101001 01101110 01100011 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110- The civilian deck of the USG Spirit of Hope had gone to hell. Gunshots, plasma bolts, roaring saws, and screams of both living and dead filled Isaac and Ellie's ears as the two dismembered the oncoming Necromorph horde with their Plasma Cutters. Slasher Necromorphs were spewing endlessly from the vents. followed by Leapers, Lurkers, and a few Pukers. Those who weren't running had picked up all manner of weapons, looking around, Isaac could see Pulse Rifles, Line Guns, Contact Beams, Rivet Guns, and even a few weapons he'd personally crafted. Yet, even with the combined power of a few dozen humans with all manner of weapons, it still wasn't enough to quell the horde.

Isaac could feel Ellie tug at his shoulder, "Come on, Isaac! Were not gonna last out here!"

Isaac took one last look at the deck to see a few poor souls getting butchered by Slashers. He winced at the screams before turning and retreating with Ellie. The two survivors raced to the tram station, Necromorphs barreling after them. They arrived at their destination just in time to board a tram. The door closed, and all the occupants tensed up as the Necromorphs clawed at the door as the tram left. Ellie took a look at who was also on board the tram, heading to a "safe" area to be evacuated. Mostly small families.

The tram was pretty full, so Isaac and Ellie just simply stood up, holding onto a bar, crossing their fingers that it would be smooth sailing. An announcement came over the tram loud speakers, "Caution: Obstruction detected on the tracks. Arriving at the closest convenient destination. Welcome to the Cargo Hold."

Shit. They needed to get to the Flight Deck, Ellie had parked her shuttle there for some repair, maybe they could cut across to a secondary tram to get there.

Isaac and Ellie were the first to get off once the tram stopped, blasting through the few slashers that greeted them. The other humans got off after them. The couple had proceed into the Cargo Hold, in the hopes of finding the secondary tram station. They were starting to see the effects of the outbreak through the blood stains on the walls.

Approaching the end of a hallway, their attention was pulled by a sudden crash at the end of the hall, they raised their Plasma Cutters, the laser sights on the corner. "DON'T SHOOT, DON'T SHOOT! I HAVE MY DAUGHTER WITH ME! DON'T SHOOT!"

Isaac and Ellie lowered their weapons as Dr. Elizabeth Hampton ran into the hallway, little Victoria Hampton crying in her arms. It seems they too were swept up in the panic and attempts to flee the Spirit of Hope. There was another crash that came from the hallway the mother and child had run from, followed by the distinct roar of the Necromorphs. Isaac's eye widened as he cried, "Oh shit, GET DOWN!"

Elizabeth ducked to the floor, wrapping her arms tighter around her daughter, as if that would drown out the sounds of death around them. Isaac and Ellie once again raised their Plasma Cutters, just as three slashers and one lurker came around the corner. They wasted no time dispatching the monsters. In seconds, all of the Necromorphs were dismembered and dead.

Elizabeth waited a few second after the noises stopped before getting up, Victoria crying softly into her shoulder. She looked at Isaac and Ellie, muttering a single phrase. "Please, help us. We can't make it on are own."

Isaac and Ellie exchanged glances, they both knew they couldn't just leave them, regardless of whether or not they were friends. They looked back, Isaac nodded, "Alright, stay between me and Ellie."

Isaac proceeded forward, Elizabeth behind him, and Ellie watching their backs for Necromorphs. All had gone quiet. No surprise there, Necromorphs could be quiet if they wanted to. The group continued through the corridors, until something caught Isaac's attention, he stopped, "Isaac, why'd we stop?"

They all looked in the same direction, and saw what he saw.

A store, which meant supplies, and a suit kiosk. Isaac lowered his Plasma Cutter, and moved over to the machine. He tapped a button on the screen, an automated voice called out, "Welcome, Isaac Clarke. Restoring CEC engineer load-out."

The suit Kiosk opened up, and Isaac stepped inside, it closed and the remaining group could see a bright light through the crack in the door. It opened back up to reveal Isaac had equipped an Engineering Suit, comprised of brown and grey heavy-duty fabric, his torso and right upper-arm lined with rib-like copper plates. His left forearm had a gauntlet equipped. Isaac rolled his shoulders a little, adjusting to the suit. He looked to Ellie, "Get a suit, I'll cover you," he moved past the group as his helmet unfolded out of his rig and around his head, it was rounded, with three glowing blue horizontal visor slits on the front with four plates along the front side..

A holographic display of a weapon wheel appeared in front of him, it had four spaces, and three had weapons in them. He selected the one that showed his Plasma Cutter, and the weapon appeared in his right hand, raising it he inwardly smirked. Thank God for trans-dimensional storage on these suits, otherwise I wouldn't have made it this far. Ellie walked up to the store next. She had a suit ready in the event this would happen. She selected her suit and stepped into the kiosk. Step in, door closed, lights flashed, and Ellie then stepped out wearing a Riot Security Suit.

Ellie's suit had more traditional style combat armor plates attached to it, she had gauntlets on both arms, and extra plating on both upper-arms. Though the left one read POLICE, the majority of the suit was black, though some of the paint was peeling along the edges of the metal parts. Ellie let the helmet extend over her head, it was more triangular, yet still a little rounded, with two visor slits, instead of three. Like Isaac, she had three weapons in her weapon wheel.

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The group once again continued on. They rounded a corner and could hear roars, screams, and gunshots, the quickly approached the source of the noise and saw three Civil Protection troopers, armed with a Pulse Rifles, and protected by Red and Black Special Forces Suits, defending the small group of civilians from the tram from a small horde of Necromorphs. Ellie looked at Isaac, Isaac shrugged. He turned to Elizabeth and her daughter, motioning for them to stay close. They raised their Plasma Cutters, and joined the fray.

The next two minutes were absolute chaos. Isaac was immediately rushed by two Slashers, he blasted one in the arm, chopping it off, rolling to the side to dodge an oncoming strike from the second Slasher. Using Kenesis, he picked up the blade of the first Slasher's severed arm, and launched it at the second one, impaling it to the wall, killing it in the process. He jumped back to dodge another strike from the first one, shooting it in the leg, causing it to trip up. He finished it off with a curb-stomp to the head.

Ellie was jumped by two Slashers and a Lurker, she strafed back, dodging strikes from all three. She froze the slashers with Stasis, just as the Lurker jumped at her. She quickly snatched it with both hands as it wrapped two tentacles around her arms, attempting to stab her with the third. The barbed third appendage glanced harmlessly off her armor for two strikes before Ellie managed to pry it off her. She turned to see her Stasis had worn off, and the Slashers were beginning to rush her again. She dropped the still squirming Lurker and kicked it hard at the Slashers. The Lurker went flying into the Slashers hard enough to stun one to the floor, and daze the other. Ellie took full advantage, punching the dazed one hard enough in the face to knock it to the floor. She finished both off with a series of curb stomps.

She heard a loud labored gasp from behind her, on pure instinct she rolled to the left in time to dodge a gob of acidic bile. She used Kenesis to grab a blade off a dead Slasher, it found its mark in the Puker's chest, while that didn't kill it instantly, it was enough time for Isaac to sneak up on it. Isaac planted his left arm between the Puker's shoulders, and his right hand to grab it's skull, with a single hard pull of his right arm and push from his left, Isaac decapitated the Puker. It stumbled forward and Ellie finished it off with a point-blank round from the Plasma Cutter.

A Leaper managed to pin Isaac to the floor, but before it could sink its teeth in, Ellie pushed it off, backing up before it could attack her. Isaac stood up and grabbed the Leaper's tail. He pulled it up, and pinned its head to the floor with his boot. With the Necromorph pinned, Isaac lifted his foot, and curb-stomped its head, decapitating it, then casting it aside. Both he and Ellie finished it off with a few Plasma Cutter shots.

A Slasher with molded and dark skin, an enhanced, rushed Ellie, with the intend to take a chance at slashing her. Instead of using Stasis, or rolling out of the way, Ellie ducked under the strike, wrapping her arms around the Enhanced Slasher. Before the Necromorph knew what was happening, Ellie jumped up, and flipped the Slasher over her. It landed flat on its back, and Isaac followed up by stomping on it's head. The headless Slasher got up, but before it could begin swinging wildly, Ellie shoved it into a spot away from the people. She rolled back as Isaac fired a single plasma bolt, severing a cable suspending a turbine. It fell, and the battle ended with the last Necromorph getting crushed to death.

Isaac, Ellie, Elizabeth, and the soldiers looked at each other. The taller soldier spoke up, "Isaac, That you in there?"

The soldier's helmet unfolded to reveal the face of John Carver. Isaac's helmet unfolded back into his RIG. "Carver, you good?"

"As good as I can get. Fucking Necromorphs," he muttered.

"Figures," Isaac muttered, "you heading for the tram station?"

"Yes."

"Mind if we follow?"

"Be my guest."

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The two groups merged, and continued into a large room with two points of entry separated by a large drop. The two points were connected by a single means of getting across, a medium-sized hanging gantry attached to a set of tracks on the ceiling, adding to the already creepy atmosphere of the room was the fact nobody could see the other end of the track, floor, or ceiling, it was too dark. Anybody who had acrophobia, (namely one Dr. Elizabeth Hampton), felt a large pit appear in their stomachs as the dread sank in.

Isaac, Ellie, Carver, and the extra soldier exchanged glances, Carver turned to his fellow soldier, "Private Carmine, Lieutenant Guyles we need to take these people across, call the gantry."

The solider identified as Private Carmine hit a button on the control panel that summoned the gantry. The room was deathly silent, the only audible things in it was the approaching gantry and the slightly panicked breathing of the civilians. Carver and Ellie kept an eye out behind them, while Isaac peered down the pit, he turned on his Plasma Cutter, pointing it towards the ground, hoping the attached light would reveal the bottom. It didn't, which only served to raise some red flags.

It was too silent, that was the problem. Too silent, and they were over a vary large, very ominous pit. There was basically no way something would go wrong now. Ellie and Carver had noticed Isaac, and had moved over to him. Ellie asked, "Something wrong?"

Isaac turned to them. The gantry had just arrived. "I think something's down there."

All heads collectively turned to Isaac. Elizabeth sputtered out, "A-a-are you sure? We can't go across there i-if somethings down there!"

The tension in the room spiked. Carver moved over to him and looked down. Like Isaac, he too had spend too much time scavenging large vessels too not realize the potential for a trap when he saw one, and given the depth of the pit they were looming over, chances are, there would be tentacles waiting to ambush them. He drew his Pulse Rifle, checking it's ammo. He pointed it at several points across the floor, and pulled the secondary trigger multiple times. Several grenades fired into the darkness, followed by several loud yet distant bangs. Unexpectedly, the lower floor lit on fire, revealing that it was covered in corruption, but no tentacles.

Everybody looked down. Okay, nothing was down there that could reach them up here. But, now the floor was on fire, and they still had to cross. and the fire's light wasn't enough to illuminate the other side of the track, or ceiling. Now, instead of crossing with the threat of getting snatched by a tentacle, they had to cross with the notion of falling to a fiery death, with the notion that there might also be Necromorphs on the other side.

Just. Fucking. Fantastic.

Carmine and Guyles stepped onto the platform, ushering others onto it. Eventually, they managed to fit all but Carver, Isaac, Ellie, Elizabeth, and Victoria Hampton. "Take them across, then send it back," Carver instructed, "we'll be fine."

Carmine nodded, and pushed the button, he turned around and raised his Pule Rifle. Ready for anything.

Ready for anything, except the few Necromorphs stuck on the ceiling, covered in darkness. What looked to be a mouth on the end of a tentacle shot down, grabbing Carmine, and pulled him up. All the civilians screamed and ducked, covering their heads, Guyles yelled, "FLYTRAPS!".

"Oh shit, CARMINE!" Carver yelled.

The trio raised their weapons to the ceiling as the platform slipped into darkness. What they found on the ceiling, they'd admit that they had never seen it before. The mutation was of a human hanging from the ceiling by its melted hands and feet. Its chest was split open, with its ribs turned to sharpened teeth. Its flesh hanging loosely by its sides, and its muscles moving the ribs like a gaping maw. It looked like a twisted mockery of a Venus flytrap. Guess that's why they called them 'flytraps'.

A few had managed to snatch up a few people off the gantry, and were chewing on them. Issac fired his Plasma Cutter at the limbs of the one eating Carmine, he heard Carver cry "Isaac wait!"

Too late. The Flytrap's arms fell, Carmine's dead body dropped into the fire below. Its legs snapped and it fell too. They heard the sound of the gantry returning

oh boy, getting across with these things on the ceiling was going to be bad. They waited for the gantry to return.

One second.

Two seconds.

Ten seconds.

A loud crack.

One minute.

Oh, shit.

This was the collective thought of the group when the platform returned coated in blood and dangling by one connector. No way they were getting across on that now. They needed a new way. Guyles opened a video link with Carver's RIG. "Sir," he stated, "I sent the gantry back, but I heard something break once it left visual range. Is everything alright over there?"

Carver groaned, "No, the damn gantry broke down, it's literally dangling by a thread! Go onward to the tram station, I'll take the remaining civilians around. Meet you in the EVAC hanger."

"Yes sir," Guyles saluted before cutting the call, Carver turned to Isaac.

"I've never actually been down here, Isaac, you got any idea where we're going?"

Isaac nodded, "I've been down here to inspect scavenged engine parts, follow me," Isaac started back towards a secondary exit to the cargo hold they were in, ready to take the long way around.

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The group continued through the narrow corridors, with Elizabeth and her daughter standing in the center of a triangular formation lead by Isaac, with Ellie and Carver watching out behind them. They entered a series of rooms that had been re-purposed to function as extra laboratories to fabricate various parts for all purposes around the ship, doubling as both blacksmithing and manufacturing. The equipment included in these facilities ranged from furnaces and anvils for metal-working, to large hydraulic presses for creating sheet metal, and precision-robots and computers to create micro-chips and semiconductors. Some of which the operators had left on, All of which was painted with the intestines and blood of the Necromorphs' victims.

They had made it to the center of the room when the alarm went off. Warning: Pathogenic presence at unsafe levels. Quarantine engaged. Lights flashed as Elizabeth once again held onto her daughter Victoria and ducked under a table. The trio looked around, there was a hydraulic press, furnace, and industrial metal-cutting saw still active.

Several slashers and an Exploder, a Necromorph which had a large sac of explosive pus on its left arm, as well as one arm and leg to move around, and a split skull emerged from vents by the furnace. Isaac fired a single Plasma Cutter round at the Exploder's sac, the sudden rupture detonated the chemicals inside, destroying the Necromorph, and the furnace behind it. The slashers that weren't taken out by the blast were then lit on fire. Isaac easily finished them off.

Ellie swapped he Plasma Cutter for the second gun on her weapon wheel, Seeker Rifle. She aimed it at a Puker that stood in front of the active hydraulic press which was rapidly slamming up and down, which in turn was surrounded by more slashers. She fired a single shot at the Puker, the blast didn't kill it, but it did knock it into the open press. The press slammed down on it, spewing acidic bile onto the Slashers, some of which fell apart in seconds, and others needed a few more shots.

Carver found himself surrounded by Necromorphs. He had also swapped weapons, he'd swapped the Pulse Rifle for a Contact Beam pointed the weapon at the ground and pulled the secondary trigger. The contact energy radiated through the floor, causing a shock wave that knocked the surrounding Slashers to the ground. He quickly pulled an Incendiary Grenade from his belt, activating it and strafing away from the spot on the floor he put it. It detonated, killing two Slashers and lighting the remaining ones on fire.

The quarantine lifted when the last Necromorph fell. The entire metal shop had been painted with viscera and blood. The group wasted no time in leaving. They knew more would soon follow. They entered into offices of the individuals who were in charge of taking inventory and general management of the Cargo Hold. The room was elongated and narrow, an massive window looking into the icy blackness of space at the tail end of it.

The group entered the room, collectively crossing their fingers that no Necromorphs would appear. They made it half-way across the room before they heard the faint crackling of glass. Isaac looked forward and saw that there was a Leaper on the outside of the glass, pounding it with its tail. Isaac froze, and yelled, "Jump back and grab onto something! The window's going to...!"

CRASH!

The window suddenly broke and the vacuum began to suck things into the void. Ellie, Isaac, and Carver dived to the sides, grabbing whatever was anchored to the ground. Elizabeth had attempted to grab something, but the task was made difficult by the fact she was holding her young child in one arm. Victoria was crying loudly, Elizabeth instinctively knew her child was more afraid now then she would ever be over the course of her life. She had one arm wrapped around a pole, looking around she could see Isaac below her, clinging to a desk. Carver was next to her, looking as if he was seconds away from floating away. Ellie was above her, she'd managed to get some footing on an anchored desk with one hand on a safety bar, the other attempting to shoot the red triangular sign above the broken window with her Plasma Cutter in order to trigger the safety bulkhead, however, all her shots were obstructed by all the junk flying up from behind them.

The good doctor's grip was weakening fast, she needed to find something to grab onto in a few seconds. And just as she noticed something else to hold, her hand slipped. Flailing out, Elizabeth managed to grab a pole that was just beneath the desk she was previously holding. She looked to her side and noticed Isaac directly next to her. Isaac had managed to find some footing as well, and to was taking shots at the manual release for the safety door. The two suddenly heard a loud crack, and looking up, the desk Elizabeth had been holding had come loose, and was about to fall onto her and Victoria. She looked over to Isaac, debating options, her brain moving at the speed of a derailing freight train. The desk was seconds away from falling, and she acted on pure instinct.

She turned to Isaac, and simply said, "Make sure she gets off this hell-hole ship alive."

Before Isaac could process Dr. Hampton's words, she shoved little Victoria into his free arm. Isaac on similar instinct held onto the small child against the depressurizing room. And into the same instance Elizabeth let her child go, the desk hit her, and floated out into space, taking the good doctor with it. Elizabeth managed to share one last look with her daughter looking into Victoria's eyes, her little hand reaching out towards her. Elizabeth simply smiled, in an attempt to console her daughter, one final time.

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Oh no...
Cliffhanger!
Plz don't hate me. I had to proof read myself.
Feel Free to review criticize and ask questions. I'll try and answer a few next chapter.