"Are you sure this is a good idea Tket?" asked Tech Second Class Kyip. The two young Corpus were heading towards engineering - the last reported location of the Warframe. Both carried Supras up at the ready and had Provas clipped to their suits at the hip. "Trying to catch this Warframe? Tech Veso was very clear about staying in the mess. He is going to be very angry we disobeyed a direct order."

"No, he won't" said Medical Resident Tket. He rolled his eyes. "It's Veso. He won't do anything."

Kyip sighed but said nothing. He had to agree. He doubted even a direct order would make a difference but then Veso had never given him a direct order before.

"Besides if we catch the Warframe or even kill it our most lucrative and sagacious Director Alad V will give us massive promotions and huge bonuses" added Tket. "We will be heroes. We may even get to meet him."

"True" agreed Kyip. "But have you ever seen seen a real Warframe in action?"

"I've seen recordings," admitted Tket. The alarms had stopped screaming several minutes earlier - now it seemed oddly quiet. "And I did bring grenades! That should help."

"Tech Veso told me he saw a Warframe once," said Kyip. He tightened his grip on his weapon. "He said I should avoid them."

"Veso," snorted Tket. "Veso is boring. His biggest infraction is working too many shifts. I don't believe you."

"He said he saw it make fire and meteors drop from the ceiling," said Kyip, aware of just how crazy it sounded but Veso had been absolutely sure about what he had seen.

"Now I definitely don't believe you," said Tket. "Was Veso drunk or something?"

"I've never seen Tech Veso drink like that," said Kyip. "He works too many shifts" He frowned. "I don't think he sleeps either . . ."

"Then I hate to tell you Kyip but Veso was lying to you," said Tket. "And you were stupid enough to believe him."

"I don't know Tket," said Kyip. "I've heard some crazy stuff about these Warframes and Tech Veso has never lied to me."

"That you know of," corrected Tket. "For all you know Veso-R sucks down his own crazy brew of coolant booze during his off hours and sees things no one else sees because it broke his brain."

Kyip scowled. "I highly doubt that. I don't think Tech Veso has off hours. He is always on duty."

"That sounds like Tezzen," shuddered Tket. "Come on. We're almost there."

The two stopped before the massive door to engineering.

"Ready?" asked Tket, one hand resting on the control.

Kyip hesitated. "Are you sure Tket? Tech Veso was very clear about not leaving the mess."

"But think how impressed Veso will be if you help capture a Warframe. He'll even give you a promotion."

Kyip sighed. He had only been on the ship a month and really wanted to impress his superior. He had little doubt even Veso-R would be impressed if they managed to capture or kill this Warframe.

"Alright, let's do this," he hefted his weapon.

Tket tapped the control and the door slid open.

"DIE WARFRAME!" shouted Kyip, running into engineering.

"Fear us! We are the Corpus!" shouted Tket.

Nothing. No flaming meteors from the ceiling. No hail of bullets. Just silence. There wasn't even the usual hum of the reactor.

"Huh?" Kyip looked around confused. Then he saw it. The blood dripping from the walls and the ceiling. The pieces of bodies strewn all over the large room. Empty helmets and abandoned weapons. And more blood. So much blood. He looked down and to his horror realized he had nearly stepped on a head lying on the floor in front of him, its eyes wide. It was staring right at Kyip.

The young engineer yelped in horror and jumped back. Everywhere he looked blood and bodies. Bodies of people he had just spoken to less than an hour earlier. Was Tech Veso among them? Was Chief Engineer Jaro?

He reached for his confining helmet and tore it off, gasping for breath, only to be hit by the overwhelming smothering smell of blood. Did the Warframe do this? Why would the Warframe do this? He had heard stories of Warframes killing hundreds but he had always thought they were exaggerations.

"They're all dead . . . " he gasped. "Why Tket? All of them . . . "

Beside him even the normally unflappable Tket stood frozen in shock. He had not expected this. But he had to keep calm, keep thinking, keep functioning. Was the Warframe still there? He reached out for Kyip, took a hold of his arm and pulled him back. He then started to use his helmet's HUD to scan for life signs. But nothing. No Corpus. No Warframe. No life signs.

"Maybe Veso was right . . . " whispered Tket. "About Warframes . . . ."

"Chief Engineer Jaro?" asked Kyip, his eyes darting from torn body to torn body. He desperately wanted to look away but he found he couldn't. He kept trying to identify the bodies.

"I don't know Kyip" said Tket, not wanting to get any closer to the corpses to check.

"Tech Veso?"

Tket shook his head. "Try contacting them."

Kyip nodded but said nothing. He continued to stare at the corpses of his colleagues. Tket sighed. He kept a hand on his friend's arm. Then he opened a channel to the ship's Chief Engineer.

"Chief Engineer Jaro. This is Tket."

"Not now Tket" snapped Jaro. He sounded out of breath, angry and impatient.

"Sir" he swallowed. "I think you need to come to the reactor room."

"I'm already on my way down there" said Jaro.

"Yes sir." He shut the channel then sighed. Now Veso. Tket was sure Veso was among the bodies - the engineer was never off duty. But then he had said he was heading down to get them from the mess so there was that. Maybe Veso was getting a snack, annoyed he could not find Tket or Kyip exactly where he had told them to wait.

"Veso. This is Tket."

Nothing.

"Veso. This is Tket. Please respond."

Nothing.

"Corpus Tech First Class Veso-R. This is Tket. I just set fire to your bunk and am about to steal all of your socks. Respond."

Nothing.

Tket sighed and looked towards his friend. "He did say he was coming to get us in the mess" he said. "Getting something to eat maybe?"

"No," Kyip shook his head. His shoulders slumped. He liked Tech Veso. Veso had been nice to him. "He always responds." His eyes moved from one corpse to the next. Which one was Veso? He didn't want to know. "Everyone . . . it got everyone . . . "

"Maybe not" Tket had suddenly noticed a faint alert on the edge of his HUD. "I am picking up a faint Corpus life sign there," he pointed towards the control center that over looked the reactor room. "Come on."

They ran up the stairs and froze at the entrance. More blood. And a body curled on it's side turned away from them. They could see blood streaming from a wound in his back.

"Are you sure he's alive?" asked Kyip.

"Yes, definitely alive," said Tket. He gritted his teeth, took several breaths then pushed passed Kyip. He was a medic, training to be a doctor. If this Corpus was still alive he had to do something. Unlike the bodies in the reactor room, at least this officer's body was still in one piece.

"Do you know who it is?" asked Kyip, following Tket into the room. He tried but was unable to avoid stepping in the blood. A dropped Supra lay next to the downed Corpus and several feet away an abandoned Prova. He was dressed in the generic tan nearly the entire crew wore.

Tket knelt beside the injured Corpus and carefully turned him onto his back.

"Ykip" he cursed. While Tket didn't know most of the engineers on the ship he did know Kyip's immediate superior and supervisor. "Well, we found Veso."

"Are you sure . . ." But then he winced when he recognized the older Corpus officer. But he was also relieved - it meant Veso was still alive. Badly injured, but still alive. Lying on his back they could now see he also had a deep gaping wound in his chest - the primary source of all the blood.

"Kyip, Veso needs help," said Tket. He shifted Veso to use one of his knees to support the engineer's head. His eyes darted around the room, searching. "There should be an emergency medical kit somewhere nearby."

Kyip started. "What?"

"The medical kit" snapped Tket. "Find it Kyip. NOW!"

"Medical kit," Kyip nodded. "It should be . . . " He pointed towards a supply locker.

"Get it" ordered Tket. He pressed one hand to Veso's throat, feeling for a pulse. It was there but weak and thready and his breathing was rapid and shallow. Blood foamed from his nose and mouth and he was trembling, covered in a cold sweat. He did not respond to the touch or to Tket saying his name several times.

Tket tapped a command to open a channel directly to his own supervisor; the ship's Chief Medical Officer. "Tezzen. Tket here."

"Tket I am extremely busy" snapped Tezzen. He had reports of injured and dead crew coming in from all over the ship. "This had better be an emergency."

"Yes sir," Tket swallowed. This was his first time dealing with an emergency since coming on the ship. "Medical emergency in engineering. Severe thoracic trauma. Open pneumothorax with hemoptysis. Hypovolemic shock. Unresponsive to any stimuli."

A pause.

"Jaro?" asked Tezzen.

"No sir," said Tket. He knew the Chief Engineer and the Chief Medical Officer were good friends. They spent nearly every evening drinking tea and talking work. "It's Veso."

"Ykip" cursed Tezzen.

"It's bad sir," added Tket.

"Alright, I'm on my way now," said Tezzen. "I assume you know what you're doing. Get him on oxygen, try to stop the bleeding with coag-foam. Do you know how to do an emergency thoracostomy?"

"Yes, sir." Kyip had finally pulled out the medical kit and brought it up to Tket. He immeiately tore it open and started to dig through it. "I've done it before, though not on a Corpus in full gear."

"Good. It isn't very different," said Tezzen. From his heavy breathing Tket could tell the ship's doctor was running. "But I should be there. . . . Profit more stairs . . . I am getting too old for this . . . Just keep the channel open . . . "