Chapter 4 : Obliteration Imminent

So there we were, we had just avoided the crash on the planet to be crashed into the asteroid field. The ADS power routing had been shot and I had no way of repairing it without Isaac, since I couldn't do anything save from fixing the damaged boards once they were powered. What I told the engineer to do, in fact, was to re-route power from junction boxes. But I'm getting ahead, so when Isaac finally reached the Bridge...

- Isaac, come in. Kendra's right, the ADS is completely shot. I'll need your help to fix this. - I told him, via video log – Kendra, if you can hear me, see if you can get into the ship's reports. It sounds like you have better access from there. - After all, she was in the computer core...

- When were you going to tell us about the artifact, Hammond? This "Marker?" - she was angry, I could tell.

- I don't know anything about that. It's referenced in the Captain's records. They brought it up from the planet...

- It's on the ship? - she cried in the comm.

- In cargo – I informed her – They think it's of alien origin. But I don't know what the hell it is.

- Really? CEC didn't know anything about it? You're lying. - she was exasperating, why did she have to snap like that? It wasn't my fault...

- Back off. I am not the bad guy here. - I informed her - We're all shaky right now. You're going to have to trust that I don't know anything about it.

Right then, I felt the ship shake, and when I looked at the window (A/N: OK, it's not a window, but I don't know how those crystal panels are called, or if they're called windows as well) I saw asteroids coming down on the ship. The comm quickly turned into static, and when it cleared a bit, I shouted quickly, knowing it would last very little.

- We've entered the debris field! Get to the captain's nest. I'll explain everything later. Hammond out.

Moments later, I heard a crashing sound, and the AI's voice.

"Warning: Hull breach detected"

I cursed and tried harder to do anything useful with the ADS until Isaac came to help me. I heard the door open, and having experienced an assault a few hours before, I felt fear, since I had been irresponsible and had left the Pulse Rifle away from me. But as I looked, I saw with relief it was just Isaac.

- Isaac! Damn, you scared me. - I relaxed a bit - This place is making me jumpy. Fucking asteroids coming through the roof... Look, I know Kendra doesn't trust me, but I don't know anything about a Marker or anything else. - I explained him - This was supposed to be a repair mission, plain and simple.

I paused to catch breath and showed him the holo-frame I was working on.

- This mess is the Asteroid Defense System. I can fix these boards, but the main power routing is shot. You're going to have to re-route them manually through at least three junction boxes to activate the primary cannon. - I informed - Oh, but first you need to activate the Atrium elevators from Bridge Security. You can use them to get to the junction boxes.

- OK – was his answer, short and simple, accompanied with a nod of his head. He then turned around, and was already at the exit when I remembered. (A/N: For the ones who wanted to "hear" Isaac, sorry, no imagination on that field, heh... This OK is just because only a mute would swallow that monologue and not say anything.)

- By the way, Isaac. Be careful. I saw something out there. I don't know what. I only got a glimpse, but it was big. Really big. - I warned him.

- Thanks for the advice. - man of few words, he was.

He had just taken a few steps out of the nest when I heard a screeching sound from an escape pod, and I realized the slasher I had "killed" had just been knocked out. I quickly jettisoned the pod, before the necromorph managed to rip it open and attack Isaac.

- Shit! Stand back! - I urged him - Thought that one was dead when I sealed the pod. These things don't die easily.

I jettisoned the escape pod and the necromorph somewhere in the asteroid field, and that made me think they would just be destroyed, and they'd be a problem no more. How mistaken I was...

But then I heard a loud screeching noise, and loud stomps on the ceiling – that was, the Atrium, where Isaac was. I took a quick glance at his camera and finally saw the thing that made that noise. It was two and a half meters tall, and very broad, as if a lot of necromorphs were fused together, and it had some kind of plating covering its arms and chest – if it could be considered a chest any more.

Isaac, however didn't notice the plating at first, and started shooting at it with... did he buy a Pulse Rifle?... on the body. The thing charged at him, knocking him to the floor. When he raised himself, I caught a glimpse of the thing's back, realizing it didn't have any armor there.

- Your weapons can't punch through that thing's armor! Shoot it in the back, Isaac! - I informed him

He took my advice, and used Stasis on the necromorph when it charged him again, and quickly ran behind it, shooting a whole clip in the thing's back, causing it to cover itself, a foolish move, because the only thing it did was to expose its back even more, so Isaac quickly reloaded and sprayed its back again. With a roar, the Brute, as I know them now, fell down. Isaac spotted a purple glint underneath it, and with Kinesis he moved the now dead necromorph, picking a power node that somehow was inside of the creature.

I saw him enter the Security Room, and go to a bench to upgrade whatever he had, and moments later, the AI was heard throughout the Bridge once again.

"Atrium elevators are now online"

- Kendra, are you there? - I commed her.

- Hammond? What do you want? - she asked angrily

- Just asking what you found on the records about that "Marker"

- Well, this record here just says it's a Red Marker, instead of the Black Marker, you know, the one the Unitologists worship? But you surely knew that already, didn't you? - she accused me

- Look, I don't know what I have done to you, or why you're that angry with me, but I don't know anything about the fucking Marker! And if we don't collaborate, we'll end up dead, so stop accusing me, dammit! - I exploded, not being able to contain myself anymore.

She simply cut the communication, leaving me with questions about the relevance about the chromatic difference of this Marker and the Unitology's one and a growing headache.

When I was finally able to reconfigure one of the ADS boards, I received a reading, showing a 33 percent energy in the Asteroid Defense System, coming from the Ship Systems.

- Ship Systems junction box re-routed. I'm making some progress with the tracking grid... one of the cannons is giving me a hard time. - I informed him.

It was true, I was unable to get ADS Cannon 47's auto-targeting online, while the others were easier to achieve. Maybe Isaac would have done it much faster, but he was needed at the junction boxes, since I knew little of electronics, and this was one of the few things I was able to do. I kept at it for several minutes, managing to get some other cannons online, when I got another reading, this time showing a 66 percent energy in the ADS, coming from Control Systems.

- Control Systems junction box re-routed. I'm getting a reading! - The cannons were actually targeting, even if they hadn't got enough energy to fire – Almost there.

I heard a crash, meaning more asteroids had hit the Bridge, and started to get nervous, fearing that my inability of getting one particular cannon online would doom us. The cursed cannon was impossible to repair! Everything I tried had at least one flaw, it'd cause a short circuit, it didn't give it enough power, both or several other problems. I looked for a diagram showing how the targeting system was supposed to be arranged, and when I found it I finally understood the problem it was giving me. There was a glitch in the system caused by a faulty cable, which didn't let data flow through and activate its auto-targeting

While I was cracking my head trying to make the damned cannon work, Isaac was still trying to find and re-route the final junction box. When he re-routed it, a final reading, finally 100 percent, was sent to the console. I hastily activated the ADS Cannons' auto-targeting system.

- All right, we've got enough power. But the ADS cannon's auto-targeting is down. I think it's a faulty data cable. - I informed him - I need you to aim the cannon manually until I can replace it. Take the elevator to the top of the ship, and head for the cannon pit.

That said, I started searching the whole Nest, looking for data cables to rip off unneeded machines. As I ripped one from the heating system, I realized where I had sent Isaac, under what conditions. I quickly commed him again, praying not to be late.

- Isaac, you're going to have to cross the ship exterior to reach the ADS Cannon. - I said calmly, once I saw he was alright. - Problem is, we're still getting bombarded from asteroids. Look for cover or you'll get torn to pieces. - I was very blunt, but we didn't have time to be subtle.

Done that, I went back to the data cable. After unplugging the faulty one, I tried to connect the one I got. The problem was, the faulty cable had broken while unplugging it, and one end was still in the depths of the board. I went underneath it, and tried to yank it off, to no avail. A glimpse at the camera showed me Isaac had reached the pit in one piece, and I commed him yet again to tell him what to do.

- That's it. Isaac, you're in the pit. The cannon's a massdriver, so it should punch through anything flying at us. Keep an eye on the hull's integrity. - I instructed him - Too many of those things get by and we're dead. I think I've almost got the system repaired. Just buy me a little more time!

Back at the cable, I finally managed to pull out the cable and started plugging the good one. I felt more intense shakes on the side of the ship, and hurried.

- Just one more minute and it should be fully operational! - I cried in the comm.

There! I had finally plugged it, I just had to configure the system – an easy task – and it'd be done, the auto-targeting would be online.

- I've almost got this thing fixed! Just a little bit longer!

I saw the loading bar quickly fill up, and then the AI spoke

"Automated tracking system enabled"

I sighed of pure relief.

- Nice shooting, Isaac! Auto targeting is now online and clearing a path to safe orbit! As soon as we're clear, I'll engage the autopilot again. Head to the tram station and I'll meet you there when I'm done.

A minute or so later, we were clear of the debris field. I engaged the autopilot and exited the Captain's Nest. When I reached the tram station, however, I lost my hopes again, because Kendra was, again, the messenger of bad news. Very bad news.

- Wait! Isaac, Hammond... you're not gonna believe this. Oxygen levels are falling. Something's poisoning Hydroponics air production, and whatever it is, it's filling the deck up with that organic stuff. - she cried in the comm, almost hysteric. - We're not going to have any air to breathe soon. But if I understand these lab reports correctly, I think I can make a poison to destroy it. Head to Medical. It should have everything you need. - I really hoped she knew what she was doing, since I hadn't done any chemistry since Elementary.

- Will this never end? Isaac, get to Medical and mix together whatever Kendra's come up with. - I sighed, suddenly tired - I'm heading to Hydroponics. If I can slow it down, that might keep us breathing long enough to fight it.

With that, I boarded the tram and headed to Hydroponics, fearing what I'd find there, and beginning to think of aborting the mission. But I had to do that, or none of us would get out of the ship alive.

(A/N: Aand we finally get Hammond separated from Isaac! Mind you, this'll most surely mean the next upload isn't going to be there for a while. Again, review, people! I don't like to beg for them, but if I don't get them, I don't know how to improve the story. As long as it's constructive, you can say whatever you want. And yes, fighting with a cable to survive getting crushed by asteroids while an engineer is firing a turret is very anticlimactic, and ridiculous, but I couldn't come up with any other problem, heh...)