Chapter 2: Lexine

Ellie drifted slowly toward the unmoving ship. A feeling of unease crept over her. Isaac had a point; there was no telling who-or what-was occupying the ship. Her thoughts drifted to the creatures they had fought on the Sprawl, 'Necromorphs', Isaac called them. She felt herself shiver as she remembered her first encounter. The creature was well over the height of a regular man, bearing thin arms with serrated claws on each end. Dismissing the image, she mounted herself onto the platform in front of the ship's hatch. If Isaac and I ever run into one of those damned things again…

She squinted at the small power box positioned beside the large door, tearing off its lid and examining the wires carefully. Getting inside this thing would be no problem at all. She rearranged the wiring, and toggled with the circuits until she heard a loud creak. She pushed herself gently away from the hatch as it descended. She took hold of the safety bar and swung herself inside, landing lightly as the airlock adjusted itself.

Exiting Vacuum.

Ellie's eye scanned the room vigilantly as she removed her helmet. The deck was dark. Only a few overhead lights were on. Ellie pulled her plasma cutter. This gunship was way more spacious than their own, that was for sure. Blankets were sprawled all around the floor, along with a candy wrapper or two. A small cup of water sat on a pull-out tray. Ellie sighed to herself in relief. There was definitely someone here.

"Hello?" she called softly. She crept gingerly toward the cockpit. "Hello?"

The seats were empty; the auto-pilot command had been switched on. She lowered her weapon. Yeah, that's what I thought…

At that moment, there were a few rustling noises. She inched back down the hallway. "Hello?" she whispered. The noises grew more frequent, rustling and scratching filled her ears.

Suddenly, there was a loud screech, and she was rammed into the floor. Her plasma cutter flew out of her hands and landed with a sonorous thud. Ellie rolled hastily onto her back and gaped at the pale yellow figure. It was an Infector, a small necromorph that looked like a headless bat. The creature emitted a low hiss, its corrupted stinger jutting out from where its face should have been. Ellie barely had any time to scramble to her feet before it latched onto her. It dug its claws into her suit, damaging it and perforating the muscle in her arms. She cried out in pain as she struggled to push it back, gripping the deadly stinger as it drew closer to her face. She glanced frantically at her plasma cutter, which was about an arm's length away. She brought up her knee and struck the Infector with a forceful kick. It shrieked as it was propelled backward. She dove for the plasma cutter, grasping it firmly before firing several shots.

The plasma energy seared through the Infector's paper-thin wings, and it slumped over dead. Ellie's arms sagged as she keeled over, groaning in agony. The necromorph's claws had held onto her upper arms stubbornly, and they were dragged across the skin, leaving jagged half-circles. The pain was overwhelming, hot tears stung her eye. Suddenly, there was a clunk, and she sat back up at once. A small figure stood in the doorway connecting the cockpit and the sleeping quarters.

Isaac ached all over. The thick bandages Ellie had wrapped around his chest and left hand were starting to seep red. "Great…" he grumbled. He shuffled to the storage cabinets, brooding at the small med pack as he hoisted it from the shelf. He removed the worn bandages carefully before twisting the canister open and dipping his fingers into the cyan liquid. He spread it across the wounds until they stopped bleeding, and tied them over with the new bandages. He groaned as he placed the supplies back into the cupboard. He knew they couldn't keep this up forever. Sooner or later, he would have to seek proper medical attention. Isaac dreaded the thought, acknowledging the fact that he was now a fugitive, and Ellie branded a potential accomplice. He had murdered the director of Titan Station, and was responsible for its overall destruction. He felt guilty; any remaining survivors of the tragedy were inevitably lost.

Suddenly, the video-communicator on his RIG flashed to life, and a woman's face appeared on the holoscreen. "H-hello? I-is this Isaac Clarke?"

Isaac cringed. "Who are you?"

The woman ignored his question. "Your friend is injured; she told me to call you." There was movement in the background, and a disheveled Ellie came into view. Isaac's eyes widened. "What the fuck happened!"

"Isaac, it's okay. Just get your ass over here…"

The screen dissipated as Isaac clenched his jaw. Ellie was injured; he had no choice but to board the ship. He stood up and made his way to the closet containing his damaged Advanced Suit. He dressed quickly and punched in the code to open the ship's hatch.

Entering Vacuum.

. . .

The woman from the transmission was kneeling beside Ellie with a look of concern. Isaac jogged over, his helmet still covering his face. Ellie was a bloody mess. Dark blood trailed down her arms; they looked practically ripped into. "Shit…" he cursed. He turned to the woman. "How did this happen?"

The woman put her hands up defensively. "I-I only found her like this; I heard someone attempting to contact me and I hid. I was afraid it was EarthGov…"

Isaac raised an eyebrow. She was running from EarthGov too? "Who are you?"

"I…I'm Lexine…Lexine Weller."

Ellie grunted as she sat up on her elbows. "Well, Lexine, you're awful lucky that thing didn't find you."

"What thing?"

She pointed to the dead Infector just a few feet away. Lexine's eyes widened slightly, then she shook her head. "There's some med packs in the cupboard. I'll go get them."

She scampered off, leaving Isaac and Ellie alone in the corridor. "What do you think?" Isaac murmured.

"She seems harmless enough, Isaac. I can't imagine what would've happened if that creature got to her."

He sighed. "That's not what I meant, Ellie."

"Here I am!" Lexine came rushing toward them with a medium med pack, only to stumble. A look of alarm spread across her face as her hand gripped the wall rail. She gulped and took a deep breath. "Are you all right?" Isaac eyed her skeptically.

"Y-yes…" Lexine inhaled again and got up slowly. She was rubbing her stomach. Isaac stiffened as the revelation swooped over him. You've gotta be kidding me…

"Merridew to Base. We've located the craft. Suspect is in sight."

"Good work, Merridew. Take them.