ISS Artemis 24 docked to Elli's Chance System 612-744 (Commander Continuing)
Date 1184-265 Imperial Standard
Time Consecutive
Valerii And Ishyn moved down the maintenance corridor, playing their lights over every hatch and recess. They found only the debris that collects in the 'non-public' areas of star ships.
"Doesn't look like they used this way much," Val observed.
"Captain may have been a little lax or since it was a charter the crew might have found the other route more convenient."
At the end Val wired the bypass and opened the iris valve. Ishyn gave him a complimentary pat on the back. The he gestured to the right. "The hatch in mid corridor there is the low berths." Then pointing farther to stern, "The side hatch is med bay; the rear valve gives access to the lower decks and starboard engineering."
"So we could use that to meet up with Mr. Vrain and Mel?"
"We could but this is the manual access; we would have to climb. Aft lift is on the port side."
They stepped out towards the low berth hatch but Ishyn put a hand on Val's should stopping him. The young scout turned to his commander. Ishyn pointed to his mouth and ear indicating to be silent and listen.
Doing so Val was barely able to catch a small sound. Drip? Scrape? He was not sure. Using facial expressions and gestures he indicated confusion. He also tapped his nose, that he could smell something out of the ordinary as well. Ishyn nodded agreement then turned his head side to side; which way was the question.
Val silently turned a full circle then indicated the aft corridor. Ishyn peered down that direction then turned his light off. A dim glow spilled into the passage. He pointed it out to Val and indicated the med bay hatch was open. Val nodded agreement and took a step in that direction. Ishyn stopped him again and held out the shotgun he carried. The commander pointedly took the weapon off safe. Wide-eyed the pilot visibly swallowed. He looked at his commander, nodded understanding and prepped his submachinegun for firing.
Closer to the hatch the sound and smell became more distinct. Val was still unsure but the commander was clearly troubled. Another nonverbal exchange indicated Ishyn wanted Val to peer around the corned into medical from a low position. Ishyn would move to the opposite bulkhead and be moving in unison to cover Val from a high position.
Having the trust that a year working as a team will give, Val crouched into position and moved up know the commander did likewise behind him. It was clear this area of the ship still had power. Computer screens and patient monitors glowed along with ceiling light panels turned to low. On the deck lay two bodies, one apparently the ship's doctor, the other in utility coveralls. If the blood on the floor was not enough to show they were dead, the gaping wounds allowing the abdominal contents to spill out removed all doubt. The realization hit Val that he had never smelled human bowels before.
There was some movement around the bodies. Val looked back questioningly. Ishyn stepped up and indicated that they should enter. Stepping in each took a side of the hatchway and quickly looked for any threats. The room appearing clear, Val turned his light back on and directed it to the bodies.
"What the," he exclaimed.
Protruding from the clothing and nestled in the abdomens were several large worms. They looked like brown maggots ranging in size up to a man's forearm. Not reacting to the light, they continued their business which Val realized was feeding on the corpses. With and exclamation of disgust he raised his weapon, but before he could fire Ishyn shoved him to the deck.
Startled Val looked at his commander but Ishyn was raising his own weapon and fired up at the ceiling were Val had stood. As he watched, the pilot saw a set of tentacles reach from between monitors and wrap around the commander's neck, lifting him off his feat. Val braced the weapon on his shoulder and aimed high to avoid Ishyn. He let loose a long stream of rounds, each electro-bullet like a mini taser delivering fifteen thousand volt shock from the capacitor to whatever the bullet struck.
There was an impressive shower of sparks and the rounds discharged into the ceiling, bulkhead and monitors. The monitors added their own flashes as they overloaded from the repeated shocks. Val also assumed he hit his target when Ishyn dropped to the deck in a shower of dirt and debris. Above him where Ishyn had fired, Val saw more tentacle questing in the air. A second burst from the gun gave a similar shower on Val.
"Captain! Are you hurt?" Val shouted.
"I'm good, thanks. You?"
"Fine sir."
A squeal caught their attention. From the corpses the worms all turned what must have been their heads to the two scouts. They had no sensory organs that Val could see. Even the mouths were hard to detect as the coloration was the same inside as out. They moved eerily in unison, extracting themselves from the bodies.
"Go, out in the corridor," Ishyn ordered, firing the shotgun several times at the creatures. The nonlethal thud rounds struck the worms, shoving them back but seemed to do no real damage. Val scrambled on hands and knees only rising when he made it out of the med bay. Ishyn followed on his heels and out of habit pressed the hatch closed stud. Surprisingly it cycled shut.
"What the fuck were those things, commander?"
"I have no idea," Ishyn replied grabbing his communicator, "but we are leaving."
"Vrain, Mel," Ishyn shouted into the comm, "where are you? Are you alright?" To Val he added, "Go ahead to the lounge and secure it. I'm right behind you. If you see anything not one of us, shoot it."
Val ran hearing Ishyn talking to the engineers behind him. Reaching the lounge, he took up position at the airlock where he could see all access points to the area. Their probe waited obediently where it had been left in the center of the room. Val took out him own comm and sent a return to ship signal. The probe spun and rolled back through the lock to the scout ship.
Ishyn joined val after closing the maintenance access hatch. Val watched as the commander replaced the thud rounds with military flechette. They waited, each scanning for any signs of movement.
It took only a moment for the engineers to emerge from the lift. Mel looked sick but was moving fast. She stopped in the half way to the airlock, "Did you hear that?"
Vrain had stopped with her, "What? I don't hear any..." he trailed off. Distant sounds of movement could be heard. "Survivors?"
Val and Ishyn looked ay each other, "No," they answered in unison.
"This ship is a navy problem," Ishyn added. "Get through the lock and prep for immediate release."
The engineers ran back onto their ship, followed by Val. Ishyn waited in the airlock for half a moment
listening for any sound that could be a survivor. With a sick feeling in his belly he stepped back onto his ship. Closing the hatch he gave the order to disengage from Elli's Chance.