The Cygnus System.
USG Ishimura.
The Tram Tunnel.
"Fuck, poor bastard must've gotten sliced apart when the entrance to Tram Station Hall's internal mechanisms malfunctioned."
Issac, currently kneeling beside a heavily mutilated corpse of an Engineer, grimaced while he checked the deceased crewman for anything of value. The coppery scent of blood softly wafted past Issac's helmet. A lot of the crimson liquid was violently splattered across the doorframe as the malfunctioning door that'd accidentally taken the deceased's life rapidly hammered away at its surrounding metallic frame, thus generating a rather unpleasant banging which echoed throughout the entire Tram Tunnel.
The Kellion's sole Engineer, who tried to be as respectful as possible while searching the mutilated body, felt a great deal of revulsion upon discovering a severed arm which must've belonged to the deceased technician. However, Issac noticed the bloody limb had a Stasis Module still attached to what little remained of its Rig suite. The priceless tool would undoubtedly assist with bypassing the malfunctioning door that'd dismembered its previous owner, so Issac retrieved the severed arm from the metallic floor without hesitation.
Detaching the Stasis Module from the severed arm's Rig wasn't difficult since the scientists who'd first developed the technology had ensured simplicity when the device's final design was distributed throughout EarthGov's territories.
"Alright, the Stasis unit seems to operate within acceptable perimeters." Issac's brown orbs reviewed the report his Rig's onboard computer systems had done on the Stasis Module. At the same time, ethereal energy soon burst into existence after he'd installed the Stasis device into his left forearm. "Now, I just need to move past the malfunctioning entrance, and it'll be a straight shoot towards the Tram Repair Bay." The Engineer firmly clenched his left hand into a fist, thus causing Stasis energy to gather around the palm.
After waiting for a heartbeat for the maximum amount of energy to gather, Issac threw his palm towards the malfunctioning door, thus unleashing a bolt of Stasis which slammed into the door's metallic surface, causing it to move at a snail's pace.
"An interesting ability." The Voice faintly whispered while Issac took the opportunity to slip through the now temporarily frozen entrance. After getting past the obstacle, the Kellion Engineer walked up a short ramp that exited into a hallway stylised to resemble an upside-down T junction. Each pathway lead to a different location, with the northern one ending at a public restroom, the eastern going to the Tram platform, which crew members could use to reach other ship sections, and the western path led to the Tram Repair Bay.
Obviously, Issac would've immediately gone for the western entrance. Yet, before he even took a step forward, the hallway's lighting system suddenly decided to deactivate. Issac's Plasma Cutter hurriedly danced between each hallway section. At the same time, his enhanced eyesight allowed The Kellion Engineer to perfectly see within the darkness, muscles tensed in preparation for any foe which might decide to test their luck against the Engineer while the lights were undergoing a technical malfunction.
However, to Issac's surprise, no Slasher dared to appear within the confined hallway. A few heartbeats later saw the lighting system reactivating by itself, thus allowing anyone with normal levels of vision to see the decaying environment again.
"Okay, that just happened," Issac muttered while sweeping the halls for any sign of unwelcome company. Upon discovering none, he carefully advanced towards the access point to the Tram Repair Bay. The metallic door to his destination slowly opened with a loud groan as unattended mechanisms performed their intended function. Soon Issac was greeted with the sight of a decently sized vehicle repair bay with a small bridge hugging the back wall, and at the bridge's centre was the room's main terminal.
Yet, the holographic interface held little of Issac's attention since he was far more focused on the slumped-over person lying next to the Tram Repair Bay's sole workbench, whose uniform belonged to the Engineering crew. Issac, while keeping his guard up encase the Slashers decided to come bursting into the area, swiftly rushed over to check if the Engineer was still alive and violently cursed when he saw the bloody wounds which coated the deadman's stomach like a B-rated horror movie victim.
A recording found upon the nearby table told Issac the deceased was likely a guy named Benson, who'd called Engineering for a Stasis Module for the malfunctioning Auto-loader. The message he listened to while looting the workbench for supplies revealed further info like how stuff kept malfunctioning across the entire vessel and how Benson kept hearing strange sounds emanating from the gears or locations, which nobody should've been able to survive without the Engineers disassembling the surrounding infrastructure and active machinery.
"Holy shit, it almost sounds like those freaks purposely sabotaged the Tram system." Issac found several Plasma Batteries, which he stored within his Rig's storage unit. "I guess it makes sense, as sabotage would prevent the crew from reorganising themselves into a real threat." A couple of Stasis packs resting next to the Engineer's corpse were also retrieved as these modules could recharge Issac's own Stasis Module, saving him the time to locate a recharge station.
"There is strength within a pack," The Voice softly whispered with a wise tone while Issac walked over to the Tram Repair Bay's main terminal so he could study the full extent of the Tram's damage. "Yet divided these humans stood little chance against the Puppets of flesh and bone."
"Yeah, well, these guys were Engineers, not soldiers," Issac mentally retorts; since there was an important difference between the two professions, he also frowned at the computer terminal, which showed that most of the damage lay within the Tram's internal circuitry. "They didn't have the correct training to fight off whatever caused the crew to transform into those monsters." Issac was surprised he survived for this long against the monstrous humanoids that now plagued The USG Ishimura.
"Irrelevant. All lifeforms possess the ability to survive in hostile environments," The Voice coldly replied while Issac switched on the Auto-loaders, which caused holographic screens to appear on both sides of the bridge. "Their failure was simply a result of their inability to evolve." To The Voice, these people deserved the fate that'd befallen them. The Swarm was forever evolving towards perfection, and anything unable to contribute towards that ever-unreachable goal was consumed for biomass.
Issac felt some mild concern upon hearing how dismissive The Voice was towards the lives of The Ishimura's crew. Yet, he chose not to say anything on the subject as the Tram's repairs needed his full undivided attention. The Kellion Engineer quickly activated the left Auto-loader and swiftly latched onto the malfunctioning Tram. However, its claw refused to properly lock onto the transport vehicle and, within seconds, retracted back while sparks momentarily burst forth from the loading machine.
Immediately recognising the problem with the machinery, Issac prepared his Stasis Module to assist with temporarily fixing the left Auto-loader. However, several monstrous screams thundered throughout The Tram Repair Bay before he could even employ his idea. Cursing at the sudden turn of events, Issac hurriedly took a defensive position at the bridge's centre, which was soon proven to be a smart move on his part as four Slashers, two on each side of the bridge, violently smashed their way through the ventilation system.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Issac frustratingly spat while employing his Stasis Module to momentarily immobilise the Slashers leading from the front so they'd become obstacles for their murderous friends. "Can't I get a moment's work done without you bastards trying to kill me!" Without hesitation, The Engineer fired multiple Plasma rounds at the non-frozen Slashers, who were attempting to climb over their comrades' slow-moving bodies, thus causing squeals of pain to fill the air as their legs were sliced clean through by the Plasma.
A heartbeat later, the Stasis effect placed upon the still-upright Slashers faded away, returning the reanimated monstrosities' ability to move at regular speeds. Sadly for them, Issac quickly reintroduced the Stasis field, which granted The Engineer enough breathing room to slice off their lower limbs. Furious roars left rotting maws as the Slashers kept trying to reach their target even after getting their limbs blasted off. Unfortunately for these horrors, Issac had plenty of ammo to blast them into bloody pieces of meat.
After the Slashers gave their final death rattle, Issac immediately returned to repairing the damaged Tram. The moaning of rusty gears echoed throughout the Repair Bay as the Left Auto-loader again extended towards the Tram. Yet, unlike before, Issac unleashed a bolt of Stasis energy which froze the giant claw in place, understanding that time was of the essence. The Kellion Engineer raced over the bridge and quickly activated the Right Auto-loader causing the mechanical arm to launch forward to clamp onto the Tram.
The transport was then gently pulled into the Repair Bay while an artificial voice announced that automatic repairs would soon be performed upon the Tram. A quick check on the main terminal revealed it would take about thirty minutes to complete the necessary repairs. However, a few Slasher reinforcements, all wearing scraps of Engineering uniforms, chose that exact moment to come crawling out of the ventilation as they desired to prevent the Tram from being returned to a workable state.
"Seriously? Just how many of these fucking things are crawling around the vents!?" Issac's eyes narrowed while throwing several Stasis Bolts at the approaching enemies. The Slashers roared with bloodlust as their comrades at the front got frozen in place via Stasis energy. Issac didn't hesitate to slaughter the still-moving reanimated monsters as they were the primary threat towards his life. Squeals of agony were drowned out by the noise of mechanical hands busily repairing the Tram's internal circuitry.
"Yes, fight! Slaughter! Survive! Evolve! Become greater than you're now!" The Voice gleefully encouraged as Issac bravely fought off the remaining enemies. As the battle continued, several empty Plasma Batteries fell onto the metallic floor as The Engineer kept replacing his Plasma Cutter's spent battery with a fresh one.
"Ya know, for some strange reason, I get the feeling that you're enjoying this!" Issac sarcastically replied to The Voice while finishing off the last remaining Slasher, who'd gotten frozen in Stasis energy during the closing minutes of the fight. A relieved sigh left Issac when no more Slashers came out of the ventilation system, and his joy doubled when the female synthesised voice decided to announce the Tram repairs were finished. Loud groaning soon thundered outwards as the repaired Tram was returned to its track.
Delighted upon seeing his task completed, Issac quickly activated the Rig's radio to inform the others of the good news. "Guys listen, I've gotten the Tram repaired and back on the transport network." The Kellion Engineer took the opportunity to refuel his Stasis Module while the radio busily attempted to connect with his crew mates. Nothing but static buzzed through Issac's helmet like a horde of angry bees for a few short seconds. Yet, fortune smiled upon The Engineer when Kendra's voice soon appeared on the comms.
"Great job, Issac," The Engineer smiled since it was nice to hear a friendly voice after having to fight passed a couple of bloodthirsty monsters. "Now, we just need to re-engage the whole system from Tram Control, and we'll be able to reach the bridge." Issac nodded, even though he knew she couldn't see him performing the action since re-engaging the transport network would be simple for an Engineer like himself.
"Don't worry, I'll have the Tram back online within the next few minutes," Issac assured whilst looting the Slashers for anything valuable and found a few Plasma Batteries for his troubles. "Just be sure you and Hammond are both at the station when it comes online, as I'm highly doubtful our new friends will be pleased by the noise." Issac wasn't sure how those monsters would react once the Tram was working again. Still, he'd rather have Kendra and Hammond safely at the bridge than have the duo wait in whatever hellhole they've hidden away.
"Alright, we'll be waiting at the Tram Station for pick up," Kendra promised as the sound of moving items suddenly filled her side of the comms. "And Issac, stay safe out there, Issac." Kendra shortly disconnected the comms after saying goodbye to her crewmate.
"Yeah, you too, Kendra." Issac spent a few more minutes harvesting what was left within The Tram Repair Bay before heading towards the exit leading back towards Tram Control. Yet, he paused midway upon noticing how the Slashers' remains just sat there, rotting away without contributing anything of value towards The Ishimura's survival. The implication stirred something inhuman within his brain. An unfiltered rage roared through Issac's blood at the mere idea that these creatures could continue to exist without contributing towards his evolution.
"They're mere Flesh puppets, an existence without purpose nor personal evolution towards becoming something greater," The Voice whispered in Issac's ear while disgust dripped from its tone. Without realising it, Issac began moving towards the nearest Slasher corpse whilst the contempt continued to boil away within himself. "Nothing but biomass ready for consumption. You are The Swarm, and The Swarm hunger for their essence!"
Issac stayed silent as he calmly removed his helmet, thus revealing the crimson orbs that'd replaced his normal eyes after they'd evolved into seeing within total darkness. Creep soon began to push upwards from The Engineer's throat, and within a heartbeat, he puked the Zerg organism upon the Slasher's corpse, much like he'd done previously with his first kill onboard The Ishimura.
Issac quickly stepped backwards whilst the Creep rapidly took root within the available biomass, and multiple tendrils burst forth, latching onto the nearby dead Slashers. The realisation of what he'd just done hit like a runaway van as a carpet of Creep swept underneath Issac's feet without harming the Rig Suite. Crimson orbs watched as the Creep devoured everything within reach; not even Benson's body was safe as several tendrils drilled themselves passed the deadman's Rig suite and, without mercy, dragged it towards the Creep's central mass.
"Okay, that just fucking happened," Issac muttered with mild concern while donning his Engineering helmet. The disgust and anger from before were rapidly fading into nothingness which left behind a somewhat confused Engineer to figure out why the hell he'd just decided to puke Creep upon the Slashers when he'd more important matters to deal with. Hammond and everyone else were counting on him to restart the Tram system so they could reach the bridge to find some goddamn answers to why the ship has become one giant hellhole.
"Fuck it, I can sort this shit out later," Issac grunted with finality while doing his best to ignore the sound of bones and flesh torn apart by Creep tendrils. "For now, I need to focus on moving the Tram again so Hammond and Kendra can get somewhere safe." With renewed determination, Issac exited the Tram Repair Bay, unaware of how multiple pulsating eggs began forming at the edges of the still expanding Creep, nor how pleased The Voice was regarding the developing Overmind's growth.
The Voice couldn't wait to see how Issac's evolution continued as he fought through The Ishimura.
T Junction Hallway.
"Well, that's definitely new."
Issac couldn't withhold the hateful sneer which spilt across his lips as a new monstrosity glared back through the visible ventilation system. The reanimated beast roared with barely restrained rage before darting off into the deeper depths of the unseen vents.
"That's right, keep running away, ya bastard!" The Engineer shouted as what appeared to be a boney tail disappeared into the darkness. "I'll deal with your ugly ass after I'm done with all your friends!" Threat delivered, Issac cautiously walked down the hallway towards the malfunctioning door leading back to Tram Control. No enemy showed their face during the slow trip, and upon reaching the entrance to the Tram Tunnel, Issac used Stasis to freeze the doorway long enough for him to slip passed the door.
Upon reaching the Tram Tunnel, Issac sighed relievedly as Tram Control was just a short walk up the nearby catwalk. Yet, his joy was short-lived as another Slasher crawled out from a ventilation shaft underneath the metallic floor. However, this Slasher was alarmingly different from those Issac has encountered thus far. Blackened bone armour covered most of the new Slasher's form, granting it mild protection from the Plasma Cutter. Even more concerning was how the ribcage was torn open, allowing Issac to see the yellowish sags within the chest cavity.
Immediately realising this was a new variant of the typical Slasher, Issac quickly fired at the limbs as he had no intentions of witnessing the capabilities of this latest monstrosity. Unfortunately, the blackened bone blocked most of the Plasma rounds, thus allowing the Slasher to advance without fearing the possibility of getting torn to bloody pieces by the Plasma Cutter. Violently cursing at the revelation, Issac slowly went backwards to give himself more time to think of a plan to deal with this Slasher.
"Okay, Plasma rounds don't have much effect," Issac internally admitted whilst continuing to blast away at the Slasher's biological armour, which only slowed the monster's advance. "And Stasis is only going to temporarily freeze the goddamn thing, so I'd better devise a plan before it gets into striking range." While The Engineer hurriedly tried coming up with a plan to deal with his latest opponent, the Slasher began to make puking sounds, almost as if the reanimated corpse was about to vomit.
Issac noticed the strange behaviour and was on guard for any tricks the Slasher might've had for him. The caution was soon proved to have been the wise decision as acidic puke was violently launched out of the Slasher's throat and on a direct collision course towards The Kellion Engineer. Issac reacted via barrel rolling underneath the flying vomit, thus causing it to crash upon the Tram Tunnel's metallic floor. The Slasher saw an opportunity to slash at its opponent. However, Issac countered the move by launching a Stasis Bolt.
Stasis's energy froze the monster long enough for Issac to roll underneath the Slasher's legs while taking potshots at said limbs. A roar of rage left rotting lips as white-hot Plasma sliced into blackened bone, and unlike with the torso armour, its lower variant was weak enough for the Plasma Cutter to cause some damage to the Slasher. Yet, Issac didn't continue the assault and instead used the time granted by the Stasis Module to run backwards until he was at a reasonably safe distance from his foe, who was now breaking free of the Stasis field.
"Alright, guy's got acid puke," Issac noted underneath his breath while continually firing upon the Slasher, now charging at him with bloodlust shining within its eyes. "I can handle that easily enough, although it would be nice to receive some backup to help deal with this ugly fucker." The Engineer unleashed another Stasis bolt which the Slasher surprisingly chose to dodge. However, Issac had pointed his Plasma Cutter towards where the Slasher would escape the Stasis energy which meant he'd used the Stasis Bolt to lure the Slasher into his line of fire.
"The Swarm answers the call Overmind."
Underneath the helmet, Issac's crimson orbs widened as The Voice suddenly decided to make another appearance. Yet, before The Engineer could even demand to know what it was planning, an explosion of senses, emotions and other alien expressions flooded his mind. Issac tried to make sense of the overload of sensations he was now connected to via the Zerg Hive mind. However, while he was distracted by the sudden development, the wounded Slasher took the opportunity to close the distance between them.
A rather poor decision on the Slasher's part since the access point for Tram Control opened without warning, which allowed six shadows to lunge over the catwalk. The shadowy figures unleashed a primal roar of anger and hunger as they landed around the Slasher, who reeled backwards in surprise as it didn't suspect to face new opponents whilst attempting to deal with The Engineer. The reanimated corpse's eyes widened when the newcomers stepped out of the shadows and into the Tram Tunnel's flickering lights.
Even Issac, who'd finally adjusted to the new sensations, was taken aback when six greyish naked humanoids stepped into view. They're tall at 6'6 and seemed to possess bone blades, not too dissimilar to the Slasher's bio-weapon, which grew from the shoulders. A secondary pair of arms, located where they'd typically be on a human being, held wickedly sharp claws that could tear through most material and encasing the hands was some form of bio-armour colourised a rich purple.
Underneath these humanoids' torsos was a third set of arms, although far smaller than their two primary sets, which possessed blades constructed of razor-like bones that would slash into any soft flesh of an enemy dumb enough to get too close. The newcomers' legs were digitigrade, like wolfs or other predatory lifeforms found on Earth. These humanoids were built for a prolonged chase with their chosen prey; two massive claws were attached to the feet, thus providing the role of toes.
Their heads greatly resembled humans. Yet, key differences were relatively easy to spot. A set of insect-like mandibles covered both sides of the humanoids' lower jaw while fangs smilier than Earth sharks filled their saliva-coated maws. On top of their skull was a series of thin spikes with tiny sensor organs that could detect the slightest changes within their surrounding environment. Finally, their sclera was black as pitch, the iris a ghastly grey and their pupil were slitted like a domestic cat.
The humanoids, which Issac silently called Homunculi as a nod towards the art of alchemy, weren't generous enough to give the Slasher time to realise the tables had turned against it. They swarmed the reanimated corpse, who didn't even have time to register what was happening, and with a disturbing amount of glee, the Homunculi began tearing apart the Slasher. The first to go was the reinforced bone blades which the Homunculi violently tore off with their razor-like teeth, and the puke sacs soon followed those removed limbs.
Naturally, the Slasher tried to retaliate after its brain finally caught up with the situation. Yet, deprived of both puke sacs and primary blades, there was genuinely little the enhanced monster could do against its attackers. A Homunculi further hammered home this point by grabbing ahold of the Slasher's skull and, with an inhuman amount of strength, pulled until the head was literarily ripped from the reanimated corpse's body. Several twitches escaped the Slasher before its corpse slumped against the cold metallic floor.
A victorious roar escaped the Homunculis' throats as they continuously ripped apart their defeated foe's form until nothing was left but chunks of torn meat. Issac, who'd taken the time to reload his Plasma Cutter with a fresh clip, cautiously walked towards the Homunculi, who were currently devouring the blackened bone that still remained upon the Slasher's corpse. The Zerg lifeforms must've noticed their Overmind's approach as they quickly abandoned their feast to gather around the entity that'd granted them a chance at life.
"Well, this certainly wasn't what I was expecting when I wanted some backup against that Slasher," Issac felt a sense of calm wash over him as the Homunculi released happy chirps upon finally meeting their Overmind. "I'm honestly not going to complain since these guys just saved my hide back there." Sure, he could've eventually dealt with the Enhanced Slasher, but the cost of ammunition and Stasis Packs to achieve victory would've put Issac on the back foot for at least until he found more supplies.
"Homunculi strain," Issac barely twitched when The Voice began talking. "Genetic sequence deprived of Slasher essence, Human essence and Pure Zerg essence." That certainly explains why the Homunculi shared similarities with Slashers. Although Homunculi seemed far more streamlined than the monsters, Issac has been forced to fight ever since arriving onboard The Ishimura. They also appeared intelligent as they employed teamwork when fighting against the Enhanced Slasher.
"Gee, thanks for the update, Mysterious Voice." Issac sarcastically replied as he headed for Tram Control whilst the Homunculi, now acting as a sort of honour guard for Issac, dutifully followed their Overmind. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a Tram system to restart." The Voice didn't say anything in return, which was fine by Issac since he needed to focus on the task at hand and not get distracted by whatever the fuck was happening to him.
Upon entering Tram Control, Issac was greeted with the sight of new Homunculi beginning to form within a fresh set of eggs. He ignored those and walked over to Tram Control's computer terminal. The Homunculi took defensive positions at the exit points within the room, so any enemies that attempted to break through shall receive nothing but Zerg fury for their troubles. A few typed commands later caused the Tram to restart. However, Issac had taken the time to modify the shutters to close upon the Tram's activation.
"Okay, it's clear!" Issac informed the other members of the Kellion crew via comms. The Tram soon arrived at the Flight Deck Station, though Issac heard rather than saw since the shutters blocked the view. A few moments later, Hammond and Kendra came through the main entrance to the station with weapons held at the ready encase any Slashers decided to make an appearance. After verifying the coast was clear, the duo didn't hesitate to rush into the Tram and set their destination for The Ishimura's bridge.
After the Tram left the station, Hammond opened a video link with Issac, who ensured the video wasn't within view of the Zerg. "We're on board," Hammond says with a tired smile while glancing at the roof. "Something hit the roof, but the Tram seems operational."
Kendra spoke next. "The quarantine lockdown's lifted so you can get to the hanger." She checked something on the Tram's internal terminal and soon frowned at what she'd discovered. "The ship's comms are still down, though, so be ready for anything." The computer expert warned Issac since there was no telling what surprises were waiting for her crew mate within the bowels of this madhouse.
Issac nodded. "Trust me, Kendra, after everything I've seen so far, there's no way I'm letting my guard down." After reassuring The Kellion's tech expert, Issac turned his attention towards Hammond. "So what's the plan?" He inquired, as they'd need one if they were going to survive this situation.
Thankfully Hammond did have a plan. "You and Johnson fix the Kellion; we'll report to the bridge. Standard emergency protocol." The Kellion's captain once again glanced upwards, carefully aiming his Pulse Rifle at the roof in case anything tried to tear through the metallic ceiling.
Meanwhile, Kendra paused in her work to stare at Hammond with disbelief. "Protocol? Hammond, people are dying here." This whole situation was so far beyond protocol that it wasn't even funny, and Kendra was stupefied her captain would stick to the rules while literal monsters roamed the vessel.
Hammond turned away from the video link to glare at Kendra. "And I'm not losing anyone else!" His tone was final, as running around the ship without a clear goal would probably kill them faster. "We stick to the procedure; we'll get through this shit."
Kendra returned the glare for a heartbeat. "We'll see." She dismissively replied before getting back to work at the Tram terminal. Hammond watched her for a split second, then returned his attention to Issac, who was already building a mental checklist of what might be needed to repair The Kellion while also trying to figure out how to introduce the Homunculi without having Hammond nor the others freakout over the news that he'd basically puked some organism that'd birthed humanoid creatures within a few short hours.
"Alright, stay safe out there, Issac," Hammond says, which pulls The Engineer from his mental pondering. "And hopefully, Kendra and I will find some answers to this nightmare on the bridge."
"Yeah, I'm sure you'll find something, Hammond," Issac kindly replied whilst studying the serpent as it grew within the egg. "And don't worry, I'll inform Johnson about the situation once I'm back onboard The Kellion." She'll need to be told about the monsters since hiding those things was possible, especially not when they seemed hellbent on murdering any humans within sight. Hammond agreed with the idea, and the two talked briefly about their findings before terminating the video link.
"Fuck, I better reach Johnson before those things do," Issac crushed any guilt he felt for not telling Hammond about the Zerg, as he didn't need any distractions. "After she's safe, I'll tell Hammond what's happened since we were separated." It is the best time to reveal the Zerg to his crew mates. Also, Hammond will be pleased to have a couple extra hands to help speed up the repair work on The Kellion and fight against the walking corpses currently trying to murder them.
With renewed resolve, Issac marched out of Tram Control with the Homunculi swiftly following their Overmind. The developing Zerg organisms stirred within their respective eggs for a few heartbeats before returning to their peaceful slumber. A second later, the Tram Control's artificial light was deactivated so the vessel could save power, thus bathing everything in shadow.
It was time for Issac to return to The Kellion.