While making my rounds on the Ishimura with Cuddles, I could see things were becoming worse by the minute. By the second day since its arrival on the Ishimura, the morgue was filling up FAST and that couldn't be allowed for much longer; otherwise it'll become a Necromorph Nest. Looking at Cuddles and how she reacts whenever a video of the marker is shown, I made notes and several points in one big log and made a copy of it. With a heavy heart for what I am about to suggest, and do regardless of the opinion of Chief Security Officer Alissa Vincent, for even a chance to delay and increase everyone's survival.
"Enter Chief Containment Officer Lockhart."
Not even going to let me knock, huh Vincent? Shrugging, I entered her office with Cuddles right behind me. Vincent sat behind her desk, looking over a series of recent crime and murder reports that have quickly been piling up since people started hearing the marker. Looking at the red-headed woman who runs the entire security of the Ishimura, I spoke, since Vincent was currently letting me do so as she went off paper work.
"Chief Vincent, I've come to make a containment proposal based on several things that's I've gleamed through rewatching the Marker video, logs recovered from the planet, and studying the reactions of those around me. Based on all I've gathered, I must be allowed to contain an imminent threat to delay as many deaths as possible. These are my findings and theories and what I believe the first step must be to contain a threat from emerging in high numbers."
Handing her a literal stack of papers to make sure this wouldn't be leaked on what I'm about to do for as long as possible. Vincent seemed genuinely surprised at how cautious I was being to resort to using physical means instead of electronic means. Taking the papers, she began reading through everything carefully and methodically, going back and double-checking things with stuff on previous pages.
Glancing behind me at my towering guardian, who silently and affectionately would run her hands through my hair with careful movements to groom it. Cuddles hissing lightly as she seemed to try and arrange my hair in the style of the hunters who hunt her species as nothing but game and trophies.
To test something Vincent did something, she played the video, and instantly Cuddles went from grooming to DEATHLY PROTECTIVE. The large Xenomorph hunching over my body and hissing a primal guttural hatred filled noise, hive resin dripping from her mouth. Vincent quickly turned the video off and Cuddles slowly but surely went back to normal; however, she kept an eye on the stilled video with open hostility. Being near me and birthed from me has given her my traits. However, I theorize she can still hear, or even see, the marker as it tries to mess with her mind and mine.
"So she is hostile to the Marker…. Is there anything you can tell me? I know you have amnesia, Chief Lockhart, but it seems mostly selective."
"You're not wrong per say, I don't remember my past or most things, but two of my disorders make up for some gaps. For I always felt disconnected from this life and dreamt of another life, another me. So funnily enough I can make some guesses and tell you about the threat I've perceived. You may dismiss it all but to me they're true, and I will MAKE SURE I delay mass loss of life no matter the cost. Now what exactly do you wish to know?"
Sighing sharply at the obviously implied insubordination I'll commit if I get told no. Alissa Vincent, chief officer of all security forces on the Ishimura, looked at me with grim eyes as she pointed at the piling death and murder cases. Growling as she practically demanded answers before agreeing to anything.
"I will listen, I will decide what I believe, I will decide to turn a blind eye or not, now speak. Tell me what it is you believe you must contain and the destruction it could bring."
Nodding my head I reached up and stroked the side of Cuddles face. Eliciting a low purring noise from the Xenomorph protectively guarding me currently.
"Cuddles is known as a Xenomorph, but not a regular Xenomorph, there are several casts. She is a Praetorian, usually her cast requires a specific species to be born, but if a Hive has enough of them Praetorian Facehuggers can be laid. Some of those cultists somehow had such an egg which luckily got me so Cuddles is cut off from the Greater Hive. Now though I AM her Hive as her mind is somewhat connected to my own to know she isn't alone thus keeping her sane at birth if not lost for a bit.
That THING though is a code black, those affected must be isolated or put down. The church of Unitology goes on and on about "becoming whole" and it's tied to that THING. However, the life I've lived in my dreams showed a very possible lethal face to all markers, but the Black which protects the Earth. That Marker isn't black, it's red, and that means in my eyes it's a threat and must already be causing the stuff aboard like it did in another life I live in my dreams.
It'll corrupt and drive everyone made, giving them visions of those not here or long DEAD. Once its corruption reaches a boiling point it'll twist the flesh of those corrupted, unlike a Xenomorph who adapts by taking a trait of its host species. That thing will alter the dead like a necromancer, creating monsters which can only die by cutting off the limbs. You may say that's insane, but another life and the resident Xenomorph both paint a HORRID picture of the Red Marker.
If possible I would've preferred being near the Black Marker which protects us, not a killer stone tied to an Eldritch Monster."
Through that entire rant at times Chief Vincent stayed silent taking it all in and processing it. She sometimes would get up and pace before reading certain documents of mine and case files. At the end of it all she stood facing me with a face grimacing full of disbelief but also certainty as something's likely matched up.
"Honestly if you didn't have Lieutenant Cuddles or this much information, in the span of two days no less. Then I would write you off as insane immediately, more than you already are, and demand you leave my office this instance. However, your work and case files share some eerily corresponding details, and then with your friend's reaction I must at least put some credence to your words."
"Then what is the course of action and rules of engagement?"
"If that thing is going to alter like you claim, then I'll humor you and allow you to scout the morgue out. If any of these altered corpse monsters appear then you'll be putting them down with lethal force and BURNING all bodies in there. This is why I shall be authorizing you a Hell Flamer just in case to cremate and contain the dead if this threat is real. If it's confirmed, alert me immediately and tell me, anything I should know though?"
"Xenomorphs like vents, they're quick and easy to move around in. So assume all vents and maintenance shafts already compromised Chief Vincent. If a rancid small or sound comes from them, assume the worst and remember to dismember or totally destroy the WHOLE body."
"Duly noted Chief Lockhart… get your mission started ASAP."
Saluting Vincent me and Cuddles left her office before storming off to the security armory. I'm just glad that my medical history says I'm basically detached from reality and believe I'm from another reality. Because honestly that let me pull shit out of my ass by saying another life dream, since I also believed it to be true it'd be hard to say I'm lying. As we entered the armory of the Ishimura's security force, a corporal was already standing there holding a Hell Flamer.
The Hell Flamer being a more compact flamethrower, with six gas canisters along the body on both sides of it, a mat black appearance, and usage of a liquid napalm substance called Hellium due to how destructive and intense it is. Walking over the corporal I took the flamer and slung it over my right shoulder. Taking an offered bag of extra canisters and medical supplies such as Medigel. As we were about to leave the corporal spoke up, their voice young but gruff inside their helmet.
"Whatever you're about to walk into, I wish you luck Master Sergeant Lockhart and Lieutenant Cuddles. I got the memo of watching the vents and sealed their shutters inside the armory just to be safe, as if you do run into something we'll need the fire power. So the only way something or someone is going to possibly sabotage us is by coming through that door."
Looking back at them as my helmet which was pitch black with a green glow for visor lights. I stomped my foot with a grunt before leaving as me and my kiddo traveled to the morgue. Those who saw us on the tram were startled by the sight of my issued weapon and Cuddles stalking behind me more aggressively. When we got off at medical and proceeded through the halls, a nurse tried to halt us only to be shoved aside as we continued walking.
When Mercer tried to delay us as if KNOWING what we were doing, only to then say it as if it was something to be known, he was immediately impaled against the wall of the hallway. Cuddles tail was going through his heart as my fist reared back energy crackling from my arm. Punching forwards I smashed his head into a red explosion of gore against the wall. Looking at my partner as her tail retracted from his body I burnt his corpse.
Calling Vincent's RIG as we moved quickly, as soon as she picked up I didn't wait for her to speak.
"Vincent we may have an issue! Doctor Mercer tried to delay us and ask us to willingly work with him to create the perfect creature. Before mentioning that he couldn't let us get to the morgue, someone ratted or the Marker itself knows we're on the move. So assume altered corpses of the dead are inside the vents! Maybe not a lot but at least possibly a dozen of them, with ones that could try turning living crew members into more!"
The line was silent before only word came through as it hung up.
"MOVE!"
At that I sped up with Cuddles following suit as our feet pounded on the flooring. Pushing or outright flooring doctors and patients as we raced to the morgues section. Seeing the door being locked I reached towards it hacking it from a distance and unlocking it while triggering it to open. The two of us storming inside as the doors shut behind us and locked once more. Drawing my flamer as I spotted one of the flayed limp humans called an infector.
I brought light to the usually dark morgue, burning the creature and several corpses. One creature did escape through the vents after cutting its grate off. Sending that visual to Vincent through my eyes infolink as a visual recording from the infector to the escapee. With that sent all hell seemed to break loose as the morgue came to life. Man and Xenomorph began shredding and burning away the dead as Necromorphs tried bringing us to our knee's.
Pushing back a hulking corpse of an ex-miner I burnt them to ashes as I sweeped the area in an arc. Cuddles was furiously hacking and dicing away at the dead behind me as more just got turned by infectors. That was when sirens started going off in the morgue, a gas leak warning on my infolink. Grabbing the shoulder of Cuddles I dragged her into the morgue's smaller booth.
Shutting and locking the door as the rest of the morgue went up in flames. My flamethrower pointed into the only vent spewing flames as a screech was heard from the vent. The final of the original six canisters was spent, while the vent was left a smoldering mess with cooking flesh coming from inside it. Vincent's voice coming on over my infolink as her call patches in.
"You two are still alive I see, that's a small miracle out of this all. Fucking Unitologist wanted to study those things as we watched you fight through the security cameras. The Captain is displeased, but he can go fuck himself. I wasn't going to let two of MY men for his fuckin church and a disaster breaking loose like that swarm. Some did get into the vents but that's fine, the morgue is toasted and no longer a means to use."
"You used all the decom systems to sterilize it, good idea Chief Vincent. What now though? We've got unknown bogies inside the vents and no clear idea where they're at, what kind of monster they are, or where they'll likely set up next."
"We'll figure that out once all available security officers who can leave their posts get to command. So double time it once you can, you're the expert and will be the commanding officer in charge of ship wide containment."
"Sir yes sir, once the roasting is done and cooled off we'll reconvene at HQ or do a video call while on the move."
"Understood, Vincent out."
