Chapter 11: Alternate Solutions
All is quiet on the travel to the Flight Deck, with Isaac looking over his Plasma Cutter and Hammond's gun. Sora and Kairi took a moment to catch some sleep, brief though it would be, but soon the tram began decelerating. Soon, the tram halted, the comforting ding of the door opening stirring the two awake as Isaac stepped off the tram for the last time.
"And so it all comes back to the Flight Deck." He says whimsically before turning to look at the couple. "It's funny. When I first saw you both in the Flight Lounge, I never thought I would soon be stopping a zombie apocalypse."
"It's the same with us, Isaac." Sora replies as he summons Kingdom Key, still pristine compared to their armour. "We certainly didn't expect this to happen when we were called to Yen'sid's tower." Kairi nods at Sora's comment in agreement before Isaac's video comm hums to life, Kyne on the line.
"Mr Clarke, I'm on my way to the shuttle bay, but I need you three to head to the cargo hold. The Marker is being stored there. You can bring it up to the hanger with the cargo lift, but we must hurry. The Necromorphs will try and stop us from returning the Marker."
"I had a feeling it wouldn't be easy." Isaac drily remarks. "Don't worry, we'll get the Marker to the hanger. Just focus on keeping the shuttle operational." And with that, Isaac ends the call before walking to the nearby shop. "Wish the other shops on the ship were working, but I guess this and the one on the bridge are the only ones still online." He remarks as the holo-panel drops before him. Scanning over the list, he groans in annoyance at seeing the Level 4 and 5 suits locked down. "Great. The Level 4 and 5 suits are unavailable. Then again, my current rank probably has something to do with it." He mumbles before selecting the icon for Pulse Rifle ammo. I'm doing fine for Plasma Packs. Don't need air anymore, and healing is being handled by Sora and Kairi. We still have Medpacks, just in case, but I need ammo for Hammonds Gun.
"Looks like the elevator leading to the Hanger is out of power, Isaac." Kairi calls as she and Sora stand by the exit doors. "Thankfully, the door leading to the cargo bay is still working." She points to the door on the right with Destiny's Embrace, it's soft blue glow illuminating the door. Isaac nods before stepping away from the shop, taking point as the couple stands behind him. Opening the door, they are greeted by the sight of an Exploder, who instantly jumps into the ventilation before either of them can react.
"Not again." Sora moans as they walk past it, eyes trained on the vents. "How many times are they going to do that to us? It's becoming annoying now rather than scary."
"Probably so they can make us waste ammo." Isaac surmises as they reach the end of the corridor before entering the cargo hold. It was a vast room with giant circular vents with roaring fan blades circulating the air. While below them, spanning over a vast darkness filled with boxes and containers of varying sizes, was a series of gangways. Several Necromorphs patrolled the gangways, seemingly oblivious to the arrival of the three. Nodding to each other, Sora and Kairi unleash a storm of Thunder on the Necromorphs, charring them and severing limbs whilst taking them by surprise. "Nice work. That will buy us some time."
"About that. How are we going to find the Marker?" Sora asks as he looks over the hold. "There are so many boxes in there I don't even know where to begin." He rubs the top of his helmet, feeling a headache coming at the task before them, while Isaac chuckles behind him.
"No need to worry about that. There is a console on the lower level we can use to find it. Follow me, you two." Nod in acknowledgement, the couple follows Isaac down the service lift onto the catwalks. Instead of walking through the middle, Isaac took the couple around the outside, the slow grinding of the large vent fans along the walls their constant companion. Eventually, they reach a console next to the transport track, it's blue light glowing gently against the cold steel. While Sora and Kairi stood at either side of Isaac, keeping watch for any attacks, Isaac inputted commands for the system to retrieve the Marker. It was not long before a magnetic clamp descended into the dark hold, searching for its quarry.
Delivering cargo shipment 782. Kinesis module required for further cargo transport.
No sooner does the announcement finish does the crane pull the Marker out from the depths. While Isaac narrowed his eyes at the obelisk, Sora and Kairi released short surprise gasps. Despite being more prominent and now sporting a blood-red look, it was exactly the same as in Yen'sid's tower. Only this time, while the one in Yen'sid's tower gave them unease and discomfort, this one seemed to almost radiant with power. Power that felt sentient.
"Well, here it is. The Marker." Isaac growls before he turns his head to the couple. "Is this what the object in your master's tower looked like?" The two looked at him, and he could swear he could feel their eyes give him a nervous gaze.
"Yeah, it is. But while the one in the tower only gave us a bad feeling, this, 'Marker', feels alive. Almost like it's sentient." Kairi replies with a nervous voice. Sora nods at Kairi's words, his eyes glued to the red obelisk. Isaac merely hums a response before turning his gaze back to the object.
"Well, as much as we hate it, this thing is our only way of stopping this. Keep an eye on my back. I'll drag this across to the service lift. No doubt the Necromorphs won't be kind to us taking their prize." No sooner does Isaac finish his sentence does a hoard of Slashers burst from the vents before charging toward the trio. And if that wasn't bad enough, two Drag Tentacles burst from the hold, blocking the path for the Marker to take.
While Isaac turned Hammond's Pulse Rifle on the Slashers, Sora and Kairi turned their gaze to the Drag Tentacles. Without a word said between them, they throw their blades into a Strike Raid towards the offending foes, the blades slashing through the orange sacks like paper. With the tentacles down, the two turn their attention to the Slashers, only to find them being dealt with by Isaac as he re-loads the Pulse Rifle.
"Just how many of those stupid tentacles are there!? I've had enough of them!" Kairi yells angrily as Isaac begins to move the Marker along the central catwalk. Sora puts an arm around her in response, calming her down slightly.
"I wish I could tell you, but I have no idea. We killed the Leviathan and sent that thing blocking the comms array into space. But at this point, I think it's safe to say that we will never be free of these things." Sora's reply was not one Kairi wanted, but she reluctantly agreed.
Delivering Cargo shipment 782 to Hanger Bay.
The A.I announcement broke the two from their gloom as the Marker was lifted from the track up to the ceiling. Isaac nodded before motioning the two over to the service lift they used to get down while opening up a comm channel.
"Dr. Kyne. The Marker is on its way to the Hanger Bay. We're en-route to it now. How are things on your end?"
"So far, so good, Mr Clarke." Kyne replies, with some strain in his voice. "Although it has been tense. I can't help but feel as though I'm being watched, but I'm the only one here. But that doesn't matter. I'm on my way to the hanger."
"Copy that." Isaac ends the call before looking behind him as they enter the connecting hallway. "You two hear that?"
"We did. Let's just hope that door is working again." Sora replied as they neared the exit before walking out into the Tram Station. Power had returned to the Flight Deck elevator to their relief, yet a sense of foreboding settled in their stomachs. "That seems a bit convenient, doesn't it? Power returning to it 'just' as we send the Marker to the Hanger?"
"Yeah…" Isaac replies with suspicion before his comms suddenly flare to life.
"Alright, I've just finished restoring power to the Elevator. There should be no locked doors between you and the Hanger now." Kendra suddenly calls over the comms, surprising the trio. What she said next, however, was concerning, with the fear in her voice evident. "I'm going to try and make a run for the Hanger now. Oh god… my hands are shaking. Wish me luck, you three!" Before they could respond, Kendra cut the call abruptly. They look at each other before sighing. They didn't even have a chance to ask her any questions.
"Alright, no use standing around here. Into the elevator." Isaac says as he opens the door. Soon, they were inside, as the lift brought them up to the flight deck proper. Soon, they walked down a familiar corridor before finding themselves in the Flight Lounge.
"It's strange. It looks just like how it was when we first arrived here. Apart from the vents missing their covers, that is." Kairi says, reminiscing as she looks around.
"Yeah. There was no hint of danger or anything. Just room filled with seats." Sora adds on while giving Kairi a one-arm hug. Meanwhile, Isaac was kneeling down where Chen once stood, his dog tags lying on the ground.
"You didn't deserve that, Chen. Neither of you did, and neither did Hammond." Isaac says as he picks up the tags before walking to where Johnston was and picking his up. He was thankful that Hammond left his tags on his gun rather than his person. "Alright, let's head into the hanger bay before-" His words were caught off as the room went into quarantine. Instantly, the three huddled together away from the vents as the orange lights spun around. Its orange glow is only broken by the lights from Isaac's gun and their RiGs.
Soon, the Necromorphs arrived. Six Slashers and two of the Enhanced versions burst into the room with ravenous hunger, expecting a leisurely meal as they did with Chen and Johnston. But they found no such luck. The moment they charged into the room, they were greeted by blasts of ice, freezing four of them solid, while the two enhanced Slashers charged at Isaac.
Staying calm, he blasts them both with stasis before firing at their legs and arms, Hammond's gun roaring with rage. While the frozen Slashers waited for the ice to melt, the unfrozen two charged at the Keyblade couple, who parried their strikes with their blades before blasting them back with steams of water and wind. Knocking them back into the four already frozen, Sora and Kairi launch steams of fire at them, destroying the six in one blast. With the Necromorphs dealt with, the quarantine lifts.
"That was for Chen and Johnston." Kairi says, with Sora agreeing with her. While neither knew the two, it felt good to take out the Necromorphs who used the Flight Lounge as an ambush spot. Moving past the bodies, the couple follows Isaac as he opens the door towards the Hanger, revealing a small airlock area, before opening the second door towards the Hanger Bay.
Even though it was the second time they were there, it still left a fantastic feeling on them with the vastness of the bay. A sentiment dampened by the smoking remains of the Kellion on the far left of the hanger. "Kyne, we've arrived at the Hanger." Isaac calls over the comms just as the far-end doors open, revealing a blue force field keeping the air from leaving the hanger.
"Excellent, I am landing the shuttle now."
"Be careful, Kyne. The Kellion is taking up a part of the left side of the hanger. Or right side from your point of view." Kairi warns as the shuttle begins to enter the hanger. Kyne seemed to notice her warning as he moved the shuttle to the right side of the hanger before quickly and carefully landing the shuttle at the far end. The three breaths sighs of relief as the shuttle powers down slightly, only for Kyne to groan loudly over Isaac's comm.
"The automatic loading controls aren't working! They must have been damaged. You'll have to set the room to Z-G and initiate the procedure manually. I'll remain on the shuttle until you're done."
"Not alone, he won't." Kendra's voice echoes behind them as she walks into the Hanger, dirt over her clothes. "We can't risk one of the creatures getting onboard and wrecking it. I'll stand guard while you three load the Marker." Isaac looks at the couple, weighing their options. On the one hand, having Kendra with Kyne will be a reassuring, but would Kendra be able to hold back the Necro's by herself? Casting a glance at the couple, Isaac came to a decision.
"Alright, Kendra. Keep an eye on Kyne, but I'll also have Kairi with you." The three look at Isaac in surprise at his suggestion, Sora and Kairi more so. "It's not that I don't trust you or anything, but the Necromorphs are getting smarter. You may be an expert with that gun Kendra, but unless you have someone watching your back, I won't feel at ease." Kendra looked ready to argue, but then she exhaled a reluctant sigh before rubbing her head.
"Alright, I see your point. Fine then, I'll take Kairi with me and keep an eye on Kyne. You two get that Marker on board." With that, she walks off to the shuttle, pistole in hand. Kairi reluctantly moves to follow her before Sora gently grabs her. She looks at him to find Sora resting his head on hers.
"Be safe, okay?" he whispers to her. Kairi returns the gesture with a one-arm hug before replying she will. The two then separate before Kairi runs off to join Kendra. Sora sighed silently before looking to Isaac, who had his map open, yet Sora could swear he could see his eyes behind his helm, filled with reluctance. "So, how do we turn on the Z-G, Isaac?"
"We have to get to the control room. Follow me." Isaac replies while closing his map. Walking forward a few steps, he sighs before looking at Sora. "I'm sorry about the plan, but…."
"No, it's okay." Sora replies. "I understand where your coming from. And it's not like we are going to a different part of the ship. Still, being apart from here when we were together until now feel, uneasy." Isaac hums in agreement as they walk through the connecting lounge, past the walkway to the shuttle.
"Well, the sooner we get that damn thing loaded, the better." Isaac says as they ascend a walkway before finding themselves in the control room. Although, in Sora's opinion, it looked more like a viewing platform, with it being open to the hanger. A quick glance to the right showed another door, possibly leading to the proper control room, yet it was locked.
With a few confirmations, the familiar feeling of Zero Gravity fell upon the duo as the bannisters around them lowered. Glancing below them, they could see the loading tracks leading from the cargo bay heading under the ship, yet Pods also stood by, ready to strike. Giving Sora a quick motion with his hand, the Keyblade Wielder responded with a blast of gravity on the pods, snapping their only means of attacking off and rendering them useless.
With a nod of approval, the two then jump towards the lower floor, boots connecting to the metal, before walking over to the cargo bay furthest away from them. But it would not be easy. Several Lurkers busted through the vents before scurrying towards the duo, spine shooters sprouting from their backs. Sora responds by summoning a shield of wind, deflecting the incoming attacks. At the same time, Isaac, who switched to his Plasma Cutter, disarmed the Lurkers with precise shots.
A cry from above alerted Sora to one leading down from above, before he smacked it away with Kingdom Key. Raising his blade, he casts a ball of fire at the Lurker, ending the threat before turning back to Isaac, who had finished of the last Lurker.
"They're getting desperate, Isaac. I don't know how long we have until every surviving Necromorph is here."
"All the more reason we get this done. Can you go over to that terminal there? We need to switch one of the tracks around to send it to the shuttle." Sora looked to the terminal Isaac pointed out as he walked over to the Marker, now lying on its side. Thankfully, there were no complicated procedures, just a simple press and the piece of the track turned. Soon, Isaac had moved the Marker onto the turner before Sora pressed the button again, allowing Isaac to pull the Marker under the shuttle.
"Alright, it's under the ship. Open up the cargo bay." Isaac calls over the comm. Seconds passed, yet nothing happened. Concerned, Isaac was about to ask what was happening before Kyne's annoyed grunts beat him.
"Confound it! Something is wrong with the loading controls. Isaac, I'm sorry, but you and Sora will need to restore gravity again. We shall be waiting outside the shuttle when you are done."
"There is always something." Isaac mumbles before ending the call. "Back up to the platform Sora. We need to restore Gravity so the cargo can be loaded."
"Got it." With a swift reply, the two soon jumped towards the gravity control, before switching the gravity back on. With it restored, the loading mechanics restarted, loading the Marker into the ship's underbelly. With relieved grins, the two move down to the landing pad.
Kairi and Kyne were standing near the entrance ramp to the ship, both keeping an eye out for Necromorphs before spotting the duo moving towards them. Kairi started walking towards them with a pep in her step, while Kyne stayed still with a relieved smile.
"Nice work, you two. We're getting close to ending this." She says while giving Sora a quick hug.
"Yes, she is right!" Kyne cries from the shuttle, his stance jittery as he motions for them to join. "There is no time to waste. We must go!" Not needing to be told twice, the trio started walking towards the shuttle at a brisk pace until suddenly, a shot rang out. Its sound bounced and echoed across the entire room, along with the sound of blood bursting from flesh. The three could only look in shock as Kyne, falling to his knees, placed a hand on a gaping wound in his chest. Where his lung and heart once were.
"TERRANCE!" The trio cries as they run up to him. But they were too late. His RiG soon sounded that his vitals had gone flat. As he slumps forwards, Amelia is the last word he breathes. No sooner does he pass does the shuttle soon roar to life, backing out of the hanger and leaving the three stranded. And there was only one person who had done it.
"Kendra! What the fuck are you doing!?" Isaac yells into the comm as Sora and Kairi lay Kyne down. Soon, a video call opens, showing a completely unphased Kendra with a smug look.
"Sorry, you three, but I couldn't let him go through with it. But I suppose I should still thank you for what you've done and for finding the Marker. We even managed to do it without help from the Valour. Although considering what we were up against, I'm not surprised."
"What are you talking about! Why did you kill Kyne!?" Sora asks in anger. Kendra huffs at Sora before she sits down in a chair on the shuttle.
"My department has been after it for a long time. Or rather, this place in particular. See, what Kyne didn't know was that this was the Government's mess, to begin with, before the Uni's hijacked it. This whole planet was one giant experiment."
"The hell!? You saying that Earth Gov caused all this!?" Isaac asks in shock and anger.
"For wanting the Marker, yes. Causing this outbreak, no. That was the Uni's fault, not ours. This 'Marker'? This 'divine relic'? It was made by man. It was a reverse engineer from the REAL black Marker they found on Earth ages ago. They brought it to Aegis 7, tested it, and found the stuff of nightmares. After that, they sealed it away."
"Then what about the CEC? Why did they come to a place that had a dangerous artefact and then start digging?" Kairi asks. Kendra shrugs her shoulders at her question.
"You can blame the Unitologists for that. Somehow they found out about it and wanted it for their own. Sent the Ishimura with Uni sleeper agents to make sure they got it. Well, they certainly got something. The Hive Mind is very much real. Kyne was right about the Marker containing it, but that doesn't matter anymore."
"How do you even expect to get out of this system. The shockpoint drive is damaged. You can't leave." Isaac says with anger. Kendra, however, looks unphased.
"Simple. I'm an Earth Gov agent. I can easily transmit a beacon and get picked up. In the end, I have the Marker, and this whole system can go to hell. See you around you three, or maybe not. Goodbye." And with that, she ends the comm, just as Isaac, in a fit of rage, punches one of the bannisters around them. Sora and Kairi only clasp their hands in anger at the betrayal.
But then suddenly, the video comm springs to life again, but with a friendly ace.
"Isaac! It's me, Nicole!" She cries over the comms, grabbing Isaac's attention. Sora and Kairi glance towards it, seeing Riku and Aqua in the background, looking towards the door behind Nicole. "We're in the Flight Control room! But please, hurry!" Before Isaac could reply, the call went dead. Looking upwards, Isaac glances towards the Control room before grunting into a sprint. Sora and Kairi sprint after him, unwilling to leave him alone or vulnerable to a Necro ambush.
Rushing up the stairs, they soon enter a room guarded by a Guardian. But no sooner does it show its appendages to attack, Isaac fires a grenade right at it, ending it without batting an eye. Soon, he was sprinting through the door and into the control room, Sora and Kairi standing right behind him. Inside, Nicole, who was standing at the controls, turns around with relief written on her face, while Riku and Aqua, standing ready with Keyblades out, visibly relax.
"Nicole. It's you, it's really you." Isaac says before he walks up and hugs her, Nicole returning the hug.
"I'm sorry, Isaac. When I sent that message, I never intended to bring you here. I'm so sorry for the hurt I've caused you." Nicole says with remorse in her voice. While the two hugged, Riku and Aqua walked over to the couple with smiles on their faces.
"Glad to see you two are still alive. It's been hard, walking around this place while worrying about you two." Riku says with his usual smirk. The two give a chuckle at his comment, but inwardly, they couldn't help but feel something, off, about him. And not just him, but Aqua as well. Thankfully, their helmets hid any unease they were feeling.
"Why haven't you contacted us, Riku? We've been worried about you ever since the Mining Deck." Sora asks.
"Well, we don't really know how these comms work. And Nicole's couldn't work until recently." Aqua replies with a smile. Sora and Kairi share a quick glance before looking back. What they said sounded reasonable, but…
"You can use the console here to bring the shuttle back." Nicole suddenly says, separating herself from Isaac. "We need to get it back. If we don't, who knows what she will do with it." Isaac nods before walking to the terminal, Sora and Kairi walking up beside him. Looking it over, Isaac's gaze hardens before inputting the commands into the terminal.
Shuttle Recall activated. Recalling crew shuttle USG-09 to hanger bay.
"Isaac!? What the hell are you doing!? You're making a big mistake!" Kendra calls angrily over the comms. The trio stand unaffected by her retort as Isaac replies.
"Mistake? I'm stopping you from causing the same disaster somewhere else! I don't care if this was some sort of giant experiment from Earth Gov, nor do I give a rat ass about any Unitology bull shit! Still, I do know that I will NOT let what happened here happen anywhere else!" Sora and Kairi smile at Isaac's retort as Kendra growls on the other side.
"This is not over yet, Isaac! You'll see!" The call goes dead moments later.
Escape Pod away, crew shuttle USG-09. Repeat, shuttle has ejected escape pod.
"What is she trying to do? There's nowhere to go out here other than the planet." Sora asks. Isaac gives him a shrug before looking back at Nicole, flanked by Riku and Aqua.
"It doesn't matter. She can't escape her fate. No one can…." She says cryptically before turning back to the terminal. "I'll stay here and reprogram the shuttle to take us to the colony. We'll re-join you as soon as we are ready. We are close, Isaac. So close to ending this."
"Right. We'll see you on the shuttle." Isaac replies, a little disturbed at Nicole's words. Following Isaac out of the room, Sora and Kairi pull back to whisper.
"Sora, did you feel anything off about them?" Kairi asks hesitantly.
"About how they didn't feel like the Riku and Aqua we know? Yeah, I did. But that's not all. Why are they still dressed normally while we aren't? They didn't have a RiG on their back either."
"Yeah, and then there was that back on the Mining Deck. Why did they only use spells? Even we use normal attacks, so why didn't they?"
"You two talking about the weird feeling you felt?" Isaac suddenly asks as they start walking towards the now-landed shuttle. The two nod hesitantly at him, expecting a retort. Instead, they were greeted by a weary sigh. "I thought I was the only one who felt weird. That and all the terminal glowing yellow with strange markings on them didn't help one bit."
"Now that you mention it, none of the terminals glowed blue in there, didn't they?" Kairi asks, now realizing that they had skimmed over that detail. Isaac nods as they walk up the landing ramp and into the shuttle. "What do you think it means?"
"Hell, if I know. But for now, what matters is stopping this. Strap yourselves in. It will be a bumpy ride." The two nod before strapping into the seats on the wall as Isaac takes the left pilot seat. Soon as he did, Nicole, Riku and Aqua walked into the cockpit, Nicole taking the co-piolet seat, and Riku and Aqua opposite Sora and Kairi. With a nod, Isaac queued the engines before manoeuvring the shuttle out of the hanger bay and towards Aegis 7.
It was time to end this.
We have almost reach the end of Dead Space 1. Once that's done, I'll switch back to Emblematic Hearts.