Chapter 8
The Weight of the Void
Shepard stood on the walkway, dumbfounded. Where vast machines had stood mere seconds ago was now just empty space. The remaining Cybermen had also disappeared, leaving only their dead behind.
"We failed."
The thought struck him like a sledgehammer. They had fought their way right to their objective, only to fail at the last hurdle.
"DAMNIT!" he yelled, banging his fist against a railing.
A heavy groan echoed around him, as if the whole room was twisting.
"Shepard!" a voice crackled through his radio, "Shepard? Can you hear me?"
"Huh? Yeah, Yeah, I hear you," he replied, "Who is this?"
"It's Benton," the voice replied, "The Cybermen just teleported the computer core out of the station. We've only got a few minutes before we get pulled into the gas giant!"
"I hear you," Shepard replied, "They got the station's power plant as well. Head back to the Normandy as fast as you can."
"What about you?"
"We're heading back as well, but if you have to, leave. Better some of us get away rather than all of us die."
"We're all getting out of this Commander. See you at the Normandy. Good luck."
"Good luck," Shepard replied, daring to believe Benton's words.
He turned back to his team.
"You heard him. Move out!"
He began running back down the walkway. Lestrade and Garrus rose to their feet when Sherlock rushed past him.
"Holmes! We can't stay here!" he yelled.
As if answering his worries, another heavy groan went through the reactor room, followed by the sound of buckling metal.
"Remember, we came here to find something!" the detective shouted back.
He knelt beside one of the dead Cybermen and pulled something from its hand.
"COME ON!" Shepard shouted at him.
There was a loud bang and a large girder fell from the ceiling, smashing apart one of the walkways.
"You don't need to tell me twice!" Sherlock shouted as he ran back to the others.
With the reactor room falling apart, Shepard's team clambered back up to the control room, finding Tali and Watson looking dishevelled, the body of a strange creature melting into the floor nearby.
"What the hell happened here?" Shepard asked.
"We were attacked by this… this monster," Watson replied.
"Monster? What monster?" said Garrus, before his eyes fell on the melting creature.
There was a deafening crash and a large section of the reactor room's wall fell away, causing fires to break out.
"Questions will have to wait," barked Shepard. "Right now we need to get outta here. If you see any more of those creatures, put 'em down."
Without another word he ran for the exit. The rest of the team followed, forcing fresh magazines and thermal clips into their weapons.
•
"Everyone get moving!" Benton ordered, already turning to run back to the transit station, "We don't have long before this space station starts pulling itself apart!"
Xena, Gabrielle and Sarah began running, Amanda close behind with the flame thrower. Benton was about to take the lead, when he noticed the Doctor had not joined them. Instead, he hurried into the former computer core room and turned over the nearest Cyberman.
"Doctor! We have to go!" Benton yelled, panic gripping his insides.
"Just a moment Sergeant!" the Doctor called back as he forced the Cyberman's hand open, "I just need to pick up something."
"What are you talking about?!"
A loud groan of metal sounded through the corridor.
"Doctor!" Benton called again.
"Got it!" the Doctor declared, holding up a small device covered in buttons.
He stood up and headed back through the glass doors, just as there was a thunderous crash and the whole ceiling of the computer room collapsed in a storm of dust.
"My word," the Doctor said, looking at a ceiling panel that had smashed the floor directly behind him, "That was rather close."
"Come on Doctor!" Benton yelled.
Grabbing the Timelord by his comically long scarf, he dragged him back down the hallway and through the security checkpoint. They dashed through to the transit station, just as more heavy crashes sounded out from behind, signalling another collapse from the core.
"What on earth are you two playing at?" Sarah exclaimed, hanging onto the edge of the transit car's door.
"Just thought we would need this," the Doctor replied, holding up the device as he ran past her.
"Hang on you lot!" Benton shouted as he entered the car at full speed and slammed the return button, "We can't afford to hang about."
The doors closed and the car's motors hummed into life as it began racing back down the tracks to the next station.
"EDI?" Benton said, "We're in the secure transit. What's the fastest way back to the Normandy?"
"You'll have to follow the path you used before Sergeant," the synthesised female voice replied. "I've been able to use the station's emergency systems to keep it in orbit, but they can only hold for a few minutes."
Benton gulped. It had taken them some time to travel between the two transit stations, and it would take more time to reach the Normandy once they were back at the first station. Could they make it?"
"You have to, it's your job," a voice that sounded remarkably like the Brigadier's said in his mind.
"Alright," he said, addressing the whole team, "EDI's managed to buy us some time, so don't waste it. Once we get to the station we run, and keep running until we reach the next one."
"What if we encounter more of those creatures?" Gabrielle asked.
"We put them down," he replied flatly, hefting the Sterling submachine gun over his shoulder.
The transit car rushed on for several minutes, sounds echoing through its hull as more of the station began to buckle and twist. By the time it slowed, and the doors opened, an alarm had started going off and a robotic voice was announcing a statement over the speaker system.
"Warning. Critical systems failure. All personnel please report to escape pods at once."
"RUN!" Benton ordered before the doors were even fully open.
The whole team moved as one as it rushed across the darkened station and down a flight of stairs. Benton and Xena took the lead, while Amanda stayed at the back, the Doctor, Sarah and Gabrielle between them. The floor began to shake violently and pipes along the walls burst, spewing clouds of steam through the corridors. Despite it all, they pushed onto the next transit station without breaking their stride. Benton pressed the button to summon the car, when one of the pieces of equipment Amanda had clipped to her belt began to beep.
"What is that?" said Xena.
"It's a motion tracker," Amanda replied, raising her flame thrower expectantly, "It's been modified to pick up those… those things…"
"How close is it?" asked Benton, bringing the Sterling up to his shoulder.
"Too close, and there's more than one."
Slowly the team crept back against the doors for the transit car. The beeping from the tracker became more intense with each passing moment, but nothing appeared in any of the approach corridors.
"These things are smart," Benton thought, nervously sweeping the barrel of his submachine gun across the room.
There was a loud rumble as something large but distant exploded, shaking dust from the ceiling. At the same moment, a creature came rushing around a corner, right at Amanda.
"Eat this!"
A jet of flame erupted from the thrower, catching the creature's torso. With a scream it turned and ran, scrambling back into an air duct. No sooner had that happened when a second came charging from the corridor closest to Benton. Depressing the trigger, he emptied the whole of the Sterling's magazine into the creature. The impact sent it crashing to the floor, splattering a yellowish blood that hissed and bubbled against the surrounding metal.
"Acid blood," the Doctor remarked, "These things could be trouble."
"Ya' think?" snapped Amanda, clearly not appreciating his understatement.
A third creature ran into the room, this time charging directly at the team, only to be struck by both the flame thrower and the Sterling.
"What are they doing?" said Sarah.
"Testing for weaknesses," replied Xena.
"Where is that blasted transit?" Benton hissed, quickly replacing his empty magazine. There was no way they could hold off a sustained assault from these creatures.
As if answering his question, the doors behind them began to open.
"In! Everyone in!" Benton ordered.
Sarah and Gabrielle hurried into the car before the doors were halfway open, the Doctor following behind with Xena. Another creature dropped from the ceiling but was driven back by a burst from Amanda's flame thrower.
"Miss come on!" Benton called, thumping her on the back.
Amanda hurried into the car, and Benton walked backward into it, submachine gun at the ready. He pressed the button and the doors began to close when two more of the creatures came rushing at the car. The Sterling roared into life, leaving a line of bullet holes across one of the creatures, but the other reached the car and grabbed the closing doors. Though its fingers were long and thin, they were clearly very strong, and slowly the doors began to open, their mechanisms whinging in protest.
"Push it back! PUSH IT BACK!" Benton yelled, throwing himself against one of the doors in an effort to close it.
In the darkness, the creature had been creepy, but up close it was nothing short of nightmarish. Its skin was a hard dark carapace covered in bone-like shapes. Its head was long and bulbous, with some sort of translucent cap running along its top. There were no eyes, but it had a mouth, full of knife-like silver teeth, bared in a demented grin, dripping copious amounts of thick saliva.
The Doctor and Sarah tried to close the other door, but the creature pushed itself deeper into the carriage, hissing in anger at being denied its prey. Amanda tried to ignite the flame thrower, but it only spluttered weakly. Crying in terror, she backed away, hands desperately fumbling to replace the thrower's fuel tank, just as the creature's tongue shot out of its mouth, revealing a second jaw. It tried to strike when Xena stabbed at the creature with her sword.
The blow struck deep into its skull, and it let out a high-pitched scream.
"DON'T LET IT TOUCH YOU!" Benton yelled as yellowish blood gushed from the wound, hissing as it landed on the floor.
Pointing her sword straight ahead, Xena jammed it into the creature's 'face', splitting open its top jaw. Gabrielle lunged forward and struck it with the end of her staff. The creature let out a pitiful squeal and staggered back, releasing the doors. Without waiting, Benton slammed his fist against the close button and the doors shut, leaving the creature screeching in a pool of its own blood.
"Anyone hurt?" he asked, breathing heavily as the car began to pick up speed.
"A little shaken, but none the worse for wear," the Doctor replied, leaning against the wall, looking as if he had just aged a hundred years.
"A little shaken?!" Sarah exclaimed, "That thing almost killed us!"
"Almost Sarah, only almost."
"I'm fine," Gabrielle replied, though she was very pale.
"I'll be alright, but I think my sword has had it," Xena replied.
She was not wrong. The once proud weapon had been destroyed by the creature's corrosive blood, leaving only a few inches of blade and the handle.
"Don't worry, I'm sure we can get a new one," said the Doctor.
Glad the team was unhurt, Benton looked over at Amanda, only to find that the newcomer was slumped at the far end of the transit car, staring ahead with a look of amazement, a red fuel canister held loosely in one hand.
"Miss Ripley?" he said, taking a step toward her, "Are you hurt?"
"No…" she said in a small voice, "I… I've just never seen someone fight off one of those creatures with a sword."
"I've killed worse with this," Xena replied, putting the remains of the sword in its sheath.
The car travelled on without incident, though it was much louder than before, as the creature's acidic blood had eaten a hole straight through the floor. All around they could hear the groan of metal as Sevastopol was pulled toward the gas giant. Leaning against the wall so no one could see, the Doctor slipped a battered pocket watch out of his waistcoat.
He had guessed that EDI could maintain some systems, but even she could not resist the forces of gravity once they took hold. Given how long it had taken them to get to the transit station, the next leg would have to be done at breakneck speed if they were to reach the Normandy before it was too late.
"Let's hope we don't have any more unpleasant encounters," he thought, feeling the transit car begin to slow.
•
"MOVE! MOVE!" Shepard bellowed, trying to make himself heard over the sounds of buckling metal, "WE DON'T HAVE TIME!"
As their original route back to the transit station had been blocked by rogue androids, EDI had sent the team down a different corridor to avoid them. The plan had been successful, until they crossed an intersection close to the station and crossed paths with another pack of Working Joes. The androids had begun to chase them at once, and with no time to waste the team could not stop to gun them down. Instead, they ran as fast as they could, only taking potshots, hoping they would be able to call one of the transit cars before the pack reached them. Tali had gone ahead, as she might be able to hack the transport to get it moving faster, but it was only a vague hope.
Meanwhile, the team had to contend with the station tearing itself apart. Despite EDI's efforts, corridors were already starting to collapse, crushed by falling support beams or twisted into nothing by the forces of gravity.
Reaching the station, Shepard saw Tali at the doors to the transit car, fingers flying across her omni tool.
"Please tell me you have some good news?" he said.
"I don't know," Tali answered truthfully. The car is on its way, but I can't get it moving any faster."
"How long will it be?"
"Two minutes, maybe three."
"Do we have that long?" Sherlock asked as he caught up with Shepard.
Watson and Inspector Lestrade hurried into the station, their electric pistols smoking.
"Those robots are right behind us!" Lestrade exclaimed, "We must have killed dozens of them, but they're still coming!"
"How many Shepard asked."
"A lot," Lestrade replied bluntly.
A steady rhythm of feet against metal began to echo through the station.
"EDI," Shepard said, keying his radio, "Can you do anything about these goddamn androids?"
"I'm sorry Commander," she replied, "I have attempted hacking their systems, but it appears the Cybermen released a virus into the Sevastopol's network before they teleported off the station. I have been able to block it from the Normandy, but it is impossible to override its effect on the Working Joe units."
"What effect is that?"
"They have been programmed to hunt down and kill all remaining lifeforms on the station. As far as I can tell, you and Benton's team are all that's left."
"Ah hell!" Shepard groaned, "Everyone get ready. These robots aren't gonna quit easily."
"Since when have our enemies ever been easy?" Garrus replied drily as he took up position near the transit car doors and shouldered his assault rifle.
Watson and Lestrade came to join him, positioning themselves behind a bench, guns aimed toward the corridor. The bald plastic head of a Working Joe appeared, its eyes glowing a hazy red.
"Found you," it stated flatly.
Shepard fired off a burst, the mass effect slugs shredding the android's head and shoulders. Its body toppled back when more appeared, quickly marching in lockstep. The station resonated with the stutter and crack of mass effect rounds and electrical pistols. Within moments the corridor was carpeted with broken robots, their bodies leaking white fluid in a growing puddle.
"Make your shots count!" Shepard ordered, "We can't waste ammo!"
Compounding his worries, his Revenant assault rifle let out a small gush of steam, forcing him to knock its red-hot thermal clip free. A set of doors opened on the far side of the station and another mass of Working Joes marched in, droning the same prerecorded statements.
"You really shouldn't be here."
"It appears you and I have a problem."
"Let me help you."
"Garrus! Watson!" Shepard barked, "Cover that door!"
"On it!" Garrus replied, firing an entire clip into the robotic horde.
Watson's electric pistol shot out a few bolts before it hissed and crackled.
"My weapon's malfunctioned!" he said, sounding mildly annoyed.
"Can you fix it?" Shepard asked, keeping his eyes fixed on the first corridor.
"Not here, but don't worry, I have other means to fight."
He demonstrated the point by striding forward and smashing aside two Working Joes with a sweep of his metal arm.
"Nice one!" Garrus shouted, gunning down the robots that tried to flank Watson.
Shepard's Revenant gushed steam again. He whacked in another thermal clip, discovering that it was his last one.
"Tali, where is that transit car?"
"Thirty seconds!" she shouted back, her hands still working across her omni tool.
"It better be!"
Taking careful aim, Shepard fired short bursts, cutting down one Working Joe at a time. By now the corridor was clogged with dead robots, but more just shoved their way through the piles, and with the team's firepower split between two entrance points they were getting closer.
Three last rounds shot out of the Revenant and it locked up. Cursing in frustration, Shepard hooked it onto his back and drew his sidearm, when the transit doors began to open.
"GET IN! GET IN!" he yelled.
Lestrade let off two more bolts from her electrical pistol and hurried inside, Tali following behind.
"Watson! Come on!" Garrus yelled.
The compudroid smashed a Working Joe against a bulkhead when another two seized his cloak.
"Unhand me!" he yelled.
He managed to throw one aside but another took hold of his leg.
"Get off him!"
Firing with great care, Garrus blasted each of the Working Joes off Watson who hurriedly clambered into the much too-small transit car. With his team clear, Shepard backed into the transit car, cutting down any approaching robots with his heavy pistol before slamming a fist against the travel button.
"Seegson politely requests that you come back," a Working Joe stated before the doors shut.
"Yeah, we won't be doing that," Garrus replied with a chuckle.
There was a sudden lurch and the transit car set off for the next station.
"Anyone hurt?" Shepard asked.
"Nothing serious," answered Lestrade, "But the sooner we get back to the Normandy the better."
"Got that right," Shepard replied before keying his radio. "Shepard to Benton, Sergeant, we just boarded the transit. Where are your team?"
"We're on the transit as well," crackled Benton's voice, "We should be at the station soon. What about you?"
"Same I think, but don't wait for us at the station, just get back to the Normandy."
"Are you sure Commander? There's a lot of dangerous stuff on this station, you might need backup."
"I appreciate the concern Sergeant, but we can handle ourselves. Just focus on getting your own team back."
"Well, if you say so. See you back at the Normandy Shepard."
"Copy that Benton."
The transit car rushed on in almost total silence for the rest of the journey. EDI informed Shepard that she had managed to seal off the path back to the Normandy, meaning it would be clear of Working Joes. However, there was no way she could prevent the other lifeforms on the station from attacking them from the vents.
"Nothing a shotgun can't stop," Tali remarked.
"Just avoid their blood," said Watson, holding up his arm to reveal several burn holes in the armour plating, "It has an acidic quality."
"Watson! You're hurt!" cried Sherlock."
"Don't worry my dear Holmes, it's nothing serious."
"All the same, you can't blame me for worrying about a friend."
The car began to slow and the team looked at the doors.
"Get ready," Shepard ordered.
The car stopped and the doors opened with a slight hiss. Immediately the six team members broke into a run. Their feet slammed hard against the metal flooring, but the sound was lost among the wailing of sirens and crash of breaking metal. The dark corridors shook violently and each of them struggled to stay on their feet.
"You have five minutes and twenty seconds until the orbital stabilisers completely fails," EDI's voice came through the radio."
"Thanks for the heads up," Shepard breathed, unable to even muster the necessary sarcasm.
Rounding a corner, the team spotted the hexagon-shaped airlock of the Normandy, a figure silhouetted against the light.
"Shepard! Come on!" the figure yelled. It was Benton.
"I told you to get on board!" Shepard yelled back.
"Yes sir, sorry sir!"
Despite his scorn, the commander felt a rush of gratitude, a feeling that was interrupted by a screeching sound from somewhere behind him. This was compounded by Benton raising his submachine gun.
"RUN!" he cried.
Trying to increase his speed, Shepard glanced back and saw several tall thin creatures with dark chitinous skin charging down the corridor, clawed hands reaching out for them.
"MOVE!" he yelled.
He fired his heavy pistol, knocking down one of the creatures, but the rest kept coming. There was a stutter of light from the airlock and objects buzzed over his head. Another creature dropped. Benton was giving them covering fire. Hoping the sergeant had a steady aim, Shepard kept running, making sure he stayed at the back of his team. He was not going to lose any of them now.
Inspector Lestrade reached the airlock first, along with Sherlock and Watson. Garrus was not far behind, blasting away with his assault rifle the whole way. Tali stopped beside Benton, blasting her shotgun down the corridor, cutting down a creature that was almost on top of Shepard.
"I owe you!" he wheezed upon reaching her.
"You can thank me later," the Quarian replied, smiling behind her mask.
Benton fired a few bursts from the Sterling and the three of them hurried into the airlock. The door sealed behind them, quickly followed by a crash as one of the creatures threw itself against the curved metal.
"What the hell were those things?" Garrus coughed, trying to get his breath back as the airlock began to equalise the pressure so they could enter the ship.
"I believe they were examples of Specimen XX121 Mr. Vakarian," replied EDI.
"That's what Weyland-Yutani were protecting?" said Tali, "What possible use could they have for it?"
"A biological weapon I would wager," Sherlock remarked.
"You think Professor Moriarty was after those creatures as well?" asked Watson.
"I don't believe so. No, those Cybermen were after machinery."
The doors to the ship began to open.
"We can discuss this later," said Shepard, "Right now we need to get the Normandy moving."
He ran through to the cockpit where he found Joker operating the controls, Elizabeth standing beside him, looking anxious.
"About time you got here," said the pilot, "I'm starting to think you like leaving things to the last minute."
The whole ship violently lunged and through the Normandy's window they saw the whole wall of Sevastopol begin to collapse.
"The orbital stabilisers have failed," EDI stated, "The station is being dragged into the gas giant."
"Get us moving!" Shepard ordered, his hand holding the bulkhead with a death grip.
"Wait!" said Elizabeth, "Booker's still outside fighting those creatures, someone has to help him get back in!"
A large part of Sevastopol was torn away and went hurling down into the gas giant, which was becoming larger by the second.
"It would take too long for someone to get a spacesuit on!" Shepard said, feeling sick.
•
Another creature came sprinting at Booker, mouth open in a silent scream before he cut it down with a neat three-round burst. By now he was feeling horribly tired, and was running low on ammunition. Still, he could see more of the terrifying creatures climbing down the walls of the space station, attempting to attack the Normandy.
"Don't these guys ever quit?"
He began to take aim again when the hull under his feet rocked violently. He felt the magnetic boots almost come away and hunched down, trying to find a handhold. The Normandy had just pulled away from the station. One of the creatures leapt from the wall, trying to reach the ship, only to miss and go tumbling toward the cloudy planet below.
"Joker, what the hell's going on!" he barked into his radio.
"Sorry Booker, we had to get away from Sevastopol before it crashed into the gas giant."
"And what about me?"
"Just hold onto something, someone's coming to get you."
"Hold onto what?" he exclaimed, looking over the Normandy's smooth hull.
A jet of flame shot out from the station, causing him to duck. By now he could see that the massive structure was being twisted apart by the forces of gravity as if it were cardboard.
"And that's what's gonna happen to me if I don't get back inside," Booker thought grimly.
With no other choice, he slowly edged back toward the ladder which led to the airlock. He took one step at a time, making sure one magnetic boot was firmly against the hull before raising the other.
He had almost made it when a shockwave hit the Normandy, causing it to shake violently. Caught with one foot raised, Booker tried to balance himself, only to be thrown to one side by another shockwave, causing the other boot to pull free of the metal.
Weightlessness grabbed him and he tumbled around, his vision filling with an endless black void.
"So, this is how it ends. At least Elizabeth's safe…"
His train of thought was interrupted by something grabbing his leg. Crying out in surprise, Booker looked down to see a large metal hand belonging to Watson holding him.
"Mr. DeWitt, are you alright?" the mechanical man's voice sounded through his radio.
"I will be when you get me down!" he said, breathing as if he had just run a mile.
"Of course, of course."
Watson gently lowered him to the hull and he felt the magnetic boots take hold.
"Thank you… Sir," Booker said, still breathing hard, "Another second and I would have been a goner."
"Sorry I wasn't here sooner," Watson replied, "I was able to leave the ship quickly as I don't need a spacesuit, but the airlock still needed to cycle."
"Hey, you got here in time, and that's what matters. Now can we get inside? I'd rather not spend the rest of the day out in space."
"Right you are Mr. DeWitt, it is rather nippy out here."
Fighting not to laugh, Booker headed to the ladder and climbed into the airlock, impatiently waiting for it to cycle once again.