SIREN

Chapter Eighteen

The airlock door opened. I took one step and stood in the doorway. The lights bouncing off the Wreath made the hole look like a craggy cave opening, and I wondered for a second if our expedition was a bad idea. The blue atmosphere of Neptune danced and whirled silently behind the stationary ship. I took a deep breath.

'What's the hold up?' Sam said, slapping my back. 'Have you just realised that you owe me ten big ones?'

'I just don't know if we should go.'

'What? Teabags, this isn't the time to get cold feet about being in space. We have a mission.'

'Yeah, yeah, I know, but I just...' I took another look at the gash and whimpered, 'I just have a bad feeling.'

'Just nerves,' Sam sniffed. 'You're probably missing those goggles, too. You're way too attached to those.'

'I'm not, and it's not just nerves.'

'Course it is.'

'It's not!'

'Whatever, man. You got a new suit on, and we've reloaded our toys. If anything comes at us, we've got it covered.' He put his arm around my neck and shook me, 'plus, you're with me!'

I did my best to smile and stepped out the Eagle. My body lurched and fell but the nozzles on my back kicked in and righted my spin.

Sam rushed past me and punched my arm. 'Try to keep up, buddy!'

I grumbled and shifted my shoulders. My new jetpack burst into life and propelled my body towards the crinkled tear in the Wreath. As I approached the box, my heart bounced. Something about the vessel caused all sorts of visions to invade my mind. After meeting the fungus, and blowing it up, I had no desire to meet another angry alien. I turned back to the Eagle and wondered if it could withstand what'd happened to the Wreath.

'Why do you do that?' Sam asked as he parked up next to me.

'Do what?'

'Look back at the Eagle when you leave.'

I chewed my lip. 'I don't know, Sam.'

'You don't need to worry so much. We'll be fine.'

'Will we?'

'No doubt.' Sam hovered just inches from the opening. The tubes around his shins spewed gas as he examined the crumpled hull. He planted his hands along the metal and tried to wiggle it back and forth.

'Anything interesting?' I said, arriving behind him.

'Some tough stuff, man.'

'Really?'

'Yeah, this wasn't a brute force entry it was—'

'An exit?' I smiled.

'No, not an exit! It's definitely an entry, Teabags. I know what I'm talking about. Anyway, you'd need something strong on this baby to blow her open, and from the looks of it, they used...'

'Used what?'

He adjusted his altitude and moved in on a strip of mangled metalwork. He took the mauled bar into his hands and closed one eye. 'Too precise.'

'What is?'

'The way this has been cut. It's like a laser got at it, but why would anyone cut with such precision and then just claw their way in. Why go through that much trouble?'

'Maybe they really wanted to get out.'

'Stop it.'

I smiled at Sam and then diverted my attention to my forearm. I rubbed my finger over the plastic screen and a row of LED's on my helmet switched on. I felt my pupils contract as more light bathed the ship.

'What've you got?' Sam said, flying to another piece of wreckage.

'Can't see anything interesting,' I bobbed, twisting my head from left to right. 'I'm going in,' I announced.

'No, wait! Wait for me!'

I dived into the Wreath and came face to face with darkness. The Eagle's rays couldn't pierce the endless black and my own diodes did little to light my way. It was like the shadows themselves ate the light.

Sam showed up next to me and flicked on his own headlights. 'Damn. Someone didn't pay the electric bill, huh?'

'I guess not,' I said, swiming ahead. The floor, walls and ceiling looked like stainless steel, with no distinguishable texture whatsoever.

'Careful,' Sam told me.

'I know.'

'No, I mean...' he pulled out his pistol and charged the rounds, 'be careful.'

'Really? I think it's unlikely that anything's in here. I'm not using any weapon until I have to.'

'Is that right? You know, that sort of attitude can get you—!'

'Get you killed, yeah, I know. You drummed that into my head years ago.'

'So take notice,' Sam said, slamming into me as he plunged into the shadows, mumbling obscenities.

I followed after him without a second thought. The Wreath, unlike the Martini, had no artificial gravity, which meant I could use my legs and my jetpack to not touch a thing.

The interior kept its minimalistic finish. There was nothing on any surface, not even a scratch or a dent. I kept my eyes aimed at the ground, looking hopelessly for a footprint or a scuffmark.

Sam's light had shrunk to a tiny bobbing orb. The shadows around me started to feel darker and I felt the weight of my suit spread across my back. The Wreath was looking to be nothing more than a dark empty box.

'Teabags,' Sam said. The orb stopped bouncing.

'What?'

'Come here.'

I paddled through the darkness, still twisting my head to assess the ship. I reached Sam's side and recoiled at his pale face.

'What's wrong?'

'There,' he raised his arm and moved back.

I moved my eyes along his limb, all the way to his finger. My torchlight bounced off the dull silver walls and stopped at a hole in the wall. The metal had been torn asunder, leaving a gap big enough for a car to drive through.

'That's...' I started, but my mouth stopped moving. Words never came.

Sam's voice filled the silence. 'Same as outside... Even down to the laser markings.'

'Which means what?'

'Someone wanted in, Teabags. They desperately wanted to get in here.' He moved his lights around, inspecting the cut.

'But there's nothing here, there's--!'

'Shut up,' Sam snapped.

'What?'

'Shut up,' Sam growled and dipped his head through the hole. He stayed there for a second and then whipped his neck back. He looked at me with his eyes wide.

'What?' I said again.

Sam said nothing. He waved his gun in the air and jabbed his index and middle finger at the gap.

I reached for my own weapon and pulled back the hammer.

My teammate darted through the gap. After I lost sight of his feet, I turned around and tried to see the Eagle. Within a tiny jagged circle, I could just about see the spotlights of our little spaceship.

I swallowed once, adjusted my suit and joined Sam on the other side.