Well, here we are.
Gunner and I are standing here in the docking bay with our air packs attached and fully functional. The door's closed, but Gunner's walking over to open it.
There it goes. Grinding into the walls... Damn, it's loud.
There's space. It's so dark out there. Look at the stars, too. Wow. You can't see them, of course, but they're amazing all the same. Way better than the stars you can see anywhere on Earth, even on the darkest days.
Off we go. We're jumping out now. Gunner's remotely closing the door... It's shut now. We're jetting to the wreck of the Forrest now. Gunner thinks it'll take us about ten minutes to reach it.
***
We're here. Nothing much to see. Some sparks, a few flickering lights... But no signs of life. Gunner's doing a crude scanning of the wreck, but it looks like he's not picking up anything.
Nope. Nothing.
He just told me to go back and wait while he picks up the ship's data log. He said that the door's opening now for me.
Okay, I'm heading back now.
*Ten minutes later*
I'm almost there. And... There. I'm back.
*Muffled footsteps*
Alright, I'm shutting the door now.
Hang on... I'm getting something. A video transmission from Gunner.
*Fshk... Terrick, you hear me?*
Yeah, I do.
*Good. Listen, I found somebody. He's badly injured, so I'm bringing him back now. Maybe we'll go back later for the data, but he needs medical treatment now.*
Okay. What do you want me to do?
*Make sure the docking bay is secure. Find any medical supplies you can and consolidate them. I'll let you know when I need you to open the doors.*
Sounds good. I'll get right on that.
*Fshk*
Wow, another survivor. That's good, right? He might just up and kill me... Nah, he doesn't know who I am. Okay, I'm making the rounds of the docking bay to make sure all the doors are sealed and nothing's gotten in.
I wonder if he'll be okay? I don't know where the closest medical bay is. Hopefully he'll make it; he's bound to have some kind of combat training if he was stationed on a destroyer-class vessel.
Okay, done making rounds. Nothing here. Now to find some medical supplies...
That's a pretty good stack. Now I've just got to wait for Gunner's call.
Until then, though, I might as well keep talking, to keep myself occupied and make sure that the audio log isn't too quiet.
Hmm... I know: What will I do when, or if, I get out of this whole mess? Well, let's see. I think I'll definitely have to purchase a ship of my own - a luxury cruiser. Definitely. Maybe I'll even set up a station on a far-off asteroid in some other start system. And I'll get some servants, a nice fleet of ships, maybe even some armed guards... And a wife. I definitely need a wife. Or a few whores... Ha ha. No, definitely a wife. Oh, wait - Gunner's calling.
Yes?
*I'm almost at the bay doors. Open them up.*
No problem. How's the survivor looking?
*He's unconscious. He has a huge gash in his arm from a sheet of metal plating that must've gone flying at impact. He's lost a lot of blood. I've rigged up a perma-stasis on his arm, but we need some synth-blood and a few medical kits. Have you got that?*
Yeah. I'm opening the door now.
The medical supplies I found should be able to patch him up.
*Good. I'll be in soon.*
You'd better be.
*Fshk*
Okay... What to do, what to do... How about I'll go look for Gunner? See if I can see him. Hmm . . . Nope. Just darkness. That him? No . . . That's just a rock . . . That him? N-
*Fshk*
Gunner?
*Shit, dude. Just shit. Shit shit shit shit shit.*
What? What happened? Do you need backup? An air tank? What?
*Just shut the fuck up and listen! The ship's gonna blow! The reactor core's gone haywire, man, I've only got a minute or so to get in!*
Then get the fuck in!
*What the hell do you think I'm doing?*
Just hurry!
***
*Dude, I'm not gonna make it! Just close the doors.*
Uh, no.
*God damn it, I already said I'm not leaving this station! You plan to, not me! So shut the goddam doors and stand back!*
Yeah, that's not gonna ha - what the hell? They're closing!
*Remote access. No point in trying to open the doors, either; I deactivated the control panel.*
What the hell! No! No!
*FWOOM!*
YOU ARE READING
Never Dead: Beyond Nightmares
Science FictionI crash-landed on Io Station a few days later. I should have let them kill me. I was met with a horrifying scene as soon as I entered the colony. The dead walked. Not only did they walk - They killed. With a vengeance. An unheard-of aggression flowe...
