Transient Signal

Chapter Nine: Hunted

CCSV Scholar

Engine Room #4

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. The creature was half way to Jack before he managed to bring his assault rifle up and attempt to take aim. The rifle barked three times before Jack's instincts kicked in. His body, perhaps more so his mind, must have sensed the imminent danger and sent subconscious signals to his legs because Jack felt himself being to move out of the creature's path so that by the time it hit the ground, he was already out of reach.

The creature, undeterred by the three shots that struck it in the chest, still swung at him, a razor sharp scythe-like claw slicing through the empty air just a few centimeters from Jack's shoulder. Jack turned and fired at it again. Five more shots impacted on the dense choral growth that the creature was made of. Almost immediately the bullet holes began to fill in.

Suddenly there was an ear splitting crack, and the creature was knocked off of its feet. Jack looked to see Corporal Singh holding a smoking shotgun he must have picked up off one of the corpses. The creature began to stir and Singh fired three more rounds from the shotgun into it. It fell back down but was quickly back up again, jumping up towards the vents in the ceiling. Before Jack or any of the others could get a bead on it, it was gone.

Jack looked at which way the vent was headed. "We need to get back," he declared, "Now."

Jack broke into a run with the others falling in behind him. They headed down the main corridor. Burns caught up with him quickly while Singh and Williamson hung back about two feet behind them. Jack was constantly looking up at the vents, listening to the sharp clanking of the creature's scythe-like arms digging into the metal. It was moving with breakneck speed.

As they moved, Jack constantly kept checking the COMs. Every time he tried Captain Miller's channel, he kept getting distorted static in reply. Swearing under his breath, Jack switched to 2 Section's channel.

"1-1 Bravo, this is Helios 2. I am unable to raise call-sign 1-1. I need a sitrep over."

"Helios 2, 1-1 Bravo," Jack could make out Corporal Vine's voice through some distortion. "Sitrep is as follows. We are under contact from another creature and are unable to reach the bridge. We have had no contact with call-sign 1-1. We need back up now. Over."

"Helios 2, roger. We're on our way. Out."

Jack stepped up his pace and was running full tilt. Burns had no problem keeping up with him, while Singh and Williamson started trailing behind a bit. The clanking sound continued as they advanced down the hall, and showed no sign of slowing.

When the group was halfway to the bridge, things started happening that Jack was not prepared to deal with in the least.

Firstly, the COMs started to fritz out. Jack was used to losing COMs, but never the COM sets turning on and off, scrambling frequencies, and switching encryption chips uncontrollably. Only one thing caused that... 

Secondly, Captain Miller started broadcasting his voice over the ship wide system. He sounded like he was on the verge of breaking down.

"Captain Miller, J. 456-219-AD. June 3rd, 2431..." There was a long pause, punctuating by sobbing sounds. "This is my last...message. It's...it's all pointless. Humanity is an unwelcome guest amongst the...amongst the stars. We...we are all dead. We just don't know it yet. We'll know...we'll know soon enough..."

Over top of Miller's sobs, Jack could hear another voice. Quieter. Feminine. And very familiar.

"Nishi," he muttered, and started running. The other three struggled to keep up with him.

As he ran, Nishi's voice got clearer and clearer.

"...It's okay, Captain," she was saying, her voice almost hypnotic. "You are not responsible for humanity's hubris. You are putting it right with your actions. Do not be afraid."

Miller sobbed heavily some more. "There's just...so much blood...I don't know if they work anymore...what if they don't work...Oh God, what if they don't work?!?!"

"Shh, Captain. They will work. The fiery cleansing cannot be stopped," reassured Nishi.

 Fiery cleansing? thought Jack, puzzled. Then it hit him. The only thing that could cause COM sets to act the way they were. The boxes that Miller had brought with him.

"We need to move. NOW!" yelled Jack to Burns, Singh and Williamson.

 That son of a bitch brought nukes on board.