Starhoppers

19 - The Warden

"Holy shit!" Faith shouted as she stumbled backwards on the ramp, another parasite screeching somewhere out in the fog.

"Everyone get in the ship!" Ezra cried out, sprinting towards the ramp as a second bone sailed through the air over our heads. "We won't stand a chance out here."

"What the fuck is going on?" Ramsey shouted, his eyes wide as a distorted figure appeared through the fog. "What are those things?"

"Come on, Ellie," I nearly choked on the words as I struggled to pull Calpurnia to her hooves.

Ellie grabbed hold of Calpurnia's other arm as Ralph pushed the alien up from behind. "Start moving, kid," he said, ducking his head instinctively as we led Calpurnia towards the ramp.

Ramsey hesitated for only a moment longer before following us up the ramp, swearing loudly as we pushed Calpurnia into the cargo bay. Ezra reached out and grabbed the alien as we approached, pulling her against the wall. "I'm sorry, Zach," he shook his head, avoiding my gaze. "I'm sorry. You were right. I should've..."

"Stop, Ezra," I cut him off, crouching beside a box as Ramsey shouted on the opposite side of the room. "You couldn't have known."

"But you did..." Ezra murmured.

"Ramsey!" a voice called out behind me, drawing my attention. A man stood near the back of the bay, a rifle held firmly in his hands. "What the hell is going on?"

"Get down!" Ramsey called out, waving the man away. "There's something outside, Keegan. They don't seem too friendly, either."

Keegan dropped behind cover as Lily groaned beside me. "What the hell are those things? Are they shooting bones at us?"

I followed the woman's gaze, spotting the standing formation of melted flesh out in the clearing, its arm raised towards the ship as a bone rocketed from within it. Ramsey scoffed as the bone bounced off the roof of the ship. "They're fucking monsters, is what they are..."

"Do you believe us yet?" Albright mumbled, drawing Ramsey's confused gaze.

"Faith! Keegan!" Ramsey cried out, peering back at his crew as he shimmied along the wall towards a control panel near the open hatch. "Open fire!"

My eyes narrowed in the same moment that Keegan pushed up onto his knees, aiming his rifle out into the clearing. I gasped, raising my hand towards the man. "Wait-"

A rapid burst of gunfire echoed deafeningly around the cargo bay, my palms moving quickly to my ears as the muzzle flashes illuminated the floor.

"Jesus!" Ezra scoffed, plugging his ears as he peered outside. The parasite standing out in the clearing screeched angrily as Keegan stopped firing, dropping behind cover and peering towards us.

"Did I hit the damned thing?" Keegan called out as Ramsey slammed his palm against a large button on the panel.

An alarm blared loudly overhead as the ramp rose before us, the parasite's arm lowering towards the hatch as it fired another bone towards us.

"Shit!" Ramsey cried out as the bone flew through the air, clattering against the back wall of the room a second later.

"I guess I didn't get it, then, did I?" Keegan asked, rolling his eyes as he glanced over at Ramsey.

"Calm yourselves up there," Faith called out from the back of the cargo bay, her arms shoved deep into a locker.

"Bullets do nothing to harm them," Albright called out. "You need to use fire."

"Bullshit," Keegan scoffed loudly. "If it breathes, a bullet can harm it."

"Fire...?" Ramsey repeated, turning towards the man with curious eyes.