INTERSTELLAR NIGHTMARES - THE DESCENT

Chapter 4

   We got right to work to get the morkite while the light was still there in the cavern. We didn't want to use too many flares that can be used elsewhere. "Alright, here's a plan," Kurt informed us. "We'll split up and mine different veins of morkite. If anyone is in trouble, scream out for the rest of us," he explained. We all agreed to do so and went off to our veins.

   I got straight to work, mining out the vein I got to. Eventually, I couldn't hold any more morkite, so I called the M.U.L.E. over by sticking the calling rod into the ground.

   It was taking her a while though. "Molly!" I shouted out, trying to call her from the darkness. Soon enough, here came the M.U.L.E., over a crest of rocks. "There you are, girly," I sighed, patting her as she slammed into the ground, shifted a little for stability, and opened her deposit buckets. I poured all of my morkite into the bucket and went off back to the vein.

   I was doing this for quite some time until I heard gunshots. I stopped and looked in the direction of the shooting. It sounded like Fredrick's Deepcore. After almost what felt like forever, I heard a yell. "Aye, what in Karl's name is that!?" echoed from ahead. I immediately started running in the direction of the voice.

   "I'm coming, hold on!" I shouted back. The closer I grew, the more I heard heavy footsteps. I broke through a larger salt crystal before seeing what Fredrick was yelling about. It was a beast similar to what we had seen earlier, but it was much larger, had a large horn on each mandible, a glowing green abdomen, and much more armor.

   I gasped in panic, and whipped my CRSPR up... but I didn't pull the trigger. Where was Fredrick? Was he near the beast? I couldn't tell where he was. Was he possibly already eaten by the beast?

   I also had another thought. I watched it for what felt like a few minutes, even though it was only a couple of seconds. It was a living creature, larger than most I'd ever seen anywhere else. I stood there contemplating if I should kill something as brilliant as this...

   Just as my head began to fill with these thoughts, I saw Fredrick peek around a corner and fire at the beast. "What the hell are you waiting for!?" shouted Fredrick, "Shoot the ugly thing!"

   I locked my eyes on the beast. It was about to kill him, I thought; it would if I didn't do anything about it. I pulled the trigger, and fwooshhh! A stream of flame shot from the CRSPR, burning my eyes and radiating an ungodly amount of heat that I felt would sear off my beard.

   The beast roared, reared its front arms up, and turned around. That's when I realized its abdomen was glowing from the fire more intensely than it was.

   I was wondering why, and so I thought about it as I continued the stream. Then it hit me. It was not only the only unarmored part of the beast besides its head, but it was also glowing of course, and judging by the green blood of the last bugs, that meant it was meaty and full of things that loved to bleed!

   "Fredrick!" I yelled, "It's abdomen! It's a weak spot!" Fredrick leaned out again and unloaded towards the abdomen of the beast. It reared its arms again and let out a pain-stricken roar before collapsing with a sickening pop noise.

   Fredrick walked out. There was a pause between us. "Is that it?" Fredrick asked quietly. We heard much more familiar footsteps approaching, but I then realized the green fog rising from the holes in the beast, along with it rising from its mouth. "Ugh!" I groaned  "That stinks!" Fredrick and I started getting a sore throat very quickly, and soon we were coughing.