Alien - Pandemonium

Chapter Seventeen

Charlie's heart raced as she darted down the dimly lit hallway, the erratic flickering of the lights adding to the sense of urgency. Beads of sweat trickled down her face, clinging to her skin as her breath came in ragged gasps. With each echoing footstep, her boots reverberated against the metallic floor. Her hair, damp with perspiration, clung to her forehead, obscuring her vision.

She glanced up, her eyes scanning the signs overhead, searching for any indication that would lead her back to her crew. The station groaned and shuddered beneath her, the subtle shift in its position only adding to her sense of disorientation. Despite the chaos and uncertainty, she pressed on, her determination unwavering. Charlie dashed through a doorway just as it slammed shut behind her, the heavy clang echoing in the corridor. She didn't dare glance back, her focus solely on moving forward. As she sprinted past, a Working Joe stood motionless, its lifeless eyes ignoring her frantic passage.

Suddenly, Charlie's earpiece crackled to life, Captain Henry's voice cutting through the static.

"Captain! Where are you?" she called out, breathless and desperate.

"Charlie?" His voice was strained but unmistakable. "Is that you?"

Charlie came to a stop and looked around, the hallway was narrow and cloaked in darkness, the only source of light coming from a flickering bulb ahead of her. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Captain, where are you?" she asked, her voice echoing softly in the confined space.

"We made it to the living quarters before we were separated," Captain Henry replied, his voice strained. "Charlie, we were attacked by one of those things." There was a pause, filled with the distant hum of the station. "And Judy... she was attacked by this creature that attached itself to her face. It fell off eventually, and it's dead now, but she seems okay."

Charlie's heart sank as she listened. "Is she really okay?" she asked, her voice trembling with concern.

"She seems fine for now," Captain Henry said, uncertainty lacing his words. "But we need to regroup and get out of here as soon as possible. These things are everywhere."

"The station is overrun with these fucking things, and it's going down!" Charlie shouted into her earpiece, her voice echoing in the narrow, dark hallway. "The orbital stabilisers are failing. We don't have long; we need off now!"

There was a pause, then Captain Henry's voice crackled through the earpiece. "Charlie... the Grafton is coming in remotely. We're close to the docking port; we're going to jump for it."

Charlie's heart pounded in her chest as she processed the information. The station shuddered violently beneath her, and she could feel the tilt growing more pronounced with each passing second. "Jump for it? That's insane!" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of desperation and determination.

"It's our only chance," Captain Henry replied, his voice grim but resolute. "We can't stay here any longer. The station is falling apart. If we don't make the jump, we're done for."

Charlie clenched her fists, feeling the sweat on her palms. She looked ahead at the flickering light and the dark hallway stretching beyond it. "Alright, I'll make my way to the docking port. Just hold on, Captain. I'll get there as fast as I can."

"Be careful, Charlie," Captain Henry warned. "And watch out for those things. We'll see you at the port."

Charlie took a deep breath and started running again, the urgency of the situation driving her forward. The station groaned around her, the sounds of its imminent collapse growing louder with each step. She knew time was running out, and every second counted.

Charlie was close to the transit station, her best chance to reach the docking port quickly. But she knew she had to bypass the door lock that was almost certainly engaged. If what Carter had said about Weyland-Yutani was true, then the lockdown was still in place across the station. Every door she had passed so far had been sealed tight, the red light of the lock glaring at her as she moved through the darkened corridors. Her heart raced as she approached the door, hoping for a miracle.