I Monstrum

Chapter 11 -"Hello... I'm back"

      Steve had spent the next few hours adjusting the weapons he had selected. He basically maxed them out, removing any governors, that only limited it. These governors were there for everyone's safety. After all who wanted to accidentally blow a hole through the outer hull? However, on the asteroid that problem didn't exist. So, no need for those limitations, where he was going. Now, his weapons were very deadly. They would have more of an effect on the creature. The only thing that still worried him was his new armored powersuit. After watching the monster stab through Samantha's leg with ease, as if it was stabbing a piece of bread with a fork, he wished he had something that would offer more protection. It was a terrifying thought just thinking about going in there again alone, looking for survivors... Could anyone still be alive in there, somewhere? He suddenly felt even more respect for Sam. Her reward for her bravery was her survival. He could only hope for the same.

      Now, he stood next to the hatchway in the shuttle waiting for the hatch to finish lowering to the surface of the asteroid.

      "All the best ,sir."

      "Thanks, be ready to take off as soon as I get back," he said, as he trudged down the hatchway that was now a ramp. "Keep your systems on standby."

      "I will sir."

      He made his way to the tunnel entrance where the missing people were supposed to be, if still living, if they stayed put, if, if, if. As he entered and the darkness surrounded him, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. "Lights." The tunnel disappeared in the dark distance. This tunnel was quite straight. That is, straight considering a creature had dug it with its super powerful appendages.

      "Hello... I'm back," he said, beginning his dark journey.

      After 1.6 kilometers, he found another miner in pieces. It was a woman. He picked up the helmet, "Computer can you identify this face?" Immediately, a name appeared on the screen. Christine Martell -a miner collector. Another addition to the growing list of deceased miners. He wondered where her scientist partner was. After placing the helmet back down next to part of the torso, he continued on, into -the abyss.

***

      Scott Adams, an engineer, had spent the last few hours looking at the video log that had been recovered from the science lab of the ancient vessel. He was angry, for a number of reasons. The body of his dead younger brother was somewhere in a tunnel, on the asteroid. They would not be able to recover it, it was just too dangerous to do so. This was very upsetting, he couldn't even bring him home, so his family could mourn properly. Somehow, he felt responsible. He was the older brother. He was supposed to protect his little brother. While he agreed with the captain's decision not to recover the bodies, still he couldn't help feeling angry due to the situation itself. He also felt angry toward the scientists who were long dead. The ones who had captured the creature in the first place. What were they thinking? They presumptuously jumped right into something that actually caused their own demise. Not only that, what about all these deaths? How many more deaths will end up on the heads of those scientists? No, something had to be done. This creature could not be permitted to remain on the asteroid. It did not belong there. If they didn't kill it, he wanted it and it's young brought to Osler, the moon they apparently came from. After that, they should set up warning beacons in stable orbits around the moon. As to how this could be accomplished, he had no idea.

      The video was actually quite remarkable. They had somehow captured one of the creatures and had shackled it's appendages up with some sort of titanium alloy unfamiliar to him. The creature was forcibly curled up almost into a ball. Most of the creature's strength was in the downward strikes of it's appendages. It didn't have the strength to break free from the thick bands of titanium alloy, moving them in the other direction. So, they had it aboard their ship, in the laboratory closed off in a room, but not for long. They needed to control the temperature in the room. The moon, it's natural habitat, was very cold. So, they hooked up liquid nitrogen to bring the temperature down to a more suitable level, for the creature. This proved to be the mistake that killed them all. The creature, while immobilized was still capable of a little movement at the tip of some appendages. Scott frowned as he watched the scientists take no visible note of it all. He already watched this part several times and every time, he wished he could have been there, to warn them. The scientists were more concerned with the experiments they were preparing. He shook his head as the creature slowly squirmed across the floor unnoticed. Sometimes highly intelligent people could do very stupid things. However, it seemed that the creature knew exactly what it was doing. He now realized that the creature was much more intelligent than they had first thought.

      The creature inched it's way toward the liquid nitrogen tank...

      The next events were partially obscured and took place so quickly that he had to slow the video down significantly. That part, he watched more than ten times. It was incredible. The creature took only one short swipe with the tip of an appendage. The result of that little movement was catastrophic. The tank exploded, no doubt compromising the integrity of the hull itself. The tank was attached to the floor and wall, so it stayed in place. However, the highly pressurized liquid nitrogen shot out and hit the titanium alloy metal bands, sending the creature flying across the room. The bands already cold, broke, freeing the creature. It scrambled and stood up. Pausing only momentarily, it simply dug through the nearest wall. If it kept going in the same direction, the last wall it would dig through, would be the hull.

      Scott stood up, got a copy of the recording and headed for the bridge. The captain needed to know about all of this, especially about the intelligence of the creature. The resourcefulness of the creature, must not be underestimated. He figured that the reason there were no oxygen tanks on the bridge in the other video, was that they all had to be used for the crew to reseal the hull. If the hull wasn't sealed, they wouldn't even be able to land the crippled ship, so the priority went to them doing that. In the end, none of it mattered. No one survived.

***

      I can finally see again. Let me check on my younglings... Good! They're okay. The creatures didn't harm them. I'm healing my appendages from the horrible burning, but it's still difficult to move. Perhaps I should wait, before I scout around. If I encounter those hard-shelled ones again... perhaps they will kill me. Who will train my younglings then? I don't see anyone near here now. There are no immediate threats, so I can wait....

***

      Steve was worried. So far, no sign of anyone. If any of the others had seen the attack on Christine Martell, that probably would have drove them deeper into the asteroid. Towards the nest of that... creature. Not the place he wanted to go. He shrugged as he realized he had no choice in the matter. Not if he wanted to save any survivors. They would be running low on oxygen by now. He had some extra canisters in his pack. Hopefully, he would reach them in time.

      "Hello!"

      "Hey, who's that?"

      "I'm Evan Kemp and this is Sylvia Barnes."

      "I can't see you guys."

      "We see you, just keep going, not much further and you'll see us. We have all our lights off to save power, but Sylvia and I are very low in oxygen. Ian ran out about five minutes ago. Do you think he is still alive? He hasn't been answering us..."

      "Okay, now I can see you. Quick, help me get my pack off... Great thanks... There are extra canisters here... Here, take this one and give this to Sylvia. I'll see if we can help Ian with this one... There... he should be getting air now. Ian, can you hear me buddy? You've got air now."

      Steve compressed Ian's chest a few times only to be interrupted by a huge gasp, a flailing of limbs, followed by more panicked gasping.

      "Okay, Ian you need to relax... Try to take regular breaths... That's it. Good job buddy. Welcome back to the land of the living. We'll give you a couple of minutes and then we'll start to head back to the shuttle, waiting near the entrance of this tunnel."

      "What about the others?"

      "Others?"

      "Aren't there others that we have to save?"

      "As a matter of fact, there are others, Sylvia. Unfortunately, I was surprised that you and Evan lasted as long as you did. Really, you should have ran out of air with Ian about 10 minutes ago. The others are either killed by the creature or they've run out of air by now. If there are none within our immediate vicinity, then I'm afraid they are a lost cause. It's simply too late to find them and then revive them, like Ian. No, our priority now is to get ourselves back to the shuttle... Okay Ian, can you stand up?"

      "Yeah, I think so... Uh! I have a headache."

      "That's normal for going without air as long as you did. Do you think you can walk for several hours, to get back to the shuttle?"

      "Yes, I want to get out... of this miserable place."

      "I think we all agree on that one. Okay people, let's go!"