Siren Solus

2

The solitude I so fervently sought seemed a false promise now. Now that her song stopped the silence tore at my soul, the space it once created and filled now barren. Why did she not sing?

My ship lay wrecked on this barren ice world. I was a fool, drawn in by a sweet song to my doom, much like the ancient mariners lured on to the rocks by the Sirens. For those who survived the shipwreck it was not the song that killed, but the silence that followed.

Think, man! Get a plan! First, I gathered information. This was a survey ship and it had sensors. What did they tell me?

Gravity was slightly less than that on Earth. A magnetosphere provided some protection from solar radiation. The atmosphere was breathable, although a bit thin and so cold. This planet likely has life, or maybe once did.

The damaged ship will not fly again. Even if it could there was not enough fuel to get very far. Internal environmental systems seem to be functional.

And what was her nature, this Siren? She left me a message scratched in the window ice that I could read. If she tapped my thoughts, then perhaps I could connect to her. If I could clear my mind and reach out... There she is! Alien, non-human. I could not directly communicate with her, any more than I could carry on a conversation in another language. Still there were basic sensations.

Intelligence. A strong mind.

But alone. Lonely.

Hunger. So hungry.

Unfilled desire.

Did she seek companionship or prey?

A loud crash on the port aft side jolted me from the mind link. I froze in place as the echo reverberated through the ship. A warning light shown on the control panel indicated structural damage. She was also strong physically, and she wanted in.

A screech, both auditory and mental, gave me a chill as cold as the ice outside. More banging came, this time on the starboard side. The ship shifted from the force of the blows. I gather my courage and look out the starboard hatch window in the pale light. Nothing.

Another crash aft sent me against the hatch and sliding down to a sitting position. I drew my knees in and covered my ears at the horrible screeching that followed.

It was only a matter of time before she broke in. I braced for the next crash, but this time it did not come.

Now is my chance to escape. Perhaps find a shelter out there. I put on my space suit for protection from the cold, carefully opened the hatch, and stepped outside. Outside to an icy desolation.

Strange. There were large dents in the side of the ship, but no prints below in the thin snow.

I felt her in my mind. My eyes saw nothing but ice, but she was near.