THE FALL OF ROSENROT STATION

EN PASSE

The red-haired man stood with his back to the other two, shoulders hunched, gaurding the object he held from sight of the others. 

Even watched the man for a few minutes then started over to him. At the sound of Evens footsteps Nico straightened up and then wiped what he held on his thighs, leaving behind a smear of gore sticky like mucus on the dark blue fabric. Then he opened a snapseal pouch on his belt and dropped whatever he held into it.

Nico. You better tell me what you found. Even paused and waited. When the man didn't answer he took another few steps closer. He was still somewhat unsteady on his feet. Blood darkened his hair and trickled down the back of his neck.

Fingers tugged at his sleeve. Even started to twist away then stopped. He glanced back and caught the gaze of the synthetic her eyes still wet and large behind her faceplate. She stood up on her toes to get her face close to his ear and said something in a tone too low for Nico to hear her voice distorted behind her mask. Then she dropped back on her feet and waited.

Even looked puzzled. What for.

The synthetic shrugged.

Even stood expressionless for a minute then shrugged off her hand and continued over to Nico until he stood in front of that man. He looked at Nico. Then he looked down at the corpse of the man Nico had cut open. There was a pool of blood here. Most of it came from the ragged wound opened in the dead man's throat. Even had done that. The blood had gushed in the beginning even as that man had held his hands over the wound as if to hold in his life force. Now the remainder of his blood oozed slowly. Less blood also oozed from the slit in his abdomen. On the side. Even went as if to stoop down to examine the wound but stopped. Perhaps he thought better of it. No point.

Are you going to say.

Nico shook his head. No.

Even shook his head. He turned and started over toward the door. A woman lay here her brains splattered across the floor and partially up the wall. She lay half in the room and half out. Blocking the door. Even bent and grabbed her closer hand and dragged her the rest of the way inside. Then he slapped the door controls and watched as the steel teeth ground together. The room became even darker. The only light came from that fusion lamp. The bodies of the former inhabitants lay where they had fallen clustered about the lamp. An thought came to Even. A picture. A troop of humanities ancestors on Earth, gathered around a fire. The darkness rippling all around them. Warmth and protection from the predators of the savannah. Hundreds of light years from earth and men were still just monkeys. Stone age brains flying starships but still with the instinct to huddle aroi d the nearest fire for heat and light when danger was close. But an entirely different predator had come. Not the one theyd expected.

Shall I call the car now. Sarah said.

Her voice snapped Even out of his thoughts. He opened his mouth as if to say some reply then swiftly closed it again. He looked up. There was some sound up there. The sound of something heavy moving across the steel panels. Even took a step back. Away from the door.

The sound stopped. He could not tell if it had moved on, or if it remained there perched motionless and waiting for its prey to come to it. His hair dropped on end. Whatever it was, it was hunting them now.

The three of them remained silent. After a few minutes when they had not heard it again Even let out the breath he had been holding then looked around at the other two. He said nothing. He felt at the back of his head and then looked at his hands. They were wet with blood. He studied his hands for a few minutes.

I. I am not ah ready. Not for that. He gestured then at the roof.

What do you suppose we do then. Nico said. We are running out of time.