The Space Between

Chapter Thirteen: "The Tenth Planet"

Mark kneeled by the bloody footprint, asking Wanda nervously. "Is this what I think it is?" Wanda stepped around the blood stains to kneel across from him as she answered. "Impossible... Had to be equipment. If it was a creature... Hell, we would know about them by now." Mark lifted his eyes to meet hers, sarcastically saying. "We discover new species almost every day. And if this thing can bust through Tungsten steel... I don't want to meet it." Wanda slowly rose, moving to a control box mounted on the wall of the room. Mark turned slightly to watch her slide the panel open and began messing with the buttons. Everything she pressed was unresponsive. Smacking the wall with her hand, she snapped out. "The controls are either off or fired." Mark climbed slowly to his feet, moving closer to pull out the single cut cord out of the hundreds of wires in the wall. Wanda froze, taking the cord from him to look it over. Mark exhaled softly, discreetly uttering out. "Someone knew what they were looking for..."

Wanda glanced back at the stripped skeleton in the room, uttering out a bit uneasily. "Do you think the crew tried to evacuate the station... only to get here and realize that the pods clamp wouldn't unlock for launch?" Mark turned to look out at the hallway, saying softly. "I'm beginning to think the lockdown was to keep something in... the crew." Wanda released the cord, leaning back against the wall as she said in a breathless voice. "Why would someone do that?" Mark shrugged, but reluctantly gestured to the body to say. "Lunch? A mutated pet gone savage?" From outside the door, Hiro told them all in a clear voice. "The blood is almost dry. This happened a few days ago..." Hiro moved more out into the open hall, telling Miles seriously. "When you finish collecting the names of the dead, I want them. We need to know if any of them are still alive." Mark looked at Wanda, saying discreetly. "Whoever the survivor is could be the killer. Or is protecting its killer pet." Wanda pointed to the control box, telling him more confidently. "I'm going to check the other pods. Maybe they were saving one that we can use."

Mark nodded, patting her shoulder as she started to slip by him. Before she got too far though, he told her. "Don't go anywhere alone." Hiro approached him as she called out to Miles to join her in her search. Hiro raised an eyebrow, asking curiously. "What's going on?" Mark pointed to the footprints and told him about the cut wire. When he finished informing him what they were thinking, he added grimly. "We've got to get off this station. Whatever this thing is... I don't think we are prepared for it." Hiro huffed, kneeling to look over the footprints better as he told him a bit sarcastically. "Isn't that what the Space Force is for?" Mark shook his head, telling him bluntly. "With all due respect, Captain... There wasn't supposed to be anything up here. These were scientists. They were unarmed. I doubt my combat skills will help... We even got a long briefing on why guns are a BIG problem up here." Hiro nodded to himself, mimicking the briefing as he said dryly. "One hole and it's the same as popping a balloon. Everything decompresses until it is just a hunk of metal."

Mark nodded, kneeling to discreetly tell him seriously. "Captain. If this thing can bust through tungsten steel, this whole station is in danger. If it tries to escape-" The Captain raised a hand to stop him, saying more calmly. "Stop. We don't know what this is yet. This could be a person who lost their mind in space. They could be dressing like a big lizard and reenacting some alien fantasy. We shouldn't start a panic until we know all the facts. I won't have us all jumping at shadows." Mark pointed to the claw marks on the hatch door, grumbling out. "Does that look like something a crazy human could do?" Hiro looked at him with a warning expression, telling him firmly. "These were scientists. They might have found a way. Stay focused. We need to get to that Control room." Hiro rose to his feet confidently, walking from the room. Addressing the others, he announced in a firm voice. "Until we know what happened. This is just an unfortunate accident. Nothing has changed. We are here to figure this out. Let's figure it out."