I Monstrum

Chapter 17 -Aftermath

      They brought me home. Even my younglings. They're all here. I thought they were going to take my little younglings away… but they did not. Why did they do this? Their minds are so quiet!
      It is good to be here with my younglings. Now, they will live among our kind. They will grow and have hatchlings of their own.
      The first ones who took me away long ago, were wicked. Bad, bad, bad! But these ones… helped me, even after I killed some of them. I… remember them. I will tell my younglings about them. How they helped… saved us.

***

      Distant sounds getting closer... Someone was saying something... Can't quite make it out… Gradually it became more distinct.
      "Sam! Sam! Can you hear me?" It was Steve… Steve? How could he be here?
      "St… uh!
      "Good! You're responding. You saved them Sam. You saved them all. Even Graham. We all need to get back to the ship, though. We need medical attention."
      "But… how are you... walking?"
      "I don't know, but I'm glad I came back. Joe told me what you did. That was a very brave thing to do. Getting inside the crate... smart. It saved you. Although, you have a compound fracture in your right forearm and you definitely have a concussion."
      "How are you... walking?"
      He smiled, "Look who's so concerned about me."
      "What about the creatures? Are they.."
      "They're on their way. We have you on a stretcher right now, you're being carried to the shuttle."
      "Hurry Steve! We have to take off before they get close. They can jump. That's what happened to us…"
      "Yeah, I know. Joe told me. Don't worry they're still out of range, thanks to you. I'll get Joe to fire on them, as we take off. They won't have a...oh no."
      "What is it?"
      "There must be a hole in the ground close by. Some of them survived the explosion. You guys, quick! Run! Let me have your weapons first…"
      "Steve! Steve! Where did he go?"
      "He's doing what he always does Sam."
      "Joe, is that you."
      "None other, listen… this is hard! Please don't ask me any more questions. We need to concentrate on getting you back…"
      "Did you just tell me to shut up in a roundabout way?"
      "In a kinder way...uh! Okay here's the ramp!"
      "Put me so I can see outside!"
      "Okay."
      Samantha looked out through the hatch. Steve had held them off. Now, since they were all aboard the shuttle, he had turned and began running toward the opened hatch. As he jumped aboard he yelled, "Take off now and leave the hatch open!"
      He turned around, bent down on one knee and began firing.
      As they lifted off, Sam could see about a dozen creatures getting closer. The shuttle was now about 5 meters in the air. She saw the closest creature jump and land on the edge of the hatch, right in front of Steve.
      "Oh, no you don't," yelled Steve as he fired at the creature's face, "Get out of here!"
      He only got off two shots before the creature jumped on top of the shuttle. Immediately, Steve jumped and climbed up out of view.
On the roof, while the creature started banging with its appendages, Steve moved as fast as he could. First, he jumped onto the creature's back, and fired at the back of it's head. This creature was different,  it seemed larger, more bulky. Great. After five shots to the back of the head, the creature stopped banging. Steve quickly climbed down in front of its hideous face. He shot into its open mouth twice, before the creature closed its mouth. It raised an appendage to strike, but Steve kept shooting it in the face, specifically its eyes. The creature's appendage came down, but Steve wasn't there. Good, it can't see. He kept firing, mainly at its face. It began striking out, but blindly. At least it wasn't attacking the shuttle.He never stopped firing with both weapons. So many shots. The creature was staggering against the wind whipping the shuttle. Finally, it let go of the shuttle. It scraped all the way, as it slid off the back of the shuttle, but one of its appendages hooked onto the edge of the still lowered hatch. Steve jumped down to the hatch, firing all the while. Sam looked at him with relief in her eyes. He turned and yelled, "Close the hatch quick! Joe, complied. As the hatch slowly started to close, Steve continuously discharged his weapon on the creature, That is, until there was no more room through the narrowing opening. So, he ducked inside and fired at the appendage that was relentlessly hanging on. When the hatch made contact with the appendage it stopped closing.
      "Steve, we need the hatch to shut, in order to get off this planet!"
      "I know Joe, I know. Just keep up our ascent. While I figure something out." He looked at Samantha, "Do we have a crowbar with the tools?"
      "I think so. There's the tool cabinet, check."
      He walked over and opened the cabinet door. "Great! We do. Sam, do you feel well enough to fire a weapon with your good arm?"
      "Yes, I think so. Let's hurry. You'll have to close your eyes while prying with the crowbar. The shots will be too close to your face."
      He smiled, "Just make sure you hit the appendage and not the hatch, or we'll be stuck here… Ready?" She nodded, "Okay, continuous fire, start… Now!"
      After more than 30 shots, the appendage did not even budge, but Sam noticed that it's hard shelled surface was looking a little mottled.  So, she continued firing in that same spot. It seemed like an eternity before the end of it seemed to soften and Steve was starting to have an effect with all of his prying efforts.
      "We're approaching the upper atmosphere!"
       "Aahh!" Steve yelled as he wrenched the now hot crowbar with all the might he could muster. The appendage started to move slightly and then it quickly slipped out the opening. The hatch immediately hissed shut. Steve opened his eyes and shouted, Joe, did we lose our unwanted guest?"
      "Yes, it's gone now. Good job!"
Steve turned around, took two steps toward Samantha, grimaced and crumbled to the floor.
      "Steve! ...Rach, can you help me?" As the shuttle rumbled through the outer layers of the atmosphere, they dragged Steve to Sam's stretcher and lifted him onto it. They had lowered it nearly to the floor. Sam sat down beside the stretcher and sighed,         "You're incredible. I've never known anyone like you."
      Rachel smiled, "You're right. He is."
Sam felt a wave of deep sleepiness wash over her. Must be the meds. She put her good arm on his waist and leaned her helmet against his chest and closed her eyes. "I love you." A minute later she was fast asleep.