The Will To Live✔️

Chapter 34: Recovery

"So what in the hell is that thing?" Greg asked.

They were flying back to Armitage Station now, after having finally rigged the thing to the bottom of the Pelican with some intensely strong cargo cables. Even now he didn't feel comfortable. He kept half-expecting a clawed arm to burst up through the deckplates. Something about the Flood felt somehow immortal, unkillable, even though he knew otherwise.

"I have no idea," Yamazaki murmured. "Large."

Izzy snorted. "Duh."

"I mean, where did it come from? I don't remember reading about anything on this planet that could produce something like that. Or did I miss something? That's entirely possible," Greg said. He'd been thinking about it ever since they'd begun the task of securing it.

"No," Yamazaki said. "From what I know of this planet's native fauna, I don't believe there is anything large enough to produce that."

"Then where the hell did it come from? I mean, from what I've been able to gather, Flood, in their natural form, are just those little popcorn things, right?" he asked.

"Based on the intel, yeah," Ellis said. "And yeah, I can't think of anything that could've produced it either. Maybe..." she frowned, trailing off.

"Maybe what?" Greg pressed.

She sighed. "I don't know, maybe those Infection Forms are just one base type. Maybe there's others? What about that weird one you found? I don't remember seeing any of the little stalks sticking out of it, and it didn't look like anything I've seen so far."

"But this one did have stalks sticking out of its face," Izzy said.

Greg thought about it for another minute, then gave up with a frustrated sigh. "Well Doctor, it looks like you've got your work cut out for you."

"Apparently, although," he frowned, "I'm not liking what I'm hearing about this Armitage Station."

"You're going to like what you see a whole lot less," Ellis said with a sardonic laugh.

"Yeah, that's true. Okay hold on, I gotta try Gibson again. He's going to want to hear about this," Greg said, keying his radio once more. He'd already attempted contact twice since the attack of the tank-like creature had ended, but so far there'd been nothing. And again, after a few tries, he gave up. Still nothing but dead air.

"This damned interference," he muttered.

As if in response, the Pelican gave a lurch.

"What was that?!" Izzy snapped. "Is it waking up?"

"No, no...just the engines lost power for a second," Breaker called back.

"Oh great, so much more comforting!" Izzy growled.

"We're fine! I promise!" he assured them from the cockpit.

Greg crossed his arms and sat back, closing his eyes. The situation was out of his hands for the moment. He waited. The Pelican shuddered a few more times. He could hear Yamazaki muttering something to himself, staring down at the floor. Hopefully already thinking about the Flood, maybe organizing everything he knew about them so far. He felt something brush against his leg. Glancing down, he saw Izzy's fingertips against his thigh. He looked up at her. She met his eyes and grinned, somewhere between coy and seductive.

His eyebrows shot up a little. Just a little. She could, apparently, pull off seductive quite well. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and sighed softly.

Great place for it.

He heard her laugh quietly.

"Okay! Home sweet home!" Breaker called out.