The Arctic Job

JAX-"*SIGH*

Jax was looking through pictures, through memories. She flipped through a certain page, a picture of her husband with his ring taped next to the picture. She teared up while she closed the book and put it back under her bed. She laid down and looked at the clock on her bedside table, 3:47 AM... Jesus it was late, even for her. She stared at the clock until slumber hit.

*BUZZ BUZZ* *BUZZ BUZZ*

*TAP*

JAX-"What... Ugh."

CODA-"Jesus, have you been drinking? You sound like shit. Hangover?"

JAX-"No, lack of sleep."

CODA-"Dude its 2:46."

JAX-"Yeah... I have a clock."

CODA-"Um ok you need to wake up first, call you i an hour. I HAVE BIG NEWSbye-"

*BOOP*

JAX-"Fucking end me."

Jax wasn't always an asshole, she became that way after her husband died. she had the money so she stayed at home, wallowing and shit. She gathered her strength and put on her pants. she stared into the mirror looking for an excuse to walk out of the room, she found it. She was going to read one of the two books she had that wasn't on ice site excavation. She worked on excavating frozen historical items as a job. She was reading "harry potter and the sorcerer's stone" for the seventh time.

*RING* *RING*

*CLICK*

JAX-"Hey."

CODA-"You awake?"

JAX-"What did you want to talk about an hour ago?"

CODA-"So I found a dig site in Antarctica-"

JAX-"I cant."

CODA-"LISTEN! I know your mourning or whatever, but its been a year... Mabey this job will get your mind off things?"

JAX-"If I say yes will you stop bugging me?"

CODA_"EEEEEEEEYES!"

JAX-"What's the date?"

CODA-"Our plane leaves in two hours."

JAX-"JESUS! Dude that's how long it takes me to DRIVE HALF WAY THERE!"

CODA-"Well stop talking to me and MOVE THAT ASS!"

*BOOOOOOOOOO*

She got her bags and sped to the air port. She ran in to meet Coda.

JAX-"So why the hell am I here? Where are we headed to?"

CODA-"I said Antarctica, didn't I?"

JAX-"Yes but WHY genius."

CODA-"Il tell you on the plane."

JAX-"No, now or no go."

CODA-"We don't have time!"

JAX-"TELL ME!"

CODA-"*SIGH* OK! Fine, we found a structure..."

JAX-"What is it? What would be in the arctic?"

CODA-"From the scans its made of a metal that cant be made with any element on the periodic table."

JAX-"What?"

CODA-"GO THE LOADING IS CLOSING!"

They got on the plane, it was more like a cargo plane than a "Air Force One" flight, but still a plane.

???-"Hey~"

JAX-"The f- Who are you?"

???-"Slye."

JAX-"I didn't come to be flirted at by some dumb chick."

SLYE-"Well fine, just trying to make a new friend."

JAX-"UGH im sorry, just been irritable lately."

SLYE-"WaitwaitWAIT! Your... Jax?"

JAX-"Who told you about me."

SLYE-"OH GOD! Your the other digger?"

JAX-"Wait your part of the excavation crew?"

SLYE-"Yeah! Coda told my loads of stuff about you."

JAX-"Ugh Coda."

SLYE-"Don't like him?"

JAX-"No I like him... He can get annoying sometimes though."

SLYE-"He's nice... I've only known him for like a week, but he's nice."

JAX-"Who's that in the corner, resting his head on the door?"

SLYE-"I think he's the director of the... Operation? I don't know, he was the guy who hired me."

???-"I'm Salem, and yes I am gonna be your boss. ZZZZZZZZZZZ..."

JAX-"YO SALEM!"

SALEM-"ZZZZ- Ugh what, I was up all night getting prepared for this dig and I kinda want to get some sleep in. OK!"

CODA-"Heh sounds like you Jax."

JAX-"Fuck off."

The rest of the flight was boring, some banter here and there but... Boring. Salem woke up and we all got off the plane and into a snow crawler. We traveled a few miles, then we parked by a large fissure in the icy ground. I looked in.

JAX-"Dude that goes for... maybe a mile? Shit."

SALEM-"That's what the scanning crew thought, then they got this."

It was a ground scan that showed that the fake bottom we saw was just an angle and the crack went farther than the scanner could see.

JAX-"Jesus. We repelling down?"

SALEM-"That's the idea."

SLYE-"I know its underground... but its still a hight... I'm afraid of hights... Just a bit."

CODA-"Dude you were just in a plane."

SLYE-"Yeah but here, IM HANGING FROM A ROPE ANCHORED IN ICE!"

JAX-"She actually has a good point, what is the ropes holding weight?"

SALEM-"These are the heavy duty ones,2500 lbs."

JAX-"See, more than enough to hold us all plus like three more or something like that."

???-"WAIT!"

A woman was running through the snow towards us she had a bag on her back.

SALEM-"Ah Faye, glad you could make it!"

JAX-"Faye?"

SALEM-"Yeah, she's my wife... I told her she could come. Don't worry she has repelled down icy slopes before."

JAX-"Sure ok. I kinda cant wait, so lets go."

The five anchored two stakes into the ground on each side of the fissure to make sure they didn't fall. The ground started to rumble and being at the foot of a mountain, now 700 feet below ground... More ground wasn't welcome.

SALEM-"Wait... The rumble... OH SHIT AVALANCHE!"

The big blocks of snow knocked both anchors out and the five fell. Jax fell down onto the turn in the crack and was out.

CODA-" JAX! JAX! Please oh god! JAX!"

JAX-"Ow crap, my head."

CODA-"Ha... HA! YOUR FINE!"

JAX-"I... Where are we?"

SALEM-"The structure... The one the scans picked up."

JAX-"Oh... Shit..."

Jax saw the structure, it was a big metal box. It was glowing from a door on the side and there was a faint ringing sound coming from it.

JAX-"Wait where's Faye?"

SALEM-"There were boot trails to the door of the structure when we all woke up."

JAX-"You didn't go after your FUCKING WIFE!"

SALEM-"It was too dangerous."

JAX-"FUCK DANGER! Protect the ones you love SHITFERBRAINS!"

SALEM-"FUCK YOU! I put the saftey of my own crew-"

JAX-"BEFORE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOUR GODDAMN LIFE!"

CODA-"Listen lets just work on getting out of this hole ok?-"

JAX-"NO! I need to go get her ass cuz your a shitty husband! Bye!"

Jax ran inside and the lights turned on.

JAX-"This is really AVP right now. Is this... Nevermind."

She turned some halls and finally saw Faye, She was sitting in the corner facing the wall.

JAX-"Faye?.. Don't go all Blair Witch on me ok?"

FAYE-"*COUGH* *SPUTTER* *GAG*"

JAX-"Faye?"

She turned Faye around and saw she was holding her stomach in with her hands.

JAX-"JESUS!"

FAYE-"Salem... Help... Cant see straight... Ugh..."

JAX-"Fuckin- Um can you stand?"

FAYE-"I think so... Jax?"

JAX-"Yeah, I'm gonna take you out of here ok?"

FAYE-"Your gonna need to lead me- OH!"

Jax picked her up and told her to keep her hands on her stomach. She carried her out and brought her to Salem.

SALEM-"JESUS HONEY! Yo ok?"

JAX-"You did nothing to save her you fuck."

SALEM-"HEY! You didn't have to come on this job!"

JAX-"QUIT ARGUING AND HELP YOUR WIFE!"

Jax started convulsing and foaming at the mouth.

JAX-"AGH! ANYONE WITH MEDICAL TRAINING?"

SALEM-"Her..."

JAX-"Shit!"

She stopped shaking and her hands let go of her stomach which began to bleed into the icy ground.

SALEM-"Damn..."

JAX-"That's IT! DAMN? YOUR WIFE JUST FUCKING DIED! THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

SALEM-"Well she was a loss, but I still think she was dumb, going into the structure alone."

JAX-"YOU SHIT EATING CUNT FUCK! SHE WAS, again, YOUR WIFE! JESUS!"

SALEM-"WELL THERES NOTHING WE CAN DO NOW IS THERE? HUH? LETS STOP FIGHTING AND WORK ON GETTING OUT OF HERE!"

Jax and Salem were arguing while Coda and Slye tried to get the radios to work.

CODA-"So that's fucked."

SLYE-"Agreed. She always this confrontational?"

CODA-"Yeah, since her husband died."

SLYE-"Heh, god and I flirted with her."

CODA-"Well now you know, best not to mention it to her. Touchy subject."

SLYE-"Noted."

???-"*GASP* *COUGH* Ah my eyes!"

CODA-"Was that..."

SLYE-"Faye?"

CODA-"Glad I'm not alone in hearing it."

FAYE-"My... Stomach... Hurts... OH CRAP!"

CODA-" No one could sew it but you."

FAYE-"My bag, medical bag quick!"

Coda retrieved the bag and Salem stopped arguing with Jax. The four surrounded her and watched her sew her stomach up. She was fine now and somehow was fine... SHE WAS DEAD FOR 30 SECONDS! HOW WAS SHE ALIVE?"

JAX-"Your sure your fine? You had a pretty nasty wound."

FAYE-"Yeah I'm ok, don't know why though... My intestines were... *SHUDDER*"

SALEM-"We need to inspect the structure, now that we know its not filled with ice."

JAX-"Dude your so inconsiderate!"

SALEM-"I don't know about you all but I'm going in there, your not gonna stop me."

JAX-"DUDE! Something in there is clearly dangerous, BAD IDEA!"

SALEM-"Fuckin pussy."

Salem ran into the structure with his tools.

JAX-"ARGH! I need to make sure GEINUS doesn't kill himself. I hate this job- CODA, SLYE! Keep trying to get the COMM's working. Faye, keep resting."

Jax ran inside after Salem. Coda got a radio working.

CODA-"YES...Ye- No NO NO! GOD- Shit..."

SLYE-"What?"

CODA-"The radio is too far underground to pick up a signal."

SLYE-"So no signal means..."

CODA-"No home."

FAYE-"*INHALES THROUGH TEETH*"

CODA-"Woah are you fine? What?"

FAYE-"My back hurts... In four places... AH!"

Suddenly four thin spider legs sprouted from her back and grew to be longer than her height. They started to twitch, then move like they were trying to walk. Faye was screaming, then silenced. Her eyes rolled back into her skull then the retinas showed an antenna growing from them.

CODA-"Am I seeing this right now?"

SLYE-"Yes... Yes you are."

CODA-"Ok... I'm going to stay still... very still..."

SLYE-"WHY? WHY NOT RUN?"

CODA-"If this is anything like bugs... well her eyes rolled into her head right? She cant see us so... DONT!"

Slye ran and the Faye spider chased her into the structure. Jax caught up to Salem and punched him in the face.

SALEM-"Ah, that smarts."

JAX-"Dude you left her... You need to be together. That's called marriage."

SALEM-"I... Ok well I don't love her OK!"

JAX-"Why did you marry her?"

SALEM-"I married her because it was arranged, my parents were wealthy and her's too so my parents would pay for all of my... Whatever if I married her to bring honor to our families."

JAX-"Dude... Your a dick."

SALEM-"OK! I REVEAL PERSONAL INFO TO YOU AND YOU INSULT ME? GAH!"

Salem punched the wall which lit up like veins and made it light the way down a hallway.

JAX-"I don't know about you... But I'm gonna follow the light and NOT be in the dark."

She followed the lights taking turns left and right. It led her to a room full of dead spiders and other spiders feasting on them. She couldn't identify the species, they only had four legs for some reason. Salem ran behind her and accidently bumbed into her, knocking her into the spiders. She landed and they all stopped and their antenna moved wildly.

JAX-"*GASPING*"

She stopped moving and they went back to eating each others corpses with their sea lamprey like teeth. Jax slowly stood up revealing a few dead ones that she crushed, they migrated to them and began feasting. One looked at her and the antenna went wild again, she stopped until all of them went back to eating. She was back on two feet again and Salem started running away, the spiders rushed past and chased him. Thanks Salem for being stupid, you saved Jax. All of the thousands of spiders were now gone. On the other side of the room was a door that Slye came running through.

SLYE-"BIG *HEAVY BREATHING* PROBLEM!"

The Faye spider came from behind and grabbed her with all four legs and started biting chunks out of her head. Slye was now dead, her body being eaten by Faye spider. She ripped her stomach open and bile and trail mix for the ride here spilled onto the floor. Jax silently cried as she saw her co-worker get eaten alive and have her intestines slurped up like ramen. She took a step back and Faye spider looked at her... Well more like sensing her. Jax stopped moving and the hollow corpse of Slye was thrown against the wall, breaking whatever bones were left in her mangled body. The Faye spider walked toward her and stopped right in front of her. Jax didn't breathe, she just stared into the rolled back eyes of the person she tried to save. The spider climbed over her and went down the same hallway that Salem ran down... Coda...

Coda was outside, frozen in shock. Jax ran out and shook Coda.

JAX-"CODA! WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE NOW! QUICK... Coda?"

CODA-"Uh- Uh- It-Uh-Took her-Uh- She was... Spider or...Something-I..."

JAX-"*SLAP* DUDE SNAP OUT OF IT!"

CODA-"Wha- AH!.. Jax?"

JAX-"YES, YES! Ok could you get a signal?"

CODA-"No we are too deep underground."

JAX-"Oh shit... The structure goes higher we just need to get to the top and maybe signal, OK?"

CODA-"BUT YOUR THE ONLY ONE THAT CAME OUT BESIDES FAYE BUT YOU SAW HOW THAT TURNED OUT!"

JAX-"Yes, but if you st-"

CODA-"Stay still they cant see you..."

JAX-"Exactly so if you see one... DONT... MOVE... OK?"

CODA-"Ok... Ok..."

The two went into the spider hell and found the first ramp they had seen yet. They started ascending but were greeted by Salem spider. He crawled from the top and stopped right in between them, they were along side the walls. He got close to Coda's face and the antenna almost touched him. Slye spider walked past the hall and Salem spider followed, leaving Jax and Coda alone. They ran up the ramp and just a hallway over was another, They ascended.

JAX-"Signal?"

CODA-'There is one but its still too weak. One more floor should do."

They ran around the maze of a ship avoiding the spiders like a fucked up pac-man game. They found the last ramp they needed and then Faye spider came from behind them, it was followed by Salem spider and Slye spider. They were closing in when Coda tossed me the radio and ran past them downstairs.

CODA-"I'm sorry, get the signal and get the fuck out. NOW!"

A moment ago he was in shock, now he's just sacrificed himself to save Jax. That's friendship... That's the kind of person she would want to spend the rest of her life with. She was sorry... She was an asshole because she couldn't get over her husband, he died three years ago and it was time to get over him. She ran up the stairs and the signal light was in the green.

JAX-"HELLO? IS SOMEONE OUT THERE?"

RADIO-"Yes, who is this?"

Jax explained the situation to him and snuck back past the spiders. Almost two days later she got the rescue she needed. She gave them coordinates for her location so they could find her under the snow. She was lifted out of the fissure and threw some dynamite in the structure, which collapsed and either trapped or killed the spiders. She got home and applied for teaching a class at a university.

JAX-"OK! So I'm Jax-"

STUDENT-"So... You really survived three days underground?"

JAX-"Uh- Heh, figured this question would be asked. Didn't think it would happen this quickly."

CLASS-"*LAUGHTER*."

STUDENT-"So you did?"

JAX-"Yeah... It wasn't fun."

STUDENT-"So how did your crewmates die?"

JAX-"Well, let me tell you something... Some things shouldn't be disturbed... Same thing I told the cops when they asked me that. Some things, dangerous things, should be let alone."

STUDENT-"Wait, like they messed with something?"

JAX-"Ok, I'm gonna tell you the story of that first day. Believe it or not, but its true..."