Deep Space Force

The bridge was dark but not abandoned. It was there. Everywhere he turned 'it' was there.

Hayes could hear it tearing the limp bodies limb from limb. "How did I end up here?" He regretted. He did not have time to ponder. The tearing had stopped some time ago now it was just the faint nibbling in the darkness. What was once a bustling spacecraft had become a living nightmare. The stench of rotting flesh flooded the air, Hayes checked his weapon, two shells left. He had to make them count, if he was lucky he would not use them at all.

Hayes began his descent to the lower decks, slowly stepping careful not to slip on the bloodstained surface where the floor used to be. Suddenly the nibbling stopped, he could hear it scratching the surface across the bridge. It was coming Hayes thought. Ignoring the alarm in his mind he kept a steady pace. "RUN RUN GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" The thoughts began to get louder in his mind as he could hear the scratching getting closer.

In an attempt to silence the internal screams Hayes remembered his training at the academy. "Stay calm, remember the task at hand. Only focus on completing the task. Keep it simple." Hayes calmed himself and continued. He thought of his squad, oh god his squad, he was separated early into the mission from the rest of his team. He wondered where the rest of them were on this mining vessel. He hoped they were safe and away from this nightmare. The claws scraping on floor stopped. iIt seemed to be a stone's throw away now. Hayes knew deep in his heart he knew it had found him. Although the lights had been out long ago, probably due to the man Hayes had seen impaled in the power room. Run, run, RUN! This time Hayes knew it was time to trust his senses and he ran for the ajar door leading to the living quarters.

Hayes bolted as fast as he could toward the doors, a deafening screech could be heard behind him. This was it he either succeeded or failed, failure would result in death. Every step felt as though he was inching toward the now increasingly distant doors. The scratching got louder, it was behind him, he turned and fired. Which Hayes instantly regretted.

The hall was dark and Hayes could not see what was down the hall. The flash of the shot revealed what was behind Hayes, DEAR GOD WHAT IS THAT? Hayes thought. It was larger than the others he had encountered and the single shot had barely damaged the surface of its skin. The terror flushed his entire being into action, he jetted for the door. One shell left.

Whatever it was, it was within a hair length. Hayes reached the door and slammed the metal doors shut together. The gust of air pressure behind him told him he had barely made it. Removing his last shell. He used his weapon to bar the doors together by their handles. Judging from the slams from the opposite side it would not hold long. Hayes descended the stairway headed for the living quarters.

*

*

Sometime before...

The team had found the out of control vessel inside system 626. Contact with the vessel had gone dark 48 hours ago. The last message was a distress signal asking for help. The ships main power seemed to failed and it was on an uncontrolled course across the system. Therefore means of getting onto the vessel would be to fire injection pods that would attach to the ship and open a hole for the squad to enter. To minimize damage and risk, each pod was only large enough to fit one person, the rate of successful entry was not 100% so losing one pod would only mean one death. The captain spent all night planning, he knew they would enter into the cargo bay and move up through the medical wing. He and his team were to secure the research that was being done on this vessel. To the public it was a deep space mining ship the captain knew better. The higher ups would not tell him what it was for but he was used to not knowing. His main focus was a successful mission.

The mission started out with preparation, due to the unknowns many of his squad went with small arms and close combat weapons. Nothing that could cause damage to the ships interior. From what he knew the oxygen inside the vessel was still functional. Secure the research and find out what happened to the crew on the ship.

Every member of the squad was inside a pod, the captain reminded everyone. 'In case you are separated rendezvous at the medical wing.' After the 6 affirmatives he pulled the launch lever. 3, 2, 1. GO! The seven pods rocketed to the vessel at light speed. He could see his squad on the sensor everyone was following the projected course. Wait a minute a large spot on edge of the sensor popped up. The alarm flashed and the captain contacted his squad. 'Listen up we have what looks to be debris headed our direction everyone brace for impact!' The debris began flying by the pods just barely missing them. One large piece hit pod six, that damn kid was on pod 6 the captain thought. After the impact he could see the pod trajectory would still hit the vessel, the pod would land somewhere near the bridge. The vital signs on the pod were still healthy. Good luck up there kid.

*

*

On the far corner of the massive vessel was the medical wing. Locked inside an aid locker labored breathing could be heard. She did not know how long she could hide inside the air tight locker but it was better than the fate of the rest of her team. She could hear what sounded like an animal gnawing on something right outside. The sound reminded her of her childhood dog Bandit, when he was given a bone he would eat every last bit of the meat. It seemed as something possessed him until he was finished nothing could stop him from eating this bone. She looked at her wrist console and read 52% air quality. She could not stay here forever. The ripping finally stopped, she could not calm her heart as she went to open the locker from the inside. Then came the clawing right outside the locker.