Yu: Arriving, oh! The Merchant ship is in front of us! And there are people inside... Sleeping? Weird.
"Oh! There's no need to worry about them. We are here to 'help' them," Sylvia said while checking her weapon of choice for the mission. She continued, "We can report it now and collect a small reward if you guys want. Or... Explore a little bit?"
"My bounty! BOOTY! My precious bounty!" K-13 shouts.
°I'll take the money, but the adventure, though°
Yu: Greedy! So greedy, as expected! Monkey! But we do need the money if we want to survive. You have a point there, 13.
"GREEDY IS GOOD!" K-13 shouts, stamping his foot.
°We do need the money. Too bad you can't understand me°
"Guess we'll 'Help' them," Sylvia smiles and walks to the ship's garage with K-13.
Yu: I'll be on standby. Stay safe!
"You betcha," Sylvia says with her finger pointing at Yu's avatar and acting like she's shooting her.
"WA, ka! Boo ga! Ta!" K-13 randomly lets out while making funny faces at Yu.
°That's the plan! And thank you°
Yu: I know you like 13, but look at him! Something's wrong with his brain.
"I know you don't mean it," Sylvia happily teases Yu.
Yu:...
Outside the Merchant ship, Sylvia easily opens the airtight door since everything is working perfectly, like the ship's power, the auxiliary, and more, with the exception of the propulsion-Someone might have destroyed it from the inside.
They don't know why the crew is sleeping and who or why they send a distress signal. They might be entering a toxic environment, or someone behind the decompression door waiting for them to enter to do them harm.
"Let Me In!" K-13 shouts, shaking the door's handle.
°I'll open it, just to be safe°
The door wasn't locked, and K-13 fell forward as the door opened.
Yu: Embarrassing.
Sylvia chuckles, helping K-13 get up as she checks their surroundings and tests if the air inside is breathable. The red flickering lights in the long, endless-like passageway and walking through this suffocating path trigger severe anxiety attacks.
A low chuckling starts in the corner, "Hmm-hmm-hmm," a softly whooping, "Hoo ha hoo," and a loud, obnoxious laugh, "Ah-ha-ha-HA-HA-HA!" K-13 might have lost it.
°Oh! My body is excited!°
K-13 runs to the hallway, checking every door while his laugh echoes.
Yu: This is why I don't like 13 working with you!
"Thirteen is cool, and look at that; he manages to check all the rooms and makes the atmosphere easier to breathe, like how he makes you feel better by sparring with you," Sylvia defended K-13's action as she ensured no one would ambush them from behind.
After K-13 and Sylvia found and entered a medium-sized storage room, the Merchant ship's shield and lock-down procedure activated; they found themselves trapped and started hearing someone growling in pain behind the cargo.
Yu: This is not good! I can't scan the ship! Are you guys alright?
"We're alright!" Sylvia reassures.
"My conquest!" K-13 happily shouts.
°Good thing we brought our weapons!°
Yu: Wait! Someone's listening; I'll stop, but please update me from time to time!
PA System: Who are you people? Why are you here? The ship was supposed to self-destruct!
"So someone's inside! The last time my friend scanned the ship, everyone was sleeping. Did you cause it?" Sylvia asks as she unfolds a small metallic box into a shotgun and loads it.
PA System: Scary! I did not, but be careful! You can't trust anyone inside!
Sylvia immediately looks at K-13 since he went to check who's behind the cargo. When she saw K-13 about to touch the man in agony, the man's head rotated one-hundred-eighty degrees (180°), revealing a mouth covered with teeth with an insatiable appetite.
K-13 jumps back, but the creature, a monster of sorts, lunges to devour him like a determined beast. Sylvia can't do anything since she's holding a shotgun with a spread that could kill K-13 and the enemy.
When all hope seems lost, and God might have abandoned the two, someone in the ship's ventilation ducts suddenly emerges with all the dust accumulated over the year, shooting the monster's head accurately and precisely. K-13 looks at his savior, takes one of the daggers he brought, and cuts the enemy's body in half.
"Messiah!" K-13 shouts as he cleans his dagger.
°Thank you! A machine!?°
"Who... Thank you for saving thirteen!" Sylvia bows her head to show her sincerity by lowering her guard.
Yu: I heard everything! Can you say thank you to him for me?
"You are welcome sexy sounding lady!" The machine happily let out.
Yu: ...
"Are you the one listening to our comms?" Sylvia asks the machine.
"Yes, your arrival awakened me from my sleep... I'm supposed to die," the machine sadly let out.
"Please explain," Sylvia demands while K-13 inspects the corpse's teeth.
"It's not safe here; follow me, and I'll tell you everything I know!" The machine declares, looking around the room and leading the way.
The machine unscrews the metal plate in the wall and tells the two to enter, and screws it back after he goes in to follow the two. At the end of the tunnel, a one-hundred-fifty square feet room (150 ft²) (13.9 m²) welcomes the three, like entering someone's man cave.
"Have a seat! And welcome to my humble secret room," the machine enthusiastically expresses and continues, "I'm Dokie. Okie dokie?"
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"Hahahaha! Dookie, shit, poopy! No, NO, NO! AIMBOT!" K-13 declares what his nickname is going to be.
°I'm sorry to call you shit or poopy... Aimbot though! It's not bad°
"I'm Sylvia, my friend K-13, and the one on the ship is Yu, an AI," Sylvia introduces everyone and explains K-13's situation to Dokie.
"So her name is Yu... What a beautiful name!" Dokie said, knowing Yu was listening to the group.
Yu: I have a bad feeling about his...
"A beautiful beast!" K-13 shouts.
°Very nice lady°
"Hahaha, tell me more, 13! I like the crew's dynamic! But we must kill the deadly parasitic alien in the ship or destroy the ship itself!" Dokie finally declares.
"Ugly ass motherfuckers? Boom, Boom? They welcome death!" K-13 loudly stated.
°Easy, easy!°
"How can we help?" Sylvia asks.
Yu: Guess I don't need to be wary about the "Machine" listening to our conversation.
"Baby, I can listen to you 24/7," Dokie playfully let out.
Yu: ...
"Hahaha," K-13 and Sylvia laugh.
"Before we start our operation, I must tell you what happened," Dokie voices.
The merchant already knew about the pirate activities in the area, sending the security details to take the pirates before they could act since they were transporting a VIP's cargo. Nobody knows what's inside, but the VIP paid sufficient Units to keep the cargo a secret like it never existed, and the company and its employees nailed their mouths shut.
Dokie is the vice-captain of the security detail who volunteers to lead a small crew to carry off the operation without zero casualties; even with cirrinapods under the pirates' control, they returned victorious.
"I was awesome! Headshot, then another headshot. I even free the Cirrinapods' Queen. I hope she's doing fine," Dokie boastfully conveys to the crew and continues, "With my Godly eyes and awesome thicc thighs, I'm unstoppable!"
Yu: Sounds bullshit to me!
"The Queen is doing fine. We almost get killed by her hive," Sylvia confirmed the Queen's well-being to Dokie.
"Queen of Space Hentai! Long live the Queen!" K-13 shouts.
°So you saved the Queen, didn't know you that good good°
"Funny one 13... And that's good to know. We head back to the ship only to find ourselves in a horror situation like the Earth game 'Among Us' and find myself the only survivor." Dokie spoke out and continued his story.
It started with one infected personnel who looked inside the cargo. The entity takes the host's body to control and lays its eggs. Since the cargo is in perfect condition for its eggs, the entity has already hatched a dozen, waiting for someone's body to make it theirs and their new home.
After the entity's snake-like body enters the unfortunate victim, it will start to secrete chemicals to paralyze the victim and evolve by developing nerves all over the body, giving the entity complete control. The host will feel everything until the parasite's nerve reaches the brain. This species can only use its brain and not its host, behaving to survive instinctively.
First stage: With the host's body, the entity can instinctively survive the new environment, blend in, and reproduce.
Second Stage: The host's body begins to change, starting with the mouth by dislocating the jaw and growing teeth around the mouth to simultaneously swallow and chew their prey.
"So... The entity already infected most and eaten the few fortunate crew," Dokie announces and continues, "Once I activated the ship's self-destruct sequence... I went back here to take a nap... I mean, It was a nice run."
"Looks like our enemy instinctively deactivated the sequence. We just need to kill them all or reactivate it," Sylvia suggests and asks, "Where do we start?"
"Kill! The Satan Snake! KILL!" K-13 shouts as he checks his weapons.
°Easy! That's my forte! That's me!°
Yu: I would love to help, but all I can do is monitor you guys. I still can't scan or whatever.
"It's all good, sugar mama. And you don't need to worry about me; I'll survive just for you! Okie Dokie?" Dokie declares to Yu.
Yu: ...
Sylvia and K-13 chuckle while checking the ships' blueprint and listening to Dopkie trying to flirt with Yu, lightening up the mood.
"Anyways, we can only reactivate the self-destruct sequence in the bridge, and the first entity should be waiting for us," Dokie says while he unlocks the bulkhead's secret compartment packed with firearms.
"Pest control! GAS THEM ALL OUT!" K-13 shouts, looking at Dokie like he wants to check or try Dokie's collections.
"Go ahead 13, you can pick what you want. Sylvia, you can also, if you want," Dokie happily said, knowing they share the same hobbies.
"So, how did they even take the whole crew?" Sylvia curiously asks.
"The ship starts to produce toxic gas, and everyone needs to wear protective clothing... Hiding among the crew," Dokie answers.
"Wild beast needs leashing!" K-13 shouts.
°So, the enemy is cunning... We must kill them all! Ohhh, grenades!°
"Since I know the ship better, I'll be commanding the operation," Dokie said firmly.
Yu: No, you don't!
"It's all right, Yu. We have a higher chance if he takes command. You don't like it 'cause he might die, and you're worried," Sylvia playfully let out.
Yu: No way! What!? No! Me? Cares about that machine? Hell No!
"I didn't know, my love..." Dokie spoke his mind.
Yu:...
Sylvia and K-13 chuckle and follow Dokie's lead, checking door-to-door, lowering the enemies' number before they fight the main boss. Depending on their formation, Dokie will command anyone in front, while the next person will enter the room, followed by the third person, to clear the space. With Dokie's scanner and ship's knowledge, they know what to expect behind every door and a higher chance of survival.
"Stalking!" K-13 angrily lets out after shooting all security cameras and clearing the seventh room.
°Let them come! Let them be curious! Let them move by their instinct!°
"Why shoot the cameras? Avoid detection is better," Dokie curiously expresses.
"Looks like he wants the enemy watching the monitor investigate this room," Sylvia said in K-13's defense and continued, "They act instinctively, and that's what he assumes."
"Let's hope so," Dokie said, closing the door as he told them to be in position.
Without fail, three enemies enter the room and look inside. Dokie doesn't know how K-13 figures out the enemy after killing only a few and figures out how to deal with them. He starts to like him, like how the strong follow the strong and share genuine respect.
Moving to the next level of the ship, the group clears every room except for the VIP cargo room, where everything starts. When Dokie opens the door, a metallic odor welcomes them from the blood of the late crew, and the room can only be described as the Carnivore Chamber; every surface is composed of meat like they're inside someone's entrails. The room is kept cool to preserve the newly laid eggs attached to the sleeping crew members' chests, which are held by the nerve to be infected when the eggs hatch.
"Looking at the records, the Royal wants to send these monsters to Earth to multiply, overrun the surface, and take control when nothing is left but resources they can take for themselves," Dokie considers and watches K-13 walks to the eggs while looking at the camera.
"Hey, what are you doing? 13?" Dokie asks, and K-13 smiles, smashing the eggs.
"OH MY GOD!" Dokie panics with his hands on his head.
Yu: Ha-ha-ha-ha! Thank you, 13!
"BROOD MOTHER! DADDY'S HERE!" K-13 shouts as he continues to smash the remaining eggs.
°This should do it!°
"Looks like the boss is coming!" Sylvia smiles as she holds her weapon tighter.
"You guys are bad bunches!" Dokie protests.
Yu: That's for trying to hit on me!
The creature who conquers the Merchant Ship travels through the air ventilation system. Its appearance is unknown, but its presence can be felt through its eerie noises as it moves through the confined ventilation ducting. Its heavy breathing and scratching sounds echo through the pipes, filling anyone nearby with a deep sense of dread and feeling the monster's fury in every shriek-like mourning.
K-13 never fears, never backs down, and, most importantly, he smiles in the face of danger, shouting something insane.
Final Stage: The head is covered with eyes, a mouth with razor-sharp teeth, four arms with claws that can cut through metal, a body with scales to deflect bullets, and a tail for the unexpected attack.
Dokie and Sylvia shoot the monster only to keep it in place until it shrieks, calling its kin to take out the intruders. K-13 shouts, getting the enemy's attention as he crushes an egg with his hands.
The monster charged forward with a furious intensity, its lizard-like body propelling toward K-13 with a terrifying speed. Its eyes burned with intense rage, and its massive jaws were wide open, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth glinted menacingly in the light. Its muscles bulged and rippled with each step, and its massive claws dug deep into the metallic deck, leaving deep gouges in its wake. As it bore down on its target, the monster let out a deafening roar that echoed throughout the ship, sending shivers down the spines of all who heard it.
K-13 throws an egg cluster toward the monster, forcing it to stop, but with its momentum, the monster flips, crushing the egg with its body and exploding, taking a few scales out of the monster's body. K-13 knows he needs to play it smart if he wants to win against a monster.
Yu to K-13: The grenade is very effective.
Yu to Sylvia: Enemies outside!
"Sylvia! Can we leave 13 with that monster?" Dokie asks after Yu's warning.
Sylvia looks at the monster, collecting its thoughts after the explosion, and nods to Dokie.
Shooting the enemies on their way to the bridge, they parted ways to be more efficient, clearing more second-stage monsters to let K-13 fight the boss alone. Dokie instructs Sylvia on where to go and how they will meet at the bridge to activate its self-destruct sequence.
Bob- We calling the boss monster, Bob.
After Bob recovers, it roars and understands how dangerous K-13 can be as Bob takes the remaining lights in the room—Bob can see in the dark.
"..." K-13 closes his eyes.
In the dark room, the remaining eggs glow in the corner. Sparks, followed by a clank, lightens the room for a brief moment when K-13's daggers made contact with Bob's claws and scales. The faster the two attack each other, the brighter the room gets, and the more K-13 predicts Bob's next blow, the more fearsome K-13 becomes.
Yu to K-13: It's time! Vi and the machine activated the sequence. Better start running!
K-13 opens his eyes, knowing his eyes have already adjusted, and sees Bod in the air after it leaps on him, but everything in his eyes moves slower as he stabs Bob's chest, where the explosion takes a few scales out.
"Repent! LIZARD! Repent!" K-13 shouts, knowing a dagger in Bob's chest is not enough.
K-13 runs out of the room, leaving incendiary grenades for Bob to take care of, but instead of chasing the intruder, It collects the remaining eggs, instinctively protecting it, knowing that something isn't right.
Maybe it's unconditional love, or maybe it's for the species' survival.
Sylvia picks K-13 floating in the space while Dokie looks in the window, wanting to talk about fighting Bob.
"Yo! I download your fight! I removed the night vision filter, and it's like watching a movie!" Dokie delightedly lets out as he welcomes K-13 with a loud and sharp high-five.
That crisp high-five begins a story about the two space brothers.
Yu: Please look outside for the complimentary fireworks!
The seismic bombs attached to the ship's reactor drew sound in from the immediate vicinity, affecting the Energy Orbs and releasing all uncontrollable power and radiation. The explosion can be described as a mini-version of the colossal explosion of a star, a "Supernova," creating a black hole for a second, devouring everything before it vanishes.
"DEVOUR!" K-13 shouts with a dagger in his hand.
°Beautiful!°
Inside the main ship, Dokie reports to the Merchant Guild with supporting documentation about what they experience and the ship's ultimate end. He also asks Sylvia if he can join the crew before quitting his job. They get paid accordingly and request the crew to forget about the monster inside the ship since a Royal put in the job to transport goods to Earth.
Royals: Ageless beings who control one or more systems in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Yu: What!? Why didn't you ask my opinion about this machine!?
"Aimbot, my brother from hell!" K-13 shouts as he fixes Dokie's collar.
°You see Yu, my brother Dokie is a family, and him wearing a Hawaiin shirt makes him look really good°
Yu: Brother, my ass! Look at him: a skinny pipe for an arm, the body of a trash can, tin canned tuna for a head, leaky oil, and aimbot? He's not a living human.
K-13 opened his arms as he said a word, "Family!"
°Look at us! We're a family!°
"Family! Agreed! But Yu, Dokie's whole body is incredibly complex; it operates and looks the same as a human body from Earth. Plated with lightweight and durable metal. The only thing that looks different is the joints to move 360° and his face... I mean, it's like a human skull combined with a nose and lips cause without it, they just look like a skull robot," Sylvia defended Dokie's honor.
Yu: He looks like a tin can where cowboys shoot in the desert!
"I know I said, 'Plated,' but the wholes around their body help them do maintenance depending on what they can do. Some machines only have a face, and you can see all the wire and metal behind them since they need to be air-cooled processing data and stuff," Sylvia once again explains.
"Ah, yes. I inherit my dad's eyes and my mom's legs," Dokie happily expressed.
"Body of Christ!" K-13 shouts.
°Oh yea... I forget the process they do to multiply°
The Machine- Machines who found love will go create their own baby by visiting the "Machine Fabricator." They will take something from their body or data for the child to inherit, making them unique.
End.