It's not a good spot. I can feel it. The cold metallic surface and the awful stench. It was like a frozen hamburger and a rotting carcass at the same time. He remembered when these things were launched. The first generation of jump-drive's.

He had mixed feelings about these. For one of him they unlocked an unlimited world and for the other one an era of misery and turmoil. He didn't even know how many of his race were alive. Being natural predators of this particular kind, they didn't exactly have census data.

Lei stopped in front of him and turned. A wide smile was on her face, "Jackpot!" It was a storage area. If it even had a quarter of its contents intact they were in for a big payday.

"Creon or the Manila."

"Neither. Let's go someplace new." He was getting bored of the same old jaunts.

She sat down and started using a small laser jet to cut through the doors. They cost a fortune but they were small, compact and didn't make any noise. It was a go-to for most raiders.

She worked her way through the doors in a matter of minutes. He breathed a sigh of relief. There wasn't anything to expect out here but he felt exposed, on edge. "Maybe..."

Lei was inside already. He just shook his head. He was being ridiculous. Nothing was going to happen.

"Yes! Let's go!" Lei was hopping around and hollering at him. Everything was intact. This was going to be a very very good payday. He let himself get swept up in her joy and started laughing as well.

He started checking the boxes, old vintage storage suits. They would have to sell them at different spots, otherwise they would just flood the markets.

He grabbed a box and slid it down. He used a razor to open it up and before he could react, it was on his face.

A giant mass of writhing jelly. He felt a tube-like thing entering his mouth and he bit down on it. He felt a bitter expulsion of something in his mouth and started gagging.

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There was a sharp wing and the creature fell off his face. He started hacking and coughing for air. He used his elbows to cover up his face, she couldn't see. Not until it healed up. His heart was jackhammering in his chest. The face was the worst spot for him to get injured. Rest of it wouldn’t matter but not his face.

Then he looked up at her and his face was normal. “Shit, that was close.”

Before he could continue, Lei grabbed his face and started examining it. “How…is it fine?”

He needed to think of something right away, over the years he’d had plenty of practice. “Who knows how long it’s been here, it’s poison lost effect or something.”

Lei nodded and hugged him tight. “Thought I was going to lose you.”

He couldn’t help but start laughing. “Who says that!? You almost died today, huh?”

She punched him in the shoulder and got up. “Asshole.”

He smiled. The rest of it was pretty standard procedure for them. They hauled out a few samples, made sure to take out the most valuable objects first. Anybody could stumble on this baby in the next few days. They’d contacted the haul ship already but it was going to take a while.

Amidst this flurry of work he didn’t notice Lei’s absence. She’d gone back to the bay where he’d been attacked. She crouched down on the ground and picked up the slime creature she’d slain.

It’d been burned in two halves, it was still wriggling and moving around. She nicked her finger a little bit and let it drop down on the slime.

That little slime turned red when the blood dropped down on it. She felt queasy and off-balance at the sight. She stared at the slime, it’s body wiggling on the ground still trying to reach for her.

She turned her laser-jet on it.