It was a monster, reserved for nightmares. It stood before us, its massive jaws clacking, searching for a morsel. I looked back at the other spider advancing behind us. It opened its jaws and let out a massive scream. I winced with pain and closed my eyes.

Beta decided to attempt to take over then.

“No.” I said. I kept my eyes shut as I fought the senselessness. I hated being possessed, and I was willing to fight it, even if it might kill me.

“NO.” I said with defiance.

Both spiders were closing in. I could not feel my legs anymore.

“NOOO!!!” I screamed. “Stop it!”

Emma! Let me take control! I can save us!

“I’m not going to let you take control!”

I started to feel my limbs again as I opened my eyes. The spider was only feet away, its pincers wide open.

ALRIGHT! Let me help you fight before we die! Agreed!?

The pilot emptied his pistol into the spider’s eyes. Harry fired his semi-repeaters at the other, ignoring my random cries of defiance.

The spider in front screamed and then grasped Jim by the head. I looked away as the spider crushed his head.

“Agreed.”

The spider in front examined me closely. I wondered what stopped him from killing me outright.

Activating Dual Combat Protocol

A heads-up display popped up in front of me. The world slowed down a notch, and I now heard Beta’s metallic voice, “Here you are. Kill those Arachnids.”

I looked in the reflection of one spider’s black eyes. One of my eyes was red, another blue.

“Fight!” Beta ordered, and I put myself in action.

I leapt backwards. I turned around to see Harry on the ground, the spider about to kill him. I threw the knife in my hand at the spider. The knife went straight through its tough skin. I landed on its dead back.

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Harry raised his guns and fired into the spider in front of us. It retreated, in pain. I then grabbed the knife out of the Arachnid’s back and leapt forward.

Its jaws went up, to grab and crush me. I flew through the snapping jaws and landed on its head. I stabbed it between the eyes. It screamed, and then collapsed dead.

“No time to explain.” I said to Harry. “You run ahead.”

Harry looked confused for a second, but then he mustered his strength and continued to run down the corridor.

I heard another shriek pierce the air. I turned to face four more arachnids.

I slowly stepped backwards as the enemy approached. I then leapt up onto a nearby roof. An arachnid jumped up and grabbed my leg with its jaws. I cried out in pain. I threw the knife in my hand at the spider’s head as hard as I could. It screamed, opening its jaws.

I hobbled along the building. My blood stained the steel.

“You can do it! You can make it.” Beta encouraged me. I saw Harry hurrying below me. I heard the scrapping of claws against steel behind me. I kept moving forward, for pausing would mean death.

I could feel the spider behind me now.

“Jump!” Beta ordered. I somehow pushed off with both legs and flew upwards. I landed on the back of the arachnid. I grimaced in disgust. I turned around to see another Arachnid lunging at me. I rolled off the Arachnid’s back. The jaws missed me and speared the first arachnid.

I rolled off of the roof, to my terror. I bounced off the hard floor. An arachnid leaped from above me. I groped for something and found a metal bar.

As it landed feet away from me, I hit its head with the metal bar as hard as I could. The arachnid stared stupidly at me for a second before dropping dead.

I staggered to my feet and began to shuffle towards the exit of the corridor. The other two arachnids gave chase to me. I ran for my life, every step I took jarring my leg further.

Finally, I exited the corridor. I looked around. Straight ahead, I saw the blackness of space. It spun in an endless circle, as I spun with the habitat. Towers stood straight up at regular intervals of about 100 meters between each other. At the top of each tower a shuttled waited, docked to a special arm which negated the spin of the habitat to the shuttle.

Harry stood next to a man, talking to him quickly and quietly.

Deactivating Dual Combat Mode.

Suddenly my legs shook, barely strong enough to hold me up. My mind clouded over for a second, the pervious exertion crippling me.

Harry saw me and then ran over to me. I looked behind me to see the Arachnids closing in. I stumbled forward for a second, and then fell.

Harry scooped me up and then ran towards the elevator door in the tower. The other man Harry talked too now carried Harry’s semi-repeaters. He fired them at the Arachnids, the flashes lighting up his dark face.

An arachnid screamed and then fell dead. The one behind it stood up on its hindlegs, standing at least ten feet tall. It opened its beak wide and shrieked. Even Harry shook from the explosion of sound.

Ten more arachnids emerged from the passageway and joined in the screaming. The entire dock stopped short, terrified by the cries.

Ordinary sailors and people ran for their ships. Terror gripped the populace.

“RUN!” the man cried, firing the semi-repeater. The lead arachnid fell dead, and then the rest charged him.