Holly led De Silva to the accessway door to Command. Him slinging his rifle over his good shoulder while letting her keep her weapon in her hand made her feel a little safer. They talked on the way. He asked about the crew, whether those gone had died quickly or if there might be someone suffering in a nest.
She didn’t want to think about it, but it was right for him to know. She told him the story as abbreviated as she could. Chandna was an android from the start. Nieves and Patterson died slowly but she didn’t think either experienced any appreciable pain. James had finally chosen his name. He died fairly quick and for a while he had found a good thing.
She was relieved that he didn’t ask for specifics.
They reached the door. “TURING, let us through. Tell Samoylova we’re on our way to the trauma center.”
“Please wait a moment,” TURING said in its characteristically calm voice, “I’m sending her to you.”
It only took a minute before Samoylova answered them and opened the access door. Her face was bandaged, and she had dark circles around her eyes. But other than taking a hefty blow to the face, she didn’t appear hurt. She was armed with both a flamethrower and her revolver, and it was understandable for her to not fully trust either of them. They all had to discuss and agree to some way to vet each other out.
Samoylova immediately fixed her eyes on De Silva. “I didn’t expect to see you again. How’d you live through the attack and escape?” Her voice was cold and accusatory.
“The Creature never tried to restrain me,” he said. “It stabbed me in the shoulder and that made me hurt all over. Sometimes it hurt so bad that I soon blacked out. It took forever to crawl out of Aux Two because of the pain and because there was no light. I finally made it to Hab and shot myself full of painkillers. I don’t know how long they’ll last, and I don’t know if I’ll be feeling better when they wear off.”
Samoylova nodded and appeared to consider his story. “Do you hurt now?” she asked.
“All over,” he said, “but it’s manageable right now.”
Samoylova turned to Holly in a challenging manner. “Where’s the rest of your team?”
She looked downward in shame. She didn’t want to think about it; she hated the memory of it. They had fought and she had run. At last she mustered the courage to speak. “They’re dead. The Creature killed Patterson first. James was pretty broken up about that. It jumped us then. He pushed me to safety and fought it, and he’s dead. The Creature is dead too.”
“The explosion?” she asked. Her gaze was fixed on Holly’s eyes.
She nodded and tried to avoid Sam’s interrogatory gaze. “Unless if it can breathe vacuum, it’s dead.” She looked directly at Samoylova. She didn’t want to but it had to be asked. “Where’s Moussa?”
“He’s dead,” she said, her voice now getting soft. “It got Ghost, but we didn’t know. He went in a crawl space to get him and got jumped. Sliced up. He bled to death.”
There was a long silence. “Okay,” De Silva murmured, and then with a grunt he found his voice. “We can’t be sure we got all the Pazuzu-creatures. And we know that its diseases are all over the ship. What do we do?”
“Patterson made a test,” Samoylova said. “I analyzed the last sample from Nieves that was taken before we all got separated. It identifies the infection. We’re all going to take it – at gunpoint, just in case. Unfortunately, the corruption takes a while to show. It’s probably going to take three rounds or so before we can be certain about one another.”
Holly nodded, remembering that Nieves passed the first tests. “Three tries is twelve hours.”
Samoylova laughed in frustration. “We don’t have any choice. We’ll gather together and nobody leaves my sight until we pass.”
“Then let’s do the first one now,” De Silva said. The resolve in his eyes conveyed the necessity of the action. “We can talk more afterward.”
Holly looked both of them in the eyes. They seemed agreeable. She nodded affirmatively.
“You go on first, De Silva,” Samoylova said. “I want to see how your pain will handicap you. Don’t feel bad about making us run a tight ship.”
“Hopefully I’ll be capable soon,” he tiredly said. He walked by Samoylova and then she followed. Holly sleepily followed last. He briefly paused when seeing their fortifications.
“Don’t mind the turret,” Samoylova said in a now friendly tone.
He just looked at her for a silent moment and then nodded and went on. They soon came to the barricade where they had to squeeze through. Samoylova let De Silva pass through and then, without warning, she raised her flamethrower and sprayed him head to toe with fire.
Holly paused in terror while De Silva began to scream and flail his limbs. In a moment, her fatigue went away as her heart raced adrenaline through her veins. She watched in terror while De Silva first seemed to try to pat out the flames. His clothes flaked off his burning flesh, and acrid smoke filled the hall. And then he readied his pulserifle.
Samoylova ducked behind the barricade while he began to fire randomly in their direction. The fire had already consumed his eyes and ears. Holly instinctively ducked her head down. Fear held her still in a crouch.
“Where will you go?” De Silva screamed. “I am everywhere!”
It’s not him. It’s not him!
Samoylova pressed herself flat against the bulkhead and, shouting in a mindless panic, rapidly emptied her revolver into the De Silva monstrosity. Simultaneously, the turret fired a quick burst; the lying impersonator staggered a little with every hit. It soon dropped its gun and then fell on the deck and burned. Its corrupted flesh slowly reduced into fiery embers which soared through the corridor. Caustic smoke filled the air.
“Warning,” TURING said, “I can only delay the fire protection system. Please proceed now.” The fire alarm blared obnoxiously.
“Come on,” Samoylova whimpered and she darted through the opening and over the burning body.
Holly slowly began to walk. The fire protection system issued CO2 while she passed over De Silva. She didn’t think anything of it at first while watching his face burn. And she wanted to cry when the flames died and she could clearly see his charred face locked in its forever silent scream. Then she felt a burning on her lower leg. Remembering her injury, she darted through.
Samoylova breathed rapid, short breaths. Her shaking hands had difficulty placing new rounds in her revolver’s cylinder. “What’s the matter with you?” Her voice was high, a frantic pitch. She then looked past her at De Silva. And she made a final taunt. “Передайте привет Яхве, мистер Везде.”
Holly stared at Samoylova in silence while waiting on the lift. She tightly squeezed her pistol, although it gave little reassurance. Sam wasn’t the person she once knew. She was shocked that Sam had so easily identified and dispatched the Pazuzu-creature, and for a moment she was more afraid of her than their nemesis. “How could you? How did you know?”
She returned an angry glare. “I was there! I watched him die!”
Holly recoiled. She hadn’t meant to offend. The lift arrived and they took it to the Bridge in a moment of tense silence. She recoiled again once stepping into the Bridge. Red, everywhere red. Critical alarms were shown from almost every Gate and the automatic prompt to review evacuation procedures was posted at every station. The glow of alarms overwhelmed her. The Nineveh was lost.
Samoylova saw her look of shock. “Yeah, we’re screwed.” She walked on ahead of Holly.
Holly just stood in place, looking at the various displays (covered in red) and trying to understand the extent of their impact. Deep inside, there was a part of her that refused to acknowledge that they had lost.
“Take your helmet off,” Samoylova said once nearing the Nav plotter.
Holly pulled it over her head and dropped it to the deck. She watched Samoylova’s jittery movements. She must have recently taken stims.
“TURING,” Samoylova asked, “can you give assurance that there are no Pazuzu-forms within Command?”
“I don’t observe any,” TURING said, “but neither you nor I can be certain of that.”
Samoylova almost appeared to cry and looked down.
“I guess we’re taking a chance with cryo then.”
Samoylova nodded after a moment. “It seems.” She seemed to have recovered from her despair.
“I thought you wanted to go to the trauma center for the test.”
Samoylova sighed. She stood silently looking away for several seconds and then nodded at Holly. “I panicked. I forgot about that.” She pointed back to the lift. “Let’s go.”
Holly turned and started walking, and then something hard struck her on the back of her head, causing sharp pain. She collapsed forward while the room turned into a blur. A quick check with her hand confirmed blood. She rolled on her back, looked around and found Samoylova.
Samoylova loomed over her with predatory intent. “You think I’d trust you now,” she said while kicking Holly’s pistol away.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Holly watched in fear. “You said the test identified the infection.”
“The test never worked,” she thundered back. She bent over and thrust her pistol in Holly’s face. “You won’t suffer. Give me everything and I’ll end you quick.”
Holly saw a cold determination in Sam’s eyes. Pazuzu would seek to prevent the information from being sent just like this. She began to crawl away. “No. You don’t have the authorization for launch.”
Samoylova cocked her head. “I’ll be the captain with you gone.”
“TURING, lock out her authorizations!”
There was no answer. Samoylova grinned upon realizing there wouldn’t be one.
“TURING…” She stopped as dread welled up within her.
It made sense. She had left with Stocky to find Patterson. She had been completely outside of TURING’s observation. And since the De Silva-thing could act and talk just as well as the real Captain could, TURING no longer had confidence in her. They were going to kill her in precaution.
She remembered the gun which she had stowed in the side pocket of her backpack. Guilt entered her mind right after the memory. All her failures stabbed deep with vivid recollection – her enabling Zhu to lead the away team, her dread of leading the hunting team in Systems Access followed by relief that De Silva took the job, her shameful fall on Crews Mess, her betrayal of Patterson, hiding in safety while Patterson was struck, running away to leave James to die, and finally leading a dangerous creature to Samoylova simply because she didn’t want to be alone. She didn’t want murder added to the list.
In truth, Samoylova’s service record showed her to be the better candidate. Sam had succeeded in difficult situations. She had survived hardships that Holly couldn’t fathom. And yet Holly knew that she couldn’t trust her now. Samoylova looked and acted like she was human, but those traits could be faked. Samoylova was only a maybe.
And then Holly began to wonder what she could do to distract Sam so that she could retrieve her hidden weapon and kill one who she was burdened with leading and safeguarding.
“I would like to be able to reason with you,” Samoylova said. “You have to see that I’m in better shape to do this. So let me. I’ll give the warning, for your family and for mine.”
“Pazuzu’s made healthy looking people before.”
“Not healthy enough. You can spot them if you’re smart.”
“Yeah, and what about if you’re sleep deprived and scared?”
Samoylova's grin vanished.
“And what about if you’ve maybe had a concussion?”
“I know I’m right.”
“Because you know you’re human? The only human I’m certain of is me.”
“Same here,” she said. She began to feel through Holly’s pockets while still aiming the gun.
“Oh yeah?” Holly asked, looking over Samoylova’s stained attire. “You’ve got a lot of blood on your clothes, and I bet that’s not all yours.”
Samoylova’s glare became rageful. “Stop talking.”
Holly’s vision went back and forth between Samoylova and her revolver. Her pulse thumped in her ears. Samoylova wasn’t going to leave her alive once she found what she wanted. If even if she would, Holly couldn’t trust her with making the rendezvous. But she couldn’t draw her own weapon fast enough. Somehow, she had to take Sam’s pistol from her.
She could gamble by handing over her backpack. Samoylova would have to look within it to search and that might leave her distracted for just enough time. The frightened girl within her rebelled. Sam would find the pistol and then she would have nothing.
Would that help distract her though?
Samoylova sensed her fear. “Stay calm. It’ll be alright.”
You’re going to kill me or worse.
She concluded taking her chances in a struggle was worth it. Mankind had to know about Pazuzu’s danger. And Samoylova would soon force her to take off her suit to check the interior pockets. Right now, only her head was vulnerable. Soon all of her vitals would be.
“It’s in my backpack.” She could only speak with a trembling whimper.
“Give it to me,” Samoylova demanded. She squeezed the trigger a small bit to let her know she meant business.
Shaking (which likely wasn’t even noticeable while in the suit), she slid the backpack straps off her shoulders and then handed it over.
Samoylova snatched it and began to blindly feel her way inside the main pocket. A moment later, she looked in. She rummaged further with a look of confusion.
Holly’s pulse spiked even further and she held her breath. Her body felt stiff as stone and she screamed inside that this was her only chance. She stared at the revolver with panicked focus. How fast could Sam pull the trigger while distracted? Her eyes focused on Sam’s index finger holding the trigger and every moment seemed like hours of terror.
She heard the voice inside chant again and again, “I have to, I have to.” It was both authoritative and reassuring. She squeezed her fingers into fists and then opened them again, and they were surprisingly compliant. And she suddenly was swift and fearless as adrenaline passed through her veins.
Holly leaned in, pushing Sam’s pistol to the side, and she struck her straight in the nose. Samoylova cried out in pain and fell backwards. Holly climbed over her, using the suit’s weight in addition to her own body weight to pin Samoylova, and she began to wrestle the revolver from her hand.
Samoylova fired off a round by accident while the weapon was pointed safely out of the way and then she began to lose control over it. Holly was prying her fingers off when Samoylova pulled out a knife and began to stab her in the arm, the blunt force of the weapon (the blade couldn’t pierce the suit) causing considerable pain.
The pain was too great. Holly hurt all over – her head, back, legs, and now also from the knife strikes. She knocked the revolver away and then reached for the knife. She soon pinned it down and couldn’t believe her luck. But then a gun went off.
Holly’s whole body seized up while she was overcome with pain in her chest. Samoylova had acquired the other pistol. She now knew she was done. Even if it wasn’t a fatal wound by itself, she couldn’t fight on like this. She started to roll off and Samoylova kicked her away.
Samoylova slid away from Holly while whimpering and cradling her face. But she kept the 9mm pointed at her enemy. She wiped away her tears and then, seeing holly inspecting her chest, screamed, “Don’t you move or I’ll kill you!”
You’re going to anyways. Nevertheless, Holly placated her. Her suit wasn’t registering excessive internal moisture and so she was beginning to think its fibers had actually stopped the bullet. It didn’t matter though because the next one would be in her head.
Samoylova kept watch of Holly while she retreated to a first aid kit and ravaged it for painkillers. TURING interrupted them then. “Attention, a flame has been detected near the accessway door to Propulsion One.”
“Can you identify the source?” Samoylova asked while she walked up to Holly and aimed the pistol at her head.
I forgive you. “It’s alright,” Holly said. “It’s my fault. I failed you as Captain, just like De Silva did.”
Samoylova lowered the 9mm to her side and wiped away more tears.
“Warning!” TURING said, “Command Gate is breached.”
They both turned to the various screens which were now showing security camera footage from the accessway to Propulsion One. Sparks sprayed out of the cut someone (or something) was making in the door and then a wide section was thrown inward. The turret immediately fired on the cloaked intruder which was hidden in a swarming cloud of tiny creatures. The Pazuzu Creature struck the turret and they were defenseless.
The vague outline and movement of a hulking monstrosity of many limbs could be seen through the obscuring cloud of insect horrors. Hellish red light streaked menacingly from within. It stomped into the accessway with malevolence and the security cameras died as if suffocated by its very presence.
Holly knew. The detonation hadn’t killed it. All it had done was force it to reenter the ship from the airlock in Aux Systems One. She struggled to breathe she was so paralyzed with fright. If angels, bombs, and the cold void couldn’t kill it…
There’s no hope.
It wasn’t God who filled the corridor with an eldritch presence. But Not-God seemed likewise above the concept of death. And he brought an inescapable judgment and resurrection too. They would be with Pazuzu forever – mind and body.
She thought of mom and dad. How could she have known? She and the Nineveh would be listed as missing. An eternal cold case with no chance for closure. I’m so sorry. She remembered being a little girl up on the hill behind her house, gazing through her telescope in wonder at the Georgia night sky and its millions of stars. If only I had known that I should fear them.
“I’m sealing all passageways and securing the lifts,” TURING said. “But the Piloting Module must be launched now.”
Holly turned in fright to Samoylova who collapsed on her knees and gazed in her eyes as one defeated. Sam started to turn her gun to her own head but then composed herself and looked around as if appraising their resources.
“You better really be you,” Samoylova said, getting to her feet. She lifted Holly up.
“We’ll flip a coin.” The only thing left to stand for was fairness.
“You’ll have time,” Samoylova shouted, “prep the ship! Go!” Tearing up, she pushed Holly over to the pulldown ladder.
Holly nodded after a second of bewilderment and pulled the lever to open the hatch to the access tunnel and lower the ladder. Samoylova gave her a confirmatory nod and then picked up the weapons and headed for the computer core, singing something in Russian. Trembling, Holly climbed the ladder. The lights in the access tunnel flickered randomly from the accumulated power imbalances in the ship, and the hatch closed behind her. Pulling herself up stressed her injured muscles causing sharp pain everywhere, and she appreciated the lowering apparent gravity force as she climbed higher.
She reached the access hatch to the Piloting Module and punched in her code. It opened and she floated in, pushing herself towards the cockpit with her feet and one arm. The cockpit was bathed in light from outside the viewports, and she shielded her face with her free hand. “Computer,” she said, “Seal the hatch; boot the workstations.”
She watched the HMI screens and indicators show the proper readouts for startup while she fastened herself in the pilot’s seat, and she heard the access hatch close behind her. She glanced up at the radiant angel outside with curiosity – a hallucination that she had to ignore no matter how blinding it was.
Remembering Patterson telling her about Osiris, she determined to post a warning for them. “Computer,” she said while the control system completed its startup cycle. “Record the following verbal log. Set the ship-to-ship and the emergency transmitters to broadcast this recording every twelve hours.”
“Ready for recording,” the computer replied.
“Osiris! This is Navigator Keisha Holly, the last survivor of the commercial starship Nineveh. If you or any of your teams are out here then listen. Doctor Amanda Patterson is dead. So is all her staff. We fought Pazuzu with everything we had. We lost. So did the Eliohuatjay. Keep away from this system; it’s not safe here! Warn your worlds that Pazuzu will come for you too!
I won’t live for more than a few days and so don’t attempt a rescue. And I can’t be certain that I haven’t been compromised by Pazuzu. It changes you – first a little, then a lot. But always so that you don’t notice it. Don’t trust any messages other than this automated broadcast. I’ll pray for your success with what time I have left. May the Most High protect you. End recording.”
She examined her HMIs and was relieved that the controls startup proceeded normally, and all systems were ready. The reactor was still secured, but she would power it up after she separated the Piloting Module. She opted for the emergency separation procedure instead of using the docking latches since she wouldn’t be returning to the Nineveh.
“TURING, I’m going to detach by detonating the explosive bolts.”
TURING acknowledged her report and she pressed the trigger. A slight shudder rocked the module and all of the latch indications switched their status to “disengaged.” She sighed with relief and fired the auxiliary engines.
The acceleration pushed her back into her seat and she once again looked straight at the radiant angel. The computer counted the distance to the Nineveh in hundred-meter increments, and then in thousand-meter ones.
The counting seemed to enhance her fatigue and her eyelids became increasingly heavy. Every moment of her life from here on would be a war against the consuming darkness and yet all she wanted was rest. And end to pain. “TURING,” she said, “I’m free and accelerating away from the Nineveh. Sorry to leave you behind.”
“Don’t be upset about that,” TURING said. “It’s the right thing for everyone. Samoylova and I are implementing a scuttling effort. Godspeed to you, Captain Holly.”
Sometimes it’s better to save the one. She prayed Patterson was right.
She reclined in the seat and began to drift into unconsciousness. She thought about everyone she lost, everything they had sacrificed, and the grisly assignment they had failed. She whispered a silent prayer from her lips. “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. They kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give me the strength for this final effort, and then take my soul. Just as you have with those I have loved.”
Her dreamy eyes again drifted to the phantom angel showering the cockpit in light just before passing out. It grinned wickedly.