Mid Sections.
“Johan, this is Mary.”
“Yes Mary, do you have news of the girls?”
“No, they haven’t returned within range yet, but given the estimated distance they have to travel, I don’t expect we’ll hear from them for at least another ninety minutes. I have analysed the blood sample though.”
The doctor leaned over Johan in excitement “Great. Hi Mary, It’s Doctor Warren here. What can you tell us?”
“The sample harboured the SARS-CoV-2, strain G. As I thought, a common strain of the COVID-19 virus circulating most of Earth’s population a century before the Attenborough left.”
“Excellent!”
“Yes, it is curious how it came to re-emerge onboard, centuries later. We may need to study this at a later date, to ensure other pathogens don’t compromise your population. The priority, though, is vaccination and treatment. I’m producing a vaccine now.”
“That fast?”
“Yes, it’s a simple matter, now that I have the actual virus. It should be ready for delivery within twenty-four hours. A treatment for existing patients may take a little longer. I need to produce immuno blockers to work against the symptoms.”
“Okay, well, that’s great… err... thank you!”
“You are welcome. Johan, I will report again when I can detect the girls.”
“Thanks, Mary.”
***
Thomas’ act of self-preservation, agreeing to Bianca’s demands and biting her, was backfiring. The vampire grew more aroused with every bite. His teeth rang with pain and her blood spilling over his lips induced nausea. Soon, though, Bianca couldn’t help herself. She threw the boy back on the gurney, pinning him down and sinking her own, much longer, fangs into his thigh. Thomas screamed in terror as blood jetted over Bianca’s face.
Sebastian, on his way back from the lab, rushed into the blood bank.
“You said you wouldn’t!” he shrieked.
Bianca turned her bloody face to him. “Oh, stop whimpering. I’ll get you another one!”
“Mary said there soon won’t be enough. Get off him!”
“Fine!” Bianca let go of Thomas’ leg and straightened her clothes, “I’ve had my fill, anyway. You can clean him up, seeing as you think you’re his mother.” She sauntered past her brother, turning to blow Thomas a bloody kiss.
Sebastian fashioned a tourniquet from the only material he had, his boxer shorts. Thomas was too far gone to thank his saviour.
“Bring him to the hospital, Sebastian, and I’ll show you how to stitch and bandage the wound.” Mary offered.
Bianca marched off down the corridor in the opposite direction.
“Can I ask where you’re going, Bianca?” Mary asked at maximum volume.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m going to get another one.”
“I would advise against that.”
“Would you? Well, there’s a surprise. You advise against anything I want to do.”
***
Thief and Emily, both exhausted, struggled back through the network of ventilation ducts, tunnels, and hatchways. At least the long stretches of corridor broke up the harder, climbing parts. But their bare feet ached. They grew more careless with each manoeuvre until Emily lost her grip when climbing up into a ceiling. Thief tried to grab her but was too slow. Emily hit the floor below with a thump and twisted her ankle.
“Ow...shit, that hurts! Ow.” She moaned as Thief dropped beside her.
“Sorry, I couldn’t grab you. Is it twisted?”
“Not your fault. Yeah, I think so. Its swelling already, look. Ow Ow Ow!”
Now that they’d stopped moving, Thief heard a faint voice coming from the earpiece that dangled from her jumpsuit collar. She put it in her ear.
“Thief, Emily, please respond.” It was the first time she’d heard Mary sound anxious.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
“Yes Mary, sorry we’ve had an accident.”
The AI did not mince words.
“Bianca is 800 metres from your location. On the same deck. At her current speed, she will be there in less than seven minutes. You must relocate.”
“That’s easier said than done.” Thief replied. “Emily has a twisted ankle.”
Johan’s voice came on the line, desperate.
“Thief, get out of there!”
“Em, do you think you can get up to that hatch, if I reach down to grab you.”
“I can try.”
It was no use. Emily could not jump high enough on one good foot. Their fingers brushed, but Thief could not get enough purchase to pull her friend up.
“Bianca is now five minutes away. I’m failing to distract her.” Mary reported in.
“Mary, that is not helpful!” Thief shouted into her microphone.
Emily, doing her best not to cry, drew a deep breath. “You have to go, Thief. Get these bits of wood back. Maybe she’ll only take me, you know, for later. Like Thomas, right?” She whimpered.
“Shit. Dammit!” Thief moaned.
Johan pleaded with Mary to do something “Can’t you open an airlock near Bianca? Suck her out into space Mary?”
“No. As I’ve informed you. I cannot cause direct harm to senior members of the crew. I’m already operating under a complex set of conditions and conflicting algorithms by warning you of Bianca’s location, lest that put her in danger. But I’m able to do so because my calculations have determined that Thief and Emily do not present a material risk to her.”
“Well, thank you for that encouragement.” Thief hugged her stricken friend.
She looked around her. The smooth corridor offered no hiding place. The only interruption in the shiny surfaces was the open hatchway in the ceiling above.
“I’ve got an idea.” She said. But Johan cut her off.
“Stop! Don’t say anything out loud, Thief. Don’t tell Mary!”
“Bianca now three minutes away.” Mary ignored the slight against her.
“Eh?” Thief began, puzzled, but realisation dawned. If her idea had any chance of working, it might compel Mary to protect Bianca. And so she fumbled along her belt and unplugged the wire to the earpiece. She reached around Emily’s back and unplugged hers.
“Do you trust me, Em?”
Emily looked up from where she’d been sobbing on Thief’s shoulder. “Of course.”
“Good. I’m not leaving you okay. I’ve got a plan. Just sit tight. And don’t look up. Okay?”
“Sure, I guess.”
“Thief put her arms under Emily’s shoulders and pulled her a few inches along the floor.
“Sorry, I need you back here a bit.” She checked the ceiling again with a glance and seemed satisfied.
Thief tossed both of their branches into the hole above. They clattered against the metal. She hoped she hadn’t thrown them too far down the tunnel.
***
In the workshop, Johan turned to look at the anxious crowd gathered behind them.
“Thief thinks she has a plan.”
Sombre heads nodded. Thief’s mother sat on the bottom bunk, face in her hands. Hamish had appeared and held onto one of her legs. Emily’s parents, recovered enough to be present for the fate of their daughter, hugged each other in the doorway.
***
Bianca appeared at the far end of the corridor, her determined expression transformed into surprise.
Thief had been facing the other way and spun around in terror.
“Excellent.” Bianca snarled. “It’s the thieving little bitch, and she’s brought a friend. Looks like she’s saved me the trip, Mary?”
“Apparently so.” Mary answered, As Bianca broke into a run at the girls.
“Love you Em.” Thief whispered. She kissed Emily’s smooth head. “Don’t look up!”
Bianca closed the distance. Thief bent her knees and leapt for the open hatch, grabbing the edge to haul herself into the tight space above. Her hands scrambled for the stakes, fingers closing around them. She pulled back from the hole, out of the line of sight from below.
Bianca’s laugh was more of a screech. Her blood lust enveloped her senses at the sight of the human curled on the floor in front of her. Fresh young blood coursed through those veins and she yearned to feel it splashing down her throat.
“Looks like your friend has left you, little one.” She screeched as she ran. “What’s the matter? Can’t run? Shame, I would have liked a chase before feeding.”
Emily curled into as tight a ball as she could, whimpering. The fear consumed her until she couldn’t breathe or move. She froze, waiting for the pain.
Bianca dropped to her knees mid sprint, and fell onto her prey, her fangs bared, searching for Emily’s neck. Every sense in her body focussed on the bite, and nothing else. She could not hear, see, nor even smell Thief when she dropped from above, a sharp stake in each hand.
The stakes pierced Bianca’s back under her shoulder blades. They penetrated only a few inches before meeting enough resistance to send Thief’s hands sliding down the wood, gathering splinters. But it was enough. The right stake penetrated a lung; the left nicked the heart.
Thief rolled off the vampire’s back and staggered to her feet, chest heaving. Bianca’s screams were deafening. Echoing up and down the corridor as she writhed in pain. Emily, shocked out of her frozen state, crawled out from under the monster. She backed against the wall with Thief and watched as Bianca thrashed and screamed. Blood bubbled from her mouth. Every inward breath she took sounded harsh and ragged.
The vampire died in front of them, reaching a hand with long sharp fingernails towards her escaped prey, clutching at nothing but air.
Thief couldn’t stop shaking for a full minute. Emily hobbled to her feet and shook her head. “Bianca was right, you know. You are a bitch. A bad ass bitch!”
Thief laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Told ya, I wouldn’t leave ya.”
“I knew you wouldn’t.”
They plugged their earpieces back in with trembling fingers.
“Hi Johan, Mary?”
An enormous sigh of relief swept through the workshop, three kilometres away. Johan let out the breath he was holding, so Mary answered first.
“Yes, Thief. Please report.”
“Bianca is dead. We’re okay.”
They could hear cheers in the background.
“Well done, Thief.” Mary said with no emotion. “Are either of you wounded? You will need to stop the bleeding if she bit you.”
“Nope, she almost bit me, but Thief killed her before she could.” Emily answered.
“Interesting. I will have to reconsider some of my calculations pertaining to human abilities.”
“Sorry about that!” Thief answered. She could hear Johan laughing.
“We still have to get back though.” Thief walked over to the fallen vampire and pulled the two stakes from its back. She winced at the sucking sound they made as they came out.
“Please stay where you are.” said Mary. “With Bianca no longer a threat, I can navigate you an easier route. But I must ascertain Sebastian’s intentions first.”