“They will just not stop coming!”

Mason's voice rang out as the three continued to be pushed deeper into the ship. Their weapons punched holes, dismembered and staggered, but the monsters did not stop their advance.

“Captain, our ammo is running dry. And it’s not like we can reliably use the xeno weapons.”

Miller who led their retreat and watched their front to ensure nothing caught them lacking had no choice but to agree. Their stalled backtrack into Hydroponics had left a trail of regenerating Mortans and even he was beginning to fear no end to the horde. “We took too long, gave them too much time.”

“Sir, with all due respect. Even a sizable group coming in here would be as good as mulch for these walls,” said Munroe.

“There’s also Jackson and Vadir. They’ll need all the help they can get,” said Miller.

Miller went through the next door first and walked a few steps forward when a loud crash jolted his synapse. He spun, pointing his smoking laser rifle at the sealed door. “Mason, Munroe, report!”

“We’re fine, sir. Just thought we’d buy you some time,” said Mason.

“To do what?”

“Reconnect with Jackson and complete this damned mission,” added Munroe.

“Give the rat bastards hell.”

As Miller turned his back on the door he heard the two men shout Oorah! in unison.

“Semper Fi!” shouted Miller, gritting his teeth and deciding to run hell for leather deeper into the alien ship.

It then dawned on him that he was directionless in an alien vessel. He had no way of knowing what route the two men took. He’d at best have to guess and worst… pray for a miracle. It didn’t take long for destiny to come crashing toward him from a nearby room. The glass exploded outward, showering him while a hulking monster forced him to the ground. He had no way of directing his weapon as the monster snapped at his face. Bloodied saliva soon covered him as he did his best to ease out his bowie knife. Once the hilt was in his grip he positioned it straight and pushed it deep into the monster’s chest. If the symbiote was there, it was in for a nasty shock. The Mortan rose back to its full height while Miller scrambled for his rifle. Once in hand he narrowly avoided a black aether claw brushing past his left shoulder. He directed his fire at the small hole he created and let the fire and plasma do the rest. Soon enough the monster had been felled. He first worked to pry out the symbiote before tossing it away like scrap. Then he looked at his weapon and frowned at how dire it looked. It wouldn’t have many shots left in it. He needed a solution. These things manipulate aether like Vadir. If I free one of its core. Will it listen to me?

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There was only one way to find out. He didn’t know how long it would be before another monster came across him. In a way he had to hope that Munroe and Miller were still clinging onto life but right now that hope was fading fast. With his hands covered in Mortan goo and slime, Miller soon fished the aether core out from where it resided. It pulsed in his hand and suddenly he felt the ship’s living presence in the sludge he knelt on. It was disorientating for a few seconds. No, you won’t direct me to your master. You belong to me now, submit.

The core danced in his thoughts and soon through the strange aetherial vision presented he had a rough idea of where Jackson and Vadir were. They were close to a maintenance door, at least that’s how it looked to Miller. Vadir looked around him confused.

‘Captain? Is everything okay? Have they got you?’

‘No, I needed to find you. The core I stole from one of their bodies is still connected to this network. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.’

‘What about the others?’

‘Buying time, I’m coming to find you, I know where you are and how to get there.’

‘Please, hurry, we can’t wait forever if you’re not here in - ten minutes. We go on ahead without you.’

To his surprise, it was Vadir’s mind that cut the connection. Miller looked at the pulsating core and his weapon. I need you to make me stronger. I need you to merge me with this gun.

The core pulsed at a rate he hadn’t seen before. He seemed to understand it and pressed the small sphere close to where he held the grip and waited to see what happened. First, the core became stuck to him while its shape morphed, coating his hand and then the rifle. He dropped to his knees as the first of the stabbing pains jolted up and down his left side. He gritted his teeth trapping the air in his lungs as the strange core began warping his biology in ways he never thought possible. It was a miracle he didn’t pass out. Once the torturous process was done he noticed the rifle had become a full-on extension of his being. He also suspected it now channelled aether because on top of his left hand had formed a circular bulb that glowed red. The Mortan aspect had also begun eating away at his wrist and arm. To become a weapon, I had to become like them. That makes sense.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Miller composed himself and made a point to get a move on.

Jackson had a struggling Mortan held against the wall and wasted no time blasting its chest to pieces before allowing it to flop over next to him.

“We have to move, Vadir. I can’t fight them all like this.”

“Miller said he was coming - there!”

Vadir shouted pointing down the black biomass-coated corridor. The wide-eye Captain Miller stumbled forward like a man possessed and it took Vadir narrowing his eyes and engaging a pulse trace by touching the wall to realise the Captain was now something new - a Hybrid. The Captain was a changed man if the spike emerging from his shoulder didn’t already give the game way. He wasn’t a True Mortan or Deterrent even if the trace hinted at it. The word he understood as Hybrid echoed through Vadir's thoughts. The man came to a stop a few feet away.

“Sorry, to keep you both waiting. So it’s just through there,” Miller said pointing at the door behind Vadir with his mutated arm.

“Captain,” Lieutenant Jackson’s voice trailed off.

“Oh this,” Miller said gesturing with his bio-augmented aether rifle. “I had to, low ammo and weapons aren’t easy to find in a place like this. So I improvised.”

“I’m not questioning the decision, sir. But are you okay?”

“I’ve felt better but I feel powerful. You wanted me to hurry so are we going to finish this or what?”

Vadir Kor turned around and punched in the door panel code. “A short tunnel that will take us into the Aether and Engineering Deck. Once we get there, we rig this ship and run. We don’t want to be on board when this place gets dumped.”

Captain Miller grinned. “Then let’s not waste any more time.”