Chapter 9
Jack stormed out of the room and headed for the tarp-covered shelter across from the barracks.
~How could they say I'm being unreasonable!? Why can't they understand how alarming this situation was? They know what William Johns had done to the survivors of that crash five and a half years ago on this godforsaken planet, and they shrug off the fact that now that Jack had come back, the murdering bastard's little bro should show up?! I don't think so! Too goddamned fishy and no one else notices?! What the hell is wrong with everyone?!~
She continued the pacing she had started in the room before Dayna and Mara started reprimanding her for her hasty statement at the landing pad. She then gave an exhalation of exasperation and left the shelter, she hopped into her personal sandcat and tore out of the compound in a shower of sand and dust, heading for the excavation site.
The site was about a mile outside of the protected perimeter of the research facility, and by the time it hove into view, Jack's ire had cooled somewhat and she was now having second thoughts about the situation.
~ Maybe I was being unreasonable. ~ she thought, guiltily. ~ I sure as shit wasn't acting like the leader I'm supposed to be. Shit! Why did he have to come here? Just the name 'Johns' sets my teeth on edge, but Mara's right… THIS Johns must've been only fourteen or fifteen when the older Johns had died so horribly on this planet. Maybe he was telling the truth and he really didn't know anything about his corrupted, morphine junkie sib… I'm just not sure! ~
She clambered out of the sandcat and headed to the ramp leading down into the excavation site. Other sites were spread out from this big one straggling out to the left of her… but those were mainly twisted useless hulks that had either corroded to nothing over time, or had been irreparably damaged by the crash. She gazed at the hull of the partially unearthed craft before her and shuddered involuntarily as memories flooded her mind… screams, blood, fear… she unconsciously settled down into a sitting position on the knoll overlooking the site. She pulled her knees in close and rested her forehead on her bent knees as she suddenly started crying.
Jack started as a hand descended on the top of her head. She snapped her head up and twisted to regard an unfamiliar little girl in amazed confusion.
" Don't cwy." Said the little girl mournfully. " Mommy says cwying give you 'cups."
She looked to be about five, maybe six years old. She was so small it was hard to tell. She had a full head of thick, glossy, shoulder length hair that was now both mussed and dusty. Her clothing consisted of a little blue jumpsuit with a long-sleeve white shirt worn under the straps, was a mess with dust, mud, and one ripped knee. As Jack continued her examination of the child, she noticed the girl shifting from one foot to another as though uncomfortable. Jack glanced down to see that her dirty little feet were both scraped and bare on the sun baked ground. Without a second thought, Jack rose with one fluid motion and picked up the child to cradle her in one arm while supporting her weight on the curve of her hip.
" Really?" said Jack, in mock horror. " and what are 'cups?"
The little girl then began an exaggerated jerking of her shoulders.
" 'Cup! 'Cup!" she said, seriously, every time her shoulders came up. " Need pwenty wadah make 'cups go 'way."
Jack laughed delightedly at the little girl's perception of the seriousness of hiccups. Carrying the little girl carefully, Jack made her way back to the sandcat. Hoping that she can keep the tyke talking instead of crying.
" Yes you do." Agreed Jack. " You are so right. What's your name, sweety? And where are your parents?"
" Ewie. " she said, then pointed up to the sky. " My mommy's up dere."
" Ellie?" said Jack, continuing her tone of pleased surprise.
Jack was at first shocked thinking that Ellie meant her mommy was dead and in heaven… but then she realized that she must be the child of one of the residents of the Stellaren… and was instead pointing to the bright dot in the sky that was the spacelab in orbit. Her parents were probably researchers or scientists. Jack was intensely curious as to how the little girl could've made it all the way down here on her own.
" And why aren't you with your mommy?"
She smiled endearingly at the little darling even as the she now seemed ready to throw a fit. Ellie had suddenly frowned, and her little mouth pouted.
" Don't want mommy no more!" she exclaimed heatedly. " Mommy spank me, want new mommy! You wanna be my mommy? You nice."
" Maybe Ellie was bad, and mommy only wanted to teach Ellie a lesson?" said Jack trying to reason with the irate little spitfire.
" No!" shouted Ellie, as tears brimmed in her eyes. " Mommy say Ewie lied, but I not lied… I SAW monstah undah Tammy's bed… I SAW IT!!"
" Okay honey." Soothed Jack. " I believe you… calm down sweety. Who's Tammy? Is she your sister?"
" No." said Ellie distractedly as she noticed Jack's insignias on her uniform and began touching them, running her little fingers over them.
" She Doc Keefs baby. She vewy small, she cwy and 'cups all da time."
" Do you mean Doctor Kiev's little girl?"
Ellie nodded.
"And you saw the monster under her bed? What did it look like?"
Now she had the little girl's attention again, but Jack's heart picked up its pace as she saw the real fear in the little girl's clear brown eyes.
" It vewy dark in Tammy's woom. But I saw cos monstah neah white wall. Have big, flat head, with no eyes."
Jack's blood went cold. It sounded too familiar for comfort. She knew that they had transported some of the creatures that were captured up to the ship, but as far as she knew there were no reports of escapes by any of the four that they were using for research. But then, how could this little girl know what they looked like? She could be making it up. Then again, she could be telling the truth and there could be an infestation on the vessel that no one knew about… seemed impossible, but yet…!
The little girl shivered as she remembered, and continued with her story.
" I scweamed, Tammy waked cos I scweamed, and she scweamed too… then Doc Keef and Missus Keef come in. Doc Keef send me home… he shouted at me 'cos he not see monstah 'fore it ran 'way… I not like Doc Keef. Then mommy hear from Doc Keef and she so angwy with me. But when I tell mommy 'bout monstah she spank me and say I lieded!"
" Aww honey." Said Jack comfortingly. " I'm sure mommy just didn't understand. Why don't you try talking to her again and maybe she will understand this time. Do you really want to leave your mommy forever? Never see her ever and ever again?"
" Don't c…care." said Ellie, hesitantly. " Ewie never lie… I'm good girl. I want mommy but don't want stay up dere no more. Monstah noise too loud. I scaywed of it. But mommy think I lieded!"
Jack settled the little girl into the passenger seat, strapping her in snugly but as comfortably as she could. Then she got into the driver's seat and turned the sandcat around to head back to the facility. She was thinking that maybe she could borrow Kiev's Rapier to take Ellie back to the Stellaren and return her to her mommy. The poor woman must be going mad with worry!
" Make a deal with ya, Ellie." She said, glancing at the little girl with a smile. " If I come home with you and chase that monster away for good, will you forgive your mommy and go back to her?"
" I dunno." Said Ellie… seeming to consider it. " What if you can't? What if da monstah eatchoo?!"
" Then you don't have to worry about our deal!" answered Jack, cheerfully. " 'Cause I won't be around to collect! But don't count on it… I plan to win! So is it a deal?"
" Okay… deal!" beamed Ellie. " But if can't chase 'way, jus' make it shuddup den. Monstah has bad noise, make me dweam cwy… and den I get 'cups."
Jack laughed aloud.
" Okay, sweety, you got it! I'll shut that bed monster up even if I have to tape its mouth shut!"
Ellie laughed cutely for a second but Jack didn't notice the worried look that came over her little face as she turned to look at the passing landscape.
~She's a nice commandah.~ thought Ellie. ~But I don't think she weally believes me. Mommy said if you weally don't evah know what to do, that pwaying to god can help… ~
Ellie's arms broke out in gooseflesh as she remembered the sounds the creature made. Something in those sounds really scared her. Something in the sounds reminded her of that summer when Mommy's dog, Tugger, had been killed. There was just nothing good in that echoing sound… it made her think of hunger… it made her think of death.
Ellie kept her face averted as she closed her eyes and began to quietly pray.
~ Please God… let mommy be okay. Let Tammy and Missus Keef be okay. And please… please god… don't let this vewy nice lady get hurt… uh, amen.~
Chapter 10
Jack had gotten permission to use Kiev's Rapier to return Ellie, but she hated having to ask. Especially when the little man kept grousing about inconveniences and how Ellie was a little brat. She let him gripe all he wanted about the borrowing of his vehicle but she set him straight on Ellie right away. She didn't care that her grip on his shoulder had left bruises on the pallid man. But if she had seen the malevolent glare the man had given her as she walked away, she would've turned back and finished what she started. Wolff noticed however, and he watched the scientist with a grim expression for a couple of minutes. Returning his attention to the poker game he had going with the other members of the Pack, Wolff thought to himself.
~ Better keep an eye on that fucker… something don't smell right. ~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jack watched as the dark-haired woman embraced Ellie with a hug that was almost fierce in her obvious relief. Then Jack smirked knowingly as the woman pulled the girl back to arm's length and shook her gently while admonishing her.
" I have been looking all over the ship for you… we ALL have! Why did you do it, Ellie? Where did you go?!"
Ellie looked despairingly at Jack, and her mother also turned her questioning gaze on her.
" Hi…" she greeted Jack. " Forgive my rudeness, I was just so happy to see my Ellie again. I'm Doctor Karin Lerner. And as you know, this is my daughter, Ellen. We all call her Ellie."
Jack smiled in reassurance, and motioned the pair over to an unoccupied room just off the main hall.
" I thought you might want to hear this in private." She explained. " I also have some questions for you if you don't mind?"
" No… no of course I don't mind." Said Karin. " Thank you so much for taking care of her and bringing her back up. Oh, it just gives me the shakes to think that she was actually down there… where all those things came from!"
" I'm okay mommy. It was sunny time… no monstahs!" piped Ellie who had discovered the resilience of a nearby couch, and was now bouncing happily on it.
" Yah, I wanted to ask you about that. Ellie said that she saw the creature, and that she saw it under the bed of Kiev's little girl, Tammy… why would she say that? Unless she really did see it? Could it be possible for one of those things are loose on the ship?"
" My Ellie doesn't usually lie, which is why I was so upset by this one." Karin said, sadly. " But there is no way one of them could've gotten on this ship without us knowing… and all the creatures in research are still there and accounted for! I don't know what my girl saw but she must've just imagined it."
" Has Ellie ever seen pictures of the creatures? Any drawings, or sketches maybe?"
" No of course not!" she denied, stoutly. " Stuff like that would only give children of Ellie's age, nightmares… I would never have allowed it!"
" So how does she know exactly what they look like?"
" She does? She never told me that!"
" You nevoh let me, mommy." Said Ellie who was now sitting on the couch, watching the two ladies talking.
" Oh honey." Karin said sadly as she sat beside Ellie, and pulled her over to sit on her lap. " I'm so sorry for not believing you. Please forgive mommy?"
" Yes…okay…" said Ellie gravely. " but doan do it again!"
Jack and Karin laughed at the little girl's warning and Karin hugged her close. Jack's laughter trailed off, as it finally hit her that they now had a very serious problem. Karin seemed to realize it too, 'cause she was now looking worriedly over the top of Ellie's head at Jack.
" We gotta warn everybody." She said. " What if one of those things ARE loose on the ship? It has been weird that security has been reporting deserters in their ranks. Maybe they didn't desert?"
" When was this?" asked Jack. " How come I was never told about it?"
" I don't know." Answered Karin. " But I think they were planning on getting you to hunt them down as soon as things were done here. It was just assumed that they had hitched rides down to the planet and are hiding out.
" That's ridiculous. They know they can't survive down there without a light and power source strong enough to last the whole eighteen hours of darkfall. Terrantor Facility is the only one that has that down there, and it is too well guarded by my teams to be able to get in undetected."
" Maybe you're right." Murmured Karin. " So what happened to them?"
" How long has these 'desertions' been going on?" asked Jack.
" Going on nearly three weeks."
" SHIT!" shouted Jack. " FUCK!… someone should've told me about them since day one! I am in charge of this whole mission, even things here on the goddamned ship!"
" Why? What's wrong? I think security just didn't want to bother you with stuff that is so commonplace. This happens a lot on visits to other planets."
" Yes, Karin…" explained Jack. " visits to planets that are already settled and colonized by humans but no explorer is gonna defect on an alien planet… especially knowing that there are carnivorous night stalkers… and when there is such a long period of darkfalls. They were probably taken by the first infestation of the creatures. We need to find out how they got in here and fast before things go wrong!"
" Too late." Said Ellie, as she cocked her head to one side as if hearing something.
Just then, screams and panicked running out in the Main Hall, made both women jump to their feet. Alarms went off out in the hall and the red light over the door turned on, bathing the room in a pulsing red light. Then they all heard it as the screams and running died down.
^woooooooo…WOOooooo…. WoooooOOO^
Jack froze as the hated sound from her nightmares reverberated around the room.
" What the hell was that?!" shouted Karin, clutching Ellie tightly to her.
" It's the monstah!" said Ellie knowingly.
" It's a lot of monsters, honey." Said Jack, as she continued to listen. " And that's how they see Doctor… they use echolocation. "
" Oh yah, right. I forgot." Said Karin weakly. " Come here, Ellie."
The little girl complied… practically running to her mother.
Jack hurried to the door of the room and used her security code to lock out the panel, and then she locked the manual bolts.
She dropped to one knee and pulled the hidden pistol out of her boot. She pulled the ammo clip for it out of her other boot and slapped it home into the gun. Placing the gun on the floor she unzipped her flight suit and slipped out of it to reveal another suit underneath that was more figure hugging. The big suit had also concealed the bandoleers of her collection of shivs that crisscrossed her chest and back. The straps also held more ammo for the pistol. Karin stared open-mouthed with shock, at the walking arsenal that Jack had become in a matter of seconds.
Suddenly the comm panel next to the door dinged softly.
# Commander Smith? Doctor Lerner! Are you there?! # asked an unknown voice that came over the speaker.
" Flemings! We're here! Help us!" called Karin.
Jack now recognized the voice Corporal Flemings… the head navigator for the Stellaren.
" Where are you calling from?" asked Jack.
# The bridge.# He answered. # They've got us penned up here and the rest are all closed off in small pockets all over the ship. The lower deck workers are okay, all access down there has been cut off but the groups hiding on this upper level are in trouble. Surveillance says that the creatures are coming through that hole we sustained from some space debris in Observation Deck 4, last month. The hole was never repaired due to lack of supplies. The crew started work on it a week ago, working in zero gee. They must've got in the decompression chamber somehow without anyone seeing. #
" Wait." Said Jack. " How could that be? How could they fly out here to space? They should've died in the extreme cold! Also how can they withstand the lights all over the ship? Both inside and out?! This doesn't make any sense!"
# They seem to be able to withstand it… hold on… DAMN!! That's it! #
" What?! What's going on?!" shouted Jack.
# The container! The container with all of Ogilvie's cargo! The bay that it is in is still open! The creatures are crawling along the hull of the ship and getting in the hole. Smith! They seem to know how to use the decompression chamber… they're filing into it five or six at a time… taking their turns! I thought these creatures weren't supposed to be this smart? #
" They're not!" protested Jack. " They're nothing but stomachs on feet! They don't work together in any noticeable fashion and they even kill each other for food."
# Well, they're working together now! I've just turned on all the lights in OD4 and they're still coming! It's not phasing them whatsoever! I've just informed Terrantor of our situation, and at first the bastards wouldn't believe me! They said that a rescue is on the way right now, but will they be in time? I don't know! Oh lord, they just keep coming! #
Jack whirled as something thumped against the door. Karin screamed, and clutched Ellie tighter to her chest. Jack stared indecisively at the door as Flemings continued to yell through the link.
# What was that?! #
" They're hitting the doors." Answered Jack.
# Are they THAT strong?! Aw, shiiiitt!! They're hitting the doors here too, Smith! Those doors won't hold up for long! What do we do?! Smith?! Are you there?!! What the fuck do we do?! #
" Do you pray?" asked Jack, grimly. " 'Cos now's a good time to learn."
Jack stormed out of the room and headed for the tarp-covered shelter across from the barracks.
~How could they say I'm being unreasonable!? Why can't they understand how alarming this situation was? They know what William Johns had done to the survivors of that crash five and a half years ago on this godforsaken planet, and they shrug off the fact that now that Jack had come back, the murdering bastard's little bro should show up?! I don't think so! Too goddamned fishy and no one else notices?! What the hell is wrong with everyone?!~
She continued the pacing she had started in the room before Dayna and Mara started reprimanding her for her hasty statement at the landing pad. She then gave an exhalation of exasperation and left the shelter, she hopped into her personal sandcat and tore out of the compound in a shower of sand and dust, heading for the excavation site.
The site was about a mile outside of the protected perimeter of the research facility, and by the time it hove into view, Jack's ire had cooled somewhat and she was now having second thoughts about the situation.
~ Maybe I was being unreasonable. ~ she thought, guiltily. ~ I sure as shit wasn't acting like the leader I'm supposed to be. Shit! Why did he have to come here? Just the name 'Johns' sets my teeth on edge, but Mara's right… THIS Johns must've been only fourteen or fifteen when the older Johns had died so horribly on this planet. Maybe he was telling the truth and he really didn't know anything about his corrupted, morphine junkie sib… I'm just not sure! ~
She clambered out of the sandcat and headed to the ramp leading down into the excavation site. Other sites were spread out from this big one straggling out to the left of her… but those were mainly twisted useless hulks that had either corroded to nothing over time, or had been irreparably damaged by the crash. She gazed at the hull of the partially unearthed craft before her and shuddered involuntarily as memories flooded her mind… screams, blood, fear… she unconsciously settled down into a sitting position on the knoll overlooking the site. She pulled her knees in close and rested her forehead on her bent knees as she suddenly started crying.
Jack started as a hand descended on the top of her head. She snapped her head up and twisted to regard an unfamiliar little girl in amazed confusion.
" Don't cwy." Said the little girl mournfully. " Mommy says cwying give you 'cups."
She looked to be about five, maybe six years old. She was so small it was hard to tell. She had a full head of thick, glossy, shoulder length hair that was now both mussed and dusty. Her clothing consisted of a little blue jumpsuit with a long-sleeve white shirt worn under the straps, was a mess with dust, mud, and one ripped knee. As Jack continued her examination of the child, she noticed the girl shifting from one foot to another as though uncomfortable. Jack glanced down to see that her dirty little feet were both scraped and bare on the sun baked ground. Without a second thought, Jack rose with one fluid motion and picked up the child to cradle her in one arm while supporting her weight on the curve of her hip.
" Really?" said Jack, in mock horror. " and what are 'cups?"
The little girl then began an exaggerated jerking of her shoulders.
" 'Cup! 'Cup!" she said, seriously, every time her shoulders came up. " Need pwenty wadah make 'cups go 'way."
Jack laughed delightedly at the little girl's perception of the seriousness of hiccups. Carrying the little girl carefully, Jack made her way back to the sandcat. Hoping that she can keep the tyke talking instead of crying.
" Yes you do." Agreed Jack. " You are so right. What's your name, sweety? And where are your parents?"
" Ewie. " she said, then pointed up to the sky. " My mommy's up dere."
" Ellie?" said Jack, continuing her tone of pleased surprise.
Jack was at first shocked thinking that Ellie meant her mommy was dead and in heaven… but then she realized that she must be the child of one of the residents of the Stellaren… and was instead pointing to the bright dot in the sky that was the spacelab in orbit. Her parents were probably researchers or scientists. Jack was intensely curious as to how the little girl could've made it all the way down here on her own.
" And why aren't you with your mommy?"
She smiled endearingly at the little darling even as the she now seemed ready to throw a fit. Ellie had suddenly frowned, and her little mouth pouted.
" Don't want mommy no more!" she exclaimed heatedly. " Mommy spank me, want new mommy! You wanna be my mommy? You nice."
" Maybe Ellie was bad, and mommy only wanted to teach Ellie a lesson?" said Jack trying to reason with the irate little spitfire.
" No!" shouted Ellie, as tears brimmed in her eyes. " Mommy say Ewie lied, but I not lied… I SAW monstah undah Tammy's bed… I SAW IT!!"
" Okay honey." Soothed Jack. " I believe you… calm down sweety. Who's Tammy? Is she your sister?"
" No." said Ellie distractedly as she noticed Jack's insignias on her uniform and began touching them, running her little fingers over them.
" She Doc Keefs baby. She vewy small, she cwy and 'cups all da time."
" Do you mean Doctor Kiev's little girl?"
Ellie nodded.
"And you saw the monster under her bed? What did it look like?"
Now she had the little girl's attention again, but Jack's heart picked up its pace as she saw the real fear in the little girl's clear brown eyes.
" It vewy dark in Tammy's woom. But I saw cos monstah neah white wall. Have big, flat head, with no eyes."
Jack's blood went cold. It sounded too familiar for comfort. She knew that they had transported some of the creatures that were captured up to the ship, but as far as she knew there were no reports of escapes by any of the four that they were using for research. But then, how could this little girl know what they looked like? She could be making it up. Then again, she could be telling the truth and there could be an infestation on the vessel that no one knew about… seemed impossible, but yet…!
The little girl shivered as she remembered, and continued with her story.
" I scweamed, Tammy waked cos I scweamed, and she scweamed too… then Doc Keef and Missus Keef come in. Doc Keef send me home… he shouted at me 'cos he not see monstah 'fore it ran 'way… I not like Doc Keef. Then mommy hear from Doc Keef and she so angwy with me. But when I tell mommy 'bout monstah she spank me and say I lieded!"
" Aww honey." Said Jack comfortingly. " I'm sure mommy just didn't understand. Why don't you try talking to her again and maybe she will understand this time. Do you really want to leave your mommy forever? Never see her ever and ever again?"
" Don't c…care." said Ellie, hesitantly. " Ewie never lie… I'm good girl. I want mommy but don't want stay up dere no more. Monstah noise too loud. I scaywed of it. But mommy think I lieded!"
Jack settled the little girl into the passenger seat, strapping her in snugly but as comfortably as she could. Then she got into the driver's seat and turned the sandcat around to head back to the facility. She was thinking that maybe she could borrow Kiev's Rapier to take Ellie back to the Stellaren and return her to her mommy. The poor woman must be going mad with worry!
" Make a deal with ya, Ellie." She said, glancing at the little girl with a smile. " If I come home with you and chase that monster away for good, will you forgive your mommy and go back to her?"
" I dunno." Said Ellie… seeming to consider it. " What if you can't? What if da monstah eatchoo?!"
" Then you don't have to worry about our deal!" answered Jack, cheerfully. " 'Cause I won't be around to collect! But don't count on it… I plan to win! So is it a deal?"
" Okay… deal!" beamed Ellie. " But if can't chase 'way, jus' make it shuddup den. Monstah has bad noise, make me dweam cwy… and den I get 'cups."
Jack laughed aloud.
" Okay, sweety, you got it! I'll shut that bed monster up even if I have to tape its mouth shut!"
Ellie laughed cutely for a second but Jack didn't notice the worried look that came over her little face as she turned to look at the passing landscape.
~She's a nice commandah.~ thought Ellie. ~But I don't think she weally believes me. Mommy said if you weally don't evah know what to do, that pwaying to god can help… ~
Ellie's arms broke out in gooseflesh as she remembered the sounds the creature made. Something in those sounds really scared her. Something in the sounds reminded her of that summer when Mommy's dog, Tugger, had been killed. There was just nothing good in that echoing sound… it made her think of hunger… it made her think of death.
Ellie kept her face averted as she closed her eyes and began to quietly pray.
~ Please God… let mommy be okay. Let Tammy and Missus Keef be okay. And please… please god… don't let this vewy nice lady get hurt… uh, amen.~
Chapter 10
Jack had gotten permission to use Kiev's Rapier to return Ellie, but she hated having to ask. Especially when the little man kept grousing about inconveniences and how Ellie was a little brat. She let him gripe all he wanted about the borrowing of his vehicle but she set him straight on Ellie right away. She didn't care that her grip on his shoulder had left bruises on the pallid man. But if she had seen the malevolent glare the man had given her as she walked away, she would've turned back and finished what she started. Wolff noticed however, and he watched the scientist with a grim expression for a couple of minutes. Returning his attention to the poker game he had going with the other members of the Pack, Wolff thought to himself.
~ Better keep an eye on that fucker… something don't smell right. ~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jack watched as the dark-haired woman embraced Ellie with a hug that was almost fierce in her obvious relief. Then Jack smirked knowingly as the woman pulled the girl back to arm's length and shook her gently while admonishing her.
" I have been looking all over the ship for you… we ALL have! Why did you do it, Ellie? Where did you go?!"
Ellie looked despairingly at Jack, and her mother also turned her questioning gaze on her.
" Hi…" she greeted Jack. " Forgive my rudeness, I was just so happy to see my Ellie again. I'm Doctor Karin Lerner. And as you know, this is my daughter, Ellen. We all call her Ellie."
Jack smiled in reassurance, and motioned the pair over to an unoccupied room just off the main hall.
" I thought you might want to hear this in private." She explained. " I also have some questions for you if you don't mind?"
" No… no of course I don't mind." Said Karin. " Thank you so much for taking care of her and bringing her back up. Oh, it just gives me the shakes to think that she was actually down there… where all those things came from!"
" I'm okay mommy. It was sunny time… no monstahs!" piped Ellie who had discovered the resilience of a nearby couch, and was now bouncing happily on it.
" Yah, I wanted to ask you about that. Ellie said that she saw the creature, and that she saw it under the bed of Kiev's little girl, Tammy… why would she say that? Unless she really did see it? Could it be possible for one of those things are loose on the ship?"
" My Ellie doesn't usually lie, which is why I was so upset by this one." Karin said, sadly. " But there is no way one of them could've gotten on this ship without us knowing… and all the creatures in research are still there and accounted for! I don't know what my girl saw but she must've just imagined it."
" Has Ellie ever seen pictures of the creatures? Any drawings, or sketches maybe?"
" No of course not!" she denied, stoutly. " Stuff like that would only give children of Ellie's age, nightmares… I would never have allowed it!"
" So how does she know exactly what they look like?"
" She does? She never told me that!"
" You nevoh let me, mommy." Said Ellie who was now sitting on the couch, watching the two ladies talking.
" Oh honey." Karin said sadly as she sat beside Ellie, and pulled her over to sit on her lap. " I'm so sorry for not believing you. Please forgive mommy?"
" Yes…okay…" said Ellie gravely. " but doan do it again!"
Jack and Karin laughed at the little girl's warning and Karin hugged her close. Jack's laughter trailed off, as it finally hit her that they now had a very serious problem. Karin seemed to realize it too, 'cause she was now looking worriedly over the top of Ellie's head at Jack.
" We gotta warn everybody." She said. " What if one of those things ARE loose on the ship? It has been weird that security has been reporting deserters in their ranks. Maybe they didn't desert?"
" When was this?" asked Jack. " How come I was never told about it?"
" I don't know." Answered Karin. " But I think they were planning on getting you to hunt them down as soon as things were done here. It was just assumed that they had hitched rides down to the planet and are hiding out.
" That's ridiculous. They know they can't survive down there without a light and power source strong enough to last the whole eighteen hours of darkfall. Terrantor Facility is the only one that has that down there, and it is too well guarded by my teams to be able to get in undetected."
" Maybe you're right." Murmured Karin. " So what happened to them?"
" How long has these 'desertions' been going on?" asked Jack.
" Going on nearly three weeks."
" SHIT!" shouted Jack. " FUCK!… someone should've told me about them since day one! I am in charge of this whole mission, even things here on the goddamned ship!"
" Why? What's wrong? I think security just didn't want to bother you with stuff that is so commonplace. This happens a lot on visits to other planets."
" Yes, Karin…" explained Jack. " visits to planets that are already settled and colonized by humans but no explorer is gonna defect on an alien planet… especially knowing that there are carnivorous night stalkers… and when there is such a long period of darkfalls. They were probably taken by the first infestation of the creatures. We need to find out how they got in here and fast before things go wrong!"
" Too late." Said Ellie, as she cocked her head to one side as if hearing something.
Just then, screams and panicked running out in the Main Hall, made both women jump to their feet. Alarms went off out in the hall and the red light over the door turned on, bathing the room in a pulsing red light. Then they all heard it as the screams and running died down.
^woooooooo…WOOooooo…. WoooooOOO^
Jack froze as the hated sound from her nightmares reverberated around the room.
" What the hell was that?!" shouted Karin, clutching Ellie tightly to her.
" It's the monstah!" said Ellie knowingly.
" It's a lot of monsters, honey." Said Jack, as she continued to listen. " And that's how they see Doctor… they use echolocation. "
" Oh yah, right. I forgot." Said Karin weakly. " Come here, Ellie."
The little girl complied… practically running to her mother.
Jack hurried to the door of the room and used her security code to lock out the panel, and then she locked the manual bolts.
She dropped to one knee and pulled the hidden pistol out of her boot. She pulled the ammo clip for it out of her other boot and slapped it home into the gun. Placing the gun on the floor she unzipped her flight suit and slipped out of it to reveal another suit underneath that was more figure hugging. The big suit had also concealed the bandoleers of her collection of shivs that crisscrossed her chest and back. The straps also held more ammo for the pistol. Karin stared open-mouthed with shock, at the walking arsenal that Jack had become in a matter of seconds.
Suddenly the comm panel next to the door dinged softly.
# Commander Smith? Doctor Lerner! Are you there?! # asked an unknown voice that came over the speaker.
" Flemings! We're here! Help us!" called Karin.
Jack now recognized the voice Corporal Flemings… the head navigator for the Stellaren.
" Where are you calling from?" asked Jack.
# The bridge.# He answered. # They've got us penned up here and the rest are all closed off in small pockets all over the ship. The lower deck workers are okay, all access down there has been cut off but the groups hiding on this upper level are in trouble. Surveillance says that the creatures are coming through that hole we sustained from some space debris in Observation Deck 4, last month. The hole was never repaired due to lack of supplies. The crew started work on it a week ago, working in zero gee. They must've got in the decompression chamber somehow without anyone seeing. #
" Wait." Said Jack. " How could that be? How could they fly out here to space? They should've died in the extreme cold! Also how can they withstand the lights all over the ship? Both inside and out?! This doesn't make any sense!"
# They seem to be able to withstand it… hold on… DAMN!! That's it! #
" What?! What's going on?!" shouted Jack.
# The container! The container with all of Ogilvie's cargo! The bay that it is in is still open! The creatures are crawling along the hull of the ship and getting in the hole. Smith! They seem to know how to use the decompression chamber… they're filing into it five or six at a time… taking their turns! I thought these creatures weren't supposed to be this smart? #
" They're not!" protested Jack. " They're nothing but stomachs on feet! They don't work together in any noticeable fashion and they even kill each other for food."
# Well, they're working together now! I've just turned on all the lights in OD4 and they're still coming! It's not phasing them whatsoever! I've just informed Terrantor of our situation, and at first the bastards wouldn't believe me! They said that a rescue is on the way right now, but will they be in time? I don't know! Oh lord, they just keep coming! #
Jack whirled as something thumped against the door. Karin screamed, and clutched Ellie tighter to her chest. Jack stared indecisively at the door as Flemings continued to yell through the link.
# What was that?! #
" They're hitting the doors." Answered Jack.
# Are they THAT strong?! Aw, shiiiitt!! They're hitting the doors here too, Smith! Those doors won't hold up for long! What do we do?! Smith?! Are you there?!! What the fuck do we do?! #
" Do you pray?" asked Jack, grimly. " 'Cos now's a good time to learn."