Terrenia
Terrenia
by
Eric Bonholtzer
The acrid smell of rotting flesh assailed Micha as he stepped on board the shuttle. The rancid stench was pungently strong and in the narrow confines of the ship‘s docking bay, Micha felt overwhelmed. The young scientist felt the bile rise in the back of his throat as he took one cautious step into the corridor. All his instincts screamed at him to run away, to turn tail and get the off the Terrenia as fast as possible because obviously whatever had happened here was something terrible, but Micha had little choice in the matter. He’d been careless with his fuel supply. Routine is the mother of laziness, Micha thought bitterly, trying to peer through the darkness engulfing the docking bay corridor and discern what was causing that horrid smell, even though he had a pretty good idea what it was. The comlink had registered no significant signs of human activity in the two hours he spent monitoring the seemingly deserted ship, debating on whether or not to dock, and attempts to reaching the Terrenia via holocom were met with no reply. If I’d only checked the fuel chips before I left... Micha thought, and shook his head. He’d been on his way home, a well-deserved return trip after a year studying the habitation possibilities of a newly discovered planet when things had gone wrong. His ship, the Lexington, had unexpectedly run low on power. Despair had filled him instantly and then, as if appearing out of now where, Micha had spotted a ship. The Terrenia, a huge vessel floating inexplicably in open space, locked into dormant orbit as if waiting for something or someone to come aboard.
Micha swore beneath his breath and wished, for the fifth time since entering, that he hadn’t jerry-rigged the low-charge battery cells in his flashlights for the extra boost of power to needed to link up to the Terrenia. Monitoring the ship and the failed communications attempts had left his ship as dark as the Terrenia, and there was nothing that Micha wouldn’t have given for a flashlight right now. Yeah, but if I hadn’t cannibalized the batteries I’d probably still be floating around out in the middle of nothing space just waiting for a black hole to swallow me up, Micha rationalized. And if the atmosphere generator had gone out... Micha shuddered at the thought. He’d heard stories.
Realizing that he wasn’t doing anything productive by standing in the bulkhead, and knowing that the sooner he found a power cell the sooner he could go home, Micha entered the corridor. He cautiously felt his way along the sides of the hall, the walls cold and sterile beneath his hands. If Micha had to guess, he would have said that the ship was a military vessel, judging by how austere the interior felt beneath his fingers. Micha hoped it was, having spent some time in the service and knowing that most military ships had a similar layout. He searched for the light console three steps in from the bulkhead and fortune seemed to be on his side as he came in contact with the squat metal contraption that controlled atmosphere conditions. Holding his breath and hoping that he hadn’t left one relatively safe space ship with no power for another obviously dangerous one with no power either, Micha keyed in his commands. His worries proved unfounded as the lights flickered and then came to life with a dim incandescent glow. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust, but when he did he saw that he had been right, the Terrenia was a indeed military vessel, evident from the markings and dress of the numerous corpses lining the hall. The fact that he had been correct was little consolation in wake of the intense terror that gripped the young scientist as he took in the massacre. He looked the hallway up and down, his eyes taking in every ghastly detail, the dismembered bodies of Marines bathed in an eerie blue glow.
Orange sparks flew from broken wires and lines where metal paneling from the wall had been hacked apart, and Micha cringed as one of the burning embers landed on his exposed skin. What happened here? Micha wondered with fascination and dread. All the corpses seemed to share another common factor besides their military status. It was the horrible way in which they had been killed, their bodies mangled into positions that would have even made a contortionist cringe. At first, Micha had thought there might have been some type of virus or contamination on board, but when he checked the purification sensors built into his wrist band along with a universal positioning system, holo-map, and translator, he found the air clear.
Micha knelt to examine a corpse, the scientist in him puzzled by the sunken and withered texture of the skin, images of spending too long in a bathtub coming to mind. Lifting one of the bony protrusions that had once been someone’s arm, Micha figured out why the corpses had such a mummified appearance, but the answer only brought more questions and greater fear. The bodies had been drained of their blood, four deep ragged gashes in each victim seeming to be the likely draining point. Micha shuttered when he thought of what kind of creature had the capability to wreak such carnage, finding himself both amazed and horrified. They say some tribesmen drain blood on the Outback worlds, but whatever did this was able to take down a whole military regiment.
Withdrawing his Personal Assistant Computer, or PAC, he held the compact device next to the corpse and scanned the body. None of the information seemed good. The estimated time of death was just eight hours earlier which suggested that whatever killed the Marines was probably still nearby. The electronic sensor also indicated that the gashes had come from “an unidentifiable entity.” Very helpful, Micha thought sarcastically as he put the computer away, wishing he had a gun. But then again I’m sure most of these guys had guns and whatever killed them was still powerful enough to take them out…
A faint noise brought Micha from his investigation, the steady rhythmic beat of foot falls on metal grating, coming from around a corner. Micha cringed as he realized the sound was getting closer. His stomach clenched and fantasies of running to his ship and slamming the door closed raced through his head. But whatever was coming was too fast, and his ship was too far away. I won’t make it, he thought, swallowing hard and looking for something to defend himself, a piece of steel or some jagged scrap metal, but came up with nothing.
By now the sound had become almost deafening, the repetitive thud reverberating against the walls. A glint of metal, half obscured by a corpse, caught Micha’s eye as he searched, and his heart raced as he bent down for a closer look. Almost not believing his good luck, Micha quickly grabbed the polymer laser pistol and took aim. Despite what he had thought earlier, the weapon was a reassuring weight in his hand, whether or not it could hurt whatever was coming. I just hope there’s a charge left. If there is, I might still have a chance. Checking the meter, a flashing green light told him the weapon was still at full energy capacity. Terrifying thoughts filled Micha’s head as he realized that the unfired weapon probably meant the Marine was killed before he’d even been able to get a shot off. That meant whatever was out there was fast, very fast. Micha pushed the terrifying thoughts from his mind, knowing they weren’t going to help anything. Spying a huge pipe that had been wrenched loose from the wall, Micha ducked behind it, the metal providing some cover, and the young scientist hoped the scant protection would at least let him get a shot off.
Micha’s sweaty palm clinched the pistol in a death-like grip and he watched as a black figure emerged from the darkness. It was a blur of fur and claws coming at him from the shadows, seeming impossibly fast, but the mewing sound it made as it emerged stayed Micha’s trigger finger. A faint corner of his mind told him he wasn’t in any immediate danger and the scientist was able to realize that his ‘monster’ was nothing more than a cat, probably bought along for companionship during the long months in deep space. “Ah, kitty, you nearly got melted into a fur ball. Poor thing, you’re probably just as scared as I am.” Micha felt somehow comforted by his new friend, the thought that he was no longer alone giving him a little relief. “I’m going to take you with me, kitty. It’ll be nice to have the company.”
The cat nuzzled Micha’s leg as they ventured deeper into the hull of the ship, seemingly excited and comforted by a new human presence. I don’t blame it, I’m glad to have company too. The scientist was cautious as they went, his polymer pistol leading the way as every room they passed was checked, Micha taking no chances. He shuddered at the thought of being surprised. Especially when that thing is so fast. In each of the rooms Micha found only the same senseless carnage and destruction he’d seen all throughout the ship, mangled bodies and torn metal with sparks flying everywhere. The kitty hissed as an ember charred its fur, and Micha rubbed it gently.
The pair made their way from the docking bay and the dorms down to the bridge, Micha feeling more comfortable with the layout of the ship as he made each turn, however, despite it all, he couldn’t help but feel like he was being lured, sucked deeper into the dark heart of the Terrenia. Micha found the ship’s control room barely visible through deep pockets of shadow proliferating the room, the wiring apparently too badly damaged to provide any descent light. Suddenly, Micha couldn’t breathe as a hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed his throat. Micha recoiled in horror as he felt the cold pressure, the cat hissing and throwing itself at the unseen attacker but doing little good, save for adding to the confusion. Gasping, Micha struggled against assailant, trying desperately to get the hand off his windpipe as his vision began to blur. Another pale, corpse-like hand joined the first in choking off Micha’s air. The scientist felt lightheaded and faint, knowing he couldn’t last much longer. Micha kicked out, even as he clutched at the hands, but the fingers did not relent, the attacker somehow able to stay out of reach. Using his pistol, Micha fired at where he guessed the head of the attacker would be, but still the pressure still didn’t stop. Firing off several more shots and getting no effect, Micha pointed the gun at one of the half-exposed arms and fired. He was greeted by a satisfying squeal of pain as the laser blast bit through flesh.
The hands lost their grip and Micha took advantage of the situation, hammer-locking the attacker’s arms and falling back into the hall, dragging the assailant with him. He wasted no time, jamming the gun into the attacker’s stomach. Micha didn’t pull the trigger, though he kept his finger tight on it, wanting to know all he could about the Terrenia and what had happened before he killed the only source of information he had. The scientist didn’t lower the gun even when he realized that the person who attacked him was a Marine. “Start talking before I superheat your insides,” Micha grunted, hoping it sounded fierce.
“I thought you were it. I was just trying get revenge...” The man cried out in obvious agony, unable to finish as he clutched his wounded limb, his eyes seeming unfocused. The scientist in Micha knew the man didn’t have much longer to live, the Marine seeming impossibly gaunt and pale. It was amazing that the man was even alive at all, judging from his obvious lack of blood. It accounted for why the Marine hadn’t shown up on the scans Micha had run on the Terrenia. He was almost dead anyway. Swallowing hard, the man spoke, his voice coming out harsh and strained. “I wouldn’t let it come back and finish the job without a fight.”
“I thought you were whatever’s been killing the crew,” Micha explained, still wary. He needed more information. Being careful, Micha rolled the Marine off of him but still kept the gun trained. It didn’t really seem necessary as the soldier slumped on the grating, but Micha was taking no chances. “Who are you?”
“What’s left,” said the dying Marine, his voice barely a whisper. “I don’t have much time, but I’ll tell you what I can. I was hanging on, hoping you were that creature, so I could take it with me. But it’s not my responsibility anymore, I’m already late for a date at a better place.” The Marine mustered a faint smile. “You must kill it, and...” He stopped to cough, violently, hacking up blood as he did. “Is that why you’ve come…with a battalion to kill the beast?”
Knowing he had nothing to gain by lying, Micha answered truthfully. “No, actually I’m just stranded. I need a new fuel energy cell. Where’s the supply bay? And more importantly what is this ‘it’ you keep talking of? Is that what killed the crew?”
“The mainframe computer will give you directions to the bay. As for ‘it’, well, I don’t know what ‘it’ is.” The Marine’s words were hesitant, obviously taking tremendous effort to speak as the words bled with agony. Micha leaned over, pulling out a stimulant from his medpac. The Marine’s situation was hopeless, but at least the drugs would take away some of the pain. Micha knew he had to keep the soldier alive long enough to get the information he needed. After a few seconds, as the Marine’s eyes seemed to come back into focus, he started speaking again, his voice chemically enhanced and stronger.
“We were scouting on Teregon…Jones picked up a parasite. Killed him in an hour. Couldn’t do anything to save him. There wasn’t time. We brought the body back to the ship and then the blood disappeared. That’s when Jones’ corpse got up and attacked us. Took out Meyers and Rice. Only it wasn’t Jones any more. It was the parasite. We tried to reason with it, but its bright red eyes just glared with hate. It didn’t even speak, but when it opened its mouth all that was left was jagged teeth. The nails were long and sharp, claws, and Jones’ body was bigger than before, his hair falling out right in front of us as his skin turned red.” The Marine turned to stare at Micha, his eyes focusing, seeming ashamed. “I ran. If I’d have known I would have tried to kill it right there, but no one knew. With each kill it got more powerful...It killed the captain and the rest. Flung me across the room when it found me again, bit my chest, and started draining my blood. Only Sanders interrupted the job, running in all gung-ho and opening fire. I thought you were it...coming back....”
Micha shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. “What caused it? What is this thing? Why didn’t I see it when I came here?” He didn’t want to overwhelm the dying man, but he had to know.
“It was the parasite. A mutated organism. Computer couldn‘t identify it. It can change the cell makeup of the host it infects. That’s why Jones changed right before our eyes. It must have lived off the blood of its victims.” Micha glanced down as the cat nuzzled against his leg.
“That accounts for all the drained corpses in the hall,” Micha interjected.
“Yeah. Why you didn’t see it when you came in, I don’t know. It’s probably still behind you, so you should be able to make it to the supply bay without it catching you. But getting back’s gonna be the hard part. Listen,” there was an urgency in the dying Marine’s voice that made Micha lean closer, “I need you to promise before you go you’ll blow the ship.”
The young scientist nodded. “I will.”
“Good. The self-destruct code is Tepplecore.” He stared off into space for a second and then his eyes focused on something. His face went ashen and he backed up against the wall mumbling in terror. “It’s near. Oh no, get away from here, its so close. Aggggghhh....”
Micha raised his pistol and scanned the room, terror gripping his chest, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary, no sound or movement, nothing to account for the Marine’s sudden frenzy. Micha wondered if the man was having a reaction to the drugs. “Where?” Micha asked, but it was too late. The Marine was dead.
With fear gnawing at him, Micha set out, taking one cautious step after another, sometimes feeling the reassuring presence of his feline companion as the cat rubbed up against his leg. Micha crossed the floor of the Bridge with trepidation filling his every move. It seemed to take agonizingly long to withdraw a fiberoptic cable from his PAC and interface with the ship’s mainframe. A bright green holographic image appeared before him, and Micha could see that several systems were off-line, obviously damaged in the struggle. The young scientist entered his commands quickly, wanting to finish as soon as possible. After wading through menu after menu, Micha accessed the override control. Reasoning that he would probably be on the run when he returned, or dead and not coming back at all, Micha decided to activate the code before he searched for the fuel chips. He entered the self-destruct sequence, giving himself fifteen minutes to clear the ship. An automated androgynous voice resounded through the intercom, stating the time left to detonation, “Fifteen minutes and counting...”
Micha turned and ran down the path toward the supply bay, his feline companion close behind. Everything was dark, with only a faint blue haze lighting the way. It seemed as if this section of the Terrenia had been more substantially damaged. The sound of Micha’s booted feet on the grating sounded ominously loud in his ears, and once again he found himself wishing for something more powerful than his current armament as he traversed the dimly lit passageways. The young scientist made it the entire way without incident, arriving at the supply bay with surprising ease.
Still cautious, Micha entered the room with his pistol drawn, scanning the dim light for any sign of movement. It only took him a second of searching to find a viable fuel cell. It was a spare, an old and battered one, but it would do. Micha just hoped it had enough power left to get him to home, but, he reasoned, anywhere he ended up was better than here and he certainly didn‘t want to take the time to look for another one. Just as he was about to leave, a workbench in the corner caught his eye and he approached to investigate, spying something that could be used as a weapon lying upon it. His heart fluttered in excitement when he realized just what he was seeing. On the workbench sat a single fusion cutter, a tool primarily used for quarrying or emergency extractions, the cutter’s destructive ability was unparalleled. Maybe it’s powerful enough to bring down that beast, Micha thought hopefully, a dark part of his mind now actively seeking a showdown. The fusion cutter used an intense laser beam refracted through rare crystals and harnessed with mirrors, the magnified beam infused in a long carbonate rod which was the cutting surface.
Finding the switch, Micha powered up his new weapon. A searing, almost painfully bright flame emanated from the carbonate as the tool came to life. The illumination would be both a boon and a detriment, providing Micha with a good light source, but also creating a blazon beacon alerting the creature to his presence. He remembered what the Marine had said about the beast’s red eyes, an indication of night vision, and Micha knew that the advantages of a fusion cutter far outweighed the disadvantages. Taking a deep breath, admiring his new weapon, Micha prepared to set out for his escape.
His pace was hurried as he stepped from the storage chamber and Micha took care to avoid the scattered debris lining the corridor, knowing a fall could be fatal with the fusion cutter’s intense beam. His feline companion, who had been wandering almost absently around the storage chamber while Micha completed his search, now took to Micha’s heels with the same hurried determination as the young scientist. The androgynous voice of the ship’s control came again through the overhead speakers, telling Micha he had five minutes left until the Terrenia self-destructed. Micha made his way through the Bridge and back to the dormitories without encountering anything out of the ordinary. The young scientist was even beginning to think that he might just make it out of the nightmare ship alive when he hit the corridor leading back to the docking bay. The lights were completely out, with no illumination the entire length of the hall except for bright almost painful glow of the fusion cutter, and Micha’s unease increased tenfold.
That was when the rumbling started. At first it was a slight sound, like a low growl, but within seconds it intensified to a cacophonous roar that shook the very hall itself. Micha found himself growing dizzy and disorientated as a strange presence seemed to envelop him, invading his mind. It was like a palpable miasma of malaise filling his very pores. “What the...” Micha was unable to complete the thought.
“You are more resourceful than the others.” An ominous voice resounded, not one he could hear with his ears but one intruding on his very mind, hammering at his psyche. “They were weak, but you are...something else. I’ve been watching you. You will make a worthy adversary. I shall enjoy feasting upon your fiery blood.”
Micha glanced around in terror but, despite his frantic searching, he couldn’t tell where the horrible voice was coming from. He expected to be set upon at any second, but the anticipated attack did not come. “Who are you?” he shouted.
“A being just like you, except I am one of a kind. The first of my line, but rest assured there will be more. I see you are different as well, superior to the others, in mind and resource. That’s why I have let you live so far. To observe. I shall grow strong from your blood. It’s a pity I will have to kill you.”
Micha continued his search of the darkness, using his fusion cutter to light the way, knowing the creature could be lurking anywhere. “Where are you?!” he screamed again.
As if in response, Micha’s feline companion gave a soft purr. Micha glanced down at the kitty, as if to quiet it, and nearly jumped back when he saw the cat’s eyes. They were flaming red, bright and intense as the Marine had said. Suddenly, as Micha swung the fusion cutter to strike the feline down the creature ducked back into the shadows, beginning its mutation as it did. Through the darkness, Micha could see the cat growing to enormous proportions, its legs lengthening and the hair covering its body falling away to reveal corded muscles beneath. It’s mouth expanded, going wide, and the exposed fangs extended, becoming thick as tusks. The transformation took only a matter of seconds, and Micha found it impossible not to watch.
Breaking the hypnotizing hold, Micha took a backward step. The creature did not hesitate, leaping after him and seizing the offensive. Micha’s instincts barely saved him as he pressed himself flat against the wall, allowing the creature to pass by, feeling sickening wetness as part of the mucus-like sheen covering it rubbed against his skin. The alien thing was fast, already rearing up for another charge. But this time, Micha stifled his surprise and revulsion, dropping to the ground in a defensive crouch. The creature leapt high, repeating its earlier tact and Micha capitalized on its mistake. With searing heat, the fusion cutter blade flew in a wide arc, digging into the body of the beast, the white-hot carbonate doing serious damage.
The creature uttered a painful squeal and fell into a ragged heap. Micha’s relief was short-lived, however, and he watched, transfixed, as the large gash in the beast’s stomach seemed to suture itself, the muscle incredibly re-growing. Not waiting for the creature to heal itself and come after him again, Micha took off running. The open bulkhead airlock leading to his ship was only ten feet away, but it seemed like it was world’s away. “Resourceful to the end.” the creature’s voice came again, invading his head, the pressure pounding. A backward glance revealed that the alien being was once again whole and already giving chase. The resounding footfalls were painfully loud, and gaining. Micha knew the creature was almost upon him. As if to give voice to his thoughts, the horrible beast taunted Micha in his own head, “Now you die, human!”
An angry rumble shook the hall and Micha lost his footing, nearly falling to the floor. He caught himself just in time, but the rancid smell of fetid breath just behind him alerted Micha to the creature‘s proximity. With a burst of speed he didn’t think possible, Micha made the last few steps in a sprint, darting through the airlock bulkhead and slamming the heavy steel door behind him. The alien beast, unable to stop its momentum, slammed into the metal with a resounding thud and Micha could see the indentation the monstrous body made on the door..
“Nooooo!!!!” The creature cried in agony, trying to pound Micha’s mind into submission. A fierce rumble knocked Micha to the ground, but his will was stronger pushing the alien presence from his mind. Quickly replacing the fuel cell, Micha wasting no time in severing his ship from the horror that was the Terrenia and blasting off at full speed.
Micha’s small ship tore from the Terrenia like a bolt of lightning, and within a minute of his departure, the large military vessel exploded in a massive inferno of flame and steel. Micha had the luxury of watching as the blazing conflagration faded into non-existence with the absence of air in space. The Lexington shook with the mighty force of the blast, but Micha was able to looked back on the nothingness with the exhilaration of one who had just survived a near-death encounter, knowing he had triumphed over scourge from a far off world. “I probably saved the human race,” he thought with an arrogant sense of self-satisfaction. “I’m a hero.“ When the online computer asked Micha for his destination, he breathed a sigh of contentment and relief, and uttered the simple words, “Home, I’m going home.”
Hours later, when fatigue and exhaustion finally overtook Micha and he laid down to rest, he thought he heard a familiar alien voice nagging at the edge of his consciousness. Knowing he was safely in the hands of the autopilot and probably in the wake of post-traumatic stress, Micha shrugged it off, dreams of the beaches he would visit filling his head as he drifted off to sleep. Micha awoke with a start as those pleasant thoughts soon turned into agonizing nightmares with visions of his lush home world burning. Glancing around frantically and seeing only the familiar comfort of his own spacecraft, Micha mumbled quietly, “It was just a dream,” as he went back to bed. Returning to his dreams, he thought he heard the voice again, repeating his very thoughts, “Home, I’m going home...” Little did he know, an unexpected parasitic passenger clung to his ship even as he fell into a relaxed slumber. “Home, I’m going home...”
Eric Bonholtzer 4700 words
916 W. Foothill Blvd., Unit B © Eric Bonholtzer
Monrovia, California 91016
(626) 482-9615
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