Airlock Read online

irlock

  by

  Steven Zelko

  Copyright © 2015 by Steven Zelko

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  First Printing, 2015

  Steven Zelko

  15 Kerang Ave,

  Reservoir, VIC, Australia 3073

  https://www.stevenzelko.com

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  “954 metres and closing, Captain.”

  “Do we have a probable impact point?”

  “Starboard side. In or around Section 7.”

  The Captain turned his gaze from the screens to look out the portal immediately to his right. The darkness returned little but his foggy reflection on this glass. He studied himself for a moment before speaking.

  “Nothing for it.” He reached down to the controls on his chair. His voice came over the ship. “Lock down the sections 5 through 8, prepare emergency procedures and brace for impact.” He sat back into the chair behind the Executive Officer’s shoulder.

  The Executive Officer removed her hand from the steering controls, reached to her chest and checked that her harness was secure, then reached forward again. Above the panel that was monitoring the trajectory of the oncoming objects, a view screen lit up revealing the face of the ship’s science officer.

  “Captain, Section 7 is contained and I am standing by.”

  “Good. I want a status report as soon as it has hit.”

  The Executive Officer spoke without turning.

  “722 metres, Captain.”

  One of the smaller meteoroids collided with the ship towards the bow of Section 7. None of the three-man crew were injured.

  The panel lit up with the Science Officer’s face.

  “Captain, from earliest estimates, panels E17 through E56, F15 through F58, and G18 through G55 have been damaged. The haul is intact and air lock has not been compromised but any acceleration could change that.”

  “Your recommendation?”

  “Visual assessment and reconstruction if possible, sir.”

  The captain paused for the moment.

  “Noted. Carry on with monitoring and report any status change.”

  The Executive Officer turned from the wheel to face her commanding officer. He rose from his seat and headed for the hatch door behind his chair.

  “Decompress the airlock.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  The Captain raised the arm on his suit and studied the info panel. Compression was normal, oxygen levels were maximum, only was heart rate elevated. The Executive Officer’s voice came over his headset.

  “Airlock is ready, sir.”

  The Captain turned his gaze from the monitors and stepped forward towards the door panel.

  “Entering airlock.”

  The Executive Officer watched as the captain entered the Airlock and then reactivated the door. She reached forward and pressed two of the options on the touchscreen panel. Inside the Airlock the captain felt his body sink as the air left the room.”

  “Room secure, Captain.

  “Commencing walk. Report any imminent status changes, else keep coms silent.”

  “Aye, Captain.” Replied both the officers.

  The Captain entered his code for the outer door of the Airlock and it opened revealing the utter blackness surrounding the craft.

  The Executive Officer watched as the Captain eased himself out, floated to the right of the ship and out of view of the external camera. On the screen above the monitor appeared the face of the Science Officer.

  “External monitoring indicates air levels are normal in S7 and holding.”

  “Confirmed.” She replied as she brought up the sensor data on the panel.

  “Do we have a visual on the walk?”

  The Executive Officer reordered the panels on the screen. All external cameras appeared but none with the Captain on them.

  “No visuals. S7 is black.”

  As she watched the closest camera monitoring Section 7, a shadow entered the frame from the left of the external camera monitoring the Airlock.

  “Status, Captain?” The Executive Officer stared directly at the monitors with the pressure information for Section 7 on them. After a moment her eyes lifted as she waited for a reply.

  “I say again, Captain, walk status?”

  Silence filled her headset. Her hands darted forward and she brought up the camera for the Science Officer’s current location.

  “Do you have a visual on the walk?” She said as she stared out the starboard portal.

  The Science Officer looked up at the camera.

  “No visual from my current location. Do you want me to adjust?”

  The Executive Officer brought up the ship’s schematic on the monitor. She scanned Section 7 and the surrounding possible vantage points of the collision location.

  “Negative. No eyes available.”

  In front of the Executive Officer the panel lit up red. She reached forward and and brought up the warning. The message read “Airlock: Incorrect Access Code.” She brought up the camera monitoring the outside of the airlock. There were nothing. Her eyes grew wide.

  “Captain?”

  “Here.” The Captain’s voice came over the Executive Officer’s headset.

  She looked back at the monitor for the camera located on the outside of the airlock.

  “Yes, XO? Is there a new status to report?”

  She flicked the view back to the camera inside of the airlock and then back out again, then scrolled back to the error message.

  “Captain, did you just try to access the airlock?”

  The face of Science Officer appeared on the monitor.

  “Panels E17 through F58 repaired.”

  The Executive Officer’s hand darted to bring up the camera viewing the Science Officer.

  “The Captain is still working outside the ship?”

  Confusion crossed the Science Officer’s face.

  “Yes.” He squinted. “Repairs are almost done.”

  The Captain’s voice entered the Executive Officer’s headset again.

  “The remaining panels will need more work but should be repairable without a return work.”

  The Executive Officer stared at the monitor with the external airlock again and abruptly shook her head.

  “Great, sir. Levels inside Section 7 are normal and holding.”

  As she spoke, a shadow passed by the portal to her right.

  The Executive Officer flicked the viewing monitor back to the vitals of the Captain’s compression suit. She brought up the view of the Science Officer on the monitor.

  “The Captain might need to make a second trip. His heart rate has slowed but his quencher is done.”

  The Science Officer thought for a moment.

  “I would advise for a second trip, but that is his call. We should wait and see how those last series of panels fair.”

  The corner of the viewing monitor lit up red again. The Executive Officer dragged it into the main view. The error message read: Airlock: Incorrect Access Code. The Executive Officer blinked with confusion.

  Quickly she dragged the Airlock external camera into view. As she did, the figure of the Captain was exiting the frame, only his right leg was visible.


  “Captain…?” She sat back in her chair before continuing and caught her breath. “Are you... making a return journey?”

  “Shouldn’t be necessary, although these last few panels are significantly more damaged than the rest.”

  “But, Captain, did you just return to the ship?” The Executive Officer voice showed signs of panic.

  “Negative. Haven’t left Section 7 since taking a walk.”

  “Respectfully, sir, as the medical officer for the mission, I would recommend you make two trips.” The Science Officer interjected before the Executive Officer could find her question.

  “Sir, are you sure you didn’t just come back to the Airlock?”

  There was moment before any reply came.

  “I haven’t returned to the airlock. What is the issue?”

  The Executive Officer took a deep breath and flicked the external camera back on to the main monitor. She exhaled her resignation.

  “Sir, I’ve had two error messages about incorrect codes being input into the airlock external door.”

  The communication’s channel went silent. The Science Officer’s face appeared on the monitor and looked at the camera at the Executive Officer.

  “Perhaps it was damaged in the collision?”

  Relief crossed the Executive Officer’s face.

  “Panels G48 through G55 show signs of cratering. The hit must have been direct.” The Captain’s voice sounded ragged.

  The Executive Officer brought up his vitals on the information monitor. His hydration pack was completely empty and his heart rate was slightly elevated. She dialled in the Science Officer’s camera.

  “The Captain’s quencher is out and his HR is up.”

  “He needs to get back inside before he passes out.” The Science Officer brought up a panel on the monitor in front of him. “Captain, I recommend getting back inside immediately.”

  No response came back.

  “Captain, I say again. Return to the ship.”

  Again no response came back. The Executive Officer dialled in the camera array on the monitor. There was no movement.

  “I have no visual on him.”

  The Science Officer looked up at the camera with fear.

  “Captain?

  As he spoke, the figure of the Captain moved into view from the left side of the airlock camera external camera. The Executive Officer quickly dialled it into fullscreen.

  “Captain? I have a visual on you.”

  The Science Officer was still staring at the camera.

  “He is at the airlock?”

  The Executive Officer watched as the figure drifted to the panel slowly.

  “Captain? Are you okay?”

  No reply came.

  “He is drifting. It might be he is close to passing out.”

  “Bring him in. I will meet him at the entrance to the Airlock.” The Science Officer rushed out of view of the camera.

  “Captain, can you hear me? I am decompressing the chamber.”

  The Executive Officer watched as the body of the Captain pressed against the door to the airlock. She brought up the screen with the panel and entered her code. On the monitor above her, the figure of the Science Officer moved quickly through the ship. He was just reaching the interior side of the airlock as the external door began to open. As it did, the body of the Captain went stiff and he looked straight up at the camera. His eyes were as dark as the space behind him and swirled like ink. The Executive Officer let out silent scream.

  The figure of the Captain screamed through the airlock and the caught the Science Officer at entrance to the ship.

  “No!” The Executive Officer screamed as she watched the Captain transfigure and disappear into the body of the Science Officer. The Science Officer’s hands began to claw the front of his suit where he had been entered but abruptly his spine snapped back and he convulsed.

  “Help me!” His hands reached behind him, the fingers of his suit gripping behind his neck, desperately reaching for the pain in his back.

  The Executive Officer watched in shock as suit containing the Science Officer went limp.

  “... Captain?” She managed after a few shallow breaths.

  The body of Science Officer contorted at the sound then abruptly his neck snapped around and two ink-black eyes stared up at the camera monitoring the holding area before the airlock. The Executive Officer air fled her lungs. The Science Officer’s head twitched to the side and his eyes stared through the camera. The Executive Officer instinctively pulled away from the screen into her chair. Nothing moved as they watched each other. The Science Officer’s mouth then open unnaturally wide. He pushed himself off the floor using the tips of his fingers and the points of his shoes. His back curved and his necked pulled in and he turned away from the camera. He scurried out of viewed into the next room.

  The Executive Officer grabbed the sides of her chair and turned immediately toward the entrance of the cockpit. She could see through the portal into the next section but she was met with darkness. She turned back towards her monitor and dialled up the camera array for the craft. The CCD’s picked up the Science Officer’s body even in the darkness of the ship. He was headed directly for the cockpit. The Executive Officer reached to her chest and unfastened the buckles on her harness. She leapt out of her seat and made for the door. As she did, a figured criss-crossed its way across the camera array.

  The body of the Science Officer ambled at speed through the darkness and charged at the door to the cockpit. On the other side the Executive Officer’s hand input the remaining security code. The Science Officer slammed the back of his hand on the panel to open the door to the cockpit but the it remained locked. On the other side of the door the Executive Officer watched the shadowed figure slam its hand repeatedly into the panel, without success, and then silently snarl. She took a deep breath in and her heart rate began to slow.

  She watched as the hunched over figure stared at the door. With the door to the cockpit securely locked, the Executive Officer stared back with indignation.

  “What now?” She heard herself say without thinking.

  The figure of the Science Officer shuddered. The Executive Officer head cocked to the side and surveyed the scene anew.

  “What now?!” She said again with more force.

  The reaction from the Science Officer’s body was violent. It collapsed to the floor as though it had been struck.

  “WHAT NOW!” The Executive Officer screamed into her headset.

  The body of the Science Officer exploded in pain as though electricity had been sent through it. It danced in agony for a moment then stuck the floor as it collapsed again. The body twitched violently from the chest, rose sharply from the middle of its back and a shifting form escaped into the darkness.

  “... h-hello?” The ragged voice of the Captain came over the headset.

  The Helmsmen breath caught in her chest again.

  “Captain? Captain are you there?”

  “Y-yes...”

  “Captain, where are you?”

  “Still attached… outside.”

  “Captain, we’ve had a breach.”

  “A breach?”

  “Some… thing came in the airlock. It attacked the SO.”

  The communications channel went silent for a moment.

  “Where is it now?”

  The Executive Officer sat back down in her chair and dialled up the camera array for the ship. She scanned each of the cameras but nothing moved.

  “Location unknown, Captain.”

  The Captain looked up at the external camera for the airlock.

  “Where is the closest emergency suit?”

  The Executive Officer answered immediately.

  “Section 2. Connected to the cockpit, sir.”

  “Do you have a visual on 2?”

  The Executive Officer dialled in the CCD.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Any sign of it?”

  She scanned around the body of
the Science Officer for movement but he remained motionless. The memory of his flailing body came back into her mind.

  “Captain, earlier when it tried to enter the cockpit, I yelled at it.”

  “Yelled at it?”

  “Yes, Captain. It didn’t like it, sir.”

  The Captain looked up camera again.

  “Manually lock Section 2 and get to that suit.”

  The Executive Officer pushed the monitors away from her chair and stood up. Slowly she approached the door she had earlier locked and looked through the portal. Darkness met her gaze. She took a deep breath and re-entered her code into the panel for the hatch. The door unlocked. She pushed the release and it opened.

  She stepped in and found the panel. She used it and the room lit up. In front of her lay the body of the ship’s science officer. She scanned it for movement again and found none. She looked up and across Section 2 towards the Section 3. The door between the two sections was open. Beyond it the ship was dark.

  She moved through the section and found the panel for the next door. She stood in front of it and stared through the opening and down the rest of the ship.

  “Status?” The Captain’s voice came over her headset.

  “Section 2 is locked and I am suited up, sir.”

  “Good. Now head back to the helm and open all the doors, including the airlock.”

  “Sir, we will lose…”

  “Everything if a foreign body is onboard. Get to the helm.”

  The Executive Officer made her way back into the cockpit and locked the door behind her. She strapped herself into her chair and brought up the security panel on her monitor. She entered her security code and opened all the doors on craft.

  “Sir, all the doors except for the airlock are open.”

  “Good. I want you to broadcast the emergency signal on all channels. Then disengage the door.”

  As the Captain was speaking, the Executive Officer brought up the camera array for the ship. She could see the Captain inside the Airlock, hastily strapped to the inner wall of the doorway leading into the ship. The Executive Officer brought up the emergency signal and it began to reverberate throughout the ship.

  “Bring it up maximum.”

  The sound grew louder until it began to echo throughout the craft. Through her helmet the sound began to blare at the Executive Officer as she watched screens. She reached forward and disengaged the door to the Airlock. The ship shifted with the sudden change in pressure and the Executive Officer watched as objects began rushing through the ship. In the Airlock she could the Captain scrambling to stay strapped to the wall. And then she saw it.

  It appeared to be screaming as it was being pulled through the ship.

  “Captain, I see it. It is headed towards you.”

  “Lock the door as soon as it comes through.”

  “But Captain…”

  “That’s an order.”

  It rushed through ship, unable to realise itself, and finally into the Airlock.

  “Lock it!” The Captain demanded.

  Immediately it noticed the Captain on the interior wall and made for him.

  “Captain!” The Executive Officer yelled.

  It stopped for a moment and moved toward the Captain again. The Captain’s eyes scanned the situation.

  “Yell at me!”

  The Executive Officer didn’t reply.

  “When it takes me, yell at me!”

  It moved forward and the Captain turned and tried to move away. It entered him from the middle of his back and for a moment the body of the Captain fought itself.

  “Yell…” The desperate voice of the Captain faded away in the Executive Officer’s headset.

  “Let… Him… Go!” The Executive Officer heard herself