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Part 6 – Fight or Flight

Celia couldn't bring herself to move as she watched the gray mass of Nasyn slide deeper into the creature. The fear that she felt wouldn't let her react and she could only sit there like a scared child. The... Thing took its time as it let its prey move deeper into its body, seemingly enjoying the Causae's final struggles.

'Celia...'

"Nasyn?" She clearly heard his voice, but how?

'Run...'

"Whah?... How?..."

'RUN!'

The command was enough to wake her from her stupor, making her roll and attempt to get away from the thing. Her first thought was to make for the door and shut it to buy some time to possibly get away, but her mind told her that she would never make it to the door. Their discarded clothes though, were only a few feet away. The movement was caught by the creature as it turned to her, giving a gruntal hiss as it lunged after her.

She had just reached out and touched the fabric of their uniforms when she felt a bone crushing force enclose around her leg. She let out a scream of pain as she looked back to see that the thing had used its maw to ensnare her one leg up to her calf. Barely gripping the fabric, she yelped as she was pulled backwards as more of her leg started to disappear inside the monster. She silently prayed that she had the right uniform in her possession as the thing dragged her back as it swallowed up to her knee. Pulling the uniform closer, Celia was glad to find out that it was her uniform and grabbed the sidearm that she was given earlier.

"Let me Go! You BICTA!" She cured, aiming and pulling the trigger of the weapon.

Much to the horror of the Lykain soldier, the energy rounds that she fired glanced off the membrane of the creature. Celia was starting to hyperventilate as panic started to set in. She watched in fright as the maw opened wide to take more of her leg in. 'Celia... NOW!' Time seemed to slow down as events unfolded before the wolfess.

The sphincter like maw opened wide and expanded towards more of her body.

Her arm adjusting the aim of the pistol like weapon.

Her pulling the trigger.

The thing let out a pained screech as the energy hit the inside of the creature's mouth. It spit out her leg and moved away from her with such speed that she didn't believe possible. When it got to a corner of the room it coiled and appeared to evaluate her. She sat up, taking aim at it again and pulled the trigger. Again the energy bounced off the membrane like skin till one hit the thing's underbelly. It gave another shriek as it leapt up into the air and squeezed itself into the overhead air duct.

'Good bye... Celia...'

"This place is a tomb..." Kleo commented as he swept the pulse rifle across the empty corridor.

The group was moving together with Kleo taking point and was guided by Dusine who stayed next to him since she had the only portable computer and actually knew how to use it. The rear was brought up by Jordan and Kasey, the latter holding the other pulse rifle as she kept an eye on where they had been to make sure nothing would sneak up on them. Leaving Minuet stuck between everyone.

Kasey scowled at the Lykain. "Not like this place isn't creepy enough without you pointing it out."

"The way you two are, I would think that you're a mated pair." Dusine offered up in passing.

"We are NOT!" They both said in unison, making the other three snicker as Kasey turned away with a blush and Kleo's ears flatten in embarrassment.

"Okay, cut the chatter." Jordan injected before anyone else could comment. "The sooner we get to operations, the sooner we can solve this mystery. Hopefully"

They continued on in silence as they slowly got to what should have been a more populated part of the station. The hallway that they were in opened up into what could have been a promenade of sorts, reminding the humans of a major shopping center or Mall with alcoves for stores and other kiosks. Usually stations such as Maiya had these large, well lit open corridors inside the ring structures that connected each arm so that it gave a more open feeling than being on a cramped metallic structure for the more permanent population. They were the focal point for the populations of the stations, you could usually find someone walking the hall for exercise or simply to "get away."

With only the minimal of lighting on in the long open space, the station's promenade was cast in an eerie darkness with shadows looming at various locations. The group came to a stand still as they gaze into the seemingly empty station. Each one unsure what to think as they peered into the foreboding darkness.

Kasey walked over to the Lykain and gave his arm a hard punch. "You just had to say something didn't you!"

"What..." Kleo said defensively.

Dusine cleared her throat. "Afraid that we're going to have to walk this promenade for a ways to find a connecting one to the center core."

Kasey gave a huff as she turned to face the feline. "You're kidding me right?"

"No." Came the flat reply much to the human's annoyance.

Before Kasey could say any more Jordan stepped forward and gave everyone a serious look. "Look, we all heard what she said and we all know the drill. So let's move 'em out!" Jordan then turned and started to walk out into the dark passageway. Everyone but Kasey started to follow him, leaving her behind.

She made a disgusted grunt "I can't believe this..." She muttered as she followed after everyone.

Theaz frowned as she stood outside of the runabout. It's been close to two hours since she had sent Nasyn and Celia to the control room, and in her mind the two should have been back by now. Her mind was torn. She wanted to go after the two and find out what was taking them so long, but that would mean leaving Rulve alone. Given the situation, she wasn't sure if that would be a good idea. Even if the rabbit was nearly comatose on a cot from the stress she was feeling.

She let out a growl as she made up her mind.

Theaz had barely turned around to inform Rulve of what she was doing when she heard a pained cry and a hard slap against the deck plates. She looked back towards the hatch and spotted a cream color mess of fur on the floor. Shock took over the Lykain as realization hit her like a flying brick.

"Val-ruah... RULVE! Get out here NOW!" Theaz shouted as she bolted for her fellow Lykain. She slid to a stop next to Celia and knelt down to help the fallen wolfess to sit up. Celia gave a cry as her one leg was moved and Theaz took note that the slime covered foot was not moving the way it should be as she helped the injured Lykain. The other thing that she noted was that Celia was also naked and holding onto her uniform. "Celia, what happened? Where's Nasyn? Why is your leg covered in slime? And... Why are you naked?..." Celia's facial fur was matted and disheveled as she held her uniform close. It was then that Theaz noticed that it wasn't just her uniform that her colleague was holding, but also the uniform shirt that Nasyn had been wearing.

"N-Na-Nasyn's gone..." She choked out before she started to cry into the feline's shirt.

Theaz blinked in disbelief. "What? How?"

"W-we were attacked..." She sniffled. "It ate him. I-it tried to eat me too..."

"Ate him?" Theaz was getting more confused. "What ate him? What tried to eat you?"

"DO YOU THINK I KNOW!?!" Celia yelled, nearly making Theaz fall back on deck from the outburst. "I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL IT WAS!" Tears started to roll down Celia's face as she continued to yell at Theaz. "IT GOT NASYN AND IT ALMOST GOT ME! IF IT WASN'T FOR NASYN..." At the mention of his name, Celia realized what she was doing and looked at the somewhat frightened face of her colleague. "I don't know how, but I think his spirit came to me. He was able to snap me back to reality. The thing had got my leg and crushed it... Somehow I was able to hurt it and drive it off, but it disappeared and Nasyn... Said goodbye to me..."

Theaz couldn't quite believe what she had just heard. Granted she didn't believe in the spirits like most Lykains did, but how else could they explain it? Celia was fully bawling now as she cling to the Caushae's uniform. She couldn't help but wonder how the two grew so close in the short amount of time. It didn't seem like it should have been possible, but it looked like it did happened. Crawling over, she wrapped the crying wolf and leaned Celia's head against her chest.

"Shhh... Its ok..." She said in a low, motherly tone as she stroked the cream color hair. All Theaz wanted to do was to hold the crying wolfess and protect her... Both Lykains noses flared as they both took a deep breath. Theaz couldn't help but sneeze and Celia's eyes grew wide in realization, threatening to come out of her skull.

"It's here!"

Before Theaz could ask what she meant, Rulve came out of the runabout. "Theaz? Celia? What's going on? Where's Nasyn?"

"Rulve, go and grab a medkit. Celia's hurt."

"NO!" Celia said as she tried to get up to no avail. "We got to get inside the runabout! Lock ourselves in!"

Both Rulve and Theaz gave Celia a confused look. "What are you..." Rulve didn't get the chance to finish her sentence as a heavy weight pounced on her from behind. The rabbit gave a surprised scream as she was pushed face first into the deck with a wet splosh. The creature had the Almedhas pinned by slick, fleshy heels under its elongated tail leaving Rulve only able to scream and flail her arms in panic as she tried to gain any kind of purchase on the smooth steel deck.

"Help Me!" She cried, reaching out to the two Lykains. "I'm Trapped! It's... Pulling me in!"

Theaz stood up and pulled her sidearm. Pulling the trigger, she aimed high so the shots went wide, trying to ward the thing off to no avail. The fourth shot reflected off of the mucus covered membrane of the creature's head, lighting up the snake like skull and making Theaz growl in frustration.

"Aim for the underbelly!" Celia shouted as she drew her own pistol and took aim at the creature.

"But... Rulve."

"It was how I was able to drive it off before..." The cream colored wolf called out as she pulled the trigger. Celia's shot sailed at the monster and it just inches above Rulve's head. It gave a pained cry as it reared back. Theaz was startled to see that the was not only was the rabbit covered with a thick amount of slime, but was also two-thirds enveloped by the creature's fleshy sole on its tail. Only thing left of Rulve that they could still see was her bust, arms and head, and all three were noticeably disappearing into the organism.

"Help Me!" Rulve shouted as she tried to get some kind of leverage to free herself. Theaz snarled as she let her instincts take charge and rushed at the slimy beast, firing wildly at the thing in the hopes that she could distract it long enough for her to get close.

"Theaz Wait!" Celia warned. "Watch out, that thing can swallow you whole!"

The wolfess seemed to have ignored her colleague's warning as she closed the distance. When she was close enough to grab Rulve's arm, the creature expanded its maw with the intent of swallowing the wolf. However, Theaz was more prepared than anyone had thought and fired an energy blast into the creature's maw, making it howl in pain as it reared back. What Theaz wasn't expecting was one of the tentacle-like arms to swing around and back hand her across her muzzle and send her flying back towards Celia.

Celia crawled over to Theaz as the gray wolf was sitting back up. Both could only look on as the creature looped around and disappeared in the closest cover, the runabout. Rulve tried to grab the airlock's frame, but couldn't keep any kind of hold on it due to the angle she was at and the strength of the creature.

"Theaz, Celia, HELP!!!" She cried as she disappeared with the monster's tail.

"Rulve, No!" Theaz started to get up and chase after the thing. She was only stopped when she felt her arm get pulled back by Celia.

"Theaz, no... We need to get out of here."

"But Rulve..."

"I... I think I figured it out." Celia said, gazing down at her hands. "Don't you feel it? It starts so subtle, the feral needs." Looking up at Theaz, Celia locked her eyes with the gray wolf. "Whatever that thing is, it admits some sort of aroma that can't be picked out of the air. But its there. That's how it caught Nasyn, and almost caught me. It caused us to submit to our feral lust. Now it's making you act on instinct and submit to your feral need to protect. We need to get away from it. Find some other weapons, the ones we have barely hurt it."

Theaz thought for a moment as she looked back at the runabout. In her mind she was going over what Celia had just said as well as what just transpired. She wanted to go in and attempt to rescue Rulve, her instincts was telling her that she had to get their pilot back. But with the creature inside the small ship with more than enough nooks and crannies that it could possibly hide in... It was now a deathtrap if they tried to go in as they were now.

Theaz ears laid flat against her head. "I'm sorry Rulve..." She stood up and turned to Celia, holding out a paw for the injured Lykain. "Come on, let's get out of here and try and find a Med-Bay. We got to try and find some way of warning the others..."

The group walked slowly along in silence. Kleo and Kasey had turned on the flashlights on their pulse rifles and were sweeping the light around the darkness looking for signs of possible dangers. Even Jordan had his pistol that he got from the station's security, holding it at the ready as they moved. Min and Dusine were the only two that didn't have their weapons drawn. Mostly because the Caushae was busy with her arm mounted computer and the Mauluse didn't feel comfortable with the sidearm.

It was several long minutes as they along in the darkness. For the most part it seemed that the promenade was being kept at minimal power as there only seemed to be only emergency lights that were on, broken up by a few lights and signs that flickered now and again. The place seemed like it was completely abandoned.

"And they say that over twenty-five people live here?" Kleo said, breaking the uncomfortable silence while keeping a vigilant eye out."

Dunsine nodded. "That's what the file says. Over two thousand permanently based here."

Min couldn't help but shudder despite trying not to. "Where did everyone go?

"Who knows." Kasey flatly replied.

They grew silent again as they continued to walk on. The dark silence had made everyone on edge constantly scanning for signs of life or potential hazards. Min had to start holding herself to keep from shivering, she could feel the fur on the back of her neck stand on end. There was... Something admins. Feelings that she hadn't felt in a long while started to come back to her. Prey instincts that she hadn't used in a while started to kick in.

They were being watched.

She froze.

Kasey bumped into her without noticing that the Mauluse had stopped. "Hey! What gives?" A bit of anger seethed in the human's voice.

Min ignored her. Something was nearby. Instincts were telling her to run, but which way was the threat? Her eyes were darting across the darkness, frantically searching for the danger. Where? Last time this happened she had no way to defend herself...

Now she does.

"HEY! Earth to Min... You there?"

Before anyone could react, Minuet had pulled the pistol and turned towards Kasey. The human's eyes expanded as the mouse drew on her. Kasey started to bring her rifle up on Minuet only to be pushed to the side by a fit of strength that she never observed the quiet Mauluse use before. She had fired three times wildly into the darkness before Jordan grabbed and disarmed the mouse.

"Min, what the Hell has gotten into you?" He turned Minuet to face him and that was when he fully noticed the state that she was in. Her reddish eyes were dilated wide and she was only taking short shallow breaths. The poor girl was nearly hyperventilating. Jordan pulled her close and held her in his embrace. "Ease down..." He said in a soothing of a voice that he could muster. "Come back to us Min, come back to me... Ease down..."

While Jordan was trying to calm the Mauluse down, Dusine couldn't help but take notice of what just happened. "Hey Kleo, think you can do me a favor?"

"What?"

Dusine pointed in the direction that Minuet was firing in. "Mind shining the light over there?" Despite wondering what Dusine wanted to see, the wolf compiled and shined the rifle's light in the direction indicated by the feline. The light lit the far wall up enough that they could see it and Dusine had Kleo pan the light till they found two scorch marks on the wall from Minuet firing her pistol.

"Is that what you wanted to see?" Kasey injected. "Where that crazed mouse was firing?"

"Not just that..." The Caushae started to raise the barrel of the rifle up into the air till they lit up the third scorch mark on one of the upper walkways. "There."

"That... That was from Jordan disarming her..." Kasey tried to rationalize.

Dusine shook her head. "Min was able to get three rounds off before Jordan stopped her. I seen the third round change its trajectory." Everyone stood in silence as the realization sunk in.

Kleo swallowed hard as he started to sweep his rifle around in the darkness. "I got a bad feeling about this..."

"SHUSH!" Kasey snapped. "Don't jinx us." She had also started to sweep the area as she backed up to the group.

"What?!?" Kleo exclaimed as he looked at the human woman. "I honestly do!"

"Shush!" Dusine warned as she activated a flashlight feature on her arm computer and drew her own weapon. "Do you hear that?"

They were quiet as the group moved into a tight, defencive circle, placing Min in the middle. At first no one could hear anything.

Splat...

Dusine and Kleo's ears twitch as a sound faintly reaches their ears.

Splat...

"What the hell is that?" Kasey said to no one in particular, looking for the source of the sound.

Splat...

"We're being hunted..." Min said flatly.