Dead Space Dissolution Chapter Three: Complications
Chapter Three:
Complications
An almost reverent silence fell on
the bridge. As I looked around I could see that everyone was trying to process
the implications of finding a crucial element of Unitology on a backwater world
like Kreemar. Even I was more than a bit concerned and awestruck by it.
After a few moments Captain Bennes
cleared his throat. Speaking to the soldier whose image still showed on the RIG
Link he asked, "Are you certain? You're sure it's not something
else?"
The soldier nodded. "Yes sir.
I can show you if you wish sir."
The Captain nodded, and the image
on the hologram shifted, shaking for a moment before becoming stable again.
There was no mistaking what we could all see. The screen was now dominated by a
large object that appeared similar to the double helix of DNA. It was covered
in strange symbols, and from what I could tell it was red in colour.
Captain Bennes nodded.
"Alright, you can revert it back to yourself now. I've seen enough."
The RIG Link shifted once more to
show the recovery soldier again. "How should we proceed sir?"
Bennes was quiet for a moment then
said, "Return to the Solar Spirit. You're going to leave that thing were
you found it. No one besides that team and the people in this room is to know
about it. I'd rather not mess with an artifact we know little to nothing
about."
The soldier saluted. "Understood
sir. We'll return to the Spirit just as
soon as we can get back to the shut--"
The soldier was cut off by the
sound of gun fire. Then came the screaming. Someone could be heard shouting
over the gun fire, though it was difficult to make out. It sounded to me like
he was asking, "What the hell are these things?"
Bennes eyes widened as he grasped
what was happening. "Soldier, what's going on? Who's attacking?"
The soldier looked back and forth
between Bennes and whatever was causing the recovery team so much distress.
"I...I don't know sir. They...they look like some sort of...mutated...mutilated
people."
"What do you mean?"
The soldier never had the chance to
answer, as there on screen he was attacked by something with huge blades
plunging into his body. There was a guttural, vicious growling sound and the
soldier cried out in pain. The last thing we all saw before the image cut out
was what looked like a monstrous skull-like face, its jaw unhinged, split and
dripping with blood.
Silence fell again on the bridge.
No one knew what to make of what we had just seen. My mind worked furiously, trying to figure
out how it could be. How it could be that the creatures from my nightmares were
on the planet below. What did it mean for me? For our mission to Kreemar?
I was taken away from my thoughts
by Captain Bennes breaking the silence. "Report. Are we still receiving any
life signals from the recovery team's RIGs?"
One of the bridge crew replied. "No
sir. We seem to have lost all contact."
Mara interrupted to say, "Hold
everything. First I think we should figure out what exactly we just saw. I
thought Kreemar had no native life. So what the hell was that thing that killed
the recovery team?" Nobody answered. Nobody seemed to have an answer.
But it seemed all too clear to me.
"It's what's left of the crew of that SCAF ship."
Everyone in
the room looked at me as though I was crazy. Even Mara--who usually trusted my
judgment--seemed doubtful. Bennes stepped toward me, scowling. "What makes you
think that?"
"It's the only thing that would make
sense. For one, we know that--as Mara said--Kreemar has no native life, which
means it had to come from somewhere else. Also...there are no known humanoids in
the galaxy besides humans. Most importantly, that creature we saw looked like a
partially decomposed human corpse. Heavily mutilated, but still human."
Bennes scoffed. "So what, something
is reanimating corpses down there?"
I spoke slowly, clearly, if only to
make sure everyone listened. "I don't know about any of you...but I've heard
whispered rumours...does everyone remember the Aegis VII incident?"
I received a medley of confused nods
in reply. No one seemed to know where I was going with it. "Well...EarthGov
claimed it was terrorism...but what I've heard--again, all as rumour--was that it
was something else. I've even heard that there may have been a Marker involved.
And when you consider what happened with all the cover up with the original
Marker on Earth...it seems all too possible that these 'artifacts' are something
far more terrible than any knows."
"So what then," the aged captain
asked, "You think the Marker is doing this somehow? Do you realise how crazy
that sounds?"
I nodded. "Yes, I do. But if you can
come up with a better explanation, I'll gladly hear it Captain."
When he gave no answer, I knew he
had--in his own way--accepted my theory.
A few moments of silence passed
before he spoke again. "Alright. Alright. We need to get out of here. We can't
do anything for the people down on Kreemar. I think that's clear. So, we
complete repairs, and we get out of here as soon as possible. And no one--I
repeat: NO ONE--outside the bridge hears about what happened down there. We act
as though everything is normal, and those who died on the planet will receive the
same treatment as those who died here on the ship. Is everyone in agree--"
He was interrupted though, as we all
heard one of the bridge officers say, "I think it's too late for that, Captain."
Bennes turned to look at the
officer, who was pointing to something on her console's screen. Bennes walked
over and his eyes widened. "W-what doe that mean?"
The woman licked her lips nervously.
"This pattern here sir," she said, pointing to a wave pattern on the screen, "Shows
that the transmission from the surface was at least partially intercepted, and
directed to somewhere else on the ship. Possibly even multiple locations, sir."
Bennes looked stricken. "So...someone...or
a group of people know about what jus happened?"
The woman nodded. "Yes sir. But it
shouldn't be a problem, should it?"
Lieutenant River scoffed. "Depends
on just who overheard. If any one who heard that was a Unitologist, we could be
in for hell."
From the other side of the bridge a
man said, "Captain, we just received a message from Medical. They say there's something
going on with the bodies in the morgue. They all just started...convulsing."
All I could do was watch as Bennes
rushed over to him. "What? Get Medical on the line immediately. Find out what's
going on!"
Behind me I heard Mara whisper into
her comm, "Wardy, you and the others get to the bridge. Quick as you can. I
have a bad feeling that something is about to happen."
I could just barely make out Wardy's
reply. "Ten four Mara. We're up at the comm array now, but we'll set off fer the
bridge."
My attention returned to Bennes, who
had begun shouting. "What do you mean lost contact?! Am I supposed to believe
that every person in Medical is incapable of answering?!'
"No sir, but--"
"Then get me in contact with someone
dammit!"
We could all see that Bennes was on
the verge of a total breakdown. Clearly he wasn't used to things being so far
beyond his control.
"I still can't get in contact with
anyone sir. I--"
Bennes growled and stalked over to
another station. "Get me the security feed of the Medical Deck!" He ordered the
man sitting there.
"Aye sir."
A few keystrokes later and the
requested images popped up on screen. Mara, River and I all walked up behind
them. I took in a sharp breath. Every six seconds or so the image changed,
showing the feed from a different camera in Medical. There was no audio, but
the few people we saw must have been screaming in terror.
Nearly every image we saw included
more of the grotesque mutated beings we had seen in the feed from the soldier
on the Kreemar. But some were different. Though many looked like the one we had
seen through the soldier's RIG--humanoid, with large blades protruding from the
palms of their hands--some were more scorpion-like in appearance, and I could
see others that were spitting what seemed to be acid. And each and every one of
those creatures was ripping apart the Medical crew. Blood was spattered
everywhere. Internal organs and limbs were strewn about like trash. All we
could do was watch as people were slaughtered.
Bennes was shaking, clearly out of
his depth. "I...how...what the fuck is happening?!"
"Whatever happened on the planet, in
that SCAF ship," I said. "We're under siege by our own dead."
River's eyes narrowed. "But why?
What would be the point of reanimating the dead, just to kill everyone on
board?"
A male voice issued from River's
comm unit. "I believe I can answer that, Lieutenant."
I jerked back slightly as my RIG Link
activated unexpectedly, bringing up the image of a man in a marine's armour. He
was bald, and one half of his face was badly scarred. I could see that everyone
else's RIG had also activated. We were all receiving the same transmission. I
heard River ask, "Sargent Riffost, what is the meaning of this?"
The scarred man smiled. "Ranks don't
matter any more Johnny. Just call me Jase now."
Jase spread his arms wide. "As for
the meaning, why it's quite simple. I have sent the transmission out to every
person on board, so that you may all know of the great event that is upon us. Convergence
has begun, under the guidance of the great Marker. The Marker will make us whole.
Altman, be praised."