Codename Cryogas, act 2

[JennerH]

Act 2

The security system aboard the Providence saw it all. The prisoner transfer from Fiorina 161 and it's accompanying orbital station, the shady underhanded deals made by a few higher ups from a remote research facility, the mysterious cargo that was brought aboard. It saw something escape from that cargo, watched it crawl into the ventilation system. Newer systems would have logged such events and notified security personnel, but nothing about the Providence was “new”.

An old prison barge first constructed back in 2137, the Providence had been retired a good 20 years before being brought back into service once demand for space-worthy vessels in the outer sectors increased. It was retrofitted with the minimum required upgrades for it to pass regulation and sent out on its way. The lack of proper hardware meant that shadowy organizations could take advantage of it, to which many had, and what transpired in the present was the result of this misuse of government property.

As crew began disappearing, rumors began to spread of prisoners escaping during early-hour shifts, and the disappearance of a few prisoners had helped fuel this theory. Tensions began to rise until finally they boiled over, causing a prison riot. Riot gear was deployed, teargas canisters were fired, and general chaos reigned across the ship. In all the confusion, Broden Ackers used the momentary lapse in security to break into the security R&R room. As he pilfered snacks and other desirables, 3 figures entered the room behind him.

“Look what we have here,” one of them grumbled.

“Looks like a rat got into our pantry,” another scoffed.

“Broden Ackers... what a pleasant surprise,” the largest of the three said. “just the man we were looking for.” The three men moved further into the room, blocking the entrance as Broden dropped his newly acquired loot, choosing rather to reach for a baton laying on a coffee table next to him.

“Back the fuck up,” Broden said, quickly spinning the baton around towards the three with a smirk. “y'all jiveass motherfuckers can't have it, if ya wanna try I'm taking at least a few of your stankasses with me.”

“I was hoping you'd say that,” the biggest one said, grinning. “I've been waiting weeks to get the opportunity to cave in your pathetic skull.

The three men moved closer still, spreading out to encircle Broden. Just when it seemed like they were gonna strike, the biggest one held up a hand, tilting his head slightly. A drop of liquid hit his shoulder, everyone's gaze turning to the vent hole above him. Broden and the two other goons began backing away as the largest goon slowly looked up, coming face to face with a creature of unimaginable horror before being pulled, screaming into the shaft above. The three remaining occupants of the room all ran their separate ways, putting as much distance as they could between them and whatever that creature had been.

~

Madison's scream made everyone spin on their heels, dropping into firing positions as they all stared at what occupied the room adjacent to them. They tried asking her what she'd seen but all she could manage was “b-bodies”, the rest an unintelligible mess of whimpers. Murry took point, pushing forward with Jackson following close with the smartgun. As their suit lights illuminated the darkened interior, their faces paled and their eyes widened at the pile of corpses stacked nearly to the ceiling. Limbs were severed, guts spilled and blood pooled everywhere as the stench hit them like a brick wall, driving both men back.

They motioned for Verena to shut the door, as the motors were inoperable without power. She peered inside as she grew closer, quickly looking away as she held back bile, her arms moving furiously to pry the door closed.

“Wh-What was i-in there?” Aiko asked, looking curiously at the now-shut door.

“You... you don't wanna know,” Murry said, taking deep breaths. The group continued down their assigned hallway, moving cautiously, eyes open for any sign of hostiles. Aiko reported no movement on the motion tracker, but that didn't keep everyone from feeling a sense of dread, like something bad was going to happen.

As the group neared Telecomms, a single ping appeared on the tracker, causing everyone to bolt for combat spacing, spinning to face the direction of the ping. At first it moved slowly, only being picked up by the tracker every two or three pings. Each pause felt like an eternity as everyone waited anxiously for whatever it was to appear once more. Eventually, it began picking up pace, moving erratically back and forth within one area, like it was searching for something.

Suddenly they heard it. A metallic bang coming from somewhere down the hall, back towards where they'd encountered the bodies. The banging grew louder, more rapid with a ferocity that sent chills down everyone's spine. Another ping, within close proximity to the first began appearing, again with a slow buildup before it too, began banging manically. Then another appeared, and another, and another, until the whine of the tracker was all anyone could hear, and then silence.

A brief moment of eerie silence supported by brief ticks from the tracker filled the hallway, with everyone holding their breath. Finally, Aiko broke the silence.

“I think they're g-gone, guys.” Aiko said. Her voice carried loudly down the hallway, seemingly loud enough to wake the dead. Her comment was met by a unanimous shushing sound as everyone shot daggers in her direction, the tension slowly draining as everyone began to breathe again. They waited a few moments just to be sure, then hesitantly they all rose to their feet, turning towards the entrance to Telecomms. Just as they were funneling through the doorway another ping was heard, this time much closer.

Madison, having taken up the rear was the first to react, turning around and making eye contact with a corpse hanging from the ceiling, its glazed eyes staring right at her. She blinked, frozen in fear as the creature dropped out of the vent, landing on its back before rotating its body to orientate itself enough to stand. More and more of the creatures began tumbling out of the vent as the first one screamed, the sound deafening and unhuman. Alan pulled Madison inside as Jackson opened up with the smartgun, the weapon ripping through the bodies as Murry and Verena struggled to close the door.

“Close it, close it!” Aiko cried, backing further into Telecomms proper, looking around frantically for a way out.

“I'm trying,” Verena growled through clenched teeth, using her crowbar to unjam the door from its motor housing, the two sides finally sliding forward. “grab my welder from my pack, Alan!”

Alan rushed forward, unzipping Verena's welderpack and pulling out an industrial-grade welder as Murry and Verena struggled to keep the door shut. He squinted as he attempted to weld the door together, not wasting precious seconds to swipe the welding goggles from Verena when suddenly the floorplate beneath him shuttered, giving way to reveal bloody hands reaching, pulling at his legs. He drew his sidearm as he fell heavily to the floor, emptying the weapon into the arms of the creatures as they pulled him in.

“Alan!” Madison raced forward, grabbing hold as Murry abandoned his post at the door, drawing his rifle and firing into the exposed ventilation shaft. The limbs ripped and tore at his legs, refusing to let go even as they were blown apart by Murry's repeated bursts from his rifle. Verena swooped and grabbed the welder, hastily finishing up the door as Jackson spun around, watching as Aiko was pulled up the ceiling vents, screaming. He ran forward, firing wildly upwards, trying to save her...

~

“What's the ETA on comms, Lieutenant?” Wolfe asked, pacing infront of the viewport overlooking the derelict barge. The whole situation didn't sit right with him. The barge was supposed to have a crew of over a 100 staff, as well as over 1000 prisoners according to the manifest.

“They should be arriving at Telecommunications soon, Commander.”

Still, something was off. Wolfe knew it, one of those gut feelings that had guided him through countless operations. He tried the cameras aboard the dropships once again, panning them around the perimeter. The individual troop cams weren't capable of relaying video feed through the dense hull of the barge, so Wolfe had been meticulously watching the DS cams to keep himself busy. Strangely, the Alamo's cameras were now unresponsive, save one in the cockpit. Stranger still, the camera showed a strange liquid caking the windshield. As the camera panned downward to get a better view on the pilot, a hand shot forward, killing the connection. Wolfe sat back, worry apparent on his face.

End of act 2


I did it! second act, like I said previously criticism is fine.

link to act 1: viewtopic.php?f=134&t=18105

[AkaBinxstar]

Oh yuh, second one to die

[AmazinglyAmazing]

How to sum up Act 2:

'Local marines get got by benos'

[Avalanchee]

This is fucking cool, I absolutely love it.

How many parts should we expect?

and when are you going to include Anna and Murray

[Sambalu]

This is pretty nice.

[JennerH]

This is fucking cool, I absolutely love it.

How many parts should we expect?

and when are you going to include Anna and Murray

I'm gonna keep going until it feels right to end it. I made a bunch of writing mistakes so I'm a little unhappy with how the story is panning out but if people like it I'll deal with it

Writing mistakes being that I didn't introduce alot of named characters so people who haven't played the game frequently get confused when they read it