Denizen of the Station

'What the smeg is that?' cried Talon as the Dwarfers ran through the maze of corridors, fleeing the terrible screech that echoed through the space station.

'I don't know, and I don't really care,' said Cass as she led the small group, ducking and diving down different paths and through different rooms. 'Let's just get the fuck away from it.'

'Does this happen a lot, then?' asked Thomas, trailing at the back of the group.

'Goddamn it,' Cass spat, seeing the older Thomas struggling to keep up. She stopped in her tracks and spun around. 'Get the doors!'

Thomas slammed shut the heavy bulkhead door behind them, Tanaka wiring in a secure locking code that would keep whoever was chasing them out. With hope, at least.

Jade and Talon began to stack boxes, tables and chairs at the door, fortifying their defences. But there was a sudden 'thwack' on the outside that sent a few of the objects flying. And then again. And again.

'There is a way out of this room, right, Cass?' Jade asked as the metal of the door began to buckle.

'Ventilation shaft at the back there, although who knows where it will take us.'

'Are there no weapons we can use?' asked Tanaka, the thought of a second death not appealing to him.

'Plisken! Over there,' cried Talon, spotting a glint in the corner of the room.

'Good eye, lad,' said Thomas, tracing Talon's point to a cabinet holding a simple but alien axe, presumably for fires and other emergencies. Thomas dashed to it and ripped open the cabinet just in time for the door to come crashing down with one last thunderous thud, a piercing shriek following behind.

It was what looked like a sickly grey tentacle, the sucker pulsating grotesquely as it hovered for a moment in the air. The Dwarfer's, in shock, only looked on in horror as they continued to back towards the ventilation shaft that was there only exit.

With a flicker, the slick skin of one of the suckers began to roll back, an off white eye peered forth. It swivelled wildly as the slit-like pupil focused on on its targets. With it finally settled, it shot forth towards the Dwarfers, to coil itself around them.

But before it could, Thomas brought the axe down upon the thick flesh of the tentacle, blue blood spurting from the deep gash the axe left as Thomas pulled it out for another blow. Again, the tentacle was struck and it writhed in pain as its owner, somewhere deep in the space station, cried out in pain. A final blow severed the tentacle tip, the rest of hurriedly retreating away from the Dwarfers.

'Fuck,' Jade breathed as she let herself relax.

'Don't get too comfortable,' warned Cass, 'It might be back any minute. And we need to find a lab and analyse this thing.'

'You're welcome,' said Thomas, his face and clothes spattered in blueish blood.

'You can carry it.'