Thud

JP with Omni and redsword_7

~On the Cronus~

“Paddy? Captain? What’s happening? Where’s the ship? We are ready and waiting.”, Roku tried to reach the Montero over comms. She pulled out the motion tracker and re-calibrated it for the addition of the Cronus crew but there was a ping coming from right on top of them where the umbilical should have been.

“What now?”, asked Reyes, looking to Roberts.

"This means the docking ring is out for some reason. We need to get more suits and air.", Roberts said, looking at the other crew. "Do we have a shuttle that can fit us all?", he asked.

Johns answered, “No. The science module WAS the main lifeboat shuttle. It had to be jettisoned. There was also a modified Class C lifeboat that Ms Roku, here, and her mother and younger brother used to escape.”

"So we are stuck on this death trap with these mutant alien fiends?" Jensen asked in frustration.

"Ya, why not? Things just keep getting better, don't they?"said Roberts with a smile. "We can still make it. Now… finding some more compression suits." He looked at the other crew. "From here, other than where we just were, where can we get more air and suits?" He thought for a moment. "Does your vehicle bay have a decon airlock?"

"About the Vehicle Bay, there are two airlocks on either side of the ship, not specifically for decon…” Reyes thought for a moment. “Vestibule 2, just down this ladder and around the corner on B Deck. There may not be any more lifeboats to fit all of us, but there are bound to be several Class A escape pods still onboard, though I haven't seen any here on A Deck. We could get Johns and Jensen new EVA suits and get to those individual escape pods or space walk. Unless… you think we can get the ship’s air back online.”

"I vote for new EVA suits as quickly as possible. Let's go!" urged Jensen.

"Move as one unit.", Roberts said, and Vera opened the hatch at their feet.

The B1 Junction was still clear. Clayton locked all doors to the A1 Junction as the team quickly climbed down into the B1 Junction. The team exited B1 into the starboard corridor, all the while, Vera looked for signs of the fungal growth, incinerating any traces of it.

Roku inhaled deeply, steeling herself, remembering the last time she was in Vestibule 2. Her father, stoic and stern in the chaos, had ushered Hikari, her younger brother Mamoru, and their panicking mother out of the Mess Hall, down this very corridor and into Vestibule 2. She entered the L shaped emergency escape vehicle and hadn't seen him since.

As the crew entered Vestibule 2, they noticed two bulky, empty, red armored EVA suits, looking ominous in the darkness of the EEV bay. The hatch on the forward wall was sealed where the EEV used to be attached.

Roku found two remaining air supply canisters inside a cabinet.

Static crackled and the Captain's voice came over the comms.
"ost... oms... para... ...ontero... There is... ock... ...der... cron... ...epea... com... ...site... mon... ere is... ip... und.. ..nus..."

"Those armored EVA suits look great! But how do I get into them without being exposed to this air?", asked Jensen tentatively.

“I hate to say it Jensen... but you’ll just have to hold your breath while you change. The question is... who’s getting the air canisters? If Asahi and myself take a canister, Roberts will run out soon. It’s your call, Roberts.”, Roku said. She looked to Ogai.

“I’m not an expert but I imagine the escape pods have their own internal air and filtration, Asahi? One of us might have to eject.”

"Hold my breath? That's insane. What if those spore things get into my ears or nose? It seems really unscientific and not a great plan. We have scientists and stuff here? Can someone come up with a slightly better plan?", said Jensen.

“I could give you some gauze to plug your ears and nose. I understand your trepidation, but you're still going to have to take your helmet off to put the things in. I’m sorry, but chances are you’ve already breathed in some of this air with all those holes in your compression suit, my friend. Your best bet is to change quickly and get to the medlab, there still may be some inoculations.”, said Dr Flynn.

"Some gauze? Ya I don't have much faith in that but you're probably right. This suit has a few holes now.", Jensen shook his head incredulously.

“I’m not certain what answer you are expecting, Mr. Jensen, but when you enter another suit you will let in some bad air as well.” Dr. Flynn said as he put down Mimi the cat who curled up next to his feet, still trying to keep warm.

Dr. Flynn helped Johns doff his torn compression suit and enter one of the ECO All-World Survival Suits.

Roku opened a small pouch of syringes and took one out.
She mumbled to herself, “...running out of time... hold Tsuki still please, Asahi.”

Roku injected one of the syringes into Tsuki’s arms through the compression suit. She then injected herself with one getting a rush of Endural, an experimental drug to temporarily increase Stamina. She had used it several times on marines and colonists but only once herself. It was instantly euphoric and made her feel like a superman. She closed her eyes and shook off the rush, then handed off one of the air canisters to Asahi and pocketed the other as Roberts put his hand up, declining the offer.
'Ping' The motion tracker chirped.

"Umm. Did anyone just hear a thud from down the hallway?" Jensen asked.

“It’s coming from the corridor just aft of us, outside the Mess.”, Roku warned after viewing the pipping machine.

There came another thud from down the hallway.

"Fuck" said Jensen. "Not again? Can't we catch a god damn break?"

‘Thud.’ Then came the sound of groaning metal.

“You might want to get that suit changed quick, Bruce.”, warned Roku.

"Oh shit oh shit!" Jensen took a huge breath and began to take off his suit.

Sighing, Roberts took a step forward from everyone on the corridor, pointed his shotgun in the direction of the door and said, "Kirby, on line with me.", putting them both on overwatch.

"When you are done playing dress-up, you guys need to run to the armory across the way. Kirby and myself will meet you there. Get in and see what is there.".

Roberts and Vera ran toward the buckling hatch down the corridor.

Jensen expeditiously removed his suit and quickly donned the other, giving a wink as he did so.

Together, the two held the door and successfully used their might to keep the thing on the other side from coming in, giving Johns and Jensen enough time to get into their new suits and out of the corridor.

"Go on, Roberts. I got this.", Vera said to him.

He ran to the end of the corridor just around the corner of the B-1 Junction, then turned, covering Vera on overwatch.

"Time to move Kirby!"Roberts called.

Thud! Vera turned to Roberts and followed him into the Armory. “It’s not going to hold for long.”

The crew stood inside the armory, looking for any remnants. Roberts was impressed by the speed with which Jensen changed suits, though he wouldn't admit it aloud.

Reyes picked up an M41A Pulse Rifle and a reload.

Johns searched a case of shotgun shells and found one reload.

The rest of the room was clean apart from a splatter of milky white Android lubricant. Ava must have had an encounter here at some point many years ago.

Reyes held the rifle out to Johns and Roberts. “It’s yours if you want it, marines.”

Roberts took the M41A Pulse Rifle with under-shotgun and went through a function check, making sure everything worked, then loaded his frag rounds.

"OK, here is my shotgun. I would be careful with it. Right now it is loaded with slugs, a bit more punch.", he said and turned to Roku. "Does the motion detector pick up on anything... near the door?

Roku lifted the device to her view. She watched as a blip slowly moved around the corridors toward the armory. It was outside the bridge just left and around the corner from their current position. She turned off the tracker’s volume as the thing approached their corridor. The sound of slow aimless thumping from the creature’s movements traveled toward the armory door.

Roberts motioned for everyone not to move or make noise.

Roku gently lowered the silent blipping machine and raised her shotgun toward the door. There was a long tense pause as the thing stood between the doors of the armory and the junction making deep gurgling noises barely audible through the compression suits. Her eyelashes batted away sweat as she tried to listen for anything beyond her own breathing and heartbeat. Finally, after a minute or two, the heavy footfalls turned around and headed back to the other corridor. She let out a sigh of relief, not realizing how tense she was holding her breath.