Kin stepped back nervously, raising his right arm as he did so. The pressure-blade, all one and a half fleet of magnetically pressurised water, twisted and frothed, its pseudo-solid surface keen to slice into something. "Mion? Tell me what to do."

"I don't know Kin. You're a human. Come up with an idea, I can't do that!"

"Help. Oh mother, help."

?mother? ?what mother?

can't remember, can't remember, can't remember, can't remember, can't remember, can't remember, can't remember can't remembercan't remembercan'tremember?((

Kin raised his hands as if to touch his head, and the metal gloves encircling his hands clunking against his suit's cranial dome. "Get out...get out of my head!"

you cant remember mommy youre too scared

"No! No! It's not true!"

what does she look like tall short fat thin blue eyes black eyes hairfacenosemouthearstoesthighshipsanklespalms

"No! I still remember!"

food

"Go away go away go away!"

your mom died to save you little bastard and now youre

"Please... I'm sorry I'm sorry sorry sorry--"

FOOD

"Kin! Kin! Listen to me!"

"E-eh?"

"Do you want to die?"

"N-no."

"That thing is only staying away because the sound of the pressure-blade is scaring it. When the blade runs out of power, it'll pounce on you. It'll eat you."

"No..." Kin tried not to cry as that parody of humanity slithered towards him. Stopping in its tracks, it opened its mouth and a phallic appendage squeezed its way out if that thing's throat. "Ecccckk... what is that?" Its tip, shaped like a budding tulip, split open, revealing rows of macerating, sharp, teeth. It's sonorous wail reverberated through the corridor and slammed through the sensors, rocking Kin's soul to the very core. "Fight them, Kin! They scare you so you can't think straight and then they eat you. They feed on fear!"

The pressure-blade hissed and died.

The phallic mouth hissed and spat a stream of grey liquid, which fizzed and hissed on Kin's head dome. Retreating, Kin's eyes widened as the monster rapidly closed distance.

you are a bad son

killed your mother

"No! No! No no nonononono..."

admit it, you little dog, you killed her, you're afraid, you don't want to admit, you're too scared

"Kin, don't listen to them...!"

Kin had curled up on the ground, quaking violently in his suit, metal hands pressed on glass head. "Gah! No more! No more!"

The creature slid ever closer and closer.

"God, Kin! Pull yourself together!"

Staring out of the haze of tears, Kin managed to choke out, "H-human access. Fire port Starfire m-missiles, spread of four."

At that call, the left shoulder of the suit opened and four flecks of burning red light launched out in a blast of steam. The miniscule demons sped at the creatureand, granted freedom by the command of a human and no other, embedded themselves deeply in its screeching head.

And detonated.

A Starfire missile is built upon the discovery of a wave known as an Irwin Field produced when an element known as Circumdatium is electrolysed. When the field is active, the strong nuclear force between protons is negated, causing protons to fly apart due to the presence of the repelling Coulomb force. It is used on a payload of Stellarium, a heavy atom with 238 protons. Affected by the field, protons repel each other and go faster and faster. When the field collapses on itself, the protons, moving at high speed, slam together in nuclear fusion. The result is not dissimilar to a star, albeit on a smaller scale.

Four miniature stars exploded within the creature, ripping it to shreds and sending billowing clouds of red everywhere, obscuring Kin's vision and causing him to gasp and wave his hands in front if his face. When the gory screen cleared, Mion spoke up in a grave voice.

"Kin?"

"..."

"Your faceplate."

The faceplate, worn away by the acidic bile spurted by the thing, had given. Just a little, but the pressure turned a drop into a sprinkle, and soon Kin was drenched, the water already reaching his ankles.

"Oh god. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. "

"Quick, Kin! There's a repair kit at the pod. If you hurry, we might be able to make it."

Kim lowered his head and ran as tears of abject despair began to fall, obscured by the endless shower of water, deadly water, life-taking water cascading in rivulets down his face.

Why me?