Becky shook her head after she studied the images, “Looks like this might be the homeworld for whoever built the alien probes.”

Chie nodded, “Or perhaps a larger colony.”

Ryan barely paid attention to the conversation and found the area they’d planned to enter the alien space station, “I can jump us right next to Airlock A and drop off Repairy McRepair Face. The other ships and stations shouldn’t matter.”

Chie tapped her chin, then shook her head, “No, we should wait until the Meatballs start their attack. We should use the time to prepare as much as possible for our rescue.”

Becky looked uncertain, but still nodded, “It might help us slip in if they’re distracted by the Meatballs.”

Ryan didn’t feel worried about that, “Maybe, but I still think the defense turrets and blast doors inside the station are the only things we need to worry about.”

Chie nodded, “Turrets aside, the blast doors should pose only a hindrance.”

Mayu raised her hand, “I have idea!”

Chie and Becky turned to Mayu.

Mayu looked at them in return, “You will not be liking, but I am thinking I should be going too.” Becky’s face went hard and was about to speak, but Mayu raised her hand and shook her head, “I am coming back again if dead, but this woman maybe not.”

Becky sighed, “I wish we never found out we get new bodies after we die. I feel like we’ll make it a bad habit putting ourselves in dangerous situations just because we can. But, you’re right. It’s our fault this woman’s home is about to be attacked, so we should take some responsibility for this.”

Mayu smiled, “Thank you for being understanding.”

Becky closed her eyes for a moment, then shrugged, “Sometimes I feel like I’m a little too cautious, or maybe you and Anton are rubbing off on me.”

Chie leaned forward in her chair and looked at Mayu, “I will join you.”

Becky looked between Chie and Mayu, “I… Should I go too?”

Chie turned to Becky, “At least one of us should stay. If all three of us perish in the attempt, it will take two weeks for our new bodies to grow and Ryan can only do so much by himself.”

Ryan recalled his first two weeks after he arrived, “I’d probably be okay by myself since I know you’ll come back. I have lots of stuff to distract myself with too, so it wouldn’t be so bad, I think.”

Becky shook her head, “I’ll probably be a liability, anyway. Today is the first day I’ve shot a gun and… well… you saw how bad my aim was earlier.”

Chie nodded, “It was still decent for an amateur. I suspect once you become accustomed to using a weapon, your aim will improve quickly.”

Becky looked at her hands, “My hands were shaking pretty bad.”

Mayu put her hand on Becky’s shoulder, “Shooting is fun. We can practice more later.”

Becky smiled wryly, “Yeah, maybe for practice, but not when you’re being attacked or infiltrating a space station.”

Mayu smiled, “I am thinking this is even more fun! Saving a princess from large meatballs!”

Chie chuckled, “I am glad one of us is looking forward to this operation.”

Becky’s smile became warmer, “I’m terrified and I’m not even going.” She turned to the hologram of the space station, “Well, we should get back to planning. Maybe some body armor?”

***

An hour and fifteen minutes later, Ryan saw something happening via the small recon drone they’d dropped off before leaving for a safer location.

Some of the pill ships had jumped next to the space station, “Hey guys! They’re attacking! Some pill ships covered in Meatball goop just jumped in.”

Ryan brought up a hologram for the others to watch just in time for them to see the infected ships open fire on the non-infected ones and the station itself.

Chie’s face turned white.

Becky’s face went grim, “Darn, just needed a little more time.”

Mayu grinned, “Let us hurry!”

In the last hour, they’d not only designed some makeshift armor using the same materials as the shield they’d designed earlier, but had started attaching it to Mayu’s armor. She only had some on her chest, but she still had the shield.

Ryan readied the FTL, “Mayu’s right. If there are Meatballs on the station already, we need to hurry. Once you’ve strapped yourselves to Repairy McRepair Face we’re going.”

Becky jerked on Mayu’s shiny new chest plate, “Alright. Good luck, you two.”

Mayu finally started looking nervous as she picked up her plasma cannon and plasma pistol, “Thank you.”

Mayu put on her helmet once she slung the weapon over her back and left the mess hall.

Chie nodded to Becky as she picked up her helmet and weapon, and followed Mayu.

Becky just stared at the door even after it closed, worry on her face.

Ryan deployed the turret and powered it up. He used Xenon as the gas for the plasma as it did more damage than hydrogen thanks to its heavier atomic weight, and didn’t take as long to fire or use as much power as the solid or liquid elements.

More infected pill ships jumped next to the station, “The infected ships are losing, but more are coming in.”

The first pill ships to arrive had already been destroyed by the station’s defenses, but most of the Meatball goop on the hull had launched itself to the station and entered. He doubted they had meant to survive in the first place and had already done their job.

The newer ships appeared at a greater distance, were more in number, and didn’t look nearly as infected.

Chie and Mayu arrived at the Usual Breach and started strapping themselves to Repairy McRepair Face.

Ryan hoped they arrived at the station before its defenses picked off the first infected ships, “Alright. Ready?”

Mayu gave a thumbs up as she finished strapping herself to the drone.

Chie finished only moments after Mayu and gave a thumbs up as well.

Ryan turned on the FTL, “Here we go!”

Moments later Luna appeared next to the station, less than fifty meters away. It was a little too close for comfort, but they needed to be as close as possible.

Ryan found Airlock A quickly and fired a plasma shot with the magnetic bullet just as Repairy McRepair Face and its two passengers left Luna.

Three turrets nearby turned towards Luna. Two were rail guns, and one a plasma cannon.

Ryan wanted to jump Luna away, but he needed to keep the turrets from focusing on the boarding party, so instead started taking evasive action.

Luna’s plasma shot hit Airlock A and easily melted through, causing molten metal to spray in every direction, followed by escaping atmosphere.

The rail guns started firing, but Ryan felt he could easily outmaneuver them.

He noticed something else right away. He was having to use much more power for the FTL than he should have needed to, but it didn’t prevent him from keeping ahead of the turrets.

The boarding party arrived at the now destroyed airlock, and entered, careful to avoid the still glowing metal that had survived the impact.

Ryan jumped Luna a short distance away.

Becky had been holding her breath and finally breathed out, “Thank goodness they made it.”

The plasma had destroyed both the outer and inner doors of the airlock and continued well inside the station. The room next to the airlock had fared better than the airlock, though its contents had not, as melted and barely recognizable equipment littered the floor.

Ryan’s shot had come in at an angle, so had gone through the wall next to the door that led from the room. He also noted a hole in the wall on the opposite side of the hallway.

Mayu and Chie unstrapped themselves from Repairy McRepair Face.

The hole wasn’t big enough to fit the drone or Chie through, but Mayu could. If it wasn’t for the fact that it still glowed red hot.

Chie approached the door and found the door control to be destroyed, “Unsurprising.”

Mayu approached the hole and peered through it, “I am seeing a turret.”

That was expected, as according to the map, there were turrets on either side of the door to the airlock.

Ryan double checked the map. Airlock A was the closest one to the room marked as Ms. Sleepy’s living quarters. It was kinda creepy how detailed the map for this place was, because it even had the most likely spots to find her.

Ryan approached the door and used one of the drone’s free manipulator arms to force the door open.

The door easily tore free.

The hallway outside was dimly lit with flashing lights that were probably meant to show there was an emergency. The walls were all white, with only the occasional marking in the aliens’ language.

Ryan used another manipulator arm to place a shield in front of the drone and another with a plasma cannon attached to it, then entered the hallway, ready to take on the turret Mayu had seen.

Becky looked nervous, and whispered, “Be careful.”

The two turrets on either side of the door opened fire.

They were simple machine guns, and didn’t seem threatening to anything with heavy armor.

Ryan hoped they’d made the armor thick enough.

The rounds dented Repairy McRepair Face’s shield and armor, but didn’t penetrate so it seemed they had.

Mayu reached through the hole with her plasma pistol and shot at the turret.

Ryan aimed Repairy McRepair Face’s plasma cannon at the other and fired.

Mayu’s plasma pistol destroyed the turret after a single shot, but Repairy McRepair Face’s shot not only destroyed it, but melted half of it to slag.

Mayu whooped, “This is being easy!”

Chie peered through the doorway and looked around, “I imagine they were not expecting someone to get past their fleet. Still, arrogance could get us killed, so we should still proceed with caution.”

Becky let out her breath, “I hope it stays this way.”

Ryan turned Repairy McRepair Face to the left, “Alright, just five more turrets and three blast doors on the way to Ms. Sleepy’s room. Here’s hoping Becky is right.”

Repairy McRepair Face’s wheels were put on as an afterthought, so it moved slowly on wheels that looked too small for it.

Mayu walked just behind and to the right of Repairy McRepair Face, and Chie checked various rooms as they went along.

They reached the first blast door, and the turret that protected it.

Repairy McRepair Face took out the turret easily enough, and Ryan deployed the plasma cutter and got to work.

Mayu and Chie opened doors on either side of the hallway.

Chie shook her head, “All the rooms are empty.”

Mayu looked behind them, “Yes, is no one living here?”

Ryan had been thinking the same thing, “I had thought they might be hiding in a shelter, but these rooms don’t look like anyone is living in them or using them.”

Chie nodded, “Indeed. The station seems abandoned.”

Ryan checked the map to see if it had any clues, but the only things marked on it were those they needed to find Ms. Sleepy, “I don’t see anything on the map.”

The lights flickered.

Mayu looked up, “The Meatballs?”

Chie nodded, “The reactor would be a prime target.”

Ryan would go straight to the reactor too, if he could go through walls, “Yep, they tried going after ours too.”

Ryan finished the cut, and the metal disc he’d cut out fell forward after a bump.

The turret on the other side started firing, but it too couldn’t penetrate Repairy McRepair Face’s armor.

Ryan moved Repairy McRepair Face through the hole, “I’m actually disappointed at how weak these turrets are.”

Mayu nodded in agreement, “Yes. This is being boring.”

Chie chuckled, “Perhaps they weren’t expecting a small armored vehicle to board them so easily.”

Becky was about to say something when three objects appeared from the right branch of a large intersection just ahead.

At the same time, a turret larger than the others dropped from the ceiling.

Ryan opened fire, “Drones!”

Mayu raised her plasma cannon and opened fire too, “These were not being on the map!”

Ryan’s plasma struck the nearest drone, just as it and the others opened fire.

The drones’ ammo merely bounced off Repairy McRepair Face’s raised shield. At least they did at first, until the metal started softening.

Chie fired from behind Repairy McRepair Face and missed the drone she’d aimed at as it dodged to the side, “Is that a laser weapon?”

Mayu took out another drone.

Ryan noticed the shield start glowing, “It’s melting the shield!”

Mayu hit the turret with her plasma pistol, “I will be getting it!”

Chie fired at it too.

Ryan couldn’t get a good shot at the turret because he had to keep the shield raised, “I’ll get the last drone.”

Mayu hit the turret again, “I am thinking it is dead!”

The turret stopped moving as the plasma melted through its armor and into its insides.

The last drone fell to the floor as the heat from the plasma nearly hit it, melting its side, “Last one!”

Ryan swapped the partially destroyed shield for another attached to Repairy McRepair Face’s undercarriage and moved to the intersection.

Becky looked like she was watching a thriller movie, “Good job everyone!”

The left of the intersection was the hallway that led to where they wanted to go. The other hallways appeared just like the one they had come from and had no remarkable features. There was a door that looked like it led to an elevator on the left, between the hallway they’d come and the one to their left.

Chie watched down the hallway opposite the one they’d come from, and Mayu the one to the right where the drones had.

Ryan turned Repairy McRepair Face to the left, “Hmm, the next bulkhead is still open. I don’t see the turret deployed either.”

Chie’s hallway had deployed its bulkhead, “I don’t see the turret here, but the bulkhead is closed.”

Mayu’s was much the same.

Ryan felt something odd was up, “Maybe they don’t want to waste turrets?”

Chie tapped the chin area of her helmet, “Perhaps, but we should be ready for a trap.”

Ryan moved Repairy McRepair Face forward, “Alright, you two stay here, just in case.”

Becky started fidgeting, but stayed silent.

A panel lit up on a console next to the elevator.

It showed various videos, each with Meatballs or Meatball goop. Some text Ryan recognized from the computer they’d captured scrolled across the bottom. Next, it showed several empty rooms, each opening to reveal an elderly person, before a feed showing a room with Ms. Sleepy in it.

Ms. Sleepy looked flustered and was packing clothes into a bag on a bed. Next to it lay several objects that looked like musical instruments.

Ryan was confused. Why was the station showing him this?

“Uh, guys… The station just showed me Ms. Sleepy and a bunch of sleeping old people.”

Chie and Mayu turned towards Repairy McRepair Face at the same time.

Chie’s attention immediately focused on the console, “Why would it do such a thing.”

Mayu’s attention lingered on the console for a moment before turning back to watch their surroundings.

Becky seemed deep in thought but still stayed silent.

Ryan could see the console through Chie’s camera so he started moving Repairy McRepair Face down the hallway, “It showed me some videos of Meatballs, then Ms. Sleepy and the others.”

A wall opened in Ms. Sleepy’s room, a space suit inside.

She jumped and looked at it curiously before taking it.

The feed moved on to another room with an elderly person waking up and looking very confused.

Chie tapped her chin, “Perhaps… no… Could it want us to save them? It would explain why we are no longer being attacked.” She glanced at the lights guiding them down the hallway, “It’s even guiding us.”

Repairy McRepair Face passed over where the bulkhead would emerge from if activated, “Still could be a trap.”

Mayu turned and ran to follow Repairy McRepair Face, “This is being strange.”

Chie followed as well, “Perhaps it realized what we are here for?”

Ryan was still skeptical, “Why would they want us to kidnap their people?”

Chie paused, “Perhaps they realized they can’t win. We easily came in, so we can easily leave.”

Ryan’s video feed from the drone he’d left to watch the battle showed it still looked like the aliens were winning, except… “There’s some Meatball goop on the outside of the station now and the turrets are shooting at the alien ships.”

Chie started moving again, “Then it is only a matter of time until the Meatballs take over the station’s systems. Perhaps they realized this?”

Mayu rushed ahead, “We are needing to be hurrying!”

Ryan agreed, “Alright, you two go ahead. I’ll watch your backs.”

“I think we should consider helping them if that’s really the case,” Becky said once the others finished talking.

The lights flickered again, but this time they turned off.

Mayu reached Ms. Sleepy’s room first.

The door opened, revealing a now spacesuit clad Ms. Sleepy.

Ms. Sleepy pulled several pieces of luggage from the room with her. She didn’t look like she was in a hurry.

She looked nervous as she looked at Mayu and Chie, and finally to Repairy McRepair Face.

Chie waved at her to follow them.

Ms. Sleepy held out the bag she’d packed her clothes in to Chie.

Chie hesitated for a moment, then took the bag, “Does she not understand the danger we are in?”

Mayu picked up a small item and held it under her left arm while she held the plasma cannon in her other, “I am thinking it is okay.”

Ms. Sleepy put two large cases on Repairy McRepair Face.

Ryan started moving Repairy McRepair Face, “Back to the airlock?”

Mayu jogged ahead a few paces in front.

Ms. Sleepy climbed onto Repairy McRepair Face and started securing her belongings.

Chie put the bag on top too, “Does she think we’re going on vacation?”

The lights turned back on.

Two turrets dropped from the ceiling.

Every door along the hallway opened. Some had nothing happen, but others had atmosphere rush from inside them. Several elderly people flew out of the rooms with the escaping air, each in various states of dress in spacesuits similar to Ms. Sleepy’s.

Mayu raised her plasma pistol to fire, but wasn’t fast enough, and the turrets started firing.

Two space suit clad figures took the hits, and blood and viscera sprayed across the wall behind them.

Becky gasped, “No!”

Mayu took out the nearest turret before it could find another target.

The turret behind that killed another elderly person just as they were about to put their helmet on, before Chie took it out too.

Mayu rushed to an elderly man just as he passed out from lack of air, “We need to be looking for helmets!”

She noticed a helmet spinning on the floor nearby and reached for it.

Chie rushed into a room.

Ms. Sleepy looked around for a moment, then slid off Repairy McRepair Face and jogged into another room.

Five drones came towards them from the intersection where they'd killed the others, “There're drones coming!”

The drones opened fire, hitting more of the elderly individuals.

Mayu tried to push the man she’d just finished putting a helmet on out of the way, but she along with him got hit.

The rounds easily pierced the man, killing him.

Mayu’s suit took the blows to her right shoulder and chest, but none pierced the material.

Mayu screamed in pain, then dove into a room after shaking off the hit.

Ryan destroyed a drone.

Chie used a doorway as cover and fired at the drones.

Mayu ran from the room, her plasma pistol in her left hand, and fired two shots before using Repairy McRepair Face as cover.

Both Chie and Mayu killed another drone each.

The remaining two paused and returned to the way they’d come.

Mayu took out one more before the last disappeared into a hatch in the ceiling at the intersection.

Ryan started moving Repairy McRepair Face again, “You alright, Mayu?”

Mayu held her right arm to her chest while she scanned the area ahead with her pistol held up, “I am thinking my arm and ribs are being broken.”

Chie jogged ahead, “Mayu, you should rest on the drone. I can scout ahead.”

Mayu nodded and leaned on Repairy McRepair Face as she watched behind them.

Ms. Sleepy poked her head from the room she’d hidden in.

She looked at the bodies and gore, before stopping her gaze on one individual, a woman.

She walked over to the woman and placed her hand on her cheek.

Ms. Sleepy only stayed like this for a moment, but stood and jogged to catch up to Repairy McRepair Face and Mayu.

Ryan couldn’t get the images of the bodies from his mind, “Was that? Did the Meatballs do that? Take over the turrets and drones?”

Chie glanced back, “It is possible. What worries me more is that they ignored us.”

Mayu’s gaze lingered on the scene of carnage, “Why are they wanting to kill them?”

Chie shook her head, “I do not want to know.”

They reached the intersection and turned right.

Several Meatballs appeared next to the dead bodies they’d left.

Mayu gasped, “Meatballs!”

Ryan didn’t stop moving, “What are they doing?”

Mayu stopped walking and watched.

The Meatballs started stripping the space suits and clothing from the bodies with surprising speed.

Mayu gasped again as a Meatball lowered itself onto a body, its dark pink flesh engulfing it, “They are eating!”

Chie paused for a moment, but continued walking, “We need to hurry.”

Mayu turned away from the Meatballs.

Every door in the next hallway was open.

Chie paused at the site of several pulsing Meatballs attached to the floor in front of several doorways. They looked twice as big as normal.

Ryan noticed there was a lot of blood and gore around each Meatball, “There were people here too…”

Chie paused at the first Meatball, but went around it when it didn’t react, “We should leave them alone unless they act first.”

It wasn’t until they neared Airlock A, that a Meatball made any sign of moving.

The Meatball in question started pulsing faster, and a seam appeared in the center of its body and split it into two.

The Meatballs started slowly lifting from the floor, but still seemed sluggish.

Mayu and Chie pointed their weapons towards them.

Chie waved Mayu ahead, “Go! I will watch them.”

One meatball turned invisible.

The other followed them, and only paused when Chie aimed her plasma cannon at it.

The other Meatballs started pulsing and splitting.

Ryan wished Repairy McRepair Face could go faster, “Chie, grab Ms. Sleepy and wait in the airlock with Mayu. We can abandon Repairy McRepair Face if we have to.”

Chie shook her head, “No, we are nearly there at our destination and they aren’t doing anything aggressive.”

Ryan didn’t care, “It might be waiting for its friends to wake up. Get going!”

Chie shook her head again, “We still have time.”

Ryan was getting frustrated, “Fine! But I better not have to wait two weeks to see you again.”

Mayu pulled Ms. Sleepy away from Repairy McRepair Face and ran to Airlock A and entered, “I will be going ahead.”

The Meatballs on the floor stopped not far from Airlock A, “Looks like our plasma hit, already killed everyone next to the airlock.”

Chie didn’t look away from the last Meatball as they passed by, “Indeed.”

Ryan felt a sense of dread, “Did we kill a bunch of innocent people?”

Chie glanced at the hole in the wall that led into the room opposite the airlock, “We had no way of knowing. It could also be a supply room or empty.”

The thought made Ryan feel better, “Yeah, makes sense the room across the airlock would be storage or something.” He powered up Luna’s FTL, “I’m gonna try and get Luna closer this time so we can get outta here faster.”

Ryan turned Repairy McRepair Face into the airlock and Chie followed it in.

Mayu and Ms. Sleepy waited at the breach they’d made and watched the planet below.

Ms. Sleepy looked confused and scared as she peered through the breach.

Mayu watched the planet, “Kirei…”

Repairy McRepair Face reached the breach and everyone climbed on.

The Meatball had stopped at the door and seemed to watch them.

Ryan had a strange thought, “Is it seeing us off?”

Chie shook her head, “Or making sure we don’t do anything before we leave.”

Ryan jumped Luna next to the station. He was closer this time, but still had to maneuver in a little more.

The turrets around the airlock turned towards Luna but didn’t open fire.

Ryan pushed Repairy McRepair Face through the airlock and into the Usual Breach.

Ms. Sleepy looked surprised at first, then turned skeptical as she noticed Luna’s damaged hull.

Once they were in, Ryan moved Luna away and reactivated the FTL.