I sat up and gasped as my head lulled drearily. My mind plastered by the scenes from my dream. Put as I looked down at my arm, the indentation of a slight bruise there I shook me and let out a gasp again.

My heart pounded as I rushed into the bathroom, and began to hurl down the toilet. Bright pale green fluid spewed out of my mouth in a coughing gurgling rush.

When I was done, I sat against the wall for a moment and rested my head on my arms, my knees drawn up. “Captain? The med-pod scan is complete,” Nikhara voice yelled down the corridor from the elevator.

Flinging my hand up I tapped it against the door’s console. It let out a beep and flashed red at me. Sighing I leaned my head back and stared up at the ceiling. I didn’t like being seen when I was vulnerable.

“Marcus?” Nikhara called out tentatively as her footsteps drew closer.

“In here…” I said aloud and tried not to sigh as she came around the corner and spotted me sat on the floor.

“What’re doing down there?” the orc-dryad asked me, and I looked up into her serenely striking face. She wore one of the lightweave flight-suits, hers speckled a dark blueish-purple hue.

“Oh you know… Dreaming about another Plane of existence,” I told her simply and shrugged.

“Okay, well… are you coming to level four or not? The scan on the xeno is complete. It’s certainly … interesting, I’ll tell you that much.”

“Okay, I’m coming. Just let me brush my teeth and I’ll meet you down there,” I told her, not making any effort to stand up.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” her lavender eyes flicked from my face to the toilet bowl.

“Yes I’m fine. Now go on, is Andrea joining us?”

“No. She said, and I’ll paraphrase. That thing’ is gross, and there’s no way in hell I’m going near it ever again.”

“I take it she really said more than that?”

“Definitely. She practically screamed at for suggesting she come along. I swear whoever came up her personality did so because they liked whiny-bitches,” Nikhara replied, and huffed as she shook her head in amusement.

“She … has her quirks certainly,” I said with a dry laugh. Nikhara leaned down a pressed a tender kiss to my forehead and smiled before she retreated back towards the elevator.

I spent the next few minutes willing up enough willpower to stand and assess my vomit-inducing mess. It was a bright pale green, and faint wisps of the same colour gently rose from it. Shaking my head at what I must be imaging I flushed the toilet and searched the cabinet for my toothbrush.

The wives liked to move my shit around constantly without telling me before-hand. And every time I asked where they’d put a certain something they always claim they left it on the side.

Right … the side…

I stepped out of the elevator on deck four and breathed deeply as the metallic and disinfectant scent of this level filled my nostrils. It was always a better wake call than coffee, that was certain.

In fact I was pretty certain breathing this in was giving me a small high. Shaking my head, I wound my way down to the Med-bay and swiped myself inside. Briefly relieved that the door console had worked this time. Accepting my neural-implant.

I really needed Andrea to review that.

Inside I found Nikhara sat beside the med-pod, the scent of her coffee so intense I could smell it from fifteen feet away, even over the detergent and antiseptic smell of the med-bay.

The orc-dryad smiled my way as she saw me enter and I strolled over to return her tender kiss from earlier on her forehead.

“So what’ve we got.”

“It’s human,” Nikhara stated at me and I blinked dumbly. Then her words settled in my mind and I blinked again, looking at the strange black chiton covering the body’ chest, back, arms, and legs. It stomach and head left exposed. Its complexion darker than a Darkmoon elf.

“That… can’t… be--” I started to reply, but Nikhara cut me off.

“It was human, at least, at some point. Most of its vital organs, like the heart, kidney, liver, and lungs are all inactive and have been for some time. Its brain is a completely different matter though. For one its far smaller than the average humanoid brain. The structure of its brain is more akin to an animals. Following basic instincts and urges.

The chitinous triangular plates about its body are actually connected to the internal skeletal structure. They’ve grown out through the skin to form this natural exoskeleton. It does seem incomplete though.”

“How do you know that?” I asked her in wonder.

Nikhara gestured at the holographic display beside the med-pod. “There are several small breaches on the surface of its hardened skin. Within each breach there’s a series of plates not yet grown through. Its claw are also made of bone, which is strange considering how they look, yet their calcium levels all match. Now its lack of eyes is certainly telling. This hunter or whatever it is, prowls by scent and hearing--”

“No it could see,” I interrupted her. She looked at me in confusion and I realised we’d have to find some way of linking visual feeds back to the ship. “Its eyes glowed with this… inner dull purple,” I said and gestured at the thing’s eyes. My voice trailed off, as the memory of my dreams rolled back to me.

“Hmmm … well, whatever it was, it isn’t anymore. Now its skin as I mentioned is in fact hardened. I’m pretty certain if you tried to stab it whatever blade you used would only penetrate two, maybe three inches at the most. The med-pod couldn’t identify the properties of the skin at all, and I’m also stumped at what it could be.”

“What about its teeth?” I asked remembering the horridly sharp maw.

“It’s lower jaw actually elongates. See these, what look like hinges?” she pointed at the display and I nodded. The lower jaw was shaped like a curved L and connected to some sort of muscle, that unhinged and allowed the jaw to elongate.

“This is all very interesting, but you mentioned it was human before. How do you know that?”

“I did an DNA scan and found a match in the Zarian database we still have a record of. The database was a few years old, but the match was seventy-nine percent match.

“This before us was a human male by the name of, Wyatt Andrews. He was twenty-one years old when he deserted the Zarian navy. Nothing has been mentioned of him since.”

“Okay--” I started to reply but Nikhara cut me off.

“Then two weeks ago he transferred aboard the destroyer—with your namesake—and was recommended by guess who?”

“Jessica…?” I replied hesitantly. Then I blinked and shook my head when Nikhara nodded emphatically. “Just what the hell is going on?”

“I don’t know, Marcus. But whatever it is. None of it is good for anyone in the galaxy.” Nikhara words trailed through my mind and my head swam briefly at all the implications.

Could my ex-wife be in league with an unknown xeno-force? I didn’t know. But I now sure as shit felt obligated to finding out.

“Andrea?” I called over the neural-link.

“What’s up babe?” came the instant reply.

“I think it’s about time we checked out those planets, don’t you.” The only reply I received was a loud exasperated groan.

~*~*~*~

The Erebus flew straight for the Lios planet. The sleek black raven ship almost blended with the darkness of space as we soared hurriedly towards the orange dusty world.

“Anything over the com-feed?” I asked aloud as I stared at where exactly I thought that strange ship had been. Yet I couldn’t see any distortions or haze that foretold of its concealment.

“Nothing captain,” Andrea replied as she focused on the display before her, her fingers dancing over the keys and buttons of the communications’ terminal as she adjusted something. “Ughh… still nothing. It’s like there’s literally no one at all on the planet.”

“What about the underground facility at that city mentioned in the footage … what was it called?” Nikhara suggestions and paused as she banked the Erebus to the port side, moving the flight-stick in the opposite direction.

“Falcis,” I supplied recollecting the name almost immediately. The orc-dryad glanced at me briefly and smiled her thanks.

“I’m scanning literally everything. The Erebus scanners are so shit. We seriously need to upgrade this baby with all kinds of--”

“What about that ship, the one we saw in the footage?” I asked interrupting her tangent.

“Nope. Like I said, I’m scanning but I’m seeing nothing--”

“The other planets?”

“I would have to array the scanner with them instead of Lios.”

“Okay, don’t bother then. Let’s carry-on pilot.” Lios grew bigger and bigger the closer we flew, and began to see large swafts of desert sand spiral and funnelling as a huge sand storm began to kick up. It was probably fourteen kilometre from the main city we were heading to.

“How long until that storm hits the city?” I asked and gestured to the port side of the display.

“About twenty – thirty minutes, at least.”

“Should we wait for it to pass, or use it as cover, captain?” Nikhara prompted me, knowing exactly where my thoughts were leading.

“Use it as cover.”

“Right away.”

The Erebus surged forth as the prow of my ship’ plummeted straight for the city. Our speed greatly slowed so that we breached the atmosphere just as the first sands of the storm started to pepper Falcis city. By the time we’d fully breached, the sandstorm was majorly coating the entire city.

“Did you spot any docking stations, Andrea?” Nikhara asked the android.

“Yep. To the north-east side of the city. It’s a small outdoor dockyard. Mainly used for delivery craft—Oh shit!” The android gasped suddenly and cut herself off. “I just detected a life-sign, three kilometres to our west.”

“Looking at the top-down view of the snapshot taken on entry to Lios. I frowned, “whereabouts would that put it?”

“Riiiiight here!” Andrea chirped and tapping her fingers on her display. The western side of the city was made up of high reaching tower-skyscrapers. Their glass and reflective panelling twisting upwards into the sky.

“How far away will we be from it when we dock?” I asked Andrea. And I saw the androids jubilant expression sour.

“Via a vehicle it’ll most likely take you seven hours. To walk that distance,” she shrugged. “No idea, double, half? I don’t know,” said the artificially intelligent synthetic woman.

“Are there any public transportation in the area between the north-eastern dock and the western quarter of the city?” Nikhara asked as she dutifully maneuvered Erebus through the sandstorm, avoiding all manner of buildings.

“Yes. There is a mag-train station. Though whether it’s on the surface is anyone’s guess.”

“Okay. We have the bare-bones of an idea of where this activity is emanating from. Andrea, I want you to guard the Erebus and if need provide cover fire and death from above.”

“Sounds like my preferred role. What about my drone?”

“Have you sorted out the barrel yet?” I asked her curiously.

“N-no,” she sighed and slumped, as she shook her blue-haired head.

“If you can get it fixed while we’re away, then sent it.”

“Nikhara, you’re with me. I want you fully suited and bring extra ammo. We don’t know what we’ll face down there. But if we see another of that hunter xeno-thing. Aim for the head.”

We dispersed as the landing zone came in view. Andrea took over control and steered the Erebus over to land gently on the pad.

I saw several trucks and other motorised vehicles lined up to collect and parcel out deliveries brought from space merchants. Walking quickly into the armoury on level two, I stripped off my clothing and slid my own lightweave flight-suit on, realising it might be better to actually make the flight-suit a mandatory uniform for the crew.

Not that we exactly did missions frequently, but attacks by pirates and slavers on the fringes and outer rim were fairly frequent.

Tugging on my armour and carry webbing lastly, I holstered my revolver and the weapon’s rounds in a clip I kept handy and strolled out into corridor pulling on my helmet.

Nikhara’s forest green armoured suit greeted me on exit and we both nodded as we moved to the elevator again.

“Take us down,” I said to her and she nodded pressing the zero button. “Any activity in the vicinity, Andrea?”

“None captain. And I just had another response of life-signs at the edge of our scanner--”

“Still--”

“Still coming from the west,” she finished. I nodded and braced myself in a slight crouch, snapping my rifle-stock to my shoulder as the elevator descended down from the Erebus interior and lowered us out onto the docking platform beneath the ship.

Immediately we were whipped and peppered by the sandstorm covering the city. “Make sure your filtration system is working fine,” I said through the link to Nikhara.

“Got it. Mines good,” she replied a second later.

Squinting to the small cog wheel on my left side HUD, I pulled up my suits vital functions and noted that all of my levels were fine, though my holographic display did glitch briefly and distort my HUD for an instance.

“Marcus? did you hear me?”

“What? sorry. I was just checking my vitals,” I said as I blinked owlishly at my distorting display.

“I said, should we look for the train station platform?” Nikhara said as she kept her attention on our bleak surroundings. We couldn’t really see anything past three metres ahead of us.

“Sure. Andrea, do have our heading?”

“North-west of our position, about one-two miles. Should either be on a raised platform, on an underground one. May be both,” she replied with what I imagined to be a shrug.

“Got it.” We sprinted out from underneath the Erebus and crossed over to the steps leading down off the platform.

Taking each step carefully we descended down onto the ground of Falcis city. “Keep an eye out for movement.”

“Will do,” Nikhara. “Anything on the scans Andii?”

“Nothing yet. I’ve lost that signal in the west. I’ll keep you updated if it reappears again.”

“Eyes ahead,” I hissed quietly as a five stories-tall building came into partial view through the gritty storm. I could hear the tiny little impacts of sand scattering against my armour.

“I’m going to work on the drone in the mean-time, captain.”

“Got it. Nikhara, take the door,” the forest-green of her armour was barely visible and I imagined that our figures probably looked like shadowy wraiths in the storm.

The orc-dryad rushed the five metres to clasp the left handle of the double doors. She pulled it open as I reached her, and we moved quickly and efficiently inside through the entrance. I hadn’t been able to see the building’s brand, or whatever sort of store this was.

But I hadn’t expected a convention centre filled with old models of vehicles and miniature structures of spaceships and planes.

Each were showcased on a platform. On the ground and between platforms, or even slumped over a model were the bodies of people, mostly human but I even saw a few Darkmoon-elven xeno’s.

Their dark greyish-blue skin, white hair and pointed ears. My home-world had shared a fringe with the elven territories, so I knew the elven bastard’s well.

Hundreds of people lay strewn about in various stages of decomposition. I saw no blood spilled other than were a few seemed to have fallen over and bashed their heads or nose in.

It seemed almost as if they’d all fallen asleep at the same time. Toggling my helmets light at the same time Nikhara did I scanned it over the interior.

I didn’t see any sign of that strange xeno—I was now deferring to as hunter—anywhere. “Take a bio-sample, so we can test it when we get back.”

“Cover me,” Nikhara said and slung her rifle back over her shoulder and onto the back mount. There was a click as the rifle affirmed in place and the orc-dryad reached into her webbing rig to pull a small device, which when activated produced a hair-thin needle to take samples with.

I kept my gaze constantly roving the displays and bodies as I followed Nikhara over to where she crouched by the body. I thought she was about to stick the woman by her knee, but instead she tapped her wrist display and it emitted a soft pink scan light.

“She’s dead.”

“Could’ve told you that,” I muttered eyeing each corpse with an intense amount of suspicion. We moved deeper into the interior of the building, after Nikhara had taken a sample from a few corpses. Then came onto a wide theatre, where we overlooked several columns and large spaces, strewn about like a maze.

Our helmets external light, reached ten feet before us, and the floor of the area below was barely visible considering the fifteen feet of distance between us and the ground. To our right was a walkway that curve out and around, leading into steps that went downwards.

“Andrea? any activity?” I questioned through the neural-link quietly. Even though my external speakers were off, I was eerily reminded of the destroyer ship. Knowing that there were indeed bodies this time, didn’t do anything to alleviate the haunted feel of everything.

It was as if I was walking through a graveyard alone.

We moved down onto the theatre floor and I looked around as each path before us was filled with the prone dead bodies in various stages of decomposition. Beyond them and at the vague edge of my lights beam, I saw the bare flicker of a shadow. Like a thicker part of the darkness was moving.

“Contact,” I hissed and had my rifle at the ready. Nikhara moved up beside me and aimed her rifle as well in the direction I was facing.

“I see nothing.”

“Well I did see something,” I replied and looked partially left, and then right as I came to a decision. “Let’s get of here. We gain nothing from stalling here.”

“Roger that captain.”

“Andrea,” I called to the android as we moved down the corpse festooned path.

“What’s up, babe?” she asked my curiously.

“We’re moving on. Keep a level of awareness on this building. I’m certain somethings here.”

“I’m picking up nothing on the scanner here. But I’ll keep an eye out.”

I cut the call and refocused as we parcelled our way through the bodies. Being careful to not jostle them, as if they would reach out and grab us.”

“Contact!” Nikhara barked from ahead of me, and I saw her rifle snap up and trail higher as if she were following something.

This novel is the work of Rhys Thomas. If you are reading this and it has not been published by Rhys Thomas, then this work has been stolen. Please report this to Amazon and me at email: [email protected]