Stellaris
Crew Log Four: Docking Procedure
I’m not the monster, he had to die. That plays over in my head at least a hundred times. Am I a murderer now? What would my parent’s have done? I shouldn’t feel bad for killing that asshole! He let an alien army into this ship and now I have to fight for my fucking life!
I take a seat near the computer showing a map of the Stellaris and pick up the headset, hoping someone will hear my SOS, but there’s just static when I put it to my ear.
“Alpha Station, this is an SOS from the Stellaris. Please respond.” Alpha station is far, but there’s a chance, a small chance that they might respond. “Alpha Station, Please respond.” But still, the static hangs there, not leaving.
“Hannah. Is that you? It’s Elena. Please tell me this isn’t a recording.”
A smile lifts across my face, another person is alive. “Elena, it’s me. Nice to see someone else is making it through this hell.”
“Hannah, listen. I’m in the drop ship. I have it working, but the docking arm isn’t working. It needs rebooted which is in the Stellar Observatory. If I can get docked, we can both get off this ship.” She sounds so desperate, she should be.
“Okay, I have to go there anyway to power up the lights. Are there any of those things on the drop ship?”
“Not that I know of, I’m safe. You stay safe too, Hannah. Keep this line open.”
My body springs into action and I leap from the seat. That ship might be our way out of here, but how? There’s not enough of anything to last us for the journey home. I don’t care, we’ll think of something when the time comes. I grab the flamethrower which is now at 30%, toss the strap around my shoulder, and wrap my fingers around the handle of my trusty ax. Time to go.
The door slides open and I ease out into the hall, looking left then right, making sure nothing is about to eat me. Tap, tap, tap. That’s the sound of an alien right behind me. If I run, it might hear me, if I walk, it might catch up to me. I have two weapons so I decide to run. My teeth clench together and adrenaline hits me like a bus then I’m in full sprint. I can hear the monster close behind me, it’s running too. The thought of it getting close sends shivers down my spine.
The running behind me stops and I’m suddenly tackled to the ground. The ax and flamethrower go sliding across the floor. The monster’s tail jabs into my stomach and pins me to the floor. I can’t scream, I can’t even think, I’m frozen in a state of shock. It’s face gets close to mine and breathes me in. Ooze drips from it’s mouth and slides down my cheek, I don’t even care right now. It has no eyes, so how does it see? It has no nose, so how does it smell? The thoughts leave my head and another enters. Grab the tail and shove it into that fuckers skull. While our faces are focused on each others, I grab it’s tail with both hands and rip it out. Then the scream I’ve been holding back shoots out of me, a scream I don’t recognize as my own. As I’m screaming, I stab the sharp end of the tail into the alien’s face. It screams as well and picks me up with both arms and throws me down the hall. My body slams against the wall, my spine sounds like it snaps in a million different places, then I hit the floor. I’m barely moving, I hurt everywhere. The monster rips it’s own tail off and then looks at me, it’s tasting revenge. Willing myself off the floor, I start to limp away, my hand clasped over the open wound in my stomach.
My fist makes contact with the button to the Stellar Observatory. I walk inside and lock the door behind me. No vents in this room, only one door. I’m somewhat safe. I unzip my shirt and then pull up the white tanktop under it, oh god...it’s real bad. Wobbling over to the other side of the room, I grab the first aid kit and toss it down on a nearby table. I scan my bloody thumbprint and the lid shoots open. Bandages, quick pain relief needle, and the stapler, that’s all I need. I shut my eyes for a brief second and stab the needle in my thigh. Instantly, the pain is a little less painful. Now for the stapler, I pinch the wound shut as best as I can, bloor pouring out and onto the floor. I want to scream, I want to die. One staple shoots in and a whimper escapes through my lips. Another, another, and another. Fifteen all together, when it’s finished, I finally let out a scream which is mixed with a cry, then I bandage everything up and zip my shirt. The pain is almost too much.
“I’m so sorry mom, I’m sorry dad. I let you guys down.” I drop to the floor, I’ve failed them, I let the ship fall into the wrong hands and I doomed my parent’s dreams.
“Hannah, did you make it?” I had forgotten about Elena.
I wipe tears from my eyes and suck up my feelings. “I’m here.” I say through whimpers.
“Okay. Flip the switch.” She says, not even asking if I’m okay.
Grabbing the table, I pull myself up, I can feel the wound slightly ripping open. Slowly, I walk over to the Docking Computer and flip about five levers. The computer screams over the intercom: Docking Procedure Initialized, stand by.
“It’s done Elena, I’ll meet you there.”
From the window, I can see the drop ship coming. But it’s picking up speed, faster and faster. I watch in horror as it crashes into the middle of the ship. Flames spew into empty space, the fire alarm rings and yellow lights flash. Oh god, she wanted to destroy the ship no matter what. In this very moment, I realized how fucked I am. I’m going to die on this ship, Jones was right. If I’m gonna die, it’s not from the alien or half the Stellaris being crashed into, I’m dying by blowing this shit to hell. I have to override the thrusters, put them into panic mode. I’m sorry mom and dad, I know this ship was your baby, but I have to protect Earth.
I take a seat near the computer showing a map of the Stellaris and pick up the headset, hoping someone will hear my SOS, but there’s just static when I put it to my ear.
“Alpha Station, this is an SOS from the Stellaris. Please respond.” Alpha station is far, but there’s a chance, a small chance that they might respond. “Alpha Station, Please respond.” But still, the static hangs there, not leaving.
“Hannah. Is that you? It’s Elena. Please tell me this isn’t a recording.”
A smile lifts across my face, another person is alive. “Elena, it’s me. Nice to see someone else is making it through this hell.”
“Hannah, listen. I’m in the drop ship. I have it working, but the docking arm isn’t working. It needs rebooted which is in the Stellar Observatory. If I can get docked, we can both get off this ship.” She sounds so desperate, she should be.
“Okay, I have to go there anyway to power up the lights. Are there any of those things on the drop ship?”
“Not that I know of, I’m safe. You stay safe too, Hannah. Keep this line open.”
My body springs into action and I leap from the seat. That ship might be our way out of here, but how? There’s not enough of anything to last us for the journey home. I don’t care, we’ll think of something when the time comes. I grab the flamethrower which is now at 30%, toss the strap around my shoulder, and wrap my fingers around the handle of my trusty ax. Time to go.
The door slides open and I ease out into the hall, looking left then right, making sure nothing is about to eat me. Tap, tap, tap. That’s the sound of an alien right behind me. If I run, it might hear me, if I walk, it might catch up to me. I have two weapons so I decide to run. My teeth clench together and adrenaline hits me like a bus then I’m in full sprint. I can hear the monster close behind me, it’s running too. The thought of it getting close sends shivers down my spine.
The running behind me stops and I’m suddenly tackled to the ground. The ax and flamethrower go sliding across the floor. The monster’s tail jabs into my stomach and pins me to the floor. I can’t scream, I can’t even think, I’m frozen in a state of shock. It’s face gets close to mine and breathes me in. Ooze drips from it’s mouth and slides down my cheek, I don’t even care right now. It has no eyes, so how does it see? It has no nose, so how does it smell? The thoughts leave my head and another enters. Grab the tail and shove it into that fuckers skull. While our faces are focused on each others, I grab it’s tail with both hands and rip it out. Then the scream I’ve been holding back shoots out of me, a scream I don’t recognize as my own. As I’m screaming, I stab the sharp end of the tail into the alien’s face. It screams as well and picks me up with both arms and throws me down the hall. My body slams against the wall, my spine sounds like it snaps in a million different places, then I hit the floor. I’m barely moving, I hurt everywhere. The monster rips it’s own tail off and then looks at me, it’s tasting revenge. Willing myself off the floor, I start to limp away, my hand clasped over the open wound in my stomach.
My fist makes contact with the button to the Stellar Observatory. I walk inside and lock the door behind me. No vents in this room, only one door. I’m somewhat safe. I unzip my shirt and then pull up the white tanktop under it, oh god...it’s real bad. Wobbling over to the other side of the room, I grab the first aid kit and toss it down on a nearby table. I scan my bloody thumbprint and the lid shoots open. Bandages, quick pain relief needle, and the stapler, that’s all I need. I shut my eyes for a brief second and stab the needle in my thigh. Instantly, the pain is a little less painful. Now for the stapler, I pinch the wound shut as best as I can, bloor pouring out and onto the floor. I want to scream, I want to die. One staple shoots in and a whimper escapes through my lips. Another, another, and another. Fifteen all together, when it’s finished, I finally let out a scream which is mixed with a cry, then I bandage everything up and zip my shirt. The pain is almost too much.
“I’m so sorry mom, I’m sorry dad. I let you guys down.” I drop to the floor, I’ve failed them, I let the ship fall into the wrong hands and I doomed my parent’s dreams.
“Hannah, did you make it?” I had forgotten about Elena.
I wipe tears from my eyes and suck up my feelings. “I’m here.” I say through whimpers.
“Okay. Flip the switch.” She says, not even asking if I’m okay.
Grabbing the table, I pull myself up, I can feel the wound slightly ripping open. Slowly, I walk over to the Docking Computer and flip about five levers. The computer screams over the intercom: Docking Procedure Initialized, stand by.
“It’s done Elena, I’ll meet you there.”
From the window, I can see the drop ship coming. But it’s picking up speed, faster and faster. I watch in horror as it crashes into the middle of the ship. Flames spew into empty space, the fire alarm rings and yellow lights flash. Oh god, she wanted to destroy the ship no matter what. In this very moment, I realized how fucked I am. I’m going to die on this ship, Jones was right. If I’m gonna die, it’s not from the alien or half the Stellaris being crashed into, I’m dying by blowing this shit to hell. I have to override the thrusters, put them into panic mode. I’m sorry mom and dad, I know this ship was your baby, but I have to protect Earth.