Hunt in the Storm
Planet F-33 - Hunt shwaaaaa-. A faint crackle mixed with the patter of rain buzzed through the helmet comms. Shadows encircled the Night Raven ship amid the storm. Apex's pursuit teams, codenamed squads.
Delta Team's leader stared at the silent ship through his visor, rain streaming down. Beneath the massive thunderclouds, the Night Raven lay dormant in pitch-black darkness.
A green laser beam began scanning the ship, and
At the command, the four teams silently adhered to the ship's hull. Polymer cutters sliced through the exterior, and they slipped into the darkness—unaware they'd stepped into the devil's maw guarding the queen's chamber.
*
The ship's interior was deathly quiet. Only the emergency lights flickered red, illuminating the corridor.
"Leader, check this out."
Lima shone her light into a corner of the corridor. Wedged in a pipe gap was an incongruously luxurious purple crystal.
"Lima, we're on mission. No side trips. Other teams are here too."
Juliet scolded her, but Lima ignored it and examined the crystal.
"Nah, I get the vibe. But look at this. Not in the Federation database or company files."
Juliet frowned and approached. Checking the scanner Lima handed her, it indeed read 'No Data'.
"...For real?"
"Right? Alpha Team's gonna hog all the credit anyway. We're just extras. Wouldn't it be great to snag something new? Target's just a little girl—four teams is overkill."
"But didn't you read Alpha's report? Unknown enemy forces."
"Pfft, analysis said minimum 50m-class giant. That'd be visible to the naked eye in a ship this size."
Juliet's last mental barrier crumbled under Lima's logic. No room for a massive monster in this cramped vessel. After a moment's thought, she decided.
"Fine. Just grab a sample. It'll check out in the report, and we've got a few minutes till final rendezvous."
"Knew you were reasonable, Leader!"
Lima gleefully collected the crystal. Watching her, Juliet said,
"You gonna blow that credit on another girl?"
"That's exactly—"
"—what a man would do? Cut the 'cause I'm a guy' crap, it's getting old."
"Aw, Leader, you need to get laid to get it. Rack up credit, fix my little bro's treatment—then how about drinks with me?"
Lima mimed chugging booze slyly.
"Pass."
Juliet laughed it off. Lima, disappointed, called to another teammate.
"Hey, Kilo. How long you gonna play with that Meomeo? Always goofing off when I look away."
Embarrassed, Lima picked on Kilo, squatting in the corner with a slime.
"Don't pick fights after Leader shot you down, Lima."
"What? That's not it!"
Lima yelled as Kilo stood, then tilted her head.
"What's with that Meomeo? Looks a bit more vibrant."
Squish.
At the word, life sparked in Kilo's bored eyes. He lifted the slime he'd been poking.
"Oh, you noticed? This one's got a creamier white glow than others. Makes me wanna take it over mission credit."
"Slime-obsessed weirdo. Always yapping about your faves. Drop it and move."
Lima tsked and swatted at the Meomeo in Kilo's hand.
That instant.
Something caught Lima's eye. On the slime's white surface, a single red eyeball slowly emerged.
"...Huh?"
Lima thought she'd misseen. Blinking, it wasn't one anymore. The slime's surface crawled with dozens of red eyes.
They rolled in different directions, then locked onto Juliet, Lima, and Kilo simultaneously.
"...What the hell."
Kilo panicked, shaking his hand. But the slime clung like glue.
Juliet and Lima reacted to the anomaly, but too late.
Crunch!
Nahibi in Kilo's hand ballooned explosively. White mucus sprouted razor spines, lancing everywhere.
"Guh... ack..."
One strike. White thorns pierced their bodies. Reinforced suits tore like paper; they skewered like kebabs, silent in death.
[Learning the tongue of lowly humans has its uses after all?]
[Four teams total... Ah? Now three.]
Nahibi flung the corpses aside.
[Lowly humans daring to touch Her Majesty? In my presence.]
Nahibi morphed into blood-mixed white fluid, swiftly seeping into the ship's pipe gaps.
[I'll show you hell.]
*
"Hotel, India."
"Yes, Captain."
"Uploading ship interior map and target location from the scan to your tactical visors. We secure the target fast. Questions?"
"None."
Team Golf was textbook precise and swift. They cleared the corridor with minimal motion. Per the scan map, the target bedroom was 30 meters ahead. They rounded the corner.
And then.
"...?"
Blocked. The corridor that should be open was sealed by a white wall.
"What is this stuff? Not registering on scan."
Golf fired his laser, but the wall didn't scratch.
"I'll try cutting it."
The Apex polymer cutter that breached the hull whirred again.
Vrrr.
The grinding echoed loudly, but it made no headway.
"Captain. Polymer cutter's useless."
Hotel swung a melee weapon beside him, but the blade bounced off.
"Damn. Won't breach!"
"Forget more methods—fall back and flank."
At Golf's order, the team turned.
"...!!! "
Their eyes widened in horror. The corridor they'd come from was now walled off in white. Silently. When?
Golf urgently radioed the situation.
"Delta! This is Golf! Retreat blocked! Request support! Delta!"
[Static... crackle...]
Only static replied. Barely discernible words at best—comms were dead.
"Damn, what is this? Wall off-scan, cutter-proof. Breaching impossible?"
"Captain, explosives are suicide in here. No good."
"Any other ideas...!"
Then.
Drip.
Water hit Golf's helmet from above.
Water? Inside the ship? Now, when I'm pissed?
"What."
Golf looked up.
He shouldn't have.
No ceiling visible. Instead, a white mucus mass filled it, red gazes peering down.
Locking eyes, white liquid poured.
It engulfed Golf instantly.
Sizzle!
"Gaaaaahhh!!!"
Agonized screams. Suit melting, flesh burning stench filled the air.
"Hot hurts hot hurts save me! Don't wanna... die...!"
"Captain!"
Hotel and India rushed to him. Too late. Their leader dissolved into unrecognizable sludge.
"What the hell is... "
Captain down to unknown monster, their resolve cracked.
They unloaded guns and swung blades at the walls—nothing budged.
Worse, both white walls began closing in slowly.
Crushed at this rate.
They desperately radioed outside—no reply.
Then Nahibi struck from the ceiling again.
Hotel reflexively dodged, but a tentacle swallowed his left arm to the shoulder. Flesh dangled, then fell.
Shock and blood loss rolled his eyes back.
"Hotel! Snap out of it!"
India sprayed hemostatic from the medkit. He'd survive bleeding out, but Hotel's spirit broke upon regaining senses.
"It's over... we're dead..."
Hotel slumped, trembling.
"Better if I'd gone like the captain..."
Slap!
India backhanded him.
"Pull it together! There's a way out!"
India pointed to the floor.
"Walls closing front and back, but the deck's worn. Standard alloy!"
"Floor...?"
"Ship's landed. Dig through—straight escape below!"
India's words reignited Hotel's eyes.
Yeah, the floor. Breach it and out.
"Cut it! Let's go!"
Hope renewed, they tore at the deck. Lasers seared, suit strength pried with rifles as levers.
Panels peeled slowly, revealing space below.
"Yes! I see it!"
They cheered, peering into what they hoped was earthy salvation.
But.
No soil greeted them.
White.
The endless nightmare sprawled before them.
"...Ah."
Not ground. The entire corridor—no, the whole section—was packed solid with walls. Up, down, sides.
Their hope shattered.
Then, a red eye slowly rose from the white floor.
It curled wickedly at the corner, mocking them.
"Fuck!!!"
Hotel lost it. He maxed his suit output with his remaining arm.
"Die! Die! All die!"
He hammered the eye like a madman.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Fingers shattered, gauntlet splintered— he didn't stop. Terror and madness ruled him.
His frenzy paid off. The eye finally tore free from the floor.
"Hah... hah..."
Red eyeball in Hotel's hand. Triumph brief. Nothing changed. Still trapped in white.
As despair set in.
Hummm-.
The eye glowed red, heating up.
Hotel's pupils quaked. He sensed the end, closing his eyes.
"...Fuck."
BOOM!
A massive blast rocked the sealed corridor.
[Buuuurp~.]
Silence returned to the corridor. Nahibi belched, absorbing blood and suit scraps from the floor.
[Despair's crunchy after ages. Prey left... two teams.]
Nahibi simply carried on with her duty.