Chapter 1 – No One Can Hear You Scream
The current year is 2432. Humanity has finally made ships that are able to travel to other galaxies in little time. The first galaxy we go to we called Prosperity because the first planet we picked to colonize is a planet rich with resources with an atmosphere that is livable for us. We called it The Gold Mine since Earth was prospering as ships went back and forth collecting resources and bringing them to Earth. During this time, we are able to advance our technology, live environmentally friendly, and live in constant economic prosperity. The planet was so popular in fact that there is a city built there and people go there to look for business and opportunity. I speak on and off in the past tense because a ship hasn’t returned from the Gold Mine in weeks. My name is John Wright and I’m part of a team that’s investigating the dead silence.
As we’re traveling between Earth and the Gold Mine, my friend Ben says, “I heard they got really exotic food over there.”
“You’re thinking about the food? I’m thinking about the ladies,” Pascal says, “They got the brightest and richest women there and I’m thinking about picking up one.”
“And they say women are gold diggers,” Nova says.
“She’s right Pascal. You always try to make the most amount of money in the least amount of time. Remember how much you spent at the last casino we were at?”
“Almost all of the money I brought with me, but I did win every now and then.”
“You just don’t know when to stop gambling and letting your luck do everything for you.”
“I wish I had the luck your boyfriend had Nova. He won more than all three of us and my debt combined! Speaking of him,” he bangs his hand against the walls of the ship, “John! What are you doing back there sleeping?”
“No, I’m making plans for what we’re going to do down there.”
“Well, make a plan for me to win big money at the next casino we go to.”
Stupid idiot. He’s a cool guy, but he’s still an idiot. I’m actually thinking of when I should marry Nova. I have the wedding ring in one of my pockets and I also heard they have amazing churches done in the Gold Mine. Since we can’t contact the planet, I couldn’t set up any kind of surprise party. Hopefully, I still can.
“Hands off Pascal,” Nova says, “He’s my lucky charm.”
“Ok boys and girl here we are. Exiting slip-space in 3…2…1,” Pascal says before we see the planet.
“What the? The power is out everywhere on the planet. I guess we found the problem,” Ben says.
“But they’re supposed to have plans on top of plans in case something like this happened.”
“I don’t even see small lights down there. Some of the structures look damaged from what I’m seeing.”
Because of the way the cities and other sites on the planet, the face of it looks like a human face or at least a face after a car crash.
“It looks like we’re going to be here for a while if they haven’t found a way to fix things themselves. Get ready boys, this is going to be a long week.”
Suddenly, the ship shakes and picks up speed as we head towards the planet.
“Pascal, what the hell are you doing?” Ben says.
“I ain’t doing anything man! What are you doing?”
“Nova!”
“There’s nothing on my end! It’s like the planet is pulling us in.”
All three of my crewmembers do what they can while I just brace for whatever’s happening. I don’t have training in ship flying or repair. Damn it! I feel so useless.
Nova notices my expression and says, “Don’t worry babe, we got this.”
Pascal manages to lift the ship, so we don’t crash into the city streets, but we’re still inexplicably flying at high speeds. The city streets look dead and destroyed as if a civil war happened here.
“Ben, where’s the closest docking station?!” Pascal says while avoiding buildings.
“Not too far at the rate we’re going at!” Ben responds.
We hit the side of a building and lose part of our ship.
“You’re not planning on-”
“Oh yes, I am! Docking stations have plating to cushion crashes like ours.”
“But I’m not sure if we’ll survive the crash!”
“Then you better give me some of that luck John!”
“You can have all of it!” I respond.
“Then I’m winning the lottery and a beautiful woman when we get home fellas! Haha!”
The ship crashes into the docking station and the next thing I know, I wake up in my room in our ship.
“Ugh…Nova? Ben? Pascal?”
No one seems to be on the ship. I exit the ship and see the extent of the damage done to it and sheesh. It’s not going to fly for a while. Why is this place so empty and dark? The lights are flickering, and the rest is dim or out. Wait…shit! Where’s the ring? I look around the ship and don’t find the ring I was supposed to give Nova. I don’t even find my repair toolbox and bags. Maybe she or the other two found it on me and have it. I hope so. But where would they go? Maybe the ship repair center or a police headquarters. Might as well start with the visitor’s center here. It looks like this place is abandoned too. Man, people were trying to get out of here in a hurry. The blood on the ground makes it look like things got really violent. There aren’t any bodies, so that’s a good thing at least. Oh! A repair guy’s suitcase. It has a welding gun in it too and it’s all charged up. I modify its firing so that it becomes a ranged gun instead of a heating tool. People used this alternate firing mode to take off pieces of metal or rock from a distance. I better take it with me. I’ll pay for it if the owner wants it back later.
Is it just me or do I hear things in the vents? I better keep moving, but how big are the rats here. Wait, this place isn’t reported to have any kind of vermin or animal living on it. What could be in the vents then? Holy crap! Some corpse thing just jumped out at the vents at me. Thankfully I got a quick reaction and shoot it. What is it even? It miraculously stands back up and I get a full view of it in the flickering lights. Everything about it says it shouldn’t be alive. The way the face is, the way the body is with all its organs on display. It’s nothing but a mangled corpse with a sort of female shape to it with protruding blades made of bone. Two other male looking corpses come out of the vents signaling my cue to run. These things are fast! I don’t get it. Is this what happened to the people here? How?
I keep sprinting through the hallways while firing back at the corpses. These things don’t appear to be affected by my gun, so I fire at their limbs. Their legs are blasted off, but they keep coming at me. Oh, an elevator! I run into it and quickly close the door. Flew, finally safe-oh shit! The female one opened the door by itself. Close, close, close! The door closes and crushes the female corpse before going down. Wow, that was a close call-hey! Is this the…yeah, it’s the ring I was going to give Nova. Why does this thing have it? It can’t possibly be her. It looks nothing like her in the slightest. Maybe it was just deep in my pockets and I couldn’t find it. I’m now on the ground floor and ooooh boy. There are way more down here. The exit seems to be blocked too
“Sorry wrong floor,” I say as I quickly press the second-floor button before they notice me.
There could be an alternate exit on the second floor. With any luck there is. Of course, there have to be corpses on this floor as well. Maybe I can sneak by them. This seems to be working. Ok, there’s the exit. Is that a dead one right there? Oh, crap not so dead! I quickly run to the exit, down the stairs, and out the door. Gotta wield the door shut, come on…there we go! Woah! Just in time as one of their sharp appendages break through the door. I’ll get some distance while they’re busy breaking through. These things are probably the source of all this destruction in the city. There are pieces of bodies, blood, and destruction everywhere. Oh hey, a message flare. These things allow you to leave a trail and a message so you can be discovered. It’s from my crew!
I can hear Nova speaking, she says, “Hey, there John. If you find this before we come back to you, we’re going to the police headquarters to see if we can get some help. Good luck! I love you.”
“That man doesn’t need any luck,” Pascal says in the background, “Tell him to give some to us. This place is a ghost town.”
“Don’t listen to him, baby. We’ll see you soon.”
Pascal said this place is a ghost town? I guess they didn’t encounter these walking corpses, but how could they not? I hope they’re all safe.
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