Weekend Special Short Tales California 2.3 Chapter 7

 

7.

We were all given our weapons; the blaster in the shoulder holster and the rifles in the hand. It was our best firepower. It was not military standard but it will do the task of stopping a rampaging prey that was twice our dimension. The blaster held a clip of ten shots of energized contents that could create a hole in reinforced steel while the rifle held a clip of twelve shots. We have all practiced with it but never had we shot anyone or alien with it then.

For extra security, I had retrieved my baton and the tool box. The Captain and I agreed on sweeping the middle level from the Common Chamber.

“I will take the Engines.” Hirohito made his choice. I made mine. I told Hagar to stay there and passed him my holster and rifle.

“I need to use the Communal. They will get in my way.” I saw the expression on the other. He was still in shock but the remark of mine took him to look at me. “Heck, I drank too much.”

I ignored Hagar and took to the Communal. The guys could do it with the flap at the groin but for me, it was a strip down. I pull the overall off at the shoulder. It’s not that I have tits but the mounds there were prominent. I had on my inner tunic to cover it but down below, I am crotch less. I had my overall to my knees and then stopped. I was thinking of the small buggers. They went for Hagen at the mouth and that is an open orifice. Heck, I have two at my bottom. And I was not one keen to be pierced, not forcefully. I stood over the bowl and pissed into it.

The boys do it so why not me.

It was then I saw the little bugger.

I fell backwards, rather awkward with the overall curled below my knees. I rolled to the left on instinct just when the little bugger jumped at me. I sat up with my legs closed and the little bugger was giving me the lewd looks. It was the size of a kitten but it looked a dark rose bud with its open four lapels and the ugly looking bud in the center. I retreated on my haunches and it was then I saw the alien went splat. Hagar had slammed the mallet of his onto the alien body and splat it into a gooey mess.

“Argh…” Hagar screamed out. I had then recover my senses and pulled on the overall to cover my exposed body. I rushed over to Hagar and saw him writhing in pain holding his right wrist. His right hand looked as if it was dipped into hot oil. I don’t know what to do but called on Tiffany.

“Activate the fire sprinkler.” I called out.

The fire sprinkler system on the ceiling spurted out the fire retardant chemical onto the Communal Chamber. I had news from the Medics that the fire suppressant chemical had some contents of cooling effect. It seems to have worked for Hagar had stopped screaming. He was lying on the floor with his wounded hand on his chest. Both of us and the flooring were covered in the fire suppressant foam but what stunned me was where the alien was killed.

There was a huge hole there where the fire suppressant was seeping down to the next level. I could hear Tiffany screeching that the hull was compromised. The alien remains had burnt through the flooring. I stepped over Hagar and rushed to the Common Chamber. I met Hirohito and Benz there who were checking the Main Servers section.

“I killed one of them and its contents are seeping through the flooring.” I called out and rushed to the stairs that will lead to the Shuttle. I slide down the stairs and saw Huginn and Muninn at the Shuttle top. Huginn had crawled to the ceiling and was applying some foam to stop the erosion. The Shuttle hull was made of a sturdier material. I then saw Muninn with the sealant plates that we used when the ship’s hull was compromised.

“Hull secured.” Tiffany voiced out. It was a relief then. I joined the rest to check on the damages. The droids have retreated to the Charging Spot at the Storage.

“Whatever that was, it fucking burned a hole through the flooring and past the Shuttle hull but it was stopped at the shuttle flooring. Most of the damages were at the top.” Benz looked at the mess that was created. “It’s some sort of acidic fluid.”

“We can’t …wound it nor shoot it with the blaster. It will splatter the body fluid.” I leaned back on the Shuttle side. “And there are two more of these buggers in the ship.”

“Okay, we can’t fight it in space. If the alien compromised the hull again, we are all going to die here.” Hirohito looked at me. “We have to find a place to land on and then find the buggers.”

I nodded and moved to my station. I took a reading and established the nearest planet or moon was where we were.

“You mean back to where we got the aliens. This is mad.” Benz had heard me when we discussed the plan.

“Yes, we are in a system where the other planets and moons are inhabitable but the one where we landed, it may be the better option. The other system is too far to reach in … due course.” I stressed the last words to tell them of the concern. “Those buggers may be attacking us soon.”

It was agreed and all four of us huddled in the Bridge.

“Tiffany, can you detect the aliens?” Hirohito asked.

“I cannot. My scanners are only able to detect thermal subjects. The alien seemed not to be of that category.” I sighed when Tiffany replied. We never repair the scanners due to credits constraints. More to it, we were carrying cold corpses.

“Once we have landed, we will do a physical search. I will land the ship on the surface.” Hirohito gave us the news. “Out last entry and exit was not the best but I think Tiffany can do it again. Affirmative, Tiffany?”

“Affirmative.” Somehow I detected Tiffany’s reply was not so convincing.