“Done. All doors closed.” Even for him, it was an effort to isolate and track a single, fast-moving figure in the vastness of the ship. “Lost it again.”
“It’s okay,” she told him. “Image detection probably blocked by the heavy equipment. What matters is that we know where it is, and that it can’t get out—except through us. We’re at Seventeen. Entering the bay… now.”
Standing beside the entryway, she activated the controls set into the wall. The barrier slid aside to reveal a dark, yawning chamber, one of the largest open spaces on the Covenant.
Huge excavators, cranes, carry trucks, mineral processors, portable conveyors, personnel transports, and lifters squatted among dozens of smaller machines, like so many dinosaurs among tentative mammals. All were clad in shining coats of protectant and preservative. Mobile scaffolding and other temporary structures allowed Daniels and other crew access to the upper reaches of the larger equipment.
Upon reaching Origae-6, cargo lifts would transfer the terraforming machinery to the surface. It would be Daniels’ responsibility to ensure that each and every piece of equipment was in working order and ready to go before it left the Covenant. Deployment would be via the main terraforming bay airlock at the far end of the chamber.
Along with other gear, a row of lockers just inside the crew accessway held neatly racked EVA suits. While Tennessee covered Daniels, she quickly climbed into one. They then switched positions while he did the same. Thus suited up, they performed hasty checks on each other to ensure both suits were fully operational and pressurized.
“My air’s good,” he told her. “You?”
She nodded back. “Comm is good.” Turning, she faced the dark, equipment-filled storage area that spread out before them. “Don’t shoot if you can avoid it. Its blood is acidic, and will eat through the deck. If it’s carborane-based, maybe all the way through the hull.”
He nodded his understanding. “You don’t have to tell me. I saw what it did to the end of the crane on the cargo lifter.” He raised his voice slightly. “You got eyes on it again, Walter?”
On the bridge, the synthetic’s attention was fixed on one monitor. “It is holding in position at door forty-seven. It seems to be… resting.”
Squatting in a corner, its arms held out in front of it and tail tucked around its legs, the creature appeared to be waiting. Walter prepared to offer it some stimulation. Running a hand over a control, he watched as one of the access doorways opened, leading into the terraforming bay. The instant the portal began to open, the Alien looked up.
But it did not move.
“Come on. Come on,” the synthetic murmured.
It seemed an eternity before the creature finally rose and advanced to explore the new aperture. The great head swung around to scan every corner before finally pausing to gaze at the video pickup. Halting, it peered into the small circular sensor. Inclining forward, the blunt head drew closer, until it was all that was visible.
On the bridge a fascinated Walter did likewise, bending so that his face was closer and closer to the monitor that showed the creature. For a frozen moment they remained like that, Alien and synthetic, their respective visages seemingly only a hand’s breadth apart.
Exploding like a gunshot, the inner mouth shattered the video pickup. A startled Walter pulled back, shocked by the suddenness and unexpectedness of the assault. The pickup image that had temporarily held him spellbound went dark. Collecting himself, he switched to different instrumentation as Daniels’ voice echoed over the bridge speakers. For a change it was she, and not he, who was the one entirely under control.
“In position. Open the door to the terraforming equipment storage bay.”
“Understood.”
Mouth set, she hefted the F90 Tennessee had chosen for her, confident in the weight of it.
“Let’s kill this fucker.”
The door through which the Alien had entered the outer airlock now closed behind it while the inner one opened. With only one way to go, the creature exited the chamber where it had been resting, moving more cautiously than usual.
Advancing from the other end, Daniels and Tennessee saw it immediately. If it saw them, it gave no sign. Instead, it scurried off in another direction, disappearing into the darkness. Raising their weapons they continued inward, side by side, Tennessee shortening his stride to match Daniels’.
Offering a nod, she continued onward while Tennessee took up a position behind several metal containers and beside one of the bay’s several control consoles. Resting his arms on top of the containers would allow him to better track Daniels’ progress with his rifle, as well as help to steady his aim. While she moved forward, deeper into the densely packed bay, he began tethering himself to the deck.
Stopping by the access ladder attached to the side of a massive terraforming vehicle, she glanced upward. Allowing for periodic maintenance access, the door to the cab hung open. So too, she knew, would its counterpart on the other side of the vehicle. Lowering her gaze, she peered into the depths of the cargo bay.
A moment passed before the Alien showed itself again. It was peering down into a mobile crawler. It would have been interesting, she mused, to know if it understood what it was looking at and if so, to what degree. Interesting, but right now she had other priorities.
Positioning herself as close to the ladder as possible, she lowered her voice as she spoke into her suit’s pickup. It wasn’t necessary to whisper since her words could not be heard outside the sealed suit, but the situation itself seemed to compel discretion.
For the same reason, she couldn’t yell at the Alien to attract its attention. Substituting action for words, she banged the butt of her rifle several times against the ladder. Her suit’s external pickup assured her that the resulting noise was gratifyingly loud.
The Alien reacted immediately. Despite having noted its capabilities all too closely before, during the fight on the cargo lift, she was still stunned by the speed and agility it displayed in launching itself toward her.
If she had miscalculated…
There was no time to wonder. Mere seconds stood between her and a violent end. Shouldering her rifle and starting up the ladder at the same time, she raced to reach the open control cab. Though she had allowed additional time because of the bulky suit she wore, it slowed her down more than she had anticipated. Fighting for each step, she failed to avoid several slender maintenance cables that were difficult to see in the dim light.
Momentarily entangled, she was breathing faster and faster as she fought to free herself.
On the deck, an anxious Tennessee saw her quandary and raised his rifle. He was going to have to risk spraying acidic blood, unless…
Slipping free of the last restraining line, she dove into the vehicle. The creature was right behind her. The terrible jaws flashed in the weak illumination, ready to strike. Scrambling through the wide cab, just ahead of the Alien, she hit a control as she threw herself out the open far door.
Behind her—and behind the Alien—the portside door closed with a bang. As she rolled and fell, she flailed frantically at the external controls of the starboard-side door. It slammed shut half a second before the creature could get an arm in the opening.
Tumbling, she fell to the deck, hitting it hard. Had she not been encased in the protective EVA suit she might easily have broken bones. As it was, she was only momentarily stunned. Staggering erect, she quickly began tethering herself to the deck.
Above, in a reprise of what it had attempted on board the cargo lift, the enraged Alien began using its head to hammer at the door’s window.