Refusing to just lie there and hope for the best, Lucy formed an idea, though risky, might be her only chance to survive this journey. She released the harness and slid to the bottom. She righted herself and moved into a position facing the window. Hoping she wouldn’t rip her bare feet to shreds when it broke, she kicked at the window. The transparent panel bulged in the middle a little more with each blow and her forth kick dislodged it from the frame; it struck the side of the chute and shattered. She peered out. The chute rushing by was circular with three other rails for more escape pods distributed around its circumference to expedite the evacuation of a doomed ship. Luckily, she was travelling along the bottom rail; it would make her next move slightly easier.
Lucy poked her head out and gazed down at the lights disappearing into its depths that gave no indication how far away the bottom was. It could be one hundred feet away or one thousand. When she climbed out the slipstream whipped her hair around her face and caused her to shiver from the cold that blasted her body. Keeping her body as flat as possible to prevent the wind drag from pulling her off, she climbed onto the top, crawled to the back of the pod and shone the light over the speeding walls. Okay Lucy, now what are you going to do?
After the Hunter had watched its prey escape a second time, it had climbed into the empty bedchamber and leapt through the hatch when it began to close. It rushed after the pod and barely paused when it changed direction and disappeared into a tunnel in the floor. It dived in after it and sprinted headfirst down the steeply sloping chute and screeched when its prey appeared a few moments later.
Lucy shot her gaze above. The Hunter bounded towards her at amazing speed. She had swapped one danger for another just as deadly. When it had almost reached the speeding pod, the Hunter leaped. Lucy backed away as it landed on the back end of the pod and swayed unsteadily. She lashed out with a foot, landing a blow to its stomach. It stumbled, fell, and howled in pain when momentum slid it down the chute on its back, scraping gouges in its flesh until it started tumbling.
The Hunter halted its painful tumble and righted itself. A few bounds and it reached the pod again. Saliva dripped from its vicious mouth when it snarled at Lucy, who only had seconds before it would be upon her. Lucy glanced at the walls speeding by and jumped for one of the thick cables that ran between the rails. The flashlight, held precariously in one hand, almost fell from her grasp when her fingers circled the cable. Her momentum tugged her grip free and sent her hurtling back towards the monster that lashed out a claw. She snatched out for another cable, wincing in pain when her arm was almost yanked from its socket. She held on tight. Her life depended on it. She glanced behind at the receding pod and the Hunter riding it. A rasp of metal echoed up the chute when the hull’s outer hatch opened. As the Hunter crouched, ready to spring its body off the pod and climb up to its prey, the escape pod struck the ice blocking the opening and crumpled into an unrecognizable shape. The sudden halt slammed the Hunter against the wall. Its body exploded from the impact and sprayed the area with blood and innards.
A sigh of relief escaped from Lucy’s lips. That was one problem taken care of. As her pounding heart slowed, she glanced up at the receding lights that seemed to go on forever; she had a long climb ahead of her and one she wasn’t confident she could make.
After climbing a short distance, Lucy noticed what seemed to be an access hatch on the opposite side of the shaft. Hoping it might lead to an easier route back up to the engine room level, she scrambled across the steeply sloping tunnel and climbed the wall. A hiss of air escaped when she released the catch and pulled it open. A dark void almost filled with a mass of shiny, black cables that had the appearance of a horrifying monster’s tentacles waiting to entangle her in its grasp greeted her. It wasn’t a view that inspired confidence climbing inside would be a wise or safe thing to do. She closed the small door and continued her strenuous climb.
The stressed spaceship groaned, creaked and belched distant thumps that sounded like rumbling thunder, and the occasional throaty crack produced by the ice that vibrated through the ship seemed to be amplified by the escape chute’s acoustics adding to the ominous soundtrack to Lucy’s troubled plight. When she paused to rest for a moment and gazed above to see if the end of the climb was anywhere near, Lucy pressed her body against the cold metal and froze on seeing something entirely different―creatures moving down towards her.
Heads low and their rumps high, the creatures moved on three long fingers attached to each of their four, long, spindly limbs. Their skin, stretched taught over their bony bodies gave them the appearance of plucked chickens. Pimples, like goose bumps, larger and more pronounced on the shoulders and thighs covered their bodies and reinforced the illusion.
Fear threatened to reclaim the confidence Lucy had regained since the death of the Hunter―that she could survive and escape from her metal tomb. She started to shiver as she watched the creatures pale-green, hairless bodies pass through the dim patches of light before entering the gloomy spaces again. Because none of them had so far shown any interest in her, Lucy thought it unlikely they had detected her presence yet. Their eyes, small, round and milky-white, set either side of their short snouts might indicate they were blind or had poor eyesight. Like most of the alien monstrosities Lucy had encountered on board the vessel, their jaws sported sharp teeth.
The eight creatures were attracted by the scent of the Hunter’s fresh spilled blood wafting up the shaft, and were seeking out the source. Though they weren’t completely blind, their species had been living in darkness for thousands of years and each new generation had experienced diminished sight and heightened senses of smell and hearing.
Trying to make as little noise as possible, Lucy retreated down the chute. Though she suspected the creatures might be blind, and if she remained still they might pass her by without noticing her, they were too vicious and horrifying, and she was too scared to take the risk. The unwelcoming hatch was her only escape. She pulled it open and squeezed inside headfirst. It worried her that the creatures were small enough to crawl inside after her if she left the hatch open, but the narrow area in the center free of cables, left her with no room to turn and close it. She hooked a foot on the door edge and pulled it shut as far as she could. Though she hoped they would pass by the hatch, it wasn’t something Lucy was going to rely on. She crawled and slithered through the duct as fast as the cables pressing against her body would allow.
Though seven of the creatures continued towards the appetizing scent of fresh blood, the eighth, slightly smaller than the others, paused and sniffed the air. Its inquisitive face turned towards the wall and followed the scent to the partially open hatch. It forced its snout through the opening and sniffed to confirm the trail continued inside. It glanced in the direction its brethren headed down the chute. It knew unless the dead or wounded creature below was large, not all would manage to sate their hunger. As it was the youngest, it would be last to feed and might not get anything. Deciding it was better it found its own source of food, it pulled the hatch open wider, climbed inside with its long front limbs stretched out ahead and scrambled along the cables towards the sound of something moving.
Lucy, sweating with the effort of forcing her body through the tight passage, paused for a breather. Vibrations sent along the cables were transferred to her body pressed against them. As they weren’t there a moment ago, it was an indication something was now in here with her. The flashlight she aimed ahead picked out no threat. Dread swept over her when she realized one of the long-legged chicken creatures might have followed her. She rolled over and aimed the flashlight back the way she had come and stared at the two distant pinpricks of light caught just beyond the farthest reach of the beam. At first, she thought it might be the light reflecting off something, pieces of metal perhaps, but when she noticed the lights blink and move closer, Lucy stifled a sob, twisted onto her stomach and slithered through the shaft as fast as she could.