CHAPTER TWO (PART THREE) AJ AND NICK Howie whistled as he came in, he zeroed in on the bar and hurried over to it. Kevin just took in everything as he came in, Nick looked around, as if afraid to be in such a lavish place. The man hurried in and it a button, shutting the door, it clicked signaling it had locked. Breathing a sigh of relief Kevin turned around to the man as he walked in further, he almost looked like he blended in, in the office. The man wore a robotic blue suite with holes in it that the tubes had connected into, he had a goatee and blue highlights in his black hair. "Nice place." Kevin commented. "Yeah," The man said laughing, "Sure a lot better then the rest of this crappy station." He paused, "Oh! By the way, my names A.J, A.J McLean. Thanks for the save." Kevin let out a laugh, he felt instantly at ease with the man. "No problem." "Hell yes it was a problem!" Howie called over sounding insulted, he slammed down his glass onto the counter. "What was that thing? Did you not see that!?" "All to well," Kevin muttered turning around. Nick walked over to Howie. "Hey man give me something to drink." He said nervously. Howie looked at him as if he were insane. "How old are you?" "Just give me the flippin drink!" Nick cried angrily, it was clear the younger man was completely shaken by the experience. Howie was also, if not more. He gave Nick a glass. "So A.J.," Howie called over as Nick downed the liquid in one drink. "What was that room you were in? What were they doing to yah? Robotitizing you?" "What? Oh! Hell no man! I wasn't a test subject like you all." Everyone starred at him, Nick slowly set down his glass, looking at him hard. A.J realized that he had to explain real fast. "Well, not in the complete sense as you were. I mean.......I was kinda like one. But I was born for what I was doing." A.J said hurryingly. "What do you mean?" Kevin asked frowning, and folding his hands across his chest. "Well........I mean. I wasn't brought here like you, you know kidnapped. My parents brought me here." A.J said. "They brought you here!? Willingly!?" Howie asked appalled. "Uh.........." Crap! How the hell am I supposed to explain all this!? A.J thought. "Well, the station wasn't built, not fully when I came here, I mean, it was built, but when I came here, the injected in these tiny nanobites into my brain." He said lowering his head and pointing. "See, I was a pretty smart kid, but the nanobots enhanced my intelligence one hundred fold. I built the computer system here!" He said proudly. "That room you were in was the central control. I can link into the computer can control the entire station." "Wait a minute!" Kevin said walking over, a look of anger suddenly on his face. Shit, what'd I say? A.J wondered as Kevin got into his face. "You can control this entire station, you knew what was going on here, the experiments, the torture, and the death. And you didn't even try to lift a finger to help!?" He demanded. "What!? No!" A.J said backing up. "I was just as much a prisoner here as you all! I swear! I didn't want to be here any more then you did, but they made me stay. I would have helped! Believe me! I wanted more then anything! But they put this little implant here!" He pointed behind his neck, towards his head. "I didn't do anything they wanted, if I tried to leave, if I didn't run the station the way they wanted, If I even tried to help someone escape, my brain is liquid in less then three seconds!" He cried. Kevin's look of anger slowly vanished as what A.J said registered, a look of astonishment crossed his face. A.J really had been a prisoner here, just like them. Kevin felt slightly bad for yelling at the guy, who was starring at him wide eyed, trying to determine if he was going to strangle him. "Oh," Kevin said backing off. "Sorry." "Wait!" Howie suddenly said, "You can link into the computer," He said slowly. "Yeah, why? I can't do anything major with the power off." "But were you linked into it when that thing came on the ship?" Howie demanded. It dawned on Kevin what he was saying. "Yeah! You know everything about this station, then you have to know what happen!" A.J's eyes lit up, "Oh! Yeah! I can tell you that!" Everyone focused there complete attention on A.J who was nodding thoughtfully. "Yeah, what happened?" He muttered to himself, his head jerked up to met everyone's eyes. "I don't know jack shit about that thing that was after us, I mean, not in-depth like I know about everything else. I don't have access to a couple stuff on this ship, but what I do know, is that we didn't pick this thing up. Whatever it is, its been on this station for a while." "Were they experimenting on it?" Kevin asked, as Howie poured himself and Nick another drink. "Got me. All I know is, that a couple days ago, this things breaks out of its habitat and is just slaughtering everything! I mean, it was just insane man! One minute, everything running like it should, the next, bam! This things out and going after people." A.J looked far off remembering, as horrible as it was, he didn't really care about what happened to the doctors and guards, after all, they hadn't cared about anyone else. "I couldn't really do anything, I don't have access to any of the security systems, supposed to safer for them." He muttered rolling his eyes. "There down fall." Kevin said. "Exactly! I mean, maybe, maybe I could have done something, maybe even save a few people, if I had had the access. Anyway, this things out right? Killing anyone and everyone, but do you think they tried to kill it? Nnnnooooooooo! They were trying to recapture it! It was so stupid! It didn't register in there so called "brilliant" minds that they couldn't handle this thing. But they did, but the thing just couldn't be stopped. Complete chaos man, just sheer utter chaos. This thing is tearing up parts of the ship, next thing I know, its in the control room. It hits some part of the computer and damn near fries my ass cause it sends this one hundred volts of electricity through me. I guess I'm lucky it didn't kill me or eat me, cause I was out for a while, until you got to me. The computer would have woken me but the power went out." "Wait a minute," Nick suddenly piped up. "If the powers out, how come the elevator brought us up here? And how come the doors opened up with out the power disk? Didn't you do that?" A.J stared at him blankly, "No, I told you, I was unconscious and the powers out, how could I have done that?" Howie looked thoughtful, "You were in the computer system when you got knocked out right?" "Yeah." "Well, it's possible you opened the doors and led us up here subconsciously." He suggested. "What!?" Nick, Kevin and A.J. said at the same time. "Its true! You could have!" Howie said defensively. "I mean, when I used the power disk on the panel and on the computer in the Med Bay, you were unconscious in the system. That could have some how alerted you that we were here, and you knew you were in trouble, so you led us up here to help you." "Sound plausible." Kevin said, even A.J looked impressed with that explanation. "Well no offense meant to A.J. or anything," Nick said, "But what the hell are we gonna do now? How are we supposed to get to the Central Computer Matrix with that thing running around?" "The Central Computer Matrix? What were you gonna do there?" A.J asked puzzled. "We were going to try and contact someone to get us the hell out of here." Kevin answered. "You can't do that!" A.J. yelped suddenly looking scared. Howie looked at the younger man puzzled. "Why not?" "Cause! Any transmissions that are made are automatically transferred to The Corporation head quarters!" "The Corporation?" Kevin honed in on that word. A.J. nodded, "That's the name of the business that built this place and funds it! Their the ones who collect test subjects and brings them here when the station needs more!" Everyone's eyes widened as A.J. continued. "All transmissions here are overheard by The Corporation, they monitor all of them! Even if it's a call home, they still listen in, in case someone gets an idea to tell someone on the outside about this place. You send out a transmission, it gets sent straight to the head boss. And you know what he is going to do? He is going to send an Ops Team! There going to come in here, and try to capture that creature, and are going to take us all back to another facility, if they don't kill us first!" "Or if that thing doesn't kill them and us first." Kevin said gravely. That took a minute to digest, Howie grabbed the bottle and took a big, and much needed drink. Now he felt scared, sure before he had been scared, but as long as there was a possibility, even the slimmest, of getting off this dump heap, he had been consoled, but now............... "Were screwed!" Nick suddenly exploded. "What are we supposed to do now huh? Either way we're done for! If we try to contact someone for help, we will be better off dead then what they'll do to us! There is no way off here so that thing can eat us at anytime it damn well feels like it! We mine as well go up to that thing and invite it to eat us!" Nick threw his empty glass against the wall, it shattered instantly, the shards tinkling as they fell. Everyone was silent, A.J felt slightly bad for everyone, and mentally kicked himself. If the damn computer was powered up he could do something. "Wait!" A.J yelled just as Kevin started to gently tell Nick to calm down, everyone looked at him. "The A.I.!" He said excitedly. "Excuse me?" Howie asked, completely lost. "The A.I.! I built that to! When I linked into the computer system I couldn't do everything at once, I couldn't be everywhere, so I built an Artificial Intelligence! Whenever I was doing something else, it monitored everything else, cause it was still a computer program, it had the capacity to do that. Plus I, also kinda built it so I had some to talk to and complain to." A.J said grinning sheepishly. "Well how can that help us?" Kevin asked. "The A.I might be able to help us, it just might, and this is a serious might, be able to fix the communication so we can contact someone else with out having to worry about The Corporation picking it up." "Well wouldn't the guys here have programmed it so it couldn't do that?" Howie asked curiously, his engineer instinct peeked. "Hell no man! I built that baby! No way it would let someone do that! Even if they tried they wouldn't be able to! Granted its artificial, but its also intelligent!" A.J said proudly. "All we have to do is get to an output unit! I can reach a backup system that can recharge the A.I and put it back on line!" A.J's excitement was contagious, Howie brightened up and Nick looked thoughtful. "Do you know where an output unit is?" Kevin asked, not ready to hope. "Yeah! Two decks up!" "Do you think we can make it?" Nick asked hopeful once more. "Do we have a choice? Said it yourself Nick, we screwed either way, why not try it?" Kevin asked, sounding defeated. "Great!" Howie and A.J said. Kevin gestured at Howie, "Give me another round." He said, Howie set down the bottle and pulled around the brown pouch, opening it he pulled out another clip and tossed it to the Major who caught it simply, and checked it. A.J looked around at everyone. "Hey man!" Howie called over to A.J who turned. "Since we all might die, we mine as well know each other." A.J grinned, "Oh I already know you all." Howie and Nick looked at him surprised. A.J pointed to his head. "Access remember? I know everyone who was here, files and all!" Howie grinned and Kevin loaded in the other round into the gun. He looked up and nodded. "Ready?" "Yes sir!" Howie said quickly grabbing a small bottle and slipping it into his pocket. A.J turned to the door. BAM! Jumping back in surprise, A.J stared at the door wide eyed. Kevin felt his stomach do a small flip, looking over at Howie who had paused, they looked at each other. Nick stopped also staring at the door. BAM! BAM! Suddenly Nick stared giggling, giggling wildly. Everyone looked at him as Nick continued to laugh. He grinned menacingly at A.J who backed up from the look on his face. "Knock! Knock!" Nick said and giggled again. BAM! BAM! Nick suddenly growled and curled his hands into claws. "Shit man! What's with you!?" A.J yelped jumping back. "Come out and play!" Nick hissed. BAM! BAM! Kevin rushed forward and roughly grabbed Nick's shoulders, he ruthlessly shook him. "Nick! Snap out of it!" Kevin shouted, secretly terrified at how easily this creature could take over the young man's mind. All probably because of that damn experiment. Nick abruptly shoved Kevin back. "Hey! Stop it!" He yelled, in control again. BAM! Everyone jumped again. Moaning drifted through the door, muffled but still just as scary. BAM! BAM! BAM! "A.J! Is there another way out of here?" Kevin demanded, straightening up. "Uh.........yeah!" A.J looked around franticly, then he ran past Kevin. Rushing up to the wall that was by the bar and Howie, he began pounding on it with his fists, moving a step to the side each time he continued to hit the wall over and over with his fists. "What the hell are you doing!?" Howie asked exasperated. "Shut up!" A.J barked hitting the wall, he hit a spot on the wall and his face lit up. "Yes!" He cried clawing at the spot. Kevin watched as A.J sank his fingers into the wall, and with one pull yanked a secret panel off the wall. Discarding it onto the floor, A.J looked at him arm and opened the little mini computer on it. In the wall was another computer that blinked with power. Pulling out a tiny cord from the computer he plugged it into the wall and typed. To his side on the floor, a circle lit up. A hidden elevator. Howie eyes lit up with delighted surprise as A.J turned to Kevin. BAM! The creature roared outside, slamming into the door more, it bent a little under the beating. The tips of the claws suddenly slide through, blood dripped through. "Yo man! It will be a tight squeeze, but two can go at a time!" A.J said franticly. "Howie! Nick! Go first!" Kevin snapped cocking the gun. No objection here! Howie thought as he and Nick rushed over as Kevin aimed the gun at the door, it bent a little more and the light in the room fell over the things eye. Cold black stared at Kevin, animal instinct swirled in it, in its depths it seemed to speak to Kevin, an eerie silent message. )Run while you can, I'll still catch you. I'll kill everyone of you.( Just try it. Kevin silently dared forcing himself to stay calm, and keep the gun trained on it. They were damn lucky the last time, but luck always ran out. The tube rose around Howie and Nick, and connected with the ceiling. A.J watched as the two began to rise toward it. Kevin glanced over for the briefest second, before sharply returning his focus to the creature. As soon as the tube disappeared A.J ripped the cord out of the computer, returning it to his computer. "Lets go man!" A.J called over, backing onto the platform. Kevin backed up, still leveling the gun. The creature pressed against the door, the sound of bending metal screeched out in the room. Stepping onto the glowing platform, Kevin held the gun on it until the tube rose around him and A.J.. The lights in the office flickered, the door bent even more as a gnarled hand slowly slide through the door, gurgling and clicking could be heard even through the glass. Kevin held his breath as they began to rise to the ceiling, suddenly the hand slide back out, and the assault on the door stopped abruptly. Kevin was then blinded as he and A.J. passed through the ceiling. He held his breath as they passed through a deck, and then the next one. As he and A.J rose to the next one, the faint figures of Howie and Nick moved around by the glowing tube. They waited anxiously as the two men came through the floor. "Hey," Kevin said as they rose, his voice seemed to echo in the tube., A.J blinked and looked at him. "What?" "Do you think you can turn on the lights?" Cause that would be a hell of a lot better the flying blind, Kevin mentally added. "Uh..........I don't think so, but maybe we should leave them off just in case it tips the creature off where we are?" A.J. suggested, Kevin nodded thoughtfully, that made sense. The two stopped, and the glass cylinder slid down, the light from it also going. Kevin and A.J tumbled out and were thrown into darkness once more. What I wouldn't give to see the sun one more time, Kevin thought wistfully. Pulling out the flashlight, Kevin clicked it on and Nick blinked as the light fell on his face. His hands rose to his eyes, "Hey!" He protested. "Sorry," Kevin pointed the flashlight away. "Wow! Its cold!" Nick exclaimed, Kevin looked at him thinking he was tuning into that best again, but Kevin then found it was cold. So cold you could see your breath. "Shit!" Howie said hugging himself. "Temperature's whacked!" "No, this deck is purposely kept this way." Came A.J.'s calm voice, though on the inside he was completely freaked. That creature scared the hell out of him, this whole situation scared the hell out of him. Three times he had had a close encounter of the unwanted kind with that thing, and three times he had narrowly escaped with his life. He didn't think god was willing to give him a fourth. But then again, he was with these guys now. But he still had doubts about the contacting plan, the A.I was a incredibly slim chance of getting out of here, if it didn't work, they quite litterly were screwed. "Why?" Kevin suddenly asked, breaking A.J.'s dark train of thoughts. "Why?" He repeated, "Oh! The Cryogenics Room is kept on this deck." "Is this were the power unit is?" Kevin asked. "Yep!" "Wonderful." Nick muttered looking around. Being out in the hallways was dangerous, to open for Nick's taste. They needed to get somewhere where they could hide, before that thing could come here, moaning and crying for its next meal, the chill that ran through him wasn't from the air here either, it was from fear. Kevin didn't look to thrilled to be out here either, he frowned and looked around quickly. "Alright A.J.," Kevin said looking at him. "Lead the way to it. And hurry." A.J. nodded and looked to both his sides before pointing to his left, he stared walking, with Kevin following behind him, the flashlight held up. There was a little light, it was the same strange blue type of light that had been in the med bay, but it was still dark here. There wasn't any silence on this deck, not fully, aside from the men's footsteps and breathing, a humming sound was constant. Howie looked around trying to figure out where it was coming from, but kept alert for any other sounds that would signal that thing was here. As it was, he couldn't believe this situation he had managed to get into. What did he ever do to deserve this? What had anyone ever done to deserve being here? Even in the seemingly empty deck, Howie felt his heart pounding, he had never felt so terrified in his whole life. And he was damn sure everyone else felt that way to. A.J continued walking to the end of the hall, he was the only one not freezing, because of his robot suite. Turning he peered around the corner, at the end of the left corner was a door, above the door was a almost clock like device that washed pale light over that section. A.J stepped around and walked towards the door, everyone followed suite. Walking up next to the door, A.J pressed his hand on a panel that was on the sidewall from the door. It clicked, A.J. waited but nothing happened. He pressed his hand against it again, and again, nothing. "Man!" He muttered opening the small computer on his arm. "What's in here?" Kevin asked curiously, looking at the door, his hands gripping the gun tight. Howie kept his eye on the other end of the dark hallway, Nick shifted nervously. "Oh, uh...........Cryogenic Room." A.J said distractedly, typing on the computer, and glancing up everyone few second at the panel. "Is that the power unit?" Nick asked. "Yeah, reaching it though, is another story." A.J said typing more. "How long is this going to take?" Kevin asked impatiently. "Chill! I'm working on it!" A.J. snapped, "Sure, I'm a computer genius, but things take time!" "Which is what we don't have!" Kevin reminded. "You don't need to tell me that!" A.J. growled. "Quite arguing and just do it!" Nick suddenly shouted, shutting the two up. Arguing wouldn't help this situation, if not, it would make it worse. United we stand, divided we fall, Howie suddenly thought, shivering from the cold which had gotten worse by this door. Bouncing up and down a little to stay warm, Howie looked at the on stretching line of hallway that went on into the darkness. Behind him, the sounds from A.J.'s little mini computer seemed to be really loud in the cold and dark hall. Nick leaned against the opposite wall waiting, as Kevin walked slowly around the small space, keeping on alert. Nick's nerves were already shot after what had happened, he felt tired now, a headache was starting to. Hanging his head, Nick closed his eyes, when he suddenly heard a sound. TEET! TEET! TEET! Jerking up, Nick tensed again. He looked at Kevin as he straightened up slowly. "Did you hear that?" He demanded. Kevin stopped and looked at the younger man puzzled. "Hear what?" TEET! TEET! TEET! "That!" Nick said eagerly, Kevin stopped and listened intently. TEET! TEET! TEET! Kevin did hear that, even so faintly. It sounded like metal being tapped against metal. "A.J!" He said quietly. A.J. looked over, ready to snap that he was still working on it, but the look on Kevin's face and his posture made him stop. Kevin held up his hand, signaling to stop typing for a minute, A.J. did and listened. TEET! TEET! TEET!............TEET! TEET!........TEET! TEET!.....TEET! Puzzled A.J looked around. "What the hell is that?" TEET! TEET! TEET! A.J. jumped when he heard the sound, suddenly closer. Kevin looked around, feeling his heart speed up a little. Howie stopped hopping and looked around. "Morris code?" Nick guessed sounding like he didn't believe that either. "That's not Morris code." Kevin said gravely. TEET! TEET! A.J. slowly closer the panel on his arm, the situation growing wasn't just tense, one little thing could set off a total chaotic situation. TEET! TEET! TEET! "Ooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhwwwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Kevin jerked his head up, the eerie moan seemed to fill the entire air. A.J's eyes bugged out of his head with fright, Nick looked around. Howie froze where he was listening. "Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" TEET! TEET! TEET! Nick's breathing became ragged, "It's here." He said. Kevin held his breath as the moan came again, filling the deck with its scary sound. Turning slightly, Kevin kept his gaze forward though as Howie began to back up ever so slowly. "A.J, open the door." He whispered. A.J didn't need to be told why, turning instantly to the door A.J. clawed at a button panel that was on the side of the cold door and ripped it open, it swing to the side, pulling out the same cord he had used before, he jammed into the circuitry and flipped the computer open again. TEET! TEET! "Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaa!" Kevin had never heard such a eerie and pain filled moan in all of his entire life, and frankly, after this, he never wanted to again. "You don't think that's someone out there hurt do you?" Howie asked hesitantly. "Its not." Nick said firmly, at Howie's unsure look Nick continued. "Howie, trust me. That's not a human, not anymore." Howie wasn't completely consoled, but he did relax on the issue. TEET!..............TEET! TEET!.........TEET! TEET! TEET! "What the hell is that?" Kevin snapped already to tense. "It's walking. Can't you tell? Taking a stroll." Nick muttered. Kevin didn't bother to try and figure out if that was the psychic power speaking, or just Nick being sarcastic, he tightened his grip on the gun and walked forward slowly. "A.J," He called back, sounding leery. "I'm tryin man!" A.J. said panicked. "Damn thing has a lock system on it, give me a minute." "I think that's all were going to have." Howie said. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Howie leaped back away horrified as the women's frightened scream rang out loud and clear, the location of it undetectable. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! AAAAAAAHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The women's scream continued, just as frightening. Howie backed away as Nick stared wide-eyed ahead. Kevin stepped forward as if unafraid. But he looked extremely disturbed. "Shit!" He whispered as the women continued to relentlessly scream. "This things trying to screw around with our minds!" "And it's doing a flippin good job of doing it!" Nick cried. "And I agree with my comrade!" Howie added helpfully. "A.J!" Kevin shouted over his shoulder, raising the gun and firing it once down the hall. The bullet hit the wall that was quite a ways down thankfully, because when it did, it sparked. Revealing the tips of claws as they slide away from the corner wall it had been clinging to. "Got it!" A.J yelled ecstatically as the door suddenly hummed and began to slowly open. Pulling out the cord, A.J franticly began putting it back as Howie breezed by through the door, followed by Nick, Kevin was backing up with the gun still aimed. Slamming the panel shut A.J. jumped through the door and Kevin turned and bolted through, as soon as he was clear, A.J., who was standing off to the inside of the door, hit the button that would close it. As they closed A.J. quickly looked through, and caught a fleeting glance at the creature, it had slithered up to the blue light, it just sat, stood, or laid there, staring at the closing door, its eye a void, its claw, tapped the floor. TEET! TEET! TEET! Yeesh! A.J mentally yelped as the door cut off the creatures creepy glare. Encasing the four in the dark and freezing room. The only light came from the computer buttons that decorated the room, as A.J. slide down the wall, sitting on the hard ground, waiting uneasily and terrified to see what would happen next. A.J could hear and see the dark shape of Kevin as he moved swiftly, to the other side of the door. Howie and Nick were hiding behind the Cryogenic Pods. They sat and waited, in the dark and even colder room that even A.J. could feel, they did the only thing they could do. Wait. BACK NEXT |
| Science And Madness |