"WOAH!" Aaen watched in shock as a bright red-yellow particle energy bolt sharply hummed through the air as the bolt reached out from the top of the hull and struck just behind the crew. Aaen could feel the intense heat of the beam weapon's impact from eight feet away. He eyed the top of the hull with a look of concern as he walked backward with the rest of the forward-facing crew.
—Another shot, much closer this time, Aaen noted. The intruder's either not aiming at all, isn't trying to hit any of us. . .or it's a bad shot, he guessed, but it's—
Jeez! Aaen jumped back as another bolt struck the docking bay floor, only feet away from him. He could feel himself starting to sweat on his face and shoulders. His hands were becoming clammy, and his otherwise well-groomed and styled head of hair started feeling more like the business end of a mop.
Those eyes! The intruder's face was becoming more clear with each shot—like lightning lighting up a stormy sky. It's trying to aim! Aaen quickly corrected himself. He stayed focused on staying with the rest of the crew—
—Hiss—POP
Another impact! "It's getting closer!" Aaen yelled, looking over his shoulder to see how close the crew was to the door. About fifty more meters. . . He gasped heavily.
"How close?" the First Officer asked loudly.
POP—
Six feet away! HURRY PEOPLE! Aaen thought, picking up the pace. "GO! Go! GO!" Aaen yelled. "It's on top of the ship! It's missing by less than six feet!" Aaen replied to the First Officer.
Communications looked behind her and up, and then snapped forward wide-eyed. "HURRY!" she screamed frantically.
"I see the intruder! Barely!" Jason yelled, sounding doubtful. "I don't think I can hit it from here!"
The air was getting even thinner. . .Aaen noted. The remaining thirty meters started to seem more like a half-mile after what already felt like a long run. Why isn't the intruder shooting at us anymore? Aaen thought, starting to turn to look over his right shoulder.
The First Officer looked right, then left. "Hurry! Everyone get behind a—" another loud, sharp hiss, and then a bolt struck the First Officer behind his upper-right arm.
Aaen ducked sharply. "Get-down!"
The rest of the crew followed Aaen's advice.
The First Officer spun around and then collapsed on the docking bay floor with a dull thud, cringing and expressing pain.
The Doctor snapped to the First Officer. Wide-eyed, she yelled, "OFFICER DOWN!"
"TAKE COVER!" the Captain yelled, waving frantically in both directions. "Get behind these crates! HURRY!" he snapped to follow his own order.
Aaen looked over, and behind his left shoulder, the door's only twenty meters away! He scrambled, diving behind a two-by-two stack of crates, ducking for safety.
POP—
POP—
POP
Jeez! Aaen thought, who or what's-it trying to hit? He wondered, trying to problem-solve. Another bolt struck a wall behind Aaen—sparks from the impact missed him by less than a foot, he realized The bolt's glow was just enough to illuminate the silver label on one of the crates he was hiding behind.
Each bolt started to sizzle and crackle on impact with the surrounding metal surfaces.
Aaen read the label, 'Mechanical Components. HANDLE WITH CARE.' What kind of—
POP—
The crate he was hiding behind shuddered violently towards him. He ducked sharply in retreat, listening to the subtle hiss of a spot of super-heated metal inches from his head. This casing apparently isn't rated for high-power particle fire, he reasoned. The intruder's increased the power output of each shot. It's not looking to stun, anyone, he guessed, skeptical of the crews' odds at this point.
Aaen looked to his left at the Captain. "Captain! We can't stay here!"
"What do we do?" the Engineer asked frantically. "It's got us pinned back!"
Aaen looked at the door's control panel, squinting at the small text displayed next to the door's illuminated controls. "Jason! Can you get to the door and disarm the lock!"
Another bolt impact. The bolt sparked against the Captain's crate cover.
Jason turned his head, "No! There's too much incoming fire!"
"Doctor! How's the First Officer?" the Captain asked.
"He'll be fine! He'll be fully healed in a couple of minutes, and his uniform repaired!" she ducked under another incoming bolt.
—Now, the only sounds in the bay were the crew's frantic breathing and the faint echo of atmospheric distribution. Aaen displayed a confused look. . . More than five seconds passed since the last shot.
Aaen looked at Jason with a confused look, mouthing, 'It stopped shooting.' He inched up, just enough to see over his cover.
Another bolt struck just inches from his face.
"Return FIRE!" the Captain yelled.
Jason struggled to take a knee, loosely pointing his sidearm up at an angle and fired back. Aaen carefully observed the first shot missed the shadowy figure significantly.
"More left!" Aaen suggested to Jason. "Use the sparks from the ceiling to help you s—"
Aaen ducked to silence. His head rested against the back of a crate at almost a ninety-degree angle. He pulled in his legs as a precaution, laying on his side.
Aaen listened as Jason fired multiple shots back in quick succession—he still missed, but not by much—Aaen reasoned. Aaen was having a harder time estimating the distance. He realized he didn't have to—
"Jason! Use the sparks from any missed shots to help you see the intruder!"
"I'm trying!"
"I might be able to disarm the lock on the door if you can keep the intruder from shooting at us!" Operations yelled to Jason.
"No promises!" said Jason. "Hurry! My sidearms close to overheating! Go! Go!"
"Sensors! Toss me the First Officer's sidearm! Quick!" Aaen said frantically.
"He didn't tell me to!"
Aaen looked at the Captain with a determined look. The Captain looked at Sensors and nodded. "DO IT! I don't want another crew member to get injured!"
Aaen rolled his eyes. DUH! He thought. Aaen scrambled, got up on his knees long enough to catch the sidearm tumbling in mid-air at him, and then looked up and right—then sharply ducked, wide-eyed as a bolt missed him by inches.
SHOOT! Aaen thought. That was TOO CLOSE! He decided. This intruder's not a bad shot, after all, he thought, worried. He gasped hard, taking several deep breaths—his heart beating sharply in his chest. He started to wonder if the station's artificial gravity was suddenly malfunctioning—or if he was the only one feeling like he was being pulled into the deck plate beneath him.
Aaen inched upright on his hands and knees, handling his sidearm carefully as he barely looked over his cover, up at the intruder. The sparks from Jason's missed shots briefly revealed the intruder's face for only a second or two per shot. Jason was getting closer to hitting the target—
But the intruder remained still. Aaen made eye contact with the intruder, again. Aaen detected a sharp look seemingly into his soul, a look Aaen returned. The intruder's face bore no indication of concern, nor the slightest hint of mercy. This time. . .Aaen saw only burning malevolence as another burst of sparks showered over the intruder.
Aaen reinforced his grip on the First Officer's sidearm—
The intruder groaned as it jerked sharply to its right, leaning over slightly as it covered its right upper-arm with its left hand.
"I GOT IT!" Jason yelled cheerfully, ducking behind cover.
The intruder looked back at Aaen, baring its teeth. No, Aaen thought, you just made it angry.
Aaen kneeled upright to a tactical stance, took quick aim at the intruder—fired!
*****
Steve H. told Jordan Foutin, "You are the next Tom Clancy. You really are a gifted writer."
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