Vortex - Part 15

Aaen's pulse was so strong he could feel the veins in his head thumping. He realized he was in a state of shock. His hands were so clammy he found himself struggling to hold his rifle, much less steady. It's so hot in here all a sudden, he realized. Sweat was inching from the top and around the edge of his head down his face and neck; it felt like an annoying insect looking for a place to bite. Where's the intruder? He thought frantically. WHERE? He looked to his left around the corner, facing forward, putting his weight on his left shoulder as he remained crouched with the back of his rifle tucked into his right elbow; the rifle was de facto aimed at an angle toward the top of a bulkhead across the way adjacent to the spiral staircase. His breathing indicated he was panicking, but that emotion was quickly shoveled into the back of his mind as he focused on the huge. . .something!. . .that his instincts told him was only feet away! His eyes widened in anticipation of the intruder walking around the corner. Was it headed for the bridge?. . .For me? He wondered, clenching his rifle's grip and raising the barrel to the ceiling. He chest felt heavy, and he started to feel tempted to do something heroic—but something told him the intruder may be aware of the fact he was hiding where he was, and for all he knew, it could be several times stronger than he. A physical confrontation. . . No, he decided. So what should I do? He asked himself. He wasn't sure if there were any viable escape routes beyond the doorways—

A footstep mildly rattled the deck plating.

Oh crap! Aaen thought. The intruder's gotta be. . .maybe ten feet away! He looked to his right and up at an angle: the spiral staircase was only a fraction of that distance away. . . But it's so dark, Aaen thought terrified. Aaen could barely see two or three feet in front of him. There was a bright green ceiling-mounted emergency light over his shoulder, but there was still profound darkness in front of him. His breathing became heavier from shock.

"Aaen!" the Admiral whispered from in front of him and above him; Aaen reasoned she was calling to him from the top of the spiral staircase.

A glowing bolt shot at the spiral staircase from far to Aaen's left. He watched the Admiral recoil, and then gradually inch forward to see him. Aaen's eyes had adjusted to the darkness—he could just see the Admiral with a wide-eyed concerned look on her face. He reasoned she could see him about as clearly. Aaen looked straight and guessed the distance between him and the spiral staircase was about five or six feet—give or take. Looking left, the intruder sounded like it was at least ten feet away. . .maybe more, Aaen admitted to the possibility. Could I make it back to the upper deck? He wondered. He looked at her and turned his head as he raised his rifle straight at the ceiling.

"He can't get back up here! The intruder's got 'im pinned down down there with the chief of security!" the Admiral whispered behind him.

Just get down here! HURRY! Aaen thought silently—

Another footstep from far to the left. Aaen heard more whispering from above, and then the sound of muffled footsteps in different directions on the upper deck. Aaen started to wonder what they were planning, then he made a decision.

C'mon! Aaen inched forward, aiming the rifle in front of him as he neared the corner, and then stopped. The rifle had just as much exposure around the corner as his right eye and nose—he squeezed the trigger six times in rapid succession. The bright red bolts sparked against the opposite wall, narrowly missing the pathway to Sickbay. The countertop sparked from the returned fire. Judging by the angle, Aaen reasoned, the intruder retreated a few feet after he fired! He grinned and then fired three more shots around the corner. The edge of the rifle brushed against the countertop corner. Multiple shots hummed against the countertop.

Well, it apparently can't see me any more than I can see it. Aaen grinned. Where's a grenade when you need it! Blind the sucker while I make a run for it!—

He looked at the top of the spiral staircase to see a rushing stampede racing down to the lower deck, pulse particle fire blaring!

Aaen joined in! It started getting a little cooler down here.

Their fire was quickly returned. Two crew members were struck by bright green particle energy bolts and collapsed in front of the Sickbay. Aaen was careful not to shoot his crewmates, especially as five more came racing down. All of the exchanges of fire made the intruder just visible enough to establish a clear target. Aaen smiled as the intruder started back up the far staircase. He stood up, assumed a tactical stance, and kept pulling the trigger. The sparks from his crewmates' missed shots didn't help keep the intruder visible, but he kept firing.

The Doctor rushed behind him to the chief of security and started scanning him with her tricorder. "Hold still! You'll be okay!"

Aaen crouched in an effort to dodge incoming fire. Two bolts missed him by inches, hissing against the wall behind him.

"Watch out, Commander!" the Doctor warned.

Aaen watched the intruder ducking and crouching as it tried to get back up the staircase. Two crew members occupied the way to Sickbay, the rest of those that made it down were taking cover behind the countertop next to Aaen.

That's it! We're going home! Aaen decided as he assumed a tactical stance and then rushed the staircase, repeatedly squeezing his rifle's trigger.

The closer he got, the more accurate he was and quickly was looking the intruder in the eye. More sidearm fire narrowly missed both him and the intruder.

A narrow miss by a crew member shined on the intruder's face. Woah! Ugly! Aaen thought. He noticed the intruder had taken hits to its left arm and its left legs; it was limping to the top of the staircase.

Aaen aimed for what he guessed was a possible weak spot and fired. The intruder growled and covered its face as it collapsed to the deck.

"Intruder down!" Aaen declared, gesturing for the rest of the crew to follow him.

"Good work, Aaen! Chief!" the Admiral called. He rushed to the intruder. "Take the intruder to the brig. On the double."

"Got it. Deputy!" Aaen stood aside as they picked the intruder up by its arms.

"The brig may not have power, Admiral," Aaen said.

"Then we'll bring it to the bridge until the brig is brought back online."

The Admiral's communicator beeped. She retrieved the device and then opened it. "This is the Admiral, go ahead."

"Admiral, we've got company! You're needed back on the bridge!"

"Understood. Out." she closed her communicator and then replaced it. "Everyone! Back to the bridge! We need to hurry! Pick up any crew members that were stunned and help them back to the bridge. Let's go!"

The order was carried out quickly. The away team retraced their steps and found their way back to the main bridge.

"Report!" the Admiral demanded. The bridge was quickly busy with gathering data while the chief of security and deputy let the intruder down on the foot of the bridge and then watched it with sidearms trained.

"Main power's now at sixty percent and climbing!" said the Bridge Engineer.

"Alien contact is now one-point-five million kilometers from our position and closing!" announced the Executive Officer.

*****

Steve H. told Jordan Foutin, "You are the next Tom Clancy. You really are a gifted writer."

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