Chapter One: The Reckoning

Clang.

The heavy boot of the servo-suit hit the metal floor and the sound reverberated along the long, dark corridor.

Clang.

The other boot came down sharply, the suit coming to a halt amidst the smoke swirling around the shafts of light. Swirling, like glittering angels dancing through the air.

Sarah stared off into the interminable darkness of the corridor. She shivered, the inky blackness making the coldness of the ship seem even more chilling.

She started, taking a step backwards as a long, ululating cry emanated from the blackness before her. High pitched, and getting ever louder, it was made even more frightening by the surrounding dull metal of the walls. But yet it did not cease.

Even inside the massive protective bulk of the servo-suit, Sarah started to feel very worried. Her searchlight swept the gloomy lengths but she could not make out anything. Then, she remembered that all of the suits on the ship had been equipped with a bio-scanner. She punched a small green button overhead and the display before her instantly flickered and the went green. And, there, there on the very top of the screen, was the faintest of white dots.

And then two.

Then three.

Four.

Five.

Ten.

Twenty.

She stopped trying to count, there were far too many.

-- -- -- -- --

Four servo-suits wandered slowly, almost lazily, their footsteps echoing off into the sterile depths. On the sides was the logo EXPLORATOR.

“The quicker we get out of this dump, the better.” That was Johnson. A former starship pilot, he crashed a mining ship into one of Saturn’s moons. Explorator work was the only way he would be able to pay it back.

Explorator work was some of the messiest, dirtiest and most dangerous work there was. That was why it paid so well. On a single mission, you could make almost T$10,000.

There was a loud crash behind them. The sound echoed back at them. As one, they spun around.

“My God, what was that?” Marie, a young, ambitious girl who wanted a good start in life.

Oh, probably just some bit of this rusting heap of junk.” Richie. A convicted murderer, he was forced to serve his sentence doing Explorator work.

“Yeah, probably nothing to worry about.” That was Tom Harrison. He used to be a Captain in the Terran Armed Forces, but was dismissed under mysterious circumstances. He didn’t like to talk about it.

“What do you mean, probably?”

They walked onwards. Nothing could be seen except the thick layer of dust underfoot. It swirled around the feet of the suits in clouds. Searchlight beams traced crazy patterns on the cold metal walls, highlighting ventilation shafts and consoles. Occasionly could be heard groans from the timeworn, ancient structure of the ship and the continuous whirr of ages-old machinery still toiling through the aeons.

“Hey, would ya look at this!” exclaimed Johnson.

“What is it?” called Marie.

“I dunno, it looks like a piece of metal,” he answered, “maybe from a robot?”

“Let’s have a look.”

They crowded round the object lying on the floor. It was small and insignificant, and a yellow colour, just like their servo-suits. Johnson unstrapped himself, stepped out of his suit and picked it up.

“Probably off some robot,” he said, turning it over in his hand.

He dropped it and stepped back into his suit, pulling the straps tight. Snapping the control console back into position with a loud click, he stepped forward and then started to walk off slowly down the corridor trailing clouds of dust. The others followed closely behind.

Eventually, Richie spoke. “God, I wonder how big this thing actually is? We could be here for weeks,” he said pessimistically, drawing up alongside Johnson.

“Well, they did say it was going to be very big.” came Tom’s voice.

“How about we find a map of the thing?”

There were some chuckles. They paused and Tom flicked his display screen sideways so the others could see. He hit a few buttons. A map flashed up with four flashing blue triangles in the centre.

I’ve been making a map as we go along. The blue thing’s are us.” he said, matter of factly.

“Okay.” trilled Marie.

They started up again and slowly wandered along the corridor into the darkness. For a moment, the ship was quiet. The searchlights shone through the dust, illuminating it incandescently, making it shine in the darkness like a beam from a lighthouse. Then, there was a glint as if from a mirror. The beams converged on the spot, and came to rest on a puddle of the deepest red. A slow, winding trail wound it’s way to the liquid, and the beams of the searchlights followed up the winding trail until they found the gruesome source.

A collection of twisted, horribly mangled metal lay in a tortured cumulus and broken fragments lay strewn about in the horrible scene of carnage. From amidst the shredded mass dripped the dark, viscous red liquid. Lurid purple ichor was smeared across the sterile walls.

Marie stood transfixed, the others saying secret prayers for the victim of such desolation. There was a long silence.

Eventually Marie broke the spell. “What... what happened?”

Nobody answered.

They all unstrapped themselves, shocked, and stepped out of the bulk of their suits. Johnson peered down and looked at it.

“It’s a servo-suit...” he said with horror on his face.

Servo-suits were standard use on inhospitable planets and by Explorator teams. They could amplify the strength of a human tenfold. Considered almost indestructible, they were bullet proof and could withstand the pressure of a hundred atmospheres. They were fully customisable, with the users free to add limbs, weapons and other accessories as they choose. Used extensively in the military, it was a sign of great honour to be considered for the job of a Servo-suit operator. They were also greatly popular with illegal traders because they could be used to raid a convoy ship and then get away without anyone being able to stop them. Many a rogue trader had hardwired themselves into their Servo-suits and became known as The Fused. Never to be human again, they took to sabotage, theft and murder, sometimes deciding to destroy ships just on a whim.

Phenomenally expensive, they were never to be sold to the ordinary person, only to be used by the Terran Armed Forces, colonists, and of course, the Explorator teams. They were operated by means of four pairs of control sticks which controlled the arms and legs, and an overhead console to carry out secondary commands.

There was no doubt about it, someone, no - something - had killed her.