>>1386910
Memo starts to say something, but thinks twice about it. After a period of silence, she continues anyway. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do you bother? It’s just, you mentioned before you could retire anytime you want, so why?”

“Yeah, and what then? Sit around on my ass and waste away on some old fucking crusty ass generation ship?” you say, “I don’t think so.”

“...That doesn’t sound half bad to me.”

“Well I ain’t you,” you reply, “And when I go down, I’d rather do it on my ride.”

“If you put it that way, Captain...” Memo says, “...Okay. The Deck crew’s tethered it.”

“Put me in.”

“Give me a second,” she says, looking at a few buttons. If this piece of junk was any more ancient, you would wonder if you would have to talk using fucking speaking tubes. “Okay.”

“Alright boys,” you speak up, “What’ve you got?” There’s a faint crackle, and then a voice. It’s Red.

“It looks shipping container, Cap. There’s a huge scraped off label here, but I can’t read it.” he says, “It’s also welded shut. We’re trying to crack it open right now.”

“Welded shut?”

“Yeah, real sloppy job. We’re just gonna cut a hole in the side.”

>Procedure, procedure, procedure! Don’t open it now.
>They know what they’re doing, let them do their job.
>Decontaminate the fucking thing first.
>Get down there so you can see for yourself.
>Write-in.

>>1386914
>Decontaminate the fucking thing first.
>Get down there so you can see for yourself.

>>1386914
Well, the most safe option seems to be to follow the procedure, but where's the fun in that?

>They know what they’re doing, let them do their job.

>>1386914
>Decontaminate the fucking thing first.
>Get down there so you can see for yourself.

Writing.

“Hold up, decontaminate the fucking thing first.”

“You sure you don’t wanna be stingy? We didn’t get much of a haul.”

“Just fucking fire it up, I don’t want any surprises,” you say, getting up. “Actually, I’m coming down there too. Wait for me.”

“Sure thing, Cap.”

You turn to Memo. “Back in a bit.”

Taking her slight nod as approval, you get up, feeling the weight of your space suit. Heavy fucking thing, but god damn does it feel right. The soles of your boots run with current, magnetizing them and tethering you to the ground.

Doors slide open as you get near them, a feature you still are extraordinarily happy about being installed. Also installed are new, shining steel plates in the hallways, forming a messy, disgusting patchwork that covers up holes and rusted panels that are surrounded by slightly less disgusting and rusted ones. This is your baby girl, and it’s been shot at more times almost as many times as you. It’s track record for dodging said volleys is a lot spottier.

After a short walk and elevator ride, you make it to the deck. You see three people standing near a control panel, staring through a window to the container. It’s almost twice as big as you, dyed in an ugly shade of shit brown, and is lying on its side on a wide and otherwise empty platform. It’s also currently being fumigated with a lovely solution that kills everything organic that was dumb enough to be in the room.

You call, “Red, Calli, Hu. What’ve we got?”

One security detail and two deck crew members. The other two of the latter are probably on break.

“Hey Cap,” Red says, “Emptying the decontamination module. I pulled it from Residential since we never use it.”

Residential deck no longer has a decontamination module. Each deck comes prepared with one, and only one, and each module is single use.

“I can see.”

Calli says, “Cap, man, you’re just here ‘cause you got nothin to do. Or you sayin you don’t trust us?” He’s half joking. Possibly half joking.

“Don’t need two people to drive in a straight line,” you answer.

“Don’t need four to open a box.”

The hissing of the module stops, and the airlock is opened. You watch the bits of rock and ice get sucked out into space, with all the straps and rope rippling outwards alongside. With a hiss and roar, the airlock shuts again, and everything settles down once more.

“You never know.”

(1/2)

>>1387109
It takes about five minutes to carve a circle onto the side with a high powered laser cutter, and then a few more to figure out how to get it out because it fell inward. But it didn’t take even a few seconds, however, for the deathly stench to hit your nose as soon as the cutter punched a hole in the first place.

“Aw, this is disgusting,” Red pulls away, holding his nose. “Hu?”

The man shakes his head, hand on his holster. “Nothing’s going to be living in there. It’s fine.”

And was he right. Black tar covers the walls, dripping down from the corners, walls, and ceiling of the steel box. It reeks of iron and rot.

Calli mumbles, “The fuck is that...?”

“Looks like refuse,” you say, “Good shit, boys, my job’s done here. I’ll leave it to you.”

Calli takes a step forward, poking his head in. “Is that... a watch?”

You begin to walk away when Red shouts, “What you want us to do with this? Salvage it?”

>They can do whatever they want with it, it’s theirs.
>The fuck? Eject it into space.
>Clean it, scrub it down, salvage.
>It’s not too late to “follow procedure.” Just need some superglue.

>>1387112
>The fuck? Eject it into space.

>>1387112
>>The fuck? Eject it into space.

>>1387112
>Clean it, scrub it down, salvage.

>>1387112
>Clean it, scrub it down, salvage.
Radio to memo and ask her to check for any records of any spacecraft who traveled through this area recently. Or whoever's job that would be

>>1387112
>They can do whatever they want with it, it’s theirs.

Writing.

Counting this as 3 votes for keep and 2 votes for eject.

>>1387112
>Clean it, scrub it down, salvage.

You walk to the closest PA system box, which happens to be right outside the platforms. Or inside the ship, depending on how one would look at it. All radio communications are currently being unused. After all, sending a signal out like that in empty space like this is asking for a lovely visit from pirates. That’s something you know from experience, and from both sides too.

“Memo?”

Static. You patiently wait a moment.

She answers, “Yes?”

“Got any records of a spacecraft going through here recently?”

“Hold on...”

“Thanks, I can always count on you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“...What was that? Whatever... you just did, please don’t do it again,” Memo says, “I felt shivers down my spine.”

“What I meant to say was, ‘fuck you too,’” you say, looking off back to where the other three were.

You see Calli shoving Hu away.

The former shouts, “Fuck off, I’m fine.”

“I wouldn’t call that fine,” Hu replies.

“Look at me, I’m fucking fine. Fuck off, yeah?”

Sometimes you wish your crew wasn’t so unpleasant, but what can you expect from a bunch of rejects? You can at least give them the little bit of love, as tough as it may be, they’ll never get otherwise. Oh, wait a moment—you’re also this unpleasant. Well, who the fuck cares anyway?

Cutting through these thoughts like deodorant purging a men’s locker room, Memo speaks up again. “Only one. Looks like there was a shipment from SpedEx, but they were downed by probably pirates. Their last signal was about... a couple of hours from here.”

You take one look at the worn logo on the container again, then back. “I don’t think they have something like this on their ships, or that anyone would be fucking crazy enough to ship this somewhere. Alright, that’ll be all.”

She affirms, and you walk away.

(1/2)

>>1387274
You thought about letting them keep but, but decide against it. That doesn’t mean you’re ejecting it though. You tell them to clean it or call the maintenance guys, doesn’t fucking matter because you’re not going to stand in this room for any longer. They grimace as you tell them the news, but they get working regardless.

In a few moments, you find yourself sighing as you sink back into your chair. If there was an assprint still on it, you wouldn’t have felt it through the layers of your suit.

“So?” Memo asks.

“Garbage. Literally garbage.”

She taps on panel, staring out the bridge window. “Very exciting.”

You stare blankly out. “Why don’t you read a book?”

“You might crash the ship and kill us all,” she says, “Can’t take my eyes away.”

You lean back. “You’re not wrong.”

Nothing happens for an hour. Not until right after, when you get another call.

“Captain, it’s me, Hu.”

“What is it?”

“Calli’s having a conniption.”

“...And?”

“Need advice, Captain.”

“What do you mean? He’s always like that.”

“I’m doing my best to not knock his lights out.”

“Oh.” Shit, he pissed off Hu?

>Tell Hu to knock him out then.
>Have Hu relay to Calli that you’re about to throw his ass out.
>God damn it, you’ll have a talk with him.
>Throw Calli in his room with some magazines or something, he’ll cool down.
>Write-in.

>>1387275
>>Tell Hu to knock him out then.

>>1387275
Ask what his issue is

>>1387275
>Have Hu relay to Calli that you’re about to throw his ass out.

>>1387275
>Tell Hu to knock him out then.

Writing.

“Did someone take a bite out of his lunch again?” you ask, “What’s going on?”

“He’s lost his mind.”

“Thanks for the great description, Hu.”

“He thinks someone is stealing from him. He took a couple of swings at me.”

“Well are you?”

“No,” Hu replies flatly. Then, he adds, “I’m insulted.”

“Alright,” You groan. “I’m about to throw him out when we get back. If he tries that again, knock him out. Do your damn job.”

“Got it, Captain.”

He cuts out.

Your brow furrows as you rub the bridge of your nose. You close your eyes a little, thinking about things you shouldn’t think about as you touch your left ring finger. Feeling something that isn’t there anymore. Space is too vast. What was lost can never be found...

Memo nudges your arm, waking you. “Residential cameras are down.”

“What?”

“I just noticed. They’re down. I’m not getting anything from either two of them, entrance or walkway.”

“How long ago was this?” you say, getting up. Immediately, you begin to look at your screen, pushing away and scrambling as you scroll up and down logs and logs. “Un-fucking-believable.”

“Around fifteen minutes, I think,” she replies, “I was too busy getting the ship not pelted by debris.”

“Right, right,” you mumble. Ah, there, Residential. At the bottom, the latest recorded data. “You worry about not getting us killed.”

“You don’t have to tell me.”

You push a button, and the screen in front of you flickers.

A video feed of Residential.

Calli’s going off on an engineer. Looks like Rudy. She doesn’t seem happy. Hu then walks in, butting into the one-sided conversation. Now Calli’s going off on Hu. Calli swings at Hu. That’s real fucking dumb to do in space.

(1/2)

File: damian-czajkowski-emptiness.jpg (188 KB, 558x1000)

188 KB JPG

>>1387410
Hu realizes this, which is why he grabs Calli’s arm before he can pull back. Then, the security guard proceeds to slam his elbow into Calli’s face. Oh thank god there’s no metal padding on there. That would’ve been a mess. Luckily, there is none. Calli’s helmet activates, round metal plates swinging from his spine to over his face. A foggy, wide glass visor slides down last, it’s reflectiveness hiding his face.

You can’t tell what they’re saying now, but it’s probably Hu telling Calli to cool off. Rudy slowly backs out of the room, and then quickly scrams down the hallway.

Calli does not cool off. Instead, he clutches his helmet as he drops on his knees, shoulders twisting. Hu takes a step back, and then he reaches for his gun.

You mutter, “Hu, what the fu—“

The visor explodes with the top half of his suit, a wave of black rushing forth that slams into Hu as he fires.

The camera cuts here.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” you get out of your seat, “Fifteen minutes ago?”

“What?”

“Look at this shit,” you say.

Memo’s expression changes from morbid curiosity, then annoyance, then right back to morbid curiosity.

“The other... the other cameras are fine, there’s nothing on them.” she says, “I haven’t noticed anything...”

>Put the ship onto lockdown.
>Go to Residential.

>Alert everyone.
>Only tell security. No panic is needed.

Residential has no decontamination module.
You can pull a module from elsewhere, but it’ll take time.

>Don’t use one.
>From Messdeck.
>From Engine.
>From Bridge.
>From Weapons.
>From Medical Bay.

>>1387420
>Put the ship onto lockdown.
>Only tell security. No panic is needed.
>From Weapons.

>>1387420
>Put the ship onto lockdown.
>Only tell security. No panic is needed.
>From Engine.
Get some weapons! Fuck

Rolled 1 (1d2)

1 = Weapons
2 = Engine

Writing.

Fucking lurkers. Vote! Just do it!

What did it do to Hu?” Memo asks out loud, “We... we need to put the ship on lockdown.”

“Already on it,” you say, walking to the back. As fast as you can, you flip the glass lid, pull the box out, and smash your fist into the button.

“It just exploded out of Calli, god damn,” you shake your head

“You get on line with security,” you tell her.

“I... I need to find them first,” she says, “Why don’t I use the radio?”

“Don’t use the fucking radio! I don’t want to deal with this while assholes try to kill us,” you say. You suck your teeth as pace around. “Just—just pull a decon module from Weapons. Oh fuck, weapons, we need weapons.”

“There’s no way any gun going to work on... whatever that was,” Memo says, “Did you see that? It’ll be like trying to shoot water!”

“No I didn’t fucking see it, the screens fuzzy as shit! And it’s not water, it’s thick, like some kind of sludge,” you reply, walking over to the door to your quarters. “I saw it in the container we picked up.”

“What...” Memo stands up, “Are you kidding me?”

You stick your head back out the door. “I know what you’re going to say, and I know. It was supposed to be cleaned, how was I supposed to know this shit was going to happen?!”

You head back in, going straight for your locker. 3. 5. 0. 2. A year you’ll never forget.

The locker swings open, and you pull out a plasma rifle. Fully automatic, 90 rounds. You crouch down and pick up a standard pistol. kinetic, not energetic, 25 rounds.

(1/2)

>>1387575
When you walk back out, you hear Memo talking into a microphone.

“...use plasma only, do you understand? Plasma. ONLY.”

You walk over to your panel and push away your chair. You link to every PA box that Memo isn’t using, and you talk in.

“This is your Captain speaking. This ship is on lockdown. This is not a drill. Don’t leave your fucking rooms, don’t unlock your doors, and don’t even think about trying to bypass any of the doors just because you have to take a piss. Do it in a fucking bottle, I don’t care. Don’t. Leave. Your. Rooms.”

You take a step back, and turn to Memo, handing her the rifle.

She looks at you. “You should use it.”

“I’m not going to fucking use it, take it,” you say, then raising the pistol, “I have this.”

“That’s not going to do anything,” she shakes her head, and pushing the rifle toward you.

“It’s not for them, it’s for the windows,” you tap your head, “And I couldn’t give a shit what you think, I’m leaving the rifle here.”

“Christ...” She cups her face with her hands. “Decon will be there in 2 minutes.”

The crackle of a voice comes out of Memo’s speaker. It’s from security. You only have four security guards—three now, actually—but your ship never warranted any more than that, and the bigger your crew, the harder it is to whip down a riot. “I’ll deal with it,” Memo tells you.

Good, because someone’s trying to talk to you now.

“Heya, Captain. What’s happening?”

It’s Ash. Maintenance.

“Just a little quarantine problem.”

“Yeah okay. ‘Little’ problem. Hey, listen. I’m cleaning the filtration system, and I kinda need to get back into Residential.”

“Where are you right now?”

“In the supply closet. Managed to get in through the air ducts," Ash casually drops, "I can’t seem to get out... so... lift it for a second?”

There are no cameras inside the closet, only one outside.

“Fuck’s sake, I can’t just lift lockdown for only a second.”

Memo shouts, “The module is stuck.”

You pull away from your microphone. “What?”

“It’s stuck. It’s not moving, I don’t know why.”

“Why the fuck would it be stuck? Are you kidding me? Where is it right now?”

“It’s... almost next to Residential.”

“Security?”

“Outside, waiting for the module to be done.”

>Have security team suit up and walk in.
>Fuck. Try to activate it while it’s stuck.
>Get security away from there.
>Talk to them. You need to know what’s going on.

As for Ash...
>Give him security clearance.
>He can just fuck off.

>>1387581
>Write-in
is always available, if I ever forget to include it.

>>1387581
Direct ash through the air ducts to get to where the decon pod is stuck and have him get it unstuck
>Talk to them. You need to know what’s going on.
This is good shit OP. I'm on the edge of my seat

Writing.

>>1387601
Thanks. The lack of players on a Friday night is a bit dissuading, but it can't be helped.

You go back to Ash.

“Do me a favor first. There’s a decon module stuck on its way to Residential from Weapons. You know where that is, right?”

“Right. And you want me to get it unstuck?”

“Climb through the air ducts, find a way.”

Ash sighs, “Air ducts are not maintenance shafts.”

“You climbed through one of them anyway, just find something.”

There’s a pause. “Fine.”

He’s gone. You’ll be able to talk to him again once he gets back to a PA box.

You say to Memo, “I need to talk to security.” She promptly gets out of your way and goes over to your panel, opening the cameras there.

“What’s happening?” you ask.

“Umm, that’s my question.” It’s Lucky. “I don’t see anything. Lockdown door looks fine too. Captain, what’s the problem?”

You say, “Black fucking sludge, didn’t Memo just tell you all?”

He replies, “I don’t see anything, that’s the thing. Nothing’s leaking out, there’s not a single sound.

“I took a peek too,” someone else pipes in. Dawn. “I mean, the hallway’s clear. Didn’t you say the explosion was there?”

You wish the cameras were working.

“No, past that, but how is the hallway clean after that shit?” you groan. “Ash is getting the decon module fixed, hold tight. You all should suit up.”

“I don’t know, Captain,” Lucky says over the sound of her helmet whirring. Her voice now comes out muffled. “We’re probably fine if we just walk in.”

“No, hold on—“

“Captain!” Memo interrupts you, “Bridge hallway cameras are being destroyed.”

“By who?”

“I’m not getting a signal from the elevator on the right wing and every one that leads...”

As she trails off, you look over and see a figure turn the corner only for a split second before the feed cuts.

“We’re in lockdown, how is...” your words trail off, “That’s right outside.”

“Helmets.”

With her reminding you, you cup the collar under your chin with one hand and push on the back with your other. Metal slides upon metal, extending forward over and past your head. The visor drops last, darkening the world. Quietly, the suit seals hermetically and pulls oxygen from your tank. You turn around to face the door.

Memo says, “There’s no way bullets are going to kill it.”

“Alright, alright Memo. Let me just give up.”

“That’s not what I’m saying, I mean—“

And the door slides open.

His footsteps ring through the room and halls as he takes a step in, and then another. From the tips of his fingers on his right hand to the middle of his forearm, his suit has been completely destroyed, while the rest of it is perfectly fine. Mint, almost. The edges on the sleeve jut out awkwardly in uneven cuts, as if it had been forcibly torn to shreds. A plasma pistol is in his left grip.

“Captain, I see you’re fine.”

“Hu,” you say, “What are you doing here?”

He turns his shoulders, visibly looking around the bridge.

“I heard there was a problem,” Hu replies.

Out of the corner of your eye, you catch a message.

Decontamination Module in (Residential) is (Active)

Hu takes another step forward, trying to peek over. “What’s that?”

>Give a warning. Only one.
>Shoot to kill.
>Shoot to handicap.
>Bridge decon module.
>Run.
>Write-in.

>>1387778
>Shoot to kill.
>Bridge decon module.
We'll shoot while memo hits the decon. I'm taking no chances here

>>1387778
>Shoot to handicap.
Don't let it use the gun. Any other damage is a bonus.

>Bridge decon module.
PANIC BUTTON

>>1387805
I really think we should just shoot to kill, this dude should be dead already so just wounding him seems like a waste

>>1387846
Killing is what the decon is for. Shooting is just to stop it from using the plasma pistol before it finishes melting.

>>1387854
Right, this guy has freaky regen or damage resistance as evidenced by his destroyed armor and intact flesh. We're just wasting time by trying to wound instead of kill.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

Dice gods, guide us.

1=kill
2=maim

Writing.

>>1387861
>preventing it from doing the one thing that we know can instantly reach out and touch us inappropriately
>waste of time

>>1387778
>Shoot to kill.

>Bridge decon module.

“Memo,” you say in hush of a tone as possible, “Decon module.”

“...Okay.”

Hu takes another step forward, almost close enough to stab you if he ran for it.

“I heard over the boxes, Captain,” he says, “Why are we on lockdown?”

“Now!” you roar. Memo pivots on her foot and dashes. You step between her and Hu and raise your pistol. Hu’s head jerks backwards as your round punches a hole through his visor. You fire again, again, and again, planting another one in his face again and two in his chest. He takes a step back every time your gun cracks like thunder. Pieces of tempered glass fall down as Hu staggers and collapses onto the floor. When he lands, the sound of crushing weight echoes through.

You continue to point your sidearm at him, even after he stops moving. There’s no way the bullets even penetrated through the insulation in his torso. But his visor—

“I’m insulted.” Hu jolts up, firing his plasma pistol at you instantly.

The ball of energy hits your right leg. You cuss and cry out as you stagger back, trying not to put any weight on it as you feel your skin begin to boil. Firing wildly in his direction, you shout,

“MEMO!”

(1/2)

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796 KB JPG

>>1387948
“It’s done!”

She hits a button for the last time, and panel gaps begin to widen. The walls scream and hiss as the solution is blasted through pipes, pressurizing it with such a force it’s aerosolized and spread throughout the room.

You pull her along as you dive downwards, another round of plasma flying at you. It hits the bridge window, but it’s too thick to break.

Hu gets back up, his feet uneasy. He aims his pistol at you again, but his glove, along with the rest of his hand, shines and bursts into flames as Memo lands a shot. He looks at the stump easily, and then he shrieks—a cry so painful you want to claw out your ears. The security guard convulses, and then his flesh leaps forth. From every hole, every gap, every inch of the suit pours out an undulating beast. Changing from tan to a tar black, the wave of death rushes forth, leaving behind only a skeleton.

But it shrinks every second it touches the air. It loses momentum slowly, and at a foot before reaching you, it stops moving, dropping to the floor with a thud. Grey and cracked, like stone.

You don’t even notice. You scream and slam your fist on the ground, your other hand trying to cover the exposed skin.

“Fuck, FUCK, FUUUUUCK,” you yell, adjusting the oxygen pressure, desperately trying to force air out of your suit so the decon gas can’t get in.

As soon as the creature hit the floor, Memo instantly jumped up to the controls. In an instant, the airlock to the bridge opens, sucking out everything.

A few minutes later and finishing a quick disintegration, you are still panting in sweat, sitting in your chair. Your body’s stopped shaking, but it certainly hasn’t stopped hurting.

Memo tells you, “You need to go to the Medical Bay.”

“We...” you wheeze, “We don’t have time for that.”

She lifts you up by the shoulders. “You don’t have time for this.”

>She’s right.
>No. She stays here. You go alone.
>You’re staying. You are fine.
>Write-in.

>>1387952
>>No. She stays here. You go alone.

We need someone on the bridge. Keep me appraised of the situation and tell security of what just happened. Seal the door and don't open for anyone besides me. And don't hesitate to shoot me if I become... infected.

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98 KB JPG

>>1387952
>>No. She stays here. You go alone.

What could go wrong?

>>1387952
Is there any way we could control any of the ships functions anywhere but here? Some kind of portable device?

>>1387952
>No. She stays here. You go alone.

No butts

>>1387990
>N
not yet at least

Wow, how did I mess that up so badly?
>>1387980
Nope, no way.

Forgot to toss this out for voting.

Turn on radio communications? You can communicate instantaneously with anyone on the ship, but you are at a risk of unsavory folk finding your signals.

>Y
>N

>>1387990
N

>>1388001
Y

>>1388001
N
Stick to the PA system

>>1387952
>No. She stays here. You go alone.
She'll use the cameras and PAs to direct us and help us avoid enemies. How are we gonna get there without stopping the lockdown though?

Writing.

Did we ever activate the residential decon module?

“...No.”

“What do you mean no?”

“You’re staying here. I’m going alone.”

Her helmet retracts and she looks at you incredulously. “Are you kidding me? You can barely walk.”

“No, I need you here. Someone has to be here, to tell me, everyone what’s going on,” you say, “and plus, I still can walk.” You get up, pretending that you’re not sweating bullets from the pain. Thank god she probably can’t see through your visor.

“...Take this then,” she hands over the plasma rifle. “I have... Hu’s pistol. I’m fine.”

“...Okay.”

Hu is dead. You saw it in person. The ship of 18 is now a ship of 17.

>>1388165
Memo doesn’t stop you when you walk out. Before the door closes behind you, you tell her, “Tell security what happened and seal this door. Don’t open it for anyone except me, and if I’m infected... then you already fucking know.”

Memo looks at you, uncertain. “...Yes, Captain.”

The door shuts, and when you’re halfway down the hallway, you hear the grinding of metal as the only way onto the bridge closes forever.

And as soon as you hear that, you immediately fall over onto a nearby wall.

“Okay, take it easy. Fucking real easy,” you mumble.

Eventually, you pass through a lockdown gate already opened. Hu passed here. Memo must’ve given everyone on the security detail clearance, but she didn’t except him to be here. This gate isn’t going to be shut again anytime soon. This ship just doesn’t have that kind of power to waste, especially with you constantly pulling decon modules. Wait...

You trudge on, shortly coming to a PA box inside the right wing elevator. You press the floor below, and then you press the button for the box.

“Memo.”

Static, then, “Yes?”

“What happened with security? And the piece of shit module too.”

“Module’s just finished, but I haven’t heard back from Ash. Security is doing the sweep. There’s also.... a problem, but I guess you’ll see soon enough,” she says, “How are you feeling?”

The elevator doors open. “You don’t want to know.”

You walk out, rifle ready. Finger off the trigger, just to be safe. The hallways are clear, and the lights are perfectly fine. Black scorch marks lie where camera lenses used to be. Fucking Hu.

The son of a bitch came from Residential, which is in the right wing, unlocking every lockdown gate along the way. The Medical Bay is on the left wing. You go forward, cutting across the ship.

It’s not long before you come across the giant, foot and a half thick barrier of steel that blocks your way. Hydraulics and gears line gaps where the panels meet. On the wall beside it is a scanner. You drop your head in front of it as you brace against the wall with your free hand. It does a little beep, and with a button press, the gate splits into four, sliding back into the walls.

However, the next one—the one right before the Bay—is completely fucked.

It’s welded shut.

You bang on it, “What the fuck is this? Vince! Vince, are you there? What the fuck did you do!?”

You sink down when there’s no reply.

“Holy shit...”

>Left wing: Messdeck. Maybe there’s medical supplies there too.
>Right wing: Supply closet. Power tools.
>Right wing: Residential. Rendezvous with security.

Memo...
>Where the fuck is the only real medic on the ship?
>Where the fuck is Ash?
>Status report on cameras.
>You need to check something... (Specify)
>Nothing.

>>1388169
>Right wing: Supply closet. Power tools.
So was it welded from our side or the other?
>Where the fuck is the only real medic on the ship?

>>1388169
>Left wing: Messdeck. Maybe there’s medical supplies there too.

>Where the fuck is the only real medic on the ship?

>>1388169
>Right wing: Supply closet. Power tools.
We're gonna need the medbay sooner or later anyway. Maybe we could use the air ducts too?
>Where the fuck is the only real medic on the ship?
>Status report on cameras.

Writing.

>>1388169
>Status report on cameras.
>Where the fuck is the only real medic on the ship?

>Right wing: Residential. Rendezvous with security.
Maybe security has some emergency supplies. Most people go into combat with at least some makeshift medical gear. We can't solo this thing so let's group up.

You head back to the elevator.

All the way to the PA box, where you promptly punch the button.

“Where the fuck is the only real medic on the ship?”

Memo sighs. “Vince barricaded himself inside the Medical Bay. I’m not sure what happened, but I’m going through the recordings right now.”

“I was banging on the fucking gate. Did he not hear me?”

“I saw. I... don’t know. He’s walking around in circles right now, throwing papers all over the place,” she replies, “He also smashed the PA box after I tried talking to him, so there’s that.”

“The fuck...?” you crack your shoulder and groan. “Can I get a status report on the cameras?”

“It’ll be faster to tell you what isn’t working. Residential, hallway to right wing elevator, elevator camera, hallway to bridge. Some people are getting a bit antsy, but at least no one is trapped between two gates with nothing to do.
Rudy, Sparrow, and Pretzel are in the Engine room;
Bear, Ink, and Red are in the messdeck;
Vince, the Medical Bay;
Charles, and Juju are in Weapons;
Biggs is in Flight;
and Jameson, Dawn, Lucky are in Residential.”

“...Any other updates?”

“I’m afraid not.”

You sigh. “Thanks, Memo.”

(1/2)

>>1388351
From what you could tell, the steel was melted on your side of the gate. Did Vince do this fucking shit? How could he, if he was on the other side?

You shake your head, and you head to the Supply Closet located halfway between Residential and Medical.

Another scanner, another button press, and another open door. Inside are tools on vertical shelves, held down by magnets and Velcro straps. Brooms, drills, laser cutters, you name it. Outdated laser cutters, sure, but laser cutters none-the-less. An air grille is lying on the floor, and an open vent is right above a line of cabinets.

You pick the highest power cutter you can find, and shut the door behind you. Things are getting a bit heavy, but you can manage. To get around, you demagnetize your boots for a bit and push yourself off for an easier time.

Your boots don’t stay that way when you try to carve through the gate. Sparks and heat make you grimace as your leg aches alongside the rest of your body. When you manage to pierce through for the first time, you discover that the entire midsection had been welded. As if something had pierced through and turned it into ooze in a single pass.

When you check the wall down the hallway, you find huge splotches of scorch marks that tear through the ship’s paneling. And when you walk back, you find someone screaming.

“AaaaAAAAHHHH!!” It’s Vince. Of course it’s fucking Vince. “S-stay back, I’ve got a 20 MW laser here, a-and I’m not afraid to use it!”

“Vince, calm the fuck down!” you shout. Probably not the best course of option. “Did you just seal this fucking gate?”

“Of course I did! Why wouldn’t I seal it? Why aren’t you sealing any gates? We should seal all the gates!”

“No, we shouldn’t. I need to get in there, alright? I’m a bit fucked up right now, so if you don’t mind—“

“What? Why, why, why!? Why would I let you in? You’re not the real Captain, I’m not stupid. I heard it, I could feel it.” Vince points a long barreled gun at you, one that splits in the center horizontally with the top and bottom ends rounded.

“Whoa, put the gun down,” you say, taking a step back. “I’m the real Captain. How the fuck do you want me to prove it?”

“I shoot you. I-if you die, you’re the Captain. Does that sound good? I think it sounds good. Okay, here I go!”

You run to the corner before he even fires. Which he never actually does.

“H-hey, you have to hold still,” Vince says, “O-oh no. They’re back. Oh no, they’re back, I can hear them. They’re in the vents, in the vents, in the vents. I... I need to seal them...” Hurriedly, he disappears.

You let out a sigh of relief.

>Try to disarm him when he comes back out.
>Vents...? Use the air duct in the Supply Closet.
>Ignore him. Carve through the door.
>Write-in.

>>1388357
>Try to disarm him when he comes back out.
Less dangerous than going on an Ad-vent-ure

>>1388357
>Try to disarm him when he comes back out.
So this guy is either infected or even less than worthless from the mental strain. I'd really rather avoid the air ducts if he thinks they're in there. That would really be the best way for it to travel

>>1388357
>Ignore him. Carve through the door.
This guys fucking nuts

>>1388357
>>Ignore him. Carve through the door.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

1 = Disarm
2 = Take it easy

Writing.

You’re about done with Vince’s shit. You drop the laser cutter and clutch onto your plasma rifle. No, that’d be more than disarming. You swing the rifle onto your back and take out your pistol.

Vince is about to find out why you’re the fucking Captain.

You wait, gun pointed as you unlock your helmet. There is no release of air, no difference in air pressure. The hole in the suit of your right leg has already taken care of that. Fuck, don’t look. In all likelihood, it’s disgusting as shit.

Carefully, you listen. The groaning of steel, the slight sound of footsteps, the labored breaths coming from you. He’s coming back.

“Are you still there—“

You interrupt him with a single shot, a shot that connects with his gun. Promptly, the capacitor banks unload suddenly and violently, or in other words, explodes in fumes that send Vince flying backwards against a wall. Black scorch marks cover his entire front side as he groans. His visor is cracked. He moves a little, but soon stays still, his heaving chest the only clue that he’s still alive.

You look at the ship camera, and then you mouth the words, “He’s fucking fine.”

Tough love. The second part is there, because otherwise, you would’ve put a bullet in his head.

Slowly, but sure enough, you manage to carve out the gate and open it with the scanner. It gets stuck halfway and the hydraulics die, but that is the least of your problems. You go in, dragging Vince along with you into the Medical Bay.

Two rows of 5 beds with curtains cover one side of the room, while a desk and overturned cabinets are on the other. Where there should be a couple of air vents are instead cabinets welded onto the wall. The PA box is also completely destroyed. He’s got to be kidding.

There’s a small closet full of hazmat suits. They’re half as thick and sturdy as your space suit, and although you can survive in a vacuum with it, how long you’d last would be a more worrying issue. However, this also means they’re lighter and more flexible.

Off to the side is a doorway that leads to a smaller room with more medicine cabinets. You toss Vince on a bed and limp away. Bandages, alcohol, nitrates for when someone accidentally huffs cyanide, all the good stuff.

You pull up a chair, lift up your leg, and then drop the weight down. You give it a peek, and then you promptly pull back.

Holy shit.

>Apply quick first aid.
>Buckle the fuck up, you’re in it for the long haul.
>Wake Vince up. He has a job to do.

>Take Vince’s space suit.
>Keep your space suit.
>Take off your suit and put on a hazmat suit.

I'm going to stop here for today. I'll be back tomorrow, 1 hour after the time this thread started today.

Wait. Going crazy must be the first step of the infection, that's what happened to Calli. We need to decontaminate this dude or ventilate his head with plasma.

>>1388521
>Apply quick first aid.
>Take off your suit and put on a hazmat suit.
Well it's better than a suit with a hole in it or a suit with a cracked helmet that's being worn by a possibly infected dude.

Grab as many medical supplies as possible to bring back to the bridge, this place isn't safe anymore and the medic isn't worth a damn in this kind of situation.

>>1388523
Thanks for running.

>>1388521
thanks for the quest. I do love me some space horror.

>>1388521
>Apply quick first aid.
>Take off your suit and put on a hazmat suit.
Take a look at Vince, look for any suit damage or signs of a fight. We know he's at least seen one of those things.

>>1388521
>>Apply quick first aid.
Lots of pain-killers so we don't pass out. We just need enough to keep us going for another hour or two (hopefully), and don't necessarily need a long term fix right now.
>Take off your suit and put on a hazmat suit.

>>1389164
I'd rather stick to local anaesthesia so we stay sharp mentally

Back in an hour.

File: hazmat.jpg (106 KB, 702x817)

106 KB JPG

In no time, you rip off your suit, leaving it on the floor in a pile while you tear through the cabinets. You down painkillers as you loosely disinfect, treat, and bandage up your leg. There’ll be nerve damage for sure, but that’s the least of your worries. You’re also sure decon has reached inside your suit back then, but you don’t have time to wash down.

You step in a hazmat suit when you’re done. Fuck if you’re going to keep wearing something with a hole in it. The last piece is the gas mask, fitting snugly on your face.

When you’re done and you step out, you notice Vince is out cold. Should you leave him like this? Wake him up? Tie him to a bed? If you wake him up, he could be a liability, but it’s not as if you could leave him while the gate is completely destroyed.

As you’re thinking, a noise comes from down the hallway, from the right wing. You step out, plasma rifle ready. Carefully and as quietly as you can, you demagnetize your boots and slowly float your way onward. Along the way, you pick up the laser cutter.

You go around a corner, and you find nothing. When you reach the supply closet, you jiggle the lock. Solid. Nothing can come this way. Only from Residential. Then, you turn around again to find shadows moving. You check the ammo for the rifle. It’s good. Your pistol’s empty. Quickly, you reload.

“Who’s there?” you call out.

Footsteps. “...Captain?”

“Lucky,” you lower your rifle. But not too far. “What’s the status?”

“Um, I’ve lost contact with Jameson and Dawn,” he replies, “We were checking the rows, Captain. When I got back out, I couldn’t find them.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” you say, “How does it look in there?”

“See for yourself.”

And you do.

Past the hallway and inside, grey, cracked stone pieces litter the room. Where you remember the explosion is a huge dried blotch, crawling up the wall and into a vent. The trail upward is weathered and broken, torn apart by what’s presumably the decon gas.

Residential is split into two sides from a small lobby in the center. The extensions split off into private rooms, eight on each side for a total of sixteen.

“Where did you say you lose them?”

“Uh, some of the doors to the rooms are, um, destroyed.”

>Check them out.
_>You go first.
_>Lucky goes first.
>Back off. Drag Vince along so no one is unaccounted for.
>Ask Lucky something (Specify)
>Talk with Memo (Specify)
>Write-in.

>>1389620
>Check them out.
_>Lucky goes first.
>Talk with Memo (Specify)
Ask if she saw anything that happened with the security team on the cameras

>>1389620
Actually we should wake up Vince and see if he's got his shit together now before we do anything else

Rolled 2 (1d2)

1 = Check
2 = Vince

Rolling for immediate action.
Writing.

You find the PA box again to try and talk with Memo.

“Memo?”

“I’m here. What is it?”

“Jameson and Dawn aren’t here. Did you see them anywhere?”

“They went to the messdeck a moment ago. They’re still there now,” she says, “...Who’s with you?”

“Lucky. I left Vince back in Medical,” you say, “and the fucking messdeck?”

Lucky says, “Seriously...?”

“...I think...” Memo says, “...you should get Vince. I can watch him, but that’s about all I can do. And if you were wondering if he’s... you know... he’s not. I’ve been watching him.”

“You’re right. No one should be in the rooms, then,” you say, then turning to Lucky, “Let’s go.”

“Sure.”

(1/2)

>>1389802
By the time you get back, Vince is already awake. He’s also found a scalpel that he’s gripping tightly in his right hand. The fucker is a good distance from the door and you, meaning that even if he makes a run for it, you’ll be fine.

“Vince, you’re awake.”

“Ah... Aaah.....” he answers.

Lucky whispers, “What’s wrong with him?”

“Good question,” you reply. You say to Vince, “Just drop it, Vince. Put down the fucking scalpel.”

“I... I was unconscious.”

“And I didn’t do anything. I’m the real Captain, see?”

“T-that’s not true, that’s not true at all!” he steps back. “My visor, it’s cracked!”

“We can get you a new one after this, not a problem. Your suit should still be sealed, I didn’t get in.”

“Lies, lies, lies! You resealed it, you.... you...!” Vince promptly unseals his suit, his helmet retracting.

Lucky tells you, “I can taze him, Captain.’

“Wait,” you say. “Vince, come on. What the fuck are you saying? You don’t feel anything, right?” You tighten the grip on your rifle.

“Captain, Captain, oh so naïve,” Vince shakes his head, “Have you heard of the ship of Theseus?”

“What about it?”

“It’s a conundrum, a thought experiment,” he says, “Imagine this ship, your ship, August. No, you don’t even have to imagine, just look at the walls.” The walls of new plates and old. The patchwork. “If you took out all of the old plates, the old windows, everything and replaced them with new ones, is it your ship? Is it still your ship?”

“Vince, god’s sake—” Lucky says.

“N-no, listen, listen to me! What if it happened to you? What if it happened to your brain? Cells die every second and get replaced by new ones every second. Are y-you the same person as you were an hour ago?”

You cut in, “Of course, the fuck are you saying?”

“What if you replaced it with something that does the exact same thing? L-like a machine, or maybe a monster? What if it’s just a single neuron in your brain? Is that still you? What about all of it? When do you stop being you?”

Lucky says, “I’m giving you ten seconds.”

“N-now, now! Here’s the important part...!” he says, raising his hands. “Would... would you even know? Would y-you rather find out and die, or stay unaware?”

You say, “We can talk about this all the fuck you want, just calm down first.”

“A-answer me first, answer me!”

“What, I don’t fucking know!”

Lucky raises his taser.

>You’d rather know.
>You’d rather live.

>Incapacitate.
>Let Vince be.

>>1389811
>>You’d rather know.
>>Let Vince be

>>1389811
>>Let Vince be.

>You’d rather know.

You can't fight when you don't know the enemy. Tell me what I need to know in order to survive; and if that is not enough you will need to tell me everything you know.

>>1389811
>You’d rather live.
>Let Vince be

>>1389811
>You’d rather know.
>Incapacitate.
Damn I hope this isn't dead, I got real busy at work

You put your hand on top of Lucky’s hand and forcibly lower the taser gun. You shake your head.

“I’d rather know.”

His breathing stops, and starts normally again. His body untenses.

“See? We’re the same,” Vince says, “I agree.”

Then he swings the scalpel up, driving it into his right eye.

“VINCE!”

He staggers, and then he raises his other hand onto slam the piece of metal further in. Slowly, he leans over, and crumples onto the floor.

Lucky turns and walks off, “Oh, ugh...”

You just stand there.

A long while passes before you raise your plasma rifle. “You crazy son of a bitch.”

When you finish cleaning up, the broken PA box crackles with electricity.

Does Memo want to talk to you?

You look at the camera, but the sound of talking catches your attention. When you step outside, you find Lucky pointing a gun to the end of the hallway, where Jameson and Dawn are. Those two reciprocate Lucky’s threat.

“What the fuck are you guys doing?” you say.

“...Cap?” Jameson mumbles.

“Not you too, Captain...” Dawn says.

Lucky looks at you from the corner of his vision. “Uh, god. Don’t listen to them.”

You cock your rifle, “Everyone has 5 seconds to tell me what the fuck happened.”

Jameson speaks up, “We met Ash.”

Dawn follows up, “He warned us, the left wing was compromised.”

“He told us everything, and that... Lucky.”

“How the fuck could Ash get around?” Lucky tells you, “Don’t listen to them. My suit’s fine.”

“Depressurize,” you say.

“What? No, that’s, uh, did you see the fucking sludge on the walls? I’m not unsealing anything.”

>Force Lucky take off his helmet.
>Force Jameson and Dawn to.
>Force them all.

>Trust Lucky.
>Trust Jameson and Dawn.
>Split up.
_>Go to the messdeck
_>Go to Residential

>>1390485
I'll probably just update from time to time very loosely.

>>1390566
Tell them Ash has been using the vents to get around and the sludge trail leads into the vents here. We can't trust him.
Before we do anything we need to go to a working PA and talk to Memo.

So what does the decontamination gas do to normal human flesh/blood compared to the alien sludge? We could set up something similar to RJ MacReady's blood test in The Thing.

>>1390566
>Force them all.

Also how does taking off their helmets help verify their true identity anyway? Didn't Hu look the same when he was infected?

>>1390645
Second

>>1390645
This works.

>>1390808
I thought Hu looked the same. Did he have his helmet on and when he took it off it was revealed he turned into a horrible monster? OP, could you please clarify whether taking off the helmets would actually provide any evidence of contamination or being clean?

>>1390808
They don't.

>>1390965
The only thing it would prove is whether or not the suit was sealed by proof of air pressure difference. This is regarding the likelihood of contamination in the first place.

>>1390645
>Decon gas test
That sounds tricky, difficult, and interesting. I like it.

“We can’t trust Ash,” you say, “He’s been crawling around in the fucking vents to get around. Didn’t you see the trail in Residential?”

“That doesn’t mean anything! The module already cleared everything in there,” Dawn answers.

Jameson says, “Cap, he was perfectly fine when we saw him.”

“Fuck this, I need to talk to Memo,” you say, walking forward.

Jameson raises his plasma pistol at you. “Don’t move.”

“What are you doing?”

“Don’t want to do it Cap, but I can’t trust you right now,” he says, “Why are you in a new suit?”

“Because Hu just tried to kill me,” you answer, “Drop the gun, Jameson.”

Lucky looks uneasily at you two before Dawn tries to intervene. “Hey, what are you...?”

“Going for Memo next?”

“PA box. And if I was some kind of fucking monster, she would’ve been dead already,” you say, turning to Jameson, “You going to lower your gun, or do you want to try shooting at me?”

Dawn calls, “Jameson.”

A few seconds pass before he lowers it. He shakes his head, “I’ll be following you.”

“Don’t try anything.”

Lucky and the rest don’t say anything as you take a short walk to the left wing elevator. They all stand a good distance away from each other as you push the button. Before you even speak, the door shuts, separating you from the others.

“What the fuck?!” you say, “Memo?” The elevator begins moving downwards.

“I can’t let you stay too close to them.”

(1/2)

>>1391540
“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“They’re the only ones I can’t keep track of. I’m watching everyone. Ash, Dawn, Jameson, Bear, Ink, and Red were in messdeck. There must have been an air duct in a blind spot, because I didn’t see Ash come or even go.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying you should play it safe.”

“We’re never going to get shit done if we run around.”

“Do you even know where Calli is?”

“What? He’s fucking dead, all over the Residential lobby wall!”

“Can you even tell the sludge apart? It went into the vent, we can’t say anything. You can’t stay with them, not until we have a way of telling them apart.”

“What if... what if we use the decon gas?”

“...How?”

“You saw how the sludge acted, right? It dried up. If it was on a person, it would’ve been much worse, at least chemical burns.”

“We can pull a module and take it apart... but... how would we even use it? It’s a compressed gas canister.”

“I don’t fucking know. Spritz it around or something.”

“...In any case, it’s not over until we’ve contained everything, and first thing is first, we need to get rid of the container.”

“I thought it was cleaned?”

“They didn’t finish. Calli ran off and Hu went after him. Red went along because he didn’t want to do it alone. Presumably, he was going to drag the rest of the Flight deck crew to do it.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me. The sludge shit better not have moved or anything.”

“It hasn’t, thankfully.”

“Guess it’s up to me.” The elevator doors open.

>Have Memo notify a warning about Ash.
>No warning for Ash.

>Have Memo notify a warning about Calli.
>No warning for Calli.

>Have Memo notify a warning about the security detail.
>No warning for security.

>Pull a module to test effects on sludge.
>Pull a module, but take it apart to use it.
>Have Memo pull the module and work on it on her end.

File: david-demaret-astronaut.jpg (177 KB, 819x1024)

177 KB JPG

That was the last post for this thread.
Thanks for playing, even if today was a bit short. I'd continue but I have a pile of work I've been procrastinating on.

Next thread will either be next Friday or never because I flaked.

Something to think about: How would you rig up a device to test if you're human? The decon gas is pressurized in a gas canister that's sealed with a valve and pipe.

>>1391548
>Have Memo notify a warning about Ash.
I'd say it's likely that Ash fixed the module, and right before it fired at least some part of the sludge escaped into the vent and infected him.
>Have Memo notify a warning about Calli.
Calli is guaranteed infected, this is a no brainer
>No warning for security.
I wanna keep these guys contained until we can verify their humanity with that test.
>Pull a module, but take it apart to use it.
I don't know what kind of technical knowhow we have but we could use either the O2 regulator from our busted suit or preferably whatever regulator we use to refill our suit's O2 reserves and rig it to the decon module.

>>1391575
Thanks for running dude, this is good stuff.

>>1391548
>>1391693 is a good plan.

Ah, its like watching space station 13 in text form. Everyone is incompetent and you have no idea who's out to kill you.

Fucking changelings.

Turns out today is busier than I anticipated. I can update drip feed style if you all would rather, but I think it'll be better if I held off until tomorrow.

>>1410786
Tomorrow works for me.

>>1410786
Tomorrow works

I'll make a new thread in an hour

>>1413048
There we go