By the time Isaac reached the top of the airlock leading into the new reactor core, an inexplicable rage consumed, propelled him forward. For reasons he couldn’t explain, a deep hatred permeated every cell in his body, radiating from the depths of his bones. As he bolted beyond the first airlock door, the memories of everything that went wrong in his life filled his head and washed away any chance of rational thought.
As if an invisible string were bound to the mark on his chest, an otherworldly force drew him toward the core. With each step, a new recollection swept through his mind. The thought of just being dumped off at an orphanage, in that cold dank place, boiled him. He concentrated on the abandonment, the thought that no one wanted him and his brother.
With hand placed on the airlock transition button, Isaac’s mind wandered to Jakob, his fraternal twin. Ire filled Isaac, remembering being bullied as a child and Jakob always coming to his rescue. Then came resentment, seeing Jakob always getting preferential treatment, people always liked him more. And after Isaac’s brother became a marine, Isaac was treated differently by him, like Jakob wasn’t his only blood. As if Jakob were better than Isaac.
The sound of his heartbeat filled Isaac’s ears as he pressed the button. A warning blared overhead, but he couldn’t care less about another new problem. He was on a mission to figure out and dispatch whatever was in the reactor core. Anything else could wait.
As the doors sealed behind, he slid the axe from the wheelbarrow he left behind. The thought of blood inspired rage, thinking about losing the Endurant. Both he and Jakob lived on that ship after being rescued, for years. Isaac made friends he’d never hear from again. Watched his neighbors’ families be torn apart by torment, lack. And after everything, the flotilla said the Phage was nothing more than a rarity, a freak accident. The shadow dream showed him that was a lie.
Now he was haunted by this thing in the core. Isaac was beyond his breaking point. He let the axe head drag through the dirt behind him as he rushed toward the massive orchid bobbing in the reactor’s breeze in front of the giant golden oak, among the core’s meadow. An intuition deep within drew him toward the massive flower, sensing that the scourge on his existence was that.
Sweating and panting from the hatred that welled, Isaac closed on the orchid. As he did, the stem became rigid and stood straight up. The head drooped down and the petals parted. Descending from a series of vibrant green tendrils was the floral-figured woman which appeared to him before. Her green and purple toes reached for the ground as she lowered, the grass parted away from her feet like a regal procession making way for the royal. The three thick vines which ran from within the orchid stayed attached to her like an umbilical cord.
At the sight of the creature, Isaac descended into an uncontrollable fury. He swept the axe up into both hands and charged her down.
The woman scoffed, bobbing her curly red hair with a disappointed head shake. “Just once why can’t I get one in alignment with me? That damn cat always gets the good ones.” Her soothing voice filled the reactor. As she spoke, the wind pulsed.
With Isaac charging her down with a rancorous shout and axe brandished overhead, the flower monster gave a knowing, devious smirk and extended her arms as if to beckon him closer. As he neared, a sweet floral scent filled Isaac’s nostrils. It brought a calm that clashed with the rage in his heart.
For a moment, the thought of being carried away, being rescued by the enigmatic woman in white so long ago slowed his pace and eased his rigid arms. The first and only time he felt that kind of affection from someone that wasn’t his brother, the only time that it seemed like a stranger actually cared if they lived or died. Then Isaac remembered the four-masked raider, the one that assaulted the orphanage and their rescuers. His rage returned and he redoubled his charge.
A flicker of surprise dashed across the floral creature’s face and a hint of relief melded with her smirk. “Yes. Yes, I can use you.”
Isaac reached within striking distance and a green blur filled one side of his periphery. Pain blunted the anger in his heart as a bundle of vines burst from the orchid and lashed out, sweeping from across the meadow and slamming into him. He soared across the core. Rolling shoulder over shoulder, he slid to a stop. He turned on his back and his arm smacked the core’s glass.
The floral beast picked up the axe at her feet, which Isaac dropped from the impact. With two fingers she held it by the very tip of the knob. Then with a mild disgust, as if tossing away putrid trash, she flung it toward Isaac. The blade buried in the dirt only a few steps from his legs. The creature then turned toward him and again held out both arms in invitation.
Isaac groaned as he pried himself loose from the divot created by his impact. With a shaking arm, he yanked the axe from the dirt and rose with furious determination. On his feet, he saw the beast mocking him and broke into another attack, stymied by an aching ribcage.
As he rushed forth, the vines which struck him writhed and curved into shape for another attack. Determined not to fall for the same trap, Isaac ran wide, away from the direction that the plants would strike so that they would have to hit the beast if they wanted a chance at Isaac. He closed for an overhead strike. The vines retracted and the axe head descended upon the creature.
Then from under him, the vines darted along the ground and launched up, slamming into Isaac’s chest and rocketing him again across the reactor core. He tumbled and slid once more, bumping into the reactor’s glass shell.
Frustrated and in agony, Isaac closed his eyes, contemplating how he could approach the beast and hope to land a strike. He refused to give up, knowing deep down that taking this thing out would mean the end of all the chaos on the bridge and finally make it to salvation. The chance to survive this nightmare.
“Don’t tell me you’ve given up. I would be so… put off.” The floral creature goaded Isaac after tossing his axe toward him once more and extending her arms.
The vines did sweeping attacks, whether from the side, the bottom, or the top. Isaac just needed to approach from a direction that would halt their assault and give him a clear shot at the beast. He had an idea. Maybe he could force them to wrap around the tree, with the right approach it would entangle them just long enough.
Snatching up the axe laying near him within arm’s reach, he started to jog the long way around, to put the tree between the giant orchid and him. As Isaac moved, the beast’s devious grin melted into frustration and her arms lowered, her stance closed, defensive.
Finally putting the tree between them, Isaac rushed around the small mound upon which the oak was rooted. In a wild charge, he baited the vines to strike at him before darting back toward the tree and around, for a second assault. The tendrils swooped and wrapped around the oak’s branches. Now with no protection, Isaac was instilled with confidence as he bore down on the beast with another overhead strike.
“Clever boy.” The creature smirked, delighted.
Isaac’s axe head met only dirt as it slammed into the ground at his feet, missing his target. The beast effortlessly dodged his attack and then closed with a palm strike to his chest. With only one hit, the force was great enough to send him prone and he slammed into the mound, knocking the wind from him.
Then the beast picked up the axe with two fingers and tossed it aside before pinning him to the ground by pressing the ball of her foot into his cheek.
“You know,” the creature’s soothing voice echoed out. “Long ago, before we started this death march among the stars, I would lure men into the forest by singing sweet melodies.” The floral beast began to shift in color. Her skin, once composed of thousands of pedals, smoothed. Like a slosh of water, her form turned human. She had bright green eyes and kept her curly red hair. “It is a rare treat to have one show up ready to cut me down.” She kept a seductive gaze while smiling with delight.
Isaac writhed; the pressure put against his face was like a pneumatic piston driving square into his cheekbone. He couldn’t do anything but kick. The sense that his head would be crushed drove away what anger once lingered in his heart. Any more pressure and she would cave his head in.
