Isaac walked with the group, unable to take his eyes off the inquisitor as Jakob and multiple marines escorted her to the bridge.
“Ma’am, please understand that we’ve been on high alert since—” Jakob stopped, a pondering gaze washed over his face. “…since starting our journey from the Endurant.” He grew more careful as he continued the sentence.
As his brother spoke, Isaac felt a wave of relief ease a small amount of tension that swelled in his shoulders. Jakob was no fool and despite the lifeboat’s predicament, he wasn’t outright trusting her just because she wore the same colors. Isaac felt like an idiot for keeping what happened in the reactor core a secret from his brother and the rest of the marines. Now he was going to have to figure out how to play their game and also communicate this woman was more than she seemed.
The inquisitor adjusted her officer’s cap then nodded with a careful pace. “Understandable, the journey must have been difficult. You have my deepest condolences for what happened.” She flashed a gaze to Isaac as she paused for a moment. “Rest assured you have the fleet’s full support during these trying times.”
In those few heartbeats when the inquisitor looked toward Isaac, in so much as they were shoulder-to-shoulder, the air in his suit grew icy. His heart skipped as pins rolled up and down his skin. For that instant, he felt like a cadaver in a meat locker.
“We’re grateful for any assistance the flotilla can provide.” Jakob responded. “I would be lying if I said we weren’t short on supply and equipment.”
The inquisitor craned her head from Isaac to Jakob. “Soon you’ll have nothing to worry about.” Her tone washed over, soothing.
Isaac clenched his teeth as she spoke, a bitter pang in his chest rattled as her words slipped from her lips. The sudden shift in her tone, from authoritative to bleeding compassion, put Isaac on edge. That wasn’t condolences, that was a threat.
“Right this way, we’re nearly to the bridge.” Jakob motioned toward a lift at the end of the hallway.
As he raised his hand, the shortwave in Isaac’s ear blared chatter that reached out this far from the docking bay.
“This is control, uh. We still got an unknown headed in our direction. It wasn’t one we were tracking. It looks like it emerged from passing cargo traffic at 112 alpha.” The radar controller radioed, indicating something else appeared that had no signature coming in from high over the lifeboat.
Jakob reached over and began punching in shorthand on his wrist display. Something the marines would do when they couldn’t talk.
“Copy. Keep eyes on. Militia deployment stands.” Jakob’s computerized shorthand voice called out over the radio. He must have been thinking the same as Isaac: the inquisitor was sending in reinforcements of some kind while she kept command busy.
Isaac looked behind, to Erik and Helvig tailing him. Erik was no slouch, he read the room as well as Jakob, carrying the heavy machine gun on his hip and the belt of coolant cores draped over his shoulder. Isaac didn’t know how much a gun was going to do against someone as powerful as the inquisitor, but it brought a measure of calm that he so desperately needed.
After one of Jakob’s escort marines called the lift to the bridge, they fanned out and covered all corners. Erik grabbed Isaac by the handle on the back of his oxygen tank and carefully drew him to the wall. As they locked eyes, Isaac understood: if something went down on the bridge, they all were the first team going in to get the crew out.
The doors slid open, and Jakob extended an open hand to indicate into the elevator. “After you, ma’am.”
With a bright smile, the inquisitor stepped onto the lift alone. She gently raised a palm to her two escort marines, both of whom wore black suits with tinted glass visors and red reflective bands on their armor pauldrons. Her escorts’ suit design was ornate, with no sharp edges and clean rounded corners throughout. The lifeboat’s crew equipment was surplus in comparison. Mismatched gunmetal and chrome gear, the marines’ armor plating were a mosaic of various blue and grey hexagonal inserts. There was a clear distinction between the quality of gear for those at the civil level and those in the Second Expedition.
The First Expedition was a group who set out as pathfinders, a group charting a clear course among the stars and the first to arrive at the various flotilla waypoints to ensure there wouldn’t be anything lurking out there. Ultimately the expedition failed when they found something: the Phage. Unable to fend it off, the First Expedition disappeared into the void, choosing to sacrifice themselves rather than put the rest of the fleet at risk. Unfortunately, their sacrifice was in vain, as Isaac saw from the shadow dream.
Supposedly the Second Expedition was an effort to reorganize the fleet after the disarray caused by the disappearance from the First Expedition. The Second Expedition is a group who travels among the various groups and identify lost ships and bring them back into formation. It made sense that a Second Expedition representative would show up to a lifeboat, especially one wayward. But why they would send an inquisitor is the question. Another would be, what an inquisitor does exactly.
As the elevator doors closed, the light emanating from between the seam showed it ascending to the bridge. An unsettling calm fell upon the hallway as neither Isaac and the two marines, nor the two Second Expedition guards spoke a word. It was strange to not be able to see their faces. The two posted up on one side of the hallway and were statuesque, unmoving. With a careful hand, Erik tugged at the charging handle and looked down into the machine gun receiver to ensure there was a coolant cell loaded.
Suddenly, the electricity that emanated from the inquisitor eased. Like it was blown away by a massive force.
“Intruder Alert. Attention all stations, Intruder Alert.” The overhead intercom blared.
Erik brandished the weapon at the two guards. “What the hell is going on?”
Hesitant, Helvig followed the sergeant’s lead and raised his gun. The two Second Expedition guards didn’t move nor flinch.
“Trygg, Helvig, we’re coming out with the bridge crew. Get ready to move them to secure zone bravo.” Jakob radioed.
Erik sized up the two guards and scoffed in distrust. As the lift descended, he turned and brought the heavy gun to point down an adjacent hallway. Then with his offhand pointed the way they came. “Cover over there.” He spoke to Helvig.
The private looked at him unassuredly and then complied and aimed down the hallway. Isaac’s hand rested on the gladius that Erik gave him. He didn’t know if it would be at all effective against Second Expedition equipment, but it sure beat nothing at all. Well, save for the ability to call fire, that he still wasn’t sure was reliable.
Jakob exited the lift and ushered the bridge crew off, along with the inquisitor holding the rear. He motioned for Erik and Helvig to follow him. As Isaac readied to fall in with them, Jakob jabbed a palm into his chest. “Not you. You’re going with them.” Jakob motioned to the commander and the rest of those from the bridge. “Get in back.”
“Lieutenant, I got a faint signature on deck three, second from aft. It’s possible they’re inserting there but I don’t even have a perimeter sensor going off over that way.” The radar controller from the docking bay called over the radio.
“Copy, they’re doing a tac insert. Get me militia one and three up to the aft secondary loading port. Militia two, go port side mass ejector. Everyone else hold position in the docking bay.” Jakob responded as he rushed down the hallway with Erik and Helvig beside him.
Isaac wedged himself in between the navigator and Commander Sola.
“Do you have any idea what’s going on?” Isaac couldn’t help but blurt out at Sola.
“Not a clue.” Sola responded.
“Militia one moving to aft loading port.” A shaky voice called out over the radio.
The group rushed down the hallway at a jog. Jakob started shouting over his personal intercom for anyone in the hall to get out of the way. Around the group, civilians hid in bunkhouse and canteen doorways, staring out at the chaos unfolding in front of them in shock.
“Don’t worry my lovelies, it will be all over soon.” The inquisitor muttered under her breath from behind Isaac.
Farther down the hall, a bulkhead with a small entry gap split the throughway. The group crossed into a small antechamber created by the joining of two hull points. In only a few steps, a second gateway and bulkhead led to the other half of the lifeboat. The emergency lighting flashed and flickered, indicating there was an emergency on board.
As the group passed through, Isaac was yanked by the oxygen tank and fell to the ground with a hard slam. The bulkheads sealed and the overhead lights went out. In a panic, he drew his gladius and swung, finding only air.
A deep cackle filled the darkness, the inquisitor stood on the other side of the antechamber. Breathing heavy and in a panic, Isaac struggled to his feet and brandished his sword. Her two guards stood beside her, unmoving. Between the strobes of emergency lights blaring, Isaac swore he saw a crimson glow coming from the two guards’ torsos.
“Come back, come back—” Isaac shouted into his radio. As he spoke, the receiver in his ear blasted him with static.
“You parochials make it all too easy.” The inquisitor called out with an unhinged tone. “Nearly takes the fun out of this.”
“Takes the fun out of what?” Isaac pointed his weapon at her. “Why are you doing this?”
Emergency light strobes revealed the inquisitor’s frenzied smile. She flicked her wrist and the tint on the two guards’ visors disappeared, revealing their heads suspended in a green, viscous goo. They were infected with the Phage.
“Evolution.” The inquisitor breathed heavily, elated.
