The Inevitability of Evil by Chris Hooley

Author:Chris Hooley [Chris Hooley, Ross Young, && Halo Scot]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sulk Media
Published: 2024-08-08T00:00:00+00:00

6

How We Ended

‘Absolutely fucking not.’

‘Is profanity really necessary?’

‘Absolutely fucking yes.’ Cyan took a step back, ending the conversation and pressing herself against the moist inner wall of the hull. The species she was watching used profanity a lot; it was liberating. Pushing her back against the wall’s warm embrace, she revelled in the moisture. Everything felt too dry. She could feel the friction of her fingers as she trailed them across her skin. The delicate membrane of a frond threatened to tear. A shudder coursed through her at the thought.

At her waist, the urchin vibrated, and she glanced down. Its iridescent spines waved blue and red. It was time. Ignorant grunts and arrogant single-minded ambition will lead us all to ruin, she snapped, but she was disconnected, silent, her thoughts her own.

The captain crossed his arms. The urchin at his waist was waving the same alarm as he glared at her. His tendrils tucked under his chin. Conversation over.

Dim lights glowed around the pulsating holes of the flight deck. The crew moved into position, pushing their faces against the sucking pores of the ship as they connected. Hands reached into the mucus bays beneath their stations, ready to take control.

With one last glare at the captain, Cyan turned to face the wall, then buried her face in its warm, wet embrace. The voices of the crew burst into clarity.

‘The anomaly has been located, Captain.’

‘Identify all potential witnesses. Cut incoming and outgoing transmissions. Prepare for extraction.’

She couldn’t hold her tendrils still as she pushed her face further into the moist membrane layer. ‘Captain, I really feel we should—’

‘Your concerns are noted, Specialist, but the mission is clear. Need I remind you all that we know, without a doubt, that this individual is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people? With this task, we save them all. It is the kindest way.’

‘Captain,’ the executive officer snapped over the comweb. ‘We have a window, but the specialist and her team need to launch in the next few minutes.’

Cyan put her hands against the wall, stretching out her fingers, before pushing back. The ship didn’t want to let her go. Suction held her firm for a moment until, with a lurch and a satisfying pop, she came free.

Sprinting through the tunnels, she ran her fingers along the walls. Section four, laboratory, section seven, the effluent recycling centre, section nine, propulsion, section eleven, sleep cycle, section thirteen, environmental lock.

Pushing her hand into the wall, she sent out orders. ‘Suit up, full tether, check comms and prepare to step out there. I cannot stress enough that we must be prepared for an extremely arid atmosphere. Humidity is brutal out there. These creatures have internal respiratory systems that are soaked in fluid like some kind of—’

‘We know, Specialist. This is not the first time for any of us.’

‘It is protocol—’

‘We know the protocol.’

‘Good,’ Cyan snapped, removing her hand from the wall. She lay back against the surface opposite the environmental lock, standing with arms and feet apart.

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