HOME | DD

Description
Tor scratched the side of his neck nervously. It was getting dark on the moon. A dark that would last almost two weeks before the sun swung back into view. Soon the only light would be within the Colony itself. Outside, nothing but a black abyss. That had always left him unsettled.

If he could get to engineering he could cut himself off from them. That would at least buy him some time. Time he could use to come up with a better plan. Treating them one by one wasn’t going to work. Not when he didn’t even have a working cure. Not when Holger and his men were trying to kill him.

Ignorant brutes.

If only he could make them understand. Tor scratched the side of his beard. The itching was subtle, but impossible to ignore. He was infected now too. He had to find a cure. What bothered him more than the infection was that he hadn’t been able to discern the origin of the parasite. Had they brought it with them? Was it possible that it was native to the moon?

Ridiculous.

He pushed the thought from his head. Engineering. He had to get to engineering. Maybe Inga would be willing to help him. Tor pressed himself to the wall, and slid down the corridor. Stopping only to listen at each intersection, he wove his way through the maze of dormitory hallways. He kept his eyes forward. There were plenty of things inside that scared him without looking out the window.

Don’t look outside. Don’t. Look. Outside.

If there was a monster over his shoulder it didn’t matter if he looked or not. It would still be there. But that only made it harder for him not to look. Impossible actually. Before he knew it, he was staring out into the deep, dark nothing. It paralyzed him. Sapped even his desire to pull away. There was something about it that was calling to him. Something terrible and infinite.

A hand touched his shoulder. His fleshed crawled as he spun wildly. “Astrid!”

“It’s just me. What’s wrong, doc?” Her face was as calm and pleasant as ever. She always had a way of creeping up on him.

“I- Holger is after me.”

“After you?”

“He thinks I killed Kjeld and Edvin. The crazy bastard doesn’t understand what I was treating them for.”

“What were you treating them for?” Astrid quirked an eyebrow.

Tor scratched furiously at his arm. It was spreading. Getting more intense. He gestured toward the itching.

“What is it? Is it contagious?”

“I-I don’t think so. It’s some kind of parasite, but I’m not even sure how any of us got it. Keep a safe distance just in case.”

Astrid looked at the hand she’d placed on Tor’s shoulder as if it might have to be surgically removed. Great. The last thing he needed was one more person against him. Least of all her. Astrid hesitated for a moment. Trying to read him.

“So what do we have to do to, you know, fix you?”

“That’s the problem. I need more time.”

“How much time do you have?

Tor looked around. Holger would be getting closer. “Days. Maybe a week. But I can’t just sit here and wait for the firing squad. I’ve got to get to engineering, see if Inga will help us. Maybe we can cut the power. Lock down half of the Colony, and Holger with it.”

“A good plan.” A deep voice echoed through the halls. “Too bad it won’t work.” Holger came into view at the end of the hall, neat and well-poised as ever. The stern commander drew his gun as uniformed men fell in behind him. When Holger met his eyes a strange look came over him. “My god… what’s happened to you?” He paused, recomposing himself. “You think you can dice up our biochemist and his assistant and there won’t be any consequences? You’re wrong, doctor. Don’t try to run.” Holger shifted his gun, scanning the rest of the hallway. “Who were you talking to?”

Tor glanced around. Astrid was gone. “Myself.” He scratched his chin. It felt like an army of ants were crawling beneath his skin.

Holger nodded to the men behind him. “Take him.”

Tor inched backward raising his hands defensively. “You won’t shoot. Not in here. You won’t risk blowing out the window.”

“This window?” Holger turned his pistol toward the glass and fired twice. Cloudy streaks webbed across the impervious glass. They both knew it wouldn’t do anything. But Holger didn’t know that he didn’t know. Tor took that opening and launched his body down the white corridor.

“Get him!” Holger roared somewhere behind him as Tor cut through an open dorm room. Footsteps reverberated off of the sterile walls like the sound of a hundred hands clapping. It might as well have been an entire army for all the chance Tor stood against them.

Forget engineering. He needed a locked door. Anything that he could put between himself and the soldiers storming toward him. The commander’s quarters. Holger’s quarters. There was a three-foot-thick titanium door with electronic locks. And it was right in front of him. All he had to do was make it inside.

Tor dove into the suite and activated the door lock. He was safe. He let out a slow sigh. There was no alternate way in.

And no way out. His arm twitched, and he scratched at the microscopic bugs scurrying under his skin.

Holger’s quarters were nicer than he’d imagined. An imposing desk faced the entrance. Behind that, a short staircase led to a massive bed framed by a pair of plush red couches. Over the couches the wall abruptly became a window that spanned the length of the room. A full kitchen wrapped around the far wall, all steel and marble.

“Tor?”

He nearly leapt. “Astrid...” What was she doing in here? How did she know…? Maybe she was in on this. No, he couldn’t start thinking down that path. She was the only one he could trust right now. He needed to think. Cold water on his face would help. Where was the bathroom?

The bathroom was a cave that stretched half the size of the main room. A gleaming tile floor led to an inviting tub large enough for Holger and all his men. Maybe he would take a bath, but first he just needed a splash on his face.

He turned to the mirror and a sick wave flooded through his body. He didn’t recognize the man that was looking back at him. Large red circles were painted around the man’s eyes and nose. In blood. His hair was long and wild, matted together in places. A metallic shaft went in through one nostril and out the other.

He let out a sick laugh. Almost a bark. Several of his teeth were missing. Tor stumbled away from the mirror. Astrid was standing behind him.

“What’s wrong?” Her face held genuine concern.

She had no reflection in the mirror.

No, no, no. No.

Tor backed out of the bathroom. He could hear Holger and his men outside. He could hear the crackling of a plasma cutter working on the titanium door. He could hear the sound of his own feet slapping the floor. But what he couldn’t hear was Astrid. He never could.

Slowly, numbly, he walked toward the window at the back of Holger’s suite. He pattered down the steps, and pressed a hand on the glass. Astrid stood next to him. They looked out together.

Outside there was nothing. Nothing but a black abyss. That had always left him unsettled.

His chest itched. This time he didn’t scratch it.

Description
Tor scratched the side of his neck nervously. It was getting dark on the moon. A dark that would last almost two weeks before the sun swung back into view. Soon the only light would be within the Colony itself. Outside, nothing but a black abyss. That had always left him unsettled.

If he could get to engineering he could cut himself off from them. That would at least buy him some time. Time he could use to come up with a better plan. Treating them one by one wasn’t going to work. Not when he didn’t even have a working cure. Not when Holger and his men were trying to kill him.

Ignorant brutes.

If only he could make them understand. Tor scratched the side of his beard. The itching was subtle, but impossible to ignore. He was infected now too. He had to find a cure. What bothered him more than the infection was that he hadn’t been able to discern the origin of the parasite. Had they brought it with them? Was it possible that it was native to the moon?

Ridiculous.

He pushed the thought from his head. Engineering. He had to get to engineering. Maybe Inga would be willing to help him. Tor pressed himself to the wall, and slid down the corridor. Stopping only to listen at each intersection, he wove his way through the maze of dormitory hallways. He kept his eyes forward. There were plenty of things inside that scared him without looking out the window.

Don’t look outside. Don’t. Look. Outside.

If there was a monster over his shoulder it didn’t matter if he looked or not. It would still be there. But that only made it harder for him not to look. Impossible actually. Before he knew it, he was staring out into the deep, dark nothing. It paralyzed him. Sapped even his desire to pull away. There was something about it that was calling to him. Something terrible and infinite.

A hand touched his shoulder. His fleshed crawled as he spun wildly. “Astrid!”

“It’s just me. What’s wrong, doc?” Her face was as calm and pleasant as ever. She always had a way of creeping up on him.

“I- Holger is after me.”

“After you?”

“He thinks I killed Kjeld and Edvin. The crazy bastard doesn’t understand what I was treating them for.”

“What were you treating them for?” Astrid quirked an eyebrow.

Tor scratched furiously at his arm. It was spreading. Getting more intense. He gestured toward the itching.

“What is it? Is it contagious?”

“I-I don’t think so. It’s some kind of parasite, but I’m not even sure how any of us got it. Keep a safe distance just in case.”

Astrid looked at the hand she’d placed on Tor’s shoulder as if it might have to be surgically removed. Great. The last thing he needed was one more person against him. Least of all her. Astrid hesitated for a moment. Trying to read him.

“So what do we have to do to, you know, fix you?”

“That’s the problem. I need more time.”

“How much time do you have?

Tor looked around. Holger would be getting closer. “Days. Maybe a week. But I can’t just sit here and wait for the firing squad. I’ve got to get to engineering, see if Inga will help us. Maybe we can cut the power. Lock down half of the Colony, and Holger with it.”

“A good plan.” A deep voice echoed through the halls. “Too bad it won’t work.” Holger came into view at the end of the hall, neat and well-poised as ever. The stern commander drew his gun as uniformed men fell in behind him. When Holger met his eyes a strange look came over him. “My god… what’s happened to you?” He paused, recomposing himself. “You think you can dice up our biochemist and his assistant and there won’t be any consequences? You’re wrong, doctor. Don’t try to run.” Holger shifted his gun, scanning the rest of the hallway. “Who were you talking to?”

Tor glanced around. Astrid was gone. “Myself.” He scratched his chin. It felt like an army of ants were crawling beneath his skin.

Holger nodded to the men behind him. “Take him.”

Tor inched backward raising his hands defensively. “You won’t shoot. Not in here. You won’t risk blowing out the window.”

“This window?” Holger turned his pistol toward the glass and fired twice. Cloudy streaks webbed across the impervious glass. They both knew it wouldn’t do anything. But Holger didn’t know that he didn’t know. Tor took that opening and launched his body down the white corridor.

“Get him!” Holger roared somewhere behind him as Tor cut through an open dorm room. Footsteps reverberated off of the sterile walls like the sound of a hundred hands clapping. It might as well have been an entire army for all the chance Tor stood against them.

Forget engineering. He needed a locked door. Anything that he could put between himself and the soldiers storming toward him. The commander’s quarters. Holger’s quarters. There was a three-foot-thick titanium door with electronic locks. And it was right in front of him. All he had to do was make it inside.

Tor dove into the suite and activated the door lock. He was safe. He let out a slow sigh. There was no alternate way in.

And no way out. His arm twitched, and he scratched at the microscopic bugs scurrying under his skin.

Holger’s quarters were nicer than he’d imagined. An imposing desk faced the entrance. Behind that, a short staircase led to a massive bed framed by a pair of plush red couches. Over the couches the wall abruptly became a window that spanned the length of the room. A full kitchen wrapped around the far wall, all steel and marble.

“Tor?”

He nearly leapt. “Astrid...” What was she doing in here? How did she know…? Maybe she was in on this. No, he couldn’t start thinking down that path. She was the only one he could trust right now. He needed to think. Cold water on his face would help. Where was the bathroom?

The bathroom was a cave that stretched half the size of the main room. A gleaming tile floor led to an inviting tub large enough for Holger and all his men. Maybe he would take a bath, but first he just needed a splash on his face.

He turned to the mirror and a sick wave flooded through his body. He didn’t recognize the man that was looking back at him. Large red circles were painted around the man’s eyes and nose. In blood. His hair was long and wild, matted together in places. A metallic shaft went in through one nostril and out the other.

He let out a sick laugh. Almost a bark. Several of his teeth were missing. Tor stumbled away from the mirror. Astrid was standing behind him.

“What’s wrong?” Her face held genuine concern.

She had no reflection in the mirror.

No, no, no. No.

Tor backed out of the bathroom. He could hear Holger and his men outside. He could hear the crackling of a plasma cutter working on the titanium door. He could hear the sound of his own feet slapping the floor. But what he couldn’t hear was Astrid. He never could.

Slowly, numbly, he walked toward the window at the back of Holger’s suite. He pattered down the steps, and pressed a hand on the glass. Astrid stood next to him. They looked out together.

Outside there was nothing. Nothing but a black abyss. That had always left him unsettled.

His chest itched. This time he didn’t scratch it.