The Unknown, Part 5: The Vent

"Doctor." Tallet greeted the 5'4" tall mouse.

"You know I'm not actually a doctor, Admiral. I only have a bit of experience applying medi-gel and performing minor surgery." Doc replied. Her holo-screen was down, and she was able to look at Tallet's face as she spoke.

"Oh I know, I know. But you're an amazing medic on the field. I've never seen anyone your... erm... stature, I suppose, fight with such tenacity! Where did you learn your martial arts skills, if I may ask? Last I checked, the Raacht weren't very combat-oriented. You keep to yourselves, stay out of the way of others." The admiral made sure to roll his R as he attempted to enunciate Doc's species correctly.

"Usually we do. Most of my kind are weak, defenseless. We don't even use guns, mostly. We have no military, our governments are pushovers. But my brother was different. He's the one who taught me how to defend myself. He didn't want to be a part of a society that just 'didn't care', sir. He joined the Imperium, the only galactic military that accepts all species of any race. He learned how to shoot, how to kill, how to...lose all respect for fellow sentient species." Doc seemed to daze off into the distance for a moment.

Tallet snapped his fingers in front of her face a few times.

"What? Oh, right. Anyway he taught me those moves. Whenever he would have some time to himself, he'd come home to me and mother and father. Told us stories. How he killed X amount of men or maimed some other ludicrous number figure of people." Doc continued.

"So, if you don't mind me asking... what ever happened to your brother?" Tallet asked.

"Is it not there in your datapad?" Doc asked sarcastically.

"No, it isn't. Anything about Raacht history or medical records or anything of that sort just isn't here. Your people are awfully secretive." the admiral responded.

"And rightfully so. A mostly defenseless species could easily be taken over if their weaknesses were discovered by their enemies. My brother is currently aboard the Daedalus."

"The Daedalus? The Imperium prison ship?" Tallet asked.

"The Imperium asylum ship, admiral. And yes, as an inmate. My brother is a crazy, no two ways around it."

"Why? What did he do?" Tallet leaned against his desk, intrigued.

"That is none of your business, sir. I'd prefer to keep my family's personal life just that. Personal. If no further questions, I have a patient to tend to." Doc stood up, bowed at the admiral, then left the room. Her holoscreen popped back up as soon as she left the room.

Tallet watched her leave before pressing a button on his two-way intercom. "Bailey. I want that mouse on Gunn's squad."

"Yes sir. Arranging now." A female voice was heard from the other end.

***

"So... what do we do, Gunn? Those journals told us nothing about how to get out of this stupid ship, and now we got goddamn zombies right outside the door thanks to loudmouth over here." Bones motioned to Vasquez.

"I.. I don't know Bones, I don't know. Start taking that door off I guess. I hate to waste more ammo, but it seems like our only way out of the room at least." Gunn replied.

"Incorrect." Info spoke up. "Markus, Play Journal Entry #2 once again."

"Journal Entry #2. Titled--"

"JUST PLAY IT" Gunn demanded.

It began to play again, Strauss talking about the effects of the berry, until the camera tipped over. "Pause the video." Info said. The camera was on the floor, showing a loose panel underneath the scientist's desk. It looked like a vent opening. "There, do you see?"

"Yeah... a vent! Looks big enough to fit all of us but Bones." Gunn got down on his hands and knees, looking at the vent underneath the desk. He kicked it a few times and it gave way. "Alright, smallest first. Rookie, then Doc, then me, Info, Vasquez. Be quiet, and Bones? We'll come back for you. Keep in contact with your comm."

Everyone nodded, clicking on their helm-mounted flashlights. Rookie crawled in first, then Doc, Gunn, Info, and Vasquez.

They went crawling for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only thirty minutes. No one spoke a word, not even Vasquez.
The vent was linear; it never branched off, never narrowed or widened, but it did bend and curve several times. Their steps began to sound a little more hollow, as if echoing around the vent itself. An awful stench began to fill the vent shaft.

"Eww, smells like old socks in here." Rookie said.

"And here I thought I was smelling -your- old socks." Doc retorted, her nose just inches away from Rookie's feet.

"The scent is generated from decaying corpses. We are likely near the bridge area, where Doctor Strauss said everyone perished during the crash." Info noted.

"Okay good, maybe we can see if any of the override systems still work. Rookie! See any vent openings ahead?" Gunn asked in a hushed tone.

"Uhh.. yeah! I see some light up ahead!" Rookie's crawl quickened, there was a vent opening on the 'floor' of the shaft. Looking down it, Rookie saw the bridge. "Info's right! It's the bridge! But deaugh does it smell awful!"

"Guys how's it comin? Gettin kinda bored. And hungry." Bones beeped in on everyone's comms.

"Bones! Was gettin worried there for a second. We found the bridge, gonna try to activate some sort of override or purge system to clear out the zombies." Gunn replied.

"Good. Just remember, don't shoo--"

-BLAM BLAM EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...-

Rookie's gunshots echoed horribly through the vent shaft as he tried to loosen the cover, causing everyone to grab their ears in anguish.

Gunn looked up at Rookie as he held his ears, the cover hadn't budged. The markazian wasn't covering his ears either. In fact, he was lying face-down in the shaft, his arms raised above his head. His helm light suddenly gained a red shade.

"Rookie!" he tried calling out, but his cries were silent. "ROOKIE!" he tried yelling again, but it was as though he had gone completely deaf. He couldn't hear a damn thing except an excruciating ringing sensation.

Doc crawled forward a bit, nudging Rookie. He didn't respond. The Raacht then attempted to remove Rookie's helm, only for her hands to slip off. Something wet had coated a majority of it. Doc looked at her hands with her helm-light, they were covered in red. Panicking, she tried to yell at Gunn, but he couldn't hear her. His head was down between his elbows, his hands desperately trying to cover his large lombax ears.

Taking matters into her own hands, Doc elbow-pounded the vent cover. Two slams was enough to dislodge it, and she fell through, along with Rookie's body.

"DOC!" Gunn yelled, finally able to hear himself as a quiet muffled noise. He quickly scrambled to the vent cover, only to find Doc about 10 feet below, on her feet and dusting herself off. Her coat was covered in blood, but it wasn't her blood. Rookie was lying near her, his blood smearing across the inside and outside of his helmet, leaking out, drooping down his armor.

Gunn dropped down, followed by Info and Vasquez. They all stared at the body of their comrade in silence.

"Guys? Guys what was that? Hello?" Gunn was finally able to pick out words coming from his comm device.

"B...Bones? Bones is that you?" his voice was weak, unable to comprehend most of what just happened.

"Of course it is! Was that gunfire I heard? What happened?" Bones asked in a panicked tone.

"...Rookie... Rookie's down, Bones. Rookie's down."