Hell Hath No Fury...

Brother Striker was standing upon one of the gantries publishing the bottom of the main mirror responsible for bringing the light of the sun into the station. This mirror was the most important of all of the reflective surfaces within station Omega, while the others could be easily replaced this particular mirror was irreplaceable and if it had ever been seriously damaged the lower levels of the station would be left in absolute darkness. His fellow monks were also hard at work doing the various chores and tasks which were necessary for keeping the station in working order.

Kat closed her eyes as she watched through the main window of the ship. "One minute till impact" the automated computer called. She was falling at a uncontrolled speed toward some small wooden planet. "30 seconds till impact" it called now and her eyes flew open as the ship gave a jolt and she went into action. "Mayday mayday mayday!!" she screamed into the radio hoping someone would be on one of the many channels. No answer, She bit her bottom lip as the planet got closer and closer "Twenty seconds till impact" the voice called. Kat turned to the stupid intercom and screamed "SHUT UP!!" then she put her face in her hands "I'm soo gonna die" she said to herself in a half panic. "I never should have left!" she kicked the pilots chair hard with her foot. "Gosh dang it" she cried. Kat strapped herself tight into the chair and grabbed the controls as if by some stroke of luck she would survive this."Ten seconds till impact... Nine... Eight... Seven... Six... Five... Four... Three... Two... One..." and the whole world turned black for Kat.

Brother Winthrow wiped his brow. The sweat was beading quickly as he stood over the pot stirring. He was on food duty. All the monks had rotation of duties and this week he was cooking. It was hot and his shirt was sticking to his back and chest as he stirred the broth. Near by two monks were busy working on the bread for the next day as the loaves for dinner baked in the oven. Mark stirred the pot again. Only a few more days of this before he moved on to his next duty. It was a good life. Work, prayers and simple things.

Mark was about to dip the spoon in again giving the broth another stir when he was sent staggering. Something caused the enitre room to shake. Bracing his hands on the pot to stop himself from falling in Mark yelled. Stepping back his hands were forming red burns on his palms from the hot pot. Mark looked around. Things had fallen in the shaking. One of the other monks was on the floor. A lump of dough was also on the floor. "Ruined..." Mark thought sadly.

Mark went to find some cold water. Turning as he soaked his painful hands in the cold water Mark looked at one of the other monks. "What happened? What was that?" The pain in his hands was terrible. While the cold help the burn the pain from the cold on the raw skin was almost unbearable. The other monk looked at him. "I...I don't know."
Another Brother ran into the room. "Something has hit us, something crashed." The Brother's in the kitchen rushed out. Mark headed off to see what had happened. He held his hands in front of him. The were red and angry looking, dripping as he rushed to follow the rest.

A group of Brothers had gathered and were staring at what appeared to be the remanents of a crashed shuttle.

The sound of the crashing ship reverberated throughout the entire station, the initial impact with the man-made planet had caused some minor structural damage to the wood which sheathed its interior. The craft could not have crashed in the more sensitive area, luckily it had not compromised the outer shell of the small metallic planetoid The collision of the ship with the station did however cause several small breaks to occur, this in turn caused water from the man-made lake above to leak into the station. The collision could have been far more devastating if it had managed to damage or break the main window in the section of the station used for observation and meditation by the monks, or even worse, it could have damaged the main mirror which provided the station with light.

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Brother Winthrow and the other monks on the dining level had rushed over to the right side of the station to gaze out of one of the many observation portals which could be found strewn throughout its interior. From this vantage point the monks were able to see the crashed ship even though it was on the very top of the station, this was achieved by a series of reflectors which are mounted on the outside of the station. These reflective surfaces are arranged and aligned in such a way as to catch the reflection from the next mirrored surface; both above and below. These devices allowed a monk to see all around the outside of thestation without the use of the monitors that could be found on each level. Just as with the computer operated interior lighting the monks were forbidden to use the monitors, the monks in fact regretted their very existence, although they never got around to removing the monitors.

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Brother Striker had witnessed the approaching craft from the corner of his eye as he stood upon the gantry, but for some reason it did not fully register in his mind as a possible threat, as he had no way of knowing that the vessel was out of control and was heading directly for the station. At a certain point the vessel had vanished from sight as several of the reflective devices on the left side of the station were damaged and had not been serviced. What his eyes had failed to visualize his hearing compensated for, the sound of the ship crashing into the lake was overwhelming. It was in fact the sound that had knocked Striker off of his feet and not the actual impact. Striker immediately got up and ran to the nearest ladder, climbing all the way to the top of the station, once there he positioned himself beneath the trap door which led to a small room between the wooden interior and the metallic skeletal structure. This trap door led to the hatch of the small floodable air-chamber, which Striker then climbed into, locking the hatch behind him. Very few of the monks had ever been in this small chamber but Striker had come here quite often in the past, essentially using it as a way to escape the others and to have some time alone, as a result he was familiar with the controls was able to operate the chamber.

Brother Winthrow saw the shuttle and then heard the monks around him talking. "Breech...Water...Flooding.." Mark caught these words in the conversations around him. He knew others would be taking care of the problems but they worried him none the less. Mark looked at his hands. He'd be useless to help anyway.

A voice from behind him pulled him out of he revery "Brother, you should have those taken care of. They are badly burnt." Mark looked at the man and then back at his hands. He was right. If Mark didn't get them looked at soon it would do permanent damage. With a nod Mark headed off to the infirmary. As he walked he couldn't help but ponder the nature of the craft that had crashed into them. "Who is in it? I wonder if they survived?" Brother Winthrow stood in the door of the infirmary. "Excuse me Brother, I have some burns that need attending." Mark held his hands up. The monk in the infirmary immediately set about treating and bandaging Mark's hands. As he sat on the bed Mark wondered what was being done about the strange ship.

Once Brother Striker was inside the small airtight and waterproofed chamber he immediately got to work on opening the outer hatch, the first thing he had to do was to flood the chamber that he was sitting in, once this was done he could open the outer hatch and swim to the crashed ship. Luckily the man-made lake was only 100 feet deep and so it wasn't all that difficult of a swim reached the ship. In a matter of minutes Striker broke the surface of the lake, as luck would have it Striker had come up from the water exactly where the entrance to the ship was located. Striker made his way into the small, half destroyed spacecraft and crawled through the wreckage, making his way to the cockpit.

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An hour later Striker came rushing into the infirmary, "Quick, I need some help. Someone come with me to the water hatch." With that Striker rushed off and returned to the ladder which led to the trap door, he was followed by Winthrow and one of the doctors assistance. "I need help bringing someone down from the water chamber." Striker then began to climb the ladder.

Mark was just finishing recieving bandages when Brother Striker came rushing in. "Quick, I need some help. Someone come with me to the water hatch." Mark immediately stood and followed him along with the doctor. Together the three rushed down the hall to the water hatch. Climbing the ladder behind the doctor Mark winced from the pain in his hands. He ignored it in the end, using it to drive himself up the ladder faster.

Mark stood in the chamber with the doctor. Mark had never been up here before, wasn't an area that many monks ever went. Mark stood there and waited for orders from Brother Striker.

Brother Striker had discovered that the pilot of the downed craft had survived the impact, though this did not surprise him as much as what he had seen upon opening the door to the cockpit, for inside this cramped space he discovered the body of an unconscious female pilot. Eventually he pulled her body from the wreckage and dragged her into the lake and down to the hatch which led to the interior of the space station. Striker had laid the woman's body on the floor of the air-chamber as he went to seek assistance, as he knew it would be far too difficult to drag the woman's body down the series of ladders on his own. The unconscious woman remained in the same position that Striker had left her in and so when they opened the first hatch to the chamber the top half of her body fell through the opening, so that she was draped over the edge. Striker and Winthrow immediately rushed toward her in order to keep her from falling out of the chamber completely, that's when they heard her make a faint grunting sound. Knowing that she would need immediate medical attention Striker and the other two monks remove her from the chamber and proceeded to make their way down the ladder, something which proved to be very difficult even for three men assisting one another, no doubt partially due to the uncooperative limpness of the female's unconscious body.

Brother Winthrow's shock was likely apparent on his face. The sight of the unconcious female was nothing short of surprising. As her top half draped through the hatch Mark rushed to help Brother Striker pull the girl through and down the ladder. It was a particular effort for the three men. Mark did his best, his hands hindered him a bit in manuevring the woman's limp form. Mark didn't give the woman herself much thought. He was concerned at the moment with getting her done and helping the other brother's move her.

The three men made their way very slowly down the ladder and back into the hallway. By the time they made it to the infirmary the men were grunting with the effort. She wasn't very big, in fact she was very petite but dead weight is dead weight. Lying the form on the bed Mark took a step back to let the doctor do his job.

A frown crossed his face. "A woman, here...this isn't good." mark cleared his throat and gave voice to his concerns. "Brother Striker, that woman...here bodes ill for us. She shouldn't be here."

Brother Winthrow could not look on the woman anymore. She was a distruption to their way of life. He turned his head away.

Striker cast an annoyed glance at Winthrow, "Well brother Winthrow, I feel the same way about our lives here, but I am not ready to consider a perversion of our way of living without knowing the circumstances of her situation." With that Striker walked off leaving Winthrow and the doctor in a daze as they looked at one another.

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Winthrow had come out of the infirmary to confront Striker when Brother Johnson, who was the head of their order, approached the two of them to tell them that it was time to bring about night. Although most of the duties that the monks were required to perform were handed out arbitrarily and alternated daily it was Striker and Winthrow that were allocated the duty of turning the main mirror away from the sunlight, which was done to assimilate nighttime. The duty would take them back up near the ladder which they had used bring the girl down from the top platform. The level beneath that is where the main mirror was situated, sitting on a pivot which enabled the huge piece of glass to be returned away from the main window of the station. Even though the station constantly faced the sun this immense mirror could be turned so that the nonreflective side faced the main window, turning the mirror away from the main window meant that the sunlight would not be reflected into the other mirrors which were set up to illuminate the entire station. The industrial level however, which was the beneficiary of much of the sun's brilliancy was constantly bathed in light, but with the mirror faced away from the windows the rest of the station would be cast into total darkness.

Brother Winthrow cast a dark look at Brother Striker. He made his way out of the infirmary, leaving the doctor to tend to the woman. He had no medical knowledge and had no wish to be around the woman more than he needed to be. Despite what Brother Striker felt, her presence felt like a foreboading shadow over Mark. He couldn't ignore it.

Stepping in the hall, Brother Johnson, the head of the order indicated it was time for the men to turn the mirrow. Mark almost protested, almost claimed his hands prevented him from doing the job but stopped himself. How would that look if he refused to do his duty. Already that woman's presence was causing issues. Her very landing meant that Mark was stuck with bandages and doing his work with sore and burnt hands. "Ill omen." Brother Winthrow mumbled to himself and followed Brother Striker to move the mirror.

As the walked back towards the ladder and hatch they had pulled the woman through Mark shook his head. He was positive her presence here was going to be the beginning of a dark time. She could bring no good with her.

Brother Winthrow grab onto the wheel to move the mirror, grimacing as he did. The skin under his bandages was beginning to tighten and clenching was excruitating. Couldn't Brother Striker already see what damage and problems she had already caused? Bread ruined, his hands burnt, damage and flooding that needed repair. Time taken away from their duties and prayers.

Mark turned the wheel and Brother Striker did the same. By the time they were done all their duties the mirror had been moved, casting them into a false night. "Brother, it was noble of you to save her but do you not believe we need to send her away quickly, before her presence brings more diversions for us?"

Mark turned to walk back towards the dining hall as he and Brother Striker conversed.

As brothers Striker and Winthrow walked toward the dining area Andrew confided in Mark, "Frankly brother, I am beginning to question our existence upon this station. Does not "The Way" teach us that we should strive to understand those that are on the outside, much like ourselves?" Andrew was hesitant to say anything further, for you knew dead brother Winthrow was a devout member of the sect, as Andrew had once been himself. It was only in the last few months that he began to question his place within the order and the fascist ideologies that began to seep into the teachings, and frankly the paranoia was beginning to get to him.

As brothers Striker and Winthrow walked toward the dining area Andrew confided in Mark, "Frankly brother, I am beginning to question our existence upon this station. Does not "The Way" teach us that we should strive to understand those that are on the outside, much like ourselves?" Andrew was hesitant to say anything further, for you knew dead brother Winthrow was a devout member of the sect, as Andrew had once been himself. It was only in the last few months that he began to question his place within the order and the fascist ideologies that began to seep into the teachings, and frankly the paranoia was beginning to get to him.

Kat's eyes flickered open and she took in a sharp breath "Wh-Where the heck am I?" she said aloud as her eyes ajusted to the light of her surroundings. It looked as if she was in an infirmary of some sort but there was no modern medical equipment just the tools doctors used no computers moniters, anything. She looked around curiosly and tried to sit up but a sharp pain hit her side from where the straps to the chair had been. "That's not going to work..." she said quietly as she let out a gasping breath, everything on her hurt she was pretty sure it even hurt to blink. Kat groaned as she managed to pull herself into a sitting positon."Ahhhhh" she cried out as a tear trickled down her face. "Hello?!" she called out hoping someone was near. She had survived that was the important part and she knew she was in the wooden planet but where was she? Who had saved her? Kat wanted, no, needed to know. She wiped a hand across her eyes and frowned "Crying?" she said to herself in a pained voice. She hated herself for her weakness. She frowned as she wondered about the extent of her injurys.

Brother Winthrow looked at Brother Striker, "Questioning our existence here? Yes strive to bring in those like us. Help them understand our way. Others who will not listen cannot be made to conform. That is why we are here because we do not fit with them. Which is why her existence here is a threat to us. She brings in too much...of the outside." Mark's logic was faulty and he knew it but he waivered between between so many emotions that he couldn't put out a good argument.

"She represents a world that does not understand us. It's why we left. That woman won't understand. And she is a temptation to the brother's. It is unfair to keep her in their midst." Mark looked ahead of him. From their spot in the hall near the dining hall they could hear the girl yelping in pain.

"She is awake." Mark stopped and looked at Brother Striker. Would the man insist on going back to see if she was okay? Mark began thinking he should stick close to Brother Striker, that perhaps the man was already having doubts. "She's only just arrived and already men are questioning." Mark narrowed his eyes. He needed to keep a close eye on both the woman and Brother Striker, again Mark's mind told him that no good could come of this.

"Frankly, I don't understand how one female could possibly do enough to disrupt our way of living, she is but one person, and she is in a bad way. all we have to do is to keep her confined in the infirmary, that way she will not have a chance to infect anyone. Though I don't understand what you're so afraid of. nor do I share your concerns about the female." After saying this Striker excused himself from Mark's company and made his way to the right side of the dining level and climbed down the ladder passed the level upon which the monks sleeping quarters were located and then down to the level where the Cathedral was. Before turning in for the night he wanted to consult the leader about the female pilot, with the hopes that they would keep her on lockdown, though his motives for doing this were quite different.

Kat sighed impatiently before calling out again "Hello?!" She knew there were people around becaus she could hear them but as she watched the door way she saw no one. She looked down at her clothes the same ones she had been in. She could see faint red marks across her torso no doubt tey would be bruises by tomorrow but other than that she looked okay she put a hand to her face feeling around for any new marks but all the one she had were past scars. "Ouch!" she said as she brushed her upper forehead near her hairline she felt the dries blood there "Did I hit my head?" she aid aloud trying to earch her memories but all she knew was she had strapped in to the seat and everything went blank from there.

Mark headed towards the infirmary. He stepped in and looked at the woman on the bed. Mark crossed his arm the best he could. The bandages on his hands made it slightly awkward. Giving the woman a bit of a glare he gave attempting to put his hands in a comfortable position and placed them at his sides. Looking at her, the pain in his hands reminded him that her carelessness had caused the burns.

"The Brother in charge will be here to speak with you in a little while. We have important things to look after that your shuttle damaged. When his duties no longer occupy him he will come and see you. Until then, in order to prevent any more issues it is best that you do not leave the infirmary. Do you understand?" Mark's tone was harsh and authoritative. At least the best he could manage. Mark wasn't an intimidating man by any means. Tall and very thin, Mark was what his parents used to refer to as wiry. He was presently annoyed that no one had come to quiet the woman down, to speak to her and to tell her the rules. He disliked talking and talking to her he disliked even more. "Best for me to do it then Brother Striker, he would be too soft on her." Mark felt more justified in speaking with her with that thought.

Mark turned on his heel intending to head for the door.

Brother Striker stood within the doorway with the head monk and the leader of the order Brother Alexander, an intimidating man Brother Alexander, with his large frame, immense hands and bald head. He had apparently heard what brother Winthrow had told the woman and did not look pleased that the his subordinate had misrepresented his importance and authority in giving the female these orders. With a voice which somehow did not seem to fit Alexander's gruff and menacing stature he berated brother Winthrow, "Brother Winthrow it is not your duty to make suggestions or deliver orders to anyone within the confines of our world. Now, I want you to return to your quarters, we shall discuss this further in the daytime period." Brother Striker did not intend to get Mark in trouble, but he doubted that brother Winthrow would believe him at this point. Brother Alexander continued, "Now as for you young lady, we can't very well have you going around dressed in that manner. I shall therefore issue you some proper attire." After saying this Alexander turned to Brother Striker and ordered him to secure a standard issue uniform from Brother Tyler in "Acquisitions and supply" upon receiving the order Andrew immediately exited the infirmary and made his way down the hall. "Once Brother Striker returns you shall put on this uniform. I'm afraid you must stay here in the infirmary for the night, in the morning we shall talk." Alexander said as he walked out of the room to return to his quarters.

It didn't bother Brother Winthrow at all that the head monk berated him and sent him to his quarters. He was relieved to be away from the woman. Mark was annoyed however that Brother Striker was helping and had made it a point to get Mark into trouble. "He has gone soft, he has doubts and he is trying to bring about change." Mark shook his head as he headed to his quarters.

Entering his sparse cell, Mark immediately sat on his cot. His hands hurt. The skin grew tighter under the bandages. Mark attempted to wiggle his fingers and almost cried out. "They are worse than I thought." The pot had been very hot and some of the liquid must have come up onto the edge when Mark grabbed on. Anger bubble beneath the pain. Just hours ago, Mark had been stirring that liquid, content with his life here. With a crash so much had changed in so little time. Holding his hands up in front of him Mark wondered out loud, "Is her presence here the beginning of the end of us?" There was a knot of fear in Mark's stomach. Laying out on his cot Mark attempted to sleep but it would not come.

Of all the places on station Omega the main shaft was the most perilous, the original blueprints to the station called for an automated lift system to be installed within the shaft, but before this could be installed the station was stolen by the monks. As a result the main shaft now essentially a long metallic tube with no means of support, nor anything to grab onto should one be unlucky enough to fall into the shaft, before the monks had began to sheath everything in wood the shaft resembled a black and seemingly bottomless oubliette. When the monks began to sheath everything in wood the leader had ordered the monks to install a series of wooden protrusions which would serve as a ladder for the shaft, these orders were soon after rescinded and as a result the makeshift ladder had not been shored up, with the crashing of the ship and the subsequent water damage that it had caused the shaft as become even more dangerous.

Over the last few days the monks on station Omega had managed to fix the various leaks that were created due to the small spaceship's collision with the metallic/wooden planetoid. The last of the repairs had just been completed that day, all except the water damage that occurred in the main shaft, the monks had little reason to visit this particular part of the station and so no one thought to check it. Large portions of the wooden ladder-like protrusions were severely damaged by the water that leaked out from the man-made lake above, making the shaft far more dangerous then it had been before. Brother Tyler had gotten up early in order to prepare for that days work, 'Supply' was a demanding position, it was also one of the few tasks that was reserved for a specific individual. As Tyler was making his way to his department he heard an odd noise, odd in that it was unexpected, Tyler was sure that they had repaired all of the damaged areas of the inner hull, nevertheless there it was, the sound of water pouring into the station from high above. After listening for a few more moments he had come to the realization that the water was coming from the trap door, or perhaps from the floodable chamber itself, a grave realization indeed, for if the seal of the chamber was severely damaged the entire lake could come pouring into the station.

Tyler immediately climbed up the ladders which led to the floodable chamber in order to re-seal the hatch, after climbing several feet he noticed some very strange markings scratched into the wood of the ladder, his best guess as to how these marks had gotten there was that one of the monks had damaged the ladder while repairing one of the leaks. Upon reaching the upper most level of the station Brother Tyler's suspicions were confirmed, the second water-tight hatch which holds back the water of the lake wasn't closed properly. "Surly one of the workers was responsible for this, it obviously wasn't opened from the outside." he mumbled to himself. Once he had secured the hatch Tyler climbed back down the ladders to the industrial level. Just as Tyler was about to walk back to his department he heard another noise, but this time the sound was completely alien to him, the sound seemed to be coming from the main shaft. Brother Tyler slowly made his way toward the shaft, as he crept closer and closer to the small grate the strange sound grew weaker and weaker until at last it had completely vanished.

Tyler pulled the grate out of its secured position and set it to the side, he then took a look inside the small access point. Much of the main shaft was cast in total darkness, the only illumination that could be found in the three mile long horizontal shaft was at the junction of each level, though the quantity of light shinning through the door frames at each of these levels was minimal. Brother Tyler had positioned himself inside the shaft so that he was laying on his stomach starring down into the darkness, "Who is in there?" Tyler yelled. The only response that Tyler recieved was the sound of his own voice echoing throughout the shaft. Tyler decided to wait a minute before returning to his duties. A few moments later a terrible scream reverberated throughout the shaft, echoing in a chorus of horror and fear. The only evidence of Tyler's presence was the wood sheathed steel grate propped up against the wall beside the small portal. It would be many days before anyone would notice this one piece of evidence as to the whereabouts of Brother Tyler Peabody.

Kat glared annoyedly at the man who spoke to her first "Yes because I'm going to leave this bed when I probably have a broken rib!" she almost yelled at him but restrained herself after all she was the one who had crashed into their home. She nodded her head at him, then thought 'Brother? Am I in a freaking monastary' she scanned over his clothes and frowned 'Must be' she sighed as two more men walked into the room when one started talking about her clothing her frown deappened. "I rather stay in my own clothes" she mumbled under her breath hopefully not loud enough to where the guy could hear her even though she was unhappy and hurt she still probably owed her life to them. She sighed relieved when he left.
When the one they called Brother Striker returned she watched him "Thank you by the way" she said smiling for all she was worth. She fingered the wound on her forehead "Do umm have any water or anything?" she asked in a soft voice "I think this needs to be cleaned" she pointed to her forehead "And maybe...maybe some ice I'm kind of sore" she said as she lifted up her shirt a little and starred at the angry red marks on her torso.

Brother Striker gave a slight smile when the young girl thanked him for freeing her from the wreckage which now lay on the bottom of the man-made lake atop the station. He only wished he could accommodate her when it came to the visitors second request, for although water itself was simple enough to acquire, it was ice that was the problem as he would explain to her. "Water? That's no problem, but am afraid ice is impossible. We have no such luxuries here, for although this station was once fully automated it no longer functions in this capacity. We believe in having no more technology then needed and fortunately frozen water is not a necessity for a proper existence." Striker, who had been standing firm footed and upright with his hands clasped in front of him, as though one with the floor upon which he was standing, broke from this wooden posture. Then walking over to the small desk beside the operating table he laid out her cloths. He immediately turned on his heels and walked out of the room.

It had been a few days since the woman crashed into the station. The repairs were fairly complete but odd things had begun to happen. First, there were the whispers. The other Brothers were now aware that a woman was in their midst and this was causing all sorts of distractions. Speculation about where she was from, where they were keeping her in station, why she was alone in the vessel, where she was going and why had she crashed were whipsered over meals and in between prayers.

Mark shifted his focus on his duties and dealing with the bandages on his hands. He continued to do all of his chores but they took longer now. He pushed through the pain and frustration. Currently it was the others that were making him so sullen. Marks scowled at two monks as they walked past him while he swept. "Did you hear Brother Striker is staying close to the woman, but both have been rarely seen. I wonder what she looks like." Mark huffed and moved away from the pair.

Other things had been occuring. Strange noises in the ventalation, especially late at night or in the early day time hours. One of the brothers was missing. Brother Peabody had not been seen in two days. He was supposed to be handling supplies. He was one of only three brothers who had the demanding job. The other two had reported that Peabody had not shown up for his job two days ago and there was no sign of him in his room.

Mark swept and wondered if the man had left the station. He wasn't sure how one would manage that but he was sure if there was a way and one truly wanted to leave it could be arranged. The issue was, the others reported that Brother Peabody's things were still in his room. If one was leaving you'd likely take everything with you. Mark shook his head. It was the woman. It had to be. The men were all acting odd and out of sorts.

Mark's broom stuck slightly to the floor. Not by something sticky, but as if something slowed it mid sweep. Mark crouched low. There was something on the floor. It was clear. Mark touched it. It felt like water. It didn't smell like anything but water. In fact it smelt like water from the lake. Odd. What was it doing in the hall? Mark dropped his broom. He awkwardly grabbed a rag and wiped up the spot. Not giving it another thought, he picked up the broom and continued on. Pausing to allow a group of Brothers to move past him in the hall, Mark leaned up against the wall. He was near a vent. There was an odd noise. Mark inspected the vent worried that there might be an issue with the system. That was serious and best corrected immediately. As he looked Mark noticed there was some sort of mud at the edge of the vent. "Strange...."

As Mark tried to inspect it closer there was a yell from down the hall. Someone had found Brother Peabody. Rather, they had found what had happened to him. The grate of an access point on the main shaft was off. That was odd. The shaft was on Brother Peabody's route to get to supplies. It appeared that he met his end in the shaft. Now new whipsers started. Did he fall? Did he cast himself in? Why had he gone to the shaft? Why remove the grate? "This is bad, very bad" Mark whispered to himself. Was he the only one who noticed that the strange things began when that woman crashed into them? He honestly hoped that someone got to the bottom of it sooner rather than later. More whispers began. Issue with one of the water hatches. Mark shook his head and kept sweeping. He would make note of the odd mud and the water.

Rumors of a inappropriate relationship between Andrew and the female pilot had been circulating around the station for weeks. Brother Striker was not pleased and had confronted the monk who was the originator of the rumor. Their argument began in the dining area of the station during dinner, there was no violence, but there was a great deal of yelling. Strikers argument was with Brother Brennen, who was one of the few monks that had contact with the inner mechanics of the space station now serving as thier world. There was some distrust between the monks responsible for the more mundane activities of tilling the fields and those who worked closely with the mechanized substructure of their wood sheathed world. Such distrust had in the past led to suspicions that Brother Brennen and his ilk were not wholly dedicated to the order, that perhaps their belief and faith had been weakened due to the constant reminder of the real world which existed outside their wooden planet. These suspicions had been brought up once more, effectively splitting the order between the camp who looked to the girl for blame, and those more recent monks who upon learning of the false rumors, began to question the motives of Ashley Brennen and his compatriots. Sides were taken as a large portion of the order began to passionately argue as to where the blame should be placed, either on the girl or upon the rebel rousers who worked with the mechanized guts of the station. This heated debate was soon settled however as every single monk in the dining area saw something blur past the door.

Brother Winthrow sat in the dining hall trying to ignore the fighting going on around him. Yes he blamed the woman but this fighting was tearing them all apart. It was terrible. Mark pushed his food away with his hands. He had enough. He stood to leave and head back to his room when he saw it.

The hush of the hall meant that they all had seen it. Something had gone past the dininghall door. It was fast. The blurred moved past and seemed to be gone.

Mark stuttered, "Wwwhat was that?" Mark looked around at the other brothers and saw his shock reflected back at him. He and few of the other brother's moved cautiously to the doorway and looked down the hall to see if there was any sign of the thing.

Brother Striker had also witnessed the blurred thing that had speeded passed, though he remained behind as the others stepped toward the doorway. The experience was indeed traumatic and it had affected the monks greatly. The arguing and in-fighting amongst the monks was obliterated by this shared experience, the oddness serving only to solidify their brotherhood and dedication to one another. This monastic order of monks were once again united in a single, undeniable truth. Although they had all witnessed something very strange there were those that were still weary of the girl, namely brother Winthrow. It was apparent to Striker at least, that the woman was totally innocent and free from all suspicion. They were clearly dealing with a 'thing' of unknown and no doubt sinister origins. Even though the brothers who were in the dining area that night had witnessed something flash passed the doorway none of them could give an accurate description of whatever it was. The only thing that they knew for sure was that it possessed a pale complexion and that it seemed to be very thin and yet tremendously agile. Several monks thought that the thing moved about on all fours, or perhaps that ran in a hunched position. The monks were all pretty shaken and so no one was really 100% certain of what they had seen those many hours before.

Discussions broke out around Mark. Did the thing have four legs? Two? Was it running? Was it invisible?

Mark's question was, where did it come from? If it was native to their lake then the woman's crash had allowed it to get in. If it wasn't then she brought it with her. Around him he could hear others begin to ask about the creatures origins. "Good. At least some have sense to ask the right questions."

One of the brothers raised his voice, "Brothers we clearly have something of unknown origin in our midst. What it is, where it went, where it came from and what it wants are what we need to discover. I propose we split into teams and start searching the station for where it came in at and any signs of where it went." The murmurs began as they discussed amoung themselves this plan.

What they needed was for the head of the order to come and give orders. Mark had a nagging feeling, "Brother Striker?" Mark scanned the crowd looking for the man. Spotting him, Mark continued. "I think you need to find out if the woman knows anything about this thing. We need to make sure it didn't arrive with her."

Those around them suspcious of the woman voiced their agreement. Some were more harsh about the suggestion, coming out and openly blaming the woman. Mark had tried to avoid that. Yes, he did not trust the woman and he still felt that all of the issues currently started when she arrived but he was now worried about this thing running around his beloved home as well. She was contained, it was not.

Alexander would often prepare for the various funtions in dimmed light, as he was never a big fan of sunshine. Brother Alexander was in the middle of preparing that afternoon's prayer and meditation meeting which the monks held everyday two hours before dinner. He had already placed the sacraments on the alter, and was now in the small room on the right side of the Cathedral -his office. That is when the 'thing' stepped out of the shadows which had hidden its horrid appearance from the eyes of the monks.

The Brother's yells echoed the halls of the station. Mark ran with the other's towards the catherdral. The arrived to find things set out for the afternoon's prayers and meditation. There was no sign of Brother Alexander, the monk who had the duty of preparing it all. The monks scanned the hall in confusion. Where had he gone and why had he screamed. Some became very angry, as fear is sometimes hidden in anger.

Mark was terrfied and worried. It was not like Alexander to just leave things half set out. It definitely wasn't like him to yell like that. Mark began to wonder what he had seen to cause such a yell. "The thing. It must have been in here. If fear it may have done something to Brother Alexander. We should start looking for him." Mark spoke up, desperately hoping someone would take charge and divide the monks into search parties. Mark didn't want to be in charge. There were too many worries already in his head to add the task of keeping track of the others.

To his great relief another monk started dividing the men up into groups. Mark and three other brothers began on the left side of the cathedral. They looked for any sign of Alexander. "Brother Alexander, where are you?" The same call could be heard in the cathedral and along the halls of the station.

From the left side of the Cathedral near the burial shoot the creature lay hidden in the shadows, crouched in a corner as it waited for one of the monks to pass by. Mark and a few other monks were searching near his position, but then the monks separated in order to cover more of the area that had been allotted to them to search. Brother Denner had gone off on his own to search the room where the bodies were prepared before they were taken to the burial shoot and ejected out into space. Gage Denner walked around the area usually reserved for the dead as the voices of his brothers were reduced to whispers in the distance, he silently thanked the heavens that there was nothing to be found where he was looking, as he didn't feel the slightest twinge of fear. The sense of relief that brother Denner was feeling would soon turn to horrific certainty as the pale creature crept from the shadows and approached brother Denner, its movements were virtually silent. It was only when the beast was ready to pounce, that the sound of its spindly limbs became audible to the senses of its pray. When the creature was in its attack mode it stayed crouched on its four limbs and close to the ground, it moved silently in this mode and only when it attacked did it make any noise. This was the noise that Brother Denner suddenly heard coming from behind him. Denner's slow pace was reduced to absolute stillness, upon the realization that he was not alone.

Mark's group came back to the front of the cathedral. "We haven't found any sign of him." As the rest of the groups returned all the rest reported the same thing. No sign of him. Then one group came back and reported one of the brothers was not with them any longer. '

"Two brothers are missing now. What is this thing?" Mark attempted to keep the fear from his voice. "What are we to do?"

As Mark completed his question there was a terrible noise from the burial area. A large number of the brothers went running. Mark and few others stayed where they were. Mark moved and knelt. He began his prayers and meditations hoping that they would bring some clarity.

Denner's muscles stiffened as a cold sweat broke across his brow, for he knew that he was no longer alone. He prayed that it was just one of his brothers playing a trick on him, but the prayer would not be answered. As Denner held his ground he hear the 'thing' coming toward him, its footsteps becoming more pronounced with each step. The sound of its four limbs coming into contact with the wooden floor was almost indescribable, sounding like a slab of raw meat being tenderized with a mallet, something which could perhaps be best described as a moist, hideous thudding. As the creature drew near the sound of its four limbed trotting transitioned into the unmistakable sound of a bipedal gait, though it still possessed the same obscene tonal quality when it walked in this manner. Denner stopped dead in his tracks as he felt the monstrosity standing directly behind him. Gage Denner was of average height for a fully matured human male and although he dreaded the thought of turning around Gage could tell that the creature was exactly his height in its bipedal stance. Denner was chilled to the bone with fear as he stood helpless and alone. A strange sensation had begun to take hold of Gage, he suddenly felt the urge to turn and face this creature. It was almost as if Gage was being willed to do so. When he finally came face to face with the 'thing' the horror of seeing its pale and blank features was almost too much to comprehend. It's unwholesome, gossamer, and featureless expression was unparalleled in nature. Its appearance suggested an alien, or perhaps supernatural origin. A black viscous slime constantly drooled out of the 'things' mouth, and its lips were flabby and fish-like. Its eyes were circular, hypnotic, and devoid of pupils, resembling two unblinking luminous spheres. When Gage turned to look at the hellish thing he was immediately taken under its hypnotic spell. The saucer-like eyes of the creature widened and began to to issue forth an ungodly white light, its mouth also opened wider. Brother Denner could not help but to gaze into its dead lights. The pigment from Denner's body was being drained from him by the creature's strange eyes, while its mouth hungrily devoured Gage's soul. When the life force from brother Denner was completly spent the creature withdrew from the scene, leaving nothing but the dead husk, which had once been brother Gage Denner.

Mark was praying. One of the monks who had gone to investigate came back looking pale and ill. A few more came stumbling out. The last one came back and all he managed to get out was "Go get Brother Johnson. Now." No one moved immediately. Mark got up and ran out of the cathedral.

He found Brother Johnson in the hall. He and another monk we in a serious discussion about the thing that everyone had seen. "I am sorry to interrupt but two of the Brother's have gone missing and now...something is wrong in the burial area. Please. Come quick." Mark led the men back into the cathedral. Brother Johnson immediately headed to the shoot. There were whispers and he entered the room followed by a few monks.

Mark waited. When they came back out they carried what appeared to be a body. It was pale and limp. Mark looked and realized it was Brother Denner. Rather it was what was left of him. Mark understood the other monks reactions now.

"Mercy on us, what is this thing?" Mark whispered out loud. His thoughts then turned again to where this thing had come from and if the woman had brought it with her or if it had gotten in as a result of her crash. Either way, all evidence pointed to her as the reason this thing was now here in their midst. If they didn't find it soon there would be no one left to fight it off.

As the others stood around the lifeless body of Gage Denner brother Striker was up on the dining level, he had gone there shorty before Gage's body was discovered. Striker burst into the Cathedral level with a grave and sickly look on his face, all the color was drained from his face and he was clearly upset by something. Running up the small group of monks Striker proceeded to confide in them as to what he had just witness on the level above them. "My God, it was horrible. Dead, all dead, our brothers. We twelve are all that remains of our order." The other monks could not believe what Striker was telling them, and a few of them had doubts as to the validity of his claims.

Brother Striker entered the cathedral looking pale and shakey. "My God, it was horrible. Dead, all dead, our brothers. We twelve are all that remains of our order." Mark heard what he said but they did not really register. "All dead? Only twelve left?" Mark was confused. "How can that be? Brother Striker, how...."

Mark sat down. It was the end of them. "What did we do to deserve this?" Mark's voice was quiet. He looked to Brother Johnson. The head of the order looked ill. He was trying ot hide it as the weight of Brother Striker's words hit him. Around him Mark could hear some of the brothers areguing that Brother Striker was lying.

"Where is the woman?" Mark looked at Striker. "Is she among the dead?" Mark felt ill just refering to the other members of his order being deceased and he hadn't even seen the bodies first hand. He didn't need to. He believed Striker, why would he lie about something like this. "Did you leave her alone?"

Striker answered Mark, "There was nothing that I could do. She could still be alive, but if she is, she is trapped between us, who she does not trust, and the creature. When I went up the dining level to check on her I found that the creature had smashed all of the mirrors in that section, leaving the entire level in total darkness. Most of our brothers were up there enjoying their meal. I'm afraid there was no hope with that thing free to work in the darkness, they didn't have a chance." Even though Andrew knew that the others would not accept what he was about to say, he also knew that it was the right thing to do, the woman was innocent of any wrong doing. "We must go save the girl from that ghoulish monstrosity."

Kat sighed deeply when Striker left the room. "No Ice?" she said to herself "No technology?... How do they live like that?" she shook her head slightly and braced herself against the bed as she attempted to swing her legs off the side. She hissed with the pain of it as her legs touched the floor. "Ugh im gonna be one big bruise!" she said exasperatedly. The she frowned as she attempted to put weight on her legs...it hurt like crazy but not so she couldn't bear it. She walked unsteadily over to wear her clothes wear and slowly began shedding garments. When she clothed again she sighed at the itchy ugly fabric.

"Save the girl? From that thing? We don't even know what it is or where it came from. We don't know if it arrived with her or if it came in because of her crash. What if she is safer than we are? Have you considered that we are in more danger than she might be? There might not be any of us left in another hour." Mark's voice dropped at the last staement. He was truly terrified that might in fact be the case. "Brother Striker, we need a plan."

Mark looked at Brother Johnson. He was waiting for some sort of orders. Mark didn't want to rescue the girl. He didn't care what happened to her, as far as he was concerned she was the reason for all of this. However, if Brother Johnson gave the word that they were to go and help the girl then so be it. He wouldn't disobey orders. Mark fought desperately to keep focus on the brothers and working together rather than his own fear. This thing was ruining his way of life and killing off the other men.

Mark looked at Brother Johnson, "Whatever you decide I will follow."

"The simple truth is that we really have no choice, either way the creature will come after us. Makes no difference if it happens as we try to rescue, for all we know, a completly innocent girl, or wait here for the 'thing' to kill her and then come for us. Brothers, we are at a disadvantage no matter which way we turn, but we do have one hope. The hatchway that leads to the lake! So as you see, whether we save the girl or not, it is upward that we must go." Striker chimed in his own justification, to which the leader of the twelve remaining monks agreed. The only way out was the hatch leading to the lake, and since they had to travel to a higher level anyway, they might as well save the girl. Perhaps Brother Winthrow was mistaken, what if the girl had vital information on how to stop the creature.

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What the monks did not know at this point was that the creature was still using the main shaft, as a way to travel wherever it wanted within the station. As the monks stood within the Cathedral deciding on their first step, the creature was crawling down the pitch black shaft. Pausing for a brief moment at the junction between the third and fourth levels, its gruesome head with its jerky and quick movements turned toward the grate on he right side of the station near the burial shoot, it listened to the men talking. Upon reaching the lowest level of the station the creature exited the main shaft and proceeded to once again destroy every single mirror on the level.

Mark nodded. He was right they were at a disadvantage no matter what they choose to do. He wasn't fond of the idea of saving the girl, as she meant nothing to him compared to the remaining brothers and the station but he would go and help where they needed him. His hands, still bandaged and burnt would not be very useful but he'd do what he could.

The remaining members of the order began to move to towards the infirmary. Cautious, they looked for any sign the creature was around them. Pausing often to listen even though they had no idea what the thing sounded like. In all the previous attacks no one had really heard anything but the screams of the men. The men's eyes were watching for some sign of blurry movement. The fear was heavy in the air. Mark wiped the sweat that was breaking out on his forehead. He whispered to Brother Striker, "Do you think the woman might know something about this creature?"

The small group moved down the hall. Arriving at the door to the infirmary a few went in to find the girl while the rest kept watch in the hall. The station was eerily quiet, devoid of the monks normal activities and sounds.

Mark swallowed and waited to learn the girl's fate.

Kat frowned as she heard the commotion break out she was still stuck in the infirmarary in the stupid bed with these stupid clothes on. "What on earth could be going on?" she asked the ceiling as she stared up at it then she looked around and tried to swing her legs over the edge of the bed it still hurt she could bear to walk. She sighed slightly and took a shaky step toward the door they told her to stay in here but that was total nonsense when everyone was screaming about some kind of horrible monster. She slowly walked over to the door and leaned against it for support before she tried to walk down the hall to the sound of men's voices. She bit her lip in pain and cried out when she tripped she caught herself on her hands and gat up with some urgency she felt like there was something watching her and she did not like it at all....

As three of the monks made their way to the main entrance Striker asked brother Winthrow to follow him around to the back of the small square structure which stood in the center of the large room and served as an infirmary. The interior of the small building was arranged much like a labyrinth of consecutive square rooms, each functioning for a specific and specialized medical procedure. Kiara was in the center chamber-like medical bay and was standing by the entrance waiting for the source of whispering that she had heard to reveal themselves. The infirmary was never completed in the original design and structure of the space station and so the monks erected what is ultimately nothing more than a prefabricated series of walls, the lack of the ceiling added to the labyrinthean look of the infirmary when viewed from above. This is exactly the vantage point from which the creature was now peering down upon Kiara and the unsuspecting monks that were advancing on her position within the infirmary. There were four small room that the monks had to make their way through before they were able to get to Kiara, all the while the creature was slowly creeping its way through the mesh of wooden support beams that supported the gantries which loomed high above the infirmary. The four monks thought that it would be wiser to increase the distance between them as they travel through the maze of freestanding and interconnected flats, the decision would prove to be a critical and deadly error on their part. Taking advantage of this change in their formation the creature made its move. Releasing its grip it dropped onto the monk who was last in line. The weight of the creature and the unexpected trauma caused by its deadfall resulted in the instantaneous death of the first of the four monks that are making their way through the hallways of the infirmary. Rising to its bipedal stance the creature proceeded to stalk after its next victim.

Mark nodded and followed behind Striker. He could feel the sweat running down his back as they moved to the rear of the infirmary.

"We need to get the girl and get back to the others quickly. We are at a disadvantage. We have no idea where that thing is and I get the feeling it is watching us." Mark's voice was a harsh whisper as he followed the other man. "Do you think that thing came with her?"

As Mark moved down the hallways the shadows made his heart pump harder. What if that thing was lurking in a corner and they just couldn't see it? "Weapon, we need a weapon..." This thought made Mark look harder at things as they moved. He knew if they got in the infirmary there were at least basic scalpels. Mark wasn't sure how useful such a thing would be against the creature and he shuddered at the idea of how close one would have to be to it to use it effectively but something was better than nothing.

As he followed, scouring the halls for any sign of movement Mark's mind turned to his burnt hands. The scalpel would be something but there was no way he'd be able to weild it. Mark resolved himself that if it came to saving one of his fellow men from the creature he would let it take him so they could run away. What was there to live for now anyway? This thing was wiping out the order one by one. In the end the life that Mark knew would be gone anyway.

Andrew thought hard about Bother Winthrow's questions and all though he had no answers he did have a few suspicions, although he wasn't sure that Mark wanted to hear what he had been running through his head. "I don't know brother Winthrow, maybe its a manifestation of our folly, the material world striking out against us. Perhaps our hatred for the world gave birth to this creature." Before Mark could respond Striker provided another theory, one which Mark would probably be more accepting of, "Who knows, perhaps it was there on the bottom of the lake all this time. Maybe we brought it with us when we high jacked the station, and this is its retribution for claiming its home for our own purposes. Maybe it ha......" Striker interrupted himself when he heard one of the monks on the other side of the infirmary wall, as both parties on each side came to a point when they cross paths. They would later learn that this was the monk who decided to backtrack in order to find what happened to the last monk in their four man search party, the remaining two monks were already deep within the labyrinth of square rooms, it was when the third monk had made it to the outer part of the maze-structure that Striker and Winthrow had heard him. The unfortunate event that was about to take place was out of Andrew and Mark's hands and although they would blame themselves later it was not their fault. When brother Jeffery passed the crossing point Andrew called out to him, what they could not see however was that this distraction had inadvertently contributed to the monks lack of response time.

Being distracted it was easy for the creature to sneak up behind him, seconds later as Andrew and Mark pressed their ears against the wall to listen the monks body was violently shoved against the wall. The impact shattered the monks spine killing him instantly, it also caused considerable damage to the wall and to the hearing of the two monks on the opposite side. Mark and Andrew reeled back as the trauma caused their ears to ring and there heads to ache, the force of the impact also created small breaks in the wall. After partially regaining their hearing Striker and Winthrow peeked through the holes in the wall, all they could see was blood splattered all over the inner wall. There was no sign of the creature however, although it was no mystery as to where the creature was heading next. Increasing their pace the Andrew and Mark rushed to the little-used back entrance, this particular section of the infirmary was constructed in such a way that there was essentially a long hall that lead all the way to the inner most room. Walking down this hall the two monks came to the door which led directly into the last room, a small window was their only eyes into what was transpiring within, the scene before their eyes was confusing. This creature had taken out four monks with considerable ease and yet it was not attacking the girl, it was instead simply standing there in front of her and then it just walked away. Andrew and Mark immediately ran intro the room.

Mark scowled at Striker's musings on the creature. Manifestation, no, that was too hard to swallow. If they had brought it with them why wouldn't it have attacked them sooner.

The sudden interruption caused Mark to panic slightly. He pressed his ear to the wall as Striker did the same. There was something going on on the other side. Suddenly the impact sent him reeling backwards. The ringing in his ears was unbearable. Mark pressed his bandaged hands to his ears in an attempt to stop the ringing and stifle the beginnings of the headache that was blooming. The wall in front of him began to crack and pieces fell out allowing for small holes to see through. Mark shook his head, trying to clear the pain and ringing. It began to die down and the nausea began. Mark panted slightly fighting the bile in his throat. As things slowed to normal Mark and Striker peered into the holes. The was blood...so much blood. Mark backed away from the wall, the colour draining from his face. "What..."

Looking at Striker, both monks broke into a run as they headed to the infirmary. Standing at the window the scene in front of him startled Mark more than anything in his life. The creature was there, standing in front of the girl but it didn't attack. It just stood there. "Why!" Mark's brain was screaming. The creature turned and simply walked away from the girl. Mark hissed between his teeth. "She is the key."

He and Striker ran into the room. "That thing, it didn't attack you. Why?" Mark's voice was quiet but harsh. He wanted answers. That thing was killing the brothers and not a hair on her head was touched. Mark felt that he had been right all along, this thing centred on the girl. Her presence brought the beginning of their doom.

Kat managed to stifle her scream when she came across the dead monks and... the creature. The gore of their deaths covered the room and their badies were limp and pale lying across the floor in ackward positions. The thing looked at her but didn't attack, why she didn't know. She cocked her head at it in a question and she watched it walk out of the room. She let out a scream when the two men walked into the room. "What was t-that th-thing!" she said her voice shakey and cracked. "Why is it killing everyone?!" she asked as she gestured to the bodies of the monks. She asked all these things when Brother Mark spoke "W-wait! YOU think i did this" she shook her head "no! no! No! NO! NO!" she put her hand to her ears "Never hurt innocents" she shuddered violently now "No..."

Mark looked at the girl. "You are the only thing it has encountered that it hasn't killed. Do you know it has killed almost all of us? All because we helped you? Did you bring it?"
He was angry and scared. Mark wanted to know why this thing hadn't touched a hair on the girl's head but it was killing the monks one right afte the other.

Mark moved to the wall and placing his hand on it he leaned over. Nausea was building and threatened to overtake him. "Why? Why is it doing this?" Mark's voice was quieter now almost pleading. His mind raced with questions that demanded answers but he knew none would come. Swallowing hard, he looked at Striker and the girl. "We need to find out if anyone is left alive. I...I don't know what to do but if we keep her with us maybe it won't attack until we can figure out what it wants, where it came from and how to stop it..."

He waited for the girl to calm down, she was repeating no and something about innocents. It struck a nerve in Mark. The brother's were innocent. They hadn't done anything to deserve this brutality.

Striker looked at Mark and the girl with the same expression of confusion upon his face, but then suddenly it came to him, "No! It couldn't be that simple."Mark and Kat turned their heads and attentively listened to his realization, "Maybe its simply because Kat is a woman! That is to say, maybe the creature is also female. Now what is there that is different between male and female humans, besides the physical differences I mean." Mark and the girl looked back at each other as they tried to think of an answer to the question. Without waiting for a reply Andrew continued, "Yes, I think it would be a good idea to keep Kat with us, maybe it wont attack us. At least it will give us time to think of some way to kill it." Striker didn't dare bring up the first solution that came to his mind, no one would go along with destroying the station, the place which the monks have called home for many years. Although he knew that once there was only a few of them left, it really wouldn't make a difference either way, for who would continue the movement, if they all died. "I think I know how we can kill it. The fields! We will burn it in the fields." Andrew stated. The question as to how they would lure the creature down to the agriculture level presented itself when they heard the sound of the creature quickly approaching their position. As before it was using the spiderweb of wooden gantry supports to propel itself across the ceiling. Brother Striker and the remaining seven monks ran for the main shaft, as the creature was blocking the way to the ladders on the left side of the station, this deadly passageway was now their only means of escape. Striker stood at the grate which lead into the shaft as he ushered his fellow monks into the small opening, making sure that no one hurt themselves as they squeezed their way through it. At the time it did not dawn upon them that this wasn't the best way to exit the industrial level, for the creature could easily speed its way to the next level and cut them off.

_______________________________________________


Luckily for them the creature did not have the sense to cut them off in such a way, although its actions the monks were climbing down the long shaft could cause trouble in the future for the monks. The 'thing' had backtracked and climbed down the series of ladders which lead to the various levels of the station, stopping at each level it preceded to smash every single mirror that it came across, this left the entire top portion of the station in darkness. The monks were quickly running out of places to escape to. Brother Winthrow was the last of the monks climbing down the long and poorly constructed step-like protrusions, above him was Kiara and then the six remaining monks, which included brother Striker who was heading up the descent.

Mark stared at Striker. "Fields.." he sighed. There didn't seem to be many other options and he wasn't willing to just sit here and let that thing come after them. Then he heard it. The creature was coming for them. "move, we have to move. It might not kill her but nothing will stop it from getting us." He turned and ran. The group of remaining monks and the girl headed for the main shaft. It was going to be dangerous going. Mark squeezed into the small opening and began his climb.

The small group of monks climbed. Mark had trouble with his hands, his grip was all wrong with the bandages on. He moved slowly being extra cautious that he had a firm grip as he moved. If he didn't he could easily fall. "Quicker death than letting that thing get me..." Marks thoughts turned dark as he worried that the there was little now between him and death.

The monks climbed and arriving at the agriculture level proceeded to crawl out the grate. "What will we do now? It is certain to follow us. We need a plan. It won't attack her. We need something to attract it to the field and then we need the rest to light the fire and a plan for getting out but keeping the thing contained until it is dead."

It was a long and arduous climb down several miles of rickety protrusions, after nearly an hour of climbing they had yet to reach the Cathedral level, the poor condition of the makeshift ladder added to the intensity and harshness of the decent. The monks and female pilot were cocooned in the tight space of the main shaft and so they could not tell what was going on within the station, or if the creature had already figured out their plan and had reached the agriculture level. Was the creature laying in wait for them at this very moment, in some dark corner of the 5th level, would they be able to find their way through the endless rows of corn and wheat, surly it was dark down there as well, as it only took smashing the reflectors on the top level to cast the entire station in darkness. These were the thought which were running through the head of brother Donald Pike, the middle man, so to speak, in this deadly climb downward. The other brothers had been worried about him for some time now, in fact even before the arrival of the space ship brother Pike was unbalanced. His fears would soon be answered as they approached the Cathedral level. The others had already successfully made it passed the junction between the 4th and 5th levels, leaving only brothers Striker, Pike and one other monk several minutes climb before reaching the intersection. Mark, Kaira and the other monks were taken a bit of a rest before continuing the long climb and were now leaning against the left side of the narrow shaft, their ears perked up when they heard a disturbance above them. Brother Pike was beginning to lose what was left of his sanity.

He started screaming at the other monks, "What the hell are we doing, we are going to die, all of us. That 'thing' is waiting for us below, don't you understand, we are dead. We must get to the top of the station and avoid the lower levels. Who's with me!?" Brother Striker and the others didn't know what to do about Pike, he was irrational and a possible danger to rest of them should the creature hear his insane cries. Pike began to struggle with one of the other monks beneath him, kicking his brother and cursing him. Brother Daniel was only trying to keep from being kicked in the face when he grabbed onto Pike's leg. As they continued to fight one another Striker was yelling at them to stop, 'You fools, you are going to get us killed for sure." The loudness of the fighting drowned out the sounds of the creeping pale beast as it got closer and closer to the small hatch on the 4th level. The echos of the tussle between the two monks were soon silenced as the creature ripped off the grate and grabbed Pike by his left leg, 'My God, my God!" Brother Daniel screamed, "The creature, it has brother Pike. Please. Striker help. Help!!" Before Striker could do anything to assist the two monks Pike had been dragged to his death and now Daniel was losing his grip on the ladder. "I cant hold on." He shouted as he tried to fight off the creature. Suddenly the step upon which Daniel had a firm grip broke from the shaft, sending him plummeting to his death. Winthrow and the others were still leaning against the wall of the shaft when Danial came falling passed them. There was nothing that they could do, except move out of the way to prevent being dragged down with him. Some time later the last of the monks made it to the 6th level.

Kat blinked at brother Striker his theory was sound and made some sense but she still couldn't stand the thought of innocent people being hurt, there was too much violence already and she didn't want to contribute to it. She followed the men wincing in pain every now and again but never crying out. She still could feel something watching her as they made their descent down through the different levels of the ship. She finally screamed when the creature attacked the monks on the stairwell. She was just as confused as Mark why didn't it ever attack her it was obviously out for blood. She climed quickly and quietly up the shaft until they got to the 6th level. "Has anyone given any thought to our dilema?" she asked in a staned voice "I don't think burning it out is the right idea..." she said softly as she looked back down the stair well and thought about the men plummeting to their dooms. ~Is this really all my fault?~ She asked herself as she hugged her arms to her body.

The crisis on the climb shook Mark to the core. The girl expressed her doubt to the plan and Mark was too weary of it all to argue or snap at her in any way.

"Any suggestion would be appreciated at this moment." Mark's voice was quiet. "We can't keep running it will just corner us and it has the ability to move in a way that we will never see it coming. Once we are all dead that will leave jsut you." Mark pointed to the girl. "Your ship is destroyed. I am not sure what will happen to you when it kills us all."

Mark was tired, his hands ached, his chest hurt and he was terrified. There was a creature stalking them and they were at it's mercy. Losing the monk on the climb, to the panic, to the chaos...it was almsot to the point where Mark wished the thing would just come and kill him so he did not have to live in this state of fear any longer.

Mark looked at the remaining monks and the girl. "We need to figure out what we are going to do..."

If it were not for the bit of light that was pouring in from the transparent latch of the burial shoot and the fact that it was slightly shinning down the right side of station, the monks would have found themselves in total darkness. With the main mirror destroyed hardly any light could make its way into the massive structure, the plan to set a fire and trap the creature now seeming like a necessity. "The only way out of this situation is to lure the creature down here, which would mean that one of us must serve as bait." Striker tried his best to make it seem as though he wasn't expecting someone to volunteer in the way he posed the question, though he certainly hoped someone would do so.

Mark listened to the silence of the other monks. The fear so high in the room that it was palpable. Mark kept his head down, "I'll do it. I'll be the bait." What did he have to look forward to anyway? If the monks were all killed there would be nothing left of the life he knew. He took the silence of the monks to mean they had not heard him. Those around him shuffled nervously.

Raising his head, Mark looked at Striker, "I'll do it. If it is the only way to stop that thing from killing us all then I will draw it to us. Kill it. Kill it before it ends us all and there is nothing left of the order but an empty station."

Mark looked around at the others, the few that were left. Many would not look at him. It is a tough thing to accept that one would risk themselves to save the rest. Some were grateful that Mark had stepped up as they felt their courage was not strong enough to offer themselves.

"Where do you want me to go? Tell me the plan and I will draw the thing in." Mark looked at Striker.

Striker starred back at brother Winthrow and then in a forceful, yet calm tone he answered, "Well the first thing that we need to do is to gather what we'll need to set the fire. Then we will need weapons, although I have no idea what we could use to kill it. What will harm it? kill it!" Luckily for the monks they were standing right by the little supply shed where they kept their farming tools, there were only a few pitchforks, an odd axe, or perhaps some wood saws in the shed. Brothers Peter and Carlson took charge of the distribution of these farming implements, the irony that these items had once been used to cultivate life, but would now serve as a means to destroy a lifeform, was not lost on the monks. Brother Striker and the female pilot hunted down some petrol which the monks had used in lanterns, having become obsolete after the installation of the giant mirrors that once hung throughout the ship. Once they had gathered all the necessary ingredients for their own personal holocaust of fire, it was time for Striker to lay out the plan. "Okay guys. Sorry, and you Kaira. Here is the plan." Striker turned his head to the vast fields as he explained what he had in mind. "Well, there is a slight change in my plan, now that we have discovered this 50 gallon drum of petrol. First, we will all take some of the gas and dowse several rows of wheat, making several paths leading to the farthest edge of the fields. There we will place the drum. The idea is to get the creature to chase one of us as that person runs toward the drum. On each side of the drum two of us will be crouched down in the wheat, as we wait for the creature to approach the drum. We will both light our torches and toss them at the base of the drum. The drum will have a small leak in it. Its quite simple. Light the torch, toss it and then run away. If everything works out well the drum with explode and kill the creature."

Kat shook her head "I don't... I just didn't think" she sighed "Nevermind". She frowned Striker said they needed bait 'I can't, It won't attack me' she thought to herself with a sigh. She blinked when Mark said he would do it she thought she had misheard him. When he said again louder she almost objected but kept silent, she looked at him in an almost awe.then Striker started to speak and she listened intently until he called her by her real name "It's Kat by the way" she said with a frown despite the fact they were in a near death situation she still hated being called by her first name. After that she stayed silent and just listened to his plan nodded while he spoke. Kat followed him to find supplies and she sighed slightly when they found the petrol they were about to destroy something they new nothing about and it was all her fault.

Mark helped the monks gather the weapons from the shed. He listened intently to the plan. All he had to do was run in the field. He wanted to ask so many questions. What if the creature came up behind them? What if it didn't chase him? What if it caught him before he could draw it to the drum? What if the fuel didn't catch fire? He kept them all to himself. He was afraid if he started asking the fear would get the better of him and he would back out.

Brother Winthrow sat stoically as the other monks discussed who would throw the torches and take care of the other various details. He tried to quiet the questions and find some peace. As the plan was laid out, Mark simply focused on his job. As the discussion wrapped up the monks went to douse the areas of the field. Mark knelt in the dirt and began to pray and meditate. He did so until one of the monks came to get him, they were ready.

Mark stood, looked out across the field and simply walked out. He made his way into the open expanse and turning his back to where the brothers and the drum waited, he yelled for the creature. "Alright, come on! Where are you?"

As Striker ran the plan through his mind he came to see the flaws in it all, it was almost as if brother Winthrow's concerns were psychically being transplanted into his mind, a feeling of concern now swept over him. "I think it might be better if we set this all up in the left side of this level near the wall of the station. That way the creature will be limited in the ways that it might attack us. It would only be able to do so from right, the left side and north wall will bracket him in, leaving only two lines of approach." After Andrew finished the alterations to his plan the monks set out to correct the positioning of the drum of petrol, moving it a few feet from the left wall of the station. Brother Lawrence volunteered to be one of the monks that would hide in the rows of wheat for the creature to approach. "Who will be the one to grab a torch and join me." brother Lawrence asked.

After all of the corrections were made and the drum moved to the left side of the station Striker gave the go-ahead signal to brother Winthrow. The ease of the planning phase was soon off set by the feeling of tenseness which suddenly rushed over every ones body as Winthrow issued the challenge to the hellish beast. Seeing that no one was stepping up to the task of being the second torch bearer Striker picked one up and joined brother Lawrence by the petrol-drum. Lawrence had already taken his position near the wall of the station and so Striker took the remaining position. Casting one final glance at the drum Andrew wondered if he would be quick enough to avoid being blown to bits along with the creature. A rush of dedication came over him as he decided that it was worth it. Even though he had begun to have doubts about the order and the life that he was living aboard the station/world, he was now at peace with it. The slight tinge of doubt which still remained was cast off when he looked at his fellow monks, who were all willing to sacrifice themselves to protect their way of life. Andrew smiled as he cast one final look at brother Lawrence. The mutual admiration that was in his and brother Lawrence's eyes as they shared this final glance was suddenly interrupted by the unmistakable sound of the slug-footed creature approaching them. Strikers nervousness and apprehension was nothing compared to what brother Winthrow must have been thinking at that point. It was still pretty dark on the agriculture level and so Winthrow had to rely on his sense of hearing and the occasional highlight in order to judge distance and bearing.

Mark waited. It felt like an eternity. His voice echoed through the level and in the dark he waited. The monks had taken up their positions and from where he stood he could not hear or see them. Then, he heard it. At first Mark thought his fear was playing tricks on him mind. Maybe he was imagining the noise. Then again. The thing was moving. Mark closed his eyes, it was too dark to see anyway and with his eyes closed he could focus on the sound.

His hands itched under the bandages as a sweat broke out on his body. It was not very close yet. He needed it to be closer. So Mark waited. His heart pounded in his chest. He figured if the creature hadn't heard his yell the sound of his heart would be enough to draw it to him. "Ten feet...it's about ten feet away now..." Mark calculated it in his head as the creature advanced on him. "A little closer..." Mark's mouth went dry.

Five feet, now. It was quick. Mark took comfort that his death would be quick if it caught him. Opening his eyes, Mark caugtht the briefest glimpse of the pale thing before he turned and ran. Mark's arms pumped and he ran as quickly as he could. His breathing was hard in his chest and he couldn't hear if the thing was chasing him or not. So he just ran, aiming himself at the drum.

It wasn't until it was far too late that Striker remembered something that he was told about this section of the station, something regarding the walls on the agriculture level. Andrew steined his brain trying to recall the specifics of what he was told. Wintrhrow was almost on top of brother Striker when he finally remembered what he had been told concerning the walls of this level. Apparently the structural integrity of this level, in particular the right and left walls, wasn't completely sound. The walls of the agriculture level were thin as tissue paper compared to the walls of the upper levels. Unfortunatly there was nothing to do about it now

Mark ran. He pumped his legs hard, knowing that if it was following him it wasn't far behind. His eyes were glued to the drum's location. His breath became laboured in his chest. The monks did not have an overly active lifestyle. Farming and chores but nothing that would have conditioned him for this sort of exertion. Mark puffed and pressed on. He was coming up on it in a relatively steady pace but he knew he couldn't keep it up. The muscles in his legs began to burn. With a silent prayer Mark kept going.

He could hear it, the noises of it chasing him and it was enough for the fear to kick in. The adrenaline pumped through his veins and Mark fought the urge to turn and look at the thing chasing him. "Run! Just run!" The drum was closer now. He wanted to yell, to warn them of his approach but his throat was raw and hot from his heavy breathing. All he could do now is hope they were ready as the distance between the drum and his running form shortened.

It was still very dark on the agriculture level, particularly on the left side of the station. What little light that was coming from the transparent hatch of the burial chamber on the fifth level did nothing to eliminate anything beyond 100 feet or so of the right side of the station. Due to the relatively low light levels on the sixth level brothers striker and Lawrence could barely see Mark as he ran in the general direction of the drum, all they had to go by was the vague outline of his body. The faint light coming from the right side of the station did little but to serve as a backdrop for the action. Although brother Winthrow was running generally in a slightly diagonal direction the two brothers hunching down in the wheat on each side of the drum with their torches saw Mark dead on. If it were not for the queer sound of the creature's flabby, stubbed appendages slapping the floor as it ran they would have no way of knowing that it was approaching, for brother Winthrow was advancing upon their location in such a manner that it obscured the movements of the creature behind him.

The inability to judge the distance of the encroaching creature was a source of concern for brother Lawrence as he found himself becoming increasingly nervous. This caused him to ignite his torch prematurely thus given away his precise position to the creature's keen, luminous eyesight and thereby causing the 'thing' to shift the direction of its running. The creature having shifted its attention to the left side of the petrol-drum began to hone in on brother Lawrence's position near the left wall of the sixth level. The creature had also quickened up its pace as it proceeded to attack brother Lawrence, Striker had also been caught offguard by the creatures sudden shift in its tactics. When it was within attacking distance the creature altered its stance as well by shifting from a bipedal, hunched over mode of advancement to a two-legged attack posture.

Brother striker tried in vain to ignite his torch, but by then it was too late. Brother Lawrence was able to ignite his torch, although he failed to give brother Striker the signal that they had agreed on before either of them would toss their torch at the foot of the drum. Striker's intention to provide a diversion had become moot as he now thought solely of saving his own life. By the time the torch had landed in front of the leaking drum Andrew had already dove out of harms way. The drum of petrol fuel worked just as the monks had hoped it would, although the circumstances were not what they were expecting. Since the creature had shifted its position and had gone from chasing brother Winthrow to focusing on Lawrence the explosion did not kill the 'thing'. The explosion tore a sizable hole in the wall of the station thereby compromising the integrity of that particular side of the sixth level. Luckily brother Lawrence was instantly killed by the initial explosion and was therefore spared the horror of being sucked out of the station and into the black and cold vistas of space.

Mark saw the spark of a torch to one side of him. Eyes wide in the sudden light, Mark panicked. "What are they doing?" Mark heard just above the sound of his own heart and breathing the movement of the creature. It had been close, closer than he realized. In an instant the torch lit and the creature veered from him. Mark knew the thing was no longer behind him. He ran another three feet and then dropped to his knees. His chest heaved as he tried desperately to suck in enough air. It burned deep within his core.

In a flash Mark realized what was going to happen. He turned to face the light and as he looked the torches ignited the drum. The light was tremendous. Mark hit the dirt. Hands over his head as dirt and debris was falling from the air. Mark paused and slowly pushed himself to kneel. His ears were ringing, his eyes hurt from the light. He looked forward and waited to see what had become of the creature, the Brother Laurence and Striker and if the station itself faired.

Striker had successfully avoided being burnt to a crisp by the exploding petrol-drum and was now laying facedown in the dirt with his hands clasped around the back of his head. Brothers Mark Winthrow, Samuel Barnett and Kat had all hit the deck when the drum exploded, they too were now laying upon the dirt floor of agriculture level. Brother Striker weaken from fright pushed himself into a sitting position and was now facing the left corner or the drum had stood. Looking behind him to his left he saw Mark in a kneeling position and also facing the area where the explosion had occurred. Seeing the unbelievable sight before them they had yet to notice that the entire back-left corner had been set ablaze, the events of this last week or so overwhelming that the wheat had been left unattended. The recent lack of proper watering had caused the wheat to become overly dry and coarse, which allowed the flames to spread at an unimaginable rate of speed. Kat and brother Barnett's reaction on the other hand was the exact opposite, as they immediately ran toward the main shaft and began to climb to the next level, from there they ran through the darkness to the left side of the station and up the series of ladders to the relative safety of the upper levels. Mark and Striker had snapped out of the daze that they had been ever since the explosion and were finally able to fathom the holocaust of flames around them. Just as the others had before they ran to safety Mark and striker quickly looked around them for anything that might extinguish the flames, finding nothing they were forced to follow the example of the others and to get to the upper levels as quickly as possible.

Mark regained his senses enough to realize that others were running for the exit. He kneeled in the field and watched as the dry crops went up in flames. "NO!" Mark yelled and immediately started running to find something to extinguish the growing fire. The crops were their only source of regular food. The brotherhood attempted to make themselves as self sufficient as possible with no interference from the outside world. Occasionally, when really necessary ships would come and help with repairs on the outside of the station but ultimately in the end the station was self contained and self reliant.

If the crops burned there would be nothing new to harvest and the stores would be depeleted before new seeds could arrive from the outside. The agriculture storage was on this level as well and if safety measures didn't kick in all harvested seeds, propogated plants for the next planting season would be decimated. Mark, in a fit of panic ran. He was aimed at first for the fire. Seeing Striker run at him, Mark knew it was almost certainly hopeless. Striker and Winthrow ran towards the exit shaft. "Do you see anything? We need to put this out!" Mark yelled as the two men ran. Striker, covered in dirt and ash shook his head, all the while keeping eyes peeled for anything that might slow the growing heat behind them.

The men reached the shaft and climbed through. Heading up the ladder, Mark yelled behind him "Close the lock! We have to find the secondary safety switch. There has to be a way to kick on the watering system from out here!" Mark climbed, hoping that was true.

Striker and brother Winthrow had escaped the fiery death trap on the 6th level and were now quickly climbing the main shaft, Striker having heard Mark's suggestion regarding the safety lock system found himself amused by the thought. "How ironic brother Winthrow. The one thing that we despise the most is the one thing that we now need to preserve our distrust in technology." Striker said with a slight smirk on his face. The irony was not lost on brother Wintrhow who was climbing the ladder behind him. "We can do that, but we will have to enter the core to activate the mechanism." As Striker explained the realities of such an action to Mark Kat and the other monk were listening from the 4th level near the hatch to the main shaft. "We'll meet you there!" Yelled brother Barnett. Kat and Barnett were a lot closer to the entrance of the core and so they would reach the room before brother Striker and brother Winthrow. "We can only hope that brothers Entenmann and Reynolds are still alive. I'm not too familiar with the mechanics of the station myself, they spend most of time in that room. As you know brother Johnson always kept them away from the rest of us, fearing that we might become polluted by them." Before Andrew could get the last word out he momentarily lost his grip on the makeshift ladder, "Shit!" He shouted as his right arm and leg slipped off the ladder. An drew quickly regained a firm grip on the crude protrusions which served as a rather poor ladder. "Anyway." He continued, "That was one of the things which caused me to become concerned and to question our lives here. It just seemed to me to be a bit hypocritical. Not that any of that matters at this point." Andrew and Mark continued to climb the ladder up to the core.

Mark climbed. Striker was below him. Yes, the irony of Brother Striker’s statement was not lost on Mark but right now all he cared about now was stopping the fire. Then they could turn their attention back to whether or not the creature was dead and then what to do about the station.

Mark nodded as Striker told him that they had to go to the core to activate any of the secondary systems. Above him he heard Brother Barnett and Kat yell that they would meet them there and take off. Below him Striker kept talking and explaining that he himself was not familiar with the system. Mark wasn’t either but he was willing to try anything in an effort to save the station and those still alive on it.

Striker slipped. Mark froze ready to help the man up if he had to. He hoped he didn’t need to as the bandages on his hands were making it hard enough and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to help the man effectively. Striker regained his footing and handholds, Mark let out a sigh of relief and the two men kept climbing.
Exiting Mark stood and waited for Striker. The two men headed off to the core to find Barnett and Kat and hopefully the monks who knew best how to work the system. He feared though that since they didn’t already set the system off to quench the fire that they may already be dead.

Striker didn't hold out much hope for the safety and well-being of the brothers Entenmann and Reynolds, nor for either his or Mark's ability to work the computers controlling and mechanisms of the station. Although we kept this to himself as he and brother Winthrow continued to climb the faltering protrusions up to the very center of the station, which is where the small hatch to the inner core was located. The entrance to the core was on the opposite wall of the shaft, with a steel handlebar just above the hatch and another two feet below. Holding onto the ladder with his right hand and grasping the bar on the opposite wall with his left striker swung his left leg over and placed his foot on the bar below the shaft. Since all unnecessary power sources had been deactivated by the monks sometime after they 'acquired' the station and you had to push open the hatch manually, a task requiring considerable forearm strength. Once the hatch was pulled open striker proceeded to climb through the opening. Immediately upon entering the cramped room brother Striker could sense the unmistakable smell of burnt flesh. That is when it hit him. "The artificial atmosphere!" He exclaimed. "The 'thing'would not have been dragged out into space. The artificial atmosphere around the station would ensure that the inner atmosphere of the station would not be compromised, even if the entire side had been blown away, assuming that the atmosphere was still intact." He whispered to himself.

Mark could smell it. It made his stomach turn. Flesh burnt and blackened. Mark fumbled behind Striker wondering what lay ahead for them.

"Where do we go?" Mark looked around. "Atmosphere? What are you saying Striker?" Mark had never paid any attention to the mechanics of the station. His chores revolved around other duties and he wasnted to be as far away from technology as possible. Afterall isnt' that why he came here all those years ago? To get rid of his reliance on such things? Mark huffed and wondered what the hell they were going to do.

"Where are the others? Shouldn't they be here waiting for us?" Mark looked around for some sign of the girl, Brother Barnett or anyone else. The station felt eeriely quiet and empty and it bothered Mark.

"Its basic physics brother Winthrow. A celestial body which supports life forms must have an atmosphere, in order to.......What was that?" Striker's comments were cut off by a strange sound coming from the corner of the room. Slowly creeping toward the sound Striker and Mark braced themselves, both expecting to see the dead bodies of brothers Entenmann and Barnett. What they were faced with upon turning the corner was far more hideous then either could have imagined. They had indeed found the bodies of their fellow brothers, but these were fresh kills, thus they knew that the creature was still alive. The smell of burning flesh was finally beginning to make sense, the creature had only been horribly burned by the explosion and not destroyed. The bodies lay in an obscene manner, strung from the ceiling like a side of cattle-beef, their sexual organs torn from their bodies, their spinal cords exposed and dripping fluid. It was then that Striker realized what the creature was after and why it attacked males and not females. He remembered the discussion that the brother were having before they had embarked on their ill-fated search, the question of what the creature was after, what was it that the monks had that the female pilot lacked. It had apparently gotten all that it need from the males internally, although how the creature absorbed the various genes, chromosomes and so forth was beyond Andrew's and Mark's knowledge. After seeing the horribly disfigured bodies of its latest victim it was clear that the creature was now on a completely new scavenger hunt.

Mark frowned as Striker tried to make him understand what it was he was talking about when it came to the atmosphere of the station and the creature. He got the idea of an atmosphere, the issue was what did that have to do with the death of the creature? Mark froze as he too heard the sound. The men turned the corner and the sight before them caused Mark's stomach to lurch. "God help me." Mark turned and retched against the wall. There was nothing in his stomach but he vomited just the same. Mark tried to look and again his stomach betrayed him.

It took a few minutes before Mark felt that no more could be forced from his body. Turning he took in the horrific sight in front of him. "What...why...why is it doing this?" Mark's voice was quiet. "It needs to stop...there is no one left..." Mark hung his head. He was truly at a loss of what to do. He wanted to sink to the floor and let the creature take him, let it kill him. Mark looked at Striker, "Where's the girl?"

The site of brother Winthrow becoming ill brought a queasiness to Striker's stomach as well, though he managed to keep his stomach calm and steady. Placing his right hand against the wall be lowered his head and sighed deeply. After a few moments he regained his posture and focused his mind on the problem at hand, but for all of his contemplating brother Striker was at a loss for what to do next. Leaving the morbid scene of butchery behind him Striker walked over to Mark and placed his hand on his shoulder, "Come on brother. We must find the girl, there is no telling what kind of danger she might be in. Perhaps now that it has gotten all that it needed from the males aboard this station and will attack her next. With that in mind Striker and Mark climbed back out of the core and onto the makeshift ladder. That's when they noticed the smoke which was billowing up from the level on which the monks had their chambers. The fire in the grain and corn fields had spread traveled down to the glass works, the chemicals that the monks had used in the manufacturing of the mirrored surfaces which brought light into the station were all highly volatile. The fire having come into contact with the flammable chemicals first forth violently sending fiery debris up the main shaft and to the left of the station, this series of ladders used by the monks now served to introduce the flames to the upper levels. By the time Striker and brother Winthrow exited the core fire had already engulfed and destroyed the Cathedral level and was quickly spreading into the chamber level and beyond. There was nothing they could do about closing any hatches to prevent the fire from spreading, the fire had already destroyed the lower levels thus rendering the hatch ways useless. They could not even activate the hatch for the main level, as they would have been trapped between it and the approaching firestorm.

Mark climbed with Striker. He couldn't help feeling how hopeless and pointless this whole thing was. The fire was almost beyond any hope of control. The station was doomed. If the fire didn't get them, the creature certainly would. "What is the point? Even if we find her there is nothing else we can do?" Mark climbed. "Striker, what will we do when we find her? Huddle together and let the flames get us? All the while praying that thing doesn't find us first? We have no plan. Unless you know something I don't...I an't imagine what our options are. I am having trouble thinking of anything but the bodies..." Mark let his words trail off.

Striker held his gaze upward as he climbed the poor excuse for a ladder, clearing his throat to answer Mark. "Frankly brother Wintrhow I have no plan. I don't know what we are going to do, how the creature is to be killed, or anything. All I know is that we cant just sit here and wait to die. We must face the fact that our order is finished." Striker did not want to put their present situation in such a harsh manner, but it was quickest way, and more importantly, it was the truth.

Mark was not overly surprised that there was no plan. It really didn't matter anymore. They were dead. Despair crept up on Mark and threaten to devour him before the creature or the fire ever could.

"How about we start with where we think the girl might be and how we are supposed to save her before the fire gets us? Or let's just start with where do we think we will find the girl?" Mark was annoyed. He wanted to put out the fire, hide from the creature or just let it all consume him. Chasing down the girl was the last thing he wanted to do when his way of life, the order and his brothers were all gone.

Hearing brother Winthrow voice his concerns Striker Took a Break from Climbing in Order to Address Them, "We Weren't Very Successful at Saving Our Brothers so We Could At Least Try to Save the female. The 'thing' which stalks us is a violent, cruel, and hellish beast with no sense of morality or compassion. Must we also be cruel and heartless?" With that Striker resumed climbing. Mark and Striker had finally reached the dining level I quickly made their way to the left side of the station so that they might climb the ladders which led to the industrial level. The fire which the two monks had managed to stay ahead of as they climbed the main shaft ladder ripped through the cell level at an incredible rate. The level which contained the dining area and the facilities for the order of monks was much larger than either of the two levels below it, this meant that there was far more oxygen on this particular level, which enabled the fire spreading more quickly. Mark and striker now found themselves standing on the only level of the immense space station that was free from the flames, knowing that this would not last for long they started to call out for Kat. As they passed the ladder that led to the hatch of the floodable chamber they heard Kat call out to them. "Over here. Quickly, it's our only chance." Knowing that she was referring to the man-made Lake situated on top of the station beneath the influence of the artificial gravity, Striker called for Mark to follow him.

Mark was at a point beyond caring when Striker scolded him for being heartless. They resumed their climb. Exiting on the dining level Striker began calling out and Mark just kept his eyes out for any sign of the creature. The girl called back and Striker moved to the location of her voice, beckoning Mark to follow.

He followed Striker but he was watching carefully. Where had the creature gone? "Does anyone else find it strange that the thing has not reappeared? I would have thought it should be following us..." Mark's voice trailed off as he followed to the hatch of the man made lake.

Mark had more concerns but this time he kept them quiet. He was simply a passenger at this point knowing if it was between him and the last people alive, he would be the one to sacrifice to the creature so they could try and escape.

Hearing the gentle calling of the female pilot Striker and brother Winthrow immediately proceeded to climb the ladder to the waterproof hatch. As the three of them crammed themselves into the small space Mark noticed that Kat was soaking wet, that's when he realized that she had apparently taken refuge in the crashed and crumbling spaceship which still lay on top of the station near the man-made Lake. Striker moved from his sitting position near brother Winthrow and joined Kat and the opposite side of the chamber and began to whisper in her ear. As the minutes slowly passed Kat and Striker's behavior began to take on an unsettling demeanor.

Brother Winthrow huddled to one side. The two of them were whispering to themselves. Mark wasn't sure he was overly fond of how things were going. No, something was not right. The girl was soaking wet, Mark was sore and tired, Striker was acting odd.

Mark inhaled deeply, rested his head on his knees and tried to meditate. He hope for some clarity, some solution to find him. All he found was fear.

After a few disturbing minutes Striker and Kat turned to Mark, finally speaking to him, "Kat has discovered something in her space ship, something which the creature seems to be frightened of. Only an hour ago the 'thing' had cornered her on the industrial level, she managed to get to the hatch of this chamber. Escaping into the lake and swimming to her ship she came to realize that it would not follow her into the wreckage. Therefore there must be something in that wreckage that it fears, if only we can find out what that item is.

Mark frowned. "Did it follow you into the water? How do you know it's something in the ship?" Mark sat not entirely believing the woman. All this started when she crashed into them and Mark wasn't sure yet that she was not the cause or in control of what was going on. Sure she had been afraid when the thing was near her but she could just be acting.

"If you are so sure it is something in there than how do you propose to figure out what that is exactly? Plan to invite the thing into the wreckage and had it things?" Mark's tone was sarcastic. "Tell me, how are we to handle this?" He practically spit the words at the two of them.

Striker looked at Mark with a slight expression of annoyance upon his face in regard to his rather flippant response. Yet even this natural reaction to such an insolent remark seemed an alien caricature of brother Striker's usual personality and temperament. "Well brother Winthrow, nothing as ridiculous as that I should think. It should be fairly simple however. We will enter the crashed ship and look for the item, as to what the thing might be. Anything that would be out of place for a space craft, I would imagine."

Mark watched Striker carefully. Something was not right with the man. His eyes watched and Mark took on a more careful tone with his words. "Something out of place? Odd that she wouldn't have noticed it before, say when she was flying in space? I think I'll stay here and keep an ear and eye out for the thing. Someone should, don't you think?"

Mark watched Striker and the girl, trying to find some sign of what it is they seemed to be planning. "After all how many can fit in it? No need for us all to try and cram ourselves inside and my bandages will make it hard for me to swim."

Mark's eyes narrowed slightly, "Just what is it that they are planning, something is wrong...off..."

The fire which had now consumed the rest of the station was quickly making its way up toward the hatch to the floodable chamber. The hatch would have kept the flames confined to the levels beneath if it had not been sabotage by Kat. Any concerns that brother Winthrow had about following her and Striker was now a moot point, for to stay within the chamber now would bring about the death of anyone remaining behind. Before Mark had a chance to respond to this new development Kat pressed the engage switch, water was now flooding into the chamber.

"What are....?" It was all Mark managed to get out before the water started flooding the chamber. His eyes wild, Mark tried to make his way to the girl. "What are you doing?" The water rushed in quickly and Mark struggled to move. He had no choice now, the fire was consuming the station and the water was flooding the chamber. Even if they made it to the wreckage there was nothing to come back to. It was all gone. The creature, the item in the wreckage, none of it matter.

Mark's instincts kicked in and he swam. He wanted answers but right now he was at least determined not to drown.

Striker and the girl were quick and effective swimmers and so they had no problem making the underwater rush to the top of the space station. Brother Winthrow was also an accomplished and avid swimmer, but the injury to his hands made the task difficult as of late. Seeing him struggle with the exhausting action Striker went to his aid. The swim was difficult but eventually they made it to the shore of the little man-made lake. The crumpled ship lay just off the rim of the water, it had rested there ever since the monks had pulled it from the lake. Kat leaned against the wrecked ship as Striker stepped aside to reveal the presence of the 'thing' crouched down behind him. 'This is where she gave birth to the creature." Striker blurted out.

Mark was grateful for Striker's aid in swimming. The bandages had made it extremely difficult. Crawling up on the shore, Mark coughed and sputtered. He expelled the bit of water he had swallowed. Looking up from his hands and knees he saw Kat lean against the wreckage and when Striker moved he saw the thing.

Mark's eyes went wide and he scrambled back towards the water. He thought he was hearing things, maybe there was water in his ears. "Birth?"

Mark had no words. Striker stood, Kat stood and the creature was there. It was a surreal scene and Mark's mind reeled. "But it...it destroyed them, it killed them...she brought...." The words spilled incohearantly from his mouth.

"IT! Is a male, or at least it will be, when it takes from you the final element that it needs." Striker said with a sadistic smirk on his face. "You see I called for her to come here to the station, to be with me. To save me from this austere prison, which stifles the mind and makes us freaks, unable to function in normal society." Striker was reduced to ranting, "But now I can be free, free to live, to function! To rule!! Reign!!! dominate!!!!" All during his tirade Kat simply stood there starring at Andrew with a look of pride in her eyes.

Mark cringed. They were both mad. Striker was going to kill them all. Once that thing, it was still a thing to him regardless of what Striker said, finished him off he was sure it would turn on them.

"I see..." Mark stood slowly. "Well you might as well get on with it. I am all that's left. If it only needs one more male to finish then what says it won't take you?" Mark slowly edged closer to the craft. There was debris. If he could get a sizable piece perhaps he could fight it off. He wasn't really sure why he was bothering but his survival instincts had kicked in so he went with it. "So it finishing me off, then what? The three of you live happily ever after here? There is nothing left. Your shuttle is destroyed." Mark's foot hit a piece of twisted metal. Long it would make a decent club. He slowly nudged it up with his foot and reached for it with his hand. Fingertips touched it, a little more and he'd have it in hand.

Striker was still reeling from the high of his frantic rhetoric and so he did not notice Mark picking up the jagged and crude piece of steel. The creature on the other hand never took its hungrily starring eyes off of brother Winthrow since it was introduced into the scene by Striker. Bringing its full agility and speed to bare the "thing" leaped at Mark and in one smooth motion had disarmed him and grasped him by the throat.

The creature moved quickly, Mark didn't even see it move and suddenly it was on him. His throat was constricted as the thing held him.

"Go ahead, finish it. Kill me. You killed the rest. There will be nothing left for you once I'm dead. There is nothing left." He practically spat on the thing. He was afraid of it but he was more angry. "Do it! Just do it already!" Mark yelled at the creature.

He challenged the thing with his eyes. His hands wrapped around it's arms as it gripped his neck. His attempt to free himself made even more ineffectual by the bandages. That was the moment his life had broken down, when the pot burnt his hand. It was truly a sign of the chaos that followed. "They are mad. There is nothing for them once it kills me. It will turn on them...."

Mark's breath was laboured. Between the thing choking him and his anger he was barely getting enough oxygen in. His face grew red and a sweat broke out. He would have laughed at the situation had he not been so full of fear and anger.

Th creature held Mark firmly in its grip and raised him clear off his feet, witnessing first hand the tremendous strength of the creature Mark wondered why it took so long to kill his brothers. Striker wasn't the only one who had secrets to divulge, Kat also started to explain the true reason for her arrival at the station. Yes part of it was because Striker had commissioned her to do so, but there was much more to it then that. "Did you monks really think that there would be no retribution for the theft of this space station? Well, you were mistaken!" Lowering her voice she continued, "I'm the designer of this entire craft. When Striker informed me that you monks had altered the interior, sheathing everything in wood, I knew that this would be the place to give birth to my child." Now pointing to the hideous creature with its pale, smooth body. "You see I'm somewhat of a misfit myself. My baby could never live in the world beyond this sphere, our dependence on technology made him a monster. Pollution and so forth. No. He needed a place where he could belong, a realm thrown back to a simpler time." The creature shifted its gaze from Mark and looked intensely at Kat, apparently not amused that it had been used as a tool of revenge. Mark was freed of the creatures grip as it refocused its anger on the one that bore him. Grabbing her by the throat the creature lifted her into the air and then tossed Kat kicking and screaming beyond the artificial atmosphere. After killing its own mother the creature turned to Striker and brother Winthrow. Walking toward them, as if it was about to attack, it stopped and pointed at the floor. Striker and Mark knew that it was indicating to them that they were to remain in the levels below, never more to ascend to the surface of the station.

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Standing on the cell level Striker and Mark looked around them to see that the wood had all been burned away. The two monks would spend the rest of their lives imprisoned within the very thing that had tried to escape, a completely technological world.