“And better on an empty stomach,” Wall agreed. “I think I’d enjoy one of the food rations right now, I’m so hungry.”

  Tyson spooned the stew into his mouth. It had a delicate flavor, and the mushrooms gave it some meatiness he appreciated. He chewed and swallowed. “Not bad.”

  “So, Lieutenant Wall,” Siraj said. “How are you feeling about your crew going into Metro?”

  “I’m happy for them,” Wall replied. “I’ve been to the city. It’s quite nice, and the atmospherics really do make you feel like you’re outside, so long as you don’t look at the bulkheads.”

  “I haven’t been inside Metro,” Siraj said. “Have you, Captain?”

  “A couple of times,” Tyson said. “It’s layout is as confusing to me as Pioneer’s.”

  “Doesn’t the main street run the entire length of the city front to back?”

  “It does. But the blocks are arranged like a game of Tetris to maximize space. That part is a little more challenging.”

  “I grew up in Flint, Michigan,” Wall said. “It’s a much nicer city than it was thirty years ago, but it still had its problems. Given a choice between spending my life in Flint or Metro, I’d take Metro every time, and that’s with the travel restrictions. You should try to get in there before we seal it off.”

  “I don’t think Governor Nash would take too kindly to that,” Tyson said.

  “What’s the story with you and the Governor, Captain?” Wall asked. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “We just don’t see eye-to-eye on how things should be,” Tyson replied. “He’s decided to be a bit of a sore loser about it all.”

  “Like that will benefit any of us,” Siraj said. “How did he pass the psych eval?”

  “He must be a good liar,” Wall stated. “They’re designed to catch people who are lying, but if you’re smart enough, or devious enough, or if you know the tests are looking for cheats, you can beat them.”

  “You seem to know a lot about it,” Siraj said.

  “My wife was a psychologist. How do you think I passed the eval?” He laughed shortly before falling silent. “She’s been gone over a year now. I know she’d be happy I made it onto Pioneer.”

  Tyson dipped his spoon into the stew again, bringing it toward his mouth. He was almost there when all of the lights in the galley went out, pitching the compartment into total darkness.

  “What the heck?” Wall said.

  “Emergency lights should come on in a moment,” Siraj said.

  They waited a few seconds, but the room remained dark.

  “Everybody stay where you are,” Tyson said. “I’m contacting Chief Engineer Oslo now. I’m sure it’s just a minor glitch. I don’t want anyone getting hurt falling over a table.” The comment drew a few laughs from the crew as he tapped on his badge. “Chief Oslo.”

  The badge turned solid green, offering enough light for Tyson to see Wall and Siraj’s relaxed faces. A power fault in the lighting was hardly a big deal.

  “This is Oslo.”

  “Oslo, it’s Grant. I’m in the galley on deck eight. We’re having a power issue down here. All of the lights are out.”

  “Standby Captain, let me check with my team.” The comm was silent for a short time before Oslo returned. “We have the outage on our board, but we aren’t registering anything out of the ordinary. The circuits all look good from the remote interface.”

  “Is it only the galley, Chief?”

  “Sir, the galley and the area around general berthing. There’s a transformer at junction twelve that might be responsible. Like I said, our systems are showing everything operating normally, but the eyes don’t lie. I’m sending Spaceman Goins to take a look. He should be there in a minute.”

  “Thank you, Chief. Grant out.” Tyson tapped his badge. “It sounds like it’s the entire area around berthing,” he told the rest of the room. “If anyone here has a flashlight, now’s a good time to break it out.”

  That comment drew another laugh, which increased when Siraj reached into a pocket and pulled out a small, flat light. Turning it on, it was enough to bathe the room in dim illumination.

  “Do you always carry a flashlight, Commander?” Wall asked.

  She smiled. “In space? Yes, I think it’s a good idea. You never want to be left in the dark.”

  The crew members started getting up, a few of them producing flashlights of their own. They used the combined light to dispose of their garbage and return their trays. The hatch into the galley slid open, a spaceman in the blue utilities of an engineer framed in the entrance. He had an assortment of tools around his waist and a hammer in his hand.

  “Are you Goins?” Tyson asked.

  The engineer stepped into the room without responding.

  Tyson stood up. “Spaceman, did you hear me? Are you Goins?”

  He still didn’t answer. His expression was flat, his eyes dead.

  “Spaceman,” Wall said. “Captain Grant is speaking to you.”

  The engineer turned his head slightly, looking at Wall, but he didn’t respond.

  “That’s Goins,” one of the other crew said, walking over to the engineer. “Hey buddy, are you feeling okay?”

  “I hunger,” Goins replied.

  The man laughed. “Well then you came to the right place. But you need to answer the Captain when he—”

  Goins abruptly cut him off as he swung the hammer into the man’s head, hitting him with enough force to sink the tool into his skull. The spaceman dropped, blood pouring from the wound.

  53

  Grant

  Pioneer. Galley. 11.13.2052. 0000 hours.

  “I hunger,” Goins repeated, turning toward the other crew members.

  A wave of fear and nausea passed over Tyson, Goins’ murderous attack on his fellow engineer taking him completely off-guard. What the hell was going on? The other crew members rushed Goins, their training mandating they subdue him before he could harm anyone else. Wall and Siraj got to their feet joining Tyson as he circled the table, putting it between them and the spacemen as they converged.

  Siraj tapped on her badge. “Guardians, this is Commander Siraj. We have a situation in the general galley. We need armed reinforcements immediately. I repeat, we need armed Guardians in the general galley, deck eight, immediately.”

  “Commander, this is Alesso. Tran is on his way. He’s a few hundred meters out. ETA ninety seconds.”

  “Copy that.”

  Tyson didn’t expect the melee to last that long. The engineer had a hammer, but it was still six against one.

  The largest member of the crew moved in first. Big and muscular, he looked like a linebacker, the kind of man who should steamroll Goins. That’s what seemed would happen too when Goins swung the hammer and the big man caught his forearm, stopping the blow in its tracks. But then Goins threw a hard left cross, catching the big man in his ribs with enough force Tyson heard his ribs crack. He dropped like a rock, suddenly struggling to breathe.

  “That’s impossible,” Wall said beside him.

  The rest of the crew threw themselves wildly at Goins. Tyson noticed the cook coming out of hiding too, santoku knife in hand. The exit was behind the engineer, leaving them no room to escape.

  “This way, Captain,” Siraj said, keeping calm despite the chaos. “Guardian Tran will be here soon, we just need to stay back until then.”

  Tyson turned his head as he retreated so he could watch the spacemen launch their attack on Goins. They charged in almost as one, a sea of flailing bodies and fists. Goins hit one of them with the hammer, burying it in the man’s chest. He fell back, taking the tool with him, at the same time a second spaceman jumped on Goins’ back. Goins grabbed her utilities with one hand, lifting her and throwing her into the other crew as if she were a basketball, not a human being. She knocked two of the others down, suddenly leaving Goins and the last two spacemen standing.

  “He’s got to be high on something,” Wall said.

  The two men attacked from Goins’ flanks, rushing him at the same time. He turned to the one on his right, lunging forward and catching his head, turning it so violently it broke the man’s neck, killing him instantly. The other man hit Goins in the back, managing to knock him down. He started pummeling the engineer in the back of the head, the other spacemen that were still breathing joining him.

  Tyson stopped near the chow line. The cook reached Goins, brandishing the knife and yelling for Goins to surrender. He looked up at the cook, ignoring the blows from the other crewmen. Then he sprang at the cook as if there was nobody on his back, carrying the weight effortlessly. He grabbed the cook’s forearm and turned, breaking it with a wet crack. Catching the dropped knife in his other hand in the same motion, Goins sliced it across the cook’s neck, sending him tumbling back, spilling blood.

  “Shit!” Wall gasped.

  “Guardian Tran, where are you?” Siraj shouted over the comm.

  “Commander, I’m on deck eight, heading your way,” Tran replied, breathing hard from his run.

  Goins stood up straight, grabbing the man behind him and pulling him around to stab the knife deep into the crewman’s eye.

  “Captain, we have a chance to get past him,” Siraj said. “We need to go, now.”

  “It’s too risky,” Wall said.

  “If we stay here, he’s going to kill us too.”

  “Guardian Tran is on the way. He won’t survive bullets.”

  “Are you sure?” Siraj’s reply sent a wave of fear down Tyson’s spine, the Commander’s expression galvanizing it.

  “What do you mean?” Wall asked.

  Goins was on the offensive now, moving toward the three remaining crew members who had decided they couldn’t take the knife-wielding maniac. They pushed tables over in front of him as they backed away. Goins didn’t hurry after them, walking calmly as if he were headed for the chow line.

  “I hunger,” he said again.

  “He’s not high on something,” Siraj said. “I don’t think he’s Goins anymore. Captain, don’t you remember? Prime Cross said he heard a voice in his head when he was in the alien vessel. It said it hungered.”

  Tyson’s fear doubled, his hands beginning to tremble. He clenched them into fists to stop the shaking. “God help us,” he said. “We need to make a run for it.”

  Siraj led them toward the exit, walking almost too calmly toward the bulkhead to trace it back to the hatch. Although Goins was stalking the other crew, he seemed to notice their movement as well. He stopped and turned back their way.

  “Run,” Tyson said.

  They broke for the exit at a run. Goins gave chase, rushing back across the galley to cut them off, his legs moving so much faster than theirs.

  “Captain, get out of here,” Wall said. He changed direction, throwing himself at Goins.

  “Wall!” Tyson shouted, too slow to stop him. Goins slowed to turn on the Lieutenant, catching him in the shoulder with the knife as he tackled the engineer, buying Siraj and Tyson time.

  They continued running, making it out the door. Tyson was just past the threshold when something hit him from behind, knocking him forward into the bulkhead. He hit it hard with his shoulder and slid to the deck, looking back to find Wall’s dying body at his feet.

  “Captain!” Guardian Tran rushed up to them from the side, fully armored and rifle in hand.

  Tyson pointed, and Tran turned toward the galley. Goins was right in front of him, holding the knife with his head slightly down, eyes raised. Tyson had never seen a look of such pure malice on anyone’s face. “Shoot him!” he shouted at the stunned Tran.

  It was enough to bring Tran out of his daze. The Guardian opened fire, spewing rounds into Goins. The engineer shuddered from the hits, the force driving him backward. Tran put nearly a dozen bullets into him, walking toward him until he collapsed.

  The Guardian lowered his weapon, taking in the entirety the bloody scene with disturbed amazement before looking back at Tyson. “Captain, are you okay?”

  “Yes. Mostly,” Tyson replied, clutching his shoulder as he used the bulkhead to regain his feet.

  Tran turned back to Goins, entering the galley and surveying the damage. “What the hell happened here?” he said, walking over to Goins to make sure he was dead.

  “Captain,” Siraj said, coming over to him and wrapping an arm around him to help keep him upright. “We need to get you to sickbay.”

  Tyson nodded. His stomach was in knots, and his shoulder hurt like hell. “Tran, contact Prime. I want every Guardian up and armored, and I want every drone in the passageways. We need to search the ship.”

  “Aye aye, Captain,” Tran replied. “What are we looking for?”

  “Black goop, like tar. Evidence of alien contamination.”

  Tran’s face paled. “Contamination?”

  “Siraj, we need to get to the bridge. I need to get in contact with Governor Nash. We’re sealing Metro permanently. Right now.”

  “Sir?”

  “We can’t risk whatever this thing is getting into the city.”

  “How do we know it hasn’t already?”

  “The seals were closed except during the transfer. That was before we disturbed the object. It can’t have made it in.” He shook his head. There was no way to be one hundred percent sure of course, but leaving the seals open would only give it more opportunity to sneak in. “It can’t have made it in,” he repeated. “We need to close the seals.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  They started down the passageway. The three surviving crew members came out of the galley behind them. Tyson stopped and turned back to them. They were all pale and battered, clearly traumatized. He was too, but he didn’t have time to give in to it right now. “All of you, head to sickbay for evaluation.”

  “Aye aye, sir,” one of them replied. Another bent over, vomiting onto the deck.

  “What the?” he heard Tran say inside the galley. “No. No! Noooo!” Tran started screaming, a horrific cry that made Tyson’s blood run cold. Then the three crew members joined him, sudden gunfire tearing into their backs, the men and one woman throwing their arms up as they stumbled to the deck, dead.

  “Captain, run!” Siraj shouted again, having the presence of mind to shove him ahead of her into the passageway.

  Tyson looked back over his shoulder as they broke into a run down the passageway. Tran emerged from the galley, rifle still in hand. His head turned their way, a smile breaking his face as he took aim at them.

  They reached the nearby junction. Tran’s bullets hit the bulkhead behind them as they barely cleared the corner. They continued running, making for the corridor leading to the bridge. They had a decent lead on Tran, but would they make it before he reached them?

  “Siraj, contact Prime. We need him now!”

  54

  Grant

  Pioneer. Bridge. 11.13.2052. 0010 hours.

  “Prime Cross, do you copy?” Siraj said. “Prime, come in.”

  “Forget it, Commander,” Tyson said. “He’s gone.”

  She looked at him with a shocked expression. “Gone? He can’t be gone. He was supposed to escort Doctor Rose back to her module.”

  “He isn’t responding to comms. We can ask the scientists once we get to the bridge, assuming Rose connected their network to the rest of Pioneer’s systems like I ordered.”

  “If Joseph’s still with her, she should have. Maybe we can—”

  The comm interrupted her. “Captain Grant, this is West. All of the Dragonflies are active, following the search patterns we set up earlier. All of the Guardians are active as well, fully armored and armed with plasma. Hoffman has the CIC. I’m on my way to the galley.”

  “What about Prime?” Grant asked.

  “Negative, sir. No sign of him.”

  He could hear the tension in her voice. The concern for Joseph. Fraternization was generally against regulation, but it was also human, the boundaries difficult to maintain one hundred percent of the time. She and Joseph were friends at the very least, even if neither would ever admit it.

  “He’ll turn up,” Grant replied. “We think he’s still down in Research with Rose.”

  “Yes, sir. He’s an idiot for leaving his comm badge pinned to his utilities,” West said. “I recommend a court martial.”

  “I’ll take that under consideration, Second West. For now, I’ll settle for finding Tran and the thing controlling him before he shoots any more of the crew.”

  “Aye aye, sir. West out.”

  The door to the bridge loomed a few meters ahead. Siraj released Tyson from her assistive grip as they reached it, the door sliding away. He went around the command station under his own power, Siraj right behind him.

  Lieutenant Commander Novitz stood when he saw them. “Attention on deck!”

  “At ease,” Tyson said. “Novitz, I have the bridge. Take the first station. Siraj, take the conn.”

  “Aye aye, sir,” Siraj said.

  Novitz moved aside to let her sit. He crossed to the first station, where Ensign Kaminski was seated. She moved aside to allow him to sit.

  “Ensign, stay on the bridge,” Tyson said. “It’s safer here.”

  “Aye aye, sir,” Kaminski replied, taking position at parade rest directly behind Siraj’s station.

  “Commander, lock down the bridge hatch,” Tyson said. “Nobody gets in or out. Seal off all passageways to life support and critical systems.”

  “Aye aye, Captain,” Siraj said. “Sealing off passageways. Bridge hatch is sealed.”

  “Captain, what’s going on?” Novitz asked.

  “We have a situation,” Tysone replied. “Get me Doctor Rose.”

  “Aye aye, sir,” Siraj said. Her hands moved along the control board. She pursed her lips and shook her head. “Sorry, Captain. Research isn’t on the board. No new modules have been added to the network.”

  “Damn it,” Tyson growled. “Where the hell is Prime?” He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm. “Get Governor Nash on the comm.”

  “Aye aye, sir.”