I don't believe in ghosts - Part 6
28 Jul 2019Zinnsei
The Janus ProtocolCommander's Personal Log, 27 APR 3305.
All that came before was two days ago. Needless to say, Lenard was pretty upset with my surviving the evacuation into space. Let's leave it at that.
I've been hiding out in the lower decks since then, playing a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with him, living off whatever scraps of food and water I can find. Although he hasn't been able to shut down life support, he has been in luck with removing my credentials from much of the equipment here. He has also shut down all the lights and I guess it's affecting all decks because wherever I try to go, it's dark as the grave. He must have some sort of equipment to aid in zero-viz, or maybe he's just even more evolved than I thought.
Honestly, I don't even know what he is or how much of him is even human still. I would wager that he's extremely modified.
I'm living like a rodent - a vermin, trying to hide inside the creature's cave.
Who would go to such lengths to create a super-human - a super agent, it would seem - and then let him loose on a vessel like this? What would be the point in him being here? I have to say that for the life of me I cannot see what is so important about this ship, the journey or even me.
I caught myself speculating on his age the other night - at least I think it was nighttime. I was wedged in between two cisterns for the water recycling system, where a little heat escapes the bulkheads. Just enough so you don't freeze while trying to get a few hours of sleep before having to scuttle to a new hiding place. He has a mean knack for sniffing me out. So anyway, I was contemplating: A man with a body so adaptable could be hundreds of years old if he was able to survive his encounters with whatever enemy he was pitted against. I am sure he is some sort of vanguard soldier of whatever evil cabal that created him.
***
I've devised a plan. If we're truly heading towards The Misty Mountains - a range of cavernous gorges and 30+ km. high canyon walls, I might be able to lure him off ship. The drop is steep and super-soldier or not, I'm sure he won't survive a drop into one of those bad boys.
I've prepared one of the two Scarabs with a small assortment of provisions. I have no idea for how long I'll be out there if I even get out, but it's best to be prepared.
Void, the head-aches are back.
***
We're landing. The VI is assisting, but as far as I can tell, Lenard is taking us in manually. Now's my chance! I've stoved in the cockpit of the Scarab and as soon as we're close enough, I'll pop the bay doors and do an emergency drop of the Scarab. Here goes nothing.
***
Shit! The canopy is cracked and I'm venting atmosphere. The Scarab is on its last leg and I'm not sure I'll be able to get out of this one. Warnings are blaring and I'm blinded by red strobes while trying to limp this broken husk back to the ship. Still more than 2 clicks to go. This is not how I imagined it would end although dying was definitely a risk I was aware of.
So the plan worked. As soon as we were slowing down, I jammed the release and let me tell you: The few seconds it takes to get the deployment system to open the doors and release the Scarab? Wars have been won and lost in a shorter timespan!
As soon as I was released, I stabbed the throttle to maximum and steered the Scarab using the wheel thrusters. I touched down hard and gunned it forward. Outside it was completely black and before I could activate the night vision hud, I was free-flying again. I had launched the Scarab over the precipice of the canyon. To my luck, the drop was no more than a hundred meters, even though I'm sure I gave myself a concussion when the wheels connected with the floor. As soon as I had an idea of where I was, I started blasting my distress beacon on all frequencies, knowing full and well that the chance of being heard by another ship out here was slim to none existing.
No matter - it wasn't the fleet I was interested in. It was him. Could he afford to take the chance that no one would hear me? I hoped not. If all went according to my daft and hastily prepared plan, Lenard would come looking for me in the other Scarab. Since the Void wasn't equipped with any sort of weapon, this would be his only option.
And I was right.
Not five minutes later my scanner picked up another vehicle blasting off from the plateau where the ship was parked. The hunt was on.