Chapter 5 Chapter Four
"Hurry up, the shuttle boat will arrive soon!" Captain Kerensky shouted.Dahl couldn't help thinking a silly and funny thought, Kerensky looked too energetic for a man who had just recovered from the disease.Then, like Hurst and everyone on the field team, he frantically runs down the corridors of the space station, trying to get out of the footsteps of the mechanical death.
This space station is not affiliated with the Cosmos Alliance. It was established by an independent commercial organization, and it probably has not undergone strict legal registration. However, it still continuously sends out superwave distress signals, and hides another group of encrypted information.Intrepid responded to the first set of distress calls and dispatched a field crew of two shuttle craft to the space station.When the field team arrived at the destination, the encrypted set of information had been deciphered.
The content of the message is: Get away from this place - the machine is out of control.
Dahl's field team understood the situation before the information was cracked, and a berserk machine tore the crew member Lopez to pieces.The screams echoing in the hall showed that the second field team also discovered this matter through painful experience.
Finn, Hansen and Duval are all on the second team.
"Which bastard actually encrypted the message of the robot killer?" Hurst shouted sharply.He had fallen to the end of the column.
The buzzing vibration hinted that one of the machines was following them not far behind, and it was a big guy.
"Quiet!" Dahl said.They already know that machines can see them, and they can probably hear them too.Dahl, Hurst, and the two remaining team members crouched down, waiting for Kerensky to tell them where to go next.
Kerensky looked at his communicator. "Dahl." He motioned Dahl to step forward.Dahl tiptoed to the captain and looked at the map displayed on his communicator. "Here we are," the captain pointed to one of the aisles. "The shuttle hangar is here. There are two ways to get there: one is through the station's main engine room; the other is through the already cluttered concourse area .”
Please stop talking nonsense and make a decision directly.Dahl thought to himself, still nodded.
"I think it's better for us to go in groups," Kerensky said, "so that if one group encounters a machine, the other group can safely reach the shuttle hangar. Which of you is trained to fly a shuttle?"
"Hurst," Dahl whispered, and then he wondered how he knew.He didn't remember hearing about it before.
Kerensky nodded: "Then you and him and McGregor's team, go through the lobby. Williams and I go through the main engine room. We will meet at the shuttle, and wait for Captain Fisher if possible." The team arrived and set off together to get out of this damn place."
"Yes, sir," Dahl said.
"Good luck," Kerensky said, motioning for Williams to follow him.
He didn't look liquefied at all, Darl wondered again.He returned to Hearst and McGregor and said: "The captain suggested to go in groups, and we went in groups of three through the hall to the hangar." Meanwhile, Kerensky and Williams were already down the aisle to the main Go to the engine room.
"What?" McGregor showed obvious despair. "Fuck you. I don't want to be with you. I want to follow Kerensky."
"It's an order," Dahl said.
"Fuck his shitty orders," McGregor said, "don't you understand? Nothing moves Kerensky, but you're different, you're just a second lieutenant. We're trapped in a In the space station of the bloody meat grinder. Do you really think you can get out of here without incident?"
"Calm down, McGregor." Dahl took his hand.From beneath his feet came the vibration of the hallway floor. "Let's not waste time here."
"No!" McGregor said, "You don't understand at all! Lopez has died in front of Kerensky! She has been sacrificed! The one who is with Kerensky now is safe!" He He got up abruptly and wanted to catch up with Kerensky. Just as he stepped into the corridor, the killing machine that had been following them appeared around the corner.Before McGregor could open his mouth to let out a cry, the steel fork of the machine had penetrated his right abdomen.
For a moment everything seemed to stand still.Dahl and Hearst huddled on one side of the corridor, the killing machine was turning the corner, and McGregor was hanging on the fork between them, blood raining down.
"Let me say it!" McGregor turned his head to the panicked Dahl, blood spurting from his mouth.Then he was thrown violently and landed on the cutting edge of the machine rotating at high speed.
Dahl yelled McGregor's name wildly, stood up and took out his pulse gun, and shot towards the center of the blood fog where the killing machine was.The pulse beam passed by, leaving the machine shell unscathed.Hurst yelled, dragged Dahl and fled down the corridor.The machine has reset the steel fork.They turned and ran up another aisle leading to the hall, rushed into the aisle and immediately closed the isolation door behind them.
"This kind of door won't stop that monster," said Hurst breathlessly.
Dahl inspected the door carefully. "There's also a set of doors here," he said, "for fire-stopping or gas-sealing. Find where the start button is."
"Found it," Hurst said. "Stand back." He pressed a big red button, and there was a creaking sound, and a pair of heavy doors began to close slowly, jamming halfway. "No way," said Hurst.
Through the glass of the closed door, the killing machine could be seen looming into view.
"I have a way," Darl said.
"Run away?" Hurst said.
"Go back to the starter," Dahl said.Hearst backed away puzzled.The machine's steel prongs sank into the outer door panel and ripped it open as Dahl raised his pulse gun and fired at the trigger.Immediately sparks flew from the panels, and the heavy fire doors began to close again with a trembling clang.
"Blow the button?" Hurst was full of doubts, "Is this your good idea?"
"Intuition tells me to do this," Dahl said, putting away the pulse gun.
"You mean, this space station was built indiscriminately?" Hurst said, "This whole thing is illegal construction?"
"Killing Machine seems to confirm that," Dahl said.
The forklift slammed into the fire door, making a loud noise.
"If that door is as messy as this place is, it probably won't last long," Hurst said.
"We won't stay here waiting to die." Dahl said, pulling out the communicator to check the map of the space station. "Come on, there's a door in the galley from which we can approach the hangar. If we're lucky, we should be able to get there."
When Dahl and Hurst arrived at the shuttle hangar through one aisle, Captain Fisher and Duval, Hansen, and Finn's team had already arrived through another aisle. "Oh, we're lucky," Finn said when he saw Dahl and Hurst appear.It sounded a bit sarcastic, but Finn said it in a tone that sounded like he was going crazy.Hansen put a hand on his shoulder. "Where's Kerensky and the rest of you?" Fisher asked Dahl. "We split up," Dahl said. "Kerensky and Williams were alive when we parted. Lopez and McGregor were dead." Fisher nodded and said, "The same goes for Payton and Webb in our group." "The steel forks and rotating blades of the machine?" Dahl asked. "A swarm of mechanical flies," Duval said. "We missed those," Dahl said. Fischer shook his head and said, "It's really unbelievable. I just transferred to the Intrepid. The first time I led the field team to perform a mission, I lost two members." "It's not your fault, sir," Dahl said. "I never thought it would turn out like this," Fisher said.He walked forward with a group of people, approaching the hangar cautiously. Once they were in the hangar, Fisher asked, "Who here is qualified to fly a shuttle?" "Me," said Hurst. "Great," Fischer said, pointing to the shuttle that Kerensky had been driving. "Start it. I'll start mine. You all board with him." He pointed to Hess. Te said, "If you see a machine approaching, don't hesitate to take off immediately. I have reserved space for Kerensky and Williams on my shuttle. Understand?" "Understood, sir," said Hurst. "Then act quickly." Fischer said, getting into his own shuttle boat. "This mission is a complete disaster." Hearst sat in the cabin and turned on a series of equipment for takeoff in turn.Finn, Duvall and Hansen were all wearing seat belts.Dahl was still standing at the hatch, looking for Kerensky and Williams. "Hurst, did you tell me before that you can drive a shuttle?" Dahl turned to Hearst. "I'm busy," Hurst said. "I didn't know he could pilot a shuttle." Finn sat in his seat.He desperately needed relief from his anxiety, and talking seemed like a good alternative to peeing all over himself. "I've known him for over a year." "I don't think you would ignore such important information," Dahl said. "We're not close," Finn said, "only about using his locker to hide things." Dahl didn't speak, and turned to the hatch again. "Okay," Hurst said, pressing a button, and the engine started.He buckled himself up and said, "Close the hatch, we're ready to take off." "Wait a minute," Darl said. "What nonsense are you talking about," Hurst said, pressing a button on the dashboard to close the hatch. Dahl slammed down on the hatch's manual brake valve. "I said wait!" he yelled at Hearst. "Are you out of your mind?" Hurst yelled back, "There's enough room for Kerensky and Williams over there. I just want to leave now. I'm the driver. I'm the driver." If you want to leave, you have to leave!" "We'll have to wait!" Dahl said. "Damn it! Why?" Hurst said. "They're here." Hansen, who was sitting in his seat, pointed to the distance. Dahl looked through the hatch to see Kerensky and Williams supporting each other as they staggered into the hangar.Immediately behind them came the thud of machines. Fisher poked his head out of the hatch and saw Dahl. "Hurry up!" He ran toward Kerensky and Williams.Dahl also jumped out of his shuttle boat and chased after him. "We have a total of six behind us," Kerensky said.They encountered two of them. "We tried our best, but a swarm of mechanical flies—" He fell, and Dahl caught him before he fell to the ground. "You take him?" Fisher asked Dahl.Dahl nodded. "Move him to your shuttle and let the pilot take off. Leave Williams to me. Quick!" Fischer wrapped his arms around Williams and tugged towards his boat.Williams looked back at Kerensky and Dahl with a look of extreme horror. The first machine has already thumped into the hangar. "Hurry up! Andy!" Duval stood at the hatch and shouted at Dahl, and Hansen also untied the safety belt and walked to the hatch.Dahl accelerated towards the shuttle, perfectly throwing Kerensky into the arms of Duval and Hansen.They dragged the captain into the cabin, and Dahl fell into the hatch afterward. "Can we leave now?" Hurst asked intentionally, and pressed the door control button before waiting for a response.The shuttle boat vacated from the anchorage, when something hit the cabin heavily and slid down. "Forklift!" Finn exclaimed.He wasn't wearing a seatbelt, but was watching the rearview monitor together behind Hurst. "It didn't catch it." The shuttle flew out of the hangar. "Finally got rid of it," Hester muttered. "How's Kerensky?" Dahl asked Duvall, who was checking on Kerensky. "He hasn't regained consciousness, but he doesn't look dangerous," she said, turning to Hansen. "Jimmy, please give me the first aid kit. It's behind the driver's seat." Hansen went to get the first aid kit. . "You know what to do?" Dahl asked. Duvall looked up. "Did I mention that I was an Army soldier? I was trained in first aid. I spent a lot of time putting bandages on people." She smiled. "Hess is not the only one who hides I'm alone." She opened the box and began to administer first aid. "Oh shit," Finn said, staring at the monitor. "What's wrong?" Darl walked over. "Another shuttle," Finn said, "I just received images from their cameras." Dahl saw images showing a dozen machines swarming into the hangar and firing on the shuttle.Above them was a mass of dark clouds floating and moving. "It's a swarm of mechanical flies." Finn murmured. The picture distorted and blurred, then flickered, and the screen went black. Finn slid into the passenger seat and tapped on the screen they had just watched. "The boat is in trouble," he said. "The engine won't start and the hull appears to be in disrepair." "We have to go back and save them," Dahl said. "No," Hurst said.Dahl glared at him, but Hearst met his gaze without flinching. "Andy, it can't be done. As long as the hull is damaged even a little bit, the mechanical fly swarm can get in. If the fly has already entered, then Fischer and Williams will definitely die." "He's right," Finn said. "There's no one left on that ship. We can't get them back if we go back. The hangar's been taken over by the goddamn stuff. And the shuttle isn't equipped with weapons. We Going there is just a second target for those machines." "Anyway, we were lucky to escape," Hurst said, returning to the console. Dahl looked back at Kerensky, who was being attended to by Duvall and Hansen, and he groaned slightly from time to time. "I don't think luck brought us back," Dahl said, staring at Kerensky.
When Dahl and Hurst arrived at the shuttle hangar through one aisle, Captain Fisher and Duval, Hansen, and Finn's team had already arrived through another aisle. "Oh, we're lucky," Finn said when he saw Dahl and Hurst appear.It sounded a bit sarcastic, but Finn said it in a tone that sounded like he was going crazy.Hansen put a hand on his shoulder. "Where's Kerensky and the rest of you?" Fisher asked Dahl. "We split up," Dahl said. "Kerensky and Williams were alive when we parted. Lopez and McGregor were dead." Fisher nodded and said, "The same goes for Payton and Webb in our group." "The steel forks and rotating blades of the machine?" Dahl asked. "A swarm of mechanical flies," Duval said. "We missed those," Dahl said. Fischer shook his head and said, "It's really unbelievable. I just transferred to the Intrepid. The first time I led the field team to perform a mission, I lost two members." "It's not your fault, sir," Dahl said. "I never thought it would turn out like this," Fisher said.He walked forward with a group of people, approaching the hangar cautiously. Once they were in the hangar, Fisher asked, "Who here is qualified to fly a shuttle?" "Me," said Hurst. "Great," Fischer said, pointing to the shuttle that Kerensky had been driving. "Start it. I'll start mine. You all board with him." He pointed to Hess. Te said, "If you see a machine approaching, don't hesitate to take off immediately. I have reserved space for Kerensky and Williams on my shuttle. Understand?" "Understood, sir," said Hurst. "Then act quickly." Fischer said, getting into his own shuttle boat. "This mission is a complete disaster." Hearst sat in the cabin and turned on a series of equipment for takeoff in turn.Finn, Duvall and Hansen were all wearing seat belts.Dahl was still standing at the hatch, looking for Kerensky and Williams. "Hurst, did you tell me before that you can drive a shuttle?" Dahl turned to Hearst. "I'm busy," Hurst said. "I didn't know he could pilot a shuttle." Finn sat in his seat.He desperately needed relief from his anxiety, and talking seemed like a good alternative to peeing all over himself. "I've known him for over a year." "I don't think you would ignore such important information," Dahl said. "We're not close," Finn said, "only about using his locker to hide things." Dahl didn't speak, and turned to the hatch again. "Okay," Hurst said, pressing a button, and the engine started.He buckled himself up and said, "Close the hatch, we're ready to take off." "Wait a minute," Darl said. "What nonsense are you talking about," Hurst said, pressing a button on the dashboard to close the hatch. Dahl slammed down on the hatch's manual brake valve. "I said wait!" he yelled at Hearst. "Are you out of your mind?" Hurst yelled back, "There's enough room for Kerensky and Williams over there. I just want to leave now. I'm the driver. I'm the driver." If you want to leave, you have to leave!" "We'll have to wait!" Dahl said. "Damn it! Why?" Hurst said. "They're here." Hansen, who was sitting in his seat, pointed to the distance. Dahl looked through the hatch to see Kerensky and Williams supporting each other as they staggered into the hangar.Immediately behind them came the thud of machines. Fisher poked his head out of the hatch and saw Dahl. "Hurry up!" He ran toward Kerensky and Williams.Dahl also jumped out of his shuttle boat and chased after him. "We have a total of six behind us," Kerensky said.They encountered two of them. "We tried our best, but a swarm of mechanical flies—" He fell, and Dahl caught him before he fell to the ground. "You take him?" Fisher asked Dahl.Dahl nodded. "Move him to your shuttle and let the pilot take off. Leave Williams to me. Quick!" Fischer wrapped his arms around Williams and tugged towards his boat.Williams looked back at Kerensky and Dahl with a look of extreme horror. The first machine has already thumped into the hangar. "Hurry up! Andy!" Duval stood at the hatch and shouted at Dahl, and Hansen also untied the safety belt and walked to the hatch.Dahl accelerated towards the shuttle, perfectly throwing Kerensky into the arms of Duval and Hansen.They dragged the captain into the cabin, and Dahl fell into the hatch afterward. "Can we leave now?" Hurst asked intentionally, and pressed the door control button before waiting for a response.The shuttle boat vacated from the anchorage, when something hit the cabin heavily and slid down. "Forklift!" Finn exclaimed.He wasn't wearing a seatbelt, but was watching the rearview monitor together behind Hurst. "It didn't catch it." The shuttle flew out of the hangar. "Finally got rid of it," Hester muttered. "How's Kerensky?" Dahl asked Duvall, who was checking on Kerensky. "He hasn't regained consciousness, but he doesn't look dangerous," she said, turning to Hansen. "Jimmy, please give me the first aid kit. It's behind the driver's seat." Hansen went to get the first aid kit. . "You know what to do?" Dahl asked. Duvall looked up. "Did I mention that I was an Army soldier? I was trained in first aid. I spent a lot of time putting bandages on people." She smiled. "Hess is not the only one who hides I'm alone." She opened the box and began to administer first aid. "Oh shit," Finn said, staring at the monitor. "What's wrong?" Darl walked over. "Another shuttle," Finn said, "I just received images from their cameras." Dahl saw images showing a dozen machines swarming into the hangar and firing on the shuttle.Above them was a mass of dark clouds floating and moving. "It's a swarm of mechanical flies." Finn murmured. The picture distorted and blurred, then flickered, and the screen went black. Finn slid into the passenger seat and tapped on the screen they had just watched. "The boat is in trouble," he said. "The engine won't start and the hull appears to be in disrepair." "We have to go back and save them," Dahl said. "No," Hurst said.Dahl glared at him, but Hearst met his gaze without flinching. "Andy, it can't be done. As long as the hull is damaged even a little bit, the mechanical fly swarm can get in. If the fly has already entered, then Fischer and Williams will definitely die." "He's right," Finn said. "There's no one left on that ship. We can't get them back if we go back. The hangar's been taken over by the goddamn stuff. And the shuttle isn't equipped with weapons. We Going there is just a second target for those machines." "Anyway, we were lucky to escape," Hurst said, returning to the console. Dahl looked back at Kerensky, who was being attended to by Duvall and Hansen, and he groaned slightly from time to time. "I don't think luck brought us back," Dahl said, staring at Kerensky.