Nightstalkers
By Metabad
In front of a dark metallic dropship, a group of armoured soldiers dressed in SWAT uniforms stood at attention. The square jawed, burly, muscular drill sergeant addressed them.
“Remember, your mission is to deliver Chemical 482 back to its planet of origin.” The Sergeant leered at each and every one of them. “This is solely a recon mission, we do not so much as touch a thing there, or else there will be dire consequences, do you understand me, maggots?”
“Sir, yes sir!” The soldiers shouted.
“I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” The Sergeant yelled.
“SIR, YES SIR!” The Soldiers shouted even louder.
“THAT’S BETTER!” The Sergeant crossed his arms behind his back. “Now, get moving, go go go!”
The men entered the steel ship, a lone scientist joined them, and it took to the skies, blasting off into hyperdrive. They were all in space in what felt like mere seconds. They were all sitting down in seats as the pilot guided the ship.
“So...” One of the soldiers began fiddling around with his weapon while looking at the other. “Some mission, huh Bruce?”
“I thought we weren’t supposed to use our real names for this.” Bruce said.
“Yeah, but who’s gonna notice?” The Soldier shrugged. “It’s an odd mission anyway, I mean, why would you get seasoned veterans like us for a glorified delivery job?”
“I dunno, Ralph, why do you think?” Bruce rolled his eyes.
“I mean, it seems like overkill, don’t you think? Any schmuck could’ve done it.” The leader of the group pointed at the doorway. “That egghead that came on board? I bet he could’ve just brought his scientist friends along and taken care of things on his own.”
“He was the one who was using these chemicals in his work, of course he’d come on board.” Bruce explained. “And besides, it could be dangerous there...he might need backup.”
“Tch, a dangerous planet? That uninhabited ball of slime? Yeah, right.” Ralph shook his head. “Whatever.”
“We’re about to make a landing, brace for impact.” The pilot said.
The ship descended through the planet's atmosphere, causing the soldiers to feel the turbulence, the ship rocking back and forth upon entry. Finally, they landed on the surface of the planet, the doors of the ship hissed open. In the centre of the room was a large, glowing metal container that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. This was where the chemical was stored.
“This is it,” the scientist said, his eyes fixed on the container. “We need to retrieve Chemical 482, put it in its proper place and get out of here.” The soldiers formed a protective circle around the scientist as he made his way towards the container. The scientist reached out to grab it and once he got his hands on it quickly loaded it onto a cart, the soldiers disembarked.
The soldiers looked at each other and nodded, they put on their gas masks. With the scientist's help, the soldiers were able to make their way off the ship and onto the planet's surface, where they were immediately met with the daunting challenge of navigating the harsh and unfamiliar landscape. The alien world was a completely barren, desolate wasteland with no visible signs of life. The men then proceeded to unload the cargo and stepped out of the ship. The air was thick with a noxious gas, making it hard to breathe. There were no plants, no animals, nothing. There were only hills and mountains in all directions. The sky was a dull shade of brown, and the ground was covered with a thick green sludge-like substance.
"Is this...?" Ralph asked.
"It's not some godforsaken wasteland is it?" Bruce muttered, taking a look around as he walked.
The scientist followed them, carrying a small box. He was sweating profusely and looked around nervously. He seemed to be in a hurry to deliver the chemical back to the planet so he could get off of it as soon as possible.
When they got to their destination, Bruce took the container and opened it, a thick mist emitting from it, followed by green goo not dissimilar to what was around them, spilling its contents back onto the surface of the planet, which blended with all the other goo surrounding them. The task was completed quickly, and Bruce gave the scientist a nod. With that, they turned around in order to head back to their ship. “We must leave this place as soon as possible, and never look back.” The scientist urged.
The soldiers looked at each other, they were confused by the scientist's strange behavior, but they decided to follow his orders. They trekked back to the ship, their feet sinking into the gooey ground, they had to take bigger, wider steps given how frequently their metallic boots were getting stuck, eventually, they were back on their ship. “Mission successful.” Bruce announced.
“Prepare for liftoff!” The pilot announced, and with that, the engines activated, the ship slowly ascended back up into the sky, leaving a trail of fuel and smoke behind it and although experiencing more turbulence, within seconds they were leaving the planet behind.
As they flew away, they looked back at the planet. “What a snore fest, nothing even happened.” Ralph was heard yawning from underneath his helmet.
“At least we didn’t lose any men, and we got the job done.” Bruce said.
“That place was filthy, you won’t catch me dead on that planet again, that’s for sure.” Another soldier remarked.
“Gave me the friggin’ creeps.” A soldier across from him spoke up.
“Let’s just be glad we got that over with.” Bruce sighed.
“Yes, now if you’ll excuse me, I have some work to do.” The scientist hopped out of his seat and went into another room, the doors sliding shut behind him.
The soldiers sat there in silence for a few minutes. "So, what now?" One of the soldiers asked.
"Now, we continue on our way back home, save the fighting for another daym unless one of you want to start something." Bruce said cheekily.
Just then, the ship violently rocked back and forth. “What the hell?!” Ralph yelled. Bruce got up and looked out the window, there were asteroids floating nearby. The ship navigated through them carefully, making sure as to not hit or destroy any of them, lest they make it worse. After a few moments, they were out of the asteroid field, but just when things were looking better, the lights went out.
“Oh, God damn it…” Ralph muttered in frustration. “Anyone bring a flashlight?” Sure enough, some of the soldiers had light scopes at the end of their guns, they activated them and got up.
“With the power out, we’ll have to repair the fuse boxes.” Bruce exclaimed. “Let’s get to work.”
They traversed their way through the dark corridors, with everything else dead silent, the sounds of clanking metallic footsteps filled the air as they walked through the hallways. Any automatic doors they came across were sealed shut, so they had to pry them open. As the soldiers cautiously made their way through the dark ship, they suddenly heard a low growl emanating from the shadows. They instinctively raised their weapons and fired, sending a hail of bullets into the darkness. One of the soldiers went to inspect the area, but found nothing, the bullets embedded into the metallic wall.
“Be careful, we don’t want to waste any ammunition.” Another soldier scolded him.
They resumed their walk, prying open any sealed doors and fixing any fuse boxes they could find. A few sounds made them jump, but nothing out of the ordinary. One of the soldiers could have sworn he heard slithering and rummaging above him, but he looked and only saw the dark metallic ceiling.
Radars beeped and blipped, when right then and there the sound of growling returned, growing even louder.
“Hey, it ain’t me.” One of the soldiers raised his hands, noticing his friends looking at him. “I ate not too long ago.”
“Then in that case…” Another soldier fired into the darkness, screeching and hissing followed. Then, without warning, the solder was grabbed and dragged through the vents, he screamed, but was quickly silenced, the others fired in the direction this noise was coming from, and then they were attacked, massive claws swiping at the soldier in front, the armour was meant to protect them, but instead was torn up. The soldier jumped back and fired wildly at whoever or whatever his assailant was. All he heard was roaring as the unseen creature mauled him. The other soldiers tried firing, but this only seemed to anger the beast, they all scrambled and ran out of there.
“What the hell was that?!” Ralph wailed, trying to catch his breath.
“I have…no…idea…” Bruce said, also sounding breathless.
Once the final fuse box was fixed, the lights came back on, revealing the unexpected sight of several of the soldiers’ bodies lying motionless on the ground, roars, yelling and even more metallic clanks were heard in the distance.
“What are these creatures? Where did they come from? What do they want with us?” Ralph’s questions just didn’t stop coming.
“We’ll find out soon…I hope…” The rest of them cautiously approached the bodies, taking care to keep their guard up, when suddenly the lights blinked on and off, and the creatures barged into the room, springing on them with a fierce energy. The soldiers gasped in horror at the sight before them. These monsters were much larger and more ferocious than they had anticipated, and there were dozens of them.
These beasts were unlike anything the soldiers had ever seen before. They were spiky and had purple scales with large, sharp teeth. They moved with a lightning-fast agility and were clearly extremely dangerous.
The soldiers quickly realized that they were outmatched and began to back away, firing their weapons blindly at the approaching creatures. But it was no use; they were too fast and too powerful. The soldiers were quickly overpowered and outnumbered in an alarmingly quick fashion.
Just as it seemed like all hope was lost, a bright light filled the room and a figure appeared out of nowhere. It was the lone scientist who had joined them on the mission. He wielded a strange device that emitted a blinding white light, which seemed to repel the Nightstalkers.
We need to figure out what we're dealing with here.” Ralph muttered.
“You! Do you know what these things are?” Bruce asked.
“Yes, I have dubbed them Nightstalkers.” The scientist explained. “These creatures are native to the planet we were on, and have likely been disturbed by our arrival.” His expression grew darker. “Be careful, I gave them that name for a reason, they thrive in darkness.” He warned the soldiers, staying behind as they made their way through the now dangerous corridors, as there were likely many more dangerous creatures lurking in the shadows.
“How did they get in here so fast?” Ralph asked. “And why did we see no sign of them outside? It doesn’t make any sense…”
“I’ll do what I can to find all the answers.” The scientist tried to reassure them. One thing was for sure, the mission had suddenly become a lot more complicated and dangerous than they had anticipated. In another room, a pair of claws scraped across another fuse box, and the ship went pitch black once more.
“Damn it!” Breaking into the next room, the soldiers continued to fire their weapons blindly into the darkness, hoping to hit their mark. The growls and snarls of the Nightstalkers only grew louder.
“Hold your fire!” Ralph shouted. “We need to conserve ammo.”
The soldiers hesitated for a moment but eventually followed Ralph's orders. The room fell silent, except for the sounds of the Nightstalkers' claws scraping against the metal floors.
Suddenly, the lights flickered back on, illuminating the room, making the Nightstalkers disperse. “We need to stick together and make our way to the cargo hold,” Ralph said, his voice steady despite the fear evident in his eyes. “We can lure the creatures there and disconnect it.”
“A sound plan, we wouldn’t want to bring these abominations back to Earth.” Bruce remarked.
The soldiers nodded in agreement, and they cautiously made their way through the ship, their weapons at the ready.
As they moved, the darkness and silence around them only got eerier and eerier. They could hear steam going off and the sound of pipes leaking. As they continued their journey, a group of Nightstalkers appeared, blocking their path. the Nightstalkers continued to attack, swiping at the soldiers with their razor-sharp claws. The soldiers were able to fend off most of the attacks, but a few of them sustained minor injuries.
“We're not leaving without a fight,” Bruce said, firing his weapon at the Nightstalkers.
The soldiers engaged in a fierce battle with the Nightstalkers, fighting for their lives. It was a bloody and brutal fight, the lights flickered back on, and suddenly the Nightstalkers were gone, soldier corpses were strewn about the ground.
The survivors cautiously made their way through the dimly lit corridors, their weapons at the ready. Suddenly, they heard a low growling sound and the lights flickered before going out completely.
“Contact!” One of the soldiers yelled, firing his weapon wildly into the darkness. The others followed suit, shooting at the shadows as they heard the sound of something moving towards them. Suddenly, the lights flickered back on, illuminating the corridor, but the sound of the growling continued. "Contact, on my mark, charge!" Ralph yelled.
As they made their way towards the centre of the ship, they stumbled upon a horrifying sight. Red humanoid creatures, their skin peeled off like a layer of paper, lurched towards them with outstretched arms. The soldiers reacted quickly, firing their weapons at the creatures. The creatures exploded in a shower of gore and viscera, leaving a foul stench in the air.
“What the hell were those things?” Ralph asked, his voice quivering with fear.
“I don’t know, they didn’t look like those Nightstalkers, that’s for sure.” Bruce replied, his weapon still aimed at the spot where the new creatures had been. “Way too humanoid for that…but still, we need to keep moving.”
The group continued down the corridor, their senses heightened and their fingers ready to pull the trigger at a moment's notice. The ship was silent except for the sound of their footsteps and the occasional flicker of the emergency lights.
After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached the central chamber of the ship. The room was large and circular, with a high ceiling and several doors leading off in different directions. Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and a low rumble filled the room.
“What the hell is going on?” Ralph yelled, his voice barely audible over the noise.
“I don’t know, but we need to move fast,” Bruce replied, his eyes darting around the room. Before they could even think about moving, the room was suddenly filled with a blinding light. The soldiers shielded their eyes, but even through their hands, they could see the outline of a massive creature looming over them.
“Nightstalker sighted!” Ralph yelled, his voice trembling with fear.
“Looks like a big one.” Bruce replied, his weapon trained on the creature. “This won’t be easy.”
The creature let out a deafening roar, causing the soldiers to stumble back. Its skin was purple like the others, but its body oozed a sickly green, and it had razor-sharp teeth and claws that glinted in the light. The soldiers fired their weapons, but the bullets seemed to have no effect on the beast.
"We're not gonna make it!" One of the soldiers yelled.
"We can't just stand here and get eaten!" another one cried.
“We need to get out of here,” Ralph shouted, frantically looking for an exit.
“Not without the container,” a soldier said, clutching the container to his chest.
“Shouldn’t the scientist be looking after that? Damn it, man, where is he?! We don’t have time for this!” Bruce yelled, grabbing the soldier by the arm as the beast swiped at them. “We need to go!” The group ran down the hallway as they were chased by the massive creature, their footsteps echoing through the ship. The other Nightstalkers loomed menacingly ahead of them, some joining the larger one in its chase, a few more slowly stalked toward them, their growls getting closer and closer. The soldiers fired blindly, hoping to hit something, anything. But the creatures were too fast and too agile, darting in and out of the shadows. As they rounded the corner, they came face to face with more of the red-skinned humanoids. The soldiers fired, and the man-like creatures exploded into a shower of blood and guts. The smell was overwhelming, and the soldiers struggled to keep their lunch down.
“This really is something out of a nightmare…” Ralph said, wiping his mouth.
“I know, but we need to keep moving,” Bruce said, grabbing his fellow soldier by the arm. “We’re almost there.” They burst into the next room, and their eyes widened at the sight before them. The room was filled with more of the giant Nightstalkers, all of them towering over the soldiers. They were surrounded.
“Shit,” Bruce muttered, his finger tightening on the trigger of his weapon. “We’re screwed.”
"What are we gonna do?" the soldier whimpered.
"I don't know, maybe we can escape through the doorways," Bruce said, pointing to the rounded walls all around them.
"What the hell?" Ralph asked. "We were supposed to lure them there, not let them find us!"
"They found us, and that's why we need to get to the hold."
Finally, the scientist reached the cargo hold, and he breathed a sigh of relief. “I must move out,” he said, pushing the cart towards the exit. The doors slid open as a few soliders entered the cargo bay. “We’re outnumbered, there are too many of them, and some of them are just too damn big! How the hell did they enter the ship without anyone noticing?!”
“Well…I may have an answer to that…” The scientist pushed the rim of his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He turned around and slowly stepped forward, a sly grin on his face. The soldiers stared at this in disbelief.
“What are you doing?” The scientist could only laugh in response to the soldier’s question. He quickly lunged forward, firing a powerful plasma gun at the soldiers, they fell down, their armour on their chests were burned through. They fell over, coughing violently. “You...you’re behind all of this?” A soldier asked weakly, his voice shaking with anger and fear.
The scientist chuckled. “Oh, please. Did you really think this was just a simple delivery mission? That I would send a group of soldiers to do what I could easily do myself?” He began to swiftly shoot the soldiers in the head. “I can’t leave behind any evidence, it’s nothing personal.” One of them tried getting back in contact with the others, but was quickly silenced with a headshot, his communicator cutting to static. He knelt down to the soldiers, fiddling with their bodies.
“Sir, communication with the south division has been silenced!” Bruce yelled.
“Something is very, very wrong here…” Ralph trekked through the ship as the Nightstalkers swarmed through, slaying any surrounding soldiers. When they reaced the corridors, they saw a red skinless humanoid staring them in the face, their cracked yellow eyes practically glowing, they turned their heads and screamed at them, but with swift firing accuracy, they were blown to pieces.
“Doctor, we need you to get out of the cargo hold, we need to send these creatures to their deaths!” Ralph exclaimed.
“No…I don’t think I’ll be doing that.” The scientist grinned. “How else are these Nightstalkers going to off the rest of you?”
“Wait…this was an inside job?!” Ralph yelled.
“Exactly…” The scientist chuckled coldly to himself.
“But...but why?” Bruce demanded, his weapon still trained on the scientist.
“Why?” The scientist raised an eyebrow. “For power, of course. Chemical 482 was just the beginning. Now that I have access to more of it, I can create an army of Nightstalkers, I’ll be able to do whatever I desire. I will be unstoppable.”
“So, you were behind all of this! They weren’t native to the planet at all, you liar!” Ralph held his gun firmly. “And those red humanoids…they’re part of this cycle, aren’t they?”
“Oh yes, those are your own men you’re firing at, my friends.” The scientist nodded. “Through my experiments, I have discovered that that is the early stage of these Nightstalkers before they engage in their full transformation, it is where they are the most vulnerable.”
“You sick son of a bitch,” Ralph spat.
The scientist shrugged. “You can call me whatever you wish, but it won’t change the fact that you’ll all be killed by my marvelous creations. I hold all the cards here…surrender now, and I may consider sparing your lives.”
The soldiers exchanged a quick glance before lunging forward, weapons blazing, but soon everything was enveloped in a bright light, and when it died down the scientist was gone.
“DAMN IT!” Bruce yelled, punching his own knee.
“We’ll deal with him later.” Ralph reassured him. “For now, we need to lure the Nightstalkers here, and just do our best to survive. We won’t lose any of our own to those freaks.”
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Bruce said, breathing heavily. He walked forward, then heard a sudden sound behind him, he looked back and cocked his gun, but saw nothing. He wasn’t sure what that noise was, nor did he care as long as he and his comrades survived.
The soldiers grabbed the container and ran out of the cargo hold, their hearts pounding in their chests. They finally came to a room that had no sign of the Nightstalkers, and the only noise they heard was the hissing of the lights. They stopped to catch their breath and looked out the window. The ship continued to slowly drift past the distant stars, the accursed planet was far behind them.
“Hopefully our ‘dear friend’ doesn’t have any more of that chemical to use on our men.” Ralph said.
“Like hell we’re losing anyone else to that madman.” Bruce said spitefully. As they hurtled through space, they knew that they were in the middle of a harrowing disaster, they knew that they couldn’t let their guard down. Not when there were still so many dangers lurking around every corner of this ship. “Where did that rat bastard run off to?”
Ralph went to go check the radar. "Something's up there!" A soldier cried, pointing to the radar.
Bruce looked up at the radar, and saw a blip that was approaching very quickly. "That's the life support system."
“You go after him, take care of him, I’ll lure the remaining Nightstalkers to the cargo bay. If you don’t hear from me in half an hour, disengage the cargo on your own.”
Ralph nodded and opened the ventilation shaft, with that, he crawled inside.
The scientist grinned, he turned and quickly ran for the door, not looking back. “They figured out my plans…” He took out another container holding the chemical. “…but I will have the last laugh.”
Bruce ran through the ship, his fellow soldiers, his allies, his comrades in arms, they were dying all around him. Screams and growls were heard everywhere, they were being viscerally torn asunder by these new beings. He couldn’t even turn a corner without seeing blood and guts staining the metallic wall. he soldiers around him screamed and cried as they were torn to shreds, their bodies devoured within seconds of their lives ending. The only consolation was that they were quick enough to save the lives of their comrades. “COME AND GET ME, FUCKERS!” He yelled as he fired his gun, the light from his muzzle every time he pulled the trigger was the only thing illuminating his path, if only temporarily.
Ralph continued to shift his body around, shuffling through the ventilation shaft, the metallic corridors he was rummaging through were much smaller, tighter than they were below, but he had a mission to fulfill, and he stuck to it. He went over another ventilation shaft and looked down, he could see the mad scientist from before consuming the liquid. He wasted no time, he kicked the vent down and jumped through, he fixated his gun on the scientist and immediately opened fire. The scientist dodged and weaved, but he was no match for his years of training and experience. In the end, his body lay on the metal floor riddled with bullets, he was dead. Ralph wiped his forehead with relief. “Phew…took care of him before he became one of those.”
Right then and there, more Nightstalkers burst through the vents, they roared and growled as they closed in on the lone soldier. He shone the light at the end of his scope in one of their faces, and it angrily roared at him, opening its jaws widely to the point where it looked unhinged, showing its gaping maw and all of its sharp teeth, the saliva that coated its teeth dripping down on the floor. Ralph shot at its underside, it stumbled back a bit, but quickly got on its clawed feet and swung viciously at him. Ralph leapt to the side and managed to avoid its claw, he shot at it again, this time he blew out a hole in the creature's side. It staggered back once more, but it was able to steady itself and quickly regained its footing. Ralph shot at the floor, hitting it in the chest, but it kept its balance and swung at him again, knocking the gun out of his hand and sending him crashing into the side of the corridor wall. The Nightstalker cornered him and raised its claws, about to finish him off when suddenly, there was a loud commotion outside.
“COME ON, FUCKERS, COME HERE!” Bruce ran by the doorway, there were legions of Nightstalkers chasing him, the ones in the room Ralph was in began to give chase, leaving Ralph alone. He slowly shambled up to his feet and looked around. Curiously enough, the scientist’s body was gone. He shook it off, perhaps the Nightstalkers had taken his corpse.
Bruce ran for dear life, Nightstalkers seemed to be pouring out of every room, every ventilation shaft, any place there was an opening, there was a new Nightstalker ready to pursue its victim. He breathed heavily, sweat pouring from his brow until finally, he reached the cargo hold, he slid inside, followed by numerous creatures, they had surrounded him, they were overwhelming. He activated his commlink. “RALPH! NOW!”
Ralph nodded and pressed the button, disengaging the cargo from the ship, the doors behind the Nightstalkers sealed shut. Some scrambled around, others growled and roared, and the rest were too focused on Bruce, closing in on their prey.
Ralph sighed with relief. “You will not be forgotten, my friend.” He saluted the window as the cargo drifted off into space. However, he soon heard sinister laughter echoing all around him.
“Oh, it’s not over yet!” The scientist’s voice sounded over the intercom, sounding raspier and deeper than before.
“What the…but…but you, you’re…”
“Dead? No, no I’m not…not quite…come to the centre of the ship, I have a surprise waiting for you…” He hung up the commlink.
“What the hell’s going on?” Ralph muttered to himself. “No matter…I will avenge my friends. I can’t let these Nightstalkers wreak havoc on the world, I just can’t!” He walked through the dark hallways, lights flickering all around him, the clanking of his metallic boots hitting the steel floor echoed throughout the hallway. His pupils darted from left to right, at this point it felt strange for no Nightstalkers to spring up out of nowhere and attack him. He pressed on, his heart pounding in his chest. As he looked around he saw these red skinless humanoids strapped to operating tables, their bodies shaking violently, their yellow eyes cracking as they screamed. The sights grew more gruesome and foreboding, with strange noises echoing through the corridors. He opened the door to the centre room, just as the scientist told him to, and there, he saw a ghastly sight.
“Did you miss me, my dear friend?” Sure enough, in the centre of the room, was a massive Nightstalker, his limbs connected to wires and cables that attached him to the floor and ceiling. “As you can see, I have become something more than human.” The beast hissed. “I have become one of them; I am now gifted with their essence. It’s true that they may have run amok once, but I am their master now.”
“You sick freak!” Ralph’s fear was now replaced by determination. “I’ll destroy you for all the lives you have taken!” He couldn’t let this abomination escape his ship and wreak havoc on the world. He reached for his blaster, and aimed it at the now transformed scientist.
The beast raised his claws, the metallic surroundings twisting and contorting. “I am in control now.” Chunks of the ceiling began to fall, and platforms on the floor arose. Ralph had to dodge and strafe to avoid them. “The entire ship is mine to command!” The former scientist laughed, a grotesque, guttural sound that made the hairs on Ralph’s neck stand on end. His heart raced as he listened to the eerie voice coming from seemingly nowhere. The sinister laughter sent shivers down his spine. He swallowed his fear and fired, but the blasts seemed to have no effect on him. “You think you can stop me? You, a mere human?”
Ralph squeezed the trigger, unleashing a barrage of energy blasts towards the head Nightstalker. Yet again, it had no effect. The beastly master just roared, moving his arms and legs in tandem with the wires and cables that sunk into his thick scaly flesh. Turrets emerged from the walls and fired at Ralph, who dived down to avoid them, blasting them to smithereens. He noticed that he was now closer to the former scientist, who lunged at him, his claws extended, scratching across his chest armour. It was now a fight for survival, and Ralph knew he had to endure this nightmare to protect humanity from the horrors that the Nightstalkers could unleash.
Ralph's blaster fire continued to shower the Nightstalker scientist, but the grotesque entity seemed unfazed. The turrets emerging from the walls were a constant threat, forcing Ralph to move and take cover with acrobatic agility. As the blaster bolts seared through the room, sparks and debris filled the air, creating a chaotic battlefield.
The Nightstalker scientist's laughter echoed through the room, a disturbing and menacing sound that gnawed at Ralph's determination. The wires and cables that connected the beast to the ship's systems were like a lifeline, allowing him to manipulate the environment to his advantage. As he fired, his shots were deflected by the metallic body of the monster. "Damn it!" He yelled, dodging another claw swipe, which tore through the chest armour, cutting into flesh. He backed away from the monster, firing as it tore at his own chest. He fell back, firing as he went, the shots bouncing off the metal body. Ralph gritted his teeth and dodged with lightning reflexes. The scratching claws from the beast's attack left a deep gouge in his chest armor, but he couldn't afford to falter. He had a mission to accomplish, and it was to protect humanity from the monstrous threat.
Amidst the chaos, Ralph spotted the power source for the turrets. He took a deep breath and with pinpoint precision, aimed his blaster at the control panel. A series of shots struck true, causing an explosion that disabled the turrets and sent a shockwave rippling through the room.
The Nightstalker growled, saliva dripping from his teeth. “You have only delayed the inevitable.” He moved his limbs in an unnatural way, as if the cords connected to his limbs were strings guiding a marionette. Ralph knew that firing at the beast would be useless. Instead, he fired at the control panel, and the lights around him dimmed, the creature let out an agonized roar of pain and collapsed, the wires extending as his body fell forward.
Ralph breathed a sigh of relief, but within a few seconds, the power was back up, and the Nightstalker’s limbs continued to move and jerk around. “It’s…not over yet!” The Nightstalker roared as he telepathically spoke. The room began to close in on itself. Ralph had to strafe around to avoid getting crushed by the shifting area. Walls, ceilings, and the floor, they all slammed against one another with tremendous force, intending to crush the only soldier left on the ship. Every time Ralph got close to the Nightstalker, it’s body jerked and writhed with incredible speed, raising its claw and ready to strike Ralph with tremendous force, but he just narrowly managed to avoid it.
“I am the god of all gods!” The heinous beast roared. The room closing in around him, Ralph had to navigate the shifting maze with desperate agility. The walls, ceiling, and floor converged with brutal force, their intent clear—to crush the lone soldier who dared challenge the abomination.
As Ralph darted through the narrowing gaps, the Nightstalker's form thrashed and writhed with unnatural speed, his claws slashing through the air like a deadly pendulum. Ralph's pulse raced, sweat mingling with the blood from his wounded chest.
"I am the god of all gods!" The beast's voice reverberated, echoing through the chaos. But Ralph refused to yield. He knew that humanity's survival depended on his victory.
With every ounce of his strength and determination, Ralph navigated the perilous shifting maze. He timed his movements with precision, narrowly avoiding the crushing walls and the relentless strikes of the Nightstalker's claws.
As the room continued to constrict, Ralph spotted a glimmer of hope. A flickering control panel, partially concealed beneath twisted metal, caught his eye. He realized that disabling it might grant him an advantage.
Ralph summoned all his remaining energy and determination. With a daring leap, he reached the control panel and began firing at it. The control panel sparked and sputtered, smoke billowing from its damaged components. "Huhuhahahahahhaaaa!" The beast roared with laughter, the sound like a thunderclap in the small, confined space.
Ralph was laughing too. This was it—this was how he was going to stop the Nightstalker. He turned the panel to its off position and hoped that the ship's computer would disable the monster. The room shuddered, the walls and ceiling slowing their relentless advance. Ralph's laughter mingled with the beast's thunderous roar, creating an eerie symphony of victory and defeat. He had found a way to disable the control panel, and as he turned it to the off position, there was a moment of uncertainty.
The ship's computer hummed with a mechanical response. For a breathless moment, it seemed as though the beast's laughter would be the victor. Then, abruptly, the room's shifting mechanisms ground to a halt. The walls, ceiling, and floor slowly withdrew, ceasing their constant shifting, returning to normal. “That’s it…no more!” Ralph dived to the right and fired at the beast, which continued to deflect off of its thick hide, it was then that he got another idea. As the creature madly squirmed and writhed, Ralph fired at the cables connecting the creature to the ship’s internal systems. Sparks flew and smoke filled the air. Ralph continued blasting away, severing parts of the wall and ceiling, along with the wires and cables connecting the Nightstalker.
“No…NOOO!” The beast roared in desperation, swinging wildly at Ralph. “I was supposed to be…in control! This is my domain now!” With all of the wires and cables severed, the beast lunged at him. He began to grapple with the Nightstalker, but noticed the open wounds on the areas that once connected him to the ship, he dug his fingers into it, and the Nightstalker let out an anguished roar. He squeezed tighter and tighter, the beast oozing green ooze all over his hand until finally, the beast bled out and collapsed. With one final heave of his chest, the Nightstalker drew his last breath, the power around the ship going out. The former scientist laid there, smouldering debris and wrecked metal around his fresh corpse. Wires were sparking everywhere.
Ralph looked out the window. “You have been avenged, my friends.” Just then, the door burst open, and some new Nightstalkers entered the room. “Damn it…will I never be rid of you beasts?!” The Nightstalkers circled their prey, approaching, looming over, and slowly closing in on him. Ralph looked around, his heart beating rapidly, sweat trickling down his skin. He knew what he had to do. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. With a flick of his thumb, he activated it, and the ship shook as explosions rocked the hull. The Nightstalkers screeched and howled as they were consumed by the fire, their bodies melting and bubbling.
“I guess I’ll see you all a lot sooner than I thought.” Ralph knew he had no chance of survival, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that the creatures were destroyed. As the ship exploded around him, Ralph closed his eyes and thought of his friends family he left behind back home. He hoped they would understand why he did what he did. Everything was consumed in flames, and then as the entire ship was blown apart, everything inside was completely incinerated, there was nothing left, no sign that they were ever there in the first place. It was as if nobody had witnessed it at all, and as such, if no one was there, who could really tell what had happened?
The only evidence left was the cargo that was left drifting through space. It entered the Earth’s atmosphere, burning up upon entry. The hunk of metal crashed straight into the ocean, sinking deep into its abyssal depths. The containers ruptured on impact, and the Nightstalkers that had survived the explosion were released into the water. As they sank to the ocean floor, their bodies dissolved and melted away, leaving behind a slick, oily residue. But even in death, the Nightstalkers were dangerous. The water around them began to churn and boil, and soon the sea was filled with an otherworldly ooze that would haunt the planet for generations to come. Eventually, the skies turned red, and all who came in contact with this water, were horribly mutated into Nightstalkers themselves. It seemed the nightmare was far from over, in some ways, it was only just beginning.
The End
In front of a dark metallic dropship, a group of armoured soldiers dressed in SWAT uniforms stood at attention. The square jawed, burly, muscular drill sergeant addressed them.
“Remember, your mission is to deliver Chemical 482 back to its planet of origin.” The Sergeant leered at each and every one of them. “This is solely a recon mission, we do not so much as touch a thing there, or else there will be dire consequences, do you understand me, maggots?”
“Sir, yes sir!” The soldiers shouted.
“I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” The Sergeant yelled.
“SIR, YES SIR!” The Soldiers shouted even louder.
“THAT’S BETTER!” The Sergeant crossed his arms behind his back. “Now, get moving, go go go!”
The men entered the steel ship, a lone scientist joined them, and it took to the skies, blasting off into hyperdrive. They were all in space in what felt like mere seconds. They were all sitting down in seats as the pilot guided the ship.
“So...” One of the soldiers began fiddling around with his weapon while looking at the other. “Some mission, huh Bruce?”
“I thought we weren’t supposed to use our real names for this.” Bruce said.
“Yeah, but who’s gonna notice?” The Soldier shrugged. “It’s an odd mission anyway, I mean, why would you get seasoned veterans like us for a glorified delivery job?”
“I dunno, Ralph, why do you think?” Bruce rolled his eyes.
“I mean, it seems like overkill, don’t you think? Any schmuck could’ve done it.” The leader of the group pointed at the doorway. “That egghead that came on board? I bet he could’ve just brought his scientist friends along and taken care of things on his own.”
“He was the one who was using these chemicals in his work, of course he’d come on board.” Bruce explained. “And besides, it could be dangerous there...he might need backup.”
“Tch, a dangerous planet? That uninhabited ball of slime? Yeah, right.” Ralph shook his head. “Whatever.”
“We’re about to make a landing, brace for impact.” The pilot said.
The ship descended through the planet's atmosphere, causing the soldiers to feel the turbulence, the ship rocking back and forth upon entry. Finally, they landed on the surface of the planet, the doors of the ship hissed open. In the centre of the room was a large, glowing metal container that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. This was where the chemical was stored.
“This is it,” the scientist said, his eyes fixed on the container. “We need to retrieve Chemical 482, put it in its proper place and get out of here.” The soldiers formed a protective circle around the scientist as he made his way towards the container. The scientist reached out to grab it and once he got his hands on it quickly loaded it onto a cart, the soldiers disembarked.
The soldiers looked at each other and nodded, they put on their gas masks. With the scientist's help, the soldiers were able to make their way off the ship and onto the planet's surface, where they were immediately met with the daunting challenge of navigating the harsh and unfamiliar landscape. The alien world was a completely barren, desolate wasteland with no visible signs of life. The men then proceeded to unload the cargo and stepped out of the ship. The air was thick with a noxious gas, making it hard to breathe. There were no plants, no animals, nothing. There were only hills and mountains in all directions. The sky was a dull shade of brown, and the ground was covered with a thick green sludge-like substance.
"Is this...?" Ralph asked.
"It's not some godforsaken wasteland is it?" Bruce muttered, taking a look around as he walked.
The scientist followed them, carrying a small box. He was sweating profusely and looked around nervously. He seemed to be in a hurry to deliver the chemical back to the planet so he could get off of it as soon as possible.
When they got to their destination, Bruce took the container and opened it, a thick mist emitting from it, followed by green goo not dissimilar to what was around them, spilling its contents back onto the surface of the planet, which blended with all the other goo surrounding them. The task was completed quickly, and Bruce gave the scientist a nod. With that, they turned around in order to head back to their ship. “We must leave this place as soon as possible, and never look back.” The scientist urged.
The soldiers looked at each other, they were confused by the scientist's strange behavior, but they decided to follow his orders. They trekked back to the ship, their feet sinking into the gooey ground, they had to take bigger, wider steps given how frequently their metallic boots were getting stuck, eventually, they were back on their ship. “Mission successful.” Bruce announced.
“Prepare for liftoff!” The pilot announced, and with that, the engines activated, the ship slowly ascended back up into the sky, leaving a trail of fuel and smoke behind it and although experiencing more turbulence, within seconds they were leaving the planet behind.
As they flew away, they looked back at the planet. “What a snore fest, nothing even happened.” Ralph was heard yawning from underneath his helmet.
“At least we didn’t lose any men, and we got the job done.” Bruce said.
“That place was filthy, you won’t catch me dead on that planet again, that’s for sure.” Another soldier remarked.
“Gave me the friggin’ creeps.” A soldier across from him spoke up.
“Let’s just be glad we got that over with.” Bruce sighed.
“Yes, now if you’ll excuse me, I have some work to do.” The scientist hopped out of his seat and went into another room, the doors sliding shut behind him.
The soldiers sat there in silence for a few minutes. "So, what now?" One of the soldiers asked.
"Now, we continue on our way back home, save the fighting for another daym unless one of you want to start something." Bruce said cheekily.
Just then, the ship violently rocked back and forth. “What the hell?!” Ralph yelled. Bruce got up and looked out the window, there were asteroids floating nearby. The ship navigated through them carefully, making sure as to not hit or destroy any of them, lest they make it worse. After a few moments, they were out of the asteroid field, but just when things were looking better, the lights went out.
“Oh, God damn it…” Ralph muttered in frustration. “Anyone bring a flashlight?” Sure enough, some of the soldiers had light scopes at the end of their guns, they activated them and got up.
“With the power out, we’ll have to repair the fuse boxes.” Bruce exclaimed. “Let’s get to work.”
They traversed their way through the dark corridors, with everything else dead silent, the sounds of clanking metallic footsteps filled the air as they walked through the hallways. Any automatic doors they came across were sealed shut, so they had to pry them open. As the soldiers cautiously made their way through the dark ship, they suddenly heard a low growl emanating from the shadows. They instinctively raised their weapons and fired, sending a hail of bullets into the darkness. One of the soldiers went to inspect the area, but found nothing, the bullets embedded into the metallic wall.
“Be careful, we don’t want to waste any ammunition.” Another soldier scolded him.
They resumed their walk, prying open any sealed doors and fixing any fuse boxes they could find. A few sounds made them jump, but nothing out of the ordinary. One of the soldiers could have sworn he heard slithering and rummaging above him, but he looked and only saw the dark metallic ceiling.
Radars beeped and blipped, when right then and there the sound of growling returned, growing even louder.
“Hey, it ain’t me.” One of the soldiers raised his hands, noticing his friends looking at him. “I ate not too long ago.”
“Then in that case…” Another soldier fired into the darkness, screeching and hissing followed. Then, without warning, the solder was grabbed and dragged through the vents, he screamed, but was quickly silenced, the others fired in the direction this noise was coming from, and then they were attacked, massive claws swiping at the soldier in front, the armour was meant to protect them, but instead was torn up. The soldier jumped back and fired wildly at whoever or whatever his assailant was. All he heard was roaring as the unseen creature mauled him. The other soldiers tried firing, but this only seemed to anger the beast, they all scrambled and ran out of there.
“What the hell was that?!” Ralph wailed, trying to catch his breath.
“I have…no…idea…” Bruce said, also sounding breathless.
Once the final fuse box was fixed, the lights came back on, revealing the unexpected sight of several of the soldiers’ bodies lying motionless on the ground, roars, yelling and even more metallic clanks were heard in the distance.
“What are these creatures? Where did they come from? What do they want with us?” Ralph’s questions just didn’t stop coming.
“We’ll find out soon…I hope…” The rest of them cautiously approached the bodies, taking care to keep their guard up, when suddenly the lights blinked on and off, and the creatures barged into the room, springing on them with a fierce energy. The soldiers gasped in horror at the sight before them. These monsters were much larger and more ferocious than they had anticipated, and there were dozens of them.
These beasts were unlike anything the soldiers had ever seen before. They were spiky and had purple scales with large, sharp teeth. They moved with a lightning-fast agility and were clearly extremely dangerous.
The soldiers quickly realized that they were outmatched and began to back away, firing their weapons blindly at the approaching creatures. But it was no use; they were too fast and too powerful. The soldiers were quickly overpowered and outnumbered in an alarmingly quick fashion.
Just as it seemed like all hope was lost, a bright light filled the room and a figure appeared out of nowhere. It was the lone scientist who had joined them on the mission. He wielded a strange device that emitted a blinding white light, which seemed to repel the Nightstalkers.
We need to figure out what we're dealing with here.” Ralph muttered.
“You! Do you know what these things are?” Bruce asked.
“Yes, I have dubbed them Nightstalkers.” The scientist explained. “These creatures are native to the planet we were on, and have likely been disturbed by our arrival.” His expression grew darker. “Be careful, I gave them that name for a reason, they thrive in darkness.” He warned the soldiers, staying behind as they made their way through the now dangerous corridors, as there were likely many more dangerous creatures lurking in the shadows.
“How did they get in here so fast?” Ralph asked. “And why did we see no sign of them outside? It doesn’t make any sense…”
“I’ll do what I can to find all the answers.” The scientist tried to reassure them. One thing was for sure, the mission had suddenly become a lot more complicated and dangerous than they had anticipated. In another room, a pair of claws scraped across another fuse box, and the ship went pitch black once more.
“Damn it!” Breaking into the next room, the soldiers continued to fire their weapons blindly into the darkness, hoping to hit their mark. The growls and snarls of the Nightstalkers only grew louder.
“Hold your fire!” Ralph shouted. “We need to conserve ammo.”
The soldiers hesitated for a moment but eventually followed Ralph's orders. The room fell silent, except for the sounds of the Nightstalkers' claws scraping against the metal floors.
Suddenly, the lights flickered back on, illuminating the room, making the Nightstalkers disperse. “We need to stick together and make our way to the cargo hold,” Ralph said, his voice steady despite the fear evident in his eyes. “We can lure the creatures there and disconnect it.”
“A sound plan, we wouldn’t want to bring these abominations back to Earth.” Bruce remarked.
The soldiers nodded in agreement, and they cautiously made their way through the ship, their weapons at the ready.
As they moved, the darkness and silence around them only got eerier and eerier. They could hear steam going off and the sound of pipes leaking. As they continued their journey, a group of Nightstalkers appeared, blocking their path. the Nightstalkers continued to attack, swiping at the soldiers with their razor-sharp claws. The soldiers were able to fend off most of the attacks, but a few of them sustained minor injuries.
“We're not leaving without a fight,” Bruce said, firing his weapon at the Nightstalkers.
The soldiers engaged in a fierce battle with the Nightstalkers, fighting for their lives. It was a bloody and brutal fight, the lights flickered back on, and suddenly the Nightstalkers were gone, soldier corpses were strewn about the ground.
The survivors cautiously made their way through the dimly lit corridors, their weapons at the ready. Suddenly, they heard a low growling sound and the lights flickered before going out completely.
“Contact!” One of the soldiers yelled, firing his weapon wildly into the darkness. The others followed suit, shooting at the shadows as they heard the sound of something moving towards them. Suddenly, the lights flickered back on, illuminating the corridor, but the sound of the growling continued. "Contact, on my mark, charge!" Ralph yelled.
As they made their way towards the centre of the ship, they stumbled upon a horrifying sight. Red humanoid creatures, their skin peeled off like a layer of paper, lurched towards them with outstretched arms. The soldiers reacted quickly, firing their weapons at the creatures. The creatures exploded in a shower of gore and viscera, leaving a foul stench in the air.
“What the hell were those things?” Ralph asked, his voice quivering with fear.
“I don’t know, they didn’t look like those Nightstalkers, that’s for sure.” Bruce replied, his weapon still aimed at the spot where the new creatures had been. “Way too humanoid for that…but still, we need to keep moving.”
The group continued down the corridor, their senses heightened and their fingers ready to pull the trigger at a moment's notice. The ship was silent except for the sound of their footsteps and the occasional flicker of the emergency lights.
After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached the central chamber of the ship. The room was large and circular, with a high ceiling and several doors leading off in different directions. Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and a low rumble filled the room.
“What the hell is going on?” Ralph yelled, his voice barely audible over the noise.
“I don’t know, but we need to move fast,” Bruce replied, his eyes darting around the room. Before they could even think about moving, the room was suddenly filled with a blinding light. The soldiers shielded their eyes, but even through their hands, they could see the outline of a massive creature looming over them.
“Nightstalker sighted!” Ralph yelled, his voice trembling with fear.
“Looks like a big one.” Bruce replied, his weapon trained on the creature. “This won’t be easy.”
The creature let out a deafening roar, causing the soldiers to stumble back. Its skin was purple like the others, but its body oozed a sickly green, and it had razor-sharp teeth and claws that glinted in the light. The soldiers fired their weapons, but the bullets seemed to have no effect on the beast.
"We're not gonna make it!" One of the soldiers yelled.
"We can't just stand here and get eaten!" another one cried.
“We need to get out of here,” Ralph shouted, frantically looking for an exit.
“Not without the container,” a soldier said, clutching the container to his chest.
“Shouldn’t the scientist be looking after that? Damn it, man, where is he?! We don’t have time for this!” Bruce yelled, grabbing the soldier by the arm as the beast swiped at them. “We need to go!” The group ran down the hallway as they were chased by the massive creature, their footsteps echoing through the ship. The other Nightstalkers loomed menacingly ahead of them, some joining the larger one in its chase, a few more slowly stalked toward them, their growls getting closer and closer. The soldiers fired blindly, hoping to hit something, anything. But the creatures were too fast and too agile, darting in and out of the shadows. As they rounded the corner, they came face to face with more of the red-skinned humanoids. The soldiers fired, and the man-like creatures exploded into a shower of blood and guts. The smell was overwhelming, and the soldiers struggled to keep their lunch down.
“This really is something out of a nightmare…” Ralph said, wiping his mouth.
“I know, but we need to keep moving,” Bruce said, grabbing his fellow soldier by the arm. “We’re almost there.” They burst into the next room, and their eyes widened at the sight before them. The room was filled with more of the giant Nightstalkers, all of them towering over the soldiers. They were surrounded.
“Shit,” Bruce muttered, his finger tightening on the trigger of his weapon. “We’re screwed.”
"What are we gonna do?" the soldier whimpered.
"I don't know, maybe we can escape through the doorways," Bruce said, pointing to the rounded walls all around them.
"What the hell?" Ralph asked. "We were supposed to lure them there, not let them find us!"
"They found us, and that's why we need to get to the hold."
Finally, the scientist reached the cargo hold, and he breathed a sigh of relief. “I must move out,” he said, pushing the cart towards the exit. The doors slid open as a few soliders entered the cargo bay. “We’re outnumbered, there are too many of them, and some of them are just too damn big! How the hell did they enter the ship without anyone noticing?!”
“Well…I may have an answer to that…” The scientist pushed the rim of his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He turned around and slowly stepped forward, a sly grin on his face. The soldiers stared at this in disbelief.
“What are you doing?” The scientist could only laugh in response to the soldier’s question. He quickly lunged forward, firing a powerful plasma gun at the soldiers, they fell down, their armour on their chests were burned through. They fell over, coughing violently. “You...you’re behind all of this?” A soldier asked weakly, his voice shaking with anger and fear.
The scientist chuckled. “Oh, please. Did you really think this was just a simple delivery mission? That I would send a group of soldiers to do what I could easily do myself?” He began to swiftly shoot the soldiers in the head. “I can’t leave behind any evidence, it’s nothing personal.” One of them tried getting back in contact with the others, but was quickly silenced with a headshot, his communicator cutting to static. He knelt down to the soldiers, fiddling with their bodies.
“Sir, communication with the south division has been silenced!” Bruce yelled.
“Something is very, very wrong here…” Ralph trekked through the ship as the Nightstalkers swarmed through, slaying any surrounding soldiers. When they reaced the corridors, they saw a red skinless humanoid staring them in the face, their cracked yellow eyes practically glowing, they turned their heads and screamed at them, but with swift firing accuracy, they were blown to pieces.
“Doctor, we need you to get out of the cargo hold, we need to send these creatures to their deaths!” Ralph exclaimed.
“No…I don’t think I’ll be doing that.” The scientist grinned. “How else are these Nightstalkers going to off the rest of you?”
“Wait…this was an inside job?!” Ralph yelled.
“Exactly…” The scientist chuckled coldly to himself.
“But...but why?” Bruce demanded, his weapon still trained on the scientist.
“Why?” The scientist raised an eyebrow. “For power, of course. Chemical 482 was just the beginning. Now that I have access to more of it, I can create an army of Nightstalkers, I’ll be able to do whatever I desire. I will be unstoppable.”
“So, you were behind all of this! They weren’t native to the planet at all, you liar!” Ralph held his gun firmly. “And those red humanoids…they’re part of this cycle, aren’t they?”
“Oh yes, those are your own men you’re firing at, my friends.” The scientist nodded. “Through my experiments, I have discovered that that is the early stage of these Nightstalkers before they engage in their full transformation, it is where they are the most vulnerable.”
“You sick son of a bitch,” Ralph spat.
The scientist shrugged. “You can call me whatever you wish, but it won’t change the fact that you’ll all be killed by my marvelous creations. I hold all the cards here…surrender now, and I may consider sparing your lives.”
The soldiers exchanged a quick glance before lunging forward, weapons blazing, but soon everything was enveloped in a bright light, and when it died down the scientist was gone.
“DAMN IT!” Bruce yelled, punching his own knee.
“We’ll deal with him later.” Ralph reassured him. “For now, we need to lure the Nightstalkers here, and just do our best to survive. We won’t lose any of our own to those freaks.”
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Bruce said, breathing heavily. He walked forward, then heard a sudden sound behind him, he looked back and cocked his gun, but saw nothing. He wasn’t sure what that noise was, nor did he care as long as he and his comrades survived.
The soldiers grabbed the container and ran out of the cargo hold, their hearts pounding in their chests. They finally came to a room that had no sign of the Nightstalkers, and the only noise they heard was the hissing of the lights. They stopped to catch their breath and looked out the window. The ship continued to slowly drift past the distant stars, the accursed planet was far behind them.
“Hopefully our ‘dear friend’ doesn’t have any more of that chemical to use on our men.” Ralph said.
“Like hell we’re losing anyone else to that madman.” Bruce said spitefully. As they hurtled through space, they knew that they were in the middle of a harrowing disaster, they knew that they couldn’t let their guard down. Not when there were still so many dangers lurking around every corner of this ship. “Where did that rat bastard run off to?”
Ralph went to go check the radar. "Something's up there!" A soldier cried, pointing to the radar.
Bruce looked up at the radar, and saw a blip that was approaching very quickly. "That's the life support system."
“You go after him, take care of him, I’ll lure the remaining Nightstalkers to the cargo bay. If you don’t hear from me in half an hour, disengage the cargo on your own.”
Ralph nodded and opened the ventilation shaft, with that, he crawled inside.
The scientist grinned, he turned and quickly ran for the door, not looking back. “They figured out my plans…” He took out another container holding the chemical. “…but I will have the last laugh.”
Bruce ran through the ship, his fellow soldiers, his allies, his comrades in arms, they were dying all around him. Screams and growls were heard everywhere, they were being viscerally torn asunder by these new beings. He couldn’t even turn a corner without seeing blood and guts staining the metallic wall. he soldiers around him screamed and cried as they were torn to shreds, their bodies devoured within seconds of their lives ending. The only consolation was that they were quick enough to save the lives of their comrades. “COME AND GET ME, FUCKERS!” He yelled as he fired his gun, the light from his muzzle every time he pulled the trigger was the only thing illuminating his path, if only temporarily.
Ralph continued to shift his body around, shuffling through the ventilation shaft, the metallic corridors he was rummaging through were much smaller, tighter than they were below, but he had a mission to fulfill, and he stuck to it. He went over another ventilation shaft and looked down, he could see the mad scientist from before consuming the liquid. He wasted no time, he kicked the vent down and jumped through, he fixated his gun on the scientist and immediately opened fire. The scientist dodged and weaved, but he was no match for his years of training and experience. In the end, his body lay on the metal floor riddled with bullets, he was dead. Ralph wiped his forehead with relief. “Phew…took care of him before he became one of those.”
Right then and there, more Nightstalkers burst through the vents, they roared and growled as they closed in on the lone soldier. He shone the light at the end of his scope in one of their faces, and it angrily roared at him, opening its jaws widely to the point where it looked unhinged, showing its gaping maw and all of its sharp teeth, the saliva that coated its teeth dripping down on the floor. Ralph shot at its underside, it stumbled back a bit, but quickly got on its clawed feet and swung viciously at him. Ralph leapt to the side and managed to avoid its claw, he shot at it again, this time he blew out a hole in the creature's side. It staggered back once more, but it was able to steady itself and quickly regained its footing. Ralph shot at the floor, hitting it in the chest, but it kept its balance and swung at him again, knocking the gun out of his hand and sending him crashing into the side of the corridor wall. The Nightstalker cornered him and raised its claws, about to finish him off when suddenly, there was a loud commotion outside.
“COME ON, FUCKERS, COME HERE!” Bruce ran by the doorway, there were legions of Nightstalkers chasing him, the ones in the room Ralph was in began to give chase, leaving Ralph alone. He slowly shambled up to his feet and looked around. Curiously enough, the scientist’s body was gone. He shook it off, perhaps the Nightstalkers had taken his corpse.
Bruce ran for dear life, Nightstalkers seemed to be pouring out of every room, every ventilation shaft, any place there was an opening, there was a new Nightstalker ready to pursue its victim. He breathed heavily, sweat pouring from his brow until finally, he reached the cargo hold, he slid inside, followed by numerous creatures, they had surrounded him, they were overwhelming. He activated his commlink. “RALPH! NOW!”
Ralph nodded and pressed the button, disengaging the cargo from the ship, the doors behind the Nightstalkers sealed shut. Some scrambled around, others growled and roared, and the rest were too focused on Bruce, closing in on their prey.
Ralph sighed with relief. “You will not be forgotten, my friend.” He saluted the window as the cargo drifted off into space. However, he soon heard sinister laughter echoing all around him.
“Oh, it’s not over yet!” The scientist’s voice sounded over the intercom, sounding raspier and deeper than before.
“What the…but…but you, you’re…”
“Dead? No, no I’m not…not quite…come to the centre of the ship, I have a surprise waiting for you…” He hung up the commlink.
“What the hell’s going on?” Ralph muttered to himself. “No matter…I will avenge my friends. I can’t let these Nightstalkers wreak havoc on the world, I just can’t!” He walked through the dark hallways, lights flickering all around him, the clanking of his metallic boots hitting the steel floor echoed throughout the hallway. His pupils darted from left to right, at this point it felt strange for no Nightstalkers to spring up out of nowhere and attack him. He pressed on, his heart pounding in his chest. As he looked around he saw these red skinless humanoids strapped to operating tables, their bodies shaking violently, their yellow eyes cracking as they screamed. The sights grew more gruesome and foreboding, with strange noises echoing through the corridors. He opened the door to the centre room, just as the scientist told him to, and there, he saw a ghastly sight.
“Did you miss me, my dear friend?” Sure enough, in the centre of the room, was a massive Nightstalker, his limbs connected to wires and cables that attached him to the floor and ceiling. “As you can see, I have become something more than human.” The beast hissed. “I have become one of them; I am now gifted with their essence. It’s true that they may have run amok once, but I am their master now.”
“You sick freak!” Ralph’s fear was now replaced by determination. “I’ll destroy you for all the lives you have taken!” He couldn’t let this abomination escape his ship and wreak havoc on the world. He reached for his blaster, and aimed it at the now transformed scientist.
The beast raised his claws, the metallic surroundings twisting and contorting. “I am in control now.” Chunks of the ceiling began to fall, and platforms on the floor arose. Ralph had to dodge and strafe to avoid them. “The entire ship is mine to command!” The former scientist laughed, a grotesque, guttural sound that made the hairs on Ralph’s neck stand on end. His heart raced as he listened to the eerie voice coming from seemingly nowhere. The sinister laughter sent shivers down his spine. He swallowed his fear and fired, but the blasts seemed to have no effect on him. “You think you can stop me? You, a mere human?”
Ralph squeezed the trigger, unleashing a barrage of energy blasts towards the head Nightstalker. Yet again, it had no effect. The beastly master just roared, moving his arms and legs in tandem with the wires and cables that sunk into his thick scaly flesh. Turrets emerged from the walls and fired at Ralph, who dived down to avoid them, blasting them to smithereens. He noticed that he was now closer to the former scientist, who lunged at him, his claws extended, scratching across his chest armour. It was now a fight for survival, and Ralph knew he had to endure this nightmare to protect humanity from the horrors that the Nightstalkers could unleash.
Ralph's blaster fire continued to shower the Nightstalker scientist, but the grotesque entity seemed unfazed. The turrets emerging from the walls were a constant threat, forcing Ralph to move and take cover with acrobatic agility. As the blaster bolts seared through the room, sparks and debris filled the air, creating a chaotic battlefield.
The Nightstalker scientist's laughter echoed through the room, a disturbing and menacing sound that gnawed at Ralph's determination. The wires and cables that connected the beast to the ship's systems were like a lifeline, allowing him to manipulate the environment to his advantage. As he fired, his shots were deflected by the metallic body of the monster. "Damn it!" He yelled, dodging another claw swipe, which tore through the chest armour, cutting into flesh. He backed away from the monster, firing as it tore at his own chest. He fell back, firing as he went, the shots bouncing off the metal body. Ralph gritted his teeth and dodged with lightning reflexes. The scratching claws from the beast's attack left a deep gouge in his chest armor, but he couldn't afford to falter. He had a mission to accomplish, and it was to protect humanity from the monstrous threat.
Amidst the chaos, Ralph spotted the power source for the turrets. He took a deep breath and with pinpoint precision, aimed his blaster at the control panel. A series of shots struck true, causing an explosion that disabled the turrets and sent a shockwave rippling through the room.
The Nightstalker growled, saliva dripping from his teeth. “You have only delayed the inevitable.” He moved his limbs in an unnatural way, as if the cords connected to his limbs were strings guiding a marionette. Ralph knew that firing at the beast would be useless. Instead, he fired at the control panel, and the lights around him dimmed, the creature let out an agonized roar of pain and collapsed, the wires extending as his body fell forward.
Ralph breathed a sigh of relief, but within a few seconds, the power was back up, and the Nightstalker’s limbs continued to move and jerk around. “It’s…not over yet!” The Nightstalker roared as he telepathically spoke. The room began to close in on itself. Ralph had to strafe around to avoid getting crushed by the shifting area. Walls, ceilings, and the floor, they all slammed against one another with tremendous force, intending to crush the only soldier left on the ship. Every time Ralph got close to the Nightstalker, it’s body jerked and writhed with incredible speed, raising its claw and ready to strike Ralph with tremendous force, but he just narrowly managed to avoid it.
“I am the god of all gods!” The heinous beast roared. The room closing in around him, Ralph had to navigate the shifting maze with desperate agility. The walls, ceiling, and floor converged with brutal force, their intent clear—to crush the lone soldier who dared challenge the abomination.
As Ralph darted through the narrowing gaps, the Nightstalker's form thrashed and writhed with unnatural speed, his claws slashing through the air like a deadly pendulum. Ralph's pulse raced, sweat mingling with the blood from his wounded chest.
"I am the god of all gods!" The beast's voice reverberated, echoing through the chaos. But Ralph refused to yield. He knew that humanity's survival depended on his victory.
With every ounce of his strength and determination, Ralph navigated the perilous shifting maze. He timed his movements with precision, narrowly avoiding the crushing walls and the relentless strikes of the Nightstalker's claws.
As the room continued to constrict, Ralph spotted a glimmer of hope. A flickering control panel, partially concealed beneath twisted metal, caught his eye. He realized that disabling it might grant him an advantage.
Ralph summoned all his remaining energy and determination. With a daring leap, he reached the control panel and began firing at it. The control panel sparked and sputtered, smoke billowing from its damaged components. "Huhuhahahahahhaaaa!" The beast roared with laughter, the sound like a thunderclap in the small, confined space.
Ralph was laughing too. This was it—this was how he was going to stop the Nightstalker. He turned the panel to its off position and hoped that the ship's computer would disable the monster. The room shuddered, the walls and ceiling slowing their relentless advance. Ralph's laughter mingled with the beast's thunderous roar, creating an eerie symphony of victory and defeat. He had found a way to disable the control panel, and as he turned it to the off position, there was a moment of uncertainty.
The ship's computer hummed with a mechanical response. For a breathless moment, it seemed as though the beast's laughter would be the victor. Then, abruptly, the room's shifting mechanisms ground to a halt. The walls, ceiling, and floor slowly withdrew, ceasing their constant shifting, returning to normal. “That’s it…no more!” Ralph dived to the right and fired at the beast, which continued to deflect off of its thick hide, it was then that he got another idea. As the creature madly squirmed and writhed, Ralph fired at the cables connecting the creature to the ship’s internal systems. Sparks flew and smoke filled the air. Ralph continued blasting away, severing parts of the wall and ceiling, along with the wires and cables connecting the Nightstalker.
“No…NOOO!” The beast roared in desperation, swinging wildly at Ralph. “I was supposed to be…in control! This is my domain now!” With all of the wires and cables severed, the beast lunged at him. He began to grapple with the Nightstalker, but noticed the open wounds on the areas that once connected him to the ship, he dug his fingers into it, and the Nightstalker let out an anguished roar. He squeezed tighter and tighter, the beast oozing green ooze all over his hand until finally, the beast bled out and collapsed. With one final heave of his chest, the Nightstalker drew his last breath, the power around the ship going out. The former scientist laid there, smouldering debris and wrecked metal around his fresh corpse. Wires were sparking everywhere.
Ralph looked out the window. “You have been avenged, my friends.” Just then, the door burst open, and some new Nightstalkers entered the room. “Damn it…will I never be rid of you beasts?!” The Nightstalkers circled their prey, approaching, looming over, and slowly closing in on him. Ralph looked around, his heart beating rapidly, sweat trickling down his skin. He knew what he had to do. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. With a flick of his thumb, he activated it, and the ship shook as explosions rocked the hull. The Nightstalkers screeched and howled as they were consumed by the fire, their bodies melting and bubbling.
“I guess I’ll see you all a lot sooner than I thought.” Ralph knew he had no chance of survival, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that the creatures were destroyed. As the ship exploded around him, Ralph closed his eyes and thought of his friends family he left behind back home. He hoped they would understand why he did what he did. Everything was consumed in flames, and then as the entire ship was blown apart, everything inside was completely incinerated, there was nothing left, no sign that they were ever there in the first place. It was as if nobody had witnessed it at all, and as such, if no one was there, who could really tell what had happened?
The only evidence left was the cargo that was left drifting through space. It entered the Earth’s atmosphere, burning up upon entry. The hunk of metal crashed straight into the ocean, sinking deep into its abyssal depths. The containers ruptured on impact, and the Nightstalkers that had survived the explosion were released into the water. As they sank to the ocean floor, their bodies dissolved and melted away, leaving behind a slick, oily residue. But even in death, the Nightstalkers were dangerous. The water around them began to churn and boil, and soon the sea was filled with an otherworldly ooze that would haunt the planet for generations to come. Eventually, the skies turned red, and all who came in contact with this water, were horribly mutated into Nightstalkers themselves. It seemed the nightmare was far from over, in some ways, it was only just beginning.
The End