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The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/googlyeyes93 on 2024-11-29 16:21:09+00:00.
“Alright folks, time to sit tight and listen We’re due to arrive in half an hour and there’s a lot to brief.” Jepsen was shouting from the front of the cabin, bringing all of our attention forward. “There’s food and water over by the wall, if you’re hungry, eat now.”
I still felt like I was going to puke after waking up from hypersleep, unsure of where I was and groggy as all hell. There was no way I was going to eat right now, with everything in me needed just to keep my attention on Jepsen.
“You’re all here because your skills earned you a spot. I know the big shots told you that taking this mission is like getting the goddamn Golden Ticket to tickle Wonka’s balls. I’m going to tell you that they offered that for a reason- most of you ain’t gonna see it. We don’t know what the hell we’re walking into up here, and for every single one of you to survive, I need you to be on your shit like never before.” Jepsen was already laying in, spit flying from his lips as he shouted for all of us to hear. I scanned the cabin, counting ten of us total, all suited up with armaments standing by.
Look, I’m not usually one to come out of retirement, but when they approached me a few weeks ago, offering what Jepsen said, essentially, I couldn’t say no. Sure I was pretty successful in the freelance market when it comes to security these days, but considering how much shit I have on Uncle Sam, I had figured they would have paid me enough to ensure my silence by now. Guess all it took was the right people needing my skills, along with these other saps in here. All of us definitely fit a stereotype- male, older, obvious military background, and a majority of us with scars to show for it.
“Now, I imagine before a few days ago none of you knew space travel like this existed. Star Trek shit, but that’s just the start of what you’re going to find. We’re currently en route to a space station known as the Styx Outpost. This place is where the elite of the elite live, safe with all their money and away from the troubles and worries back on Earth. Outpost Styx is the size of a small skyscraper and has all the amenities anyone could need to live for hundreds of years. These people are the ones who you don’t even hear about because they’re rich enough to make it happen, got it? All told, with staff and ancillary engineers for the station, there are around two hundred people living in this place.”
A man leaning against the wall to my right raised his hand up, inquiring. Jepsen nodded toward him before he asked his question, “All due respect sir, these people should have some damn fine security up there already with that kind of money.”
Jepsen actually laughed at that, nodding as he did, “They sure did. That’s why you’re getting offered such a stupid fucking reward. As of about six months ago, all communication with anyone up here went totally dark. No signs of life since, and no precursor of any kind to tell us what may be happening. They sent one final message before everything went dark and it means fuck all for all I can figure out. Just one message- ‘Don’t acknowledge them’. Figure out what that means and you win the big prize I guess.”
”So aliens got the rich bastards?” Another of the guys said with a laugh, getting a rise out of the rest of us with it.
“That’s the thing, we don’t know. A supply ship came up a couple months back for a scheduled delivery. No word from them since. Everything that comes up here ends up going radio silent the moment they step onto that outpost.” Jepsen mentioned, continuing on. “Now, considering our surroundings, we can’t go in here with regular munitions. You’ve been issues a new prototype gun, shoots out small electric bursts that are enough to paralyze most humans on contact. Use it wisely or-“
He was cut off by someone from the cockpit, a nervous voice cackling over the loudspeaker, “You guys uh… might want to see this. Sorry to interrupt, Jepsen… it’s important.”
Shutters on the window to my right began to open, revealing the empty void separated from us by thick plastic made to withstand a total lack of atmosphere. Far in the distance, the sun was blazing, providing heat and light to an entire solar system. All I could think about was sitting up in a nice cabin back on earth, wasting my days away in quiet where all this could never find me again. Soon, I hope…
Breath caught in my throat as the problem quickly floated past our window. A girl, probably no older than fifteen, floating aimlessly through the cosmos, at the mercy of whatever force pushed her out into the cold empty. Here eyes stared lifelessly ahead, a permanent state of panic frozen into them by whatever brought her here.
“Jesus, alright.” Jepsen swore. Beyond our ship, in the direction the girl was floating from, a small, sleek looking structure was floating in orbit. Styx loomed, not a single sign of life stirring through the massive windows hiding its inhabitants. Jepsen spoke up once more, “All told, we’re here to find out what the hell happened, rescue any survivors, and get the hell back home. Understood, folks?”
Everyone sort of murmured in agreement, all of us still transfixed on the girl floating past us in space. It was so eerie, floating by at a relatively fast speed yet everything about her was still, not a single strand of hair waving as she glided by, ghostlike in the raw sunlight filtering by. A shiver ran down my spine before pulling a victory lap and coming back up, making me visibly shake and draw the laughter of the men around me.
“There’s more…” The voice came over the radio again as the rest of us looked further from the body floating by, toward Styx looming in the background. It was hard to distinguish them against the vast darkness of space behind, but eventually I counted out around ten or eleven bodies floating through space, all orbiting around the Styx like they were waiting to be let in.
“Well, that’s just fucking creepy.” A soldier next to me, big guy with some of the worst brown hair dye I’ve ever seen, was whispering. I grunted in agreement as the pilot began giving us instructions for offboarding. I zoned out, just filing in behind the other guys to exit through the airlock when we connected. The bolt-rifle they gave us was light, almost too light. I felt like I was walking into some unknown hell armed with a damned Nerf gun.
”Alright, gentlemen.” Jepsen continued again, looking all of us in the eye as he stood in front of the airlock. “If you see anything suspicious, alert the others. Do not react in any way to draw attention. We’re not sure what happened up here, but those bodies outside aren’t a sign of welcome. Get back here alive.”
”Sir.” The ten of us said in unison, programming kicking in from the old days. This was nothing like the deserts of the Middle East, thank god, but at this point a little warm sun would be a blessing…
A loud hiss drove me back to the present, the hatch before us opening to a brightly lit hallway. White paneling was almost blinding, the LED lights above flickering off it and almost immediately giving me a headache from the buzz. Only the first couple of segments of the hall were lit though, with everything beyond it swallowed by darkness the further in it went. All of us took a moment, making peace with whatever we believed in, and stepped in.
Don’t think I’ve ever felt a stillness like I do here. Everything was quiet, but… not peaceful. There was discord, like when you know that the absence of any sound means trouble, like someone’s trying not to get caught doing something bad. My stomach is already turning, knowing we’re in way over our heads before we even get ten feet into this damn place. No choice, though. Got to keep moving.
We keep pace down the hallway, turning on flashlights as the station gives way to darkness. Before long though we’re introduced to a central atrium, like one huge towns square practically that everything branches off from in here. I could see signs for small businesses, restaurants, shopping, another sign that pointed towards a spa area, entertainment, and yet another that had ‘Lodging/Admin’ written on it in big letters, each with their own little hallway that split off. Dividing each path was a huge window, floor to ceiling, revealing the full majesty of space in every direction. Jepsen signaled for everyone to fan out, looking for any sign of what could be going on here.
It only took moments for everyone to find some sign of violence. Dried, brown blood spatters were all over the place, whether covering windows or decorating furniture around us. The occasional body part was littered on the floor, though not in any discernible shape at this point. The smell was the worst part though, permeating everything like we were in death’s shroud. All of us could feel the shadow of the reaper pressing down from above, telling us there was no way out. Almost gagged when I passed by a couch just to find a body on it, eyes torn from sockets as it lay there, hands still clawing to try and stop seeing whatever was there.
A scream came tearing through the entertainment wing, turning all of us to ice sculptures as it pierced our ears. All of us just looked at each other, unsure what to think of the noise. It sounded vaguely female, but the amount of rage and grief that was in it… I’ve heard that in a few places, usually surrounded by the sounds of bombs and gunfire, and it’s never a good thing.
Jepsen gave the signal...
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