[Jotunheim]: 60.Star Forsaken.Chapter one: Entering

Soft grey smoke winded away from a stub of a thick cigar. It tried to reach the pale fluorescent lamps and concrete ceiling dripping condensed water. A few lamps had suffered some damage and gone out while some settled for blinking thus adding dreamlike eerie dance of lights and shadows to the concrete and steel walls of a rather small room. Those walls also captured seven human like shadows.

Ghost dropped the cigar and trod the stub with his combat boot exactly the moment it hit the steel grid covered floor. Meeting of steel and boot made a faint bumping sound that faded into darkness. Ghost and the other six space marines had waited for a ten minutes. And still they were waiting.

It was just like a scene from some 90’s desolate sci-fi movie. Seven figures wearing combat armors and space marine badges. Opened helmet visors revealed sweat moistened skin and alert eyes as they crouched in a junction chamber that connects three different hallways. A door at their back led into a docking bay from where Ghost had led them all the way here. According to map the left hallway would lead into cargo bay and deeper into the depths of this massive spaceship. Behind the right door should be the way to the bridge. They all hoped the maps were correct. Almost silent humming filled the air. It could be a distant ventilator in some air conditioning flue as well as the tireless sound of spaceships engine.
Silent click got Ghost instantly search for its source. He was little nervous. It was Fox, one of the marines checking clip of his pulse rifle.
Somewhere behind them echoed a sound of dribbling water. Ghost swept sweat from his forehead and rolled his eyes on Fox. He raised his wrist screen and clicked the echograph on. It beat rapidly revealing seven white dots in greenish screen. Distance meter pointed zero. Ghost sighed in relief and shut the meter down. He looked at his team and thought the place he had brought them. He had to make sure that someone would remain to report this mission.

Operator secured the hallway leading back. He was leaning to a metal crate ready to take cover. He was a specialist of computers and electronics. Usually anxious and stammering guy looked in some strange way relaxed. He moved to a knee bend and let the laser sight prance on the wall as he observed the dark hallway. As an opposite of Operator was Eightball, huge and athletic man, the only black in group and proud of it. Eightball stood still back against the wall holding his pulse rifle with one hand, barrel pointing at the ceiling. He breathed heavily and glanced at the doorway next to Operator. They were best friends and obviously watching each others back.

Just one door was closed, the one leading to the bridge. Heavily reinforced steel door would open only with the switch next to it. It was no point trying to open it with force.
Mist was working with the control panel and the switch. She was Operator’s partner in duties, a computer specialist too. Being the only woman in group Mist received lots of attention and looks. It was no wonder because she was gorgeous and still pretty young. But it was time for work not joy. So she didn’t note the lustful looks and suggestions. It all was their way to keep up the mood. Crouching next to Mist was the tactical info and contact, Link. He controlled the communications inside the squad and to the rest of the universe when needed. Locating and directing the group was his responsibility. It wasn’t easy job in this colossal vessel because he was first-timer in real action. As a doorman Hawk stood near the third door checking his weapons. Hawk was a sniper and expert of explosives. His armors chest was covered with few belts that included finest triggers, detonators, controls, charges and other relevant equipment. He was the only person not to carry so traditional space marine pulse rifle, though it was as known symbol for the marines as their badge. Hawk carried medium range full automatic sniper rifle with all extra equipment available. It was his beloved and passion. If Ghost didn’t count he might have been the most experienced in the team.

The whole situation was tense. Mist trying to override the console while others restlessly glancing at the empty hallways. The whole ship had been in low power state since their arrival. It was dark, quiet and imminent. Meanwhile Fox, the scout, reattached the clip he checked a few seconds ago. He secured the room with a brief look and moved anxiously.
Ghost turned his look back to Mist and the console she was working. It was very unordinary to see him fussy. He was a legend among scouts and marines. It wasn’t because of his age or military career but his experience in dangerous situations that had the earned respect of everyone in this business. He was charismatic and pirate looking quiet man. Ghost felt that he might have become to the end of his road. But he was fighter and never gave up. At any cost he wanted to survive and secure his squad. No one really wanted to die alone light years away from home in cold distance between stars.

Suddenly from descending hallway behind them echoed a faint whiz. Operator remembered that voice. Many hallways and a few chambers back there was a badly damaged oxygen production facility. There was an elevator that they had used to ascend from the bottom levels. The doors were old fashioned and used compressed air to work. Operator looked around; no one else seemed to hear the sound. He concentrated on listening to the environment and let his gaze wander around the dark corridor. Visibility wasn’t good and the hallway disappeared behind a corner. As the ship was working on backup power the lights had been lowered to a quarter of normal and most of the elevators and electric doors were offline. For some unknown reason the oxygen production facility had taken much damage. There had been a fire fight and some of air containers were broken. So the air was very dense there but got thinner and thinner further. The gravity fields were operative for now but many other less fatal systems had failed or were running in safe mode. Operator remembered the last airlock chamber before the elevator about ten levels down. It was mostly underwater and drowned people were floating here and there. It wasn’t pretty sight but there had been worse. The power plant had also suffered from fight and the floor, walls and ceiling were covered with blood and some remains but actual bodies were missing. The main generator had melted due to overheat. Mist and Operator had worked hard to get most systems work with backup power. He just couldn’t understand why they had sent so small group. Ghost said he had asked for at least three teams and battle droids. But now it was seven of us and this bloody intergalactic freighter. Ghost hadn’t even told why we came here. He had just been informed about the team members and sent here in an hour. They had been launched from SS Deathcourier in a small transport vessel. Operator had no idea how they would get off this distant sector without proper hyperspace engines. Although docking went well everything started to go wrong after it. It was sure that this wasn’t any standard mission.

Compared to the silence it was very loud beep and click when console finally gave up and unlocked the door. Mist had been successful. She nodded to Ghost and everyone stood up ready to continue.