Dead space Prologue It was the year 2500, and technology had made great progress. Many of the things that were once considered fantasy had now become reality. Thanks to Dr. Sheppard's studies in the scope of technology, life on earth had become much more comfortable and easier for everyone: the first space shuttle prototypes had enabled the inhabitants of earth to open up the vast confines of space, turning planets such as Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter into tourist destinations; moreover, other intelligent life forms had been discovered on these planets. Initially, a raging war for the domination of space erupted, involving humanity and the aliens of Mars. The military forces of both sides were considered equal, and the war ended two years later with a peace treaty where both sides pledged to remain neutral with each other. With the signing of this treaty, the inhabitants of Mars and Earth began to trade, thus boosting the economies of both sides. Every day, immense ships, whose holds were overflowing with resources, departed from the Martian soil and the Earth soil. As trade evolved, organized crime also adapted accordingly. Large criminal organizations on the planets began to rely on space mercenaries for their criminal affairs. The space mercenaries were nothing more than a bunch of thugs who, in one way or another, had appropriated a spaceship and crew, earning a living by robbing cargo ships loaded with food and trade goods. To fight against these criminals, the governments of both planets had formed a special security force, the purpose of which was precisely to stop these criminals. With both forces arrayed against what could be called the common evil,peace lasted for more than 20 years, until a terrible accident occurred… Chapter 1 Space, the last frontier for humanity, was slowly beginning to be explored. Despite the security that was being provided by the space security corporation, that frontier, that was so fascinating and mystical-looking, had quickly turned into the most dangerous area for the adventurer or various traders. As more resources traveled from planet to planet, crime had also evolved. Many mercenaries had decided to set out in search of wealth, hoping one day to find some treasure substantial enough to allow them to hang their keys on the wall. The more time passed, the more mercenary gangs were formed. Even among such grotesque and dangerous characters, there was one figure who had the honor of occupying the position of king of the mercenaries. His name was Eric. The main thing that had made him so famous among the mercenaries was the fact that he had managed to get rich and famous with his own strength alone. Unlike all mercenaries, who traveled through space accompanied by ruthless and powerful crew mates, Eric had achieved his success on his own. The thing that made him feared and respected was the fact that no one had ever seen him. Everyone knew of his exploits, but no one had ever managed to meet his eyes. There were rumors in the most vilified locales in space that said this "Eric" was merely a legend, although some people swore they had seen him aboard his famous ship, the "Oro Eric." Legends said his ship was capable of cleaving space and traveling into the mysterious "hyperspace." However, as the saying goes, even in the most mysterious legends, there is always a veil of truth hidden…. Jupiter orbit, galactic time 09:00... A military jet-shaped spaceship painted in golden yellow with burning red flames drawn on its body had just appeared out of nowhere. Perfectly immaculate as the day on which it had left the factory, the ship, shrouded in the darkness of deep space, was approaching Jupiter's orbit. Tiny bright red sparks were still leaking from its front thrusters, followed by small trails of pitch-black smoke. The on-board radar of the "Oro Eric" only indicated its presence, as well as that of a wreckage of an immense cargo ship that had gone adrift. The pilot of that ship, who was also its captain, was the legendary space mercenary Eric the fox, a small, hairy fox with gaudy red fur encased in a tight blue jumpsuit, the latter of which let the mighty muscles of his shoulders and arms shine through it. His eyes, red like the flames of the hell from which he was said to have emerged, were now covered by large, double-lensed glasses used to protect his vision from the intense light emanating from the "hyperspace." His small hands were wrapped in brown pilot's gloves, which clashed with everything else in his attire, but at least helped him perform evasive maneuvers because of their grip with the ship's rudder. In contrast to the ship's exterior appearance, the interior was much shabbier and dilapidated: large electrical cables poked out from all the walls, while the covering on the steerage was foreshortened and unkempt. Despite all these internal flaws, the ship was fully functional and, never in its long life, had it failed to meet the expectations of its legendary captain. Eric slipped his trusty gloves off his tiny paws and ran them over his hairy forehead, thus wiping away the enormous amounts of sweat falling from them. Traveling into the "hyperspace" requires enormous concentration and physical exertion; in fact, Eric was the only one who had been able to explore it. Slipping off his goggles as well, Eric stood for a few seconds admiring the spectacular sight that had stood before him. The immense ship, now adrift, was illuminated by the dim light emanating from the celestial body, making its damage stand out even more. The entire bow was now gone, the front thrusters were practically inoperable, and immense curtains of black smoke were coming out of the two outer engines. On the port edge, which was facing the "Oro Eric," one could read, with great difficulty, the name of the ship: The Arcadia. The first thing to do in such cases was to scan the ship to see if there were still life forms on board. To Eric's amazement, the ship's radar indicated that there were still three people alive on board. Crew perhaps? Maybe a rescue team? Or perhaps they were simply other space mercenaries, lured there by the immense wealth hiding in the cargo hold? Whatever the answer, the best choice was to be as cautious as possible. Eric got up from the comfortable chair in the command room and walked to his cabin to retrieve the necessary equipment for exploration. Arriving in his modest rest room, Eric opened his personal closet and pulled out a blue belt, which was equipped with several holsters whose purpose was to hold defensive weapons and various tools. The first thing Eric grabbed with his paws was his trusty blue and yellow blaster. Eric described that portentous weapon as the only companion he needed. Equipped and ready for action, he initiated the boarding procedure, bringing his ship closer to the Arcadia. Out of the ship's cannons came large, thick, metallic black cables with large hooks attached to the edge, which, with immense speed and destructive power, went crashing onto the destroyed plates of the cargo ship. << Hooking successfully executed >> When the onboard system showed the successful outcome of the operation, Eric headed in the direction of the ship's hatch wearing two oxygen-filled tanks and a fairly tight glass helmet. Through the thick layer of glass, Eric's hairy face was illuminated by the majestic lights of the planet Jupiter, which colored and made his colorful veteran face of countless battles stand out even more. What to many might have been called a breathtaking sight, to Eric was nothing more than a normal day of work. As a veteran of unconquerable boardings and adventures, Eric had seen hundreds, if not thousands, of planets and moons. This time, however, in Eric's usually wild gaze, it was possible to see for the first time in his entire mercenary career, a hint of melancholy and sadness. << Computer, engage automatic lockout and wait for my return >> << Roger that. Automatic lockout engaged >> As soon as the metallic clangour of the security locks was heard by the fox's ears, Eric took a leap into the void in the direction of the Arcadia. Using the jetpack with which he was equipped, Eric began his slow descent toward the drifting wreck, driven only by his thirst for wealth, or perhaps he was there for another reason? Interlude The meeting hall of the Galactic Council could be called the flagship of the entire known galaxy. It had been built by humans in cooperation with the inhabitants of Mars on a neutral site, namely the moon. In the center of the immense white room was a large round table with only four chairs at its edges. They were intended for the representatives of the respective planets, and shortly thereafter the president and his deputy from both planets would sit down and discuss matters of vital importance. And there the immense doors of the room opened. Entering were the two presidents, side by side with each other. The representative of the human race was Joe Rump, a middle-aged man whose wrinkled face, combined with an almost completely hairless head, expressed all his stress. Since he was the president, and since that was a very dark time for the human race because of the countless cases of crime, his antiquated mind went very often to the boil. Quite the opposite was the representative of Mars. His regal bearing, united by his garish green and red clothes, gave him an authoritarian air worthy of a true ruler. The same was true of his gaze: rigid and stern, worthy of the king he was. The two presidents took their seats opposite each other at the table, leaving respectively next to them two vacant chairs that should have been intended for their deputies, who, however, were not present on this occasion. Inside the room were only the two of them, partly because that was considered a sacred place, where only the highest government officials could preside. Also absent were their escorts, who had been ordered to stand by outside the room, awaiting new orders. In the center of the table was a device capable of generating three-dimensional holograms, capable of recreating solid images of any object. In front of them, however, right under their gaze, were two paper files. Each had the words "top secret" written on them, and each of those two files mentioned two names: Arcadia and Eric. Both presidents carefully scrutinized both files with a grim and concentrated gaze. Silence had fallen in the room, interrupted only occasionally by a few sobs of surprise from the Martian president, whose gaze grew more and more angry as he continued reading. Several hours passed. When the reading finally came to an end, the Martian president rose to his feet and enjoined Joe Rump to give him an immediate explanation of everything he had just read: << Joe, I sincerely hope that what I read in these papers is false, otherwise, this would mean a breach of the peace treaty >> Joe, visibly intimidated by the King of Mars' brutal and stern tone, swallowed a huge conk of saliva and began to sweat profusely. He could feel his gaze piercing his face, while his entire back had begun to shake as if an earthquake had erupted inside it. << I'll tell you again, Joe. Explain to me the meaning of this, NOW!!! >> Joe gathered all the courage in his body and rose to his feet, catching up with his gaze to that of the Martian. The tension in the air was becoming almost palpable, and the air inside the room was getting heavier and heavier. The moment Joe took courage and made to open his mouth, the door behind them opened. A shadow shrouded in a beam of light carefully observed the two presidents, but maintained silence. All that could be heard, however, were heavy, almost mechanical breaths that certainly did not belong to an ordinary living being. Intense red and green lights were emanating from what must have been its torso. The mysterious shadow said nothing and merely scanned the faces of both presidents. As the Martian president's gaze was flooded with utter confusion, the pallor on Joe Rump's face disappeared, almost filling his heart with joy. Chapter 2 << Landing executed, I'm in. If I'm not back in two hours, get away from here and don't come back >> << Roger that >> Eric, having landed in Arcadia's Main Hangar, slipped his still-smoking jetpack from his shoulders and looked around. What was once a lush cargo ship, overflowing with people, seemed to have now become a graveyard. From all the walls of the ship, projecting huge loose electrical cables, from which small electric sparks sprouted from time to time. The floor, of which little remained, bore obvious signs of battle. Decorating the narrow walls were huge stains of what appeared to be still fresh blood. Behind him, the holographic door that served to prevent the escape of oxygen was destroyed, so Eric was forced to keep his helmet on his head. Throughout his career as a mercenary, Eric had seen some grim spectacles, but never like that. The only source of light currently in there were the small electric sparks that occasionally reminded them of their presence, but these were not enough to illuminate sufficiently. In fact, the entire hangar was shrouded in total darkness. Step by step, Eric began his exploration of the hangar, hoping to find some clue that would later reveal to him what had happened in there. His every step was matched by an eerie creaking sound that, combined with the gloomy atmosphere there, would intimidate anyone brave enough, or foolish enough, to set foot in there. Arriving more or less in the center of the hangar, Eric's small, hairy feet bumped into something hard, but at the same time soft and wet. Because of the darkness, the mercenary could not see what he had bumped into; all he knew, however, was that his foot was now wet. Eric made to lower his face, hoping that at least then he would see something, but nothing. ""Maybe it's just a crate that contained something liquid and tipped over."" Thinking this, Eric resumed his steps. After a few minutes of blind walking, the mercenary reached the opposite side of the room from which he had come. There he found a small switch, also soiled with the same viscous substance as before. Without hesitation, Eric pressed the button, and suddenly all the light bulbs hanging from the room's ceiling lit up together, revealing a chilling sight to say the least: hundreds of lifeless bodies were floating in copious pools of their own blood. On each of their lifeless faces was etched the expression of terror that they had felt just before they died. On the arms and legs of each of them were obvious signs of struggle, so Eric thought that an entire team of mercenaries had been the mastermind behind all of this ,also because if this were not the case, there is no explanation for such a high number of corpses. There was something strange, however. While most of the bodies had impact-like wounds, some appeared to have been wounded by some kind of laser weapon. From the latter, probably even the most recent ones, a small curtain of smoke was coming out, almost completely imperceptible to the eye. Eric felt some sorrow, but he did not get too lost in sentimentality also because if it was someone who had killed them, surely that someone was still on that ship. ""We'd better get out of here. Maybe, in the captain's room, I'll be able to find a map that leads to the cargo hold "" This was what his mind and sixth sense dictated he should do, even as staying there was dangerous. The moment he turned toward the door that until just now was behind him, his attention was drawn by a loud metallic thud. The noise, however, seemed to be muffled by something soft, so it did not expand for long. Never before did Eric sling his trusty blaster with so much fear and determination, so much so that, at least for a moment, the metal of which the blaster was composed seemed unfamiliar to him. The weapon was loaded and ready to eliminate anyone who would dare stand between him and the wealth, but nothing happened. ""Perhaps it was simply another part of the ship that came loose."" Eric turned back to the door and undertook his advance into the narrow, lightless, crumbling corridor that awaited them. Just before the automatic door closed behind him, what appeared to be a ball made out of shadow, with inhuman speed, launched itself in pursuit, yet remained concealed in the darkness that was blazing ever closer, as silent as a tiger approaching its prey. Eric lifted his arm where his mini computer/radar was attached, hoping to detect some form of life on that small screen, and to his immense surprise, two dots appeared. The radar indicated the presence of someone right in front of him, down the hall, while another was miles away. Eric decided to pause for a second to consider what to do, partly because if he continued to advance in that way, he would end up with his legs right in the enemy's lair. The atmosphere was gradually getting darker and more distorted, now that even the last sources of light attached to the ceiling were going out. A short time later, the only dim light illuminating the thick hairs standing up on Eric's face were the faint glow emanating from his tools. The green light from the radar, which was also the brightest, could barely illuminate where the mercenary was standing, completely omitting everything around him within a meter radius. Absorbed in his thoughts, Eric's lucidity failed when an intense metallic thud ,coming from behind him, made him jump on the spot. As quick as a cheetah, Eric turned in the direction of the noise with the fingers of both hands stuck in the trigger of his blaster. Any ordinary person would have immediately opened fire, not caring about the source of origin of those bizarre sounds, but Eric was different. His temperament, steadfast as steel, had advised him to save the shot, and he, clever and cunning as he was, had listened. Eric remained several seconds observing the gloomy void, yet without feeling the slightest sense of fear. << Hey, who's there? >> << ... >> << I'll tell you again, come out, I know you're there >> << ... >> << All right, it will mean that I will come to you >> << ... >> Using his radar as a flashlight, Eric took his first steps into that chasm of darkness from which the intense monstrous smell of death was emanating. Although his radar indicated no life forms, Eric's common sense was alerting him to a threat beyond his abilities. Eric knew there was someone lurking in the shadows, but he could never have expected such horror. As soon as the first step was taken, another intense metallic clangour rose from the same spot as before, even louder than before. For the first time in his entire mercenary career, large drops of sweat began to fall from Eric's forehead. Even he could not explain the reason for those emotions. How was it possible that there really was something capable of instilling fear in the mighty Eric, the mercenary whose legends are known throughout the galaxy. << Stomp... Stomp... Stomp... >> One after another, the metallic noises began to increase in number and intensity, instilling more and more terror in Eric's mind. Despite the fact that the creature, living or not, was within his nose's reach, the radar continued to ignore its presence. << Stomp... Stomp... Stomp... >> The noise grew closer and closer as time inexorably passed, and Eric's urge to open fire grew more intense. His hairy fingers quivered with the urge to impose the force necessary to lower the trigger and storm with laser bullets whatever lurked ahead. The tension had now reached its peak, becoming almost palpable. The distance between the two was getting shorter and shorter, and shortly, whatever lurked within the darkness would come face to face with Eric. Suddenly, however, the noises stopped, as did Eric's footsteps. Silence unexpectedly plunged into the room, and never before were Eric's fingers so close to the trigger. The drops of sweat flowed down from his forehead and crossed his entire face as if they were little rivers, which joined the Inside of his tight-fitting suit forming a small pond and adhering even more to his skin. << Stomp... Stomp... Stomp... >> The noises resumed, even more intense than before. Eric could now hear intense robotic breathing, almost as if coming from someone stuck in a metal box. Small but intense green and red lights now illuminated that blanket of darkness, creating an even darker and more eerie atmosphere than before. Without uttering a word, the mysterious figure kept moving forward, gripping Eric's mind with that almost forced breathing and intense, repeated metallic thuds. In perhaps unconscious fashion, Eric's legs moved on their own, causing him to back away a few steps. The footsteps stopped again, but this time Eric knew why: an immense figure, more than two meters tall, wearing what appeared to be a tight-fitting black jumpsuit like his own and its face entirely covered by a black helmet that bore human features, had stood before him. The thing's hands, covered with black gloves, were smeared with still dripping blood. In its right hand was held tightly what appeared to be a deactivated lightsaber, while in its left hand was the head of a small pink-haired fox, whose facial expression hinted at the horrors it had been forced to witness. The mysterious monster was shrouded in an invisible aura of death and despair, as if the souls of all the people he had killed were accompanying it on its journey. Eric and the demon looked into each other's faces, although it seemed that the thing did not have a face. The mercenary's teeth began to bang against each other, thus manifesting all the fear he felt. << What the hell are you, monster!?!?!! >> << ...>> Eric's words, filled with all the terror he felt at that juncture, seemed to slip over the monster's shimmering black armor like oil. Eric even went so far as to wonder if that thing was actually capable of speech, but the answer to that question was quickly given: << I am the one who will kill you, Eric >> Interlude 2 << What on earth have you humans created? >> The gaze of Aztac, the most feared and respected Martian in history, wavered for the first time in his life. The proud Aztac, conqueror of worlds, was experiencing fear for the first time in his long Career. Irradiated by the light behind him, the Cyborg's dark armor made the metal plates that composed it stand out even more. His mere presence there, had made that peaceful place, a field of war. Had it not been for the treaty made years ago by the two presidents, Aztac would have immediately declared war on Earth, behind charges of high treason for creating such a weapon behind their backs. The blood inside his body was beginning to boil with rage as his arms and legs trembled with fear. His gaze was as if glued on the Cyborg's armor, completely ignoring the sneering face of Joe Rump behind him, whose forehead had stopped sweating. Aztac's lips wanted to open to let out the infinity of questions that were invading his mind, but they too seemed to be sealed so, the first word belonged to the human president: << Aztac, fear not, what you have before you is nothing but the ultimate weapon created by Earth's most distinguished scientists to solve the "Arcadia" issue. Once it has fulfilled its task, I can swear to you on the honor of Earthlings that it will be deactivated never to be used again, except in critical situations >> Aztac's teeth gnashed intensely as anger and wrath continued to grow impetuously in his body. How dare he, a wretched human, weak and fearful, challenge the great and powerful Aztac. From the very dawn of their "alliance," the Martian had hated the idea of allying himself with a race he considered inferior, and so he had done everything he could to undermine relations between the two. Aztac did not desire peace, he did not desire cooperation between the two planets, all he desired was war, but now, his plan had been destroyed. In his mind, the tyrant cursed the day he had decided to trust Dr. Sheppard. Had it not been for that insulting human, whose intelligence was superior to even the most distinguished Martian scientists, the kingdom of Mars would have conquered and enslaved the entire population of Earth. Aztac's vision went dark for a few moments, sending his mind into a state of total hypnosis into which he used to plunge at the most critical moments. In that state, he was trying to line up all the dots: Dr. Sheppard, the Arcadia project and, most importantly, the most important piece of all, Eric. Just the thought that all those days spent perfecting his plan were about to be reduced to ashes by a stupid cyborg, whose power was visible to the naked eye, made his blood boil again. The little green Aerials on his head began to vibrate as if his skull were the epicenter of an intense earthquake while his rival, sitting there next to him with a reprehensible expression on his face to say the least, cringed at the idea that he had been fooled. As it was with him, Joe Rump relied totally on Dr. Sheppard's expertise, so what remained now to be understood was whose side he actually was on. A mind as brilliant as his certainly could not be content to remain on a planet as insignificant as earth-so why? Why had Sheppard created that cyborg? Perhaps there was some detail that escaped him at that moment, and perhaps he simply had to rely on Sheppard's brilliant mind. His state of hypnosis came to an end: his Aerials stopped shaking and his irises became as colorful again as they once were. Even the sweat had ceased its advance. Regaining his usual self-confidence, Aztac rose to his feet and walked toward the cyborg, which had remained impassive under the white sunlight. The closer he got to the creature, the heavier the air seemed to become. Despite the incredible pressure unleashed by the cyborg, Aztac continued his advance with a calm and relaxed pace, as if he were taking a simple walk through a field of flowers. Joe Rump remained silent to observe the scene, occasionally throwing a few small smiles of derision at his rival. As with many humans, Joe Rump was making a huge mistake: underestimating the Martians. Just as with Aztac, Joe was pinning all his hopes and ambitions on the immense genius that was Dr. Sheppard, and it would be this mistake, made by both sides, that would mark the undoing of peace between the two planets... Chapter 3 Eric's fighting spirit failed as soon as he saw the crimson red light spill out white from the hilt of the cyborg's lightsaber. The laser, generated between the contact of complicated technological systems and the crystal stored inside the sword's hilt, was considered the most powerful and destructive weapon in the entire Galaxy. So beautiful and fascinating, as well as destructive, the lightsaber had been declared illegal, both because of its danger and the extreme skill it required. There were few left who knew the art of combat, including Eric's master, who had refused to teach it to him. Eric, if at first he thought he had a shred of hope against that monster shrouded in darkness, now that his dark face was being radiated by that magnificent light, realized it was better to escape. The famous mercenary leapt backward, avoiding by a few tiny inches a searing slash from the hot laser blade, the tip of which cut like butter through part of the ship's hull. Before turning and setting off on his escape, Eric paused for a second to watch as the ship's huge metal plates were liquefied by the intense heat of the lightsaber. Large droplets of melted metal fell in the direction of the cyborg's mechanical feet, but Eric, whose vision was too obscured by the blazing fear, could observe nothing but burning blade: "" And so, this is the power of the famous lightsaber. Now I understand why the doctor never wanted to teach me how to use it, who knows what I might have been up to if I had such a weapon in my paws, heh heh "" Even at such a moment, Eric, whose passion for weapons was second only to his thirst for wealth, could not help but feel an ounce of admiration for the executioner before him. Despite the fear and terror that that thing in front of him unleashed, the mercenary remained spellbound by the technique his opponent had demonstrated in mastering such a weapon. Coming to his senses, Eric made the wise decision to run away, putting aside his passion for weapons, but the cyborg, as was to be expected, immediately launched itself in pursuit. With a single leap, the monster completely reset the distance between him and the mercenary, landing with its heavy foot right on the latter's back: << Arghhh!!!!!! >> Eric's cries of pain overlapped with the sound of the bones in his back shattering, creating what to the Cyborg was a melodious symphony. Sadistic as a demon and powerful as an earthquake, the mighty creation of the human race continued to rage with increasing force on the mercenary's slender body. Kick after kick, every single bone in Eric's body was slowly reduced to nothing more than dust. Every single blow that Eric's poor, battered body received was followed by copious streams of red blood spurting from his mouth, which poured out onto the gloomy walls of the ship and onto the cyborg's monstrous metal armor. As time passed inexorably, Eric's eyes, once colored a bright red as the cyborg's sword laser, were losing all their vitality, turning a darker white. Through its thick armor, the cyborg took one last look at Eric's examining body and, in a hoarse, somber tone of voice, said: << Your time is up Eric. I'm sorry, but it's time to end it >> Harnessing every ounce of energy he had in his robotic legs, the powerful monster took a leap, rising several meters above the body of his victim. With what little energy remained, Eric turned in the opposite direction, resting his aching back on the cold surface of the ship. His gaze, now exhausted and almost lifeless, pointed in the direction of the cyborg, which had just begun its rapid descent toward his aching stomach. "" Heh heh, and so, the legend of the great Eric ends here. Well, it was good while it lasted, I am only sorry that I did not find the treasure of Arcadia "" Having thought this, Eric closed his eyelids and waited for the icy embrace of death to reach him. Devoid of any kind of regret, the great treasure hunter thought back over his whole life, all the happy moments and all the darker ones. His time had come, his legend was coming to an end. The only regret the great Eric had was the horrible thought that there was no one in the whole galaxy capable of carrying on his legacy. He would have loved to have a son or an apprentice, but cruel fate had deprived him of this pleasure. Nevertheless, as the heavy armor of his executioner grew closer and closer, Eric smiled. When all hope seemed to be lost, a blaster shot struck the cyborg's armor, knocking him into the chasm he had opened. Unable to open his eyes, Eric pricked his ears in the direction from which the noise just came out, hearing small, light footsteps slowly approaching. Although he was safe, his lack of energy prevented him from uttering a word and seeing who his savior was. All he could hear before falling into a deep sleep was: << Don't worry, I have medicine that can save your life >> A few minutes earlier... A faint light emanating from a small flashlight radiated the darkness of the ship's hold. The area was devoid of any kind of noise except for some heavy labored breathing and light footsteps: << I must find a way out before that thing comes back to hunt me down >> Amy, one of the warehousemen in charge of making sure the cargo was safe, continued her advance into the darkness. On her puny body covered in pink fur were countless wounds that were still open. The countless cuts on her puny arms and legs were slowly draining her of all her energy, making it difficult for her to even breathe. Despite everything, her determination and immense willpower were prolonging what little amount of time she had left. Amy, always kind and selfless, even in that desperate situation, was completely ignoring her injuries as long as she continued with her goal: one way or another, she had to reach the communications room to send a distress message for some of her dying comrades. Working in the cargo hold were her and three other of her comrades. The work was quiet and undemanding, so the group had had plenty of time to get to know each other and make friends. Everything seemed to be going smoothly so far. While Amy and the others were checking their inventory, a huge beast that had sprung out of one of the many containers there had attacked them and beaten them to death. Amy was the only survivor of the ferocious beast's attack. As he continued moving forward in the darkness, some loud metallic noises caught his attention. Her heart, which had lost all hope, was filled with joy when she realized that there was still someone aboard that ship. Perhaps she could save herself, perhaps she could leave that hell that had taken away her only friends. With her soul shattered by grief, but her heart filled with hope, Amy quickened her pace to reach the source of those sounds as quickly as possible, stopping from time to time to stop the various bleeding with her little paws: << I'm coming! Please don't leave, I need help >> As she ran, Amy kept repeating these words hoping that her mysterious Savior would hear them and come to her rescue but, at one point, her blood seemed to freeze: from where those sounds had been heard before, now nothing but chilling cries of pain could be heard. Amy immediately thought that perhaps, the same beast that had attacked her and her group had reached out to her mysterious Savior. Her mind reeled for a second. She did not know what to do. Attached to her belt, along with a variety of tools, was a blaster she had stolen from the body of one of the security guards killed by the beast. The mere presence of that powerful object so close was enough to instill some confidence in her. The cries of pain continued undeterred and gave no sign of stopping. If he would not get a move on, the only hope he had would soon be dead. Now was not the time to dwell on thinking too much; she had to act, and fast. Harnessing her blaster, Amy resumed her desperate run in the direction of those screams, and when she reached them, her mind seemed to disintegrate: lying on the freezing cold floor was a small creature wearing a super-tight suit soiled with blood and, on top of it, a huge, completely black creature with humanoid features. Fortunately, neither of them noticed its presence. What made her shiver even more, however, was the mysterious dark creature, who looked strangely familiar. It was as if she had seen that thing before, but where? The size of its arms and body, even its tone of voice, though it was masked by a blatant voice modifier, sounded familiar to her. Her thoughts, however, were interrupted by the powerful thud the creature emitted as it took a huge leap. Familiar or not, the thing had to be stopped before it could kill the mysterious savior. Without any hesitation, Amy slipped her tiny fingers on the blaster trigger and, taking aim, fired. The laser bullet left a colorful trail behind it as it traced its straight trajectory. In the present... << Ouch!!! You're hurting me >> << Maybe if you stood still a little bit, maybe it wouldn't hurt so much >> << Who are you anyway? And why are you helping me? >> << I'm Amy, nice to meet you. As for the second question, I am helping you so then you will help me out of this place. Anyway you can get up now, I have stitched up all your wounds and given you some medicine to ease the pain >> Eric, having received all the necessary treatment, rose to his feet and, in disbelief, found that all his pain seemed to have vanished into thin air. Even the bones in his back, which had been reduced to dust after the fierce crash, seemed to have returned to normal. Eric had in the past heard of certain kinds of medicine capable of healing any wound but, until now, he thought they were merely a legend. Now that he was back stronger than before, the fierce mercenary had only one goal in his mind: to have his revenge against that cursed cyborg who had almost killed him. Grabbing all his belongings, Eric turned his back on his savior and walked into the darkness, but Amy stopped him by grabbing his hand: << Please don't leave me alone again >> << I am very sorry, but that thing dared to defy me, and now it will pay the consequences >> << I saw the confrontation, if you go now you will only throw your life away. Please, you are the only person I have left >> << I'm sorry, but there is nothing that can stop me. If you continue in that direction, you will find an escape ship that will take you away from this hell. Do yourself a favor and go back to your family >> Hearing those words, Amy's grip on Eric's arm became much weaker, as if suddenly all her strength had left her. From her eyes, blue as the ocean, large drops of water began to fall, while intense sobs escaped from her mouth. In front of such a sad scene, even Eric's hard soul could not help but feel emotions. Eric heaved a sigh and turned back to Amy and, seeing her finally in her entirety thanks to the light of the flashlight she used for dressing, he was breathless. Amy's entire body was covered not only with countless cuts and wounds, but her thick pink fur was also covered with a strange white cum-like substance. The slimy substance, thick as jelly, enveloped all her thick, smooth blond hair. Eric walked with a quick jerk toward Amy and placed one of his hands on her shoulder and, in an almost fatherly tone of voice, asked: << Hey hey, what happened to you? What are all these injuries? >> << Sigh sigh, I was attacked by a creature and all my companions died sigh, I am the only survivor sigh >> "" Impossible, it was not enough just that cyborg, we needed another alien creature to break our balls "" << Hey hey, Amy right? Don't worry, I'm sure you'll make it >> Amy ran her small trembling hands over her face, wiped away her tears, and turned her frightened puppy eyes in the direction of Eric's face. The moment her gaze met Eric's, all her fears and worries seemed to dissipate. There was something about him, in that proud look, in that gaze devoid of fear and filled with confidence, that made her feel protected. Slowly, the gory images she had been forced to witness disappeared. When she was together with Eric in that dark, crumbling ship, it was like being in a suite for her. In her heart, Amy felt she did not need anything; he was all she needed. It was at that moment, however, that all her wounds and fatigue made their presence felt. As if she were a puppet whose strings she had just pulled off, Amy's body collapsed, landing like a boulder falling off a cliff in Eric's arms. << Amy? AMY???? >> With Amy's still-warm lifeless body clutched in his bandaged and aching arms, Eric screamed. Interlude 3 << Well, so I have your word that this...thing, will be used exclusively for the Arcadia project, right? >> << You have my word >> << Well then, now that this "disagreement" has been cleared up, shall we get back to our business? >> Aztac, once he regained all his arrogance after noticing that the cyborg was defenseless, went back to taunting the Earth president as his wont. When he mentioned the Arcadia project again, Aztac expected to see what he called a worm, start sweating and shaking again, but this was not the case; on the contrary, it could be said that Joe Rump had gained even more self-confidence. Something was wrong, and Aztac knew it well. The cyborg behind him continued to stand there, motionless, as if he were a statue, despite the aura of despair that he exuded. Despite the fact that that was nothing more than a creature constructed of gears and metal, Aztac could not help but sense a human presence coming from in there. It was as if someone, someone human but more importantly, someone familiar, was inside the thing. Moreover, the extreme confidence that Joe Rump displayed certainly did nothing to ease the tension. The situation stank, and quite a bit too. Aztac, with his mind overflowing with thoughts, closed in on himself again and tried to reflect, but nothing, in the end, stayed in his mind. "" If I cannot find an answer to all my questions, I will simply have to extract them from this poor idiot "" Aztac, coming out of his trance, made to utter a word but, for the first time in their entire collaboration, Joe Rump interrupted him: << Look, my dear Aztac, we have been playing for far too long. I'm sick and tired of wearing this mask and I swear I was shivering to see your reaction >> Joe Rump stood up from his chair and walked toward Aztac with a menacing and all too confident manner. Every step he took seemed to be heavier than usual and, all around him, a heavy, almost oppressive atmosphere seemed to have been created. It was as if he were not human. His gaze, filled with resentment, was more determined than ever. Aztac's mind seemed to went off as his forehead began to be wet with sweat and his gaze to waver. Without even realizing it, the mighty president of Mars had begun to back away, only to stop as soon as his straight back crashed against the cold cybernetic armor. Aztac didn't even bother to turn around to see what he had bumped against, so obvious was the response. Now, the two presidents were face to face again, only this time, Joe was pulling the string of the argument. Not knowing what to do, Aztac decided to remain silent like a good child impatiently waiting for a lesson from his teacher. After all, that was what he wanted. Answers to the two questions, answers that would come from the very mouth of the one he considered a creep: << My dear Aztac, now that my patience is over, I can confess everything to you. Operating the reins of this whole operation, it was never you. I made you believe that you were the most powerful among us, I maneuvered you. You know, if there's one thing I've learned during my career, it's that some times, it's better to be underestimated. Never could you have thought that I was behind the whole Arcadia project right? >> Despite being what he wanted, Aztac could not swallow that huge toad. How on earth was it possible that he, the great and powerful Aztac, had not sensed any of this. True, it was too strange for a president of a planet to be so stupid, but never could he have thought that this was all just a sham. His teeth were dying to grind between them, but he had to keep his appearance intact. If he had shown himself agitated, who knows how things might have turned out. For now, all that was left to do was to keep calm and, once Joe confessed everything, call the guards to execute him. So, remaining silent, Aztac merely listened: << Heh heh, did you really think that by using Eric the mercenary, you would be able to stop my plans? Well, misfortune would have it that right behind you is his master, and I can guarantee you that he is determined enough to go to the Arcadia to put an end once and for all to your miserable and insulting pawn >> Aztac could not remain silent this time. But not from anger, not from being mocked by a human, but from the fact that the only human he had respect for had been reduced to that condition. << Joe, explain yourself now. The one behind me cannot be Dr. Sheppard, I received a letter from him this very morning >> << Ahahahhaha, did you really think I didn't understand your stupid games? Do you think I didn't know that you had turned Eric and the best scientist of the mankind against me? Oh yeah right, you couldn't have known that, ahahahahahah >> << THAT'S ENOUGH!!!!! LET ME GO RIGHT NOW... >> Just as Aztac was about to finish his words, his head was sliced clean off, as if it were butter, by a red blade. The Martian's head, smeared with blood and sweat, rolled like a bowling ball until it reached the feet of Joe, who stood impassively watching it: << Well, and so ends the story of Aztac the Martian. It was good while it lasted, but now I have a mission to complete, heh heh heh >> Chapter 4 << AHHHHH!!!!!!!! >> Eric's chilling cries echoed like trumpets in celebration inside the dark, desolate hangar of the ship as Amy's lifeless body lay in his hands. The white substance enveloping the young body slowly began to move, as if they had a life of their own. So swift as to be almost invisible to the untrained eye, those small transparent white particles raced toward the center of the room, a place where they began to join one each other, forming a giant slimy sphere. Over ten feet tall, the huge ball of rubbery fluid continued to grow and grow, until it touched the ceiling of the spacecraft. Eric, still in grief over the early loss of Amy, stood motionless like a statue next to the corpse as the tiny jellies continued to clump together. The blob, once it had fully formed and assumed its original form again, looked grimly at the mercenary who, compared to him, was nothing more than a small and insignificant fly. Despite lacking eyes, or any other details, the gelatinous blob was still able to probe the territory around him thanks to specific glands that enabled it to identify heat. In fact, to the eyes of the unclean creature, Eric appeared as nothing more than a small campfire. Noting that it was no real danger, Jelly turned his sensors in the direction of the wall behind him, from which a larger heat source appeared to be emanating. The moment a series of transparent tentacles, sprouting out of the creature's body, impacted the ceiling, Eric finally defeated the pain and returned to reality. In his eyes, life had finally returned, as well as the burning desire for revenge. He, better than anyone else, knew that anger and hatred was strength. From the first moment he had boarded his ship, he had learned to control his emotions, making full use of them. And what better fuel than anger and hatred? Almost as if it were a muscular reflex, as soon as Eric's brimming gaze rested on the blob, his hand snapped in the direction of his belt, where his blaster had once been located. As his palm closed into the void, instead of losing even more composure, Eric realized it was time to unleash his secret weapon. As he watched the immense ooze try to destroy the metal surfaces above his head, the mercenary closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and activated the secret function of his suit: << Phew, I feel a certain sense of nostalgia >> Eric's eyes lit up with an intense golden light, followed closely by his suit, on which a variety of symbols appeared. Eric bent his legs, as if he were sitting in a vacuum, and stretched out his small arms. At the tips of both fingers appeared huge blue claws, almost as bright as the sun. The dazzling light emanating from them drew the attentions of the blob toward him, who stopped all his searching actions. Without making him wait much longer, the mercenary executed a leap and slipped his claws inside the soft viscous ooze. As was to be expected, the claw penetration did not do the slightest damage to the creature, which began to hurl its mushy tentacles at itself, desperately trying to strike Eric: << Eh eh, if you really want to take me down you'll have to do better than that, you stupid slime >> Not even time to finish that sentence that one of the sturdy tentacles struck Eric full in the face. The impact was so strong that it opened a large wound on his head, from which a small stream of blood began to ooze, which crossed the lids of his eyes and blurred his vision. Eric brought a hand to his face and, with his small fingers, touched the trail of blood: << Damn you, I will make you pay dearly >> Harnessing all his wrath, Eric immediately returned to the attack. Darting at an incredible speed, Eric dodged the various attacks aimed at him with a gracefulness worthy of his name. As he continued undaunted to try to hurt the creature with his claws, another tentacle struck him in the face, sending him flying away again. This time, however, the blow was even harder to take, and the wound on his head got even worse. As he flew away in the direction of the hard metal wall, Eric saw something that left him speechless: a lightsaber, red as fire, fell from the ceiling and pierced the blob, cutting it in half. Seconds later, the mercenary felt a cold hand grab him, interrupting his journey to his certain death. Looking up, Eric crossed his eyes with those of the cyborg, whose mask, cut in half, gave a glimpse of an orange eye. Suddenly, large tears began to flow from his eyes, but they were not the same tears he had shed moments earlier for Amy, but tears of joy: << Hey Eric, long time eh >> Eric could not believe what he was seeing. How was it possible that, behind that armor that just now had tried to kill him, was actually his long-lost master? For a moment, Eric forgot about the blob. All he needed now were answers to the two questions: << Sheppard!!! But how, what, why,.... >> << I will give you all the answers later, my dear Eric, now we have a small matter to resolve, ah by the way, I have here a present for you >> The cyborg, whose real identity was that of Dr. Sheppard, extended his hand in Eric's direction and gave him a lightsaber hilt. Needless to say, the mercenary gladly accepted the gift. Like a child trying out his new toy for the first time, Eric turned on the lightsaber and was charmed to find that the color reserved for him was yellow. << Thank you very much doc. Rest assured I will make good use of it >> << Heh heh, I am more than sure, now get ready for it to get serious >> Sheppard called his lightsaber back to him and the two stood shoulder to shoulder with their weapons active. After a quick exchange of glances, they both charged at the monster, slashing at its claws as if they were branches of a tree. Being cut by the laser, the tentacles evaporated like water under the sun, but even that was not enough to stopa creature whose body had been created specifically to counter that kind of weapon. Despite the immense efforts of the two, the brute power of the monster was beyond all their abilities. With blow after blow, the slime inflicted serious damage on the two valiant fighters, but their determination prevented them from abandoning the fight. What they did not know, however, was that the slime had been artificially created in a laboratory, and because of this they had been given immense adaptive as well as regenerative abilities. After two intense hours of combat, the first to perish under the violent blows of the beast was Sheppard. Before he died, however, the doctor called his pupil's attention to himself. It was finally time for revelations. Sheppard told Eric the whole story regarding the Arcadia project, how the Martian president wanted to invade the earth by harnessing the enormous destructive power of Arcadia against the earth but, the earth president, who had foreseen everything, had entrusted him with the task of creating that monstrous slime to destroy Aztac and his planet. << Eric, I know you are not a superhero, but you must defeat that monster at all costs. If you die now, the fate of the entire Galaxy will be sealed. Please Eric, defeat that monster and save humanity >> With that said, Sheppard's eyes went out for good, while Eric's became as red as the sun. The overflowing anger that assailed him served as fuel. Using both laser blades, Eric fought like a wild lion, slicing through the slime's limbs like butter but, despite all his efforts, the slime's regeneration was too high. With blow after blow, Eric's wounds kept leaking blood. Soon, the energies within him began to leave him. This time it was truly the end. No one could save him from the impending death that was drawing him back toward himself. Although he had now arrived, the slime continued to strike Eric's body with tremendous brutality. Each and every blow it received was more intense and heavier than before. Slowly, the crimson light inside his eyes slowly began to disappear. This time it was truly the end. The legend of the great Eric had truly come to an end. With the last glow of life left in his body, Eric turned his gaze to the corpse of his master. << I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do to stop him. The galaxy will have to see for itself >> Finished that sentence, Eric's body was struck for the last time by the heavy tentacle. It was over. Eric was dead. The brightest mind and the strongest and most valiant fighter in the galaxy had perished under the heavy blows of the slime. Although Eric was dead, however, the slime did not care. Although it was devoid of feelings, it was as if something, akin to resentment and anger, had begun to pervade its body. The thing brought its tentacles closer to Eric's tortured body and lifted him into the air. Now that he was motionless and with his legs dangling, his entire shapely body was visible, despite being covered by the thin, tight-fitting ripped space suit. Every single part of his hairy body was completely exposed when the slime, with a decisive tentacle blow, finally ripped open what was left of his spacesuit. Intrigued by the strange hair enveloping him, the blob began to exploit its slimy, long tentacles to explore the entire body of the now deceased king of mercenaries. With maniacal care, the terrible creature went through every single nook and cranny of Eric's body, passing through his hairy balls and enormous penis. Usually, it is said that when a male dies, all the remaining blood is transferred to his cock, giving him one last, proud and huge erection. And this was indeed the case with him. Eric's huge, hairy, hard cock was now sporting the biggest erection of his life, and the blob, intrigued by the scene, was slowly and gently touching it, as if not wanting to ruin it. All the thick hair that covered Eric's body was soon drenched with the slimy slime of the blob, which was taking great pleasure in stimulating the deceased body of its victim. While he was doing all this, the blob noticed that he too was getting an erection, although a penis he himself believed he did not have. In fact, in the midst of all that mass of slime, there he was, sprouting a huge cock, as transparent as the rest of his body. Although it was made of jelly, the alien's penis was ten times harder than the metal enveloping the ship, and it was ready for action. The creature turned Eric's body over, and right where the tail was located, there it was, peeping out its small, tender, virgin ass. Wrapped in an immensity of thick hair, Eric's tight ass appeared to the creature's nonexistent eyes super inviting and ready to receive the care it deserved. Just as it had done earlier with Amy, the blob thrust its slimy, hard penis into the mercenary's body with immense violence, disfiguring it in a manner that was nothing short of unclean. Being made of jelly, his huge penis was able to slip nimbly inside the narrow walls of Eric's ass, reaching all his most intimate unexplored depths. The eagerness was great, and the pleasure that resulted from that simple action was like a taste of heaven for that monstrosity. If he had a mouth, or even a mind, he would certainly have thought that Eric's tight ass was definitely much tastier and more inviting than that of all the other crew members he had raped before. It did not take long for the first wave of cum to come. Huge rivers of hot, white cum violated not only Eric's ass but his entire body, painting what was once his thick hair white. But once was not enough. Once he received a taste of that delicious morsel, he certainly could not let it go so easily. Like an insatiable hungry beast, the beast went on for hours on end, enjoying every second of that fantastic moment, fully savoring all the delicious flavor the corpse was providing him. Although several hours had passed, Eric's cock made no sign of subsiding, as did that of the ravenous beast. Eric's body ,once known as the greatest legend in space, was now reduced to nothing less than a useless bag to contain alien cum. More hours passed, and finally the beast was satisfied. As he held Eric's lifeless body up, the beast tried his hand at twirling him around in the air as if he were a toy, taking pride in seeing the huge drops of cum dripping like rivers from his ass. Despite all the pleasure he had been able to give him, Eric's body was later thrown into a remote corner of the room along with countless other bodies, also covered in cum. All the previous victims, thrown there as if they were garbage, lay waiting for a proper burial that would never happen.