Fiction Fragment Friday
This week’s Fiction Fragment Friday truly lives up to the name. It is a full flash fiction, but it is also a fragment of a larger story. I’m not done with this story. I like what I have set up enough that I want to continue it into a longer short story or even a novella. Only time will tell if I follow through on that thought or move on to other inspirations.
“Clear. 3…2…1…” James hit a button on his tablet. The four plasma breaching charges glowed brightly as they melted through the outer airlock hatch. Their environment suits prevented the scent of melting metal from reaching the trio. After a few moments the seal was broken, and James was able to pry the doors open.
“Yeah baby. That’s what I’m talking about.” James strolled through the lock onto the derelict ship.
“Congratulations, you opened a door,” Margret said as she followed him through the open airlock.
“Seriously? Would you two take at least the bare minimum of caution? We have no idea what’s over there.” Thomas shined his light in every corner of the room before entering.
“Where’s your sense of adventure?” James asked as he pried open the inner airlock door.
“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have one.”
“I have a very well developed sense of adventure. It just takes a backseat to the practicality of making sure you two don’t get yourself killed.”
“It’s a derelict with no signs of life or power. What danger could possibly be here?” James didn’t even bother looking before he walked into the larger room.
“That’s just it. We don’t know. Sure, our scans say there’s no life or power readings, but we have no idea who or what built this ship. What if they used power sources we can’t detect. There could automated defenses just waiting for trespassers.”
“Shut it, you two. We’re here to make money and that means some risk.”
“Yeah Thomas.”
“I said shut up. There’s going to be risk, but that doesn’t mean we should act like idiots. Take basic precautions.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” They said in unison. James added an exaggerated salute.
“If you weren’t my brother…” She let the statement stand as she also stepped out of the now damaged airlock.
The three found themselves in a room about three times the size of the airlock. A powered off control panel was mounted on the wall, and the walls were lined with metal doors. James immediately reached for one and opened it.
“Whoa get a load of this,” he said as he pulled out a space suit. “Four arms.” He held it up to himself, showing that it would only come to his chest but was significantly wider than his own suit. Two of the arms were positioned at the shoulders, but the other two arms came out straight from what would be the lower stomach on a human. Each hand had only four fingers. Four on top, and one on bottom. “Definitely not human.”
“Congratulations boys. We’re going to be rich.” Margret opened another locker and pulled out what appeared to be a gun. It didn’t fit her grip quite right, so she held it out with two hands.
James took the gun and spun around the room posing with it. His finger accidentally pushed a metal peg on the underside of the weapon forward. The gun vibrated in his hands as a beam of energy shot from the end, melting a fist sized hole in the locker right next to Thomas’s head.
Thomas jumped back letting out reflexive curse. “You idiot! You almost killed me!”
“Sorry. It was an accident. The trigger pushes forward instead of pulling back.”
“James, you put that gun down this instant.”
He reacted to his sister yelling out of instinct and dropped the gun. “You sounded just like mom there.”
The room lit up, an alarm blared, and an automated announcement in a language they had never heard echoed through the room. A clunking sound could be heard as locks on all the lockers engaged.
“I told you, but no one ever listens to me.”
“That’s not helping Thomas.” Margret hit a button on her helmet to radio their ship. “Windfall, this is the salvage team. We have a major problem over here.” She waited a moment with no reply. “Windfall come in.” There was no response.
Thomas frantically tapped on his tablet. “Our signal is being blocked.”
Behind them an energy barrier snapped to life blocking off the air lock. The far doors slid open and two large robots with treads rolled into the room. Their silver frames reflected the flashing lights. Each had two articulated arms, another pair ending in multifunction tools, and shoulder mounted guns moving to stay locked on to them. They spoke in an alien language, but it was still obvious they were giving commands.
“Down on the floor. Don’t make any sudden moves.” Margret followed her own orders and dropped to her knees keeping her hands in view. The other two reluctantly followed her example.
One of the robots rolled forward keeping its weapons trained on the salvagers. The other moved to the weapon James had dropped and picked it up. A clicking sound could be heard as the locker it came from unlocked and opened. The robot placed the gun back where Margaret had found it and closed the locker afterwards.
Thomas turned his head to James. “I told you so.”
“Not helpful,” Margret replied.
The second robot examined first the hole in the locker door and then the damaged airlock. It rolled to a stop in front of Margret. It continued speaking first the harsh alien language, but slowly English words started to emerge. “Weapons fire is prohibited. Ship damage is prohibited. This will be your only warning. Return to your ship now or we will be forced to awaken the creators.”