The Cargo Hold

Something was waiting in the dark.

(This is a cosmic horror, sci-fi short, so just a heads-up. This takes place in the same universe as The Decay of the Dina term! A small short to show you guys a good time :P)

Cleo Drez shook out her hands and let out an exasperated breath. Ok, not really exasperated, more nervous as hell. She knew if she told herself she was annoyed and not worried, it would make things go easier. Nerves could keep you alive, but when you’re locked in a spacesuit about to board a ship that had once been a well-known disappearing act, well then nerves could be a damn liability.

All it took was one wrong grab in a panic, and your suit was unsealed, or your filtration system was shot. Well, that, or you activated some defense protocols on board the vessel.

“Yo, Co, Co!” Jameson called over the scratchy com in Cleo’s ear. Shaking her head, she responds. The suit was old but thankfully had a feature where you didn’t have to press buttons to answer back like her last suit model.

“Y-yeah, I’m ok. You know I always get the jitters on the high-pay runs. I’m just taking a moment. I already found the cargo hold, so I’m here, but give me a second, damn it.” The brunette muttered, rolling her eyes when she heard the laugh on the com.

Jameson was a good man, but he had a weird way of laughing at the worst times. Though she had to admit after being around him two years in a small clunker. His laugh and overall noises tended to make her feel more at home than anything else.

“Look, Co, I know you hate the Datasnag contracts, but they pay damn well. This one’s no big deal either. If there’s any biological or even radiation-type situation in that hold well, you’re covered. Just keep updating me, keep your camera running, and check the cargo is secure,” he said, his voice full of confidence.

“Of course, it’s easy for you; you get to stay in the damn ship. I’m the one with the gun skills.” She muttered, remembering the last mission for this company and how it led to a firefight over the item they were after. Thankfully, he was right, and this one was just about knowing it was secure and reporting back location.

Letting out a sigh, the scavenger touched the small pad at the door side. The metal was a silver polish with a bronze trim. “Pretty bougie So whatever this thing was supplying was probably a high-end product. I only know maybe three businesses that are about appearance as much as being efficient.”

With a snick, the data pad took the code that Jameson had prepared. As it slid away, a thick mist filled the hall. “Yeah, figures. It looks like whoever ditched the ship turned off the environmental controls in the cargo hold, damn.” Her radio hissed a bit as he spoke. ”Don’t worry, love, I’ll get it online for yah just a minute. Suit should do the heavy lifting in the meantime.”

Cleo stepped in, glad she couldn’t feel more than a residual chill thanks to her suit. Though, the helmet fogged up for a moment before the inner systems fed a see-through microgel into the gap between segments. It cleared up the sight issue immediately. However, as she got her first glimpse inside the darkened hold, the explorer had to switch on her helmet light.

“Shit, Co. I’m losing visuals; I’ll work on it. Just take plenty of pictures. If I can’t get through, I’d say I might be able to get into the actual camera systems on the ship. I’ll have my Ap work that in the background.”

“Just fucking great, as if this wasn’t bad enough. No one pays to just check if something is there; I’m sure I’m about to get some crazy readings or something…” She thinks feeling fatigue eats at her. They’d only agreed to this because so many small jobs just weren’t enough.

Cleo takes a careful look around; her light slips over partially covered crates and strange banners. She’d never seen the symbol before, a strange multi-limbed creature with claws and swords behind it. It was a purple banner, the symbol marking much of the cargo. Even some of the crates didn’t look quite right. She paused at one that was oddly rounded and had a strange porous look. She took some images and, looking closer, gasped.

“What. What is it? Are you ok?!” Came over the line imminently, and Cleo actually laughed, feeling better for the first time that day. ”Yeah, yeah, um, sorry, I was just surprised. Um, some of the crates are grown.“

“ …just don’t do that, Cleo. I thought someone was waiting, or a trap got your ass or something. I’m blind other than your vocals on this end and a vitals display.”

The woman chuckled again and sighed, glancing around carefully but not moving before she was ready. “It was just a surprise; some of these crates look like they’re grown from coral. I haven’t heard about tech like that being near active areas since my granddad was at war.”

“Cleo…”

The woman paused, glancing around her; light was catching jars and weird paintings or containers of fluid now. “What is it, Jameson?” She swore someone had said something, but she’d only caught a bit of it.

“No, I’m almost through the camera feeds, though. I’ll keep you updated; you do the same.”

He said calmly, and she blew up in her face, dislodging a wet piece of hair. The scavenger was still sweating from her earlier panic. Though she didn’t feel nearly as worried anymore. If there were traps, they probably would have triggered already. That didn’t stop her from checking ahead, though; she wasn’t stupid. In fact, she was sweeping an open floor segment surrounded by vats of fluid and…possibly clones. When she spotted something tucked behind a pillar, just a soft glimmer of green and blue.

“Cleo…come”

The scavenger felt a weird prickling behind her eyes, but it was gone as soon as it came. She found herself climbing over a crate to try and get at the strange shiny thing she had spotted. “Yo Co, you went quiet. You’re still alive, no slacking!” Jameson said, however, his voice felt farther away than usual.

“Oh, right, sorry, shit. Uhh, I spotted something. You said our cargo check was sector five at the back, yeah?” She asked, surprised she remembered at all. Half the time, with a larger ship layout like this, she needed to double-check her notes. “Oh, uh, yeah, that’s the sector; just get some picker and get back. I got some soup on for us. I mean, it’s dehydrated drivel, but it’s somethin.”

“Right soup, better be beef.” Cleo muttered as she squeezed behind the last box. It felt like such a chore to concentrate on anything else. Cleo stumbled to a halt in front of a strange meteor. It was gray and pitted with a metal-looking sheen. Tears began to spill down the woman’s cheeks as whispers filled her ears.

“Cleo…”

She’d been hearing a woman’s voice that sounded so happy to see her. That’s right, I heard it earlier too, but I didn’t remember. Like a mother who had been waiting, worried about her for so long. Cleo heard something, a grumbling voice calling her.

“Cleo. Cleo! Your camera’s back. What is that? Answer me, what do you mean you got to go?” The stranger called, and the woman felt sad for a moment. However, that feeling was washed away as the stone lit up. Revealing cracks filled with blue gems and a green fiery glow that surrounded the structure itself.


“It’s time to come home, my love; return to me, Cleo…”

The scavenger reaches out to touch the object, her gloved hand and body outlined by an unearthly light. In an instant, there’s a flash so bright it burns out the cameras in the helmet and surrounding area.

A lone voice calls out over the old helmet speakers as it tumbles across the ground empty. Its light highlights different objects in the darkness before coming to rest on its side. Slowly, its lamp flickers, stuttering a few times before turning off.

{ authors note}

Hey guys, I hope you liked my short, I actually dreamed this up a very long time ago. It was a precursor to me actually writing. So I’m so happy to actually share it again and the little art I did all on my own! I can’t wait to start doing characters and figures myself. Either way, what do you think happened to Cleo?