Distress Signal

The lights blink, the red lights outnumber the green. Captain Jonus frantically flips at the switches on the panel to no avail.

“We are going in!” He shouts into the mic on the dash.

“What? No! Jonus, if we can’t get out, how are we going to warn the station?” His Lieutenant Paul, calls through the speaker.

Jonus stares through the clearcrete window, at the crescent shaped craft floating two hundred miles away. The gravity well his ship has fallen into, holds them in the vacuum while the other ship advances slowly.

“There isn’t anything we can do.” Jonus replies.

“I refuse to believe that. I am going to send out the pod.”

“If we get in that thing we’re defenseless.” Jonus says.

“Better floating with a distress beacon than some alien’s lab rat.” Paul retorts. The computer indicates the lifeboat is being armed to fire.

“Paul don’t you fucking leave me on this ship!” Jonus shouts into the mic.

“Then get to the lifeboat,” Paul replies over the speaker.

The emergency lights start to flash in the cockpit, and along the small hallway to the other end of the ship.

Jonus looks at the ship heading their way, it was one hundred and fifty miles and closing. He slams his fists into the blinking console and pushes himself out of the cockpit and towards the escape pod. The other man is finishing the escape protocols, the pods blink to life illuminating the fourseater, the lifeboat will blast them away from the approaching craft.

“There are first contact protocols.” Jonus says grabbing the handle beside the doorway to stop his momentum.

“They include warning the closest human settlement.” Paul snaps, pulling the final red lever. The lights start to blink.

Jonus shakes his head, but gives no argument as he floats through the door into the pod. Paul straps himself into a seat, Jonus pulls the heavy red latch and the doors seal shut. With a gut wrenching pop the craft lurches out into the void. The tiny window in the door shows their bulky square craft floating away from them, the pod blasts away in the opposite direction.

Jonus lays his head against the seat, the emergency lights blink illuminating their pale faces in the darkness. The beacon at the front of the emergency craft blinks, transmitting a distress signal out into space. If any other human craft were out there, they would find them. Hopefully before the seventy two hours of oxygen runs out.

The two men doze in the long silent hours. Checking the window any time they get up to stretch their legs. The dark void is filled with nothing but twinkling stars that show them no sign of danger.

“We escaped.” Paul says with a satisfied smile after a few more hours. He floats over to the ration cabinet and pulls out some dried meat. He turns to Jonus with a smile. “See nothing to worry about.”

The lights flash and the pod bucks wildly, the metal groans around them. Paul crashes against the wall, before Jonus grabs his hand and helps him buckle into a seat. Stray drops of blood float through the air. The pod twists again sent off its course.

“Is it a rescue?” Paul groans, putting a hand to his head wound.

Jonus stares out the small window, catching a glimpse of the dark crescent shape. Before the window is facing twinkling stars. “No, Paul. It’s the UFO.”

Their escape pod tumbles through space towards the crescent shaped craft, faster and faster, the metal groans under the force of the gravity well. Jonus is grateful to have the safety harnesses holding them in their seats. Both men groan as the ship comes to a stop. Both feel the weight of artificial gravity settle over their bodies. The floating blood droplets from Paul’s head wound, splash onto the floor, little dark spots against the stark white paneling.

A knock sounds from the other side of the hatch. “Follow protocols.” Jonus groans. The knock seemed to come in a pattern.

“Fuck protocols.” Paul growls, releasing his straps and putting his face to the window. His mouth falls open and he releases the handle beside the door, he steps slowly away from it.

Jonus looks out the window and his expression mimics Paul’s. He stares at the strange grinning face on the other side of the window. It was strangely familiar, human, but alien. The smile is too wide, the teeth too sharp, their pupils not quite round. The alien waves long thin fingers at Jonus through the window. Then knocks again. “Why does that pattern sound familiar?” Jonus asks Paul.

Paul’s pale face turns to his Captain, his eyes stare blankly at him. “Because that is Shave and a Haircut.” He says, standing numb in the center of the pod’s cabin.

Jonus looks through the window at the grinning face. “Are they human?”

“How?” Paul asks.

“Maybe it is the glass making them look weird.” Jonus suggests.

“Jonus, why would their ship look weird then?”

Knock! Knock! Knock, knock, knock!

“They have to be human, how else would they know that knock.” Jonus releases the hatch.

“No, Jonus! Don’t!” Paul leaps for the handle. The pod decompresses and the hatch slides open.

The smiling creature on the other side squeals with glee as the door opens. More human but not human creatures swarm the door, the sound of steam escaping pipes fills the air, as they laugh. Arms reach in and long fingers grasp the men’s arms. They scream, loud and high pitch but lost to the hissing and cackling sounds of the aliens around them,

“With each of you, we find a way to mask ourselves better, and better.” A voice hums as an alien steps forward and strokes thin cold fingers down Jonus’s pale cheek, “We thank you for your sacrifice,”

The screaming men are pulled down separate halls. The leader grins as its body shifts to look like Jonus. Captain Jonus looks at the alien as he is carried away down a brightly lit hallway.

“NO!” He screams.

The new Jonus stands among his people, watching the humans be taken away. Slightly thinner, a little taller, with a wide smile and darker eyes. Jonus turns his dark eyes to his people and then goes to the door of the escape pod.

“We will reactivate their distress beacon. Let me float. Follow behind.” He says, climbing into the escape pod with a strange hissing laugh. The alien ship releases the escape pod from its landing bay and the craft tumbles into the void.

The distress beacon blinks. The mayday signal broadcasting for any who will listen.

A lone escape vessel, drifting lost in space.