Into the Void

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. The sound of a thousand gut-wrenching screeches resonated through the partitioned section of the ship. Floating on a jettisoned island of metal, Cass winced at the sound, and at the shrapnel in his side. He examined his wounds; the clotting foam wasn’t going to hold for long. He had about five minutes before he started to bleed out. Another scream echoed through the hull and rattled through his head.

Interesting thing a scream. Just like a whisper, it’s a simple vibration, moved through some sort of medium that anyone can perceive as sound. But there’s the catch. Someone needs to be there to hear you…the whole if a tree falls in the woods bit. The tree falls and the vibrations travel through the air and into the ears of whoever witnessed the death of that tree.

“SOS, this is Onyx of Raptor Squad requesting assistance,” Cass called over the radio.

Silence followed. That’s what was called the “interference” from the Shrieker clouds. It was a sudden ominous silence. No crackling, no feedback, just quiet. Like that infinite moment right before someone tells you something horrible. Cass’s head swayed as his consciousness waivered and his mind began to drift.

“Is your mother home, son?” The officer in full dress uniform stood with his hat under his arm and pity in his eyes.

“Inside, Sir,” Cass responded and held the door open for the man to step through.

Cass followed the officer in, “Mrs. Anders?”

Mother turned from her work and took off her reading glasses. “Yes, can I help you?”

The officer walked over and gestured for permission to sit. Mother nodded and he sat down. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I have news of your daughter.”

That moment, before knowing how your world is going to be smashed into a million pieces, the anticipation of the next few words will change you forever. That moment is fixed in eternity.

The officer explained that there was an attack on the colony, that my sister died, and then he thanked us for her service. Cass, stunned by the news, ran to hold his mother as she wept. A thousand tears for his sister, just like the thousands more that had been shed before, and thousands more that would be shed again.

“You should be proud…” the words of the officer drifted away and Cass regained consciousness.

I will not die like this. They are not going to take me like they did her.

“Raptor Squad, this is Onyx, can…” Another shriek made him drop the radio and clench his ears. An explosion sounded in the distance. If Cass’s partitioned section of this ship was hit again, he would be a goner. It was still strange to be able to hear things in space, but Cass pushed that down and tried the radio again.

No answer.

He fought to get on his feet and looked through the viewing window. The part of the ship that he was in was flipping through space. He could still see the orange and violet of the Shrieker clouds, but no Shriekers, and no ships. I have to stop the spin.

He accessed the panel and found that there were some fire suppression systems that were still active. Normally, the system would put out hull fires, but since it was jettisoned, it could work as a stabilizer. He vented the system and the spin slowed. It didn’t take much since the Shrieker clouds created…something that allowed the system to push off of.

The partition slowed, and the radio sprang to life. “Onyx, are you there? Come in, Onyx!”

Cass stumbled towards the radio, crashing into the ground.“Io, I hear you! I’m in a busted-up part of the ship,” Cass responded. He could see movement in the clouds through the viewing window.

“You have to be more specific, mate. There’s a whole lot of that out here,” Merc chimed in. “How the hell you get stuck in an ejected coffin?”

“Long story, Merc, save it for later. Maybe when I’m not dying,” Cass said and then waivered, feeling light-headed from his blood loss. He gained his composure, “I’ll vent so you can spot me.” Some more of the extinguisher shot into space causing a slight spin.

“Eyes on,” Noob said. “Scanning for hostiles, sit tight, Cass.”

“What are the squidies doing out here? I thought this place was supposed to be safe?” Merc said.

“It doesn’t matter, Merc, they showed up. That's all we need to know. Let's get Onyx out of there and into a fighter where he belongs. Noob, report?” Io replied. Was that strain Cass heard in her voice?

“Trying to get a clearer pic, Cap. This cloud is denser than most. Give me a minute” Noob said, sounding distant.

Merc, not really one to let silence reign continued, “Drinks are on you, mate, when we get out of this?” Merc said.

“You got it” Cass breathed.

After a moment, Noob interjected, “We definitely are not out of the woods. Scans pick up at least four Shriekers. There's a lot of wreckage, so there might be more out there. I don’t think there are any in the immediate vicinity, though.”

“There… were… some…” Cass slumped to the ground, the clotting agent finally starting to break down. He felt warm blood seeping into his suit. Here he was, flipping through space, bleeding out, hounded by Shriekers, but he was breathing easier now that Raptor Squad was with him.

“Don’t worry, Cass, we…” Io’s voice stopped, and then, Silence.

A shriek sounded and a blast collided with the hull. Shrieker gas started to fill the space that air once filled. Cass choked on the gas, trying to get his helmet on. The gas swept in and engulfed everything as oxygen bled out of the damaged hull. Gasping for air, Cass’s eyes started to turn red as the blood vessels began to rupture. He screamed, trying to get the gases out. That only caused him to breathe in more. He flailed and struggled for air, fighting for every breath. The Shrieker cloud burned down his throat and into his lungs. His screams and cries of pain fell to no one, because he was alone. He wanted to fight, but maybe this is what he deserved. One final shriek sounded as another blast ripped the remnants of the ship away and pulled Cass out into space.

Cass floated, dangling helplessly in the Shrieker cloud. He couldn’t breathe, but he wasn’t dead. He could see his team racing towards what should be his corpse, but he wasn’t dead. His mind told him to run toward them, but his body didn’t react. A moment stretched into infinity and he lay there with bloodshot eyes, filled with the inability to move or speak or breathe. But he wasn’t dead.

In the forest of Shrieker clouds and debris, a cacophony followed as the tree fell, Cass didn’t know if he was the tree or the witness.