He got to the opening and stopped. He felt a warm gust of wind on his face and started. It was the first time that he had felt anything like a breeze on this ship. He could barely bring himself to put even a single foot forward. He wavered as he peered into the corridor. There must be something up ahead that was reflecting the beam of his flashlight. He swung the beam to the right, but the light did not change. So it wasn’t a reflection!
Jeff quickly switched off his flashlight. He was enveloped in darkness. Only the pale white glow further down the corridor remained.
It must be one of those light aliens. He began to tremble. He tightened his grip on his flashlight so it wouldn’t slip out of his hand. He wanted to take a step back, but couldn’t. As if something had blocked the neural paths from his brain to his muscles.
The glow in the corridor got brighter.
Jeff had to get out of here. Somehow. He bit his lower lip so hard he tasted blood. He bit even harder. The pain triggered something in him, and with a huge effort he managed to take a step back. And then another. As if in slow motion, he turned around and somehow heaved himself to the other end of the room. He had to hide so that the sinister creature didn’t find him.
Finally, he reached one of the phone booths and crouched down behind it. He peered around the edge just as the creature reached the hall.
Jeff thought he could hear the hammering of his heart echoing through the room. The creature must have seen the light of his flashlight. But it didn’t seem to know where he was now. It stood there very calmly. A pale ghost that resembled a slender, almost human figure, a little smaller than Jeff. It wasn’t wearing any clothes, had no visible sexual features, no hair on its head, and no face. Jeff wasn’t sure which way it was looking. But it must have some kind of sensory organs. Light surrounded the being like an aura, white, with a pale-blue shimmer.
The creature entered the room very slowly. It didn’t make a sound. It simply floated over the ground. Jeff was sure it could move much faster than he could run.
It stopped abruptly at the first row of tables. Could it be the same creature he and Joanne had seen in the corridor the night before last? Was it the same creature that had brutally murdered Irons and Fields?
Now his life depended on whether the creature noticed him or not. It must know that something was hiding in here. Maybe he could somehow sneak past the alien and flee down one of the two back corridors. Or had he maybe overlooked an exit? If he turned on his flashlight now, the creature would know immediately where he was. In front of Jeff were the two big closed-off doors. But over there, several feet away, was another little door that he hadn’t noticed before. It, too, was closed. But next to it was another one of those small squares embedded in the wall. It must be a manual control for the door. If he was quick enough, he might be able to run to the door, slip through, and close it from the other side before the creature reached him. But the question was: would the manual control work? If it didn’t, he was a dead man.
The creature was still standing calmly next to the table at the other end of the hall. It appeared to be waiting for him to make a mistake and give away his location. If only he could see which way the creature was looking!
Minutes passed, during which time Jeff remained crouching rigidly in his hiding place. His heart was beating so hard he was sure the creature must be able to hear it. But the alien did not move an inch and gradually it dawned on Jeff that he would never get past his enemy. His only chance of escape was through the little door in the wall. Jeff tried to estimate how long it would take him to run there, open the door, and close it behind him, but he couldn’t think clearly.
He had to make a decision. And he knew it was a life-or-death decision.
Suddenly, the image of the gutted major appeared in his mind’s eye. Jeff shook his head. He didn’t want to end up like that!
He sprung up, stumbled, and almost fell flat on his face. He only just managed to regain his balance. Then he ran.
Don’t turn around! Don’t fall!
He assumed the creature was now coming after him. The question was, at what speed? He expected a cold, pale hand to grab him from behind at any moment. Mechanically, he counted his steps.
Twelve, thirteen…
Too many, but finally he reached the door. Still running, he hit the small square on the wall before crashing headlong into the door. Nothing happened. He pressed on the square again. Still nothing! The door didn’t budge.
This was it. He was about to die. For a moment he considered closing his eyes. He didn’t want to see the ghost rush toward him and start to slice him up. He just hoped it would be quick. But in the end he couldn’t resist the urge to turn around.
The creature hadn’t moved! It was still standing by the table, waiting.
Of course! It knew the door was closed and so it could take its time. Jeff’s heart was racing. Frantically, he looked around for another escape route, but there was nothing. He would never get past the creature. He needed to confront it, although he knew it was pointless.
Finally, he remembered he had a weapon with him, and with shaking hands, pulled out his pistol. He pointed it at the creature. This damn trembling! It was impossible to aim accurately!
Then the creature began to move. Jeff remained glued to the spot. It was coming toward him. But very slowly, as if in slow motion.
“What do you want from me?” Jeff cried out.
He pulled the trigger. The noise reverberated around his ears. The bullet exploded in a shower of sparks against the back wall.
Shitshitshit!
The second shot also missed the target by several feet.
The creature was now barely more than a few feet away from him.
“No!” Jeff shrieked.
Bullseye!
But the shot simply whipped through the middle of the creature. The bullet left a fine white line in the creature’s body that immediately dissolved again. Jeff cried out in horror. The weapon clattered to the ground.
He was done for. Any moment now, this creature would grab him.
Suddenly he heard a hissing sound behind him and a gust of wind in his hair. The ghost stopped abruptly.
Jeff turned around and saw Green stepping out of the now open door with his pistol drawn. He grabbed Jeff by the shoulder. “Shit!” the engineer screamed and pointed his gun at the creature.
“No use,” Jeff cried and stumbled backward. “The bullets go straight through it. Let’s…”
Suddenly, the ghost swung round and glided away at great speed.
“Jesus, it’s fast,” Jeff whispered. The creature had already disappeared down the corridor down which it had come. For a moment, the eerie glow continued to illuminate the tunnel entrance, then it was pitch black again and only the flashlight in Green’s hand provided a little light.
Gradually, the tension in Jeff eased. He stooped to pick up his pistol and his hands grasped the weapon. It had been close. Too close.
He turned round to his shipmate, who was still staring slack-mouthed at the doorway through which the alien had vanished. “Thanks,” Jeff croaked. “If you hadn’t turned up, I’d probably be dead by now.”
Green gave a nod, then turned to look at him. “Yup, looks like it,” he replied.
“How did you find me?” Jeff asked. He wiped his clammy hands on his suit. His pulse was still racing.