Left

Tairen slipped through the dark hall, only the sound of his breathing reached his ears. Not that he could hear anything else in the environment suit he was wearing. Why he was the only one on this wreck was beyond him, but as old Tarhead Pete always said, orders is orders, and the captain sent him over onto the derelict craft to see what was wrong with it.

Tairen leaned forwards and slid his hand over one of the bulkheads, years of dust came away and Tairen sighed a deep and annoyed sigh, "Orders is orders my pasty white ass."

"Ain't no freakin' power on this ship, bloody salvage," Tairen murmured as he pressed on deeper into the darkness of the ship. The only light belonging to the small electro-lamp, giving off such a faint glow that even with it Tairen could still barely see. He squinted into the dark and held the lamp higher so he could read the faded directory on the wall.

"Maybe fifty more feet and I can see if I can turn this heap on," he mused as he continued on down the unlit hallway. "Suppose only consolation I got is that there ain't no way someone could be alive in this junker."

As Tairen continued down he passed an intersection something dark seemed to brush past him. Tairen spun around holding his lamp high. "Hello? Anyone there?" he called out, the only response where the echoes bouncing down the hallways.

Tairen stood there, slowly turning staring hard down each hall. Just as he was turning to face back the way he came Tairen jumped as his comm buzzed to life, "Christ what the hell is taking so long Tairen!"

"Can't find the freakin' engine room captain," Tairen responded still spinning.

"Well get the lead out. I'm not payin' you by the hour Tairen let's move on the double,." responded the captain's voice harshly.

Tairen shook his head and turned back down the hallway heading towards the engine room. "You don't pay me anything," he grumbled.

Soon Tainren's footsteps and breathing where all that could be heard in the eerily quiet ship. As he stared down one hallway than the next he shrugged and continued heading south, or what he though was south. After all the engine room is usually at the back of the boat. Soon enough Tairen was passing doors and torn bulkheads. He stopped to look at one, the dull silver torn and shredded revealing wires and circuitry beneath. "Christ, wasn't no laser fire that did that." Tairen commented as he slid his finger along one of the jagged cuts, "wonder what the hell did this."

As if in answer to his question Tairen heard a faint snarling off to his left, down a branch leading away from the engine room. Tairen stood and squinted down the hallway he stood for what seemed like ages, deathly still and barely breathing. Slowly almost breathlessly he flicked on his comm and whispered "Captain?"

"What is it Tairen?" was the response from the gruff sounding voice.

"I think there's somethin' on this ship."

"Don't be stupid Tairen. That ships been out here longer'n you've been alive. It doesn't even have any oxygen. Now get to the engine room and see if you can start her up!"

"But captain I've been hearin' things."

"Tairen do as I say!"

"Aye Captain," Tairen responded as he turned towards the engine room. Suddenly Tairen's legs fell out from under him and he screeched in pain. As a trio of sharp blades cut through his suit and into his stomach.

In the ship the entire deck crew could hear Tairen's screaming over the captain's comm link.