X-COM Short Story

[PrismaCube]

Hello everybody, here is another story from me, and this time I'm planning to finish it .
This is a short story so it will only contain a short amount of chapters, with each chapter being very short.
This story does play in the X-COM universe however small things have been changed to appeal to the story. The background story to this story I will leave out for most of the part. The main focus of this story is the character and her experience.

At this point I would also like to thank Alzdude28, she has been a really big help to me improving the story and correcting most of my mistakes.

Enjoy.

 

[PrismaCube]

“The Girl with the Oxygen Mask”​

A computer screen flashes red and blue reflecting light into the cockpit, warning of current danger. Overthrowing the warning sounds of the instruments a female robotic voice emerges from all around the cockpit. “Hull breach in the cargo bay, oxygen level critical, shield generators offline.”

A young woman in her twenties with lightly colored hazel brown eyes and long flowing brunette hair tied back into a ponytail with a hair sits in the cockpit with a stressed face.

“Nonna! It is advised to put on the emergency oxygen reserves mask.”

Nonna reaches to the the side of the cockpit and tries to open a small transparent box, only to be forcefully slammed against the cockpit yoke followed by smoke filling the cockpit. Recovering from the blast Nonna noticed blood floating around the cockpit. Searching for wounds, Nonna noticed a deep cut across her lips where the blood was dripping from.

“Direct missile impact! Engine levels critical, zero gravity stabilizer offline.”

“Plexi! Transfer the power of the oxygen generator to the hyperdrive generator!” Nonna calls out, with both hands gripped firmly on the yoke.

“Power being transferred.”

Slowly counting down in her head, everything seems to quiet down around her. Her breath and heart beat echo through her head, rapidly increasing. Nonna reaches for a switch and flips it.

“Hyperdrive engine at 26% power. Estimated space jump length: Unknown. Location: Unknown. Fuel level at minimum. Are you sure you want to jump into unknown space Nonna?”

Nonna lets out a small laugh. “These fucking pirates aren't giving me much of a chance.”

“As you wish, the Kuroba is ready for a space jump, because of the hull breach this space jump could injure you in a severe way. You have been warned. It is now up to you to commit this space jump with the knowledge of the risk.


Nonna inhales one last breath and leans back into her seat, she reaches for the button labeled “Hyper Jump”. Although danger was imminent and all around her, hesitation filled her thoughts. For Nonna it was either die here and now or later somewhere in the void. Both options seem to be appealing to her. Hovering above the button Nonna starts to wonder if there was another way out before jumping into unknown space. Disturbing her thoughts a sensor started to come alive with sound indicating a missile heading towards the ship, increasing with speed to notify of the danger closing in. Nonna had no other choice left. She pressed down the button and within seconds everything around her slowed down almost to a halt, then immediately the small bounty hunter spaceship was thrown into hyperspace with an unknown destination.


Jumping out of hyperspace and into the empty void, Nonna is greeted by a gigantic interstellar cloud, lighting up the void around her in all kinds of colors. A quick view out the cockpit showed no sign of life or planets in eye view.

Nonna sighs with a relief. Her skin was very pale and several cuts and bruises were visible on her.

“We made i-.” Noticing her silent voice Nonna checks a display to her left indicating that there was only 2% oxygen left. Quickly she got out of her pilot seat and opened the transparent box where an oxygen mask with an oxygen generator backpack was stored. After equipping the mask, Nonna sits back down and leans back into her seat with a relieved look on her face.

“Plexi, activate the scanner and radio, also shut down the engines, transfer any leftover power to the frost chamber. If the scanner can’t find anywhere for us to go I might have to put this chamber to use.”

Nonna gets out of her seat and walks toward a large pod in the cockpits corner, covered in a large amount of dust.

“Space scanner activated. Scanning two light years away for any planets or life forms.”

Nonna dusts the chamber off, uncovering a small label.

Frost Chamber MCCXVIII
Terran Empire
2195

“I never would have thought stealing this piece of junk back then might actually be any use of me now. I would have sold it a long time ago if only a reliable fence had offered me a good sum for this. Twenty thousand credits is not worth the trouble I went through to sneak this thing out during the military base raid back in sector V.

“Scan complete. Result: Empty. No planets or life form have been found. Radio signal is also silent.”

Nonna sinks her head.

“Curse those fucking pirates! How could they have known about that trade… Now I’m in this hopeless situation. If I survive this I swear to end my career as a bounty hunter and smuggler, settle down and enjoy the rest of my life drinking my worries away.”

Nonna leans her head against the frost chamber

“This is it huh? I might never wake up from this slumber… But it’s my last chance.”

Nonna opens the chamber door and takes off her oxygen equipment and puts it beside the chamber, shortly after entering the chamber and closing the door.

“Plexi, the ship has received a lot of damage. Power everything down except for the life support system and the frost chamber, keep the ship’s solar panels that are still intact faced towards the nearest suns and then put yourself in standby mode and keep watch over me please. Also keep activate a signal beacon calling for help.”

(Maybe someone out there will receive it.) Nonna thought to herself.

“As you Command.” Plexi answered with a slight sad tone in her voice.

“Wake me, when you need me.”

 

[PrismaCube]

“With a smile”​

Slowly Nonna's heart starts beating again and she gains her conscience back. Overpowered with the cold air of the tank and the still recovering body, Nonna was unable to move. She felt weak and confused and wondered what is going on.

A few more minutes passed and Nonna felt her eyes again. Slowly trying to open them with the small amount of strength that she has, Nonna noticed a blurred shadow on the other side of some frozen glass. Then she remembered. She was in the Frost Chamber.

Several more minutes pass and Nonna became aware of her surroundings. Several times she noticed a shadow passing forth and back in front of the chamber. Scared and cautious Nonna did not want to open the Chamber from the inside. One thing was for sure, it was not human. The shadowed structure looked way to skinny for a human being.

Plexi has not said anything yet, is she still in standby mode? Nonna thought to herself. The only thing she was able to hear was the muffled sound of the creature outside walking around and tearing things apart.

Definitely scared Nonna noticed the ice on the chamber slowly melting revealing the outside of the ship but also putting her in danger of being noticed by the creature.

Nonna was not carrying a pistol with her in the chamber, she remembers it was lying beside the cockpit seat, if she was quick, she could grab it and eliminate the thread roaming about.

Although the Frost Chamber was powered down and the frost was melting away Nonna was still very cold and had to suffer several more minutes of the frost, while trying to warm herself with her cold breath and hands the creature once again came. This time it did not pass the Chamber but observed it.

(“Oh fuck, can it see me?”) Nonna thought to herself. Standing very still and holding her breath, Nonna noticed the creatures yellow eyes staring at her, almost as if it was trying to eat her soul with its eyes.

Her heart started beating faster and faster, longing for oxygen, but Nonna refused to as long as the creature was staring her down. Push came to shove and her body forced her to take a breath, revealing to the creature that she was very much alive. The creature instantly jumped back on its two hind legs and smashed through the Chamber with the force of the push and it’s front legs.

Barely dodging the sharp fangs of the creature Nonna pushes the evict button inside the chamber and the Frost Chambers doors evacuate with a forceful air pressured push into the side cockpit wall with the creatures sharp legs still stuck in the door.

Rushing to the cockpit seat was a mistake. The sudden stress and movement was to much for Nonna’s body to handle, her eyesight turns dark and she collapses.

Still conscious Nonna tries to blink several times from a fear reflex to the dark. The creature was screaming and thrashing about behind her, it was clear to Nonna that she did not have much time. With all her strength she tapped in the dark for her pistol near the cockpit seat, just then she hears the chamber door behind her crashing against the chamber tank.

Slowly regaining her eyesight Nonna sees the gun and reaches for it. The creature was right on top of her without a doubt As soon as the pistol was in her hands she twisted around on the floor and was face to face with the creature.

The cold floor was being covered by blood, no doubt to Nonna she knew it was her blood. The creature had its legs lodged somewhere in her body. Nonna's heart skipped a beat at the sight. Not all her nerves had recovered yet, after the deep slumber and she did not feel any kind of pain for a single second.

With her left hand she grabs the creature's head and pulls it down to her pistol. The creature struggles and stabs Nonna several more times. Unable to move, Nonna did the only thing she could: Shoving the pistol straight into the creature's mouth and pulls the trigger. Within seconds the creature collapses on the floor next to her and dresses Nonna with its blood.

With a relieved look on her face Nonna lowers her arms and stays on the floor for a while.

“Plexi! Plexi! Do you read? Plexi!” Nonna calls out, with no response coming back.

Trying to move, Nonna crawled over to the cockpit door that had been ripped down, probably by the creature. Once she reached the door Nonna noticed that the ship was missing it’s entire backside and only the cockpit remained. Also she was not in space anymore but in some kind of spaceship.

“Plexi…” Nonna said with a sad voice, for she knew that the AI computer was in the missing part of the ship.

Slowly crawling to her cockpit seat Nonna noticed that she was not wearing an oxygen mask but still breathing fine, something was strange. Once she got settled into her seat Nonna turned on the instruments. Most were broken but a few still lit up. One displayed read the following.

Welcome back Nonna Koskov. It has been 99999999 years since you have last logged back on.

Nonna looked at the screen with an annoyed look. “Damn thing must be broken.” She said under her breath.

A small email icon was flashing on one of the screens. Nonna instantly opened it in hopes to find some answers as to where she was.

A silent robotic voice filled the cockpit.

“Hello Nonna, I hope that you are still very much alive. I’m very sorry I was not able to wake you up. You see right now I’m floating further and further away from you and my battery had been damaged. I’m living here on borrowed time. I will make the explanation short, not like I have any other choice wi-i-i-th this battery draining…

While drifting through space we were attacked by an alien life form once known to the human as chryssalid. You probably know your history so I do not have to explain it to you. These creatures however are feral, they have evolved and there are several different branches of evolution have lead to multiple distinct species within them. Where they came from I do not know but all I was able to do in order to save you is blow up part of my Computer Core in order to detach the ship where these aliens were on. I raised an oxygen barrier around the ship that should last for a couple of more days, you might not be able to see it but please for your own safety, do not go outside the ship without the oxygen mask. As for the aliens I think I got them all at le-st I hope I did. Non--, this is it, I’m ver- sor-y but I have to go. Howe-er before I go I might want to congr---late you on your 108 birth--y that was just a co--le of d-ys ago. Well this i- it, I’m gett--g out of com--nication range. G---bye No-na.

The message ends there.

Nonna looked up with relief and covered her eyes with her arm. A small smile appeared across her face.

“The fucking chryssalids evolved a mouth.”

Although a smile on her face and her eyes were covered by her arm a small tear was running down her cheek.

“I’ll miss you Plexi… Thank you.”

 

[PrismaCube]

“Prey among Hunters”​

Holding her wound shut Nonna slowly slips in and out of conscience. She knew that if she were not to treat her wounds this would end badly for her.

Crawling out of the pilot seat and unto the floor Nonna noticed the life support cable has been cut from the chamber. Which explains the reason for the emergency thawing of the Chamber. With all her strength Nonna tries to stand up. Leaning against the ship's interior Nonna tries to search for a first aid kid. There where it used to be was nothing.

Continuously losing blood Nonna was running out of time. Nonna did the last thing she could think of, she removed her shirt and cut it with the chrysalids sharp claws. Using the new cloth she bandages her leg, arm and stomach. No alcohol to clean the wounds if Nonna does not find anything to clean it with soon she would surely die of disease.
Nonna decided to sit back down into her seat and rest for a bit first. The pain was unbearable for her to walk around in, especially not in her current revival from the Chamber.

Several hours past and Nonna took the time to clean her wounds as good as she could with the little materials she had. Then she decided that it was time to explore the ship she landed on. Getting up was a little hard, but once she was standing Nonna was fit to walk. Nonna equipped the oxygen generator backpack and mask and headed out. The jump from her spaceship down to the alien vessel was like jumping out of a two story building, however no safer way down was possible.

All effort to treat her wounds was for not, the landing reopened her leg wound and she screamed out in pain as she dislocated her left foot. Blood was filling dripping on the floor and Nonna was struggling to stay awake from the pain. Nonna lost the fight with herself and passed out.

Several more minutes passed before Nonna woke up again. With all her might she tried to push her leg back into place with no success in sight, only pain.

Surely Nonna was not alone, throughout the ship a very silent scream was echoing towards her.

“Fuck if there are more chrysalids they surely would have smelled my blood. I have to get out of here!” Nonna thought to herself.

Activating the lamp on her pistol Nonna scanned the area for any sign of life. Nothing was moving of making a sound. If there was a time to do it with all her effort it would be now. Nonna pushed with all her might against the leg and with a loud almost breaking like sound her leg slides back into it’s original place.

Biting down on her lips so hard they started to bleed Nonna tried not to make anymore sounds.

“Fuck! Either it’s fixed or totally broken now. What do I know I ain’t a fucking doctor, but it will have to do.”

Nonna got up and limped toward her space ships underside. Leaning against it for some support Nonna said one last thing before leaving.

“You piece of junk saved me a lot of times. Wish I could have at least treated you better. But this is now your grave Kuroba. It was nice flying with you.”

Leaving the cold ship behind Nonna started to go exploring. Unsure of what she might be able to find.

While walking through the alien ship Nonna was thinking about the Chrysalid that she killed. With no doubt it was not like the once she learned about back in school on earth. These seem to be feral once that must have evolved, they must have evolved wings to navigate space somehow and mouth to satisfy their lust for blood. Nonna did not know at all, she had bad marks in alien biology class. To her excuse why would she care about things that have gone extinct for years now. Clearly a bad move on her part.

More importantly how did the Kuroba land on here without her assistance of the assistance on Plexi. So many questions without any answers. Nonna was slowly to get frustrated.

Walking through the ship Nonna noticed a lot of chrysalids like nests. But they all seem empty, or sleeping in worse case. But one thing for sure was clear. This ship is clearly from the war back in the old days. It must have never made it to earth due to the chrysalids overthrowing the ship. At least that was the best explanation that Nonna could tell herself.

No instruments were working and no energy was flowing through the ship. If she could only find and alien communication beacon she could surely make it run and send out a hyper signal into space. The alien technology is not all to different from what humans use nowadays, so surely she would be able to make it work.

But who would go through all this trouble just to rescue her, Nonna thought to herself. After all she is a wanted criminal. Then again maybe that would be enough for people to come rescue her. A life behind bars sounds better than what she is going through now at least.

While exploring some rooms Nonna noticed an alien console that was blinking with very dim light. This is my chance! Nonna thought to herself.

Standing at the console for several minutes trying her best to remember anything she could from alien history classes in order to understand this weird language she finally managed to bring the console to work.

With a smile on her face Nonna was overjoyed.

Just with a small command the whole room seem to lit up revealing several more nest. All look empty so nothing to worry about.

Now if I could only access the main console from this one I could send out the hyper signal and get out of here. However I have to work quickly this thing probably does not have a ton of juice left, I was lucky enough to get it to work.

Several more minutes of fiddling with the commands Nonna managed to get access to the main console of the ship.

In order to send out an emergency signal at light speed I would have to power the whole ship for about five minutes. Let’s hope this thing got enough juice for that.

With a very loud sound from an alien core reactor powering the ship the whole ship sprang to live.

“Yes! It’s working! The ship is sending a signal this is it. I’m sav-

Just then Nonna could hear something in the ship exploding. Several more explosions followed it. Something on the other end of the ship must have gone wrong. Everything powered down and Nonna was left with nothing but her pistol light again.

“No...NO!”

Not even time to get angry the ship was filled with hundreds if not millions of screeches.

“Chrysalids…”