Just One Day, Page 2

The habitation ring was alive with screams, smeared blood stains and shadows staggering through the flickering lights. The greed of the first few who had panicked had doomed the others, as escape pods designed for up to ten had left with only one or two on board. If the engineer had cared to look out of one of the portholes into the dark recesses of deep space he may have been able to spot a few of them, their course revealed by slowly winking lights in the gloom. He had looked for them, once, his heart in his mouth as panic had gripped his soul. That was no longer an issue. His calm demeanour was the resignation of the damned.

  He checked his wristwatch and walked a little faster to make sure he was on time, turning into a buckled residence doorway just as a corpse staggered towards an overweight, sweating man whose bald head shone in the halogen lighting. He was screaming in panic, his suit drenched in the piss of primordial terror as he backed away from the undead invasion. Liam O'Shaugnessey, thirty nine years of age, accounts. Favourite food, Carbonara. Favourite band, the Rolling Stones. Favourite sexual position, doggy style. It had not been a particularly enjoyable day when he had found that fact out. Liam's scream, that bloody scream that always made his ears twinge with pain when he heard it echoed out into the hallway. An annoying, misogynistic prick. He always headed for him first though, every time.

  Liam started babbling inanely when he saw the engineer, his hands held up in prayer. The engineer stepped forward purposefully, circling the corpse quickly and interposing himself between the dead and the man, pushing the attacker away forcefully with a heavy boot to the chest. The corpse had been a woman in life, small of frame and now screeching at him with a tone of voice that reminded him of a sickly child. She was not a child though, she was old, so stale... they all were.

  One swift swing of the wrench as the corpse started to lunge again was all that was needed and the small body collapsed to the ground, a spray of blood showering the lavishly carpeted floor. It was not standard decoration, as carpet was exceedingly expensive, especially this far out of the system. Apparently Liam had bought it as a way of trying to entice women back to his bachelor pad. It hadn't worked.

  “Christ, if you... if you hadn't been here,” said Liam, his voice high and tremulous as he sucked in deep breaths to calm his nerves.

  “But I was,” said the engineer, wiping the wrench on the carpet.

  “Hey, that's...” started Liam in annoyance, his finger pointing towards the new stain on the floor as if it were too high a price to pay for his life.

  “At least it wasn't your suit this time,” said the engineer, striding back towards the corridor, checking his watch as he went. The rest of the décor was just as extravagant as the carpet, with vaguely shaped modern art sculptures dotted around on pedestals and landscapes adorning the walls, and the engineer knew without having to look that Liam would be looking around at all his things, the accrued wealth of years, wondering how he could protect them all if he left. The engineer waited for the words.

  “Where are you going?” asked Liam. As the engineer turned back he saw the accountant doing a strange dance, the survivalist part of his mind trying to force his legs into movement whilst the capitalist was pushing him to stay, to safeguard the wealth.

  “I'm heading through the medical wing to the other pods.”

  Liam's mouth worked as he continued to struggle with his next few words, trying to work out which direction would lead to the most desirable outcome. The engineer would not help him, he would simply state the options and leave the man to control his own future, or at least steer the illusion of control. Fate was a harsh taskmaster.

  “You can come with me, if you want,” he stated flatly. Liam's eyebrows twitched.

  “Will I be safe?”

  The engineer didn't answer, simply turning and walking back out into the carnage filled corridors. After a few moments, he heard Liam's footsteps behind him as he moved onwards.