Good, Bad, and Downright Ugly

[Cassie Granger 0]

Good, Bad, and Downright Ugly

 

It was big.

It was black.

It was cold.

And yeah, if you were into creepy you could add that to the list.

Interesting? No.

Dangerous? Definitely.

 

Cass ran her hands to her hairline, resting her forehead in her palms while her eyes continued to scan each monitor, warning klaxons screaming inside her head. Everything inside the Gygax Barrier, with the exception of Luttrell and Comanche Creek, had died with all hands long ago. So why the hell stay? What was it that made them stay here. Curiosity? And isn’t that what killed the cat?

 

Still, there was some value to being here. Now they knew what happened to the few vehicles they could identify, and they could report their findings. That was the good part. Problem was, there was a whole lotta bad and most of it was downright ugly. And we’re not talkin’ about the scenery.

 

The bad part? There was a reason why everything in here was dead, and Cass figured if they stuck around long enough it’d be too late.

 

The ugly? For starters, how about the wanting to stick around and find out?

 

Fear? You got it. Afraid? Not in the least.

 

Fear’s one thing. It’s alarm. Apprehension. Fear slips the body into red alert.

 

Afraid? Yeah, it’s alarm, but it’s scared, spooked, and startled. It means loss of control, letting the fight-or-flight kick in: cowardice. Not in her vocabulary.

 

Given the fear factor connected with this particular situation, Cassie’s combat focus kicked into high gear. Everything, down to the last speck of dust large enough to damage or bring down a shuttle (Luttrell) or starship (Comanche Creek) showed on her screens, each plotted with an evasive maneuver and an exit strategy, ready to be engaged as soon as command gave the word. Which didn’t seem to be coming anytime soon.

 

They’d found the coordinates, let the goo go, and still they pressed through the graveyard hunting for.... what? Were they all mesmerized by the “thrill of adventure?” Gees, if they wanted adventure there were plenty of ways to get it besides putting the whole damned ship, plus the Luttrell, in danger.

 

So she sat.

She focused.

Ready to react in half a second.

Adrenaline surged to a pulsing rush.

And still they pressed on, into the void, into the dead space they were calling Gygax. Named after the guy who created a monster.

 

Right.