Milwaukee Deep

Alone and frightened, Robert Matner, lay on his stomach, unable to move, his body now almost frozen. He had spent the last few hours of his life lying still on the ice, waiting, praying not to be found. He knew, however, that it had followed him and now it was only a matter of time.

The moment he left that hanger, a feeling of dread had overwhelmed him. Every step he had taken felt as if it was in unison with the alien he had lost sight of just before he made his way into the vast hallway.

He had to hide. He couldn’t stay out in the open for much longer.

Aware of his vulnerability, he picked up the pace. He found a doorway that led him into a separate room approximately thirty yards from the hanger entrance. Not at all concerned about its contents, he made his way inside and found a small alcove just to the left of the exit. He crawled into the tiny space and lay there quietly. There he waited – hoping, willing the alien to pass him by without detection.

Four hours later and there was still no sign of the creature.

For four hours he lay there not daring to even twitch.

For four hours he lay there without making a sound, even trying to keep his breathing to a minimum.

With his eyes shut tight, he tried desperately to enter an imaginary world of warmth and comforting memories to keep himself from going mad.

Major Charles Yandell flicked the switch that caused the large black metal screen to rise revealing a six inch thick glass wall behind which was a cavernous, empty hangar.

“This is where the transport vessel will reappear,” he said, as the space slowly filled with natural light.

“Reappear? I don’t understand - this is a sealed room – from where does it enter?”

“It doesn’t enter from anywhere, Agent Perks. The technology used by our visitors is nothing we’ve seen before. They’ve established a way to re-generate their ship from one position to another.”

“What do you mean? Like a teleport of some kind?” asked Sam

“Yes, similar. Only there’s no need for a teleport machine. This hanger you’re looking at is just an ordinary hanger – the only difference is that it is sealed with reinforced concrete and steel to keep the electromagnetic current from causing any damage.”

Yandell looked at the men in the room. They all stared back at him in silence.

“Trust me; you’ll see what I mean when I recall the vessel.”

“This may sound dumb, but we’ve tested this, right?” Perks asked, “I mean we’re not going to end up burning Michael to a crisp are we?”

“Sir, we’ve run this system now for decades. Many have travelled on the vessel. In fact we’ve already tested Michael here – remember he’s already taken a ride on this baby once before.”

“What about the weapon?” Harding asked, “I assume we haven’t tested that before.”

Yandell took a moment.

“No, Sir, we haven’t”

“Shouldn’t we?” interrupted Sam.

“Yes, but how?” asked Harding.

“Sir,” Yandell said, “if it’s any consolation, this vessel has been used by us over the years as a cargo ship. We’ve transported all sorts of things including weapons.”

Harding looked at Yandell.

“Very well – let’s keep moving forward – call up the vessel, Major.”

A sudden feeling of nausea overwhelmed him.

Robert Matner couldn’t wait any long. He had to move – he had to get out of his hiding spot.

’I’m going to be sick.’

Unaware that this was brought on by the direct activation of chemical receptors in the brain caused by the radiation around him, Matner turned his head and vomited.

Coughing and gagging, he crawled out from under his hiding place, knowing full well that the sounds he had made had given away his position.

Slowly he made his way back out into the long corridor that connected the ship to the hanger and ever so carefully walked down it, watching every angle, making sure he wasn’t followed…

He stopped dead in his tracks.

There it was.

It had been clutching onto the pipes that lined the ceiling for the last four hours, waiting, holding on patiently for its prey to appear.

Matner froze – his body paralysed with fear.

It stared down at him.

Matner could see its black eyes glisten in the dark.

It leaped down onto the icy floor and stood up in front of him – twenty yards from where he stood.

Matner slowly took one step back – the hanger no more than fifty yards behind him.

It mimicked his movement, moving one step towards him.

Matner held his breath. He could see it limp as it took another step towards him.

“WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!” he yelled

Knowing there was no reasoning with it; he turned around and ran as fast as his legs would carry him.

The creature bellowed.

Matner shut his eyes tight as the sound carried down the icy corridor.

The creature began its chase, rapidly picking up speed.

Matner continued to focus on nothing other than the entrance to the transport hanger.

Suddenly the sounds of another siren blared through the hallway – this one different to the siren he heard before.

The creature immediately dropped its head and came to a stop.

Throughout the commotion, Matner kept his eyes on the hanger entrance, watching in disbelief as the large icy door slowly moved downwards as it began to shut.

“No!”

Keeping his eyes on what was happening in front of him; Matner fell to his knees at a full speed, sliding along the icy floor, just in time underneath the descending door - it shutting seconds after he entered.

Matner lay on his back on the icy floor - his breathing heavy - the chase taking its toll.

“Fuck I hate this place,” he said softly.

Before he could gather up the strength to rise, a bright white flash of light blinded him.

The siren had stopped. The alien approached the door. It raised its head and waited for the door to open once more. As it did, it looked around knowing its prey had already disintegrated.

Three million watts of electromagnetic current made certain of that.