Chapter Text
Freezing winds blow past Red's busy form, gradually picking up speed as the seconds tick by.
An ice storm is slowly beginning to form. However, Red's team will be leaving before the worst of it hits, the frozen rock they've called home for several months.
The entire crew is running around, packing up the necessary equipment and samples to load onto the Skeld for the trip back to HQ.
While they dart between buildings with boxes packed to the max. The red coloured crewmate is storing away parts of the drill they just dismantled, a decent gap is left between them and the barricaded entrance on the ground.
A week ago, they discovered a long winding tunnel underneath their base as they were drilling for resources. The drill almost fell inside as the ground collapsed in on itself. The depth of the tunnel is currently unknown as HQ denied clearance to explore the gloomy tunnel that curves out of view.
Despite being unable to explore, a buzz of excitement flew through the crew. Some were looking forward to researching new samples, and others, to Black's dismay, were more interested in exploring a potential cavern.
That excitement disappeared after the second night, as strange whispers and shuffling started echoing from below, causing sleepless nights for those bunked near the source.
They left two cameras at the entrance, hoping to get a glimpse of the creature making the racket, but nothing ever emerged. The camera they left inside was promptly destroyed and was found in pieces the next morning.
They eventually sealed it off with some wood and metal that was left over in the storage room. The unsettling noises continued to play out, only slightly muffled.
The captain later requested to be stationed elsewhere until another more experienced crew dealt with the issue. Afraid it might escape and harm the crewmates if they stayed any longer.
They quickly started chucking random equipment together in their rush to head home, opting to sort through the mess at a later date when HQ agreed to send someone else over.
While packing, arguments broke out on who should disassemble the drill next to the covered hole. Cyan and Red, the engineers/mechanics of the group, were chosen, but both refused to step near it until Brown suggested they flip a coin.
Red was the unfortunate soul to lose and was given pats on the back and a good luck before everyone scattered.
Now, he hastily seals the boxes he'd been packing while eyeing the covered entrance.
While he works, he can hear something scratching away at the barricade every time he scurts around the edges. A light shuffling noise will accompany it every so often.
He shudders, roughly stacking the boxes together. The final box is thrown near the stack that's in danger of falling over. When it lands, a strange squishing noise emerges from underneath. The light scurrying ends abruptly.
Confused, he walks over and gently picks the box back up, looking underneath. Only to immediately gag as a slimey substance clings to both the box and ground.
"Thank void we're leaving within an hour."
He quickly chucks the box into the pile of dirt next to the door and gathers the rest before jogging towards storage. They have a limited knowledge of the creatures that inhabit Polus, though he really should remember if any of them have a reddish, slimey texture.
Disturbed, they rush past the crowd of crewmates gathered around the Skeld as Pink shouts out orders amonst the loud chatter. Her second in command silently doing a head count of the colourful crewmates.
Heading into storage, and he almost runs into the waist high tower of boxes scattered around the room. The contents are a mix of random parts thrown together, bound to be another crews second found nightmare.
He sets the drill parts down and walks out to shut the metal door. A loud metallic clank sounds as it slams shut.
"Red, hurry up! We're ready to leave!".
A high-pitched shout comes from inside the Skeld, nearly masked by the loud gusts of wind. It's a voice Red knows well enough by now to tell it's his old buddy Green.
He checks the metal door one last time before heading to the jump seats of the ship. The rest of the crew are already inside and beginning to buckle themselves in to head home. He sits next to Green as she gestures him over.
"Come on, seat belt on! I want out of here before the boss changes their mind and keeps us here with those things underground."
Red grimaces at the thought and buckles himself in while the ship doors slowly begin to close.
"Don't jinx it. The thing was scratching at the barricade while I was over there. At this rate, it'll bust through it in no time."
"It's moving around during the day now?"
Red hums, watching the cargo bay door finally click shut. A brief voice over from the captain tells the crew to prepare for a rough takeoff over the comms.
The cold winds slam into Skeld as it slowly warms up to leave. Hail lightly taps at the ships' metal shell as the storm outside begins to get worse.
Silence falls as they wait for the sudden change of elevation. Listening to the hail get heavier the longer they wait.
They can all hear the systems attempting to start, but stutter at the halfway point. Dread looms over them with every failed attempt.
"It's not gonna start, the fuels probably frozen solid in the pipes." Cyan sighs. Ready to unbuckle themselves to take a look once the captain stops trying the engine.
Red prepares to do the same. However, a loud bang echos from outside as the lights flicker to a dim glow, startling the crew. An eerie creak of metal stretches on, and something that sounds like a cackle can barely be heard from beyond the metal walls.
"Is someone still outside?" White whispers.
"We're all inside! Purple did a headcount." Black hisses, staring intently at the door.
"Calm down, I left a box outside in the drilling cage. It must have been blown into fence. The creaking also might just be some metal cooling off."
The tension in the air slightly fades as they're given a logical explanation for the noise. A few unimpressed stares are given when he mentions leaving a box, but he just awkwardly shrugs his shoulders in response.
"Attention crew! We seem to have some issues with starting the engine. Please gather at the meeting table for further discussion," Pink's voice sounds frustrated as she quickly turns the comms off.
"Guess we're stuck here then." Green mutters as the crew starts to head inside in their usual pairs. Red nudges her arm and gives a small reassuring smile.
"Hey, we'll be fine. The engine probably just needs some time to warm up. It's been sitting in the cold for months."
Green gives a half-hearted hum while folding her arms. Another faint bang causes them to freeze, side eyeing each other before they continue onwards.
Silently chanting in their heads, that it's just the metal box outside making the noise and nothing else.