Mike had seen bodies before and realised that there was nothing that he could do.

“Commodore? I need you on deck E pronto. We have a serious problem.”

He dashed into the apartment and looked for the source but everything looked normal. As he returned to the corridor, the commodore appeared.

“What the hell has happened here?”

“I really don’t know sir. Nothing in there could have caused that.”

“I wonder if it is connected to that radiation burst?”

Mike knew nothing of that, so the commodore explained.

“We detected it off our port bow just minutes ago. Perhaps it penetrated the hull?”

“I doubt that sir. Everyone on this deck would look like her including me.”

“Perhaps you are right. Tell the doc to carry out an autopsy eh? Keep me informed.”

The bridge remained quiet as a couple of hours went past. When Mike entered, the commodore was pleased to see him.

“The doc reckons that she died from severe radiation burns sir. That is just not possible.”

“I tend to agree with you Mike. There is nothing down there that could have caused that.”

“Do you want me to step up security?”

“Not for the moment eh? Hopefully this will just be a freak incident. Don’t want to cause a panic.”

Mike returned to his duties a little more worried than usual.

As David prepared for his badminton match with the droid, he remembered the last one with some distaste. The droid had successfully wiped the floor with him.

He checked his racket for the final time as the droid waited for the human to start.

David gazed at the gleaming but emotionless machine. He flicked the shuttlecock and watched as it sailed over the net. The droid caught it easily of course, hitting it back with some force.

David hit that one back as the droid countered. This sent the fit man running for the left corner, which he reached a second too late.
The droid said, “One,” before waiting for the next strike.

David struck hard this time, but watched as his opponent caught it easily. He launched it straight at the net and David thought that they would collide. He was rather annoyed therefore when it landed on the floor just a metre from it.

“Two.”

David smiled ruefully as he readied for the next attempt. As he flicked it hard, a glimmer of light caught his attention. Gazing up, he saw a very strange sight indeed. A large and luminous shape with tendrils hanging from the bulbous top had taken up residence in the far corner.

“What do you think that is?”

The droid stopped playing and gazed up at the unusual visitor.

“Security alert.”

Almost as soon as the droid had said these words, the creature shot down and its tendrils brushed the droid’s head. David was horrified as the machine exploded.

“Security!”

As guards dashed to the badminton court, the hapless player made for the exit. The creature hurtled toward him, tendrils preparing to strike. Realising the danger, David dived to the floor just as the guards arrived.

“Open fire!”

Sonic blasters opened up as the creature retreated. Mike was surprised that they had no effect. He watched helplessly as it passed through the bulkhead.

“You alright mate?”

“I was until that thing arrived,” he gasped. “What the hell was it?”

“No idea. Bridge? Issue condition red. We have an intruder.”

Klaxons duly sounded across the ship and worried citizens made for the safety of their homes. The commodore met Mike soon after and heard the report.

“Seems as though you were right sir. Our weaponry was useless.”

“We cannot take any chances Mike. Search every deck and talk to our scientist.”

Mike smiled.

“You think that he can help?”

“I just hope so. After what happened here, that thing is a real menace.”

Mike soon located the eccentric. A man of sixty and completely bald, he spent his time coming out with outlandish theories. When Mike entered, he knew something was up.

“First time those klaxons have been used. I take it we have unwelcome guests?”

“We lost a droid and one of our people professor.”

“You had better tell me about it.”

After Mike had relayed the events, the scientist rubbed his square chin.

“It is certainly a highly developed creature that spends most of its time in space. I would speculate it came from that radiation burst.”

“What I saw was impervious to the blasters.”

“Perhaps we collided with an egg cluster?”

“So there could be more than one of these things?”

“Very possibly. Now, it was last spotted in the badminton court yes?”
Mike nodded.

“Hmm. The next deck down is the engineering section. I think we
should go there.”

A sudden thought flashed through Mike’s mind.

“If it damages the pulse drive our voyage is finished.”

“Indeed it would be. Now let us make haste eh?”

F deck was deep within the ship and entirely manned by crew. It was felt that droids were unsuited for the delicate job of ensuring the stability of the drive system.

As Mike arrived, the bulbous creature drifted through the bulkhead and made straight for the drive chamber.

“Run for it now!”

The engineers needed no second telling and rapidly made for the exits. Mike held his blaster tight, hoping he did not have to use the useless thing.

“Really fascinating,” the professor muttered.

“Is that all you can say? How the hell do we stop it?”

The creature floated in front of the chamber plate but appeared in no hurry to damage it.

“Try negotiation,” the professor suggested.

“You want me to talk to it?”

“How else can we learn?”

Mike edged forward and said slowly, “We are humans. This is our drive system. Without that we are helpless.”

The creature wobbled a little but otherwise ignored him.

“Damn stupid idea,” he hissed.

“Let me try?”

Before Mike could stop him, the professor was making his way straight at the enemy. He watched as the creature’s tendrils started rising.

“Watch yourself!”

A tendril struck and the scientist screamed before collapsing. Mike unleashed his weapon as the creature simply floated toward him.

Mike dashed inside the lift and as it rose rapidly, called the bridge.

“Commodore...Shut the drive system down. The damn thing has taken control.”

As soon as the power was cut, the great vessel began to drift, though remaining at the same velocity. Upon the bridge, the crewmen watched the dials with increasing alarm.

“We need the stabilisers sir. Without those we will turn over.”

“Not yet. We need to give Mike more time.”

Back on E deck, the security guard was in quite a quandary. He called in reinforcements whilst desperately racking his brains.

As he mulled things over, he remembered the late professor’s words.
He suddenly gasped and contacted the bridge.

“Commodore. We have to reroute.”

“What are you talking about Mike?”

“The professor reckoned we had collided with an egg cluster. That creature may thing we have kidnapped it.”

The commodore thought quickly.

“Activate the drive system and bring the manoeuvring thrusters back on line.”

“Ay sir.”

“Now take us back to the location of that radiation burst.”

The great vessel slowly stabilised, turning towards its new target. Deep within the ship, the creature seemed to sense that something was happening.

Mike’s team arrived and they descended to F deck once more. They simply watched as the strange animal bobbed in front of the drive chamber.

“Nothing is happening,” Mike hissed.

The ship reached the exact spot and a crewman said, “We are detecting another radiation burst sir.”

“Don’t worry about it. Mike, what’s happening?”

The security guard waited a moment and saw with relief as the creature drifted through the exterior bulkhead and back into space.

“It’s gone sir.”

The commodore smiled.

“Bring us around. All ahead full.”