Not a Soul

The UNPV

Nescio

made its approach to Space Lab 8, gliding closer metre by metre until it was near enough to send its umbilical tube across the empty blackness. The magnetic ring found its counterpart on the Space Lab's airlock, and a minute and seven seconds later the docking was complete. Seals tightened and sensors and communication relays blinked into life.

"Security team ready to cross." SecOne Jen Waldemar stood by the tube. The com unit on her jaw picked up the words, and an instant later brought the reply.

"Noted."

The Captain's voice was steady, almost impersonal.

In the tube's harsh light, Jen's khaki uniform -- high-cut jacket over tight trousers that were tucked into soft boots -- contrasted with the white tunnel. She'd made these crossings a hundred or more times, and the idea that she was separated from emptiness by nothing more than a thin layer of rubber didn't worry her.

Her SecThree Siggi clearly didn't feel as confident. She heard his shallow breathing above and behind her as they made their way to the tunnel's far end. His blond bulk crowded close, looming over her small form as she pressed buttons and frowned at the readouts.

"Captain, there doesn't--" She broke off and glared up at Siggi. Gesturing the pink-faced young man to keep his eyes on the airlock, not on what she was doing, she continued. "Sorry Cap. There doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. Air quality is good. ArtiG is working. Temperature's steady. No damage, no alerts."

"Noted. Proceed."

Pulling her shockrod from her belt and extending it, Jen entered the code to open the airlock. Red lights blinked and turned green, and she gestured to Siggi to turn the wheel.

The heavy door swung towards them. She sidestepped it and positioned herself in the opening, shockrod glowing yellow. When nothing happened, she carefully entered the lock, Siggi on her heels with his own rod ready.

"Inside the airlock now, Cap. The lights are on inside the Lab."

"Do you see anyone?"

She peered through the window in the interior door, looking both ways, then up and down. "Not a soul. Permission to proceed?"

"Permission granted."

There was no need to tell her to be careful. Jen had been working Security on Patrol Vessels of the Union of Nations for nearly two decades, and she knew her job better than the Captain. Even if everything seemed normal, there was no such thing as a low-risk situation.

It was a maxim she had to remind herself of now. The job was a straightforward one. Space Lab 8 had stopped communicating four days ago. Since the

Nescio

was in the vicinity, on her way home from Jupiter to Home Base in the Asteroid Belt, her Captain had been asked to investigate.

"Any idea what they were researching here?" Siggi asked as they stepped from the airlock into the Lab. The look on his face was closer to curiosity than alertness.

"No. Not my concern. Not yours either. Keep your mind on the job."

Space Lab 8 was one of the larger models, a maze of cylindrical modules surrounded by golden sails. The segment where they found themselves was clearly intended as a dedicated staging area for spacewalks, with suits, helmets, propulsion jets and gear hanging neatly on rows of hooks.

On the opposite side was a round opening. Jen saw a row of standing desks and computer screens.

"Captain, still no sign of anyone, either here at the entrance or in the next segment. That seems to be a computer room. We'll go and check it out. You can probably send Tech on over."

"Noted. Carlos is on his way."

"I'm leaving Siggi here to look after him while I see what I can find."

"Noted."

According to the records sent to the

Nescio

, the Lab was crewed by six scientists, with one engineer to deal with any technical issues. Jen found the first of them two segments over.

They were a man and a woman. Both were naked, both were lying completely still, although their bodies were twisted and contorted. "Captain, I've found a couple of bodies. No visible marks on them. One female, slim, seems to be in her middle years. Straight grey hair to her shoulders. One breast reconstructed. The other male, early-forties, curly black hair, slight paunch."

"Noted."

A silence, then:

"Records are classified. No names to match the descriptions."

Well, that was to be expected, with all the other mystery surrounding this Space Lab. Jen took out her scanner, using her left hand, the right still holding the shockrod. The air in the room read as normal, even though her nostrils registered a strange smell. "Scanner indicates that they were dehydrated."

"Noted."

Then:

"Nasty way to go. I'll send MedOne over."

"Hold off on that please, Cap. We don't know what we're dealing with here, and if the Lab people are all dead she'll be exposed for nothing."

A short silence.

"Noted."

Jen could tell the Captain wasn't pleased. Well, he didn't have to be. This was her call.

The next segment held three more bodies. Only one was naked this time: a youngish woman with a shaven head. The two others -- older men -- still wore Lab overalls, though torn enough to reveal plenty of skin beneath. A Tech uniform lay crumpled in one corner. The smell was here as well.

Something nasty. Dead. Eggs, perhaps?

Jen could barely remember what a fresh egg was like, let alone an old one.

Despite all her experience, she found herself unsettled. She'd never liked these modular stations, with their flat white light that could only be dimmed in private quarters. Some segments were silent, far enough from any machinery to dampen the soft hum of generators.

Space Lab 8 was all of that and more. In the other stations she'd visited she knew there were people around, and if she crossed to another segment she might hear their voices or footsteps, the sounds of living.

Here there was only the silence. For the first time in years, Jen became aware of a sensation of aloneness creeping up on her. The knowledge that she was a miniscule, insignificant speck in the vastness of nothing, a nothing that would swallow her up in a nanosecond.

Stop it!

she told herself.

Get a grip on yourself, woman. When did you become so emotional?

Even so, after calling in her discovery she began to loop back to the airlock where she'd left Siggi. If she was allowing this place to get to her, she could only imagine how he was feeling.

Probably scared shitless, if he isn't distracted by a flashing light.

Her nose caught the strange smell before she found the bodies two segments over. Naked, a man and a woman, both fleshy, both short of middle age. They could have been brother and sister, with the same flat noses and shoulder-length curls.

Unlike the others she'd found, this pair weren't contorted into strange positions. They lay propped against the metal wall, almost touching, faces expressionless.

"Captain, I've found the last two. All Lab crew dead and accounted for." Almost as a formality, Jen scanned them, expecting to see the same results: dead bodies and clean air. Instead, the scanner showed the bodies as warm. Alive.

"Scratch that, Cap. Scanner says they're alive. They're not moving, though, and I can barely see them breathing."

"Noted. I'll send MedOne over."

"I'm not sure that's wise, boss. We don't know--"

"We know that there are people there who need medical attention. Kathia is already on her way over."

Jen stifled a curse. MedOne was Kathia, and Kathia was special.

As a mere Patrol Vessel, the

Nescio

didn't rate a MedOne. But her MedTwo had transferred to hospital work at Jupiter Station several months ago, and Kathia had been on hand to fill in the gap.

She and Jen had made a connection from the very start. Both women were in their mid-30s, with rapid promotions behind them thanks to ability and hard work. The similarity ended there, though.

Jen was short and wiry, with red hair cropped close to her head and pale skin covered with freckles. Kathia was tall, full-figured, with skin the colour of coffee and curly hair that surrounded her head like a black halo. She was a firm follower of World Religion, and Jen was cynical of anything until she saw empirical evidence. Jen had grown up scrapping old space stations for money to feed herself. Kathia had attended one of the Union's top universities, at a college named after her grandparents.

Yet despite all their differences, Jen found herself gravitating to the Med, and Kathia seemed to seek her out too. A comfortable friendship blossomed, and it had all changed with one touch.

Rising from the table where they were drinking their morning protein juice, Kathia had brushed her fingers over Jen's hand. It was a light touch, just a friend reinforcing the connection between them with a moment of physical contact.

But to Jen it was as if an electric shock ran through her. A warm, tingling sensation spread from the back of her hand along her arm, down her body, until it nestled between her legs. She had to stop herself from gasping and jerking away.

It wasn't that she'd never been attracted to another woman. She'd slept with men and women both, sometimes more than one at a time. But she'd never felt it so suddenly, so strongly. It had scared her.

But it made her want to spend even more time with Kathia. Every moment they were together was heaven and hell: the joy of sharing her company, being the focus of her attention, and the agony of wanting her, and needing to hide it.

It was confusing, and exhausting, and the last thing she needed now was to have Kathia here to distract her.

*

Siggi waited for Carlos, then he let the TechTwo find the Lab's nearest Tech segment. It was for engineering only, not the scientists' research, and soon Carlos was examining workstations and running readouts.

Siggi watched for a while, then wandered to the next modular segment. This seemed to be a rec room, with comfortable chairs, entertainment units and a drinks generator. He eyed it wistfully, then moved on. His SecOne would nail him to the outside of the

Nescio

if she found him drinking.

The next segment was empty except for a pair of low couches. Opposite them, the rounded wall was made entirely of glass, looking out at the vast blackness of space.

After a quick glance around, Siggi sat down on one of the sofas. It was soft but firm, the perfect seat for gentle contemplation.

Space was so big. It made him nervous. All his life he'd dreamed of working for the Patrol, sailing through the Solar System on one mission or another.

He joined straight out of school. His career counsellor had advised against pursuing a higher education. "You'll learn everything you need to know on the job. You don't have the head for schooling, Siggi, but I think you'll thrive in a practical environment."

Ten months later it was looking as if the old codger was wrong. Siggi tried to do everything Jen told him, or one of the SecTwos, but somehow he always got it wrong. When he showed initiative he got in people's way, and when he did as he was told he was slowing everyone down.

Two more months on his contract. When they got back to Home Base he could request a transfer off the

Nescio

, spend his last weeks on routine duty on the Base. Jen would approve it, he was sure. Then he'd go home, boast a bit about his adventures and the things he'd seen, find a more normal job on solid ground. Office security sounded good.

He'd been running the idea through his mind for a while now. It was crossing from the

Nescio

to the Lab in that fragile tube that made his mind up. This wasn't the life he wanted.

Feeling better now that he'd decided on his future, he leaned back, legs out before him. The blackness outside didn't seem as daunting now. Far away he spotted Mars. It was amazing to think that it was all so empty, yet still he could see an entire planet. He chuckled at the thought.

A sound cut off his laughter and made him sit up. "Who's there? Carlos, is that you?"

"Please!" It was a thin voice, a woman's. Not much more than a girl, judging by the sound. "Don't hurt me!"

He rose and looked around, then swore. A figure appeared from behind the other couch. A young woman, as he'd guessed, wearing Lab overalls that hung from her body in tatters. She looked vaguely familiar, although she was hunched over and hiding her face in her hands.

"It's alright." He did his best to sound soothing.

What would Jen do? What would any of the SecTwos do?

He thought about calling someone, but the girl seemed skittish. Better just to calm her down first.

"You're safe," he went on, holding out a hand without approaching her. "We're from the Patrol. See?" And he gestured to the UN logo on his uniform jacket. "We're here to make sure you're all OK."

"Really?" She stepped around the couch and lowered her hands.

Siggi caught his breath. For an instant the girl looked familiar, with her pale skin and long flaxen hair. Then she came closer and put her fingers in his hand, and suddenly he recognised her.

"Frieda! What are you doing here?"

"Siggi, it

is

you!" She looked up at him, blue eyes wide and red lips parted. "I've been so afraid!"

"I haven't seen you since we left school." Well, he'd seen barely anyone but the crew of the

Nescio

, so that wasn't strange. He wanted to ask again how she came here, but she was standing close to him, and her breath was hot on his face, and it didn't seem important.

"I've thought about you." Her hands were on his chest, then his cheeks. "Out here, in this black nothingness, I've yearned for you. For your body." She pressed against him. His arms went up around her and he felt the naked skin through the tears in her overalls, remembering all the other times he'd run his hands over her body. He was hard in his trousers.

She must have noticed, because she gave a soft, low laugh. "I remember that beast. Let me help you with it." And she knelt down before him, stroking his thighs through the material of his uniform and rubbing her cheek against his hardness.

He took her head in his hands. "Don't tease me! It's been so long!"

She looked up, eyes big and serious. Then slowly, deliberately, she undid the button of his trousers and pulled them open to slide them down his legs. His Patrol-issued shorts came with them.

Released from its prison, his cock stood forward like a rocket ready to launch. A bead of sticky moisture had formed on the head. Without taking her eyes from him, Frieda stuck out her tongue and lapped it up.

Taking one hand from her head, he grasped his shaft and held it before her. "Suck it! Suck me off, and swallow it all."

She opened her mouth wide, still looking up at him, and engulfed his cock. Her tongue flicked over his head, her lips squeezed and caressed. It was better than he remembered, better than he could ever imagine it could be.

He made room on his shaft for her hand and put his own back on her head. She tugged at his cock, slowly but insistently, as he pressed her onto its length again and again.

It didn't take long for his climax to announce itself. A slight tingle at the base of his cock grew as she tugged and sucked, grew until it was a ball of fire inside him, flames licking down into his legs and up into his belly, and he didn't even try to hold it back but let it explode, sending stab after stab of pleasure along his shaft and into her eager mouth and making his body shake and shudder, and still she sucked, and the fire was eating him up inside and his roar of ecstasy became a scream as he burned and burned, still shaking, unable to stop, until the world vanished in a flash of light.

*

"What was that?"

Jen looked round, then turned back to Kathia. The other woman was kneeling by the two naked forms, her case open beside her and a scanner in her hand. She met Jen's gaze with a hint of alarm. "It sounded like Siggi at first, but then..." She shook her head.

Jen agreed. By the end the scream had sounded barely human, let alone recognisable as her SecThree. She rose to her feet, shockrod ready. "Come on. I'd better investigate."

Kathia shook her head, gesturing at the flat devices she'd strapped to the insides of her patients' wrists. "I'm not done here. These people are badly dehydrated, and I can't find out what's wrong with their minds."

"I'm not leaving you alone!" Jen was surprised by the forcefulness of her reply, but Kathia just smiled.

"I'm a capable woman, and there's not a soul around, like you said." She hesitated, then added, "But alright. The hydropacks will do their work with or without me here, and I don't suppose I'll discover what the problem is right now anyway."

The problem, as Kathia called it, was that the two Lab crew were entirely unresponsive. Medically they appeared to be perfectly healthy, aside from the dehydration, but it was as if there was no-one home. Their eyes were blank.

The Med continued to speak as they made their way through the empty Space Lab. "I can't put my finger on it. It's like the stillness of a dead body -- you can tell straight away. Only this is a stillness of what's inside."

"Weird," Jen murmured, her eyes darting all over, her shockrod ready. Just now she was more interested in what had happened to Siggi -- if it was even Siggi who'd screamed -- than some unknown scientists.

It was a while before they found him, lying on his side in a lounge segment with a window covering one long wall. Carlos was already there, kneeling down with his fingers at the young man's throat. He looked up at they approached. "He's alive," he said. There was relief in his voice, and in his eyes. "But he's not moving. Nothing."

Kathia crouched down, shouldering him aside. Carlos was short and middle-aged. He was capable at his job, but he'd never made it to TechOne. Now he rose, scratching at his short, greying beard in that nervous habit he had.

"I don't know what happened," he said before Jen had even opened her mouth. "We found a Tech segment -- it's just back there -- and I started digging around. You know, to figure out what they were doing here, what might have happened. Where everyone was."

"We found them. Two are still alive. They're not moving, just like Siggi, but they were naked."

Carlos closed his mouth on whatever he'd been about to say, and looked down at the still form. Kathia was running her scanner over Siggi's head, muttering to herself. Jen's nostrils registered a hint of the egg smell.

"Siggi's trousers were down," Carlos said after a moment. "When I found him. His trousers and his shorts were around his knees. He was lying on the floor here, curled up around his cock."

Jen stared at him. On the floor, Kathia looked up as well. He looked from one to the other.

"I don't know what happened! He was with me in the Tech segment, and then he was gone. He must have been bored and wandered off. I didn't care -- you know how Siggi is, always standing in the wrong place or asking questions or pressing buttons. So I just carried on, until I heard him scream."

"Fuck." This was weird. "I'd better call the Captain." Jen hated having to report in. It made her feel like she couldn't handle the job.

Before she could activate her com, however, a low rumbling ran through the Space Lab, then stopped. The three of them looked at each other. They all recognised the sound of an umbilical tube uncoupling from an airlock.

"Captain? Captain, are you there?"

There was no reply.

Jen grabbed Carlos's arm. "The Tech segment. Now! Get on coms and raise the

Nescio

. Kathia, we're going to drag Siggi there."

Carlos darted off. The two women seized Siggi under the armpits and began to haul him along. Neither of them was weak, but Siggi was big and solid, and it was heavy going.