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I slide around the corner and see the door. Quickly, I make my way toward it. Every nerve tightens as I twist the handle.
I open the door to see Zakar, crouching like a leopard.
Faster than my heart can beat, I slam the door against his face and run into the first room I can find.
Gently, I close the door and turn off the lights. I crouch and crawl toward a thin, blinking red light.
I can hear him, his nasty breathing. His feet slap the ground, stopping near the room next to mine.
I hold my breath and try to find another way out.
If I squint my eyes hard enough, I can make out an audio panel. It’s a large sound mixer. The only time I’ve ever seen one of these was back in college when I dated an engineer, but I recognize it almost instantly.
This must be what they used to send us audio.
I know what to use it for.
I reach behind the system and flip on the power switch. To my surprise, it illuminates.
Zakar is coming for me. Every step he takes sends a jolt through my heart. “C’mere sweetie-pie. I won’t hurt you,” he croaks.
Leaning forward, I grab the sides of a large recorder. With tears falling down my cheeks, I whisper my final goodbye.
“Hello? Testing. Testing. I have little time to speak, so I’ll make it quick. He found me, the wretched, alien beast. The alien you helped create… All of this is what you wanted, wasn’t it? Congratulations. How did you know we’d fall for your sick plan? How did you know he’d take me?”
Zakar’s footsteps grow louder.
“Oh, God. No...” I whisper and wipe the snot away from my nose.
Zakar growls and gulps, choking on air.
“Shit! He’s coming. I have to leave. I’m sorry for everything. I failed the Avalon expedition. Most of all, I failed myself. To everyone back on Earth, you don’t know what’s out there. You don’t know what they’re doing to us.”
The door creaks open. My skin prickles with goosebumps.
I swallow my fear and find the courage inside of me to face this other monster. “Okay. This is it. There’s nothing else left to lose. He has me cornered...”
I shut the recorder off and press the send key, knowing that no one will be there to receive it. The network is damaged, and with no one near to fix it, I can’t hope to be heard.
But still, if I die, and others like us are sent here, I want them to understand how bad this place is. They need to be warned.
Zakar creeps into the room. I turn and edge against the computers, heart racing. “Zakar,” I say.
His lips form into a wicked grin, exposing his disgusting teeth. “You know my name,” he says.
“I know more than I care to,” I reply.
Inching to my right, I slide behind the computers. He follows, circling around me.
I duck out of the room, back into the hallway. Not too far off, the Captain and Turin still fight.
He slides behind me, so I turn around, placing my hands in front of me. I’ve already been beaten. He must know he has me.
I reach behind my back to feel the door handle to the server room.
“You know why I’m here,” he says.
“To kill me,” I say.
