The halls of the derelict ship were a mausoleum of forgotten lives, the faint odor of burnt metal and ozone clinging to the air like a bad memory. Pick wrinkled his nose at the smell, fanning the air to no avail. Their footsteps echoed through the empty passages of the ship as he and Wrench made their way to the engine room. The entire time, Pick felt like unseen eyes were watching his every move, icy fingers of fear clawing up his back.
Wrench was seemingly oblivious to everything Pick was feeling. The old man whistled a jaunty tune and occasionally scratched himself with dirty fingernails as he glanced around at the barren walls. Pick rolled his neck, trying to release the tension slowly building in his shoulders when Wrench bellowed.
"Ah, there she is! The beating heart of this old ghost.” He said, pointing a large, knobby finger. “Let’s see if she’s got any blood left in her veins."
When they entered the engine room the stark silence of the dead ship was even more apparent. The engine room truly was the center of activity for the ship. Even while the crew slept gears turned, electronics beeped, and power thrummed through every bit of the room. This one was as silent as the grave, and the absence of activity made Pick all the more tense. What made him even more wary was how Wrench reacted.
The old mechanic stopped in his tracks a few feet inside the door. His eyes tracked around the room, taking in details like a cat catching the sudden scent of a stray dog. He licked his lips, one hand slowly rubbing over his chin stubble.
“What’s wrong?” Pick asked.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Wrench said.
“Then why do you look like someone has a loaded gun pointed at you?” Pick continued.
“Because there’s nothing wrong, boy,” he said quietly.
Pick blinked slowly, his brain trying to decipher the cryptic words before giving up, “You’re acting all dicey because there’s nothing wrong? That – that doesn’t make any sense.”
Wrench gestured broadly to the surrounding room, “Everything is here. No missing parts or cut wires or anything like that. It’s like she was just turned off yesterday.”
“Isn’t that a good thing? We should be able to get some good parts then.” Pick said.
Wrench spat on the floor, “If this ship was hit by pirates or other scavengers, then how come they haven’t done what we’re doing right now? Any self-respecting thief should’ve run off with the best parts when they first got here. But this place is untouched.”
Pick stared at Wrench with uncertainty, “And what does that mean?”
Wrench opened his mouth to answer when a screech of static tore from both their headsets, causing the men to jump at the sudden auditory intrusion as Gage’s voice crackled through, “Wrench, you guys in the engine room?”
Wrench swore under his breath in several languages and answered, “Yes, you damnable woman. What is it?”
“We found something in the cargo hold. Need you to come right now.”
Pick saw Wrench clench his jaw, “Is it bad?”
“Let’s hope the kid has a strong stomach.”
Whatever they’d found in the cargo hold, Pick wasn’t sure he wanted to see it.
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