The creature surprised them just as they were leaving Sgt. Wood's office. It was coming down the stairs at the other end of the cell block, scuttling like a spider it dragged its belly down the steps. Two of its six legs pressed against the walls. Its face-hole was wide open and the tusk at the end of its tongue appendage tapped the ground with its sharp point.
"T1N!" shouted Dotty, terrified.
The android drew one of his pistols and fired a burst of electric cartridges. The bullets left a glowing streak in the air that remained for a few milliseconds after firing.
This monster climbed up the wall, shielding itself with its metal-studded back. Each shot hit with seven thousand volts, but the creature wasn't stunned or even knocked off balance. It advanced on T1N, scurrying along the roof, dodging a fresh salvo of bullets as the android fired without pause.
T1N now held a pistol in each hand.
"Take cover!" he shouted, throwing the pistols to the ground and running at the creature. His forearms began to transform as he ran forward.
The giant caterpillar-like monster pushed off from the roof, allowing itself to fall on top of T1N. Its four front claws were ready to strike. That stomach of bulbous, greenish meat threatened to crush him.
T1N, instead of jumping back, leapt towards the creature, catching it off guard. He raised his arms, now a pair of knives, and held them in an arrowhead that buried itself in the creature's belly up to the android's elbows. The weight and inertia of their collision threw them both to the ground.
T1N struggled free and tore into the creature's protruding belly with both arms. A transparent sticky liquid sprayed out, covering the android's body entirely. After a few spasms, the creature lay still.
"Are you OK?" Dotty asked.
T1N nodded. He pushed the creature's body to one side so that he could get up and retrieve his pistols from the floor. He ejected the empty magazines and reloaded them with different ammunition.
"It seems they like electricity."
Dotty saw that the android's hands had returned to normal. She stood up and walked over to him. The way the exosuit wrapped around her still felt strange. It felt like someone else was moving her legs for her. But certainly, she felt stronger, as if she could leap into the air. She was also carrying that heavy rifle and a backpack filled with provisions as if they were nothing.
"And you, Dot, are you OK?"
"Of course. I know how to look after myself."
T1N smiled. "Of course, but let me take the lead, OK? We're about to leave, and if one creature could find us down here…"
A metal head protruded from the landing of the stairs that led up to the guard's offices. A long gnarled arm followed, and then another. Soon the creature had dragged half its body into the stairwell. It opened its mouth in their direction, showing off rows of fine, sharp teeth.
T1N raised his pistols at the creature, but he didn't have time to fire. A deafening crack froze him to the spot.
Half a second later, the creature's head exploded like a smashed watermelon. It splashed the ceiling and walls with that same clear, grey liquid.
"Boom!" Dotty lifted the rifle and gave T1N a satisfied look. "I told you I know how to look after myself."
"Good work. Don't try to fire the rifle without wearing the exosuit. It saved you from the recoil."
They continued down the passage, jumping over the bodies that blocked the floor and stairs. Back in the entrance hall, everything was quiet. T1N motioned for Dotty to crouch beside him.
"What's the plan now?" she asked him.
"There has to be somewhere safe on this moon: high up with only one way in. You could sleep while I stood guard but without transport…"
"And what about answers? Don't you want to know what the hell happened here? Maybe we can find someone or something—"
"Our best option is finding an operational computer terminal. There is sure to be records of what happened. And I need to find Bella."
"Bella?" Dotty raised her voice too much.
"Bella," said the android after a pause. "She was my creator. I think she's calling to me somehow."
"And where does getting back to Earth come on our list of priorities?"
"The Hermes won't return for another six years. It takes three to get to Earth and three more to come back. I doubt we'll find another intergalactic transport here. Hermes was the only ship authorised for this journey."
"And that drone we saw? Surely someone, some kind of survivor, was controlling it."
"Maybe," agreed T1N. "But with the size of this city we could spend weeks going in circles looking for them. Whoever they are..."
"They'll find us first," said Dotty, finishing T1N's thought.
"Exactly. And when we find them..." T1N poked his head over the table they crouched behind and studied the entrance hall. "We'll ask why the hell they didn't send a welcome party."