The Galactic Plumber

Release the Nightmare

The pod shattered.

The sound wasn't glass breaking—it was something worse.

A noise that vibrated in my bones, like metal twisting in a vacuum, like the universe itself protesting what we had just done.

And then—

Specimen 14 stepped forward.

And holy hell, did we make a mistake.

It was bigger than 37, at least seven feet tall, humanoid only in the vaguest sense. A swirling mass of dark sludge and raw muscle, its body constantly shifting, pulsing, as if it couldn't decide what shape to take.

And its eyes.

Glowing, piercing gold, filled with something ancient. Something angry.

I swallowed hard. "Uh. Hi?"

It lunged.

I hit the ground barely in time, rolling out of the way as one massive arm slammed into the console, reducing it to dust.

"BAD PLAN, LOGAN," Orla shouted, already firing her plasma rifle.

The shots did nothing.

The sludge absorbed them, rippling as if mildly annoyed.

Ryker grabbed my collar and yanked me back to my feet. "New plan! RUN."

Didn't have to tell me twice.

The Chase

We sprinted through the lab, Specimen 14 roaring behind us, every step shaking the ground.

"THIS WAS YOUR IDEA," Benny yelled.

"YEAH, WELL," I panted, "WE NEEDED A DISTRACTION."

A console to our right exploded, tendrils of black ooze stabbing out like spiked chains. One narrowly missed Voss, slamming into the wall with a wet crunch.

"GOOD JOB, LOGAN," Orla snapped, shoving a grenade into my hands. "DISTRACT IT WITH THIS."

"Why do I have to throw it?"

She grabbed my face. "Because you caused this."

Fair.

I spun, chucked the grenade, and immediately turned back.

BOOM.

The blast ripped through the chamber, fire and shrapnel erupting behind us.

I looked back.

14 walked out of the flames.

Not burned. Not slowed. Just… angrier.

Oh.

That's not good.

Meanwhile, With The Warden…

The facility shook again—but this time, it wasn't Specimen 14.

It was the Warden.

A chain lashed through the wall, ripping through steel like paper. The temperature in the air dropped, a sudden, suffocating pressure settling in my chest.

Then—

He stepped through the flames.

Completely unscathed.

And he was staring straight at Specimen 14.

I saw something change in his posture.

For the first time since we'd met him… he looked tense.

"This one," he muttered, voice barely above a whisper. "Should never have been woken."

Yeah, buddy. We're aware.

14 let out a warped, guttural growl, tilting its head.

The Warden didn't wait.

His chains snapped forward, a maelstrom of black metal, moving faster than bullets.

14 caught them.

We all froze.

The chains tensed—a silent battle of pure, raw power.

Then—

14 pulled.

The Warden stumbled.

I don't think he'd ever been forced to move before.

And if I wasn't currently running for my life, I would've enjoyed seeing his shock.

Instead, I grabbed Benny. "We need an exit. Now."

Benny was already scanning. "There's an emergency shuttle bay—two floors down!"

Ryker nodded. "Then we move."

We bolted, leaving two horrors locked in battle behind us.

Escape—Or Something Like It

We hit the stairwell hard, practically jumping entire flights, boots clanging against steel.

Lights flickered. The alarms wailed.

And the station shook violently as the fight escalated above us.

We burst into the shuttle bay, skidding to a stop.

There was only one ship.

And it was old as hell.

"Benny?" I panted. "Is that thing even flight-worthy?"

"…Define 'flight-worthy.'"

Orla grabbed him by the shirt. "Benny."

"Look, I can get it running, but—"

CRASH.

The roof caved in.

We scrambled back, dodging as massive chunks of debris slammed into the floor.

And then—

The Warden fell through.

Hard.

He hit the ground in a heap, chains writhing violently, his cloak torn.

I had never seen him look hurt before.

Then—

Specimen 14 dropped after him.

And it was laughing.

"Oh," Voss muttered. "Oh, we're screwed."

Final Desperation

The Warden snarled, a sound not even remotely human, and snapped his hand forward.

His chains whipped toward 14—but 14 moved first.

It twisted through the air, tendrils latching onto the walls, using the debris as weapons, hurling metal back at the Warden.

The Warden dodged, barely, the ground cracking beneath him.

And we?

We were still standing there like idiots.

"Benny, SHIP. NOW."

"I'M WORKING ON IT."

He slammed his hand onto the control panel, furiously hacking into ancient systems. The ship whined, lights flickering as it slowly powered up.

Too slowly.

14 saw us.

And it moved.

Tendrils lashed out, ripping toward us, cutting off our escape.

I did the only thing I could.

I grabbed a loose power conduit, ripped it free, and jammed it into the sludge.

BZZZZZZT.

14 screamed.

Electricity ripped through its form, sending its entire body convulsing violently.

It let go.

And that gave us the opening we needed.

Ryker grabbed Benny and threw him onto the ramp. "GET THIS THING MOVING."

I was already diving in, Voss and Orla right behind me.

Benny hit the ignition.

The ship roared to life.

And we lifted off.

The Final Shot

As we shot out of the hangar, I caught one last glimpse of the battle below.

14 was recovering, its form already stabilizing.

The Warden was rising, slower than before, his chains dragging the ground.

And for the first time…

He looked tired.

Then—

The doors sealed behind us.

And we were gone.