The bridge

"To the bridge!" said Joanna. "Stay alert and keep your weapons powered."

The squad advnaced through the dark corridors that led from the docking bay to the bridge. The lights that illuminated the Gaumont were standard fluorescents and not all of them had survived the deep freeze of the last sixty years. Some didn't work at all and others flickered constantly. Joanna still couldn't shake the ominous feeling of dread she'd had since she first saw the ship and she could tell the rest of the squad were just as apprehensive.

But Joanna didn't let her feelings show, and kept up the pace. Every now and then there was a loud metallic screech or a clang that caused the squad to jump, but it was only the metal of the ship expanding with the restored heat. Then, suddenly, there was a different sound that came from above and ahead of them: a wet squelching noise.

"...the hell was that?" said Amy.

"It came from the bridge. We'll find out soon enough." replied Joanna.

Finally they reached the bridge. As standard construction procedures dictated, there was a heavy metal bulkhead door that could seperate the bridge from the rest of the ship in case of an emergency like rapid depressurization. The bulkhead was closed, and covered with deep scratches that resembled claw marks. And next to the bulkhead, propped up in the corner, was a dead woman. She looked about twenty-five years old and was naked, and covered with some kind of greenish slime.

Quickly Joanna said, "Don't touch her! Activate the dangerous environment function on your suits!" The squad did so and the pressurized helmets on the suits deployed, sealing the squad away from the environment.

"Kerwin, come in!" said Joanna on her communicator.

"Sarah Kerwin here."

"Seal off the pod. We've encountered a quarantine issue, possibly of xenobiological origin."

"Sealing pod."

Joanna turned to the rest of the squad and said, "We've got to find out what happened here. Amy, override the bulkhead locking mechanism. I want the ship's records from the bridge computer. The rest of you, take up defensive positions."