1 Among Us: THE SKELD

An Alien species had invade our planet. An alien parasite, capable of molding the thoughts as well as every action of its host. They were a dangerous species and now we are on their bucket list. We fought but soon we know that we were no match for their brute force and cunningness. So we had no choice but to flee our planet, leaving the place that we were born and raise.

World stood together in one line, pooling resources and technologies while putting aside old rivalries. They build the first of its kind, the bringer of hope. The SKELD. A spaceship capable of travelling through planets or even galaxies. Soon they began to mass produce the spaceship, more and more and soon it was enough for the entire world to bring it onboard. The flee begins.

"Where are we going?" I asked, too young to understand. Too fragile to accept our fate. "On a vacation" My father laughed as he hold my hand and pointed at the sky. "To the Moon!" He continued as he look at the skyline with that blue pupils with a strange expression on his face, guilt? Hatred? Betrayal? I followed him as I raise my head and looked, the sky was brown, covered with battle ashes and dust that will choke you till death, not the clear blue sky I remember in my mind.

"We will be safe there, from the lies that you've been told." He continued but the last part was like a whisper to himself that I barely listened. That expression appeared once again as we walked at the brightly lit neon lane towards the entrance that was wide open like a jaw of a metal monster. The spaceship was just a few meter apart from us before he stop and looked at the surrounding. He looked at it with eyes filled with tears like a deep blue lake as well as reluctant and hesitation.

"R-ASHOK, the shuttle is about depart, please enter the shuttle immediately." As the speaker announced, he turned around and dome his red helmet on his head as he lowered and help me to put on the helmet 10 size too big. He looked at me trying to balance myself as he chuckled. He stood up and let out his hand: "Wanna land among the stars kid?" He said as he looked at me lovingly. I smiled and gripped his hand as we walked above the platform of The SKELD. We turned around and looked at the planet for one last time before the heavy metal door slam shut with the sound of pistons locking the door.

The siren buzzed. Waking me up from the storage with a mop in my hand. I looked around, as the red flashes and the laud blaring of the siren make my ears hum and unable to open my eyes. After a few minutes, I can heard footsteps approaching from the cold metallic floor. After a few minutes, I barely get the hang of what happened. Another reactor sabotage. Since the department of The SKELD 0519, a scan had found out that two imposter had snuck onto the spaceship. After 3 full years of hard try, now only one of them were left.

"What are you doing here Tyron?" A voice boomed, echoing through the metal room. I rolled my eyes as I look up at the figure. He was wearing a white suit, with a captain hat that was too small that makes him look like a tiny accessory bought from the flea market. He stood at there, arms crossed as he tapped the metal floor in a moderate rhythm with his boots, waiting for explanation. The helmet covered his face, but I am sure that he was glaring at me right now. I stick out my tongue, thinking that he would not notice. "On your feet now! Tyron!" He said as he pulled me up from the floor with a warm strong grip, just like my dad. "Aye, aye captain" I said weakly while yawning as both of us rushed towards the reactor.

We reached the reactor, it was indeed loud with steam pumping like an angry horse on lose. The big digital screen indicates that there were only 10 seconds left before the great meltdown, and this was enough to send me wide awake. I rushed towards the hand reader on the left while captain rushed towards the right. Clumsily, I take of the glove as I insert my hand on the reader. Beads of sweat rolled as I waited nervously for captain. I could hear the clock ticking by before it comes to a halt. I let out a deep sigh as I turned around and saw captain breathing heavily. I never see the captain to be so nervous before. We sat on the floor as both of us laid down on the cold icy floor, gasping like a fish on land "Close one kiddo. Did you pee in your pants?" He said "Well done matey, looks like old swords haven't gone rust huh." I replied, laughing while he followed, warming up the cold atmosphere of the reactor. I only felt that dad was beside me when I am together with the captain.

Suddenly a shriek pierced through the warm atmosphere, freezing the air into ice as it echoed through the walls, spreading the spine chilling sound into every corner of the spaceship. We sat up, alerted as we look at each other, the imposter was on the move.

We ran as fast as we can towards the source of the scream, the electrical. The minute we arrive, we could hear the sound of the vent closing. We looked around the room, but what we found made me wanted to puke. Pink was lying there, right behind the main electric panel. Her head was exploded like a watermelon that was burst open with a baseball bat while the brain matter splattered on the floor, dying it red. I hold up the barf, trying not to vomit inside the spacesuit. Before I could get the hold on what happened, captain had already reported.

All the remaining member arrived on the cafeteria, only 5. Black, Blue, Captain, Green and Me. I never expected the imposter to be so fast and determine. "Where." Black asked as he looked at Captain. "At elect, kill and vent" Captain replied as he look around. "Any sus?" Green asked as she peered towards me, with words stuffed full with suspicion. I lowered my head, unable to answer her call. "I mean, are there any father-son impos thingy here." Blue questioned with a spoon in his hand, while munching mouthful of oats. My head hung even lower, as I tried not to listen, nor to recall back the rotten memory. "He was with me." Captain defended. "So stop accusing the kid, Ivan." "OK, OK." Blue answered as he held up both of his hand, as he zip his mouth shut, continued to munch on the bowl of oats, with stains of bread crumbs on his beard that moved as he munched.

"So how was the task" Captain glared at Ivan before asking. "I have done half of my tasks with Miyu," black answered as he looked at green, "And blue is safe with a scan at Medway." I am not sure what happened, but surely I could see steam coming out from Miyu's head, as if she was blushing. "Stop defending your GF Joel." Blue muttered under her breath, "Actually you are with me all the time, not with Miyu." Black glared at him as he banged the table with a fist, sending a splatter of oats onto his helmet. "She is SAFE!" He roared as he stood up and grab Ivan by his collar, about to deliver a punch on his face.

"Hey, no fighting on MY ship!" Captain roared, as he pushed the two away. "Now complete all the tasks if you want to win, damn it!" Joel looked at captain for a split sec before leaving, walking towards the weapon. "Hey wait up!" Ivan shouted as he put down the bowl and ran towards Joel, with Miyu tailing them. And one thing is for sure, I bet that she was still blushing. "What a luck to have such wacky crewmates." Captain sighed as he looked at me. "Luckily you are normal kiddo." He said as he turned and walk towards Medway in order to inspect and submit samples.

I sat at the empty cafeteria bench. Feeling empty as if I have lost my soul and what I left was only an empty shell. Ivan's word echoes in my mind. A father son imposter. Suddenly I felt like I was suck into a whirlpool, as memories flooded back and filled every inch of my mind...

"THIS IS A LIE!!" father screamed as he struggled to free himself from the ropes as the door of the airlock opens slowly. "YOU HAVE BEEN CHEATED! THERE IS NEVER A" He was thrown into the airlock before he could even finish his words. Immediately, Joel pushed the button as the door slam shut. I tried to save him but I was pulled back by others. I watched in horror as Joel pulled the lever as the door opens, sucking him towards the dark cold space. Through the heavy metal door, all of us could hear a muffled scream: "LIES! LIES! ALL WERE LIES!!" Before he was ejected towards the vacuum of space, as silent follows.

Lies? I don't understand what he was saying, but something fishy was happening. I stared blankly at the empty hallway before I could hear the sound of a vent slamming, followed by a muffled scream. I was pulled back from the reality as I ran towards the source of the sound, the Medway. The door had been sabotaged and was slam shut and unable to budge open. I tried to pry it open but there was no use. I could felt blood pumping to my mind. I had lost a dad, I cannot afford to lose another! I banged the door with all my might, as I screamed. Suddenly the door slip open as I feel onto a pool of blood. I stood up, and I saw him. Joel's body was lying motionless on the floor with pool of blood around him and a knife on his back. And beside him was the man that I treat him like my dad.

Captain.

His white suit was dyed red in blood strains as he swiped them off with a piece of cloth as he stare at me. "Why?" I mumbled with my lips that were shaking furiously, I could feel tears almost escaping my eyes. He look at me for a split second before he reply. "It was all a lie kid." He said as he knell down and pierced open Joel's body with his knife. As blood spew out here and there, I saw something through the fleshy meat, a black alien like living creature, squelching in the organs. Captain took out a Taser as he zap it to death and put the dry fried creature into a lab container, with other alike beings in it.

"The so call escape were just lies. Our earth were already been conquered by these beings. Only some human knows what on earth was happening. The truth is almost all humans were dead, the "human" we saw." He paused as he took of Joel's helmet and flipped his head towards my sight. "Were aliens." Now I saw the real face hidden under the skin. A black rotten face, like a corpse that were died long ago and were mummified. "They host onto corpse or even living animals, killing it and controlling it from the insides. Once the aliens were terminated, the host will return back to its original form, a lifeless corpse." He said as he shook the container.

"The remaining humans gather together to form a resistance. Their goal? To stop the aliens from bringing back more of their kind to earth. And the SKELD were actually just their transport, it's a gateway to hell. Once you entered there, if you are a human, you will just end up being host by the aliens." He paused as began to flicker the knife with his hand, juggling it. "We are not the imposters, they are. So do your father."

I kneel on the ground dumb folded. Everything started to make sense now. Everything was a lie. But something still doesn't make sense. "How did you kill pink?" I was with you, you couldn't kill she." I asked as I look at him. He sighed as he shook his head. "Still too don't get it Tylor. I am the CAPTAIN. I can control all the items on the ship." "So do the vent." I continued his words as I looked at him with disbelieve. "And the weapons as well as traps too." He smirked as he sat on one of the bed on the Medway.

"So where is our final destination?" I questioned as I check the hallway. "The MIRA HQ" He said as he looked at the floor. "There is where it all ends. So we need to reroute this ship back to earth to give the samples." He continued as he stood up. "So you are with me or not kiddo." He said before jumping into the vent, as the vent shut with a clang. I stood at there as I looked at the vent, hesitate to do what next as all of these happened too fast for me to react.

Suddenly I could hear a shriek. I turned around, it was Miyu. Before I could explain. She pounces on me as we wrestled. "You killed Joel! You killed him!" She screamed as she wrestled her arms towards my throat, trying to choke me till death. "This is a lie!" I shouted before a face burst out from her helmet, an alien face with no eyes but a wide mouth what will swallow your head like a grape. . Her mouth was filled with shark like teeth as her skin gradually darken. I could feel her knife like nails pierced through my flesh. There were several tongues in her mouth, which combine into a sharp dagger like thing that strike towards my face. I dodged it while I grabbed itwith my other hand. With a slight force, I pulled the thing like pulling the weeds at the yard. A disgusting screech pierced the air. I could felt Miyu's grasp weakening before stumbling on the ground. I opened my eyes, a sharp metal like tongue had been pulled out from her mouth, still on my grasp with flesh organs still squelching on it. Disgusted I throw it away. I looked around the room, it was covered full with blood and stains with gums and organs smearing the walls. I felt disgusted of myself as I dashed out of the Medbay.

I killed someone.

I walked along the hallway, feels like a ghost, every footsteps were printed red on the floor with blood. I felt weak as I lean across the wall and moaned. My arms had been pierced, with blood leaking out. The spacesuit was heavily torn, revealing the bloody flesh. My visual began to spiral, as I felt dying, my head was about to explode and my legs were unsteady. Barely, I could heard the megaphone announced that we are about to arrive MIRA HQ before falling into darkness. When I awoke, I am in a space capsule, the one for escaping. My body was bandaged and I had a container in my hand. The one that holds the sample of the creature. I looked around, hoping to find the shadow of the once familiar Captain, but all I found was a note stick onto the window of the cabin:

Kiddo:

Don't miss your old mule too much. Bring the sample back to earth, it's our last hope. I've send the location to your tab, so stay safe. Remember, I will always be beside you with your dad. Now complete the mission, it's the last order from me. So do it nicely, OK? Captain

Through the window, I could see The SKELD 0519, crashing towards the MIRA HQ, as flames set the sky bright red like a flying phoenix.

I cried.