Chapter Text
"You should have been out of oxygen days ago." Ava was dumbfounded, "How are you alive?"
"I don't know." The Convict's voice was wrecked, like he'd been through hell and back. The crackling of the speaker couldn't hide the cracks in his voice, clearly close to tears. "I thought I died. I might have died...."
There was silence for a little bit, her team looking at her apprehensively for a decision.
"Listen," His voice came through again, "I... erm... I think I've done enough, and I..." She could hear him breathing shakily, "I would really like to not be down here anymore... please..."
"I..." Ava swallowed, "I don't think we can do that."
"I had nothing to do with Filament Station, I swear!" He was crying now, "That wasn't part of the plan!"
"Listen," Ava ran a hand through her hair, "This isn't personal, it's just too dangerous. Our current orders are to hold and observe."
"What about the sample?! The reason I came down here in the first place?? You need that, right?"
"I'm really sorry," In the face of his misery, she realised she had nothing to say. Nothing that could make it better, nothing that would prove this wasn't an execution. Or, well, wasn't intended to be. "It's... not worth the risk."
Left in the silence, her team staring at the floor as a grown man sobbed through a transmitter neither he nor they could shut off, she had nothing else to say. Not until a concerning creaking noise was transmitted, and the Convict screamed.
"Oh FUCK YOU! They're leaving me to die down here because of you!!" A metallic thump and the creaking stopped, silence again.
"I just want to live," His voice was weak, "Is that so wrong? Why doesn't anybody else want that?"
David stood up and walked away from the desk, staring out on the top of the blood ocean. He probably was conflicted about leaving the Convict down there - because he was still a man, and a man going through something clearly terrible, even if he wasn't a good person. And really, was that so sure anymore? His claims about not being involved in blowing up the station had been consistent.
Ava guessed they'd never truly know. Not anymore, at least.
There was a scream, and a thump, like the Convict had been slammed into either the walls or the floor of the sub, before a series of other noises and metallic bumps met their ears. Whatever he was being tormented by wasn't merciful enough to take him out of reach, meaning Ava had to listen to the entire thing until it eventually either killed him or left him alone.
It was almost worse, not being able to see what was going on. Because it meant her imagination could run wild.
"What the fuck?" His voice crackled, "I - did they leave you here too?"
"Convict? Who are you talking to?"
"The SM-8? No. No I saw that, that thing was destroyed, I... how did you survive?"
"Convict? What's happening?"
Silence. Then, low and suspicious.
"I never told you my name."
Then more juddering, a panicked noise, and suddenly David was running back to her and dragging her to the window.
Something was emerging from the blood - large, skull-like but inhuman, judging by the teeth-like protrusions that jutted out. It swam carefully, eel-like body contorting and twisting despite the head not moving. And the closer it got, the more blood dropped off it, revealing a familiar submarine carefully held in it's mouth.
"What the fuck?" David was whispering, her entire team (including her) scrambling to the farthest point they could get to without leaving the dock. There were still grunts and panicked shouts from the Convict coming through the transmitter, now abandoned on the side.
The eel-like creature seemed to realise it couldn't fit in the door to the dock as it approached, and a shrill scream rang through the air, shaking the submarine within.
"FUCK!" They heard the Convict cry, "What do you want?"
Suddenly, a familiar feminine voice rang through the air. Not like it came from the eels mouth, but as if it was emanating from its very being.
Help him.
Looking at those sharp teeth, hollow eyes and terrifying stature, then at each other, her team scrambled to comply. Daniel ran for the winch, pulling in the chain which was miraculously still attached, tugging the submarine out of the creatures open maw and into position above. To say it had been surrounded by sharp teeth, it was remarkably intact save for a few superficial scratches.
Get him out.
"What are you doing?" David asked, panicked, as Ava grabbed a saw. "The C.O.I -"
"We're getting ordered by a being beyond our comprehension," Ava barked, "I am not arguing, and they can review the CCTV. Now help me get him out!"
To his credit, he didn't argue further, he and Daniel also grabbing saws to cut through the thick welds in the side. They started tugging at the sheet metal, bloody fingers peeking through the other side as the Convict started to shove as well.
"Fucking... shit..." Daniel grunted, "Jack... how thick??"
A terrible shriek rang out, the creature clearly unimpressed.
Out. NOW.
"We're trying!" Ava grunted.
It screeched again, face diving beneath the blood and thinner tail end flicking out and smashing into the loose metal, tearing it clean from the submarine and slamming it into the ocean.
The Convict didn't jump out so much as fall, dropping to his knees and immediately throwing up. His hair was half tied up with a scrap he seemed to have taken from his own clothing, his body bruised and bleeding. What he threw up wasn't vomit, but blood, dripping off his chin into the red puddle in front of him.
The creature, still, seemed to watch him eagerly.
Simon?
His head - for the Convict must be Simon - snapped to the side, taking in the creature with somehow unsurprised eyes. "How do you know my name?" He rasped, wiping his chin with the back of his hand.
You told us - if anyone was looking for Simon, we were to tell them you were still alive.
"Oh..." He swallowed, "Thank you. For getting me out."
You're welcome! The creature's head tilted, Are you safe?
"I... I think so." The Convict's - Simon's - voice shook. "I won't go down again. They can't make me. I won't."
You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. The creature's voice echoed, The Light told us you're ours. They won't hurt you or they'll answer to us.
"I... what do we do now?" David asked, staring at Ava in horrified confusion.
Ava, for once, had nothing to say.