Friday 18 May 2012

Friday Flash Fiction - Ice Madness

17 April
Jones died today. We found him frozen outside in his underwear. Strangest thing. Terrible thing to lose a colleague, but worse to lose a friend, too. I had been getting to enjoy our late night chess matches. They were one of the few distractions from work in this frozen wasteland. We were able to request a medical evacuation for his body before the radio died again, but they won't be here for three weeks at least. In the meantime, we had to wrap the poor fellow up in plastic and put him outside to keep him from rotting.

18 April
The team is nervous. The microbiologists said they found something unusual in Jones' blood, but they wouldn't say what. Typically cautious scientists. It still feels strange not having Jones around. All day I kept expecting him to pop up around a corner.

19 April
I keep hearing the others talking when I'm not in the room. They stop when I come in, too. It's been getting hotter inside the shelter, too, but the thermostat still reads correctly.

21 April
They're definitely up to something, those other guys. I bet they killed Jones themselves, and I'll be next. I've seen that suspicious way they look at me. They try to cover it up by looking at everyone that way, but I know what they're thinking. I can hear it, like whispers in my mind.

22 April
Didn't sleep last night. I can't let those murderous thugs get the drop on me. I sat up all night on my bunk with an ice pick under my pillow, watching the door. Wasn't even that difficult.

24 April
Can't use my bunk any more. Everyone knows where it is. I found a good hiding place behind the boilers where I spend most of my time. Markus was bludgeoned by someone yesterday in his sleep. He's outside beside Jones now. I am determined not to be next.

30 April
The remaining two of us keep to opposite ends of the shelter now. He blames me, but only to take the suspicion off himself. He's killed just as many as I have. Why would he think this is all my fault?

5 May
Haven't slept in days. The radio works again, but it's just muttering lies at me. That other guy took a walk outside in his underwear. I let him go. It's a better fate than what he'd face back home for what he's done.

10 May
Some ice-breaker ship came to "rescue" me today, but I held them back with my flares and the rifle we keep for protection. When they tried to sneak in the back, I shot two of them. They'd better not be back.

13 May
That "rescue" ship must have decided I wasn't worth the trouble. They figured I'd freeze myself to death here, or starve maybe. Either way, they're gone now. They don't know how warm it's gotten, though. In fact, I might take a stroll outside, but it's too hot to bring my jacket.

Mokalus of Borg

PS - I needed the journal format to indicate a longer passage of time.
PPS - I hope you like it.

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