Freya and I rushed over to Maude. Blood was seeping through her fingers, staining her clothes and pooling on the cold metal floor. She was pale, too pale, but she was still putting up a facade of toughness. I’m… I’m fine, she muttered through gritted teeth, though her voice trembled.

Freya dropped to her knees beside her, already pulling a small, cylindrical device from her pocket. Hold still, she commanded, her voice firm, the fear replaced by focus. She pressed the device against Maude’s wound, and it hissed, a plume of smoke rising as it cauterized the cut. Maude clenched her jaw, her muscles tensing, but she didn’t make a sound, just a sharp intake of breath through her nose.

I glanced back at the creature. It's skull was fractured, a deep crack running across its forehead. I could see the skin pulling tight, the blood pooling around the wound. What is this thing?” I asked, more to myself than anything.

Freya looked up, her face grim. One of the pod people, I think, she said, not taking her eyes off Maude. But... something went very wrong. When the body rejects the preservation treatments, it has a tendency to mutate. But this... this is worse than I’ve ever seen. It completely changed it's body structure...

She turned her attention back to Maude, her gaze softening. It's been a long time, Maude, she said gently, almost cautiously.

Maude’s eyes flicked up, a guarded look crossing her face. Yeah… a long time, she muttered weakly.