I couldn’t respond. The feeling of terror that clenched my insides was more than just my own. It was a residue, a shadow of the fear left behind by the occupant of the tank. I tried to move, but it was as if I was frozen to the ladder, and if I let go the darkness would swallow me. The tank was closing in on me. I had to get out.

Something inhuman screeched in my ear.

I flinched away from the noise as there was an impact against my suit. The rubber squeaked as I was shoved against the ladder. Off balance, I landed on my back, the air tank clanging loudly against the metal floor. “Help!” Another hit bounced off my face shield hard enough to drive the back of my head against the ground. I got my hands up in front of me, but through the clumsy gloves I could only feel cold. “Get it off!”

The light from Franks’ helmet was sudden, searing, and I was looking up into the emaciated face of something hideous, blue, and dead. It screeched again, opening a mouth full of rotten, broken teeth. Ice crystals fell and stuck to my face shield. Then just as suddenly, it was gone and Franks was standing over me.

The thing slammed into the far wall with a bone-jarring crunch. The light flashed wildly as Franks went after it, and I caught a brief glimpse of a skeletal form, with skin like parchment stretched over bones, and a wild mane of white hair. Then the light swung the other way as it came off the wall and launched itself at Franks.

The unnatural terror that had felled me was gone. I could move again. I fumbled for my own headlamp as I rolled over and stood up.

Franks had caught the screaming thing, used its momentum against it, spun it over one shoulder and hurled it against the steel table. It didn’t seem to feel a thing as it pushed itself off, but I intercepted it and kicked one leg out from under it. Freezing cold burned through the rubber booty and into my foot.

It felt no pain and got right back up. I planted one big rubber fist into the side of its head. It stumbled a bit, but then Franks was on the other side and he slugged it back toward me. Fists aching with cold, I hit it, then he hit it, the skinny thing rebounding back and forth between us as we played undead tetherball. We were both clumsy in the suits, but we were both really good at beating things to death. It screeched again, then Franks knocked its jaw clean off. My next hit sent it spinning over the table where it fell to the floor on the other side.