One of the lights spluttered, flickered, then died in a shower of sparks, but the second bulb turned on, casting strange shadows over the scene before them. Three walls each held a plain bed with a storage unit fixed above it. Two of the beds were made, but the third had its blankets mussed. A large object lay in the middle of the room.

Jay swore under his breath then gagged. Robin only paused for a second before pressing past Charles to approach the decomposing body.

It was a man—Charles thought it was, anyway; the body was so bubbly and saggy, it was hard to be sure. He’d fallen on his back, his legs twisted awkwardly under him, arms flung out to the side. His remaining eye was milky white and bulged out of its socket, and his jaw hung open, almost as if it were dislocated, to display white teeth poking out of darkened gums. A pool of tar-black blood spread around his head like a toxic halo.

Charles stood frozen as Robin knelt beside the man. Her twelve weeks of active duty had shown her only two deaths, and both of those had been quick and low-impact; they’d been followed by prompt funerals, a moment’s silence at that night’s dinner, then a return to regular work. She’d never once imagined what would have happened to the bodies if they hadn’t been cremated, and the corpse in front of her was both horrifying and riveting.

“Oh—” Jay gagged again. “No—don’t touch it!”

Robin pressed the tip of her gun to the side of the corpse’s head, raising a flap of sagging skin. Behind it was a clear hole that went through the head.

“He was shot,” she said. Charles was surprised to hear the older woman’s voice was impassive. Robin lowered the gun and dipped its tip in the black stain around the man’s head. The liquid stuck to the metal barrel, and when she pulled it back, long strands of the black substance dribbled from it.

“Is that blood?” Jay sounded nauseated.

“It must be. He’s been dead for a while, probably since shortly after the distress signal.” Robin rose and wiped the tip of her gun on the floor. “That bed isn’t made. I’d guess he was attacked while he was sleeping.”

“Jeeze,” Charles said, shaking free of her stupor.

“Don’t let your guard down; we’ve still got to find the other two crew members.” Robin approached the room’s second door, which led to the bathroom. She twisted the handle, but the door didn’t open.

“Want me to…?” Jay offered weakly, but Charles pushed past him, raised her right leg, and gave the door a hard kick. It burst open, hitting the wall and bouncing backwards as Charles turned on the light.

A second body lay on the ground, propped against the sink. A blend of dried dark-red spots, white shards, and grey clumps was splattered across the shower’s glass door, and the corpse’s decaying hand clutched a gun.