Dead Space: Expendable

Prologue

At The End Of All Things

Her red eyes stared at the figure from behind the glass. It was a symbol of twisted nightmares, a herald for a monstrous life after death, and the very thing that would end it all.

The Marker.

Two red stones twisted around each other, like a double helix from a DNA strand, and the markings printed on it glowed a low red. She didn’t want to look at the markings but knew that there was no way not to. Even if she didn’t, she could hear the damned artifact whisper in her mind, telling her things that would try to comfort her and tell her it was okay but then there was the side of it telling her to end it, to end her torture and become whole.

She wanted to.

The pulse rifle she held in her hoof was looking more and more enticing, and the urge to just put it up to her head and give in to its wishes was almost overwhelming.

No. Don’t think about it. I have to stop this...I have to stop this first.

She now stared at the metallic ground, trying her hardest to silence the whispers in her mind. They wouldn’t stop but this was not what had this mare on her final bastion of sanity. The whispers she heard were produced from the Marker, she knew this much, but the whispers and hallucinations were real enough for her.

The whispers of dead friends, co-workers, and even ones that passed away many years ago all spoke to her, some hateful and angry, while others were soothing and assuring. Regardless of this though, they all had one message in common.

Make. Us. Whole.

“Not yet...not...not until the Marker is destroyed. I have to destroy it,” she said to herself, now holding her head in her hoof.

She stared more into the metallic floor and noticed her reflection. Her face was speckled in blood and her security suit was drenched in it. Her blue mane was flat from blood and sweat. Even her weapon was covered in the accursed liquid.

Tears began to form at the corner of her eyes and fall silently to the floor but she didn’t let her painful mourning distract from what she needed to do. She lifted her head back up and readied her pulse rifle. Only the sound of her bloody boots were heard as she made her way to the glowing, holographic console that sat idle in the bloodied room with her. She knew what had to be done but she needed to let others know what had happened here.

She needed to send a message to any who would listen and hope that somepony could stop Celestia and the Markers.

Make us whole. Let’s be together again.

“Stop...please. I have to do this first,” the mare whispered to herself as she took a seat at the console. Beads of sweat began to form over her forehead and her breathing was steadily becoming heavy.

Make us whole. Why delay us?

She didn’t respond and ignored the whispers as she activated the console. A yellow holographic screen appeared before her and without delay, a small light emitted from the console and scanned over the mare’s red eyes.

////Initiating///Retina Scan Complete////

“Welcome Vinyl Scratch,” a monotone, female robotic voice said, “Please sync your RIG now.”

Make us whole Vinyl.

“Shut up,” she replied wearily, slowly losing herself in her own insanity. Vinyl brought her hoof up to a small button on her suit and pressed.

The console’s holographic screen was silent for a moment but then it began displaying information, reading as follows:

////RIG scan-Complete////
Name: Captain Scratch/ Vinyl Scratch
Sex: Female
Occupation: Head of Station Vera Security Detail

“Thank you Vinyl Scratch,” the robotic voice spoke again, “You may record when you are ready. Have a good day.”

“Begin recording,” Vinyl commanded weakly.

A smaller holographic screen now appeared to the side of the console and showed it recording her and taking video.

She began her transmission.

My name is Vinyl Scratch. I may be the sole survivor. We...we encountered an alien life form on the station. They have taken over the bodies of citizens and crew here. All residential areas are lost and life support systems are slowly shutting down. My team is dead...my friends are dead or missing. I have found information that has led me to believe that the Marker that Celestia had ordered to be created is somehow responsible for what happened here. If I fail in destroying it, to whoever may find this recording, the station and the marker...

Must be destroyed.

“Set recording to active and end.”

The console obeyed and shut down, storing her message and having it ready to be viewed by anypony that was, by some small chance, still alive.

Vinyl sat in her seat and closed her eyes, trying to suppress everything she had seen today. The corpses coming back to life, the screams of death and fear, and the countless bodies she had left in her wake during her fight for survival.

“Unng,” she groaned.

In the darkness of her closed eyes, symbols began to flash. She didn’t know what they meant, nor cared. They were symbols, nothing more. Symbols that belonged to a religion that she now despised and loathed.

“Fucking Unitologists,” she laughed softly, “A beautiful unity after death huh?”

It was ironic to her. Ponies who believed in Unitology often preached about how glorious and beautiful their unity would be and that the race before them that they would refer to as ‘a divine alien agency’ created the Marker so they could all be reunified in Heaven.

Vinyl usually didn’t get involved too deep with Unitologists and their beliefs but she knew for a fact that if this was their view of a beautiful life after death, then they were more fucked up than she thought.

They promised unity and life but instead, they received death and a twisted afterlife.

“Well, I guess if I die, at least I’ll know I was right about their shit,” Vinyl said with a solemn tone.

Please Vinyl...make us whole.

Vinyl got up from her seat and brought her pulse rifle into both her hooves. She walked over to the door that would lead directly to the Marker. Hoofprints and symbols in blood covered the mechanical door along with messages from others who have passed in the room, probably now dead and transformed into Necromorphs.

Make us whole Vinyl.

Vinyl prepared herself for her what was to come. Everything she had lost and witnessed had now led up to this. She had to destroy the Marker.

Her helmet began to form over her head, locking and clicking into place. Within seconds, her riot helmet was on. A red light protruded from the two slits in the head piece and she took a deep breath.

She opened the door and readied her pulse rifle.

"I'll make us whole."

P3RROHAMBRE

presents

Dead Space: Expendable