Cosmic Slop

There was nothing else to do but laugh. We’d been drifting for a long time now; time doesn’t mean a goddamn thing. We didn’t even know where the hell we were, after passing through the black hole, well, we didn’t know what the fuck anymore. So we just drifted. Our generators had been dead since we came across; all we had is oxygen. We’d eaten all we could before the refrigeration went dead. We killed the last of the booze and all that was left were the psychotropic dope we were saving for the return trip. With these new shuttles you just have to set the remote pilot, pop a cap or two and space out (no pun intended) until we land. The passengers seemed to be okay. Everyone was either fucking away, or doped up and fucking away. At first my co-pilot and I thought the people would panic and eventually kill each other, but after thousands of films about space travel and the perils of it, no one was too surprised. They were laughing about it. Instead of a mile high club, we were a black hole club; top that everybody in flight school. My co-pilot made it with The Pop Star; she was in heaven after that. I never thought I’d make it with Jenny, the stewardess, had my eye on her for a few months. She wasn’t what I thought she’d be though, a little on the side of the starfish, but whatever, I ain’t complaining.
My co-pilot was the first one found half eaten. The Pop Star found her, half her face was gone, her neck ripped, her left thigh clawed and chewed. Everyone freaked of course. The Pop Star blamed Melissa, but she was fourteen and we didn’t believe him. We shot him out of the airlock after the remains of my co-pilot. Jenny we found next, same as my co-pilot. Everyone freaked, they called for Melissa’s head, but her mother and I defended her, and soon found ourselves fighting with everyone else. I killed a few of them, I saw Melissa biting Mike Conner the politico; she did her share with gusto. Melissa’s mother was caught before we made it to the lower hull. From the screams, I could only guess that they ripped her apart.
We’ve been in the hull for some time now, could be days. The mob outside won’t break the doors, they’re coded and three feet deep. I still carried a few caps, held on for the final moments. I gave one to Melissa, she gobbled the damn thing. I took two and laid back. Melissa took a bite out of my leg as soon as I peaked. There was nothing else to do but laugh.

~ by shoun otis on July 3, 2009.