The elevator doors hissed open, and Gerardo walked into darkness. 

"Shit," he muttered. "Lights, too?" 

He fumbled for his LED flash light, and switched it on. The large expanse of the Hydroponics greeted him, illuminated by the blue glow of his torch. Shadows lurched at him from every steel strut and plant bed; the stars above glittered through the glass dome ceiling. 

"Computer, what's wrong?" He called out, hoping the voice activation systems and the station's A.I hadn't failed too. 

"Identification please," buzzed a computerised female voice in reply. 

"Thank fuck for that," Gerardo chuckled despite himself. "Valdez, Serial 349." 

There was a pause, and Gerardo could hear the faint hum of electronics as the A.I sprung to life, busily analysing and diagnosing. 

"Power surge on the main fuse board, Mr. Valdez," the A.I said plainly. "Lights are not operational, I'm afraid."

"Cheers," Gerardo replied, irritated. 

With a sigh, he started on towards the back of the bay - about a half mile walk - to where he would find the main fuse board. Power surges were not uncommon in an installation like the A-19, but they were the kind of problem that shouldn't exist any more. When Gerardo was at school, some twenty years ago, he had learnt about life on Earth prior to far-reaching space travel, and it amazed him how their simple systems carried flaws still seen today, despite such technological advancements. 

Still, power surges wouldn't be a thing in a military base, or a corporate headquarters. OuterTech had skimped on the essentials, and it fell to people like Gerardo to perform caveman services to bridge the shortfall. 

Something fell to the floor, off to Gerardo's left. Something wet sounding.

"Fuck sakes," Gerardo spat, shining the torch to where he heard the sound. "If that floor is filling up with water, I'm going to blow a fuse myself." 

And then something else feel to the floor, and this tiem Gerardo saw a shadow move with it. Big enough to be a man. Suddenly he remembered Eddie Rowe, and started backing away. 

"Who's there?" He called, not taking his eyes off the circle of his torch's illumination. "Stay the fuck back, I ain't trusting no one, ya hear?"

There was an odd kind of dragging noise, as if someone was pulling a sack of potatoes through the water. Gerardo quickly tuned his metal hand into maximum strength - it wouldn't help much in a knife fight, but if he grappled someone, he could snap their arm at least. 

A hand suddenly connected with his shoulder, and he span, eyes wide in terror, and shoved with everything he had. The hand's owner flung over a trestle, crashing onto the other side and taking one of the mounted water purifiers with him. 

"Easy, Valdez, fuck!" Shouted Henderson, picking himself up, and holding a palm to nasty gash on his forehead. "You fucking crazy, man?" 

"Shit dude," Gerardo cursed, and surged forwards to inspect his colleague. "We're not alone in here, some jackass is making a noise over in the corner, and you spooked me."

"No one's down here man, that's why I was sent to back you up. Chief don't want no one left on their own," Henderson paused to pull his hand back, and looked at the blood it had gathered with a slight shock. "Fuck, this might need looking at." 

Gerardo nodded, "head back to medical. Sorry man, I honest- wait, what? You sure we're alone down here?" 

Something heavy and metal crashed to the floor, about a hundred yards off. 

"Let's go," Henderson stuttered. "Could be the guy who got Eddie." 

"Bull shit," Gerardo said, waving his flash light around the area of the noise. "We can take this clown." 

"Yeah," Henderson chuckled, backing off towards the elevator. "How about we just call Security, eh?"

"Smart," Gerardo nodded. "Computer, alert Security. We have a situation." 

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Mr. Valdez." the female's voice said, neutral as always.

Gerardo was dumbfounded. He'd never heard that template-response before. "What do you mean, you can't do it?" 

Foot steps in the water. Henderson stifled a panicked scream, and Gerardo forced him back towards the elevator. "Yeah, you're right man, let's go."