The only thing scarier in outer space is the fear of the unknown.Captain John Lancaster’s ship is critically damaged in an asteroid storm, leaving John and his crew stranded. Drifting off course. He was returning to earth with supplies and samples from planet Sol. When he and his team discover they are not alone on the ship. Something is hiding onboard and is taking the crew members out, one by … is hiding onboard and is taking the crew members out, one by one.
Will John make it home to see his wife and child? Can he save his remaining crew?
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Leech is a short and enjoyable horror sci-fi. Author Ellie Douglas’s imaginative and descriptive writing style is gripping and easy to follow.
Captain John Lancaster and his crew were on a mission to study and collect samples on an Earth-like planet called Sol. The year was 3010, and mankind traveled through space at warp speed, so they went back and forth, to and from, Earth in only a few days, and the captain had been on many missions to Sol. On one of Captain John’s missions, a meteor crashed on Sol. John picked up a smooth, black stone from the crash site and decided to take it back to Earth with him to gift it to his young daughter as a souvenir.
On the voyage back to Earth the rock fell to the floor and broke in half. John’s friend, Nico, picked up the stone and black goo that was stored inside it got all over his fingers and then was quickly absorbed into his skin. After this incident, all hell breaks loose.
Nico became infected with a parasite that ate him from the inside out, multiplied, and then left his body in search of other hosts. With each host, the parasites grew larger until they would no longer need a host. One by one, the crew became infested until it seemed no one would survive.
I enjoyed this fascinating short story. The characters were lifelike and the dialogue believable. Lovers of horror and sci-fi would enjoy this book.
John Lancaster is on his 70th voyage to the super Earth-like planet, Sol. He and his team have been on a multi-year series of missions to collect samples from the planet in preparation for human occupancy. He misses his wife and daughter immensely, but knows in the long run his work and prolonged absences will be worth it to his family. When he and his team investigate a meteor shower that deposits little black rocks on Sol’s surface, he takes one of them as a souvenir for his daughter, Lucy. Back on the ship, heading back to Earth for a brief stop, a kidding episode with teammate Nico leaves the rock in pieces, with a black goo oozing from the rocky center. As they clean up for the landing on Earth, the alien goo is forgotten as Nico sets out for a fast food gorge and John lovingly mails the rock specimens to his daughter as her Sol souvenir.
A quick earthly turnaround has the crew once again on the voyage back to Sol for the next expedition. An unplanned encounter with an asteroid storm stops the ship in its tracks, but that is the least of the crew’s worries. One by one the members of the crew are stricken down by a gooey extraterrestrial parasite that thrives on its victims flesh and blood. Will the survivors be able to find the scourge and destroy it? Or will they all succumb to its deadly hunger?
A terror filled hunt for the hunted makes for a page turning tale; Author Douglas once again delivers deadly chills and thrills and an ending that will leave you wondering! A suspense filled read, highly recommended!