Chapter 21
The owner of the hostel shook me, “WHAUGHTIE…WHAUGHTIE!”
I awoke to see the NOBIAN’S face. He was anxious. I looked over toward the other bed and it was empty. Sonya and KATRAVIN were not in the room. He grabbed me by the arm and was pulling at me.
I think he wants me to go with him. I stood up and the NOBIAN motioned for me to follow him. I made a move toward the door outside but was instead led in the opposite direction toward the dark hallway. I followed as quickly as my eyes would allow. The hallway was really a dimly lit shaft.
After a few turns; it was KATRAVIN’S voice that quickened my steps. The two figures that met us at the end of the hall were Sonya’s and KATRAVIN’S.
“What’s going on,” I said?
“There are ALVERON guards investigating the area for us William;” KATRAVIN said.
The NOBIAN hostel owner said something and KATRAVIN continued; “We haven’t much time. There’s a passage further down this hall.”
A flat stone was rolled revealing a larger opening with a path that descended toward the planets core.
The NOBIAN gave me his glow baton and motioned for me to continue down the corridor.
“Thank You.”
The NOBIAN nodded his head and then left us.
KATRAVIN, Sonya and I moved carefully; descending down into the tunnel. A strange sensation came upon me---there was coldness to this place. The temperature had become unexpectedly cooler.
“Where does this lead,” I asked?
“It will take us to the other side of the foothill and bring us closer to the FLASHCIN facility;” KATRAVIN said.
I braced myself as I scaled down a steep path laid years ago by some mining crew seeking to extract the GLYSTIN from this cavern. The rock was cold to touch.
“Why has the rock cooled like this;” I asked?
“When deeply imbedded GLYSTIN is attacked or from the miner’s point of view; extracted, its defense is to change the elemental nature of what it was attached to. In this case; the rock was cooled,” KATRAVIN said.
“So the metal does have life,” Sonya said?
“Not many in the LOMMETRUS know that for sure; although many would suspect it,” KATRAVIN said.
The corridor now flattened out. It was no sooner that we had reached the lowest point of our descent before the passage required climbing the steep paths that lay ahead of the opposite opening. I stuck one end of the NOBIAN’S light baton in my mouth so both hands were free for climbing. This proved to be only useful in the slightest of degrees. The light jumped around as I focused mostly on climbing and not keeping the light steady. Between the sounds of my own heavy breathing and the occasional loose gravel slips; I could hear Sonya and KATRAVIN struggling up ahead. Then a different sound froze the three of us.
“SCHEEAKKKK, SCHEEAKKKK, SCHEEAKKKK, SCHEEAKKKK!”
It was loud and its echo bounced around the cavern space. I then heard another sound that could be recognized as rattler sounds from the largely dreaded rattlesnake on Earth except this was piercing to the ears; almost magnified beyond comparison. Then the shrill echo of the first sound ensued.
“SCHEEAKKKK, SCHEEAKKKK, SCHEEAKKKK!”
“William; do not make a sound or move,” I heard KATRAVIN call out from above in a hushed tone.
I laid flat against the rock but took a peek below me. The dim remnants of the glow baton allowed me to see a thick and elongated blackness slither on the flattened ground below me. Its presence invoked a fear in me not unlike the sensation felt from the GARGIAN in the AVERWOODS. This sinister creature seemed to flow from the rock below, passing us by like the midnight train in a small, sleepy town.
The cooled rock felt uncomfortable on my finger tips. They were feeling the freeze. I wanted to let go but I couldn’t. I wanted to climb a little further up but KATRAVIN had told me to lay still. I waited.
Finally, the other end of the creature was exposed. The rattle had become louder at this point. And when it had finally slithered into the chilled rock below---disappearing from sight and all was silent, I quickened my pace up the steep corridor.
“What was that,” Sonya asked?
“I don’t know,” KATRAVIN said.
“Could we please move a little faster,” I asked?
Each of us accelerated our advancements and perhaps the creature had caused us to become hyper-focused on each movement as there was no threat of anyone slipping and falling as we continued our ascent. It wasn’t long after that experience that the ground flattened and became manageable for walking. Shortly after that, a light source came within reach of us and we soon found ourselves outside on the other end of the cave.
The warmth of the sun touched my face but my finger tips still had the musing of chilled rock on them. I raised my right hand to examine it. This affect; I came to find out, was remnants of the GLYSTIN’S attack components imbedding into my skin and bones. Fortunately; there wasn’t enough there to make a lasting difference and yet---I was still awed by the permeating influence.
I looked beyond my hand and toward the orange dust clouds sweeping over the landscape unnaturally ahead. Occasionally; a glimmer from the tops of the FLASHCIN building could be spotted. We walked toward the base of the foothill.
“The dust seems to clear up after the sun moves over that peak over there,” KATRAVIN said and pointed.
I had speculated for days what KATRAVIN was doing in the early morning hours when she’d disappear from the room. Now I realized another similarity she’d shared with her brother---her innate fondness for exploring. This had served Miles well on Earth and would do likewise for her.
“Do we need to wait it out,” Sonya asked?
“At this distance, the dust should move out by the time we reach the FLASHCIN facility. Hopefully, Miles will be near for a secure contact signal. We’ll need him before we advance any further.”
The three of us edged closer to the facility and I couldn’t help but view the shimmering FLASHCIN plant as the final obstacle---with planet Earth on the other side. I considered for a moment the package Miles mentioned and its contents. As if I didn’t need any more motivation to make it out of this alive; that package seemed to have its own inspiration attached to it. I then wondered why Miles chose to tell me about this package now.
This thought was interrupted by a red flash in front of us and then followed by the tiny fragments of rock shooting up from where the flash landed. The pieces of rock flew in all directions.
“BACHITAH, BACHITAH.”
Sonya, KATRAVIN and I stopped and looked in the direction of where we heard the voice. There was a figure in sight as the dust settled. He was tall and was covered in an orange and brown jumpsuit with an oversized helmet of the same color, except for the black visor covering his eyes. His weapon was a long brown shaft with five separate points surrounding the end that was pointing toward us.
“BACHITAH, BACHITAH.”
“What does he want,” I asked?
“He’s a SCAVAH; a criminal in hiding. He wants whatever we have on us.”
“OOHBOTAHMASEKATAH…SEKATAH.”
The SCAVAH jerked his weapon back and forth. KATRAVIN slowly lowered herself to the ground and laid flat. Sonya and I followed. I closed my eyes when the shaft of this SCAVAH’S weapon touched the back of my head.
For some reason; I didn’t think about my family and life on Earth. Flashes of those memories no longer existed; at least, not in my conscious state. The thought that did occur to me stronger than any other was that I’d be the first human killed in this alien universe and that I wouldn’t get a chance to show KATRAVIN my planet. This was my greatest regret at that moment.
Don’t move William. At least…that is what I thought I heard---only it didn’t sound like Sonya or KATRAVIN saying it to me. Did I imagine it? The shaft lifted off the back of my head. I heard the SCAVAH speak but this time the response I heard clearly was the voice from my friend---it was Miles.
The
n a jerked movement came from the SCAVAH followed by the sound of a blast. This almost simultaneously resulted in the SCAVAH dropping to the ground. I saw a dim reflection of my face in the SCAVAH’S visor that was now in front of me.
I pushed myself up off the ground and raised my head to see Miles standing next to DRUCKER, ARCHINE and a second individual dressed as an ALVERON soldier.
“How did you find us,” KATRAVIN said?
“The innkeeper told us that he sent you this way. We were careful to travel in the transporter over the foothill---not to be seen but we must hurry as the blast surely alerted the ALVERON trackers over that ridge,” Miles said while turning and pointing to the peak behind him.
I went over to help Sonya up but she was bent over; clenching at her stomach. Suddenly; everyone’s attention turned to her as she now clearly appeared in pain. She screamed in agony. I bent down to observe that the bottom half of her shirt was now covered in crimson red with a jagged rock stuck into her flesh. I tore a piece of my shirt off and pressed firmly around the rock.
“We can’t pull it out here,” I said.
“A ricochet from the blast must have caused this,” Miles said distressed.
“She’s in no condition to travel. What do we do,” KATRAVIN asked?
I was worried for my other friend now. It also didn’t go without the realization that our departure from the LOMMETRUS was now in jeopardy of being postponed even further. We had ALVERON guards potentially close; not to mention, I still wasn’t completely recovered from the injuries I sustained on ALVERON and Sonya had lost a lot of blood. Our good fortune of survival so far seemed to be running out.
“We’ve got to help her, get her somewhere safe,” I said.
DRUCKER spoke and his words prompted Miles to help Sonya up and assist her to the transporter that ARCHINE and the other ALVERON guard pulled close. Then the rest of us crowded into the transporter and we sped off.
The LOMMETRUS Chronicles: Book One: The Abduction of William Baxter Page 22
