by Tara Basi
“Help us, please, help,” one of the boys screamed.
Grain turned away, his questions rendered pointless. He stared at the wall directly in front of him for a long moment. The dirty wall was quite smooth, he could easily reach out and touch the surface but the horrible stains didn’t invite any touching. It was covered in dark maroon coloured streaks that looked uncomfortably like bloodied fingers had desperately tried to find some purchase on the hard surface.
Glancing right he saw Sara had her hands over her ears trying to shut out the desperate screeching of the young boys. The festering stench rising from the floor was becoming almost unbearable; it felt as if they were suspended over a latrine.
Beyond Sara the corridor seemed to be brightening, he could make out more and see further. None of it was good. Ahead Grain could now see a lot more people were hanging from the ceiling, randomly scattered along the rail. Some were still, others struggled and flapped like hooked fish. The new light brought a constant low wailing that sounded more like desperate animals than people. It was the same awful wrenching sound the two boys to his left were making. Grain guessed the narrow passage was echoing and distorting their cries, turning them into a constantly repeating sob. Much further ahead a large opening in the roof had appeared that allowed a bright light to flood in. It looked like their dark corridor opened up into a bigger well-lit space a few hundred metres ahead. It was too far away to make out any detail.
The monotone background wailing abruptly turned into a loud, desperate shriek as he was jerked to the right and everyone started sliding slowly along the rail. Some silent machinery had started up.
“What’s happening, you’ve got to know something?” Sara begged Happy, struggling to be heard over the terrible screams erupting all around them.
“It’ll be quick. The Block’s efficient. Now leave me alone, this is what I want,” Happy answered quietly, barely audible over the background clamour.
“Sara, can you make out anything, I can just see a bright light and lots more people on the rail,” Grain shouted, hoping Sara had a better view.
Sara twisted her body so she was almost facing directly ahead and strained to make out any more detail, “I can’t see, wherever we’re going is scaring the shit out everyone ahead,” Sara called back.
Grain looked back, beyond Happy, their two closest passengers were frantically doing anything they could to slow their forward progress. Scratching at the walls, grabbing at the rail, which only made them screech in pain. Nothing they did made any difference; they all continued their slow steady progress, headed for the brightly lit opening and whatever lay beyond. For a moment Grain couldn’t breathe. He was going to die, there was nothing he could do, nothing at all. Letting out a long breath he felt calmer, the sight of Happy swinging beside him helped. She could almost be asleep, her eyes were closed and she had her hands hooked in the belt of her pink boiler suit. Grain turned to Sara. She was still struggling, looking for a way out, grabbing at the walls, pulling on the rail.
“It’ll be OK, relax,” Grain said, and reached out to take her hand. “You’re a wonderful woman, shame we didn’t get more time together,” then he pulled her closer and kissed her.
“I love you,” Sara said.
“Ditto,” Grain answered, without thinking, saying what he always said and immediately knew it was the wrong thing to say and not what he wanted to say, “I love you too,” he added quickly, and at that moment he meant it.
He kept hold of her hand as the two of them slid slowly along the rail swinging gently by their ankles. He was glad he wouldn’t be dying alone as the bright opening got ever closer and the screams ahead got louder and more desperate.
As the rail tilted upwards and headed out into the light Sara saw first what was waiting and almost broke his fingers when she ferociously gripped his hand. She let out a desperate cry, and started hyperventilating.
“Don’t look,” Sara turned and warned Grain, her face colourless, her eyes popping out of her head in terror.
A moment later he swung up out of the dank passage into the brightness. Of course he couldn’t not look and then wished he’d listened to Sara. Until then Grain had kept some control and from Sara’s voice he knew it would be bad but it was much, much worse than that. They had arrived in hell and there were demons everywhere. It was a slaughterhouse on a Block scale. Their rail emerged out of an oval opening in the floor to wind its way along a very short stretch of a thin white bank that appeared to run around the whole space, the thinnest white edge to a vast still redness that stretched as far as Grain could see. The space was nearly the size of the Block’s roof, and most of it was filled with a lake. The rail was suspended on impossibly thin wires that stretched up to a bright ceiling high above. The featureless walls were as white as the bank, but the thin bank, only four or five metres wide wasn’t featureless, or still.
An army of Crawlers were hard at work, manning stations at regular intervals along the lakes edge. It looked like the rails popped out of the bank every five hundred metres or so, all delivering a continuous supply of shrieking cargo. Not in huge quantities, there would be groups of twenty or so, and then long gaps when the rail was empty. Around the lake there were enough rails, and enough deliveries to fill the air with horrible sounds of terror and death.
There were three stations at the end of every rail, each manned by a Crawler. The first Crawler did something Grain could not make out. It made the poor wretch it was processing screech liked they’d been set on fire. Seconds later a second Crawler did something that cut the sound dead and the body went limp. The third Crawler unhooked the limp body from the rail and tossed it down an open hole in the floor. And so it went on, as far as Grain could see, there were thousands of the Crawlers and almost as many end-of-the-line rails coming out of the lake side floor. Grain found himself hypnotised, unable to stop staring at those ahead being ripped and discarded. It was unbearable to watch but impossible not to.
“Don’t look, focus on the lake, it’ll be over soon. Happy was right, it’ll be quick,” Sara said as she took Grain’s face between her hands and forced him to look at her.
Grain jerked back, as though he’d been slapped awake from a horrible nightmare. Sara was right. He breathed deeply, turned away and stared out over the endless lake.
It wasn’t any less macabre but somehow not so personal. He could be detached and just observe. He couldn’t see the full dimensions but if the lake was the size of the Block it was thousands of square kilometres, too large to imagine. And, he had no idea how deep it was. It could easily be a kilometre, may be more. It looked like blood, it had the consistency, the sheen and the smell. He’d seen enough blood to know.
“You think its blood too,” Sara said, as she watched Grain’s expression.
“Is it blood? Open your eyes, damn you, is it blood?” Grain shouted at Happy.
Happy reacted slowly. Her eyes opened for the first time since they had exited the passage. Quietly she stared, not at the bank or the Crawlers, just at the lake.
“What else could it be?” Happy said, turning to stare at Grain with cold eyes.
Grain had nothing else to say, nothing to ask, and nothing he needed to know. He wanted it all over with. Grain had done more than his share of terrible things to get ahead but this was too much, too evil. Crazy Tracy’s actions started to make some sense. He nodded at Happy, smiled and offered his hand. Happy hesitated for a moment and took it. The three fell silent, holding hands as they slid towards the first Crawler.
Even knowing what it was, it was strangely beautiful. Grain focused on the blood-red silk sheet, delicately undulating in front of him and tried to ignore the waiting Crawler with the spinning blade at the end of a raised black limb.
It was almost a soothing sight, the blood lake, unblemished, perfect, except for, that, what was that? Grain spotted a strange V shaped wave heading their way as though something submerged was powering across the lake directly for them. A new horror, something liv
ing in the blood? As the ripple snaked purposefully towards them Grain wondered, which would get to him first, whatever was swimming just under the bloody surface or the Crawler’s ripping blade. It would be close.
Without warning a Crawler loomed up out of the lake directly in front of Grain. Rivulets of blood ran off its domed head, dripping down its tentacles to fall back into the red sea. Grain jerked away, sending a ripple up his body, causing the metal cuffs to bite into his ankles. Sara and Happy screamed. The Crawler kept rising till its big black head was level with their faces and it was only an arm’s length in front of them. In one smooth movement the Crawler lazily stretched out two tentacles and unhooked Sara and Grain from the rail. With their ankles firmly in its grasp the Crawler turned to carry them away. Grain still had hold of Happy’s and Sara’s hand and he clung on, refusing to let the monster just drag them away. Sara grabbed hold of Happy’s other hand forming a circle. The Crawler kept on, Happy was almost stretched out horizontally, screaming in pain as the cuffs cut into her flesh. Grain knew it was pointless holding onto Happy and was just about to let go, when the Crawler paused and snapped out a third tentacle to unhook and then grab Happy’s ankle. All three were now in the Crawler’s grasp.
They floated out across the crimson surface, their fingers trailing in the thick liquid, leaving pretty ripples behind them. Like a submarine the Crawler started to submerge, dragging them all down beneath the surface of lake. Grain’s shouts were abruptly drowned out by the torrent of blood that splashed into his nostrils and then over his lips, pouring into his lungs. The blood was too viscous to allow him to see anything. All Grain knew was that he was being dragged down, away from the light, and drowning in blood. The horrible metallic taste filled his mouth. Deeper and deeper, the crazy machine went.
When it seemed that he would never taste sweet, wonderful oxygen again, he emerged into light and air. The Crawler gently lowered them to floor, leaving them floundering like landed fish in pools of red. Grain struggled to clear his lungs of blood and simultaneously fill them with life giving air. Racked by uncontrollable retching and starved gasps for breath, it was some seconds before he began to understand where he was. It was a loading bay off the Block shaft, just like the one where he’d first heard Tracy’s voice.
Sara and Happy were on their knees coughing and gulping down air. Directly in front of Grain the bloody Crawler dripped red onto the smooth surface of the bay. It seemed to observe him for a moment then slowly started to sink into the red stained floor. In seconds it was gone and they were alone.
“What just happened?” Sara spluttered, still gasping for breath.
“Who knows, be glad we’re out of there,” Grain answered, still confused but glad to have escaped the abattoir.
A throaty engine roar suddenly filled the air, deafening Grain. Blazing lights were shining right at him as something descended the shaft, directly ahead.
“Shit, it’s Piglet,” Sara screamed, struggling to her feet.
Grain shaded his eyes and as the head lights rotated away he could make out the battered craft slowly turning around till the open airlock door at the back of the ship faced them. The noise was painfully loud as Piglet hovered at the edge of the bay, only fifty metres away.
“What’s that? A Van?” Happy shouted over the din, as she turned to run away.
“It’s alright, it’s ours, our ship,” Sara screamed, just managing to grab hold of Happy’s arm and stop her racing off.
“Let’s go,” Grain shouted, clutching Sara’s hand as he turned to race towards Piglet’s inviting open back door, then abruptly stopped, almost falling on his face.
Two Crawlers were slowly emerging from the floor directly between them and Piglet.
“Run for it!” Sara screamed as she pulled Happy after and headed for the gap between the emerging black demons.
Slipping and sliding in the pools of blood all around him, Grain followed as fast he could. Sara was almost dragging Happy, who was fighting every step of the way. Grain came up behind Happy and pushed her forward, closer and closer to the narrow space between the Crawlers. Luckily for them the machines appeared unable to engage their tentacles while they were rising out of the solid floor, but their viciously fast limbs wouldn’t be pinned for much longer.
Grain dashed between the two emerging Crawlers just before their tentacles started to clear the floor. Sara and Happy had already thrown themselves at Piglet’s open doors, crashing to the floor and rolling forward. Grain was right behind landing heavily, just as the tentacles, searching for a hold, scraped Piglet’s side. Before they’d all stopped tumbling across the cabin floor, the airlock started closing and Piglet was lifting and turning. Nasty metallic scratching echoed through the cabin as Crawler limbs continued to snatch at the little ship. Grain felt the surge of acceleration as the craft powered up the shaft. It was heading for the massive oblong airlock leading to the Block roof.
“Block won’t open up for us, brace yourself,” Grain called out, grabbing hold of the webbing in the cargo bay and winding it around his body. Not that it would do much good if Piglet was smashed to pieces against the roof door.
“It got in, somehow,” Sara shouted back, but she was still grabbing hold of the cargo bay straps and urging Happy to do the same.
Miraculously, Piglet slowed and then slid into the pitch dark of the airlock.
“Any suits left, the hull might be breached,” Sara shouted out, frantically looking around the small cargo space.
“Too late,” Grain answered as a burst of sun light flooded Piglet’s interior.
“Wait here, relax, it’s OK,” Sara said to a Happy, who was wide-eyed and rocking with shock.
“Who’s flying?” Grain called after Sara as she climbed forward into the cabin.
“It’s on auto-pilot, and it’s headed somewhere, fast,” Sara answered, her voice betrayed her obvious puzzlement.
“Where, the Maxinquaye?” Grain asked hopefully.
“No, down, towards the base of the Block.”
“What? Can’t you do something?”
“I’m locked out, we’re passengers. Get up here, strap in, you too Happy, we’ll be on the ground in minutes.”
“Stop calling me that,” Happy answered, recovering from the shock of everything that had happened. “What is this thing? Where are we going?”
“Something’s coming, from the south, sounds like those flying bastards,” Pinkie said, as she huddled at Mina’s feet.
Their torches were only just keeping the ghouls at bay as Mina’s gun butt flashed fifty seconds.
“We’ve got a bit more time, use your guns, keep them off,” Mina shouted.
“You’ve got thirty seconds lady, then I’m gone,” Jugger answered, as he picked out one of Worry’s naked gang with his torch and shot him dead before the wretch could jump out of the light.
“Oh shit,” Battery Boy said as he fired into a cloud of the nightmare insects suddenly picked up by the beam of his torch.
“They’re going for Worry as well,” Pinkie squealed with delight.
From what Mina could pick out with her torch Pinkie was right, while some of the giant mosquitoes came at them most were spreading out and vanishing into the dark. Screams and shouts erupted all around them as the ghouls fought with the real blood suckers.
‘Stop the gun, we can run, there’s a chance, while they’re busy,” Battery Boy called out as he picked up Pinkie.
“What you waiting for,” Jugger called out to Mina as he offered her his back.
Mina gratefully climbed on. Even before she’d reset her gun Jugger was off and running. To save ammo Mina used her torch to keep the ghouls back, while looking behind for insects to pick off. There weren’t any of either. It had gone quiet. It didn’t seem they were being followed. For a good thirty minutes they raced on before Jugger and Battery Boy had to take a rest.
“They done Worry, heard the bastard croak it. Wait… wait…. They’re all dead, just them flying bastards left, a
nd… they’re coming this way,” Pinkie whispered, going from ecstatic to terrified in moments.
“We can’t outrun them, how much ammo you got,” Mina asked Battery Boy and Jugger.
“Not enough,” Jugger answered.
“What now,” Stuff squealed.
“There’s only one option,” Jugger said, his voice as cold as ice.
“What?” Mina asked, reluctantly.
“We leave you, with your gun counting down. Rest of us run on, might slow them down, you might kill them all, if we’re lucky.”
Mina looked around at the others, who avoided her gaze. In the torch light she saw Battery Boy hesitate for a moment, only a moment, then he got ready to pick up Pinkie and run. Stuff looked torn and almost hysterical but too afraid to do anything but follow Battery Boy.
“I’ll stay,” Mina said quietly, thinking Jugger was a cold bastard, but he was right.
“Some big noisy fucker is headed this way, right for us,” Pinkie said, as she climbed on to Battery Boy’s back.
“I see lights,” Stuff shouted, unsure if he should be even more afraid or relieved.
All of them turned to look in the direction Stuff was staring, north towards the Block’s edge. Two large shining bright eyes were rushing in their direction. With Battery Boy’s help Mina climbed to her feet and stared into the distance. The powerful lights all but blinded her. Mina turned away and looked back, a cloud of blood suckers were bearing down on them just as the light changed, dropping in intensity but still enough to see she wasn’t going to last long. Mina lifted her gun to fire off her last few shots, blowing a few of the blood suckers out of the air. The noise behind her was deafening. Mina grabbed a quick glance over her shoulder and froze. Rushing towards her, flying just above the ground, and backwards, was Piglet. Hanging out of the rear door on the right and left were two familiar looking bald people dressed in the QQ spider people outfits.
