City of Darkness

by D P Wright

  The detective gripped the glistening, polished black bars, “These cages seem to be wrought out of the rock itself, stand back.” He drew his Luther and took aim at the lock mechanism of the cell door. Bethany’s fragile frame disappeared into a mass of stick thin limbs and grey rags as the occupants of the cage clambered to the far side of their prison. Doc took a step back just as Kessler sent a bolt of plasma crashing into the stone cell. The smoke cleared to reveal the gleaming surface of polished black stone, completely unscathed from the blast.

  “I did not think it was going to be that easy.” Doc sighed and readied his rifle.

  “I’ve never seen anything like this, it didn’t even make a dent.” Kessler holstered the weapon and desperately pulled at the bars. He took out a knife and with it tried to jimmy the lock.

  Bethany shouted words that wheezed from her dry throat, “He has the keys.”

  “Minos.” Bane and Bethany’s grim tales raced through Kessler’s head.

  “They hang from his waist on a chain. When he comes for us I can hear them clink as he walks.”

  At that moment, Kessler’s ear-piece crackled to Opek’s high pitch voice, “Mr Kessler, Tech Shaft Six is operational and they’re sending down a pod. It’ll be here in twenty minutes.”

  Kessler pressed his hand against his ear, “Ok, Opek. Good work.”

  “Well, we did what we could – don’t have much power though so hurry.”

  “You just make sure the pod is waiting when we get there. Kessler out.”

  “Ok. What now?” Just as Doc finished speaking, the horn blasted another six deafening times, its bellow dampening out the wails of those caged, the howl of the searing wind and the broiling roar of the plasma. Bethany immediately stopped her desperate attempt to prise the door open and curled into the foetal position on the floor as a wave of cries and a manic terror washed over everyone.

  “Oh God! We’re too late!” Beth panicked, “He’s coming!”

  Kessler returned to trying to pick the lock and Doc peered down the passageway, his rifle ready. “Quickly, Kes!” Doc barked as the door at the end of the platform opened to reveal a small, hunchbacked old man. Despite his age, he moved quickly towards them stopping by a cell’s door where he led out four who followed him in docile obedience. His slight, hunched form was nearly lost in the folds of a lavish purple robe that spilled onto the platform around him. His hands were outstretched, beckoning the four towards him.

  Immediately Kessler dropped the knife and fell to his knees as he began to hear the words. They came to him in thundered screams which drove him to the floor in agony.

  ‘Lux Ferre is here. Come to me. Reach out for the light.’

  The words screeched between his ears, its barbs stabbing every nerve ending, a jagged bright white light exploding in his head. He opened his aching eyes briefly only to see Doc drop his rifle and fall to his knees. “What are you doing, Doc? Shoot him!” Kessler was not sure if the words had ever left his mouth as the cacophony of voices continued to fill his head and drown out everything else.

  ‘Reach out for the light. Take it and all your pain will end.’

  The words were warm and a temporary respite from the blaring pain. On all fours, Kessler tried to reach Doc’s prone form but again was stopped by blinding agony. He looked up to see the man standing over him, his small frame now engulfed in brilliant, dazzling light.

  Two black eyes, dark pin pricks in the white blaze, stared down at the detective and appeared to pause for a moment, examining him, before speaking words which appeared within his mind, ‘Your soul is tarnished with the sins of this world. Take the light and all will be cleansed.’

  “Are you the Light Bringer?”

  A laugh, deep and powerful, resonated through Kessler’s body, sending arcs of pain across his mind.

  ‘No Chaff, but you will meet him soon.’

  Minos dropped a large syringe onto the floor next to him and walked over to Doc and did the same. The light from his body faded as he returned to the end of the walkway to the four Chosen who stood, trance-like, waiting for him by the door.

  Kessler screamed. His body weighed him down, each slight movement firing up a thousand nerve endings. He breathed heavily into his vent and tried to fight the hurt. He stared at the syringe and reached out for it. So much pain. He rested the large needle against his forearm and pressed down hard as it penetrated the thick material of his suit. Finally the escape he needed. Finally he could rest his tired mind. He could feel it begin to prick against his skin. Finally he could forget about all his suffering. Forget about Bethany. A voice called to him. Quiet. Only a whisper amongst a million shattered threads of thought. Words lost in the clamour. “Bethany?”

  “Faith Kes, I believe in you.”

  “No I can’t,” he grunted through gritted teeth.

  “Faith,” Bethany urged.

  Kessler pulled himself up and looked around him to see Doc sat on his knees, the syringe in his hand. “No!” Kessler yelled as Doc injected the poison into his outstretched arm. He grabbed his knife from the floor and staggered towards Doc, every sinew straining, his mind full of the poisonous words that hammered his psyche. Using all his strength he brought the knife to bear on Doc’s arm and, in a fountain of blood, it was severed. Doc gave a brief scream before slumping to the ground unconscious. Kessler emptied his friend’s bag out onto the walkway’s metal grating and quickly found a roll of bandages and made a tourniquet above the weeping stump. He looked at the doctor’s pale, sweat covered face, “I couldn’t let you do it, old friend. I’ll get you out of here, I promise.”

  Lying on the platform beside Doc, Kessler, his head now clear, could see far below, amongst the flames and the broiling inferno, the crates of Lux piled high. There was a thud from the end of the walkway where Kessler saw Minos pushing a body through an open door. The long chute shook as it descended and, to a series of excited squeals down below, the building lit up as the factory came to life. The creatures were suddenly full of energy and scurried around the conveyor belt which now began to churn out more of the chem.

  Pulling himself up from the floor, Kessler staggered towards the small man who beckoned another of his Chosen towards him. He noticed, amongst the deep folds of his robe, the large set of keys hanging from his waist. The door’s mechanism began to whirl as it opened again and Minos took a step forward. Using his last reserves of energy, he hauled himself towards the creature, took hold of the keys and kicked him through the open door and down the chute. Kessler watched Minos fall as, with a sudden jolt, his feet flew from under him as the creature’s cape caught hold of his foot as it followed its owner down into the darkness and the fire below.

  Kessler’s feet flailed wildly, unable to get any grip on the smooth sides of the chute. One of his hands hung by his side gripping the heavy metal keys, the other clung desperately to the platform’s edge. The Chosen came alive, screamed and ran away, their frantic footfalls making the walkway sway back and forth. Kessler’s grip loosened. He had no energy left, his body was on fire, his muscles ached. The heavy heat suit pulled at him, his grip slipping even further. He could take no more as he was pulled down into the darkness.

  Doc’s gloved hand appeared from the platform above and held Kessler’s firmly, “Where do you think you are going?” He hauled him back up, his slight frame struggling to lift Kessler’s heavy bulk, his blood soaked stump lying limp by his side. He coughed and wheezed at the effort.

  They both lay flat on the metal grating catching their breath, “Doc, your arm, I’m so sorry.” Doc did not reply. His body shook and fell back into unconsciousness.

  There was an almighty shriek from down below. Kessler peered over the platform’s edge to see the distinctive robes of Minos far below moving amongst the tiny creatures. He howled again. “It’s not possible that he could have survived that fall!” Kessler shouted in exasperation.

  The door from which Minos had originally emerged, closed and an elevator began to descend.
Still lying sprawled on the walkway, Kessler cursed. Taking aim with his Luther, he fired two rounds, quickly making the closed doors a smoking mass of twisted metal. Another blast quickly severed the elevator’s cables. He picked up Doc’s prone body, threw him over his shoulder and, wincing as his own body struggled to take on the extra weight, he made for Bethany’s cell. The heavy ring of keys fumbled in Kessler’s large hands as he tried frantically to find the correct one.

  “Doctor!” Bethany eyes moved from Doc’s unconscious form to Kessler as he fumbled with the keys, “Hurry up!”

  “I know, I know!” Finally the correct key slid effortlessly into the lock and the cell door swung open. Immediately the detective was knocked to the floor as the desperate inhabitants poured out.

  “We must save the others.” Bethany stammered feebly and tried to help Kessler up.

  “We have no time.” A lash of flame flashed passed them scorching the air. Kessler glanced down below to see Minos, cape billowing in the wind, climbing up towards the platform. A large curling lick of flame extended from his hand. He shrieked again and fire exploded against the underside of the platform.

  “He’ll be upon us soon.” Bethany winced as yet more flame crashed against one of the cages setting alight to those within. The smell of incinerated flesh clung to each wail of terror.

  “I’m not leaving without the others,” Bethany shouted.

  Kessler did not have the time to discuss options and grabbed Bethany, “We run!” They moved quickly down the walkway, smoke billowing all round them as yet more flame screeched past them. As he passed Bane, who was pressed tight against the front of the cell by a wall of wide eyed screaming faces, Kessler threw him the keys. Bane caught them and began to say something, but his voice and the red glare of his optics were lost amongst the desperate yells of burning bodies and the manic cries of the caged.

  “All those people!” Bethany sobbed as she ran.

  “I threw them the keys, it’s every citizen for themselves now.”

  They began making their way down the ladder. Bethany first and Kessler moving slowly behind her. Sweat poured from every part of his body as he struggled to keep hold of each rung and bear Doc’s weight. More lances of fire shot towards them from the platform as an infernal cry bellowed from above. Minos had climbed back onto the walkway and was reigning an inferno down upon them. He seemed to have grown in stature since his fall, the hunchbacked man now seemed to stand tall, his billowing robes parting to reveal a muscular, dark frame. His eyes were red with rage and the white light, which had so nearly tempted Kessler into the dark, was now gone. Fire exploded just above his head violently rocking the ladder.

  At last they reached the entrance to the Core Tunnel. Bethany checked Doc’s Ox, “He’s still breathing,” and pressed her ear against his chest, “what do we do, Kes? Where do we go?”

  “Home.” Kessler adjusted the weight of Doc’s limp form and began to move quickly up the tunnel. Bethany followed behind. He wheezed and heaved into his vent at the exertion as he staggered up the tunnel. He eventually fell to the floor panting for breath.

  Bethany knelt beside him, put her arm around him and drew him close, “C’mon, Kes. You’ve come this far, don’t let it all be for nothing.” Her voice cackled through her respirator’s filter. Without a word he struggled back to his knees and continued pushing himself onwards.

  They arrived at Tech Shaft Six to be greeted by the grimy, grinning faces of Opek and Bendle, “You took your time, Mr Kessler!” Opek crawled out of the shaft but his humour changed as soon as he saw the state of Doc, “What happened?”

  Kessler shoved past Bendle and heaved, with some difficulty, Doc’s body through the shaft’s entrance and onto the waiting platform, “We need to get out of here. Quick.” He turned to Bethany, “Beth, meet Opek and his son.” The two Techs stepped into the small circle of light shone from their lanterns, both with their oil-stained gloved hands extended in greeting, “Hello Miss Bethany, Mr Kessler and the doctor have told us much about you.”

  Bethany knelt down low and shook both their hands, “I can’t thank you enough for helping us.” Bendle blushed and looked away. “But we can’t leave just yet.”

  “We can’t?” Opek looked up at Kessler, confused.

  “Kes,” Those green eyes, which so often raged with the passion of her convictions, now seemed broken, dulled with despair, “Back when I was in the cage, you told me that everything was going to be ok but it won’t will it? Not unless we stop this, all of this, now, while we can.” Despite being caked in dirt, sweat and dried blood and even though her skin was burnt red raw from exposure to the rads, her innocent, fragile beauty still managed to shine brighter than ever before. Kessler realised he admired her more now than he had ever admired anyone else before. He had never met a girl like her.

  “We can’t. We need to get Doc up top to be patched up and besides, what can we do?” Kessler stepped closer to Bethany and banged his fist against his chest, “What can a banged out old junkie like me do to save an entire city? I’m no good, too old, I have nothing left to give.”

  “You came all this way, and don’t tell me it was just for the cred, Kes. I know you.”

  “You think you know me but you don’t.”

  “I know you, Kes,” Bethany repeated, “This world won’t be worth anything if we let them continue to spread their poison. Kes, you have seen what they’re doing, they’re throwing our souls into the grinder and using it to make Lux. Whether you believe in God, Council, yourself, whatever, this is evil and it must be stopped.”

  Kessler could not bear looking into her eyes anymore and turned away only to be greeted by the Techs’ concerned faces. Opek had his arm around his son who spoke, looking for guidance, “So what now Mr Kessler?” The youngster looked up at the broken detective, shrugged his shoulders, smiled and waited.

  He looked at the Tech shaft that offered escape but escape to what? How long would it be before Bendle and other kids like him succumbed to Lux? Kessler’s voice cracked with emotion, “I can’t. I don’t have any sim left and my strength has left me long ago. I’m not the man I once was.”

  “You don’t need any sim, Kes. I saw you up above by the cells, I saw a strength in you, the will, the faith, to save me and Doc.” She pressed her hand to his chest, “All you require is right here. My uncle always told me that whatever happens to our body, our soul remains pure. You just need to find it again and believe in yourself.”

  “How can I destroy them? My weapon and Doc’s rifle are all we have.”

  Kessler felt something tug on his suit and looked down to see Bendle beside him, arm outstretched holding up a small bag. “That should do the trick, Mr Kessler.”

  “I don’t understand.” He took the bag from the young Tech.

  “Engineer’s blast powder, we use it to get through this rock and, generally blow stuff up.” Bendle smiled, “Here’s the detonator, just keep it on the powder and press this button when you are a good distance away.”

  “Wait.” Opek shook his head, “We don’t have enough energy for any delay, my batteries will fail and we’ll be stuck here.”

  “We can power down the relay for a few moments without losing connection, can’t we pa? That should give us some time.”

  “Yes, but not much, maybe thirty-five minutes, forty maximum.”

  “Ok. If I hurry, that gives me just enough time to set the charges.” Kessler could not believe what he was saying or what he was about to do.

  Opek looked at his son, stroked his chin and smiled, “Yes, that should work but Mr Kessler after forty minutes we’re going, we will not be able to wait for you.”

  Doc coughed and moaned, Bethany gripped Kessler and wheezed, “You must hurry.”

  With a nod of his head, Kessler turned on a display in his visor which began a count down from forty minutes and raced back down the tunnel towards the fire.

  THE DARKNESS OF LIGHT

  Kessler arrived at the end of the Core T
unnel and fell to the ground heaving for air, the canisters in his respirator flashing empty. He quickly grabbed more Ox and feverishly breathed in the new air. A quick check of his time revealed ten minutes had expired. With his viewfinder, he quickly caught sight of the factory across the plasma field, the only route to which was a small walkway dug into the wall of the vast cavern. With no time to lose he ran holding his Luther in one hand and Bendle’s blast powder in the other, trying to ignore the insanity of what he was doing. “It’s simple,” he spoke aloud, trying to convince himself, “set the blast powder in the factory and run as fast as possible back up to safety. Simple.” His respirator hissed and whirled as he breathed hard, struggling to get Ox into his tired lungs, the putrid sulphurous fumes from the plasma threatening to overcome him. A quick glance at the broiling, bubbling thick liquid a few feet to his left reminded him to watch his step.

  As he approached the factory he realised that it was a much larger structure than he had first imagined. Kneeling behind an outcrop of rock, he looked for a way he could approach the building undetected. Smoke bellowed out of numerous stacks and steam hissed from stuttering pistons as it churned out its poison. Beyond the stacked boxes of Lux, Kessler could just make out the conveyor belt which moved at a steady pace surrounded by those small black scaled creatures he had observed from the other side of the plasma field. They stood at just over a foot high, each wearing gloves and an apron as they inspected the boxes in a flurry of movement and excitement.

  The horn sounded its dreaded knell and the factory came to a juddering halt. The workers stood still each looking up at the platform above, waiting for their grim delivery. Kessler went to leave the cover of the rock but each time had to return. He cursed his cautiousness. He should have approached the factory under the cover of its smoke and noise while the creatures were distracted by their toils. Now, with production of Lux stopped, he had to wait.

  It was not long before the screams of those caged above reached his ears and the chute began to shake as somebody, some good soul, plummeted down to its terrible end. The thin material of the chute stretched and pulled as it shook, a dull yellow light from within making it semi translucent and, much to Kessler’s disgust, he saw the dark shadow of a body pass down into the main structure of the factory and in a few seconds boxes of Lux appeared as the conveyor belt began to move.