by D P Wright
The production line was in full flow and with it the distraction Kessler needed. Using the smoke and steam that roared out of the stacks and vents as cover, he hunched down low and quickly made his move. The building itself had an outer shell constructed of cadermite that protected the inner workings from the intense heat of the plasma. Through a window, he could see hundreds of cogs turning rapidly below which was a vast array of transformers, breakers and switches. He doubted that the blast powder was that powerful and knocking out a small part of the machinery would not halt production for long, certainly not permanently. He took another panicked glance at his visor’s display to confirm what he dreaded, only fifteen minutes remained until they left for the city above. Hardly enough time to make it back.
Another look through another window revealed cables leading from pulsing blue energy cells which hummed with power. Immediately Kessler knew that if the unstable plasma found within the energy cells came into contact with even a small blast then the combined explosion would be devastating. A quick search soon found a hatch a few feet to his right and he turned the handle and entered.
Kessler was greeted by a vast room that would be in complete darkness if it was not for the orange glow from the small windows and the numerous flashing lights covering the walls, consoles and panels that threw blue across various pieces of equipment. He knelt down underneath the power cells and unravelled the air tight sealed bag which contained the blast powder and rested the explosive charge by the energy cells. He held the remote detonator up to the bright, flashing blue light of a nearby panel and examined it briefly before turning it on.
Just as he had set the charge the flashing blue haze turned to a deep red and a high pitch whining noise began to squeal. Kessler spun round for fear of being discovered when a platform began to lower from the ceiling. He pointed his Luther at the rapidly descending floor, readying himself for the worst.
Through the red light, Kessler first saw the face, arms, a torso and then finally feet appear as it descended down into the depths of the room. It became immediately clear to Kessler that this person was of no threat to him. The rag-covered, emaciated body of what he could only assume was one of the Chosen hung, suspended, upside down, arms outstretched either side of his body. Hundreds of black wires had attached themselves to his chest, stomach and face and they fed into a large container that stood up right next to him. Kessler was transfixed by the gruesome image and nearly dropped his carbine to the floor as he stared at the face, mouth wide open, frozen in one last silent scream. His eyes, wide with terror stared out between a thick fringe that was soaked with dirt and sweat. Kessler could only imagine the horror of what he had gone through. He moved closer as the container began to bubble and fill with a white liquid. His gaze returned to the man and reeled back, falling to the floor, as his eyes moved. Kessler gasped as the body weakly struggled, pupils erratically darting everywhere in panic. He got back to his feet, “I’ll get you out of this!” He frantically pulled at the wires which had embedded themselves deep within his body. Each tug seemed to give him more pain as his eyes widened further in shock until they eventually rolled into unconsciousness and finally death. In seconds, before Kessler’s eyes, the body began to shrivel up until only the skeletal form remained, empty bags of leathery skin hung from bone. He could not bear another glance at the face of what was once a man.
“So this is how they make their poison,” Kessler muttered to himself. He had never believed in the soul, never thought there was more to this life than this city and the pure instinct of survival. Bethany and Beck had both said that the Malebranche sought out good souls for their chem, only the best they said and he wondered what good in this fetid city this citizen, this person, had done.
In his desperation to get out he ran out of the hatch and right into one of the small creatures. Both fell to the floor. The tiny creature, with its black scaled skin and tiny red eyes, jumped back up to its feet quickly, hissed and spat at him with a long tongue which protruded from a red, fang-filled maw.
A buzz in his ear brought a message from Opek, “Mr Kessler, you there?”
“Yes Opek, go ahead.” The creature, tilted its head slowly from side to side, focused on his every move.
“We really need to be going! We’re running on empty.”
“I’m coming now, just hold on Opek.”
“Ok.” With that the com was silent.
With a renewed urgency, Kessler left the strange creature behind and ran for the tunnel. Pain, tiredness, sim, all were forgotten, replaced by the all consuming desire to escape this place.
When he was some distance away from the factory he stopped. Pushing the button on the detonator immediately produced a huge explosion that mushroomed up towards the cavern ceiling as the plasma in the energy cells ignited. The factory collapsed in on itself bringing the chute, which was already ablaze, crashing down from the platform above. He turned and resumed his race back to Opek and home.
For the first time in a long while Kessler began to believe that he may actually make it back home alive. He could now easily make out the entrance to the Core Tunnel just ahead. Another explosion thundered overhead bringing down with it a shower of debris as the platform and its cages crashed into the plasma.
A flash of flame burst in front of the detective throwing him to the ground. His knee hit hard off the rocky floor twisting awkwardly causing pain to shoot through his body. He yelled as he tried to stand, shifting his weight onto his good leg.
Out of the smoke from the blast emerged the huge form of Minos. His long flowing robes had mostly burnt away and the material that remained was charred and still smouldering. Dark black and red polished scales glinted in the light of the fire raging all around them. Gone was the old man, gone the brilliant white light and now all was replaced with gleaming scales and vicious barbs which covered his muscular form. He snarled, revealing long black fangs in a blood red mouth as he walked towards Kessler, toying with his fiery whip which snapped flames from its lash.
Kessler, yelled, “You can’t make anymore of that filth. It’s finished.”
Minos smiled and hissed, his voice reverberating through Kessler’s mind, “You Chaff are so dramatic.” He words mocked the detective, “You think this world begins and ends with your pitiful existence.” He snapped his whip causing flame and smoke to encircle them, “Whatever occurs here will not stop the inevitable. You have heard the voice, yes? In your dreams you see it happen. This city is drenched in sin, you can see it everywhere, smell it,” he sniffed the air, “taste it, touch it. Delicious.” He stood over Kessler and laughed, “This will be home, the light is coming to this city. It is inevitable.” The voice echoed in his head as explosions caused rocks to rain down from above as the cavern itself violently shook. Huge pieces of debris plunged into the broiling plasma causing splatters of the fiery liquid to fly through the air and drench the rock around them in flashes of sizzling smoke.
Minos stood over the detective who raised his Luther in defence before a quick snap brought down the flaming grip of the whip around his arm, throwing his carbine skidding away across the floor. Flames began to engulf the detective’s arm as the creature stood over his prone body which teetered on the edge of the path and pressed a black, clawed foot down hard on Kessler’s helmet, forcing him ever closer to the bubbling plasma. He flailed wildly as he desperately tried to throw the monster off balance however Minos had him pinned firmly to the ground. More flame caught his suit and Kessler screamed as the heat took hold. “No!” He bellowed hoarsely as Minos’s deep blood-curdling laugh resounded throughout his mind.
Fire had danced its way across Kessler’s body and he could feel the searing agony as his suit began to melt all the while Minos, with his clawed foot, pushed him down towards molten death. Another explosion rattled the cavern as a torrent of rubble crashed down upon them striking Minos and throwing the creature from him. Immediately Kessler rolled along the ground desperately trying to dampen the flames which were co
nsuming him.
Smouldering, he picked up his weapon and glanced over to where Minos lay buried beneath a large boulder. Kessler breathed a quick sigh of relief before quickly making his way up through the Core Tunnel, his busted knee and scorched, half melted heat suit forcing him to stagger and lean onto the tunnel’s wall for support. Explosions were joined by screams and wails as some of the Chosen ran past, frantically scrambling their way up the tunnel.
A flash of light illuminated terrified faces and a horrifying roar, from somewhere behind them, bellowed bringing with it screams of fear. Kessler tried to quicken his pace but the sheer agony from his knee reduced him to a feeble shuffle. Another burst of light brought with it a streak of flame which caught hold of one of the Chosen just ahead of Kessler and in a blurr of movement the young lady was dragged back down the tunnel.The light disappeared instantly, quickly replaced by the dark red glow. ‘Minos…’ Kessler thought and he cursed himself for not killing him when he had the chance. Another flash and again a lance of flame screamed passed him as another fell to the flames in a series of gurgled screams.
At any moment Kessler knew that the monster would be upon him and he waited to feel the flaming lash of his whip. He clung to the tunnel’s side as he desperately hobbled forwards, hoping, praying that each flash of burning light did not mean his end. However after a few moments of clambering forward, Opek’s lantern came into view just as another roar thundered up the tunnel. Kessler gritted his teeth and he scrambled for the Tech shaft.
Reaching the shaft’s entrance, he fell to his knees and began to sob, all his strength gone, his hopes dashed. There was nobody there, only darkness where the capsule should be. He slumped to the floor as tears streamed down over his respirator. Another feral scream as the tunnel lit up in fire to the sound of cries and wails which resigned Kessler to his fate, “Come and get me!” His voice cracked in his scorched dry throat, “I’ve nothing left.” He pulled himself up and aimed his Luther down the tunnel towards the explosions of light and the angry howls of Minos who was getting ever closer.
“Don’t give up now, Mr Kessler, we aren’t home yet!” Opek’s high-pitched voice and the screech of mechanical gears from the descending platform greeted the shocked detective who stared tearfully into the light of Opek’s torch.
“You came back for me? I thought you’d gone.” He scrambled onto the platform and fell, his knee giving in as the two Techs hauled his bulky frame into the small space.
“We heard the commotion down the tunnel and thought we’d hide further up the shaft but we must go now, the batteries are almost out!”
“Quick, he’s right behind us!” Kessler squeezed himself into the cramped pod and held onto the unconscious forms of Doc and Bethany.
Opek dialled into a small console which projected a keypad, illuminating the interior in green light. “End of the line, D1. Downtown here we come!”
The capsule began to ascend when a deafening roar came from below followed by an explosion of flame which crashed against the underside of the capsule. The platform came to a juddering halt and lurched sideways. Opek gasped, his small hand holding onto the side of the pod as part of the floor gave way. Kessler grabbed hold of his arm as, below, the flaming face of Minos stared up at them, the long fiery tendrils of his whip curled tight around Opek’s leg.
“I’m losing him!” Kessler struggled to keep his grip on Opek’s oil-stained overalls as flames took hold of him. The capsule’s motor whined and creaked with the strain as it tried to pull away.
The whip tightened as the pod began to buckle, “I love you son,” and he was gone, his small body tumbling down into the darkness and the flames below.
Bendle screamed, “Pa!” He went to leap from the capsule when Kessler grabbed him around his waist and hauled him kicking and screaming back away from the edge.
“It’s no good Bendle, he’s gone, he’s gone!” Kessler held him tightly with one arm, the other cradling both Bethany and Doc as the pod picked up speed and ascended away from the chaos of the flaming light and towards the cold darkness of Dis.
