by David Kernot
They ran through the station the way they'd arrived, into the chilling climate again. The rumbling grew.
He searched for the plane, but it had gone. "Flight Lieutenant," he said to the junior officer nearby. "Where is our plane?"
The air force officer strode over from a bunch of men. "They had a higher priority tasking out at Murtho Station, but they'll be back soon. What do you think is happening with the ice, sergeant?"
Emerson looked to where the Flight Lieutenant pointed. The ice cracks widened. The rumbling beneath them intensified, and the ice ripped.
Emerson didn't speak. He didn't want to answer. He didn't want to say Shoggoths! Old Ones! He took a breath and struggled to slow his beating heart.
"What do you think we should do, sergeant?" said the Flight Lieutenant.
Emerson frowned. "What do I think? You're in charge now that the Flight Crew has gone. General Cobb cannot help. What do you think?"
The flight lieutenant shrugged. "You are in the army, Sergeant Ash. You've had more operational experience than anyone here." He raised his hands in the air hastily. "I only signed up three years ago, I don't really know…"
Emerson stepped forward. He stared at the other eight men. "Well, Flight Lieutenant, I'd form up the men in a group, guns pointing toward those cracks. Fire on my command." He pulled the sizeable experimental pistol from his belt and then put it back away. He'd wait and see what happened first.
The ground splintered, and Emerson stared into the abyss. Instead of the dark depths of a fractured frozen Antarctic sea, he stared down at a range of mountains and lakes buried under it. An enormous multi-faceted structure glowed as it shifted in and out of focus. The crack widened, and it was as if a chunk of Antarctica thousands of kilometers wide sheared away from the central part of the continent. Home of the Great Old Ones, dormant for a millennium, woke to a new Earth. Chunks the size of compact buildings catapulted from the gap in the ice and frozen meteorites shot high into the atmosphere. A loud drone emanated from below the ice as the sheet lifted and exploded. "Get back," he yelled.
They ran toward the cover of Mawson Station, and Emerson formed the small team of men up once again. The droning sound stopped. In the distance, a rhythmic chant grew. Black shapes appeared on the ice, and Emerson closed his eyes as hope died with the army of Shoggoth that appeared.
"On my mark, Flight Lieutenant," he said. "Aim for the point where their proboscis joins their head."
Emerson stared at the Cthulhu army. He understood that any fight was futile, but he wouldn't let these men know. They would fight a brave battle and die with honor defending humankind.
The Shoggoths grew close. Emerson could smell their foul stench. From their octopus-like faces, at the end of each tentacle, eyes formed, and every second or third eye morphed into a snapping razor-sharp teeth-filled-mouth, eager to rip its victim apart. Where was Andrew Stone when he needed him?
Emerson shuddered. "Ready," he said. "Aim and remember what I said… Fire!"
The air filled with the explosive sound of rifle fire. Emerson lifted his weapon and aimed at the closest Shoggoth. He focused in the center of the swirling mass where a head was and fired two rounds. The Shoggoth fell, replaced a moment later by two more. He lined the next one up and shot again, and again…
Behind him, something burst through the ice. Emerson turned as an enormous alien creature, an Old One, launched through the ice and flew into the air on five retractable wings. Supertanker size was the only way to describe it. It looked primordial.
Shaped like a tapered cylinder with a starfish-like head moved, and the five fixed eyes on each appendix followed. In the center, a set of cilia and eating tubes danced about like it was sniffing the air. Like the creatures it made, the Shoggoth, it too had tentacles, but these appeared in clumps randomly across the creature's cylindrical body. Emerson counted five sets. On one hand, it was fascinating, on the other from the readings he had done, it marked the end of the world. Emerson glanced over at the distant space-time portal and noticed that the once muted dilation lights glowed brightly enough to light up the sky.
It flew in an undulating fashion toward him, and Emerson shouldered his Steyr. It was useless against this creature. He pulled the bulky, experimental, single-shot pistol from its holster. An experimental depleted uranium shell, normally inert, but this one had an advanced explosive element to it. He aimed at the center of the starfish-like head, its cilia pulsating in sympathy with each other.
He pulled the trigger and dared not blink as it shot toward its target. The round exploded, and the cilia seemed to absorb all the energy. The Old One didn't flinch and continued its path directly to him.
Emerson wrenched the Steyr from his shoulder and fired from the hip. He spent all his rounds and swapped magazines. Then another. The creature didn't never flinched. There was nothing for it. Emerson tossed the Steyr on the ground. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Around him, the sound of rifle fire had all but abated. Emerson closed his eyes and stood his ground. If he had to die, he would do it with dignity and not run like a coward. Proud Amye would have liked that. He would join her on the other side.
He opened his eyes as the starfish-like face drew close. The cilia moved almost with feverish anticipation of their next meal, and Emerson's stomach tightened as the alien creature moved in to devour him.
"Em-son!"
Emerson fell to the ground and slid away from the creature as a hideous form shoved him aside onto the ice.
His tattered military uniform and general's stars were all he could recognize of General Cobb. His contorted, twisted limbs no longer resembled anything human. His face had become elongated and bent. He held up his pistol defiantly in front of the Old One and fired. He jumped up into the mouth-like cilia and clambered deep inside the mass, every so often shooting again.
Emerson hurried, uncertain of how much time he had, and he stood and ran toward the Mawson Station buildings.
Emerson couldn't believe it. Even at the end, transformed and hideously disfigured by the protozoan parasite, the general had still been human enough to care.
"Emerson!"
He stopped mid-stride and faced Denna. "It's the end of the world, isn't it?"
"Maybe. Come on." He ran over to her and grabbed her hand, pulled her with him toward Mawson Station.
"Where are we going?" she said.
"To another world if I'm not mistaken."
"What?"
"Somewhere we can have better lives," he said.
Denna grinned. "I'm all for that!"
"Did you notice the Skidoos out the side of Mawson Annex?"
"I did."
"Think they're fuelled?"
"I'd imagine so. Standard protocol for emergency situations."
"Like now," said Emerson.
"Absolutely," said Denna.
"How much ammo have you got?"
"I'm out."
"Good to know." Emerson clambered onto his Skidoo and started it up.
Denna did the same, but she looked worried.
"Follow me," said Emerson, and they headed south into the cold, biting winds of the South Pole and the fading light of night. Toward the well-lit, strange space-time portal. The sky darkened. It was as if someone erased something from the world. The silence unnerved him. Emerson looked past Denna, but the Old One was nowhere in sight. If Emerson could hazard a guess, the device reset itself to its starting point, and soon enough he'd see the alien form of the Old One again.
The sky darkened, further. Emerson frowned, and he slowed his Skidoo as air tumbled about him. A loud whoosh filled the area, and both Skidoos launched into the air. They fell into the snow, and Emerson slid from his Skidoo onto soft snow. He glanced over at Denna on the ground nearby. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "What was that?"
"I'm not sure." He righted his Skidoo and stared at the night sky. "Dark matter, perhaps?"
"Where are all the stars?"
"Forever gone, I sus
pect," he said, equally baffled. Only the moon remained visible. Only the bright thread of light that linked the South Pole to where the Pleiades star cluster remained. The droning increased as the Old One returned. "Let's go," he said. They jumped back on their Skidoos and gunned it toward the bright lights of the vortex.
It wasn't long before they arrived at the base of the light, nestled in a small valley of snow, and the undulating flight of the Old One grew close.
At the base of the light, surrounded by a kaleidoscope of color, a cube floated off the ground. It morphed through a range of shapes, twisting in and out of view as if it shifted between this time dimension and another. Light burst through the top. It was an impossible object. Something alien and not of their time. It hummed, and as he stared into the lights, he sensed its hypnotic pull.
"Emerson!" Denna grabbed him and pulled him back.
He rubbed his eyes. "Thanks."
The ground shook as the Old One landed near the edge of the valley, and even from here Emerson could see the damage the General had done. Some tentacle clumps had withered, others had elongated from the parasitic cells. Emerson shivered. He didn't want to step closer. The Old One watched on, waited. He pulled the RDX from his military pouch and laid the explosives at the base of the alien device that emanated the light into space.
"Ever been to the Pleiades star cluster?" Apprehension clawed at his dry throat.
"Can't say I have." Denna stepped back. She shook her head. "I can't go."
Emerson stepped closer to shake her hand. "Okay. As long as you're sure?"
She nodded, grabbed his outstretched hand and pulled him close. She kissed him hard at first and then her mouth softened and she moved so close their hips were touching.
Emerson savoured every moment. When she pulled away, he grinned. "I've always wanted to do that."
"Me too," she said.
"I'll look you up on the other side."
"Other side?" she said.
"It's complicated." Emerson glanced over at the Old One, puzzled by its inactivity. He set the charges. "Now go!"
He stepped into the strands of light and out of the corner of his eye he saw Denna run. The Old One launched itself into the air above Emerson. He closed his eyes. Shifted. And tumbled through the corners of time. Through one multiverse after another. Places he couldn't comprehend, guided by a desire to fall into a universe where he'd be safe. One where Amye would be alone and waiting for him. Where they could begin a fresh life together. It was all he could think about. All he could wish for.
Behind him, the Great Old One followed him through the strands of each different multiverse. Giddy, overwhelmed by the ancient, alien wormhole travel, he hugged himself tight and fell through the many strands of threaded dimensional space. He could only pray he'd arrive safely.
◆◆◆
Chapter X
Unknown Multiverse
Darkness embraced him. He clawed at the area around him and shuddered. He couldn't see anything other than incomprehensible forms, shapes he couldn't explain that whipped past him. Multidimensional perhaps? Other things pressed against him, and he shuddered. The darkness became suffocating, and he couldn't breathe. Emerson reached down and pulled out the alien time device and twisted the top section. Once again, as if he understood what was happening, he fell through the many strands of threaded dimensional space. The optimist in him wavered. This time, he'd find an alternative life that he could share with Amye. Maybe? Doubt tore at his resolve.
◆◆◆
The hot, dry wind whipped at Emerson, and sand swirled around him in swathes. It was almost blinding, but he protected his eyes with his arm and covered his mouth with the other. One glimpse of the vast, flat expanse was enough to understand there was no sign of civilization nearby. Nothing but an empty plain filled with pink and blue sand. He leaned into the wind and strode forward one step at a time. Each level would take him somewhere. He hoped Amye was in this dimension free from the monsters. Freed of the Old Ones. A place to build a home together and grow old. He swallowed hard and pushed on, each step more painful than the last. His throat grew dry, and it ached whenever he tried to swallow. His breathing labored, but he pushed through the pain, light-headed and giddy. None of the hands on his wristwatch moved. Time had no meaning.
He wiped his sweaty brow, knowing they had beaten him. The bleak landscape didn't change. Nothing moved. It was as if he no longer existed. He grasped the alien device. This was not his place. Not any multiverse he should be in. He twisted the top section of the alien device. The raw carbon fiber nanotube of graphene tingled against his fingers. Again, he fell through the many strands of threaded multi-dimensional space. How many more times he could do this?
◆◆◆
Chapter XI
Stirling North, South Australia Desert Region.
Clarity returned, and everything stopped spinning. Emerson found himself back on his farm up at Stirling North. He was alone. The heat of the clean Australian sun was in harsh contrast to the frigid Antarctic weather. It felt right to be here. Home.
He pulled off his thermal coat and grinned. Perhaps the universe had given him a second chance at last. An opportunity to be with Amye. He pushed away from the last two multiverse, strange dimensional space landings he had done. This time, it felt real. It felt right. The wind carried the scent of eucalyptus oil. Cockatoos screeched from high in the native gum trees. A sure sign he was home.
Emerson looked around and examined the area. It was free of monsters, and Old Ones who might have chased him across the multiverse. He banged on the door of his family home. "Grams it's me, Emerson. Are you there?" His old grandmother would be there. She always sat in the back of the house, out of the heat in the shadows.
She moved in her chair. "Emerson? Come in."He pulled the fly screen open and stepped inside. "Grams?" He made his way into the back of the house to where she sat in her favorite chair.
She was Cthulhu. A monster with tentacles that ended in snapping mouths and eyes. Another stepped from the kitchen, and he screamed.
"Emerson?" The creature twisted its head.
Emerson shook his head. It sounded like Amye, but it couldn't be. Not his Amye, at least.
"What are you?" She said.
"Amye?"
"Grams, what is going on?" she said. "He sounds like Emerson, but…" She turned on him. "What have you done with him?"
A tentacle with an eye at the end lashed out and hovered dangerously close to him. It morphed between a mouth with razor-sharp teeth and the eye. Backward and forward.
Emerson reached for his pistol and stopped. "Amye, it's really me. I… I love you." This wasn't his multiverse either. He turned and ran from the house. A car, he recognized it as his best friend, Myles, and it pulled up next to him.
"Get in," said the monster, but Emerson shook his head. The hideous creature was not the Myles he knew. Another monster. He pulled the device from his multi-cam pocket and twisted the device. The universes hated him. He doubted there was a multiverse where he could find peace. Everything around him changed again, and he fell through multidimensional space to who knew where. Anywhere but here.
◆◆◆
Chapter XII
Mawson Station, Antarctica.
Emerson clambered from the Australian C130H aircraft with a sense of Deja Vue. He looked around and understood he was back where it had all begun before he tried to flee into the multiverse. He zipped up his thermal jacket to keep out the biting wind. Already, his fingers throbbed from the cold, but he reached down to the military pouch and felt for the time device. He nodded to himself. It was there, where it should be, and he grabbed his military rifle and cocked it to wait for the creatures that would appear in the blizzard.
Here, the Old Ones would dominate in an endless cycle of the universe, and if he played his cards right, he would stay alive long enough to understand how to use the alien time device as a weapon. The answer lay in the ancient city of Damascus, in the 17th century where
molecular-thin particle coatings of graphene had covered a sword using advanced technologies not available until his time. He needed to get back to ancient Damascus. He'd find a way. For Amye. They would find a time and a place to be together and live in peace.
He raised his weapon and fired at two creatures that appeared from the storm with glazed eyes. He yelled a warning to General Cobb, and he wondered that perhaps time was on his side. He pulled the device out from his pouch, oblivious to the surrounding gunfire, and ran his fingers around the edge of the upper section. Below it, about 32 degrees away, was another notch.
He twisted the device so that the two parts aligned. He felt the air around him shift, and everything moved as he tumbled through the corners of time. Through one multiverse after another. He hoped this was the lesser path of gods. The gateway through time.
"Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!"
Acknowledgement
Writing is a solitary and often unforgiving endeavor interspersed with conventions, book launches, workshops and writing groups. I had been predominantly, a science fiction and fantasy author, but as a result of a writing group Ad Astra: To The Stars and Beyond, I met and then subsequently attended a dark fiction workshop run in Adelaide by David Conyers. During 2011 - 2014, David and I collaborated on Winds of Nzambi, published by Midnight Echo in 2011 and Petrochemical Skies, published by Chaosium in 2014. We also co-authored two Cthulhu military science fiction stories. The Bullet and the Flesh, published by Dark Region Press in May 2014, and War Gods of Men, published by The Lovecraft eZine in June 2014. While those stories are not included here, they helped define the setting for other work I published in the same ‘universe’. You can find our collaborations in a myriad of places. Several also slide into sections of this novel and I have been careful to keep those stories true.
