“Then we won’t give it to him if we find it,” Gerty says. “Easy.”
“Oh,” Alyx says. “I’m sure he has a few tricks up his pompous sleeve.”
As she finishes the sentence, the tunnel widens, yawning like a massive mouth. The tunnel floor becomes a solid slab of stone. A platform. Here, the air is fresher, though the same cool temp of the tunnel. Well, more or less.
“A cavern,” Alyx whispers. “Nobody talk too loud until I get enough light to see what’s around us.”
Neither Gerty nor Rip respond. Alyx checks her pack for something that will light up the area.
“Look,” Gerty whispers.
Alyx looks at her, then realizes the girl is pointing at something. Alyx stands and notices a pin-prick of light. It’s not in front of them, but below. She’s not even sure how this is possible. Another optical illusion?
She returns to her pack and finds a single flash flare. A standard twelve hour one. Higher density than a typical flare, it’ll work. She tells the other two to be alert and she’s about to toss a flare.
Neither say anything.
Alyx pulls the top off the flare. Instantly a bright burst of light blinds her. Looking away, she throws the flare. Eyesight adjusting, she watches the flare tumble down and down into a massive cavern below. They stand on a stone platform and the cavern practically swallows them.
“Holy hell,” Gerty mutters. All awestruck.
The flare bounces off a tall spire of a building and…
“It’s a city,” Alyx says, mostly to herself, eyes wide.
“A city? Underground?” Rip steps beside her. “Why would anyone build a city underground?”
Alyx shakes her head. She’s encountered plenty of ancient cities underground, but those were buried over time, not actually built into the stone of a cavern like this one. No, this city was made to be underground.
“I don’t know,” Alyx says, responding to Rip’s questions. “But whoever built is long gone now.”
“Then where is that light coming from?” Gerty points at the pin-prick of light the flare doesn’t quite touch.
“That’s what we’re going to find out,” Alyx says, looking for a way down. “It’s Sully. Gotta be.”
“But what if it’s not?” Gerty frowns at the large city. “What if it’s another trap?”
Alyx doesn’t respond, investigating the platform they stand on. There are no stairs. No ladders. Just a stone jutting from the mouth of the tunnel over the city. She pops another flare and throws it as far as she can, trying to get more of an idea how large the city is.
She blinks as the flare lights up the cavern.
Dominating the city is a large temple, or arena. Something resembling the now destroyed Roman Coliseum, only this…it’s different. From what she can see, it’s a solid round wall around what might be a pyramid of some sort. Maybe. The walls are so high she’s not sure what resides in the thing’s middle. Might be a pyramid, or some kind of obscure shrine for all she knows.
But…first thing’s first. She needs to figure out a way down into this huge, dead city.
Alyx carefully inspects the platform once more.
“So…” Gerty says. “What—”
“Shh,” Alyx says and points at the girl. “Just…give me a second.”
Gerty frowns, but says nothing more as Alyx crawls along the platform, brushing ages worth of dirt and dust away. There are seams running diagonally across the gray stone. It’s not a solid rock, but something someone built. A watchman’s platform, perhaps? She doesn’t know, but that feels about right. Her gaze follows the diagonal seams to the mouth of the tunnel. She stands, storms by Gerty and Rip to the tunnel.
“What are you—?”
“Shh,” Alyx says, silencing Rip.
The seams run directly up the walls just inside the tunnel, stopping at the ceiling. Whoever built the platform incorporated it into the tunnel. Alyx runs her fingertips over each seam, brushing away more dust as she does and…
“There,” she says, smiling.
Intersecting two seams about eyelevel, is an octagonal shape. Chiseled into it is a tiny image of the round arena-like building dominating the old city. She blows dust away from it.
“What’s that do?” Gerty asks, eyeing the shape dividing the seams.
“This,” Alyx says and pushes the octagon in.
There’s a sharp click, a low grinding sound. The floor trembles as the seams begin to split open.
“Everyone in the tunnel,” Alyx says.
Gerty and Rip join her as the platform seams open and the stones start to shift around. Small chunks of rock and dust fall from the ceiling. The sounds of grating stones fill Alyx’s world.
“What’s happening?” Rip shouts.
But Alyx doesn’t answer him. She watches the shifting platform, hoping she hasn’t just killed them all. At any moment, the tunnel might collapse, or the floor give way under them.
Then the trembling stops as the platform stones click into place, forming a series of steps leading down.
For a moment, no one says anything.
As the dust settles, Gerty whispers, “Well holy shit.”
“Come on,” Alyx says. “I’m not sure if this is on a timer or not.”
“A timer? Isn’t this thing a bazillion years old?”
“No clue, but it’s best to be prepared.”
Gerty sighs, following close behind Alyx. “Yes, Scout Leader Wick.”
Alyx snorts. “Nice.”
All three descend the wide steps, which join up with another set made of cobbled stone and perhaps the true way down into the city. The platform is simply a way to join the two and just as she thought, the wider steps grind together, and shift. As they stop to watch, the platform reconfigures itself. It juts above them like a solid shroud against the rain.
“Oh hey,” Gerty says. “Now we’re stuck down here. Isn’t that awesome guys?”
“Your sarcasm is noted,” Alyx says, chuckling. “But we’ll be fine. If there’s a way down, there’s a way up.”
“If you say so, lady.”
“I do.”
“What if there isn’t a way up?” Rip asks.
“Well, then we’re really stuck here. Unless we climb out.”
“Sounds like fun,” Rip says in a grumbly tone.
“Maybe.”
The steps of cobbled stone trail into darkness as her first flare sputters out. Their shoulder lamps are still on and provide enough light to see just fine. As their boots clomp onto each step, she wonders if this is the route Sully took. And maybe, just maybe, that small speck of light in the city is him. Maybe he has a fire going or still exploring and Company 3 are looking for ways out.
She doesn’t know, but her heart thrums faster with every step closer to the city floor. It’s been years since she’s talked to her old friend and mentor. Years where she lost her way a little. A time she thought about money more than the actual discovery of a lost item. Money became her devil in many ways.
Then again, everyone has their devil and sometimes it’s not all bad.
She still wants to retire from the life. She still wants to live well.
But right now, all she cares about is finding Sully and bringing him home safely. If he’s in this underground city, she’ll find him. She just hopes he’s okay.
TWELVE
The first thing she notices the moment her boots touch the city’s floor is how the heavy dust and dirt is disturbed. As though a group of people walked through it.
“They’re here,” she says.
“You sure?” Gerty glances around. “Those could’ve been made by anything and holy hell this place is creepy.”
“Here,” she points at a few tracks. “Distinct boot prints. Marine issue, am I right?”
Rip kneels, checking out the prints, then nods. “Marine issue tread. Yes.”
Alyx eyes the prints for a moment, gaze following them into the city. “Let’s go.”
Large, s
tone buildings loom over them. Somewhere in this huge cavern, there’s a hollow whistling sound. Like a breeze across an empty glass jug. A hooting noise, almost. The sound gives Alyx a small case of the shivers, but nothing to deter her.
Each building is built tall and wide. The round windows stare at her like empty, black eye sockets. Yes, there’s a watchful sense here. Much like she felt in the tunnels above. A waiting and watching sensation prickles at the back of her neck like hundreds of tiny needles. Either it’s the vacant buildings surrounding her, or something more, she doesn’t know. So far, there’s no other evidence of something stalking around down here. No other prints, save for Company 3’s. And she knows it’s them. Finally, after all this time.
“So where do you think that light was coming from?” Rip asks.
“Deeper in,” Alyx says.
“At least we have a path to follow,” Gerty spouts.
Alyx laughs a little. “Definitely a bonus.”
Gerty makes a weird, shuddery breath. “Anyone get the feeling of being watched?”
“It’s the windows,” Alyx says, not really knowing, but anything to ease the girl’s nerves a bit. Even Marines get uneasy. They’re humans too, after all.
“Right,” Gerty says.
They walk through the boot deep dust on what Alyx assumes is the main street of the city. The one that’s like the lifeline for all commuters. Or once was. It’s wide and the buildings on either side might’ve been shops or homes at one time. Her explorer’s heart tugs her toward one of the buildings. Just to look around and perhaps solve part of the mystery surrounding the underground city. Why is it abandoned? Where did everyone go? There are no signs of a fight, or bones in the street. Just…emptiness.
The deeper they venture into the city, the more Alyx wonders what Sully thought of all this. Was he intrigued, as she is, by all the silence and emptiness. Did he want to also figure out why? Or was he so steadfast on finding the artifact that nothing else mattered?
These things, she plans on asking him when she finds him.
And she will find him. Even if he’s no longer alive, she’ll find him. She’ll bring him home.
The buildings on both sides grow taller and wider as they continue on. Ahead, like a dark idol, stands the Coliseum-like structure. The round walled area hiding its own secrets.
“So what do you think?” Gerty asks. “Are they still alive?”
“That’s what I’m hoping,” Alyx says.
“They fucking better be,” Gerty says. “After all this, they better be alive.”
“Even if they aren’t,” Rip says. “We’ll bring them home.”
His statements mirror Alyx’s thoughts almost exactly. At least he’s on the same page as her. There’s that.
“I wonder what that thing is?” Rip points at the large, round structure.
“A place to avoid,” Gerty says. “Can we just hurry up and find Company 3 and get the hell out of here?”
“We’re supposed to stay,” Rip says. “That’s the other part of our mission, remember? Find Company 3 and assist in the exploration.”
“Well, that’s kind of dumb now, don’t you think? After everything, plus we have no way to communicate with Hunt. You burned, Captain Row and his communicator.”
To this, Rip sighs, though he doesn’t argue.
It had been an intense time. Acting before thinking, really. Alyx gets it, but now she realizes how alone they really are right now. Their only link to Hunt is through Vilas. And Vilas is working on whatever new scheme he has going on at the moment. She doubts he even really contacted Hunt.
Still, the General sent a rescue team that’s currently orbiting the planet. A just in case measure. Maybe if they don’t respond for so long, the team will advance and come looking for them. That’s if Vilas doesn’t get to them first. She wouldn’t put it past the bastard to either lie about everything, or kill the team and fake the reason why they all died. He’d come out the hero either way.
The smell inside the city isn’t the nasty mint stench, nor the dry cinnamon odor. It’s more like stepping into an old cave. A faint, minerally taste on the tongue and a musty earthy aroma. Nothing horrible. Age has treated this place well. Preserved against weather and time, the city will remain long after all the humans are gone.
This place is immortal and what secrets float here, they float alone in the darkness. Forever lost.
No matter how much Alyx might discover, there will always be secrets left unfound. There will always be these dark, stone buildings built by a civilization no one knew existed. Were they a happy society? Warmongers? As diverse as humanity? No matter how deep she digs, she knows she’ll never truly understand the people whom once lived here.
No matter how much she digs, some secrets will forever remain buried.
They come to a six-way intersection. The main street spirals out in smaller streets. Like the tunnels, these resemble tributaries. Every one of them feeding its master.
“Which one do we take?” Rip asks.
Alyx looks around for the boot prints, but, somehow, they’ve disappeared. They just…stop at the intersection.
“I don’t know.” But there has to be a direction. Which street would Sully take?
She takes in the beginning of all six streets. They’re all the same up until the buildings. All the same, save for one. The street on the far right boasts buildings of a simpler nature. To the point of being rundown, even. She stares at this street for a long time, thinking.
All the other streets, the buildings are tall and strong, indicating their owners were well off. But why does this stick out to her so much? It shouldn’t, because Sully could’ve taken any street. And yet…
Alyx faces the far-right street. The one with the smaller, less attractive buildings. It leads away from the Coliseum, but really, does this matter?
She closes her eyes, dredging up a memory of Sully.
They were on one of their last explorations together on a planet named Resyl. The object they came for was elusive. More so than either of them had encountered. A certain crystal said to restore youth. A thing of legend, really. After months of finding nothing, they came to a fork. One way was clear and wide and a clear stream flowed nearby. The other way was narrow, twisted and every tree and plant appeared dead. It was the classic case, though Alyx didn’t see it until Sully said, “Sometimes the darkest road is the right road.” They took the narrow, twisted road and in two days found the crystal. It gave instant good health to anyone who touched it, but of course did not restore youth. That wasn’t the point, though. The point was they travelled the lesser road and found what they sought.
“We’ll go this way,” Alyx says, stepping onto the street with the lesser buildings.
“Um,” Gerty says. “You sure?”
“No,” Alyx says. “But I have feeling.”
“A…feeling.” Gerty chuckles humorlessly. “Oh, that’s encouraging.”
“She’s been right so far,” Rip says.
Gerty sighs heavily. “Fine.”
The street is likewise blanketed with dust as the main one, but it’s uneven and as she ventures down it, there’s feeling of loss here. This street, the ones who lived here, it was a poor place. A place of somber reflection and dismal beliefs. A hard street to live on. The crumbling buildings show her this much. But it’s more than that. Sometimes the energy of the dead leaves a residue. And what she’s feeling is how they felt during their time here. Sadness, weariness, anger. It all mixes together in a simmering stew within her.
She no longer feels watched, but that’s the least of her worries. The sorrow here is worse. And as much as she tries, she can’t shake it. As is her nature, she wants to find out why she feels this way. She wants to explore. Maybe after she finds Sully she’ll return to these ruins and find what she seeks. Maybe not. There’s no telling what the future holds right now.
She’s so lost in thought she barely hears the man’s voice say, “No.”
Neverthele
ss, she does hear it and stops walking.
“Who’s there?” Rip readies his gun, scanning the surrounding buildings.
Okay, so she’s not going crazy, at least.
Gerty steps close to Alyx, sweeping her rifle back and forth. Alyx is amazed at the change in the girl. She always appears to be this smartass worrier, but she’s really a Marine. She’s the warrior. Tough and deadly. The change kind of takes Alyx by surprise. As Gerty’s face turn stony and her eyes slowly scan every building around them, she reminds Alyx a little of herself while she’s exploring. That ultimate focus.
“I’m coming out. Please do not shoot.”
Alyx’s eyes widen.
And out from one of the nearby buildings emerges Sully, arms up over his head. As her shoulder lights spotlight him, she nearly gasps at the sight of him. From his white, wispy hair and scraggly long beard, to his tattered, grimy clothing. He looks like some crazy homeless man from out of the shadows. His eyes, however, are not wild. They are the same, calm, steady cool blue as she remembers.
Her heart skips a beat, breath pausing.
“State your name and rank,” Rip shouts.
Sully blinks, squints through the lights. “Dr. Sullivan White. Archeologist and explorer.”
“No way,” Gerty mumbles next to Alyx.
Finally catching her breath, Alyx manages, “S-Sully?”
With his beard, she’s not sure if he is smiling or not, but his eyes appear to be. “Alyx.”
Heart quickening, she turns to Gerty and Rip. “Put your guns down, guys. It’s Sully.”
They do, both sharing a similar expression of awe. Slowly, though, Rip’s changes to something like suspicion.
Sully walks across the street to Alyx. In his left hand, he holds a cylinder object. “You shouldn’t have come here, Alyx.”
It’s not exactly the reunion she envisioned. She kind of expected Sully to be happy to see her.
“Once I found out you were lost during the exploration, I had to come find you.” It sounds stupid to her own ears, but it’s out and there’s nothing she can do about it.
Sully chuckles, and god, when did he get so old? “I’m not exactly lost, Alyx. Our communicator broke. That’s all.”
Dead World Page 10
