Dead World

by Lucas Pederson

“I think,” Sully says, “we can cut away this cage without incident.”

  “One of the Marines have a laser cutter that you know of? Because I sure as hell don’t. Not even bolt cutters.”

  Sully humphs. “All those years, you never did come fully prepared.” He brings out a small, black gun with the needle-like muzzle.

  “Well excuse me all to hell,” Alyx says, smiling.

  He winks and places the narrow muzzle against one of the bars of the metal cage. About eight inches above the artifact. “Might want to step away for a moment, dear.”

  Alyx moves away from the cage and altar and Sully presses the laser cutter’s trigger. Sparks spray, then the laser slices through the metal as easy as a sharp knife through bread. Sully cuts through each bar cleanly. The top of the cage clanks to the stone floor.

  The Marines had moved forward a few feet. Gerty catches Alyx’s eye. She shrugs, as if asking what’s going on. Alyx shrugs back, conveying she’s not sure. Or at least that’s how she hopes Gerty takes it. The girl doesn’t show whether or not she does and steps away from the others. Rip notices and follows suit.

  Rogers, Crowe and Amelia gape on without a word or expression. Their faces are so blank, Alyx realizes. Like living statues. So different from Gerty and Rip. Company 3 aren’t the elite like Gerty and Rip, and yet, they’re the ones showing no emotion whatsoever. To Alyx, this doesn’t make much sense. Then again, the remaining soldiers of Company 3 have been through a lot. Company A, Gerty and Rip’s platoon, has suffered greatly too, but they are seasoned. Even if Gerty is younger, she’s probably seen more shit than Crowe or Amelia. The girl is tough.

  “Okay,” Sully says, pocketing the laser cutter. “Let’s get this thing and get out of here.”

  “Sounds good,” Alyx says.

  The old man is reaching into the open cage when a sharp beep sounds. His eyes widen, hand frozen above the cage. Then Sully visibly shivers.

  “You alright?” Alyx asks.

  Sully blinks. “It’s…just my heart equalizer. Give me a moment.”

  She frowns at the old man, but doesn’t say anything. A heart equalizer means he’s had a heart attack. It means he’s at serious risk for another one. It also means with him freezing like that his heart rate is too high.

  “Just take it easy,” Alyx says. “I’ll get it, Sully. Just relax a bit.”

  Sully shakes his head, sweat trickling down his wrinkly face. “No. Just give me a moment.”

  “Your heartrate is too high. The equalizer is tripping. You need to relax.”

  After a moment, the old man sighs and withdraws his hand from the cage. He steps away, as another fit of shivers racks his body. Alyx smiles, but he does not return it. He’s too caught up in whatever pain he’s suffering at the moment. Rogers steps beside him and gives Alyx a nod, as if telling her to go ahead.

  Alyx draws in a slow breath, blows it out, and reaches into the open cage. Her hand wraps around the cylinder octagon and carefully lifts it out. She holds the artifact up in front of her, showing Sully. This is his show. This thing is why he’s here. A job to get enough money to save his daughter.

  Sully finally smiles. “Now…let us get—”

  The floor trembles, throwing him off balance enough for Rogers to grab him before he falls. Dust sifts from the ceiling and small cracks snake across its smooth surface. Then, all at once, the trembling stops. For a moment, no one speaks, then Alyx hurries around the altar to the others.

  “Time to go,” she says, taking hold of Sully’s arm and leading him toward the main exit.

  “There are no traps,” Sully mutters.

  “I’m cursed,” Alyx says, trying to make light of the situation. “Traps always find me.”

  To this Sully merely snorts as she leads him toward the exit.

  No more than six feet away, a stone door drops down, sealing off the exit.

  “Shit,” Alyx says and turns with Sully to the nearest doorway next to one of the oval protrusions.

  She’s almost to the doorway when a loud cracking sound echoes through the chamber. She stops, glances around.

  “The shit was that?” Gerty asks as her and Rip join up with Alyx and Sully.

  The other three Marines gather around. Rogers’s face is hard when he says, “You brought us into a fucking trap.” He’s not looking at Sully. No. His glare is directed at Alyx.

  “Back off,” Rip says.

  Rogers shoots the big man a withering look. “Is that how you address a commanding officer, Sergeant?”

  Rip grunts. “My commanding officer is dead. I’m in charge of my platoon now.”

  “I still outrank you.”

  “Does it look like I give a shit?” Rip lifts an eyebrow. “Sir.”

  “Oh great,” Gerty says. “We’re all stuck in a pissing contest now.”

  “Sergeant,” Roger says. “Once we arrive back home, prepare yourself for a court-martial.”

  Rip chuckles. “Yeah, good luck with that, man.”

  Rogers surges forward, rifle muzzle jamming under Rip’s chin. “Look, you son of a bi—”

  Another loud crackling sound interrupts Rogers.

  This time, Alyx is able to locate the source. Then again, she’s not sure how anyone couldn’t. She stuffs the artifact in her pack.

  Across from them, on the other side of the chamber, one of the oval protrusions has two long cracks zig-zagging down its center. Top to bottom.

  “We need to get out of here,” Alyx says.

  Now everyone sees the cracks.

  “What the hell?” Crowe starts across the room and Amelia pulls her back.

  Rogers, seeing the cracks now, steps away from Rip. To Alyx, he looks like he’s about to blow chunks everywhere. That greenish, sick look crawls over his face. One she’s seen before on other people. Where fear and stress congeal into a horrifying stew and you just can’t take it anymore.

  The Captain, however, swallows it down and says, “Move out.”

  Everyone hurries to the doorway.

  Another tremble shakes the floor.

  “Go,” Alyx says helping Sully through the doorway.

  The Marines follow close behind as more crackling noises sound. Alyx turns just enough to see into the main chamber, and all the air whooshes out of her like a hard punch to the gut. An ashen claw emerges from the oval protrusion across the chamber, peeling away the stone. She watches the shards of stone shatter on the floor and shouts, “Move! Now!”

  Helping Sully along, they all enter a smaller chamber.

  The moment they do, another stone door drops, sealing them inside.

  Crowe roars, beating her fists on the solid door.

  “Get a grip,” Gerty says.

  Crowe spins on the girl, teeth visibly gritting. “What did you say to me? What did you say, you little bitch?” The woman unsheathes a knife as she storms toward Gerty.

  In a single, fluid motion, Rip disarms Crowe and tosses the knife aside. He looms over her. A giant. “Leave her be.”

  Crowe, however, does not move for at least a full minute. Her glare burns into Rip. Then, finally, she turns away to stand with Amelia and Rogers. It’s clear now, to Alyx, how truly divided they all are right now. There’s no respect from either side.

  Sully, trying to keep his breathing slow, says, “Traps.”

  Alyx can’t help but laugh a little. “They’re assholes, aren’t they?”

  He manages a wheezy chuckle. She sits Sully on the floor, leaning him against a smooth, gray wall and faces the small chamber they stand in now. There are no other exits besides the sealed off doorway. It’s just a round room with an orb hanging from the middle of the ceiling. She stares at the orb for a long time. It must mean something. Who builds a room with an orb protruding from the ceiling like this anyway? Right now, nothing makes sense except for the fact that they are trapped in this chamber and whatever was breaking out of the stone in the large chamber, it’s out there now.

  Out there, just waiting for them to o
pen the door…

  SIXTEEN

  “Hey,” Gerty says. She steps beside Alyx. “How’s it going?”

  “Shitty,” Alyx says, straightening from what she thought was a seam near the far wall but is only a crack. “You?”

  “Well, Crowe and Amelia are assholes, but other than that, Rip and I have been thinking about sleeping in shifts just in case.”

  Alyx lifts an eyebrow. “You think we’ll be in this chamber that long? Such little faith, my child.” She grins.

  “Yeah, yeah. I said just in case. I don’t trust them. Even Rogers feels off.”

  “Agreed.”

  Gerty sighs and waves a hand at Sully, who slumps against the wall not far away. “Is he okay?”

  “He has a heart equalizer.” Alyx shakes her head. “Hopefully it stabilizes him soon.”

  “And if it doesn’t?”

  “Then…we’re in trouble because if anyone can get us out of here, it’s him.”

  Gerty smiles. “You know what I think?”

  “What?”

  “I think if anyone can get us out of here, it’s you.” She walks away before Alyx can respond.

  She watches Gerty join Rip and they stand near Sully.

  Alyx fetches a breath, too heavy to be a sigh, and returns to inspecting the chamber. The other three Marines, Rogers, Crowe and Amelia, they stand near the stone door, whispering amongst themselves.

  After checking out the entire chamber, her attention is once more drawn to the orb hanging from the ceiling. It’s too high for her to reach, but…

  “Rip,” she says.

  The big man straightens, frowns.

  She waves him over.

  He glances at Gerty. She nods. Then he hurries over.

  “What’s up?”

  Alyx points at the orb. “Can you reach that?”

  Rip says, “Oh, I think so.” He stretches and his hand palms the orb like a basketball. “And what do you want me to do with it?”

  “Can you turn it, or push it? Anything?”

  He grunts, pushing up as much as he can. The orb doesn’t budge. He tries using both hands. Still, nothing.

  “Try pushing,” Alyx says.

  Rip pushes. Nothing.

  “Try again,” Alyx says.

  “It’s not working, Alyx,” he says through gritted teeth.

  Nonetheless, he shoves up on the orb harder and—

  The dusts sifts into Rip’s face. He lets go of the orb and spins away, wiping dust out of his eyes and growling deep in his throat.

  Slowly, the orb lifts into the ceiling. A loud hissing noise erupts around the round object. The chamber fills with a vile stench. Something Alyx can’t place no matter how much she tries. An alien stink that churns her stomach.

  “It’s gas,” Crowe shouts. “You bitch. You killed us!”

  “It’s not…gas,” Sully says leaning against Gerty for support. He must’ve gotten to his feet while Alyx was focused on the orb. “It’s air. Old, pent up air.” His face is so pale, eyelids droopy. “It’s…releasing pressure for…for…”

  He slumps against Gerty. The girl gives Alyx a worried look. All big eyes and parted lips.

  “Jesus Christ,” Amelia says. “Spit it out, old man.”

  “Shut up,” Alyx says, shooting the woman a glare. “He’s ill.”

  Amelia throws up her arms in exaggerated exasperation. “Of course he is. Now, of all times, he’s ill and can’t fucking talk.”

  “It’s releasing pressure for an internal pulley system,” Alyx says, not really knowing if that’s what Sully meant at all. Just guessing. And yet, as she listens, somewhere behind the stone there are clicks and squeaks. The sound of a pressurized machine, perhaps.

  Rogers and the other two shift away from the stone door.

  Sully, breathing heavily, places a hand on Alyx’s shoulder. His eyes are all glassy looking. Not a good sign. “This…is a killing chamber, A-Alyx.”

  “Wait, what?” Gerty’s wide-eyed stare burns into Alyx.

  Alyx faces everyone. “Listen up. This is a killing chamber. Get your guns ready.”

  “A killing chamber for what?” Crowe asks.

  “For whatever came out of the oval stone back in the chamber. And when that door opens it’ll charge in here looking for its meal.”

  Everyone sort of stops and stares at Alyx.

  She turns away from them, again, hating the attention. But what other choice do they have now? Sully is dying. His heart equalizer isn’t helping. And with him incapacitated, that leaves her to figure out how to escape this place. Not a huge deal, but she’s never had to work with Marines before. Mercenaries, yes. Actual by the book soldiers? Nope. There’s something a little intimidating about being in such staunch company. Besides Gerty and Rip, of course.

  Rogers, Crowe, and Amelia, however…

  Within the walls, floor and ceiling, the sound of grinding stones and squeaky pulleys.

  Alyx arms trickles of sweat from her face and draws her revolver. She reloads the cylinder, slipping fresh bullets into the chambers. Then she waits.

  Gerty and Rip rest Sully against a wall and stand on either side of her while the other three Marines take a position just a few feet to the right of the door. Rip lowers to one knee, rifle aimed at the door as it shudders.

  “Hold,” Rogers says. “As soon as it enters, light’em up.”

  Alyx can almost feel Gerty’s eyeroll.

  The stone door shudders. Dust and bits of rock fall to the floor.

  Behind her, Sully is saying something. Or trying to. But she’s so focused on the door she doesn’t pay much attention. His wheezing voice rambles on and she can’t hear his words. She needs all her focus on the door. Because as soon as it opens shit will get—

  A new sound rumbles to her right. A grinding, clicking sound. The floor quakes.

  Alyx blinks, draws in a breath, and risks a glance to the right just as a section of the wall drops into the floor. Her eyes widen. Her heart stutters. And out of the darkness emerges a monster. She opens her mouth, meaning to shout a warning, but all she can manage is a low whine. Every muscle in her body feels as wobbly and unsubstantial as gelatin.

  The monster steps through the doorway, vulpine head lowered, red eyes fixed on Alyx. Leathery ears fold back. Its muzzle peels away, revealing long, pointy teeth. By all accounts, it resembles a wolf from Earth. Only much larger and hairless. Its skin is utterly white, as if dipped in bleach. Its massive shoulders hunch. Large claws click on the stone floor.

  Finally, her shock breaks. “On the right!”

  Everyone lifts their head, blinking in obvious confusion.

  Alyx swings herself to the right and pulls the trigger before she has the thing fully in her sights.

  Ears ringing, she fires again.

  There’s a few seconds of utter silence as the gun smoke clears.

  The creature isn’t there.

  Alyx frowns, gaze slipping over the room. But it couldn’t have gotten by her. It couldn’t have—

  “Heads up,” Gerty shouts, rifle bursting to life.

  Crawling on the ceiling, littered with smoldering holes, the beast roars. Alyx aims the revolver, narrows on the wolfish head, squeezes the trigger. A tidal wave of black consumes her world. And somewhere in all that black, a meaty thump.

  She stumbles away, wiping the hot blood from her face. It’s like wiping away tar. Thick and sticky.

  “Shit,” someone says. “You see that thing?” Sounds like a woman, but for a moment, Alyx can’t see anything.

  When she finally clears the blood away from her eyes, Gerty is pulling her toward something. The new doorway.

  “C’mon, Alyx. We gotta move.”

  “Sully?”

  “Rip has him. Now c’mon!”

  Alyx shakes out of her disorientation and follows Gerty out of the chamber. They enter a wide tunnel. Behind her Rip carries, literally carries, Sully in his arms. And behind Rip, Rogers, Crowe and Amelia follow. She pulls away fro
m Gerty’s hold to look into the chamber.

  On the floor lay a limp, pale figure. A large pool of black blood surrounds it like a tarry moat.

  Then Gerty tugs on her arm. “We need to move, Alyx.”

  She allows herself to be pulled away and is soon running with the team. Sully’s head lolls as Rip runs with him in his arms. Eyes shut, as limp as the dead thing in the chamber back there, Sully already looks dead. Alyx swallows down her worry and tries to think. Tries to get a grip on the situation.

  For one thing…why are they running?

  Nothing is chasing them and from what she’s noticing, they’re going deeper into the octagon temple. Or whatever this thing is. A sacrificial temple? A damn slaughter house?

  She slows her pace and shouts, “Wait. Everyone stop a minute.”

  They don’t listen. Fear, or something even more primal, drives them like rats through a maze. As if a snake is stalking the maze, the Marines run and run without direction.

  “Stop,” she shouts. “Something isn’t right.” She slows to a jog, breathing heavily as a stitch stabs into her just below the armpit.

  Gerty and Rip stop and turn to her. Judging by their wide eyes and tense postures they’re on the verge of some freak out. Seeing this with trained, elite soldiers scares her a bit.

  “We…have to keep moving,” Gerty manages between breaths.

  “All we’re doing is going deeper inside this place. Feels like…” Alyx pauses. “Feels like cattle being driven to slaughter.”

  Gerty and Rip exchange a frown.

  Ahead, the other three Marines continue on without pause, their boots clapping on the smooth stone.

  She doesn’t even try to call them back and realizes now why they were the ones to survive the attacks in the tunnels. They ran. They left the others in their platoon behind and ran for their lives. Just like now. Cowards, all of them.

  All but Gerty and Rip. And they’re barely holding it together right now.

  Alyx checks on Sully. His pulse is weak and his skin feels cold and clammy to her touch. He shivers now and again and mumbles things she can’t understand.

  “So,” Gerty says. “What do we do?”

  “We passed a few narrow passages. Offshoots, I believe might bring us back to the main chamber.”