Ypsilon and the Plague Doctor

by Zachary Chopchinski

If he didn’t do something fast, this would be the end.

  Adrenaline took over his muscles.

  Adal adjusted himself and pressed harder against the force of his enemy.

  The pressure on his chest loosened as he pushed the leg back. It was working.

  As he turned his body, four tubes appeared on the sides of the leg like reaching fingers. Another jolt and a large armored hand appeared.

  “Aw damn it,” Adal groaned as Arija appeared around the side of the Umar’s leg.

  “Whose… house…is…this?” Arija grunted as she pressed her own armored foot against the wall and pulled back. Somehow, she’d managed to get another guard suit working.

  As she held the Umar’s leg a few inches away from Adal, she spoke between clenched teeth, “You wanna get out now?”

  “Oh! Uh, sure.” Counting to three in his head, he grabbed one side of the leg and hoisted himself out of the confined space. Arija’s grip slipped and the heavy leg thundered to the ground, the sound making Adal jump even though he was expecting it.

  “Hey, you can thank me later,” Arija snapped. “This thing looks angry.”

  Adal pushed to his feet and they ran back towards Webley as the eight legs of the giant mechanical tarantella stomped after them. They pushed away from one another, slid, and dove to avoid certain death.

  Running into each other, Arija pointed at Adal’s gauntlet cannons. “You gonna use those?”

  “Saving them for a special occasion. You know, in case we live through this.”

  Arija glared at him.

  “Don’t give me that look. They’re broken,” he added. “What about yours?”

  “I’m not sure. How do they work?” Arija pointed her arm towards the other side of the room and squeezed her finger. The barrels surrounding her fist didn’t move. Adal rolled his eyes as she struggled with the weapon. She slapped the metal tubes and shook her arm.

  The Umar swiped a leg at them. Adal and Arija dropped to the floor, sliding into another one of its legs. Arija slammed her mechanical arm on the ground. “Come on, you stupid piece of—"

  The barrels rotated one cycle and a bright flash lit up the room. The explosion sent a strip of hot light through the room and into the opposite wall.

  “Works now!” Arija yelled.

  She brought her attention to the underside of the spider’s belly. The barrels cycled and rounds ripped into the Umar. Molten metal rained down on them as they shifted out of the way of another leg and Arija continued to shoot.

  The barrels of the cannon glowed red from the heat of the blasts. As they ran to avoid the spider's crushing feet, Adal’s heart sank. The rounds from Arija’s weapon didn’t seem to be doing any damage and what little damage they did, the small spiders would swarm and repair.

  “What are those?” Arija asked, her face turned down in frustration as she glared at the spiders.

  “A problem.”

  He scanned the room, looking for Plan B. He glanced at the small spiders, then back at the behemoth. There had to be a way. The small spiders fixing the damage caught his eye. “Arija! That’s it.”

  “What?”

  “The little ones are fixing the Umar, but what if they die out or the damage is too severe? We need to kill the little ones.”

  “Kinda figured that out already,” she yelled. “How do you suggest we do that?”

  Adal chewed on the inside of his cheek. That was the whole problem with his plan. He didn’t really have one, exactly. It was just going to have to work, whatever it was. “Keep those things busy,” he ordered. “I have an idea.”

  “Oh great, famous last words,” Arija replied, but she nodded and turned her attention to the smaller spiders.

  Adal charged at the Umar’s nearest leg. The giant spider pivoted to focus on Arija, giving him just the advantage he needed. Clinging to the metal, Adal made his way up the structure like a ladder.

  Clenching his fists, Adal finally reached the closest joint. The polished center of the main piston was exposed, rotating on a hinge.

  “Got you,” Adal snarled.

  The creature must not have noticed Adal or thought he wasn’t a threat because it kept its focus on Arija.

  Tracing the mechanism to its base, Adal saw several sets of wide tubes. With his only plan riding on this one move, Adal grabbed the tubes and yanked. A spray of foul-tasting oil shot through the air but, this time, he smiled. The fluid ran down the Umar's leg, pooling on the floor just beneath.

  The spider let out a high pitched, mechanized shriek.

  The leg Adal stood on crumpled, flopping from side to side like it had slipped out of the socket.

  Adal gripped a raised flap atop the appendage to prevent himself from being bucked off. The large piston that had previously pumped and pivoted, working the Umar’s leg, slid open and now stuck out uselessly.

  “That’s one point for me,” Adal whispered.

  The tubes bubbled as the last of the hydraulic fluid drained out, covering the area with slick, black liquid.

  “Only seven more to go.” Adal turned to move towards the next leg. His stomach leapt into his throat as the entire back of the Umar came to life. Three large hatches opened and hundreds of small spiders poured onto the Umar.

  “Holy hell, how many of these things do you have in there?” Adal sprinted towards the next leg when another hatch opened and more of the little machines came racing out. But instead of swarming the broken legs, the small spiders charged at him.

  Adal stomped the ground, crushing the first of the spiders that came at him. He spun around and kicked another, punting it across the room.

  One after another, more spiders attacked. The more he killed, the more appeared.

  Adal’s heart thundered in his chest.

  Sweat pooled around the metal collar of his suit.

  He searched desperately for a way out. A plan. Anything to help him.

  He grabbed the top of the hatch closest to him and ripped it from its hinges. Gripping the sides of the thin metal sheet, Adal twisted until it formed a rough club. “Batter up.”

  When the makeshift club made contact with the first spider, it sent a shower of small mechanical parts raining down. Adal couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. Swinging his club again, he made his way through the swarm of mechanical insects towards the next leg.

  The Umar beneath him shook and Adal looked down just in time to see Arija crash into the back of the Umar’s leg, her cannon still firing. She ripped a small spider off her side and smashed it into the Umar until its last remaining leg twitched and went still, its body curling in on itself.

  “Keep going!” Arija yelled up at him.

  Adal laughed. “That’s what she said!”

  “Damn it! Really?”

  Adal batted away another spider, sending it soaring over Arija’s head. More spiders spewed out of the Umar. They were running out of time.

  As if pulling the thought right out of Adal’s head, Arija yelled, “Damn it, I’m out of ammo!”

  “Here,” Adal dropped the bat down to her. “Your turn.”

  Arija caught the bat, swung it and sent a spider flying into one of the Umar’s legs.

  Adal charged the next leg.

  The Umar thrashed, stomping around the room. Adal dropped to his knees, the armored boots of his suit not getting much traction. The dead leg slapped the floor, and bits of metal and smoldering sprockets rolled across Adal’s feet.

  The Umar reared up on its back legs and slammed back down. Adal tumbled backwards, rolling end over end.

  He slid off of the edge of the Umar. Grabbing a jagged piece of metal, he clung to the side of the monster. He kicked his feet, fighting to pull himself up as the Umar tried to buck him off.

  He was only a few feet from the piston of the next leg.

  Adal grunted, repositioning his grip as he eyed the tubes running from the top joint of the leg into a narrow column at the center of the Umar’s stomach. “Oh, I got you now,” he g
rowled. If all the tubes ran to the center of the Umar, maybe there was a central reservoir for the hydraulic fluid, or at least some sort of kill switch.

  Adal swung his legs back and forth, gaining momentum until he thought he could make the swing to the next leg. He let out a long sigh, silently praying that he would make the jump.

  Then he let go.

  The chaos of the room fell away as he soared through the air, reaching out for the metal of the spider’s appendage.

  His torso slammed into the side of the leg. His hands shot out and grasped for anything they could reach.

  Adal’s fingers wrapped around a pipe.

  He pulled himself up. Dragged himself across the top of the leg until he could swing his feet onto the surface.

  Adal lay there for a fraction of a second before he pushed himself up and sprinted for the center of the Umar’s back.

  Though he reached what he hoped was a central control tank, Adal realized there wasn’t a hatch or access point. “Of course there isn’t.”

  He prayed there was a weak point in the creature’s exoskeleton, as he began stomping and tearing into the metal sheeting. The Umar let out a pained and frantic cry. It bucked and jerked, but Adal wasn’t going to give up.

  As he demolished the initial plating, a section of paneling lifted, and he saw his chance. Grabbing the panel, Adal pulled. The metal groaned but it refused to release its hold. Adal gritted his teeth and kicked the side of the metal until it loosened enough. Then he grabbed it again and yanked. The twisted panel snapped, sending Adal stumbling back a few steps.

  Beneath the metal exoskeleton, a large, oval-shaped structure pumped fluid into long tubes that stretched throughout the body of the Spider. The heart-like tank was covered in hoses and tubes that connected to the delicate inner workings of the Umar.

  Grinning, Adal bent down. He ran his finger along the length of one of the clear, glass tubes, watching as the black oil sloshed through it. As he gripped the tube, a set of bulbous eyes appeared on his chest. “What the hell?”

  Somehow, one of the small spiders had crawled up the front of his suit without him noticing. It lunged, its two front legs clawing at Adal’s face.

  Adal screamed.

  He fell backwards, grasping for the small spider attached to his face like a scene out of the movie Alien. Gripping one of its thin, needle-like legs, he pulled the insect away from him and threw it.

  The little spider burst into pieces when it struck the wall. “Lucky little… Damn it.”

  “Adal, out of options here!” Arija yelled from below him. She continued to swat at the spiders, but they’d decided he was a much more interesting target.

  By the time he could process what was happening, hundreds of the small spiders were crawling up the Umar’s legs, directly towards him.

  “Fuck that.” Adal turned back to his target and grabbed a handful of tubes. With the only plan being break as much as possible, Adal pulled and tore at everything he could find inside the Umar.

  Fluids from the tubes sprayed over the inside of the tank. Wiping the oily black substance from his face, Adal noticed a small gauge on the side of the tank. Maybe it was the skeptic in him but, something about the needle rising into the red gave him the feeling this wasn’t good.

  Adal ran to the edge of the Umar, grabbed its limp leg and slid down to the ground. He charged at Arija, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her after him. “Don’t ask, just run!”

  “Why is this always the way you handle things?”

  As they reached the shuffling mass of creepy crawlies, Adal leapt over them, not stopping to worry about killing the small creatures.

  Small pops and grunts sounded from the Umar as it whined, its body slowly breaking apart. Black hydraulic fluid squirted from the monster, spraying the ground around Adal and Arija.

  The creature swiped its legs at them.

  Adal jumped. “Tuck and roll!” he yelled.

  “What, is that like your drag name?” Arija grunted, jumping out of the way of another strike.

  Arija and Adal jumped in unison as several small explosions came from behind them. Hot oil and small mechanical bits sprayed across Adal’s back and neck as everything around them slowed.

  The force of another explosion pushed them forward and Adal fell onto his stomach and slid across the slick metallic floor.

  He swallowed a mouthful of vomit.

  He couldn’t breathe.

  Couldn’t think.

  His arms slid out in front of him, flailing as he spun across the room.

  His suit, finally having enough abuse, released several large panels on his arms and legs.

  Another explosion.

  Adal didn’t give himself time to worry about his suit.

  He pushed himself up and sprinted to catch up with Arija, shocked that his shaky legs could still hold weight.

  Heat from the next explosion warmed the metal of his back as the invisible force threw him forward once more.

  Small metal components and wires poked him as more and more of his suit broke away, leaving him with only the breastplate.

  Adal reached out to Arija, grabbing her naked hand in his. He needed to feel her. Know she was there. She was completely rid of her suit. As if knowing what he needed, Arija squeezed his hand as they slid through the entry to the prison.

  “Well, that sucked,” Adal moaned as he pulled off the two remaining pieces of his suit. He swallowed the saliva that had collected in his mouth, praying he wouldn’t throw up.

  “Like things haven’t sucked for us before?”

  “That’s what she said.”

  “I should’ve let the spiders eat you,” Arija groaned.

  “What happened to Webley?”

  Arija sighed. “I couldn’t get him down.” Then she gasped. “Adal.”

  Looking back at the crumpled Umar, pools of black fluid coated the ceiling of the prison chamber. The monster tried its best to pull itself up, but none of its legs could hold weight.

  The floor shook as the full weight of the Umar crashed to the ground. The mechanical insect let out one final moan before falling still, its legs curling in on themselves.

  Cold relief washed over Adal as he stared at the lifeless creature. “I… Did we...?” he panted.

  “I think so.”

  The two stood in silence for a moment, watching the arachnid creature. Adal half expected it to jump up but, the longer they stared at it, the more he was convinced the thing was finally and truly dead.

  Arija took a step towards the monster.

  Adal grabbed her arm, halting her mid-step. “What the hell are you doing?” he snapped. “Have you never seen a movie? The first death is never the end.”

  “Relax, Adal. This isn’t some crappy movie. That thing is dead and we have to get Webley out of here, if it’s not too late already.”

  Arija pulled her arm out of Adal’s grasp and took another timid step towards the Umar.

  “See. It’s—” Arija began.

  The roar of a machine starting up shocked Arija into silence.

  The creature’s rows of eyes flickered once and then lit back up. The Umar propelled itself forward, a triumphant screech bursting from its mouth.

  Adal pulled Arija backwards by her shoulder.

  A plink, like the sound of a bullet striking metal, caused the Umar to slump. The light in its eyes died once again. A metal spear stuck out of the spider’s head.

  A large man in overalls and a long beard stood atop the Umar. For a second, Adal thought it was Webley but, as the man ripped the metal pipe out of the creature’s head, Adal realized it was Al.

  “Well now, aren’t you a nasty thing,” Al said, jumping down from the Umar.

  20|Down The Dweller Hole

  “Where the hell is this tunnel leading us?” Van shouted, her mouth filling with water as a wave hit her in the face. The immense pressure of the waves crashed against her with each bump and twist of the pallet lifter. She closed her eyes and trie
d to quell the motion sickness that was settling in her stomach.

  Kip spun and pulled on the controls trying to keep the makeshift boat straight. Occasionally the legs would touch something, and he could momentarily steady their course.

  “Damn,” Kip spat. “This water won’t quit. That boiler must have been full.”

  “No shit!” Van yelled back between mouthfuls of water.

  Another wave hit her in the face.

  Her hand slipped off the piece of metal she’d been holding. Flailing for a split second, she managed to reach up and recapture the hand-hold.

  Adjusting herself, Van thought about her older brother. She wondered where he was and what happened with him and the Plague Doctor.

  “Hang on!” Kip shouted, his voice pulling Van from her thoughts.

  She tightened her grip on the jagged piece of metal, pulling herself around just in time to see a huge pipe protruding from the wall. She flattened herself against the side of the pallet lifter as much as she could, but the tide sent her directly towards it and the edge scraped her shoulder as they passed.

  Pain erupted though her upper body. The metal dug into her flesh, pulling her off the machinery and plunging her into the warm water. Her shoulder throbbed. Pain burst with each failed attempt to push to the surface. She hadn’t really thought about the water temperature until now. They’d been lucky the boiler hadn’t been running or she and Maza would have been cooked alive.

  Kicking her feet, she tried to swim up to the top, but she couldn’t use her arm, the pain threatening to send her mind into darkness.

  Van felt a tug on the back of her shirt.

  Kip grabbed her.

  He pulled her to the surface, preventing her from floating away or being swallowed by the unrelenting mouths of water.

  Van gasped and choked, her arms and legs reflexively kicking as she struggled to gain purchase.

  She could feel the bottom of the tunnel grind against her feet as she was forced underwater.

  Kip’s muffled voice penetrated through the liquid. “Hold on!”

  His voice trailed away as Van bobbed underwater again.

  The legs of the lift were moving again.

  Kip struggled to get a grip on something and steady the floating piece of machinery.