“Rat bastards,” she muttered, squinting to get a better look at the boat coming up behind them. “Oh Ming? We have a tail.”
#
The atmosphere in the chamber thrummed with power as Hansen and his followers glided into view. As best as Doc could tell it had only been a day or so since he'd last seen Hansen but the changes were significant. What remained of his skin had become gray and rubbery, and the egg he rode on gleamed like freshly cleaved obsidian although no natural cleavage plane could ever follow such a curve.
“James, James; I knew you wouldn't get far.” Hansen's voice resonated throughout the chamber, coming from all directions at once. “I see you've found your other crewmember, too.”
The smile that spread across Hansen's face made it hard to believe the creature before them had ever been human. What made it worse was the way Hansen slowly spiraled around the central pillar, never actually looking at Doc or his companions. Even as his words were directed at them, his attention seemed focused on the pillar.
“What does puzzle me is how you have managed to survive this long. I would have thought you would have run out of air by now.” He took a deep hissing breath, the gas mixture passing through slits in his ribcage. “Unless, unless you made a friend.”
Hansen stopped his circumnavigation and spun in place, his dead eyes searching the chamber.” That's it, you found the escapee.”
Even as Hansen spun around, Doc didn't move. There was no reason to let Hansen know exactly where they were, or that they had noticed him.
“I know you're in here James; I can feel you.” Hansen stopped spinning, facing the little group in their hiding place. “I can feel its taint on you now, scouring your soul with the darkness. Do not let its lies bind you.”
As Hansen's voice fell silent, Doc caught a faint rustling from off to the side. Crooking his neck, he took a quick look around. They were surrounded!
“ShoQ’hoth,” the word escaped almost unbidden from Doc's lips. Earlier, they had only seen the creature's tentacles. This time he saw the whole creature. Eight gray tentacles grew in pairs from a thirty-foot square translucent purple body studded with a least as many mouths and lidless eyes. It was so large it shouldn't have been able to fit through any of the passages leading to this chamber, but somehow it was here.
As if recognizing that Doc now knew it was here, it uttered a trilling hiss from half a dozen mouths and lunged forwards with its tentacles outstretched.
“Quick, Kehla grab Gilly and run!”
Without looking to see if she was following his instructions Doc sprinted towards Hansen as fast as the thick gas mixture would let him. The atmosphere clawed against his legs, turning sprinting into wading, but he struggled forward despite the drag. One of the tentacles grazed his leg, but he kicked it free and kept moving.
Hansen whirled to face Doc, a shark-like smile spreading across his face. “There you are, James.”
All he needed was another ten feet. Doc gathered his strength and got ready to leap.
The shoQ’hoth wrapped a tentacle around his ankles and ripped him off his feet; leaving him dangling upside down in front of Hansen's egg.
#
Train, boat, or plane; whatever it was, Vic wanted to get off. It was too smooth, like they were standing still. The one good thing was that the one that was following them didn't seem to be making up any ground. It followed behind them like a bead on a wire, always keeping the same distance. Worst of all, the walls outside the vehicle were utterly featureless, providing no sense of motion.
Vic growled deep in her throat and turned to look forward. The light ahead flickered just enough that when she squinted just right she could almost see a hint of motion.
“Come here and sit down.” Ming broke into Vic's ruminations. “All you'll do is give yourself an ulcer.” She patted the floor beside her.
Vic grumbled, but sat; thumping into the soft floor. “How long did you say this was?”
“Fifty miles or so.” Ming patted her knee. “We won't get there any faster if you worry about it. You need to stay in the moment just as much when it's quiet as when it's exciting.”
Vic leaned against the smaller woman and sighed. “I know, it's hard though.”
“We all have to grow up sometime.”
Gus's laughter broke the moment. “Vic, grow up? That's a new one. You might as well wish for the Moon.”
Ming smiled. “I'm sure she would get it for me if I asked.”
“You have high hopes.” The gorilla shook his head, a chuckle rumbling from his chest. “She would try, though. I'll give her that.”
“You'd better!” Vic shook a mocking fist at him. “But isn't the Moon Doc's anyway?”
“I think the law would say that he abandoned it.” Gus shook his head. “Not that it matters at the moment.”
“What are you two talking about?” Ming raised an eyebrow at Gus.
He laughed. “Since Doc grew up on the Moon, he might be able to claim that it's his property.”
Ming snorted. “Just what the Moon needs from Earth, more colonialism.”
She turned away from Gus and leaned back against Vic. “Wake me when we get there.”
Vic shrugged at Gus and then wrapped an arm around Ming, letting the smaller woman snuggle in. Off to the other side, Gus looked lost in thought, and Vic wondered if she would be so calm if Ming was the one missing. She bit back a rueful laugh. Not a chance; if Ming were gone they would have to put her in a steel straightjacket to get her to keep still. All they could do right now was wait, so she leaned back against the wall and watched the glowing strip above them pass by.
Chapter Seven
War with Nothingness
Vic stretched and looked down at Ming, who was fast asleep with a small bubble at the corner of her mouth. She reached out and wiped it gently away. Ming looked so peaceful in her sleep that for a moment Vic wished they could stay there forever. One glance at Gus took her out of that mood. Even just sitting there like he was carved from soapstone, the pain was written on his face.
Soft vibrations from beneath her caused Vic to look up.
Light glowed up ahead, the green flickering actually making Vic smile. She tousled Ming's hair. “Get up, sleepy head. We're almost there.”
“Just a moment more,” Ming muttered sleepily.
Vic squeezed her shoulder. “Sorry love, time to get up and moving.”
“I'm moving, I'm moving.” Ming stretched and pulled herself to her feet. “What about Gus?”
“I'm awake.” Gus rolled to his feet and thumped his chest with his good arm. “Your obedient servant at the ready.”
Vic shook her head. “Right then, let's get ready to go. As soon as this stops we have to figure out how to open the door and get ready for our followers.”
Almost as if the transport had heard her, a purple square started glowing beside the hatch. Moments later, the outer shell began to darken, cutting off her view of the ceiling. By the time Vic was on her feet, almost the whole capsule was opaque except for the original viewports. Ming hobbled to the control board, while Gus made his way to the hatch. Vic glanced at the other two and unslung her submachine gun. Chewing her lip, she caressed the cold metal.
Seconds later, their conveyance coasted to a stop and Vic punched the square beside the hatch. It immediately irised open like a camera shutter in slow motion. A wave of gas flooded through the opening, almost knocking Vic off her feet. She staggered under the impact, stepping backwards before finally finding her balance. The force of the wave knocked the wind out of her lungs, making her gasp for breath.
Vic clutched her throat as the heavy gas flowed down her breathing passages, driving the air before it. At first it felt like she was drowning, but a moment later she realized that whatever this was, it had to be breathable.
“Fascinating.” Gus was the first to speak. “This is most unexpected.”
“What are you talking about?” Vic tried to growl, but the heavy gas surrounding her vocal cords turned the
words into a croak.
“What we're breathing is not air; it's a much heavier gas so you're going to have to work harder to talk.” Gus was in full lecture mode already, with his good arm outstretched as if he was pointing at a classroom chalkboard.
“Enough, Gus.” Vic forced the words out against the weight of gas. “Lecture later, go now. We have Nazis chasing us.”
The gorilla blinked once, then stopped in mid-word. “Uh, yes, I suppose you're right.”
Vic laughed, even down here he was the consummate academic. Unfortunately, they had no time to spare for it. Ming at least had the right idea, she was back on her feet and hobbling towards the hatch.
“Let's go,” Ming snapped. “Vic, you're no better than he is.”
The Chinese woman put her hands on both sides of the coaming and pulled herself through the opening with a grunt. Vic took one moment to realize what Ming had done and catapulted herself after the smaller woman.
“Wait for me!”
Her submachine gun bounced unnoticed off her back as she jumped through the hatchway and into a massive chamber. Vic's right foot stung as she caught the edge of the platform, and she windmilled her arms as she threw herself forward just enough to collapse on the floor rather than fall in the water.
Cold stone slammed into her cheek, bringing the iron taste of blood as a tooth cut the inside of her mouth. Soft laughter came from ahead of her as she pushed her palms against the stone and levered herself upwards. Vic had made it to her knees by the time she caught sight of Ming, who was delicately covering her mouth.
“I keep telling you to look before you leap, not after you land.”
“Very funny.” Vic turned her head to the side and spit blood onto the platform. “You were moving pretty fast yourself.”
“I had to stop you and Gus-- what's that, did you hurt yourself?” Ming reached forward. “Let me have a look.”
Vic shook her head, struggling the rest of the way to her feet. “It's nothing, just bit my cheek on the landing.”
“I'm sure she'll live.” Gus announced his own exit. “She likes the taste of her own blood more than coffee.”
“But not as much as Coke,” Vic muttered. She stepped past Ming and swung her submachine gun to the ready position.
This chamber was huge. Flickering lines of green light picked out an arch at least a hundred feet above her head. A pool almost the size of a football field filled the center, with more than a dozen boats spread around the edge like subway cars at a station. There was no cover anywhere in sight, just a raised dais off to the side with a tunnel leading further into the deeps.
Turning back towards Gus and Ming, she waved them forward. “Come on, we can't face them here.”
Vic took the lead as they crossed the chamber. She couldn't help smiling despite the difficulties of the situation; at least they were doing something; at least they were doing something. A shiver ran up her back; sitting in that boat had been torture. There was nothing she hated more than being forced to sit still doing nothing when something was happening. It was maddening.
Aside from the pool, the chamber was almost completely empty around them. Even her lightest footfall echoed off into the darkness, and Ming's hobbling was worse. Not that Gus was any better, clomping like the near four-hundred-pound academic he was.
She was so focused on looking for motion, that she didn't notice it immediately. There was a grey figure standing beside the opening that led further into the underground. A little shorter than she was, it had the same basic body plan as the creatures from the surface but on this one it looked almost elegant.
“Are you the married?” Its dark green eyes snapped open and it met Vic's gaze as its words echoed silently in her ears.
Vic shook her head and took a step back, reflexively putting her weapon to cover the figure's torso. One finger took up the trigger slack, then she decisively released it. Whatever, whoever, it was it didn't feel like an enemy.
“Are you the married?” The silent voice repeated urgently.
Vic shook her head again, slapping herself with her off hand. “What are you talking about?”
“The married. The shorter one said she was not human, she was married and it was a form of joining.” The figure stared intently at Vic; its green eyes boring into her own. Tentacles danced under its face, drawing her attention downwards. It was like meeting the gaze of a squid or octopus. The eyes looked almost human, but whatever lay behind them was nothing like one. Vic fell into the strangeness, eyes first. Then she blinked, breaking the spell.
Still reeling, Vic jerked her thumb backwards over her shoulder at Gus. “He's married.”
The eyes never left hers though the voice changed a little. “You are the married.”
“You saw my wife?” Gus's voice broke. “How is she? Is she alright? What about Doc?”
“I do not know,” the creature replied. “They were both in good health when I last saw them, but I think they may have been taken.”
“What do you mean, taken?” Ming interjected, making it clear she could hear the creature now too.
“Yeah, where are they and who has them?” Vic threw in.
“They went to rescue their friend from Not-It, and did not return.”
“Not-It? What kind of name is that?” Vic tried to make sense of what the creature was telling them. “Does that mean they found Gilly?”
“Not-It is my enemy, my counterpart. It has joined with the one you call Hansen and must be stopped.”
“So you sent Doc after him and since he didn't come back, you want to send us?” Ming stepped forward, glaring at the creature. She had that look on her face, making Vic glad Ming's words were aimed at someone else for once.” We're all just disposable tools are we? If one doesn't do the job that's okay, you just send in the next one. It's not like they are important or anything.”
The creature undulated backwards, raising its arm tentacles defensively. “As I told your friend Doc, Not-It seeks to make over this space to serve its own purpose. Your world beyond will become uninhabitable to your species; more like these tunnels than what it is now.”
“It was for a good cause?” Ming snarled. “Is that your excuse?”
Vic turned towards Ming, her arms out placatingly. “Slow down Hun, let her explain.”
Ming turned her glare on Vic. “Oh I will.” She smiled, her brow smoothing out. “You and Doc are too trusting; you believe every sob story you hear.”
“Yes, dear.”
A soft rumble from behind her told Vic that Gus had been able to use his prodigious intellect to realize this was a good time to keep his mouth shut.
Ming turned back toward the creature, which had moved back to stand against the wall its tentacles drooping limply. “Now tell us what's really going on, and don't forget to include the part about what you get out of the whole thing.”
If it had been human, Vic would have sworn the creature took a deep breath. “All right. I will tell you, though it would be easier if I could share your dreams as I did with the one you call Doc.”
“Not going to happen.” Ming shook her head. “I've heard stories about what happens when you let something deep inside your head. You can use words, creature.”
It straightened up. “You can call me Shard, as your friend Doc did. It is as good a name as any.”
“Okay, Shard,” Vic said. “She's Ming, I'm Vic, and his name is Gus. Now on with the story before Ming gets really grumpy.”
“Not-It and I are the only survivors of a war that destroyed my home space many eons ago. Not-It is what remains of an invader from the far beyond, and I of the space's defenders. All who fought with us perished either on the journey or in the warring since. Not-It seeks to make over this space as its predecessor did mine, while I am purposed to prevent that. So different are we that we cannot come too close in case we damage the continuum.
“As Not-It corrupted those who I brought to protect, its power waxed and mine waned. Few of my people could survi
ve here for long, with the space twisting against their life force. Still a balance remained through many turnings of this world as the continents moved across its skin. Only in the last heartblink has this changed. Your people have discovered this continent and Not-It has found a new source of power in them.
“First were those you call Nazis, just a few of your turnings ago. As natives to this space I thought they would oppose Not-It, so I opened the truth to them. Rather than opposing the invader, they sought to ally with and suborn Not-It. They failed.
“Hansen was next. After the Nazis, I had gained the upper hand or so I thought, but I was still unable to approach Not-It closely enough to end the war. Unlike the Nazis, he sought knowledge alone, not power. I thought he would be better able to control himself and defeat Not-It.
“I was wrong.” Shard finished quietly.
“What do you mean, you were wrong?” Ming pressed. “Wrong about what Hansen wanted? Wrong about his ability.”
Shard shook its head, a strangely human gesture for something so alien. “Wrong about his control. Wrong about the seductive power of knowledge for such a man.”
Its facial tentacles writhed wildly, before rippling into a smooth curtain over its face. “Hansen's curiosity overpowered his control. He opened his mind to Not-It and was consumed. His crew joined with the surviving Nazis in serving Not-It.”
“Curiosity killed the cat?” Vic asked. “Is that what you're saying?”
“If I understand your idiom, yes.” Shard replied, its tentacles twisting around its face. “This, language, is a clumsy method of communication.”
“I speak German.” Vic shrugged.
“It is not which language that matters. The problem is using language itself; it is too clumsy.”
“We can't help you with that,” Vic said. “I may be too trusting for my own good according to some people, but you're still not getting into my mind directly.”
“More to the point, where's my wife?” Gus interrupted, pushing his way forward on his knuckles and getting in Shard's face as only a silverback gorilla can. “Did you send her to her death?”
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