by Greig Beck
“Not just their god, it became their everything.” Alex hurried them on.
Aimee wandered along the wall, shining her light up and down. “Maybe they struck a bargain?”
Rhino grunted. “Striking a bargain usually means they had something to offer each other. Safety for the people down here, sure, but what would the monster get out of it? Other than free food, I mean.”
“Let’s keep moving.” Alex led them along the tomb-dark corridor. The air was thick with damp, and other than their breathing, there was near total silence.
“Look.” Rhino shined his light at the ground. At the edge of a puddle of murky water, there were boot marks in the moss. “HAWC boot; Blake’s, heading this way.”
Alex nodded. “All going in one direction – and no one coming back. Means if they’re anywhere, it’s still up ahead.” He turned to his HAWCs. “Be ready; they may have walked into a trap.”
Alex slowed the pace, wary now, and reached out with his senses. He could feel the void long before he saw it.
“It’s opening out.”
“How can you tell?” Jackson asked. “We lost all the sensors.”
Alex kept staring directly ahead. “The echo isn’t as compressed as it was only a moment ago, and it’s taking longer to bounce back to us. In here, its bounce is muted by the low ceiling – not anymore.”
“Got it.” Jackson didn’t sound convinced.
“Wait here.” Alex switched off his flashlight and vanished into the darkness.
He moved lightly along the corridor, his flashlight off, as his eyes were perfectly dark-adapted – another side effect of the Arcadian treatment. He stopped when he was around a bend and away from the group. He stood silently, listening and waiting, trying to draw forth a sense of his surroundings. The heavy stones blocked many of his senses, but he was sure he could detect life … and not that of the monstrous creature that waited outside for them. He hoped it was Blake. The man was a good HAWC, and not one to easily walk into an ambush.
Alex moved on, quickly now, further along the corridor until a soft light started to permeate the darkness. He exited the tunnel, and found himself in a huge room, like a cathedral, many hundreds of feet across. The ceiling was high enough overhead that it had its own bioluminescent biology fixed to it. Along all four walls there were small alcoves, like window-sized pigeonholes. He guessed there might have been more levels higher up.
He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, concentrating – there was the essence of life again, but nothing close by. He turned to the passage he had just exited.
“Yo, come on in.”
*
Aimee was first in, followed by Cate, and then the rest of the group. Aimee wandered out towards the center. She saw that Shenjung and Soong remained joined at the hip, as though frightened one or the other was going to be snatched away.
“Oh my god,” Cate said.
Aimee followed her gaze with her own light. There was a giant carving in the far wall – more than a carving – instead a mighty statue that seemed to be breaking out from the very rock. It was a human figure, in a dress-like tunic, holding a huge stone sword. The long ages had colored it green with many varieties of moss and lichen. Only two spots remained clear of the mossy covering – the eyes. Both gleamed in the beams of light.
“Is that gold?” Jennifer asked.
“Probably,” said Aimee. “Antarctica is a very old continent, and has rich deposits of the metal. Makes sense for them to mine it.”
“Many ancient races found it something they could work quite readily,” Cate said.
“A treasure,” said Yang, lifting a small pair of field glasses to his eyes.
Casey’s lip curled. “That’s all you’re taking away from this? Maybe you can lug some home – I heard it’s not that heavy.”
Yang lowered the glasses and turned front on to her. “Idiot. You see, but do not understand. It is a sign of an advanced civilization. They were able to mine the metal, smelt it, and then work it into such an ornate design.” He waved a hand up at the huge being. “This statue alone would have taken decades to create. If something catastrophic happened to them, it either happened very slowly, or very quickly. We need to learn from this.”
Casey sneered. “Yeah, you’ve seen what’s outside, right?”
“He’s right,” Aimee said softly. “Everything we learn is important now. Keep your eyes, and minds, open.”
“Whatever.” Casey turned away.
Cate craned her neck, shining her light above them. “This room is like a church. The roof is arched, and looks carved. This civilization must have been monumental for centuries.” She turned. “Was it like this in the city above?”
“No,” said Aimee. “It was well beyond this. It was magnificent, and would have rivaled anything in Egypt or ancient Persia. But, the creature found them, or they found it while digging in their basements. They broke through into the caves while excavating. Found the labyrinths leading down to the sea. The creature rose up and pursued them into their most private places. They tried to appease it for a while, feed it. But it grew ever more hungry, and eventually stopped waiting to be fed, and decided to feed itself.” Aimee sighed. “From what we were able to translate, we found out that finally they decided to fight. Sent an army down to make war on it, led by two brave warrior brothers.”
“They were sent to hell to make war on the devil,” Alex said. “Of the two thousand warriors that went down, only one man returned.”
Aimee sighed. “And then the climate changed and the cold and dark set in for good. They had two monsters to contend with – the never ending cold, and the monster from the depths.” She shivered.
“They came down to where the monster lived then?” Jackson asked.
“No choice.” Alex turned. “They were buried alive. A hundred feet of ice and snow eventually covered the city – no sun means no food. We found evidence of cannibalism. Those that stayed were going mad, or were getting picked off in the dark.”
“Ugh, makes me sick just thinking of it.” Cate grimaced. “Being alone in the dark, and having this thing snake its way in, silent, invisible, its cold touch meaning a horrible death. Eaten alive.”
Aimee nodded. “Some got out, others didn’t. Looks like many chose to risk coming here – taking a slim chance at life, or dying in the darkness.” She turned back to the massive statue. “Looks like it worked out fine, at least for a while.”
Shenjung and Soong edged closer. The Chinese engineer cleared his throat. “It may not have been the creature,” he said. “Consider what causes civilizations to collapse: war, but there was no competing clan down here, unless they split into factions, which is unlikely. Climate, again unlikely, as this environment has been static for millions of years. Interbreeding, causing genetic weaknesses, is a possibility. Maybe even mutation.”
“That’s a great thought – evolution, or devolution.” Jackson grimaced.
“Let’s find our people, and then search for a way out,” Alex said. “Spread out, look for traces – two by twos, and stay in sight of each other.”
CHAPTER 52
“Do you think we will ever see the sunlight again?” Soong asked softly.
Shenjung smiled down at her. “I can see it now.”
She titled her head and laughed. “Now you become romantic?” She grabbed his hand.
“Why not? Down here, in this dark place, it is exactly what we need.” He squeezed her hand back, becoming serious. “I hope we will see the sunlight again. But what I hope and what I believe might be two different things.” He turned, seeing Yang watching them. “He doesn’t trust us.”
“I don’t think he ever did,” Soong replied. “And I do not trust Yang either.” She looked up at him. “All our team, we left in the upper tunnels, do you think …?”
Shenjung shook his head. “Do not dwell on it. We must stay strong, survive together, and be prepared for anything.” He saw that Yang still stared, and steered Soong a little
further away. “And that means, if it comes down to a choice, I trust the Americans more than I do Yang.”
Soong peeked over his shoulder at the PLA captain. “Yes, and I believe soon, he will want us to choose sides. I will not choose his.”
He sighed. “And if we do not, then even if we find a way out, we will never be able to go home. Are you prepared for that?”
*
Aimee and Cate broke off, walking towards a far wall, deep in conversation. Alex pointed to Franks and motioned with his head for her to follow them. She nodded.
He watched as the teams spread out, and then turned to peer up at the huge statue. He walked to its base and began to climb. In only a few minutes he had reached one of the shoulders, and stood upright. The ceiling was still another fifty or so feet above his head, and he looked across to the face. The golden eyes glowed with hints of blue, reflecting the weak bioluminescent light from above. The statue’s expression was frozen in a permanent stare. He followed its gaze.
At the far end of the room, about fifty feet up, there was another carving in the wall. The tentacled horror he had become used to. Maybe that’s how it started for them – the warriors fighting the creature, he thought, and this was a monument to them.
Alex noticed that at the center of the coiling mass, there was another opening. As soon as his eyes alighted on it, something moved inside, darted back into the shadows. He had an impression of a humanoid shape and colorless flesh, but with dangling appendages.
So, he thought. You are watching.
“Boss, got something here.” Rhino waved an arm up at him over near one of the huge walls.
Alex climbed down and jogged towards him. Jackson and Yang were leaning over a spot on the ground.
Rhino crouched. “Ground’s all messed up. Something violent happened here.” He turned about. “No prints leading away, and no doorways … that I can see.” He stood and turned to the wall, giving it a push. “Can’t see any pivot points.”
Alex leaned in close to the stone, running his fingers along the edges of some of the blocks. They had sat for so long that they had fused together. “I think it’s solid now. Don’t think they went through here.”
“They didn’t fly away,” Jackson said.
Alex looked to the huge McMurdo soldier, and then up. He remembered the small darting figure he had seen above them. He spun to the group. “Everyone back from the walls!” His voice boomed in the large room. As soon as the words left his mouth, there came a gagging sound, and they turned to see Jennifer Hartigan rising up, a rope around her neck and under one arm. More ropes came down, lassoing towards Yang, and then Cate.
Ben Jackson caught a tether as it tried to loop over his large head. He grabbed it and yanked hard. In turn, it was yanked back even harder and the loop slid tight around his wrist.
“Ah fuck.” He started to rise up. “A little help here.”
Rhino rushed to him, and grabbed the cord. Immediately another dropped down and also circled Jackson’s neck.
“Farg-gggh,” was all the big man could rasp out.
“Use your knives, get to the center.” Alex yelled instructions, but there was nothing but the chaos of flickering lights and shouting people. He saw in an instant what the alcoves were now used for – they were staging portals for capturing prey. Whether this was their original purpose or something later adapted by the descendants of the once great race, he would never know.
In each of the window-sized alcoves, multiple figures hauled on the ropes they had dropped down. Alex frowned as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. They were smaller than normal, and were bone-white humanoids, but their faces were like nothing he could recognize. They seemed smooth-skinned, and there were dangling tendrils starting from halfway down the face. Their eyes were just vertical slits, like those of a goat … or octopus.
Yang easily stepped back, avoiding the tethers, not helping or hindering, just standing and watching. Alex was furious at his lack of support, but ignored the man, and pulled free his smallest Ka-bar blade. He spun it in his hand until he held the dark steel, and then launched it towards one of the humanoids dragging on Jackson’s rope. The blade flew through the air so fast it was near invisible, and then embedded in the center of one of the hideous faces. The figure disappeared, soundlessly, and Jackson dropped a few feet. The figure was soon replaced by another, and the big soldier began to be pulled up once again.
Alex took a step towards Jackson, but spun back at the sound of Aimee yelling. She had her arms wrapped around Cate’s waist, as the woman was also lifted, kicking, into the air.
He was momentarily torn, but in another second, both women were several feet up. He decided – then put his head down and sprinted. He pulled his last blade from it sheath, holding it backwards, and then leaping. In one powerful movement, he grabbed and slashed the rope at Cate’s neck, dropping her and Aimee to the ground. He landed on his feet, and called to Casey Franks, who was there to grab both women and drag them backwards, not bothering to check on their health until they were out of danger.
“Boss!” Rhino now had hold of Jackson, whose eyes bulged as his oxygen was cut off. Above them a large group of the humanoids tugged on the ropes, and both men were being lifted.
Too many of them, Alex thought. Must be how Blake and the two PLA soldiers were overwhelmed. He ran again, jumping up and catching hold of Rhino around the waist. The big HAWC still had hold of Jackson, who now had Alex clinging to his legs. The added weight made the soldier’s eyes bulge ever more furiously from his head as his neck was being crushed.
Alex began to quickly clamber up Rhino, but stopped when Jennifer’s scream dragged his head around. She was already halfway up the wall, twisting and struggling like a fish on a line. He knew if he went after Jennifer, then Jackson would be lost. He couldn’t be everywhere and his frustration was knotting inside him.
“Yang!” The man ignored him. “Goddamnit, Franks!”
He saw Casey run at the woman, and Alex then scrambled up the big soldier’s body, once again ripping a knife free and hacking through the ropes holding him. They fell in a heap on the ground. He turned to see Casey jump in the air at Jennifer, spearing toward her, arm and hand stretching out. Her fingertips grazed the woman’s boot, as she slammed hard into the wall. But she was too late, in another second Jennifer had been dragged into one of the windows and had vanished.
“Shit.” Alex bared his teeth and lifted both men to their feet as if they weighed nothing.
He yelled into their faces. “Get ’em all back.” He ran at Franks, who was now trying to scale one of the ropes. He was underneath her in a second, and pulled her back down. The female HAWC’s face was creased with fury, and Alex pushed her back.
“Defensive position. That’s an order.”
Her teeth were grit and her eyes were defiant as they went from Alex to the landing Jennifer had just been hauled onto.
“Franks.” Alex’s hand came down hard on her shoulder. Casey nodded, and headed back to the group, the HAWCs now herding the others back.
More ropes came down, trying to snag them, and Alex didn’t wait anymore. He dived for one of the looping cords that flew down to try and encircle him. He gripped it and began to climb, rapidly ascending. When he got near the top, the beings must have suddenly decided that Alex untethered wasn’t something they wanted to deal with and the rope was let go.
He fell backwards, plummeting the sixty feet to the ground. He spun in mid air, and landed hard, but on his feet. He immediately stood straight, the rope piling beside him.
“Holy shit. Awesome,” said Jackson, his voice still painfully coarse. He coughed and looked back up. “Did you see anything up there? Jennifer?”
“I saw people,” Alex said. “I think.” He backed up, keeping a watch on the windows. For now, they looked empty. “Pull in tight.” The group gathered in. He turned to Aimee, and reached out to her. “Are you okay?”
Aimee nodded. Cate rubbed at the red mark around
her neck, scowling. “Hey,” she croaked. “I’m fine too. Thank you for asking.”
Casey shined her light upwards, but the beam didn’t reach the higher balconies. “We need to get up there. They took Jennifer, and no two guesses as to where Blake and Yang’s guys went.”
Rhino turned slowly. “Down here, we’re fish in a barrel.” He turned to Alex. “How many you figure, boss?”
“Dozens … and probably a lot more we didn’t see.” Alex backed up a few more steps. “We’re going to have to climb. Go after them.” He turned. “Everyone okay with that?”
Soong and Shenjung looked dubious. Soong spoke quickly to her partner who shook his head, and then turned. “We can stay here.”
“That’s not a good idea.” Aimee went and took the small Chinese woman’s hand. “We can haul you up.” She turned to Alex. “Can’t we?”
“Sure can,” he said. “And Aimee’s right. They’ll be back. Ropes might not be the only thing they drop down.”
The pair looked at each other, and then dropped their eyes. Alex took that as consent and went to the coils of rope still lying on the ground. He checked it quickly and then looped it over his shoulder and headed to the wall. He picked up speed and then leapt a dozen feet to the top of a stone column. It only took him a few minutes to scale to where the pale beings had disappeared.
Easing over the edge, he saw he was in a long balcony or windowed corridor. As he had earlier suspected, it was another level. He crouched, waiting and listening. There was stillness and silence. He stood, quickly tying off the rope and tossing one end over.
“Franks, you’re up.”
Casey didn’t hesitate, and scaled the rope quickly, arm over arm as Rhino held it straight. In no time she threw a leg in through the window and clambered in.
Alex looked down. “Rhino, rig a loop-step. Aimee, you’re next.”
Rhino immediately set to creating a small loop in the end of the rope, and showed Aimee how to put her foot through, and then hang on. Alex hauled her up in seconds. Followed then by Cate, Soong, and then Shenjung.
