by Adair Hart
“Do not come any closer,” said Evaran as the end of his baton intensified its glow.
Emily’s eyebrows wrinkled as she grimaced. “Evaran?”
“What are you?”
“I’m Emily!”
“Emily was organic.”
Dr. Snowden jerked his head back. He circled around Emily and stood at Lord Vygon’s side.
“It’s me. What are you talking about?”
Evaran tossed out an orb. It shot up an image of Emily, with various labels off to the side.
Dr. Snowden swallowed hard as he stared at the projection. Emily was ninety percent metal. His eyes bulged as veins popped out on his neck. “What did you do with Emily!”
“Uncle Albert?” said Emily as she staggered toward Dr. Snowden, tears flowing freely onto her face.
“Get away from me! Whatever you are!” said Dr. Snowden with balled fists. “Where’s Emily!”
Emily frowned as she turned and ran down the hallway.
Lord Vygon put a hand on Dr. Snowden’s shoulder, then went flying as Dr. Snowden lashed out.
Dr. Snowden glared at Evaran. “What did they do to Emily!” After a moment, he walked a bit back the way they had come and slumped against the wall. He clenched his jaw as his throat constricted.
Evaran approached Dr. Snowden and faced him on the opposite side of the corridor. He slid down and sat cross-legged. Staring at Dr. Snowden, he said, “Dr. Snowden. Look at me.”
Dr. Snowden looked down and flung a hand in the air.
“Look at me. In my eyes. Now.”
Dr. Snowden bored a hole through Evaran with his eyes. His breathing went haphazard, and a rising warmth was beginning to swarm his body.
“Breathe.”
“Not in the mood for that right now.”
“Unacceptable. Breathe.”
Dr. Snowden sighed and focused on breathing. His mind was a jumble of thoughts flickering through his mind like lightning bolts, and he knew Evaran would not let him be.
“I am not going to suggest you say the word relax in your head,” said Evaran. “That does not seem to work with you. I want to try something else. You are a scientist. You use logic in your day-to-day job. Ask yourself this one question. How does losing control help the situation?”
Dr. Snowden’s nostrils flared as his breathing came under control. “It doesn’t.”
“Correct. Now, do you feel a tingling sensation anywhere on your body?”
Dr. Snowden nodded.
“Good. Imagine a wave of relaxation sweeping over the tingling sensations. Focus on the wave increasing until it is sweeping across your whole body. While this is occurring, rationalize your current state to yourself. Does it make sense to be in the state you are in?”
Dr. Snowden concentrated on the waves coursing through his left arm. The tingling sensation began to amplify. He focused on his right arm, and where there had been no tingling, it matched his left arm. After a few moments of moving the wave over every part of his body, he felt he could do a full wave from top to bottom. While this was occurring, he tried to rationalize losing control, but every answer was illogical to him. After a moment, he hopped up and gave Evaran a quizzical look. “The tingling. It’s … it’s everywhere.”
Evaran scanned Dr. Snowden with his ring, then looked at Lord Vygon.
Dr. Snowden looked at Lord Vygon. The usual odd movements that he had come to associate with Daedroulds, and vampires in particular, were gone. It was like Lord Vygon had normal movement. Dr. Snowden cocked his head. “What in the world …”
“Your senses are heightened,” said Evaran. “I suspect your focus is as well. Are you still angry?”
Dr. Snowden wrinkled his eyebrows as he looked at his hands. “No, and there was no reason to be. Whatever it is we saw sounded and looked like Emily, but was not her. The Emily we know is still out there somewhere, and we will continue looking for her.”
Lord Vygon smirked. “And we’ll find her, assuming you don’t knock me around again.”
Dr. Snowden extended a hand toward Lord Vygon. “Oh … sorry about that. I … I wasn’t thinking right. I am now, though.” He looked at Evaran. “I can’t believe that worked.”
Evaran nodded. “Oddly enough, I cannot either. It seems you have gained some ability to call upon your nanobots. Take solace in the knowledge that if you can do it, then Emily probably can too. It would give her an edge.”
Dr. Snowden let out a deep breath. “So what do we do about this other Emily?”
“That’s simple,” said Lord Vygon with a smile. “We find her and figure out what she is.”
Evaran nodded. He put a hand on Dr. Snowden’s shoulder and squeezed, then headed off down the hallway.
Lord Vygon gave Dr. Snowden a quick look, then followed Evaran.
Dr. Snowden followed Evaran while looking at his hands. He could feel the nanobots. The strength, speed, focus, and clarity he felt was intoxicating. There was probably a downside to being amped like this, but it took him from a blind rage to calm in an instant. He was not sure how long it would last, but it would be something he would practice when he had time.
His thoughts turned to the Emily he had seen. It was an exact replica of her, even down to the smell of her perfume. Was it a robot with her consciousness? Could it be that her consciousness was downloaded somehow into this new body? He shook his head as various thoughts and ideas of her origin bounced around in his head. Several times Lord Vygon had to tap his arm to get him to focus on where he was walking. One thing that bothered him was that if that was some clone or duplicate of Emily with her consciousness and thoughts, his and Evaran’s rebuff would have had a devastating impact on her. The guilt of that weighed on his mind. Emily was still his niece, in whatever form she was in.
Finding this new Emily and figuring out her origin was his new goal.
Emily continued her journey to the second research facility with sore muscles. The position she had slept in had been uncomfortable, even if it gave her peace of mind. The first breach came at about the eighteenth mile. The side had caved in, and a massive hole leading away from the tunnel became visible. An odd light danced inside the hole, giving the breach an unusual appearance against the darkness. The hairs on her neck rose. Skittering sounds echoed around the breach, punctuated by loud shrieks. They reminded her somewhat of the creatures near the pyramid.
She moved to the platform opposite the breach and tapped her light beacon off. As she crossed past the rail line, she sensed the presence that she had been feeling all along nearby. It seemed to be getting closer but at a slow pace. She wondered if it was responsible for shaking the door handle the previous night. The wall was her guide as she crept forward, and after a few moments, she had crossed past the breach. She snapped her head forward at the sound of something shuffling along the ground.
At a tap of her light beacon, several slug-like creatures the size of a small cat appeared. Their legless, ringed, plump white bodies had a black beaded head with antennae hanging off of it. Massive mandibles and a short tube above them rounded out the face. Her heart raced as she hit her light beacon and froze. Maybe they could not see. One thing she was certain of was the foul odor they seemed to emanate. She took exaggerated steps back to the side of the tunnel where the breach was.
When she was past the breach area, she let out a deep breath. The light from the breach she had passed did not filter down this far. She looked back and tapped her light beacon on and then off. In the brief moment it was on, she saw that the creatures had changed course and were slithering over to her. They must either have good smell or hearing, but she doubted the latter. Maybe they sensed vibrations. She took off running down the tunnel and jumped when she heard the shrieks intensify. It also coincided with the feeling that the presence was trying to keep pace with her. Maybe it got the slug-like creatures’ attention. It certainly had hers.
She turned on her light beacon and surveyed the environment. The noises from the creature were falling off
as she distanced herself from the breach. She wondered if the breach was active when the Coraanan were around, or sometime after their departure. The breach would have been fixed, she figured, if they were still around.
The side room at the twenty-mile mark came and went. She had taken a break in it with a locked door. Hopefully she would not have to revisit the rooms anytime soon. When she approached the twenty-five-mile mark, she took another rest. Her legs were throbbing from their previous soreness, and walking long distances was not something she did on a regular basis.
She moved her mouth around as she contemplated going to the next side room. It would put her within five miles, but if that presence decided to make itself felt, she might need her energy. Her face grew hot at the concept that something was stalking her. It was not enough that she was in an abandoned tunnel with unsafe areas in pitch-black conditions. There had to be something determined to follow her. She shook her head. This presence would know her wrath if it made a move.
She settled on the safer approach and decided to rest before continuing on. The next push would be to the second research station’s hub. It would be ten miles, and she would be tired and sore, but the thought of reaching it kept her focused. Although the trip so far had the presence and the breach, she felt better about it than if she had to go through the mountains. She could only imagine what creatures and terrain issues she would have had to deal with. She closed her eyes.
After several hours, a loud sound woke her up from her nap. She had been lying in a crumpled position with her feet at the door. She reached for her PSD and sat up against the back wall. Looking around, she could not see anything. Her nanobots began to tingle, making her more alert. She tilted her head, as she thought she was able to see a bit in the complete darkness. The nanobots gave her heightened senses, but to see in pitch-black surprised her.
Thwack!
This time, she saw that it was something being tossed at the window. Whatever it was, there was a creature out there that wanted in. She swallowed hard as she stood up. Her heartbeat took off as she surveyed the window. After thirty minutes of standing rigid, she began to relax. Whatever it had been, it seemed to have stopped. A brief thought ran through her mind that her resting pattern being disrupted may have been a goal. This would indicate some type of intelligence. Or maybe it just really wanted to get to her.
The rest of the day was filled with her tossing and turning after she had lain back down. Every slight noise made her jump. Her nerves were frazzled, but the second research facility with its creature comforts being not too far off consoled her.
She woke from her nap around 8:00 p.m. according to her PSD. The darkness in the tunnel was not helping her circadian rhythm. She sat up slumped against the wall. Her stomach was churning, and she had a headache. She missed Dr. Snowden, Evaran, and V and would give anything to be with them now. A tear ran down her cheek as she thought of never seeing them again.
She went through her morning routine at night, noting how odd it seemed. Her legs were looser, and her feet did not throb. The nanobots did not seem to need much rest to repair her body. She paused as she was about to leave. When she turned on her light beacon, it showed something smeared on the outside window. She grimaced as she exited the room. The smell from the window indicated it was feces spread out on it. It seemed the feces had been smeared by a set of hands. After a quick scan of her surroundings, she moved on.
As she approached the thirty-fifth mile, the lights on the sides of the tunnel began to shed light. It was still dim, but compared to the total darkness, it was a welcome change. She shut off her light beacon and quickened her pace. The thought of a hot shower and decent food danced in her mind. The presence had kept its distance but remained just out of visual range. Several times she peered back but never saw anything. It was there, though.
Her legs had gotten used to the walking, so they were not as sore as they were when she first started. As she continued on to the second research facility’s hub, the lighting became much brighter, and she enjoyed not having to squint. She stopped to relieve herself just a mile out from the hub. It was tedious to have to face toward where she had come from. She was in an awkward and vulnerable stance, bent over with one hand extended holding the PSD in case of an attack. After she cleaned up, she pressed on with the Torvatta in her mind. A half grin crept onto her face as she thought that if Evaran were here, he would send V to scout the tunnel. Having V around would make things so much easier. No wonder Evaran created him.
The sight of the transportation hub of the second research facility made her smile. She reflected on how odd it was to raise her lips. It seemed more natural to keep her lips flat. When she reached the door leading up to the facility, she noticed the console to the right of it showing the word Lockdown. Kicking and pushing against the door had no effect.
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. The thought that she might not be able to access the facility crossed her mind. She had assumed it would be available.
“Interface. Activate,” she said, looking around.
Nothing happened.
“Kal. Activate.” She jumped back when Kal appeared.
“Translation matrix has been initiated. Welcome to Coraanan research facility number sixteen. I am the virtual interface, Kal.”
“I know who you are. Why’s this facility in lockdown?”
“It was set when the Coraanan left.”
“Well … unlock it.”
“To change lockdown status, you must initiate it from a system inside the facility.”
She sighed. They must have kept one person inside just for this purpose. Unless they all left. She leaned back against the wall and snapped her head at Kal.
Through Kal’s semitransparent form, she saw the creature she had seen in the forest running toward her. This was the presence she had felt. The creature was humanoid, and its almost white face looked like someone had grabbed the chin and forehead and stretched them apart. The clothing on the humanoid was tattered, and its fingers were long, slender claws. Intense black eyes stared at her with hunger. The large mouth displayed razor-sharp teeth between its always-smiling lips. The strong smell of feces permeated the air.
Her heartbeat rampaged as her eyes popped open. The humanoid burst through Kal and slammed her into the wall. It stepped back and swiped. She blocked it with her arm, then cried out as the claws raked over the exposed area between the arm bone plates. The tingling sensation ramped up and coursed over her body. She kicked out and connected with the creature. It went flying back. Her head tilted as she watched it tumble away due to her kick. It seemed like everything had slowed down, but she could still move at normal speed. She shook her head and pulled out her PSD.
She fired a repulsion beam as the creature stood back up.
The creature held its ground as the repulsion blast washed over it.
She swallowed hard as she fired the stun beam at it.
The creature raised its arm and roared, then flipped to the side.
Although she knew it moved fast, it seemed to be moving at normal speed to her. The blasts had minimal effect on it, and this creature meant to kill. She extended the PSD into a staff and adopted a defensive posture.
The creature jumped around as it charged her.
As it got close, she sidestepped it. With a swing of the staff at its legs, it went tumbling forward and crashed face-first into the wall. Her blood boiled. She struck out at the backs of its legs. Snap!
The creature roared and pivoted around in an unnatural manner. It swiped at her.
She hit the wrist of the creature. Snap!
It roared again and slid to the side a few steps away. It extended its hand and, after a moment, had full motion with its wrist. The leg had already healed, by the way it was moving.
Her face turned red. This thing would follow her until it killed her. And it did not go down easily. Something that large with the ability to move around the way it did bothered her. She exhaled sharply. Enough was enough.
She was tired of this, physically and mentally.
“Come on!” said Emily as she held her staff in front of her.
The creature roared. It jumped from side to side as it angled toward her.
Her nanobots pulsed. The creature came closer. Her breath quickened. The creature dove at her. She jumped up and spun around, delivering a hit with all her strength to the back of the head. The creature fell to the floor and twitched.
Emily hustled up to it. “Why couldn’t you just leave me alone!” Tears cascaded down her face.
The creature tried to turn around.
“Why!” said Emily.
It was the creature or her. She rushed forward and struck the creature’s head repeatedly, crying between strikes.
The creature stopped moving.
She slumped against the wall as her breathing staggered. Tears ran off her cheeks. She just wanted to live. Why did everything want to kill her?
She stayed there for a bit as she focused on the next step. It seemed unusual to her that she was so focused. A creature was dead due to her directly killing it, yet she did not feel remorse like she thought she would. Kazaal was an indirect death, but this was her first kill. She thought that maybe she would go crazy, but her heightened state suggested otherwise.
With a calm determination, she stood up and walked over to the door leading up to the rest of the facility. Standing back, she delivered a kick that caved in a part of it. Several kicks later and the door was bent in enough that she could climb through. While grimacing, she took a last look at the dead creature, then climbed through the door.
Emily awoke the next morning after a long rest. She really liked the beds. They did not have the neural effect that beds on the Torvatta had, but they were soft, and the shape of the bed was inviting. The pillows were soft as well. It made her feel like the bed was holding her.
She looked at the ground as her legs swung over the side. Before she had gone to sleep, she locked the inner door to the transportation system. No way could she rest if that creature somehow regenerated and cheated death. She did not feel bad for killing it. It had tried to kill her, and she simply refused to be its victim. Her morning list of things to do included checking to see that the creature was still dead.
