by Nick Braker
They filed down the ramp toward the lower section, Grep following without a word.
Grep motioned for Magnus to hold up. He almost rolled his eyes again.
“Gang, head to engineering’s weapons locker. I’ll be right there,” said Magnus.
“Mag,” Grep said. “You know we have to do everything possible to stop this.”
Magnus nodded.
“We both know what wasn’t said on the bridge. If things fall apart, you will have to use the self-destruct sequence and take that wormhole out. We’ll keep our dead fingers crossed, hoping it destroys the portal and leaves most of Earth intact.”
“I understand it’s the last option on our list but right now, Magnus, I have no other ideas. I’ll get with the girls. We’ll come up with something, hopefully.”
“When this is over, maybe they’ll erect a statue in our honor,” Magnus quipped.
Grep chuckled, slipping his hands into his pockets.
“Mine would be in D.C.,” Grep returned, “but they’d probably put yours in some bordello in Vegas.”
“Perhaps, but mine would be bigger.”
“I guess I deserved that one. Hey, are you sure about bringing Brock and Warren with you? They could stay here,” Grep suggested.
Magnus felt his face tighten. Grep had an ulterior discussion point. Grep wanted to pull Warren and Brock off the ground crew team.
“They would argue us down and end up going anyway,” Magnus responded.
“They are not ready,” Grep told him. “Period.”
“We are doing what I hoped to avoid by bringing Warren and Brock. Let’s not waste time,” Magnus said.
Grep’s face flashed in anger.
“They are not ready--”
“Let it go,” Magnus said. “Focus on figuring out a way to destroy that thing.”
Magnus turned his back on Grep and walked away.
“They’re NOT ready!” Grep yelled. “You stupid shit.”
Grep’s blatant insult caught Magnus off guard but he decided not to address it, at least not right now. Grep was right but Warren and Brock would force the issue anyway. Besides, he wanted to push them. Hell, Brock was already showing signs of the alien augmentation. Warren needed this, too. They would be fine. Magnus caught up with the ground team.
“Everything okay, Magnus?” Zara asked.
“Yes,” he said, waving off her followup questions.
He opened the weapons locker and handed each of them a blaster.
“Nice,” Brock said. “How do these work short of pulling the trigger?”
“The safety is really an on/off button,” Zara demonstrated. “Push this switch with your trigger finger and then point, aim, fire. It can shoot very rapidly but it will heat up rapidly as well. Heat dissipation is a problem in long, drawn out firefights.”
“Fifteen seconds,” Jules said over the comm-system.
“Firefight?” Warren ventured.
“Whoever started this could still be here and they certainly do not want us interfering,” Zara said.
“Damn, I forgot about the aliens,” Brock said.
“I haven’t. Now let’s get to the exterior ramp. We’re almost there,” Magnus ordered. “Zara, tell the girls to add us four to the team broadcast.”
Grep would already have his set, so he nodded at Warren and Brock to adjust theirs. They turned to leave, walking by three spacesuits suspended in a small alcove. Magnus did a double take.
“Are those still usable?” he asked, pointing at the suits.
“Yes. We re-engineered them. They adjust to fit most humans now,” Zara told him.
“You three put them on. No arguments,” he ordered.
“Yes sir, Captain.” Brock said in a mocking tone.
“No problem, Mag,” Warren told him.
Zara didn’t move but, when he glared at her, she acquiesced. The three grabbed the suits and ran to catch up with him. At the ramp, he watched them put on the suits. The ramp opened quietly as he pushed the appropriate control button on the panel. His ears popped from the sudden drop in pressure and he instinctively shifted away from the ramp’s opening. The pressure drop wasn’t unbearable but the suddenness of it had caught him off guard. The three looked at each other and then sealed their helmets into place. Magnus nodded at them, heading down the ramp.
The ship sat close to the entrance with the ramp no more than a hundred feet from the doors.
“Nice work, Jules,” he said, keeping his distance from the doors.
He smiled knowing she could see him on the ship’s screens. When she didn’t respond, he sighed.
“Grep, are we all broadcasting together over our EPs?” Magnus asked.
“Yes,” Grep said.
The facility in front of them was above ground at this point. It extended several hundred feet both left and right. Two doors stood wide open in front of them. The security locks on the two doors were useless, unable to close under the pressure of the wind.
“These doors must be used for loading. Rare to see them designed to open inwardly,” Zara said.
“Luck?” Warren asked, smirking.
“Let’s move,” Magnus ordered.
The pressure of the wind grew stronger from behind as they approached the doors. It forced its way into the facility in an attempt to equalize with the lower pressure inside. From outside the facility, he could see the white-walled corridor was barren. Magnus motioned to hold.
“If we get any closer, we’re going to be swept up in that vacuum. Why the hell are the doors open anyway?” he shouted.
The howl of the storm around them and the noise of the wind rushing into the facility forced Magnus to yell. It was dark enough to limit visibility outside but inside the facility still had power.
“I don’t know but it’s getting darker,” Brock yelled.
“I have a guess,” Zara said. “They had to open the doors or the vacuum within would have suffocated them all or killed them outright. The other end of the facility near the portal must be completely exposed, creating a massive low-pressure zone within the complex. This door fixes that. The other exterior doors are likely open as well.”
“Well, I guess it wasn’t luck then,” Warren said.
Debris flew by them, quickly drawn out of sight within the corridor. They couldn’t enter with the wind like this. They would end up dead in the portal a mile away or dead somewhere along the way from physical trauma alone.
“Grep, do you have any ideas?” he asked through the EP device.
“Yes, I’m working on it now. I’m trying to hack their security. If I break in, I could shut the pressure lock doors within the facility, letting you get in safely. I need a few more seconds....”
The few seconds that followed seemed like an eternity.
“Okay, I’m in. Accessing. Shutting one of the doors now.”
The vacuum from within the complex slowed and then stopped, releasing its hold on the security doors, which were now starting to close.
“Brock!” Magnus yelled. “Get those doors.”
Brock was already moving. He sprinted the distance. He was still several yards away when one door closed in the locked position but the other door, tenths of a second slower, was still closing. Brock took an extra step to try and gain momentum. He dove, extending his right arm, landing inches from the door and sliding forward. The door had less than an inch of space remaining when his fingers slipped in between. He cursed as the door smashed his hand. His weight kept him moving forward and he slammed into it, freeing his hand and securing the door open.
“Damn, man. Nice,” Warren told him.
He stood, holding the door open as they entered.
“Is your hand okay?” Zara asked, putting hers on his chest.
“Yeah, pretty lady. It is.”
Brock’s eyes grimaced in pain after Zara turned to enter.
His fingers are probably broken.
“Why didn’t we just blast the doors?” Brock asked, still clutching his hand.
/> “Didn’t want to attract any attention or waste power on the doors. They’re reinforced, in case you hadn’t noticed,” Magnus said.
“Okay, why didn’t we have Grep open them?”
“Exterior doors are not computer controlled,” Grep answered. “Security reasons.”
Brock sighed.
“Eggheads...”
The corridors were well-lit but completely empty. The facility’s white walls reminded him of those in hospitals.
“Tactical positions. Let’s move through this place quickly. Urgency over safety. Jules, get that ship back to the portal. Do you guys have any ideas yet?”
“Yes,” Seph said. “Grep and I have a plan. The shields protect the hull by keeping matter from hitting it. Our atmosphere is matter. We are thinking we can project the shields around the wormhole, cutting off its air supply--”
“Damn it, you mean we didn’t have to come down here?” Brock asked, pissed.
He still held his hand protectively.
“If you would stop interrupting me and let me finish,” she scolded. “We can hold the shields around the ship indefinitely but projecting them around a large, growing object will be costly and possibly overload the generators. Regardless, we will lose all power in 30 seconds - that is, if we did it right now. It will fail sooner as it grows larger. We have to hurry.”
“What a minute,” Brock argued. “If the shields keep the air off the ship, why did Jules have a hard time keeping the ship in position near the wormhole?”
“The shields absorb that force and spread it across themselves first and then to the ship’s armored hull. Ultimately, what pushes against the shields pushes against the ship.” Seph explained.
“Brock, enough chatter. Jules, get the ship back and hold it at a safe position. Work it out and on my order, we’ll activate it. We only need a few moments to destroy that electrical generator. Everything hinges on us taking that thing out,” Magnus said.
“Zara, you know the way?” Magnus asked.
“Yes,” she smiled. “I have the facility memorized.”
“I’ll go first but we need to get there in minutes,” Magnus urged. “Keep moving as fast as you can, people.”
Magnus set the pace, sprinting through the hallways. The corridors were completely empty with most of the doors along the way open. The vacuum had cleaned out the interior of the hallways from the security door and likely all the way to the exposed corridor near the wormhole. Now all that remained was the sound of their labored breathing and their footsteps on the hard flooring.
“Grep, which door did you close?” Magnus asked, breathing hard.
“There’s one that splits the generator and portal hallway from the rest of the facility. I closed that bulkhead door. You are clear to that point. I’ll keep the rest open along the way.” Grep said.
“That’s just short of a mile away,” Brock exclaimed.
“Suck it up,” Seph said. “The world is depending on you. Good thing the other three are there.”
“Speaking of suck,” Brock blurted out, unable to keep from laughing at his own joke.
Seph ignored him.
“Any life signs ahead of us, Mira?” Magnus asked.
“None, it’s just you four,” she said.
“Then I need to amend my comment from earlier,” said Zara. “Those security doors were not kept open for those within the facility.”
She unsealed her helmet and pulled it off, mid-run. Brock and Warren did likewise. Their labored breathing was etched in their faces, sweat pouring as they continued to run. Warren held his sides and his face was deep red from the effort.
“I should have worked out more,” Brock said, trying to catch his breath.
“Stop complaining,” Warren wheezed. “I’m about to lose a lung.”
The hallway split through an area marked Research and Development. Several offices and laboratories could be seen behind large glass panels that filled the top half of the hallway walls. Magnus’ scalp prickled and the hair lifted on the back of his neck. They were exposed. Running through this section left them vulnerable to several ambush points. He increased the pace. They still had several minutes more running ahead of them when Warren started to fall behind.
“Go on without me. I just can’t keep up. Too much at stake,” he said, stopping.
Warren bent over, resting his hands on his knees. He struggled just to take a breath. Magnus stopped, then Brock and Zara. He had brought Warren along hoping to push him but now he would have to leave him behind.
Would he be safer if I did?
He didn’t want to leave him but Warren was right. They had to go on.
“All right, bro. Catch up when you can,” Magnus said, nodding.
“I just need a minute to catch my breath,” Warren said, still wheezing.
Magnus turned, motioning the other two to follow, then suddenly twisted and dove back toward Warren.
“Get down,” Magnus screamed.
Magnus had seen movement and then a gun. The gun protruded from one of the offices, pointing down the hallway at Warren. He lunged in Warren’s direction as the gun went off. Warren hadn’t even moved but Magnus was already there. The bullet hit Magnus’ left arm in mid-dive. He landed on his left side, crushing his arm under his own weight. He couldn’t even use it to slow his fall. His shoulder broke with a loud crack. Cringing, he pulled out his blaster and returned fire. Brock and Zara had already fired and had moved to the same wall as the attacker. Warren dropped, crawling over to join them. The attacker’s doorway was obliterated by four alien blasters, hitting it at nearly the same time.
“Mag, are you okay?” Warren asked.
“Fine,” he cringed. “But she got away. I saw her run back through those offices,” he indicated, jerking his head in the direction of her escape. “We have to keep moving, though. We can’t afford to slow down and I bet she wants us to chase her. Warren, you got this?”
“Yeah, I got this,” replied Warren. “I’ll take a position further down the corridor in the last office. I’ll hold it, keeping her off your back if she decides to chase. Go!”
Magnus put his left forearm into his shirt, holding it there with his hand. The trio took off again down the hallway. They reached the end of that corridor and turned left. Magnus stopped to look back. Warren had a good position. He could hold it if the alien decided to try again.
“Good luck, bro,” Magnus said in his EP.
“Aye,” Warren said, still wheezing. “I got this.”
The corridor split again and they turned right down the longest stretch of the run. This one led straight to the corridor connecting the wormhole and the generator. He could see the closed bulkhead door ahead in the distance. He brushed his good hand through his hair. If that door opened, the vacuum would return and they would be pushed into space in mere seconds. There wouldn’t be a damn thing he could do to stop it.
Chapter 27
EARTH’S REDEEMER
Paris, France - Wormhole Research Facility
They stopped in front of the bulkhead door. Each of them was exhausted from the run but it wasn’t over and they couldn’t afford any time to rest. The door in front of them was almost as large as the hallway. It was cargo-sized like the security doors they had entered earlier. It was intentionally large to allow easier transport of large machinery. According to Zara’s map, on the other side of this bulkhead was a perpendicular corridor. It was roughly 500 feet long with the electrical generator room to the left. To the right was what remained of the corridor protruding from the earth. Just outside that corridor was a perfectly formed, manmade, red circle of death. He planned to go left to shut down the power source itself. If they couldn’t shut it down normally, he would order them all to blast the generator to pieces.
“Grep, what about that forcefield?” he asked.
“Mag, we have it ready but the portal has grown faster than we thought it would. Its growth rate is exponential, not linear.”
“On my w
ay,” Warren said, interrupting them. “Alien hasn’t shown her face. Be right there.”
“Okay, Warren,” Magnus replied. “Grep, how much power do you have to keep the forcefield active?”
There was a delay in Grep’s response.
“Grep?”
“Twelve seconds.”
“Shit!”
“Twelve seconds?” Brock said. “We need more time than that, dude.”
“It’s the best we can do,” Grep told him. “The portal is over a mile in circumference. You have twelve seconds, soon it will be less.”
Magnus rubbed his temples and then the back of his neck.
Time to step up. No more second guessing. People’s lives depend on me. The world depends on me.
They had twelve seconds. They would have to wait for the door to open and then run 250 feet to the generator room to shut it down or destroy it before the shields failed and the portal sucked them into space.
“Grep, activate that forcefield, then open this door and the doorway to the Electrical Generator room if it’s closed. We’ll rush in and try to shut it down. If not, we’ll take up positions around it and blow it up,” Magnus ordered.
If they tried to blow up the generator, it would probably kill them all but they had no choice. Zara would know the implications of that decision.
Will she do it, though? Is she capable of self-sacrifice?
He knew she was already playing out the various scenarios they would encounter in her mind. If she balked, it would be here at the doorway.
What about Warren? He’ll never get here in time but if we fail, can he try? Will he try?
Brock, on the other hand, would storm in guns blazing, no questions asked.
“Mag, one other thing. When we close the portal, the vacuum will stop but hundreds of miles of atmosphere are still moving this way. You may experience a very intense high pressure effect. The suits will help protect the others--”
“I don’t care. Do it,” Magnus ordered. “And close it behind us. Warren will be safe if things go bad. You three put your helmets back on.”
“To hell with that, Mag,” Warren yelled through the EP device, still running to catch up with them.
“DO IT NOW! That is an order!” Magnus barked the order sharply.
