“No, no … This cannot be happening. Not this, too,” I cry, freezing in place.
Fenton spins around and asks, “Wha’s tha’ now?”
“Shhhhh,” Without moving a muscle, I whisper, “That’s the Morph.”
Panic floods the faces around me. At the same time, an electric crackle shifts through the breeze making the tree branches around us groan.
“What the hell are we supposed to do?” Kani exclaims, “We can’t stay here. I don’t wanna end up like Runa’s brother, nor do I feel like being eaten by the Morph, thank you.”
“Then run—run as fast as you can,” I exclaim, turning to run toward the cavern entrance. Kani pushes past me, running faster than any of us, as the electric crackle emits again, much closer than the first time. The Morph lets out a strange howl, nearly a cry.
“Is it being attacked?” Trae asks to no one in particular as he looks over his shoulder. “This would be a good time to hit it from another direction,” he twists around and stabilizes his elbow against his knee, then takes aim with Jane. He fires in the general location we last heard the Morph.
There’s no way I’m stopping to watch. Instead, I race for all I’m worth beside Kani and Fenton into the tunnels, scrambling over the frozen, slippery rocks. I know exactly what the Morph’s capable of. Seconds behind us, Trae follows us in and another vehement howl from just outside the exit reverberates off the walls inside the cavern.
“What the hell?” Kani repeats, “What the hell? It’s going to follow us in.”
“Not if I can help it,” Trae says as he takes aim again, pointing the sonic resonator toward the opening. He pulls the trigger and blue dots along side of the barrel light up from the trigger to the end.
“Did it work?” I ask, scrambling backward further.
“We’ll find out,” Trae says, holding his position.
We’re a few meters from the entrance, but the cavern begins to rumble around us again. The force is more fierce than it was before and an avalanche of boulders and snow flood into the opening, effectively blocking the way out. Ice chunks the size of my head skid across the cavern floor, coming to a final halt directly in front of us. The cavern goes deafeningly quiet.
“Well, there goes tha’ way out,” Fenton says matter-of-factly, “On tha upside, a’ least the Morph can’t ge’ in.”
“C’mon, we better head out. Who knows how long before the rest of the entrance collapses. We need to get to the Lateral as quickly as possible. I need to debrief Delaney ASAP,” Trae stands up, offering me his hand.
I take his offering and stand up, unsure what to say. Everything inside me is screaming for my brother. To have the last ten minutes of my life turned back so I could save him. Call to him before the creature got to him. Something.
Trae pauses for a moment, searching my face. Then he reaches out and slides his hand in mine. “I know this is all a lot to process. But you’re not alone. You’ve got us. Okay?”
“You don’t know me, Trae. You don’t know anything about what I’m going through,” I release his hand and start walking.
Trae stands in place with a wounded expression, but he let’s me continue on my own.
Kani steps forward, her eyes glinting with determination. “I don’t know about you, but I need more of my knives before heading to the Lateral. If any of those damn things come for us, I’m gonna be ready.”
A low tremor begins again and none of us stop to question what to do next. We start running toward the Haven. We don’t get far when my insides lurch and an eerie déjà vu creeps over me. The tunnel, the lightning, my worries, all of it fades away and white light consumes me.
The feminine voice from the Oasis is now an urgent calling in my mind.
We know you need answers. Videus has claimed your brother and he’s coming for you. We are working hard to protect you, but you must leave the confines of the underground. It’s time you come to us at the Tree of Burden. You and you alone must enter the Tree and put an end to this. Videus has been hunting for the Tree through the millennia—you must reach it before he does, or all knowledge regarding your purpose will be forever lost. The safety of all you cherish, and the world at large, depends on you, Daughter of Five. Find your Guardian— Tethys will help you complete your mission and get to the Tree. Trust her.
The Tree has your answers.
11
Runa
“DO SOMETHING, KANI,” Trae’s strained voice reaches me first.
“For crying out loud. Relax, Traeton. She’s alive. Pupils are dilating. Pulse is strong,” Kani replies, “Other than her crazy fast healing and creepy eye, she’s the spitting image of normal.”
“I’d like ta know wha’ tha H-E-double Helix jus’ ’appened?”
The ground rumbles quietly beneath me, stirring me from the depths I’ve been lingering in.
“From what I can tell, she’s had a syncopic episode,” Kani says.
“Kani, please. Use English,” Trae moans.
Kani sighs, “She fainted.”
“Well, she picked a fantastic time ta fall unconscious. A’ least tha tremors are startin’ ta subside,” Fenton says.
“Yeah, super,” Kani mutters, “We still need to get out of here to let the others know the entrance is blocked. Amongst other things.”
My eyes flutter open as Trae places his hands on my shoulders, but everything feels unreachable as I struggle to regain my equilibrium. His forehead is etched deep with lines of worry.
“Runa. Are you okay? Wow, I feel like I ask that a lot,” Trae shakes his head and takes a seat on the ground next to me. He props his elbow on his bent knee and runs his hand through his disheveled blue hair.
“I—I’m okay, I think,” I begin, struggling to push myself to a seated position.
The Tree has answers …
My mind swirls with a new sense of purpose. I can’t let Baxten’s death mean nothing. I need to get back to the Tree before this Videus has a chance to get anything else he wants. He’s taken something from me I can never get back and for that, I will stand in his way.
“Did you get hit on the head by falling debris?” Traeton’s eyes narrow and he asks Kani, “Should she be moving?”
Her shoulders inch toward her ears, “She’d be the one to ask.”
“I know you don’t believe me, but this is all my fault,” I blurt out, staring at the rocks spattered across the floor, “The attack on the cave system. My brother. All of it.”
I place my hands on the ground, attempting to get up, but Trae grabs hold of my forearms and helps me stand. I glare at him, wishing for a moment I could be left alone to grieve in peace.
“How do you figure?” Trae asks.
“When I left the Helix, it wasn’t under the best circumstances and I have reason to believe someone’s hunting me,” I confess. “This isn’t going to stop. They’ll be back.”
“I knew it,” Kani mutters, pacing back and forth.
“Ya mean tha Labots?” Fenton interjects.
“I’m not sure,” I admit, tracing a fingertip on my unscathed eyebrow. As far as I know, they could be involved, “Have any of you ever heard of someone named Videus?”
I search their faces as I say the name out loud for the first time.
“I’ve heard the name before, but can’t place where. Who is he?” Trae asks.
“Someone I’ve been warned to be cautious of. Unfortunately, I don’t even know what he looks like,” I reply, “I could use a Helix mainframe search …”
Kani steps forward and says, “Even if you could connect out here, the Helix would surely have flagged you by now. Your presence has been gone too long from the system.”
“So?”
“So … Remember what we said about the way the Helix doesn’t particularly like that sorta thing?” Kani spits.
“Yeah, but Landry can crack into just about anything without being detected,” Trae offers, “Including the Helix.”
Kani raises her hands and walks away,
“Your burial, then.”
“Hey— I could crack in, too … If I ’ad tha equimen’ he has,” Fenton moans.
“Now there’s something to be proud of,” Kani says sarcastically as she turns the corner.
Fenton makes a face and shrugs, “Well, I could.”
“And you think he could go in undetected?” I ask. If we can get more information on Videus, I could be forearmed before going to the Tree. I’d know what to look for.
“Tha Helix operates within an authentication system. If we can find a work ’round ta trick tha eLink into believing tha access is legitimate, it’ll work. Then again, been a while. Landry’ll know more,” he concedes.
Trae turns to me, his dark eyes surveying me closely. “If you’re good, Runa, let’s head to the Lateral and we can do some digging. Whatever’s going on, we need to sort this out.”
“Thank you,” I breath a sigh of relief, “I’m sorry for getting you involved, though.”
“Technically, I got us involved by bringing you here.”
“Good point,” I tell him.
More than anything, I wish I could get the sickly smell from the fire out of my nostrils.
“Well, I suppose we should follow after the others. Lead the way.” I sweep my hand out, allowing him to go in front.
“Nah. We go together,” Trae says, tipping his head to the way the others went, “Let’s go.”
We walk together in silence for a few minutes. Even the cavern system has gone eerily quiet and I keep expecting another rumble to happen at any moment. I stare blankly ahead of me, drained from everything that’s just transpired.
Eventually, Trae turns to me, “Just so you know, it’s gonna take us nearly an hour to get to Landry’s. If you start getting tired, you tell me, okay? We’ll take a break.”
“Okay,” I agree.
We reach a large metal door and gain access to the recognizable section in the cavern’s inner workings they call the Safe Haven. Truthfully, I hadn’t even noticed the door when we had been running to escape to the outside. As we cross the threshold, I inhale the familiarity deeply. If I follow all of the expectations laid out by the voice, this could be the last time I’m in this space.
The glow from two holographic screens in a room on the right illuminates the space and floods into the hallway.
“This is the Control Room,” Trae says.
I step into the room, as Trae places the sonic resonator on a standard rapid-charging port on the table inside. Kani is busy strapping two more knives to her body. She offers one to Fenton, who flashes his hands in dismissal in front of him.
“Nah. Tha’s yer thing, love.”
“Suit yourself,” Kani gives me a stern expression as she walks out.
Fenton winks as he follows after her.
I lean into Trae, “What’s with the knives?”
“She’s just comfortable with them as a means of protection. Kani’s never been big on technology because she says it can malfunction when you need it most.”
“Makes a certain amount of sense,” I say, “Has she always been so … terse?”
Trae laughs, “Pretty much, but she means well. She had a hard life in the Helix, too.”
“Why?” I walk to the door, watching her black ponytail bob from side to side as she continues down the hall.
“Now, that’s her story to tell,” Trae smirks at me.
The path we continue on is familiar and will eventually bring us to the Oasis. As we walk, all I can think about is my brother. And retribution. If Videus is behind this—he will pay.
Finally, we reach the Oasis. The cool, clean smell in the air cleanses away some of the fire and reminds me of so many things. It was the first time the voice invaded my mind. But more than that—it reminds me of Trae’s consistent desire to help me.
My heart constricts. These new feelings I have for him—they’re strange and strong. What will happen if I listen to the voice and return to the Tree? Will I see him again?
We continue onward and after a while, the tunnels all start to appear the same to me. Finally, as we round another twist, we come face to face with an extremely tall, muscular man. He’s clad in black trousers, and his shoulder-length black hair rests against his fitted red shirt. As we approach, he straightens, giving the appearance he’d make a great wall. His dark eyes immediately rest on Trae, who shifts beside me, and mutters something under his breath.
Kani and Fenton step aside, allowing us to approach the man. His black eyes are murderous, but he doesn’t say a word. Instead, he steps up in front of us, blocking us from traveling further.
“Ash,” Trae says, standing toe-to-toe with him, “We’re on our way to see Landry.”
Ash raises his eyebrows, but maintains his silence.
Ash … what an appropriate name after the recent events.
“Yes, yes …” Trae continues, not waiting for Ash to respond, “I will go see Delaney, too.”
I glance between the two of them, trying to figure out their body language. Trae’s certainly intimidated, but holding his own.
The muscles in Ash’s neck bulge and his massive head tilts toward me, “This the girl?”
“Yeah,” Trae swallows hard, glancing my direction, “Runa, this is Ash. Ash, this is Runa.”
Ash’s eyes search me up and down. I raise an eyebrow and channel Kani.
Turning back to Trae, he steps aside and says, “Ten hours.”
“I know. Do you need to keep reminding me?” Trae spits, running his hand through his hair and stepping around Ash.
I stumble on Trae’s heels, wanting to get as far away from Ash’s dark eyes as possible.
“What was that all about?” I ask when we are far enough out of earshot.
“Oh, you gotta be kidding me. You haven’t told her?” Kani says from behind us.
I look over my shoulder and ask, “Tell me what?”
Trae blows out a slow burst of air. “I’m leaving soon.”
“You are?” My voice cracks unexpectedly, “What happened to finding out what’s going on? Or bringing me to the Tree?”
Trae’s lips take on the appearance of a thin line and I turn to the others.
“Trae’s s’posed ta go on a mission fer tha Lateral soon,” Fenton offers, “In ten hours, I s’pect.”
“Oh.” Disappointment sweeps over me and I ask, “Will you be gone long?”
The silence growing between us elongates, making my stomach clench in knots. I didn’t realize how much I was leaning on his support until this very moment.
“Yeah. The mission could take a while, unfortunately,” he finally offers.
“More like months,” Kani says.
“I see,” I breathe. The wind feels like it’s been knocked out of me. Of this new group of friends, Trae’s been the one I feel most connected to. The one I felt I could trust to help me. With Baxten gone now, I’m utterly alone in this world.
“Don’t worry, Runa. I’ll stick this thing out with you first. The threat happening to the Lateral is more pressing than the mission. I’m sure Delaney will agree,” Trae offers, “If this Videus is a part of it, then we are all on the same mission for answers.”
“It’s okay, Trae. I appreciate what you’ve done so far. Don’t feel like you need to stick around for me.” I tell him, trying to sound sincere.
I turn, continuing to walk down the tunnel.
Our trip to the place they call the Lateral feels like it takes forever as we each walk in silence. Eventually, the lamps carved into the walls flicker softly and light our way to a larger, open area. Trae stops, allowing me to go out first.
I stand at the top of a large staircase meandering back and forth down an enormous cliffside, to what I presume is the Lateral—hundreds of feet below. Our little Safe Haven is nothing in comparison to this—this is an underground city.
The Lateral is encased within a large circular boundary, which had to take some work to build. The high walls arc around the main part of the city made up
of small buildings. They sprawl out across the circle in green geometric patterns with walkways in between. The walkways link to a central location in the middle part of the city—almost like spokes on a wheel. The lights of the city seem to be a combination of electricity and natural candlelight and it’s breathtaking.
“It may be pretty from up here, but after all these steps, you’re gonna wonder what the hell was so terrific about it,” Kani mutters as she pushes past and starts down the stairs.
I follow after her, but the woman is on a mission to complete all the steps in record time. Eventually, Fenton pushes past me, too, trying to keep up with her. After a few minutes of step after step, they stop at the nearest landing and wait for Trae and I to catch up. So far, I’ve counted four hundred twenty-three steps—and we’re just past the halfway mark. Kani’s toe taps a rhythm on the rock.
“Newbies,” Kani says, leaning against the sculpted half-wall encasing the stairs.
The closer we get, the more details spring out of the city. I don’t know what most of it even does. The rooftops are full of plants. There’s so much green. People, too—walking from place to place. Some sitting on benches or near—trees?
“Green trees? How is this possible down here?” I raise a finger and point.
“Special lights. See those?” Trae points at some large fixtures hanging from the very top of the cavern ceiling, suspended within a couple hundred feet of the city. “Those are high-intensity discharge, multi-spectrum lights, but we call them HDMs. Basically, they mimic the sun’s light, allowing us to grow things. Things like trees and food. See all the green on the rooftops? Those are gardens.”
I stare in awe, my troubles temporarily suspended. “That’s amazing.”
“Yeah, kinda is,” he says, “The lights are timed to turn on and off in a pattern sustainable to the plants—basically, one like Earth. It gives some hours of light, and some hours of complete darkness. Helps set circadian rhythms to a more normal level, too. If you watch carefully, you’ll notice they’re dimming. It’s closer to evening, and the light should be waning.”
The Complete Pendomus Chronicles Trilogy: Books 1-3 of the Pendomus Chronicles Dystopian Scifi Boxed Set Series Page 10
