'Who is he?' another voice said.
'Commander Nick Chambers is the leader of the Beacon Attack Force. He is in charge of the assault on Havers Compound, or he was. I think your combat operation is over now, Nick.'
'Go to hell.'
Mekinet News building
The Mekinet News building's power grid had been shut down for several hours. The heating systems were down too. Rachel stepped into darkness, feeling the cool air across the back of her neck. Her small torch wasn't as powerful as she had hoped. She was starting to wish that she had brought something more substantial. But maybe a small torch was a blessing in disguise. If she made herself too visible, she might end up with a hole right through her head. She couldn't think of anyone in the building who wouldn't want to shoot her. Even the Security Forces might take a shot in the dark before asking her why she was there.
Rachel brushed a hand through her hair. It was damp at the back from all the rain. So far, she had found the Mekinet News building rather confusing. There was something about its layout that didn't make any sense at all. It didn't help that she had rather unusual requirements. Green emergency lights showed the way out in case of fire, but there were no signs explaining how to get to the basement levels in case of a blackout. This was her father's building. She knew it wasn't as simple as heading down.
Her theory was proved when she had to climb a flight of stairs to find the main lobby, even though she had entered on the ground level. She now realised that the ground level at the back of the building was one level below the ground level at the front of the building. It was very confusing.
She made it into the lobby, raising one hand to shield her eyes from the bright white floodlights that had been set up on the street outside, and noticed that the windows were all broken, and the carpet was covered in glass. A lot of people were arguing outside. With so many bright lights, there was no place left for her to hide. Rachel ran across the lobby, hoping that nobody would notice her if she was quick enough. When she reached the other side of the lobby, she slipped around a corner and waited. Nobody called out. Nobody followed her inside. She hoped they were all too caught up in their own troubles outside.
She walked down a wide corridor at the back of the lobby and tried calling the lift. The button on the wall didn't work. With the power out, that probably shouldn't have been too surprising. She had called it out of habit before she had really thought about it. She recognised the wide archway to her left. It led to the entrance of a stone stairwell. She had visited the building many times with her father but she had always been confused by its endless labyrinth of corridors and levels.
Walking towards the stairs, she glanced over the handrail. Blackness extended into infinity below. If anybody was waiting down there, she wouldn't know about it until she met them face to face. It would have been a lot easier to find her way down to the basement if the power hadn't been turned off, but there was nothing she could do about that now. She couldn't ask Thompson to turn the power back on. She wasn't even supposed to be in the building. Thompson would just have her arrested if she asked for any help. What a mess she was in.
Rachel hoped Riser Trent was finding the blackout as much of an inconvenience as she was. At least that would put them on an equal footing. Her impact pistol felt slippery in her hands. She wiped her sweaty palms on her combat trousers so she wouldn't make any fatal mistakes if it came down to a gunfight in the dark.
Was she really going to go through with this? She would have to move soon before anyone else entered the lobby. She wasn't sure how long the other Security Forces would wait outside. She took hold of the handrail to steady herself while she gathered her thoughts.
Trent had taken her father hostage so he could use him as a bartering tool. Some people had no respect for life. Trent was a low-life hacker. He didn't care about anyone but himself. If he was willing to hurt her father to get what he wanted, maybe she would make sure to hurt him in return. Her anger returned to her, and with anger came courage. Rachel shook her head. She couldn't let Trent get the better of her. Slipping her impact pistol back into its holster, she held onto the handrail and began her descent. She knew she had a long way to go.
Not Alone
The stairs descended for three flights without a break. After that, they opened up onto a small landing that was surrounded by doors on each side. Peering inside with her torch, Rachel found that two of the doors led to storage rooms. One was stacked high with boxes of toilet paper and some old worn out mops. The other was empty except for several dead spiders. Rachel shuddered. She couldn't stand crawling creatures.
The last door had a symbol above it that she couldn't make out at all. It looked like it might be broken. She was beginning to think she might have to double back and find another way, but when she pushed the door open, she was relieved to find that it led to another staircase, leading deeper into the underground levels.
The new staircase had a metal handrail that looked as though it had seen hard times. Only a few flakes of its original red paint remained. The steps were more chunky than those above, and more damaged. It looked as though heavy equipment had been dragged up and down them for many years. Rachel stared over the handrail, seeing nothing but darkness below. She didn't want to shine her light to the bottom of the stairwell in case it attracted the wrong kind of attention. Her torch probably wasn't powerful enough to reach the bottom levels anyway.
Rachel passed many levels on the way down. She found doorways that lead off in all directions, but none of them looked likely to be Trent's hideout. He was supposed to be down in the basement, but how could she be sure that he hadn't moved to another level after the power had been turned off? It was an enormous building. She couldn't rule anything out.
So many of the rooms showed signs of long-term neglect. Opening one door that was marked with the name of an office executive, Rachel found herself in a cupboard full of mops and cleaning materials. Some of these rooms probably hadn't been used for years. She wondered why her father had let the place get into such a state. It wasn't like him at all. Probably he hadn't been down to the lower levels for many years.
After descending countless steps for another half hour, the silence was becoming oppressive. Rachel could hear her own breathing and see her breath steaming in front of her. She felt like she had become lost in some great underground cavern. She couldn't remember how many levels she had descended, but she guessed that she must now be well underneath the city. The Mekinet News building was a labyrinth without end.
She froze when she heard a noise up ahead, her heart racing in the dark corridor. 'Who's there?' she said.
There was no response. She pointed her torch straight ahead, staring at the small illuminated patch on the grey stone wall in front of her. It was too easy for someone to hide in such a dark confusing place. There were too many shadows, and too many doors and corridors that led in circles. Lifting her impact pistol from its holster, she held it out in front of her, but she was afraid to use it. What if it was her father? What if he had escaped from Trent and was now trying to escape the madness of his own news building? He could be anywhere in the basement levels, wandering among the stairwells on his own. She couldn't afford to let off wild shots at unseen targets.
Rachel stood in silence for a long time. Her breathing slowed and her mind started to unwind. Her thoughts unfolded like the petals of a blooming flower as the hard edges of the world melted around her. She let her awareness flow out from her body, encompassing the doors and walls around her. The cold stone chilled her ribs as though she had become part of it. She could feel the rough texture of the walls without needing to reach out and touch them. Her mouth felt dry as though her tongue had been re-made from porous stone, making her thirsty in a way she had never experienced before. She was the wall, and the wall was her. A grid-work of cold metal struts reinforced her body, and warm air surrounded her. The warmth filled her, then spilled out again, forming a rose coloured patch across the wall's surface.
>
Rachel drifted back into her own body, staring at the wall from afar. It felt different this time. She understood the grey stone like never before. It was solid, but she could feel the uneven patterns of its warmth. The warmer stone glowed orange, forming the silhouette of a man.
Her mind swam in circles that she couldn't understand. Something was happening to her. Lately she had been seeing and feeling things that weren't there. None of it was real. Somehow that made her feel better. If it wasn't real, then it couldn't harm her. She felt calm, comfortable and at peace. She was herself again and the wall was just a wall. She wished she could just forget what she had seen, but she knew there was a man standing behind the wall, even if she didn't understand how. Denying her own reasoning did nothing to make it any less true.
'I'm armed,' she said, partly to herself, 'and I know you're there. Step out slowly.'
'Don't hurt me,' a man's voice said. 'I'm just a business associate of Mr Neech.' A head popped out from behind the wall and the man offered a nervous smile. His thin black hair was combed back, oiled in the same way as her father's. She watched him as he stepped out into the dark corridor, his empty hands held out to each side.
Rachel wasn't surprised to see him. She had seen his silhouette, hadn't she? No. She couldn't have. She held her impact pistol out in front of her, but she lowered her hand so it pointed at his mid section rather than his head.
'Who are you?' she said. 'Do you really know my father?'
'Your father?'
'Ario Neech. Do you know where he is?'
'Ario is your father? Then you must be Rachel. He told me so much about you. I'm his business colleague, Timothy Raisson.'
Rachel used her torch to examine the man. He was wearing an expensive suit, not the kind of clothes that a hacker or soldier would wear. His shoes looked shiny and new. He was a slim man, toned but not athletic. He didn't look like a physical threat. His nose looked like it had never been broken so she knew he couldn't have been combat trained. He looked just like a regular businessman, the kind of guy her father hung out with all the time. How dangerous could he be?
Rachel slipped her impact pistol back into its holster. 'I don't recognise your name,' she said.
Raisson stepped a little closer, holding his palms open to each side, 'Your father has many business associates, as you know. Maybe he mentioned me once in passing with all the others. Is it possible you forgot? I've known him for many years. He has a beautiful house. That place always leaves me with a warm feeling inside.'
'My father invited you into his house? He doesn't normally have meetings at home. He always says that office work should stay in the office.'
'Yes, I know what you mean, but there wasn't really any business involved when he invited me to his house. It was more of an after work social call.'
'What are you doing down here in the dark, Mr Raisson?'
Raisson shrugged and gave her an apologetic smile, 'I must seem very strange to you, Rachel. I'm sorry if I frightened you. A businessman wandering around on his own in the dark stairwells - I can see how you might find that odd. The truth is that it wasn't dark when I came down here. Mr Neech brought me down here to show me around his old ventilation system. I was going to help find a contractor to replace it. We walked down together from the lobby a couple of hours ago. The stairs made a lot more sense with the lights on. When the lights went out, I didn't know what was happening. I fell in the dark and hurt my leg. Your father told me to stay here while he went to get the power back on.'
Rachel considered his story. It was plausible. 'You don't seem to be limping,' she said.
'It was a couple of hours ago when I fell. It was painful at the time but it has eased off since then. I think perhaps it was more the shock of falling in the dark. I didn't suffer any permanent injury. It was frightening at the time, but I guess I hurt my pride more than anything.'
'Okay. I don't know when the lights will come back on, but I need to find my father. Do you know where he went?'
'I wish I knew. He went down to the lower levels, but I haven't seen him since the power went out. He could be anywhere by now.'
Rachel wondered whether he was telling her the truth. Her father did have a lot of business associates. She didn't think he would take them to the lower levels, but she hadn't really been involved in his business in recent years. She had done her best to stay out of the news business. She had to admit she didn't really know what he did on a day-to-day basis anymore. Her father had always wanted her to join the family business - to become an executive for Mekinet News - but Rachel's interests had always taken her elsewhere.
Rachel looked Raisson in the eye, 'He went down, you say?'
'Yes. He's been gone a long time now. I do hope he's okay.'
'So do I. Wherever he is, I'm going to find him. Are you okay going back up on your own?'
'Oh, I'll come with you, if you don't mind. I really am terrible with directions. I'm sure I'll never find my way out alone.'
'It's not a good idea coming with me. It could be dangerous.'
'Dangerous?'
'I'm looking for a man who works for my father. A very dangerous man. He's supposed to be somewhere in the basement levels. I believe he may be holding my father against his will. If I find him, things could get deteriorate fast. I don't think you want to be mixed up in all that.'
'Oh my word. That sounds dreadful. What has happened?'
'I don't know yet. That's what I'm going to find out. I think you should go back to the lobby alone. You'll find your way out, no problem. Just go slow and keep hold of the handrails.'
'But what about Mr Neech? He's a dear friend of mine. What if he needs my help? Perhaps I should come with you, just a little way. If we come across anything that isn't safe, I could go back and get help.'
'It's your choice, Mr Raisson. Don't blame me if it doesn't work out well for you.'
Raisson nodded with a blank expression.
Rachel checked the power indicator on her torch. She had two hours of power remaining. 'If we come across anyone else down here, you stay back. Let me deal with it.'
'Yes, I'll stay out of your way. I'm no good in a fight. I work in an office, managing corporate ventilation contracts.'
Rachel nodded, 'Okay. Stay close and be careful on the steps. I only have one torch. We shouldn't talk on the way down. It might attract the wrong kind of attention.'
'Don't worry about me,' Raisson said, 'I'll be very quiet.'
Time to Run
The walker stooped its head, looking for any signs of enemy forces. Schematics of the forest sped across its night vision. The Kamari soldiers had already been evacuated through the portals, so there was no more reason to wait. When its weapons were fully charged, it opened fire on the Security Forces. Twin Buchanin rocket launchers spun in their protective heat sinks, unleashing a continuous flow of Dart missiles. Each Dart was a sleek white arrow, tipped with a red tail and packed with incendiary bombs. The missiles zipped between the trees and exploded on impact, releasing an expansive wall of fire.
The Security Forces moved in from all sides. Reports of portals in the area had brought them to investigate in their droves. The first soldiers had just arrived when the Dart missiles exploded. Their screams ripped through the smoke as burning figures stumbled, falling to the ground in agony. More Security Forces pushed forwards from behind them, but they stopped in their tracks as the forest turned into an angry inferno around them. The Walker peppered their retreat with explosions and incendiary bombs as they tried to retreat.
Over four hundred soldiers ran from the Walker, trapped in a maze of destruction, unable to retreat and unable to advance. They zigzagged to avoid its heavy calibre railguns, trying to get as many trees as possible between themselves and the Walker. Their efforts were wasted. The railguns cut straight through the trees as through they were nothing more than matchsticks, throwing dagger-sized splinters in all directions.
A soldier cried out, his face split open by jagg
ed wooden splinters as a tree disintegrated beside him. Blood poured between his fingers as he collapsed to the ground, groaning in agony. Some of the Security Forces called for backup. There was little else they could do as they ran between the flames, covering their ears with their hands to block out the endless deafening gunfire. Others stood their ground, returning fire with hand-held proton cannons and plasma grenades. Their attacks had little effect. The Walker was high above them and its thick armour was impenetrable. It wasn't long before further blasts of incendiary bombs sent them running too.
Within a few minutes, the forest was covered in burning bodies. By the time Commander Rodnig sent orders to pull back, over two hundred members of the Security Forces lay dead on the ground.
Information
'You do realise why you lost, Nick?' Roy said, leaning against the doorway with his hands in his pockets. 'Information. That's what this war is about. It's all about the possession of information.'
Isor stood beside him with a mock smile. He searched his pockets and pulled out a short black rod. It wasn't a weapon. It wasn't a sophisticated piece of equipment. It was just a black rod. He held the rod at arms length, and inched forwards so that half of its length stuck out into the open doorway. Impact fire blasted it from his hand at once, sending it spiralling across the corridor until it bounced off the opposite wall. Isor raised an eyebrow to his father, and Roy returned the gesture.
'Not a bad shot,' Isor muttered under his breath as he recovered his rod and examined it, making sure to stay out of the line of fire. 'But I'm still going to kill you.' Finding the rod undamaged, he replaced it in his pocket.
'This war is about Knowledge, power, and protection,' Roy said in a loud clear voice. 'Gail Thompson has knowledge and power, but without us she has no protection. She needs us, Nick, just like you do.'
Information Cloud: Science fiction and fantasy series (Tales of Cinnamon City Book 1) Page 26
