“I kind of thought you guys would wait for me to come back up before you shoved off,” Trevor said.
Nika pulled herself out of the cart and ran her hands up and down her arms as if searching for injuries. She crouched behind the Adventure Machine, scanning the upper platform. Cameron slithered over the side like a worm. He plopped on the ground and rolled away from the cart, trying to hide next to the wall.
Trevor glanced at Devin, who had pried his fingers from the safety harness and now joined Nika behind the cart. “What are you guys doing?”
“Get down!” Devin ordered. “It’ll see you.”
Trevor turned around, trying to spot what had all of them spooked. “What will see me?”
“VIC says it’s still up there,” Nika whispered.
Trevor smacked the side of his helmet. “When did your helmets start working again?” Nika, Devin, and Cameron started backing away from the cart, moving toward the exit. “Would somebody please tell me what’s going on?” Trevor demanded.
“Once we’re out of this place, we’ll tell you,” Nika said.
Just beyond the exit door, they discovered a room that appeared to be in a state of disrepair. Wires and conduits cascaded down from several missing ceiling tiles, as did fluffy chunks of fiberglass insulation. Trevor saw an extension ladder lying on its side next to several cans of paint. There were paint rollers and pans and overturned buckets. A few folding chairs circled a table where someone had stretched out a set of construction blueprints on the counter. A low-wattage lightbulb hung at the center of the ceiling, dimly lighting the small room. In the far corner, Trevor noticed another door, blocked by a skeletal section of scaffolding.
As soon as Trevor walked into the room, Devin pulled him the rest of the way through, then slammed the door shut and locked the dead bolt.
“What’s gotten into you guys?” Trevor plopped down in one of the metal chairs and ran his fingers across the blueprint, coming up with a glove full of dust. He didn’t have much experience in reading blueprints, but he felt fairly certain that the one laid out on the table was a detailed floor plan of the rooms and hallways surrounding the Globe.
Devin leaned back against the door with his hand firmly on the doorknob. “One of the creatures from the other night just tried to kill us.” His heavy breathing had fogged up the inside of his visor.
“What do you mean ‘the other night’?” Cameron asked.
It took Trevor a second to locate Cameron, who had managed to shimmy behind the extension ladder and was now holding one of the paint rollers outstretched like a weapon.
“Last night, Trevor and I snuck out of our rooms and went exploring on the bottom floor.”
Cameron looked at Trevor in shock. “You snuck out? You said you weren’t going to go.”
“Well, I changed my mind.” Trevor shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”
“And you invited Devin and not me?”
“Okay, stop,” Devin said. “That’s not the point. We saw those creatures growing inside these pods. Trevor was trying to show off and started communicating with one of them and probably ticked it off.”
“That’s not at all what happened,” Trevor said. “And One wasn’t aggressive. In fact, I just spoke with him not thirty seconds before you nearly ran me off the road. He helped me switch the track over.”
“Are you speaking in another language?” Cameron squeaked. “One what?”
“The creature’s name is One,” Trevor explained.
Nika eased into one of the chairs and placed her trembling hands on the table. She seemed more concerned about something else, something unrelated to her close encounter with a terrifying creature.
“You all just overreacted for no reason. Just like with that moose,” Trevor said, turning to Cameron.
“VIC was the one who told us to get out of there,” Cameron said. “We were just following instructions.”
Running his fingers along the base of his helmet, Trevor found where he could unlatch it from his suit. Before anyone could stop him, he pulled it off with a soft pop, and placed it on the table. “Mine’s not working,” he explained when he was met with looks of outrage.
“But you’re not supposed to remove your helmet,” Cameron said. “You won’t be fully protected.”
Trevor swiveled the helmet around so that he could see through the visor. “I doubt it even works anymore.”
A sudden hollow knock thudded against the door. Devin yelped and leapt out of the way. Nika stood from her seat, and Cameron brandished the spongy roller once again for protection, milky white paint dripping at his side.
“What do we do?” Cameron’s voice rose in panic.
“Let’s open it,” Trevor suggested.
“Oh yeah, because that’s a smart idea,” Devin whispered, backing away from the door.
“It may just be me, but that didn’t sound like a monster knocking,” Trevor said.
Another knock and then: “Hello? Is anyone in there? This is Terry Castleton.”
“See?” Trevor said, pointing at the door.
Devin wasn’t convinced. “How do we know it’s really you?”
“I’m not sure how to answer that,” Terry said. “But I do feel that’s kind of an odd question to ask. Who else would I be?”
Satisfied, Devin cautiously unlocked the door and pulled it open.
“Okay, good,” Terry said, pressing his hand against his chest and performing a quick head count of everyone in the room. Like the others, he wore a Cerebral Apparatus, complete with a matching helmet. But unlike theirs, Terry’s helmet had a pair of headlamps adhered to the sides of it, next to his visor. Though small, the lights were bright enough to cause Trevor to shield his eyes. When Terry noticed Trevor’s discomfort, he gave a quick verbal command to VIC, who immediately extinguished the lights.
“Sorry about that. It’s quite dark out there, don’t you agree? And the track can be tricky to negotiate.” Terry also wore a belt around his waist with a zippered pouch like some sort of fanny pack. “I must say, when I didn’t see you up on the track, I had a moment of panic. Then I saw the demolished cart on the maintenance platform.” He raised an eyebrow in disappointment. “How on earth did you get down here?”
Cameron finally relinquished his hold on the paint roller and dropped it at his feet. “Trevor climbed down and flipped a switch.”
“He did what?” Terry asked, his eyes widening in shock.
“VIC told me to do it,” Trevor said.
Terry folded his arms and glared at Trevor. “He did no such thing. Honestly, Trevor, there’s a time and place for tomfoolery, but I’m afraid you’ve crossed the line.”
“No, it’s true,” Nika said. “We all heard VIC give Trevor the instruction. It was the only way for us to get down here.”
Terry’s look of shock changed into one of perplexity as he turned his attention to Nika. “Were you riding in the cart when it crashed?”
Nika nodded, her eyes welling up with tears.
“Oh dear. May I?” Terry crossed the room, holding out his hands.
Nika sat back down in her chair while Terry began to examine her shoulders and arms. “I’m sorry,” she said, sniffling. “I tried to be careful.”
Trevor watched in bewilderment as Terry softly ran his fingers up and down Nika’s neck.
“I think we’re okay here,” Terry whispered. “There doesn’t appear to be any fracturing or swelling.”
“But you don’t know for sure, do you?” she whimpered.
“I’m not a doctor, no. But we have medical staff on hand for such an emergency. Your suit appears to have weathered the crash, though.” Terry unzipped the pack on his belt and brought out a circular contraption with an extendable antenna. “If it’s all right with you, this device will grant me access to your vitals, since your suit is not providing them.” He attached the device to the top of Nika’s helmet. After a few moments of silence, he removed the piece of equipment and returned it to his pack. “You h
ave a slightly elevated heart rate, which is to be expected considering the circumstances, but had your body been experiencing any sort of serious distress, I would’ve seen a definite spike in your blood pressure.” He placed his hand on Nika’s shoulder and smiled. “I think you’ll survive.”
Cameron raised his hand. “Maybe you should inspect me too.”
Terry glanced up from his examination, fixing Cameron with a concerned look. “Why? Are you in any pain?”
Cameron shifted his feet. “Well, no. I…I don’t think so.”
“Then I’m sure you’re fine.”
“But we were both riding in the same cart as Nika when it crashed,” Devin said. “You’re not going to at least check us?”
“Yeah, we could have internal injuries,” Cameron added. “Maybe we’re in shock.”
“It wasn’t that bad of an accident,” Trevor said. “None of you were even thrown out.”
“Well, why are you so concerned about Nika, then?” Devin asked. “Is it because she’s a girl?”
Nika narrowed her eyes. “That’s not the reason.”
“Maybe we should make our way back to the observation deck,” Terry said, turning to exit the room.
“I thought that was the exit.” Devin pointed to the door behind the scaffolding.
Terry nodded at the wires dangling from the ceiling. “This whole area is still under heavy repair. We experienced some foundational cracking during the initial construction. You’re likely to fall through the floor going that way, or get bombarded with crumbling drywall.” It was at that moment that Terry noticed the lone helmet resting on the table. “Why did you take that off?” He glared at Trevor.
Trevor shrugged guiltily. “It wasn’t working.”
Terry picked up the helmet and examined the inside. “We were still collecting…It’s unsafe not to have it on.”
“That’s what I tried to tell him,” Cameron said. “But he didn’t listen to me.”
Terry angrily tossed the helmet aside. “This entire procedure has been an utter failure. You broke the cart, and now all of our research is basically for naught.”
“I’ll just put it back on.” Trevor bent over to pick up the helmet, but Terry kicked it away from his reach. Trevor went after it, picked it up, and put it on hurriedly.
“There’s no point now! Did you not hear what I said?”
“We didn’t mean to break anything,” Cameron said cautiously.
“Yeah, it was an accident,” Nika added. “And it’s not just Trevor’s fault.”
“I never said it was just Trevor’s fault. You’re all to blame.” Terry stormed toward the open doorway, and Devin sidestepped out of his path. “And another thing”—he held up a gloved finger—“don’t think for one minute that my brother will actually pay you for your services. As far as I’m concerned, this is an absolute breach of contract.”
“Mr. Castleton!” Devin suddenly grabbed hold of Terry’s arm and started pulling him away from the door.
“No payment. No reward. And no interviews! Let go of me!” Terry demanded.
But Devin wouldn’t let go. And that’s when Trevor realized there was something different about him. Devin looked a lot like he had when they were on the cart and he had insisted that they abort the ride. It wasn’t just a change in how he spoke, but there also seemed to be an alteration to his physical appearance. His eyes looked deeper set, and his skin had turned an unhealthy shade of pale green. Devin clung to Terry’s sleeve, heaving backward with all his weight.
“What’s going on?” Trevor asked, but Devin wasn’t given an opportunity to explain.
Just then, a pair of sharp claws on the end of two gangly green arms shot through the opening and wrapped around Terry’s chest. In an instant, Mr. Castleton was gone.
“No!” Nika shouted, covering her visor with her hands. Cameron collapsed on the ground in shock. Even Trevor wasn’t sure what to do and just stood next to the table frowning in disbelief.
“I…I tried to help him,” Devin said, his voice trembling as he looked desperately at Trevor. He gaped at his fingertips, which only seconds before had gripped Terry’s sleeve.
“Get over here, Devin,” Trevor said firmly. At that moment, he could see the silhouettes of two shady figures racing for the door, their eyes gleaming like yellow spotlights.
Still trembling, Devin peered over his shoulder at the oncoming monsters. He tried to scream, but Trevor shoved him out of the way, forcing the air out of his lungs. Trevor pulled the door closed and locked the dead bolt as both creatures slammed headlong into it, sending a jarring wave through the metal. They squealed with rage as their claws dug into the door, trying to force their way in.
THE CLAWING AND scratching lasted for only a few seconds, and then the sounds behind the door fell silent. Devin lay on the floor, his face buried in his hands. Why hadn’t he acted more quickly? If he had just paid attention to his senses, he could’ve saved Mr. Castleton. Devin’s eyes burned. If he wasn’t careful, he would be crying in no time. Despite what his dad thought, seeing things right before they happened was rarely a blessing. In most cases, Devin’s ability left him wondering if he could’ve done something more.
Squeezing his hands into fists, Devin sat up and tried to control his breathing. Trevor stood by the door, his ear pressed against the metal, listening.
“Please, get your hands off me,” Nika said to Cameron, who was practically hugging her. “I believe you’re squeezing me too tightly.”
Cameron released his hold on her arms and moved a step away. “I didn’t know what else to do. Those creatures almost got us.”
“They almost got me,” Devin corrected. Although the creatures’ true intentions seemed a little muddied to his mind. Devin didn’t think they cared who they captured. Their only intent was to destroy.
“You said they were growing in pods,” Cameron said to Devin. “How could they grow such things? You can’t just bypass millions of years of evolution and create a new species!”
“Maybe they’re actors dressed up in costume,” Nika suggested.
“Oh right,” Devin scoffed. “A bunch of actors who just hijacked the CEO’s older brother. Safe to say those two bozos just cashed their last paychecks.”
“No, they’re definitely machines,” Cameron said. “But they could be operating on a different system. Just because some components of the Adventure Machine have stopped doesn’t mean all of them have.”
Devin groaned. This was supposed to be the day of his arrival as an Internet star. First, he’d lost his dad’s phone, which was probably smashed to bits at the bottom of the Globe along with hours of video footage. Then he’d failed to abort the adventure when he’d sensed danger. Then, he’d lost Terry. Devin wondered if the others blamed him for not responding fast enough. He should be protecting them.
Trevor removed his ear from the door, then reached for the dead bolt. “I think they’ve left.”
“Well, don’t open the door!” Cameron gasped. “Even a complete idiot would know better than to do that.”
“If I don’t open the door, how are we going to help Mr. Castleton?” Trevor asked.
Cameron clenched his jaw. “Why do we have to help him? He wasn’t being very nice.”
Devin stood. “But I’m responsible for him. If I hadn’t been so distracted, I could’ve done something.”
“You couldn’t have known what was going to happen,” Nika said, scooting one of the chairs away from the table and easing herself down onto the seat.
Cameron removed his helmet, then his glasses, and breathed on them. “Technically, if anyone could have, it would’ve been Devin.” He wiped the lenses on his sleeve, replaced them along with his helmet, and flinched when he noticed the three pairs of eyes glowering at him. “Why are you staring at me that way? I wasn’t saying it was his fault, I’m just stating the facts. It’s what I do.”
“Yeah, well, I may not think before I do things, but you don’t think before you speak,” Tr
evor said. He eyed the door once more. “They couldn’t have gone far. If we try to follow them, we might be able to talk some sense into the creatures.”
Nika crossed her hands in her lap. “You really think that? They didn’t seem interested in having a conversation.”
“I got the feeling that they wanted to hurt us,” Devin said. More than anything else. Not just hurt. Destroy. Eliminate. There was no arguing with the fact that the creatures’ having kidnapped Mr. Castleton complicated things quite bit. Devin glanced over and noticed Cameron seated patiently in a chair with his hand raised. “Why are you raising your hand?”
“I’m following the suggestion of a person of lesser intelligence by thinking before I speak.” Cameron’s eyes shifted to each person in the room. Trevor raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think we’ll be of any help to Mr. Castleton by chasing them down,” Cameron stated.
“Okay, Einstein, what do you suggest we do?” Devin asked. Cameron seemed to have an answer for everything, but there was no way Devin was just going to follow him blindly. There was book smarts and then there was common sense. And while Cameron had plenty of the first, he was severely lacking in the second. Devin would rather listen to Trevor’s proposition, and that kid was borderline psychotic with his fearlessness. “We can’t stay here. This room’s a trap.”
“No, no”—Cameron shook his head—“staying here is a terrible plan. I need my pills, and they’re topside in my mom’s purse. I already feel the placating effects of my last dosage starting to wear off, which is probably why I have such brilliant ideas at the moment, but things could get awkward here really soon if I don’t get regulated.”
“Are you going to babble, or do you actually have a suggestion?” Nika asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Cameron danced his fingers across the large sheet of creased paper on the table.
“Can you even read that?” Trevor asked.
“I believe I have already made clear the magnitude of my IQ.” Cameron jabbed his pointer finger on a spot near the corner of the blueprints. “That’s us. We’re in this room. Using these blueprints, we should be able to easily navigate our way out of this hole.”
The World's Greatest Adventure Machine Page 13
