by Worth, Dan
‘I took the liberty of sending teams to the co-ordinates you provided for the cellar where you found the bodies and the temple also,’ said Arrakid. ‘We’ll get samples and do tests and we’ll know soon enough. It does seem likely though, based on the images of the skulls that you found and the appearance of the bodies that we uncovered. They do seem very similar.’
‘So how do we get inside this place?’ said Katherine, jabbing a thumb at the ziggurat. ‘And why have you brought that thing?’ she added pointing at the combat drone which even now was attempting to scale the smooth, sloping side of the ziggurat’s lowest level.
‘For its advanced hacking abilities, and for protection,’ said Arrakid.
‘Protection against what?’ said Katherine. ‘In case you hadn’t noticed we’re in the middle of a dead city.’
‘Filled with pockets of radiation and who knows what else,’ Arrakid replied. ‘Besides, you did suggest that this might be some sort of military installation. It is not inconceivable that we might encounter automated defence systems that are still active after all this time.’
‘He has a point, Katherine,’ said Rekkid. ‘We don’t know what might be holed up inside, plus that thing might be able to find a way in.’
‘Yeah, you’re right, I guess,’ she replied. ‘It’s just that it gives me the creeps.’
The drone had reached the top of the ziggurat. Having climbed the third and final of the stepped levels, it stood on the tip of its articulated tail for a moment, scanning the horizon with its sensors before it began to scrutinise the surface of the roof. Then, having seemingly seen enough, it started to make its way downwards again.
‘Come on,’ said Arrakid. ‘Let’s take a look at that entrance. I want to see those carvings for myself.’
The massive blocks that shielded the entrance to the ziggurat stood before them once more, looking as impenetrable as ever, topped with the enigmatic carving. The drone, meanwhile, was slithering along the first level above the entrance, weaving back and forth and moving its sensor encrusted head from side to side. As the four archaeologists watched, it began to climb down the surface of the blocks, repeating the same motion as it went. Finally, it reached the ground and undulated towards the group, stopping in front of Arrakid like a dutiful dog having returned a stick to its master.
‘What did you find?’ said Arrakid.
The drone replied in the Arkari language, its voice flat and emotionless. As it spoke it projected a three dimensional rendering of what its sensors had found.
‘The blocks barring the entrance are hollow,’ said Arrakid, for the benefit of the others. Each contains parts of the door mechanism as well as a magnetic lock probably controlled by a computerised system deeper within the structure. However, the blocks are moved by a cantilevered arrangement which should swing them clear if the lock is released. The drone thinks that it should be able to blow the lock from the outside with its spatial distortion cannon.’
As he spoke, Arrakid pointed to the various components highlighted within the projected scan results.
‘Why doesn’t it just blow a hole in the door?’ said Steelscale. ‘It would seem the easiest solution.’
‘It would lack finesse,’ Arrakid replied. ‘The drones have a limited intelligence, but they do take pride in their work. Besides, it would constitute the vandalism of an ancient monument.’
‘Just tell it to get the door open, Arrakid,’ said Katherine. ‘And tell it we appreciate the level of care it is taking. Also, ask it if it can scan the rest of the building, it might be nice if we knew what to expect once we step inside.’
‘Sadly, the walls and roof are much thicker than the entrance and are solid all the way through,’ said Arrakid. ‘The drone tried to scan deeper but it was unsuccessful. We’ll have to take a look for ourselves I’m afraid.’
At Arrakid’s command, the drone made its way back to the ziggurat and climbed up onto the entrance once more. It stood poised over the hairline crack between the two massive blocks, its upper right weapon arm extended and poised as if it were lining up its shot. Then they saw it fire. There was a sharp bang that echoed across the silent city and a ripple in the air that shot downwards into the crack in the blink of an eye.
Then there was an awful groaning noise. Slowly, the blocks began to slide upwards and apart. The drone slithered quickly down to the ground as the entrance opened like a set of massive jaws before coming to rest with a dull boom. As the door opened, a draft of cold air issued from the depths, like a dying breath.
‘There must be another entrance or air vent somewhere that’s causing a through draft now we’ve opened the door,’ said Rekkid. No-one replied. All were gazing into the shadowy depths, where a ramp angling steeply downwards into the darkness could just be seen. The wind whipped across the open entrance with a low moan. ‘I suppose we should go inside and have look,’ Rekkid continued. ‘Arrakid, would you like to lead the way?’
Inside, the top of the ramp was covered with centuries of accumulated dust and grit that had worked its way through the narrow gap between the blocks covering the entrance. Rekkid, Katherine, Steelscale and Arrakid led the way, the combat drone undulating along at Arrakid’s side like an obedient pet, its body held in an upright S shape. The rest of the team would follow with the heavier equipment once they had made an initial investigation of the site, though for now it was being moved inside the entrance out of the howling, grit laden wind.
The ramp pointed steeply downwards for a couple of hundred metres or so after which it turned a corner. Its ridged surface was constructed not from the Progenitor material but from a relatively ordinary looking concrete-like substance, as were the walls and ceiling, which, sheltered from the elements, had remained almost totally intact save for a few cracks here and there caused by subsidence. The torch-beams of the team appeared feeble against the all-encompassing gloom.
‘What the hell is this place?’ said Katherine. ‘I was expecting to walk inside and find another temple. This looks more like a bunker.’
‘Maybe that’s exactly what it is,’ said Rekkid.
‘Perhaps the ziggurat is a temple,’ said Steelscale. ‘On my worlds there are many similar structures, where prisoners may be executed to the glory of the Light and devoured in full view of the faithful.’
‘That does sound like a charming old custom,’ said Rekkid dryly. ‘But you may be right. Perhaps worship took place on top of instead of inside of this structure.’
‘It doesn’t fully answer my question though,’ said Katherine. ‘Where on earth does this lead? Moreover, do we have any proper fix on where exactly that signal is coming from?’
‘From somewhere in the structure above us, though we are unable to penetrate the material to a sufficient depth to get an image from inside it,’ said Arrakid. ‘It’s conceivable that the ziggurat may house equipment controlled from somewhere else, perhaps from control rooms beneath us?’
‘So why build a temple on top of the bunker?’ said Katherine.
‘Because it belonged to an order of holy warriors,’ said Steelscale. ‘The Soldiers of the Sacred Way? They sound like holy warriors to me. We have many such orders amongst our forces. They are the die-hard fanatics, the most savage warriors. People come from far and wide to pray at their fortresses, warriors hoping for good fortune in battle, fathers and mothers seeking protection for their offspring. Maybe this is something similar?’
‘Either that or it’s a brilliant disguise strategy,’ Rekkid suggested. ‘I mean, only a really sick and twisted species would deliberately bomb a building of such sacred and cultural value?’ He looked at Katherine and Steelscale. ‘Not that I was suggesting...’
‘Poor taste jokes about the histories of other species aside, Rekkid. This material above us makes a very effective defensive shield,’ said Arrakid. ‘We did some tests on samples that we took from the excavations on Bivian. You’d be hard pressed to do much damage with conventional weaponry. The fact that this place survived almost unscathed when
the city around it was flattened is proof enough of how tough this material above our heads actually is.’
‘We’ll find out when we reach the bottom, I suppose,’ said Katherine.
They reached the bottom of the first section of the ramp, whereupon it became clear that it fact it doubled back on it itself before continuing downwards. As they turned the corner and looked down into the darkness, Katherine spotted something at the bottom of the slope in the stygian gloom. It was a ghostly figure, humanoid, floating in the darkness for a split second and then it vanished.
‘Shit!’ she exclaimed and grabbed Rekkid’s arm. ‘I swear to god I just saw something moving down there!’
‘Where?’ said Rekkid, puzzled and somewhat perturbed by the announcement.
‘Down at the bottom of the ramp! I’m certain I saw the figure of a man... well not a man, but it was humanoid. It was just there for a second and then it disappeared!’
‘Bugger, maybe there is somebody down here after all this time,’ said Rekkid.
‘After ten thousand years?’ said Arrakid.
‘Believe me, we’ve seen stranger things,’ Rekkid replied. ‘Arrakid, can you command your little pet to see if it can detect any signs of life down here?’
‘Of course,’ Arrakid replied and issued a series of commands to the drone, which then replied in its flat monotone. Arrakid scratched his head crest. ‘The drone reports that it is unable to detect any other living things down here other than ourselves, however it did detect movement at the bottom of the ramp at the same instance that Doctor O’Reilly cried out. It will now show us what it recorded.’
A projected image appeared in the air in front of the drone, showing a recording from the drone’s eyes as it rounded the corner and looked down the ramp. An indistinct figure could be seen in the darkness for a second before it vanished. At Arrakid’s command the drone replayed the recording and froze as soon as the figure appeared again. Then it zoomed in to display the slightly fuzzy image of a humanoid dressed in some form of military regalia, right arm stretched out towards the camera. Its eyes and mouth were pools of darkness and the bottoms of its legs were lost in shadow.
‘What the fuck is that!?’ said Rekkid, a slight quiver detectable in his voice.
Arrakid commanded the drone to show the same sequence as seen from its other sensors. What was clear was that the figure was undetectable in all but visible wavelengths of light. It gave off no heat and was invisible in ultraviolet wavelengths and moreover, could not be detected by any of the drone’s acoustic, radar, lidar or other range finding equipment. For all intents and purposes, there appeared to be no-one there.
‘Do you believe in ghosts, Rekkid?’ said Katherine, quietly.
‘No,’ Rekkid replied, his voice sounding a little strained. ‘You?’
‘No.’
‘Well, that’s good then.’
‘Okay, let’s think about this rationally,’ said Rekkid. ‘It’s visible in the same wavelengths as those detectable by our eyes, but by no other means. It’s got to be a projection, a recording of some kind. Maybe we tripped some dormant system or something?’
‘Or maybe... we woke somebody up?’ Katherine replied.
‘Maybe so, but we have the drone and I am more than willing to defend us,’ said Steelscale. ‘In any case, the shades of the dead do not frighten me. My people believe that the living dead should be treated with respect. They may have wisdom to impart to us.’
‘I think I’d rather work on the assumption that it’s a recording,’ said Rekkid, sounding a little unsure of himself. ‘Nevertheless, we have no idea what other systems might have woken up at our arrival. There may be defences down here to deter intrusion. We should have the drone walk ahead of us. Maybe it can use its sensors to uncover any hidden traps or devices.’
‘A sound idea, Professor Cor,’ said Arrakid, and spoke to the drone. The mechanoid slid forward and proceeded down the ramp ahead of them. They began to walk after it, probing the darkness with their torch beams. Eventually they reached the bottom of the ramp where the passage again executed another switch back before heading downwards again. This was the spot where the apparition had appeared. Arrakid ordered the drone to search for any hidden projection devices. It found nothing in the walls around them except for featureless concrete.
‘Still think that it was a recording, Rekkid?’ said Steelscale, looking about himself as his torch beam angled from one point to another.
‘It’s the only rational explanation,’ Rekkid muttered.
‘I have been pondering the nature of this place,’ said Steelscale. ‘Perhaps it is a tomb for the warriors of these people. It would not be unusual to find the spirits of these long dead soldiers guarding their remains. We should be careful not to anger them.’
‘I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on that Steelscale,’ said Rekkid. ‘Partly because I’m not the superstitious type, but mainly because you’re implying that we’re on a dead planet, deep underground with a load of angry undead and despite my cool, calm and rational exterior I have to admit that the idea is a tiny bit terrifying.’
Katherine detected the strain evident in Rekkid’s voice.
‘Scared of the dark, Rekkid? After all we’ve been through...’
‘Let’s just say that our K’Soth friend is playing on my over active imagination,’ Rekkid replied, looking uneasy.
‘You’re probably right. It has to be a recording. I mean come on, ghosts? Really?’
At that moment the air was filled with whispering voices, like half heard sentences carried on the wind. They overlapped with one another in a confusing susurration of unintelligible words, the sounds of a language that had been unheard for ten thousand years. The sounds seemed to come from further down the tunnel. Then as soon as they had started, the voices stopped.
‘The voices of the dead,’ said Steelscale, with conviction. ‘They are calling to us.’
‘Would anyone object if I sat in the corner and went completely to pieces?’ said Rekkid, his voice a number of octaves higher than normal. ‘It’s a recording, I know... it has to be.’
‘It is, I’m sure of it,’ said Katherine. ‘I have to admit though, down here in the dark with strange voices and apparitions... It does have a certain effect on the imagination.’
She looked down the next section of the tunnel. Shining her torch down she could see that instead of doubling back on itself again, the tunnel appeared to head straight forward. There was something else too. The figure had reappeared. She could see it clearly in the darkness, its right arm outstretched towards them as it silently mouthed unknown words.
‘It has to be a recording,’ said Katherine. ‘Look Rekkid, it’s repeating the same motions as the one we saw earlier. It’s exactly the same. It has to be a projection. The things is: is it welcoming us to this place, or is it warning us to stay away?’
‘Only one way to find out,’ Rekkid replied. ‘Arrakid, can you send the drone down to take a look?’
At Arrakid’s command, the drone slithered off down the ramp, its sensors probing the walls for any electronics or machinery of any sort. When it reached the bottom, it stopped and began to investigate the walls on both sides. The results of its search appeared in Arrakid’s datapad.
‘It’s found something,’ said Arrakid. ‘There are automated weapon systems buried within the walls. Some examples of what look like laser weapons and rail guns too. All of them are active – obviously the people who built this place built things to last – but so far they haven’t deployed.’
‘Could there be a malfunction, perhaps?’ said Katherine. ‘After all this time it would hardly be surprising.’
‘Difficult to tell,’ Arrakid replied. ‘But the drone has also spotted a doorway that lies further down the tunnel and is currently out of our sight. The door’s systems are also active, and it looks like it’s been recently opened. Here:’
He handed her his datapad, currently showing a feed from the drone’s cam
eras. It clearly showed a thick framed doorway with tracks in the floor where armoured doors would run smoothly aside. The tracks were completely free of dust or debris, the metal gleaming as if new.
‘I think someone wants us to keep going, don’t you?’ said Katherine.
Finally, they reached the very bottom where the drone waited patiently for them, its weapons deployed in case any of the concealed defences showed any signs of activity. The corridor continued onwards, through the open door where it was lost in the gloom. They studied the door more closely when they reached it, confirming their suspicions that it had only recently been opened and then made their way onwards into the waiting darkness.
The darkness ahead was total. The corridor came to an end a couple of hundred metres ahead, and opened out into a larger space that their torches were having trouble penetrating. Eventually, stepping out into this cavernous chamber they cast their torches about them, the feeble beams lost in the blackness, casting wan circles of light on the vaulted ceiling and walls.
The chamber was enormous, a vast cathedral like space with richly decorated walls of cut stone and a ceiling carved with complex interlocking designs. The floor was tiled with black and white marble that formed swirling, geometric patterns of alternating panels. Along both edges of the chamber were rows of statues; sombre figures dressed in weapons and armour from different ages. Some bore swords, shields, spears and other ancient equipment, whilst others were dressed in what looked like sophisticated armoured suits and carried guns of various kinds. The pedestal of each bore the name of each individual in both Progenitor script and the as yet only partially decipherable language of the planet’s inhabitants. Between some of the statues, corridors led off from the main chamber to other subterranean rooms and passageways.
The far end of the chamber was filled with an enormous dais. Broad steps led up to an altar carved with fabulous designs and intricately worked figures in scenes of battle. Above it, carved in a relief into the rock that formed the back wall, the image of the ring and figures that they had seen on the outside of the ziggurat and the temple in the city was repeated. To each side of it, were two long columns of dense text, one in the Progenitor language and one in the native language of the people who had built this place.
