by J. N. Chaney
Today Terry was going to travel farther through the main tunnel. He’d ignore the side passages for a while. He needed to know precisely how deep this particular rabbit hole went.
It became clear the tunnel was long, branching into hundreds of smaller paths along the way. It must lead somewhere, surely. Why else would they have built it? Terry could only guess.
He followed the path for hours. It curved and bent multiple times, pulling him deeper into the earth. How far would he go before turning back? It wasn’t as though he had anywhere to be, but spending a few days underground didn’t sound very appealing.
Late into the afternoon, right before he was about to head home, the massive tunnel opened into a large and daunting auditorium filled with dozens of round and rectangular tables, as well as hundreds of chairs.
“I guess this is it,” he said, casually moving between two of the larger countertops. There was a tall metallic door at the other end of the room, sitting atop a raised platform. The foundation appeared to be made of a different metal than the rest of the floor. As he stepped onto it, he heard a loud thud, as though the platform were hollow.
The actual door had several symbols carved into it, though Terry couldn’t make out what they were. He thought maybe they were a kind of writing, like Egyptian hieroglyphics. He touched the images, feeling the depth of the curves.
He’d never found anything like this in the domes. Whatever this was, it seemed to be unique.
Terry felt for the crack between the metal and stone, bent his knees and pulled.
It didn’t move. He’d have to concentrate for this one. Call on his strength.
Time to shine, big brother, said Janice. A light giggle echoed through his mind.
He closed his eyes and quickened his breathing to get his heart to beat faster. A short moment later, the heat in his chest swelled, as though his blood was boiling. When he opened his eyes, the room was slightly brighter, and he felt the urge to move.
Terry gripped the side of the door again, but this time when he tugged, it opened. He slid the block of metal like a piece of hollow wood. Once the door was wide enough to enter, he closed his eyes and calmed himself.
Don’t overdo it, said Janice.
Terry stepped through the massive doorway into the next room. The place was at least three times as wide as the tunnel had been, and twice as tall. There were machines nearby, covered in dust but largely untouched. He slid his finger along the casing of the nearest one, which he assumed must be some kind of computer, and found it to be quite cold. The consoles were littered with buttons and panels.
Looking around the facility, he spotted another archway, although it had no door. He walked through, more curious by the second. Inside were several more machines, many of which were double the size of the rest. His eyes passed over them, following the path of the room, and he saw it.
To his surprise, a tall circular object loomed near the far end, dwarfing everything nearby. Mostly hollow, a thick outer layer of black metal enveloped a raised platform. It looked like a giant ring.
What is it? asked Janice.
Terry’s first reaction was to say he didn’t know, but a thought occurred. Could this be another gate? The facility certainly reminded him of the one Ortego had built. Was it possible they’d made another?
No. He’d seen the vid where the scientists turned the machine on. They all died immediately, completely unaware of what they created. This world had Variant in it, so there was no way they could have come here themselves. It had to be someone else.
Maybe the aliens did it, said Janice.
Terry ignored her. The domes he’d found before had all been simple buildings with crude furniture in them. There were no signs of advanced technology at all. No electronics, vehicles, or anything to indicate these people knew how to build a bridge between worlds.
None of it made any sense.
He walked along the ramp leading to the empty ring, passing through to the other side of the platform. If this really was a gate, maybe he could discover how to use it.
Terry set his pack by the room’s entrance and went to the largest console he could find. He sat in the chair behind it and swept the dust with the heel of his palm, gathering a coat of grime and wiping it on the side of his seat. It could take him a lifetime to figure out this technology, maybe longer. Where would he even start? He doubted the computers were anything like the kind back home. Where was Mei when he needed her?
Terry stared at the console, debating whether to press the buttons or to leave well enough alone. After several minutes of sitting in the dark, he shrugged. “What the hell?” he whispered. “Can’t hurt.”
He flipped one of the dongle switches and waited. Nothing happened.
Do it again, said Janice.
He did, but got no reaction. He pressed several buttons on the machine, flipped every switch he could find, and went to the next one and tried again. “Nothing,” he said. “The power must be dead.”
Stupid aliens, said Janice.
A loud bang rang through the walls, vibrating the floor. Terry flinched and quickly turned around. He shot a look at the gate, uncertain. It didn’t move. Right then, another bang ran through the tunnel, only this time Terry could tell it was coming from the other end, somewhere back the way he came.
He could feel his heart racing. Something was happening outside. He’d have to leave for now…go check out this new disturbance. Could it be a lightning storm? Maybe an animal accidentally wandered into the cave. Either way, he had to make sure the door to this place was sealed. He couldn’t have a flood or a wild animal destroying anything, not so soon after he’d found it.
Terry ran through the first room and back into the hall. He turned and grabbed the side of the metal door, gathering his strength and pulling. The barrier slid along the floor, filling the ancient tunnel with a horrible, heavy noise before finally locking into place.
Wiping his dirty hands on his thighs, he paused and cursed. He’d forgotten his pack inside. “Dammit!” he snapped. He felt his side for the machete, letting out a sigh of relief when he found it. At least he didn’t have to worry about going out there unarmed.
Terry jogged through the empty tunnel. There was another explosive crackle, filling the space around him. Several others soon followed. Much to his surprise, each one was louder and more startling than the last.
It sounded like the end of the world.
Chapter 5
Ortego Outpost File Logs
Play Audio File 302
To: Mei_Curie
From: Christopher_Tabata
Recorded: April 21, 2350
TABATA: Dr. Curie, thank you very much for your letter regarding the kitobora you have in your possession. Rest assured I am very interested in visiting your facility.
It will take me a day or two to get approval from my superiors, but I expect no objections. My faculty here is more than capable without me, barring some disaster.
As for the trip itself, I’ll be staying a week with the possibility of an extension based on my findings. I trust you can make the living arrangements before I arrive.
In the meantime, I believe congratulations are in order. You and your team are the first people to tame a living animal in over two centuries. It’s quite the accomplishment.
You should be very proud.
End Audio File
Ortego Reconstruction Outpost
April 21, 2350
Travis and Bartholomew arrived shortly before the flippies finished their excavation of the tunnel, much to Mei’s annoyance.
“What took you so long?” she asked.
The two engineers entered the tent fully dressed in radiation suits and hurried to the monitor. “Did we miss anything?” asked Travis.
“I asked you a question,” said Mei.
Bartholomew bit the side of his lip. “Sorry, but we had to grab a few things before we left.”
“What
things?”
“They’re outside,” said Travis, hunched over Zoe’s shoulder and staring at the monitor. “Looks like my boys are making good time. Not bad, kiddo.”
Zoe pursed her lips. “I take it you want to be smacked.”
He grinned. “Aha! You can’t do any smacking while we’re in these suits. Too dangerous.”
She shrugged. “You gotta sleep sometime.”
Mei looked at Bart. “What does he mean they’re outside?”
“Don’t get mad, but they kind of insisted,” said Bart.
“We sure did!” roared John as he opened the flap of the tent and stepped inside. Sophie followed closely behind. “Took me a while to get this stupid suit on, but here we are.”
Mei glared at Bartholomew. “Why would you bring him? Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? Lieutenant Finn isn’t trained to wear a radiation suit. What if he didn’t seal it correctly?” She shuffled to John’s side and examined him. “How do you feel? Any dizziness or fatigue? Nausea?”
“Easy, spaz,” said John. “Sophie checked me before we left.”
Mei almost forgot about her assistant. “So what’s your excuse? You know policy states we can’t all be here at the same time.”
“Sorry, ma’am,” said Sophie. “I was curious.”
“It’s not a big deal, is it?” asked Bart.
Travis poked his head up from the display. “I can take her back, but since she’s already here…”
Mei sighed. “Fine, stay. Watch the show.”
John clapped his gloves together. “Awesome! Glad you’re on board.”
It took another twelve minutes for the flippies to finish their work, but the “all clear” icon finally flashed to tell them it was over. Zoe pulled Jefferson and Stanley out of the hall before sending Mortimer ahead to scout.
The monitor to Mortimer’s feed showed an open room. “There’s some debris,” said Zoe. “A few computer consoles. It’s a small room, but I see a door. Hang on.”
Mortimer latched onto the handle with his tentacle and turned it, pulling the door open and leaving it cracked behind him. A second later, the flippy came to a stop, and Zoe turned to look at Mei. “Can’t go any farther. We could lose the signal.”
“Alright. Stay put for now, but try to look around. Can you see anything?”
“It’s a little fuzzy,” she said, messing with the controls.
Travis gave her a nudge. “You can focus the camera here.”
“Thanks,” she said under her breath. The camera focused immediately, and Zoe looked it over. There were several large black boxes ahead of the flippy, taller than the little robot, lining the walls of a surprisingly large room. It was a server farm.
“Jackpot,” muttered Travis.
“Did the blueprints show this?” asked Bart.
“They don’t go into detail,” said Mei. “The projects were all classified, so the best I have is a basic layout design.”
“Better than nothing,” said John.
“What’s the plan now?” asked Travis. “We can’t take Mortimer any farther.”
John clasped his gloves together. “We going in?”
Mei scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. I called for Travis because I want him to install a repeater for the drones. We need to stretch the signal.”
John looked disappointed.
“Not a problem,” said Travis. “I’ve got one made already. We only need to get it set up.”
“Let’s see it,” said Mei.
Travis nodded and went to a nearby crate. He popped the lid and searched, pulling parts out, discarding most of them. After a short while, he uncovered a tiny box and presented it to Mei. “I’ve got a dozen more of these at home in my tent if we need them.”
Mei nodded. “Alright. How long do you need to get this working?”
“Not long. We can place it right where Mortimer is now.”
“I’ll bring Stanley up,” said Zoe. “He can handle it.”
“Do it,” said Mei.
Zoe called the little robot to the surface. Travis gave him the repeater and took the controls. Stanley descended into the basement and as directed, made his way through the tunnel in Mortimer’s location.
“Be careful placing it,” said Mei. “I don’t feel like waiting for another repeater to get here.”
“No problem,” said Travis. He had Stanley set the repeater on the floor. It was already on, so nothing else had to be done. “Now we can take multiple flippies through there, and it shouldn’t be an issue.”
“Take whichever flippies you want, but leave one at the door where Mortimer is. We need at least one on this side in case something goes wrong.”
“What could go wrong?” asked John.
“She’s being safe in case Travis screwed up the repeater,” said Sophie.
“Gee, thanks,” said Travis.
“The plan for today is to observe,” said Mei. “Send the flippies everywhere and record what you find. Don’t touch anything. If it looks safe, I’ll send a team to retrieve whatever we can, like the data in those servers.”
“Got it,” said Zoe.
“Alright,” said Mei. “Let’s get to work.”
******
Unknown
April 21, 2350
Terry ran through the subterranean hallways as if racing for his life. The sounds overhead were unlike anything he’d ever heard. The bangs and cracks were like thunder but heavier and more frequent, shaking his chest and echoing in his ears. He had to know what they were.
It took over an hour to reach the mouth of the cave, and by then, the noise had dissipated. He climbed the stairs quickly, sweat pouring off him. He wiped his eyes, ignoring the sting and burn of the sweat as it slid along his pores.
He flinched as he emerged into the light. Once his eyes adjusted, the chaos before him took shape. There on the ground, a massive creature lay covered in blood, surrounded by several others of varying sizes. None of them seemed to be moving. As Terry approached the first corpse, he saw it was the very same species he’d encountered several days ago in the forest, the mother protecting her nest. He never expected to run into one of them all the way out here.
There were at least a dozen of them. An entire herd wiped out.
In the distance, he heard shallow breaths and wheezing. It was coming from a smaller animal near the tree line. Its chest rose and fell steadily, as though it were asleep. But its eyes were wide open, twitching like a fish on dry land. The creature didn’t seem to notice him, or if it did, it didn’t care. Terry kept his distance. What could have done this? Terry stared into the eyes of the dying thing, trying to understand. Several streams of blood gushed out of its thick hide. The holes didn’t look like teeth marks, but it was difficult to tell with so much blood. None of the flesh had been torn or ripped out. It was clean, as if the animal had been stabbed…or shot.
There was a loud pop in the distance, and the beast flinched. Terry snapped around, facing the woods. It had come from the direction of his glade.
He ran, wild and furious.
He passed the pond on his way, spotting several tracks in the mud around the water. They were average-sized, about the same as his own. If he didn’t know better, he’d think they were human.
When he made it to the glade, he didn’t enter. Instead, he climbed one of the trees to get a better view. For several minutes, he saw nothing—no signs of movement, no invading monster hordes. Then he closed his eyes and concentrated, opening his senses to the world around him, and he listened.
The jungle behind him erupted into a living orchestra of insects, animal calls, and a hundred thousand rustling leaves. He filtered them out immediately, focusing on the field before him. There was the grass, sweeping in the wind, the chirping of several birds on the other side of the glade, and a plethora of bugs along the ground and in the air, their wings humming and buzzing. One at a time, he let them go, searching for whatever felt
out of place.
Finally he found it. A chuckling voice, cackling in a stutter of what must be—
“Fe fe fe! Naav fisi. Gast, naav fisi! Rii shar?”
Language! These noises, they sounded like words. Real and beautiful words.
“Rajiali er nekelp fisi.” A different voice this time. Deeper and calmer.
“Riotf shi fayri!”
“Uir, res!” Several voices at once, nearly in unison.
I have to get a better look, thought Terry. He got down from the tree and hurried to get closer. He kept close to the trees, never leaving the shade of their branches. He advanced to the rear of the dome, watching for any signs of movement. The voices quickly became clearer. He barely had to concentrate.
“Haylq raji faaq elreqi.”
“Faaq? Fe! Shiu jyrc wi osaylq fisi.”
He watched the side of the dome, hoping to catch a glimpse of the speakers, but still he couldn’t see them. Were they inside or simply standing together in the front, out of sight? He debated briefly with rushing toward the building for a better view, but immediately rejected the notion. Those animals had died, he was certain, from some kind of weapon. He’d better play it safe.
Careful big brother, said Janice.
A shadow stepped out from the other side of the building, startling him. A dark figure with charred black skin, white hair, and purple eyes. These remarkable features were attached to a bipedal body with a nose, a mouth, a chest, two legs, and two arms—the makings of a human being. But they couldn’t be human, Terry knew. That was impossible.
Wasn’t it?
The man’s ears were long and pointed, stretching well above his head. He had a remarkably normal face, except for the nose, which was flat and long.
Terry backed away. He needed to find a better vantage point. Somewhere he could see these people clearly…maybe track them afterwards, too. He took several steps to his right, losing sight of the stranger in the process. As Terry came around to the other side of the dome, however, he caught a glimpse of someone else’s backside.
This one was shorter, thicker and had a blend of red and blond hair instead of white. He wore a piece of gray cloth around his waist, and above it on his naked back, a brown holster holding a long piece of metal tube with a wooden grip. It looked like a gun.
