Portals of Infinity: Kaiju

by John Van Stry

  Suzona and Loomis walked over to me then, each surreptitiously touching the portal, but being careful not to step through it.

  "Let us go back inside then," he looked up and around at the sky and shivered briefly. "The sooner, the better."

  "Not used to being outside?" Evean asked him as we got back into the half-track.

  "No, not anymore. When I was a young man I came outside many times. But now, I prefer the comforts of my home."

  I spent the ride back thinking about what I'd seen. The portal had drifted to the right of its original position by a good ten to twelve feet. If they could sense the portals and travel through them unaided, they would have known that.

  But they didn't.

  This meant that there were no people here who were capable of going through the portals by themselves. At least none who had been brought up here to look at it, and from what he had told us, those who could go through it had, and not returned.

  So, either something on the other side of the portal had changed dramatically twenty or so years ago, or there was something he wasn't telling us.

  Evean was continuing to try and make small talk with him, asking about his job, his life, what he did, what he liked to do. That she hadn't told him that the portal had moved and that not just anyone could walk through it, made it clear to the rest of us that she had suspicions.

  Suzona was chatting up one of the guards who appeared to have taken an interest in her, no doubt having picked up on Evean's suspicions as well.

  "One of the guards will escort you back to your friends," Sakauwa said as we walked back inside the base of the tower. "In the morning you can meet with my superiors and tell them what you suspect. As well as any suggestions you might have on opening the gateway back up for us."

  "Of course!" Evean said and gave a small bow, "It is in our interest to get it working again as well."

  "Until tomorrow then," he said and left us.

  The guard that Suzona had been chatting up was the one who led us to where the others were waiting for us.

  "So, what did you find?" Shin asked as we entered the room.

  "We're not sure," Evean said looking around, "Something isn't quite right."

  I looked around as well; it was a rather nice room, with six doors leading off from both sides and another two on the wall opposite the doorway we'd entered by. The guard had accompanied us inside, and I'd noticed there was one standing outside the door as well.

  "The doors on the back wall lead to showers and toilets," Gregory said, "the doors on the sides are to bedrooms. If you want to get a bite to eat, I can take you down to the cafeteria."

  I noticed Joseph was sitting by one of the walls and looking at the guard then at me, then at the doorway, over and over again. About the third time he did it, I got the message.

  "You know, why don't you show us?" I said to Gregory, "I'm sure the four of us could use a bite to eat."

  "Sure!" He said and hopping out of his seat, he led us out of the room, Suzona almost begged off, but when I touched her arm she stopped and followed with a nod.

  By the time we got to the cafeteria the guard talking to her had given Suzona some sort of contact information, and then left.

  "What was that for?" Suzona asked me.

  "Joseph wanted that guard out of the room." I said softly.

  "Oh," she nodded and looked over at Gregory.

  "Get some food first," He said in a low voice.

  We each did so, and then met him back at a table in the center of the room, which had people seated at tables all around it, talking with each other.

  "The room is bugged," He said in a low voice, that we all had to strain to hear. "Joseph is finding all of the devices, so he can try to figure out where we can talk unheard."

  We all nodded.

  "What did you find?" He asked.

  "They can't sense the portal," Evean said, continuing to keep her voice low. "All of their jumpers have gone through and not come back. Same for the people who were visiting here from the other sphere."

  "Do you think something happened to them?"

  "Remember the locked gate?" Evean asked.

  We all nodded.

  "Something isn't right here; these people are up to something. They all look like there's a war on."

  "If there is a war on, where is the military?" I asked.

  "All around you," she said. "Haven't you noticed how everyone is always going someplace? No one is ever congregating in the hallways talking?"

  "Why aren't they in uniform?"

  "I'm not sure, but I bet you all the ones up in that tower above us are in some sort of uniform." Evean paused a moment, "Besides, how much of this place have we seen? What looks like a recreation level, and an office full of bureaucrats."

  "So, what do I tell them in the morning?" I asked.

  "We're not going to be here come the morning. Suzona, work that guard for everything you can get tonight. But be back by two."

  "Okay," Suzona nodded.

  "Now, sit up, eat your food, and try to act natural," Evean said.

  "Do you need anything?" A woman asked walking over to us. She was dressed like the guards had been.

  "No, just saying a blessing over the meal, being thankful for our safe arrival," I said and smiled at her.

  "Oh, okay," she said and continued on.

  Evean smiled and winked at me as we all started to eat.

  I was laying on a bed in one of the rooms, stretched out and in my champion form. When we'd gotten back to the room, Joseph indicated a spot where you could talk, softly, and not be overheard, as long as the others in the room talked among themselves to provide cover. So Evean set up there and talking to two of us at a time, we'd developed a plan, and after Suzona got back with whatever she had learned, we'd implement it.

  Until then, Joseph, Shin, and Jane, were going to wander the complex and see where they were allowed to go and where they were not. The intention was to scout out a path to get us back to the surface with as little interaction with other people as possible.

  I'd decided to go take a nap and I preferred sleeping in my champion form, as I was more likely to wake up if someone showed up unexpectedly. Joseph had been clear that while there were microphones everywhere, there were no cameras, so being in my champion form wouldn't be noticed.

  I woke up when the door opened, and someone slipped into my room. I had the lights out, so it was as dark as it gets when you're a hundred feet underground in an artificial environment.

  "Will?" I heard Teshes say.

  "Yes?" I answered.

  "Ah, so I did pick the right room," She chuckled.

  "I'm in my champion form," I said in the language of Hiland. I'd learned a while ago that when you were in your champion form, you had access to the languages that you knew in it. As it was also her native tongue, I figured she'd understand me.

  "Oh, a moment," She said and I heard the zipper of a jumpsuit being pulled down. A minute later she joined me on the bed, also in her champion form.

  "So, to what do I owe this honor?" I asked softly. I was sure anyone listening to us would be going nuts trying to figure out just what language we were now speaking.

  "You're the God Slayer, I'm the one getting the honor here," She purred.

  I chuckled, "That might have worked on me a decade ago, Teshes, but I'm not a young boy anymore. Besides, Evean already used that one on me."

  Teshes giggled, "Actually, I'm not being as manipulative as you might think. I've only been a champion for four years, and my goddess is a god of fertility. You're a pretty big deal to me."

  "A goddess of fertility?" I said surprised. It hadn't occurred to me that there would be such on Saladin, but it should have. "What does a champion for a goddess of fertility do?"

  "Oh, about the same as any other champion I guess," She cuddled up against me, "except for the leading armies into battle or fighting wars. Selentia relies on the cooperation of the other gods and goddesses in the land."

/>   "So, why are you here then?" I asked surprised. I'd figured that any champions sent would be of the more militant variety, like everyone I already knew was.

  "Because it is my world too? Because somewhere along the way I may be able to do something to help? Selentia is very aware of the danger of this monster."

  "And?" I asked, "There sounds like there's a bit more to that explanation."

  "Well, we are not on bad terms with your god Feliogustus, and we'd most definitely like to be on better terms," She purred and I felt her hands start to get more adventurous.

  "My opinion doesn't carry all that much weight with Fel," I chuckled.

  "And my Sel told me I'd be wasting my time," she chuckled back. "However, I think I would rather enjoy wasting my time with you, than with that Loomis."

  "You don't like Loomis?" I asked rolling onto my side and facing her, not that I could see her in the darkness.

  "No, he is glib with his words and fast with his money, but in the morning he will always go back to his wife with nary a thought to the promises he made the night before. I've seen his type many times growing up."

  "What about Evean?"

  "Roden and my Sel have an understanding; we've known each other for years now."

  "Jane?"

  "Sel sees no conflicts there, and I like Jane. She is more likely to protect than to attack."

  "Shin?"

  "I know nothing about him, he is new to Saladin, only having been here a year."

  I nodded slowly, "So, what brings you to my room?"

  "You have to ask?" She purred rather huskily.

  "Actually, yes, I do!" I laughed.

  "Any male that has Evean chasing his tail is one that I definitely want to get to know."

  "Oh?"

  "Most definitely."

  She pulled herself up to me and kissed me rather passionately then, and I was impressed. I wondered briefly if she and Evean compared notes on technique?

  Twelve

  1st World

  Tower

  "So, have fun, Will?" Evean teased me as we sat with Joseph in the 'safe' zone while the others talked. It was a little after two in the morning according to the clock on the wall. Suzona had gotten back an hour ago, and Evean had been consulting with her, Joseph, Shin, and Jane on what they'd all learned since then.

  "Hey, you told me to keep everyone happy!" I said and winked at her.

  "You know her goddess is a fertility goddess, right?"

  I nodded, "Yeah, she told me. Why? What of it?"

  "Watch out you don't end up with any unexpected children," Evean smirked.

  "Watch out yourself," I smirked back, "maybe I'll have her turn those abilities on you first, assuming she can even do something like that."

  "Why, Will! I didn't know you cared!" Evean said feigning surprise.

  "Can we get back to the present here, and save your flirting for later?" Joseph grumbled.

  Evean sighed, but was still smiling. "Okay. So Suzona confirmed my suspicions: this is a military installation; you either work for the government supporting the military here, or you work for the military.

  "The tower is a military project; she suspects it is some kind of a weapon. Apparently losing the war didn't sit well with the locals and they're engaged on some sort of large scale retaliation plan. The portal's closing has caused difficulties, as they were buying both technical gear and knowledge there to help with their project here."

  "So, the 'lack of weapons' line was a lie?" I asked.

  "Very much so, weapons are kept in their quarters and are not usually worn inside the facility." She looked at Joseph, "Tell him what you learned."

  "We were allowed to walk around pretty much wherever we wanted to by ourselves. The only places we ran into that were 'off limits' were the lower levels, which I suspect is where all of the military equipment is kept; living quarters and barracks, which makes sense really; and the tower."

  "Did anyone get any kind of look into the tower?" I asked him.

  "Shin did."

  "How?"

  "Apparently he seduced one of the guards or something. He was a little vague on the details."

  "Embarrassed is more like it," Evean chuckled.

  I sighed, "Whatever, what did he learn?"

  "Not much, just that the center of the tower is an open shaft, which runs down deep into the ground. It's about fifty feet wide, and there are guide rails along the side, that twist like the rifling in a gun barrel."

  "So, it's some kind of launch system?" I asked looking between the two of them.

  They both shrugged.

  "No idea," Evean said. "But the biggest point we learned is that the guard outside the door calls someone, whenever one of us comes or goes. He has a radio that he uses."

  "Radios don't work well underground," I said looking at Joseph.

  "It's more of a localized type system with repeaters in the ceiling. All of the guards have them. Simple, but effective," Joseph replied.

  "So we take out the guard and they won't know we're out there."

  "Until another guard sees us. But because of its simplicity we can partially jam it."

  "Oh? How?" I asked.

  "Simple, just set the unit to broadcast and send some white noise over the channel. That locks out anyone else being able to report in. However, the control center broadcasts out on a different channel, so they'll still be able to send out orders. Jamming them would be a lot more difficult."

  "We're not going to be here long enough to matter," Evean said. "We have a pathway out of the tower that involves the least amount of observation now. We take out any guards we see, lock their radios to transmit, and once we're outside; we make a break for the portal."

  "What about weapons?" I asked her.

  "We'll have to restock once we get through the portal. I don't want to take the time to try and find our swords and bows."

  "I was thinking, why don't we just take theirs?"

  "The living quarters are down two levels below this one, I'd rather not waste the time."

  "What about the guards by the tower? Are they armed?"

  "According to Shin, yes, they are."

  "So we take some of their weapons before we go," I suggested.

  "Which of course would set off every alarm in the facility," Joseph pointed out.

  "But they'd think we were going for the tower and would ignore us making for the portal, which they think is broken anyway," I countered.

  Evean shook her head, "It's not a bad idea, but I'd prefer stealth to us making a racket. I don't even want us to jam their radios unless we're discovered. They'll probably think we're going to the tower anyway; it is the center of the installation after all.

  "Plus, we really don't care what they're up to here; we have problems of our own first and foremost."

  I nodded, "Okay, you're the boss."

  "Good, now go take care of our door guard, and then we will take our leave."

  I nodded and getting up I went over to the exit.

  Opening the door I shifted into high gear as I moved out into the hallway, there was just our ever present guard there, and no one else, so I struck him in the larynx, then grabbed his hands before he could trigger anything and dragged him back inside.

  I started to gag him, figuring I'd heal his crushed larynx before he died, but Evean shifted into her champion form and wrung his neck, surprising me. I looked up at her and she shook her head no, so I just shrugged and searched his body while Joseph took his radio. I was surprised to find that he had a small semi-automatic pistol in a holster under his uniform shirt, concealed in his left armpit. I found an extra magazine in his back pocket and I handed them both to Evean, as Shin quickly stripped the body, and then donned his uniform.

  I tossed the body into one of the rooms while everyone put their packs on, and then grabbing mine I followed everyone out of the room as Shin led us down the hallway.

  When we got to the end of the hallway, there was another guard around the c
orner. Suzona smiled and waved at him, and as his hand came up to wave back she moved in closer in with the shifted speed of a champion and got him in the eye with one of the knives she'd pocketed from the cafeteria when we'd had dinner.

  They stripped this body and Joseph quickly donned this uniform as Gregory stashed the body in a closet.

  Shin and Joseph led us down another hallway, and then motioned for us to stay where we were and they both strode off together around the corner.

  A minute later Shin came around and waved us on, so we followed at a trot and when I turned the corner I saw Joseph removing the radios and pistols from two dead guards. I took one of the radios and pistols, as Teshes and Gregory hid the two bodies.

  "Guard post," Joseph whispered and we all nodded.

  "Now, we go up this stairway to the main floor. From there, it's about a hundred yards to the ramp up to the exit."

  Everyone nodded and Shin and Joseph led the way up the staircase.

  "What are you two doing away from your post?" I heard come over the radio, followed by silence.

  I dashed up the stairs with Evean, the rest following us. Shin had the guard by the throat and was choking him while Joseph relieved him of his radio and gun.

  "What happened?" Evean hissed.

  "Our luck just ran out," Joseph said.

  "Guard Suzuki, report!" cane over the radio.

  "Try and fool them," Evean said to Joseph.

  Joseph shrugged and keyed his radio, "This is Suzuki. Honaki and his buddy just came up here to ask me for something."

  "Honaki, Tunsada, report!"

  I raised a hand, "Tunsada, reporting."

  Shin dropped the now dead guard. "Honaki, reporting."

  "All guards, Level three, report!" the radio continued, "All guards on alert! Report anyone out of place!"

  "Well, guess they know something's wrong," Joseph said.

  "We better hurry before they figure out what," Evean said. "Run for the exit, go!"

  We started down the hallway at a trot, with Shin and Joseph leading. There were only two people we passed on the way, but neither was in a guard uniform or wearing a radio. So they each just gave us a surprised look, and Joseph waved to them as we went by.

  By the time we got to the top of the ramp, the doors were closed and even in my champion form I was unable to force it.