Chapter Eighteen
A small beacon pulsed white in the darkness, its glow revealing the cave walls around it every five seconds like a strobe with a run-down battery. Sarah bent down to inspect the waypoint marker, which consisted of a metal rod with a light on top. The device drilled itself into the rock when deployed and once secured in place it acted as a permanent reference point for those that followed in the tracks of the Deep Reach survey team that had laid it.
Sarah, Trish and Jason had been travelling for some time, but they’d made good headway after the pendant had helped activate the strange tunnel beneath the Anakim arch. The terrain had been on a level, and only a few short climbs had been needed to bypass some deep cracks and vertical shafts.
Jason approached with the Centipede at his side. ‘So, where now?’
More than pleased they’d been able to intersect the return route plotted by the Deep Reach team that had discovered the temple, Sarah consulted her map.
Zooming in on her visor, she analysed the terrain ahead and the location of the water they desperately needed. She turned on the spot, viewing the multitude of tunnels that led away from them. She pointed with an arm. ‘That way, about five hundred yards.’
They set off again with renewed vigour and it wasn’t long before trickles of water seeped from the rock walls of the cave system they traversed. Soon, the flow of crystal clear liquid could be heard, and then seen, running through small channels cut out of the rock floor. The smell of damp stone made their mouths salivate and Sarah decided the time to stop was now. The repaired canister on the Centipede, all but exhausted, remained forgotten as the three friends got down on their hands and knees to scoop fresh water into parched mouths.
‘Oh my God,’ Trish said, as she’d drank her fill. ‘This is the best water I’ve ever tasted.’
Sarah had to agree, although its warmth surprised her. Far from cold, the liquid was mineral rich and left a metallic aftertaste on the tongue. Splashing some over her face, she then took some time to replenish the Centipede’s reservoir.
‘Does that look like steam to you?’ Trish pointed down the tunnel.
Sarah squinted in the direction. ‘I think so. And according to the Deep Reach team that were here before, it’s also the way to the temple.’
Jason hesitated. ‘I think I can see light down there.’
Sarah heard the anxiety in his voice. ‘Jas, there’s nothing down here. Whatever you saw must have been a reflection. We’d just activated the Anakim wall, a technology beyond our understanding.’
‘It wasn’t a trick of the light, trust me.’
Trish moved off down the tunnel, thirst quenched and spirits lifted. ‘It was probably just the Centipede’s main-beams reflected by the surface of the arch, or you were hallucinating. You both said these underground places mess with your mind.’
Sarah nodded. ‘She’s right. Come on, we may have water but we still need to find the temple, light or no.’
‘The sooner we get to the surface, the better,’ he said, giving in to their reasoning.
They moved forward, and a few minutes later turned a corner.
Sarah switched off her visor. The chamber they’d entered glowed a deep orange, the light flickering over the crumbling ruins that adorned its surround. In the centre a grand piazza led off into the distance, lined either side with rivers of boiling water that shone bright. Peering into one of these steaming basins, Sarah saw the glow emanated from underneath the water itself.
‘It looks like there’s larva underneath the river,’ Trish said. ‘Isn’t the temple with the transportation devices supposed to be in a hotter part of Sanctuary?’
Sarah nodded. ‘We must be getting close.’
Jason joined them. ‘There must be a barrier beneath the water stopping the lava evaporating.’
Sarah didn’t care, despite its beauty, the heat was intense and she could already feel the damp of sweat on her skin. They needed to move lest they burn off the precious resource they’d just consumed. Carrying on, they passed into a strange dome-like building with curved triangular points sprouting from the roof like a lopsided stegosaurus. The air cooled and they found themselves once more in the dark. Visors back on, they worked their way forward, following the directions on Sarah’s map.
They passed the dusty tombs of giants, long dead, their feet leaving trails in the sediment of eons. Huge stone walls and pillars towered above them in the dark, the features covered in fabulous abstract carvings. One particular image caught Sarah’s eye, an Anakim priestess spearing a fearsome beast, while another stalked her from behind.
Jason, perhaps still unnerved by whatever it was he thought he’d seen, walked on by, oblivious. Sarah checked her visor. A weak signal from the next waypoint beacon guided them left, out of the building and down yet another cave system, its entrance half-shrouded by a partial collapse.
A few hours later the route had turned into a veritable labyrinth that seemed to go on forever. Sarah stopped. Ahead, half a dozen passages led down into more of the same.
Jason halted the Centipede by her side. ‘Something wrong?’
‘I don’t know. This doesn’t seem right.’ She brought up an image of the route they’d just taken. The screen on her visor flickered. She banged the side of her helmet and the image resumed, uninterrupted. Running her eyes back over the map, she tried to retrace their steps in her mind.
Moments came and went and Trish moved closer. ‘Sarah?’
‘Perhaps we took a wrong turn,’ Jason said. ‘There was a section half an hour back where we could have gone either way.’
Sarah shook her head. ‘I don’t understand, the map says the next waypoint beacon should be right here.’
‘Perhaps its light’s broken.’ Jason walked around the perimeter, searching, and Trish followed his lead.
After they’d each inspected the surrounding passages in all directions, multiple times, Sarah removed her helmet and ran a hand through her hair. ‘This doesn’t make sense, it should be here.’
Crouched on her haunches nearby, Trish looked up at her. ‘Well, it’s not. We’ve looked everywhere.’
‘We’ll have to go back and try again,’ Jason said.
And that’s exactly what they did; however, it soon became apparent finding the way back was a lot harder than they’d envisaged.
‘What the fuck is going on!’ Sarah stamped a foot in frustration at another dead end.
‘We’re lost,’ Jason said. ‘That’s what’s going on.’
Sarah breathed deep and tried to regain her calm. ‘You both looked at the map, too; it’s not just me, is it?’
Trish sat down on the Centipede. ‘The map’s wrong. We’ve all seen it.’
‘It can’t be wrong.’
‘Well, it is.’
‘What I want to know is,’ Jason said, ‘how is it we can’t retrace our steps?’
Trish and Sarah looked at him.
‘Regardless of where the beacon is, we should be able to find our way back. Why can’t we?’
Trish sighed. ‘Because we took a wrong turn.’
Jason shook his head. ‘That shouldn’t make any difference. We’ve been working our way through Sanctuary from day one and I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve had to double back. Why can’t we do that now?’
‘You’re saying what we already know,’ Trish said, ‘there’s a problem with the map.’
‘No, I don’t think that’s it. I think there’s something wrong with the helmet itself.’ He looked at Sarah. ‘Didn’t you say Riley or someone told you Sanctuary messes with our technology?’
Sarah nodded. ‘It’s something to do with the material the Anakim used to stop the Earth’s mantle from frying everyone inside.’
‘So, we’re down deep, aren’t we? Not just deep, super deep. We’ve been heading down almost the whole time for days.’
‘What’s your point?’
‘My point is, before we entered this maze, what did we see?
’
‘Water.’
‘Boiling water,’ Trish said.
Jason pointed to her. ‘Exactly, and what was underneath that?’
‘Lava!’ Sarah finally saw what he was getting at. ‘You think the lower we go, the more interference there is?’
‘Sort of. It makes sense, doesn’t it? The hotter it gets, the greater the walls of Sanctuary have to work to keep it at bay.’
‘And whatever was separating the lava from the water must have been working really hard.’
He nodded, his expression grim.
‘But none of this helps us,’ Trish said, sounding angry, ‘does it?’
Sarah didn’t agree. ‘Well, we know what the problem is, that’s something. Now all we have to do is find our way out and try again.’
Trish hopped up from her seat on the Centipede. ‘Then let’s stop yakking and get started. I’m beginning to really loathe this place.’
With no arguments from Sarah or Jason, the three friends set off once more, turning back the way they’d come, determined to find their way out.
Behind them, unseen around a corner, a single metal pole lay wedged behind a rock, crumpled and bent; on its top was a small transparent shell where a light had once pulsed forth. The missing Deep Reach waypoint beacon remained unfound, but as those that had sought it returned from whence they came, a shimmering blue-green light emerged from the dark to illuminate the area. And moments later, a strange clicking noise began.
Chapter Nineteen
‘Seriously, we’re totally lost and you think now’s the time to take rock samples?’
‘We’re better off than we were before. At least we have plenty of water now. Time’s on our side again.’
Depressed, Trish gave Sarah that look, while Jason, ankle deep in cold water, struggled to pull out his prize.
It had been two days since they’d entered the system of endless tunnels and they were still no closer to finding their way out than when they’d started. They had, however, found a spring of water, an oasis in the middle of their open and ever-changing prison.
With a grunt of exertion, Jason fell back onto dry land with a large chunk of rock clasped in his hands. Setting it down on the ground, he withdrew a knife and whittled away the soft outer layers.
Piece by piece, Jason revealed the interior until he levered out a large chunk and a blue glow washed over his hands.
Trish leaned in for a look. ‘Wow, that’s huge.’
‘That’s what all the girls say.’ He glanced at Sarah and winked.
Trish tutted, but remained gazing at the luminescing object as keenly as Sarah herself.
Jason continued his work, revealing more of the treasure within. ‘I think there’s a whole seam of this stuff running through the rock.’
Trish gave a snort and moved away. ‘Why do you want it, anyway? You’ve got those stones.’
‘Yeah, most of them went funny. And this,’ he waggled the rock in the air, ‘is way better. Look at the size of it!’
Sarah cocked her head to one side. ‘Went funny?’
Jason put down his tool and dug into his coveralls. ‘Yeah.’ He chucked some stones at her. ‘Look; they went all normal.’
Sarah caught a couple and saw he was right. The stones he’d had before were now ordinary, no glow, just a dull, dirty grey mixed with black. Turning them over in her hand, she returned to thinking about their predicament. How could they find the temple if they couldn’t get out of this never-ending rabbit warren? They might have struck it lucky with water, but they were all suffering from hunger pains as their food supply ran low. She tossed a pebble into the water and watched the ripples expand out towards the small shoreline.
Jason stood up. ‘There, check it out; sweet, eh?’
Sarah looked at the glowing perfection he held aloft in a gloved hand. The rectangular brick of crystal pulsed a deep, ocean blue with veins of lighter and darker shades criss-crossing its surface.
A shriek of noise echoed down the tunnels, filling the air.
‘What the fuck was that?!’ Trish stepped back towards Jason, who’d gone stock still.
Sarah, heart beating loud, stood up, listening, ears pricked.
Silence reigned as they all stood immobile.
The noise came again, sending goosebumps prickling along her arms.
Trish looked at Sarah, eyes wild. ‘Tell me that’s the wind.’
‘That’s no wind.’ Sarah lowered her visor, and looked down to see her climbing axe already grasped beneath white knuckles.
Jason stowed his glowing brick and pulled Trish away from the direction the noise come from. ‘I think we should go.’
Sarah spun up the Centipede’s motor, its main beams blinking forth as she manoeuvred it to a tunnel entrance.
Another terrifying screech echoed down to them, louder than before.
‘Go!’ Sarah said, and she followed Jason and Trish as they ran before her, the Centipede speeding along at her side.
A T-junction appeared.
Trish hesitated. ‘Which way?!’
Jason dragged her left.
The noise came again, sounding even closer.
They picked up the pace, running full pelt down tunnel after cave after tunnel. Entrances flashed past. The Centipede careered into a stalagmite, demolishing it. Sarah slowed to regain control, and glanced back to see nothing pursued them – if there ever had been. Trish and Jason cut down another fork in the passage and disappeared round a bend.
‘Guys, slow down!’ Sarah rushed to catch up.
Flying round a corner, she nearly knocked them from a ledge as she skidded the Centipede to a sideways stop at their feet.
Jason moved aside and pointed. ‘End of the line.’
Sarah saw a black expanse before them, her visor showing it as a canvas of grey. She peered over the edge and then looked back with anxious eyes.
Trish, one step ahead, aimed the rangefinder at the ground below. ‘Half a kilometre.’
Sarah looked at them. ‘We’re running blind; we have no idea where we’re going. The further we go, the more likely we’ll never find our way back.’
Another bloodcurdling shriek sent them scurrying. With abseil and Centipede anchors deployed in a flash, they dropped from the ledge. Sarah, more experienced, sped downwards, almost in freefall. Looking down, her visor relayed the distance to the ground enabling her to slow for a cushioned landing. Switching focus to the Centipede, she was joined soon after by Jason and then Trish.
‘What the—’ Jason looked up in fear.
Sarah followed his gaze. Above a shimmering light had appeared, fluctuating on the ledge before blinking out.
‘What is it?’ Trish sounded terrified.
‘It’s that damn light,’ he said. ‘I told you!’
Sarah faced them. ‘Whatever it is, its chasing us, let’s move!’
Not needing to be told twice they set off again at a maintained run. Angling left, they passed beneath an Anakim gateway and out onto a massive stairway which led to a central road hundreds of feet across that cut straight as a die for as far as the visor could see. Not stopping, they pounded down the stairs with the Centipede’s wheels bobbling down beside them ten to the dozen, the sound of its rubber tyres reverberating like tiny drums. In full flight, they each kept glancing behind to see if the mysterious light followed, but as time passed and the frightening phenomenon failed to materialise, complacency and exhaustion crept in and they slowed to a jog and then a walk. Sarah remembered her visor’s mirror function and switched it on, the tiny camera concealed at the helmet’s rear saving them from a crick in the neck.
Ahead of them, the mighty thoroughfare they now traversed sparkled like jewels in the night, the expanse lit with a steady glow of bioluminescence that twinkled like millions of tiny stars. Either side towers reached up into the subterranean sky, interspersed with monumental statues in varying states of decay.
Moving ever forward, they tried to put distance between themselve
s and the thing they’d encountered – Jason’s dreaded light – and they soon found themselves passing through the glowing fields they’d seen from afar. Crushed underfoot, the tiny plants released tiny spores that hung in the air around them. The smell reminded Sarah of crushed willow blossom in the autumn fall.
Movement in her visor’s mirror caught her eye. She spun round. Back at the top of the steps a light hovered, shimmering blue-green like a swarm of fireflies in the night. Trish and Jason backed away as the light flickered and vanished, before it reappeared, travelling at speed down the stairs, heading straight towards them.
Trish screamed and ran, with Sarah and Jason hot on her heels.
Already tired, they soon slowed again, Trish being the first to fall behind. Sarah ran back to drag her friend onwards and Jason returned to help.
Half a mile away and closing fast, the light bore down on them.
Trish stumbled on, before stopping again, gasping. ‘It’s no good, I can’t run anymore.’
Sarah had an idea. Bringing the Centipede back, she unclipped two large containers and heaved them to the ground. ‘Get on!’
Trish stared at her.
‘Hurry!’
Trish hopped onto the Centipede’s back and Sarah whacked it back into gear. The machine shot forward with Trish clinging to it while Sarah and Jason ran alongside.
Trish looked back. ‘It’s gaining!’
Sarah increased the Centipede’s speed and her own, while Jason laboured on.
Sarah pointed to the Centipede. ‘Get on!’
He shook his head. ‘What about you?!’
‘I’m fine, get on!’
An ear shattering noise like dying thunder propelled Jason into action.
He jumped on board. ‘Fucking hell, Sarah, it’s almost on us!’
Sarah looked in her visor mirror to see the light looming large.
Swerving right, she reached for the water canister’s retainers. Jason saw what she was doing and leaned back to help. One clamp popped up and then the other. They hit a bump and the Centipede left the ground, throwing the black container into the air. The machine landed back down and Sarah jumped.
2041 Sanctuary (Let There Be Light) Page 14
