2041 Sanctuary (Let There Be Light) (54 page)

‘I don’t think that’s the right one,’ Walker said, walking round the device. ‘Try this one.’ He pointed at the next one over.

‘Are you sure?’ Goodwin said.

‘It feels … right.’ Walker looked at him. ‘Don’t ask me why, okay? It just does.’

As Goodwin didn’t feel anything at all towards any of the options on offer, he deferred to the corporal’s suggestion, even though it went against his better judgement.

Walker gave him a boost up and Goodwin gripped the lever, which had the diameter of a large grapefruit. He tried to pull it down, but it wouldn’t budge. He lifted himself into the air, free of Walker’s hold and the mechanism gave a creak, but no more.

‘Move further along it,’ Walker said.

With difficulty, Goodwin manoeuvred up to the very end of the bar, his legs now hanging over the water some six feet below. Another creak and nothing.

‘It’s no good,’ Goodwin said, interlocking his fingers, ‘I’m not heavy enough.’ He tried pulling himself up and dropping his weight back down, still to no avail.

Walker looked up at him. ‘Have you got a good grip?’

‘Yes, why?’

‘Hold on!’ Walker took a few steps back and then ran and leapt into the air to grab on to Goodwin’s legs.

With a screech of metal on metal, the handle dropped down with a dull clang.

Goodwin lost his grip, and he and Walker fell with a splash into the water, which now seethed with bubbles. The island that held the mechanism sank beneath the surface.

On instinct Goodwin and Walker swam back to shore, barely getting out before the water sank down into a whirlpool, while above the ceiling retracted and a huge torrent of water flooded down to form a thunderous waterfall. Goodwin took a step back from the wall of liquid that now tore past just a few feet away.

The deafening noise continued before the ground shifted beneath their feet, making them hold onto the wall.

Walker cupped his hands and shouted, ‘It’s an earthquake!’

Goodwin didn’t know what it was, but soon after, the rumbling eased and the cascade ran dry. Drops of water plip-plopped down into the large, cylindrical shaft that had been revealed, its dark interior extending up as far as it descended below. Around its edge a smooth six foot wide sloping walkway spiralled down into the depths and up into its heights.

Goodwin peered over the edge before jumping down onto the path. On a hunch he walked up the incline and Walker followed.

At the top they emerged into fresher air and a pitch-black void. A breeze rustled their decontamination suits and Goodwin angled the torches on his helmet to see they were surrounded by more water.

Leading out into darkness, a causeway cut a path through the inky liquid a mere inch below the surface.

‘What’s that?!’ Walker removed his knife from his belt.

‘Turn off your lights,’ Goodwin said, as he switched off his own.

Walker did as instructed, plunging them into total darkness.

In the distance a host of lights approached, the eerie procession strung out in a line.

‘We should go,’ Walker said, sounding terrified.

Goodwin was about to agree until he heard something that made him pause.

‘Quickly!’ Walker said in a forced whisper, ‘it’s almost on us.’

A beam of light shone in their direction. ‘Who’s there?’ said a voice. ‘Director, is that you?

Goodwin sighed in relief and switched his lights back on.

Lieutenant Manaus strode across the causeway. ‘It is you, sir. We were getting worried.’

‘This bridge stretches all the way back to shore, I take it?’ Goodwin said, shaking the lieutenant’s hand.

‘It does, but it’s not straight. It spirals in to this point and makes landfall along from where you started.’ She pointed at her visor. ‘Luckily we were able to see the bridge appear, otherwise we would have only heard the water displacement.’ She looked around. ‘Which I assume came from here?’

Goodwin nodded.

‘Richard, you made it!’ Rebecca ran forward to embrace him, with Joseph close behind.

Goodwin enjoyed the reunion, but his mood soured when Priest and his men arrived on the scene.

‘Well done, Director,’ Priest said, ‘you’re not dead. Congratulations; now what?’

Goodwin released himself from Joseph and motioned to the slope behind. ‘Now we go down.’

‘I thought he’d found a way to the surface,’ one of the soldiers said. ‘Shouldn’t we be going up?’

‘Man’s got a point,’ Priest said.

Walker stepped forward. ‘We’ve got you this far and risked our lives to do it. Follow me and I’ll lead you all out of here.’

‘Like you had anything to do with it,’ Manaus said, her tone scathing.

‘Whose idea was it to help the director?’ Walker said, addressing the decontamination team. ‘Me. Who helped him find this location? Me. Who went into the lake and discovered this?’ He gestured around them. ‘Me, again! If any of you want to get out of this place alive then I’m the one you should be listening to.’ He pointed at Priest. ‘Not him.’

Priest strode forward and Walker slid his knife from his belt before lashing out. Priest dodged a second thrust and knocked the weapon from his attacker’s grasp. He slammed the butt of his rifle into Walker’s midriff, doubling him over, and some of the men laughed.

‘Nice speech, Corporal,’ Priest said, ‘but your chance at leadership has come and gone.’ He turned to Goodwin. ‘Lead on, Director.’

Goodwin glanced at Lieutenant Manaus, who gave an imperceptible shake of her head. There was no way they could win this fight. Not in their current position.

Still winded, Walker struggled to pick up his knife and gave a twisted smile full of bitter humiliation as Goodwin moved past him and back to the slope. The Goodwin of old would have almost felt sorry for the man, but now he couldn’t have cared less. He had one thing on his mind; find a way to the surface.

Chapter Sixty Seven

The gaping shaft in the centre of the Anakim lake carved out a core below the water’s surface half a mile deep, and the sloping pathway that clung to its outer wall spiralled down into the depths. Along this ancient, narrow road travelled the thirty-two strong company led by Richard Goodwin, former Director of USSB Steadfast, the prophet of the hour. So far his reasoning had proven sound, his gut instincts serving him well when others had doubted his sanity. Vindicated and driven on by compulsion, he increased his pace as they neared the bottom.

Ahead, a large, crumbling entrance led into blackness.

Someone touched his arm and the Darklight lieutenant drew alongside. ‘I’ll go first, Director, see if it’s safe.’

Goodwin shook his head. ‘There’s no … need.’

It was too late; Manaus had already moved past to assess the lay of the land. Reaching the hole, she pressed some buttons on her recon helmet and disappeared into the gloom.

The rest of the party regrouped at the bottom and waited for her return.

A couple of minutes passed before Manaus reappeared. She waved them forward. ‘It’s safe, but tread carefully, there’s loose rock underfoot.’

‘Next time you wait for my orders,’ Priest said, ‘is that clear, Lieutenant?’

Manaus gave a mocking salute before switching on her headgear’s torches to help light their way.

Goodwin followed her in and helped Rebecca and Joseph tackle the awkward terrain before they emerged into another area.

‘Are you seeing this?’ Manaus said in awe.

Large, stone steps descended into darkness and Goodwin switched on his diving helmet’s visual enhancer and gasped. They were in an enormous chamber. A grand hall, higher and longer than anything he could have dreamt of. It was so high that the ceiling appeared only as a darker black. Either side of this mammoth creation stood colossal statues, but unlike human works from the age of the Greeks, these titans were dynamic, built to inspire and shock. They’d been crafted to make those that dared pass them by feel like the tiny insects they were.

‘Fan out,’ Priest said to his men, ‘and keep alert.’

Goodwin walked forward as the armed soldiers spread out around them, guns at the ready. He turned off his visor to look at the sculptures under torchlight. The dark surfaces sparkled like obsidian beneath a slick coating of water.

‘What is this place?’ Rebecca said, gazing up at the incredible sight.

Goodwin didn’t know, but spectacular wasn’t the word. The faces of the bipedal figures were without doubt Anakim, their facial features not quite human. Some of the statues stooped so low that their heads almost touched the floor. They passed by one such figure, and while it still remained ten feet from the ground, its snarling features and fearful pose made Joseph bury his face in Rebecca’s shoulder. Goodwin knew how he felt as he noted the cluster of crystals inset into each monstrous eye.

A stiff breeze blew through the chamber and a strange noise made everyone freeze.

‘What the hell is that?’ one of the soldiers said, as the sound continued.

Goodwin held his breath as the note rose and fell, its peculiar whine drifting to silence. Everyone stood where they were before a deeper howl could be heard coming from higher up.

‘It’s just the wind.’ Manaus pointed at the statues. ‘It’s funnelling through their mouths.’

Four or five of the whistling notes joined together to produce a frightening soundtrack to the already creepy atmosphere.

‘Keep moving,’ Priest said.

He didn’t need to say it twice as everyone hurried to put the dreadful noise behind them.

The further down the hall they went, the more lurid the statues became, and the more gruesome. Protruding bones ruptured the decaying flesh of naked figures positioned in sickening poses of prostration and obscene debauchery. The horrific spectacle would have made even the strongest of stomachs turn and Goodwin averted his gaze from the corruption.

As they neared the end of the massive gallery, an enormous statue of an Anakim woman had been positioned in the centre of the walkway. With a face full of pain and terror, she clung onto the floor tiles on which they trod and fought against clawed hands that dragged her down into the deep.

Splitting into two groups, they circumvented this tormented figure, one on either side, some looking at it and others not. With the chilling sounds propelling them forward, they passed beneath the legs of the final figure. This multi-headed monstrosity grasped the plinth on which it sat, four clawed hands biting into the rock with tarnished talons. On its back two giant wings stretched out on either side, their ends disappearing into darkness.

They moved on through a great arch which gradually narrowed, bunching them together into a tight tunnel twelve feet across. The ancient route, paved with cracked, worn stone, rose and fell, twisted and turned this way and that, creating a sense of disorientation and claustrophobia. An icy chill permeated the air and no one spoke, their footfalls sounding muffled as if they were surrounded by thick snow.

Sinister, carved reliefs lined the tunnel’s curved walls while a black substance oozed over them, falling into deep channels at their base. Goodwin thought it similar to the material he’d endured back in the lake, the nauseating smell that accompanied it almost too much to bear.

‘What is this place, Director?’ Walker said, his tone hushed.

Goodwin didn’t know, but whatever it was it wouldn’t deter him from his goal.

Walker shone his light over some of the hideous images and shuddered. ‘This place is like a nightmare.’

Rebecca touched Goodwin’s arm. ‘He’s right, Richard. Everything here – it feels …’

He looked at the fear in her eyes. ‘Feels what?’

‘Evil,’ Lieutenant Manaus said.

Rebecca held Joseph closer. ‘We shouldn’t be here.’

‘You can all go back if you want; I’ve come too far to turn back now.’ He squeezed Rebecca’s arm. ‘I’m sorry; I have to see this through.’

‘Then let’s be quick about it, Director,’ Walker said, speeding up, ‘none of us want to stay down here any longer than we have to.’

A murmur of agreement rippled through the rest of the decontamination team as they moved into another area. Wisps of mist swirled around their feet, rising higher and growing thicker with each step.

Still in the lead, Lieutenant Manaus held up her hand in a fist and everyone came to a halt.

‘What is it?’ Goodwin said, moving to her side.

The Darklight officer scanned the area with her visor. ‘I’m not sure. My helmet should be able to process this type of atmosphere, but all spectrums come back blank. It’s like a wall. I’ve never experienced anything like it.’

‘How do we proceed?’

‘In formation,’ Priest said from behind. ‘Lieutenant, take point. Everyone else,’ he said, raising his voice, ‘form up, two abreast, close quarter advance.’

The soldiers fell into position as ordered, weapons shouldered and trigger fingers poised.

Unarmed, Manaus moved forward and Goodwin followed, with Rebecca and Joseph in close attendance, and Walker and Priest just behind.

If anything the mist grew thicker and Goodwin could hardly see Manaus, who was only a foot away.

Priest shouted out another order. ‘Touch advance!’

Each of the soldiers placed a hand on the shoulder of their comrade in front. Rebecca held onto Joseph and placed one hand on Goodwin, while he latched onto the lieutenant.

As they inched their way forward the way ahead finally cleared, the dense vapour dispersing as a swirling breeze penetrated its borders.

Huge rectangular megaliths appeared out of the retreating mist to tower over them, their grey stone glistening with ice. The party passed between two vertical pillars and beneath the giant slab that had been placed on top.

‘These look far older than anything else in the city,’ Manaus said.

‘They look familiar, too,’ Goodwin said, observing the weathered runes that had been carved deep into the stone surfaces.

The giant edifices had collapsed in places, but Goodwin could see they formed part of a circle.

‘It’s like Stonehenge,’ Rebecca said, ‘the monument in England.’

She’s right
, Goodwin thought,
that’s exactly what they’re like, just bigger
. He peered ahead, but the way remained shrouded in darkness as the mist reared up once more.