Subterranean (20 page)

He had an idea.

He flipped the panel open and saw three switches inside.

I hope this works
.

Struggling to release them all, he finally threw the last switch and the lights powered down with a dying hum, concealing everything in darkness.

“Are you a fool, Flynn?” Rolan laughed mockingly. “Have you forgotten that Subterraneans have superior sight in the darkness?”

“Funny,” Flynn’s voice echoed from the shadows, “the only thing I can see now… is you.”

Rolan inspected himself; his skin was glowing brightly with a green luminescence like a lone light bulb in a dark room. “Curse you, Flynn!” He ran to cover in the formation of ships. “If we were not going to die today, I would say this would make a great story.”

“Who says we have to die?” Flynn’s voice came from a new vantage point as he traveled around the hangar, watching the warm glow from Rolan’s skin float around the ships.

“The Ravagers,” he stepped cautiously down each row, “because of you.”

“You’re right,” Flynn saw a brilliant green beacon standing still near one of the ships and took aim, “I did bring the Ravagers here. I led them back home.”

“So you admit it?” Rolan peered down each side of the row he prowled through. “You did not flee for help. You fled because you are a coward who heeds the false promises of superior races.” He gritted his teeth. “What did the Ravagers promise you for being their agent?”

“But I will be the one to destroy the Ravagers… to free the universe from their corruption.” He wrapped his finger around the trigger, his sights lined up with the glowing beam of light. “Only one thing stands in my way…” He paused. “…You.” He pulled the trigger, igniting the darkness of the hangar with a brief flash of energy that flew across the room and struck the target forcefully in the body. Flynn smiled upon hearing a grunt of pain and then a thud against metal. Finally, Rolan was down and they could turn their attention to the Ravagers.

“Impressive.” The voice slithered out from the darkness, gripping Flynn’s heart. “I doubt she saw that coming.” Flynn’s eyes widened in dismay at the mocking tone, the voice clearly came from another direction. “You managed to hit the esteemed Overseer Vale with an energy pistol from fifty yards away.” Rolan chuckled. “A story would be nothing without a feat worthy of a hero.”

Damn it!
Flynn jumped off the catwalk and slid into cover behind one of the platforms.

“See what happens when you side with traitors, Vale?” Rolan shouted into the darkness, keeping his eyes alert for movement. “They only care about themselves.”

Flynn looked at the glowing light on the ground and sighed deeply.
Great, some friend I am…
He wanted to rush to her aid and prove that he was deeply remorseful of his mistake, but he couldn’t chance Rolan seeing him.
Why is she even unconscious, anyway? She’s tough, and it was just a stun blast.

“I know you were interested in me, Vale.” Rolan spoke as if he knew Vale was still awake. “I know I hurt you when I decided Rasina would be my mate. But you are an attractive female; you would find another mate.” He stopped, charging the next words with heated derision. “You certainly should not need to lower yourself to the likes of this human.”

Flynn’s fists clenched, he pulled the knife from his pride and threw it to the ground, keeping his mouth shut and his eyes on Vale, the only source of light he could see.
What now, what now?
His mind raced with everything he could think of. Something had to work… it couldn’t end here, not when he’s so close. He shut his eyes and tilted his head back, drifting completely into his thoughts for an answer. And then, when he was certain he was trapped in a corner, his chest surged with hopeful energy… he knew what to do.

“I will find you eventually, Flynn.” Rolan retorted at the silence. “There is no point in hiding.”

Ignoring his words, Flynn pushed himself off the platform and darted towards the far wall. He could see the symbol of the sun on the metal panel from afar, thanks to the warm green rays from Vale’s body reflecting off its shimmering finish. Knowing the sound of the switches would bring Rolan to him, he threw the first one anyway.

Clank!
The reverberations called forth the rushing feet of a delusional madman.

Clank!
The second reassured him that his position was compromised.

And…
clank!
The third switch completed the circuit and the lights flashed on, firing up with a lively hum as the brilliant rays drove out the darkness and revealed all in the spacious hangar.

The unadulterated shine of the hangar lights stunned Rolan’s sensitive eyes, causing him to thrash about and claw at his face in pain. Without a word, Flynn aimed his pistol and fired. The decisive blast sunk into Rolan’s chest and coursed through his veins, a plasmatic burst of energy that overloaded his body and frightened it into shock. With bated breath, Flynn watched him fall to his knees in a losing struggle to stay in control and then finally collapse to the ground unconscious.

“You… have not won… human…”

The last words dissipated from his lips, leaving Flynn alone with the bodies of his two friends and a haunting silence that even the nearby Ravager invasion could not penetrate.

Chapter 18

Misgivings

“Vale!” Flynn ran over to her, worried what the blast might have done to her. “Are you okay?” He knelt down next to her and picked her head up, looking into her disoriented eyes. “Say something!” The tense moments of no response were quickly dissolved by a hard slap to his face. “Ouch!”

“Do not shoot me again.” Her voice was cold, lightened only by her subsequent smile that softly appeared. “Perhaps I should not have given you a gun…”

“Maybe I just need some practice." He lifted her up to her feet with a grin.

“I would be happy to assist you,” she brushed herself off and stretched her limbs, “once every last Ravager is off my planet.”

“Oh, yeah… I forgot about that…”

“Hmm,” Vale looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes in concentration, “I do not hear the Ravagers… Have they all gone?”

“I doubt it,” Flynn walked over to Rolan and secured him by the collar, “this hangar is soundproof… and apparently blast proof since we haven’t felt any vibrations, yet.”

“Good, perhaps we will be safe here, then.” She watched Flynn struggle to drag the body. “Although, we should come up with a plan. Rolan was correct about the Ravagers outnumbering anything we have… even these ships.”

“Rolan needs to be restrained,” he pulled the body another few feet, “so I can talk to him without getting shot.”

“A wise course of action.” A beeping suddenly emanated from a device she wore on her ear. She clicked it with a finger and spoke authoritatively. “Vale.” With a nod, she confirmed the information she heard and then replied. “Understood, I will assist you momentarily.”

“Who was that?” Flynn stared at her with a furrowed eyebrow.

“Radovan contacted me.” She said with a sigh. “It appears your scientist friend does indeed have Lisa with him,” she grew slightly annoyed with Flynn’s exceptionally piqued interest, “and they require assistance.”

“We have to help them, then! Where are they?” He stood ready to march out of the hangar doors on utterance of the location.

“
We
have to focus on the current task.” She pointed at the ships. “We cannot risk allowing these ships to fall into the possession of the Ravagers.”

“You said it yourself,” Flynn replied, “we are safe in here, so the ships will be fine.”

“Flynn, be reasonable. If we both venture out into the city, we risk being killed, and if that happens, then neither of us will be able to save them… or the planet, for that matter. It would be best if one of us assists Radovan while the other guards the hangar with Rolan.”

“I’ll go get them.” He said without hesitation.

“Flynn,” she clenched her fist in annoyance, “you should stay here.”

“What? Why?”

“Because of the two of us, you are the only one who has ever flown a spaceship before and could most easily figure out how these work.” She paused. “You also have the best chance of convincing Rolan to side with us.”

“What? Rolan hates me! He chased me halfway across the city trying to kill me!”

“Yes, but you were also his best friend.”

“Me?” He pressed his hands against his chest, his face wrought with disbelief. “You were his childhood buddy!”

“My friendship with him is not in question. Yours is. Once he sees that you are to be trusted, he will once again trust me.” She crossed her arms. “You are integral to my friendship with him.”

“That’s ridiculous! If he was your friend, he would believe you despite what he thinks about me.”

“You are only in existence today because he saved you when you first crashed on the surface. He believes your actions are his mistake and he is therefore responsible for corrupting me.”

“That…” he glanced over at Rolan’s body and then back at Vale, “…this sounds like a bunch of philosophical nonsense.”

“Call it whatever you want…” She started towards the elevator doors. “But we both know that this is the best decision.”

“So, you’re going back out into the city alone?” He ran after her. “There are hundreds of Ravagers shooting anything that moves, an armored hukka on the loose, and giant tentacles that toss buildings around like pebbles! Even if you do find them, there’s no telling if you’ll be able to make it back!”

“Flynn…” She looked ready to deliver a lecture, but turned her back to leave without a word.

“Wait.” He called out to her in reluctant acceptance. “Okay. You’re right, I should trust you.”

“Thank you.” She said over her shoulder at the elevator door controls. “I will return soon with the others.”

“I’ll be waiting…” With those words, Flynn slipped into his mind for a safe refuge to plan.

He had a monumental task ahead of him.

Dangerous Territory

“Understood.” Radovan nodded and clicked off the communicator in his ear. Turning to the group, he spoke in his usual detached tone. “The Overseer recommends that we relocate to the city square.”

“Was Flynn with her?” Lisa asked, her eyes held in suspense.

“Yes.” His affirmation sent a wave of relief across her face.

“What about Rolan?” Rasina’s voice came from behind. “Is he with Vale?”

“Yes.” Radovan sighed. “Is there anything else either of you two would like to know?” Rasina and Lisa looked at each other innocently and then back at Radovan.

“No, thank you.” Rasina touched her fingers together nervously.

“Don’t mind him,” Lisa stared at Radovan as he walked to the corner and peered down each side of the street, “he is just… stressed.”

“I see.” Rasina wrinkled her face with worry.

“How is your… child?” She pointed at the lump in Rasina’s side.

“Acceptable.” She massaged it gently. “I believe it is fine for now. However I would prefer a safer environment.”

“Do you know if it’s a girl or a boy?”

“No.” She said with a furrowed eyebrow. “How would I?”

“I… um… Don’t you… you know… know? Before?”

“No.” She said curiously. “Would you?”

“Yes. There’s this machine that...” She suddenly felt Radovan’s eyes upon her. “Nevermind…”

“The street is clear.” He stretched himself erect, his sizable frame dwarfing Lisa and Rasina. “We should cross quickly.” Returning to his hunched position, he led them down to the corner and brandished his weapon. “I will lead the way.”

“Ready?” Lisa grabbed Rasina’s hand.

“Yes, how far away is the city square?” Everything looked different to her when the streets ran red with the blood of fallen Subterraneans and Ravagers.

“Approximately five minutes, if we do not encounter any Ravagers.” Radovan said. “There are shortcuts I know of to expedite our travel and reduce our risk of danger, but you should both still remain close.”

Holding each other’s hands, Lisa and Rasina dashed across the street as fast as they could, hopping over obstacles of broken rock and bone to keep up with Radovan, who’s galloping silhouette could’ve easily been mistaken for a Ravager in the darkness of the alley ways. Through the network of city streets, they heard only the crackling of raging fires and the stomping of their own hurried footsteps meddling with the din of silence.

“Has the invasion stopped?” Lisa panted, pulling Rasina close behind her.

“Unlikely.” Radovan hastened to the end of an alley and planted himself against a wall. “Be still.” He uttered, and began to concentrate on something.

“What is it? Is something there?” She poked her head out and saw the city square. The intersection was walled off by fallen buildings and the streets were covered with the byproducts of war. “Oh, no, it looks terrible out there!” She turned away, shielding her eyes with her hands.

“Yes, the area has a high potential for danger.” Radovan traced his gaze around the square, surveying the area with a focused expression. “We should wait here until we see any signs of the Overseer.” Laying his weapon down, he leaned against the wall and fell slowly to a seated position.

“That’s it?” Lisa shrugged. “We just wait here?”

“Yes.”

“We shouldn’t just stop here! We should go out there and make sure Vale sees us!”

“The Ravagers would see us.”

“What Ravagers?” She glanced at the city square. “I don’t see any.”

“They are hiding.” He said coldly. “They have reached a point in the invasion where search and destroy becomes too taxing. Too many victims have fallen; there are not enough in open areas to justify a widespread search.”

“What does that mean?”

“Everyone is hiding.”

“So, they’re making it look like they’re gone, but they really aren’t?”

Radovan sighed. “Yes.”

“Well, we can’t just sit here.” She put a hand above her chest. “Flynn needs us now.”

“Why do you believe Flynn will be our savior?” He gave her a disquiet look.

“Because he’s my friend, and I believe in him.”

“Hmm.” He groaned in thought, remaining silent with no reply.

“Is something wrong?” Lisa sensed a disturbance in Radovan’s voice.

“What do you mean?” He asked, surprised.

“I mean are you okay?”

“I am fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, yes, I am sure.”

Lisa hesitated a moment before bringing up Radovan’s encounter with the Ravagers. “What did it say to you? The Ravager?”

“What?” He turned to look at her, shock clearly written across his face.

“The Ravager spoke to you back when you saved me in front of Rasina’s house… and you understood it.”

“No… no, I did not.”

“Why can’t you tell me?” She crossed her arms.

“Because I did not understand it!” He soared to his feet in anger and slammed a fist against the wall, smashing clean through it.

Lisa jumped up and gasped. Her fearful eyes quickly turned to stone as she clenched her jaw in anger. “I am your friend, Radovan.” She said forthright. “When you’re ready to tell me, I’ll be there for you.”

He relaxed his muscles and sighed heavily. “Okay, so be it.” His shoulders shrugged like they’d just cast a great burden away. “Clearly you and Flynn share the common characteristic of stubbornness. It asked why I was attacking one of my own.”

Lisa approached him and put a hand on his shoulder, which he instinctively shrugged off with an insulted look. Discouraged by the move, she almost retreated, but made herself stay to console her friend. “You are not one of them.”

Rasina stared at them with a startled expression. “You’re a Ravager?”

“No,” Lisa kneeled down and silenced her, “he’s not a Ravager. He is nothing like them.”

“But he understands them… And he looks like one of them.” She pushed a little further away from him. “And he is as strong as them, too.” Her eyes locked on the hole in the wall.

“He is a good person. Like me, and like you. He’s helping us get back to Rolan and Flynn so we can all save the world together.” She smiled. “I don’t know of any Ravagers that would do that.” She whirled around to Radovan. “Do you?” He was gone, his weapon missing as well, leaving them in the alley alone. Lisa stamped her foot in frustration. “Why does he do that?!”

Rasina shook her head regretfully. “I am sorry.” She said nervously. “I did not mean to drive him away. I was frightened.”

“It’s okay,” Lisa put her hands on her hips, “he’ll come back… I hope.”

Escort

“What was that?” Lisa asked, startled by the sound of something calling out from the city square.

“What was what?” Rasina woke up from the shallow sleep she had drifted into. “Is someone there?”

“I don’t know.” Lisa moved towards the end of the alley. “Stay here.” She leaned her head out and gasped: Radovan was standing in the middle of the square, waving his arms back and forth calling for the Ravagers.

“I am of your kind!” He said flatly. “I require assistance!”

“Radovan!” Telya whispered through a cupped hand. “What are you doing?!”

He kept at it, ignoring her shouts. “Fellow brethren, I call for your aid!”