Subterranean (29 page)

The three limped their way into the hangar where dozens of Ravager ships lay prepared for takeoff. Pilots ran frenetically amidst the chaos engulfing the mother ship, too distracted by the catastrophic damage aboard to notice two Subterraneans and one human climbing into one of the fighters. Flynn sat at the helm and shook his head in confusion as he hovered his hands over the dashboard; the layout looked completely different from the Subterranean ship he’d flown earlier.

“I thought these ships were based on the same design!” He turned to Radovan, who gently lowered Rolan into a seat and then swiftly magnetized to the new technology like a bee to honey.

“This is amazing!” He fawned over the controls and began studying them with teeming fascination.

“Yeah, it’s great,” another explosion reverberated throughout the ship, “can you get us out of here?!”

“You are the pilot.” He stated with a cross of his arms and a shrug.

“I can’t read these symbols,” he pointed to the esoteric engravings adorning the dashboard, “they’re in the Ravager language!”

Radovan leaned forward and hummed in thought, “I have studied the Ravagers’ written language for some time now… I believe I can decipher these symbols…”

“Do it fast!” He looked out to the destruction and disarray consuming the mother ship; explosions warped the hangar doors leading to space and disabled several fighters adjacent to them. “We don’t have a lot of time!”

“I am aware of the time, Flynn. I assure you I am working as fast as I can…” He curled a finger away from a button he mistook for ignition. “So please be quiet.”

After some tense moments of the floor creaking beneath them, tearing rifts in the substructure, and the ceiling groaning above them, depositing crushing beams of metal in a deadly hail of chance, Radovan finally found the correct sequence to initialize the engines. In a blaze of enkindling hope, the exhaust flared out with a resounding thrum and lifted the ship into the air, where Flynn lined up its path with the hangar doors.

“Hold on!”

As he infused the ship with increasing impetus via a string of commands, a rattling explosion disparate from all the others detonated at the far end of the hangar. Through the viewfinder, he saw the prodigious figure erupt from the wall, bending metal at will from its sheer mass alone. Upon spotting their ship, it bellowed menacingly with a great heave of its powerful chest and charged forth.

“Another one?!” He snapped his eyes to the controls and swiped his hands around in search of a solution. “How many more of these things are there?!”

“We must escape,” Radovan reached for one of the stabilizers and grasped tightly, “now!”

“How?!” Flynn threw up his hands, confounded by the command.

“Fly through it!” Rolan’s voice boomed from the rear.

“Are you crazy?!” Flynn squawked in protest. “That thing will destroy our ship!”

“As will the explosion from the mother ship once it reaches critical mass!”

“There must be another exit,” he refused, seeking an alternate path on the cryptic radar screens, “or a way around it, or something!”

“Flynn,” Radovan demanded harshly, “we have to go NOW!”

Flynn, wrought with indecision over his next move, sat perched on the pilot’s chair and wavered at the acceleration controls. Once again, he reached inside himself and held the dazzling beacon of light within his hands, feeling its warmth rush over him as it reflected off and into the eyes of Rolan and Radovan.

At that moment, he slapped the controls of the cockpit and instantly the ship thrust forward. The two momentous forces drew closer, until finally they met with a thunderous collision, tossing Flynn and the others around inside the cockpit like ragdolls, creating more than one instance of bone against metal in the disorienting calamity.

Once it all ended, everything had fallen still and, fearing he was unconscious from a blow to the head, Flynn managed to touch his finger to his palm, feeling the gentlest bloom of warmth that whispered to him his survival in the dark and silent cabin he now lay in.

Chapter 28

A Hopeful Victory

Flynn was gravely injured. His body was so completely beaten that it was a miracle he somehow pulled himself up and into the pilot’s chair. There he sat coughing up blood and holding his spinning head as he slowly sank back into the gravity of the situation, discerning the blurry lumps sprawled out behind him as his friends.

He moved to check on them, but the cabin was suddenly rocked from the shockwaves of a grand and violent explosion, knocking him off his feet and to the floor. Blasts from further explosions buffeted the ship, jolting him back and forth as he struggled to keep himself stable amidst the continuous quakes and glance out of the viewfinder. What he saw made his bruised and bloody lips curl into a pained smile.

“Rolan!” He threw an arm on the two bodies. “Radovan?!” With a shove of his arm, he shook the motionless pile. “We did it!” He proclaimed. “Wake up! We did it!”

It took the anxiety of several seconds, and great effort, but Rolan soon mustered a response. “We yet live?”

“Yeah,” he said with a relieved smile, “we’re alive.”

He drew a labored breath. “And the Ravagers?”

Flynn pointed to the viewfinder glass. “See for yourself.”

“I would like to, Flynn,” his voice faded to a weak groan, “but I cannot.”

“No, don’t talk like that, you’re all right. We just need to get back to the city so we can heal you and, uh...”

Rolan slowly eyed him up and down. “You appear to be in far worse condition than me, my friend.” He spat out with a chuckle.

“It’s not so bad.” He said softly, and then clutched at his side with a groan.

“Flynn?” He called out weakly.

“Yes?”

“Radovan is quite heavy.” He sucked in another labored breath. “I fear I cannot breathe properly as long as I bear the weight of him upon my chest.”

“Oh.” Flynn crawled his way closer and placed a wounded leg against the cabin wall. With a hard push, he gritted his teeth in pain and somehow toppled Radovan’s body off him. “Is he okay?”

“I believe so,” Rolan said with a deep gasp, pressing his fingers against the scientist, “he should awaken soon.”

“Rolan?”

“Yes?”

“Why didn’t you shoot me after I freed you from the restraints?” Flynn strained to ask. “You had the chance to kill me and take my head to Tural, but you helped me instead. Why?”

“I do not know, Flynn.” He wheezed another pained breath out and then slowly came upon a smile. “Perhaps it was... intuition.”

“Come on,” Flynn grinned and carefully clambered up to his feet with the aid of a stabilizer beam, “let’s go home.”

“Wait,” Rolan propped his head up to look at him, “what does it look like?”

Flynn stared out into space, watching the fragmented pieces of the mother ship fall away from one another in a beautiful misty cloud of neon blue amongst the stars, and felt a ray of comfort shine upon him. He was at last lifted from the shadow of the Ravagers and above his own doubt.

“Hope,” he finally said, “hope is what it looks like.”

“Perhaps we can live in peace, then.” Rolan sighed. “A new leader and a new beginning… It gives me comfort to know the mistakes of our past have been rectified.”

Flynn instinctively turned his thoughts to his own world, most likely a barren plain of ash by now. “I wish I could say the same.” He bit his tongue and looked to the stars.

“You will… in time.” Rolan muttered quietly. “I know you can...
You
know you can.”

The Aftermath

Lisa turned to look at the city, glimmering with a warm afterglow, and sighed. From where she stood, she could see the tiny dots of Ravager soldiers disappearing from the city and the great slithering tentacle beast wandering about, prodding its way calmly through what remained of the once great Subterranean metropolis. Something about it appeared relieved, even relaxed, as it tenderly wrapped its tentacles, broad and fine, endearingly around everything it could.

Her heart and gaze softened as tranquility settled within the caverns, smothering the remaining embers while the sound of flowing water returned once again. She felt an involuntary smile beam across her face from the pleasant incandescence that shone inside the hangar, emanating from beyond the wide opening in the ceiling.

From the halo of light above emerged a single Ravager fighter, cascading down from the heavens like a feather as it gently graced one of the empty ship platforms and came to a restful stop. The cockpit hissed open with a spout of steam and revealed a misty silhouette standing enigmatically erect, the riddle of its intent unclear until it stepped forward with its chest swollen in confidence.

“Flynn!” Lisa scaled her way up to the cockpit and threw herself at him. “You’re alive!”

“Ouch!” He convulsed in pain and withdrew himself. “Yeah… barely…”

“What happened to you?” She touched him softly. “Where are the others? Did you kill all the Ravagers?”

“I’ll tell you about it later…” He sighed deeply. “For now, let’s get Radovan and Rolan some medical assistance.”

She nodded and proceeded to help them up to their feet. “Vale was injured.” Her voice grew somber when she turned her head to look back at Rasina sitting next to Vale. “I don’t know if she will survive…”

“What?” Concern quickly beset him. “What happened?”

“She bought us time to fire the cannon… but…”

“Oh, no…” Flynn slid down the ladder and rushed over to Rasina and Vale. “Is she okay?”

“I do not know.” Rasina said softly. “I am not trained in medicine, but she appears to be alive… though she has not spoken to me as of yet.”

Flynn knelt down and folded his hand over Vale’s. He was speechless for a moment, consumed by the possibility that she might not live. “We did it, Vale. We destroyed the Ravagers. Your people are safe now.” His eyes swelled with tears. “It’s over.” He swallowed hard and sighed. “But the Subterraneans still need something… someone… to guide them. To keep their dreams alive. To make them feel safe. And to give them happiness, even if it’s only a chance.” He cleared his throat to keep his voice steady and strong. “They need… a beacon of hope.”

In his rising emotions, he leaned in with the softest of smiles and brought his lips warmly to hers. “This could kill me, you know…” he whispered the heat of his breath onto her mouth, “…but it’ll be worth it…” Gently, he kissed her on the lips, the enrapturing sensation coaxing the tip of his tongue to hers, where he felt, perhaps for the last time, the precipice of death permeate his heart.

In the silence following his remark, a single teardrop fell from his eyes and moistened the skin of her face.

She didn’t say anything, instead confirming the flicker of life still within her with a loving smile.

Celebrations

In no time at all everyone had been completely healed, thanks to the advanced Subterranean medical equipment that hastened recovery time tenfold.

Flynn and the others gathered in the city square to commemorate the victory, the liberation of the Subterranean planet, and the first step in reconstructing a newly forged city.

They stood together, human and Subterranean, and were hailed as heroes. Flynn, who not more than a couple weeks ago was received as a suspicious outsider, was now promised a statue to be built in his likeness next to that of Lunnak. He blushed at all of the attention, modestly accepting the praise, but also consistently reassured the Subterraneans that it was them who were the real heroes; they need only believe in themselves and those around them. As long as they did that, he declared, they were capable of feats beyond their imagination.

No longer would they fear venturing out onto the surface; they could explore anywhere they wanted to now, even the vastness of space, with their rediscovered means and newly emboldened courage. And no longer were they under the oppression of Tural, as well, for Vale became their new leader, stout and decisive as she was; it was a new age of freedom and discovery.

The new transition went over well with the likes of Radovan, who soon became the highly respected head of a top scientific research team, devoted to solving the mysteries of the cosmos. The tentacle plant, Radovan concluded, had been released from whatever mind control the Ravagers had entranced it under and happily became the heart of new life to thrive on the planet, turning the desolate desert surface into the mighty and proud forests that had once populated the planet in ancient times.

Thanks to the belief of one man, in himself and in others, an entire civilization was reborn from the ashes of mistrust and fear.

“Wow,” Flynn rubbed the back of his neck with a smile, “that’s a lot of people.”

“Ha!” Rolan laughed. “There were a lot of Ravagers, as well, yet that did not stop you!”

Flynn glanced over at Lisa and was surprised to see her far more at ease than he thought she would be, being the object of so much attention. However there was still a hint of apprehension when she returned his glance. “I’ll be right back.” He said to Rolan and the others, beckoning Lisa to follow him with a finger and a wink.

Maneuvering through the crowd with suave and ease, he passed by countless cheering faces offering praise and adulation, the boisterous electrifying energy giving his tired body the strength to run all the way to the cave entrance. Following close behind him, Lisa pursued, determined to stand at his side when he witnessed the freshly liberated surface…

It was even more magical than they imagined.

The sky glowed brightly with a new sunrise that wrapped tenderly around Flynn’s face, warmly kissing his skin with tempered lips. Fields of rich greenery stretched before him, the entangling roots of life melding lovingly with the gleeful planet. For the first time, Flynn was able to look up at the sky with full, naked eyes and drink the serenity of the sun with a smile.

“It’s beautiful.” Lisa appeared suddenly and hooked her arm around his, leaning her head against his arm.

“More beautiful than anything I’ve ever seen…” he looked at her and grinned, “…almost.”

Flynn pointed to the sky and sighed deeply at the thought of possibility. Earth was well within his grasp now, he need only reach out and grab it. It would only be a matter of time before Flynn arrived on Earth with a fleet of warships, and the Ravagers would be driven from his home world in a glorious mission of salvation. But for now, he muttered to himself, for now, he would celebrate the victory with his friends and his beloved. Hundreds of possible words he could say to describe his sense of inner peace were cast aside for a simple, “I love you,” to which he said with a lustful tongue inside Lisa’s mouth.

She said nothing, preferring to show him the meaning of the phrase instead.