Subterranean (16 page)

She certainly wasn’t staying where she was; she didn’t even want to be in the lab before it had become so dangerous. And what were the screams in the rest of the city for? The flickering lights? The rumbling that rattled the caves like explosions?

Uh, oh,
the revelation clicked in her head; she was hit with a bittersweet moment upon successfully piecing it together. The Ravagers were here.
Then that must mean…
She grabbed at her bare chest, clenching her fist tighter than normal this time, digging her fingernails into the palms of her hand as she refused to accept the possibility.
No, he’s still alive. I just need to get to him.

She examined the door to Radovan’s office for a way inside, settling on the door’s control panel as her ticket in. Retrieving the heavy wrench in her hands, she swung the tool weakly against the panel, denting it slightly.
Hmph.
She grunted in disappointment and swung again, this time cracking the metal panel.
Come on.
Another swing and the tool collided with the panel like a wrecking ball, smashing the control panel completely off its fixture.

She yanked it out of the way and thrust the wrench inside, damaging vital wires and circuitry.
Finally.
The sliding door to Radovan’s office popped open slightly, enough for her to force in the tool and leverage it open. Once she had sufficient space, she wriggled her way through, stopping inside to catch her breath, bent over with her hands on her knees.

“Radovan?” She raised her head and saw him, clad in his white lab coat, sitting at his desk, his face buried in his hands. “Radovan!” She ran to him and put her hands on the desk. “What are you doing?! I almost died out there, and all you did was sit here?!”

“The data.” He lifted a solemn finger at the screen. “It is a match…” His voice deepened to a low, frightful growl. “
I
am a match…”

“What are you talking about?” She furrowed her eyebrows, confounded by the blue-lit screen. “What’s a match?”

“Me!
I
am a match!” He brought a pair of fists down to the desk. “I discovered two nucleotide sequences matching both Ravager and Subterranean DNA.” He pointed his curled finger at the computer. “
I am half Ravager!
” He smacked aside the screen, unable to look at the results of the test any longer. “I am even more related to those
monsters
than I had recently discovered!”

“But you said all Subterraneans are related to the Ravagers!”

“The Subterraneans are distant biological cousins at best!” His lips could barely keep up with the rate at which he sputtered his words. “
I am the result of interspecies breeding between the two
!”

Lisa watched in dismay his manifesting rage, puzzling over how to calm him. “Radovan…” Her soft-spoken voice was drowned out by his emphatic groans of anger.

He swept around the room, slamming everything within reach of his fists. “I have devoted my life to understanding them! To understanding their behavior! And now I learn that I am one of them!” He halted his tirade briefly, his mind processing something. “Tural! He must know! That is why he did not want me to discover the truth! He never allowed me to visit the surface, or mingle with my colleagues, or even become his lead researcher. Yet, he dangled those experiments right in front of me!” A fist through the wall punctuated his anger. “And my parents! He claimed they were killed on the surface, but what did he really do to them?!

“Imagine what the community would think when they heard of such a hideous instance of interspecies breeding! Oh, what horrible manipulation! How could I have been so blind?!” Soon after he had decimated nearly everything in the room, his tired body collapsed into his chair where he rested his head on his desk, wallowing in muffled moans. “After all this time, it was inside of me and I did not see it…”

Lisa stood with her hands over her chest, at a loss for words. Feeling she had to do something, she moved close to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Radovan.”

“No, human, you do not understand! I am one of
them
,” he regarded the association with great resentment, “one of the monsters that destroyed your planet!”

“No, you’re not.” She withdrew the energy bar he had given her earlier and placed it on the desk. “A Ravager wouldn’t save me.” She watched him take the energy bar in his sight and eye it with a thoughtful stare. “And a Ravager wouldn’t help me and Flynn get back to Earth.” His head slowly rose and leveled with hers, where their eyes met. “You are here now, and you can do something about it. Don’t waste it on self-pity.”

“But I…”

“No,” she placed a finger on his lips and shushed him, “no self-pity.”

They sat in silence, the gears of thought turning as they both contemplated recent events. Lisa couldn’t believe she was actually able to placate him, much less so that she actually believed he cared about her; he who was of another species, a species that had nearly killed her on several occasions.

Radovan considered all of what he had learned, along with what Lisa said. He summarily determined that using his time to act rather than mope was the best course of action. He then realized how truly lucky he was; being in a position to help the victims of his evil heritage and put a stop to their bloodthirsty crusade. More so, he relished the thought of toppling Tural’s manipulative regime and instituting one in place that had a greater predilection for the truth.

“What is that?” The disturbing noises of weapons fire and screaming from afar entered his ears.

“The Ravagers.” She glanced towards the source of the screams. “They are attacking the city, by the sound of it.”

“The Ravagers?” He gasped. “What are they doing here?! How did they find us?!” Radovan looked at his sample of the planet’s crust in the experimentation room. “They cannot detect us underground. The only way they could have found us is if…” He returned to Lisa. “Oh, no… Flynn and the others!”

“We need to find them.” She quickly turned her gaze back on him. “I’m going to look for Flynn.” She reached at her chest. “Will you help me?”

He took his eyes away from Lisa and stared at the white desk in contemplation. “Yes,” he breathed a deep sigh, “let us find Flynn and the others.” Walking over to the chest in his office where he kept most of his equipment, he started pulling out all sorts of weapons and devices, placing them on the desk in front of her. “Where should we start?”

“I don’t know…” She inspected the strange pieces of technology. “Do you have any ideas?”

“I might be able to contact them via communicator.” He changed some settings on a device, and then placed it in his ear. “I believe I know the frequency the Overseer and her colleagues use.”

“Okay,” she picked up one of the energy pistols and timidly inspected its sleek design, “then let’s go get them.”

Consequences

The ominous rumbling that shook the caves had dissipated, replaced by the vague sounds of a people in distress. Flynn heard some explosions powerful enough to shatter the rocky formations within the dark prison, sending deadly boulders crashing down and splintering everywhere.

No…
He feared the Ravagers had already broken through Tural’s promised line of defense, and the worried looks of the two guards that were supposed to be watching him confirmed it.

“Let me out of here! The Ravagers are going to kill us all!” The guards ignored Flynn’s shouts, talking to each other in anxious whispers. Another explosion shook the foundation, and they were suddenly gone when Flynn recovered. “Damn it!” He scanned the cell for a way out; he’d be damned if he was going to die in a prison during a Ravager attack.

Every crevice of the cell was sealed, and the barrier was still powered on, a thin layer of electricity keeping him from fighting back. The explosions on the outside seem to ramp up in intensity, like they were getting closer, and then, with a thunderous clap, the biggest explosion he’d heard so far ripped through the caverns, throwing him against a wall and trapping him in darkness. Rising to his feet, he could see nothing in the ebony mist enshrouding him, including the barrier.

The power must be out…

How fortunate! …Sort of. He was now free and walking out of the cell, but he could barely see anything; without the artificial lights, the cave was just another cave, drowned in darkness. He groped around in the sea of black for his way out, listening to the sounds of ensuing chaos as a compass and making his way to the door with caution. Tracing his hands along a wall, he felt the control panel of a door and pushed it open. The colorful lights of the city spilled into the room and stung his eyes.

“Whoa!” He threw a hand up to cover his eyes from the luminescent beams, seeing the very picture of destruction through the spaces between his fingers. “Oh, no…”

Before him was the sight, similar to the stories of ancient wars on Earth, where the invading army would at last break through the walls and pillage the city, killing everyone and destroying everything in their wanton bloodlust. However, this wasn’t his first time witnessing such an event. He’d seen this before, back on Earth: the Ravagers descending upon countless innocents, sparing no one in their hunt for resources.

It chewed at the edge of his mind that he was the one responsible for the carnage taking place in the Subterranean city, that every building that fell and person that died was on his head. If only he hadn’t brought that cursed radio back up to the surface! He practically hand-delivered the Subterraneans to the enemy! He fell to his knees and stared at the scene, struck completely by the hopelessness of the situation while guilt feasted on his conscience.

There must be hundreds of Ravager soldiers out there, with thousands more on the surface, and even more in the air, and yet more in space! What could he possibly do in the face of such odds? He was no soldier, only a simple archaeologist, more used to reading about events like these in books rather than actually participating in them. But he couldn’t just leave; there was no way he was going to steal one of the Subterranean ships and simply fly away, condemning yet another planet to the scourge of the galaxy. And to top it all off, he didn’t even have the necklace he promised to return to Lisa, if she was even still alive to receive it.

What have I done…?

He muffled his frustrated sobs, overcome with emotion by the realization of it all and how it would end so tragically. He would’ve ended it himself right there, had he a weapon, but he was misfortunate enough to be unarmed and out of harm’s way during the encore alien invasion. He brought his head up to gaze into the onslaught and decided to wander towards it, hoping to be struck by some random bolt of energy like he should’ve been back on Earth.

Hopefully.

Chapter 15

A Beacon in the Dark

It was pure chance, and undecidedly luck, that he managed to wander aimlessly in the midst of a warzone and not get killed. Despite how he felt, he cursed his inaction while innocents were being slaughtered around him, yet another noose he used to hang around his neck during his walk of death.

Happening upon the alley that led to the research facility where Radovan studied, he figured he would slate his curiosity for the last time and see if anything remained of the esteemed scientist. Spread out along the ground in pools of green blood were the bodies of a dozen Subterranean soldiers, all circled around some sort of heavy cannon that was pointed at the front of the facility.

What the...? Why was this aimed at the research facility?

With his curiosity piqued, there was now no stopping him when he lusted to unravel the mystery that confounded him. He approached the entrance to the facility and saw through the glass doors that it was barricaded shut by tables and lab equipment. He pushed his hand through a hole in the front door and felt around its circumference.

This is a small hole.
He turned around.
With this big cannon aimed at it?

“Hello!” He yelled through the opening. “Is anyone in there?” From what he could see, the interior was mostly intact, save for a few things moved around.
Hmm… maybe there’s another way in.

He walked to the side of the building and down an alley that led to the back of the building where a door was left ajar. Seizing the opportunity, he stepped inside and made his way through the hallways to Radovan’s office. When he got there, the door was partially open like it had been forced, and the control panel was busted. Peering in the office, he saw a computer on the floor smashed to bits and scars along the wall like something big and angry had torn through the room.

Hmm… there’s no corpse…

He knelt down and picked up some sort of tool that resembled a wrench, noticing that it was blackened with char like it’d been burned.
Weird…
He suddenly jumped in fright and snapped towards the sound of something falling in the hallway, anxious that this might be the thing to finally kill him. He treaded lightly to the door, where he poked his head out and stared down each end. Nothing. When he turned back into the office, he was shocked to find a figure standing right in front of him and swung the tool at it in defense.

“Flynn.” Overseer Vale said as she easily deflected the blow, knocking the tool from his hands and onto the floor. “I knew you would come here.”

He gasped, and then his face went grim with anger. “Oh, really?” He said in a patronizing manner. “How did you know that?”

“Because according to Tural, this was the last known location of your friend Lisa.” She walked over to the desk and sat down, crossing her arms and legs. “I knew she would be your first priority.” She stared at him with an aura of superiority.

“Yeah, well, you’re wrong.” He crossed his arms, too. “Why are you here, anyway? Come to take me back to my cell?”

“No.” She reached inside of her pocket and withdrew Lisa’s blue teardrop necklace. “I came to give this to you.”

“How the hell did you get that?” Anger rushed through his tensing muscles as the pendant dangled from her grasp.

“I took it from Tural…” she dangled the necklace in front of her eyes, captivated by the glint that shone in her eyes as it twisted in and out, “…it was not something for him to have… or to destroy.”

Her statement rang in Flynn’s ears like the uplifting cry of a church bell; it seized the apathetic foundation formed of despair and yanked it out from underneath him. “But… you just let Tural arrest me.” He shot an accusing glance at her. “You didn’t even try to fight it!”

“If I had, I would not be here to save you from yourself.” She didn’t lift her gaze from the necklace while her cryptic words filled the air.

“From… myself?” He stood perplexed. “What are you talking about?”

“The last person you chose not to trust.” Her eyes fell to the floor. “I know the walk of one who believes they are dead.”

“I didn’t think it was that obvious…” Flynn could feel the life restoring to his body with the mere presence of Vale and the pendant.

“I didn’t mean to betray you, Flynn; Tural demands absolute loyalty from his followers. By helping you now, I will most likely be exiled to the surface.” She hung her head in repressed shame.

“Helping me?” He arched an eyebrow.

“This necklace belongs to someone you love.” She hopped off the desk and stared into his eyes. “I will help you find her.”

“Well, then…” He drew closer to her. “I guess it’s only fair that I help you with something, too.” He took the necklace from her gently and caressed it in his hands. “That is, after all, what friends do, right?”

“So I hear.” She replied with a smile.

“What shall it be, then?”

“You are the most experienced in fighting the Ravagers.” She crossed her arms, curious of his response. “That sounds like a good start.”

“Is that all?” He said sarcastically. “You help me find the love of my life and I help you stop the invasion of a merciless alien species… It seems like I’m getting more out of this deal.”

She took his hand and brought her lips inches away from his, the warmth of her breath falling upon his face. “I am not doing it for gain.”

He smiled. “Friends never do.”

“So I hear.”

“Well,” he secured the pendant back in his pocket, a feeling that seemed like putting a missing piece of a puzzle back into place, “as much as I respect your abilities…” he listened to the villainous symphony of destruction playing in the rest of the city and sighed, “we may need some help.”

She threw him his knife and pistol. “I was thinking the same thing.”

Hard Choices

“Do you actually know where Lisa is?!” Flynn was on the opposite side of the street from Vale, shouting atop his lungs through the smothering sounds of battle. They had been ambushed by a Ravager squad while searching for Lisa, scattering for cover once the streaks of energy started flying in their direction. The ground around them was littered with bodies of fallen Subterranean guards who proved no match for the battle-hardened Ravager soldiers; it was only a matter of time before there wouldn’t be a city left to save.

“I watched them leave the research facility!” She snuck off a few potshots whenever she had the chance. “They were heading towards the outskirts!”

Flynn remembered being there once, where scarcely any light hit or people treaded. “Rolan’s house?! Maybe they went there!” He supposed it would be somewhat safe there, considering it wasn’t densely populated; the Ravagers probably hadn’t paid much attention to that area yet.

“Maybe!” An energy flare struck the edge of the wall she leaned on. “Whoa!” She reeled back, momentarily fazed by the close call. “Flynn, we must retreat! There are too many of them!”

He gritted his teeth; he was so close to Lisa and yet another obstacle blocked his path. Seeing as how he wouldn’t be able to save anyone if he were dead, he reluctantly agreed with Vale. “Alright…” He gave one last look in the direction of the Ravager blockade, a hail of fire streaming past his head. “Alright! I’ll cover you!” With a signal he motioned her to run, and then popped out of cover and pulled hard on the trigger, watching in amazement as the light show from his rifle rained down upon the Ravagers scurrying for cover.
Now me.
In the chaos, he spun around and sprinted as fast as he could, down the alley where Vale had retreated to. “Okay… We are safe for now!”

“So, where to next, Flynn?” She crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow.

He looked at her surprised, unexpected to be viewed in the light of a leader. “I, uh… I guess we should… think.”

“Think?” She scoffed playfully.

“Yes, I need a moment to think.” He pondered on the best way to move forward; he considered his options carefully and came up with the following reasoning. “Tural never expected the Ravagers would come this far,” he spoke with a contemplative tone, “and your militia isn’t anything more than a bunch of city guards who live in a crime-free society.”

Vale broke eye contact and then returned.

“Not that your people are not well-trained, I’m just saying that, uh… maybe they aren’t the best people to be fighting a war. Not that I’m any better though, I mean I’m just an archaeologist who can’t shoot straight and I’m used to leading a group of obedient students and locals in excavations and, uh…”

“Flynn!”

“Huh? What?”

She put her hand on his shoulder. “It is alright. I trust you.” He drank the confidence spilling from her eyes. “Where should we go next?”

“Um,” he brought a closed fist to his lips, “to Tural.”

“Okay.” She started off in the direction of Tural’s chambers.

“Wait,” he called out to her, “don’t you want to know why?”

“I’ll find out when we get there.”

“Oh…” He furrowed his brows. “Right.”

A Friend in Need

“Flynn is not here.” Radovan stated, staring at the shanty building in the dark streets of the outskirts. The fighting was close by, but none had reached such a secluded area as this yet. “The hospital.” He pointed at the monumental chrome building built into the side of the cave, each of its numerous floors with a railing for an overlook and a line of doors along the wall. “That is where he will be.” He turned to Lisa. “Looking for you, most likely.”

“I know, but that’s where all the Ravagers are, too.” She rubbed her lips nervously.

“Yes?” He cocked his head at her. “Flynn needs our help, then.”

“I know, but…” She stared at the modest hovel at the end of the street. “I need to make sure someone else is okay, first. I might not get the chance later.”

“Who?” He lined his head up with what she was looking at.

“Rolan’s wife.”

“Rolan? The lieutenant of the Subterranean militia? What purpose do you have with his wife?”

“She’s my friend.” She said softly, her words freighted with sincerity. “Just like you are.”

“Friend?” He grunted. “Yes, I suppose so.” He said the word more, remarking on how strange it sounded. “Friend… Friend, friend, friend. Friend.
Friend.
”

“Radovan!” She interrupted, disturbed by his repetition.

“Yes? What?”

“Stop saying that.”

“Oh, yes, of course.” He returned his attention to the house. “The defenses look simple enough; we should not have a problem locating an entrance. And the darkness of the surrounding area should grant us a tactical advantage; the Ravagers have poor eyesight and prefer well-lit conditions. We should have no trouble safely extracting Rolan’s wife… Although I suggest we hurry.”

As if on cue, a fierce explosion erupted behind them, engulfing nearby buildings in flames and sending debris flying at them. They dove out of the way in separate directions, the smoldering chunk of rock crashing down right where they were standing seconds ago.

“I
strongly
suggest we hurry!” Without delay, they hopped up and ran towards the house, slipping into the cover of darkness at the front door. Lisa gave a nervous glance at Radovan and went to knock. “What are you doing?!” He asked in frantic disbelief.

“Knocking on the door!” She shouted in a whisper.

“Do you truly believe someone will answer the door during a Ravager invasion?!”

“Well what do you want me to do, then?!”

“Shoot it!”

With the command, she pointed the pistol at the control panel, closed her eyes, and pulled the trigger. Sparks flew as the blast obliterated the door controls and the sliding front door popped open. She holstered her pistol and tried to work the door open, wriggling her way through as she gained space.

“I’m getting too much practice in breaking and entering!” Her whispers struggled against her compressing body trying to fit through the stubborn door.

“Allow me.” Radovan put his weapon aside and took hold of the door. With ease, he slid the door all the way back through the tracks and into the wall, slamming it open for good with a hard bang. “There.” He stood and watched Lisa fumble with her astonishment.