Tarizon, The Liberator, Tarizon Trilogy Vol 1

by William Manchee

  A tapping noise in the distance awakened Peter. It was soft but distinct—a metallic noise—someone tapping in a definite rhythm. Peter awakened his comrades, hopeful that the noise meant something. Did somebody know they were trapped below? "Listen," he said. "I think someone is trying to communicate with us."

  Tam sat up and replied, "Why do you say that? It sounds like a ventilator door flapping in the breeze."

  "True, but either way it could be our way out of here."

  Sy stood up and said, "As much as I'd love to debate the topic, why don't we just go check it out?"

  Peter nodded and struggled to his feet. Sy kicked Red gently and said, "Come on. Wake up. We're leaving."

  Red lifted himself up on one arm and moaned, "It's probably nothing. I'm gonna just stay here and sleep."

  "No," Peter said. "We're staying together. Come on, Red. When we get to the Beet Islands you can sleep for a week if you need to."

  "But I'm so tired now."

  "It's the uthonic gas," Tam said. "With the main entrance blocked it's getting to dangerous levels. I'm feeling a little groggy too."

  "Yeah, well. Let's be careful not to cause any sparks," Peter said. On Earth it's called methane and if it's the same stuff it's highly flammable. "I don't feel like being cremated today."

  Red shivered and then exhaled sharply. "I can't believe this is happening. We're never going to get out of here alive."

  Peter put his hand on his shoulder and said, "We're going to get out of here. There's someone out there trying to communicate with us. I can feel it."

  "I feel it too," Tam said. "Someone is trying to help us find a way out of here."

  "Then let's go," Sy said. "We're wasting time chattering."

  They helped Red up and then started to walk slowly toward the persistent ping . . . ping . . . ping . . . in the distance. When they reached a fork in the shaft they went left but the sound faded, so they turned around and went the opposite way. Soon the ping . . . ping . . . ping sounded louder and louder.

  "Whatever it is it must be just ahead," Tam advised.

  "Be careful," Peter said. "Whatever is causing that noise could also throw off a spark and blow us halfway to Earth."

  "If that were true," Tam said, "it would have already happened. No, I think the noise is coming from the surface, but somehow it's radiating down here."

  As they walked around a bend in the tunnel, the faint green glow of their light sticks shone on several large pipes protruding upwards. Peter felt a flutter of hope at the sight. They kept walking and as they got closer they saw something that brought joy to their hearts. A ladder!

  "Thank Sandee. Look at that," Tam said.

  “And Lord Jesus," Peter said as he gave the sign of the cross.

  "I'll go first," Sy said.

  "Wait," Red replied. "This person topside. We don't know if he is friend or foe. It could be soldiers from Pegaport."

  Peter took a deep breath and said, "I don’t think so. I'll go first. I'm pretty sure I know who's up there.”

  Red squinted and asked, "Who?"

  "You'll see," he said as he started to slowly climb the ladder. It was pitch dark as Peter climbed higher and higher. He kept expecting to see a glow—daylight in the distance—but there was nothing above but more and more darkness.

  "I didn't think we were so deep," Red said. "I'm starting to feel faint again. The gas must be getting stronger."

  "All the shafts we've been following today have been taking us down deeper and deeper," Sy said from below him.

  "I don't know if I can hang onto the ladder any longer," Red moaned softly.

  Sy looked up at him just as one of his hands slipped from the rung and he lost his footing. He swung outward holding on by just one hand. Sy grabbed his leg and tried to help him regain his footing but in the process Red's other hand let go and his whole body fell down on top of Sy, nearly knocking him off the ladder. Sy managed to hang onto Red's leg with one hand and to hold on to the ladder with the other . As Red fell hard back against the ladder his metal canteen was dislodged from his belt and fell down into the darkness.

  It fell out of view and then there was a loud bang as it hit the pipes at the bottom of the shaft. The glow Peter had been looking for previously came from below rather than above. It was a flicker and then a blast as the gas was ignited by a spark from the falling object. Flames began to engulf the lower part of the shaft.

  "Get going!" Peter yelled. "Move!"

  Red grabbed the ladder and, with Sy’s help, managed to right himself.

  Peter began to climb as fast as he could upward. His comrades scrambled up behind him. A blast of heat swallowed them as they climbed. Flames danced at their heels. The shaft was now as light as day from the flames and for the first time Peter saw where the ladder led—nowhere. It seemed to end abruptly at the shaft's ceiling. Utter despair came over him. They were doomed!

  Then he saw it. A dark circular shape in the flickering light. "Wait! There's a hatch. Keep climbing."

  By this time the heat was becoming unbearable and the steel ladder was getting hotter and hotter. Blisters began to swell on Peter's hands so he stopped, ripped off his shirt, and wrapped it around his hands for protection. Finally, he reached the hatch. The hatch made a metallic groaning sound as he opened the locking mechanism. Holding his breath, he pushed upward and felt it give way. "It's open!"

  As he crawled out of the mine, the light nearly blinded him. When his eyes began to adjust he beheld the rhutz with his mouth open and his tail wagging excitedly. Their eyes met and their minds merged for a second time. It was like a gale force wind blowing through Peter's head. He struggled to close his eyes and stop the invasion. When he opened them, the rhutz was trotting away looking quite content that he'd saved the Liberator one more time. He had done well and perhaps helped ensure the survival of his species, Peter thought. The rhutz turned back and looked at Peter. Peter nodded, I'll see you in my dreams, my friend.