Torment of Tantalus

by Bard Constantine

  The military escort was split into three teams of five. The soldiers were a motley crew of assorted ages and nationalities. There was one other woman other than Elena, who went by the improbable handle of Charlie Foxtrot. She wore her hair braided in cornrows and had a chiseled, almost masculine face. She blended right in with men, who looked as though they had been handpicked by the sole criteria of having ventured into the worst hellholes on planet Earth and survived.

  Their commanding officer stood with his back against the wall and his arms folded. Damon had introduced him as Major Steele—an apparent legend of sorts, judging by the reactions of the other soldiers. Steele seemed to be one of those types who was always rumored to have been killed in action in some glorious way, at least until he showed up again. He didn’t look like a legend. His features were nondescript, his age indecipherable. He studied the group with dark, penetrating eyes.

  Damon addressed the unit as if prepping them for an ordinary military excursion, except with terms like ‘mutated abnormalities’ and ‘fear-inducing psychedelic toxins’ thrown in.

  “Listen up, meatheads.” He leveled the group with a somber gaze. “Forget every mission you’ve ever had the pleasure of surviving. This is something different. You think you’ve seen hell? Your worst mission will be a cool dip in the pool compared to this one.”

  That seemed to get their attention. The group sobered up, collectively focused on Damon’s every word.

  “This mission will be taking us beyond what’s normally accepted as reality. I’m talking deep science. That Neil deGrasse, Stephen Hawking theoretical stuff. Since that’s like a different language to grunts, I’ll turn it over to our consultant on all things aberrant. Come on up, Mr. Ryder.”

  Nathan? Elena turned and stared. Nathan had been lurking in the corner of room, unnoticed. She had been told he was coming along, but didn’t believe he’d actually show. It was complete against his nature to volunteer for a military excursion, especially under the direction of Chimera.

  He looked completely out of place in a room full of soldiers, even if more casual than usual in pleated jeans and a vest over a plaid shirt with rolled-up sleeves. She had to admire his ability to keep his composure under the challenging stares of the Special Forces crew.

  He cleared his throat and pointed to a series of images on the main screen. “A little background info: I’m sure all of you are familiar with military events like the Trinity atomic tests, disasters like the Chernobyl meltdown, and unexplained mysteries like cryptic disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. What you don’t know is that they’re all related. All of those incidents, along with many more, are the result of thresholds opening and spawning assorted monstrosities into our world. These incidents are called Aberrations by the few experienced enough to survive and combat them.”

  Elena wet her lips. Her throat seemed dry as dust for some reason. What Nathan related so casually seemed impossible. She glanced at the others. Most of the soldiers had dubious expressions, others appeared outright disbelieving. One of them stood. It was Hayes, which meant something stupid was about to come out of his mouth.

  “Hold up, bro. We being punked or something? Where’s the camera?” He followed his delivery with a braying guffaw.

  Nathan raised an impatient eyebrow. “No, you’re not being ‘punked’. You’re being educated.”

  Elena couldn’t help but smile as Hayes’ face reddened. After taking a look at Damon, he slowly took his seat with a confused expression.

  Nathan continued. “Unknown to most of us, a war has been waged with who or whatever is on the other side of those thresholds. A war that has spanned centuries, and impacted us on historical levels. I’ve unearthed proof of Aberration infiltrations as far back as the Black Plague. Skip to WWII, where Hitler designated a special group of his top minds to explore and try to tap into the energy emanating from Aberrations. The aforementioned Trinity Site tests were a response to Hitler’s experiments. The bombing of Nagasaki was not only a military excursion, it was to eliminate a joint project between Japan and Germany to open a threshold and physically explore the Other side.”

  He clicked to another image. “Virginia, 1966. The town of Point Pleasant was terrorized by a seven-foot moth creature, believed to be a remnant from an Aberration that was destroyed nearby. It was killed in a battle that took out the Silver Bridge in ‘67. In the seventies, an Aberration opened in Turkmenistan. When the threshold was destroyed, it left a crater emitting methane gas that’s been burning ever since. They call it the Door to Hell. I could go on, but the point is that Aberration attacks have occurred on a regular basis, all over the world. Many terrifying events in our history have in fact been responses to Aberrations. Thresholds open, expel nightmarish phenomena, and grow more severe the longer they are unchecked.

  “From what we know of Aberrations—and that info is very limited—whatever emerges is capable of being killed by common weaponry. That doesn’t mean it will be easy.” He pointed to an image of a ruined milling facility. “This was what was left behind from the last known Aberration. Some of you may have seen it when it made national headlines a year ago. It was a twelve-story flour mill accompanied by a dozen silos, reduced to rubble by a bomb detonated to destroy an Aberration threshold. Nearly every employee died. Not from the explosion. From what came out of the Aberration.”

  Sergeant Chen raised a hand. “And what exactly is it that comes out of these…Aberrations?”

  “Creatures. Monstrous creatures capable of altering their shape and taking on different forms, including humanoid.”

  There was a stunned silence. “Damn,” someone whispered.

  Chen just nodded. “And who is responsible for these attacks?”

  “We don’t know. The facility in the Triangle was supposed to collect data that may answer our questions, which is why it’s imperative that we get out there, rescue the survivors, and recover that data.”

  A tall, powerfully built soldier with Maori tattoos on his face raised a hand.

  “Go ahead, Ariki.”

  “You say this war has been fought all this time. Well, I sure as hell have never heard about any of this. None of us have, and we’ve been stationed all over the world. So who’s doing the fighting?”

  “Special agents called Wardsmen, according to the survivor of the most recent attack. Michael McDaniel is the first on record to have actually been in the direct company of one. He claims they normally work in pairs, and have been tasked by unknown superiors with stopping Aberrations as they occur. According to Michael, this particular Wardsman may have been the last of their kind. He supposedly died in the explosion, but we can’t be sure because the body vanished.”

  “So it’s up to us, huh?” Charlie Foxtrot folded her muscular arms. “Bottom line is the freaks can’t stand up to gunfire, right?”

  “They’re definitely vulnerable. The crew at the mill had limited weapons, but still managed to take the Aberration out despite major casualties. I’m sure what you’ll be hauling will be a lot more powerful and efficient. So you’re better armed, but won’t have the benefit of someone with experience in this new type of warfare.”

  “Don’t matter,” Chen said. “We got Steele on our side.”

  The soldiers broke into a chorus of ‘oorahs’ as they looked to their commander, who nodded in response. His eyes were locked on Nathan. Weighing. Judging.

  Damon stepped back up to the fore. “Now you know what you’re up against. This is not going to be a cakewalk, people. This expedition will push you beyond the limits of any training you’ve had, and every confrontation you’ve experienced. We simply don’t know what we’ll encounter when we arrive, but we do know there will be nothing that can’t be stopped by explosives backed up by good ol’ fashioned gunfire. So take whatever wetware you can physically carry. No restrictions.”

  Several of the soldiers laughed and bumped fists.

  Damon slapped his hands together. “Ok, I gave you the bare bones. Your squad leaders w
ill fill in the details. Once you’re briefed, you get a zoo trip to South Beach.” He waved down the cheers. “With your captains, and limited to pre-selected locales.” He grinned at the chorus of boos. “I don’t want to have to bail any of you meatheads out for getting disorderly with the locals. Get that monkey off your collective backs and then back here to rack out. We board the Halifax at zero six hundred, don’t be late.”

  Elena nodded, slapped backs, and bumped fists as the briefing adjourned. Her eyes were fixed on Nathan. He spoke a few quiet words with Damon and Commander Steele before turning her direction. Their gazes locked.

  “Mr. Ryder?”

  He smiled. It was strange to see him so disarmed. He shocked her further by pulling her in for a very awkward hug. She froze, unsure of what to do.

  “Just call me Nathan, Elena.” He released her and cleared his throat as if aware of her discomfort. “Or Nate, whatever you want.”

  “Oh, being informal now?” She gave him a coy look from under her eyelashes. “You’re talking like a changed man, Nate.”

  “Never too late, I guess.”

  Hayes sauntered over and made the universal spanking gesture. “You getting some of that fobbit action, bro? Might as well, we share everything around here.” He and Charlie Foxtrot burst out laughing.

  “In your dreams, Hayes.” She glanced at Nathan and rolled her eyes. “You have to excuse them. They’re not used to being around civilized people.”

  He shrugged. “Hey, you headed out?”

  “I’ve been cooped up with these wackos for the last month and a half. I’m dying to catch some ocean breeze and a mojito, even if it’s under the watchful eye of Sergeant Chen.”

  “Mind company?”

  Her eyebrows rose. “What, you actually hanging out with other homo sapiens on purpose? The world must be coming to an end.”

  He surveyed the departing soldiers with a glum expression. “You never know.”

  Chapter 8: Tempestuous Egression

  Michael’s dreams scattered like startled cockroaches when the dawn sliced through the blinds. He was grateful for the disturbance. His dreams had taken an even uglier turn since landing in Miami. Bodies tumbling from the sky to pile up at his feet. Nathan holding a pistol with quivering fingers, pointing it directly at him.

  He massaged his temples with a grimace. The Aberration pulsed, a heartbeat of darkness hundreds of miles off the coast, yet palpable as an incoming tsunami. Waves of darkness lapped against the walls of his mind like angry waves against a damaged levee.

  Someone rapped on the adjoining door.

  “Come in.”

  Nathan entered, looking his usual neat and orderly self. He probably left his hotel room tidily arranged as well. Michael scrubbed the stubble on his cheeks and eyeballed the empty bottles and take-out wrappers that littered his room. He had considered a shave and some attempt at appearing civilized, but decided there was no point. Civilization was something they were leaving behind.

  Nathan took a judgmental glance at the room’s disarray. “You change your mind?”

  In answer, Michael clambered out of the bed. He was still fully dressed in the jeans and T-shirt he had worn the previous day. He pulled on his sneakers. “I’m good to go. Just need some coffee and I’ll be a new man.”

  Nathan held out a tall Starbucks cup. “Double espresso. Hotel lobby has a coffee nook downstairs.”

  Michael accepted it gratefully. “Guess we’re really doing this, huh?”

  “Guess so.”

  “Think your message will broadcast on schedule?”

  “I quadruple-checked it. No worries.”

  Someone rapped on the door.

  Nathan jerked a thumb that direction. “Hear the military precision of that knock? Guess our ride is here.” He opened to admit a uniformed man with a face made to blend into crowds, everyday features that would arouse neither suspicion nor interest even if staring directly at them.

  Nathan looked surprised. “Didn’t expect the legendary Commander Steele to be our escort.”

  Michael’s heart nearly froze. He squeezed his eyes shut. Not real. Can’t be real. But when he reopened his eyes, Commander Steele was still there. Michael knew him by another name, one he would never forget.

  “Guy?”

  “Michael.”

  Nathan stared from one to the other, growing realization dawning on his face. Wait…you’re Guy? The Guy that vanished at the mill explosion site?”

  Michael took an involuntary step back, staggered, and tumbled backward onto the pleather sofa. “I…expected you to show up. Sooner or later. Somehow I knew it would happen.”

  “My God.” Nathan looked as if he might pass out. “You’re…the Blurred Man. Everything I’ve researched…all of my findings revolve around you.”

  “Why do you think I leaked that data to you, Nathan?”

  “That was you?”

  “Yes. I knew the findings would stir up the right people. It was only a matter of time before someone made a move. In this case, Chimera. A corporation created to step on the necks of humanity to achieve their agenda will be the same corporation to pursue a mission to save humanity from the last Aberration. Ironic, in a way.”

  Michael stared, trying to believe in the moment. Guy was really there. He felt a flash of anger. “You knew everyone around the mill would go insane, didn’t you? Is that why you never came back? Why you didn’t even bother to see if I was still alive?”

  Guy didn’t even blink in the face of the outburst. “Of course I knew. Outbreaks of madness are always a side-effect of a Threshold opening in your world. I didn’t check on you because I could nothing about it. There are no connections in this business, Michael. No friends. Only dead faces, over and over again. That’s what my life is like. I figured it likely you’d be affected.”

  Michael trembled. “And you didn’t even think to warn me?”

  “About what? There’s nothing to be done about it. Don’t you understand?”

  “Understand what?”

  “That you’re already dead. All of you. Everything you see, everyone you know. Dust. I can’t save you. Whatever happens has already happened. I’m just discharged consciousness, trying to prevent this world from being devoured.”

  “Stop it. Stop with the purposely vague explanations. I deserve more than that, after all I’ve been through.”

  Guy studied him for a moment. “You’re right, Michael. I’m sorry. It’s been a very long time since I’ve called anyone a friend.”

  “Then tell me exactly what’s going on. What have you been doing all this time?”

  “Dealing with the residual effects of the Aberration at the mill. Often miasmas escape the central location, and have to be stamped out before they become just as destructive. And I had to enlist allies in order to prepare for this expedition.”

  “Allies?”

  “Dr. Mary Jane Kelley, for one.”

  Nathan’s head snapped up. “The physicist that Blackwell recruited? She’s one of your agents?”

  “Ally. She and I are working toward a common goal.”

  “Which is?”

  Guy shook his head. “That would take time, which we don’t have. I’m here to offer you a proposition.”

  “Great,” Nathan said. “Every time I hear the word ‘proposition’, I feel like a few of years of my life gets shaved off.”

  “I think you’ll like this one. I’m offering you and Michael the opportunity to sever ties with Chimera Global and this mission. You check out of this hotel and go home, or wherever else you want. I’ll take care of explaining it to Mr. Blackwell.”

  Michael blinked in confusion. “Just up and leave right now? I thought they were depending on me to find the location of this place.”

  Guy fixed him with an enigmatic stare. “I can find the facility on my own. It won’t be hard.”

  “Wait a minute.” Nathan stared at Guy with suspicious eyes. “Why aren’t we hearing this from Sid Damon or Alexander Blackwel
l?”

  “I’m making this offer, Mr. Ryder. That’s all you need to know. I’d have thought you would leap on the opportunity.” He swept his gaze toward Michael. “Especially you. In view of your…past experiences.”

  Michael shivered as flashes of the mill attack swept across his mind. The last thing he wanted to face was another Aberration. No blood, no dismembered bodies, no madness. It was a tempting offer. There was absolutely no reason for him to turn it down.

  Except Cynthia and Michelle.

  “I can’t. Chimera won’t honor our agreement if I back out. I have to see this through.”

  Nathan sighed and nodded in begrudging agreement. “Me too. I can’t back out now.”

  Guy ignored Nathan, fixating on Michael. “Are you sure? What’s out there…it’s ground zero. You know what’s on the other side, Michael. This is your one and only chance to avoid going through it again.”

  Michael felt the shadow in the distance, roiling with the threat of unchecked torment. He repressed a shiver. “I’m sure.”

  “Suit yourself.” Guy quickly turned on his heel and headed for the door. “Corporal Davies is waiting downstairs to transport you and your belongings. I’ll see you shipside.”

  “Wait, Guy.”

  Guy paused at the door.

  “You called this the last Aberration. Ground zero. Why?”

  Guy paused, as if hesitant. “I’ve been protecting this world from Aberrations for ages. Every time a piece of me fades. I become disconnected, my memories scattered to the winds until the next attack.”

  “But that changed with the Aberration at the mill,” Michael said. “You told me it was the last one. That you were going to end it by destroying the Other One. And now you’re…different. You’re not all hazy like before.”

  “Things have changed. My memories are whole for the first time in ages. As for what happened at the mill…I was mistaken. What I faced wasn’t any leader or commander. It was my Other I faced.”