Swarm

by Devon C Ford

  My eyes went wide with panic that we could be trapped with no way out. It was clear exiting via the cave was something none of us wanted to do, but if the tunnel back to the complex was blocked then we may be left with no other option. “Annie,” called Hendricks. “Can you shed any light, excuse the pun, on what happened?”

  “Unfortunately, I cannot. Sorry. I am only able to surmise from the noise and localized seismic activity I detected, that you are correct regarding a full or partial cave-in.”

  “Where are Tanaka and his people now?” Hendricks asked, mentally crossing other bridges.

  “They are still in the complex. I am tracking them via infrared and movement sensors. Most have coalesced into small groups and are slowly making their way around the complex. A few have made their way out; I have not been able to track their progress since they left the monitoring provided by the drones, but they left in the direction of the Springs. Some have gone further in and I calculate they may never find the exit before succumbing to dehydration. A number have been killed by their colleagues when they collided with each other in the dark and struck out with their weapons. Tanaka has six others with him and as they had not ventured as far in as others, they should egress in…” she paused and for some reason I imagined her checking her watch, “another eight hours, by my calculations.”

  I felt a momentary pang of sympathy for them, imagining the terror they must be feeling as they, in complete and utter darkness, stumbled through the complex with hands held out in front of them, using touch as the only sense they had. At least I thought they hadn’t gotten the added terror of potentially being trapped in a dank and unstable tunnel with a cave-in to deal with. Maybe they were the lucky ones at the moment. The only difference between them and us now was we had light, which made me think.

  “Didn’t any of them have any torches? No flame or anything?”

  “I can only assume not, otherwise logic indicates that they would have used it instead of attempting to navigate in total darkness.”

  She seemed to intuit my next thought. “I recommend you turn all your flashlights off apart from one. It will extend your illumination capabilities by a factor of six point three on current battery life.”

  “Thanks, Annie,” Hendricks responded. “Good idea. I’ll leave mine on, so if everyone else could turn theirs off we can make our way back down the tunnel to see what’s happened.”

  One by one we all turned our lights off. Hendricks, who had the good manners and sense not to shine his light in our eyes, limped to the front and pointed his weapon light back the way we had come. Dust still swirled in the air hindering the reach of his powerful beam which diffused in and created a more lantern-like glow.

  “Okay guys, I’ll take it slow,” he whispered. “Form a chain with one hand on the person in front’s back. I’ll call out any rocks or anything else that may trip you up so keep a good listen out for instructions.”

  We shuffled into position with Geiger bringing up the rear and, with my hand on Amir’s back, we began shuffling after Hendricks. Disorientation set in after a few steps and I kept tripping over Amir’s feet in front or was kicked by Harrison who was behind me. Geiger realized this and softly began calling step as if on a parade ground.

  His low calls of, “Left, left, left-right-left,” helped greatly, and our small human snake continued down the tunnel.

  “Stop,” Hendricks quietly hissed, bringing me back to the present. “Can I get another light on this?” There was a delay as Amir searched for and found the button before his beam doubled the light level and shone forward to show the way ahead blocked by a solid wall of rocks and dirt.

  “You are still fifty meters from the tunnel entrance,” Annie informed us.

  Hendricks’ light flashed around until he found what he was looking for as he detached the flashlight from the gun and rested it on a small indentation in the tunnel’s walls. Its beam now steady, illuminated what lay ahead.

  Not wasting any time Hendricks spoke up. “Okay. It looks as though there’s nothing for it but to shift it by hand. I’ll start and pass everything behind me. Everyone form a chain and pass it down the line to throw it behind us.”

  As we crowded forwards to inspect the task ahead of us his tone changed to one of bright cheerfulness. “Come on, the sooner we begin the sooner we can get out of here.”

  “What if we can’t do it?” Weatherby whispered, his voice full of fear and desperation.

  Harrison spoke with distain at his panicked voice. “We can’t stay here, so trying and failing is better than doing nothing.” He placed both hands on my shoulders and eased himself past me before pushing Weatherby aside and stood beside Hendricks to study the rockfall.

  “Shall we begin?” he asked simply.

  ~

  Singularly or in small groups Tanaka’s warriors arrived back at the Springs, all with tales of defeat and death at the hands of the ones from space and the terror of being trapped in the dark labyrinth of The Source. No one knew where Tanaka was and rumors circulated that he was dead or had been captured by their enemy. With nobody in command the community descended into chaos. Fights broke out between those who wanted to assume command and more died as the bloodshed spread amongst the people, who for the first time could express their will and formed factions to protect each other or fight those who they now declared to be their enemies or rivals.

  ~

  The community at the Three Hills was also on edge. Its leader and one of their strongest warriors had left to talk to the new arrivals and had not been seen since. Darkness was descending and reluctantly the town Elders ordered the gates to be closed and sealed for the night. There the community, though worried, kept together and did not fall apart. Any rumors that began were quickly stopped as the truth was no one really knew what was going on, and so sense prevailed.

  The difference between the two communities, that of respect and fear for their respective leaders, told the deepest truth about their lives.

  ~

  At the compound the community gathered after Hendricks authorized Annie to update everyone on the events of the last hours at The Source. The attention of most was on the grieving widows and children of Knight and Collins, the two engineers killed in the fight.

  Those widows, informed privately by Annie following advice from Dr. Warren, shared their grief with the community.

  Nathalie, who had been left in charge of security by Hendricks, led the remainder of the team a short distance away. She placed five shot glasses on a table and poured some amber liquid into them all from a hip flask she produced from a pocket. Picking one up the others followed suit and solemnly held them in the air.

  “Stevens,” she said, her voice hoarse with emotion, “a good man.” She put the glass to her lips and downed its contents in one as the others repeated his name and did the same. She remined silent as the fiery liquid burned down her throat before looking at her gathered command.

  “It looks as if ’Endricks is indisposed for a while. Our priority is to protect the compound, so until we know more, we will lock this place down tight. Nobody comes in or goes out. Annie tells me she is returning the drones as they are doing no good watching an empty cave. Once they are charged, she will maintain overwatch.” She toyed with her rifle on its sling to delay before she spoke again. “They are relying on us now, so it is double guard shifts and continual rotation. Okay?”

  Raising her head she looked them all in the eye and ended her team talk with, “Okay, Magda and I will take first watch. Four-hour rotations until I say to you differently. The engineers have completed the air jet system so if The Swarm turns up tonight at least that should keep them off the walls. We are in good shape, so let’s hold it together until ’Endricks gets back.”

  “What if he doesn’t?” Magda asked quietly, echoing everyone’s thoughts.

  Natalie looked at her. “He will, but if he can’t get to us, I reckon the five of us will take everything we have that goes bang and go get him. As he
would say, cross bridges when we find them.”

  Weber racked his shotgun, the shuck-shuck of a cartridge being pumped into the chamber echoing ominously. “Let’s get on with this. No caveman wearing the animal furs will stop us, ve vill blast through them all if the boss needs us.”

  Chapter 20

  Light at the End of the Tunnel

  Hendricks had ripped a strip from his T-shirt and wrapped it around his face in an attempt to filter some of the dust that billowed up every time he carefully moved another rock. Each one causing more loose dirt to fall from the unstable ceiling as he pulled it clear and pushed it behind him. Every small fall of dirt and stones set his nerves and senses on edge as the thought of being buried alive became an ever-present companion in the small tunnel.

  Fingernails bent and cracked as he applied every ounce of his strength to prize the more stubborn rocks loose. The only tool he had was his knife which he stabbed around the larger boulders to break the bonds locking them in place so that inch by exhaustingly careful inch, minute by nerve jangling minute he cleared a passage barely high and wide enough for him to crawl through, forcing him to use his elbows and toes to push onwards.

  Almost at the end of his own endurance and spirits dark thoughts of failure were getting harder to ignore, when a chink of light shining through a small gap almost blinded him. The air felt fresher as even the small crack of light was washing a stream of clean, unpolluted, dust-free air across his face.

  He opened his mouth to tell the others, but all that emerged from his throat was a parched croak. He tried again, working his mouth to conjure up some spittle to moisten his throat, but still nothing came out. Deep reserves of energy surged through his tired muscles and he shuffled a few inches forwards to attack the rock that was holding back the light.

  ~

  I was fourth in line in the tunnel. Working in total darkness I fumbled and felt for the rocks and dirt that Amir kept pushing in my direction. His whimpers and moans at the continual effort and terror of struggling in the claustrophobic darkness made me more determined to try and squash my own fears. The sounds ahead in the dark of rocks hitting each other as they fell made me cover my head with my hands as I expected to be buried alive in another fall. I lay there for long seconds waiting for it, but nothing came. Eventually, I lifted my head and instead of seeing darkness, light flooded the tunnel. It took me a few moments to realize we had made it.

  Too exhausted and drained to feel elation, my only desire was to get out of the tunnel we had carved through the rockfall. Somehow seeing a way out made being trapped inside even more unbearable and threatened to send me into a panic. I desperately shuffled behind Weatherby who was also scrabbling as fast as he could toward the light. Reaching the end, I felt hands grabbing my outstretched arms and dragging me the last few feet. Blinded by the bright light, strong arms pulled me down what felt like a rough slope and sat me on the floor with my back against the wall.

  Blinking and wiping the dust and grit from my eyes I regained some vision as light from the open doorway spilled into the tunnel illuminating five other figures sat around me, unrecognizable as all were covered from head to toe in dirt. Slowly and painfully I hauled myself to my feet and staggered toward the light, desperate to get out of the tunnel.

  Blinking in the harsh glow of the warehouse lights the others also emerged to stand beside me forming a rough circle as we stared in silence at each other.

  Hendricks tried to speak, but still only a dry croak came from his throat and then pointed toward the far end of the warehouse toward the living quarters. He set off and we followed.

  In the kitchen he tried the faucet, at first nothing happened but then it spluttered a few times and a solid stream of clear water started flowing from it. Cupping his hands under the flow he held them there for a few seconds as the water turned a muddy brown color as it washed the grime from his hands before lowering his head and drinking deeply. Standing back, we all crowded around waiting for our turn to ease our parched, dust-filled throats.

  Still filthy and exhausted but at least now able to speak we slumped into the deep comfortable armchairs and sofas.

  “What now?” Weatherby asked.

  “Annie?” called Hendricks. “What’s the status of Tanaka’s people in the complex?”

  Annie bleeped and her voice came from speakers hidden in the walls. “Fifteen more have found the exit, including Tanaka who reached it two hours ago. Twenty-one more remain inside, most have stopped moving and are sitting or lying down in groups. I think they have given up and are all just silent or calling for help.” Her tone softened. “My concern, though, is for you. Now I can visually monitor you all as well as monitoring your stats via your wristbands, I must insist on a period of rest before continuing.”

  “We must get back,” Hendricks insisted.

  Harrison also nodded and added, “My people will be concerned. I have to tell them what has happened.”

  “I advise against that,” Annie said. “While you were in the tunnel, I recovered the drones and recharged them. Three are now maintaining coverage over the compound but Nathalie recommended I return one to watch the Charlie site entrance. When Tanaka exited, he left in the direction of the Springs, but the remainder of his men stayed to watch the entrance. They are, as we speak, constructing a wall across the entrance to the cave.”

  Hendricks let out a string of colorful swear words before saying, “So, what you are saying is we can’t get out without another fight? They’re sealing their own people inside?”

  “That is correct. I must also remind you that Tanaka is in possession of firearms, and as you know he knows how to operate them.”

  I sat thinking as I listened to the exchange when a thought came to my head. “Why don’t we wake the super soldiers up? With, what is it? Fifteen more, we should be able to kick their asses, right?”

  Hendricks looked at me before nodding. “Annie, before I make a decision can you patch me through to Nathalie please.”

  “Of course,” she replied. “You are now connected.”

  We all listened as Hendricks spoke to Nathalie, whose relief that they we all okay was evident in her voice. She assured Hendricks that all was in hand at the compound. With the new bug defenses and firepower the automated pods could bring to bear, even with their depleted numbers, he trusted her to defend the compound and everyone inside.

  Hendricks seemed to hesitate before telling her about the soldiers still in cryo and asked if she could hold the fort for a few days whilst they defrosted them and got them acclimatized and operational. Once she had gotten over the shock at the news of what Weatherby had constructed and kept secret, she assured him that even though she would prefer him back, the tactical advantage of more than doubling their fighting force would be worth the wait.

  Harrison was restless, pacing and evidently worried. He exchanged meaningful looks with Tori before explaining how his prolonged absence from his people worried him. He opened up about the leadership challenge and how he couldn’t rule out one of them attempting to usurp him in his absence and described the destabilizing effect that would have on his people. He also worried about any retribution Tanaka may deliver upon them in his absence.

  Hendricks, agreeing with him, contacted Nathalie again and asked if she could organize and send a small patrol to make contact with the Three Hills tribe and inform them of what was going on and what the plan was.

  He immediately heard Weber in the background volunteer. Though he wanted to go alone so as not to leave the compound too vulnerable, Hendricks insisted Annie use drones to be his eyes and ears. Hendricks knew Weber well enough to know he was good to go alone, and Harrison visibly relaxed knowing he’d soon be able to speak to his people.

  Whilst Hendricks had been talking, Geiger had asked me to open the files on the surviving soldiers in cryo and had been scrolling through my laptop which remarkably had survived all the rough treatment it had received in my pack.

  I opened my mouth a coupl
e times to ask him if he was doing okay, to say that I liked Stevens and that I was sorry he was dead, but everything I thought about saying sounded so lame inside my head that I ended up saying nothing. Geiger was quiet and withdrawn, but I guessed it wasn’t the first time he’d lost a friend like that.

  Okay, maybe not to an arrow, but still.

  He put down the laptop when Hendricks had finished talking and smacked his hands on his trousers raising a cloud of dust from them as he stood up.

  “Shall we go wake these boys up then? I’ve read their files and man, there are some badasses in there. I don’t think they’ll even need guns, but just chew ’em up and spit out the pieces.”

  Annie beeped in announcement. “I’m still monitoring you all. I advise a period of recuperation first. You have all been awake for twenty-three hours with no nourishment or rest. When the subjects emerge from cryostasis they will need your care and attention for a period, and without sleep none of you will be able to offer them that.” I looked at the dirt-streaked, exhausted faces of my companions and guessed if they felt half as exhausted as I did then Annie was right. We were in no position to help ourselves let alone others.

  “I have fully activated the systems within the complex and identified the relevant stores in the warehouse to provide you with nourishment. If required, I can locate clean clothing for you all. My recommendation is you remove foreign matter from your exposed skin as I have not analyzed it but, with the damp conditions in parts of the tunnel, there is a high likelihood that microbes contained within it may cause infections. A minimum period of five hours sleep will also be required for optimum performance to be maintained.”

  “Annie?” I asked, a note of disbelief in my voice. “You telling us to have a shower and go to bed?”

  “Yes. That is my recommendation.”

  As always, she was right. After a meal of self-heating ration packs and a hot shower, I was staggering with exhaustion as I donned a clean set of fatigues, barely making it to the nearest sofa before collapsing on it and falling into a deep sleep; a sleep only disturbed by vivid dreams of fire breathing dragons and collapsing tunnels.