by Kyle West
“There are eighty-three new writhe evolutions,” Samuel said. “That number probably corresponds to each species Askala uses in her swarm. We’ve only seen a few of those so far, admittedly, but that might change soon. The contagion in that pool will not only be giving some of the Blighters an upgrade – it will be changing the writhes as well.”
“So, they’re going into these pools to evolve?” Makara asked.
“Something like that,” Samuel said.
“What about us?” Anna asked. “Is it possible that we could be infected?”
It was a while before Samuel answered. “It’s possible. Maybe even probable.”
“What can we do?” I asked.
Samuel sighed before answering. “I don’t know. If someone has a writhe, it wouldn’t allow the person to reveal that fact. That person probably wouldn’t even know they’re infected.”
“I’m not saying any of us are,” Anna said. “But what if? Askala would know everything we’re planning. Even where we are.”
“We can’t discuss this,” Makara said. “Not now. I won’t have everyone turning on each other.”
An uneasy silence followed. Just because writhes existed didn’t mean any of us were infected. But just wondering about it was killing me. We had to find a way to screen everyone – only I didn’t know what that was.
“I think it’s time that we left,” Makara said. “We can talk about this while we’re in the air.”
“I’ll prepare the ship,” Julian said.
***
“It’s been thirty minutes,” Char said.
Anna had landed next to Perseus. She stared at the Bunker exit intensely, as if willing Makara and the others to come out.
Char was right – it had been thirty minutes, and I was starting to get nervous.
“Let’s wait a few more minutes before we do anything,” I said.
Julian’s voice came through the dash. “Still no response.”
“They may not be close to the surface,” Anna said. “Like they’re stuck.”
“I’m done waiting,” Char said, loading a magazine into his assault rifle. “I’m going in.”
“So am I,” Marcus said.
I was starting to think along the same lines myself. They should have been back by now.
I looked out the windshield at the Bunker exit connecting to the runway. A path had been forged through the snow by the others earlier, leading right to the Bunker entrance.
Staring at that path, I made the decision.
“Julian,” I said. “Lock down Perseus. We’re going in.”
***
The heavy Bunker door opened with a metallic groan, revealing a passageway of darkness.
“Makara?” I called. “Samuel?”
My voice echoed into silence.
“Keep it down,” Char growled, clicking on a flashlight.
He strode forward, his brother following silently. As they went ahead, Anna, Julian, and I brought up the rear. I retrieved my own flashlight and clicked it on.
We followed the corridor until it arrived at a set of stairs. Just being here brought back horrible memories. A rotten musk clung to the air. The signs of our flight three months ago were still here, evidenced by traces of purple slime coating the walls, hardened with cold.
When we had reached the runway that night, I’d thought all was lost, even if Ashton had said he’d get us out. I hadn’t believed we were safe until we were inside Gilgamesh.
Now, that spaceship was gone, along with the man who had piloted it. The very thought of Ashton filled me with a pang of sadness. And with Grudge dead as well, our team had now taken two serious hits.
Anna’s voice snapped me back to attention.
“Almost to the stairs.”
We began the long descent to Level One. With this Bunker, the floors were numbered more traditionally – Level One was at the bottom, Level Fifty-Two was on top. In Bunker 84, it was the opposite. Level One was at the top while Level Twenty was at the bottom.
However you figured it, the result was the same: fifty-two floors was a long way down.
But we had only descended a few flights before I heard voices.
I held up a hand, bringing everyone to a halt. In the following silence, the voices had ceased.
“Anyone down there?” I asked. “Hello?”
Looking over the railing, I shone my flashlight down. Below, three faces looked up at me – Makara, Samuel, and Michael.
Ruth was lying on her back, eyes closed.
I rushed downstairs, the others following. After four more flights down, we arrived at the landing of Level 38.
“She collapsed at the bottom,” Samuel said. “We’ve had to carry her the entire way.”
“What happened?” Anna asked.
“We don’t know,” Makara said. “She’s out cold.”
“You weren’t attacked?” I asked. “She just...fell?”
“Yeah,” Samuel said. “Michael said she doesn’t have a medical condition that he knows of.”
“We need to hurry it up,” Makara said.
I knew she was right. Together, we lifted Ruth from the floor. Every muscle in her body was limp. I had no idea what could have knocked her out like this, but connected to what we had just learned about the writhes, it was more than a little worrisome.
We went up the steps. With all of us lifting, it went fast. Within a few minutes, we had reached the top level, huffing from exertion. We carried Ruth down the dark corridor, toward the door still open to the runway.
“We need to get Ruth to the Xenolith,” Samuel said.
“The Xenolith?” Anna asked. “Why?”
“We think she might be infected with a writhe.”
***
We put Ruth in the clinic aboard Perseus. Her face was pale and her form limp. Her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths.
“You think it’s a writhe?” I asked.
“It just seems awfully convenient,” Samuel said. “The moment we learn about the writhes, Askala triggered this reaction in Ruth. For all we know, she has swarmers on the way.”
If that was the case, then they hadn’t reached the Bunker in time.
Samuel continued. “Whether it’s a writhe, or something else, we know for a fact that the Elekai ichor has healing properties. And if it is a writhe, Askal or Quietus might be able to confirm.”
“Get to Orion,” Makara said. “And follow our lead.”
***
Both ships touched down by the Xenolith. We exited the ships, entered the Xenolith, and ran down to the Elekai pool, toting Ruth with us.
When we arrived at the shoreline, there was no sign of either dragon...until an angular head emerged from the water. The size and shape told me immediately that it was Quietus. As she arose further from the ichor, the liquid streamed down her dark scales, glittering and returning to the pool. Her white eyes radiated light as her neck stretched out, lifting the head far above the pool’s surface.
I didn’t waste any time.
What do you know about the writhe?
The writhe, human? You ask about something that is ancient indeed. The writhe existed even before the virus. Why do you ask?
How come you didn’t tell us about it?
It cannot harm you, Elekim, Quietus said.
It’s harmed Ruth, I said. At least, that’s what we think.
Quietus’s eyes turned to Ruth, gazing at her inert body for a moment before turning back to me.
It might be that she has a writhe. Bear her forth to the pool, Elekim, and we can know for certain.
I turned to the others. “We need to bring her to the pool.”
After exchanging glances, Samuel, Char, Marcus, and Anna carried Ruth to the pool, laying her face-up in the warm ichor while Makara and Michael watched from the shore. I strode forward, entering the ichor. I pulled Ruth farther away from the shore. Around her form, the liquid frothed and bubbled. It reminded me of when the Radaskim dragons entered the pool – the ic
hor had done the very same thing.
Yes, I can see now that there is darkness within her. The pool alone will avail her not – only by your power might she be freed from the clutches of the Dark Mother. The pool will give you strength, Elekim...but the battle will still be fierce. You must drive it out!
How?
You must sever its connection to Askala. As far as how to do that...I know not.
I looked down at Ruth, having no idea what I was supposed to do. All I knew was that I had to connect with the writhe mentally, as if I was trying to communicate with it. After all, its chief purpose was communication. As Quietus said, I had to cut it off from Askala.
I closed my eyes and reached out to Ruth’s mind. When I did so, my vision went black.
***
I didn’t know where I was. I didn’t feel like I was...anywhere. Just a mind, floating in a void.
But someone else was there. A dark dread came over me, draining me of hope. I felt cut off from all memory, goodness, and existence. In the darkness I heard my heart beating, the blood flowing through my veins...
Something was out there, watching me from the darkness. I directed my thoughts toward it.
Who’s there?
It felt as if I were being enveloped in a dark cloud. A cold breeze blew, tickling my skin. Sharp laughter resounded in the void – I couldn’t tell if it was real or imagined.
I see you, Elekim...
The voice came out in a harsh, inhuman whisper.
Who’s there? Show yourself.
I don’t think you would want that...
A physical heaviness surrounded me, compressed me...
What are you doing to me?
Crushing you.
The heaviness increased, and everything pushed...inward. As the pressure became more unbearable, my panic mounted.
Why are you doing this?
For the same reason the blade cuts, the serpent bites, or pestilence wastes...
The pressure was now sheer agony. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came.
I do it...because it is my nature.
You will leave her, writhe, I said.
You do not command me, Elekim. She is mine.
You will leave her.
The pain and the pressure increased sharply, like I was being swallowed by a black hole. I couldn’t bear this a second longer.
Yet, I had to. For her.
Her? I didn’t know why I was fighting anymore. I saw little point to this struggle, this resistance.
But didn’t people have to fight, even if they didn’t know the reason? Sometimes, losing a battle meant to lose oneself. It was important to fight, no matter the darkness, no matter the pain...
Something greater than me rode on this. I was fighting for Ruth, for her freedom.
You will not have her, I said, for a third and final time. You will leave her.
The pressure was maintained for a moment, but eased ever so slightly. This was my chance to fight back. And so I pushed back against the darkness with all my will. A terrible scream resonated as the darkness was filled with light, excruciatingly bright. This brightness was maintained for a long while, until it began to dissipate.
I felt my consciousness slip away as I rejoined the waking world.
***
I opened my eyes, seeing the glowing ceiling of the cavern above. I was lying on my back, floating on the surface of the ichor. Anna’s face appeared above mine.
“Alex?”
I tried to move, but found that I couldn’t. So Anna grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me to the shore.
Once I was lying on dry ground, I finally found the strength to move. I pulled myself to a sitting position. Everyone stood around me, Ruth included. She was shaking all over.
“You’re alright,” I said.
She nodded. “Yeah. I think I am.”
I thought about the voice I’d heard. At the time, I thought it was the writhe. But could it have been Askala herself?
“I heard her voice in my mind,” Ruth said. “That’s all I remember. I think...she was trying to get me to hurt you.”
At last, it became clear to me. That was Askala who was attacking me, not the writhe. Samuel said the writhe was merely the means by which Askala communicated with the host.
That meant Askala had spoken to me. That meant that I had driven her out of Ruth, somehow, by my will alone.
“It was her, alright,” I said. “It couldn’t have been anyone else.”
“You mean Askala?” Makara asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. No doubt in my mind.”
“The writhe is a connection to Askala, according to Ashton’s report,” Samuel said. “If you connected to it, you must have connected to Askala’s consciousness.”
Everyone looked at me, as if realizing the gravity of that sentence. I had connected to Askala’s consciousness. It seemed unreal.
“It was horrible,” I said. “I forgot everything about who I was, why I was fighting. I felt like I had no hope.” I paused. “I still feel that way, a bit.”
“I don’t want you to try anything like that again,” Anna said. “What if you were knocked unconscious, too?”
“What about the writhe itself?” Julian asked. “Is it still...there?”
Ruth shook her head. “Don’t even talk about it. Just the thought of that thing, in my head still...”
The writhe probably was still in Ruth’s brain. Even if it was dead, that was still a horrifying picture. And having that writhe in there could have some ill effects.
“Is there any way to get it out?” Makara asked.
“At this point,” Samuel said, “the only thing we can do is allow her immune system to run its course.”
“What will that do to me?” Ruth asked.
“Probably nothing,” Samuel said. “It’s possible you might get a fever, but I’m definitely no expert.”
Whatever the situation, we would have to keep an eye on it. For now, though, it seemed as if Ruth was okay.
I stood up, and turned to face the pool, where Quietus stood in the ichor, watching me in silence. I walked to the shoreline and met Quietus’s eyes.
You could have warned me about what would happen.
Would that have made a difference? You stand victorious, and you saved the girl’s life.
I heard her voice, Quietus, I said.
Ah, yes, Quietus thought. What you endured for a mere two minutes I’ve endured for eons. It is a voice that only becomes more hellish with time.
How did you survive it?
Quietus became silent, as if hesitant to revisit that former darkness.
One cannot endure against her, Quietus said. Not for long. She will relent for a short time – only to become even more terrible than before. This is how she teaches her truths, and I will not go into any further detail. It is not good to understand darkness. You must defeat her, Elekim.
What about Ruth? I asked. Is the writhe still in her brain?
In her brain, yes, though it is dead. She will be fine, Elekim. Just see that she gets proper rest.
I’m worried about the others. Are there any more writhes among us?
Beware if there are, Elekim, Quietus said. There is nothing you can do but be on your guard. And if there are writhes among you...do not attempt to free anyone outside the confines of this pool. Without its power to aid you, it would be foolish indeed to attack a writhe. Just because you are Elekim doesn’t mean you are invincible.
You don’t have to remind me of that, I said.
I resisted the temptation to turn around and look at the others. If any of them were controlled by a writhe, wouldn’t they have been knocked unconscious, like Ruth? I had no idea.
I decided to turn my attention to other matters.
Will your dragons be ready for the final battle?
Some of Askal’s dragons are still healing from their last battle, but they should be ready to fly soon.
We have to return to Los Angeles, I said. If
the new evolutions are any indication, we need to move quickly.
Go in haste, then, Quietus said.
I left the pool, returning to the shore. I stood there for a moment, thinking, as everyone watched.
“Quietus says the writhe is dead. All the same, we need to be on our guard.”
“Even from each other?” Anna asked.
I didn’t want to admit that truth, yet I didn’t want my silence to become my answer.
“We have to trust one another,” I said. “Ruth was the only one who fell unconscious, so there’s no reason to believe another person is infected. It’s just time for us to move on to planning the final battle.”
“Well said, Alex,” Makara said. “Now, we need to get back to Los Angeles. Augustus needs to know what we’ve learned.”
Chapter 8
When we returned to Los Angeles, it was almost fully dark. Makara, Char, and Marcus went to brief Augustus and Carin about what we had learned. She told the rest of us to eat and get some sleep.
We took her up on that, gathering in Orion’s wardroom and making a meal of the leftover wedding food – pork, rice, and veggies. It seemed strange that the wedding was only three days ago, yet here was the evidence of it on my plate. There was also the ring on my finger that felt like it didn’t belong.
Who got married when they knew they were going to die in a few days?
Nothing more happened that evening. We said our goodnights and headed straight for our bunks. Even though the captain’s quarters were open, Anna and I still made our way aft to the smaller bunk in one of the crewmen’s cabins, more out of habit than anything.
When I awoke around 08:00, I found that Anna was already gone. I took a shower first thing and made a breakfast of fruit and granola. Once done, I washed my plate and walked outside to find Makara standing in the street, gazing in the direction of Reaper HQ. She looked at me as I emerged from the ship and walked down the ramp.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Makara didn’t break her focus. “They’re mobilizing.”
“Already?”
Down the street, there must have been hundreds of men forming up between the buildings. It was hard to believe that it was happening now. Makara must have finalized the plans with Augustus and Carin last night, even while I was sleeping. Seeing those hundreds of men forming their lines had a sense of finality to it. It was like I was seeing the rest of my life laid down like tracks before me.