Huey began to glow again, only his light had dimmed considerably, but despite their efforts at being stealthy, the chirping intensified and the sound was starting to get inside their heads, making it hard to think.
Even Laja was faltering and now having locked onto their brain waves, the Ohzits were disrupting normal function, which was a form of attack used by this particular life form. If the potential treats kept coming, then the Ohzits would start getting physical and no one wanted to experience that.
They may not have wanted to experience the wrath of the Ohzits, but it was coming because Huey had detected a swarm of lifeforms moving rapidly towards them. Retreat looked to be their only option, so Huey led them back along the tube.
There was no way they would get back to the entrance before the Ohzits caught up with them. Huey knew this, but he had an idea of how they might evade them and stopped near one of the sub-tube valves.
What choice did they have, but to take an alternative route and without too much trouble, Huey opened the valve.
While they had been standing there, the chirping had intensified further and without delay they jumped into the tube, leaving Huey to seal it behind them. The situation was developing quickly and Laja turned to see him smothered in a frenzy of grey metallic bodies. Laja was powerless to do anything because the sound of the Ohzits was making it impossible for him to focus.
Before they did any real damage, Huey electrified his armoured shell, which proved to be enough of a deterrent and left the Ohzits dazed but unharmed. Unharmed they may have been, but they were still in distress and hundreds more of these things were heading their way in response. Realising this, Huey dropped into the tube and quickly sealed it behind him.
Safely inside this slightly narrower tube, Huey found the others looking nervously at a few downed Ohzits that had made it in with him. These individuals had not been so lucky and perhaps the result of water and electricity, which was never a good mix.
The Ohzits weren’t very big, but they were organised. Each one was about half a metre across, silver-grey in colour and resembling a starfish with four broad tentacles that tapered sharply and finished with a pointed end. The underside of its body was covered with an array of suckers, which surrounded a mouth, filled with sharp, steel coloured teeth.
One of the Ohzits twitched and Miar jumped and grabbed Lim’s arm, but it wasn’t going anywhere and they picked their way around them and continued along the tube.
Huey had mapped the Manui’s plumbing and this route would take them near to one of its hearts and that wasn’t good news. The electromagnetic pulse emitted from this organ would at best render them unconscious and death was a possibility if they got too close. The question was how close was too close? Since any exertion on the Manui’s part would increase the organ’s electromagnetic output. Huey would have to keep a very close eye on this and be ready to take action.
They approached an intersection and Huey knew it was still too early to be going back to the main tube if they were to avoid another clash with the Ohzits, so on they went.
It was a while before they came to another intersection and only after passing it, did Huey feel something and stopped abruptly.
Seeing Huey’s reaction, the humans were worried that the Ohzits had found them, but no, Huey announced that they had in fact, reached the outer boundary, where they would start feeling the influence of one the Manui’s hearts. Attempting to continue along this particular tube could be bad for their health and they might not even feel the effects until it was too late.
Even Laja’s protective shield wasn’t going to help them and as for Huey, he could block out some of the energy, but he felt it wasn’t worth the risk.
It was the energy created by the Manui’s many hearts that enabled it to produce its own gravity and exist in Ruma’s challenging atmosphere.
“What can we do?” asked Joeum.
“We’ll have to take this intersection back to the main tube,” said Huey.
“What about the Ohzits?” asked Miar.
“We’re going to have to hope they’ve dispersed,” said Huey and with that, he turned on his axis and was ready to lead them back to the main tube. Only there was a problem. Something was causing a disturbance and the tube walls began to vibrate violently, soaking them with water. The humans complained of blurred vision and were unable to stay on their feet.
There was no mistaking these side-effects. It was obvious they had experienced a strong electromagnetic pulse, but that was impossible, they weren’t even in the danger zone. Regardless of the facts, they needed to get out of there fast. Another pulse like that could kill them.
Their problems escalated fast and Laja’s last recollection was seeing a number of dark shadowy forms drift in and collect the failing humans, before he lost consciousness.
Chapter Eighteen
The Cathedral
The flight over the mountains was breathtaking and for a while, David almost forgot why he was here, then a grumble in front of him brought him back to reality. It was Boroc of course and he was getting restless.
They’d been flying for a few hours and Sha was on the lookout for a familiar mountain peak, but nothing so far. It was clear that she had completely misjudged where they were. All she could think about was the settlement and how they would fair against the Squalvolvans and she felt the need to consult with Mica.
“Can you tell where we are?” asked Sha.
Mica confirmed what Sha had been dreading, they were about fifteen hundred miles out from the settlement, so no wonder she didn’t recognise anything. Mica then said something unexpected.
“The Balacobacks want to show us something.”
“They’re talking to you?”
“It’s more like an impression. Oh, brace yourself.”
Without much warning, the Balacobacks banked sharply and then dropped. The manoeuvre took David completely by surprise and he made a grab for Boroc, missed and then remembered he was stuck firmly to the back of this animal.
Flying like this reminded Boroc of the glider he once borrowed, except there was a clear difference, he wasn’t in control of this flight. Sha might have been at the helm of this thing, but he couldn’t see how she was flying it. They were at the mercy of some dumb animal and if it messed up, he was getting ready to grab two fistfuls of hair and force it to comply.
He’d forgotten that he was in the presence of mind-readers because the voice in his head was Mica asking him to stop with the aggressive thoughts as it was affecting the Balacoback. They were sensitive to things like that. Boroc felt his anger rising at the thought of this thing reading his mind. Not only couldn't he voice his opinion, he couldn’t even think it.
They dropped a few thousand feet, experiencing a sharp change in air pressure and flew into a hole in the side of a cliff. It was dark and the wind buffeted them and David dared himself a quick look, not that he could see very much. It was pitch black and after another sharp manoeuvre, they began to plummet towards the ground. If David didn’t know better, he would have thought they’d been shot out of the sky.
The brakes were applied and David opened his eyes to see they were flying close to a broad underground river and the Balacobacks had begun to sing again. A sound that David was calling their whale song.
David wasn’t sure if it was the calming sound of Balacobacks or their proximity to the ground, but he was feeling less anxious and his body started to relax. It was only now that he realised how tense he had been and his legs ached from having held on so tightly.
The Balacobacks clearly enjoyed the acoustics down here, bouncing their song off the cavern walls. A sound that rose up from their ride like champagne bubbles, enhancing the experience.
David could feel his whole body sparkle as if he had had one too many glasses of wine. His eyes were also playing tricks on him; either that or the sound was having an effect on the river as well.
Mica’s voice came into their minds.
“We are about to
experience something extraordinary.”
The song of the Balacobacks increased and there was no denying, their combined efforts were sending multiple shockwaves through the water and a sudden change of frequency, saw a wave rise up ahead of them. A sort of bow wave more associated with a ship. There may have been more to it, a hidden ingredient. Maybe the composition of the rock had a part to play in what they were seeing, but whatever the case, the results were dramatic.
The sound intensified, flattening the bow wave into a curtain of water and as amazing as it looked, most of those present had no idea of its significance.
David braced himself because it looked like this was about to turn into a wet ride and without hesitation, the Balacobacks flew straight into the curtain of water. They emerged out the other side, bone dry, and Mica brought clarity and understanding to what they had just experienced.
“That was proof if we needed it, that these beasts are fully evolved. We have just touched the threshold of another dimension.”
“Wow, okay.” David wasn’t quite sure he fully understood what Mica was telling him.
Then she clarified by confirming they had just travelled fifteen hundred miles in an instant, via a water portal. Now that was incredible and a far nicer experience than those fire portals.
“We’re here,” said Sha and that could mean only one thing; they had arrived at the settlement.
Sha had said very little about this place, so what were they expecting, a grand entrance, flanked by armed soldiers perhaps. Having remained hidden for so long, it was doubtful that there would be any show of power, but that didn’t stop David’s mind running wild with ideas of how this place might actually look.
Closing in on the settlement, Sha searched key positions, which they used as lookouts and so far she hadn’t spotted a soul. No doubt everyone had been needed to hold back the army of Squalvolvans, or at least that was what she was telling herself.
A steady current of air circulated most of these huge caverns and here it was particularly strong. There was something else too, above the buffeting wind; they could hear a distant rumble. A hint of what lie ahead.
The wind grew stronger and the Balacobacks rose effortlessly on a cushion of air, distancing themselves from the river, which was becoming increasingly wild. Boroc remembered travelling through this area in the past and he was pretty sure they were approaching a junction where two rivers became one.
The Balacobacks had fallen silent and their rhythmic wingbeats were barely making a sound as they climbed steadily on the updraught. Their huge wings were built to soar and these majestic beasts negotiated the turbulent air with ease.
The consistent cool bluish light they had come to associate with these underground spaces was being influenced by a warm golden glow. The source of this light was yet to be established and David assumed it to be the lights of the settlement. Boroc was inclined to think the same, but they were both wrong.
As they drew nearer to the source of this light, they began to feel a pull that some might explain away as a current of air, but there was no denying the energy here.
The wait was over and ahead of them stood a glowing structure that was known to the people here, as the cathedral. It may have looked like a cathedral, but this was not the work of physical hands and yet it was not a natural formation either. The structure rose out of the turbulent water that raced around its buttressed flanks, which from this distance could have been mistaken for a drove of wild horses.
Boroc had been right about two rivers converging, although he did not recall the glowing structure. Judging by the huge difference in the height of the two rivers, there must have been a massive shift and now one of the rivers tumbled hundreds of metres to reach the other. There was something else too, the water within this chamber behaved in an unexpected way, it first circled the structure in a clockwise direction before continuing on its way and there was nothing natural about that.
Boroc had never seen anything like it and guessed that if the human settlement was directly above them, then the tremor they felt must have created this chamber and the glowing structure was what they discovered.
This cavernous space was hundreds of metres across and they began moving with the current of air in a clockwise direction, following the course of the river.
Above them, the cavern tapered to an incredible height and it was into this lofty space they were heading.
Their Balacoback needed no guidance, as it seemed to know their intentions, while the others that had accompanied them here, were content to drift effortlessly, like leaves caught on an autumn breeze.
They rose above the top of the cathedral and were quite surprised to see a huge opening. Sha confirmed that having flown into it on a couple of occasions, the cathedral was actually hollow.
They continued to rise, to a positively unnerving height, in a bid to reach a high recess. It was through this recess that the humans had first come across this place and it was here that Sha was hoping she would be greeted by a few familiar faces.
The scale of this place was jaw-dropping and Sha felt a sense of pride in being able to share it with others for the first time. Even Boroc was impressed, although for different reasons. He could see the mining potential of something as unique as the cathedral.
The Balacoback banked for the final approach and directly ahead of them was an illuminated platform of rock. The approach was always a challenge, what with the air turbulence and the limited area in which to put down. Sha was nervous, as she had only experienced this a handful of times and from what she had observed previously, the Balacoback needed very little guidance.
Glowing torches were helping to guide them in, but something was wrong, they all felt it and then Sha saw something that made her heart sink. A group of Squalvolvans and it was like they’d been waiting for them to arrive.
The settlement had been taken and Sha hadn’t even been here to help defend it. It was the worst kind of defeat and she shook her head in disbelief. All those years of hiding, those hours of training and then to fall so easily. Was there no justice.
The humans here were giving their captors a hard time and a fight unfolded before them, which saw at least two people fall to their deaths.
The Formless Ones may have taken the settlement, but they still had David and as desperate as Sha was to avenge the fallen, she realised that it was now her job to get David to where he needed to be and that meant entering the cathedral. It was a mission she imagined would have fallen to someone more experienced, but this was not the time to be having doubts about one’s ability and Sha felt ready to step up to the challenge.
Turning her back on her people was one of the hardest things she had ever done, but she composed herself and communicated silently to the Balacoback.
As the Balacoback banked and dropped towards the cathedral, there were mixed feelings about what they were doing.
Boroc wanted to get back on the ground and carve up some Squalvolvans, while David just wanted this to be over. Mica was aware of what they were about to attempt and knew that it was their only real option.
The Balacobacks they’d left circling the cathedral appeared to be engaging something and then they saw them. The Formless Ones were here in force and again Sha desperately wanted to engage, but she had to resist because to lose David, would be to lose everything.
The Balacobacks were keeping the Formless Ones busy and they were hoping to be able to slip past, but what they hadn’t banked on was a dark mass materialising across their path, like an angry storm cloud. It appeared that the Formless Ones were leaving them no choice because to stay on this path would mean flying straight through them.
Sha cursed under her breath, but there was no room for hesitation and fearing the worst, she instructed the Balacoback to pull out of the dive.
If these things were formless, then why couldn’t they fly straight through them? At least that was Boroc’s thought and as desperate as David was for someone to apply the brakes, he was inclin
ed to agree with him.
Sha wasn’t convinced that flying through the dark mass was a good idea and they could feel the Balacoback applying the brakes as it had been instructed. Given the Balacoback’s flying prowess this should have been achievable even with the extra weight, but the dark mass was having a major influence on the air around it. Against the odds, it looked like they might break free, but after hitting an air pocket, they began falling out of control and there was nothing the Balacoback could do.
The mass seethed and boiled as if in anticipation and a number of dark shadowy forms broke away and were headed straight for them. As impossible as the situation looked, Boroc wasn’t about to go quietly and his blade was drawn in preparation. The Formless Ones were upon them and David thought they looked like angels of death and as keen as Boroc had been to take them out, they were just too fast.
It was hopeless, how could you fight something that had no form?
Boroc was quickly dispatched, followed by Sha, then Mica. It appeared that the touch of the Formless Ones was all it took and like some magic trick, they quite literally disappeared. Witnessing this, left David cold, it was like they’d never existed and he knew he was next.
With less weight on its back, the Balacoback easily evaded the dark forms that reached out for David and although he was aware of the beast’s efforts, their fate looked sealed.
Unable to avoid the dark mass, they would engage it together and in the final moments, the Balacoback sounded a session of notes, which left David buzzing. He was aware of what was happening, strangely excepting of it in fact, as the dark mass slipped around them like oil on a tide of death and they were gone.
It appeared that the Formless Ones had achieved their objective and dispatched the threat that could have easily led to their demise.
The settlement had fallen and once the last of the humans had been rounded up here, the Formless Ones would turn their attention to those in the south. This was only the beginning and with the loose ends tied off, the people of Earth would soon follow. Disappearing in large numbers, until nothing of them remained.
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