by Ian Williams
“Well, we’re not free climbing down there, that’s stupid. I’ve got ropes and gloves in the car that I used to use for work. I needed them to climb up to the underside of the Mag-Lev line whenever there was a fault. I can just lower you down to the bottom with them.”
“What if I need to talk to you?” Phoenix asked as the plan became a reality right in front of her eyes. She could see Elliot was reluctant still, but at least he was trying. It was the first time they had spent more than an hour in each other’s company without one of them coming up with some excuse to leave. The wounds he still had on his body weighed heavily on them both. It influenced his impression of her much less these days, meaning he could now look her in the eye while talking.
“I’ve got a pair of walkie-talkies we can use too. Wait here while I get it all. Give me your bag and just stay out of sight,” he said, before scurrying away into the darkness.
Once alone Phoenix could only laugh to herself; one of them had needed an excuse to leave after all.
She remained still and looked back in the direction of the car. It would take Elliot a few minutes to return, so she had time to spy some more. First she sought out the guard who had wandered off while she and Elliot had planned together. With her head poking out above the hill, she found him swinging his torch around the other side of the area, much further away than before. On his current route he would be busy for a while, such was the scale of the place.
The hole was completely unguarded now. Anyone could sneak in without being spotted. She suspected this was due to a much larger security force residing beneath the ground. They were hiding something important down there, she was quickly becoming sure of it. Perhaps some of Anthony’s men had survived the fall of Sanctuary? If that was the case then she was heading for trouble.
While the guard stopped to check on a particularly innocuous patch of grass, she broke out the binoculars once more. Something caught her attention as the man ducked his head to see through the darkness before him. A tiny flash of light drew her gaze to a small area around one side of his head. She struggled to focus correctly and found herself fumbling for the controls as her curiosity grew into concern. Then as she zoomed in and cleared the image, she saw it: a small black box, exactly like the one the man back home had. Except this one had a plastic cover protecting it from the elements.
Her heart jumped as she tried to piece things together. Was the man currently lying on her sofa one of these people? If that was true then they were not safe anymore. He knew of her home and even her name. Did that mean these people knew too? More than ever she had to see what was going on. Knowing these men were somehow linked to the crazed man she had helped meant the risk was much higher.
When Elliot returned, carrying a visibly heavier backpack than he left with, she told him what she had found. She had taken the time to think it over and was convinced things were only set to get worse.
“So, do we go on, or head back?” Elliot asked, laying the bag beside him.
“No, we stay. Our house guest wasn’t in a good way when we left. I doubt he’ll be much of a problem.”
With the guard having moved on and out of sight, they left the darkness to head over to the hole. They had no time to waste and so quickly began the process of connecting ropes to carabiners and securely slipping on harnesses. Phoenix had been expecting a simple rope and hard-wearing gloves, not the full rock climbing treatment. It appeared her safety was in good hands.
“You’re gonna have to take off the jumper,” Elliot said.
After securing the rope to one of the metal trees, he tested it with his own body weight. When it refused to budge he moved on to preparing the harness. She was never going to fall under his watch.
Meanwhile, Phoenix removed her jumper and roughly stuffed it into the bag. Then when instructed she stepped into her harness and allowed Elliot to tighten them around her. He did not go easy either, only just stopping short of restricting the blood flow to her legs.
“You’re good to go,” he said, with a friendly pat of her shoulder.
“What about communication?” Phoenix replied in a sudden panic.
Elliot nodded to confirm he had completely forgotten about that part and began to search his bag. Eventually he pulled out a pair of radios, each complete with a wired mic that attached with clips to the thin collar of her t-shirt. To hear one another they each had a tiny earpiece, no bigger than her fingertip, to slip into place. The second Phoenix’s had been activated a crackle and a beep echoed through her head.
“Can you hear me?” Elliot said, while standing right next to her. The futility of his question was completely lost on him.
“Unfortunately,” she replied with a chuckle.
“Very funny. Let’s get on with this. I don’t want to be around when that guard swings back our way.”
Stepping closer to the edge of the hole revealed little of what was hiding at the bottom of the cave. All she could see were the metal remains of the farming tower as a giant tangled heap that quickly disappeared beneath her. Whoever had cut the hole in the concrete had cut right through the maze of rubble and metal underneath too. She sat with her legs hanging over the edge, her sweaty hands gripping the rope tightly, before leaning over to see further.
“If you turn and lower yourself slowly, I’ll take the slack and do the rest,” Elliot said, his feet already jammed against the nearby metal beam for support. He nodded to her to continue.
“Don’t you dare drop me.”
There was no going back now. She flipped over onto her stomach and let her feet dangle in the air beneath her. Her eyes locked onto the rope in her hands and watched nervously as it rubbed the smooth edge of the hole she was venturing into. As she was lowered further the world around began to vanish until only the sparkling stars above her could be seen. She could no longer see Elliot too.
“You OK?” he said through the earpiece. Thankfully he had seen how worried she was about her first ever abseiling experience. She felt as uneasy about it as Elliot probably did about the plan. Regardless of this, they both continued on.
It had to be that way because only one of them knew how to use the ropes correctly. Besides, she was beyond certain that she would never be able to take his bulky weight if their roles were reversed. His muscles were a hindrance when someone else was taking the strain.
“I’m fine, just take it slowly.”
“Will do.”
The radio clicked off after Elliot’s reply, leaving her in an uncomfortable near-silence. Only the creaking sounds from the ropes could be heard. She would only talk again when absolutely needed. There was no telling what awaited her at the bottom. She looked below and saw only darkness.
For this part of the journey it appeared like the inside of a collapsed building. Large rocks sat atop pile after pile of metal girders, all a mess of remains. It was hard to tell what was from the farming tower and what used to be Sanctuary. Either way, it represented a scene of complete devastation. How far down she would have to go was still an unknown. She remembered back to her last visit. The cave she had seen was, at a guess, at least two hundred feet in height. Big enough to hold a glowing crystal tower for the Sentients.
There was possibly still a long way to go yet.
Impatience soon got the better of her. She removed the torch from her pocket and switched it on for a better look. She shone it about her first and saw the same as before; rubble and metal, just much brighter now. The passing debris appeared much closer than before in the dust filled beam of light too. Her surroundings were covered in grit and floating dirt, and more so the further she ventured.
She aimed the torch down below herself and finally caught a glimpse of a solid surface. Looking back up surprised her, she had travelled a good distance already. It was a relief to see an end to her journey, even if it had come much sooner than expected. It had been nowhere near two hundred feet. She quickly disregarded her previous guesstimate and prepared for touchdown.
The instant
her feet hit the ground she pulled three times on the rope and watched as it stopped in place. “I’m down,” she said, with a finger to the earpiece.
A second later the radio hissed and Elliot spoke softly into her ear. “Don’t be seen.”
“Copy,” she replied.
After unfastening herself from the rope – leaving the harness on – she readjusted her clothing to straighten herself out. A short flash of light around then revealed an opening in the debris pile to her left. The hole cut through as smoothly as the one she had just been lowered. It was not only big enough for a small person like her, but a large male of Elliot’s build too. There had to be others down there.
A few metres into the pile and a faint flickering of light came into view. Something was going on a little way ahead of her. She slowed and aimed her torch behind to conceal her presence. As she edged further into the unknown she could feel her nerves getting the better of her. Part of her wanted to leave and get back into the clear air above. But the other, more stubborn side, wanted answers first.
With caution, and as quietly as possible, she leaned around the corner. There she saw the path opened out into a large and tall space. The light she saw was coming from something she had not once believed could have survived the events eighteen months earlier. Despite missing a chunk of its top section, the Sentient Tower was still there. The glassy surface contained a glow that hinted of possible life inside, but it was a far cry from the dazzling display of before. It no longer sparkled like crystal, or shone with pride. What remained had become dulled by time and threatened to burn out entirely.
From her hiding spot she gazed upon the structure with a mixture of happiness and overwhelming sadness. It became too difficult for her to hold back the flood of memories and with them the emotions of the day. She stopped herself from tearing up on the spot by rapidly clamping her eyes shut. If not for the unusual circumstances she found herself in, she would have allowed herself a few minutes to let the feelings out in one burst. Today she could not afford such a luxury, she was still to find answers. So rather than sniff away the tears, she decided to wipe them on her arm.
She was still at least a hundred feet away from the tower, which gave her a good view of it. The top had been severed as if by one strong swing of a sword. Its decapitated top had fallen away and shattered on the ground further below. These pieces now sat dim and lifeless, their glow having been diminished instantly. All they could do now was reflect the low level of light coming from the rest of the tower.
But there was more light around the area than she could assign to the tower itself. It looked to be in bad shape, with the rubble and metal debris all piled up and resting heavily against its broken top. It held the immense weight at bay like a giant crystal support column. Yet there was enough light around to see every crack in the rock walls. So where was the light coming from?
No longer needing the torch was both a positive and a negative, as its comforting glow would be sorely missed. Instead she had to rely on the ambient light alone. Her route was clear of obstructions at least. Someone had spent many hours making it that way, after clearing the mess that surely had once blocked off access to the other side of the tower. She was well aware that whoever it had been could still be there somewhere, so she took it slowly.
Once by the side of the tower she saw that the light was flickering, and in a way very familiar to her. It came from another large structure, this time one running horizontally along the ground rather than vertically, like the tower. It still sat a good two to three metres in height as it reached out from the base of the tower. This part was alive, unlike the rest of it. It glowed brightly, throwing its energy across the open expanse and against the rocky cover above.
A group of armed men guarded the area, each wearing black fatigues too. There were five of them standing beside the tower with their eyes keenly scanning the area. This was as far as she was going to get. Any further and she risked being spotted.
Fear struck her as she realised what seeing such a thing had to mean. She explored the long structure from the safety of her hiding place, allowing her eyes to pick out all of the strange details carved into its semi-transparent surface. All along its length were tiny glass spikes, which flashed every time a shot of electricity flowed through it. But the structure did not stop once it met the cave wall another hundred or so feet away. Somehow it had tunnelled straight through.
She could see exactly why the area was being guarded, only because of her previous visit to Sanctuary. Stephen’s old videos of his time collecting the Sentients had revealed their ability to alter the materials around them. It was how they built the tower, their home, in the first place. Now it appeared they had done it again.
Adding to her concerns was the direction this new structure travelled in: toward the city. They had had a year and a half to get there too, possibly had already arrived. Her mind turned to Isaac, the first AI, whom she believed had been trapped beneath the rubble. This told of a different end. This made it undeniable that he had in fact escaped, and long ago, and was now free to do as he wished.
The city was not as safe as she had thought, but was just unaware that the threat still lived. She had to get back up to Elliot and tell him what she saw. Their journey had been far from a waste of time after all, they had stumbled on something big. It was now time to leave, and quickly. The guards would kill her on the spot if they knew their secret had been discovered.
In the darkness she headed for the gap in the debris. Her steps became infused with a nervous excitement that caused the occasional skip. She was still mindful enough to keep the noise to a minimum as she made for the exit. Once she was around the other side she took a moment to call back up top.
“Hey,” she whispered, with a quick look behind her. No-one was coming, she had made it this far unnoticed. “Elliot, you there? You won’t believe what I’ve seen down here.” There was no reply. She again pressed the earpiece and tried once more. “What’s going on up there? Elliot? Speak to me.”
Remembering what he said, she yanked three times on the rope, just in case the radios were dead and he was waiting for this signal instead. But nothing happened. She was beginning to suspect he might have left her behind. Sean had possibly been right when he had said she and Elliot had not seen eye to eye over the last eighteen months. Perhaps he seized the chance to rid himself of her once and for all? Had it all been a lie? Down there, she would not last long.
He wouldn’t do that to me, would he? she thought, while reattaching the rope to her harness. “Answer me, for fuck’s sake, Elliot. I need to get out of here,” she said, squeezing the small mic between her fingers. Now all she could do was wait for something to happen. Either way she was not going back to the tower.
Suddenly her radio snapped back to life with a hiss and another loud collection of crackles. Someone was speaking, except the message was lost amid the background noise.
“Elliot? Is that you?”
Again someone spoke, only to be blocked out by the interference straight after. Was Elliot in trouble? She quickly put her suspicions about being left behind to the side and instead allowed the image of a struggle to enter her mind. If there was a fight going on, she could do nothing about it at the bottom. Elliot could have lost it already. In that case she was already trapped.
“Phoenix…” Elliot finally said before she lost him again. He sounded out of breath during his short message.
“I’m here, what’s going on?”
“Look out!” he replied.
She looked up and saw a dark shadow approaching from above. Something or someone was falling through the hole. The sound of screaming soon followed, and it was increasing rapidly. It was definitely a someone!
To get out of the way she dived back into the opening in the rubble. Unfortunately her rope snagged on a piece of metal sticking out of the wall and halted her motion. It was less than ideal, but she was far enough away to avoid being hit by the falling body.
When t
he man landed, it was with a loud slap and a bone crushing crack as his head exploded upon the floor. The contents of his skull spread out on the ground like the mashed up pulp of a melon. His scream had ended the second he landed. There had been no time to raise his hands up ready. All that the man had been now slowly dribbled away and down through the cracks in the ground, his black fatigues quickly absorbing his spilt blood too.
“Shit,” Phoenix said as she cupped her mouth to suppress a cough. The sight of such a gruesome end turned her stomach, she had to look away.
His death demolished the silence with one enormously violent racket, which had to have attracted the attention of the other guards. She was relieved to see that it had not been Elliot, but now she had to worry about getting herself out. Time had turned against her. The last thing she wanted was to be found now, after all she had seen down there.
“What the hell, Elliot?” she snapped into the radio.
It beeped to life with his reply almost immediately. “I said look out, didn’t I? The guard came back while you were gone. I had to do something, I couldn’t hide and let him spot the ropes.”
Before responding she waited to see if he was about to continue. When he did not, she then spoke. “Did you have to throw him down here with me?”
After a short delay, came, “I tried to push him when he looked in the hole, but he fought back. That was very nearly me landing next to you instead.”
“OK, can I get out of here now please? There’re others down here who’ll be along soon. I’m already hooked up.”
Elliot did not reply this time and went straight on to hauling her up. She was then again dangling metres above the ground and heading for the star-filled opening high above. The peace the tiny diamonds tried so desperately to impart was lost amid the chaos. Soon she could hear angry voices coming from below her, and could not care less about the view anymore. She and Elliot had made far too much noise. The others were fully aware of trespassers and would be keen to stop them. She just hoped there were not other guards waiting for her at the top.