by Lisa Lace
“I don’t know what to say or what to do.” She trailed off, clenching her hands helplessly.
“You didn’t...I mean, did you...enjoy it?” I had to ask. I had to know what it felt like for her. I was as careful as I could be. Everyone said a girl’s first time wasn’t her favorite sexual experience, and Emmy was a little girl from Earth.
“Oh, Ven.” She turned away, her face bright red.
My heart dropped into my stomach, and I started babbling. “You didn’t then? You know, they say the first time isn’t going to be the best. Consider it a practice run. I’m sure you’ll like it more the next time.”
Shit.
“Shut up. I liked it, okay? Like isn’t a strong enough word. I have never felt like that before, and I can’t stop thinking about it, even though I’m not sure if we can do it again.”
“What’s the problem?” I asked, relief flooding my body.
“I don’t know. Doesn’t it make me a slut to have enjoyed it so much?”
“Emmy, women enjoy sex as much as men. It’s part of the magic of being a couple. Sex is sometimes the glue that holds a relationship together or the band-aid that fixes things when you hurt each other. It’s a way to connect on a deeper level with your partner. Don’t talk about yourself that way or cheapen our time together.”
I frowned, upset that she thought we had done something wrong when it felt right.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do with myself today. We should go. With the amount of terrain we have to cover, we need to get moving.”
“Agreed.” Any conversations about our future together could wait until we knew we were going to have a future.
EMMY
After Ven had dismantled his alarm system, I led the way back into the passage. I walked gingerly because every step reminded me I had an ache between my thighs. I hadn’t realized being sore could feel good. Every shift of my body was a painful reminder of everything we did last night.
I was still surprised at how good it felt. I hadn’t expected sex to be like that. It has always seemed strange to me. But when I was in the midst of passion, everything was different.
I understood that now, but I didn’t understand my feelings. I was happy, perhaps even blissful. My body still wanted him. Even though I knew fucking him wouldn’t be pleasant until my sex healed, I hungered for him.
But I was confused.
Did he really whisper he loved me? I wondered if the words came from his heart or if it was the kind of thoughtless, stupid phrase that would come out of an Earth man’s mouth after sex. I thought I didn’t want a man or need a partner. Ven was making me question myself.
Did I love him? I had a plan for my life, and Ven wasn’t part of it.
It might not matter if I was going to die here, in these passages, impaled on a spike.
We had traveled for about an hour before I spotted signs indicating a pan-jee trap in the floor ahead. Markings on the floor suggested danger, and when we stepped on them, we avoided springing the trap. We evaded two more before we stopped for a break, sitting side by side on the stone floor, leaning against the wall.
Ven took my hand. It felt so nice that I didn’t say anything.
VEN
“According to my calculations, we should be three-quarters of the way there by now. We’re approaching the region of more sophisticated protections.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. What else is there?”
“Soon we’re going to encounter an army of stone soldiers armed with functional, deadly crossbows. And there’s supposed to be hematite powder. It’s a metallic dust that’s sharp on the molecular level and will cause a painful death if you inhale enough. Imagine having your lungs sliced to pieces.”
She pulled two masks from a pocket in her pants and handed one to me. “If you see any white dust, put this on immediately, unless you want to die a slow death.”
I took the mask and put it in my pocket. “Thanks. I prefer living.”
We walked on in silence, each of us privately thinking until we came to a spot where the passage narrowed. At the end of the tunnel was an immense underground field covered in life-like statues.
“The stone soldiers.” Emmy was barely breathing, and her eyes sparkled. “They’re real.”
As I stared at the evidence of the ingenuity of the ancients, I briefly understood Emmy’s attraction to this field of study. I imagined what it would be like going to work and looking for the best of people instead of going to work to kill the worst of us all.
Everything about the ladle was like a big puzzle. I enjoyed looking for the signs indicating a trap was nearby. I liked trying to match wits with the people of the past. For a moment, I considered Emmy’s suggestion about getting a degree in archeology, but it was a childish dream.
“How are we going to get across without dying?”
“I don’t know, but it’s even worse than you imagine. Do you see the wires crisscrossing everywhere? I’m sure they are all tripwires, and there are probably ones we can’t see.”
“We can’t walk through there,” I said. “We’ll get ourselves killed. You’re the smart one. Think outside the box. We won’t win if we keep playing their games.”
“What about the metal cable there?” She pointed up to the ceiling.
“It’s probably left over from construction. If I had to guess, they used it to haul away dirt when they were excavating. You could throw another cable over the top, attach a container full of dirt and move it out of the room.”
“That makes sense.” Emmy was thinking. “It took them over a hundred years to complete these catacombs. It wasn’t because of a lack of technology or tools, but because of funding.”
“Of course. Was it a government project?”
She made a face at me. “They would have protected the cable to make it last. The legends say this room took nearly twenty years to build. They wouldn’t have wanted it to deteriorate and endanger the workers. I think it’s safe to say the cable can support some weight.
“So what?”
“It looks like we could slide down the line. On Earth, we have something called a zip line, where you attach a harness to a rope, then slide down.”
Her intelligence intimidated me, but it could also lead to unique ideas.
“Stop looking at me like that,” she said, frowning. “I’m being innovative.”
“We don’t call it a zip line on Stalwart, but I’m familiar with the concept. You’re saying we could go over this obstacle, and skip their little game entirely. You have a point, but it sounds dangerous.”
“Do you think it will be more dangerous than going through the stone soldiers?”
“We can’t go through the stone soldiers, Emmy.”
“That’s my point. Even if the zip line approach is unorthodox, it might be our only way forward. It’s brilliant, even if I do say so myself.” She smiled and punched my arm.
“Don’t hurt me. I have to slide down this rope in a minute.” I pulled her into a hug. “If we’re going to do this thing, let’s not waste any time.”
She nodded. “There’s a ladder on either side allowing access to the cable.”
“Wait a minute. The ladder hasn’t been coated with chromate. It’s made of wood.” I was having second and third thoughts about her idea.
“That’s true.” She stood and looked up at the ladder. “But they did use darkwood to construct it, which is both insect and rot-resistant. There are still darkwood houses on Heralla from centuries ago. They look brand-new.”
A short piece of rope appeared in her hands. She must have taken it from her bottomless pockets. She pulled out a knife and cut the rope in half, giving me a piece.
“Is the archeologist in you trying to tell me the ladder isn’t safe?”
“No,” she said. “I’m not saying that at all.”
“I’m glad we agree on something. I’ll go first.”
“Why?”
“You’ve got all the necessar
y information. If one of us is going to plunge to their death, it should be me. I’m expendable. Also, I weigh more than you.”
Emmy stepped forward and put her hand on the side of my face. “You’re not expendable to me.”
I smiled, and I kissed her, breaking it off before I became overwhelmed with the urge to take her.
“Don’t worry, Professor. I’m not going to die today.”
She nodded but looked more worried than before. I began to climb, testing my weight on each rung before trusting it. The first few feet seemed sturdy. I didn’t look down. I was not afraid of heights, but I knew better than to risk distraction.
All I had to do was keep moving one arm after the other, and suddenly I had almost reached the top. After two more rungs, I would be able to use my rope and slide over certain death into a much safer probable death.
The rung broke, leaving me dangling by one arm forty feet in the air.
Chapter Twenty-One
EMMY
All I could think about was Ven swinging above my head, hanging by one arm, scrambling in a valiant attempt to grab hold of another rung to pull himself back onto the ladder. There was nothing I could do. It felt like the longest twenty seconds of my life. I had to stop looking.
His deep voice called down to me. “I’m okay.” Perhaps he was all right, but I wasn’t sure if my heart would ever be normal again. I was used to taking risks by myself and for myself. It was quite a different experience when I had to watch someone I cared for putting their life in danger.
Ven kept climbing and reached the top, flipping his rope over the cable with one hand, and keeping a firm grip on the ladder with the other. If the ladder collapsed before he secured himself on the wire, it would be the end of him.
My idea was stupid. If the cable had eroded over time, he would drop straight into the middle of the stone warriors. The number of things to worry about was endless.
He didn’t know what I was thinking. “Be careful of the broken rung and make sure you test each one. They seemed to take my weight, but I don’t know if I weakened them while I was testing.”
“Okay. Be careful, Ven.”
He nodded. “I’ll see you on the other side.” I knew he believed neither of us would die. But I also knew the odds were against us. We weren’t the first people to look for the ladle. The simple truth was that no one ever returned. I didn’t think it was necessary to inform Ven about that little bit of information.
Thinking about the future’s problems didn’t always help the present. Having to worry about another person made everything different. I wasn’t usually this concerned about my survival. I had always assumed I would come back alive.
I watched with fear in my heart as he grabbed the rope with both hands. All he had to do was hold on. Gravity would do the rest. I pulled out a pair of gloves to strengthen my grip when it was my turn.
My body didn’t move. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to do anything until he was safe on the other side. He had his rope draped over the cable and held it with both hands. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, then lifted his legs and began sliding down the line.
It was just as I imagined it in my head until something happened on the far side of the enormous cavern. I saw his body plummet to the ground. By that point, the drop wasn’t too far, so the impact wouldn’t hurt him too much. The problem was that he hadn’t cleared the statues yet. He fell in the middle of a small group.
I heard the twang of a crossbow firing. Ven’s cry of pain echoed across the cavern.
I grabbed onto the ladder and climbed as fast as I could. A poison-tipped arrow had just impaled the only man I ever cared about. We were far from medical attention, and I didn’t carry an anti-venom kit around with me. If Ven was going to survive, his only hope was finding the ladle.
VEN
Everything started out fine as I glided across the top of the room. The problems started when I ran into an obstacle. A thick nest of insects had formed near the cable, creating an immovable barrier. When I ran into the nest, my motion completely stopped. I felt the abrupt change of speed in my arms. I involuntarily opened my hands and fell straight into the last group of statues.
I was able to roll when I landed, but I managed to trigger one of the crossbows, which still worked perfectly after all these years. Up close, the arrow looked like it was made yesterday. It cleanly sliced into my bicep and emerged on the other side of my arm.
My arm looked terrible, but I would live. With my working hand, I eased a multi-tool out of my pocket, activating the laser cutter and removing the arrowhead. That was the easy part. The hard part was pulling the arrow out of my flesh. I screamed in pain, but I only lost a small amount of blood. It appeared the arrow had missed hitting any major blood vessels.
I pulled the suit's handkerchief out from my breast pocket. It would be large enough to wrap around my arm. I managed to tie it with one hand and tighten the knot with the help of my teeth. After I had bandaged my arm and checked to make sure I wasn’t leaking blood anywhere, I started to look around for a way out.
I couldn’t see Emmy, but I knew she was on her way. I hoped she wouldn’t fall too. She must have seen what happened to me and developed a plan to avoid the obstacle.
A moment later, I heard the sound of a rope sliding down the cable. I held my breath, waiting for her to hit the nest. If she fell, I wanted to be ready to get her out. When she got close to my position, she arched her back and swung her legs up. Her stomach muscles were functional as well as decorative. She wrapped her boots around the cable, using them to slow her descent until she slowed to a gentle stop.
Emmy wrapped her legs around the wire, letting go of the rope and grabbing the cable with her glove-protected hands. She hung from her hands and feet on the cable, and she began to inch down hand over hand. Emmy didn’t stop until she reached a ladder. As soon as she climbed down, she went to my side.
“How do you feel?” she whispered.
I didn’t know why she was whispering. We were the only people around. “I’m here,” I whispered back. “Everything’s still working.”
“Did you get hit by an arrow?”
“I did, but it was a shallow wound. I already pulled it out. It wasn’t a problem. See?”
She bit her lip, and her eyes looked scared. “They’re probably not regular arrows. They’re coated with strychnine.”
As if on cue, the muscles in my legs started to spasm. Emmy’s eyes looked so fearful than I wanted to comfort her but I couldn’t move until the pain stopped.
“But if we can get you to the ladle, it should fix everything. Right?”
“Right.” Relying on a mythical ladle that was supposed to cure anything wasn’t my idea of a practical plan, but the poison was old. Maybe it would have lost its potency by now. It was still powerful enough to make my body ache.
“Do you think you can get up?” She peered at me through two statues that stood between me and a safe place.
“I can. But should I?”
She grimaced. “I don’t know. I see at least two tripwires.”
“What if I run as fast as I can and stay low to the ground?”
“You might have to. I don’t know of any other choices. Let me trigger some of the tripwires before you start.” Emmy left my line of sight for a moment and returned with a stick. She pushed the closest wires, making arrows fly out with familiar twangs before they landed harmlessly on the ground.
I looked at the floor and tried to plan out a course. The idea wasn’t the best. I took a deep breath and began running.
It was hard to move fast when I was also trying to keep my body a small target. When I felt my foot hit a tripwire and heard the noise of an arrow, I dived to the ground and rolled, but I was too late. The bolt hit me directly in the chest, and it was a deep wound this time. I groaned but managed to crawl to Emmy. I only set off one more trap. The arrow flew harmlessly overhead.
“That was a terrible performance.” She winced when she saw the ar
row sticking out from my chest.
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to pull it out,” I said. “Every second will count if poison is involved.”
Emmy moaned. “There’s a reason I’m an archeologist and not a nurse.”
“I hope you’re a quick study.” I felt my legs start to cramp up again. She took a firm grip on the arrow and pulled, but not hard enough. I felt the arrowhead tear my flesh. It wasn’t out yet.
I groaned in pain. “You need to do a single pull with all your strength and remove it.”
“I’m sorry!”
I felt her grab the arrow shaft again and hoped she could do it correctly this time. I needed her help. She yanked, the bolt came out, and blood started freely flowing. I had clenched my mouth shut, but a small moan still escaped.
She pulled out a flattened roll of gauze. I wondered what else she had in her pockets. A second later, she had my shirt off and began wrapping my chest. Once Emmy stopped the bleeding, she helped me put on my shirt again.
Pain seared through my chest and arm as I stood up stiffly. I tried to ignore both the pain and my stiffening legs. This place was not going to get the best of me.
“I’m fine. What’s next?”
She turned to face a stone bridge, which stretched over a dark chasm. I didn’t want to think about how far the fall might be. “We have to cross it.” Emmy gestured to the stones laid in a swirling pattern.
“What are we waiting for?” I moved to walk across it.
Emmy put out her arm and blocked my path. “It’s not that simple.”
“Of course it’s not.”
“We have to figure out which stones are safe to walk on. If we step on the wrong ones, they fall away.”
“Fine,” I said, feeling impatient. “How do we determine the correct path?” The bridge. looked rectangular-shaped. Within the rectangle, stones were laid in a spiral.
“The stones have Karfalun markings on them. They’re numbers. Each stone has a number from one to...” She fell silent and started counting. “It looks like thirteen.”
“Do we step on them in counting order? That sounds simple enough.”