Alien Lockdown

by Vijaya Schartz

  Cole couldn’t just pull out the shelf or the rubble would collapse upon Rhonda. He had to rig some makeshift crane to lift up one side so she could crawl out. A metal beam protruding from the wall might do the trick. “Any idea where I can find some really strong cable in this place?”

  “Let me think." Rhonda made an obvious effort to sound calm. “There was some holding the module over the operating table, if it’s accessible." A small thread of hope had just crept into her voice.

  “I’ll get it." Cole couldn’t help thinking that if the cable broke, the fall of the loaded shelf would kill Rhonda for sure. The image of her crushed body oozing blood from under a pile of debris flashed through his mind. Cole shuddered. He had to save her.

  A quick look around the facility showed him the door, blocked by unmovable debris. If that was the only way in and out, they were both locked up inside the infirmary. The other rooms hadn’t fared well either.

  The surgical unit looked a shamble. The equipment had collapsed on the operating table, and the long cable, which suspended the instruments module from the ceiling, had fallen and lay like a dusty snake on top of the broken equipment.

  Cole pulled on the cable, still attached to the broken module, but it didn’t come loose. “I need tools,” he yelled from the surgical room.

  “In the metal drawer-chest,” Rhonda answered, with more strength than he expected.

  Cole struggled to push the broken operating arms out of the way so he could open the drawers. The sight of the shiny surgical instruments lined up inside warmed his heart. He could work with that kind of tools. Medical drills with all kinds of attachments, scalpels, scissors, chipping and sculpting knives. He shuddered at the thought of their medical use and focused on his immediate need. When he realized the cable was a thick metal rope with a vinyl cover, he rejoiced and unscrewed it from the operating module.

  Proud of his find, he took the cable, along with a drill from the chest then returned to the room where Rhonda remained trapped. Drilling a small hole into the edge of the duranium shelf proved a slow and difficult process. He had to proceed carefully or the drill would heat up, and he had to wait until it cooled to go on.

  After dulling three drill bits, Cole finally managed to pierce the hard metal plate. Then he looped the cable through the hole and over the large titanium beam protruding from the adjacent wall. He attached the end of the cable to the robot, tightened the cable, double-checked his handiwork and said, “Get ready. We have to time this right.”

  “Believe me, I’ve been ready to get out of here for at least a day.”

  “I don’t know how long the cable will hold, or even if this is going to work at all, but we have to take a chance." Cole took a look at the frightened face staring back at him through the end of the shelf and pushed down his own fear to make his words reassuring. “I’m going to pull you out. If this works, you must come out and get away as fast as you can. Got it? I’ll be there to catch you.”

  Rhonda nodded and exhaled a loud breath. “Ready.”

  Full of misgivings, Cole pushed the on button on the robot. The engine’s clicking noise reverberated on the hard walls as the caterpillar treads fought for traction on the smooth floor. The cable tensed and stretched. The beam moaned under the pressure. The edge of the shelf bowed but the shelf itself didn’t lift up.

  While the robot strained against the load, Cole grabbed Rhonda’s hand and pulled.

  “Wait! I’m stuck on something.”

  “We don’t have time. It’s now or never.”

  The shelf itself creaked as it lifted ever so slightly. Cole pulled Rhonda with all his might. When her body started to slide forward, her head emerged. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled some more. He heard something rip but focused solely on getting her away before the loaded shelf collapsed.

  As he grabbed her waist, he lifted her to him and fell back, just as the robot lost its traction and overturned. The weight of the rubble flattened the shelf to the floor in a deafening crash.

  Heart beating fast, blood rushing through his arteries. Cole lay on the hard floor, holding on to Rhonda in a desperate grasp. He felt her grab onto him as well. Her top had ripped and showed some skin. He closed his eyes, aware of her smaller body pulsing against his. Neither made a move to loosen their embrace.

  His breath came short and so did hers. He wondered whether it was from pure fright, the fear of losing each other, or the mere proximity of two warm bodies. He felt her move against him and opened his eyes as she looked up at him with a soft expression he’d never seen on her face before.

  “I owe you my life, again." She brought her lips close to his. Her sweet breath so near, so tantalizing seemed to demand a kiss. “Thank you, Cole.”

  At the sound of his name, said with such tenderness, Cole couldn’t help himself. He covered her soft lips salty from crying. When she opened them to return his kiss, the taste of her mouth awakened a secret desire in his loins, like a long forgotten ache. He realized he wanted her, had wanted her for a long time.

  How had he managed to deny his feelings before? But the more surprising thing was that she paid him that kind of attention at all. He’d always thought she hated him. Then again, he’d never given her any reason to like him and he wondered why. As he held her tight, he found himself unwilling to let go of her.

  Hearing another rumble, however, Cole reluctantly released Rhonda, helped her up, and they ran for the cover of the wide arch under which the Gurney still stood. Beside him, Rhonda looked frightened. A large tear in the front of her yellow scrubs exposed her left breast. She tried to close the rip self-consciously, but the brief sight of her creamy skin had already aroused Cole. By now he felt certain Rhonda regretted the kiss and wanted to move on.

  When the tremor receded, Cole cleared his throat. “Is there another way out of the infirmary than the front door?" He tried to sound business-like.

  Rhonda shook her head while trying to mend her scrubs top with pins from a medical kit. “This place is like a bunker. Only one exit." She looked up. “Why the question?”

  “The door is blocked by debris. I don’t know if we can clear it up.”

  “Can we use the robot?”

  Cole went to the door to evaluate the task. He’d seen the robot at work and it could barely lift the loaded shelf a few centimeters to free Rhonda. To make things worse, the last quake had dropped more blocks of durancrete on top of the debris blocking the door, and Cole couldn’t imagine any way of clearing that up. He could only see patches of the metal door through wide gaps in the pile.

  Rhonda came behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Can we access the control panels?”

  “Negative, but we have to give it a try." He didn’t mention to Rhonda that even if they reached the panels and they still worked, the door probably wouldn’t open. The frame seemed to have shifted during a quake, and the mechanism would likely be stuck, mainly with the pile applying pressure on the door.

  Nevertheless, each on one side of the door, they feverishly tugged and shoved pieces of debris in the hope of reaching the control panels.

  Cole could now see the scanner on his side and reached through the small hole. “I think I can slip my hand on the scanner."

  Rhonda threw away a small pipe that clinked down the pile. “And I almost have access to the numerical pad." She grunted. “Got it.”

  Cole applied his hand to the scanner on his side while she punched in her code. The light above the door lit up and the mechanism chimed, but as Cole feared, the door remained tightly closed. “Do you have any tools that could pierce titanium?”

  Rhonda shook her head dejectedly. “We are trapped in here. There is no other way out. We are going to die.”

  “Don’t be so glum. At least we have each other. Besides, the next quake could unblock the door, or breach the wall." Cole returned to the arched shelter. “We just have to wait for the next opportunity and be ready when it comes. In the meantime, we have to stay alive and strong." Cole
pulled the mattress off the Gurney and laid it on the floor then he rolled the Gurney out of the way. “This arch is our only safe refuge for now. Let’s get organized for a siege.”

  “A siege?" The questioning look on her face betrayed her lack of military training.

  Cole found her so lovely in her innocence. He smiled reassuringly. “We might be here for a while longer. Is there food? Water? Clothes, light equipment, emergency supplies we can gather?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  *****

  Clearing a path to the supply room, Rhonda found comfort in Cole’s positive approach to their crisis. He was right. The frequent quakes that kept re-arranging the complex would eventually break the door or the walls. She only hoped it wouldn’t take too long. If the guards on the surface had managed to find or assemble a life pod, they wouldn’t wait forever.

  Smiling against all odds, she wondered at the wisdom of her bold, spontaneous move earlier. Not only she had offered Cole a kiss but he’d responded in kind, and she’d felt his arousal through the thick long johns he wore. Did he really want her? Would she dare hope that he shared that fuzzy feeling she had for him? In the midst of their horrible plight, a bright flame burned that made her spirits rise. Could it be love?

  The prospect of the next hours alone with Cole made her forget their predicament. She reached the supply cabinet and snatched a few emergency packs, some superantibiotics, medications for Cole, and medical Styx, in case he experienced complications or pain from his surgery. She also found floodlights. The memory of the recent incident in the maintenance tunnels made the hair on her nape rise in retrospect. Never again did she want to find herself trapped in total darkness.

  Rhonda stuffed everything into a sanitary garbage bag then went to the food supply storage, where she borrowed a dozen sealed meals and added them to the loot. Shoving two gallons of mineral water under each arm, she dragged the bag back to the shelter of the archway and reached it just as Cole returned from the surgery room carrying a drawer filled with surgical instruments.

  “Tools,” he explained with a grin.

  Rhonda smiled and stored the sack on one side of the small room. “We need our clothes. I’ll be right back." She returned through the collapsed room where she’d agonized under the broken shelf, caught powerless, like an animal. To think that she could have ended up crushed under all that rubble...

  She climbed over the pile to find her way into the decontamination room. She had to shove the door with her shoulder and could only open it halfway. There, she retrieved their uniforms, weapons, belts, boots, and the Captain’s compad. She wrapped them up in sheets then she added clean underwear and scrubs, although she wasn’t sure they would need all that.

  She thought of changing her ripped top but thought better of it. The partially pinned tear looked kind of sexy and right now, it pleased her.

  Upon her return to their shelter, both smiled at their booty, piled up on one side of the arch.

  “I’m hungry. Got anything to eat?" Cole dropped to the mattress as if expecting to be served.

  Rhonda didn’t mind. She dug into the sack and held up two wrapped meals. “Hospital food. Not tasty but healthy." She picked a gallon of water and brought the feast to the mattress.

  The low illumination coming from the wrecked rooms on each side of the wide arch created an almost romantic atmosphere. Rhonda savored this little haven of peace, even if they were trapped in it, even if it was only for a while, even if they may die here, soon. For now, it felt as cozy as a home.

  Chapter Eleven

  Infirmary, Level Sixteen, Yellow Zone

  Despite their dire circumstances, Cole’s smile brought Rhonda a measure of comfort. He crossed his legs on the mattress and leaned back against the arched wall. Closing his eyes, he seemed to savor the peaceful respite. “How come a beautiful woman like you never settled down?”

  “Beautiful, you said?" The word triggered Rhonda’s smile.

  Cole nodded. “But you don’t strike me as the adventurous type.”

  “Got that right." Rhonda unwrapped the two dinner trays. “I’m more of an artist. Never found the right guy, I guess.”

  “Or you scared him off." Cole chuckled and accepted one tray.

  “Sorry the food is cold." She shrugged in apology.

  “It’ll do." Cole attacked his food and nodded approval. “Most men say they like free spirits but it’s a lie. They feel threatened by independent women and only want to control them.”

  She sat facing him on the mattress and started to eat the tasteless protein rich stew with the disposable silverware. “Do free spirits scare you, too?”

  “Nah. I just avoid women by choice. Mainly the attractive ones. Don’t want to get involved with anyone." He looked down and pushed his food around the compartmented tray. “At least that was the case until you came along." He scoffed. “Not that I didn’t try to avoid you, too.”

  A warm glow flushed Rhonda’s cheeks at the realization that Cole desired her. She drank from the water jug in an attempt to hide her excitement. She felt tipsy, as if she’d been drinking fine wine from a crystal glass. The traces of drug still in his system made Cole unusually communicative, and she hoped he would clarify his feelings. If she was falling for him, she needed to know how he felt about her.

  “Did you ever break the law? I mean in a big way." She immediately regretted the abrupt question.

  “What kind of question is that?” he asked through a mouthful.

  “Indulge me. If we are going to die, this is our last chance to tell the truth." She smiled engagingly. “So, did you?”

  He shook his head. “Nope, not me. I’m afraid I’m one of these boring people who believe in order. Without it the world would be chaos.”

  “Ha! And what do you call this mess your precious order got us in?" She shrugged. “I should’ve known. You are Mr. Perfect, aren’t you?”

  “I used to think I was." He sighed. “But since I’ve paired up with you on this mission, I’ve broken more rules than in my entire life.”

  “Feels good, doesn’t it? I find it liberating.”

  “Not me. Each time, it’s a tough decision." He chucked down more food. “I could never enjoy it. I did it only to save the lives of those who matter the most to me.”

  “You mean the guards?”

  “They have become my family." He drank and sighed as he set down the water jug on the floor beside the mattress. “But you are the only guard I can help right now." He winked. “And you don’t even obey my orders half the time.”

  Rhonda wouldn’t let him off the hook so easily. “If you never did anything remotely questionable, then tell me your deepest secret.”

  “Like what?" He chuckled. “My deep-rooted fears?”

  She found it difficult to believe that anything frightened him at all. “Please tell me. What exactly scares you the most?”

  Cole thought for a moment. “I fear dying alone." He reached for her hand and looked deep into her eyes. “If we die here, at least we’ll have each other.”

  The seriousness of his tone prompted Rhonda to squeeze his hand. She wanted to get close to him.

  “You keep surprising me." He relaxed and leaned back against the wall. “I like that. You showed incredible courage for a woman. What you did for me wasn’t only very brave but selfless. You could have saved yourself but you chose to help me instead. I never thanked you for that. I’m very grateful. Even if we only have a few hours to live.”

  “Don’t put me on a pedestal." Rhonda wondered how much she could really tell him. Would he condemn her if she confessed how she avenged her sister? And what if they escaped Zurin Five alive? Could she face the legal consequences of her actions? But if she were to die soon, confiding the truth might set her conscience free. “I’m far from perfect."

  “You mean undisciplined, talkative?" He seemed to enjoy teasing her.

  Rhonda decided to dive in. “Since you told me your greatest fear, I’ll share with you my darkest
secret." She smiled to soften the blow. “I didn’t always abide by the law.”

  Incredulous mirth played in his deep blue eyes. “You? A criminal?”

  “Of some kind." She hesitated. “Had Duran caught me, I could be one of these convicts out there right now.”

  “And a smart criminal to boot." Cole straightened his back and his gaze intensified into a stare. “Pray tell. I want to know the person I’m dying with, the person who saved my life. The person I pulled out of the rubble so I wouldn’t die alone.”

  Rhonda took a deep breath and released it slowly. “My sister was a prisoner on Level Seven.”

  “Was?" He focused on her so completely, he didn’t seem to breathe.

  “She died of an overdose of Styx, a few months back." Rhonda struggled to slow the rush of painful memories.

  “I’m sorry." Cole looked genuinely touched. “No wonder you feel so strongly against drugging inmates. Were you and your sister close?”

  “Not really." Rhonda managed to control the sadness threatening to overwhelm her. “I didn’t approve of her life choices, but we loved each other very much.”

  Cole looked at her askance. “How does that make you a criminal?”

  “I was devastated, so angry at the corporation when she died." Rhonda still hesitated. “I sabotaged a whole shipment of Styx. It exploded in the cargo bay of the unmanned shuttle on its way to the spaceport." There, she’d freed her soul and felt suddenly lighter. She searched Cole’s face for a sign of understanding.

  Cole whistled. “I may have to revise my judgment about you. You can behave like an adventurer on occasion." He chuckled. “And I’ve seen you in action.”

  Relieved that he didn’t judge her harshly, Rhonda breathed easier. “Saved your life, didn’t I?”

  “You sure did, kiddo." His devilish grin told her he expected her to call him on the nickname.

  But Rhonda felt in a forgiving mood. “You sure you don’t hate me for what I did to the Corporation?”