Ragnarok Rising: The Crossing (The Ragnarok Rising Saga)

by Roberts, D. A.

  “Would that cause the dam to break?” I asked.

  “No, it shouldn’t,” she said, hesitantly. “It will shut all power down and make it unsafe to stay inside of here.”

  “What’s causing it?” asked Spec-4.

  “Lack of maintenance, mostly,” said Heather, shaking her head. “There haven’t been maintenance crews keeping things repaired since this all started. Eventually, this entire facility will shut down.”

  “How long do we have?” I said, still looking at the indicators.

  “To be honest, I’m surprised that they’re still working,” she said, softly. “They weren’t designed to go this long without regular maintenance.”

  “Good to know,” I said.

  Heading back down to the common area, we found the others scouting out areas to put down their bedrolls. I decided that I’d find an out of the way spot to place mine. It’s not that I was trying to get away from everyone, but I just wanted to be alone to think through my plan. So much was hinging on us pulling this off. I wanted to make sure that we succeeded and lived to tell the tale.

  After several hours of laying on my bedroll, I was still at a loss. I was tense and couldn’t concentrate. I decided that since we had pretty much unlimited water here and I had no idea when the next time I would be able to take a hot shower would be, I’d try to let the steam relax me. Grabbing my gear, I headed into the locker room. I could tell that pretty much everyone was already asleep. No one was moving about and I could hear their soft breathing.

  Slipping into the locker room, I stripped off my gear and headed into the shower stall. In seconds, piping hot water was shooting from the showerhead and filling the area with steam. Closing my eyes, I lowered my head into the water and leaned against the wall. The hot water cascaded down my neck and back, easing away stiff muscles and stress.

  I knew I needed to think about the plan, but I just wanted to relax and not think about anything for a while. To just be me for a while. Not the leader and not the go-to guy for answers. None of that. Just me, alone in the shower. For a few minutes, I could forget about the rest of the world. It would still be there when I was finished.

  Breathing in the hot, steamy vapor, I tried to let my mind drift. To forget about the loss of friends, the pain I’d endured at the hands of the Freemen, even the responsibilities that I’d taken on. I just needed to relax. Really relax. I imagined the warm water easing my aches as it massaged my muscles. I could feel it working.

  For a moment, I was lost in the gentle caress when I realized it wasn’t just water on my skin. I felt hands moving down my back and around my abdomen. Spinning around, I was surprised to find Spec-4 standing naked right behind me, water glistening on her skin. For a moment, I stood there, frozen by the sight before me. She looked magnificent.

  She placed her hands on my chest and leaned against me. Despite the heat of the water, I shivered as I felt her skin against mine. It was electric in its intensity. It felt so good, it almost hurt. I fought for control of my emotions and my body. I wanted to tell her to stop. I wanted to make her stop, but I couldn’t. My thoughts spun in wild directions, swirling between duty and pleasure. Pain and doubt. Sensation and responsibility.

  There was a war going on in my mind. So many mixed emotions. So many conflicting sensations. So much temptation. I was losing my grip on control. My senses were on overload and I wanted to throw my head back and scream, but I couldn’t clear the lump in my throat. I could feel the blood rushing through my veins and pounding on my temples.

  Then her mouth found mine and it was all over. Everything that had been pent-up inside exploded to the surface and I was lost in a world of sensation. I could feel my fingers as they traced the lines of her body, but I could no more stop it than I could stop the sun from rising in the morning.

  “I…I can’t,” I managed to croak through the side of my mouth.

  “Shut up, Wylie,” she breathed, then slid her tongue into my mouth.

  The ecstasy of the moment was agonizing in its intensity. Every fiber of my being was on fire and every brush of flesh against flesh or fingers on skin was in inferno. I lifted her into the air, our mouths still welded together and lay her on the tiles in the center of the heated shower spray. At the moment of contact, she arched her back and threw her head back, screaming. She was intensely electrifying. It was primal. It was bestial in its fury. It was all wrong.

  Something was wrong and my brain was too far into primal Neanderthal mode to fully comprehend. The screaming was loud, insistent and undulating in intensity. It wasn’t a human scream. I blinked and the moment began to change focus. All the raw energy was swirling around me. I felt the sensation of movement and pain.

  Suddenly, I awoke to chaos. Spec-4 was standing there, shaking me and trying to say something. I wasn't in the shower. I was in my sleeping bag and there was still this loud, unrelenting screaming. It wasn’t Spec-4’s ecstatic cries. It was an alarm klaxon. It’s piercing wail was accompanied by red alarm lights flashing in the darkness all around us. The eerie glow of the red lights cast a deathly pallor on her features.

  “Wylie!” she screamed. “We’ve got trouble!”

  “I’m awake!” I called out, unzipping the sleeping bag and sitting up.

  Heather ran into the room, a frantic look on her face. She appeared out of breath and only partially dressed. She had to scream to be heard over the warning siren.

  “We’ve lost containment around turbine number one,” she screamed. “Turbines two through four have failed. We’ve got water flooding the dam. We have to get out of here, now!”

  This was catastrophic. I wasn’t sure what had caused the dam to fail so suddenly, but we didn’t have time to ponder the reasons. If the dam’s own Mechanical Engineer said we had to abandon the place, then we’d better damned well listen to her. We could try to figure out what had happened, later. Right now, we had to get everyone organized and out.

  “Tell everyone to grab their gear and head for the suburban!” I bellowed, grabbing my boots.

  “We can’t go out that way!” screamed Heather. “The water level is rising faster than I expected. The parking lot is under water. We have to go out the top.”

  “Fuck!” I hissed, grabbing my pack and weapons.

  So much for spending the night. We were going to have to go out there with the Stalkers still active. This night just keeps getting better and better.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Prophet and Loss

  “Darkness must pass. A new day will come,

  And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer.”

  - J.R.R. Tolkien

  We grabbed all of our gear and headed up the stairs. I was already seeing water in the lower level hallways, so I knew time was running out. We divided everything up that we could grab quickly and headed for the maintenance door on the top. I could hear the roar of water in the darkness below, even over the top of our loud footsteps on the metal grating.

  “How long will we have power?” I shouted over my shoulder as I climbed.

  “The turbines are already shut down,” yelled Heather from behind me. “We’re on emergency batteries. They should last a few hours, unless they go underwater. If the water rises above level three, we’ll lose them.”

  “What level are we on now?” shouted Spec-4.

  “Level two,” replied Heather.

  “You mean all of this will be under water soon?” said Sanders, sounding out of breath.

  “More than likely,” said Heather. “We’re actually below turbine control. Depending on how bad the damage is, it could flood all the way to the top.”

  “Damn,” I muttered.

  I wasn’t looking forward to going outside. I knew that the Stalkers would be all over the place and according to my watch, it was only 0215 hours. At least, I hoped it was right. There was a big crack in the lens. We had a long time before the sun would come up. If we couldn’t find some kind of shelter or defensible position, none of us wou
ld survive the night.

  “Where do we plant the charges?” asked Ramirez.

  “We’ll pass by the floodgate systems on level four,” replied Heather. “We’ll plant the charges there and then continue on.”

  “Just show me where, chika,” said Ramirez, chuckling. “I’ll take it from there.”

  Climbing a hill carrying all of this equipment was bad. Climbing stairs with water filling the corridors behind you was even worse. I was sweating like crazy and my legs felt like they were made of rubber. I felt like a survivor on the Titanic trying to make it topside before the entire thing sank. My heart was beating a staccato rhythm against my ribcage.

  When we started climbing the stairs to level four, I saw the lights flicker. I knew level three wasn’t flooded yet, so I knew that the emergency batteries couldn’t be underwater. Suddenly, we heard and felt a shrieking of tearing metal. It reverberated through the concrete and echoed down the corridors. It was followed by even louder rushing water sounds.

  “What the fuck was that?!” screamed Snake, looking around wild-eyed.

  “I think another turbine just broke free,” said Heather. “We’re flooding faster, now. If we don’t get to the surface soon, we’ll all drown when the water catches us.”

  “You heard the lady,” I shouted. “Keep climbing!”

  With a groan of effort, we pushed harder. When we reached the fourth level landing, Heather and Ramirez handed off their gear to Sergeant McDonald and Sanders.

  “You guys keep climbing,” shouted Heather. “We’ll plant the charges and be right behind you.”

  Reluctantly, I nodded to the others and we continued to climb. As we passed the fifth level landing, the roaring of the water was continuously getting louder. I knew we didn’t have much time. The water was climbing much faster now and I could feel the air pressure starting to increase as the air was forced out the top of the dam. My eardrums were starting to hurt and the air seemed oppressive to breathe.

  I stopped on the top of the level six landing and started shoving people past me. Spec-4 stopped beside me and we helped the others struggle onto the platform. We were on the uppermost level and just down the catwalk was a door labeled “Maintenance Only.” I did a quick check of my mental map and knew it had to be the door we were looking for.

  The air pressure was continuing to increase. I was starting to feel light headed and it was becoming more difficult to breathe. I glanced up and saw a stairway leading to the Floodgate Control Tower. It was above the top of the dam and wouldn't flood. I knew we had to get everyone up there and seal the door behind us. It might not be the perfect shelter, but it was the best we had.

  Sanders walked over to the maintenance door. I could see him reaching for the door handle as the little light went on in my head. The difficulty breathing was making it hard to think, but something told me not to let him open that door. Mental warning bells began to scream. Suddenly I realized, it was the air pressure!

  “Cal!” I yelled. “Don’t…”

  That was all I managed to get out of my mouth before he turned the handle and the door exploded outward. Air rushed past us with hurricane force, howling as it rushed past all of the scaffolding and pipes. Cal frantically grabbed the door frame and was nearly sucked out into the lake. Instantly, the roar of the water increased and I knew it was coming even faster now. The pressure had slowed it down, but now with the door open, it was unrestrained.

  My thoughts jumped to Heather and Ramirez. They hadn’t made it up the stairs and they were trapped below us, with the water now rising faster than ever. They were going to drown trying to plant those charges. I wasn't going to let that happen. We had already lost enough people.

  “Get up to the control room!” I bellowed. “Move!”

  Sanders pulled himself back inside and shook his head. He looked apologetic and grabbed his gear. Everyone headed for the control room as Spec-4 and I hurried them along. Then it was our turn.

  “You go on up there and keep everyone together!” I shouted above the roar of the water. “Take my gear with you.”

  I began to remove my armor, pack and weapons.

  “Where are you going?” she cried.

  “I’m going back for Ramirez and Heather!”

  I handed her the last of my gear as I grabbed a flashlight off my equipment belt. Then I shoved her towards the stairs.

  “Go!” I bellowed. “I’ll be right back!”

  Before she could answer, I turned and headed back down towards level five. The water was already halfway up the stairs and climbing. The lights were beginning to dim and I knew the batteries would be gone in seconds. The emergency control room must have been underwater. Hesitating only long enough to take several deep breaths then holding the last one, I dove into the icy cold water.

  Clicking on the flashlight, I swam downward as hard as I could. I was following the map I had in my head and hoping I didn’t get lost. As ironic as it would be to drown inside a dam while surrounded by the living dead, I did want to die that way. Forcing the thought out of my head, I continued to swim downward, heading for level three.

  My lungs were already starting to hurt when I reached level three. Shining the light down the walkway, I could see the door to the spillway control room. If they weren’t in there, I wouldn’t have enough air to continue searching for long.

  Kicking furiously, I headed the twenty or so meters down the walkway to the door. Grabbing the door frame, I pulled myself inside. There were red and green lights still blinking on the control board. On the far side of the small room was another door. The control room was essentially a metal box that had an office inside it with a large control panel. Just above my head, there was about eight inches of air trapped inside the room. I breached the surface and let out my breath.

  Gulping down several lungs full of fresh air, I dove down and out the other door. Just beyond it was a massive area where the mechanism that operated the spillway doors was housed. I found Heather floating a few feet from the door. She was face down and unconscious. Shoving her into the control room, I looked around frantically for Ramirez.

  It took me a few moments, but I found him. He was near the big control box for the spillway doors. I could see the blinking lights on the charges. He had planted enough C-4 in this room to take the top of the dam off. We both had a detonator in our packs. Fortunately, my pack was with Spec-4 and Ramirez’s pack was with Cal Sanders. If we didn't make it, they could still detonate the charges.

  Swimming over to Ramirez, I could see his eyes and mouth were open. He was stuck in place. A piece of metal had gotten hung in one of the straps of his tactical vest. Reaching into my boot, I pulled out my combat knife and cut the strap away. He floated free and began to drift. Grabbing him by the vest, I kicked back for the control room. Heather was still floating face down, bumping against one of the control panels.

  I surfaced briefly to replenish my air supply and shoved the knife back into my boot. I took several deep breaths, then held the last one. I dove back under the water and stuck the flashlight in my mouth. I grabbed Ramirez by the vest and Heather by the boot. Swimming with both of them wouldn't be easy, but at least they weren’t struggling.

  Kicking out the door, I headed down the corridor. It was taking all of my strength to drag both of them along with me. By the time I reached level four, I could feel my lungs burning from the strain. My chest was beginning to spasm as my body fought for more air. With all the strength I could muster, I pulled them up the stairs heading for level five. We still had a long way to go.

  I was fighting to keep from losing my air and my vision was starting to swim. I could hear my heartbeat thudding in my ears. In one hard spasm, I lost my grip on my flashlight and watched as it bounced down the stairs, disappearing as it fell. It was almost completely dark now. Only the dimmest of lights filtered down from above.

  I was becoming disoriented and losing focus. I could barely remember where I was supposed to be going. I knew I was close to blackin
g out. If I did, we were dead. We’d all die down here in this tomb of concrete and steel, lost forever in the gloomy silence of this watery grave. As my vision began to turn red at the edges, I saw a bluish light begin to surround us. At first, I thought it was the light signaling I was passing into the next world and the Valkyries were coming for me.

  Then a face appeared before me. It was Spec-4, my own personal Valkyrie, and she wasn’t alone. Sanders grabbed Ramirez, Sergeant McDonald grabbed Heather and Spec-4 pulled me towards the surface. It was oddly peaceful as I drifted upwards, surrounded by that eerie blue light.

  I came to on my back, coughing and sputtering. Air! I could breathe! I gulped down lungful after lungful of the wonderful air as my heartbeat began to slow and my vision began to clear. We’d made it back to the surface and I was alive. I lolled my head to the sides and saw the other two performing CPR on Ramirez and Heather.

  After what felt like eternity, they both began to cough and spit up water. We had survived. Somehow, we had all made it out of there and lived to tell the tale. I could still hear a ringing in my ears, but I knew that everything was going to be alright. Spec-4 was talking to me, but I couldn’t hear her. I could tell she was happy by the smile on her face.

  I started to regain my hearing, after a few moments. Ramirez and Heather were recovering, but they were pretty shook up. I can’t blame them. Dying kind of does that to people.

  “Let’s get up to the Control Tower and join the others,” said Spec-4.

  Ramirez, Heather and I got shakily to our feet and headed for the stairs. Sanders helped Ramirez while McDonald held Heather’s arm. Spec-4 walked beside me with her hand on my arm, just in case I needed the help. I was more grateful than she knew. I felt nauseous and my legs were all rubbery. It was beginning to sink in just how close I had come to drowning. If they hadn’t come looking for us, all three of us would be dead.

  Once inside the Control Tower, we locked the door behind us and slumped to the floor. There were windows facing every direction and we could look out over the dam and the lake. It gave us a good view of the spillway, too. I knew that if we blew the spillway, then this tower would go with it. We needed to be off of the dam before we blew it up. We also needed to be on the other end of the dam or we’d be trapped on the wrong side of the lake.