He left the com-station room, closing the door behind him, and wandered around dome 1 for a while, trying to rationalize what had happened so far. Up until this point there had been no real proof other than hearsay. Obviously, it was still hearsay since Kyle hadn't actually seen anything, and only had the word of a traumatized young man, but he would not soon forget the sounds he heard from that tunnel.
"Kyle."
He stopped short as if he had hit a wall, then turned back to face Stella. "Are you stalking me?" He had no idea why he would ask such a question, it was ridiculous, but it was the first thing that came to mind.
She stared at him for a moment before arching an eyebrow. "Stalking you?" Her tone was a little tight. "No, Kyle, I'm not stalking you. I was hoping you would give me a chance to explain." She frowned. "That sounds wrong. What I mean to say is that I want you know that I had no idea that Mike was that far gone. I had no idea that he was a religious nut."
Kyle glared at her. "I don't care what you knew. That fucked-up bastard nearly ended Daniel with his crazy ideas. And if that thing in dome 6 is a deity, it's the most fucked-up thing I've ever heard of. It makes Lovecraft seem like child's play."
"Lovecraft?" Stella blinked in confusion. "What's Lovecraft?"
Kyle rolled his eyes. "Have mercy," he muttered under his breath. "Look, it doesn't matter, okay? What matters is that we thought we were safe, and now Billy is dead, dammit! You think Daniel is having an easy time with this?" he added, waving a hand in the general direction of the com-station room.
"I know it's not easy. And I am so sorry about Billy. If it helps in any way, then you can let Daniel know that Mike will never do this to anyone again. Ever," she said and she sounded all kinds of sorry. That, of course, didn't make up for anything.
"Because you fed him to that thing?" he asked, and then shook his head in helpless frustration. "Stella, I ..." He sighed deeply. "I don't know what to say. I don't know what you want from me; from us." He took a step forward, closing the distance between them. "I like you. I think you're one hell of a gal. But that doesn't make up for the fact that your right-hand-man was a raging lunatic. I mean, there's a reason why religion was abandoned. It just caused too much harm. And Mike is proof of that. What I can't get over is that Mike was right under your nose the whole time. You want me to believe that you never noticed?"
Stella just stared at him for a moment longer and then shrugged lightly. "I don't know what to say either. Sometimes you simply can't see the forest for the trees. And it never occurred to me at any point that Mike was religious. He's been here almost as long as I have and I've known him for ... the stars know how long. I never suspected, never noticed anything, never ... heard him say something that might give it away." She spread her arms, palms facing him, fingers wide. "I had no idea."
"Fine," Kyle consented. "I get that it's easy to overlook things when you're that close to someone, but still ... I don't know what you want from me."
Her eyes narrowed a little and she stepped closer still. "You have a way out of here, don't you?" she asked quietly.
If Kyle had been any less in control of his emotions, he would have given himself away at this point. But he was an expert poker player, could fool most anybody if he really wanted to. "What are you talking about? I thought nobody gets out of LPC."
"The man who committed the crime you were accused of was sent here. Don't tell me your father isn't moving heaven and earth to get you back home," Stella said.
"My father?" Kyle snorted. "He disowned me the second they sentenced me. Trust me, the man feels no connection to me anymore. Why would he bother trying to get me out of here? It would cause an uproar if he even tried."
"An uproar?" Stella asked, obviously confused by that statement. "Why would it cause an uproar if an innocent man is rescued from LPC?"
Kyle briefly wondered if the proximity to the creature in dome 6 had a negative influence on people's mental abilities. "Because LPC is said to be escape proof," he said, spreading his arms in an all-encompassing gesture.
"Kyle, do you really think your father would care about that?" Stella asked. "You may think he's given up on you, but ... maybe he's trying to get in touch with you? Maybe he'll send someone up here to tell you what you need to do to get out?" She reached out and laid a hand almost gently on his arm. "And if he does, I would very much like to get out of here if at all possible."
In part, he was a bit upset about having to turn her down. Apart from the chosen few, he figured a lot of the inmates here didn't deserve the cards they had been dealt. But there was also that little voice in the back of his head which kept insisting, that the majority of prisoners in LPC were here for a reason, and that setting them loose on Pangaea might not be the best idea.
If he managed to get in touch with his father, and if his father was willing to go that extra mile to find a way to get him out of this fix, he would take it up with him; not so much a release as a relocation of the prisoners. But Stella's insistence made him uneasy, and he couldn't help wondering if she had told him the real reason for her incarceration. Sure, she had admitted to killing her much older husband, but from her take on the story it sounded like he had it coming, and that she'd just been a little too eager to get out of a bad situation.
Right now, the main thing was to get her to back off. He gave her the impression of considering it for a moment, and then looked up again to meet her eyes. "If it happens," he said, "I'll keep that in mind. But just don't hold it against me if it doesn't. I haven't heard anything or met anyone. And if Pete knew anything, he wasn't talking. He said he didn't know anything about my possible release; that nobody had talked to him about it."
A few tense seconds passed between them where Kyle wasn't entirely sure she bought it. But then she smiled. "That's ... decent of you," she said. "I really appreciate it." And Kyle merely nodded in response to that. "So ... all's forgiven?" she asked.
"Yeah, all's forgiven," he agreed readily and patted her hand still resting on his arm. "But until I know more, I think it's best if we do our thing so nobody else gets suspicious."
"That's probably a good idea," she agreed. "Thank you. I won't forget this." With that, she took her leave of him and headed back toward domes 2 and 3 beyond.
Kyle watched her go for a moment, then let out a halfhearted sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Fuck," he muttered, then went in search of the food dispenser and clothes for Daniel. He figured there had to be a dispenser in dome 1 since he had never seen any of the inhabitants of dome 1 in the dome 2 mess hall. As for clothes ... well, he would just have to find whatever he could, because he wasn't too keen on going back to dome 2 right now.
***
Contact
Despite his preoccupation, Kyle had sense enough to bring back food and water for all three of them. Bark was still deeply engrossed in fiddling with the console and from the looks of it, he hadn't talked to Daniel, who was still sitting against the back wall, arms wrapped around his knees, face pressed against them. He looked up when Kyle stepped in and there was that brief flicker of fear that reminded Kyle of the one thing he had nearly forgotten. "Fuck," he muttered and dumped the packaged food and the bottles of water next to Daniel along with a t-shirt he had pilfered from one of the tents. "I forgot about Stan," he said and turned back for the door.
"What do you want with him?" Bark asked, his tone disclosing his preoccupation as much as his turned back did.
Kyle paused, not really sure what to say to that; except of course for the fact that he liked the man, and that Stan had been through pretty much the same shit as Daniel had. "I promised him a ride out of here," he said and couldn't immediately recall if that was the case or not. Either way, Kyle had no intention of leaving the other man behind. The way things were right now, he might be next on the menu. "I'll be back soon."
"Be careful," Daniel said, his voice a little raw.
Kyle met his gaze for a moment and smiled. "Oh, don't you wor
ry about that. I'm not usually the type of guy who sticks his neck out for others." That said, he stepped back outside, and once more closed the door behind him.
He made the trip in double-time, almost jogging all the way, and he didn't meet anyone he was trying to avoid on this trip. Stella was nowhere in sight when he arrived back in dome 3 and none of the others seemed to think it odd that he kept coming and going like he did.
He made his way up the path to the tents, not entirely sure where Stan was, but since that was the last place he had seen him, he would start there. Almost there, he stopped short. Something wasn't right, but he couldn't really decipher what it was. It was more a feeling than anything tangible.
There was something in the air, he figured, either a scent or whatever, which stirred something in him. But then he picked up on the sound travelling through the heavy greenery surrounding him. It was faint, like the barely audible sound of an underground river.
Kyle was still trying to figure it out when all hell broke loose around him. At first there was rustling, like someone plowing through the undergrowth with no regard for the plant life around them. And then the screaming began, people yelling, running like hell through the thicket. Someone raced down the path and shoved Kyle out of the way in an attempt to get past him. The screams were surreal, the way they ebbed and flowed around him together with the thrashing of many footsteps on either side of him, all of it invisible. Then it all simmered down again, the screaming ebbing slowly away.
For a long moment Kyle just stood there, stunned by what had just happened and completely at a loss too. It occurred to him that he had never actually witnessed a human stampede before. What the hell had set these people off? Who were they? What were they running from? Stunned into a state of denial, he pushed away from the hefty stem he had bumped into when that maniac had shoved him aside, and continued walking up toward the tented area. Somehow his mind just wouldn't connect the dots right now and he made it all the way to the tents before the first inkling of an idea stirred in his mind. He stopped short again, listening intently to his surroundings. There were no sounds out there apart from the usual ones; the soft sigh of the air circulation, the distant murmur of voices from the compound behind him. But ahead there was nothing; not a sigh, not a sound.
"What the hell," he mouthed and continued toward the big tent. Some of the smaller tents had been torn down by the runners, but the big tent was still standing. He pulled the tent flap aside and was mildly surprised to find Stan there. He was sitting up on his cot, staring at the opening, and seemed just as surprised to see Kyle.
"What the hell is going on out there?" Stan asked. He looked a little bleary-eyed, like he'd just woken up from a nap.
"Beats me," Kyle countered. "Listen ... I think you should come with me to dome 1. I have the feeling that this dome isn't as safe as it might seem."
Stan watched him intently for a moment. "You think?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Man, whatever the hell is going on right now, I want out of here. Actually, I want off this damned planetoid. As in right now," he added forcefully and got off the cot. "Lead the way."
Kyle had actually mentally prepared himself for a fight, that Stan would oppose the idea, claim he felt safe. But, of course, it was easy to understand that he might not be so keen on staying after hearing that odd exodus. "Let's go," he agreed and led the way back out of the tent.
"What do you think is going on?" Stan asked and sent a look around once they were outside. "It sounded like a fucking stampede out here."
"I don't know, but I have an idea," Kyle countered while sending a look back over one shoulder. Obviously he couldn't see the entrance to the tunnel of dome 4 from here, but he still had the distinct impression that something had happened in dome 4 that had sent the dwellers there into overdrive.
They got off the path and entered the clearing only to find it teeming with activity. Some of the people standing around, Kyle recognized. They were regulars in dome 3. But the majority of the assembled were new faces. Some of them were clustered around Stella, who was trying to calm them down.
She spotted Kyle and arched an eyebrow at him. He pushed through the throng of people, closely followed by Stan, and came to a stop in front of her. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to stay in dome 1," she said. She sounded a bit exasperated right now.
"Yeah, well, I was just checking up on Stan," he countered, jabbing a thumb over one shoulder. "What's going on here?" He sent a look around at the agitated and generally spooked-looking people.
"They say the lights in dome 4 went out, that the loonies started crawling all over the place," Stella said and gave him a dark look when he met her eyes. "It's spreading."
"Son of a bitch," he muttered, not at all sure he liked where this was going. If the creature in dome 6 was going to expand its territory, it was definitely time to get the hell out of Dodge. "Well ... I got places to be," he added, facing Stella. "Sorry."
She pursed her lips in disapproval. "Well, you gotta do what you gotta do," she said with a vague nod, then returned her attention to those around her demanding answers and protection.
"Damned straight," Kyle agreed quietly and glanced back at Stan. "You ready to get out of here?"
"I was born ready," Stan agreed and together they pushed through the crowd and headed toward the path leading out to the rim and the tunnel to dome 2.
***
The trip back was uneventful, and Kyle had to admit that he was equal parts relieved and disappointed by this. He could feel it in his bones that something was going on, something serious, and it felt a bit anticlimactic that there was no opposition.
Yet the relief was strongest when he pulled the door to the com-station room open and stepped inside.
"... right this instant," Bark said, then glanced around and squinted at the light spilling into the room. The lighting inside was a lot dimmer than outside. "Hang on," he added.
Kyle frowned and then focused on the display in front of Bark. He had a connection; and it was to none other than Marie, his father's secretary. She looked unreal somehow, her oversized eyes staring back at him from the monitor.
"Kyle." Her voice was a bit distorted and the image wasn't entirely steady, but the connection was there.
"Marie," he countered and couldn't help a goofy smile. He'd always like the woman. She was his senior by at least ten years, but that had never stopped him before. "It's damned good to see you."
"Same here, Kyle. Your father has been climbing the walls here, trying to find a way to get in touch with you. I'll transfer you."
Before Kyle could say anything, the display went blank and he was overcome by sudden nervousness, a clenching feeling in his stomach that he always got when he faced his father. He drew in a deep breath, held it for a moment and then exhaled slowly when the display flickered and the image of his father appeared. He noted distractedly that Bark vacated the area instantly and it made him briefly wonder why. Then he met the eyes of the man on the screen. "Dad," he said.
Jonathan Whitmore eyed him calmly for a moment and Kyle wondered if he was looking for injuries. Then he inclined his head in a half-nod while never taking his eyes off Kyle. "I see you are still in one piece."
Typical response from the old man, Kyle thought and gritted his teeth, then countered with a joyless smirk. "You sound disappointed," he said.
"Not at all," Jonathan countered flatly. "I am relieved to see that you are apparently well."
"That's the overstatement of the year, dad," Kyle said, his tone strained. "I saw Pete." This he almost had to force over his lips.
Jonathan frowned. "Pete?" he asked.
"Yes, Pete. The guy who committed the crime I was sentenced for," Kyle countered tightly. "I'm hereby assuming that the cops are aware that I didn't do it. Pete told me that he was sent up here for the same crime I was sentenced for."
"That is correct. From what I know," Jonathan replied and he sounded a l
ittle pissed off right now. "I am looking into how to get you out of there, Kyle. If you have any suggestions, now is the time to share them."
"No, dad, I don't have any suggestions. I just want to get the hell out of here. Now! Do you have any idea what it's like up here?" The whiny-assed brat-tone was something he couldn't help right now. He had blocked out the others and he felt five again, standing in front of his unforgiving father, who had too much work to do and too little time for his son. "This place is Hell; actual Hell."
"It's a maximum security prison, Kyle. What did you expect? A stroll in the park?" Jonathan countered sternly. "Man up, boy. Until I find a way to get to you, you will have to stand your ground."
Kyle closed his eyes, tried so damned hard to stay calm, but if there was one person in the universe who could get under his skin, it was his father. "It's not a matter of standing my ground, dad," he pressed out and focused on the somewhat unsteady image of his father. "It's a matter of survival; pure and simple. There's something up here, some kind of ... thing. It's killing people, driving them nuts."
Jonathan blinked while the frown deepened. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
"This used to be a research station, right?" Kyle asked, to which Jonathan nodded. "Well, whatever they were researching is still here. And it's pissed off."
For a long moment Jonathan made no move at all. He just sat in his chair and stared at Kyle. Then he steepled his fingers and glanced at something off to one side. "Kyle, I want you to shut this connection down now. Call me back tomorrow, same time," he finally said and focused on the camera again.
Kyle felt his stomach drop. "Dad," he started, but Jonathan cut him off.
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