by Greig Beck
When the scientists and engineers finally got to enter the base, they moved along the corridor, and then into the main briefing rooms. Off to one side was the communication center, next were the dining facilities, and then some of the sleeping quarters and lavatories. The rooms were Spartan, and were as much used for storage as human habitation. It was below ground where most of the action took place.
The facilities constructed on the surface were little more than a cap over many levels of industrious activity below. Access was via an elevator that descended hundreds of feet to the mining platforms and miles of tunnel work.
Sublevels contained laboratories that used sophisticated processes of oxidization, acid baths, and crystallization to remove the valuable minerals, so the few tons of finished produce could be easily, and secretly, transported. Gadolinium, the soft and strange metal, was used in lasers, computer memory, and fluorescent tubes. Already global demand had outstripped supply, and China’s appetite for that metal, and other RREs such as terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, and dozens more, needed to be constantly fed.
“Comrade.” Wu Yang reappeared, pointed at Shenjung Xing’s chest, and then clicked his fingers.
Shenjung hated that, but swallowed it down for the good of the party. He turned to Soong, who had unzipped her coat. “Come with me.”
Together they hurried after the PLA leader. Shenjung’s feet skidded in something jelly-like. He ignored it, trying to keep up with the longer legs of Wu Yang. At the shaft room he stopped. Several of Yang’s men were standing around the elevator shaft – the only thing in the center of the room.
Beside him Soong crinkled her nose. It was here that the source of the smell was emanating from. The cage elevator that sat on top of the shaft was flattened open, its walls now like the petals of a flower. It was as if something had exploded within it and blown all four sides out each way. The heavy, metal roof of the elevator box was lying against the wall, with a huge dent in its center.
“Gas explosion?” Yang asked.
Shenjung approached the twisted metal of one of the cage sides, and crouched to look at the thick bars, twisted like softened rubber. They were coated in something that he dabbed at with his finger and brought to his nose. He recoiled as Soong crouched beside him. He offered his fingers to her. She sniffed at the residue.
“Phew, ammonia?” she asked softly.
“Maybe firedamp,” Shenjung said. He motioned to the peeled cage. Firedamp was a term used by miners as a catchall name for the myriad pockets of flammable gas found, especially in ancient strata. It was usually highly pressurized, easily ignited, and exploded with lethal force.
Shenjung rested his hands on his knees. “Maybe a vent that was ignited by the drilling …” He looked at the ceiling; there was a glistening hue as if the mucus was up there as well. “There are no scorch marks anywhere.”
He leaned forward and peered down into the shaft. The mechanisms and railings were all still in place, just the capping cage at the top had been obliterated. It was as if something had boiled up from below, refused to be contained, and like a massive fist, had punched upwards, and then reached on into the base. He shook his head, staring down into the darkness that stretched away, well beyond his vision. He knew the first shaft landing was a good five hundred feet down, and that there were lower horizontal shafts beyond that. Even more, before they reached the floor tunnels where the last work was being carried out.
“So, explosion, yes?” Yang asked. “And what is that smell?”
“It is highly likely it was a pocket of dirty methane that ignited. And then air blowback after the initial explosive expansion caused the damage.” Shenjung got to his feet.
“I concur,” Soong said, also rising. “As for the smell; it is strange, but the gases can be trapped for many millennia, and other compounds leach in, such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide, and maybe even ammonia sulphides. Caves can smell like old shoes, rose gardens, or even graveyards.”
“So, you two both think the explosion killed them all? Then, where are the bodies?” Yang’s eyes slid from Soong to Shenjung.
“No, no,” Shenjung said quickly. “There are no signs of incineration on the internal superstructure.”
Yang looked back to the elevator shaft. “So, Zhang Li took them all down into the tunnel for mining duties – the soldiers, the communications specialists, even the cook?”
Shenjung tried to put himself in Zhang Li’s place, trying to determine if there was any reason for him to commandeer the entire outpost’s staff. “Cave-in. Maybe there was a cave-in that trapped his mining and engineering team, and he needed the others to form a rescue party. To help him dig.”
Yang stared for a moment. “And then the explosion occurred, trapping them all.” His eyes narrowed. “Hmm.”
Shenjung gazed back at the shaft. “I knew Zhang Li. He was an excellent engineer and mining specialist. I cannot imagine any other reason for him to take non-mining personnel into the deep tunnel systems.”
“Yes, perhaps this makes sense.” Yang’s mouth turned down. “If there was a cave-in, and he needed extra hands, he would have used all resources available. It is what I would do.” He turned, his expression flat. “But I also would have sent a message to my superiors.”
Shenjung stayed silent, and after a moment Yang shrugged.
“If they are trapped, then until we fix that elevator car, no one is going down.” He barked instructions, and then turned back to Shenjung. “Get your engineers to repair the cage. My men will assist.”
He spun and left, followed by the enormous Mungoi. Several of the soldiers stayed behind, awaiting their instructions.
Soong stared into the dark elevator shaft. She held up a hand, palm outward. “It’s warm. The air rising feels warm.” She smiled weakly. “Like breathing.”
Shenjung grunted. “It’s not unusual for the earth to be a few degrees warmer within the deeper geology.”
She looked back at him, not convinced. “Would you have taken novice men and women into the tunnels?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. If I was confronted by a cave-in emergency, then I would like to think I would do anything and everything to rescue those trapped.”
She nodded and then sniffed deeply. “That smell.”
“Stay focused. It’s nothing unusual.” He exhaled, knowing that didn’t feel true.
“Yi!’ Soong jumped as shouts and a commotion came from one of the outer rooms. Yang’s soldiers ordered them to stay put before vanishing toward the din.
A few seconds later, one soldier stuck his head back in the room. “Captain needs you – there’s a survivor.”
*
The figure was a tiny ball of fear in the ring of soldiers. The huge steel refrigerator door hung open, and inside Shenjung could see that shelves had been shoved aside to accommodate a single occupant.
Shenjung looked back at the miserable being. The man had his hands thrown up over his head and he rocked back and forth, mumbling a single word, like a chant, over and over.
Yang stood over him, his arms folded and his brow creased. When he saw Shenjung, he pointed down at the man.
“This fool’s mind is gone. See what you can find out.” He went to turn away, but then spun back and delivered a kick to the side of the man’s rump. “And make him stop that constant wailing.”
The man screamed and rolled onto his side, curling up into an even tighter ball. Shenjung hissed his annoyance at the PLA captain and knelt beside the man. Up close, he could smell his body odor, excrement, and the sharp tang of fear. He had obviously been locked in the freezer for days and not bothered to exit, or even undress, for anything.
“He’s in shock,” Shenjung said.
Yang’s jaw jutted. “And I have two dozen people missing. He knows what happened. You make him tell us, or I will. Quickly now.”
Soong was scrolling through the camp’s personnel records on a computer pad, and turne
d the screen to Shenjung. “The man’s name is Lim Daiyu. He’s the base cook.” She leaned forward and gently placed a hand on Lim’s shoulder.
“Mister Lim, Lim Daiyu …”
“Zhàyǔ!”
The shouted word made Soong fall back.
“Zhàyǔ – Zhàyǔ – Zhàyǔ!” Lim lunged at her, his face streaked with tears and eyes showing whites all round.
Yang kicked him back. “Be careful.”
Lim covered up his head again, sobbing. Shenjung clicked his fingers at one of his team. “The medical bag; get me two mls of Librium, quickly.”
Yang leaned over the chanting man. “What is that imbecile saying?”
“Zhàyǔ.” Shenjung snorted. “Do you not know your Chinese mythology, Captain? Zhàyǔ is an ancient evil. It is supposed to be made up of pure yin, and devours men whole.” He looked up at the tall soldier. “And it lives in the underworld.”
Yang snorted. “Like most demons, I’m sure.”
A syringe of golden fluid was handed to Shenjung, and he stuck it immediately into the man’s arm. Shenjung handed the empty syringe over his shoulder and nodded to Soong.
She talked softly, her hand on Lim’s shoulder. “You’re safe now. You’re safe, Mister Lim. Do you know where you are?” she asked.
Lim moaned, but breathed deeply, his taut frame visibly relaxing. In a few seconds he nodded.
“Good.” She continued to pat Lim’s arm.
Shenjung leaned forward. “This is important, Mister Lim. What happened here? Where is everyone?”
Lim shook his head, crushing his eyes shut. “I don’t know.”
Shenjung put a hand on his shoulder. “Yes, you do. You hid in the refrigerator for a reason. Tell us why, Mister Lim. You’re safe to speak now.”
Lim Daiyu made a small sound in his throat. “I want to go home, please.” He looked up, his face running new tears. “We are all dead.”
Yang growled his impatience, and Shenjung ignored him.
“Why do you want to go home? What scared you?”
Lim looked towards the elevator shaft room. “They all went down to the lower levels to find the missing workers. A few of us had to remain here.” He rocked back and forth. “It came, came up, took them all. No escape for us …” He howled. “Zhàyǔ-ǔǔǔǔ!”
Yang’s lips curled. “Superstitious idiot.” He kicked the man over, his howl shutting off. “Our answers are not up here. Ready your people. As soon as that cage is repaired, I want the first team to descend.”
Shenjung nodded, and then looked back to the elevator room. He felt a warm breeze on his cheek. Like breathing, Soong had said.
*
It didn’t take long for the engineers and soldiers to agree that the elevator cage could not be rebuilt – time and materials were both nonexistent. Instead, the engineers had straightened the guide-rails and created an open wood and steel platform. The metal sheet that had been the roof of the cage was too buckled to be of use and remained against the wall, a mute but stark representation of the power that had burst forth from the depths.
The first Chinese team descended slowly. Shenjung Xing stood to one side, with Soong crowding in close to him. He felt her small fingers intertwine with his. At the other side of the ten-by-ten platform stood Yang, immobile, a small reflection of the control panel’s lights in his coal-black eyes. Other than that small spark, the man might have been made from the same stone just beyond the cage.
Shenjung watched as the rough hewn walls shot upwards as they descended. The crowd on the platform meant those closest to the rushing stone were little more than inches from the jagged, uneven rock. A stumble would mean snagging on the stone and having clothing, and perhaps skin, shredded away in an instant.
Shenjung tilted his head back. There was a dot of light far above them now. The base camp – light and life, now dwindling away to nothing.
The last communication from the former engineer, Zhang Li, was that he was heading down to the lowest level tunnel – half a mile still to go. They would assemble at the bottom, and while Yang would send out scouts, the rest of them would wait for the entire team of engineers, miners, and soldiers to arrive, leaving just a skeleton crew topside.
A mile down now, and Shenjung already felt unsettled. At first they had passed through a layer of bone chilling cold emanating from the dark stone. But now in the depths, there was a warmth and humidity rising around them, and a smell that hinted at something vaguely reminiscent of humid shorelines or rotting vegetation. Methane pockets, Shenjung thought. We need to be careful of sparks.
They passed by multiple cross tunnels on their way to the deepest level, and finally the elevator whined to a halt with a final jerk and bounce at the bottom. Shenjung cursed softly; it was too much to hope the lights would still be working, and the huge man-made cave was a solid wall of darkness.
Yang ordered everyone off the platform, and immediately sent it back to the surface for the next group. He then turned to click his fingers and point, sending two of his men scurrying off, guns up and the barrel beams of their automatic rifles leading them away into the darkness.
Shenjung noticed all the PLA soldiers carried huge packs, probably additional ammunition, climbing equipment, and supplies. More than he would have expected, and more than any of his own team brought with them. So much for this being a rapid search and recovery mission, he thought glumly.
The PLA leader turned to his men. “We need to gather any evidence of the American assault on the base, and we need to locate that source of the signal. This is the priority.”
Shenjung cleared his throat. “And we need to find our missing people.”
Yang grunted, not turning. “They are either here or not, alive or not.”
Shenjung was determined not to let the man ignore the possibility of survivors. “You do care about our people, yes, Captain?”
Yang turned, his dead eyes never flickered. “Comrade Shenjung Xing, I care about our people, and their safety and security. I also care about our people of the future, and their children and children’s children, and their ability to live in freedom and prosperity. I do not like an aggressor to have superiority over the oceans where they can seal us off when they choose to. We will locate the missing American submarine, and I expect we will find out what happened to our people on the way.” He took a step closer, towering over Shenjung. “Yes?”
Shenjung saw then the zealotry in the man’s eyes. The facade had cracked open and the unbending soldier stood ramrod straight within. To this man, Shenjung knew he was necessary baggage at best, and an expendable irritant at worst. He needed to take care. He nodded.
Yang spun away. “Get those lights working. Hurry.” His voice boomed in the dark tunnel.
One of Yang’s soldiers jogged back from the darkness. “Sir, there are no lights.”
Yang made a gravelly sound deep in his throat, and the man quickly pointed his rifle beam upwards as explanation. There was nothing above them – the cords, light fittings, support rails, all were gone – also the land lines for communication. They’d be out of contact until they surfaced. The soldier moved his light and they could see there were fresh gouges in the stone as if some sort of heavy machine had been dragged along, scraping everything away as it passed.
Yang turned to Shenjung. “Rock cutter?”
Shenjung ignored him, moving his own flashlight along the ceiling, and then the walls. He took a few more steps, bringing his light down to the tunnel floor. Something caught his eye, and he went to it, crouching.
“What do you have?” Yang kept his position, obviously not wanting to be seen to scurry after the engineer.
Soong came and crouched beside him. “Is that a boot?”
“Maybe once.” Shenjung prodded the shoe. It was peeled open, the toughened leather sides torn apart. He used a knife to carefully lift it. It glistened in his light, and he brought it to his nose, sniffing.
“Phew.” He dragged it away, wincing. “Ammonia again.” H
e held it towards Soong.
She sniffed, frowning. “Maybe medicine for a foot ailment?”
Shenjung bobbed his head, knowing that traditional Chinese medicines could contain all sorts of strange and exotic compounds. He dropped the boot.
“Yes, perhaps.” He stood. “Captain, the machinery should be three hundred feet further along this tunnel branch. It was there that Zheng reported he had broken through into the new chamber.”
Behind them, the elevator arrived with the second group of soldiers and engineers. Yang organized them into three groups. A team of five of his PLA would lead out with Shenjung, Soong, and Yang behind them. The central group would be primarily the engineers and miners, and the third would be the remaining PLA, who were tasked with carrying equipment.
They trudged in silence. Shenjung had to unzip his heavy parka, as the perspiration ran freely down his sides.
“Why is it so hot? There is no geothermic activity in this area,” Soong said, almost needing to jog to keep up.
“Can you feel it?” Shenjung asked. He held up a hand, the fingers spread.
Soong did the same. “Yes, the air movement again. How can there be a breeze a mile and a half below the Antarctic?”
CHAPTER 11
Sam Reid came down the hallway and saw Alex Hunter waiting at the solid metal doors of the secure elevator that would take him down to the weapons research and development area below the USSTRATCOM base. Like on most of their missions, the special ordnance Alex would need was not in any armory, arms store, or weapon dealer’s manual anywhere in the world. Most of it was experiential, or reserved just for him and the HAWCs.
He smiled, easing up behind him, sniper silent, but he already knew Alex could hear what others could not. Sure enough, Alex spun.
“Boss.” Sam grinned, holding out a fist for Alex to bump. “Down to the toy store?”
“Oh yeah. Little party down south I’ve been invited to, need some extra kit,” Alex responded.
“I heard,” Sam said. “Wish I could tag along, but this damn MECH suit doesn’t exactly fit in tight places.” He grinned. “I need plenty of space to work my magic.”