by Paul Ormond
“Nerd alert over here,” Mitch said.
“That’s how you respond?” SoHee said. “It seems suiting coming from your position. When a woman offers a differing viewpoint, you belittle it with anti-intellectual put downs.”
“Whoa, I guess I pushed the wrong button,” Mitch said with a smirk. “I’m putting you down? It’s just a joke.”
“Is it really?” SoHee said, looking at Mitch with disgust. “Weren’t you the one complaining about being gaslit a few hours ago? And now you are trying to dissolve your attempt to dominate me by passing it off as a joke. If I’m not mistaken, that is textbook gaslighting.”
“I take it all back,” Mitch said before he crawled over a rock. “Just please stop tormenting like this.”
“I don’t see how I am tormenting you,” SoHee said. “In fact, shouldn’t I be the one complaining about being tormented by you.”
“Wait, a minute. Isn’t that gaslighting?” Mitch asked. “You’re passing off my legitimate statements as meaningless complaints, trivializing my circumstances.”
“That is enough from both of you,” Gerald shouted from further back. “You do realize that your entire conversation is echoing throughout this suffocating tunnel. It’s hard enough escorting our prisoners through this, but to have to listen to two teenagers bickering away at each other at the same time will certainly push me over the edge.”
“Let them go then,” Mitch said. “You’re the one that wanted to take them prisoner.”
“Yeah, let us go,” Robert Chapman shouted in the darkness. “I have seen the light. Mitch Mythic is the savior of the universe.”
“I thought you gagged him,” Mitch said. “This truly is a nightmare. Putting up with Miss Science is one thing, but that is going to make my blood boil.”
“We had them gagged, but they were having trouble breathing,” Gerald said.
“Can’t you beat him violently, or is that violating some kind of code?” Mitch asked.
“Would all of you be quiet,” Drak’s voice said, cutting through the darkness. “We’re almost there. But you’ll need to remain focused. This infighting isn’t helping.”
“I’ll do whatever you want, just get me out of this cave,” Mitch said after he turned around.
“Shut your mouth and keep moving,” Drak said. “There are things more dangerous than bliesels down here, so we’ll need to be careful.”
“You had me at bliesel. Everybody be quiet. I refuse to die in a cave,” Mitch said, following after Drak.
“That’s rich coming from you,” SoHee said.
“You know I’m joking,” Mitch said .
“You’re doing it again,” SoHee said as she shot him a look in the darkness.
“Sorry, was that gaslighting?” Mitch asked “We could use some gaslight in this ridiculous cave. Is it just me or is it getting narrower?”
“It is getting smaller, and you are still talking,” SoHee said, squeezing past a rock.
“Whoops, I can’t help it sometimes,” Mitch whispered.
“That I already know,” SoHee said.
“I can hear everything you say,” Drak said from ahead. “Once again, be quiet, this is not a joke.”
“Wait, is that a light up ahead?” Mitch asked.
“We are approaching an outpost, but we will need to be careful. There are automatic sensors everywhere,” Drak said.
“And booby traps,” Mitch replied.
“Yes, Mitch, there are booby traps,” Drak said without looking back. “And if you don’t be quiet, I’ll make you go first as the booby detector.”
“Gotcha,” Mitch whispered. “Not a peep, I promise, no boobies for me.”
“I’m not even going to ask,” SoHee said as she came to Drak’s side.
“Don’t you know what booby traps are? They aren’t what you think I’m talking about,” Mitch said.
“I said I wasn’t going to ask, and you just keep talking away,” SoHee said.
“I was just trying to explain booby traps,” Mitch said.
“You don’t need to explain,” Drak said after he covered Mitch’s mouth with his hand. “Stick close behind me and not another word. In a moment, the cave is going to open into a larger cavern. There is an access point on the opposite side, but it is protected. When we enter the cavern, I’m going to activate my suit and send a message. Tell everyone to sit tight while I make the call.”
“All right, I’ll send the message back,” Mitch said. “Be careful.”
“Don’t worry about me, Mitch Mythic,” Drak said as he pushed ahead.
“Yeah, I know. You’ve got a plan,” Mitch said.
“You know me well,” Drak said over his shoulder.
“I’ll watch your back, Drak,” SoHee said, edging toward the light.
“I appreciate that, but I don’t think there is anything to worry about,” Drak said. “Just keep quiet. It will only take a minute.”
As SoHee pushed past another rock, she watched Drak drop off an edge and disappear into the dark. Scrambling over some loose stones, she came to the precipice of a large opening and spotted a single light flickering in the distance. A flash of light caught her eye, and she saw Drak engage his device after he stepped onto a large stone.
Pulling up his panel, he made several gestures before pushing his hand forward. A pulse of energy shot toward the light at the opposite end of the cavern and disappeared into the rock wall.
“What’s going on?” Mitch whispered, dropping down beside SoHee.
“He just did something with his device, but I’m not sure what exactly,” SoHee said as she looked down on Drak.
“Did you just see that?” Mitch whispered while squinting into the darkness.
“Just see what?”
“I thought I saw something moving on the edge of the cavern.”
“You might be seeing things. There’s nothing down there.”
“Don’t be so certain. I know I saw something. I’m going down there.”
“He said to stay here.”
“I know what he said, but I think he’s in trouble.”
“You’re making a mistake.”
“If I’m wrong, I’ll suffer the consequences,” Mitch said before he rose to his feet.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he launched into the air and dropped down to the floor of the cavern. As he brought his hands together, a light shot out in front of him, illuminating the cavern floor. Caught in the light, shadows moved in every direction before Mitch came face to face with an enormous set of gnashing jaws.
As the creature lashed out at him, a blade extended along Mitch’s arm and he sliced into a hard exoskeleton. A grinding howl filled the cavern while the animal was cut in half. The body hit the floor at his feet and Mitch looked up to see the surrounding rocks covered with a swarm of the beast’s companions, long bent limbs rising into the air.
Edging back, he shot into the air only to feel something slam into his back and pull him down. Limbs wrapped around his chest, suffocating him as he fell to the ground. He screamed out in a rage and spun around, blasting an orb into the creature's face. Slamming into the ground, he kicked the smoking torso away and jumped to his feet.
The sound of claws clacking against stone caught his attention, and Mitch spun around to find himself surrounded by a host of compound eyes. Raising his arm to fire, cursed under his breath as his aura flickered several times.
Sensing his helplessness, the creatures pushed forward, a wall of flickering antennae and gnashing jaws. In a panic, Mitch leaped into the air, but his aura sputtered and he fell back to the ground. Scrambling to his feet, he reached down and grabbed a rock. As he reached back to throw, a blast of light lit up the cavern and the creature nearest him disintegrated.
“I told you to save your battery,” Drak said from behind him before he let go a barrage of fire, forcing the swarm back. “You better start running in the opposite direction, Mitch. My suit isn’t going to last much longer either, and there are a lot
of these things.”
“Don’t have to ask me twice,” Mitch said while he scrambled over a rock.
“Was this your plan to rescue me?” Drak said, continuing to fire.
“It was, but you know how plans go,” Mitch said after he dove for cover.
“I know all about plans,” Drak shouted, backing up. “Right now, we need a plan to get us out of here.”
“What about this call you made?” Mitch said as he watched Drak’s suit flicker.
“I sent it out, but I’ve got no idea how long it will take,” Drak shouted before dropping to the ground. “I’ve got a bit of juice left. We better make a run for it.”
“Did you get them all?” Mitch asked as he climbed over a rock.
“No idea. But the thing about jushkoos is you can never get them all. Not unless you get the Queen,” Drak said, jumping over a large boulder.
“You mean those bugs have a Queen? Like a really big Queen?” Mitch asked.
“Yup, but don’t worry. The Queen only attacks when you threaten her nest. We’ll be ok.”
“How do you know we didn’t attack her nest?” Mitch shouted as the cliff reared up before them.
“I’m not sure. I’ve never seen one of their nests.” Drak before he turned to face the open cavern.
“So for all you know, we could be standing in their nest right now,” Mitch said.
“What happened?” SoHee whispered from above.
“There are some creatures down here and they are hungry,” Mitch said without looking up. “We may be right in the middle of their nest.”
“If we were in their nest, the queen would have attacked by now,” Drak said.
“What do you mean by Queen?” SoHee asked.
“According to Drak, it’s huge,” Mitch said while he looked for a way up.
“I don’t know how big they are. I’ve never actually seen one. The elders usually try to frighten children with stories about jushkoo Queens,” Drak said before a chorus of clicking sounds lit up the cavern.
“Are you telling me that this queen is like the boogeyman?” Mitch asked.
“If by boogeyman you mean a monster that eats children, then yes,” Drak said.
“Why is that not surprising?” Mitch asked while he backed up.
“You guys might want to get up here,” SoHee said. “It looks like there are more of those things coming.”
“Again, not surprising,” Mitch said.
Finding a footing, he pushed himself up, but the cavern was rocked by an explosion and he dropped to the ground. As the dust settled, a terrible roar ripped through the darkness, and Mitch heard the sound of thousands of claws approaching in the distance.
“So, do you think that might be the Queen?” Mitch shouted while he got to his feet.
“It might be,” Drak said, firing a shot into the darkness. “It think we need to turn and run. My suit’s out.”
“Get up here now,” Gerald shouted from overhead while he and the other soldiers sent a barrage of fire onto the floor of the canyon.
“Yeah, I got that,” Mitch said as he looked over his shoulder.
A surge of leaping and scuttling creatures approached over the rubble. In the blackness beyond, he spotted an enormous form trudging forward before another roar tore through the cavern.
“These things are going to be all over me in a second,” Mitch shouted.
“Behind you,” SoHee shouted as Mitch dove from an attacking creature.
Rolling to his side, Mitch spotted a gap in the rocks and bolted toward it before the first wave of creatures slammed into the wall. While his companions bombed the ravenous animals, Mitch scrambled over a pile of loose stones to escape. Coming to a rise, he climbed onto a rock shelf and saw a monstrous form lumbering past him toward his friends as they used their remaining energy to defend themselves.
He contemplated leaping onto the creature's back before looking to the roof of the cavern. Highlighted by the light at the end of the cave, Mitch spotted a series of thick stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Crossing his arms over his chest, a rush of relief passed over him as his suit sputtered to life. Behind him, he heard the sound of claws on stone and he leaped into the air before one of the creatures lunged for him.
Pulling back his fist, he drew the last of his power into his hand and launched an orb into the roof of the cavern.
The impact of the explosion shook the ceiling, releasing the stalactites from the rock. As the spiked pillars dropped down onto the enormous creature, Mitch dropped out of the sky amidst the falling debris. The Queen let loose a terrible roar after the sharp stone pierced her flesh, driving her brood into a frenzy.
Recovering from his fall, he felt a hot acidic wind pass over him. He turned around and looked into a pair of massive compound eyes. The Queen let loose another roar, causing Mitch to stumble backward.
Pushing against the debris pinning her down, the Queen rose up over Mitch and slammed her thick limbs into the ground. On instinct, Mitch dove to his right and avoided the Queen’s attack. Getting back to his feet, he scrambled to escape, but a spiked arm caught him by the waist and he felt himself rising into the air.
The jushkoo queen lifted him above her head as she pulled herself out of the rubble. Unable to pry himself free, Mitch looked over his shoulder and saw his friends surrounded on all sides by a swarm of creatures. Gerald fired one final orb into the mass of limbs before his suit sputtered and went dark.
As another roar passed over him, Mitch looked into the Queen’s open jaws. Rows of writhing teeth circled a pulsating hole beneath the gnashing mandibles.
In horror, Mitch felt himself drop toward the pit of teeth, but a blast of light slammed into the Queen’s torso before he reached the jaws. As he fell, Mitch saw a figure dressed in white soar past him while hammering the enormous creature with a barrage of fire.
More of the figures streamed over head after Mitch hit the ground, pounding the Queen with pale blue orbs. Attempting to rise, Mitch gasped for breath while flashes of light filled the canyon.
CHAPTER SIX
GRIPPING THE YELLOW rail with both hands, General Vargas looked down upon the swathe of soldiers gathered in formation before the sloping blast shield at the far end of the storage facility. In the center of the room sat a sleek black cylinder almost the size of a passenger jet.
Several technicians monitored work stations on either side of the contraption as a whirring hum filled the room.
“How long until we’re ready?” Vargas said without looking over his shoulder.
“It shouldn’t take more than a couple minutes, sir,” a soldier in military fatigues said from his side.
“What’s the goddamn holdup? If everything is as you say it is, then we don’t want to miss this opportunity,” Vargas said, suppressing his rage.
“I understand, sir. But everyone is following the protocols set after last years meltdown.”
“You don’t need to remind about my own protocols, corporal. I was there when it all went down, and I set out those rules so we all don’t sucked into a wormhole again. But the White House is breathing down my neck to get this thing up and running. The President is a busy woman, but she’s made security threats of this nature a top priority of her administration.”
“I’m sure it won’t take much longer.”
“You get down there and tell them to hurry it up, Corporal McCallum. And somebody patch me into the situation room. I’ll inform the President myself about the delay.”
“Of course, sir. I’m patching you in now.”
General Vargas stepped back from the guardrail as a large holographic screen appeared in the air overhead.
“President Edwards, we’re pleased to have you join us,” General Vargas said after the face of a stern middle-aged woman came into focus on the screen.
“I’m not sure if I share your enthusiasm, General,” the President said as she pushed a coil of black hair behind her ear and adjusted her glasses. “What exactly are we lo
oking at here, and what can you tell me about this signal you received?”
“I believe an overview of the situation was sent ahead describing in detail what we are dealing with,” General Vargas said before he glanced at the machine beyond the screen. “So I won’t go into the technical details, but let’s just say we had a knock at the door.”
“I’ve read the briefing, but I need you to say it in plain English, so I can make a call on what we are supposed to do next.”
“As you are aware, we’ve spent the last year securing this site after the MindHIve incident. After Lieutenant Colonel Tobero’s risky stunt resulted in an enormous catastrophe, we decided to invest all of our resources into developing a stable mechanism.”
“I see you are still keen to throw our missing soldier under the bus, but get on with it.”
“The large machine you see behind me is the culmination of our progress here in Kingsford. We’ve funneled all of our knowledge pools into engineering an access point with the highest security standards. Drawing from the energy fields available beneath the site, we have been able to establish a secure portal at will and close it in a controlled manner.”
“I am aware of the machine, General. All of this was built on my orders, so I’m not sure why you are pussyfooting around the elephant in the room.”
“My apologies, Madam President, the security of this site and its personnel is my top priority. After witnessing the horrific tragedy in this very room, I have taken a cautious stance when it comes to matters concerning wormholes.”
“I understand your position, General. We all appreciate your contributions to this project and, of course, the security of our people is a top concern, but I can’t help you out if you don’t tell me what the hell is going on down there.”
“As much as I would like to cut to the chase, I’d just like to clarify our position. Much like our nuclear arsenal, this mechanism requires clearance to become operational. Each test we have run on the mechanism to date was cleared by the pentagon before being executed. However, this morning, during a routine maintenance procedure, an unknown force activated the machine from an offsite location and a signal was sent to this site.”