High Pressure System: First Season Underground

by K. D. Kinney

  We all nodded.

  The nice thing about the boots was they had great traction for climbing the concrete slope with the heavy container pushing back.

  Micah opened the side door. It was two layers. The second metal one screeched as it opened. We all blinked in amazement at the gorgeous sunset on the horizon. A few pink fluffy clouds were in contrast to the intense orange and yellow of the sky around the sun. As the intense orange faded overhead, the sky turned to an intense vibrant blue blending into violet. I could stand there until there was only a night sky with stars overhead. Even then, I could stay for hours to take in the constellations, the real ones not the simulated ones, that I actually knew.

  “I can’t get weepy. I can’t wipe anything off my face,” I said when I saw the others were rather emotional too. A light breeze cooled the desert heat at the end of the day. I could only feel it on my face though. How I wished I wasn’t wearing the sauna suit. However, once we were all outside to take in the whole view, the landscaping was not as beautiful as the day we arrived. The grass was dead, flattened, and washed away in chunks from the flooding. The newly planted trees, if they were still standing, were dead twigs with not a leaf left. The ground away from the landscaped mound was cracked as if it was so parched because water hadn’t touched it in years.

  “Let’s hurry. We don’t know what time the drones will be here. They prefer just after dusk.” Micah motioned for us to get a move on.

  We rolled the containers over to the lobby. Unrecognizable from the day we arrived, it looked more like an oversized rodent burrow with the gaping holes in the side of the mound. It was also scarred with splayed out black marks, in fact those marks were concentrated almost entirely on the mound.

  I scanned the sky overhead for storm clouds just in case and paused. Not a cloud. Just a couple of stars. Mars and Jupiter were just beginning to make their appearances.

  “Rachel,” Jim pulled me out of my trance.

  “I’ve missed it so much.” I shoved the container to get it rolling again.

  When we reached the largest opening, we took a corner of each container and heaved it into the lobby. Dark and shabby, far from the welcoming first impression of our new home. The lights didn’t work anymore. The carpet was gone. Sand filled the pits in the concrete. The fancy paneling was faded to white at the bottom where it hadn’t been eaten away.

  As we paused to recuperate from the weight of the containers, the silence as night fell was ominous. Only the breeze made the faintest sound and there was nothing for it pick up and blow away. All of that was gone.

  “We need to detach the wheels and set up the mesh.” Ashton handed me a roll.

  Jim helped me with my container. However when we were working on his, the wheels and axel wouldn’t come off. The two of us struggled to unclip it from the underside. Bots stirred inside. Ashton and Micah already had their two containers set up near their gaping holes and were duct taping the mesh to the walls after they had stapled it down. It served a dual purpose, prevent the bots that were altered from infesting the bunker again, and collect any new ones.

  We finally got his box set up. Micah and Ashton helped us with the mesh. We were working on my box when Brandon called us on the radio and I wasn’t the only one that jumped.

  “Something is stirring this way. Turn off all radios and listen for its arrival instead.”

  Ashton shut off the radio as all four of us listened and scanned the horizon. The mesh obscured the view and the stars had been snuffed out by clouds.

  “Weird. The skies are usually clear when the drones come in.” Jim stepped closer to the biggest gaping hole to get a better look through the mesh.

  “I wonder if the storms know we’re out here?” I asked, backing up against the wall. Bravery was so much easier down deep, floors below. It seemed my courage was fleeing from me now.

  The wind picked up.

  “I doubt it. Radio silence is a good idea right now. We might as well settle in for a wait.” Jim took a seat on the floor.

  The rest of us joined him sitting close beside each other with the best view to the outside. I scooted closer to Micah. He discreetly rested his hand on mine. It gave me a rush when he squeezed it and didn’t let go.

  My tension eased as we shared our favorite sensations from being outside that we were enjoying the most.

  “There’s no wind, not even a light breeze now,” I said pulling the voice changer away from my face so I could whisper.

  “Hear that?” Ashton asked.

  We were silent as the sound of humming started to build.

  “They’re coming.” Micah was on feet heading over to his container.

  We all followed his lead. The stars and the moon that was now making an appearance for us cast light in the gaping holes. We could see Micah as he held a hand up for us all to wait. He would release his bots first. We had no idea how many drones would come. What we didn’t anticipate were the bots that we hadn’t captured in the bunker crossing through the lobby, heading for the drones. There weren’t very many and fortunately they didn’t seem to have a clue who I was. They were searching for a way out through the edges of the mesh, though.

  The drone hovering over the field in front of us was far bigger than I had imagined. I guess I didn’t realize how big a drone had to be that was delivering hundreds of bots.

  Micah released his bots with no problems. We stayed out of sight as it landed and his bots loaded while new ones left the drone.

  I had to smash a few that were making some progress on my duct-taped edges.

  Another drone had been waiting to land. More bots arrived in the lobby from the bunker.

  I turned to Micah to see if he wanted me to let them out. He was keeping a close eye on Ashton as he opened the small sliding door on his container for the eager bots to escape.

  The amount of bots in the lobby trying to get to the drone was growing. Jim was dealing with even more than I was. However, he didn’t have the protection I had. I popped open a piece of duct tape and they scurried out. The ones trying to get in were fortunately closer to Micah and Ashton. Large numbers of them filled their containers. Not enough remained inside. They scurried around the perimeter of each hole trying to get in through each of our mesh covers.

  The second drone left. We expected another but it didn’t come right away. I crawled over to Jim. He was dealing with bots coming in and out. He didn’t notice he had shifted his container out of alignment. His door wasn’t going to open.

  I tapped his shoulder and showed him that the container was misaligned. We checked but didn’t see any new drones yet. Even though it would have been easier for me to go around to the other side to push it, I didn’t want to be spotted by a drone and grabbed a corner to help him lift the container to pull it instead. We struggled when it was hung up on something. The bots in the lobby crawled up his back and stung him when we lifted it again. We were just supposed to shift it sideways and pull when it unexpectedly slid towards us and he dropped his side. I couldn’t maintain my grip when the weight in the container shifted when it tilted. It dropped on his foot and ankle, knocking him to the ground. Jim mashed his fist against his mouth to stifle a yell. I grabbed the edge to shove it off.

  When I glanced up, Ashton and Micah dove to the ground before I saw the drone hovering right in front of our gaping hole. I turned just as there was a bright flash and the blast knocked me off my feet.

  I came to and all I felt was pain. Opening my eyes, I had a great view of the floor and my arm. I didn’t know my arm could bend that direction. Yellow orange flickering light illuminated the room. I moaned when I tried to move. Then I saw Jim. Still as could be on the floor. A dark puddle expanded under his head.

  “Jim,” I whispered, moving my body only brought on a surge of agony like I’d never felt before.

  Micah dropped to his knees and blocked my view. His face was bleeding as he leaned closer blocking my view of Jim.

  “Your arm, oh man. Rachel.” Shaking
his head, something dripped on my cheek from his face and he wiped it off.

  “A storm is coming,” Ashton yelled.

  Micah gently rolled me onto my back. The pain that shot through me made me see stars and turned everything black.

  32

  Recovering and Waiting is Hard To Do

  The whole event played through my mind as I was waking up. Micah diving, looking straight at me. He was telling me to move, wasn’t he? The bright blinding light just as I was blasted across the room. The agony coming to. Micah in tears. A warning. Then nothing.

  Not nothing now. I felt pain in my arm and all down my side. I scrunched my face. That hurt too.

  “Are you waking up?”

  The voice was familiar yet muffled. Was it the one I wanted to hear? Or the one that made me want to keep my distance? It wasn’t Jim. Jim was who I was trying to help. Because he was hurt.

  I could only moan slightly. Why couldn’t I speak easier? Why did everything sound off? Nothing on my head. Bright lights made the inside of my eyelids pink. I had been in the dark as everything happened. With bots and drones.

  “Brandon?” That was his name. I opened my eyes. I’d been in that room before. I shifted my body slightly and the amount of pain was far too enormous.

  “Well, you’ve had quite a nap.”

  “I hurt so bad. What happened?” I didn’t want to move at all. “Jim! How’s Jim.”

  “You insisted on being a hero,” Brandon chastised me as sat down next to the bed. “You have a very broken arm that required surgery and some broken ribs. Some shrapnel from the drone and bots were embedded in your cheek. However, you are very lucky. That rubber suit you hate, it saved you and Jim. It caught most of the shrapnel. Jim’s ankle is broken. He did lose an eye and part of his ear. He’s going to make it.”

  “I can only remember parts of what happened. Did I mess up?”

  “Jim’s foot was stuck under the container. You were helping him when the third drone was about to land. The moment it detected your presence, it blew up.”

  “Oh no. Are Micah and Ashton okay? Did the other drones blow up too?”

  “Those two are fine. A few cuts from shrapnel. Nothing serious. Not as serious as you and Jim. I have no idea about the drones. A storm rolled in right after. We were afraid we were going to lose all of you. Micah and Ashton broke the foam insulation seal on the lobby door with help from the inside. Good job sealing it up tight by the way. It was quite a group that came to rescue you all. We got all of you in, the door was shut barely in time when the storm blew through.

  “Almost losing you guys, the severity of how injured you and Jim were, it lit a fire under us all. You’ve been out for more than twenty–four hours and we’ve been busy. Micah has kept us on task, brought us plenty of new bots, caught more with your healthy dog, and we sent another round off last night. This next round of bots we’re sending off tonight, it’s a bit more serious.”

  “Why’s that?” I asked. My head really hurt.

  “The bots we’re sending back are little bombs.”

  “What about infecting the system? Blowing it up, you’re only going to shut down one of the computers that way.”

  “We’ve sent plenty to do that job last night. Tonight we’re sending the bombs so if the viruses don’t work, hopefully bombing the place will buy us the time we need to seal up the lobby so we’re better protected. Even if the bombs explode where the drones are, that will possibly make things easier for us. The drones are also responsible for controlling the weather so if the drones are destroyed or the computers, either way, it’s a win for us.”

  Brandon checked his tablet. “I need to go. I’m already missing my best Control Room replacement.” He patted my arm. “Let this be the event that tells you that you and Jim’s hero days are over for now.”

  I nodded in defeat and instantly regretted moving at all. It might be some time before I could volunteer again, but I survived. We’re ready to fight back so my hero days weren’t numbered. I would be the one to decide that.

  Micah came to see me not long after. “You have quite the look going there.” He attempted a smile as he crossed the room. His eyes teared up. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you awake.”

  “Were they worried I wouldn’t wake up?”

  Micah sat down in the chair and gently stroked my hair out of my face and gazed at me. I was mesmerized. I probably hit my head too hard.

  “I was scared you wouldn’t wake up and I’d lose the one last person I let get to know me.” He sighed. “I’ve tried to keep my distance from everyone so it wouldn’t hurt so much to lose people in here. But you. You’ve crawled into my headspace. Every time I feel my attachment to you grow stronger or let it happen naturally between us, I feel compelled to stop it. When I saw you get tossed across the room and you were broken and didn’t move after, I knew without denying it anymore. I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you.” He closed his eyes tight. His thumb gently stroked my forehead.

  I watched him for a long time. No wonder I was confused. The whole ‘he likes me, he likes me not’ was on replay in my mind all the time. “So what are you going to do about it now?”

  He opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling before making a face at me that he was thinking hard. “I really don’t know.” He cracked a smile before leaning in to kiss me. The rush that washed over me was slightly painful as I kissed him back. It was worth the pain. Good thing the lips weren’t injured.

  When he pulled away, I gave him a good hard look. “Good thing you didn’t miss my mouth this time.”

  “Good thing, huh? What were you planning on doing about it?” He challenged me, folding his arms.

  “I would stare at you so hard and give you my most seductive eyebrow raise that you’d be compelled to kiss my lips.” I squinted one eye so I could raise the other eyebrow. I quickly winced instead because it hurt. “Maybe it will have to wait.”

  “Oh, I can’t help myself,” he said in a monotone voice and kissed me again. “Hey, I want to show you something.” He left the room and came back with my rubber jacket and he turned it around to show me it was covered in bot parts and drone pieces. “I looked you over once they cleaned you up and fixed your arm. I couldn’t believe you didn’t have more shrapnel injuries on the rest of your body. Jim is pretty messed up on his face but you spared him the brunt of the blast and the debris. This thing saved your life and you saved his.” He turned away to set the jacket down and he rubbed his eyes.

  “I feel like it’s my fault though. I’m really sorry. They said a storm came in too? Was it bad?”

  Micah sat down in the chair beside the bed and looked me in the eye. “It was one of those situations where we can’t place blame. It could have detected us before any of that happened. I think it might have because of the delay of the third drone. Yes, a storm came in so fast after the explosion. It was sucking the air out of the lobby before we got the doors open. That’s why I was afraid you wouldn’t wake up. We had to strap you and Jim on those hard board stretchers and with you we had to move you faster than was ideal after the possible injuries you might have had. We couldn’t breathe as it blew in. I know you said before it was frightening.” He shook his head at the memory of it. “It really was. Everyone and I mean everyone was responsible for helping get you guys out. Once the doors were opened, you and Jim were passed from person to person down the stairs to get you to the hospital as soon as possible. The deaths have hit everyone hard, there was a big shift in everyone wanting to know the status on you and Jim. The fact that you two survived has given them all hope.” Micah cleared his throat. “I have to go. We need to send out containers full of bots for this evening’s exchange.”

  “I don’t want you risking your life out there again,” I said.

  “It’s not so risky now. I was traumatized enough that I talked Brandon into using short wave remotes to open the doors. It took some engineering to set it up but it worked like a charm last night. All we d
o now is take the boxes out and set them up.” He headed for the door. “I have to go.”

  I gave him a little wave with a couple fingers as he left.

  It was a couple of days later when Micah brought my dogs and settled in to visit me in my room for longer than he had since I was injured.

  “They’ve been really depressed. It’s like they know something is wrong with you. They’re awful happy now.” He held Dobbers tight against his chest so all he could do was lick my cheek and not disturb my sore body anywhere else.

  “What happened? How come you have so much time now?”

  “The drones never came last night. It’s a bummer because we had another nice set of exploding bots ready to go.”

  “You think they’ll be back?”

  Micah held Yodel within reach of my good hand. “Who knows. But those bots are ready and waiting for the drones if they do.”

  “Do you think the ones we sent are doing their job? Is that why?”

  Brandon leaned against the door frame. “I overheard your conversation as I was leaving Jim’s room and to answer that, I don’t know. We hope so. All we can do now is wait and see what happens.”

  Thank You

  Thank you for reading Season One to High Pressure System. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Rachel needs time to recover and it will be some time before they know if the bots were successful so I’m taking a hiatus before continuing to Season Two so I can publish some other things. You can Sign up for my mailing list to be informed first of when Season Two will start, my latest releases, sales, and exclusive content for subscribers.

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