Below The Earth

by Lucas Pederson

  She hadn’t shown a lot of humor, but right then, she seemed to be taking her death as a joke. Which helped me, I think. And I think she knew that, you know? She was saving me from grief and fear. Or trying to lighten it.

  We sat there for a while, staring at the dead mutated T-rex on top of the shuttle. Neither of us said anything.

  Finally, Hannah straightened, grunted. “You have a lot of cutting to do, but look.”

  I blinked. “It’s not trashed?”

  “Could be,” she said. “But I don’t know. You have to clear that big boy off there to assess the damage.”

  I nodded.

  She sighed. “I’m dying. Already losing some of my vision capabilities from all the fluid loss. I-I-I-I…” She cleared her throat. “I want to thank you.”

  “Thank me for what?”

  “F-F-F… For helping us on this mission. Even if you were in way over your head. You could’ve said no, and I would’ve understood. But…but…but…but...you had more courage in you than that. And I am…I am…I am…” She coughed. “I am sorry for dragging you into this. I am sorry for blaming you for Megan’s death.”

  “Stop,” I said, tears stung my eyes. “It’s okay. Really.”

  “No. It’s not. No one was supposed to die or get hurt. This was just supposed to be an in-and-out mission.”

  Again, I nodded. Not really sure what to say. Tears squiggled down my cheeks and I sniffled a bit.

  “Your mech…has a USB. Plug it into mine here.” She lifted her left arm, pressed a button, and a flap in the arm slid open, revealing a USB port. “Your connector is the left pinky finger. Just say USB connector.”

  “USB connector.” From out of my pinky shot a flat USB connector. Like a switchblade.

  “The files are-are-are-are stored in my mech’s memory. Download them.”

  I sighed and slipped the USB connector in her port. A few seconds later, a monotone voice said, “File download complete.” I pulled the connector out.

  “Good,” Hannah said, voice weakening. Almost like she was on the verge of dozing off. “Very good.”

  “What are they for?” I asked. “The files.”

  “They…give them to Bracken Tull. You might remember that name from the news a few years back.”

  I didn’t. Not immediately.

  “What are they?”

  She sighed. “Advance technology we had access to here, but also ways to cure all of Earth’s diseases and cancers. Along with saving the planet itself.”

  That was a ton of information all at once, leaving me gaping. I shook my head. “Is that what they were doing down here? All of this? It’s research to save people? Save the world?”

  “Y-Y-Y-Yes. The dinosaurs were just the subjects and experiments. They were working on fully resurrecting the dead by restoring certain cells when everything back-fired there. Experimental dinosaurs escaped. The mutant and undead ones attacked us. Not everyone made it to the shuttles…”

  I sat there, staring the dead T-rex monster, speechless. It wasn’t about money for Hannah. Not really. It was to save humanity. Even if she wasn’t human. An android cared enough to risk its life and others to save Earth. More than I could say for most humans. Which was pretty sad.

  “Wen…” Hannah said, voice nearly a whisper. “Be careful and get those files to Bracken Tull. Tell him…tell him…tell him to stop pouting and save the world.”

  “Okay. I will.”

  We were quiet for a moment.

  Then, out of nowhere, a question I had been meaning to ask popped up. Probably the stupidest question ever.

  “Okay, so I have to ask. What the hell is providing light here?”

  Very light, barely there, Hannah laughed. “Earth’s core. There is a sliver of rock cut out. It provides the heat and the light.” A sigh drifts through the speakers.

  “I didn’t think we were that far down,” I said. “How’s that even possible?”

  Hannah didn’t answer.

  I looked and gave her a nudge. “Hannah?”

  Nothing.

  “Hannah?”

  Again, nothing. Silence rolled out.

  My heart sank, knowing she was gone, though not wanting to accept it. Because, if she was dead, it meant I was truly alone down there. And that was the scariest of all.

  I cried for God knew how long before finally standing and walking to the dead T-rex. I glared at its partially severed head, which draped over the shuttle. Only the top half of it was on my only escape.

  “Laser,” I said.

  I cut the monster into sections, which dropped away from the shuttle enough for me to see if there wasn’t any serious damage. Some of the roof was dented in a great deal, and the sides crinkled in a bit, but other than that it appeared okay.

  Somewhere, way too close, something roared.

  Heart slamming, I pulled Hannah’s body in and entered the shuttle. I closed the door. It smelled like burned plastic in there. I made my way to the front of the shuttle and instantly kicked myself for not asking Hannah how to run the damn thing.

  The shuttle rocked, filling the inside with shrill squeaks. Barely heard, something roared.

  How many mutant tyrannosaurs did they create, anyway?

  I remembered someone saying three, but…

  The shuttle shook. Everything rattled.

  Heart snapping, I focused on the shuttle controls. Of course, there wasn’t a green button for start or go. Not even a red button for stop. There was what appeared to be a throttle, though. And…

  I flipped a blue switch up.

  Instantly, the entire shuttle hummed to life. A previously black screen lit up prompting: Forward?

  I frowned, then placed my hand on the throttle. Or what I hoped was the throttle. I pushed it up, slowly. The shuttle trembled and moved forward. Way too slow.

  Whatever was outside roared again and my world quaked. No doubt it was trying to attack the shuttle to get to me.

  I shoved the throttle forward all the way.

  In seconds, the shuttle sped forward. A harsh squeal cut through my thoughts. I staggered back as the momentum surged. So fast, I tumbled backward. As the speed increased even more and my entire world shook, I couldn’t keep my mind working. Everything shut down on me.

  And…when I woke up…

  I was in this place.

  FINAL SESSION

  I sit, waiting for a response. Anything.

  No one responds.

  “Hello?” I ask.

  More silence. Well, save from a water dripping somewhere.

  Heart thudding heavily, I shift in my chair, butt numb from sitting so long. Arms and wrists aching.

  “Is anybody there?”

  After a long time, a soft voice says, “That’s all they needed, you know?”

  I frown. “No. I don’t know.”

  “They needed to know where the files were.”

  Blinking, I glance around. “Who are they?”

  “A secret agency. They have their own agenda.”

  A heavy breath blew out of me, puffing out my cheeks. “Is their agenda bad?”

  A moment passes, then, “Depends on what you believe to be good or bad.”

  “Okay. Do they want to save humanity or leave it as it is? Dying.”

  Another short stretch of silence follows.

  “They’re neutral. They’re collectors.”

  “Collectors of what?”

  To this, I get no answer. I wait longer than ever. Still…nothing. So, I try something else.

  “Will they use the information to help people?”

  A sigh. “Time will tell.”

  Whoever remains in the darkness doesn’t say anything for another stretch of time, until…

  “I’m supposed to dispatch you.”

  I don’t understand what they’re saying. “Huh?”

  Another sigh. “I’m supposed to kill you now.”

  An awful shiver crawls through me. My heart stutters and my stomach cramps up a bit. />
  “Wait, what?” I manage.

  From out of the darkness, the giant woman emerges. She reveals no expression while she towers over me.

  I let go a small sob, close my eyes, and lower my head. “Get it over with then.”

  I wait.

  Seconds tick by.

  I wait.

  More seconds trundle on.

  Still, I wait.

  I’m about to open my eyes when rough hands gently cup my own. A small click and short ratcheting sounds find my ears.

  Then…the cuffs around my wrists slip off.

  Behind me, the giant woman says, “I’ll say you tricked me and escaped. All the cameras are off, but you should hurry.”

  I blink, stand. She holds me until my muscles wake up, restoring balance.

  “Okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” I said.

  “Good. Now run. Change your name. Change everything you can about your former life. Hide.”

  I start into the darkness, only then seeing the small light of the hallway beyond the room, then turn back to her. Her face is just as dour as ever.

  “Come with me,” I said.

  For the first time, her face shifts a bit. Her eyes drift to the side and her considerable brow lowers into a frown. For the first time, I see some emotion. Excitement breeds trepidation, rests upon bewilderment.

  Finally, she shakes her head. “I can’t. Thank you. I just can’t. Now, go. Before the cameras come back online.”

  “Thank you,” I said, spin, and make my way to the hall.

  From there, I manage to find a short flight of stairs leading to a metal door.

  Opening the door, a gust of fresh air nearly knocks me over. I draw it all in for a moment, then step outside.

  It’s night, though I have no idea what time. The moon hangs fat in the inky sky. Crickets chirp in the grasses.

  And… I have no idea where I am.

  Away from town, sure. But the area surrounding me appears to be mostly forest.

  The night kisses my sweaty cheeks while I let my mind catch up.

  After a moment, I venture into the forest.

  My feet are bare and every now and then a stick or pine needle pokes me.

  Still, I’m free.

  I need to do what the woman told me to do. Change my name. Run. Hide. If not for me, then for Venis. And what if they come for him too?

  A plan forms in my mind.

  It won’t make me a favorite to authorities, but…sometimes…a mother’s love conquers all.

  At least I hope so in this case.

  My plan…

  Take Venis from my ex and find a place in what’s left of Maine. Change my name. Hide out and work cash jobs for money. I hate the idea of hiding, but, for now, I have to. For Venis, my dear sweet boy.

  The woods appear to never end. They’re dark and cold and anything might be lurking in the shadows. Something watching. Something ravenous.

  Like life, the woods harbor many dangers. The darkness seems endless. At any moment, it can all end. In a blink. Here and gone.

  But the darkness isn’t forever. The dangers can be avoided sometimes.

  Sometimes…there is light waiting at the edge of darkness.

  THE END

  Read on for a free sample of the prehistoric thriller Throwback.

  1

  Humanity held its breath.

  NASA Commander Jonah “Hawk” Hawkins floated before a monitor in Destiny lab aboard the International Space Station, his stomach crawling up his throat. The display showed the approaching space cloud, nothing more than a thin gray-white haze drifting across the black star-filled horizon like smoke. The big heads said the cloud was the size of fifty Jupiters, and the outer edge of the cosmic fart would blow past Earth at 190,000 MPH.

  “T-Minus three minutes and counting. All systems are go,” said Flight Engineer Svetlana Savitska. The cosmonaut’s voice was rock solid as she stabbed her control panel with one hand while grasping a handhold with the other, a ponytail of blonde hair floating behind her. From Hawk’s perspective she was upside-down, monitoring the equipment on the ceiling. All of Destiny’s bulkheads had a function in the near-weightless environment.

  Hawk said, “Max, any new data?”

  “Nothing,” the German ESA physicist said. The crew communicated via wireless headsets, and they all wore jumpsuits with various patches on their breasts and shoulders.

  “Our probes? The sensor array? We’re still getting nothing at all?”

  “Static and random noise. No new predictions as to composition. Speed and density confirmed, again,” Max said.

  Hawk said nothing. Probes had been sent into the cloud as it moved through the solar system, and a minefield of sensors had been deployed, but they’d yielded no significant data or clues as to what effect the cloud’s passage might have.

  Earth was a blue arc at the bottom of the screen, and Hawk’s chest ached as he watched the space fog advance on his home. He’d gladly given up chunks of his life to live in a soup can, and he’d never admit it to anyone, but Hawk missed his old ball of dirt. Sea breezes and rain. Wind tearing at his face. Cold chilling his toes. Well, the station did provide that pleasure.

  “Two minutes thirty seconds and counting,” Svet said.

  French Mission Specialist Michel Fulcello floated into the lab and took up position at his work station. “Everything’s secure, sir,” he said. Michel was the first French astronaut to serve on the ISS.

  Hawk nodded. He didn’t expect any turbulence, but he had Michel check the station anyway, making sure nothing was floating around and that all nonessential equipment was powered down and secured. It gave him something to do. Hawk had noticed early signs of space dementia in Michel; depression, lethargy, expressing feelings of isolation and loss of family and he needed to snap out of it.

  “Mission control at Houston, do you copy?” Hawk said.

  “Mission control here.” Hawk could picture his old friend and rival Theo Rantic sitting in his command chair, staring obsessively at his status display.

  “Nothing to report, control,” Hawk said.

  “Same here. We’re on a party line, so speak now or forever hold thy peace.”

  Hawk didn’t know how many governments were listening in. In addition to NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, the CSA, many other agencies monitored their communications, as well as universities and private citizens and businesses. They were the only humans in space, outside the protective shell of Earth’s atmosphere, and that made them prime observers, which made them news. Hawk and his crew were on point, the enemy a cosmic mystery.

  Svet said, “Sir?”

  Hawk nodded. Svet and Hawk had been together on the station for eleven months, and they’d reached marriage level on the mind reading scale.

  “Roscomos, this is Flight Engineer Svetlana Savitska, do you copy?”

  “We copy, Svet,” a male Russian voice said.

  Svet rocked back, her motion smooth due to lack of stress. Hawk knew the voice; it was Svet’s husband, Vladimir. “T-Minus two minutes and counting and nothing new to report here,” she said.

  The U.S. and the Soviets had been partners on the station through thick and thin, good times and bad, and there’d been times the diplomats attributed the survival of the free world to the series of connected metal cans powered by solar energy and manned by an international team of space hounds who spent months drinking recycled water, breathing manufactured air, and tolerating each other’s failing mental states and increasing body odors. All in the name of science, progress, international relations, and nationalistic ego.

  “Roscomos wishes you luck,” Vladimir said, the comm crackling under his deep accent.

  “You as well. ISS out,” Svet said. She pushed away from the bulkhead. Hawk had never seen the woman upset, but in these final moments before the cloud’s arrival, one couldn’t help but imagine the worst.

  The space cloud continued to fill Hawk’s screen, and a dread crept over him th
at turned his stomach to ice. Doomsayers, religious zealots, profiteers and politicians had put forth many end-of-the-world scenarios that filled the endless hours of TV talk shows and gave new meaning to the word paranoia.

  But just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.

  Nothing like the cloud had ever happened in recorded history, and to Hawk, the unknown it presented was exhilarating and scary. Some preached the anomaly was Earth’s salvation, and it would renew a failing world by boosting Earth’s oxygen content, or adding elements to the atmosphere that could strengthen it against harmful radiation and cosmic rays. Some said God sent the cloud to destroy the world in the end times. All of this meant nothing to Hawk. He believed the anomaly’s passage would be akin to Y2K. Years of buildup and expense, and one train broke down in Europe. Some argued that was because of preventative measures, but Hawk believed the entire thing to be an overreaction, like the cloud.

  “Ninety seconds,” Svet said.

  Static burst through the comm. “ISS, this is Roscomos, are you seeing increased radiation levels on your long-range spectrometer?”

  Hawk spun and looked at Michel, who pushed off and glided to another monitoring station, where he cued up a data set and asked the onboard computer to graph it. The low electric hum of the station and the occasional snap of static filled the silence as Michel studied his monitor and fingered his headset. “I’m not sure. The sensors are reading something, but whatever it is isn’t matching with the identification software,” Michel said.

  “An unknown element?” Hawk said.

  “Most likely a combination of many, otherwise I’d see a clear pattern in the numbers. In this case the sensors are detecting so many unknowns they’re all falling below the materiality threshold.”

  “No density changes?”

  Michel pushed to another bulkhead before saying, “No.”

  “T-Minus one minute,” Svet said.

  “All stations are go, and all recorders are green,” said Max.

  Hawk grabbed a handhold with both hands as if bracing for an impact. Sweat inched off his neck, yet he was cold. As his monitor filled with the gray-white fog of the cloud, his confidence fled. He didn’t like the feeling.