Father where art thou? Saalz follows. (Part 5)
PART 5
They were gathered outside the airlock, Saalz decided to ask the Commander what had happened, he opened up a private channel to the soldiers suit.
“What was it?… What was out there?”
“…I’ll be honest Saalz… I don’t know, we weren’t informed of what resistance there would be… And no, I don’t know yet what we will do to get out of here either, but well think of something, so don’t despair.” The Commander sounded surprisingly calm and Fatherly when he spoke. Saalz simply nodded as they entered the airlock. As the ladies set the life support systems up in the site area, he thought quite bizarrely that the adversary outside was a fairy, a protector. He frowned to himself, he was trying to remember a dream. In the few minutes it took to complete, he also wondered why he felt numb, no excitement to finding the truth, the answer to his and Sightsee’s Father’s journey all those Years ago.
The doors to the site finally opened with a hiss, and nothing could be seen too well in what must have been a large cavern area.
“You can take your suits off now, the air is breathable in there. The trip- the nameless will go in and se up the lights and secure the area, I suggest you send your bot in to patrol the area.” The Commander was sounding his usual self, dark and gravely. They all got out of their suits and rearmed with assault rifles, grenades, and other weapons of destruction; leaving their suits behind, the nameless entered with IR goggles.
Nameless 3, moved to where she memorised the generator to be and started it up, lights lit up one by one like a many-eyed beast awaking from an annoying disturbance. The other lady was already on the east side of the cavern, in a man made control centre, all the controls were dusty from not being used in what must have been many Years. She activated a holo-screen that hovered near the entrance, a map to the various systems, rooms that were attached like a hub around the central cavern. She sat down and got to work, it took a while for the main lights to go on, and to activate the security system. When the reports came that the site was secure, she sent an ‘OK’ to the commander. The Warbot walked around taking readings of all sorts, its attention turned to a 8 foot oval structure that rested upright, its material was unrecognisable by its sensors, only traces of notum could be detected forming the shape of the ring. There were stairs that were made of the same material that led up to it. It sent back the report to Saalz’s NCU.
Saalz was told (as if he needed to be), to not touch anything whilst the commander joined his team in starting up the systems that abounded here in this site. He walked casually to where his Warbot was standing. He tried to imagine what it was like 20 Years ago, the hustle and bustle of the people here, why everything was left abandoned, the dust that covered everything was proof of that. He looked down to an old datapad, he was looking through it. Something near a small crane caught his eye, he looked up and saw his foster Father smiling at him, then waving. Before he could say anything he disappeared. He walked to the crane carefully, his heart began to beat faster, ‘could that really be him?’ he thought, he opened the door to the crane, something smashed and it got a bit darker around him. He jumped slightly, realising a light bulb had over heated and shattered. He laughed to himself and shook his head, and sadness started to well up as he resumed his way to his bot.
What he saw when he got there was an obsidian coloured ring that stood up vertically and central to the cavern, stairs of similar material led up to it, and to either side were pedestals. There were strange markings on the oval and the pedestals, next to the right pedestal was a hand scanner, linked via many bundles of cables. He noticed now that there were thicker cables that trailed off to the control centre, and to a separate generator. The whole object looked very out of place in this cavern, almost like a shrine… He felt a shiver run down his spine, ‘shrine… a temple?’ He thought and furrowed his eyebrows, what was it that was bothering him still, like as if someone was trying to tell him something, maybe his subconscious?
The commander watched Saalz intently with folded arms, deep in thought.
‘Systems are ready for activation Sir’ thought Nameless 3.
‘So there is no other way in, or out of here?’
‘No Sir, only the main doors whence we came.’
‘Good, I want this part to at least go smoothly, what’s the ETA on our extraction?’
‘ETA in 15, but no confirmation… Haven’t been able to establish comms, the main communications array is damaged.’
‘Just keep thinking positive thoughts you two, they’ll be here… They will.’ The commander walked towards the oval structure to join Saalz and his Warbot.
“Interesting isnt it Saalz?” The commander smiled.
“What is it? Sensor readings don’t pick up much?”
“Ah, well my team think they can activate this structure… Let’s give it a try. If this goes well, I’ll open up the champagne that I brought with us.” He nudged Saalz playfully. Saalz knew from the cables and his own profession that indeed this structure could be powered, but had never seen something as strange as this ancient artefact before. It also seemed that the bulldog commander was not immune to excitement, but for some reason, he felt none at all.
The commander raised his hand, and for the benefit of Saalz, shouted, “It’s a go for Arch activation.” There was a whirring noise as the generator started up, and slowly the symbols lighted up with a deep blue glow. The hand scanner console made some beeping noises to acknowledge that it was ready. The commander removed his armoured right hand glove, walked to the console about to place his hand upon it. He hesitated, and turned to face Saalz, with a smile he said, “Why don’t you do the honours? After all, you and this thing seem to have history in your Family.”
“Thank you, but I’d really like to know… What the hell is this thing?”
“Well, were not sure… That’s what we were hired to find out… Were here to record what transpires. Now I’ve told you enough, how about it?”
“But don’t you think it’s strange? Omni-Tek abandoned this place… Or are your employers some other organisation?”
The commander sighed, “Look, remember what I told you when we first met? I can’t divulge that info, were simply mercenaries.”
“Yes, but where are you all from? I don’t recognise your accent, your equipment…” He looked to the commander, realising he wasn’t going to get any answers, he returned to a practical question. “OK, but the scanner, isn’t it set for a few people for activation?”
“It was, we hacked it, with some info from our employers.” Saalz felt a little dumb, and shrugged his shoulders as he placed his hand on the scanner. A female voice echoed from the speakers, it was the AI speaking.
“15 seconds to Arch activation… 15… 14-“ Saalz wanted to photograph the moment, and realised he had left it near the datapad on a secondary Site control panel.
“Oh, wait… I left my camera over there, just going to get it.” He jogged off to where his camera was. The commander shook his head, knowing that the data would be erased by the systems in the site, but left him to it, ‘a last pleasure for him, let him have it’. Saalz reached the console and stumbled as he picked up the camera from it, “10… 9…” the voice continued. Saalz ran back, not knowing that he had pressed the button to open the main entrance doors. The 2 nameless took positions either side of the pedestals, guns at the ready.
‘Not yet, something may still go wrong.’ The commander replied telepathically to the nameless.
“2… 1… Arch activated, system fluctuations nominal.” There was a strange flash of darkness from the centre of the oval structure, it then grew to fill the hollow of the ring with a swirl of dark colours, moving like a whirlpool in a deep sea. Saalz took a few pictures, with no excitement in his being.
“Now what is that?” Saalz said to no one in particular.
“Well, you could say it’s a new beginning… A new place awaits, so they say.” The commander turned to Saalz and smiled, suddenly he raised his gun to Saalz’s head. The Warbot suddenly turned to take aim at the commander, Nameless flicked a switch on a transmitter, and the bot hunched over as if bowing to its new master, deactivated. Saalz was shocked, numb by this sudden turn of events, his guns were holstered, he knew he couldn’t get a shot off before the soldier did.
“So, I should have known. You Bastard!”
“Sorry, orders are orders, whilst fixing your mechanical buddy here, we planted a emp device, in case you’re wondering why its not made a hole the size of Alaska in me… Don’t get me wrong kid, I like you, so I’m gonna tell you some info, since you are at a permanent end real soon.”
“Well, how gracious of you.” Saalz stood still as a statue, he knew he wouldn’t get reclaimed, not out here outside of the ‘World’ he left behind. “I am all ears Commander.”
“You are here in the team for a reason, that reason being you’re Father or rather your maker Dr. Mallocke genetically made you for one purpose only, to activate this gateway, the code is in your genes and well, our employers were unable to hack the codes needed. He made you in case things would go wrong when the original crew activated the Arch. It did go wrong, details of which are not known, bet it has something to do with whatever KIA’d nameless.” The commander paused for Saalz to digest this information.
Saalz couldn’t believe it. All this time he believed he was an orphan told he was found in a trash can in Tir. All of it lies, bar one, he was indeed a freak. The idea of perma death didn’t phase him now, he felt as though it would all be OK somehow. The commander continued. “Your foster Father was the Dr’s closest friend, he knew some information about this site, in secret of course as were you. Omni-Tek in their compassion, well their need to re procure their finest scientists, decided to mount a rescue and investigation team. That was 20 Years ago, Mr. Boothby arranged it so that he would be in that team. I will tell you this much, we don’t know what happened to that team, that’s the truth.” The commander almost looked ashamedly to Saalz. “You were the key, I don’t know how or when my employers realised this, but only you could have activated the arch, it wasn’t hacked. And I hate to say this but, they want you dead after your usefulness has expired.”
“OK… So tell me at least this, what is this thing and why are there no bodies?”
“The bodies? I don’t know kid, maybe they went through the gate? See that’s a gate to somewhere, not my concern… Another team will be arriving shortly to figure that one out… Oh and a car, its an old Earth vehicle from the 20th Century, I used to have a nice little one that went some, it was made by Lotus, the Elise.” He smiled genuinely this time.
“I suppose it would be pointless asking you what you are talking about, either I would believe you and not understand, or not believe you and still not understand?” Saalz was stern.
‘Hurry it up Sir, our extraction is in-‘ Nameless 3 was grabbed up into the air by a dark maggot looking creature 10 foot long, with many limbs and a vaguely dragon like head. Its eyes glowed with a deep blue hue of the symbols on the arch, It was not totally solid, and the creature was more visible the closer it was to this oval artefact, it looked as though it were made of the same material as the arch. Nameless screamed out and again Saalz was knelt in pain as the commander opened up with a full auto burst, cutting through Nameless 3 and seemingly doing no damage to the thing holding her up.
‘Lets get the Hell out of here NOW!’ Shouted the commander, as the already dead corpse of Nameless 3 was ripped apart by the beast showering them all in blood, bone pieces and guts. The commander ran to the airlock, the doors had been breached and he quickly suited up in his powered environment suit, Nameless 2 behind spraying the area with gunfire she was finding it harder to breath as the un- breathable atmosphere of the outside was seeping in. She partially got into her powered armour when the creature moved through the air like an eel closing in behind her. ‘***** it… Go Sir! Forget me!… Wasted Years, huh Joe?’ the commander was already running to the open doors to the outside.
‘Sara! Come on, you can make it!’ He thought back to the lady who he loved the one called Nameless 2. She managed to get to the emergency close switch to the Main doors, and hit it, turned to see the beast approaching, realising that the man she loved was safe, she unclipped the grenades and fired the remaining ammo. She sent out one last thought to Saalz ‘Get up and run to the gate… Your Father awaits you!.. . Arrgggghhhh!’ Saalz was in agony from the last scream of the last Nameless, he could barely crawl up the steps. There was a hiss behind him, he turned around just as he was close to the gate, the beast grabbed him, he screamed and all was dark.
The commander tried to reopen the main doors, inside his suit he was in tears. First time in many, many decades. He leaned against the doors for a few minutes, dreaming of a Disney Land of his own, where he told Sara that he loved her the first time he felt it. And now it was too late. The extraction Gun-ship was closing in, he noticed it on his radar, he stood up, glad that they would not be able to see his face giving him time to compose himself under the visage of the powered armour.
“This is Alpha unit, hostile in site, I am the only remaining… Request immediate pick up at my co-ordinates.” He waited for a response as the craft came in view it hovered above him for a minute. Joe nodded to himself, they weren’t replying, he knew what was to come; a nice double cross. He looked up to the twin plasma chain guns on the sides of the black monstrous machine, they started to spin.
“Bastards!!!!” He shouted as he rose his weapon to fire, only to be cut down by the ships twin barrels. His last thought was ‘sorry kid… sorry.’
