23. Noah: Reunion

Marching through the fields a groan could be heard in the air. Cringing I hoped my senses were simply playing tricks on me even though accustomed ears wouldn’t miss such a terrifying sound. Hazard looked around quickly alerting everyone to the potential scream coming our way as Bishop tried to shut him up not to jinx it. Another rumble through the air confirmed our suspicions leaving Bishop cursing as we scanned the forest for somewhere to hide. Charging off ahead saw Bishop, Hazard and Strider join me in my desperate search for cover.

Clearing another grove of trees there was nothing, not even a boulder to hide under. Desperately looking around the rest fanned out beginning to panic as lightning split the sky apart releasing an orange ooze in the sky. Minds warming swiping desperately through the foliage they began to embrace the stoic acceptance of death as the pain began to build with no hope in sight. Looking over their distraught faces I began running again which they followed without question.

Running over the field in between trees a concrete manhole could barely be seen buried for the most part in the ground. Reaching it Hazard and Bishop dragged off the metal plate and slid down the ladder as Strider noticed my hesitation while he started climbing down. Even with the pain I desperately thought of any other alternative to this hole. The darkness quickly swallowed the other two as I looked down onto Strider ordering me to follow. Seeing no alternative I descended into the depths with them reaching the bottom just before the scream hit in full force sealing the exit with a tremendous crash. Shining his light towards the crushed ladder Bishop fell to a knee.

“Shit. Was that our only way out? I can’t die in a hole like this.” Strider looked to him irritated.

“We’re not going to die dickhead. We’re on a railway, has to be an exit somewhere. Don’t be a claustrophobic bitch.”

“What? No I don’t care about that. If I die in a hole I lose a bet.”

“...Why the fuck does that matter right now? If you die in here you lose everything idiot.”

“It’s the principal of the matter. I can’t give someone the satisfaction of victory.”

Rubbing his eyes with one hand he tried to argue with him further but failed to form a compelling argument. Leaving the two to their squabbling Hazard secured the area while I ran my hand over the wall. Looking back to it revealed it covered in white powder as dust was displaced from the roof with another shockwave flowing over us. The reinforced concrete was degrading far too quickly for it to be natural. Brushing the concrete powder off my hands against my leg I peered deep into the darkness that my flashlight failed to penetrate.

The tunnel of nightmares still held a chilling effect from long ago. The gravel crunched beneath my feet while I walked forward following the wall to find a section painted with dried blood. It looked to be months old, not old enough. Signalling the others to follow me I recollected the maze of tunnels in my mind as we ventured forward. If memory served correctly there should be another manhole further up so we could leave this cursed place.

Taking deep focussed breaths while forcing back the memories of what could be lurking in these tunnels I held my rifle tight. The AK-74 wouldn’t offer much protection from what stalked these depths though it did make me feel slightly better. If I had the time or resources I could have analysed the dried blood to at least figure out how much danger we were truly in. Coming to a crossroads in the train tracks with a railway turntable a terrible gurgling growl that rumbled through our chests came from one of the many entries to which I immediately froze. Hazard tried to scan the darkness hopelessly.

“What the fuck was that… Noah?”

Ignoring him I threw my backpack to the ground and desperately rummaged through it. Throwing out anything on top of what I searched for as not to waste a moment I eventually dug my way down to a clamped strongbox. Ripping it open I searched through the fragments of artifacts which burned exposed skin. Digging through the crystals, stones and gems I found what I was looking for. Grasping the palm sized crystal in my hand with a singe I held the artifact up pointing it at the different entrances.

Scanning them with the artifact I waited for some response by it. Any colour emitted would give some guide as to what we were dealing with. Patiently I waited for the detector to pick up some faint presence of any threat while the others stood in formation scanning every approach. Some colours would offer some hope, others promised a hard fight ahead and a few select colours would inspire overwhelming dread. The silence after the growl was maddening as I waited until the crystal shone weakly. Blue. It was blue.

Oh god it was blue.

Throwing my fist up and holding my breath the crystal’s light quickly increased in intensity until another light source entered the room. With disgusting sloshing a ball of terror propelled itself forward with three massive tentacles leading up to a body of ruinous flesh of pure darkness. It emitted the same blue aura from numerous spherical growths of bioluminescent sacks barely visible through a hedge of tendrils producing a rapid clattering as hundreds of tiny chitinous scythes clipped together irregularly. Continuing to slosh through past us it entered another tunnel on its hunt for wayward souls.

Bringing my trembling fist down we stepped forward so slowly as not to disturb the treacherous gravel. Shining the artifacts newly absorbed light into the tunnel ahead saw the same tendrils rise slowly through the gaps in the small stones like flowers reaching for the sun. Taking absolute care not to disturb the feelers thriving in the tunnel we crept forward while my mind went back to what other horrors we could possibly encounter.

The fact that this creature had survived to this point was terrifying in itself but it brought to question what other experiments could have survived as well to this day. The singularity created a range of terrifying atrocities but nothing compared to what escaped the labs. They were visions of nightmares that no pioneer had ever seen or lived to tell others of. All I could hope was that they remained trapped in the tunnels. I couldn’t bare the thought of what could have been unleashed on the world.

Holding back emotion walking forward the feelers around became agitated. Our time seemed to be running out. The ground being disturbed was enough for them to sense something had wandered their way. Looking over all the corruption through the tunnel as the walls displayed such tales of madness and destruction only saw my resolve strengthened. While mankind created such threats we had to fight back and rid the world of this cancer. I owed it that much at least.

Treading forward again saw another crunch being emitted unlike the last. Instead of the simple shifting of the gravel a pool of black liquid spread underneath my foot next to a chitin scythe. The other tendrils breaking through the gravel immediately began such irate floundering emitting a unified gluttonous squeal. Slashing wildly we ran over the knife wielding tentacles cautiously until a grotesque howl pierced our minds from behind. A wild sloshing echoed through as the tendrils on the ground went to entangle and trap us.

Crying out to the others pointing at a vent we saw to make our escape through the ventilation. If I was right an exit should be above. Climbing into the shaft escape was so close that the light trickled down from the moon promising such security. Crawling forward the sloshing below became immensely loud as ethereal blue light saturated the shaft while it slid to a halt underneath the vent seeing us all stop lying as still as dead men. Observing the creature it continued its gurgling growl sitting below us. The tendrils from the ground seeked to make some form of unification with it and as soon as they were assimilated into the beast a metallic crash came from behind.

Sending its tendrils into the vents it began to elevate itself to bring the entire section of vents down. Desperately scrambling forward I made it first to the ladder climbing onto a large metal platform in a ventilation unit with dilapidated vents letting in the moon's glorious assurance the end was near. Tying a rope around my rifle throwing it upward it made itself useful as makeshift grappling hook. With Hazard coming up last he took hold of the rope shimmying up as quickly as possible. Reaching the top he ripped off a section of the vents to allow our exit.

The screeching of metal and flesh could be heard from below. The metal platform groaning underneath us Bishop took the rope next as Hazard waited up top to pull him out. Another section of the vent below sheared off as bioluminescent blue light began to flood the chamber. With Strider taking hold of the rope the floor gave way falling into the depths of the darkness as scythes pierced the remaining floor I stood on. Swinging away shocked Strider stretched out his hand desperately for me to take hold as Hazard began hauling him up.

One look at the rope was enough to see it wouldn’t support us both. Looking down the creature gurgled eagerly towards me. The end was near. In all the years I survived I would finally fall to one of the monstrosities I sought to destroy. Looking back to Strider as he was hoisted to safety my mind rushed over the critical information that had to be passed on. Condensing as much as I could as quickly as my mind would allow I just began shouting.

“Get to the lab! Flux will know how entity has shown him! Find control room three and consult Frenchenko! Save Pie-!”

With the floor giving way I fell from the moonlight's embrace detailing Striders face laced with horror into the darkness and blue glow as my arms flailed trying to take hold of the light to claw my way out of certain death. Landing on the tangle of lethal scythed tentacles the creature let me roll off in front of it onto the ground to be ensnared by the feelers. Without putting up a fight I stared at the beast growling gently taking interest in the artifact now at my side glowing brighter than ever.

Taking one of its limbs to propel itself it took the artifact and crushed it with terrifying strength seeing the artifacts and the beasts light go out in an instant. Blind in the dark I could sense it’s presence getting closer as one last appendage began to glow a bright blue as it maneuvered towards me. Sliding around my forehead I began chuckling nervously at the prospect of being killing by this thing in particular.

“Honestly hoped I'd never have to see you again outside the tank.”

With the chuckle degrading into maniacal laughter the tendrils covered my body as the appendage around my head began to hum before producing a brilliant blue flash. Then nothing.