Chapter Nine
At the end of every fourth run of lights was a way station from the outside, the station looked like a naturally occurring mound that was covered in the same damp mulch as everything else on the Basin floor. A stone arch, which encased a metal door similar to the one at the entrance to the Basin, jutted out from the mound. We passed the first station without pause. Bedford had retaken the lead by the time we reached the second station. "We'll stop here, but only long enough to eat, drink, and relieve ourselves. We're on a schedule."
Once inside, I could see that the station was a sturdy dome built of poured concrete, or similar material. The station was 8-9 meters in diameter—large enough for a party of six to bed down comfortably. It was equipped with a fogger; its own illumination system, a source of fresh water, a fireplace, a rough plank table with some benches and stools, and a privy. I followed the lead of the others, who only removed their gloves and helmets so they could eat and drink. No one went through the commotion that would have been required to visit the privy. The process for leaving the station was much the same as when we first entered the Basin, only this time Sean let me do the fogging.
At the end of run 11, Sean needed to replace the run 12 static box before we could move on.
We stopped for the night—although I cannot swear it was night in the world above—at the fourth way station. We ate together at the table and listened to the twins' banter about the approaching HighConjunction celebration.
"Do you think it's snowing up home?" said Seamus.
"Not for another day or two, I think," said Sean.
"This is the first HighCon that we won't be with the family."
"Yeah, I'll sorely miss being trapped indoors with the folks, four sisters, and their ratty families for five or six days."
"But the presents!"
"And the food."
"Mince pie and candied yams."
"Hot mulled wine and crusted apples."
Crusted apples? How could they talk about crusted apples after everything we had seen today? But this world was not new to them, was it? And that damned protocol probably prevented them from talking about what was really on their minds—the project they had brought me for. Bought me for to be more accurtate. A dark mood descended upon me.
"Excuse me," I said tersely as I pushed myself back from the table and retired to a cot as far away from the others as possible. Why should I be angry? I wasn't a slave, a servant, or even a spy. I had had more adventure in the last few days than in the entire rest of my life. I closed my eyes and tried to sort through all the new images: giant trees, bizarre rock formations, massive fungi, exotic toad-like creatures with bulging black eyes the size of saucers, and pale, translucent skin. Then there was that gelatinous, tentacled organism that floated through the mist snagging insects. Such a strange sight. I was so mesmerized by its movements that I didn't notice it was getting closer. Too close. I sensed it wasn't just drifting, but moving with malevolent intent. It was bigger than I had thought. I was about to call to the twins for help when a menacing tentacle about the size of a man's arm shot out toward me, its sticky surface grasping my shoulder. I twisted away and swatted fiercely at my shoulder.
Seamus yanked his hand away and jumped back from my cot. "Fallon. Calm down. It's me."
I pulled myself into a sitting position. I could feel my heart racing and the sweat running down my face.
"You okay?"
I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Yeah. Sure. I must have dozed off."
"Dozed off?" Seamus snorted. "It's been seven hours. Time to get moving."
As we advanced, I noticed a building breeze. Each day, we covered less ground as the wind steadily increased. The temperature dropped and the mist turned to rain.
The ninth station lay in ruins, crushed long ago by a massive fallen branch. A tunnel was cut through the branch where it had blocked off the path.
On the fourth day I became aware that the mulch floor of the Basin forest had given way to bedrock, and the bugs had disappeared as well as all other signs of life. We were now laboring across a desolate, wind-swept landscape. When we stopped at a way station to lunch, we tucked the gauze netting inside our helmets and stowed our gloves in our packs.
"We're almost there, lad," said Bedford. "At least if you're going by distance. There's only one station left between here and the base. We'll spend the night there. But the rain and the wind are going ta fight us. They'll fight us hard. It will take most of tomorrow to make the last push."
"Is this the dangerous part you warned me about?"
Bedford's eyes gleamed. "Nah. This is the fun part. It's the lightning leg."
When we were about halfway to the last station, I began to hear the distant report of thunder. By the time we reached the dome, great sections of the sky were being painted with broad strokes of brilliant blue/white light.
The fifth day was a real pisser.
I was startled to wakefulness by a loud hissing sound and sharp clap of thunder.
"That was close," called out Sean with glee. "And it sounded like it struck the ground."
Bedford and Missus Grier were already sitting at the table having breakfast.
"Come join us, lads, " said Bedford.
When we were all seated Bedford began, "Since you lads have never been down here during a settling before, this is as new to you as it is to Fallon. So listen up, you hear? With the settling under way, the lightning will be more intense than usual. As the atmosphere condenses, the likelihood of ground strikes increases."
"Brilliant!" said Sean "No pun intended."
"Speak for yourself, brother. I never liked this leg, even when the lightning just lit up the sky."
"Although there are no bugs buzzing about, I want to you pull your collars up as high as they will go—cover your mouth if you can—wear your netting down, and gloves on." He pointed to four lengths of rope lying on the table. Each was about a meter-and-a-half long, and had a broad metal clip on each end. "The wind will be brutal. We need ta take special precautions. So, when you’re all dressed, I you each need ta take a rope and secure one end ta your belt, near the buckle. Got it? Then you'll attach the other end ta the back of the belt of the person in front of you. Sean, you will take up the rear, with Fallon in front of you. Then you, Seamus, and Missus Grier. I'll lead. If you need, use the lighting cable to help pull yourself along."
When we were ready to leave, Bedford listened at the door, trying to get a sense of the ebb and flow of the howling winds. I saw his mouth moving slightly as he silently counted the seconds. "Ready? After this next one then." He grasped the latch as the wailing wind reached its peak. "Four… Three… Two… Step lively now!"
Bedford swung the door open. Immediately, the weather assaulted us in full force. Bedford went directly for the static box. As he cranked furiously, Sean secured the station door. The wind whipped the drops of rain so viciously it felt as if I were being pelted with small stones. The netting blunted the force of the rain against my face, but it held the deflected water within its weave, obscuring almost all vision. At times, the only thing I could see was the blurred yellow-green glow of the next lamp refracted through the embedded moisture. I only let go of the guideline when we reached a lamppost. Otherwise, I just slid my hand along, gripping tightly when I had to pull myself forward or steady myself.
The wind was stronger than any I had experienced on the surface, but that is not what made it treacherous. It was the swirling. It seemed to hit us from all sides. As we trudged on, I was able to get a sense of the cycle of the wind as it shifted from front, to right, to back, to left, to front again. Even this sensibility of pattern could not prepare me for the sudden malicious intensity of this gust or that. Front or back, I was partially protected by the nearness of Sean and Seamus, but a particularly brutal side attack would send the entire line reeling.
We walked for hours and covered very little distance. My left arm was sore and my hand numb from the effort of following the guideline. My shoulders sagged and I forged on mechanically, my eyes half closed. I was so fatigued I could not even escape into the images in my mind. I wanted to lie down, curl up, and go to sleep.
Then, all of a sudden, we were sheltered from the wind. My body stiffened. My mind became alert. The rain still came down heavily, but it was no longer whipped into a frenzy by the wind. I dared to un-cinch my netting and pull it back so I could see my surroundings more clearly. On either side of us rose high walls of rock. "Walls" is not the correct word, because it implies structure. These were more like long piles of loose rubble that rose three meters high. The ground began to slope down. Ahead was the gaping mouth of a tunnel.
“We’re here, Fallon,” said Missus Grier. “Another short trip underground to reach the base, then I can explain what you are to do.”
(Chapters 10-13)
