Several tense minutes go by but the Boa doesn’t appear and the doors to the room remain closed.
Unrelinquishing the tight grip on my gun, my ears prick for any sound coming from outside. Hearing rustling, I shuffle forward and peer through the tangled vines of the window closest to the crack.
Suddenly, a buzzing sounds in my ears and the naga’s tail bursts out from around the corner of the building to hit something I can’t see. That is until a drone sails through the air and crashes into the outside wall above the crack. I jerk back from the slotted window and re-aim my weapon.
After another stressful several minutes of holding my breath and waiting, I force myself to move away from the wall and search for a way to escape. The longer I stay here, the more I risk him discovering me. Also if I don’t get back to the others soon, Krellix is going to come search for me and possibly walk into a trap.Olivia and the others could get hurt…Turning around to get a closer look at my surroundings, I spy a rusty sign on the wall across from me.
Maintenance Room.
Authorized Personnel Only.
Next to it is a small map. It shows the entrance to a series of underground tunnels, all beginning with the door to my left.
This door is more industrial than the double set. Next to it is a small square panel extending out from the wall. Beside that panel is an even larger control panel, a desk, and a very dusty mounted screen on the wall above both of them. Sitting in front of it is the rusty frame of an old swivel chair with human remains beneath it.
I head for the door and grab the handle, hoping it will open. When that doesn’t work, I brush off the side panel and press my fingers to the screen. Without power, I step back to peer at thebigger machine to my right before glancing at the crack in the wall once more to make sure it’s empty.
I pull off my pack and dig out my orb. Rolling it in my hands, I turn it on, and it launches into the air.
“Change to volume one,” I command it before it has time to speak and initiate. The orb flashes. “Is there a safe way out of here?” I whisper. “That won’t get me heard by what is outside this room.”
Again, the orb flashes, and scans the room with a red light. It floats to the gap and the closed door next to it. “Stop,” I tell it quickly. “Don’t go out there. Can I use that door to get out of here?” I indicate the locked one deeper in. “Is there another way?”
The orb scans the room again and approaches the door and the panel beside it. “To get through control access point E, alpha block, maintenance entrance, a keycard of purple security or higher is needed. There is one on the floor to your right.”
I begin to search for the card, discovering the small plastic piece by the chair amongst the bones. As I pick it up, I wipe the dirt off the sides with my fingers. “I have it.”
“That key will open the door and any other doors within the alpha block. You will need to reconnect the alpha block to the main power source to open any doors further than that.”
I look at the orb. “Is that possible?”
The orb is silent for a moment. “I am unaware of the possibilities without full calibration. The local power infrastructure has been compromised. You will need to start up this room’s emergency energy siphon generator.” It floats to the large control panel and I move to follow it, peering down at the dirty screen. “You will need the master maintenance key. It is the one on the floor beside where the keycard had been.”
Lucky, for once, I quickly go back and shuffle through the bones, discovering an old gun and another dull gray key besideit. I wipe the dirt from the key on my sleeve, and return to the panel, shoving it in the only keyhole there is.
On the wall, the screen flashes and a low wheezing comes from within the machine. Anxious tension squeezes my chest as an image of a bullet appears across the screen behind a wall of dust. I glance nervously behind me at the crack.
The orb begins to shudder and fly lower, already losing its power. I wince, hoping it works long enough to get me through this.
When I packed my supplies at Zaku’s, I didn’t have the pick of the best stuff. My weapons came from the group cache but my orb was gifted to me by Daisy for an emergency. It couldn’t hold enough charge to last very long.
“You will now be able to use the keycard for the door.”
Gripping the card tighter, I head back to the door and raise it to the panel. The door groansopen, blasting me with musky, stagnant air.
I turn for the orb. “Find the naga called Krellix.” I wipe my clammy palms on my pants after pocketing the key and the card. “He will be with three humans nearby in the forest, a female and two adult males. Warn him that I saw the Boa and it might be tracking me—us—and to get the others to safety. Olivia is his top priority. Tell him to beware of traps.”
I don’t know how long the Boa has been following us, I only know that I don’t put it past him to use whatever means necessary to get what he wants.
Which might be me… or, worse. Olivia.
I don’t tell the orb to tell Krellix not to come find me. He won’t listen anyway. I just hope he gets the message before the Boa has a chance to surprise him and that he gets Olivia to safety first. I don’t know what will happen if the Boa gets a hold of her. And being so close to the encampment, I’d rather Krellix justgot them all within its boundaries before searching for me. I can defend myself.
I glance over my shoulder as the orb leaves through the gap. Though it feels like ages, it’s only been minutes since I last saw the others.
I need to give them some more time. I need to distract the Boa.
Taking a moment to test the industrial door to make sure it will hold open, I then turn for the crack the orb just left through. Walking to it, I reach through the opening and tear off the brush covering it on the other side. “I’m over here, you slithering bastard! In the bushes! I dare you to come and get me!”
