Unity by Carl Stubblefield (epub read online books TXT) 📕

“Blue is deep thought and excitement, when you are really engaged in a fulfilling task. Green is shame.”

“Shame? He can feel that? The guy’s a psychopath!” Darik huffed.

“It can also be insecurity, embarrassment, or humiliation too. They’re all similar and hard to distinguish exactly when the other colors taint them. Blue isn’t good for Gus though. It means Mengele is enjoying what he’s doing right now.”

“So he could be torturing Gus as we speak! Let’s get moving, we may not have much time.”

Anastasia gently grabbed BoJack’s shoulder as he started to head for the doorway. “Running in unprepared will do us no good,” she warned.

“It’s a miracle he’s even alive. What are we waiting around for?”

“You know protocols, BoJack. Chill. If I can find some terminal or kiosk, I can deactivate any latent defenses, then we can proceed without being blindsided.”

“Well let’s get the show on the road then, Yuki. What else do we all need to do?”

“Green lights on everyone’s wristbands?” Aurora asked. Everyone gave a quick check and mumbled agreement. “Remember, you only have enough for one charge. Once it kicks in, you’re draining the energy cell until it’s gone. So make sure you don’t use it by reflex. I can’t make any more,” she warned.

“This schematic is wrong,” Yuki said as she analyzed the corridor’s layout. “While plumbing, ventilation, and electrical are largely the same, the blueprint shows a corridor going straight here, where there’s only a wall.”

“A secret passage?”

“Possibly. Or faulty data meant to confuse. It could just as easily be a trap.”

“It’s always something.”

“I’ll check it out, wait here,” Anastasia mentioned as she walked toward the wall. Her form began to glow, and a purple outline surrounded her frame as she became more incorporeal, fading from view right as she reached it.

The Crew waited in eager anticipation and time ground to a halt. Grimdark strained to hear but only shook his head as the others stared at him.

After about five minutes, Anastasia popped back into the room with a purple flash.

“Yuki is right. There’s a corridor there. The floor and walls appear identical the whole length—illuminated tile. It runs for about two-hundred-fifty feet. I didn’t see any sensors or anything, but I couldn’t phase through the walls there, which was a little unsettling. There’s a bulwark at the far end of the corridor, also unphasable, so I don’t know what’s beyond,” she reported.

“That’s pretty close to the central hub. None of these rooms are labeled, but the fixtures would indicate nearby labs,” Yuki remarked.

“If we can even trust them, that is,” Darik said. “So, are we breaking it down or portaling through?”

“We don’t seem to have set off any alarms so far, why don’t we try to keep it that way?” Anastasia replied.

“As you wish.” Darik placed his hands on the wall and spread them wider, pulling open a large portal. A warm almond-colored light glowed from the panels beyond.

The Crew stepped through and Yuki held up a fist. “Guys, this area is shielded, which is weird. No signals can go in or out. Be on your guard,” she warned.

“Hold on.” Aurora began to float and started moving down the passageway. She moved past panel after panel. When she was near the midpoint, she reached a tentative toe to the next panel and put some weight on it. Nothing happened. She put more and more until her full weight was on the ground. Turning back to the group she continued to walk, sliding a foot in front of her and probing for any triggers.

“I don’t like this,” Anastasia said, holding her hands close to her mouth, unable to bite her nails while wearing gloves.

“We’ve got these, she’ll be fine,” Darik said shaking his wristband.

Slowly Aurora crept back, as if navigating a minefield until she was back with the Crew. “That bodes well; proximity and pressure don’t seem to set off anything.”

“Yet…” Darik added, holding a finger up.

“You’re such a troll!” Harmony griped.

“Yeah, but I’m an alive troll, sweetheart,” he said with an exaggerated wink.

The group proceeded carefully down the corridor. If anything, the soft lighting was warm and soothing. When they reached the middle, Aurora took flight and moved forward again, this time half the distance remaining to the far bulkhead. Once again, she worked her way back, probing as she went.

“This is dumb. We’re taking too long. I can feel him—we’re getting so close,” BoJack said impatiently.

“It does seem like this may just be a shortcut. Maybe it’s shielded so people can’t find out about it with scans or some such?”

“I still don’t like it.”

“Let’s check out this bulkhead,” BoJack turned and pushed past Aurora and stepped beyond into the untested areas. After three panels he turned back. “See? Nothing to worry about.” He continued until he was in front of the large door. He turned back. “Well? What are you waiting for?” Everyone followed.

“I can’t see a way to open it; there’s no controls. At least on this side. This section of corridor looks like all the rest.”

The group got to probing the walls and bulkhead, looking for some kind of mechanism or switch.

“Looks like it’s portal time,” Darik put his hands on the bulkhead and tried to spread them. “C’mon now, don’t be difficult.”

“What’s happening?”

“Is it shielded too? I haven’t heard of a material that’s portal-proof.”

“It’s resisting… like it’s super thick. It would have to be over twenty feet deep and that doesn’t… seem… feasible,” Darik strained through grit teeth. He tried harder, and finally he let his hands drop with a grunt. “Gimme a minute and I’ll try again.”

“Um, guys, do you see that?” Harmony asked, pointing to the far end of the corridor. Lights winked out at the opposite end of the tunnel, speeding up as they approached the Crew.

“What did you do, Keeper?” Grimdark asked.

“Hey, it wasn’t me. I swear. Well, maybe it was. I need a little more time though before I try again.” He wearily got to his feet and put his hands in