CHAPTER TWO (PART TWO) - AJ AND NICK Howie examined the computer panel while Kevin waited for the report. Howie shook his head and looked at him. "What can I say man? Its working, full power, to this computer at lest." Kevin looked at the ground then back at Nick, "Well," He shrugged. "Its here, mine as well use it." "I'll go up first," Nick volunteered, "If that thing is up there then I can warn you." Kevin nodded and stepped back as Nick stepped onto the glowing circle platform, Howie punched in the deck. The glass cylinder rose around Nick, Kevin suddenly gave a start. "Wait! If its up there, how will you warn us!?" He demanded. "I'll scream! Trust me, you'll hear me." Nick said giving Kevin a reassuring grin as the tube connected with the ceiling. Kevin didn't look happy with that plan, but reluctantly took a step back. Howie hit a button. But instead of going down, Nick began to go up, Kevin instantly noticed, so did Nick. "Hey!" Nick exclaimed. "What are you doing!?" Kevin yelled at Howie who was franticly hitting buttons. "I didn't do that! I programmed it to go down! It should be doing that!" Howie cried. "You guys!" Nick cried, sounding a little scared as he disappeared into the ceiling. "Damn it!" Kevin cried, the tube came back down, going into the floor once more, but the platform stayed lit. "Don't touch it!" Kevin snapped as Howie reached for the panel again, "Leave it! We have to go up to get him now." Howie nodded as Kevin got onto the glowing circle. He looked at Howie, "As soon as I go up, you get your ass up there instantly, got it?" "Yes sir!" Howie said wide-eyed. Kevin took a deep breath as the cylinder rose around him, bracing himself Kevin began to lift towards the ceiling. Once more, the bright light blinded him as he passed through, instead of stopping though, he passed the deck, and the next one after that, and the next one. Finally after passing through two more Kevin rose onto another deck, through the glowing glass he could see Nick, standing in front of the tube, eagerly waiting. The glass slide down, and Kevin got off. "You alright?" He asked Nick. "Yeah! I'm fine! But what the hell was that! I thought you were going to leave me up here!" Nick said outraged. Kevin opened his mouth to answer when the glass came down one last time, quickly stepping away Kevin starred at it, Nick silently waiting as well. After a few seconds Howie emerged through the light, Kevin and Nick let out held breaths of relief as the Latino man stood there calmly, while the glass went back down. Unfortunately, when it did the entire thing turned off, casting darkness over once more. "This is cute," Came Nick's sarcastic reply, though it was clear he was spooked. "Howie, use that damn disk to turn the elevator back on!" Kevin snapped impatiently. He couldn't believe this, Howie groped around the wall for a moment while Kevin pulled out the flashlight. He clicked it back on and pointed it at the wall as Howie slide the disk into the panel, he pressed a button and waited. His expression turned into one of confusion, he hit the button again. "Oh come on!" He cried hitting the button repeatedly. "What's wrong?" "It won't turn on!" Howie said getting mad. "Maybe the powers to low," Nick suggested. "Its new! It had a full power supply! Son of a bitch!" Howie shouted in fury, hitting the panel with his hand. "Calm down! Clam down!" Kevin said, "Breaking the computer won't help us any alright? Just calm down!" "I am calm!" Howie insisted. "I'd hate to see you mad then!" Nick said letting out a little laugh. There was a few second of silence before slowly, one by one, the men began to laugh softly. Broken, slightly hysterical laugher, but still, it was something. There laughs echoed through the hall. "Okay, okay," Howie said still laughing, "Sorry. I'm really calm now." He assured. "Good." Kevin said with the traces of laughter still in his voice. "Alright, now that were all calm again, let just try an..........." FWISH! Kevin was cut off as a sound suddenly cut through the air, all three men jerked up with small gasps. Dull light shinned on the metallic floor, illuminating a small section of the hall, the door that had slide open remained open, a few yards away from them. They stared at it wide eyed, Kevin felt uneasy as the door remained open as if waiting for them to go through. He looked at his two companions, who were obviously freaked about it to. "Uh, lets..........go." Kevin said uncomfortably starting to step back when Nick suddenly jerked up. "No!" He cried startling Howie and Kevin. He pointed to the door, "That's good! This is good! We have to go through there!" He insisted. "What?" Howie asked in disbelief. "We need go through there!" Nick said pointing furiously. "Why?" Kevin asked. Nick paused looking honestly confused. Why did he want to go through there? "I-I don't know why." He admitted after a moment, "Its.....its just a feeling. Nothing bad will happen, but we need to go through there." He pleaded. Kevin and Howie exchanged looks, Howie then sighed. "Well you're the psychic," He relented, sounding like he really didn't want to go. Nick looked at Kevin for approval and the older man shrugged giving him a passive look. "Lead the way." He said. Nick straightened satisfied and turned and walked towards the door with out fear, Kevin and Howie followed still feeling unsure though. Stepping through, Nick looked around first, it was a simple hallway, not like the one they had been in though, it lead straight forward to a steel door. Nick walked forward as Kevin entered, he raised his eyebrows at what he saw. The hall was round, like a tube, the shinning metal on the walls was so polished you could see twisted versions of yourself. Howie whistled as he came through. "Weird." He said simply as he followed behind Kevin, looking all around. It took a couple minutes to reach the door but when they did it too, opened up automatically. Nick started to go through when Kevin's arm shot out and grabbed his. "Wait," He ordered, "I'll go first." Nick tried to stare him down, but Kevin was relentless. He finally nodded reluctantly and stepped aside-letting Kevin step through first. Kevin walked into an enclosed room, in front was a wall that was tilted back, a huge door sealed shut on the wall. Over to the side was a computer station, and monitors that had snow on them, the light gave the room a strange unnatural glow. Kevin stepped in slowly, his steps clanking on the floor, the noise bouncing around the room. "What is this place?" He wondered out loud. Howie and Nick hovered at the door. CHEEEEEEEEEEEUM! Kevin leaped back in fright when the noise exploded through out the room. "Jeez!" He yelled, the door that was at an angel slowly opened, Kevin took a step back thinking something was going to come out, but nothing did. The hole was like a dark cave, it waited for the men to go through. Kevin's heart was pounding, he shook his head furiously. "This is stupid! Its like it's leading us to something!" He said, spooked. "No! Kevin, its alright! Really!" Nick insisted coming out with Howie. Kevin cast a doubtful look at the door again then back at Nick who looked absolutely sure. He sighed and turned back around, taking a deep breath he walked towards the darkness. Howie nudged Nick forward and they followed Kevin into the cave like entrance. All three men were swallowed up by the dark as they went in, hand outstretched so he could feel anything in his path, Kevin forced himself to be calm. On the men walked in total silence, after about five minutes in the tunnel Kevin was beginning to doubt it ever ended when the exit abruptly appeared, Kevin eagerly went for it. And out he came, into the most spectacular sight he had ever seen. Kevin's jaw fell open as he walked in slowly taking everything. "Thank god! I thought we'd be in there for............" Howie trailed off as he came out, his eyes glazed over in surprise. "Ever." He breathed. Nick came out and looked around, It was some kind of dome room, the walls were blue and divided into mechanical blocks, from the ceiling, large and numerous tubes extended down. And into somebody. A man was hanging, dangling by the tubes that were plugged into his robotic suite, some had even tangled around his body. He was unconscious, he seemed so small in such an awesome room. The three men were silent as they took in everything. "You don't think he's dead do you?" Howie suddenly asked, starring at the man strung up and left there. Kevin starred also, his mind trying to register everything. "Uh.........Uh, no. No, I don't think so." He said finally, Howie breathed out in relief. "Well here's another question Major," Howie said looking at him, "How are we going to get him down? Fly?" That was a good question, the man was easily twenty feet up high. Kevin looked around for anything that they might climb, but the room was bare. Quickly he ran through some sanarios in his mind, trying to figure out what to do. Nick walked forward a little looking at the man, when suddenly he stopped and gasped. Kevin looked over his shoulder and saw Nick hug himself, shivering. "Nick? What's wrong!?" Kevin asked alarmed. "Aaaaahhhhhhh! Cold!" He moaned, "It's so cold...hungry," He growled, Kevin stared at him confused. Nick had a mad gleam in his eyes, he licked his lips. "So many.............not enough......we want more!......need more! F-f-freezing!" He cried shivering again. Kevin stared at the younger man wide eyed, as Nick suddenly blinked and straightened up as if nothing happened. Kevin stared at Nick with a "What the hell was that?" expression. Nick just starred back at Kevin for a moment before slowly looking straight up, his eyes widened when he did. Kevin followed Nick's gaze upward, and his jaw fell open. "Oh my god!" He whispered in horror. Breathing hard, Kevin snapped his fingers at Howie while still looking up horrified. "Howie," He whispered, the Latino man turned around. "Give. Me. The gun." Kevin said slowly and carefully. Howie looked confused, "Why?" Kevin didn't answer, Howie saw that he and Nick were looking up and did as well. He gapped in horror at what was at the ceiling. It couldn't be real, things like that didn't exist outside of your worst nightmares, buried deep in the back of your mind, trying but never really able to forget. It just couldn't be real, but it was. Its lumpy, brownish yellow skin was slick with slim. It looked horribly disfigured, it didn't have and legs, just a small thick tail. Its head was so lumpy, you couldn't tell what shape it was, its mouth was pulled around a ways, its needle sharp teeth sticking out in all directions. It clung to the wall with gnarled hands that had claws sticking out of them. But none of those features, was what was most horrifying, was what was in its skin. On its side, was a human face, pressed against slimy skin as if they were inside it trying to get out, the expression open in a silent forever scream, whoever's hands were pressed against the skin as well. Jutting from its back was a human arm, hanging off limply, a couple other faces were on it as well, tortured expressions of horror. A few human hands were also trying to press out of its skin, fingers stuck out. Near its head, and side was a thin patch of yellow that moved out and in with each intake of air, when it breathed, they all could see a couple almost whole humans press out and get sucked back in, there forms were obviously dead. It looked like human bodies had been melted into it. "What the hell, is that!?" Howie asked breathing ragged, he sounded like he was going to lose it, and Kevin couldn't blame him. "I'm guessing the thing that ate everybody," Kevin replied softly, hoping the thing was asleep. "Holy shit! That's the thing that was chasing me!?" Howie cried softly. He looked at Nick furiously, "Why the hell didn't you sense it!?" He hissed. "I told you it comes and goes! Besides, maybe I couldn't sense it because its sleeping!" Nick hissed back. "Shut up!" Kevin snarled, "Just shut up! Howie! Give. Me. The gun!" Howie began fumbling for the weapon strapped to his back, his hands were shaking with fear, Kevin waited patiently while still looking up at the creature. Suddenly it shifted, everyone froze, it began making a sound that sounded like a combination of clicking and gurgling, and it also sounded like it was dislocating, and replacing its jaw. It moved a little, it reminded Kevin of a cockroach. It hissed and remained still. Suddenly something dripped on Nick's face. "Ugh!" He said whipping at it, when he pulled his hand back down he froze starring at the blood on it. Looking back up he could see blood dripping steadily out of the mouth of the human face on its side. Howie gulped as Nick took a horrified step back. "Howie!" Kevin whispered grabbing the man's attention again. Howie snapped back into reality and tried to get a hold of himself. Managing to lift the gun over his head, Howie quickly passing it to Kevin who checked it and got it into a position where he could hold it straight. "Alright," Kevin whispered. "Try and find a way to get the guy down." What are you nuts! Screw robot man! Lets leave! Was Howie's first thought, by the look on Nick's face, it was his first one to. But he moved reluctantly, uncomfortably around Kevin, while still looking at the creature. Kevin got ready, and aimed the gun at the thing, keeping his eye on it while Nick and Howie moved silently under the hanging man. Howie tried unsuccessfully to slow his racing heart, Nick was breathing hard in fright, his eyes franticly searched around for something, anything that would help. His eyes raising up to the man and stopped on something, he pointed. "There!" He whispered, licking his lips. "If you give me a boots then I can grab that tube and try to get him down." Howie nodded, at lest it was a plan. Kevin shifted his weight, still staring at the abomination, he tried to remain calm, and only seceded halfway. Howie clasped his hands together and Nick put his foot on them, grabbing Howie's shoulders, Nick lifted his other foot off the ground and unsteadily lunged up. Howie almost fell over. "Jesus flippin Christ man! How much do you weight!" Howie grunted, straining. "Its just because I'm a hell of a lot taller then you!" Nick snapped back making a wild grab at the black tube, he managed to grab it, but knocked Howie over and swung around wildly. It would have been hysterical, had not for the nightmare that was hanging from the ceiling. Howie bit his lip and looked over at the creature, fearing that the sound from his fall had alerted it. It hadn't, or so it seemed that way. Nick began climbing up the tube with ease, reaching the man, or at lest he dangled from the side, Nick tried to swing over to him. He managed to do so and his hand shot out, grabbing one of the tubes in the man's arm. The man didn't stir, Nick held his breath and pulled on the tube hoping it would come out. Just his luck, it didn't. "Damn it!" He swore under his breath. Suddenly, on mans suit on his arm, the blue plat popped. Nick looked at it puzzled, treading his arm around the tube from the mans arm, he reached down and lifted it. His eyebrows lifted when he saw it was a built in mini computer. It was activated. Oh crap, Howie should have come up here. Nick thought staring at it, suddenly a feeling struck him. This computer was a good thing, it would help, use it. Nick hesitated for a moment. Well okay, here goes nothing he thought taking a deep breath and randomly pressing a button. Nick was suddenly jolted, gasping he accidentally let go of the tube that anchored him to the man, he swung away when he abruptly felt himself going down. Clinging to the tube, Nick looked around feeling relief course through him when he saw he was indeed heading toward the ground, so was the man. The tubes were lowering, Howie cringed when the mechanical sound buzzed through out the room. Forgetting to keep an eye on the thing, Kevin whirled around aghast when he heard the noise. Gasping Kevin turned back to the thing, but it didn't move, didn't even react to the noise. Maybe its deaf, Kevin thought, but even he doubted that. Howie fidgeted anxiously, and shared Kevin's fear that the thing was going to wake up because of the noise. Nick and the man were lowered to the floor, they hung a foot above it. Nick released his death grip on the tube and landed on the floor, Howie instantly began pulling on the tubes around the man. As Howie yanked a tube away the man suddenly groaned, he froze looking at him wide eyed. The man shifted a little, beginning to slowly return to consciousness. Nick and Howie attacked the tubes with renewed force and hurried to pull them away. Kevin began to even more uneasy as the creature remained where it was, it seemed as if it was just sitting there, watching what they did, even though Kevin couldn't see its eyes. He got the feeling it was waiting until it felt comfortable enough to attack, like it knew they wouldn't ever leave this room. Nick's disjointed words echoed though his mind. I tried to tell them.........but they wouldn't listen! I told them it was cold, it was just so damn cold! Its hunger.............so hungry, and here we came! Just fresh meat for it yum! Tap! Kevin jerked a little when the sudden sound rang out, Nick and Howie stopped as well and looked around confused. Tap!........Tap!........ Kevin sucked in a deep breath when he realized what the sound was. The creature, it had tapped one of its massive claws against the metal, the sound echoing through out the domed room. Tap!...........Tap!........Tap!........... "Tick tock! Tick tock!" Nick sang out grinning at Howie. "You think this is funny!?" He hissed furiously. "A bag of blood and bones!............so good!" Nick growled. Howie's eyes widened. Nick's voice became throaty. "Your going to scream forever! Music to my ears! Your mind mine!" He hissed. The look on Nick's face terrified Howie, he had no idea what to make of this or what to do. But he didn't have to do anything, because suddenly the look vanished as Nick blinked, a blank look replacing the insane gleeful one. "Shit! Don't do that!" Howie snapped, his nerves thoroughly shaken. "Do what?" Nick asked insulted. Tap!.........Tap!.........Tap!.......Tap! "Could we discuss this later! Hurry up!" Kevin barked, he got the feeling the creature really was waiting, the tapping was beginning to set the gnawing sensation of fear eating at Kevin's stomach. No amount of training could prepare any man for this thing. Nick and Howie set to work again, with the sounding of the creature's claw, steadily going through out the room. The man let out another small groan and shifted again, Nick pulled away more tubes having no doubt that he was going to wake up any second now. Howie grabbed the mans arm and peered at the computer. "Hey," He muttered his eyes running over the device. He let go of the tube and began punching buttons. "What are you doing?" Nick whispered. "Just a sec," Howie concentrated on the tiny computer. He pressed one last button and looked at the man. CHEEFOOM! FOOM! FOOM! The tubes began to disengage from the mans suite, one by one. Grabbing the man as he slowly fell to the ground as the only support that held him let go, all three fell to the floor. "Yes!" Howie exclaimed, his joy shot lived. Tap........... The creature suddenly let out a breath that sounded like it was roaring ever so softly. Kevin's heart nearly shot to his throat when it moved. It began to crawl, pulling itself with what looked like difficulty, across the ceiling slowly. Nick and Howie froze watching it, the man groaned once more and opened his eyes. He blinked and moved his head. Nick looked down when he felt the movement, shaking away the sticky feeling of sleep the man raised his head and blinked, he stared at Nick with vague surprise. "What the hell.........." The man stared to say when Nick clamped his hand around his mouth. He raised his finger to his lips in a gesture of silence, and pointed. The man followed his arm to the ceiling. "Mugh!" The man squeaked when the sight of the creature reached his eyes. Kevin followed the creature, the gun trained on its disfigured form. "Guys!" He whispered. "Get going, now!" Howie grabbed the man, "Listen! Just shut up! And follow us!" He hissed, the man nodded and Nick let go of his mouth. The three scrambled to their feet. The creature moved slowly, the blood still dripped out of the humans faces mouth. Nick, Howie and the man moved as fast as they dared to Kevin, with a watch full eye on the thing. Growling the thing stopped, and opened its eye, it was right in the middle of its face, one shiny black eye. A spider's eye. Nick suddenly shuddered, and the mad look returned. "I spy with my little eye, four lost little boys." He rasped. The man glanced at Nick when suddenly the thing growled, and moved. With jerky, clawing movements, the creature raced down the wall, the impression of a bug coming through more. Howie let out a terrified gasp as it moved. "MOVE! NOW!" Kevin barked out, and all four made a wild dash for the exit, the thing screeched, an inhuman and inanimal screech, that seemed to echo in itself with no help needed by the empty room. It crawled down the wall, like a roach, and beat them to the exit. Kevin, who was in the lead skidded to a terrified stop, with a gasp. The creature hung over the door, its eye wet and cold. It then opened its mouth, its growl turning into a rattle as it opened far more wider then it should have been able to. And something came out, from its throat, a slimy kind of translucent yellow sack spilled out, and inside, human forms moved. Kevin took a horrified step back, and Howie paled when he saw what was happening. Moans filled the air, anguish and pain fill moans that echoed eerily through out the room. Human faces were pressed against the yellow wall, and were shoved back by others, arms stretched out as they moaned and cried, they disappeared and were only replaced instantly by more. It looked like many people were trapped or dead, they moved about though, there cries real and yet not. The yellow sack spilled toward Kevin, hands reached toward the men, and he realized that they were planning to grab them, just four more added to the horrific count in the things stomach. Suddenly Nick's words came to Kevin's mind again. Tick tock! Tick tock! A bag of bones and blood!.........so good! Your going to scream forever! Music to my ears! Your mind mine! That was what he meant, they were going to be trapped forever in that things belly, maybe alive, if it caught them. Kevin suddenly felt his heart go cold, the fear being pushed away by something else. He couldn't be killed by this thing, he wouldn't be, not after all he had gone through in this hell hole, not after everything everyone had gone through. Only to be eaten by this nightmare. They were going to survive. Kevin raised the gun and aimed it at the abomination blocking the only way out. "I don't think so!" He said coldly, and fired. The bullet his dead on, striking the unfortunate human head that next surfaced in the yellow blob. Blood exploded out, and the face opened its mouth in a scream that the beast voiced for it. It screeched and instantly the sack slide back into its toothy mouth, the horrible human's in it also disappearing. The things claws flew into its mouth as if it were covering the bullet wound. The man, who had been standing in the middle of Howie and Nick, suddenly hit his arm, where the tiny computer was. And abruptly the blocks in the wall the thing was covering, slammed outward, flinging the creature off the wall. Instantly, the men, rushed forward, their legs powered by fear. They ran under the creature and it screamed and fell into a pile on the ramp. Everyone shot into the darkened hallway. "GO! GO!" Kevin screamed, as they pounded forward, he heard the thing, it had rolled over and lunged into the hall, somehow managing to fit its fat body through. It screamed and it rushed toward the men, a deadly blob moving faster then they could run. Moans filled the hallway, Howie dragged the man by his arm, screaming, the two and Nick pounded forward. Tears poured down Nick's face, terror making his heart slam into his chest so hard, he was sure it would break it. Adrenaline poured through him making him dizzy with fear. Kevin aimed the gun behind him and fired blindly, light exploded for brief seconds, making everyone look like they were moving in slow motion. The creature roared and slowed ever so slightly, in the quick flashes of light, Kevin saw that the human arm that had been hanging off its back was actually clawing at the wall as if trying to help speed the form up. The sounds roared through the hallway, screaming, gunfire, moans, and the screeching of the creature. It all seemed unreal to Kevin. Howie and the man leaped out of the dark hallway, Nick not far behind, suddenly the man yanked his arm back, stopped and spun around sliding on the metal floor, Howie skidded also to a stop, Nick rushed past the man as he flung it arm out. A tube shot out of the man's hand and flew to the wall by the door, it connected with an outlet next to it. The door began closing. "Wait!" Nick cried, about to yell that Kevin was still in there when he leaped out, over the closing door and slammed into the floor and rolled, instantly he was on his knees and he fired the gun one last time. The creature was about to come through when the bullet hit, it screeched and the door clamped shut. Not a moment to soon, because instantly it slammed against the metal. "Thank god for the academy." Howie said numbly as the tube disengaged and started sliding back into the man's hand. The moans traveled out through the steel door, and it hit it again, making the room almost shake. "Let move!" Kevin cried and Howie and Nick rushed into the reflecting hallway, the man running after them, Kevin last. Even though the creature wasn't after them, they ran even faster through the dizzying hall, running for all they were worth. Out they burst, into the darkness of the deck hallways once more, breathing hard they stood. "What...........what do we do now!" Nick gasped, his hand in a fist on his chest. Kevin looked around, breathing hard as well, his throat burned from the frantic run. He gulped in much needed air. "We have to get off this deck and as far away from it as we can." He said. Suddenly, the sound of metal bending echoed through out the hall, everyone froze. A faint screech sounded out. "Oh shit!" Howie cried. The man looked over his shoulder, and quickly looked back at his rescuers. "Follow me!" He said turning and quickly walking down into the dark. Everyone exchanged looks before following the man. He hurried to a door and stood to the side of it. Holding his hand out to the panel and the tube came out, plugging into it. He stood there, his gaze far off. Kevin came out and looked at the door, then the man. "What are you doing?" He demanded. "This here's an office. The head honcho resided here, he was completely freaked that someone would get into his personal space and built it on a different system then the main power source, supposedly it was so nobody could hack into it. But the air that runs into there comes from a special unit, so we won't have to worry about that thing coming in through the vents. We should be safe for a while." The man said still looking off. "Oh." Was all Kevin said. They waited for a second before the man's face winced, suddenly he jerked. "Got it!" He said proudly, and the door instantly clicked and opened. `Welcome Back Doctor' The pleasant computer voice said as it opened. Despite the situation Nick snorted back laughter, Howie looked amused slightly. The man shook his arm and the tube disengaged, disappearing into his hand again. The lights in the room turned on and Kevin stepped in hesitantly. It was a nice office, a hell of a lot better then the standard ones. A desk sat in front of a window that showed the blackness of space out side. There was a large round pit off to the side, a lounging area. A bar was on the other side of the room, it was glass and showed the many bottles on its shelves. The roof was domed slightly, showing more space. Not bad indeed. BACK NEXT |
| Science And Madness |