The Fourth World Read online

  Fintan squinted. In a few places he could see some faded blue or ochre. “Yes,” he said. “I see that.”

  She led him to a line that ran from floor to ceiling. “See how the color changes here” she said. “The blue is gone, and there are traces of yellow.”

  “The line isn’t solid,” said Fintan. “There’s a gap here,” he pointed. “And what looks like a tube linking the two sides. Reminds me of the wormhole we travelled through to get here.”

  She nodded, gravely.

  “What is it?” asked Fintan. “What does it mean?”

  The rumbling returned but now it was much louder and their cavern shook. Rocks started to fall from the ceiling and a cloud of dust rose up. Fintan was glad he was wearing his pressure suit or he wouldn’t have been able to breathe.

  He punched his bracelet. “Zack, come in.”

  “Yo,” said Zack. “You guys having fun yet?”

  “Something’s going on down here,” said Fintan. “Did you feel the ground shaking just now?”

  “Negative,” said Zack. “But the city is likely to be well insulated.”

  The ground shook again, and more rocks fell. Nizhoni grabbed his arm and pulled him away from one particularly large one that landed with a bone jarring thud close to where Fintan had been standing.

  “Fintan,” said Zack “What was that?”

  “We’d better get out of here!” shouted Nizhoni.

  There was another shake and the entrance to their cavern collapsed. The only way out was to go down the side cavern that Simon had taken earlier.

  The lights flickered again. Nizhoni clicked on the light at the forehead of her pressure suit. It was a good idea, Fintan followed suit.

  They frantically searched around, but there seemed to be no way out.

  A voice came from behind them. “Fintan!” it said. “Run! Get out of here!”

  Simon came clambering over some rocks to their left. He was carrying the torch in one hand and a bracelet in the other. He pointed up a slope to their right.

  “Go that way!” he said. “They got Red Two! They got him!”

  “Who did?” asked Fintan.

  Simon threw his bracelet into Fintan’s hands. “Take this and just run!” said Simon. “Run!”

  Nizhoni grabbed Fintan’s arm and they started clambering up the slope that Simon had indicated. There was a dark hole near the top that Fintan hoped would lead them back to the elevator cavern.

  There was a sound, and Fintan looked back to something huge moving in the darkness. It glistened with wet brownish skin.

  “Hurry!” said Simon shouting back to him, before activating the stone cutter and charging the creature.

  Nizhoni and Fintan reached the top, and there was an exit. Fintan looked back to see the creature throwing Simon across the cavern. He hit the floor, and his faceplate cracked.

  “Run you fools!” he said and held the stone cutter high as the creature covered him with darkness.

  There was a flash, and a glow from the underside of the creature. It screamed and raised itself high, before slamming downwards, crushing Simon and the stone cutter.

  “No!” shouted Fintan. “Simon!”

  “He died giving us a chance,” said Nizhoni. “Let’s not waste it.”

  They crawled up through the hole to find the ramps that led down to the cavern that they had been working in earlier. “Just up here,” she said, “and we can reach the elevator shaft.”

  Fintan activated his bracelet. “Can anybody hear me?”

  “Yeah,” said Zack. “I hear you loud and clear. What happened earlier, you got cut off?”

  “Red Two is dead, Simon is dead. There’s something down here. Get everyone to the school bus and get them out of here straight away!”

  Again there was a loud rumbling, and the ground beneath them shook. “Quickly!” yelled Fintan.

  Nizhoni had reached the top of the ramp, Fintan a few steps behind. She stopped and looked through the carved doorway to the next chamber.

  Tricnollak walked through the door, calmly. His small body walked with deliberate calm and demeanor. He didn’t need a pressure suit in the Martian atmosphere.

  Nizhoni didn’t look at him, didn’t talk to him.

  Fintan ran up the ramp to face the alien, panting. “Something is down there,” he said. “It killed Red Two and Simon!”

  The alien nodded and walked calmly towards the hole that led down to the cavern where Simon had died. “Leave this place,” he said. “I will buy you some time.”

  Nizhoni didn’t argue and immediately ran out the door. Fintan scrambled to keep up.

  “You really have to tell me what it is between you and him,” said Fintan as they reached the elevator. This cavern was below the main entry building that Iara had led them to earlier, and a much smaller elevator led upwards. Nizhoni punched the button to call it.

  “For another time,” she said. She punched the button again. “Come on!” she said. “Hurry up!”

  Their bracelets chimed and they heard Iara’s voice.

  “We’re almost finished loading the school bus,” she said. “We’ll be out of here in a couple of minutes. What’s your ETA?”

  “Just go!” said Nizhoni. “We have Simon’s bracelet, so we can fly his and Red Two’s saucers. Get out of here as soon as you can.”

  They heard something far above them. Then they heard Iara screaming over the intercom.

  Zack pinged them. “We’ve had a cave in up here. Iara is hurt. Hurry up!”

  Nizhoni repeated. “Go without us, we can get to the saucers.”

  “I’m not leaving without you and Fintan!”

  The ground shook again, and Zack was cut off.

  “I hope he chose this moment in time to get a brain,” said Nizhoni. “And do the right thing.”

  Finally they could hear creaking from above them. The elevator was coming.

  But then something scurried in the darkness around them.

  “What’s that?” said Fintan, moving around to illuminate the shadows with his helmet light. Several times something small moved out of the light and hid against the rocks. “Is someone there?” he called out.

  “We were the only ones down here,” said Nizhoni, fear creeping into her voice.

  The elevator reached bottom and the doors opened. As they ran in and closed the door, Fintan thought he saw the silhouette of something moving in the darkness. It was small, with a large head and a slender body. It reminded him somewhat of a smaller version of Trichallik, but he couldn’t be sure.

  Chapter 36: The Chase

  The elevator banged upwards and led them to another cavern. It was a quick and easy walk to the entrance to the geofront from here, and the elevator to the surface was already waiting for them.

  “Good old Zack,” said Fintan. “He sent it down to us so we wouldn’t have to wait.”

  Nizhoni nodded. “I think I’m too hard on him sometimes.”

  She got inside and pushed the up button.

  “Just as long as this place doesn’t fall apart while we’re going up,” said Fintan.

  “Actually, the elevator shaft is probably the safest place, as there’s no ceiling to fall down on us.”

  Fintan nodded.

  “I saw something back there,” said Nizhoni. “Near the elevator. There were creatures in the darkness. They looked like-“

  The elevator jarred to a stop. “Later,” she said. “Let’s get out of here now.”

  They ran through the domes to the landing area. As they reached it they saw the yellow school bus just lifting off in a cloud of red dust.

  “Good,” said Nizhoni. “They’re safe.”

  Fintan and Nizhoni ran to the two saucers. Fintan used Simon’s bracelet to get into the first one, and used its command overrides to open the second one for Nizhoni. They strapped in and launched as quickly as they could.

  “Zack,” said Fintan, once they were flying. “Come in?”

  Zack’s face po
pped up on Fintan’s display. “Good to see you buddy, now can you let me know what’s going on?”

  “Later,” he said. “Wait a minute, are you flying the schoolbus?”

  “Yep,” he said. “Iara hurt her leg, so I’m going to be her hero and fly these mutants out of here.”

  “Fly low,” said Fintan. “And fast. We have to get back to base camp.”

  “Ok, but would you please explain what is going on?”

  “We were attacked, and we don’t know if it is over yet.”

  Something pinged on his scanners. “Nizhoni?” said Zack.

  “I see them too!” she said. “Three of them approaching from the north east,” she paused a moment. “They’re not ours. Fintan. Stay with the school bus, I will hold them off and buy you some time.”

  “No Nizhoni, stay together!” said Fintan.

  “Negative,” she responded. “They’ll be on top of us in a couple of minutes, and the school bus is defenseless. You can get the bus back to base camp in about ten minutes. I can hold them off long enough for you to get them out of harm’s way and then come back here and help me finish them off.” Her saucer dropped back.

  “No,” said Fintan. “I can’t leave you.”

  “You can,” she said calmly. “And you will. I will not let you leave the people on the school bus defenseless. What if there are more of these creatures?”

  “Leave me now,” she continued. “I need to concentrate. And Fintan, don’t worry. They cannot hurt me. They cannot harm me. They cannot touch one who has dreamed a dream like mine.”

  She smiled and then her face vanished from his display.

  *

  “Zack,” said Fintan. “There are more of whatever attacked us approaching. Nizhoni has dropped back to hold them off. Give it everything you’ve got to get back to base camp.”

  “I’ve been trying to raise them on the intercom,” said Zack. “But someone is jamming us.”

  “Do you have any flares or anything to signal them?”

  “No,” said Zack. “When we get into visual range we can do a tight beam to wake them up, but that’s still a few minutes off.”

  “Then stay low,” repeated Fintan. “And fly fast.”

  He moved his display to track Nizhoni. Instead of waiting for the creatures to attack her, she had moved to intercept them. The best defense is a good offense she would say. It made more sense that way, and would buy Zack even more time.

  He adjusted his magnification and finally saw their assailants. They were three of them, each maybe forty feet long, brown and segmented. At one end was a huge sharply toothed maw. They looked just like giant bugs, but were flying without any discernable wings. Unmistakably these were the creatures they had seen in the caverns below the geofront, the ones that killed Simon.

  Over the intercom he heard a blood-curdling battle cry from Nizhoni as her saucer flew like a blur right into them. She aimed headlong at the lead bug, spinning her ship like a buzz saw blade. At the last moment she broke off her headlong charge, ducked to the left and started firing her lasers as she spun into the creature’s side cutting through it in a shower of blood.

  It reared up and screamed, turning around to swipe at her ship as she dodged away. She dodged upwards, but another creature was trying to cut off her path.

  She was quick enough to see it, dodging downwards, flipping her saucer around to face it and open her main guns. They shot like a machine gun into the creatures sides. Its skin was armored, and Fintan could see many of her shots being deflected, but some hit, causing the creature to lurch and bleed.

  She then twisted around again and dove for the ground, heading away from the school bus. Two of the creatures followed her, but one stayed on course to follow the bus.

  “Eight minutes,” said Zack. “I don’t think we’re going to make it. You are better off going back and helping her out. The odds will be much better with three against two.”

  “But there might be more of them,” said Fintan. “I can’t leave you. Besides, would you like to make the girl that did that mad?”

  Fintan spotted a canyon that led roughly in the direction of basecamp. It was a longer way, and would add to their time, but it provided cover.

  “Zack,” he said. “Check out the canyon at ten o’clock. Can you get down into it and fly through it. It will provide visual cover.”

  “Better to go straight. If we go that way, it will take more time.”

  “Four minutes,” said Fintan, looking at the output from his tactical display. “But you’ll be under cover.”

  “Uh oh,” said Zack. “Two more bogies at three o’clock. Inbound on our position. ETA three minutes. I guess we have no choice!”

  Zack turned and made for the canyon. It would take him away from the new incoming ships, and buy some more time. Fintan followed, flying as close to the school bus as he could to keep a low radar profile.

  He checked back on Nizhoni. She had turned to pursue the one craft that had broken off to follow Fintan, and was attacking it from the rear. Her saucer was belching smoke now, but she still seemed to be in control of it. The other two were rapidly gaining on her. The lead bug broke off the chase to avoid her shots, but she got a couple in, drawing more of its blood.

  “She’s good,” said Fintan. “She’s really good!”

  “Good news,” said Zack. “I think those new bogies were spotted by home base. They’re scrambling ships to intercept.”

  Fintan moved his display to look towards home base. He magnified to see several battle saucers launching.

  “Here comes the cavalry,” he said. “Thank God!”

  *

  He made a calculation.

  “Zack,” he said. “I’m staying with you for two more minutes; at that point the battle saucers will be closer to you than the bugs. You’ll be able to get cover from them.”

  “But that’s four more minutes that Nizhoni will be on her own against them,” said Zack. “Leave now!”

  “No. And we’re not going to discuss this, ok?”

  The canyon was leveling out, so Zack lifted the school bus up and turned back towards home base. Fintan was trying to see what was going on with Nizhoni, but she was out of range now.

  “Home base this is school bus one, mayday, mayday!” Zack yelled into the comm.

  “Nothing yet, no response.”

  “Fintan,” said Zack. “Check out your heads up display.”

  He could see that the two new incoming bugs had broken off their intercept course of the school bus and were moving to engage the battle saucers instead. Also several battle saucers had broken off and were heading towards the school bus.

  “They see us,” said Zack. “You can go!”

  “They’re still a couple of minutes out,” said Fintan.

  “It’s ok,” said Zack. “Look, I know you want to protect us, but it’s ok. We’re going to be fine now, and those extra couple of minutes might make all the difference for Nizhoni.”

  Fintan was frantically trying to adjust his display to see what was happening with Nizhoni, but there was nothing.

  “Ok,” he said. “I’m sorry Zack, but I can’t leave her any longer.”

  “Go!” said Zack. “Go. And if she gets mad at you over this, I’ll stand by you. I don’t think she can beat us both up.”

  “Don’t bet on that,” said Fintan, and turned his saucer away to head back towards the dig and Nizhoni.

  Stay safe Nizhoni. I’m coming.

  Chapter 37: Fallout

  He dove down to hug the landscape and pushed the saucer as fast as it would go. There was still nothing on the display. He came within range of the dig camp and put his scanners on maximum magnification.

  There was nothing there. No bugs, no Nizhoni. Nothing.

  Where are you Nizhoni. His hands moved in a blur as he reprogrammed the scanners, trying to squeeze as much power out of them as he could.

  Suddenly, the scanners blanked out. He screamed inside, thinking he had da
maged them, but outside there quickly a flash of intense white. His visual scanners dimmed to protect his eyes but they didn’t hide the huge fireball that erupted over the dig site. He watched in awe as the superheated air climbed into the sky, sucking dust up into a mushroom cloud.

  Nuclear weapon. Someone is nuking the dig site. He fought back panic, but the interior sensors showed no radiation – either the saucer was shielded, or he was at a safe distance. Choking back the fear, he knew that he had to focus on finding Nizhoni.

  There was another flash, and another. Two more mushroom clouds climbed into the sky. One of them was close and the shockwave hit Fintan’s saucer slamming him backwards.

  He ignored the pain in his back as he fought to regain control. His best option was to gain as much altitude as possible and to be above the blasts and shockwaves.

  As he climbed he watched the hellish scene below. The first cloud had bloated and swelled, and through it he could see a firestorm as the rocks of the surface melted. The other clouds were growing slowly, reminding Fintan of a TV show he had once seen where scientists demonstrated how plants grew using time lapse photography.

  His sensors came back online and pinged. They showed two objects, climbing into orbit, and moving fast. One of them was giving off Nizhoni’s transponder signal. But if the other was one of the bugs, why was she chasing it? There was only one way to find out, so he pushed the saucer as fast as he could in a pursuit course. He had to get there whether it killed him or not.

  They were moving more slowly as they reached the upper levels of the Martian atmosphere. Fintan’s ship was shaking like crazy – he was clearly pushing it harder than he should, but he didn’t care. He was gaining on them.

  Finally they came within visual range. He magnified and gasped when he saw that the two ships were both bugs. The lead bug was slowing and looked to be trying to open a wormhole outside the atmosphere. The trailing bug was giving off Nizhoni’s transponder signal.

  He zoomed in on it and saw that it had her saucer in gripped with its legs. It looked like a giant grub or worm, and as it flew it was trying to tear her saucer apart to get at what was inside.

  No thought Fintan. And then “NO!” he screamed at the darkness.

  Calm down Fintan. You can’t help her if you panic. Calm down. There’s a solution to this.

  The transponder was still active, which meant that the pilot’s core was still active. She was still alive in there.

  The lead ship had succeeded in opening the wormhole; Fintan could see the bright point in the sky ahead of it, which then stretched into a hole. In only a few seconds, both ships would enter the wormhole, travelling to an unknown destination. She would be lost.