" Shit! Faster Aria, faster." It has seen us. I take an abrupt turn to the left considering that way would lead us fastest to the headquarters. " Which way are we going?" " To the headquarters." I reply Ian's question. " No. Not the headquarters. I've heard from Zoe that this creature had been spotted only twice and from the little they could learn is, it is very sensitive to radiation. It can turn lethal when in contact with even the slightest radiation. We need to go deeper into the forest. Maybe West, try to lead it on and then try coming back." I contemplate things for a moment and take another hairpin turn to the left.
" Aria, it's still behind us. Go faster." June looks at me with genuine fear. I take in a sharp breath, " Okay," I mumble to myself ' I've never done this, but never say never,' " So, hold on tight." I tell them and do the same myself with my spare hand and at the same time toggle the little switch on the right of the control lever. The pod does gain speed but it gets hard to navigate through. A little red dot beeps up on a tiny screen in the pod telling, ' You are currently outside permitted premises. Please ensure you have necessary equipment and experts on board. Venturing uncharted territory without precautions is dangerous.'
As soon as I finish reading the whole thing, I look up to realize in one and half a second our pod will clash with a tree, as if involuntarily, I pull the brakes. " Ah!" " Ouch!" All three of us are thrown to the floor of the pod.
Ian was the first to perceive the situation. The pod refused to start. We need to get out. I give June a hand, she's hurt in the knee and we swiftly but carefully get out. " Did you break any bones?" I say dabbing the tiny specks of blood below June's right knee." She makes a hissing noise, " No, but it is burning." I let her slowly sit herself down.
" I didn't hear any growls and rumbles yet." I look around, " Hopefully we got rid of it. But we have entered the unexplored areas, no trails made, no maps charted and we got a broken pod." " And a broken signal transducer." Ian adds. " A broken what?" June raises her brows. " The transducer is broken?" I have average knowledge about such tech devices so I thought to take a look at it if it's actually broken, " Can you show me?"
Ian takes me inside the pod. But before we can do anything the pod shudders, once, twice. It is playing with us now. I turn around in horror to see the creature peering from behind towering branches about ten meters from us. June is outside, I was going to dash for her and scream at the same time but two strong arms grab me from behind stopping me midway. " June, she's " " Shush!" Ian hushes me, " Nothing will happen to her. Just. Don't. Move." I could see my sister sitting on the green floor helplessly through the water-resistant glass. My body starts shivering all over. She slowly turns her head towards us. Ian conveys her to remain like a statue, making the least movement.
It takes a step forward. Then another. Then startling us all there was a familiar roar from a distance behind us. Ian looks at me with the same question I have on my face, ' It is not one. They are two, or even more.' We don't say anything. I was holding my breath, unknowingly, dreading what might happen next. The one in front of us roared back as if replying and strides over towards us, closing up the distance. I broke into a sweat and I could tell that the other two were feeling the same. Five meters, two meters I shut my eyes trying to accept my fate, I thank God for all that he has given me. The last thud of its footfalls almost over us. Then it overhauls us to where the other roar came from.
I remain petrified there for a few more seconds after the foot steps slowly fade away into the woods behind us. June tries to get up and I stumble outside to help her. She holds me tight and I hug her back. " I was trying to remember when we last hugged." she sniffs. " Shut up." I scold her, " It's alright we'll be fine." I couldn't hide the crack in my voice, as I blink away the water from my eyes.
JULY 2nd, 2045. 09:45.
- Neyven -
IAN'S POV :
I get out of the pod heaving a sigh and notice Aria and June hugging each other. They must be really close, Aria was hard to control back there as if she could give anything to save her sister.
" Hey! I don't want to interrupt but we've got a situation at hand so, maybe keep hugs for later, when we get back safe." I say. " Yeah. Let's check out the transducer. June, it's better you stay inside." We help her get on the pod. " That knee of yours needs to be bandaged." I tell June, she nods and then her expression changes as she looks around, " Darn it! We don't have our bags here. Where'd we get meds, and food and everything else we may need?" Aria crouches down and scuffles under the rear seats of the pod. " Here. Every pod is equipped with a first-aid kit and a toolbox," she says. I take the kit from her hand, "I'll take care of this." "Are you sure?" Aria asks unconvinced. "I have professional first-aid training." "Alright. I'll check if anything can be done about the transducer. I'll need to go outside." "Be careful," June says, and she nods.
Aria retires to the little control chamber in front of the pod leaving June and me inside. " You and your sister are really close.." " Yeah. Since mom and dad keep staying away due to work, we both only have each other back home. And there's Ben, our old neighbour. He's Aria's childhood friend, the only other friend she has except me." she pauses, " Why am I telling you all this?" And looks up at me. " Because you should. Keep saying, it will help you stay distracted while I bandage this over." I give her a short smile. " No. It's because you're eager to know." she looks at me suggestively, " What's up with you two?" " What do you mean?" I question her and she giggles. " That sounds familiar. I had asked her the same question and her answer, precisely the words you said in the very same order," she pokes me mimicking, " What do you mean?" and laughs again. I give her a disapproving look.
"Well don't bother. But it seems like you've offended my sis. What did you tell her?" " What? Nothing." I act clueless. " You must have. She takes offence easily, can't blame her for that though," I look up at her wanting to know the whole thing. " Just look at yourself." she laughs again, " Your eyes are glimmering as if I just said I ordered a double cheese pizza."
"Either tell me or shut up." I rebuked tugging the bandage a little too hard, " Ouch! Hey!" she keeps laughing. Aria climbs into the pod and shuts the swing door behind, " What's so funny?" she glares at both of us, sweating and panting slightly, her sleeves rolled up and hair tied. I scan her head to toe as she walks up to us, " Is there something on my face? Or something in your eyes?"
" Uh. What did you find?" I swiftly change the topic but don't look away. " Well, it really is broken. No way to fix it." " How will we find out where the others are? And without a pod we can't really go back to the headquarters, right?" June gets up. " We need to sort something out. You know what, I have an idea, but to get something you gotta give up something." " Anything but our lives." June comments. " Our transmitters, " Aria says, "We're not carrying our phones but we have the transmitters. The transmitters we have are nine Gen. They have this little chip that is a sort of a transducer, but it's not as strong as the one we'll need. Their signal wavelength is too short and frequency is high." " So we have to set them up into the correct frequency to make our signal reach out," I say cutting her in between. " Yes. But we'll need all three, it won't possibly work with any less." Aria says. " But then we won't be able to connect anyone on call anymore." June raises her brows. Aria nods in affirmation. " Are you sure this will work?" I say handing her my transmitter. " Do we have an option?" Aria points back taking it.
" Can we not try to connect everyone we know one last time?" June looks uo at her sister, " Please!" " Go ahead. And good luck." We all sit down as June tries connecting everyone on her contact list one by one.
After a few fails one seemingly connects, we hear static for a few seconds then a voice was audible, Dr. Nathaniel. " Dad? Do you hear me? Dad?" " June?" his voice was alarmed, " June? Are you kids still in Neyven? June?" He exclaims, " Yes Dad. But where are you all? We're here stuck in a situation. Dad? Can you hear me?" " June? Are you there? I can't hear you. Please leave that island. It is.." the feed goes static for a few seconds, " The core is weakening. It won't remain afloat for long. June? Leave the island if you can hear me." And then we lose the feed.
" This is gonna be anything but a summer vacation," June says flipping her transmitter off, as we eye each other thinking of the same thing.
............
Ah! And that's one of the longest chapters. I beg your pardon for popping up in all the wrong times, but now that I've done it, might as well remind you of the very same thing - If you liked it this far, don't forget to vote and comment. : )
Happy reading!
( I won't be disturbing you until the next chapter-end XD )
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THE NEYVEN MAYHEM
Adventure" Summer just got, a whole, lot, hotter." ...Year - 2042. A breakthrough in the scientific world. An island - a treasure trove of resources that were otherwise considered non-existent, hidden all these centuries behind a cloak of clouds has been dis...
