Aestus, Book 1: The City

Aestus, Book 1: The City | Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A box, about the size of Jossey's hand, glowed a faint turquoise in the tunnel wall, barely illuminating the rock around it. Caspar grinned. He and Liam gently lowered the stretcher to the ground.

Caspar went up to the glowing box. "Let's see if I can remember how to do this," he muttered.

He reached out and put his hand on the box. It began to glow more brightly. A strip of red appeared around the edge.

"Is it working?" Perkins asked.

"Hold on." Caspar frowned. He punched a couple of buttons. "This one's an older model." Something lit up, flickered, then faded. He groaned. "I can't remember the code."

"Great," Perkins grumbled.

Jossey watched from the ground, curious. She'd been in the tunnels a few times, mostly when Tark had taken her exploring, but had never seen one of these. Maybe Patrol didn't have them so close to the City.

Caspar looked lost in thought for a moment, then his silver eyes lit up and he pressed another sequence of buttons.

A green strip appeared around the edge, and the box crackled loudly.

"Identify yourself." The tinny voice resounded around the tunnel.

Caspar quickly pressed another button. The volume dropped.

He leaned in toward the box. "Level P-45, quadrant four." His voice was calm, assured. "I'm an Engineer with solar crew 35."

P-45? Jossey squinted, her head pounding.

The other crew members silently gathered around, watching.

"What is your situation?" The voice was young. Jossey guessed a new recruit.

Caspar glanced at the rest of them.

"We are a transport party, two solar crews, total about thirty people. We've been attacked, one Onlar down, one driver down, several injured. We need immediate help," he said.

"Stand by."

There was a click. A few seconds of silence.

There was a second click, a faint rattling sound.

Then the tinny voice spoke again. It was calm, measured.

As if the person on the other end were reading from a script.

"We regret to hear of your situation, Engineer, but the Gates have been closed."

"I understand that, but– "

"You are advised to remain where you are," the tinny voice continued. "Take shelter. At first light Patrol units can be sent to the surface and evacuate you along the way."

Caspar stared at the box.

It crackled, and went silent.

Someone choked. Jossey turned but couldn't see who. Their safety lights had been on for over two hours, and were beginning to dim.

She reached up and switched hers off; they might need them later. She watched others silently do the same.

Liam's jaw tightened, and he stepped forward as if he wanted to physically reach the person on the other side of the box. Perkins put a warning hand on his shoulder.

"Don't," Perkins rumbled.

The Patrol dispatcher on the other side of the box had sounded like he was rattling off the day's menu or announcing an evacuation drill – "Citizens, remain calm," that type of thing – rather than giving them what was essentially a death sentence.