Mistrunner 2 - Chapter 60 - That Moment (Patreon)

I hate traps. They’re so underhanded and dishonest. Instead, I prefer to tackle my issues head-on. But sometimes, the situation demands that we step out of our comfort zones. And never let it be said that Nora Lancaster backed away from a challenge.

Nora Lancaster

To my surprise, stepping out of the Rift was entirely anticlimactic. After gearing myself up for a fight, seeing that nothing about the octavangian camp was almost eerie. I was so shocked that I spent quite a bit of time searching for traps or other surprises, but I found nothing of the sort.

So, through our secure connection, I told Patrick to come on through. I was so off-balance that I’d never even considered the possibility that the connection wouldn’t persist across whatever gap that existed between the real world and the Rift, so it was a good thing that the connection worked as intended. Patrick stepped through only a few minutes after I did, and he was just as surprised at the lack of an alien threat as I was.

Neither of us were going to argue with good fortune, though, and free from immediate danger, we set about on a thorough exploration of the camp. After all, we’d been a bit rushed during our first pass, and I was eager to learn more about the aliens who’d infiltrated our world. Fortunately, this was where my Universal Language ability came in handy.

After jacking into a security terminal in the camp’s lone building, I discovered why the octavangians hadn’t sent any reinforcements. In short, the aliens had never put out a distress call. And after reading through a few messages, it wasn’t difficult for me to figure out why that was the case.

Basically, the octavangians operated on a shoestring budget. The Rift was profitable, but they’d never gone past the first crate before retreating to the real world and waiting for the Rift to repopulate, which took about a week. Even that had been pushing their abilities to the limit, supporting the idea that they were far from the best the aliens could offer. Instead, I got the sense that they were akin to the factory workers back in Nova City. Skilled enough to get the job done, but anything outside of that would prove an insurmountable obstruction on their path to profitability.

The real warriors wouldn’t be deployed unless they were threatened, and even then, the miners were incentivized to wait until the last moment. If they put up a distress call, the cost of sending those warriors down to the surface would be held against their budget. And if they went into the red, they would be replaced.

Suddenly, I didn’t feel so mighty. If the octavangians I’d fought were effectively civilians, I had no interest in meeting the real fighters.

I also learned a little bit about the Rifts themselves. First, they were described as extradimensional pocket worlds created from excess Mist. Sometimes, they used real-world events to create the scenarios, but other times, they were completely fabricated from nothing. I suspected that had been the case with my first Rift. It had felt far more contrived than the ruined space station.

Finally, I discovered that the scenario I’d just seen was based on a verifiable event from the real world. The creature I had seen was called a galactic wyrm, and it existed by literally consuming integrated planets, asteroids, and moons.

“You look like you just saw a ghost,” remarked Patrick, who’d been standing guard as I perused the information in the terminal. No one had been waiting for us, but that didn’t necessarily mean the area was safe. For all I knew, the aliens would send someone down after a certain amount of time had passed with no communication. Or the wildlife would begin to reclaim their once-abandoned territory. Letting down our guard would be an absolute mistake.

But I wasn’t really thinking about that.

I shook my head. “Just realized that we’re a lot smaller than I thought we were,” I admitted. Then, I told him about the galactic wyrm, likening it to a dragon from popular programs on the entertainment feeds. He’d seen it in the Rift, same as me, but learning that it was a real creature came with the sobering realization that, no matter how powerful we became, there was always something out there that could squash us like bugs.

“I feel like that most of the time, honestly,” Patrick admitted. “Doesn’t matter if I get killed by some meathead with a gravity hammer or a giant space monster, really. Dead’s dead, and I have just as much chance of surviving in both cases.”

“That’s not even close to true,” I pointed out. “I mean, you can run from a mook with a hammer. But you can’t really run from a giant space dragon that eats planets.”

“See – that’s where you’re wrong,” he said. “We get a ship, and we can probably get away.”

“From a giant space dragon?” I asked. “Yeah – I think you’re underestimating what something like that would be capable of. But it doesn’t really matter. According to the files in this security terminal, that wyrm was killed by some kind of intergalactic fleet. And most of its species never get big enough to really threaten anything more than a small asteroid.”

“Comforting.”

“I know, right?” I said, giving him a grin. “So, we just have to worry about aliens, terrestrial monsters, and humans.”

“Don’t forget birds. I’ve seen some terrifying raptors out there,” Patrick pointed out.

“Right. Birds, too,” I agreed.

After being reminded that we weren’t invincible, I cut off my research, opting to simply download the relevant files. Just as I had been taught, I sequestered the packet into an isolated part of my interface where the effects of any hostile files would be limited. Then, I disengaged and asked Patrick how he was doing on Mist.

“It’s a strain,” he said. “But I should be fine. I think it’ll be close once we leave the dead zone, but I’m pretty sure I can handle it long enough to get back to Nova. So long as we head straight to the Dome where I can unload everything.”

“That’s the plan,” I said. “Let’s get out of here.”

With that, we exited the building and made our way out of the stadium. Once again, I wondered what the thing’s purpose had been. Was it intended for live performances of some sort? Or perhaps a sport? I had no idea, and I questioned whether or not I would ever discover the truth. Few were the people who’d managed to survive long enough to have seen such things firsthand; my uncle had, but like most, he’d always been a bit cagey about the past. Likely, he just wanted to forget. I could sympathize with that.

We trekked through the surrounding town on foot.  Using the Cutter would have been faster, but only marginally so due to the copious amounts of rubble obstructing the roads. Even on foot, there were some routes that were completely impassible, so it took us a few hours to leave the ruins behind. Once we did, I wasted no time before summoning my hoverbike and speeding to the south.

We covered quite a bit of ground before the sun began to set, but we were still a long way from civilization. As such, I kept an eye out for a suitable spot to camp, eventually settling for a half-buried culvert. Due to a mudslide, it only had one opening, which made it very defensible, if not particularly comfortable.

That night, while we were eating a supper of ration bars, Patrick said, “When we get a ship, we won’t have to rough it like this anymore. I think that’s what I miss the most about the Jitterbug. It wasn’t perfect or anything. It was way too cramped, and it had a…smell that took a while to get used to, but it felt like home. I definitely miss that.”

I sat next to him on one of the cots and leaned against him. The whole time, my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest. Curious that I could face off against giant spiders, octopus men, and mutated wildlings without skipping a beat, but rubbing shoulders with a boy pushed me to the verge of a panic attack.

“What kind of ship do you think we’ll be able to afford?” I asked. It was a repeat of a previous question, and inwardly, I cursed myself for such a stupid line of conversation.  I knew Patrick liked me. He’d told me so, and everything he’d done since had supported the claim. However, my insecurity refused to rescind the dominion it held over my thoughts.

Staring ahead at the Mistlamp, he answered, “It’ll be big. Like, really big. Lots of room for you to train. It’ll be slow in Earth’s atmosphere, but that’s fine. We don’t need to be the fastest thing around. Not here, at least. Once we can leave the planet, though…that’s when she’ll shine.”

“Thinking ahead, huh?” I asked, nudging him with my shoulder.

“Oh, yeah. Definitely,” he answered, grinning at me. “It’s going to be awesome. I mean, we can’t leave yet, but that won’t always be the case. And I don’t think there’s anything really keeping us here, right? We could put together a crew and just…explore. Like, no restrictions. Just us and the vastness of the galaxy.”

“And whatever trouble we could get into,” I added.

He laughed. “Probably. I guess. But what’s life without a little adventure?” Patrick asked.

“I could do with a little peace and quiet,” I admitted, which drew an even heartier laugh from my companion. I demanded, “What? I can do peace and quiet.”

“Wait – do you really believe that?” he asked. “Mira – ever since I’ve known you, it’s been one crisis after another.” He held up his hands, continuing, “Nothing wrong with that. Obviously. I’m here with you, right? But I just don’t know that you’ll ever be okay with settling down. That’s one of the things I like about you. Never a dull moment, you know? You’ve always got something going on. It forces me to be…I don’t know…more than what I would be otherwise.”

“You make it sound like I’m your trainer or something.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” Patrick said with a shake of his head. “I’m just saying that I’m better when I’m with you. By necessity. For instance, I never would have gotten training for [Cybernetic Engineering] without you. Sure, that’s what I wanted. That’s what Remy and I talked about. But chances are, even if Remy would’ve lived, I’d have just done enough to help us do what we were already doing. You’re a catalyst, though. Everything goes through you, at least when it comes to my life. And I’m fine with that. Better than fine. I like that trying to keep up with you makes me better.”

Then, he added, “Even if it can be really frustrating sometimes.”

I was taken aback, and for a few moments, I didn’t respond. In some ways, I found his confession incredibly flattering. Everyone wants to be someone’s inspiration, right? But from another perspective, it made me extremely uncomfortable. I already had plenty of pressure on me without knowing that he held me up as his life’s muse.

That was a heavy burden, and I wasn’t certain I could ever live up to it.

So, I changed the subject by saying, “We could just leave as soon as we get the ship, right? What’s stopping us?”

“The system,” he stated, thankfully allowing the shift in conversation go unremarked.

“What do you mean?”

“Just that it won’t let us leave,” he said. “I mean, aliens getting down here is one thing. Any decent smuggler could do that – at least according to Remy. But getting out? That’s something else altogether. Even the aliens who’ve come down are basically stranded here. Remy told me that they have to use humans and the Bazaar to send anything off-planet. So, we’re stuck here until the Integration.”

I shook my head, muttering, “Guess that ends that idea.”

After that, the conversation petered out, and a pregnant silence stretched between us. I knew he probably wanted things to take the next step. Sure, I’d gotten most of the gore and blood out of my hair when we’d chanced upon a stream earlier in the day, but we were both still filthy. That wouldn’t change until we were afforded the opportunity to take proper showers. So, despite our growing closeness and the intimacy of our previous topic of conversation, I was in no mood for romance. So, even though I was aware of his intentions – and on the surface, I didn’t find them objectionable – I refused to go down that road when my hair still held bits of dead alien.

Perhaps I was crazy, but even the tiniest bit of gore tended to suck the romance out of the air. At least for me. I felt certain there was someone in Nova City where it would just make things better, though.

Eventually, we retired to our separate cots. I didn’t immediately go to sleep; instead, I just lay there keeping Observation running as I kept an eye on the culvert’s lone entrance. We’d left the auto-turrets behind in the Rift, so we didn’t even have them as an early-warning system. Still, my diligence proved pointless, and after seven hours, I woke Patrick and forced myself to rest while he took watch.

I only slept a couple of hours, but when the sun rose, I was well-rested enough that I didn’t think my performance would be impacted. Too many nights of that sort, and that would no longer be the case, though. With my high Constitution attribute, I could keep going for quite some time without sleep, but even I had limits. And I needed to keep those in mind, lest I pay the price.

After Patrick and I took care of our morning needs, we got back on the hoverbike and continued south towards Nova City. The journey was almost entirely uneventful, save for the wide detour we took around the crater where I’d fought the mutated wildlings. I had no interest in revisiting that hellhole, so we made sure to keep well away. As it turned out, the crater was even larger than we’d first anticipated, and it took most of the day to skirt around it.

That night was more of the same, though I managed to sleep for a few hours. It wasn’t very restful – largely because of the nightmares filled with giant mind spiders who forced me to relive some of my worst memories – but it was better than nothing. Or that’s what I told myself. In the back of my mind, I thought it would’ve been better if I’d simply remained awake.

Even so, we continued on our journey the next day, and after finding the crumbling road we’d followed from Nova City, we made exceptional time. Before nightfall, I could see the city on the horizon, but we didn’t immediately approach. Instead, we found an abandoned building in which to make camp so we could enter the city by the light of day.

The next morning found us at the base of the pillar I’d once used as a backdoor to the city. Patrick wasn’t up to climbing nearly a thousand feet straight up, so he was forced to swallow his pride and clip himself to my back. He usually wasn’t afflicted with misplaced masculine vanity, but he clearly wasn’t happy with the situation. Still, I was tempted to tease him a bit, but in the end, I thought better of it and kept my mouth shut.

The climb was surprisingly easy, even with Patrick strapped to my back. I could only suppose that my recent gains regarding my Constitution were responsible. I’d already noticed it, but eclipsing the hundred-point mark had resulted in a huge jump in the attribute’s effectiveness. That increase showed its worth as I ascended the pillar, climbing from one piton to the next. Even the once-precarious crossing from the column to the grate proved a weak adversary, and I defeated it without issue. In no time at all, we were stepping into the city’s Underground.

However, it only took me a moment after Patrick and I uncoupled to realize that something was wrong. Before, the various chambers and tunnels had been packed with people. The Nats, a small tribe devoted to a lack of cybernetics, lived there, after all. But now, there was no one around.

I summoned my assault rifle and held it to my shoulder, whispering, “Be on your guard. Something’s off.”

Patrick, for his part, had already drawn his sleek, black-and-gold pistol. He had already picked up on what I’d noticed, so my warning was unnecessary. Perhaps he was learning after all.

Gradually, we advanced through the tunnels. I kept Observation flared as strongly as I could manage as I meticulously searched for any traps. I found none. In fact, even when we found our way to the main chamber, we’d yet to run into any of the tribe who called it home.

In the end, it was the smell that gave it away.

At first, I thought it was just the ubiquitous stink that came from living in old drainage tunnels, many of which were directly tied into the city’s sewer system. Various Mist-powered machines took care of the worst of the human waste, but nothing could rid the Underground of that ever-present smell. However, I soon came to recognize it for what it was.

Rotting meat.

It wasn’t long after that before I followed the scent to a chamber that was absolutely filled with naked corpses, each one in a reasonably advanced state of decay. Giant rats and other native scavengers skittered across the bodies as I stared in horror. There were hundreds of them. Thousands, maybe. Clearly, I’d found what was left of the Nats.

“Why?” muttered Patrick, his voice constricted by a tightening throat.

“I…I don’t know,” I answered in a hoarse whisper. But that wasn’t true. Certainly, there were any number of potential explanations that could account for the scene laid out before me. Perhaps the Nats had run afoul of one of the stronger tribes. Or maybe they’d offended the Enforcers. They’d never been the most powerful or popular tribe in the city, so it wasn’t really a stretch to think that they’d been massacred by a rival.

However, in the back of my mind, another explanation clamored for my attention. Someone had discovered my route in and out of the city, and the Nats had paid the price for the role they’d played.