Chapter 11 – Close the Rift
Hopper switches on his flashlight and leads the way to the service stairwell, Tanner and Eleven following close behind. They start downwards and all seems quiet, until suddenly the Chief stops – he can hear breathing, and there's blood on the railing.
"Stay here."
Eleven obeys. Tanner ignores him. Weapons raised, they creep round a bend in the staircase and find a man in a white lab coat lying there – he's alive, but just barely.
"Shit! Hey, Doc..." Hopper clearly knows him. He turns and glares at Tanner, before calling for Eleven to come down.
"Ughhh…" The Doctor groans by way of response. By the light of the torch in Hopper's hand, Tanner spots a horrific wound on his right thigh.
"Look like it got you pretty good, huh…" Hopper growls. The injured man tries to respond, but the Chief stops him.
"It's okay, don't talk – I've got you."
Hopper remove his belt and ties it around the Doctor's leg – Tanner realises he's applying a makeshift tourniquet.
"Oh yeah, I've been meaning to tell you… This is Eleven." Hopper sees the Doctor has noticed Eleven standing in the shadows.
"Eleven, Doc Owens. Doc Owens, Eleven."
Owens looks like he's seen a ghost.
"She's been staying with me for… Uh, about a year now…" Hopper continues. "And she's about to save our asses. So maybe, when this is all said and done, you could help her out too… Help her lead a normal life. One where she's not treated like some kinda lab rat… You know, it's just a thought."
It's no accident that Hopper chooses this moment to tighten the tourniquet. Owens grunts in pain. Tanner decides to step in.
"Doctor Owens, don't worry. You're going to be okay."
He pulls the canister of aid spray from his belt and applies it generously to the Doctor's wound.
"Oh yeah, and this guy's name is Tanner." Hopper adds. "He thinks he's from the future."
Tanner grins at this.
"There, all done."
"Think about it." Hopper thumps Owens on the shoulder and gets to his feet. The Doctor, pain now numbed by the spray, smiles his thanks and nods. Thawing out a little, the Chief hands him a pistol.
"Don't go anywhere."
Owens chuckles painfully.
They leave the Doctor where he is and continue down the stairs, Hopper still in the lead. They arrive at the bottom and take a sharp left, plunging into the darkness of a pitch black corridor. Tanner drops his visor and they press on carefully.
"Proximity alert." Siri says in Tanner's ear.
A window pops up in the corner of his HUD, highlighting the danger – a room to their left, a few dozen feet in front of them.
"Espera aquí." Tanner's hushed voice sounds tinny to Hopper and Eleven as it emits from his helmet speakers. Then, he curses. "¡Ah, mierda!"
The translation system is still broken. He flicks up his visor again.
"Sorry, my helmet's had it. Stay here."
"What is it?" Hopper hisses in response.
"There're more of them up ahead, on the left. I'll clear the way." Tanner explains.
"How the hell do you know?" The Chief demands.
Tanner decides not to try and explain the Sixth Sense.
"My helmet told me."
Proving his point, there's an inhuman gurgle from up ahead. Tanner shrugs. Hopper shakes his head.
"Okay."
"Stay hidden. I'll yell when it's clear." Tanner lowers his visor once more and moves up to the door.
Hopper watches him go, speechless.
*Guuuuuuurgle*
It's louder; he's on the right track. There's a faint glow emanating from the doorway in front of him – he assumes it's emergency lighting – and something flashes across it, casting a crazy shadow on the corridor wall.
"Three beings detected." Siri informs him cheerfully.
"Understood."
He stands pressed against the wall beside the door, briefly dipping into the Sixth Sense – he has a sudden sensation of déjà vu and remembers breaching into the Shock Box with Trent many months ago. It feels like another lifetime now.
"Beings identified as category five." Siri adds.
*Grrrrruurh*
He checks his weapon – it's fully charged. He looks back over his shoulder and sees Hopper and Eleven tucked into an alcove. He takes a breath.
Then he steps inside.
"Come on then, bitches!"
"¡Vamos, putas!"
Of course, it comes out in Spanish.
*Screeeeeeeeeeech*
The nearest Crawler reacts to his sudden arrival and Hispanic battle cry with an ear-piercing scream. Tanner immediately locks on and toasts it with a high-intensity blast – its scaly skin melts before his eyes. He scans around for the other two and spots them, just as they disappear through a smashed glass partition in the centre of the room.
Running away?
He follows quickly and freezes at the sight that meets his eyes.
It's the Rift.
But smaller.
On the other side of the shattered glass, the floor drops away to reveal a vast pit – even with his night vision, Tanner can't make out the bottom. Perhaps fifty feet below and on the far side of the crater is the entrance to the Rift itself; the same red, pulsating cloud; the same tangle of thick, black vines. While massive, to Tanner it seems so small it can have only just been created – it's younger too, its colour more vivid.
He can't believe he's made it.
He takes all this in within the space of a half second, while trying to spot the two escaping category fives. He can't see them, however, and closes his eyes momentarily to use the Sixth Sense.
They've disappeared.
Tanner can only assume they jumped into the pit. Why they would do such a thing is beyond him, unless it was to fetch backup – but surely the Reanimator in control would be capable of sending more anyway? He decides to follow the Chief's advice from earlier and take it as a blessing.
"Clear!" He shouts, popping his visor and examining the room more closely. A moment later, he's joined by Eleven and Hopper. The latter looks around dubiously.
"How many?"
"Three." Tanner replies, then gestures to the pit. "But two jumped in there."
"And that's where we need to go." Hopper growls, moving to a platform suspended on cables above the sheer drop.
"Then let's get started." Tanner follows him.
"Not so fast." Hopper pulls a two-way radio from his belt. "We wait until that thing is out of Will."
Tanner turns away, trying desperately to hide his frustration. Who knows how much time they have before the category fives come back with backup?
The seconds tick past.
Then the minutes.
"Listen…" Hopper breaks the silence and addresses Tanner. "How do you plan on… Y'know, getting back there? Where you came from?"
This was, of course, the million dollar question. The only man ever to manage this and return from the past was Lord Paladin Ghost himself - it was referred to as 'riding the wave'. He had pulled it off after a mission in which he'd partially closed the Rift – slowing its enlargement temporarily – by setting off a nuclear bomb. This was the stuff of legend.
"I have to get back inside the Rift just before it shuts. The energy caused by the closure will create shockwaves through time which I can use to get home."
The return journey is supposed to be undertaken in a capsule, but Tanner doesn't suppose it matters – he doesn't really have much choice. Of course, it wasn't possible to predict the exact result the Rift closing would have on the 'future' – some say it would become a completely alternate reality – but that was better than humanity's current hopeless situation.
Hopper doesn't begin to understand this explanation, but nods anyway.
"Okay. Let me know if I can help."
Tanner wants to scream at him that he can help by hurrying up and closing it. Thankfully, at long last, the radio crackles into life.
"Chief? Do you copy?"
"Yeah, I copy." The Chief replies.
"Close it."
The message is simple. It means Will is free. Tanner feels a chill run through him. It's time.
"Right, all aboard."
Hopper and Eleven join Tanner on the platform. The Paladin presses a button marked 'down' and, with an electric whirr, the platform begins to descend into the pit. Eleven crosses to the railing and looks out at the Rift – it seems huge to her, and she reaches out to take Hopper's hand. Tanner checks his weapon again and leans over the other side, searching for any sign of the category fives in the Rift's eerie red glow.
Still nothing.
They reach a point roughly fifty feet down and Hopper shuts off the winch. The platform hangs motionless, dwarfed before the gaping mass of the Rift. Eleven releases Hopper's hand and stares deep into the tear in space and time, a deadly determination in her deep brown eyes. Tanner has a sudden sensation of her power – it's the strongest thing he's ever felt. Now he knows why the others believe her capable of closing the Rift – and he does too.
Slowly, Eleven raises her hand. Tanner knows this technique – it's used to teach Initiates how to focus. It dawns on him that, despite her incredible power, she's never had any training – in this time, abilities are not commonplace.
For a moment, nothing happens. Then, the Rift begins to glow. There's a deep growling from somewhere deep inside, and a thin trail of blood trickles from Eleven's nose.
Tanner gulps.
On the other side, a shadow, vast beyond all imagining, is stirring. It takes no form, casting only crazy, semi-formed shadows against the crimson light.
It's the Reanimator. It's right there.
Somehow, Tanner feels Eleven falter at the sight. He realises something else now, too; she's scared. And of course she is; she's not a Paladin. Her entire life hasn't built up to this moment. She's not even old enough to become an Initiate.
Tanner moves forward until he's standing behind her and places his hands on her shoulders. She flinches a little at the contact, but keeps staring straight ahead, transfixed by the Rift. Gently, Tanner guides her so that she now has both hands outstretched in front of her.
"You can do this." He says in a whisper, then repeats the words of his Sixth Sense teacher.
"Don't fight the feeling. Let yourself slip away; embrace the power. Imagine you're floating… Just floating…"
For a second, he's afraid it hasn't worked. Then, the edges of the Rift begin to flicker – she'd listened.
"That's good, that's really good… Now, let it wash over you… And channel it."
More flickers – a slight wavering. The shadow within recoils.
"Find something that makes you feel… Use that to focus on your target…"
The edges of the Rift begin to knit together. Tanner can scarcely believe it's working.
"That's good, that's so good…"
He slowly backs away. Eleven's too intent to notice. He exchanges a glance with Hopper and then both go back to watching the Rift – the shadow is writhing now, seemingly in agony.
It's closing.
Now, the top and bottom of the tear are no longer visible, knitted together and vanished into the pit wall. It's almost done. It's time for Tanner to go.
"Thank you, sir… For your trust… And for saving humanity." He extends his hand to Hopper.
"Safe travels, kid." The Chief shakes it.
Tanner climbs over the railing and swings himself up onto the roof of the platform. Then, slinging his gamma gun over his shoulder, he lowers his visor one last time and leaps into the Rift.
Outside
*Screeeeech*
Hopper jumps at the terrifying cry. Somewhere far below, there is the sound of hundreds of scampering feet.
*Screeeeeeeeeeeech*
Shit. He can see them. They're scaling the walls.
*Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech*
One of the horrific creatures pokes its head through the railings, the extra weight causing the platform to swing on its cables – Hopper swiftly takes aim with his assault rifle and fires into its open jaws. The beast detaches from the platform and plummets back to the bottom of the pit.
*Screeeeeeeeeeeech*
Another, this time on the roof. Hopper spins and dispatches this one, too – it almost takes a chunk out of his arm. He crosses to the railing nearest the wall and, in the light of his torch, sees the rock face alive with squirming creatures.
"Shit!"
He opens fire a third time, but barely makes a dent in their numbers.
*Click*
The gun's empty. He flings it down and quickly unslings his shotgun, but not before several more of the creatures jump onto the platform. He fires again, each shot finding its mark, but he can't keep up with the sheer number of the creatures – for each one he kills, two more leap onboard. He's getting overwhelmed. He just has to hold out long enough for Eleven to finish closing the gate.
Inside
"Ughh…"
Tanner coughs, trying to get his breath back as he struggles to his feet. It's dark, but at the same time not dark – he can make out trees that rise high above his head all around him. He's in a forest. Abruptly, a cold wind cuts through his suit like a knife and he turns; behind him is the Rift, and standing over it is the most horrible monstrosity he has ever seen.
It seems to be made of nothing more than darkness, swirling like a fog over the ever-dying glow of the Rift. It seems to have taken the shape of a twisted six-legged spider, its half-dozen horrendous limbs leading to a hideous egg-shaped central nodule. One of those legs is hooked into the Rift right now – as Tanner's vision clears, he realises he can see through the tear in space and time. The Reanimator is trying to reach Eleven. It's going to stop her closing the Rift.
Not on my watch.
Tanner hadn't travelled through decades to see this hideous Riftdweller stop him. He brings the gamma gun up to his shoulder and unloads the entire cell into the Reanimator's body. He lowers it again and gazes in disbelief – the fog-like dark matter making up the creature had simply shifted to allow the microwave rays to pass though, leaving it unharmed.
Reloading with slick precision, Tanner tries again, but the result is the same – his weapon has no effect. This time, however, it seems the Reanimator notices his presence. It sends a tentacular leg snaking in his direction, forcing him to take cover behind a tree.
How do I kill something I can't hit?
He snaps a new cell into place reflexively. He's running low on both ammunition and ideas. His grenades are long gone, as are most of his other supplies.
There has to be a way.
Then he remembers.
It's something his teacher had said.
"The Sixth Sense doesn't tell you where Riftdwellers are. It connects you with positive matter, showing you where they're not. It's the ability to sense changes on the spatial plane – changes caused by beings from another dimension. You can feel the space they fill."
Tanner knows what to do.
He rips the back panel off his gamma gun, exposing the circuitry. He disconnects a wire and splices two others together. He removes a component, then reverses the polarity of another. It's ready.
He steps out from behind his tree and sees the tentacle almost upon him. His HUD is going haywire, so he opens his visor – to hell with the radiation. He closes his eyes and feels the Sixth Sense; immediately he's hit with a wave of pain caused by the Reanimator's presence nearby. Eyes still closed, he begins to walk forward until he's all but touching the twisting, turning limb. He can feel it there, in front of him.
He raises his weapon. Backwards.
The limb touches.
Agony.
Tanner shoots himself.
He feels the wave of electricity go shooting through him, and instantly wonders if he's made a terrible mistake – but then he feels it sucked out of him, conducted away through the limb of the monstrous being. It seems to realise what's happening and recoils away, but too late – the damage is done.
*Aiiieeeeeeeee*
It screams.
Tanner opens his eyes just in time to see the creature lose its hideous shape and transform into a swirling cloud. While not enough to kill it, the charge it had absorbed had hopefully destabilised its matter long enough for Eleven to finish closing the Rift. Mission accomplished.
Tanner's visor slides down by itself.
"Video message on screen." Siri says calmly.
"Not now, Siri!" Tanner wonders if the charge from his gamma gun had fried the AI's chip.
Siri ignores him.
The video flashes up on his HUD, blocking his view of the world outside. For some reason, his visor release won't work.
Then, he stops.
The video is of Lord Paladin Ghost.
"Congratulations on successfully initiating closure of the Rift, Paladin. You have made humanity proud and will forever live on in legend. On behalf of the Academy and population of the Earth, I thank you for your sacrifice."
Ghost is sitting at his desk – Tanner recognises it from his office.
"Time is short, so I'll keep this brief. You will no doubt be preparing to 'ride the wave' back home and receive your hero's welcome. However, it is my unpleasant duty to notify you this will not be possible."
As if realising the enormity of these words, Ghost pauses for a moment.
"The stories you have heard about my returning from beyond the Rift are, alas, false. A fabrication for the purposes of morale. I am truly sorry to say that there is no way for you to return."
It hits Tanner like a train. Suddenly, all the talk of 'sacrifice' made sense.
It wasn't an 'if'. It was a 'when'. There was never any way back. We're meant to die.
"I regret to inform you that your options are limited. You may either live the remainder of your existence within the Rift – your capsule is designed to last up to a decade – or we advise you to detonate your internal fail-safe charge. We thank you again for your service and remind you that humanity's future is because of your sacrifice. Futurum est victima!"
The Lord Paladin salutes the camera and the screen fades into the Ghost Academy logo, then to black.
Tanner rips off his helmet and hurls it against a tree.
The story he had been brought up on – hell, every Squire at the Academy had been brought up on – was a lie. In the words of the Lord Paladin, a fabrication for the purposes of morale. And now, after fulfilling his purpose, he'd just been told to commit suicide.
My friends died for that man.
Even through his fog of emotions, something catches his eye. On the other side of the Rift, he sees Eleven – with dozens of category fives behind her. They're about to reach her. She won't close the Rift in time.
And Tanner is damned if it's all been for nothing.
Outside
*Thump*
One of the monsters leaps at Hopper, striking him in the chest. He dislodges the creature with the butt of his shotgun and swiftly dispatches it, but not before another one hits him from behind. He's knocked off balance and topples forward, hitting the floor hard. He sees his weapon clatter away and over the edge of the platform. He's aware of an immense weight on top of him and rolls over to see a flash of teeth as the creature's jaws gnash inches from his face. Instinctively his hands fly to the its throat, forcing it away from him – but then he feels the platform shake again and realises more are arriving.
He can't let them get to Eleven.
Then something warm splatters his face and the beast's head comes off in his hands.
Standing by his side, Paladin broadsword drawn and crackling with electricity, is Tanner.
"You're back?" Hopper manages.
"Looks like it."
Tanner swings his broadsword and lops the heads off three Crawlers simultaneously as they try to jump on Eleven. Hopper struggles to his feet.
"Uh… Thanks." He growls, picking up his assault rifle and brandishing it like a bat.
"Don't thank me yet."
Tanner stands in the centre of the platform, the legendary blade moving so fast in his hands it's a blur. Five, six, seven Crawlers leap towards him, but they are no match for the Star-Paladin's deadly skill.
More than half of your engagements will end in a point blank situation. Never forget your last resort.
Despite their truth, Ghost's words have taken on a bitter taste even as he repeats them in his head. This feeling spurs him on; he continues slaying the creatures with a terrifyingly cold precision.
The Rift is pulsating too brightly to watch now. The groaning from within rattles the platform disconcertingly. Eleven screams with effort and thrusts her hands out in front of her as far as they'll go, channelling every last drop of power into the closure of the Rift.
Her feet leave the ground.
She's suspended in mid air, the molecules around her jumping and whirling and causing a wind of cosmic proportions to whip around the wobbling platform.
The sides of the Rift almost touch.
It's metres.
Then centimetres.
Then millimetres.
Then the Rift knits together.
Then nothing.
Silence.
Anticlimax.
Eleven collapses to the floor.
Hopper propels himself across the platform and manages to catch her.
The broadsword drops to Tanner's side.
The Crawlers fall from the platform and walls, instantly lifeless.
All is still.
Hopper holds Eleven in his arms tightly. She sobs a little, exhausted beyond belief.
"You did good, kid… You did so good…" The Chief is almost in tears himself.
Tanner sheaths his weapon and sinks to the floor. He can barely breath. He doesn't want to. It's done.
The Rift is closed.