Chapter 14!
Special Thanks
xMechaSheikx - Haha, yeah, true! Aw it seems random now...but soon the random energies will be...'redirected' I guess would be a good word for it! Thank you so much, my friend! This chapter's more serious though, so less randomness! :(
DoctorWFan101 - Thanks for the review! :) Yeah, I've listened to ALL the radios on zombies so I remembered the Mexican. I've been digging around for the storyline since WaW! So, I'd hope to not miss anything important like that!
YourBestFriendAizen - I actually cracked myself up on that scene lol! Not sure if Maxis will let Edward do that! :( But that would be funny. :D Anyways, on to more serious stuff this chapter unfortunately!
richtofenking95 - I'm so glad you like the ways I'm portraying the story! Your words are very kind and I appreciate them! Looking forward to you updating, but I know life has been tough on you! hope everything goes well! Thanks again for the support!
Thank you all so much! I couldn't do this without you! :)
XIV. Secrets under the Earth
The snow flurried down from the heavens, coating the land below in white. The rocks and evergreens were smudged in the pale, sparkling powder, branches stooping uncomfortably underneath of it. The sky appeared grey and uninviting, dumping more and more of its load on the land underneath. It was early morning with the sun hidden deep behind the thick nimbus cover.
Richtofen, Kline, Groph and a few others were currently scaling down the snow-steeped surface of a rocky mountain in the Obersalzberg mountain range near Kehlsteinhaus, intent on a particular destination. Richtofen was in the lead followed by Groph, then Schuster and a few others whose names Richtofen had not bothered to remember. They were all bundled up in heavy coats, hats and boots with thick tread, holding out walking sticks to scout out their paths.
"I have a feeling we are going to be here awhile," muttered Kline in annoyance, puffing up his coat against the storm.
"This is ridiculous, Dr. Richtofen. How do you know that we will find anything up ahead?" Groph growled, yanking his knees out of a drift of snow. His pants were streaked in white.
Richtofen glanced back at his snow-covered companions and smiled. Ice was frosting in his hair and his face was tinted with color from the icy cold. He adjusted his warm visor on his head.
"It's here Groph. I know it!" He declared and carefully picked his way forward over a white rock. Feeling with his ice stick for slick patches.
"That's a lot of reassurance!" Groph snorted in sarcasm, pulling his hat closer to his ears.
Edward continued forward at a slow but steady pace, his companions reluctantly following.
"This is madness. Why did I agree to this?" Someone muttered loudly.
Richtofen ignored the comment and continued onward. Finally, after tumultuous climbing and steady descent, the group of scientists reached a flat ledge overlooking the valley below. Mountainous regions extended out towards the horizon smudged in grey from the descending snow. A frosty wind sprang up, blowing right through the men's coats.
"Th-this is-s n-not g-good!" Shivered Kline, pulling his coat closer to his thin frame.
"This way," Richtofen said confidently and took an immediate right, moving towards a slope.
"That's rather steep..." Groph grumbled, approaching the slope behind Richtofen.
Edward bent his legs slightly and stepped into the snow on the slope. Carefully but confidently, he moved forward. For a second, his arms reached out and then he lowered his full weight on the slope, tapping the ground with the stick to make sure there was no ice. Leaning forward, he looked perfectly balanced as he shuffled and then slid.
He slipped down the short slope and was deposited on a large ledge inches from a sheer drop into the valley far below. He stumbled a moment, surprised by the speed he'd gained, loosing his stick. The crude cane, which had been little more than a stripped tree branch, rolled over the cliff, clattering rather loudly in the muffled, snow-filled air.
"Shit!" One of the scientists exclaimed. "Are you alright down there?"
"Ja!" Richtofen called back like nothing happened. He brushed snow nonchalantly from his coat. "Come on, it's not so bad."
Kline watched in trepidation as Groph went a little slower than Richtofen had down the hill, carefully testing his weight with each step before moving on. He made it to the bottom without incident.
The others reluctantly followed one at a time, carefully and slowly. Then it came time for Kline's turn. He stood at the top, shaking probably from the cold and also from fear.
"I-I h-have a c-confession to m-make, Doctor..." Kline said down the slope. "I have a phobia of heights... And it's not a small one." he admitted.
Richtofen slipped around Groph, pressing the scientist away from the ledge. He sized up the slope, taking in the disturbed snow.
"Don't worry Kline, just follow the trail!" He called. "I'll also stand right here and keep you from falling over the ledge!"
Schuster swallowed and rubbed his hands, staring downward.
"So steep..." He muttered, scratching his neck and fiddling with hs fuzzy hat.
"You can do it!" Richtofen encouraged.
The scientists watched as the man stood there, paralyzed in fear. For several moments, he was merely rooted there, gazing down the slope. Most likely, he was imagining all the horrible ways he could die right then and there. Minutes passed, but still he didn't move. The men below began to fidget from the cold.
"Schuster!" Richtofen yelled, surprising the scientist.
He flinched and stumbled forward awkwardly, almost as if a huge force had just shoved him. He tottered slightly and then tumbled forward head first, legs flailing out from under him as he slipped on a snowy patch.
"Oh meine Gott!" muttered a man in horror as Kline rolled far too fast to stop on just the ledge. He'd fall over it!
Edward surged forward through the snow, his eyes never leaving the plunging man. Kline rolled onto the ledge and then onward, ready to plummet into the chasm.
Richtofen suddenly snagged his coat, leaning over the ledge. His upper torso from the waist down was dangling over the cliff. His legs dug into the snow on the ledge to support himself. He grunted and pulled. To his horror, he felt the coat threatening to pull off of the scientist. Instead, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Kline's chest to get a better hold.
"Richtofen!" Kline whispered and then passed out, went limp.
"You aren't going to die on me like Hans did!" growled Edward, suddenly like his old self, pulling with all his might, but to no avail.
Edward struggled with the dead weight for a moment and the others looked on in dismay, too shocked by what was happening to react. The general felt sweat beading on his brow and his arms were beginning to burn with strain. He felt his legs slip, then regain a hold further away from safety. He tried to tighten his hold with his arms, but he was starting to weaken.
What a pathetic death.
Not now...
Then, as if some supernatural force had filled him, he strained his body and pulled fiercely, face contorting in effort. He worked the limp scientist back towards the ledge. His body tautened for a moment, his hat flying off his head into the valley below. Suddenly, Kline's body felt like a feather in his arms and he pulled back effortlessly, depositing the unmoving man on the ledge.
The moment was unfrozen and the others rushed over as he stood up. Groph knelt next to Kline, checking his pulse. Richtofen paced over to the ledge, breathing deeply in the frozen air as his body felt like it was burning.
"He'll recover," Groph sighed in relief as he leaned back. "Just unconscious. Someone help me here."
He was trying to pick up Kline's shoulders. One of the other men came over, taking his legs. Richtofen stared down into the valley, eyes picking out his hat far below, hooked on a tree. But despite the fact that it held his attention, he wasn't even thinking about it.
He looked at his hands.
"What's happening to me," he muttered. His body felt too warm and resisted the urge to yank off his coat, knowing it could lead to frostbite later. For a moment, something flickered before his vision.
Fight, Edward. Never let them take you. The words rang in his mind, strange but familiar.
SHUT UP
LEAVE.
He's no longer yours!
Worthless!
"Who are you?" He mumbled to the chaotic whispers in his mind.
We are you.
We are nothing!
"The other one..."
There is no other!
If there was, he died long ago...
"But who?"
"Richtofen! Where should we go?" Groph called from behind, breaking into his thoughts.
Edward glanced at him and something in his gaze unnerved the man. Groph swore he saw a faint blue glow deep in his retinas. But he blinked it was gone.
"We can get another hat later..." Someone joked shakily, unwitting to his real reasons for looking downward.
Richtofen approached the group and pointed over their shoulders. A large cavernous mouth yawned open, darkness deep and noticeable despite the snow.
"There...we will find what we are searching for." Richtofen said.
The men turned and made for the cave. They walked inside, carrying Schuster into the place. Richtofen came in last. They moved forward while someone flicked on a flashlight and cast it around the place.
"Whoa...look at the glyphs!" a man exclaimed. Indeed the walls were covered in ancient writings.
They placed Kline on the floor gently and then flocked out to examine the walls as Richtofen urged them to. He crouched down by the unconscious form, checking the man's pulse again. It seemed normal.
He leaned back and cast his gaze over the cave. Of course, it was only the beginning of what he'd chosen to share with the others. Still, it was impressive. Signs of the civilization were evident in the walls strange writings and on the columns further back in the large cavern.
He heard a groan and gazed over at Schuster
"We made it Kline!" He exclaimed, standing up and stepping back.
Schuster's eyelids fluttered open and he sat up slowly, raking his eyes over the cave.
"I'm alive?" He breathed in relief.
"Yeah."
"What is this place...?" Schuster rubbed his eyes once more as though he thought he were hallucinating.
"The hallway leading to the lost civilization...The Vrilyan's refuge." Richtofen informed.
Kline stood up slowly and swayed a moment before straightening his stance. Then, he moved to follow suit with the rest of the men, fumbling with his own flashlight. He turned it on and joined the others. They greeted him with relief and began to share their finds.
Edward moved through them and reached the back of the cavern. He placed his hands on the wall and began feeling. The others joined him in curiosity as he found what he was looking for; a small knob next to a column in the sheer rock that appeared to be metallic. He pressed it forward.
The place rumbled, rocks shifting and then Edward cursed as he felt a sharp prick in his finger.
"You okay?" Groph asked.
Richtofen nodded, "just a rock hit my hand."
An outline suddenly seemed more visible in the wall. Blue ran through it, shining a doorway that must have been at least ten feet tall and half that in width. The room shook once again as the glyphs on the doorway blazed to life in bright blue. Dust tumbled down from the top along with smaller rocks.
The doors swung outward and a cold draft blasted through them, filling the passage with surprisingly fresh air.
The men gaped in astonishment until someone said, "I really wish it were summer..."
Finally, they moved forward, walking down smooth steps. They descended for what felt like hours, but it was hard to tell underground. Flashlights roved ahead like spotlights, picking out the stairs. Despite the age of the place, it looked fresh and intact, as if it were brand new.
"What is this place?" Groph gasped in astonishment as they reached the bottom of the stairs, gazing out at an underground valley.
"Gentlemen, welcome to New Vrilya. A now abandoned city, hidden deep in the Obersalzberg mountains..."
They looked onto the expansive subterranean futuristic city sprawled out before them in the rocks and clefs. Strange houses dotted the vast underground landscape were higher than others and seemed to be tucked in too. The place was so massive that tall twenty story buildings reached up to the ceiling further away and taller ones towered into the sky where a vast hole lead into a snowy atmosphere above. The hole only covered a small portion of the underground valley though. Snow filtered down and settled gently on the buildings there. Pristine streets wound in the place and dead brown vines twisted up the houses. One particular house, which looked damaged, sat very close to the hole in the ceiling, high above the others.
Richtofen decided he wanted to investigate that particular one.
They gazed out, then began walking down the road leading from the cave into the valley, too awed to say anything.
Despite the apparent novelty of the place, closer inspection unveiled the truth. A battle had taken place here a long time ago. Skeletons littered the streets and houses looked like they'd been decimated in a fight in places. Burn marks and holes were here and there.
"This is impossible."
"You all have watches right?"
They nodded.
"Let's split up and meet back right here in an hour."
"What?" Groph asked in disbelief. "What if there's still...people here."
Richtofen indicated the land. "Does it look to you like anyone's here? It appears completely dead to me!"
"I don't like taking th-"
"Alright, we are going now! Don't get lost anyone." Edward turned and left his companions, roving out into the streets, making an indirect line for the house that held his attention while investigating others as well.
Richtofen wandered into the houses, collecting things that interested him and stowing them away. Things that seemed to run on the element. Some were simple, like games and entertainment devices. Others were more complicated(usually too big to stuff in his pocket and he made a mental not to come back for them) like cooking and transport devices. Surprisingly, the places seemed rather similar to humans'. The décor and furniture was essentially the same. They even had posters and pictures, framed and hanging. It was rather strange, they looked like people, just modern.
It was probably due to the fact that the Vril were very much like humans. They looked the same, they were just more advanced in technology.
Finally, after twenty minutes of this, he arrived at the top of the hill where the house was. It was average-sized, yet eerie and dark with the snow drifting about it lazily. The windows were shattered, the door splintered, and the wood rotten. Despite its disturbing appearance, he walked right through the destroyed door.
He entered into a living room, where a set of stairs led upward. Nearby was a door that had been smashed in from something. He walked up to the stairs and traipsed up them, feeling tired despite himself. A wariness settled over him. Discontented mumbling started up in his mind.
He opened a door and was greeted with a child's room. A bed was closer to the door. Nearby was an assortment of toys sprawled over the floor. His eyes roved over the toys, they seemed familiar. A picture frame hanging on the wall to his far right with a photo caught his attention. He gazed at it and stepped forward.
In the frame were two smiling kids. He gasped, realizing something in shock.
One of them looked exactly like Samantha. He stared. It was impossible though...how.
They knew that Samantha would keep them safe...forever.
"No...no...it's not...real...not possible." He stuttered, stepping back and tripping on a toy.
He looked down.
It was a Panzer Soldat doll.
"No...no...no."
He felt the voices began to shriek in outrage in his head.
Suddenly, his entire body went cold and he collapsed to his knees, feeling sick to his stomach. His muscles seized up and he gasped as an achiness filled his limbs. He sank shakily to his knees as a headache exploded through his mind.
He groaned.
YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE!
DON'T REMEMBER!
IT'S NOT WORTH IT ANYMORE!
IT HAPPENED! AS WAS DESTINED!
"It's not true...can't be...but it has to be."
IT'S YOUR TURN NOW, EDWARD!
YOUR TURN!
GO!
IT'S NOT REAL ANYMORE!
Richtofen pushed himself up from the ground and stumbled out the door, and nearly collapsed down the stairs. Somehow, he managed to make it without falling. He made his way through the living room. The broken door leading to a cellar nearby seemed to stand out in his mind. The jagged edges looked like they could cut him.
They would cut him.
We could have had...so much more.
FORGET!
STOP REMEMBERING!
LEAVE THIS PLACE.
AGONY IS HERE...
"TAKE THEM!"
Richtofen suddenly found himself staring down the stairs, gazing into the damp basement through a broken door.
LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED!
NOW WHAT?
DID YOU THINK TO FIND HOPE HERE!
IT'S GONE NOW!
"We were going to hide here...what happened to them? The Vrilyans."
THEY DEFIED THE COUNCIL!
The council slaughtered every last one and enslaved the children.
They took you...
They destroyed you...
"No...you did that!"
DON'T EVEN SAY THAT!
WE HELPED YOU!
WE FOUND YOUR PURPOSE!
WE SAVED YOU!
"Lies." Richtofen hissed as he collapsed into unconsciousness.
"Take them!" The leader ordered his men as the children held each other, terrified. Eddie saw them come, their hands reaching out, faces lacking emotion at the task at hand.
We could have had...so much more...
The man, dressed in gray robes with an orange symbol emblazoned on his chest over a set of armor, nodded. He turned away as the two children were slung over the men's shoulders unceremoniously. Silence ensued as he motioned the others to follow him.
They walked outside of the building, down the hill and into the city. The sounds of sirens made the situation feel bleak. Plasma shots also filled the air with alien whines. Occasionally a larger boom was heard as bright colors were visible from higher up. The moon shone down emotionlessly from the opening in the rock ceiling, casting the refuge in an eerie white. The streets were littered with bodies and people were screaming and running.
The troop of men with the two child prisoners continued onward, ignoring the carnage nonchalantly.
"No you don't!" Cried a voice. "Stop right there!"
The group of council men turned to see a tall man with a thin face and dark hair running forward. He was decked out in armor and his hands were wrapped tightly around a black weapon. He aimed it at the leader, a snarl of hatred on his face.
"Father!" Exclaimed Edward.
"You allowed the child of prophecy to believe a simpleton like you was his father, Schneider?" Snorted the leader.
"Yeah, I am his real father," Schneider growled. "We are his true family, maybe not through blood...but through something more important. Through compassion and kindness. His father, his uncle, his sister, his aunt who died because of you. We all cared...loved... But those who gave him their DNA did not care. They gave nothing else... Now let them go...Walram." he whispered, not lowering the weapon.
"I can't...I got orders." Walram sighed. "Now go die with the rest of the turncoats."
"I refuse."
"Fine...don't interfere, men!" Walram ordered his soldiers. "This should be quick..."
"Arrogance. It'll be the death of you!"
The two stared at each other, a tense standoff. Then, Walram broke into a run, pressing forward with speed. Schneider fired his weapon, but the plasma like shots seemed to just bounce of the man's armor, though it did burn holes in the robe fabric.
"Should have thought twice before attacking the general of the armies of Vrilya!" Walram growled, lunging forward with his fist.
He deliberately ignored his own weapon at his belt, believing himself far too superior than the soldier before him to need it.
Schneider ducked the blow and slammed his weapon forward into the other's stomach, catching a surprised Walram off guard. He twisted and kicked his enemy's knee. Walram responded instantly though and maneuvered so his foot slipped off to the side, causing little damage and leaving Schneider off balance.
Walram seized the man's weapon still pressing into him and yanked it free with a savage jerk. At the same time, he thrust his knee into the other's gut. Schneider gasped and wrapped his arm around Walram's, twisting fiercely as he fell forward. The general howled in agony as bone threatened to snap.
Then, he bent his back to allow flexibility and keep his arm from breaking. At the same time he pushed off with his feet, cartwheeling through the air. Schneider lost his grip and his balance. He lurched as Walram landed directly behind him. Walram launched his foot out in a roundhouse kick and caught the man in the side, smashing his ribs.
Schneider hit the ground, groaning in agony. Walram stomped down on his leg savagely, shattering the bone and making his enemy scream in pain.
"Father!" Eddie cried helplessly.
Walram smiled and bent down. "Go on, dear Schneider. Let's have a clear conscious in death shall we? Tell the boy the truth. Tell him how you lied!" He hissed.
Schneider looked directly at Edward and wheezed out, "Fight, Edward. Never let them take you."
Walram growled viciously and snatched his own weapon out of his belt and shot the rebel. An explosion of red blood arced out in the air highlight in green light sickeningly.
"NOOOOOO!" Screamed Edward in pure despair.
Samantha had remained silent the entire time, too shocked with her father's death and now Schneider's, who was her uncle, to say a word.
"No," denied Edward again, thrashing against his captor.
Walram didn't look once at the corpse as he walked over, face uncaring.
"He didn't care about you, kid...he lied...they all lied." The man declared, meeting the boy's gaze. "They all shielded you from the truth. You should be tired of the lies...time to come home. Time to face reality and truth!" He began to walked away.
"I'll kill you, Walram!" Eddie declared shakily.
Walram laughed and turned around.
"I like this kid...reminds me of me when I was his age. You know I killed my father to prove myself...they called me a monster." He chuckeled. "The jokes on them now. Alas, enough chatter!" He signaled the men and they began to leave, ignoring the various groaning bodies lying about.
"This despicable refuge's time is at an end. Even Earth, for all it's primitive civilizations and wilderness, couldn't hide you traitors. The council is unstoppable!"
The moon shone down from far above, casting an eerie light over a portion of the futuristic city as the sirens were finally silenced by the victors. A shocking calm fell over the city as the council troops left the place in utter ruin.
Richtofen sat on a stone bench snow drifting around him, staring at his fist while flexing his fingers. He now recognized that he was indeed different. Something had happened somewhere and it'd changed him. He just wasn't sure what or when. He found that trying to remember anything brought on angry voices and a pained headache that made his skull feel like it would burst. Also, a darkness seemed to overlay the past.
All he knew for sure about himself was his status as general and 935 scientist.
"Something's changed...I just can't decide what. Who am I really?"
He blinked and tried to remember what had fascinated him with that last house. It eluded him, so he dismissed it. He pulled out a small game device he'd collected.
"I plan to stay here until I have my answers...Maxis." He rolled the device in hand and smiled to himself. "Time to get to the rendezvous point, and I must tell Kline and the others that there should be an easier entrance and exit in the back of the city."
Still, he felt like a nagging thought in the back of his mind was trying to break through.
End of chapter 14!
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