Chapter 13: Pandemonium
"Hey, Moe," Daniel called behind him as he walked out of the armory, "make sure he doesn't hurt himself, alright?"
Moe waved at him then returned to cleaning a gun. Daniel closed the door behind him and strolled toward the transit platform. Daniel noticed the halls were abnormally empty, with only a handful of people walking around. Daniel reached the platform. He paid the driver and climbed into the seat. He sat on his helmet. He pushed his back against the seat and moved the helmet before sinking back into his seat. The driver started up the motor and began driving into the tunnel.
"So, what are you doin' out and about, man?" the driver asked Daniel with a friendly voice.
"Just got off a job," Daniel answered, "I'm ready for bed."
"You a Stalker or somethin'?"
Daniel nodded.
"My brother's a Peacemaker. Told me to stay inside 'cause of that thing comin' up from the south, but I needed the ammo, so I didn't listen to 'im."
He laughed aloud.
"You get a lot of customers?"
"Nah, a lot of people got scared and stayed home."
Daniel noticed a light coming from behind them. It didn't look like a flashlight to him. It was blue and abnormally bright. He twisted in his seat and looked behind him. He was nearly blinded by what he saw. A dazzling blue and white ball of light was slowly floating through the air toward him.
"What the…" Daniel whispered, befuddled and awe-struck.
The driver turned to look and had the same reaction. Daniel couldn't tear his gaze from the anomaly. It was beautiful and glided through the air as if disconnected from the world around it. He could feel a strange steady pulsing feeling, almost like a heartbeat. It suddenly released a bolt of light from the center and made a sound like a circuit breaker exploding. The noise and the fire it caused broke Daniel out of his trance. Something in his mind told him to get away from the thing. He felt as though he were in danger. He grabbed the handle of the railbike and twisted it toward him. He was thrown back as the railbike picked up speed. As he and the driver got further away from the ball, the sounds of panicked screaming grew louder. He heard gunshots behind him as the railbike tore through the tunnel. They reached Grand station and couldn't stop quickly enough to avoid slamming into the empty railbike on the tracks. He and the driver were whipped forward, causing the driver's face to slam against the handle bars. He moaned in pain and held his nose. Daniel could hear the engine of a railbike behind him. He thought that someone may have had the same idea as him. He pushed the driver over onto the island platform and dove from his seat to the platform on the opposite side of the tracks. Mere moments later, another railbike smashed into the back of the one he was just in, crumpling it up like a piece of paper.
"What the hell is going on back there?" one of the laborers shouted.
Daniel stood up and climbed over the wreckage of his ride. He picked the driver up off the ground and dragged him back to the other side.
"Run," Daniel said with a pained growl.
No one responded. They simply stood around him and murmured to each other. Daniel could see the blue light crawling toward them on the wall of the tunnel. The driver noticed it too and dashed through the crowd. A man came sprinting out of the tunnel. Daniel could see the look of terror on his face. A streak of lightning and the sound of thunder cut through his body. He stood for a moment before dropping to the ground like a bag of sand.
"Run!" Daniel yelled.
People started screaming and pushed through the hallways. Daniel tried his best to move along with the crowd, but had difficulty keeping his footing as people shoved by him. He could feel the pulsing sensation from before. He knew it was drawing closer. He grabbed the arm of a woman who was pulling her young daughter through the crowd and dragged them into a small cove in the wall.
He pushed the woman against the wall and whispered, "Don't move and don't make a sound, alright?"
She quickly nodded. Her daughter looked up at them with fearful eyes. Daniel pressed his back against the other wall and turned his head to the hallway. It was empty; the mob had already moved deeper into the station. Daniel watched as the blue glow spread across the floor. The three of them didn't make a single sound. The woman had placed her hand over her daughter's mouth and was holding onto her tightly. Daniel's heart raced and pounded against his chest, as if trying to burst out. It came into view for just an instant. It had no discernable body parts or features. It looked to Daniel like a giant light bulb hovering above the ground. The center was a bright white color, but the light emanating from it was a light blue color. It reminded him of the sky he loved to look at as a boy. He remembered how excited he would get to see a plane flying through the air and how badly he wanted to be inside of it. He could see the splintering fingers of what he thought was lightning orbiting the center of the light. The lines of purple and blue energy swirled around it like knives caught in a tornado. Just as quickly as it had appeared, the light was gone again. It slowly crept toward the mess hall. It seemed to be following the crowd of people. He realized what it was.
"It follows the rats…" he whispered to himself.
He turned to the woman.
He spoke softly and sternly, "Get back to your home. Stay away from anything electric. If you see it coming, find a place to hide and don't move an inch until it goes away."
The woman nodded.
"You'll be alright. Just be careful."
Daniel left the woman and her child and headed in the direction the creature went. He couldn't hear any screaming anymore. It was as if the station had been completely deserted. Daniel heard the sound of metal banging against metal and shouting. He crept toward it. Two men were banging on a door and trying to get in.
"Come on, dude," one of them shouted, "Open it!"
"I can't," the other replied, "I dropped the key!"
Daniel felt the abnormal pressure again. Their struggling seemed to attract the monster. The glinting blue light crept toward them. Daniel drew his pistol and quickly rushed to them. He pushed them aside and blasted the iron lock, shattering it. He yanked it from the door and pushed it open. He shoved the two men into the room and slammed the door behind them. The room was pitch-black, save for the dim, blue glow that seeped in underneath the door. None of them made a sound until it had disappeared completely.
"Don't leave this room until someone tells you it's safe," Daniel ordered
He cracked open the door and peeked outside. The hallway was empty once again. He stepped outside of the room.
"Thanks, man," one of the men said before quietly closing the door behind him.
Daniel moved through the mess hall. He could see the bodies of unfortunate people that had been caught on the floor. He moved through the hallway to his home. He saw a group of Peacemakers behind a barricade.
"Hey, you!" one shouted, "What the hell are you doing out here?"
Daniel quickly ran to them.
"We need to shut down the generators," Daniel said quickly, "That thing is drawn to electricity. Maybe we can get it to leave if we shut them down."
The Peacemaker nodded.
"No one else has a better plan… Alright, let's get over there."
Daniel could see the light approaching once again. He pointed to a dark hallway.
"Get to the Jewel and use the stairs in the information booth. I'll draw it away from you guys."
The Peacemakers dashed into the hallway and disappeared from sight. Daniel could see the mysterious beast again. He twisted his pistol's silencer off and dropped it into his pocket. He pointed his pistol at the monster and started firing.
"Come and get me, you fuck!" he shouted before turning around and sprinting down the hallway.
He watched the blue glow cover the walls and floor in front of him. Before he knew it, the light had engulfed him. He felt a sharp pain shoot into his back, causing him to momentarily lose consciousness. He opened his eyes and watched the alien creature slowly float away toward the mess hall. He tried to stand up, but his legs felt weak. He curled over his knees and tried to regain his senses. He eventually gathered the strength to stand and pulled himself up. His vision was blurred and the world seemed to spin around him. He lost his balance and stumbled, catching himself on the concrete wall. His thoughts were scrambled and incomprehensible. The only thing he managed to catch clearly reminded him that his home was nearby. He slowly shuffled along the wall. His body knew the way, though the hallway looked unfamiliar to him. He couldn't hear his own footsteps. All he could hear was a loud monotone ringing. He stumbled into his room and slammed the door behind him. He slid his back down the door. He suddenly felt winded. He leaned against the door and tried to catch his breath. He sat on the floor in the dim white glow of the lamp on his desk.