Chrono Trigger
The Horror of Arris Dome; our team of protagonists pit their wits and bravery against an unknown foe…
It has been a while since everyone was cheerful and in one place at the same time. This was good because it made for enjoyable conversation. Crono did not drive as fast as he had, seeing that it was safer at this speed and you could not hear so well when the wind whistled shrilly about you like a whistle. True, they were excited to go home, but they were relishing this moment where they could laugh and be nonsensical.
"So what are you going to do when we get out of this place?" Marle asked as if she were thrilled by the prospect.
"Take a bath, most definitely." Crono said with a smile.
"I wonder if I could take this thing home and make a duplicate." Lucca said, feeling the hull as she put her finger to her chin in contemplation.
"I'm afraid that we will go crazy with something like this in our world. I don't think we should."
"Ha, you think I would try to take over the world, Crono? When I say something like that I don't really mean it. Not all the time, anyway."
"Not you," Crono said with a grin, "I mean society. What if that thing has some destructive purpose? We don't want to be like this world."
"So you won't let me take it back?"
"Probably not."
Lucca crossed her arms and frowned (mostly for show) as she fell back into her chair. Marle nodded in agreement and said with a sly grin, "Besides, you would have to go through me to take over the world and I think we all know who would win."
"Yeah," Lucca barked, "me all the way!"
"Ha! You wish!" Marle chortled.
"You want me to demonstrate my power drop on you?" Lucca said, slamming her elbow into her palm whilst smirking evilly.
"Is that where you run into me with that silly helmet of yours?" Marle said with a taunting smile.
"Hey, if you both don't stop I'll turn this thing around and go right back, you hear me?" Crono warned.
"Okay…" they both sighed.
The day dragged on and they were thankful that they didn't abandon the hermit's tank when they planned a mutiny. They simply did not realize how far away this place was and it would have taken them days, if not weeks, to walk such a distance. They did not worry about the vehicle running out of power, because further inspection by Lucca showed that this thing was equipped with a UGEE engine. However, they did worry about driving during the night, knowing that most of the streetlights (if they were in the city and not in the midst of the wasteland) would not be working properly. After hearing about mutants they had certain reservations about sleeping outside. True, they were not as numerous as one would suppose, but the rumor that they moved silently as mice would make it very unsettling to sleep in just the light of a campfire so very exposed. This is why we join their conversation once again at this point.
"I feel sorry for Crono." Marle said with feigned sympathy.
"Yeah," Lucca said with a nod, "who wouldn't?"
"Huh? Why would you guys feel sorry for me?" Crono said, turning around only to address them with a raised eyebrow.
"You are going to be up all night long." Marle said with very grim certainty.
"What? Why?" Crono said, sounding a little cross.
"Well, we girls need our sleep and you, being a gentleman, will have to keep watch." Marle said, placing her hands on her hips.
"What? Who decided that?"
"Us, just now." Lucca said with an affirmative nod of her own.
"I'll arm-wrestle you both for sleeping rights."
"You're going down, you know." Lucca said gruffly.
"You have to face us both, you know." Marle said as if she were truly being haughty.
"At the same time." Lucca added, sticking her tongue out.
"No I won't, and if I did you both know I would win anyway."
"What makes you think you won't?" Marle said with a smile.
"Because we finally reached Arris dome." Crono said while pointing ahead of him.
That was true. The night had almost fallen around them and it became rather dark. The horizon could still be seen, and it was merely a gray line separated by jagged mountains and red plains. The sky above them, which was black as sackcloth, would occasionally be lighted in splendid purple colors as lightning flashed through the clouds. When the lightning flashed it would more visible, but even if it didn't you could still see a dome shape on the horizon. They were close enough to realize that this dome was not nearly half the size as Trann. There was a spiral on the edifice of the dome as well, but the dome itself seemed to be in great disrepair. There was a part from the dome's silhouette that seemed as if it were a big gaping hole.
As they were closer they could see that something either detonated on its face or something heavy crushed the outer wall ages ago. The latter seemed to be true because the plating and I-beams were pointed inwards. They realized that people who lived here were more at the mercy of the elements than their counterparts at Trann dome. Crono found himself drawn to the reason for the monstrous dent to the dome and it caused him to wonder what manner of weapon was used in this situation. In just a matter of moment they found themselves clambering out of the vehicle, thankful for the chance to stretch their legs.
"It doesn't seem nearly as lively as Trann." Crono said as he looked about the immediate area.
Marle was in the middle of interlocking her fingers and arching her body as she stretched to the sky, "Maybe they have gone to sleep?"
At the mention of the word "sleep" Lucca began to feel a mite sluggish herself, "Speaking of which, maybe they have an enertron?"
"There's only one way to find out." Crono said invitingly.
They went back into their vehicle and circled about the dome looking for any possible entrances. There was an entrance where they descended, but upon further deliberation they realized that the last time they left their vehicle unattended it turned into a heaping pile of smoldering ashes. To remedy that possibility they looked for an entrance that would be big enough to fit their vehicle inside. As luck would have it they came across a suspicious looking part of the outer wall. There was an archway that suggested there should have been a doorway, only there was solid wall except for the middle which had a straight cut throughout the middle.
"Maybe it is one of those self-operating doors?" Marle suggested.
True to her instincts they approached the wall slowly in their vehicle which opened in the blink of an eye and a wheeze from an unseen hydraulic pump. As they entered they could hear the gaping mouth of the door clamp shut and any light that came from outside disappeared. It took only a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. They could see a long hallway ahead of them that was dimly lighted, the lights flicking in between thunder claps. There was a remarkable difference in comparison to how the air felt in this place. It felt cool and clammy while the outside was cold and dry. They could hear the trickle of water coming from pipes that flanked each side of the pass. They also heard the steady drips of several leaky pipes.
"Do you think they have water we can drink?" Crono said while rubbing his throat, "I didn't have anything to drink since we left Belthazar."
"I would still advise against it. What if there is some strange kind of mutation in the water?" Lucca said with a waving finger.
"Ugh," Crono said despairingly, "I am dying of thirst!"
"Next time we do something like this journey we need to get a canteen first." Marle said with a stern nod that was more for herself than anyone.
"'Next time?'" Lucca said with a disbelieving tone, "After I'm through here there is no way I'm going on another one of these things!"
"Do you have a flashlight in your tool belt?" Crono asked before going on, "There might be something here that we can trip on."
Lucca obeyed, producing a flashlight that clicked as she turned it on. "Well, at least we don't need it once we get to those lights. Let's go."
There was a silence as they walked on, but Marle was the first to break it, "So you didn't have any fun?"
"What?" Lucca said with a scoff and a smile.
"This journey I mean. Didn't you guys have a good time?" Marle said, walking with her hands behind her back, her fingers intertwined.
"Well, it wasn't boring if that's what you mean." Crono said.
"That's not what I mean." Marle said quietly.
"To be honest, princess, I had one hell of a time keeping myself alive and sane to enjoy myself." Lucca said sharply.
"You don't need to call me that." Marle said just as sharply.
"That's what you are, aren't you?"
"Lucca, take it easy." Crono said gently. "Marle, I admit that I had a…interesting time, but I think I would rather be at the fair right now."
Lucca's jaw became tight as that strange feeling of jealousy came back for just a moment. It bothered her that Crono would say something about such a horrible situation even though he seemed to go through the most strenuous parts of it. However, something that Marle said caused her to feel guilty for even having such an emotion at her innocent question.
Marle said rather timidly, "Well, to be honest, I like being here with you guys."
"Why in the world would you prefer this to the fair?" Lucca said incredulously
"Well, the reason I like this is because I never really had any good friends." Marle said, her hands now fumbling with the pendant.
Lucca said nothing but felt guilt sink in very slightly.
"What about parties and stuff like that?" Crono offered, "Didn't you meet a lot of people there?"
"I only met stuffy girls who felt they were the only thing important to the world. I went to the fair in order to make friends and I was lucky to find you guys. I'm only sorry I dragged us all into this horrible situation."
"Hey, it's okay. It was my machine that messed up too." Lucca said rather unconvincingly.
"No, I remember that I tried to act all big and I challenged you. So, you see, it's all my…it's all my…"
They stopped now, and rather unexpectedly. Lucca, who thought too late, turned about with the flashlight to show themselves Marle's bare shoulders which were quivering as if they were cold. Crono moved to touch her shoulder and she spun about to show that tears were streaming down her face. She blushed horribly and made an effort to cover herself by crouching down to the floor, placing her hands over her face. Meanwhile, both Crono and Lucca were stunned into silence, thus making her soft sobs very audible.
Crono was about to kneel and comfort her if he had the chance, but something rather unexpected happened. Lucca was the first. She knelt so that she was in front of Marle and she gripped her shoulders gently so that Marle looked into her eyes. There were many times in this story were Crono was the one to help Marle through these hard times but we finally see that all ill feeling between Marle and Lucca, regardless of the cause, would vanish with one single statement: "Marle; it is not your fault."
She sniffled as she looked up and said, "Really?"
Lucca nodded with a smile and said, "Really. Besides, I know why you acted big." At this point her eyes went to Crono's direction, implying the reason.
She felt embarrassed, yet relieved at her kindness, "You know, maybe this was supposed to happen; so we could all meet."
"I think so." Crono chimed in.
Marle still crouched near the ground as she said quickly, "I'm sorry. I don't know why I acted like that. I just think this place has gotten to me a little."
Lucca nodded in agreement, "Hey, its okay. I'm getting sick of this place too. I'm glad that we have you here to make it a little livelier."
Marle dried her eyes with the back of her hand, "I'm just happy that I met good friends like you guys."
She jumped to her feet and suddenly seemed cheerful as if nothing had happened, "Alright! What are we waiting for? Let's see if there's anyone here!"
She began to lead the way, humming merrily to herself. Crono and Lucca could only look at each other with humorous expressions and look on with amazement.
This place was not at all like the former dome. The last dome was wide open as if it were designed to be a habitation project. This one was very different and seemed more like an old laboratory. There was a long corridor which was about the length of a football field but was wide enough to admit their vehicle. The floor was made of metal grate and there were many wires running underneath it, but there was no steady hum of electricity. The flashlight Lucca had came in handy because after the lighted hallways there was nothing more except still darkness.
"Why do you suppose that the lights that way work and nothing else does?" Crono asked, more to Lucca than anyone else.
"They probably don't have enough power to operate the inner lights." Lucca suggested.
"Wait a minute!" Marle said anxiously, "There's some light up ahead!"
There were many doors in this corridor that were left open to show small rooms that had bunks or blankets strewn about the floor. These seemed to be some kind of living quarters, but no one was here at the moment. They progressed further until they were at a wide open space where the floor was nothing but marble tile. Over the many years of disrepair the tiles had become cracked and some popped out of place, but it was still surprising to see it in such a place. Even more surprising was a large group of people that sat silently amidst the glow of lanterns.
"Lanterns?" Lucca said as if she were confused.
There was not a single electrical light to be seen. All about these strange people were the dancing flames of oil lamps and impromptu camp fires. The whole place smelled of settled smoke, very much the same way your clothes smell after a camping trip. The roof, which was much taller than the small hall they just left, was covered in black soot. There was one area that seemed untouched; a silent glow of lightning in the sky showed that it was the large hole they had seen in the dome earlier. They also noted that it felt dryer in this place than in the stuffy hallways.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
Nervousness set in all around as they were face to face with a small child. The child, although it was hard to see in the dim light, was frowning and seemed to regret approaching these people as soon as she did. She cringed as Marle moved forward and she ran back towards the others yelling, "There's people here! Some one has come here! Come quick!"
There was a general murmuring that sounded very much like a large group of questions, but it quickly turned to urgent orders. All people in the large room, who had been sitting underneath the cover of soiled, shabby blankets, began to rise and walk over to the trio. No small amount of fear gripped them as they were unintentionally reminded of how Johnny and his men acted. They were about to turn and leave when they were stopped by a kindly and reassuring voice.
"Visitors! It has been so long! Welcome!"
What a surprise! This was perhaps the friendliest and most outgoing greeting they had ever received in such a hostile place! Their fears were slightly assuaged and they turned about with polite smiles. The people murmured pleasantly amongst each other and they began to circle about the group and appraise them. There was one thing that the campfire was good to cover and that was the glint of their guns. The nervousness returned again, but it only disappeared as the man talked again.
"Please, forgive our forwardness. We just haven't had anyone from any other domes come by for some time now. Where have you come from?"
Crono wished he had thought of choice words as soon as "We came from the bridge to the west," left his mouth.
A steady murmuring of astonishment and disbelief came from the people, "You were able to pay such a toll?"
"No, we managed to, um, slip by?" Marle offered, trying to leave out their dealings with the robots.
People were already beginning to return to their fires as the group thinned. Eventually there was only the small girl that had announced their presence and the old man that had asked them questions. Needless to say, talking was much easier after that. They were more direct and honest with their answers now that they were not intimidated by a throng of people.
"So, is this Arris dome?" Lucca asked.
"Yes, and I am its operator. The name is Doan."
"I am Marle, this is Crono, and this is Lucca." Marle said, pointing to each respective person.
Truth be known, this group of rag-tag adventurers wanted to continue on their way. Although these people seemed closer and more cheerful than the people at Trann dome, their paucity was indeed worse as Belthazar had mentioned. Living without lights seemed to affect their station greatly and it made it harder for them to function. However, they learned that they had gardens in the other rooms where they grew sustenance for themselves, no matter how scant the provisions were. They were patient as Doan made small talk about whom these people were and how things were done, but then he said something that surprised them just a little.
"If you intend to live here then you are going to have to do your part. In order for us to survive we must strive to do what we can."
"We have no intention of living here!" Marle said a little too quickly and harshly.
"What she means to say," Crono offered quickly, seeing offense gather within Doan, "is that we were merely looking for a way home."
The offense was gone, "I see. I am sad. You seemed like such good, strong people. We would have welcomed your help given our circumstances."
"Circumstances?" Lucca asked leaning forward as she sat cross legged on the floor like the others.
Doan gestured to the hallways that flanked all sides of the room. There were four hallways that were equal in length and some lead to other hallways. The rooms they had passed that did not open were a slight mystery to them and now they knew the answer. They did not open because there was not enough power. "Almost all domes fend for themselves by growing their own vegetation. We are no exception and we always had enough to get us by. Weeks ago we had power throughout the entire dome and we were able to keep our crops warm and bathe them in sunlight. We grow them in the rooms because the outside air is too dry and cold for them to survive. Since the power went out we haven't had access to our crops and we wondered if it would be a good idea to blow up the doors."
"Why don't you?" Marle asked.
"Doing so would be very dangerous. You might have seen the considerable damage done to this place. Besides, there are pipes all throughout this dome that carry usable water. If we would use explosives we could damage the pipes. Furthermore, the crops would be disturbed and perhaps damaged. Even then, if no damage would be done to the crop, there would be some done eventually. We keep the door sealed in order to trap heat and light to keep them growing. Chances are, with the power outage, they are mostly withered by now but they can be salvaged. We can try to build a greenhouse outside the dome, transfer the plants and all that, but there would be no way to protect them from wild animals or mutants. After much discussion with my family," he gestured to the large group of people that were scattered through the dome, "we have decided to blow the doors and salvage what we can. It was lucky that you came when you did. It makes my heart skip a beat to imagine what would happen if you were to be caught in the blast."
This had very much the same effect on them as it did the operator. However, a more poignant sorrow came over them as they realized something: obviously a computer would run on power and there was none here. Their countenance fell and they became incredibly silent, causing Doan to look about and wonder if something grave had happened. "Is there something wrong my friends?"
"We might have to stay here a while longer, if you would let us." Crono said silently, the words piercing Marle and Lucca like a dull knife.
"This is wondrous news," Doan said happily, but carefully, "but what caused you to change your minds?"
"We heard that there is some kind of information database here that has access to something called a star sender."
"Yes, that is true." Doan said with a nod. "I wish I could take you down there and show it to you, but no one has been there for some time."
"And where is that?" Crono asked, still sounding very depressed.
"The computer room and power room of course."
It was laughable how quickly their hopes had risen. Their eyes, which were half-shut in self pity, were wide open now and a torrent of questions spewed from their mouths. Doan was rather astounded and amused, but was quick to explain what had happened. "There is a chance that something strange occurred in the power room and that is the reason for the short supply of electricity. You see, there is an underwater river that flows beneath this dome and a generator connected to it. The river is ever flowing so there is always power. However, two weeks ago it all stopped and we sent a group of people down below. They had not come back since. It was our entire fault really; we got comfortable and never thought to maintain the generator."
He pointed to a lid that was bolted down tightly to the floor. "That leads to the power room. It had been years since anyone had been there to look after the operations and whatnot since our priority was always the food. We think that some kind of beast had found its way into the underground corridors and made its home there. After we lost those poor, brave men, we didn't have the heart to send anyone else."
"If there is any damage done to the power room, can it be repaired?" Lucca ventured.
"Damage? Ha, don't be ridiculous! The only thing that must be the problem is a short circuit! All you would need to do is restart the system."
"Then how come you guys are up here not doing anything?" Crono said, a little more forcefully than he intended.
"I already told you. It is dangerous. We already lost ten men to that place and we plan on preserving each others lives. We are not like the other domes. We care about each other. If you can't understand that than perhaps you don't belong here after all."
"I'm sorry," Crono said quickly, "I didn't mean to imply anything like that. It's just that we really need that computer to find our way home."
"What? Why would you need a computer and star sender to find your way home?"
"It's complicated really." Lucca said with a wave of her hand.
"You said that you lost ten men," Crono asked, mostly to change the topic, but also out of curiosity, "have you heard what happened to them?"
The operator looked towards the lid mournfully and then at the ground, "I do not wish to speak on it. All I will say is that I heard their distant screams and I had to comfort their families. That is all."
"What could be down there?" Marle asked to herself more than anyone, the bristles on the back of her neck standing up.
"I don't know, but I do know that it would be very dangerous down there."
"What about your crops? What about your food? If what you say about cultivating outside is true than you don't stand a chance." Crono said gently.
"That is incorrect my friend, there is a chance, but I agree that it is small."
"But even if the planting goes well, there will be outside complications." Crono said a little urgently this time.
"There is nothing we can do except try what we are capable of, and if we die we shall die."
"Don't say such a horrible thing!" Marle gasped, her hands moving over her gaping mouth.
"Why are you so upset? Death is a very common thing, especially in this day and age. If we were to die we would suffer no more."
"But if you are going to die anyway why not try to remedy the problem the best that you can?" Lucca said as if her point were undeniable.
"There is a still a slim chance that we can hold out for a few months."
"And then what?"
"We can finally rest from this horrible place."
Crono shot up to his feet insomuch that all around him who eavesdropped jumped in surprise, "Stop being so morbid! You won't die!"
"And why do you say that?" Doan said with a melancholy smile.
"Because we are going to fix the problem!"
There was a general murmur of excitement as the majority of the populace turned about to listen to this enthusiastic youth. However, there were some skeptical words that circulated among the minority as well. Fortunately, this operator was one of the majorities who felt a small sense of hope in that statement. However, being a leader by heart he tried his best to have these people consider both options, "It is very dangerous you know."
"Well, either face an uncertain death or face an impending one. I would choose the former." Crono said while crossing his arms.
"I cannot. If you three die I cannot have it on my conscious."
However, there was a murmuring sound once more, only it grew louder and took the sound of protest. There were people that told the operator to let them go. There were also others who were less kind that said they would not be missed among them if something were to befall their fate. As for Marle and Lucca they looked towards Crono and said adamantly, "Crono, if you will go we will go with you. There is no other choice."
"Operator," Crono said after looking towards Marle and Lucca, "we need to go down and find out what we can. We will go with your permission or without."
The operator sighed and looked at the little girl who had a worried look on her face, "Well, wait a while and we can get it ready then."
It took nearly an hour but the people in the dome were able to find the necessary tools to remove the lid that blocked the passageway. By that time the wind outside was howling incessantly so there was no possible way they could search anywhere else. The operator, making matters worse, told them the reason why they bolted down the lid was to keep anything down there from coming up to them. He said that once they would descend below they would seal it again and wait for any noise from underneath them that sounded human. During that time Lucca sat in a corner preparing strange black powders that she borrowed from the people of the dome. There were also round balls and casting that looked very much like sticks of dynamite.
"What is that stuff?" Marle asked while she watched over Lucca's shoulder.
"Gun powder for grenades. Phosphorus powder for flares. Gotta be prepared for whatever lies ahead. I used all of what I had when we ran away."
At that point Crono walked by while balancing his sword on his shoulder, "Do you have the weapon that Belthazar gave you?"
"Yes, I just wish I had my old crossbow." Marle said looking down at her weapon (a gun that had a full magazine) which she held clumsily.
"You know how to use a crossbow? Really?" Lucca seemed sincerely impressed as she looked towards Marle wide-eyed.
"It is common for royalty to be an expert with one weapon at the least. I always liked crossbows." She said with a funny smile.
"Ah! It's finished at last!"
The group turned towards the direction of a loud clang that seemed to startle everyone about them. There was a team of three people that had been laboring for some time now to remove the thick bolts that held down the lid. It is always some kind of unspoken rule that things are easier to close than they are to open, because the men were cradling their tender palms that were sore from hard work. They had resorted to wrenches and clamps to remove the bolts and by doing so they brought up a load of stone debris. If they were to close the lid as tightly as they had before they would have to seal it in different places.
"Are you guys ready to find our way home?" Crono said with an eager smile.
"Ugh, most definitely!" Marle said with the same smile.
"Count me in. Let's go." Lucca said with a more tired look on her face.
You could tell that the manhole was supposed to be open at all times before these people sealed it. There was a ladder and the sides of it were shaped in such a way that it used to curve in a tall, narrow arc for leverage on the ground. Instead, the arc has been welded through to make way for the lid and there were only certain parts of the descending tunnel that gripped the ladder steady. The trio gulped as they saw that it was pitch-black only a few feet down.
"Crono? You know what they say about ladies first?"
"Yeah, Lucca?"
"Well, this time the guy can go first."
"I'm honored." Crono said with a roll of his eyes.
His leather boots clanged as they descended slowly down the tunnel. The others were about to follow but he cautioned them that it was not the best idea, saying that the ladder barely supported one body at a time. It gave him a bit of a nervous feeling as he felt the handles vibrate in his hands with each sliding step, but this was by far easier than his doting memories of escaping the dungeon. After what seemed a minute or two he finally felt his foot touch something other than a rung in the ladder. He prodded it with his foot and saw that it was a walkway. He looked upwards and saw two silhouettes watching him from above.
"Lucca? Can you throw me down a flare? I can't see a thing! Move out of the way so I can see it too!"
It was dark above, but not darker than down where he was. That was why his eyes adjusted enough to see that the two forms had moved out of sight and only a hand clutching something could be seen. He could hear a faint whooshing of air as a cylinder stick speed towards him. It landed perfectly in his palm. He held it for a moment and then looked back up with an awkward expression on his face. Thankfully they could only see impenetrable darkness.
"Uh, how do I get this thing to light?"
"Feel for a string on one end and yank it off as hard as you can!"
He did so and suddenly there was a flash of blinding sparks in his face. Before Lucca could say to hold it away from his head he was rubbing his eyes vigorously as he seethed in between his teeth. A few moments passed and he saw that he dropped the flare onto something that seemed like a catwalk. Through the holes of the catwalk was more darkness, but he could hear the faint sound of rushing water underneath him. It didn't sound like a trickling stream either, but a gushing river that could dash a body into pieces if anyone were unfortunate enough to wind up in such a predicament. It sounded very distant so that meant that he was high above the actual spindles of the generators.
"You guys can come down. I don't mean to make you both nervous, but make sure you don't fall. It sounds like we are quite a ways up."
Lucca was the first to descend who was followed by Marle. As soon as Marle touched ground she titled her head upwards and saw that the inhabitants of the dome already began to seal the hole. Any light that came from above disappeared in an instant and they were at the mercy of their flares and lanterns. Before they descended Lucca borrowed a backpack from the people above. She told Crono to hold the waning light of the torch over her back as she produced an oil lantern, several sticks of flares, and a round grenade which she strapped to her side.
"To be honest, Lucca, seeing where we are, I will hope you refrain from using those things too much."
The lantern was considerably brighter and they could see more of their surroundings. They were on a catwalk that was suspended by steel beams that connected to a distant ceiling. The ceiling itself was not metal like they expected, but made of rock like the inside of a cavern. Although the lantern was brighter than the flare, the gushing river was still hidden from their eyes by a black abyss. However, there was a space of twenty yards between them and a metal door that was built into a rock wall.
"I suppose we go that way." Crono said as he walked forward, Lucca trailing with the lantern and Marle chewing on her nails.
"Eww, stop it Marle!" Lucca said with a half-smile.
"I can't help it. I do this whenever I get a little…a little…"
"Scared?" Lucca offered and teased at the same time.
"To be honest, there is something really creepy about this place." Crono said with a shiver and a nod.
"You feel it too?" Marle asked expectantly.
"Yeah, it feels like we're being watched or something."
"I think you two might be right. But I mostly think that you both are being paranoid."
"I hope so." Marle muttered while she looked about nervously.
Their footwear clanged against the grate as they approached the door. Thankfully this door was a traditional one; nothing but hinges and a handle. However, this was a heavy door and Crono had to use a little strength to swing it open. It was dark in this place as well, but there was stuffiness to it; and although they didn't notice until they stepped into this place, there was no wind like outside on the catwalk. When Lucca stepped in so did the light. The light spilled over metallic cabinets and lockers that seemed to fill this place. There were overcoats and safety helmets strewn haphazardly across the floor as if there was some kind of struggle. A thick coat of dust covered the floor, as evidenced by the footprints Crono, Marle, and Lucca left behind as they looked about the room.
"This almost seems as if it were some kind of recreational room." Lucca said as she noticed several shattered coffee mugs.
"I think you're right." Crono said as he fiddled with a small apparatus that was actually a communicator device that had died ages ago. "I wonder what this is."
"It's probably best to leave it alone."
"Doesn't it feel interesting and weird to see something so advanced look so old?" Marle said with a light chuckle.
"I suppose I can grasp the irony of the situation." Lucca said as she looked inside some of the lockers.
"Hey, look at this!" Crono said, pointing to a billboard covered in glass. Although the glass was covered in residue and sediment, a swipe of a hand against dust was enough to see that it was some type of map of the underground facility. Taking one of her tools, Lucca tapped against the glass gently so that it did not shatter loud enough to attract the attention of whatever lived in this place. With a little effort they removed the map and looked at it eagerly. The map itself was very old and slightly faded. The trio had to peer closely and use their imaginations for any print that had rubbed off ages ago.
"How long ago was this war if print itself could fade?" Marle asked aloud.
"Aha! There are five floors to this place, which has been built into a cavern wall! The power room is on the fourth basement floor!"
"Ah, so how do we get to the fourth floor?" Marle asked, shoving her rhetorical question aside.
"Maybe they have stairs somewhere. Ah, right here!"
"Where's the computer, then?" Crono asked.
"Huh, there are labs with computers everywhere, but the one we want is on the fifth floor. The other floors are dormitories, and research facilities."
"What do you think they could have researched?" Crono solicited with great earnest.
Lucca seemed the most intrigued by this question and said, "Well, there is the main lab on the third floor! You guys want to take a look while we're here?
"You're having fun, aren't you Lucca?"
"Somewhat." She said evasively, "Are you guys interested?"
"I suppose so." Marle replied, not sounding so passionate about the idea of gallivanting in a laboratory.
After looking a while longer at the map the trio saw that there was a service elevator that went to all five floors, but of course that knowledge would be useless until they restored the power. Fortunately for them it was a law in this world and time to have a flight of emergency stairs as well, and they imagined that considering the destruction of years past, any survivors were fortunate as well. The hallways went for a distance but they were able to find the stairs at the end of the hall.
There was a small wrench thrown into their plans as they looked down the vertical corridor. The flight of stairs at the top was unfazed, but if one were to throw a flare downwards, letting it bounce off the debris, you would see that a monumental cave in caused structural damage to the stairs. Suffice it to say, there would also be trouble with getting into the rooms. They proceeded down the steps carefully, occasionally squeezing in between the walls, stairway railings, or boulders that blocked their paths. There were also times that they had to leap further down below to reach the next level. This was something that they were particularly afraid of, knowing that going back up would be a great deal more difficult. Crono had great upper body strength and would have no problem pulling himself up, but he would have to help Lucca and Marle. The possibility of breaking the lantern was always a concern as well.
After a few leaps they stood on the third floor landing.
They were lucky because unlike the other doors this one was not blocked by dislodged boulders. True, there was a small amount of maneuvering to pass by anything that blocked the way, but at least it was accessible. It was another hallway, but it was not as long as the upper halls. They could see that one end led to the service elevator, but it was blocked by a pile of debris. That explained why none of the inhabitants mentioned anything about a lab. Another interesting thing was that one side of the hall was nothing but glass so that you could see into the labs. Occasionally there would be a beam which connected to the glass and the wall that bordered one research room from the other. As they walked by they saw strange devices that they had never seen before, and some that Lucca could list off at the drop of a hat.
"Oh wow! I never thought that some of these basic machines would be used in such an advanced world as this! And look at all this equipment!
"Wow, I think Lucca would be better off living here." Marle said with a sideways glance towards Crono.
"Well, I do admit that sometimes it seems that Lucca came from another world." Crono implied with a savvy smirk. That earned him a hard punch to his arm and a giggle from Marle.
There was a doorway that allowed access to the research rooms which Lucca was more than happy to traverse. She was no longer walking but jogging from machine to desk to equipment as she held up or leaned close to everything introspectively. "Amazing!" she would say as she looked at one thing and then "Unbelievable!" as she viewed something else. She was chattering as much as an old gossip while she observed the intricacies of a piece of machinery that she called a "computer chip" while the other two wondered about with less focused gazing. Lucca wondered about as if everything was precious and deserved attention. Crono and Marle felt the same way, only they drank in the whole place at once instead of observing every little thing. That was the reason they noticed something a little more out of place before Lucca did.
As they walked around the room, making their way towards the backrooms that you could not see from the hallway, the realized that they were walking in shattered glass. When they looked down they saw that this part of the floor was covered in some strange liquid. Seeing that it didn't melt their shoes or overpower them with some forsaken stench, they assumed it was water. They ventured a little forward and saw something they knew Lucca would be interested in.
"Lucca! Come over here! Can you tell us what all this is?"
She came over, and true to their thoughts she squeaked like a mouse at the sight. What they had noticed were large glass tubes that went from the floor to the ceiling. Within the tubes were several strange looking specimens that floated lifelessly inside. There were as many as thirty large tubes which housed differently sized specimens. There were some the size of your fist while there were others that were about the size of your head. She instantly rushed toward a tube and caressed the glass as if it were her child as she looked at the strange creature. "What is this?" Crono asked while Lucca looked at the other creatures.
"They are far more advanced than I thought! Don't you realize what these things are?"
"They look like dead things to me." Marle said with a shrug.
"Yes, now they are because the power died." Lucca answered with a quick nod, "However, if you look closely they are in fetal stages, most of them."
"What do you mean?"
"They created a life form!" Lucca said with an excitable gasp as if she did not fully realize it until she said it herself.
"How could they possibly do that?" Marle inquired with eyes wide with astonishment.
"I have no idea! This is beyond our understanding! I don't think our world is capable of such things!"
"But why would they make life? Why would they do something so extreme?" Crono asked, looking uneasily at the lifeless bodies.
"I don't know. Maybe they have restorative properties, or maybe they were extinct animals that they want back."
"Or maybe they were used for warfare?" Crono offered cynically.
"Take it easy. I'm pretty sure that specimens like these couldn't cause such destruction like we have seen."
"What a minute. What happened to the bodies from those tubes over there?"
The group turned about and saw that there were an additional ten tubes that were shattered so that only pieces of jagged glass poked out from the bottom and the ceiling. Around the immediate area of the shattered tubes were large rocks with hoses that pointed in many different directions. Connected to the hoses were large containers that were labeled with some names that were familiar and some that Lucca never heard of before.
"Magnesium, amino acids, Preserving fluids, Cryophorasate, Melatonin..."
"What is it all for?"
"I would say that it was for keeping the experiments subdued, nourished and asleep."
"Hey! Take a look at this!" Marle was at the other end of the room beckoning them.
They came over and what she showed them gave Lucca a good insight to what actually happened here. There was an old faded book, the plastic binding already coming loose and shriveled from negligence. She flipped through the book and showed the group that it was a photo album of the experiments that occurred an undeterminable amount of time ago. In the pictures the lab was clean and full of hustle and bustle. However, there was a certain point in the book where it was no longer orderly, but it seemed as if it were in great disarray.
"I think I know what happened here." Lucca finally spoke at looking at each photograph carefully.
Marle and Crono stood quietly while Lucca cleared her throat and began her long line of deduction. "This was a good lab ages past, and it seemed that it was devoted to biological research with other experiments on the side. I would say that whatever they were doing with the test tubes was new ground for them, which was why they kept the creatures subdued. Well, whatever happened on this world had an effect on this laboratory. Despite that they still had power and continued their research, although it did not go as smoothly as they hoped."
"What makes you say that?"
"Well, if you take a look at this photograph you can see that all of a sudden there are broken tubes and debris. Yet, we can see some samples floating around. Well, as time passed by they probably ran across some kind of malfunction and any animals that had developed fully probably broke free and attacked the scientists and anyone who still lived in this dome."
"Are they still down here?" Marle asked with an unusually high pitched voice.
"No, I don't think so." Lucca said, "Because we can still see pictures. Some other malfunction probably occurred and the rest broke free, but a long time ago. That is why we only see fetuses here, because any that were developed enough were able to escape! Ah, maybe the mutants we have been hearing about were byproducts of any experiments going on here! That would be the reason why they don't retain a similar form or attack at random!"
"Well, what about the water then?" Crono asked.
"Water?"
"Yeah, look down. There's water everywhere! Broken glass too. How come there isn't any water by the other tubes?"
Lucca turned pale and that did little to ease their troubled minds. She went to the photo album again and flipped through the pages quickly and let out a subdued shriek, letting the book fall onto the table. Crono rushed to her side and turned her about to ask what she had seen. "There are no other spills because that happened a long time ago and they have dried up. However, there is water because this escapee happened rather…recently."
There was a long silence.
"Why do you think that?" Marle said very slowly.
"Well, if we look at the tubes now, and look at the last photograph we can see that there is only of these fellows in the photograph that we don't see now."
Her hands were quaking as she flipped to the last page and showed Crono and Marle what the last escapee was. They themselves felt a cold, tingling feeling as they looked upon the hideousness of the creature. It had translucent skin that allowed you to see its veins and a large, bulbous head. Although its eyes were closed behind milky lids, they were thin and you could see its dark shark-like pupils. It was very much what they imagined these fearsome mutants to look like.
"Well, how long do you think the water has been here?" Crono asked rather shakily.
"I would say about…two weeks? You know, when the power went out which meant the machine no longer pumped sedatives into its system…"
"Oh no." Marle whimpered more than spoke.
"My thoughts exactly." Lucca stammered, "I think I lost my lust for science just now."
"Don't lose it yet," Crono said with as much courage as he could muster, "we need it to get that computer working. The sooner we find out how to go home, the sooner we can relax."
They walked around softer than they had before. Knowing that an oozing abomination was living amongst these ruins gave them an extra incentive to do so. With each gasp and each loud footstep the others would turn about and usher the age old symbol of silence: a finger to the lips while saying (very quietly mind you) "Shhh!" Unfortunately there was a bit of a detour they had to make. When they went to the stairwell they found that the fourth door below them was caved in. They had to climb to the second floor and then the first floor, Crono leading the way, and him pulling the girls up when they followed. They backtracked until they reached the elevator and were relieved that the elevator shaft had a ladder and enough room to squeeze by so they could descend to the fourth floor.
It took a little work, but they were able to pry open the doors, but it took longer than they wanted because they tried to make as little noise as possible. They did not know if the creature slept, or if it was on the other side. As they stepped through they saw that this was not another room with a hallway, but instead it was an open area with thick conductors strewn about the floor. Although they had been there for ages, none were thread bare and that allowed them the leisure of not having to worry about an electric shock. The room was impressive and well built and they understood immediately why the operator laughed when they asked if anything could be damaged. Everything was reinforced or tied down by thick cords. Nothing short but an explosion in this room could damage the controls.
"There it is! The master control board!" Lucca clapped softly in good cheer.
"Everything is in place, what would cause the power to fail?"
Lucca was already holding the lantern up against the board. "When it comes to electricity, especially ones that need a generator, you need to check on it often. It was incredibly stupid for the people here to be so lazy about keeping the power like this. There was probably a short in the conductor that connects to the generators just like that guy mentioned. The operator has some sense after all. We just need to reset the power grid and we can start it up again." There was a large, heavy switch that you could grip with your whole hand. It took a bit of effort, but it came down with a loud kerthunk. There was a sound of whirring as soon as it happed, but it died down immediately. Lucca waited for just a moment and then through the switch upward again. Soon, the whole room was filled with the sound of whirling gizmos and electrical devices. It seemed for a moment that the lights would come on, but they only flickered and dimmed so that the room was full of a dark orange glow.
"Why is it still dark?" Crono tapped on a light bulb that only hummed in response.
"It'll take a few minutes before the generator develops enough power to sustain all the energy this place needs."
"Are you sure that there wasn't anything else wrong with the system?" Marle asked while plugging her nose.
"Yeah," Crono replied while covering his own, "It smells like something is burnt."
"Maybe a few wires got fried while the systems booted up…No wait; it doesn't smell like an electrical burn…"
"Whatever it is it smells awful…Wait a moment…did you hear something just now?"
There was an uncomfortable silence as each of them came to the same conclusion. Crono turned towards Lucca and said very quietly, "Will the elevator still work?" Lucca nodded in reply. They began to tip-toe and look about nervously as a deer would if it were to step into an open meadow. Suddenly, the short walk they made from the elevator seemed forever away. The whirling continued and they wished that it would die down if only for a moment so that they could hear what went on around more clearly.
"Crono?" Marle sounded as if she were quaking with fear as her fingers wrapped around his arm with the vice-like grip of a snake.
They looked towards Marle and saw that she was staring forward with wide horrified eyes. They followed the line of her gaze and saw something that blended so well with the dim lights that it could have been passed by if Marle did not see it shift just barely. They would not have seen it if it hadn't breathed in deeply at that moment with a raspy wheeze. Lucca clung to Crono's other arm as she let out a self-stifled gasp. That was not the smart thing to do, because they could see another movement at that moment. There were two black circular dots that seemed to be near the top of the doorway it blocked. However, the darkness became deeper as something milky and translucent split apart.
"It's awake…It was there the entire time…" Crono spoke very softly.
"Put out the lantern, Lucca!" Marle whispered harshly.
Any light they had disappeared and there was only the dim lights that offered more visual assistance than coals burning in a fireplace. However, their eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and since they were watching the creature anyway they did not lose sight. Marle whispered softly, "If we go very slowly we can probably sneak past it and leave until we can get people to help us…"
Fate was not so kind this time around…
All of a sudden the dim lights sprung to life, temporarily blinding the three youths. The whirling intensified as all the machines began to hum and vibrate as they registered readings. Meanwhile, the creature that seemed docile suddenly reared to full height and instead of a roar like they expected, it let out a guttural growl. At that point it began to move forward, its feet never lifting from the ground, but sliding across as it approached them.
"Run!"
No one was certain who yelled out that command. All that was remembered from it was that the creature was momentarily surprised before it charged forward, breathing heavily with raspy gasps. As it did there was the sound of something sizzling. Crono looked down to the floor and saw that a small pool of liquid bubbled and steamed until it finally went dormant. "It oozes some kind of corrosive substance!" Lucca shouted, "Don't touch it!"
The creature wheezed as its circular mouth opened, showing row upon row of razor sharp teeth. It was at then that Crono remembered the stories about how this creature would grab someone with acidic tentacles or claws while it devoured its victims whole. While he reflected on this Lucca was able to remove her trusty sidearm, letting out a deafening blast as she fired at the monstrosity. The creature did not make a sound as the bullet passed through its body. Lucca hastily reloaded her weapon but stood in stunned silence as the creature turned its attention upon her.
"Lucca, run away!" Marle shouted as she pointed her strange gun towards the creature. The results were surprising but ineffective. As she squeezed the trigger there was a barrage of loud shots. This was not a single-shot weapon, but one that could fire many bullets at once. Marle underestimated its strength and felt the gun recoil so that it trailed up the body. It yielded the same effect, except the beast showed signs of pain. This time, they could also see the wounds bubble as if his own body were sizzling. At that moment the trio had enough time for a rushed conversation.
"I see it now!" Lucca shouted, "The ooze that he makes is a defense mechanism! When he gets injured the ooze cauterizes the wound!"
"And that means what?" Crono shouted.
"Weapons cannot kill him as long as the blood lets out slowly! Try to aim for vital organs!"
"Try to throw a grenade or something in its mouth!" Marle shouted.
"And what? If I miss we die, and if I get it we die by melting! If he explodes we get mutant all over us, you know that right?"
Marle had no time for a response because the creature answered with a threatening hiss as it charged forward again, this time towards Marle. She dived out of the way as the creature nearly swiped her leg with its acidic claws. She rolled just right, because she was able to land on her knees and aim the weapon again. There were more deafening blasts as the creature quivered in response to the pain. It stood still for a minute, the burning tissue sealing itself up again. "We can't do enough damage to it! What can we do?" Marle evaded another dive from the creature.
It was at that time when an idea flashed through Crono's mind. Lucca was standing near the elevator shaft while she reloaded her weapon again and again. Marle was still battling with the creature far closer than she wished and was quickly getting tired. The idea quickly became a well-thought out plan in just a manner of seconds. Crono took this moment to shout an order to Lucca, "Hey! Make the elevator come down to the third floor!" Lucca gave Crono a queer expression that seemed to say that she heard him but did not believe she heard him correctly. She took a chance nonetheless and pushed the elevator button and he could hear the axels spinning down the shaft. It was time to put the next phase of his plan into action.
"Hey! Come after me, you freak!"
Crono charged forward while the mutant was far too busy dealing with Marle. The mutant did not see him until it was too late. Crono jabbed with his sword as it seemed to slide into the creature with no obstruction in its path. The menace could not howl, but it let out a group of short rasps as its milky lids began to flutter. The creature still ignored him, trying to take swings at Marle once again. "Hey! Don't shoot him!" Once again and just like Lucca, Marle did not believe what she heard, but she stopped regardless. The beast still charged at Marle once again, but it was stopped by a deep slash from Crono and his katana.
Whatever he planned it worked. The creature paid no more attention to Marle and began to focus on Crono.
"Whatever you do, don't fire at it!" Crono shouted.
What he did next was also astounding. He dropped his sword and began to run towards the elevator shaft! The girls were trying to yell in protest but it came out in inaudible gasps as he passed them by, the mutant following closely behind. Crono waited until the very last second and he leaped over the edge of the elevator shaft while the beast followed. There was yet another moment that seemed to last for hours while Crono sailed through the air, his clothes billowing as he ascended higher and higher until…
CLANG!
He managed to grab a hold on the base of the elevator. However, this is where his plan fails him because the beast was able to latch on as well. He held on with a single hand, allowing him to turn about and see the beast eye to eye. There was a moment where he was struck dumb, being speechless, but at that point a miracle happened that he could not explain…
"Hurry! Send the elevator to the first floor!"
He was glad to see that Lucca obeyed without question this time around. There was a slight pull as the elevator shot upwards faster than Crono expected. He could feel the wind blow against him as he held on tight, his hands becoming slippery with nervous sweat. He was still unsure why that still small voice yelled out for him, but in a moment he saw the reason. The beast was holding onto a bar that jutted out from the base and he could hear the sound of something sizzling underneath the grasp of the beast. The beast stretched its free appendage towards Crono slowly, as if it were relishing its victory. Crono closed his eyes tightly, wondering which would be the more painful death; if he would let go of the bar and fall to his death or be eaten alive. He was about to let go at the first sense of burning, but that burning never came!
He opened his eyes and saw that the beast was no longer focusing on him, but trying desperately to take hold of something else. It almost seemed to be frantic as it found nothing to grab onto. And then it fell. There was a sound of metal snapping apart and the creature fell silently into the darkness of the elevator shaft. Crono laughed in disbelief, but was quickly brought back to reality as he realized his grip was weakening. He looked towards the ladder and swung back and forth until he had enough momentum and sailed through the air to land clumsily against the ladder. He held himself as close as he could against the ladder. He looked downwards and yelled as loudly as he could, saying, "Make the elevator go down to the bottom floor!"
There was a brief moment of silence, but suddenly there was the sound of winding gears and moving cables. The elevator dropped like a rock, passing Crono just barely, and it sank into the darkness. Suddenly, there was a soft noise that sounded as if something were crushed under the weight of the elevator and Crono allowed himself to sigh in relief.
"Are you okay, Crono?" he could hear Lucca yell out from below.
"I suppose so…" The poor young man answered, "Uh, I don't think I had that much of a lust for science in the first place; but if there was any at all…it just went flying out the window, Lucca!"
Author's note: Well, that took me a while to write, and it feels like I begin to lose any creativity I might have when I make a long chapter like this. I already know what the next one is going to be like and I think you guys will enjoy my take on how they found out about the truth. I just wanna say thanks to Lenarta, Kit, hhgb (I think I spelled it right), GleentheFrog, and Tetsukon (I made an observation and I am pretty sure that this guy iskind enough to review on every story in the CT section). Once again, thanks for your continued reading and I am proud to say...Magus will Live!
...maybe...
...Heh, I said that just to scare some of you...