Out of the Future
Chapter 19: Into the Labyrinth
They entered through the dull, rusted doors, and came into the main archway. A receptionist desk was perched in the middle of the room, a large staircase right behind it. There were dark corridors on both sides of the stairs.
"The power wouldn't still work…would it?" asked Rachel.
"I could try and get it up," said Jesse.
"Did anyone hear me say that this place has been closed for thirteen tears?" muttered Logan.
"None of you should be here."
"We've been over this," said Max, "we're staying."
"Great, I'll go look for the…(phoomph)….power…box," started Jesse looking up as the lights started to flicker off and on, "or maybe somebody already did that."
The lights were now emitting a scarce orange glow, dimmed by layers of dust that had piled up over the years.
"Need I point out how gross this place is," said Alec looking around in disgust
"Did anyone hear…"
"You say this place has been inactive for thirteen years, yes Logan we got that, I was just starting the obvious which I sometimes like to do!" said Alec, "and why don't you and Asha monitor outside you're just going to get in the way here."
"Look Alec I think…"
"He's right," said Jesse hesitantly, "I'm sorry but he is," he said when Logan gave him a look, "you'll just get in the way against Koiohla, and without super speed and agility you might get killed and where would that leave me huh?"
"Why do I always get…"
"You and Asha should head outside and try not to get killed. We can't watch everyone at once," said Max
"…interrupted," finished Logan glaring at everyone who dared cut him off.
"I know you don't like this, but they're right Logan, and you know it, we'll keep watch outside, let's go," said Asha tapping him on the shoulder and heading out.
"Just be…"
"Careful? Yeah we know," said Rachel.
"Why can't I finish a single…"
"Thought?" helped Jesse
"Okay I'm leaving now, come back out alive-all of you," said Logan before turning slowly and leaving out the weather-beaten door.
"Okay that's two less now that we have to worry about now," said Max, "I take it our favourite transgenic got the lights for us?"
"Probably," said Jesse, "and Rachel's the only one immune to Koiohla's nails, they're only poison when their out-I think and hope, maybe we could cut her hands off?"
"Jesse," said Rachel sigh
"It was an idea--although she'd probably just grow new ones…" he mumbled sarcastically.
"Anyway, it'd be better to fight her in a clearing, the bottom level where or the roof wherever we can get her."
"And how are we going to do that Oh-Daughter-Of-Mine?" asked Alec.
"Bait."
^^^
"Think they're dead yet?" asked Logan
"We've been out here not even ten minutes and that's the eightieth time you've asked me that."
"Why don't you sneak in and help them?"
"Because I'm helpless," said Asha
"I thought you said you were watching her."
"I am, in my own way."
"They shouldn't be in there alone."
"There are four of them Logan."
"So what if they split up?" he asked, "that's probably the dumbest thing they could do right now, let her pick them off one by one, and one little scratch to Max or Alec and they are down for the count-forever."
"Max is an extraordinary transgenic, Rachel's tough as nails, Jesse's intelligent and Alec's…well, he's Alec." said Asha
"Was that supposed to comfort me?"
"Did it help?"
"What can we do out here that can help them?"
Asha thought for a moment before going to the back of the van, indicating for Logan to follow
^^^
"This isn't the right way."
"Yes it is it's right over here."
"No Alec this is the wrong way, I should never let them split us up like this and let you get us lost!" yelled Max.
"Yell a little louder would you I don't think China heard that!"
"I'm not yelling you are!"
"You so know it's you!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"You are so immature!" shouted Max
"I'm immature? Go look in a mirror Max, you are the Queen of Immaturity!"
"Mind filling me in on how?"
"You are so stubborn!"
"Don't change the subject!"
"I wasn't!"
"Oh, yeah…."
^^^
"Do you think this'll work?" whispered Jesse
"I don't know but it was worth a try don't you think?" said Rachel, "Just watch our backs and I'll watch our fronts I don't want her to figure out what we're up to and get the drop on us."
"I don't think that's really possible."
Rachel and Jesse were sitting on a twisted metal beam high above a clearing. Down below them, it looked like a place that was used for storage.
"Rachel?"
"Yeah?"
"You don't know what she really looks like do you…I mean in her…normal…form."
"Let's just kill her before she has time to do it."
^^^
She could hear them bickering.
452 and 494, always arguing. Idiots.
Didn't they realize she could hear them? Well maybe not, they haven't seen the things the new breed of transgenics could do. Double-Digit level X-series, were stronger, faster, and had better senses than the single-digits, a line that ended with the children of X-8's. Sure the offspring of the X-6's, 7's, and 8's were double digited but they were Manticore's sorry creations. Cerberus had perfected Sandeman's work, and the two bickering X-5's would die, she was going to kill them. Koiohla smiled again as she followed the agitated voices stalking closer to her prey.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Okay, I've been trying for the past 7 days to get this chapter! I had it written for a long while but what happened was it's all on the computers at school. On Wed. I got a disc and saved everything but it wouldn't let me upload ch.19 onto my documents at home, then no school Thurs. I tried again on Fri. but my computer told me that the disc wasn't formatted which pissed me off. Then on Mon. I had a spare but the library was closed and I had Band at Lunch. On Tues. I had no spare and only 5 minutes at Lunch to get it before my Psych. Class, I tried to do it twice on two different computers, but some of the hard drives at the school don't work with 3 ½ floppies . then today, FINALLY! After saving my work on two different disks, it works! About time, and sorry about the wait. That's why I'm posting two chapters. Please give me lots of reviews!