----- Chapter 14 : Tooth and Nail ------
The water had not been as cold as she had first anticipated. Sue reasoned that the pipes must pass by something that heated them. What was unpleasant was the lumps in the water, Sue at least thankful that her pitiful torch did not illuminate the flotsam with any detail.
Incredibly, despite their awful surrounds, Cassie maintained her upbeat attitude. In fact, as time passed she seemed to become even more chipper. She seemed to be content to talk about anything, their voices echoed and distorted by the narrow passageways.
Sue knew also that the search could take a long time. Though these sewers were a closed system they were sufficiently labyrinthine that if they were to split up, she might not find Cassie again, but she quickly pushed that thought from her mind. The other problem was that they did not know what exactly it was other than 'giant rat'-like in appearance and if it was shy they might very well chase if forever.
The cramped confines put Sue in mind of Alex, the RAmar who had become her partner in recent times. According to the newscasts she had scanned through yesterday he had been arrested, accused of being the rogue Hunter 'Black Paper' and was now in prison. Despite what they had been through together, Sue was very resentful at her betrayal. Maybe once this was over she might visit him, to find out why.
Sue mused that her personal quest had monopolised her time so completely that she become out of touch with current events. More chatter from Cassie interrupted her thoughts.
"Will you be exploring the Ruins after this is over?" Cassie inquired.
"Ruins? What Ruins?"
"Don't you know? They unlocked the Ruins this afternoon."
Since Sue had been stuck in the residential areas all day she had not spoken to any Hunters, but the way Cassie had phrased it had confused her.
"Unlocked the Ruins? How can you unlock Ruins?"
"Oh that's easy. The entrance was sealed and only opened after three... Uh, what do you call them..? Monoliths! After three monoliths had been activated."
"Uh-huh..."
Something else had caught Sue's attention. They had reached a junction, a small yet tall room where several pipes came together, the only noise to be expected was the gentle sound of water falling. The sewage worker she interrogated mentioned offhand that in the past two days the rat population had virtually vanished.
Rats. An explorer as hardy and adventurous as man or anything man could build. Since stowing aboard the ships of Coral's seas in the distant past to the enormous generation ships that traversed the desolate ocean of space, they were our constant companions.
Here, a faint skittering sound could be heard. The sound like tiny claws on a hard surface. Sue centred herself in the room, turning her head this way and that in an attempt to determine its source, the thigh deep water slowing her movements. Cassie stopped talking. She had come to recognise the moments when Sue was being serious.
Sue switched on her Nei's claw and lowered her hand into the water to hide the telltale pink glow from the photon blades. Cassie nodded in acknowledgement and equipped the Lockgun. The noise was getting louder, whatever it was it was approaching fast.
With every passing centiBeat, Sue's torch waving became evermore frantic. A grill far above proved ambient light but there were eight entry points to the room and she could not cover them all at once.
A splash from behind her startled them both, Cassie giving out a little shriek. She twisted too late to see the ripples of something disappearing underwater. Sue crouched, tensed, ready to spring. Movement below the murky surface, coming towards her. Sue tried to back away to higher ground, she could not fight what she could not see.
The water would not allow her to move fast enough and she fell over, the chill of the water sufficient to knock the air from her lungs. Something brushed her leg and even as she tried in vain to stand again it leapt out of the water at her face.
It was pure good fortune that she was able to catch it in time. The creature almost resembled an elongated shrimp. A hard carapace with small flipper like legs, a long tail and an armoured head ending in a sharp spike mere millimetres from her face. She tried desperately to throw it off but was trapped in an awkward position keeping her head above the water.
"Shoot it!" She screamed.
Cassie fumbled with the gun before levelling it off, closed her eyes and fired...
The water had not been as cold as she had first anticipated. Sue reasoned that the pipes must pass by something that heated them. What was unpleasant was the lumps in the water, Sue at least thankful that her pitiful torch did not illuminate the flotsam with any detail.
Incredibly, despite their awful surrounds, Cassie maintained her upbeat attitude. In fact, as time passed she seemed to become even more chipper. She seemed to be content to talk about anything, their voices echoed and distorted by the narrow passageways.
Sue knew also that the search could take a long time. Though these sewers were a closed system they were sufficiently labyrinthine that if they were to split up, she might not find Cassie again, but she quickly pushed that thought from her mind. The other problem was that they did not know what exactly it was other than 'giant rat'-like in appearance and if it was shy they might very well chase if forever.
The cramped confines put Sue in mind of Alex, the RAmar who had become her partner in recent times. According to the newscasts she had scanned through yesterday he had been arrested, accused of being the rogue Hunter 'Black Paper' and was now in prison. Despite what they had been through together, Sue was very resentful at her betrayal. Maybe once this was over she might visit him, to find out why.
Sue mused that her personal quest had monopolised her time so completely that she become out of touch with current events. More chatter from Cassie interrupted her thoughts.
"Will you be exploring the Ruins after this is over?" Cassie inquired.
"Ruins? What Ruins?"
"Don't you know? They unlocked the Ruins this afternoon."
Since Sue had been stuck in the residential areas all day she had not spoken to any Hunters, but the way Cassie had phrased it had confused her.
"Unlocked the Ruins? How can you unlock Ruins?"
"Oh that's easy. The entrance was sealed and only opened after three... Uh, what do you call them..? Monoliths! After three monoliths had been activated."
"Uh-huh..."
Something else had caught Sue's attention. They had reached a junction, a small yet tall room where several pipes came together, the only noise to be expected was the gentle sound of water falling. The sewage worker she interrogated mentioned offhand that in the past two days the rat population had virtually vanished.
Rats. An explorer as hardy and adventurous as man or anything man could build. Since stowing aboard the ships of Coral's seas in the distant past to the enormous generation ships that traversed the desolate ocean of space, they were our constant companions.
Here, a faint skittering sound could be heard. The sound like tiny claws on a hard surface. Sue centred herself in the room, turning her head this way and that in an attempt to determine its source, the thigh deep water slowing her movements. Cassie stopped talking. She had come to recognise the moments when Sue was being serious.
Sue switched on her Nei's claw and lowered her hand into the water to hide the telltale pink glow from the photon blades. Cassie nodded in acknowledgement and equipped the Lockgun. The noise was getting louder, whatever it was it was approaching fast.
With every passing centiBeat, Sue's torch waving became evermore frantic. A grill far above proved ambient light but there were eight entry points to the room and she could not cover them all at once.
A splash from behind her startled them both, Cassie giving out a little shriek. She twisted too late to see the ripples of something disappearing underwater. Sue crouched, tensed, ready to spring. Movement below the murky surface, coming towards her. Sue tried to back away to higher ground, she could not fight what she could not see.
The water would not allow her to move fast enough and she fell over, the chill of the water sufficient to knock the air from her lungs. Something brushed her leg and even as she tried in vain to stand again it leapt out of the water at her face.
It was pure good fortune that she was able to catch it in time. The creature almost resembled an elongated shrimp. A hard carapace with small flipper like legs, a long tail and an armoured head ending in a sharp spike mere millimetres from her face. She tried desperately to throw it off but was trapped in an awkward position keeping her head above the water.
"Shoot it!" She screamed.
Cassie fumbled with the gun before levelling it off, closed her eyes and fired...