Into the Core: Joshua Keyes

Elizabeth Aiken

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Core".

Author's Note: Alright, after my stupid Microsoft word breaking for two days, I'm back and ready to update!

Review Responses:

AlexXx Marie: Thank you for your review. I love "The Core" as well, though before saying you would never be able to write a story for the core, you should have a go at it. I thought the same thing, though here I am on the second chapter for this story.

Issa: Thank you for your review.

Anjyll: Thank you for your review. "The Core" is one of my favorite movies and it is hard to find stories about it, I got the inspiration from your story, thanks!

Chapter 2

Virgil Launched Part 2

"Cabin Pressure, TSI, three point five" Iverson said into the Com.

"Check" Beck responded.

"ECS cabin pressure open"

"And repress VLV close."

"Check" Beck stated.

We were inside Virgil now. Seated and buckled in. Commander Iverson was sitting in the driver's seat with Beck at his right. Behind them came Serge and myself. Then behind us were Braz and Zimsky.

I swallowed hard; just realizing that I don't want to do this. I really, really, really don't want to do this.

"Fluid dump valve" Iverson continued.

"Check"

"We are about to begin our journey into the heart of the cosmos, into the core of our planet" I hear Zimsky whisper into his tiny recorder.

"Close."

"Check."

"Forward dump valve open."

"Were we find therein…"

"Check."

"The secrets of the universe"

"Three point five PSI,"

"..the mysteries of time…"

"Check"

"LM circuit lock up"

"Check"

"..hope from the future."

"And signal"

"Deep Earth Control, this is Virgil, signal check"

"This is Deep Earth Control." I heard as Stickley's voice came over the Com. "I have thumbs up over the board. You are clear to initiate power."

I watched as Iverson reached up, flicked an assortment of switches, and waited. The humming told him that the drills on Virgil's sides were powered up, spinning, and eager to start working.

"Reactor power confirmed" Iverson reported.

"At one thousand RPM, we will countdown till launch. On your mark." Stickley announced.

I started praying. Hopefully for us this journey will keep us safe for the return trip home.

"Pad leader, stand by for launch." Stickley announced.

I heard Braz behind me, "All right, Virgil."

That sounded as more encouragement for himself, then for his ship. Good, I'm not the only one who is worried about this mission.

The system finally reached one hundred percent.

"Gantry count" Stickley's voice sounded confident. "Ten, night, eight, seven…."

I gulped.

"six, five, four, three, two,….."

Oh man.

"One."

The bolts opened and I felt Virgil releasing into the vengeful sea. I braced myself, for this was going to be one wild rollercoaster ride.

"Five hundred feet" I hear Beck announce.

"Leveling out." Came Iverson.

"Okay guys, lets swing forward." Iverson announced.

We did. All regretting that we agreed to this.

"Eight hundred feet." Announced Beck.

"Light 'em up Beck" Iverson said smiling. Beck smiled wider as she turned the guide lights on.

"Gyro leveling operational" Braz reported.

"Hull integrity holding" Serge announced.

Crap. We weren't at full power yet. So we were really gliding through the ocean. The decent was fast and even for a couple of minutes.

"I'm going to keep her nose down about fifteen degrees and… oh, my goodness." I watched as Iverson looked up to see a pod of whales, swimming in our path.

I could hear low, mournful sounds from the whales as we descend deeper and deeper into the ocean.

"They're singing to us" Beck said smiling. Braz's voice came from behind me. "Virgil's resonance tubes are powered up, so they're vibrating sub sonically. Actually, we're, we're singing to them.

Maybe that's a good omen for team.

Yet almost as quickly as it began, it ended, and the entire quivered. I watched as the whales shifted and disappeared from our view, their moving song leaving with them.

"What's our depth?" I quickly asked.

"Sixteen hundred feet." Beck responded, "Plenty of room on both sides."

"Hull integrity is good." Serge announced.

"You sure?" I inquired, looking at feedback on my computer screen.

"Let's increase impeller speed" Braz suggested. "I think we'll be needing additional control."

"Still think the water launch was a good idea?" Braz inquired, mockingly toward Zimsky.

"Yes." I heard Zimsky respond. "Yes, I chose this location because the crust is thin here. The downside is…that there is a lot of seismic activity."

"Four thousand feet" Beck announced.

I looked up on the screens. The underwater cliffs that we have been gliding through before now was coming down on our head. I swallowed hard. We are in trouble.

"You see that rock?" I warned, my eyes never leaving the computer screen. "That is not good."

Thud. Thud. I think two rocks just hit the surface of Virgil's exterior. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, and I glance over as Serge does the same.

"We are losing steering here, There's some sort of crosscurrent."

"Oh..." I sighed.

"Fourteen thousand feet." Beck announced stiffly.

Virgil fought hard, but the current was coming fast.

"Okay guys, fasten your seatbelts." Iverson warned. "We're turning into the skid" he changed direction. All of us within Virgil felt the effect.

"Twenty-one thousand feet" Beck announced.

"We hit the wall we're rabbits on a highway." I hear Serge say to me.

"Pressure, pressure, pressure, pressure.." Braz was chanting in his seat.

"What do you mean, pressure?" Zimsky spat. "I thought you said this thing was indestructible!"

"I said the pressure makes us stronger. We just don't have enough of it yet."

"We're at twenty one thousand feet, pull out, sir" Beck ordered.

"Can't." Iverson confirmed.

"What?"

"We're locked in."

"Go to full throttle!" Braz commanded. The ship seemed to tense. "Stand by to engage front and lateral lasers, please."

I watched as Serge tried to turn his head around as far as he could, "But what if we hit bottom in ten seconds here?"

I looked up and around. I really didn't like the idea of Virgil being my tomb.

"Just give it a few more seconds," Braz encouraged. "the lasers will be fine."

I heard the lasers start to spin, yet no effect.

"Twenty seven thousand feet." Beck warned.

I looked around angrily.

"The lasers will deploy." I heard Braz continue.

I looked over at Serge, he never looked more frightened in his life. The lasers started to spin faster and faster, but still nothing.

"Twenty nine thousand feet!" Beck tensed visually in her seat.

"Do it!" Zimsky yelled.

"And.." Braz went on.

"Do it!" I yelled.

"Now!"

The lasers deployed. The rock before them disintegrated and carved a perfect path just as they dove headlong into the crust of the Earth. Virgil passed through without trouble. She slipped through, and the crust hardened once more behind her.

Serge and I broke out into nerve lessening chuckles.

"All right." I said, sighing afterwards. "Switching on electron spin burst transmitters."

"Hull integrity one hundred percent." Braz announced. "Reactor power one hundred percent."

"All green on the bomb compartment." Serge said, sighing in satisfaction.

"Speed is sixty knots." I confirmed.

"Hot damn." Beck laughed.

"All right," Zimsky stated. "We'll be through the crust in fifteen minutes into the mantle. Twenty four hours to the core, and then assuming we survive-"

"Assuming?" I asked, turning my head.

"Yes, assuming." Zimsky commented.

I turned my head back. Oh great.

"Another fifteen hours to the inner-outer core border."

"Virgil, can we get a status check?" Stickley asked, her voice coming in over the Com.

"We're about to make the transition into the mantle." Beck confirmed.

With the most painful and suspenseful part of the mission now finished, all our eyes were on the visuals screens. An amazing labyrinth of molten rock and liquids swam past our eyes in a plethora of different colors. Crystal formations, deep caverns and amazing sights the likes none had ever seen before. It was heaven below the surface, and we were the first to experience it.

"Come on, come on." Iverson encouraged the ship forward.

Within moments they made it. The only confirmation was our own eyes, the computer readings, and Serge's relieved sigh.

"Well, exterior pressure is eight hundred thousand pounds per square inch." he announced, looking at his computer. He then aimed a confident smile at me. "And hull integrity is one hundred percent." I smiled, saluted, and began to analyze his own readings.

"It is as if we're diving through the memories of the planet." Zimsky was again speaking into his little recorder. "But we are about to pass from memory into madness."

Braz took a sharp breath.

"Are you going to be doing that Carl Sagan narration all the way to the core?" he asked, pushing his glasses onto the bridge of his nose.

"I beg your pardon?" Zimsky asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"I said..."

"I-I have an obligation to my students, to my readers..."

"Obligation to make a book deal, perhaps." Braz commented.

"Two book deals, if you'd like to know the truth."

Serge rolled his eyes in his seat, smiling. Beck and Iverson exchanged entertained expressions.

"I read that last book. It wasn't very good."

"Oh really? Really?" Zimsky asked. I grinned as Beck turned her head to send a smile his way. "And when did you learn how to read?"

The argument went on, but no one really listened.

Author's Note: Holy crap. This thing is like, really long. Alright this was all based on the original script but through the eyes of Josh. Next chapter is "Giant Gem Bubble" after that I'm going to need help so here's a poll:

Who do you want to survive :

Everyone

or

Everyone but Zimsky

Please give a response in your review! Until next time..!