Memento
Dr. Ray Ortiz
The sharp chirp of ice breaking beneath Ray Ortiz's axe should have been an omen of doom. It was a clear enough threat; even the most fragile misstep would result in the doctor tumbling over 40 yards down the side of the icy cliff. Ray had buried the bulk of his fear during the expedition's initial ascent into the Cascade range. Now, each empty crack of his pick reminded Ray how far he had ventured into the frigid icefield. The vacant sound reminded him of how far he had to fall.
Ray felt a gentle tug on his waist. His partner and old friend, Sig, had dragged his end of the line into the hazy cloud cover above him. The two had known each other for nearly a decade, bonding over their mutual love of rock climbing, stand-up comedy, and desserts during Medical school. Shortly after the two graduated, Sig traveled the world as an infectious disease doctor. Much to Ray's dismay, it also seemed that he had continued climbing anything he had come across. The gentle tug frequently turned into a violent jerk.
"Use your legs, Ray. There's gotta be something beneath all that fat," shouted Sig.
"Eat shit, Sig." Ray kicked the pick of his shoe into the ice wall and pushed.
With another tug of the rope, Ray's legs found their rhythm. Kick, kick, swing the picks. That harmony led Ray up the mountain, leaving his mind to wander.
Getting into this expedition was a stroke of luck. He had never gone ice climbing before and most people turned him down. The recent snowfall and cold weather made the trip far more treacherous than normal. Some groups still offered to set up an expedition, but the exploitative prices far outstripped the savings Ray built up over the years. Fortunately, Sig heard about Ray's need for an expedition team in his trip to the Northern Cascades. Sig was interested in making the trip but was absolutely enamored by the motive: to find the lost wreckage of the flight that killed Ray's brother. Now, the expedition was getting close. They hadn't seen any evidence yet, but Ray knew deep in his heart that –
Sharp pain brought Ray back into the present. He had overswung the top of the ledge and smashed his arm into the edge of the cliff. The shock ripped his left pick out of the wall. Ray's center of gravity teetered back in forth before tilting back towards the wispy clouds below. Ray desperately swung his arms forward, attempting to lodge his axes somewhere in the ice. He could feel his grip on the ice wall slipping from his boots.
Suddenly, the rope around Ray's waist launched him above the side of the cliff. Ray rolled over, panting and spitting out the vague taste of puke in his mouth. A strong pat on the back made Ray feel like he was going to collapse.
"I knew you had it in you, Ray," Sig said, "Once you get into a rhythm, nothing can stop you."
Another man, Chef, stood at Sig's side. Chef was a true monster of a man, 7 feet of rippling muscle, and he let his disdain for the expedition's slowest climber be known. Chef carried triple the weight as every other member in the expedition but still kept his pace beside the expedition leader.
"I sure hope so," Chef grumbled, "I'm not going to help you drag this man across the rest of the icefield."
Ray stood up, still panting. "I'm not tired, Chef. I can keep going"
Chef looked down, "Camps set up and the food is ready. Been ready for a while, actually. Captain will be going over the next part of the trip."
The three walked into the modest expedition tent. The space heaters kept the place warm enough to take their jackets off and enjoy the beef and onion stew. Other members of the expedition had already gathered around a whiteboard etched with a rough outline of the Neve Glacier. Their captain, Elias, a slender man wearing bubbly winter clothing that had seen its way up the mountain at least a dozen times, double-checked the notes in his journal against the whiteboard. He made a few more etchings, circling a section a quarter way up the Neve Glacier before pocketing his notebook and facing the group.
Ray watched the captain scribble a few last minute notes as he swallowed the hearty broth of the stew. The meaty contents eased his sore muscles and warmed his limbs. One long swig finished off the soup before a firm hand smacked him on the back. Ray nearly spit out his food.
"What's up, Ray?" Sig said, "This soup is fantastic. Leave it to Chef to deliver another classic."
Ray coughed, barely keeping down his soup. "Yeah, soups good. And it seems like you learned how to be a real people pleaser."
Sig nodded, "I could put on a damn clinic. At this point, I know the ins and outs of a dozen different cultures from around the world. And, more importantly, I know how to learn about the ins and outs of cultures around the world."
"So what? You can be a dick in 9 different languages now?"
"7 and a half, to be precise. And it looks like you've decided to become much more adventurous. This trip seemed pretty last minute, especially for you," Sig laughed then, with a more serious tone, said, "How's your mom doing?"
Ray took a deep breath as he looked at his empty bowl of soup. "I wish you asked me 3 months ago. She's dead, Sig. Pneumonia. Followed by sepsis."
Sig placed a gentle hand on Ray's shoulder. "I'm here for you now, Ray…"
"I know. You put all this together. It's just… my brother. His remains are all the family I have left. When he went missing on that plane crash and they couldn't find the wreckage, I couldn't stop looking. Thank you for helping me put my brother to rest. Properly this time."
The muted chatter of the tent came to a stop as Captain Elias closed his book and faced the expedition team. A few climbers sat down on a make-shift bench in front of the captain as others returned inside after putting out their smokes. Chef remained behind his cooking pot, cleaning up the various utensils and bowls leftover by the expedition. Sig and Ray sat up as Elias began his briefing.
"Gentlemen, I commend you on making it this far. We've made it this far by keeping a tight, organized, and well-planned venture. However…" Captain Elias gestured towards the whiteboard. A hastily written 'Snowfield Peak' marked the top while detailed markings spotted the rest of the board. "The Neve Glacier will be particularly precarious. Normally, it wouldn't be a problem for a group like us, but last week's snow has dropped plenty of fresh powder. Avalanches are far more likely. I've scouted part of the terrain with a drone and found a route that should reduce the risk, so listen up."
Elias proceeded to go into mind-numbingly deep detail about their route. Ray took in every detail about spotting risky terrain, remaining alert for crevices, and the projected path towards Snowfield Peak. Several members of the expedition absentmindedly nodded along. This certainly wasn't the first time they had heard a brief this long and most had traveled up this path before. Throughout the presentation, Ray referenced his own notes about his brother's plane crash. There was a high likelihood that he had crashed on this side of the mountain, but rescuers found no trace of the wreckage in this area.
As soon as the brief ended, the expedition packed up camp and began their trek across the glacier. Elias led the group, followed by his most experienced mountaineers. Ray and Sig were in the back of the party, tracing the deep footprints of the party members ahead of them.
Blackened stalactites stood tall above the expedition crew as they trudged their way through the spotless snow atop the glacier. The wispy cloud cover crawled across the bright afternoon horizon. Traces of wind blew at Ray's feet, carrying bits of snow into the tiny openings in his winter gear. Sounds of each footstep faded into the snow atop the glacier, reiterating the emptiness of the ice expanse. Ray looked behind him for Sig in an effort to remind himself that he was not alone in this expedition.
Suddenly, a deep rumble awoke the earth beneath the expedition. Snow began to shift and boulders swayed above. An orange flare pierced the sky above followed by a distant shout from Elias. Avalanche warning. But that was the last thing Ray was worried about. A massive chasm had opened up across the mountain, tearing down the glacier towards Ray. In the distance, Elias was the first to plunge into its depths, followed by several other members of the expedition.
"Ray, over here!" Sig shouted.
Ray turned towards Sig, who had quickly found cover underneath a natural alcove in the mountainside. He began sprinting towards the safe area. Each footstep was a chance to slip and fall into the snow. Yet, in spite of the icy surface beneath the mushy snow, Ray found his way safely across the icy terrain. As he caught his breath, other members struggled to find safe places nearby to weather out the potential avalanche and escape the creeping chasm.
"Any help!?" shouted Chef. He had tripped and struggled to get his footing. The panic in his eyes betrayed his typical hardened demeanor.
Sig opened his bag, spilling out supplies as he dug around for rope. When ready, he flung it as far as he could. The wind pulled the end of the rope away from Chef.
"Give me the rope," shouted Ray, holding two ice pitons in hand. He slid the rope into the ends of the pitons and threw it again. The rope landed right beside Chef, letting him grab onto it. Sig and Ray held the rope taught as Chef slowly found his balance again. The hulking man took tepid steps towards the alcove.
Without warning, the dull rumble of the mountain turned into a fantastic crackle of earth and ice. A massive fissure opened up, swallowing up snow and members of the expedition with ravenous hunger. The jagged opening ripped through the glacier towards Chef. The ground beneath him split open sending him tumbling into the depths of the glacier. His deep scream bounced across the narrow ice walls as he plunged into unknown depths.
Ray gripped harder onto the rope, "Sig, steady your footing."
"Got it!" shouted Sig.
The two gripped onto the rope and widened their stance. Though they stood firm, the duo slowly slid towards the edge of the crevice. Deep vibration from the ground shook their grip on the snow. Blood drained from their hand as they clung to the rope with impossible grip. Slowly, Ray saw the edge of the crevice advance. He clenched his teeth and forced air deep into his chest. Muscles that hadn't been used in years fired up, roaring in protest as Ray was dragged towards the edge of the crevice.
"Ray," Sig shouted, "We have to drop him. You will fall too."
"Shit, we can't do that. Lower him down. Maybe he touches the bottom."
As the glacier shifted, Ray shifted the rope and began feeding it through his hand. Breathing came easier as he slowly dropped Chef further into the newly formed chasm. The shaking had stopped, allowing Ray and Sig to rest. Ray glanced upwards at the rest of the mountainside.
The glacier was completely torn in half as if some otherworldly being had ripped it in half desperate for the juicy innards of the peak. Much of the recent snowfall had tumbled down the mountain or into the fissure. The newly revealed peak seemed to absorb the sunlight, reflecting the deepest shade of brown back at Ray.
The brief reprieve was cut short. Without warning, a massive jolt flung Ray forward. The vain attempts to get solid footing were met with the stability of solid air. Ray was in a free fall down the crevice, crashing into the sides as he descended into darkness. Shards of ice ripped into his clothes and skin. Ray pulled out one of his climbing picks, aimlessly swinging it to catch hold of the icy wall. The pick sunk into the ice with a ringing thunk. But a searing pain bore into Ray's shoulder, weakening his grip until the pick slipped from his hands.
Ray crashed into an icy slope at the bottom, rolling until he slammed face-first into a pile of snow at the bottom. He pushed down the urge to cry in pain as he tried to stand up. Another body crashed into the snow behind him. The few vestiges of light that reached this deep into the crevice made it difficult to make out, but Sig was alive and able to move on his own.
"Sig," Ray strained as he reached out to help Sig stand up, "Are you okay?"
Sig moaned, "I think I broke my arm and few ribs. You?"
"Shoulder's definitely dislocated. I can set a splint for you if you set this back into the socket." Ray gestured to his limp arm, "You remember how to do that, yeah?"
"Yeah, lay down on your back." As Ray found a patch of snow to lay on, Sig extended Ray's arm and began to set his shoulder.
Wincing, Ray looked above. "There might be other members of the expedition that survived. If we find them and fire off the remaining flares, maybe someone will – Motherf…"
"Sorry. You're shoulder should be set." Sig rested Ray's arm on his chest, "I have bandages and things you can use as a splint in my pack."
Ray began splinting Sig's arm as he continued, "I don't think either of us are fit to climb back to the surface, but I noticed that the fissure ran across the mountain. There might be a shallow point that we can walk out of."
"Find the crew; find the exit? Seems like a good plan to me," said Sig.
The two began their trek in the bottom of the chasm. Sections of ice had split cleanly in two, revealing surprisingly smooth slabs across the interior of the glacier. Not much could be seen without a flashlight, so the two wandered blindly feeling ahead until afternoon turned to evening. They turned on a flashlight, letting the light sink into the ankle-deep slush and glacier walls. Without the mountain wind, it was surprisingly warm and quiet at the bottom of the crevice. An hour passed as the two cautiously proceeded in silence.
A glint nearly buried in the ice caught Ray's eye. A section of seatbelt was lodged into the fissure wall. Sig gingerly pulled at the seatbelt as Ray pulled his notebook from his back. He flipped to the section reporting his brother's plane crash. Based on the rate they had been traveling, they had crossed over the last possible crash site. But, that only includes the surface of the mountain.
Sig pulled harder, ripping the seatbelt out of the wall. The wall began to crack. A crude triangle formed in the wall before the ice crashed backward, revealing a passageway behind the glacier wall. Ray walked into it before Sig held him back.
"We have to find the rest of the crew, first. We can come back for this."
"This could be my brother's crash site, Sig. They could have been buried underneath this glacier this entire time. I have to know if they're here."
"I get that, but we need to make sure we get out of here alive. We can always come back"
Ray gestured to his watch. "Just give me 30 minutes. If we don't see anything at that point, we turn back and come later. It might not even take that long."
"You're not going to drop this, are you?" Sig sighed, "Alright, let's check out this cavern. Lead the way."
Ray began walking through the cavern. The white snow from the mountaintop was replaced with ice and gravel beneath their feet. Bits of metal and cloth validated Ray's sense of urgency as they proceeded through the cavern. First, they found another seatbelt. Then debris from a broken turbine. There almost certainly was a plane crash nearby. Odd triangular etchings littered the walls of the narrow passage. Neither was sure what to make of them. Ray simply hoped that he could find his brother in the wreckage ahead.
The two helped each other climb up a short ledge and make their way into a clearing beneath the glacier. Ray waved his light and finally found what he had been searching for: the body of the plane. The model and company matched his brother's flight, though the paint had been horribly scarred and a hunk of the plane's body was torn in the rear as if some massive creature was gutting its prey.
"I'll check the inside and you check the outside," said Ray.
"Sure,"
Ray carefully entered the body of the plane. A waft of rotting flesh and human waste blasted his nostrils, none of it tempered by the cool air underneath the glacier. He recoiled at the smell, almost tripping over the luggage that had fallen from the overhead cabins. The yellow oxygen masks dangled lifelessly above each seat. Taking a closer look, several of the cabinet doors and seats were completely missing from the plane. Ripped plastic lined the bulk of the ceiling and claw marks ripped the carpet on the floor.
As Ray made his way through the plane, there were surprisingly few corpses left in the plane. The few that did were disfigured and mutilated beyond recognition. Bits of dust lifted into the air as Ray made his way to his brother's seat, 12H.
Surprisingly, it was untouched by time and whatever had made its way through the cabin. Ray ran his finger along the chair of the seat. Dust hadn't even settled on the chair whereas nearby seats were torn apart. Perhaps the cockpit would have some answers to what happened.
Markings of decay became more prominent as Ray walked up the aisle of the plane. Rot made its way into the carpet, spoiling the royal blue accents on the ground. The scent of decay grew to intolerable levels, forcing Ray to nearly keel over and dry heave on multiple occasions. Eventually, Ray made his way to the cockpit door. The locks had been torn off and the door eased open.
A stack of bones, tied together by the sinews of human tendons, was organized into a simple shrine. The triangular base matched the etchings on the walls of the passage Ray and Sig had traveled through. Two bones pointed out from the vertices. At the center, a massive glowing stone sat in the center, casting a dim green light in the cabin. Ray extended his hand, feeling the warmth emanating from the odd shrine.
A light, wispy voice hissed in the back of Ray's head, "The lost brother."
Ray pulled back, scanning his surroundings for the voice. "Sig, is that you?"
The voice continued, "My child, I am not your companion."
There was no one else in the cockpit nor the plane. Ray turned back towards the stone, quickly coming to an understanding, "Sig, how are things outside? Can you hear me?"
"I have been waiting for you, Ray," the voice said.
"Not interested. Sig, can you hear me!?" Ray shouted.
"Your brother was here before, child."
This caught Ray's interest, "Where is he?"
"He's crossed into another plane. Alone in a world far away," The voice curled around Ray, snaking up the side of his body, "But still alive."
Ray felt the voice turn and face him. He steeled himself, trying to bury any fear and uncertainty in his voice, "Show me how to find him. I've spent two decades looking for my brother. Twenty years thinking he was dead. If he is alive, help me bring him back."
If a smile made a sound, Ray heard it, "An ambitious request. Are you sure you can pay the price, my child."
"I want to bring him back home. I spent years looking for this plane. I've climbed mountains. I nearly died getting here. I will do whatever it takes to bring my brother back home. Back to my mother."
"Then show me. Eat the shard of warpstone."
"Warpstone," Ray looked at his hand. Though he didn't remember picking it up, a chunk of the green stone had broken off and sat in the palm of his hand. He lifted it, examining the opaque, glowing rock. He placed the stone on his tongue and tilted his head back. Without hesitation, Ray swallowed the warpstone in one piece.
Instantly, his stomach revolted. Ray covered his mouth as his stomach churned and spewed bile back up his throat. He collapsed on the ground, hearing a pounding in his head. Green ethereal energy slowly coalesced above him. No, it was always there, Ray had just now begun to see the voice materialize into a physical being. The pounding continued, this time accompanied by Sig's voice.
"We have to get out of here!" He shouted, "Whatever destroyed the plane is still nearby. I found the rest of the crew. Chef. Elias. All of them were torn to pieces outside the plane."
"Sig, get out," Ray said weakly. He put his hand over his mouth as he gagged. The pounding grew into a searing pain as his body twisted and contorted. Flashes of a green hue bled into the periphery of Ray's vision. Every muscle, bone, and nerve seemed to break down as the chaotic energy of the warpstone emanated through his body.
Sig kicked down the door and met Ray's gaze. In 20 years of traveling the world, he had never seen anything so abominable as the atrocity that Ray had become. A massive claw swung at Sig. Ray's lifelong companion was cleaved into three separate pieces. The torso flopped to the ground as the legs crumpled and the head rolled towards Ray. Ray couldn't find the energy to scream or cry; he could only stare as his friend's head remained transfixed in an expression of utter horror.
Ray rolled onto his back, tracing the still bloody claw to its owner's face. The creature bore several massive horns, each contorted and twisted in its own malevolent way. The creature had the outline of a massive rat twisted with features that dug a primal fear deep from within Ray's psyche. Eyes like a bottomless abyss and a maw dripping with insatiable hunger. It brought its claw to its mouth, savoring the warm flesh stuck to its paw.
Ray found both the strength and the courage to speak. "I… am ready… to get my brother back."
"Yes-yes. My child, I know you are ready." The massive creature placed the tip of its claw on Ray's forehead. The chaotic energies of the warpstone whirled into uniformed directions and syllables within Ray's head. "You will become one of my favored children. You will become a loyal servant of the Great Horned Rat."
The chaotic energy enveloped Ray, completing his transformation. His understanding of space and time twisted as the room churned upon itself. It seemed as if the world around Ray was swirling inside a grand whirlpool, flowing towards the center of the diety before him. Ray stopped fighting the flow and channeled his energy alongside it. At its center, Ray slipped into oblivion.
Ray Ortiz had died. Grey Seer Rikkund was born.