V grabbed Panam's hand and followed Kerry up the ramp into the hover plane. At the top of the ramp, they turned and took one last look over the camp. Everyone in the camp was outside, looking at the hoverplane.
V heard gunshots as everyone fired their rifles into the air.
"You guys fuckin got this!" Mitch and Dakota yelled together. Oranges flashes appeared as everyone lit torches. More gunshots into the air. Then V heard engines revving, he could smell the exhaust. The sounds mixed together, rolled, and echoed throughout the desert. They heard other voices from the crowd now too, yelling words of encouragement.
V stood there with Panam awhile, taking it all in. The gunshots, engines and voices were booming through the desert. Then he spoke "You ask them to do this?"
She smiled and shook her head; she was still looking at the camp. "I did not."
Kerry spoke up, he looked impressed. "This who you've been hanging with V? Nice, my kinda people."
V could hear the engines revving and gunshots as the ramp closed behind him. As the plane took off and they started traveling towards the horizon, the sounds dimmed, and the torches on the ground faded away.
Kerry hugged him. "V, it's good to see you. Been awhile. You want the tour? It's gonna be six or seven hours to get there, we gotta fly around the mountains. I got drugs, booze if you wanna pass the time. Brought some joytoys too."
Panam looked like she was going to punch Kerry again.
Kerry looked at Panam and laughed "Ok, maybe no Joytoys. Check out this plane though, this thing is fuckin' nice. I got someone else wants to see you too."
There was one large circular room, and smaller rooms off it. In the middle of the largest room was a circular aquarium, full of exotic fish. The walls were dark grey, gold trimmed, and the lighting was dim. There was a bar with a woman and a man standing behind it. Kerry was looking proud. "Preem, right? Those fish are all illegal."
Just then a cat appeared from behind the bar. Kerry laughed "Vic said this fuckin' cat was howling for days after you left NC. I decided to take him, I needed the company." The cat ran over, rubbed its head on V's leg, he reached down to pet it.
"Fuckin' Nibbles. Never thought I'd see you again." V laughed then looked up at Kerry. "How'd you pull this off?"
"After I went on that NUSA tour with Us Cracks, I blew up. We've been on a worldwide tour. I got more money than I know what to do with."
Kerry shook his head, looked at V and laughed "And to think we fucking blew up their fuckin' van. Then we broke into Riot, threatening 'em."
Panam looked shocked "V, what the fuck? You gonks blew up a van? And broke into Riot?"
"And blew up a yacht" Kerry chipped in.
"How the fuck did you blow up a yacht?" Panam asked.
"Dynamite" Kerry looked puzzled. "How the fuck else would you do it?"
V looked at Kerry and laughed. "Me 'n Kerry, we got into some shit for sure."
Kerry's face turned serious. "Yeah, we did, but V, you helped me get my shit together. I probably woulda' gotten arrested that night at Riot if you hadn't talked me down. I've been talkin' to Mitch on and off the last few years, he's been keeping me updated on how you are doin. Then I'll tell Vic, or Misty, or whoever." Kerry looked at Panam. "You got some good people here V. Did you good get to get outta NC."
V looked at Panam, smiled at her. "Yeah, I guess I fuckin' do."
Panam spoke up. "Wait, how do you know Mitch?"
"Through Vic. Lotta people have been wonderin' what happened you V. They heard you rode off into the sunset three years ago. Mama Welles still wants you to stop by for dinner you know. I talked to that Alvarez girl a couple times too, she's up in Oregan, runs some kinda shop. She was wishin ya' well too."
Panam looked at V, "Alavarez girl? V, what the fuck is he talking about? Who is she?"
Kerry looked at Panam and laughed "Nah, nothin like that, she likes the ladies. She's just wants to be sure you're doin' ok V. Everyone does."
"I..." V started.
Kerry cut him off. "You got a lotta people out of some real shit V. They haven't forgotten."
Kerry looked to Panam. "Sorry about the output shit. I got an image to maintain. You get it?"
Panam's expression softened a bit. "Do not worry about it." Then she continued "But do not call me his fucking output again!"
"Course not" Kerry said, smiling, and then the gestured to the bar. "Heard you guys are headin' into the shit. You want a couple drinks first? Calms the nerves. I got the good stuff too. Also got a pizza with locust pepperoni. Your favorite V."
Shit, V thought, that pizza sounded pretty fuckin' good.
"I sure could use a fucking drink. I do not think I will ever like that locust pepperoni though." Panam said as she headed to the bar.
Kerry smiled at Panam. "I got other shit. I heard you like pierogis."
Panam's eyes lit up. "It has been so fucking long since I've had them!"
Kerry pointed at a box on the bar, and Panam rushed over to it, opening it, started eating. Nibbles jumped onto the bar, climbed into Panam's lap.
Kerry smiled. "Nibbles fuckin' knows when he's with good people." Then he looked at V. "How about it, you hungry? Want some beer? Pizza?"
V smiled now. "Yeah, sounds great. Thanks Kerry." They sat at the bar for a couple hours, catching up, trading stories, drinking beers, eating pizza. V didn't understand what was so great about those pierogis though.
After a while, Panam got up from the bar, headed into one of the bedrooms. "V, we should probably rest up a bit before we get there. Who knows what we will find?"
V looked at Kerry "You mind?"
Kerry shook his head. "V, girl like that asks you to go in the bedroom, you fuckin' follow her." Then he motioned to the bartenders. Nibbles jumped into Kerry's lap. "I got company here. Go, rest up."
V nodded and headed into the bedroom. Panam was looking out the window at the mountains. "V, I have never been this far north. The mountains are beautiful. I have never seen anything like it. Have you?"
V walked up to the window, grabbed Panam's hand. The mountains were beautiful, the sun was just starting to disappear over the horizon. This was no desert sunset though, the sun was an orange blotch on the horizon, and the sky was burnt orange, purple and blue. The snow covering the mountains seemed to glow with the same colors. He looked at the mountains, back to Panam, and then at the windows. "Nah. That is fuckin' somethin' alright. I still can't decide though."
She looked worried "Can't decide what? V are you having second thought about all this?"
"Can't decide if you or the mountains is more beautiful."
She slapped him on the back. "Fuck you V! You ever going to stop that shit? It has been years now."
"Did it ever stop workin?'"
She smiled and gave him a kiss. "No, I do not think it will ever stop working."
V walked over to the bed and sat down. "Panam... I can't believe you're riskin' who know what, for me, again."
She walked over and sat down next to him. "V, when are you going to learn? I'm here for you. I love you. No matter what. I don't care if we have to go to Idaho or the fucking moon. Nothing can change that." She put her metal arm around him. "You got it? Nothing."
"You're too good to me Panam. Shit, I love you too."
She smiled at him, pulled him in for a kiss. "Come here you gonk. Let's get some rest." They both laid down, and she pulled him close. He got a few hours of restless sleep, he felt Panam stirring too.
He heard the door open, Kerry's voice. "Pilot says we're about there. You ready?"
"Yeah, let's delta." V got out of bed. Panam was right behind him. He walked out into the central room and over to the window. The plane's lamps illuminated the ground as they landed, he was looking at the hoverplane's jets kick up snow. The ramp opened, and frigid air blew into the plane.
V looked at Kerry and started down the ramp with Panam's hand in his. "Thanks Kerry."
"No problem V. We'll be waiting. Stormtech won't let us leave until you are done."
"That ok with you?"
Kerry laughed "I got a plane full of drugs and booze. And two joytoys. I'll be fine." His face turned serous. "You two though, good luck in there. We're all rooting for you."
V stepped off the bottom of the ramp and it closed behind him. It was cold, the wind stung his face. Panam was just behind him, they were in front of a massive, concrete building, with no identifying marks on it. An arrow lit up on the ground, pointing to a door.
There were what looked like intercom speakers next to the path. That same male voice from the phone came from one of them. "V, Ms. Palmer. Follow the arrows. I'll let you in."
He looked at Panam, grabbed her hand. "Ready?"
She nodded and squeezed his hand. "Let us get you cured V."
The door slid open as he approached. The interior was brightly lit, immaculately clean. The walls, ceiling and doors were all bright white, same as Ortega's lab. He looked around but didn't see anyone. There were intercom boxes similar to the one he'd seen outside spaced out along the hallway. Both sides of the hallway were also lined with doors.
"Hello?" he said. The only thing he heard was his own voice, echoing back at him.
Panam looked at him and shrugged.
Another voice from an intercom. "V, follow the arrows. Get in the elevator. Don't bother checking the other rooms, you can't get in."
More arrows lit up on the floor, leading thirty or so feet down the hallway, then disappearing around a corner.
Panam shrugged again. "We have come this far." She grabbed his hand and started down the hallway.
They went to the corner, and saw more arrows going down another pristine white hallway, identical to the one they were in. These also went about thirty feet and disappeared down a corridor. He felt Panam squeeze his hand, and she started walking more quickly.
They repeated this process four or five more times, until they arrived at an elevator. As they arrived, the steel doors slid open. He went in first, Panam just behind him. The doors closed behind him, and the elevator started to descend.
He looked at her "Guess there's no going back now."
She laughed, smiled at him. "I think we passed that point a while ago." She grabbed his hand and gripped it tightly. He squeezed her hand back.
The elevator went down for what seemed like forever. Finally, it stopped, and the steel doors slid open. Before them was another white hallway, exactly the same as the ones they had seen. V still didn't see any people.
That same male voice from one of the intercoms "The machine is just down the hallway. Follow the arrows."
Once again, arrows appeared on the floor. This time they lead into an open door about fifteen feet down the hallway. He stepped out of the elevator, Panam's hand still in his, and followed the arrows. The door slid open as they approached it. Once they were both inside, they heard a clunk as the door shut behind them.
V looked around the room, it was also pristine, all white, brightly lit. There were two chairs in the room, and a grey box that took up an entire wall of the room. Out of the grey box were cables that looked identical to the ones Ortega had used to connect Panam and himself to the machine in Ortega's lab. V read the text on the box 'LABRYNTH.' There were smaller letters below it. 'PROTOTYPE.' He could hear the whirr of the ventilation system, saw a fan spinning in one of the vents.
This room had intercoms in it too. "V, Ms. Palmer, have a seat."
He looked at Panam, shrugged, and sat down in one of the chairs, she sat in the other. The grey cables moved by themselves and connected to his and Panam's personal links. Both chairs reclined once they were seated. He looked over at Panam, and then up at the pristine white ceiling.
The voice from the intercom again "You only have a chance in there because of what happened to both of you in Ortega's machine. Are you prepared to begin?"
"What should we expect?" V asked?
"I can't tell you what to expect. It will affect the procedure. All I can say is you must find each other in there. Are you ready?"
They both answered at the same time. "Yes"
V felt that same strange feeling again, like he was being pulled out of his head.
