Chapter 12
-Into the Catacombs
"So… you mean to tell me you want a different room… because you… destroyed it?" The elderly owner puffed out a ring of smoke. His cigar dripping some ashes into the crystal faced tray below.
Vex stared, claws resting on the desk, waiting for a new key. He chuckled and slid another to her.
"I'll send you one floor down, still on the top. Great view but try not to destroy this one." He poured himself a shot of whiskey. Grey eyes glancing at the dead expression before him. "Hm… even back then I could never read you… but now, I get a sense something is up. Would you like a drink?"
She stared at him for a good ten seconds before giving a defeated nod. He poured a second glass and offered it to. Chuckling as he took a couple more sips. Vex took a few slow sips herself, swallowing with caution. The liquor having very little effect on her, causing the old monkey to try another sip.
"Take your time… what's going on?"
"Nyet on… external concerns."
He laughed and finished his glass, watching her slowly finish her own.
"Well, if you need another drink, you know where to find me."
Vex got up without another word and shut the door behind her. So much was swirling in her mind, the heaviness of the heart. The hurt was slowly starting to work its way into her heart. Recalling the way she drove her fangs into the creature's neck. Her tongue touched the tip of her folded-back fangs, ice running down her spine when feeling the sharpness leaves a small cut on her tongue.
What it must feel like to be bitten by such a thing, she pondered while getting onto the elevator. Great, here she went again… the guilt of savagely killing a creature the way she used to. So painful… why did she feel the drive to make it feel that way? She hated it, the fur rose on her back. Not wanting to be this way anymore. Even with the impeccable amount of progress, she was making, the instincts were to fight to kill. No matter the circumstance.
She pressed the button to bring her up to the new room. They wondered why she refused to participate in their training sessions. Incorrectly assuming she didn't like it, but it was just for their (and her own) safety. Those horrible horrible instincts, wishing with all her might that was something she could change quickly.
Breaking bones just felt to easy then knocking them out.
Getting the new room, she heard the commotion inside. The team received her message and went to the new room. She swiped the key and went inside. Gibson had already got Nova and Sprx up with Otto fixing the silver monkey's battery. Antauri spotted his wife and beamed a bright smile, feeling major relief she was okay. Vex cautiously approached him as he caught her in a tight hug.
"Okay, all done chief!" Otto cheered while closing Antauri's jetpack once replacing his battery. "This new power source should be more durable to electric attacks. So, you should be ready to go."
"My thanks Otto," Antauri whispered while rubbing his face against Vex's fluffy cheek. "Thank goodness everyone, including you, are okay. I was so frightened when I was forced to shut down."
She sighed and pat his back in return. "All is… being alright," Vex reassured while letting go of him. "Power source… functioning to satisfaction?"
"Yes," Antauri confirmed before glancing at Chiro. "You took a few nasty hits, are you sure you're alright?" He placed a hand to the young man's arm. He smiled and returned the arm pat.
"I'm fine… at least we got a new room, but right now we need to focus on what the heck that thing was." Chiro glanced at Gibson, "got anything from those samples you took Gibson?"
"Negative, scanners are still searching for any DNA match to any known species in this part of the galaxy."
"We've fought a lot of freaky things, especially in our feud with bone head. But THAT thing took the dang cake…" Sprx commented after Otto finished the last patch up with his welding laser. "Never seen anything like that before."
Otto was shaking like a leaf caught in a hurricane. His heart was practically beating out of his chest… he didn't know it, but somehow, he knew this thing was related to the wooden statue he broke. Vex always stood furthest from the group, but he was close enough to tell she knew something was not right. But as of this moment, strangely… her mind was too preoccupied to care. For now, anyway.
"Scanners need a while before they can find a match, for now, we might as well return to our daily routines. Just stay on the alert this time."
"Gibson is right," Chiro answered while looking at the clock nearby. "We'll take turns standing watch tonight. Who wants the first shift?"
Before anyone could volunteer, Vex had raised her claws. Her single organic eye pulsing with bloodshot veins expanding around her pupil. An exceptionally dark look that made Chiro wince a bit.
"You sure Vex? You haven't been sleeping very well."
"Plus, you've been neglecting your medication…" Gibson sourly stared at her while digging through his fanny-pack. "Speaking of which, its time for your nightly dosage. Or… mid-morning to be exact. Given last night's distraction." He scratched his head and opened the zipper wider to further expose his bag. "Strange, I… only have one of your syringes." The scientist growled and cut the old monkey an annoyed look. "I understand your dissatisfaction with needles, but that does NOT give you permission to take them out of my personal bag. Especially when keeping in mind the dangers of you forgetting."
Vex frowned, she never forgot her medicine. Moving Gibson aside, she peered into the blue bag and frowned. Only one shot, but how can that be? Chiro had reassured her that the blue one would refill it before coming.
"Recalling not… thieving from… you."
Sighing, Gibson took the cork off the needle's point and placed it in her hand. "Go ahead and inject it, we'll go back to the robot to recover more. Mistakes can happen… just try to remember next time."
Vex gave an annoyed grunt, she was aged and… sort of ill yes. But she still had the brainpower to remember basic things, like her medicine. But not willing to argue, she just nodded and went to get a drink of water in the new kitchen.
"Well," Chiro started to get everyone's attention. "It's six AM now… let's try and get a little more sleep. Later we can go out and do something else. Try and forget last night's nightmare."
Nodding in agreement, everyone retired to different spots around the room. This room possessed fewer beds, so Gibson and Otto took the couch, Sprx and Nova hunkered into one of the two twin beds, Chiro and Antauri snuggled into the other, and Vex stayed up. Antauri was unable to sleep, his eyes locked onto his wife.
She was always distant, but the last hour she has been acting completely out of character. Her body language was severely closed off… she wasn't even making any eye contact. Something she usually did, even at a distance. Something was up and he planned on figuring out what it was.
~Noon Time
The slightly refreshed team made their way onto a sky-tram. Otto was shaking like he was undergoing a seizure and Chiro was as pale as a ghost. The cart that held them all was cranked up by the powerful steel cables. Climbing higher and higher in altitude until they saw nothing but clouds. Vex, also not liking heights, was just as scared but hid it better. Their chatters nearly deafening them as they refused to look out the window.
"T—this stinks!" Otto cried as he hung onto Chiro's leg with all his might. "Flying is one thing, but this is not fun!"
"Otto quit your whining. We'll arrive at the mountain top in no top." Gibson stared at his tablet, "besides… it was your idea to visit the planet's catacombs."
"I just thought it was something on the ground, not ten thousand feet in the air!"
"I-I'm with Otto, I wouldn't mind doing this another time!"
"Everyone, calm down," Antauri calmly called while meditating by his open window. Both eyes closed in a soothing mental trance. "As I've mentioned before, your fears cannot be vanquished until you summon the courage to conquer them. So please, just stay put. We're almost there."
Nova wasn't the least bothered by their altitude and gave Chiro a funny look. Her unnoticeable red eyes flaring up the longer she looked into his scared eyes.
"Even if you fell, you'd be able to heal without trouble."
"Yea, but that doesn't mean I want to try…" Chiro sourly disagreed with Nova, crossing his arms. "What's the deal…? I thought you didn't like heights either. Plus, It is freezing up here, aren't you cold?"
"Hardly," Nova responded while leaning back against the windows. Feeling their confused gazes burrowing into her, she was quick to fake a shiver. "I mean, yea a little cool… but guess your tizzy fits are keeping me entertained." She giggled at the cowering boys.
The sky-tram yanked to a halt, shaking everyone off their feet. Its door swished open and revealed solid ground. Otto wasted no time in embracing the dirt as he barreled out the door.
"Safety at last!" He howled and yanked up weeds and rocks, pressing them to his face. "I'll never take advantage of this anymore…"
Chiro whipped the sweat from his forehead and forced on a more composed face. Before the entire team sat a massive cave opening. A brawny woman accompanied by a smaller bald guy slowly approached them. Both wore all sorts of mining gear; from lighted helmets to pick-axes.
"Welcome to Skinwalker Peek!" The muscular woman yodeled in a little girl sounding voice. "Where all sorts of legends are birthed. My name is Layla and my husband Markus, we will be your tour guides today."
Chiro stared at the odd-looking couple, weirded out by their statement.
"Uh, Skinwalker peek? Why… is it called that?"
Markus looked back and forth, gesturing Chiro's ear to his mouth as he whispered.
"Some say there's a legend being hidden deep in the stomach of the catacombs… something of where the dead walk, taking the faces of their victims… anything to regain the flesh which was violently taken from them."
All their faces, minus Vex, paled over. They shivered, completely creeped out as Gibson was quick to clear his throat.
"U-um, now I know I've stated this before… but such ideas are unlikely. Only things capable of that power is someone we faced years ago. Such individuals are gone, and the only creatures capable of such powers are sealed away."
"But remember brain-strain… anything is possible. Thought ya learned your lesson from last time." Sprx mocked the scientist.
Gibson opened his mouth, ready for another verbal smackdown, till Antauri's hand stopped them. He sighed and cut them a look, warning everyone to behave before their tour guides.
"Pardon, we tend to have mixed opinions regarding such concepts. But to reassure you we do not come with small minds." Antauri reassured the couple as they whispered into each other's ears. "Please, show us this place. We'd very much like to learn of the history behind your planet's origin."
"Glad to know one of you is open-minded," Layla laughed while grabbing Gibson and Sprx by their arms and tossing them into the cave's mouth. "Let the doubters go on in first!"
The males yelled as they went flopping down the steep slope till hitting the bottom. Stars circled around their dented helmets. Both groaning in complete dizziness. Antauri rolled his eyes and followed the couple inside. Otto and Chiro exchanged hesitant looks before dashing to catch up. Vex stayed at the cave's entrance, heartbeat slowly climbing.
Rocks seemed to mold into angry faces glaring down at her. Their whispers cascading her ears as she slammed her paws to silent them. Fur rising, her aggravation heightened. She tore a shot from her helmet and injected another round of medicine into her neck. The chemicals mixed in with the unnatural RNA and forced her mind into a calmer state.
Completely relaxed, her hallucinations vanished. The rocks' molded faces went back to normal with the whispers disappearing. A sigh of relief left her mouth as she power-walked to catch up to the vanishing group.