Between the cutting wind and Todd's weakness, the last few yards were pure misery for Amelia; even so, the thought of entering the building made her feel ill. We really have no choice, though, she thought, rubbing her hands together to try to coax feeling back into them. If we don't get out of the cold, Keller and I will freeze to death. Gods know what will happen to Todd.
They stopped in front of the towering door, unsure of how to proceed. The carved, recessed metal had no knobs or handles they could see, or even cracks to show where it opened. Amelia and Keller looked at each other, baffled, then Amelia shuddered and touched the door. To her horror, her fingers sank into the metal. She felt as though she had stuck her hand in a vat of congealed blood. A wave of nausea hit her, and she sank to her knees, fighting not to throw up. She tried to pull her hand back, but it was stuck. The door began to pull her deeper into itself.
"Help me!" she cried. Keller grabbed her forearm and pulled hard, but the door continued its inexorable pull. She was sunk to her elbow now, and she instinctively tried to brace with her other hand. The door pulled that in as well, and she moaned as she felt a wet sensation crawl up her unseen arms.
"Fight it, Amelia," Todd ordered. SHe felt his arms around her waist and chest, and she leaned back against him as he strained to free her. The door was reeling her in faster now; her arms had disappeared nearly to the shoulders, and Keller fell away, unable to hold onto her. Todd's boots were braced against the ground, but the icy earth offered little traction, and he was still weak from his injuries.
"Todd, let go," she said shakily, as the leather-clad arm across her chest drew close to the door. "Let go now."
His arm dropped to her waist, and he growled in frustration as her breasts disappeared. Amelia was beginning to hyperventilate, but she struggled to stave off panic. WIth a last deep breath, the metal flowed over her face. The last thing she heard was Keller pleading with Todd to not let her go.
The sensation of warm, viscous liquid washed over her as the door fully engulfed her, clinging and tainted, and then she was falling. She landed on her hands and knees, retching and unable to make out where she was. Total darkness surrounded her, and she huddled into herself, feeling like a child again. Children fear the dark, she thought, trembling. They know bad things really are waiting within.
She wasn't sure how long she knelt in the dark; hours it felt like, but eventually she noticed the blackness lifting. A pale white light began to push the shadows away, and she found herself in a large antechamber. Ice-white tile lined the floor, slick and cold beneath her hands. The walls were more of the silver metal, and swirling designs suggested disturbing images to Amelia, who did her best not too look too closely at them. Curved metal staircases spiraled up the walls to the upper floors, and several corridors, still dark, branched off out of sight. To her surprise, she realized the light came from the floor tiles beneath her body, dim at first, then steadily growing brighter and spreading. The light reflected off the metal walls, until even her own shadow disappeared.
She stood slowly, ears straining to catch any sounds from within the building. All was silent, but some deep, primitive instinct told her the building was not deserted, no matter what her other senses might tell her. Rubbing her arms to rid herself of the last vestiges of the effects of her entry, she turned back to the door. Steeling herself, she touched the cold metal gingerly, hoping the exit would be less unpleasant than the entry. This time, however, the door turned to quicksilver under her fingertips, and fell to the ground with a loud splash. She found herself face to face with a very surprised Todd.
"Amelia," he sighed in relief. "I did not think you had survived. Are you well?"
"Better than you, I think," she replied, taking in his pallor and blood-flecked lips. "You'd better come inside. I'm not sure what this place is, and I seriously doubt it's safe, but it's at least out of the wind."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Keller asked, stepping around Todd. She studied Amelia carefully. "You did just get pulled through a metal door. What the heck kind of metal though?" She looked down at the puddle of silver at their feet, perplexed. "I have never seen anything like this."
"We'll have to have a team come check this place out after we get back," Amelia said. "I've perused the Ancient database many times, and I've never even heard mention of this."
"It is vaguely Lantean," Todd said, stepping over the once-door and leaning tiredly against a wall. "More, I cannot determine. Perhaps once we find the control room." He closed his eyes and slid slowly to the ground, leaving wet, dark red streaks on the wall. Keller knelt beside him, but he tried to wave her away.
"Todd," she said sternly. "You need to let me examine you. You are hurt, and I need to know how badly."
"I will heal," he said, but Amelia thought he sounded less than sure.
"Todd," she said. "Please."
He opened his eyes and looked at her for a long moment, then slowly unzipped his long coat. The heavy leather fell to the floor with a sigh. Underneath, he wore a simple black leather vest.
"That comes off, too," Keller said tartly, when Todd hesitated. He glared at the young doctor, who only looked back at him impassively.
"I am not in the habit of exposing myself to humans," he said, oozing wounded dignity.
"Look," Amelia said, exasperated. "I doubt you have much Dr. Keller and I haven't seen before. Now strip, before I do it for you."
"You make threats sound positively delightful," he replied with a tired smirk. He pulled the bloodied vest over his head, and Amelia fought the urge to whistle. The pale green flesh was smooth and hairless, and taut over sharply defined abdominal muscles. Thin, dark green veins showed just under the skin, like delicate vines. Even the sharply protruding bones of his spine were oddly graceful, even under the sheen of the near-black blood still oozing from his wounds.
"Your physiology differs from the drone Wraith I've examined," Keller said with a trace of excitement. "They're more insect-like in their build, whereas you're built along more humanoid lines."
"I am not a specimen to be studied, Dr. Keller," Todd growled, drawing back from her reaching hands. The anger in his eyes revealed his fury. He tried to stand, but his legs gave way under him. Amelia caught him and pulled him against her shoulder, giving Keller a clear view of his back.
"Your wounds aren't healing at all," Keller said slowly. "You're hurt a hell of a lot worse than we thought. Without my medical supplies, I'm not sure there's much I can do."
Todd's eyes rolled up in his head and he sagged against Amelia, unconscious.
Behind them, unnoticed, the puddle of quicksilver flowed upwards, reforming the door.