Dark Passage

by CotS

A sudden sandstorm separates members of Eden Advance.

2. Chapter 2

The crew of the Eden Project, cowered in their make-shift shelters, listening to the howling of the wind. For hours the storm raged with unabated fury. Cut off from each other, it was an anxious time with only their thoughts and
imagination to kept them company. As their air turned stale, some grew drowsy and dozed. The fine powder continued to built on itself, marching over the crewman and their vehicles in great sweeping inclines.

Alonzo jerked awake. How long had he slept? Outside, the moaning wind sounded like the dying breath of some ancient beast. Despite his covering, every part of his body was covered in a fine talcum of dust that had seeped into the tiny holes and cracks of the shroud. It also fed him enough fresh air to fight the deadly stupor that some of his friends were beginning to succumb to.

"Yale! Wake up. I think it's just about over."

The pilot pushed aside the canvas and fought his way through the mound that buried them under a good foot of loose soil. He reached back and pulled the tutor free.

Yale blinked against the sudden glare of a returning sun. His eyes swept the camp. "The others, we must hurry."

Zero was the only discernible body, standing forlorn and half buried in the rear of the Rover.

"Devon!!"

Sand was piled against the cab of the TransRover to the window.

A small creak grew and the leader of the Eden Project poked her head out. "I can't get the door open."

"Wait. I'll get Zero to dig you out." The pilot jumped aboard the back by simply climbing a dune. He scooped the robot free and handed him a shovel. "Get to work, Dig that drift away from the cab door so we can get Devon and the kids out."

Yale was already on his knees digging with his hands to free the others. Alonzo pulled two more shovels out of the back and went to his aid. It was hot, dirty work but the relief of seeing the others had survived overcame any
weariness they felt.

Finally, the group was resurrected and only the doctor and mechanic remained unaccounted for. The pilot threw himself into digging out the ATV. He only allowed himself a break when one of the other men took a turn at which time he tried to contact the missing two on gear. Their continuing silence ate at him.

Devon interrupted his nervous pacing to hand him a cup of water.

"Why don't they answer Devon? The storm's over. They should be able to get through now."

The woman tried to keep the worry from her voice as she answered him. "I don't know Alonzo. They are both very competent individuals and have survived worse. I'm sure they'll be fine. We just have to be patient."

"Patience isn't going to find them." He directed his anger into digging as he talked to her. "If they're so smart, how come they aren't communicating and letting us know where they are? I'm sorry Devon, but I have a bad feeling about this."

"Morgan is working on getting a fix on their last signal. Bess has put together an emergency pack and Walman is ready to go with you as soon as the ATV is free. We'll follow in the Rover. We're doing all we can. "

Devon was right. Every one had pitched in to help facilitate the rescue. By the time the ATV was ready, Morgan would have the coordinates of their homing signal. Still, his unease continued to grow.

Alonzo's mind reached out to Julia, trying to bridge the distance between them. His new gift, the ability to reach a higher plane of awareness was also a curse. He sensed, frustration, pain and fear, a crushing sense of danger.

"I'm coming, Doc. Just hang on a little longer."

xxx

"I'm coming. Hang on." Danziger finally answered Julia.

She had been calling his name repeatedly, When he hadn't answered, her anxiety had intensified to the point where she tried to go after him. It was the tone of her voice, the tortured movement caused by desperation that finally snapped his brain into gear. Finding their way blocked had been such a demoralizing blow to the mechanic that he had almost lost it.

He wiggled his way back. The tunnel was so narrow at this point they were almost wedged together. The reason for his silence was apparent. In the light, she could see the defeat on his face. The doctor's hand evaluated the cut on his temple. Her touch allowed a small measure of comfort to pass between them.

"You need a stitch."

"Yea? Well, if you have a needle and thread handy, you could use a few yourself."

She smiled at that but then her face grew serious. "What is it?"

"Looks like we took a wrong turn. Nothing but a solid wall ahead."

"Did you make any turns?"

"No. I've been crawling straight ahead. There hasn't been any other way to go."

"Do you still have the matches?" With his nod, she went on. "Light one. The air current should tell us which way."

He had a hard time getting his hand into his pants pocket. Finally, the flame flared and he held it up to catch any current. It bent in a forward direction. "The air is coming from behind us. I can't figure out how I missed it."

"Maybe you couldn't see it." He looked puzzled until she explained. "You can barely look ahead because of the low clearance. Perhaps the opening we're looking for was directly overhead or off to the side. We have to go back."

His head dropped forward into the dirt.

"John, I know you're exhausted. I know pulling me along had to take everything out of you. I'm sorry to say that you have to do it all over again. Maybe it's not that far behind us."

'What isn't that far behind us, are all those red eyes.' He thought. 'How can I back into that, not knowing what they are or what they'll do, what they're after?'

"John?"

"Julia,.." He hesitated, wondering how to tell her that something was following them.

Something that may have found blood as appetizing as the Grendlers.

"What?"

"How am I going to drag you back without hurting you?"

"There's nothing we can do about that. Here's my belt. Loop it around my ankles. Pull me with the strap. I'll take the light and check the sides and the ceiling."

They exchanged the belt for the light and he bound her ankles and pulled the strap out between her feet, then wrapped it around his fist. "Ready?"

"Yes."

Danziger closed his eyes and dug his toes into the dirt, inching his way backward by flexing his feet. He worked the length of the belt before stopping to pull the doctor along.

She tired to ignore the pain by concentrating on sweeping their surroundings with the LumaLite.

Time and distance were measured only by the unremitting agony of the ordeal. Thirst, exhaustion and pain overrode all other senses, all except the memory of those eyes which still burned fiercely somewhere in the shadows of Danziger's mind.

"Wait! Danziger, stop!"

"Huh?"

"I see something."

"What?" He waited, afraid she'd seen them, too.

"The rock looks different, more recessed."

"Oh. 'K. I'll rest till you're sure." He slumped. His head resting on his arms, both of which were completely drained.

She flicked the light off which touched off a sudden adrenaline rush in the mechanic.

"Wha? Turn it on. You crazy?"

She turned it back on. "I'm sure. There's a shaft off to the side above us. There's some indirect light filtering through. Maybe it's the opening we're looking for."

"Great." Then it sunk in. "Above us?"

xxx

"Great! This is just great. I could have walked there by now." Alonzo kicked the ATV.

Walman stopped what he was doing as Devon and Yale came over.

Devon's look took in Alonzo's frustration before she directed her question to Walman. "It still won't start?"

"I've taken the starter apart and cleaned it twice. I thought it was just clogged with sand but now I'm not sure what it could be. Danziger's the real genius when it comes to stuff like this."

Nothing had gone easy. Removing a ton of sand was a slow, hot exhausting process which had taken most of the day. Now evening was coming on and the leader of the Eden Project was hesitant about letting two more of the crew go off into the coming darkness.

True crawled out from under the vehicle. "Try it now."

Walman got in and cranked the handle. The small vehicle jumped forward and stalled. The second try worked however and within seconds Alonzo was strapping a medical pack and MagPro on to the rear.

True came up to the pilot. "Just find my dad, okay?" It was more a plea then a demand.

Yale put his hands around True's shoulders while Devon gave Walman last minute instructions.

"Make sure you stay in contact at all times. Here are the co-ordinates of the homing beacon on Danziger's gear. There's been no signal from Julia's so we're not sure they're together. If you find them, there are hydration capsules in the medical pack. We'll be less then an hour behind you so don't do anything rash."

"Let's go Walman." Alonzo was impatient to be off. He avoided the look Devon shot him, hopped on the back and scanned the darkening horizon.

With Adair's nod, Walman gunned the pedal. The ATV coughed its way out of camp and headed in the direction of a small blinking signal.

Morgan Martin watched the ATV leave, following an invisible track across a featureless plain. As he watched, a thin dark line moved across the sky in front of them. He climbed aboard the Rover and retrieved a pair of Jumpers. Raising them to his eye, he hit the maximum setting and was puzzled by what he saw in the lens. He jumped down and went searching for the tutor. "Yale, what kind of birds fly around at night?"

"Excuse me?"

"Out there, in the direction I sent Walman and Alonzo. There's a whole school of birds flying around."

"Flock. Birds flock, fish school." The tutor trained his eye toward the area the bureaucrat indicated and activated his lens implant.

The magnification was greater then that of the jumpers.

"Not birds, they're mammals. Something similar existed on earth at one time. Chiroptera, or as they were commonly called, bats. The insect-eaters were considered helpful to mankind. Unfortunately, some also transmitted disease so out of fear and ignorance most of the larger colonies were sought out and destroyed. Pollution and insecticides brought about the extinction of remaining population by the middle of the 21st century."

"So which are these, the insect-eating kind or the disease carrying kind?" Morgan asked, his eyes never leaving the distant creatures.

"I'm not sure you can tell just by looking at them." The tutor replied.

"In that case, if they get to close, I think we should kill them all just to be on the safe side. What do you think?"

The tutor just stared at the bureaucrat in silence as Morgan nervously scanned the sky.

xxx

John Danziger would have given his #9 wrench for a view of the same sky. As it was, he had twisted into an unnatural position to cram his head and a hand into the fissure. He was seriously worried about becoming stuck as the unyielding rock caught him in a vice like grip.

"Can you see anything?" Julia asked Danziger as he shone the light into the chimney like vent.

"I'm trying. I can't see much from this vantage point."

His neck was turned about as far as it would go. The big mechanic was in an ugly mood. The shaft was damp and foul smelling, reeking with the strong scent of ammonia. It was also infested with insects. Large and black or small and translucent, they fell, jumped or meandered upon his anatomy, disturbed by the intrusion.

His continuing silence irritated Julia. "Maybe you should have let me go first. I wouldn't have had as much problem fitting."

"Believe me, you don't want to be in here." His last words were mumbled as something crawled over his lip.

"If it's a way out, I'll put up with anything."

Danziger pulled himself free, forfeiting some skin. He brushed his hand wildly through his hair dislodging a variety of creepy crawlers. "Trust me, this is not the way out."

He saw her face fall. "Look, if there's one, there bound to be another. We'll just keep looking."

xxx

Walman was driving full throttle, intent on the terrain before him. Alonzo held tightly to the roll bar behind him as the ATV sped along. At first, the dark shape seemed to be nothing more than a piece of debris kicked up by the vehicle's huge tires. The pilot saw it flutter and come to rest against the driver's neck. Walman's hand flicked upward, aware of something. Then another and another, shadows that fell upon them, filling the air with the vibrating beat of hundreds of tiny wings.

The ATV swung erratically as Walman tried to beat away the attackers with both hands. Alonzo was thrown from side to side and lost his footing. The right side rolled over a good size rock and the vehicle tipped to the left, then bounced down hard sending the pilot air-born before he landed, cart wheeling in the dirt. Unaware that he had lost his rider, Walman spun the wheel and headed back the way he had come, half crazed by the stinging bites from the unexpected attack. He headed back toward Eden Advance which offered the only safety he could count on.

xxx

Thirst and exhaustion were consuming Julia and Danziger's remaining energy. The mechanic realized his hard labor was no longer producing sweat and he was sure this wasn't a good sign. He halted, weary and half sick. Beside him, Julia's face was unnaturally pale and drawn. The growing silence between them was heavy with despair.

Deep in the earth, encased in stone and cut off from the light, this place had the feel of a premature grave. The air was thick with the dust, the smell of undisturbed centuries in a place where time had no meaning. The thought that it might become their tomb took root and began to grow in some dark corner of their minds.

Danziger was torn, he was ready to go back and take his chances with the Grendlers. If he could make it to the Rail, and if the Grendlers hadn't already taken the MagPro, he might be able to get help. Hell, with the MagPro he might even be able to scare the Grendlers off and save their asses himself. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to suggest this to Julia. Maybe because he would have to leave her behind with God knows what, although there hadn't been a sign of anything recently. He should have known that sometimes the very thought conjures up the actuality.

"John?" Julia was breathless. "I there's something on my leg. Please, I can't see what it is. Hurry!"

"Okay, take it easy. I'm hurrying." As the mechanic worked his way backward, his ear picked up a sound.

Julia jerked.

"What are you doing?"

"I tired to kick it away. I think something was around the wound. Can you see anything?"

He banged his head on the ceiling trying to look over. "No, whatever it was is gone."

A dark stain pooled just below a tiny stream of fresh blood from a recent puncture wound. Seeing the evidence on her leg, he searched the corners with his light, spooking the culprit from its hiding place. Its maneuverability in such tight quarters was amazing. It darted about, finally settled upside down on tiny clawed feet and folded its transparent wings with stick-like skeletal bones. It seemed content to wait until this lumbering giant moved on. A
scarlet tongue, twice the size of the mouth that enclosed it, flicked between razor sharp teeth, and began to lick its face.

The sight enraged Danziger. All his frustration channeled into this one lone creature and he went after it with every intention of ripping it apart. His angry growl echoed through the cavern as he backed toward it and he only
succeeded in chasing it up a dark fissure. It was long gone by the time he pointed the LumaLight in the direction in which it disappeared. The only thing he caught was the scent of fresh air in a shaft that was wide enough to point a possible way out.

"Julia!" He crawled forward, adrenaline supplying a false energy. So eager and excited to tell her the good news, the sight of the woman trembling stunned him. "What? What is it?"

She grabbed his arm, holding on for dear life. She shook and something close to a sob escaped her lips. It dawned on him that he had left her alone in the dark while he had rushed away in an opposite direction. The
trauma of the Grendler attack had finally hit her with this new assault. Add to that a fear of abandonment and her reaction was understandable.

"Shhh. it's okay. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left that way but I think I found the way out." He stroked her hair, trying to find the words to comfort her. "We're going to get out of here, Doc. I promise, I won't leave you again."

She shook her head in understanding. So dehydrated, her body could not find enough moisture to shed tears, it went through the motion of dry heaving a good cry.

xxx

Alonzo rolled over, spitting blood and sand from a split lip. His eyes darted about, remembering the attack. His gear lay a few meters away. Keeping low and out of sight, he crawled on his belly to retrieve it. The pilot leaned back against the hard surface of a nearby boulder and flicked on the transmission switch. "Walman? Anyone? Come in. Do you read me?"

Bess's voice came back clearly. "Alonzo? What's going on? Why are you asking for Walman? Isn't he with you?"

"No. We were attacked by something from the air. They came at us all at once. We tried to beat them off. I fell off the ATV. There's no sign of Walman or the vehicle."

"Okay, I'm going to tell the others. Hang on."

Alonzo scanned the sky while he waited. Finally, Yale came on-line with Morgan yapping excitedly in the background.

"Alonzo, we can see Walman heading back. I believe you were attacked by bats. It appears the majority are still after him, although the ATV is running slightly ahead. We are trying to determine the best course of action. Are you all right?"

Morgan yelled in the background. "The MagPro grenade. We can take the whole flock out with a few well placed
shots."

"Well placed by who? No way you're getting your hands on grenades, Martin." Baines shot back.

The pilot ignored the distraction. "I'm fine. I think they forgot all about me. I was dumped into some low brush and am pretty well hidden so I'm going on. I have the coordinates and I'm not far from their signal. I should be okay if I keep down and out of sight."

"Alonzo, maybe you should wait until we catch up. It's not safe for you to proceed alone."

"I'll be careful. Look Yale, I can't explain it but I feel that Julia and Danziger need help now. I'm not going to let them down by sitting here and waiting until it might be safe. I'll contact you again when I know on Walman. He's the only one you can help now."

xxx

Finding the passage was only the first small step. Danziger had no intention of leaving the doctor behind but they both knew her injury would greatly hamper their chances of success. They decided it would be better if she went first this time.

Danziger slid out of the way so that Julia had complete access to the opening. She used her arms and eventually was able to pull herself into a sitting position, the upper part of her body disappearing into the passageway.

"How is it? Can you manage?"

"Give me a minute." Sitting up brought on a lightheaded feeling. Julia closed her eyes until the feeling passed. "This is going to be the hard part."

Feeling around for a smooth area to plant her hands, she tested her arms, lifting her lower body with their strength so that she could favor her leg. The space opened up inside and she was able to sit, once her hips cleared the lip. It helped relieve the strain on the one leg that held her upright. Trying not to think about what might be crawling on the walls, she leaned back and swung the good limb up, then slowly, painfully pulled the other to join it.

"Okay, your turn." She told Danziger breathlessly.

The mechanic had a terrible time. In a stomach down position, he had to arch his spine in an almost back breaking angle to inch his way in and up. He was completely spent by the time he sat beside her. "If I didn't hurt so bad, I would've sworn it felt good to sit up." His voice was ragged and hoarse. "How are you doing?"

The doctor just nodded. Danziger thought she didn't look good at all.

He searched the chimney's wall with the light The uneven surface would offer foot and hand holds for the climb. There were signs and a smell that the animal he chased was only a single member of a larger group that lived and excreted waste here. The climb would be treacherous on slick stones, deadly if either of them slipped. He would have to support Julia as well as himself and he wondered how he would find the strength.

"Let's catch our breath and rest a bit before we go on." Danziger needed time to gather his strength back.

"Okay. I want to wrap my leg, make sure the bandage is tight. Can you direct the light this way?"

"Sure. Good idea."

He watched her unwind the encrusted wrapping, exposing an ugly line of puncture wounds. A runny liquid oozed from the raw lacerations. She was all business as she inspected and rewrapped the injury. He wondered if her tolerance for pain was higher than most due to her chromo-tilting. If they were going to get out of here, it better be.

"I'll let you go first. Take your time. Looks like some wider ledges up there. Aim for that. Stop and rest." Danziger helped the doctor up and supported her as she began the ascent. He watched her inch her way up, trailing the bad leg, groaning when she was forced to put weight on it.

He began to climb beside her, ready to offer a hand whenever possible. Danziger pulled ahead to reach the first ledge wide enough to rest on. He pulled the woman up and held her tightly against his chest which was hammering with exertion. They both reeked with the combined odors of sweat, dirt, blood and bat dropping. Yet, they huddled close like frightened children taking comfort in each other's physical presence. Their thoughts drifted toward those they struggled to survive for.

xxx

Julia would have been surprised to learn that her thoughts did not have far to travel. Alonzo was quickly closing the distance between them as he put all concern for his own safety aside.

"Alonzo? Alonzo, come in."

"I'm here, Devon. What's wrong? Is Walman all right?"

"Yes. Yes, he's fine. He's been bitten, but it's nothing serious. The creatures broke off their attack before he reached us. Yale thinks they might be territorial and won't go outside a certain range."

"So you're calling to warn me that they may be headed back this way."

"Yes. I want you to stay out of sight until we can lure them back."

"How do you plan to do that safely?"

"Morgan is working on something. We're sending Zero back in the ATV to draw them away from your location but we need time."

The pilot was torn, he was so close to the signal. "How much time?"

Devon watched as the robot was sent off as a decoy. "We're sending Zero out now. We'll follow him with infrared. As soon as I know they've taken the bait, I'll give you the all clear. We might not draw them all so you'll still have to be careful."

"Understood, I'll be careful." Alonzo signed off and glanced up at the sky.

Danziger's locator beeped clearly, signaling its location about 200 meters ahead. The pilot no intention of waiting.

Devon had no choice but to cut her signal. Perhaps Alonzo thought the transmissions might give away his position. She looked out into the darkness worrying about her missing crew mates remembering another time when Danziger, Julia and Alonzo had been missing. Personal feelings aside, their skills were the most valuable to the group's well being and the hope of reaching New Pacifica. How many times could they risk fate and have things turn out well?

xxx

As Danziger relaxed, his leg slipped forward sending a spray of peddles over the edge of the ledge they rested on. The sound jerked him awake. The big mechanic felt a flutter of fear as he realized the danger of letting his guard down. Seconds after they had taken a break, both had fallen into an exhausted sleep. One more mistake like that and it would be all over.

"Julia. Come on, wake up. We have to keep moving." He shook the woman, who's head rested heavily against his chest.

"Hmmmm....tired."

"I know but we don't watch it, we'll wind up sleeping permanently."

The doctor groaned with movement. "I'm so thirsty. I was hoping this was just a bad dream."

"It is but you don't get to wake up till we get out of here."

In the dim light, Julia searched his face to see if he really believed they would. The small surge of energy she felt at finding the new tunnel had been spent in the climb to their present position. They were both dehydrated and weak from the ordeal but Julia knew she was reaching the limit of her endurance. To push herself would only endanger them both.

"John, I don't think I can go on. Why don't you go ahead and get help?"

"No, no way I'm leaving you. We're in this together. We'll climb this section together. I'll be right beside you to help. Come on. You'll feel better once you get moving."

She was too spent to argue and allowed him to help her up.

The mechanic lit the rock walled surface, picking the best route. "There. That will be our next break."

The light rested on a ledge about 10 meters above them.

"It's not far." He started up and swung back to allow her under him. By leaning back, his arms and body length were long enough to allow the doctor to climb between him and the wall. At one point, Julia's leg brushed him and he felt the dampness of the dressing around her leg. Looking down, he saw a smear of fresh blood across his chest.

Julia's ascent had slowed considerably. Just a meter short of their goal, she gave up, unable to go any further. "I can't." Her legs were visibly shaking from the strain. She leaned against the surface, trapped within his protective embrace.

"Julia, we're almost there."

Frustrated and hurt, she cried, "I can't."

"Okay, you don't have to move. Just stay there. Since we're only a few feet below it, I'm going to climb over you and pull myself up on the ledge. Once I'm there, I can reach over and pull you up. All right?

She nodded.

Digging into reserves he didn't know he possessed, he climbed half way past her and reached up for the outcropping stone. "Got it."

Julia made a fatal mistake. She looked up. Everything seemed to close into a narrow field of focus just before fading into darkness. Danziger felt her falling back across his legs. Fear drove instinct past his numb brain waves. Hanging by his fingertips, he managed to catch her upper body between his thighs.

As if he were climbing a rope, he entwined his lower legs into a locked position. Julia was secure for the moment but Danziger felt as if he was being torn apart on a rack. His fingers grew numb, his arms rubbery. Either he let her go or they both went. The decision was overdue.

xxx