Chapter 11: Underground
"What did you want to show us?" Per'sus asked Aldwin.
"We have been using already established tunnels and caves to keep hidden, but we are still being found…far too often."
"Unfortunately," Selmak replied in agreement.
"Several others and I have made this." Aldwin smiled nervously as he showed them a crystal they had never seen before.
Relax, Itamar thought.
Thank you. Aldwin felt almost like a child compared to the members of the council. "Uh. I suggested this to Egeria, and-and you."
Per'sus smiled slightly when he looked to him.
"But it's taken a lot longer than…" Aldwin knelt down, worried that it somehow wouldn't work. He jabbed the point of the crystal into the ground, which immediately opened up. A sloping hole formed, going deep into the ground. He smiled slightly, then laughed when he saw the amazed expressions of the council members.
They approached carefully, seeing a cave lined with crystals.
"It uses the earth, liquifies it, then makes the crystal walls. Each different type of building crystal has been designed to react different, a different set of commands, if you will."
Most impressive! Mukul, Per'sus' new host, thought.
"I've been working with a team, and constantly being on the run has slowed down our progress. Malek and Anise were invaluable."
Who are they? Mukul asked as he searched through Per'sus' memories.
They are from the last batch that my beloved gave birth to. Malek is the youngest. He'll…always be the youngest. He closed his eyes in pain. My queen. He retreated to mourn as Mukul paid attention.
Mukul had missed what was said, but he followed Aldwin and the others down into the tunnel.
"Is he alright?" Selmak asked gently.
"He will be. We must focus on this. These tunnels… They are amazing."
Selmak nodded. "Losing Xinyi now has only amplified his sense of loss for Egeria."
"And her loss for his. Yes, I certainly blended with a very emotional symbiote."
Sorry, Per'sus thought.
"Oh, I don't mind," he said to both. "I just grew up where 'men had to be men. No emotions.'" He spoke in a gruffer voice to make his point. "So that's what I did…except, you know." He rubbed over Per'sus. "It's nice that, finally, I can just be me."
Selmak grinned.
"Now that Selmak and Mukul are done talking, maybe you can continue," Garshaw said.
Mukul sheepishly ran a hand through over his head, but he saw that she was smiling.
"Yes, uh." Aldwin grinned. "As you see, the crystals keep the area lit up, and now that we are getting to the bottom…" He pulled out another crystal. "This one makes a room." He implanted it, and the wall ahead melted away.
Mukul moved closer. "Wow."
Per'sus wiggled in amusement. To be young.
I'm sixteen, he thought as he touched his head.
Aldwin grinned, leading them into the new room. "Right now, we can only make this sized room, but we can alter that in the future." He went to the tunnel they just went through. "Then…we can close the way in." He implanted another crystal, and the crystals closed up. "The tunnel we just went through is now collapsing."
"So…don't be in a collapsing room?" Cordesh said.
"No. It would slowly break down your body causing a very agonizing death."
"That's good to know."
"Now…" He went into the middle of the room. "Should we need to evacuate…" He opened up a com link. "Malek?"
"You are in position."
Aldwin pulled out a known remote, then disappeared in rings.
"This is…eerie," Cordesh admitted.
Aldwin returned. "The crystal I used to close the tunnel we went through is different than this one." He pulled out a new one. "This one will collapse all connecting tunnels and even the rings, leaving no evidence that we were ever on the planet." He gave a sad smile. "I had been hoping to show this to Egeria, but…"
Per'sus took over as he approached. "She would be proud of you."
He smiled. "Thank you."