Ch. 16: Why not go up?

Billy, Daniel, Rebecca, & Jessica

"It's quiet," Jessica stated as the four of them left the tram. "Too quiet." The receiving station wasn't much of a station. They walked onto a concrete floor connected to a short, concrete stairway. The place was bare, of both equipment and monsters. With the stairway the only path, the four of them climbed the six steps and were presented with a choice. A door stood to their left, only five steps away, while another door on their right sat above them via a longer set of metal stairs. Then the choice vanished when Jessica checked the left door. "Annnnnnnddd another locked door."

Billy took the lead as they climbed the next stairway. Jessica glared at a bright light situated on the left wall, right at eye level to anyone going up the stairs. "So, Sims, when you puttin' yer sleeve back on?"

The soldier glanced at her. He wore the camouflaged jacket half-way on, with his left and injured arm free of the sleeve. The jacket hung half off of him, with the sleeve swaying with each step he took. He left it off after the eliminator bit him. "I'll wait until my arm stops throbbing."

Jessica looked at the bandaged forearm with a dubious gleam. "Didn' that happen hours ago?"

He frowned at her. "I haven't exactly been resting now have I? Besides. I kinda look like Auron now."

"Who?"

"He's a video game character," Daniel supplied with a small smile. "He's supposed to be this gritty, tough veteran."

"Oh," Jessica nodded understandably. "So, everythin' ya're not?"

"Hey!"

To Billy's relief, the right door opened for them. The four of them filed in with Jessica shoving her way into second place. They moved into what looked like a train yard at first. A set of tracks traveled between the walls on their right to a circular hole in the building. A decaying ceiling covered their portion of the yard but didn't extend to over the hole, allowing the wind to fly around and against them. After being underground for so long, Rebecca was grateful for the fresh air. Piles of boxes and barrels littered the area adding to the sense of upheaval. At the hole's edge was a small, two-man lift. And closer, on the wall of what could be the outside of the control room, was a white door. What wasn't here were enemies.

"What the heck?" Jessica shouted as she scanned the room a second time. "Nothing? Again?"

"You should be grateful," Rebecca chided her as they stepped into the center of the room. "You're getting money out of this anyway," She muttered to herself.

"You don't get it, do you?" Jessica countered as she looked at the medic. "Ya have to think of this like a horror movie. If it's suddenly gettin' easier, that means it's about to git a lot harder. Maybe we're about to git swarmed by a legion of zombies or maybe fight against a super zombie."

"Don't be silly," Rebecca muttered, even as her eyes glanced at the various piles of debris.

"Two routes, split up into two groups of two?" Billy suggested as he looked at Daniel.

The soldier nodded. "Sounds like a good plan. Billy, why don't you come with me down the lift. Rebecca, Jessica, check out the door."

"It better not be locked," Jessica growled as she marched that way while she glared at the door. Rebecca reluctantly walked in her wake.

"Should I take point or you?" Billy pointedly asked his 'comrade'.

His tone and the implications thereof warned Daniel he overstepped his boundaries again. No way I was going to let that eliminator attack Rebecca though. Just have to deal with this for now. "I think you should take point." Billy stared at him for another before he hefted his machine gun and advanced on the lift carefully, keeping his eyes on the hole. Realistically, Billy had every right to fear the hole. Who knew what could spring out of there? So, even though Daniel felt silly because he knew nothing would happen, he matched Billy's caution.

It wasn't until after the ex-marine peeked over the edge did he relax and step onto the lift. Thanks to its small size, there was only room for one at a time. Of course, Rebecca was supposed to be all alone by this point in the game, Daniel thought to himself while he waited for Billy to send the lift back. The lift traveled down half a floor onto a metal catwalk that traveled along the wall of the place to another door.

While Billy waited, he peered down the hole for a better look and saw that it went deep into the ground. He barely glimpsed the bottom thanks to the lights lining the way down. What he also didn't see were any other levels for the train, or whatever else used this turntable, could depart from. He heard the lift whirred back down and glanced over his shoulder. He quirked an eyebrow when he saw Daniel staring into the wall as the lift went down. "I doubt a monster is going to jump out of the wall. Unless now we're fighting ghosts."

"I'm fine," Daniel replied bluntly, never averting his gaze.

Daniel's weird behavior puzzled Billy... until the lift stopped and the soldier had to step off. Since the walkway was only one man wide, the ex-marine took a few steps forward to let Daniel on. As he watched, Daniel inched along the wall, doing everything he can to not look at the hole. "...you afraid of heights?"

"And if I am?" Daniel muttered as he continued to walk with his shoulder touching the right wall while his left hand kept a tight grip as it slid across the walkway's railing.

Billy glanced at their metal path. It traveled along the wall for a good fifteen feet before it ended at a metal door. This is going to take awhile. "So, what's your unit?"

"287th Transportation Company," Daniel rattled off rapid-fire as he kept his eyes locked on the wall.

Sounds legitimate, Billy admitted reluctantly as he measured Daniel's tone. Or he's a military buff. "So, you're a truck driver," He poked.

"Transportation specialist," Daniel corrected as he shuffled past the halfway point.

Billy spared him from his interrogation for a moment as he checked the rust-ridden door. It was unlocked which was an excellent start as he slid it to the side. He peered in and saw only more decrepit industrialism, old turbines which hadn't seen life in years, leaking metal pipes, and a tired electrical hum filling the air. Nothing groaned, slithered, or moved as Billy took a few slow steps in. Behind him, Daniel leaped through the doorway before slamming the door shut. His tense shoulders relaxed as he heaved a sigh of relief. Billy did another scan wondering if anything would react to the soldier's noisy entrance. Nothing happened.

"What brings you all of the way out here in the mountains?" Billy asked as he marched forward.

"Poor navigation," Daniel answered as he followed him. "We tried to take a shortcut and got lost. Had to abandon our cars when they ran out of gas and then we got attacked by z-dogs and we've been hoofing it ever since."

They rounded around one of the turbines and found a security station. Most of the screens were off, with the exception of the last screen. The weak light the screen gave off was enough for Daniel to spot the missing key. While he moved to retrieve it, Billy peered at the camera. "...what the hell is that?" The image contained a humanoid creature being held in a large bio-capsule like the ones Daniel ran into back in the laboratory. What separated it from humans was its bleached white skin, an external, beating heart and a massive, distorted claw for a right hand. Billy came to two conclusions. One, that thing is ugly like hell. Two, that claw could tear me apart. He stared at Daniel. "Well?"

Daniel's gaze locked onto the screen, his heart skipping a beat. We're going to have to fight that thing. Suddenly, the phrase 'boss fights' held a new and terrible power that did not sit kindly with him. He finally met Billy's glare and wondered how much he should tell. "...looks like an experiment."

"...that it?" Billy pressed sourly.

"What do you want me to tell you?"

Billy opened his mouth...and realized he wasn't sure. I...don't like this time travel business. The sheer power required...it's just not possible. It shouldn't be possible. ...but how do I explain how this kid knows what he knows? "...what are you?"

Daniel waited a beat. "Southern Baptist."

Billy scowled at him. Smartass. The fugitive opened his mouth as he heard another hiss come from the door's direction. When the soldier's eyes widened, Billy caught onto it as he mentally replayed the hiss. A machine didn't make it. A creature did. Billy hefted his machine gun as he and Daniel edged back toward the turbine's corner. Billy glanced around the corner, and saw a sight most unwelcome.

Lizardman. The name evoked images of poorly-costumed villains that either stalked characters through horror movies, munching on their victims or strange, evil alien creatures that continually fought against humanity whether in squad-scaled battles or in lone duels with certain, yellow-shirted captains of the Federation.

The lizardman standing at the other corner was none of those things. Its green scales rippled in the light as it breathed in and out. The muscles bulging beneath the very same scales removed any doubt in Billy's mind that this beast could sprint at them, destroying the concept of 'safe distance' in quick order, while its claws attached to its powerful arms were ready to slice through skin and bone. If the claws weren't enough, then the mouth full of fangs, fully in sight as the creature snarled, would be the finishing touch. This creature was a predator. And Billy knew he was the prey.

As silently as he could, his hands drooped until the machine gun hanged off of him only by its sling. Then he grabbed the grenade launcher. Daniel took a quiet step back, the lizardman being completely ignorant of their actions. Billy took a deep breath... before jumping out of cover and pulled the trigger. The lizardman leaned forward as it threw another reptilian hiss at him, its legs tensing as it prepared to charge. The grenade hit. The lizardman exploded into pieces as the main body flew over the railing behind it. Billy stared at the spot for another moment, waiting for a possible counter.

The second lizardman didn't disappoint as it slid, slid into view. Billy's finger reflexively squeezed the trigger, the recoil punching into the startled Billy. Even as the metal hit his stomach, the grenade flew towards its target, catching the second lizardman right in the mouth. The force of the explosion flipped the lizardman's body around in the air before it collapsed to the floor. Billy waited another moment...then a second one just in case...then waited for a third one to pass for safety's sake. Only then did he relax.

Daniel peeped around the turbine and winced as he saw the remaining gore on the floor. Don't look, don't look, and breath through your mouth. "Let's go before any more of those things show up."

Billy's head jerked toward him in open fear. "More are on the way?"

Whoops! Shouldn't have said that...especially since there aren't any more coming. But I can't admit that, now can I? Daniel avoided Billy's look. "Let's just go." The two of them moved at quick-time, eager to leave the room behind, even as Daniel dreaded stepping onto that walkway again.

Jessica and Rebecca

"Why. Is. There. Nothing. To. Do. Here!?" Jessica yelled in frustration as she completed her third search of the control room. The monitors and computers in the room's center wouldn't turn on. The hard hats on the wall contained no keys, documents, or other secrets. The room's trapdoor refused to open and considering the metal plating it used, Jessica doubted she could simply shoot it open. The only good thing they found so far was the map on the wall. Well, if you could it a map, she mentally growled as she stared at the piece of paper that Rebecca pored over. The map showed only three levels, first floor, basement level one, and basement level four. "What the heck happened to levels two and three?"

"If you study it for a moment," Rebecca began as her finger pointed at basement one. "It's only showing what's accessible on foot."

"But look at this thing!" Jessica slapped the map's center. "Only three floors and it barely shows four rooms! Who's stupid enough to get lost in here?"

Rebecca shrugged. "Maybe they were being cautious?"

"Bunch of effing morons." Jessica stepped away from the useless piece of paper as she stomped toward the door. "Well, I've had it with this room. Nothin' to do here except stare at walls. Maybe the guys found a way out."

The door knob twisted before her hand grabbed it. She placed her hands on her hips as Billy and Daniel walked in. "Please tell me you found somethin'!"

Daniel brandished the key found down the lift. "Know where we can use this?"

"YES!" Jessica snatched it and ran over to the corner console. After three inspections, she knew exactly what to do with it. Unlike the consoles in the room's center, this corner one had a strange spot for a keyhole sitting on the corner. She jammed the key in and twisted it so hard it nearly broke. With an electronic whirl, the screen turned on.

"How did you even know that would be the right key?" Rebecca asked pointedly, glancing at both Jessica and Daniel.

Jessica rolled her eyes beneath her cowgirl hat. "Well, duh! What else could the key be for?"

"It could've been for that locked door next to the tram," The medic suggested crossly.

"Haven't you been paying attention?" Jessica shot back. "Most of the keys we've found happen to go to the nearest locked things anyway. And this was closer than that door."

While the two gals argued, Daniel read the screen's message.

-Call turntable to current floor?

-Yes

-No

Daniel clicked 'yes'. "Everybody head outside. We're headed down."

"Going down in a horror movie setting. That's bad juju," Jessica answered with a grin, momentarily ignoring her tiff with Rebecca.

"I need to tell you two about the new monster," Billy interceded as the four of them stepped out of the room.

"A new monster?" Jessica pressed, her grin growing wider while Rebecca's frown matched its size.

"It's a bipedal reptile," Billy began, raising his voice. A metallic horn sounded off as yellow lights spun around. "Very fast and dangerous. It has two claws and fangs. Stands at about four feet, recommend you don't hold back."

"Can't wait until I find one," Jessica declared as she patted his shotgun. Rebecca shivered and took an involuntary step closer to Daniel. The turntable arrived, ready to hold people and train engines as denoted by the two large rails in the middle. Daniel casted a last look at the sky before stepping onto the turntable. He walked over to the console next to the center rails.

Billy stared at the rest of the place grumpily. "I don't see how going down is going to help us get out of here."

"According to the map we found, there's an elevator system connecting all of these floors," Rebecca explained as she mentally pictured the layout. "We can't get to the elevator from our level because the door is locked. But if we're lucky, we can take this to the lower level and access the elevator from there."

"So the saying, 'to go up you must first go down' is true?" Jessica piped in as she leaned against the metal rails.

"I don't think that's how the saying goes," Billy dryly remarked.

Daniel pressed the button and felt a moment of vertigo as they descended. How much further to go? Next up is the tyrant boss, then the treatment facility, then Marcus, then leech queen, then escape...for a time at least. ...how late is it? He glanced at his watch: 1:47 am. Wow. We're making good time...too good. Is this going to screw up the self-destruct sequence? Will we run into Wesker and Birkin? ...and why do have this sense of foreboding? Daniel concentrated, trying to locate the hidden source of mental warning. Something about the timing was off. In a very bad way. ...but what?

When the turntable jerked to a halt, Daniel left the trail for now. Two directions to choose from. Closest to Daniel was a huge hallway big enough to fit a train into. It traveled for twenty feet before ending in a pile of rubble that provided quite the barrier. Before the rubble was a large door. On the other side of the turntable, the path split into three branches. The right branch was stunted, lasting two feet before ending at a door. The middle path went straight from the turntable to a second door. The left and final path took a hard left and continued on out of sight.

Jessica took one look around. "We are not splitting off into ones."