CHAPTER XV: CRYPT OF BOILING BLOOD

I looked upon the shining falls of lava and blood, the smoldering plains where the damned roamed...

The gate was assembled but it had to be carefully adjusted and attuned. Dr. Stalker knew that the artifact he wanted to pass through the portal could easily disrupt it. He had to perform a few tests to be sure. The best possible way to observe the gate stability would be to request that something or someone be sent from the other side.

After a short consultation with someone via a small, strange-looking communication device, Stalker turned to the scientists who still worked under the burning gaze of his creations.

"Forget these photon emitter couplings. Concentrate on fine-tuning the energy beam impactor and getting the fusion core online! We will make a quick test in about an hour."

Kyle recognized the smell - blood. The floor was covered with thousands of tiny canals, which were filled with running blood, just like veins. The walls were shining red marble, at places ornamented with dark stone slabs covered with runic markings or images of horrifying scenes. Just as in the other crypt, two corridors led to a greater hall, where Kyle saw the source of the place's vile stench. The hall was lit by torches, which had flames as red as blood. In the center, hanging over a pit filled with blazing fire, was a golden cauldron, filled with boiling blood, spreading multicolored vapors in the air. Within those fumes, the marine could see ghostly faces, floating and swirling, their mouths locked in endless screams. Ethereal voices, hardly noticeable, filled the chamber with their dark whispers. Ahead was an iron gate that Kyle could not move, despite his constant pushing. It was locked, and it had no visible keyholes, except for a slot, where a circular object could fit... yet there was no such item in the room. Two smaller exits on both sides had stairs that led to a room on a lower level; the apparent choice for the direction to take.

The dark stairwell led into an octagonal chamber, which was filled with many books. They were not arranged like in the library, but just piled along the walls, covered with the dust of countless centuries. The room expanded into a rectangular chamber, where something that looked like a desk stood. Kyle approached it with caution and looked at it. Just then, he heard a noise... something moved behind one of the big piles of books. Breathing could be heard distinctively. The marine raised the plasma gun – whatever it was, it was in for serious trouble. With a sudden movement, a creature blasted out of the book pile and fixated the marine with its glowing yellow eyes. Its shape and pink skin were recognizable – a demon, known among the marines as "pinky." Without delay, it rushed towards Kyle, its mouth open and ready to tear flesh. A burst from the plasma gun melted its head and pushed the dead body towards the other end of the room. The demon was efficiently terminated, however, a blinking red indicator told Kyle that the plasma gun was empty and unusable, at least until he could find cells and reload it.

On the desk lay a book, looking just like the many others in the piles. It was open and filled with writings – just one or a few words per line, looking like a list. Next to it stood a piece of bone and a small container filled with blood. They stood there as if expecting the marine to write something in the book. A familiar whisper then appeared in Harlan's head:

"Do not hesitate, human. If you wish to be allowed to enter the crypt of boiling blood, you must sign your name in that book."

"You!" Kyle exclaimed, "Hold for a second. What is going on in this place? Where is Major Boyd?"

No answer came. The Gatekeeper's voice was gone and the marine had no choice but to do as the demon requested. He took the piece of bone carefully, dipped it in the blood, and wrote "K. L. Harlan" under the other names written in unknown symbols. For a brief moment, sparkles of energy ran across the book's surface, and then something materialized on it. A medallion, a golden circle with a pentagram inscribed in its middle. On the upper end of the artifact, the words "K. Harlan" were carved, exactly as he had written them in the tome. Kyle also noticed that the object was exactly the size of the circular slot on the door above. A personalized key.

For a second, the marine thought it was strange that the book accepted him, despite his humanity. An answer to that mystery could either be that the book's spell was designed to accept humans, or that the Gatekeeper's invisible presence had somehow influenced the sorcery that created the medallion. It was now clear what all those piles of books were... records of the many key holders that ever existed.

"Not all of them received a key," the voice of the Gatekeeper emerged once again, "the book only gives a key to those who are deemed worthy to enter the crypt. That spell was created long ago, in the realm of Black Magic... and I did not influence it in any way. It gave you access because it decided you deserved it. Now grab your key and enter the crypt if you wish to save your friend. Ask me no questions, and speak no words while you are inside. Otherwise, the consequences will be dire..."

The voice faded away, and Kyle decided to follow the demon's advice – it was likely that nasty traps awaited on the other side of that gate.

The medallion fit perfectly into the slot, and the door opened silently, revealing an enormous cavern. A network of rock platforms floated in the air without any visible support, and below them swirled a lake of hot lava. In the air, there were also other objects that flew around, following unseen routes – bookcases, chests, statues, and several other objects that Kyle could not recognize. From the ceiling hung a glowing sphere, which lit the cavern and seemed to be charged with mystic energy.

"One noise... and the power of the orb will strike you dead instantly."

The warning from the familiar voice was very quiet, as if in confirmation – the room was a huge trap. The marine went forward, one step after the other, as quietly as possible. The soft sand that covered the floor made it easier to walk in silence, observing the wonders of the cavern. Many of the levitating chests contained gems, pieces of weapons and armor, tomes, scrolls, as well as flasks filled with various substances – all kinds of artifacts that seemed to be valuable for the demons. Looking down, Kyle noticed numerous ball-like objects floating in the lava below. Megaspheres! Probably a hundred of them, well protected in a lake where no one would ever dare to take a swim. For a second, the marine thought that he could obtain them if he had one of those experimental UAC prototype devices – "grabbers." Those were still in early experimental phase, and quite unstable, as explosions were frequent. Besides, it would make noise when used...

One of the chests flew close to Kyle and he was able to see crystal containers within it. Inside them, sparks of light danced and pulsated, as if living spirits were imprisoned within the crystals. The marine stopped for a second... could these be the "soul library" holders, just as the Gatekeeper had described them. If that was the case, he preferred to stay away from them. About ten meters more, and he would reach another gate, made of black stone, which led further into the crypt.

With the second gate closed tight behind his back, Corporal Harlan felt safer... at least for the few moments before he examined his surroundings. A small piece of a soul library made him feel bad, but now he had a whole system of halls and corridors, lined by shelves, all covered with the creepy containers. The rooms had walls of grey and white stone, lit by torches, attached to the walls with golden braces. Many of the metallic shelves were ornamented with runes and symbols the marine could not recognize. What he could recognize was the door that led out of the place, away from the unsettling artifacts. The opened door led him into a cavern, lit by numerous black candles. Inside it were two marble altars – a red one and a black one. On the black one rested a fine cut human skull, made of flawless ruby. The red one had a circular slot in its surface, as if something was missing. The skull looked somewhat familiar...

Behind the altars was an opening in the rocky wall, which was shaped like an inverted cross. Behind it ran a red waterfall that looked very much like blood.

"Forget your ridiculous fears, and return to the soul library. Seek out the crystal container of the Spirits Keeper. You should recognize it easily... Place it on the altar and face a mighty enemy. Defeat him... and claim your reward at all costs."

The voice reminded Kyle of the way he felt manipulated by greater powers, but he had neither the time, nor the freedom to decide at the moment. He returned to the library and walked around the corridors, looking for what had to be a "Keeper." All containers on all the shelves looked the same, just as the sparkling lights within them looked the same. As he passed by all these trapped souls, he had the slight feeling of very quiet voices that whispered in his mind, as if the imprisoned spirits wanted to contact him. At the end of one shorter corridor, the marine found one container that was placed alone on a small table, made of the green metal he had seen earlier in the treasury. This had to be what he was looking for. He stretched his hand slowly and picked up the cylinder. It was very cold, and the light within seemed to glow stronger when he took it. Retracing his steps back to the cavern, Kyle stood by the red altar once again, and, without any further hesitation, put the container in the slot.

Low humming sound, followed by a gentle vibration filled the underground chamber, as the cylinder's light grew stronger than ever before. Cracks appeared on the ruby skull's surface – small at first, but growing bigger, as if something tried to break out. Dark voices arose from the room's corners, and the light of the candles seemed to fade out. A loud crack followed, and the skull exploded, bombarding the marine with precious, yet sharp and dangerous pieces. It was all quiet after the small explosion. Kyle felt he was no longer alone in the cavern.

The marine turned around quickly to face a human figure, dressed in a black robe, its face hidden in the shadows of a hood, with only his teeth shining from under it. A pentagram amulet hung on his neck, while numerous rings, covered with arcane symbols, adorned the grey fingers. The stranger stared at Kyle, as if in expectation for him to say something. Then, he spoke with a voice that chilled the marine, as it was cold and dripping with malice.

"Greetings to you, interloper. I do not know how you came to the soul library, where the most distinguished among the human followers of Baphomet are kept, but I am convinced that you are not welcome here. It would be my pleasure to kill you, and watch your soul burn for all eternity, in the name of my dark master."

"Your so-called dark master is dead, creep. I would suggest that you stay out of my way if you don't want me to blow a few holes in your disfigured body."

"Your blasphemous lies have no weight here, mortal. You will regret encountering me."

Together with the final words, an orb of bristling energy was shot from the hand of the man, whom Kyle recognized to be the Heresiarch from his first vision. From what he saw then, he could assume that person was a very dangerous adversary. Roll over and a sprint towards the door – Kyle had to take cover and think of a way to defeat his enemy while he was still weak from his hibernation inside the skull. The steps he heard indicated that his opponent was following him. When the robed figure appeared from behind the door, the marine shot several times at it, and apparently hit it, though no injuries or damage in any form could be seen. In response came a lightning bolt, which tore several shelves apart and spilled soul containers all over the floor. He kept moving between the shelves and behind corners, shooting accurately at his enemy, yet the robed figure did not seem to be affected by the pellets that hit it. A barrage of fireballs forced Kyle back into the cave with the altars. A wave of flames pushed him behind the altars, where he remained still, holding firmly the shotgun in his hand. The Heresiarch slowly walked to the center of the chamber and stopped. His vile laughter echoed between the rocky walls, making the marine feel desperate, just like in the cavern with the Hell Knights before. The enemy seemed to be invincible, and Kyle was only wasting precious ammunition on him.

"Are you hiding from me, feeble mortal? Make it easy on yourself and give up. Lie down on my sacrificial altar and embrace your new destiny."

Corporal Harlan had had enough. For the past twenty-four hours, he had been close to death more than a dozen times. And there were already too many people and demons who wanted to manipulate him, or convince him to give up. Despite his eagerness to be calm, concentrate, and bear a positive attitude, at that moment the marine was genuinely pissed off.

"To Hell with you and your ramblings," the marine murmured and stood up suddenly, catching his opponent unprepared for a brief moment. That was enough for him to empty the shotgun right into the heretic's face. Knocked back by the shot, he fell on the floor, stunned for a few valuable seconds that allowed Kyle to run out of the chamber and head toward the exit. He had a plan.

Spewing curses and threats, the enemy followed him, just as the marine expected. When the heretic saw his victim again, Kyle stood somewhere near the middle of the huge cavern with the many levitating objects. Perfect.

He stepped forth slowly, allowing the mortal human to spend a minute more in fear. When the Heresiarch came closer, Kyle went on to the second step of his plan. He put on a facial expression that implied how terrified and shocked he was, his hand started to shake and it dropped the shotgun, which gently fell on his boot, without making a noise. It was here that the risky moment was. The Heresiarch's reaction decided all.

Just as expected, the enemy could not miss the opportunity to mock his victim. His loud laughter echoed in the cavern, a mere moment before the orb that hung from the ceiling started to glow stronger. Then, a beam of unbearably bright light struck the robed figure and an even brighter explosion blinded Kyle...

A powerful tremor shook the whole place, and the marine, as quietly as possible, ducked to the ground and remained in that position until everything calmed and he could see again. Never before in his life had he felt as relieved as he was when he saw the pile of ash, which was all that remained of his former enemy. He stood up triumphantly and went into the soul library, where could finally give out a cry of victory. And quite tough it was, a battle that came close to the encounter with Baphomet himself. Returning to the altar chamber, a familiar voice appeared again...

"Impressive work, human. I had trust in your abilities, and you did not fail me. Now collect your prize and head towards the lower level – the Crypt of Immortal Hatred."

Kyle noticed that the bloodfall had disappeared and behind was a small niche where a black object rested. A closer look revealed the item to be a book, stained with blood at places. The marine picked it up and put it in his backpack. Resting on its bottom still was the dormant Void Sphere he had found in the Temple of Darkness.

There was no time to lose – Kyle had to proceed to the next crypt, and face whatever awaited him there. He returned to the central cavern and the yellow scroll's power lowered the platform to a bridge that led to an arch ornamented with images of warriors and bloodshed. Beyond it followed a stone corridor lit by torches. The marine could clearly feel a sense of threat coming from within the depths of the crypt. Kyle reloaded the shotgun – it was ready to deal some more punishment.

"Yes, yes... the magnetic field is stable here. We can open the Gate for a test within a few minutes."

Dr. Stalker grabbed his communication device and spoke something in a language no one else understood. A harsh metallic voice replied from the other side in the same language, and Stalker nodded, as if in confirmation. Both sides were ready for a test. The adjustment of the portal had to be immaculate, as the artifact that was to be transported could easily disturb the carrier signal.

The nervous scientists set the system to the previously calculated values, and the only thing left to do was to initiate the dimensional breach sequence. Stalker pressed a few buttons and the machines started to operate, executing the steps of the process that would breach time and space and reach another portal that was on a planet very far from the Milky Way. For a moment Stalker remembered his last visit there... A low humming appeared, intensifying into a high-pitched noise, as the magnetic field expanded within the reflector sphere. Slight vibrations in the electron resonators indicated that the portal was ready – the doctor only had to release the stream that would create the energy channel.

"We shall use the configuration that the Gatekeepers of Hell use... The portal stability should be better this way," Stalker thought.

A series of cracks followed the pressing of the button. In the next second, a shadowy rupture in reality formed and the portal was open. The other scientists looked at it with astonishment – none of them had ever seen a real Gate in operation. A few seconds later two creatures came out of the portal. The humans froze in horror. Metal bodies. Only half of the right arm and the head appeared to be organic. Dr. Stalker knew well that the right arm could open into a machine gun, and the left on was a grenade launcher. Elite Gunners – excellent killing machines, bearing the red insignia of Stroggos on their shoulder armor pieces. The doctor pressed another button, the Gate shrunk and went out of existence without any problems. A message from the strange device told him that everything was fine on the other side too. The test was successful, and the team could start working on the nano-injectors, which would make the portal completely stable and safe for the final opening of the Gate after ten hours.