7 - Power Up

The same hallway they have been through before lays ahead of them. The corner ahead that leads towards the previously mined hallway has seen better days. Explosive residue hangs in the air and the walls are stained in ash and purple Aparoid blood. No imagination is needed regarding the state of what is beyond that. Closer to that is the spot where a Trevor-seeking mine found its target and caused the poor fellow to fall flat on the ground. Possibly for the second time today. Short drag marks point to the room they hid in. And below their feet lies the enemy that caused all of that mayhem. The escaped containee that proved too tough for the explosions but whose soft underbelly was no match for the three full metal jacket rounds that did rip through the door.

However they did not finish the job; the thing is still showing signs of life. Twitching its limbs, like spasms, it tries to cling on. It is then a shame that the newly ceremonially recruited Private Ashley "Eyes" Hare holds a grudge. Her service weapon, now in service with a different branch of gun-toting individuals, is discharged three times into the bare underside of the struggling bug's head. It squeals and gurgles in desperation and pain but it is only for a few moments as the third projectile digs its way into what can be considered its brain. And like hard resetting a computer, the light of its eyes disappear in the blink of an eye.

Satisfied and approved by her new "superior", an insult to injury is added much to the delight of the both as they both continue on with the mission they have been given an absolute tosspot. Harsher words have been and will be used but it summarizes it very well. Regardless of vocal violence, they are still prepared for the physical.

Around that ruined corner, the hallway does match the imagined devastation. The corpses of the containment units are nothing but gore and giblets now. The walls and even the ceiling are covered in both red and purple, creating a strong pink hue in the same places. Shattered and cracked Aparoid armor plating and leftover shards of mine litter the ground. The stench is an immediate nauseating nuisance. It is metallic rust and organic decay. Those poor corpses were not that fresh on the inside anymore.

Powering through and careful not to step in something vile, they get through the door post that is missing its door. The further away the hallway of the damned gets, the more breathable the air becomes. And also how closer they get to their mission objective.

There are four signs on an iron beam above them. Two point to the right of them reading some code words that only the personnel working here would understand. "B-591FG" and "F-154JK". A middle one points down labeled "Control Room" and the one pointing to the left says "Core Entry" with a warning symbol behind it like a dot ending a sentence.

"I think we reached it. Keep your guard up though. Last thing we need is more bugs." says Trevor as he leads the way towards the control room.

The door is already wide open. After getting up three steps of stairs, they enter the at first glance empty control room. Weapons are drawn as they scour through all four corners of the room. All they find is machinery, another unfortunate containment personnel victim, panels in the wall ahead of them, a door to their right and the controls to their left with a large closed window above it. At the top adorned with turned off TV-screens. Trevor points at the door and the two of them position themselves on either side of it. Ashley gives him a nod to show she is ready and Trevor gets a hold of the knob.

With an anti-climactic clunk, the knob refuses to turn further. Stunned, he tries a few more times but it will not budge. He looks up at Ashley and the both of them shrug. Then Trevor gestures to the control panel. The two approach it but Trevor stays in the middle of the room in case something or someone decides to enter. Ashley gets her hands on the console and with a holstered pistol she has two to work with. The first impressions are not very good. The same code language as on the signs is on the buttons, screens and levers. There is an obvious hesitation however as pressing something random might lead to unforeseen consequences. Then she finds a rotary switch with 'open' and 'closed' on either side of it. The light is burning near 'closed'. It is still a gamble but it should be within reason to guess it operates the shutter.

"Go for broke." she mutters to herself as she flips the switch to the open setting.

The light switches places and the shutter becomes active. It rises up at a snail's pace but it is progress. A bright blue light, only dimmed by the darkened glass, shines through and it comes from the massive energy core that is their objective. It looks rather healthy in its pale pulsing color but it looks rather small for the room that it is in. Even with its present immense size. And not very radiant either, as the walls around it are not very brightly lit by its presence. Once the shutter is all the way up, the lights in the room itself turn on.

Ashley's eyes are wide open and she takes a step back.

"Corporal Trevor, Sir? You said something about not needing more bugs? I found them."

Trevor is alerted and quickly wide-eyed much like she is. The walls around the energy core are crawling with those bugs they saw at the electrical panel. The true color hidden beneath layers and layers of metallic, shiny purple. It looks like they are resting for now.

"It's like a beehive..." comments Trevor, still mostly at a loss for words as he joins Ashley at the controls.

"I hope we don't meet the queen." adds Ashley before looking down at the panel.

Looking around she finds what looks like a power meter, sitting at a measly 23%. There is a yellow button next to it with "reset" on it. There is also a written note taped below it. It reads "every hour starting at 9:00". A quick look at her watch and she sees it's nearly 10:00.

Trevor can see the gears in her head turn.

"Eyes? What are you thinking about?"

It takes a moment before she responds, probably still getting used to her new name.

"I think this button will help us. Do you know what happens when you reset an energy core, Sir?"

"I think you do in that case?"

"Not exactly but I have an inkling. I think resetting it will have the same effect as pouring benzeen on a flame." she says with enthusiasm.

"Big boom?"

Ashley nods and they both share a juvenile moment. Something primal and simple, like knocking over a tower built out of blocks or smashing a sandcastle. In this case, vaporizing potentially thousands of nasty bugs with the push of a button. And Trevor lets her have the honors. Waiting for 10:00 is difficult however, especially when it is the only thing on your mind. But time, no matter how slow it feels, gets there in the end. At almost exactly ten, with only a few seconds past it, Ashley presses the button and steps back to watch it unfold.

The button blinks yellow and the whirring heard suggests something is starting up. They are not the only ones feeling it; the peaceful quiet sea of bugs begin to scatter in panic. This only gives the two standing safely behind glass more enjoyment. The energy core starts to shrink but glow brighter as a result. It is compacting energy being fed from below as the resetting process concludes. The power meter goes up.

In response however, the teeming creatures group their hind-ends together and open up their elytrons. Not to reveal their wings but to launch a rope made out of an unknown substance straight into the core. This in turn causes the power meter to drop again.

"They are consuming what we are giving them."

"Worse." interrupts Trevor.

"They are reversing the reset. Look."

He points at the yellow button that is now flashing a bright red in faster and faster intervals. Until it is only red and turns off but a moment later. Seemingly now satisfied, the ropes are pulled back where they came from. Like a slurped-up noodle. Now unsatisfied, the pair have to witness that the power is now only 19%.

"Son of a... little pissy bastards."

Trevor puts both hands on the console and looks around the room frustrated. For a possible way to get around those scheming bugs. His eyes wander around before they settle on a small unit in the lower left corner of the core room. Observing it carefully, he concludes that it is a miniature version of what they are in now.

"There." he points.

"That looks like a back-up station. At least something like this. Using that, we might be able to fool the bastards."

"Or overpower them." suggests Ashley, which sounds like a better idea to him now that he thinks about it.

"We'll do that then. Maybe I should call you "brains" instead eh?" he compliments her.

"Right, I'll go in there."

"... Wait what?"

"I need you at the controls here." he states plainly.

"You can figure it out fast, I've seen that."

"But you are like... my superior. Shouldn't you send me out to do that sort of work?"

Trevor reacts amused and a little bit humbled.

"I prefer leading by example. Stay here Eyes. That is an order from your superior. I will be back." he assured mildly before leaving the room and Ashley.

He turns right to the Core Entry. It is a door unlike the ones he has seen before. It looks more like an airlock. One that does not happen based on proximity apparently. There is no visible button or keypad to open it up around it. There is only a recording surveillance camera with a speaker attached to it in the top right corner.

A high-pitched tone starts playing from it and when it dies down, it turns out Ashley was quite proactive with the controls. Jokingly, she asks over the intercom what the password is. And when Trevor answers with "0-7-2-8" she responds impressed and the door opens.

Once inside the airlock-looking room, it looks more like a decontamination room than a connection point. Assuming that the core is not exactly giving off the most safe of radiations, going in without any kit is not the healthiest decision.

"So is fast food." chimes Ashley in, giving Trevor a light startle.

"Are you in my head now too?"

"I could hear you mumbling to yourself. Being alone must be quite boring. I can always join you."

"Stay at your post." he points at the camera trying to be stern but he cannot stop cracking a smile.

"Oh I will, Sir. You were loud and clear on that one. Now, how about I open this up for you?"

Not one second later the seal on the exit door rotates and unlocks. The door parts down the middle and allows access to the core. Immediately the blue light pokes through and while shielding his eyes, Trevor enters.

Ahead of him is an emergency ladder going down onto the catwalk stretching out till the control cabin as seen from the main control room. The bugs are still coating the walls around him, from top to bottom. They are not reacting to his presence at all. And while he is looking down, he can see the huge shards of what looks like glass, remnants of an elevator and broken catwalks litter the floor. The structure around the whole core had pretty much collapsed, with the exception of where it is standing in front of.

The emergency ladder is not extended however and that is too far down to jump. He turns towards Ashley, visible from the window and points to the ladder. He receives a thumbs up and the ladder automatically extends after she has to find out which button would work that function. Once he is down far enough, he jumps off. In hindsight, not a good idea; he feels that the catwalk is on its last legs. Wobbly and shaky, it is like a narrow waterbed beneath his feet. It returns to a stable position soon after. To make matters worse, a siren next to the ladder starts blaring and the ladder retracts back. He can see Ashley trying to get it back down but she has to admit defeat in frustration. He also notices that the bugs are responding to the noise, fluttering like agitated crickets.

"Sorry Trevor. Uhm... sir. There was an error with it. I can return it to you now but I think it will just... what are you doing?" she asks in response to wild gestures and presumably loud shouting.

Realizing she cannot hear him, he puts his finger to his lips and points the swarming mess of Aparoids on high alert. Putting two and two together, Ashley signs back that she understands. With silence slowly taking over, aside from the humming of the core, the alerted Aparoids are calming down as well.

Careful not to irritate them any further, Trevor proceeds as fast as possible while also treading lightly. In case they are provoked regardless, his hand is on his revolver. Violence is not necessary however as he reaches the cabin's door unscathed. It opens up to essentially a miniature version of the cabin above. And just like the big brother above, it has a window to gaze out of too.

The two soldiers greet each other before Trevor notices a microphone at his control station. It has a switch that is set to "Main" while the other option is "Core". Deducting that Main must be where Ashley is residing in, he keeps it on that setting and much like with his own radio he holds the button next to it and gives it a test. And Eyes reports for duty in reply.

"Excellent. Are you ready? I'll flip the switch first to presumably start an auxiliary reset. When the straws are in, you do the same and fry them."

"I am ready." she declares with vigor as Trevor looks for the button that looked like the main one.

In the middle of asking her for a clue, he managed to find it on his own and presses it. A familiar yellow light starts blinking as the whirring from before starts up again. It is barely noticeable but it is just a little bit less loud. Any concerns that the bugs might figure that out is void when the power meter starts increasing the insects congregate once more. As they did before, they sling their straw-like ropes into the core.

"Now!"

Ashley does not hesitate and with fervor slams the button. The whirring starts up from her side as well and it is as loud as before. This, the Aparoids notice however as they flutter in what looks like panic. Only a sight for sore eyes for the seperated pair. When the button begins flashing blue and the screen displaying the power meter changes to an image. It depicts a T-junction with two yellow lines meeting, holding each other up. A green dotted line appears that would lead to the core. The words BLOCKADE appear in bold font with the options of "Resolve (Partial Reset)" or "Continue (Total Reset)". The choice is not difficult.

Now confirmed, both yellow lines join and follow the green-dotted line. The image disappears and the power meter returns. The light blinks yellow again. Now the whirring is getting loud enough to be actually painful rather than a potential annoyance. Both cover their ears as the core expands. More ropes from the bugs are being shot into the core to compensate. However, like a spaceship flying too close to Solar, they are burned upon approach. They are now in full panic, scurrying or flying away as fast as they can from the approaching blue hue of doom. To no avail as the core reaches its critical mass. The power level reaches 100% and the buttons blink a bright positive green.

Then the blue starts getting lighter and brighter, until it is like staring into the sun itself. Both avert their gaze away and are now unable to see the power meter reaching 105% and the green light blinking faster. The whiteness along with the endless whirring is all they hear or see. Around them it starts to rumble and then a magnificent but deafening explosion follows which shockwaves would be enough to shake up the city above superbly well.

When vision returns, Trevor finds that he is still standing up. He is unharmed and his hearing is fine. There are some floaters in his vision but for the rest it is still 20/20. Looking over to the top right of him, he can see Ashley is alright as well. And ahead of him he can see the core back in blue. In the admirable size it was always supposed to be. The power meter reads a clear 100%; the excess amount was deposed off. The white, almost marble tiles that make up the walls of the core room are finally visible. They look freshly polished. No traces of the bugs that covered them. All he can see that proves that those buggers were here is a thin layer of ash on the window frame on the other side of the glass.

He turns to the microphone.

"Eyes. We did it! Mission complete. Prepare to move out!" he orders without too much authority.

Regardless, she salutes that idea. Trevor checks around him to see if he has everything and when satisfied, he approaches the door to rendezvous with his new comrade in arms. Sure, it has been only hours since but battle breeds strange bedfellows. Strange yet already strong bond in this case. Something feels right about her.

He hears her call out his name from the speaker, but it sounds agitated with a hint of panic to it. He rushes back over and asks what is going on.

"Trevor. That door we couldn't open. There is something... anything behind it. It is trying to open it!"

He utters a colorful word before telling her to meet him in the airlock so they can take it on together. But Ashley turns that idea down as she grabs her pistol.

"The door is giving way, I can't run now. Hurry back here!"

Her breathing is getting heavier and more sporadic. Before her the locked door begins to buckle. A hinge with screws and all flies towards her and barely misses her left cheek. Her eyes widen in fear.

"Trevor!" she calls out before he can hear two shots being fired after the door audible gives way.

After the two shots he can hear something smash into the microphone and the sound is completely cut off. He calls out to her but he receives no answer. Looking out the window, he cannot see her. All he sees is a thin splatter of red; blood.

"No..."