F U T U R E B A R R I E R
( The 3rd Novel )
Secret Technology, Unrequited Love, Absolute Vengeance
© July 2017 Written by David Wicker
Please do not reprint without permission
CHAPTER 22 - "Volchitsa"
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This chapter is Rated: TEEN
Captain Corrigan spoke in relief in seeing the body of Flair, "Thank God ! Maybe there's still time to save her after all."
He dragged her from the tube of dung and because of it's odd consistency, she popped out of it like from a wet cocoon, with only a small amount of filth clinging to her.
Corrigan quickly looked her over. There were no bruises or marks on her, and she seemed to be only unconscious. Perhaps she would be okay after all !
He checked though and found she wasn't breathing ! She needs CPR !
He quickly rolled her on her back and opened her mouth and just as he was getting ready to breathe into it, brown pudding appeared at the front of it and oozed out slightly around her jaw. The party gasped in both fear and revulsion. Resuscitation would be possible.
And Corrigan could not hold back any longer. He lifted up his breathing mask, now knowing the atmosphere wasn't lethal and turning his back on the crew, purged his stomach of the wretchedness he was feeling ever since he entered this godforsaken place.
He coughed uncomfortably from the burning in the back of his throat and wiped his face with his armored glove and pocket kerchief then returned the breathing mask to stand and face the still form of Flair again.
Finally he pushed gently on her chest with one boot and the thick brown filth came out easily now, this time from her nose as well and gurgled down the side of her pretty face.
Whatever happened in the beast, Johnston's lungs were full of it now. She was quite dead, absolutely and completely asphyxiated in - well - crap. No, it was worse than that, as if it were somehow forced into her, and she was topped off inside, like a full beaker.
It was possible if she had her Statix suit she would still be alive today, and yet the beast managed to dissolve both the Statix suit and her inner clothes and underwear in mere seconds. But - that's impossible. What acid could eat through polycarbonate reflective armor and leave the naked person inside untouched ?
Fortunately the creature had no acid of its own to dissolve flesh and yet - was this any better what it did to her - what it turned her into ... ?
Nothing had prepared Corrigan for this - absolutely - nothing. He was shaking in both fear and hatred, not just for the death of his teammate but because of the frustration he felt in being unable to save her earlier - at all.
There was a moment of silence. "Should we say a prayer ?" Hudson, one of the attentive men, asked quietly.
Corrigan was now apoplectic with rage and shrieked, "For what, lieutenant ! For what ! Will you tell me what !? Will SOMEONE tell me what for ? Goddammit ! You saw what happened. Christ to hell and ribbons ! You want to give a prayer to THIS ! THIS !? This is ..."
Corrigan staggered up unable to finish his sentence as he felt he was going to throw up again. He was weak and tired and as he was the last one to see his team-mate devoured alive by this monstrosity, only to be released later and then filled to the brim with - crap from it.
He knew this nightmare would weigh heavily on his conscious for years to come.
That was the price a captain paid for his leadership, respect, responsibility, and more times than most, remorse.
He bit back tears of hysterical frustration. He could not appear weak to his fellow soldiers at this critical time when they needed his strength the most. "Let's - let's just get the hell out of here, okay ? Can we do that ?"
"Burial ... ?" Hudson asked, but bit back his words almost in the same breath from the severe look his captain gave him.
As they headed on their way again, they came across a river. There was no other way around it. They were in their statix suits so they would be safe.
Suddenly the limping soldier spotted something uniquely different, a spark of a bright blue light shining off to the right against the horrid sticky fecal crossing they were all trudging in.
Eager to be free of this infinite sewer and against orders he started heading towards it sloshing the crap around him noisily as he half ran to it.
Corrigan saw this and spoke directly into his communicator to him as he was out of ear's reach, "Jenkins, you are off course. We already know this place is exceedingly dangerous. You are directed to stay with us until we arrive at the designated exit, over."
Jenkins spoke in a voice filled with awe and wonder, "Captain - I - can't take anymore of this. There's just too much - "
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And he yelled out the next word though it was clear from the tightness in his voice, he didn't want to, "S**T !"
"There's just too much s**t, captain ! I mean, is THIS what the great beyond is, waiting for all of us in the afterlife ? Millions of miles of S**T in all directions ? And to ultimately get devoured by this giant horrible monster to be turned into s**t as well ?"
And then his voice changed to one of wonder, "But - what I'm seeing now is - so - so pretty. It's - a blue light. So - beautiful."
Corrigan nodded tersely, he was not a young soldier himself as Jenkins was and Corrigan had many years of combat training, the least of which was in maintaining order in the ranks and preventing a panic in the ones as of yet uncertain of when to follow or not to follow orders.
He spoke louder, "Jenkins, I know you're upset right now. Everything - we have seen in here - so far has been - wrong. We really don't know - what we're seeing though. It could all be a deadly illusion. Did you think of that ? Remember the angler fish with its lure ? We HAVE to think of finding Cheani ! The mission we were sent for ! Remember, soldier !?"
Jenkins wailed in misery over his intercom. It was obvious he wanted OUT of this stinking sewer NOW and clearly Corrigan could not blame him one bit for that.
Corrigan fought to maintain control of his voice as he added in a lower confiding tone, "I know, Jenkins. It is so - bad - what we've been through and seen so far, but you need," he paused to catch his breath with his respirator as the air was thick and fetid, "You need to return to us now. Please."
Jenkins was unperturbed and only mumbled petulantly, "In a minute, sir."
It was indeed an incredible sight he was seeing. In the tunnels of sewer they walked, there was a lovely blue crystalline door to the side now that reflected with frost and ice.
He ran his gloved hand on the side of it, marveling at it's touch. Yes, it was cold, but a kind of cold that - was - well - wonderful. It was as if the finest blown-glass decorators spent years, no, centuries, designing the door's frame. It was so incredibly intricate.
For a moment he thought he could see little fairies and pixies dancing around the frame, playing tag with each other. Tiny little boys and girls with iridescent rainbow wings, all wearing short little pastel-colored skirts and nothing else with delicate flower designs in them.
And as they flew he could see their nudity appear from time to time, both male and felame, as their skirt flew up from soft delicate breezes beyond the door.
And it was all so - so innocent and beautiful !
He smiled and laughed in spite of himself watching them play innocently with each other along the door's edge, not even acknowledging him. It was so amazing to find something this wonderful in this absolute pit of filth.
Suddenly a dazzling light shone from within and he stepped back and was surprised to see a humanoid woman step forth. She had a very plain but strikingly beautiful face and was wearing a lithe blue transparent gown covering her frame and not much else.
She was tall, over 6 feet and although she did not appearing muscular it was clear from the serious expression on her face that she was not to be trifled with.
She spoke in a melodious and alien tone that brought tears to Jenkin's eyes for it's sheer beauty and his longing to be with her. For it was a cave, deep within the human memory, an unspoken - and infinite - comfort. The mysterious woman tilted her head as if finally realizing the language of English - of him.
"No." she said quietly though her speech yielded no breath, "Only - Volchitsa. This - place behind me - is not for you. I - I'm sorry. You are not welcome here. You must find - your own."
But he wasn't to be put off so easily. "Please ! I must be free of this filth !" he said desperately and held his both hands out pitifully to her. She smiled gently and reaching out took his gloved hand in hers as if to comfort him.
Then she looked curiously at his face as if he himself were as incredible and wonderful to behold as she was to him. She reached up to touch his forehead with the tip of her index finger from her free hand.
With that single movement, suddenly his Statix suit glowed with bright energy as it fought to cancel out the catalytic effect she was somehow causing it now as if it were being directly attacked.
There was a clear hissing of the suit as it attempted to desperately repel whatever she had started, but it was utterly and completely ineffective.
Nothing could stop - magic. And that had to have been what it was as it clearly defied every known law of science written in books the world over.
"Then - be - free !" she said simply and smiled showing the most enchanting and endearing of faces to him.
He felt cold and shivered. A kind of cooling comfort as if he was being drenched in liquid ice, but a soothing numbing freeze. All his fears - all his memories were fading like the wind. The wind ! He had felt such a wind before ! But where ?
He sobbed and collapsed to his knees. His memories were all about him - of - happiness, of longing to be with his loved ones. And he cried - because he knew they were all in the past - never to be relived again.
For the greatest and deepest sorrow a man or woman can ever feel is what great joy they ONCE had in their life but now could never have again.
He saw himself flying a kite and he was with his parents. It was the Holiday Planet, the same one that Jeffrey was on earlier. He saw the colorful flowers dance in the distance to the wind and then he looked up at his kite.
It was so - far away. He squinted his eyes. And then - suddenly he was launched up in the air, pulling free of his Mother's grip who was holding on to him.
She cried for help from her Husband who was rushing to her side, but he was lost to the wind. Lost ... Lost. But ...? That wasn't the way it happened was it ? Was he - dreaming NOW ?
Isn't it possible that his life working for Central and all of the life he had experienced up to this point was all merely a bad dream ? And that his first taste of reality was instead being with this incredibly lovely woman and that for the FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFE, he was waking up ? Wake up, he told himself.
WAKE UP !
END OF CHAPTER 22
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