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The only way was to bring balance to our power structure, and what better balance than to protect the portal and give everyone the choice to remain or leave. That meant that I either had to remove Felman and all those who are corrupt from power, or dismantle the portal and build it somewhere else. I already knew where I would build it if that place is true. That was the answer I had reached.
Now, I just needed the rune.
I entered maintenance and sealed the door shut. I just needed to use the console to siphon water to one of the adjacent rooms, which would clear the water from storage and my lab.
A loud buzz assaulted my ears and like a dam breaking, a thick wave of water entered the maintenance room. I reached for my mask and headgear to shield myself from the water, but it was too late. The force of rushing water slammed me against the wall of the station, but I used all my strength to reach the console to reseal the doors and siphon the water from the room. I coughed and spat.
How the hell did that happen? I sealed the door, I did it myself and yet it opened. I checked the console. The order to unseal the room I was in came from an override in security. But how was that possible? No one else could understand the language to know what the hell they were doing down here, but me…and Gio. Dread sat at the pit of my stomach. I checked my radio and called for Kal to respond but there was nothing greeting me but static silence, not his soft gentle voice.
I needed to check for other seals outside the room so I could get the hell out of here and back to the surface. To hell with the Rune! Gio was my current problem. I thought I had him under control, that all he wanted was the wealth I would leave behind, but I was wrong. Damn him!
I ran from the room and something hit me like a train slamming me against the wall.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
KAL
“That should take care of that.”
I couldn’t see anything; I just heard his creepy voice hovering over me. Like before, I was afraid to open my eye. That same chill ran up my spine, just like before when I was in bed.
A hand ran up my bare thigh, the chilled wind bit at my skin, was I naked? Just get up! Just get up and run! I urged myself, but it was like talking to a frightened child in a dark room.
“You must taste sweet to have a noble willing to throw away everything to own. Thorsten seemed like he was having more than enough fun for our entire race.”
His breathing became heavy until the ring of his cell stopped him. “Felman, what do you want?” He said sounding as if he was clenching his teeth. “I said I took care of him, the mission is a bust, he is dead, I will kill these stupid dwarves once they make it to the surface, there is no point in retrieving the rune.”
I opened my eyes and grabbed one of the thick, heavy-duty flashlights and smashed it across the back of his head. I ran from the kitchen where he had me on the table about to…that piece of shit!
“Get back here!” He yelled, coming after me. If he caught me, I was dead.
I ran to the crew deck and hid under a bunk, naked and shivering as the day I was born.
He ran inside with a large silver blade in his hands and I covered my mouth with my hands, hoping and praying I didn’t make a sound.
“You had the chance to work for me, stupid dwarf. What’s so special about Thorsten?” He lifted one of the bunks but it wasn’t mine. “Come on, dwarf. Did I really knock the wind out of your sails? Whatever happened to the brave man who rolled into a crashing sea to escape us titans? Most of your kind are so afraid of us, but you? You even became a lover. Now you hide like a child.”
I grabbed a pocket knife someone left near the bunk and stabbed at his ankle and rolled out.
“Bitch!”
I felt the blade cut open my calf, but I didn’t stop running, I ran until I was outside and dove into the water. I pulled myself along the dark murky water using the thick metal cables attached to the platform as leverage until I was through the bent metal and inside the tunnel. A trail of blood followed me, mingling with the gloomy sea. I swam directly for the maintenance shaft that would lead inside the airlock. A near impossible and dangerous swim but I was left with no other choice. I now just had to hold my breath long enough to hit my record without passing out. I cursed when I reached the small hatch that was supposed to take me into the airlock. Of course, it would be sealed during depressurizing the area. I searchedaround in the dark until I came across a small panel, most likely an emergency fail safe to enter or exit the airlock. I slammed my fist on the panel until it came loose. Between the swim down and through the tunnel and shaft. I was cutting it far too close to the new record I acquired during my interview with that titan woman.
I quickly used my teeth to cut the wires that shut down the airlock which forced the hatch open, sucking the water and myself inside. Thankfully, like before it filled up only half way, allowing me room to breathe.
I reached for the upper shaft and pulled myself inside. By this point I was freezing cold, but at least I wouldn’t have to swim through this shaft. Once I reached the other side I dropped down, slipping and falling but thankfully didn’t break anything.
My calf burned from the salty water as I struggled to my feet and prayed that I found Thorsten first. Limping down the hall, a trail of blood drew my attention, and I shrieked at the two bodies crumpled nearby.
“Raze and Shani?” I noticed the gun in her hands and took it, though I had nowhere to hide it unless I shoved it up my ass. “What the hell is going on down here?” I mumbled as I kept going, fearing for Thorsten’s safety. Gio mentioned something about someone killing him, I immediately thought of Jaxon. What an idiot I was to let him come. If something happened to Thorsten, I swear Jaxon was going to die.
For a piece of a station, the place was rather large and still oddly clean if not for the gunk the water bred in here. I limped over to the pack of supplies and checked for a first aid kit, something to staunch the blood flow which ran down my leg from the exposed meat.
I wrapped the bandage around my leg to cut off circulation, but it only worked a little. I wanted to call out to Thorsten but didn’t. Whatever was happening down here, I couldn’t riskanyone knowing I was here. I limped away down the hall, going deeper and deeper; the place was too damn quiet. Where were Jon and Dean, at least? Were they in on it too? I had to stop Jaxon before it was too late.
I ran for a room bathed in blue light, thinking if any place had to draw the attention of a diver, this would be it. But there was no one here but a massive broken and burned machine and empty and broken glass canisters nearby. Following the source of light, I found a clear case with what looked like the rune inside. It suspended the silver like ball with the engravings around the base in air. I felt an electric tingle running from the fingers that touched the glass and shooting up my arms and shoulders and spreading throughout my body.
When I rushed back to the corpses, I grabbed Shani’s pouch and placed the thing inside. Removing Raze’s wetsuit and cleaning it the best I could of gore, I slipped it on. It was a bit too big, but better than nothing. I wrapped Shani’s pouch around myself and checked to see which one had the most oxygen in the tank.
