CHAPTER 21
Kalin
Kalin inched his way through the dark tunnels of the complex. On the ceiling, the Vitra Crystals were scarce and few. Just like the kings of old who’d created moats around their castles, Vorkis formed a moat of darkness around his Command Center, the best form of protection.
The penetrating odors of mold and earth weighed on his lungs. Outlines of cragged boulders were vaguely visible in the thick darkness. The tinkling sounds of dripping water surrounded him, which explained the mud he was walking through. Suddenly a loud snap came from behind. He swung his Barra around, ready for a fight. The tunnel was dark. Nothing was visible.
Easy, Kalin, your mind is playing tricks on you.
But something didn’t feel right. He slowly backed away, keeping his finger on the trigger of the Barra, his keen eyes probing the passageway. Nothing. Okay, I am losing it. He made a u-turn and was about to continue on but stopped.
It’s quieter.
The sounds of the drips were only in front of him, none from behind. He carefully turned around, keeping a tight grip on his Barra. The tunnel was pitch black, darker than what lay before him, and a rank odor of decay was now present. From the corner of his left eye, he saw it. A slight movement. He kept his stare straight, not moving his head, keeping his peripheral vision fixed on the long and thin object. It twitched. Several more came into focus.
Ten feet in front of him, six red eyes appeared, resembling fiery meteors. Below them were large chelicerae, two moving plates with attached white fangs covering the beast’s mouth. Something hard hit Kalin’s chest and he went flying, landing face first in the mud. His Barra flew the opposite way. A giant claw latched onto his legs and lifted him in the air upside down.
Kalin screamed to the knifing pain, bending upwards as he tried to loosen the pincer. The insect raised him near the ceiling as if trying to examine its latest meal. Kalin let himself hang, his arms swinging above his head; he had to conserve his energy and wait for the right time to bash the thing. Jagged black bristles dotted the creature’s ebony body. Four pairs of thorny appendages led into an elongated shell attached to a flattened thorax. Numerous spikes and barbs embedded the wide pedipalps, long arms ending with two colossal claws. The yellow ringlets on the hind legs told him it was the same monster from the tropical cavern.
The Vinegaroon.
The beast lurched Kalin to its mouth, dangling him in front. Strings of crimson saliva stretched between the sharp fangs.
It’s trying to torture me, thought Kalin.
Inside the cavernous maw, crinkled veins of mustard-colored entrails stretched across.
Remnants of the spiders.
A strong acrid odor began burning his eyes. He turned just in time to see the other claw coming at him.
“Eat this,” he said.
He punched the claw with all his might and it zoomed into one of the arachnid’s eyes. The Vinegaroon screeched, dropping him on his side in the mud. He started to stand when pain darted up both legs, almost sending him to the floor. The creature had backed away, writhing against the wall, squealing to its recent wound.
That’s all I need. A pissed off man-eating bug.
Kalin’s calf muscles felt like they’d been torn off his bones. Thankfully, no skin was broken. An eerie stillness had settled the air. He stiffened when he realized the monster was silently watching him. Its other five eyes were working just fine. In one swift motion, it scrunched to the floor and pushed up, leaping in the air towards him. Kalin dove away, rolling on the dirt to his feet. The beast shrilled and Kalin bolted down the tunnel. He glanced back. The Vinegaroon was in a full charge and getting closer. Without his Barra, he was helpless.
He swerved left into another tunnel, hoping it was smaller but instead it was bigger. There was a yellow light at the end and it was getting hotter, the air was thicker, heavier. The light changed into an orange glow and he dashed towards it. Without warning, the ground beneath him ended. He skidded to a stop, teetering at the edge of a cliff, wavering about, trying not to fall into a fast-moving river of boiling lava.
He caught his balance and stepped back. His pounding heart reminded him how much he hated surprises. The river was at least two hundred feet across and the tunnel continued on the other side. There was no way he could jump it unless he got a running start. The cavern was at least three hundred feet high. Clicking sounds came from behind. The Vinegaroon.
The creature blocked the exit. He needed something for defense. Indigo-colored stones lay scattered across the earthen floor. They’ll have to do. The damaged eye of the monster had turned white. Kalin picked up a rock the size of a melon and bounced it in his hand, letting the beast know he wasn’t going down without a fight. He moved to his right; a clear shot into a good eye was imperative. The insect stomped its feet and squealed with every step he took. Kalin flung the stone.
The creature lifted its claw to block the attack but the rock bore through its shell. It shrilled in pain, bashing its other claw on the ground several times. Kalin covered his ears to the piercing sound that jarred his organs. The beast opened its mouth and shot out a wad of black spit. Kalin leapt away sideways, banging his head on the wall and almost losing consciousness. The saliva hit the dirt ten feet from him, hissing and smoking, melting a two-foot hole into the brown soil.
Acid.
His eyes instantly burned as if on fire, watering to the pungent gas that blurred his vision. Kalin dragged himself up to a sitting position. The bump on the side of his head was growing.
Through streaming tears, he could see the insect watching him. To rub his eyes would give away his weakness, so he kept still. There was nowhere to go. The acid saliva was blinding him. His eyes had swollen into slits.
I won’t die this way.
Slyly, he began moving both hands through the dirt, searching. The point of a huge rock lay beside his right hand. He wrapped his fingers around it and pulled, nothing happened. It was part of a slab beneath him. He dug his fingers into the soil around the jagged stone, slicing his skin open. He thought of how highly Saleran-humans considered their perfection, never growing old, living their lives on Salera to the fullest, always believing their immortality would save them from anything. They were wrong. The tiniest of all creatures stole their lives. But was he any better? Before his people died, he took life for granted, accepting the toughest missions from the Federation no matter how dangerous they were, playing with death and never thinking twice of those who loved him.
Women were a pleasurable hobby, nothing more. He deliberately chose words that would lure them, hoping they would believe his lies and figuring they would get over him, but did they? Can a person really forget love, any kind of love? Could he ever forget his family and the love he had for little Disa? Never. The pain in his heart would always be there. A harsh emptiness overcame him as he thought of the many women who’d fallen in love with him and whom he’d blatantly tossed aside.
Then there was Rina. Her words sounded in his head: “...Kill off your race...finish what Vorkis started...there’s more at stake here than you.” Her words ground inside his chest, ripped at his very soul. If it weren’t for Vurro, he probably would have choked her. But the twirp had something he didn’t have. She was ready to kill every Zorcon in sight but stopped herself, thinking about how her actions would affect others. How did she do that? Could he do it? His family’s horrifying demise, especially Disa’s, was too difficult to overcome. His only hope was the regeneration of his race and this was always a soothing thought. However, after months of picturing ways of how to kill Vorkis it would be hard to drop his hate and rage. A sharp sting in his finger made him flinch.
Peeping through his slivered eyes, he realized his fingers was bleeding bad. It hurt, but not compared to what he had to do. He gritted his teeth and gripped the pinnacle of the stone, squeezing hard. His warm blood streamed down the stone. A loud crack echoed as the rock snapped free. He scurried to his feet, leaning on the wall for support. Every muscle hu
rt. His lungs burned. The view through his puffed eyes was getting smaller; soon they would swell completely shut. The monster was creeping towards him with its claws low and outstretched, ready to snatch him. He bounced the stone in his hand. The beast halted its advance.
From across the river of lava he heard the hum of an Avec. The black vehicle drove in from the opposite tunnel and stopped at the other cliff. The dome evaporated and six Zorcons stood with their Barras pointed at the insect. They weren’t aware of his presence or else he would have been the target. Instead, they blasted the Vinegaroon, who screeched and leapt wildly about.
This is my chance.
Kalin’s bloody fingers felt their way along the rock face. He had to reach the back of the cavern to get good distance.
If I don’t make it, at least I’ll go my way.
He counted his footsteps. It wasn’t too long ago when he temporarily lost his sight, a result of seeing his family die. The three weeks were agonizing and if it weren’t for Marante, he would’ve killed himself.
He remembered Marante’s words: “If you take your life, you will have accomplished Vorkis’ desire.”
Vorkis. The name alone made his gut ache. He could feel his hand squeezing Vorkis’ neck. The sensation was so real. His suddenly realized his vision was improving with distance from the acid and the tears were slowing. The creature was on the far side of the cavern, hissing and shrieking at the Zorcons who kept a volley of steady laser fire on the insect. He finally reached the needed distance of about sixty feet. He took a deep breath and bolted for the river.
If the Vinegaroon spotted him, it was over. One leap from the monster and he would be dead. He could see spits of lava shooting up from the river which made the jump more lethal.
Get hit by one of those and I’m done. A chance I have to take.
He had to time himself so his leap would be at the very edge of the cliff, giving himself more lift.
One – two – “three!” he shouted and pushed off the cliff’s edge with all the strength in his legs.
“Aah!” he cried out as his body lifted into the air.
His arms and legs flailed as the momentum carried him over the boiling lava. He hit the dirt and rolled to the far wall. The shooting had ceased. The Zorcons were staring at him.
“Surprised, huh?” he said aloud, happy he’d survived the jump. His swollen eyes were almost normal. “You got worse problems than me.” He nudged his chin towards the beast.
The Vinegaroon was already in the air over the river. It pounced on the Avec sending it crashing to the ground. The screaming Zorcons were helpless against the giant insect, which was grabbing and throwing them one-by-one against the wall. Morbid sounds of shattering bones filled the cavern. The Zorcon bodies lay crumpled on the floor. The creature scurried to them and began their disembowelment.
Kalin quietly crawled to the Avec. Its engine was still humming. The weight of the monster had not disabled it. He quietly climbed into the vehicle and sat in the gray cushioned seat. He looked around waiting for the metal dome to reappear but according to the open holo in front of him, it had been damaged from the recent assault. He pressed a yellow button and the vessel silently rose in the air. Avecs were amazing machines, able to climb walls and hover on ceilings while keeping its passengers stable and secure. Protruding from the white dashboard was the steel vertical maneuvering stick. Above this, lay three recessed orbs. To his right was the accelerator, a silver T-shaped lever. With a Zorcon Avec hooked into the Command Center, he could find Vorkis. He just had to get away alive.
To fly over the river would alert the beast, and to make an about-face would do the same. The only choice was to slowly back his way down the tunnel and hope the insect didn’t notice.
Here goes nothing, he said to himself, and carefully inched the accelerator stick towards him. Nice and easy.
The vehicle began its reverse out of the cavern. Not banging the walls would be a challenge. He kept checking the creature, but it was busy with its recent kill. This tunnel wasn’t dark and there was a glowing red light at the far end. Whatever the light was, it was the reason the Zorcons had come to destroy the monster. Vorkis was near. He could feel it. Finally, he lost sight of the beast. He waved his hand over an orb and a holo of the insect appeared. It was still eating and he was fifty yards from it.
Good. Now to find a place to turn around.
The tunnel was narrow but the ceiling was a good forty feet high. A shriek echoed. The Vinegaroon was running towards him at full speed.
“Crap!” he said and pulled back the shifter into full reverse.
The vehicle lurched with a bounce then sped backwards down the tunnel, zigzagging and hitting the rock walls, sending sparks into the air. Driving in reverse was not his forte; he could never keep the vehicle straight. The creature was closing in. A claw clipped the nose of the Avec. It skidded on the ground and continued its backtrack.
Kalin jerked the control stick sideways and the Avec flipped upside down, racing down the passageway. The monster screeched, skidding to a halt. It was what Kalin needed. He drove the vehicle up towards the ceiling and flipped it right side up as he came down. Finally, he was driving front forward. In the holo, all he saw was the legs of the beast. It was in the air and ready to pounce. He rammed the accelerator all the way up.
The insect landed ten feet from the Avec. A glob of acid spit splashed the wall next to him and he swerved away, hearing it hiss its way into the stone. He weaved through the tunnel, scraping the walls, attempting to avoid the caustic missiles whose spray was boring holes into the Avec’s metal. He was losing altitude. There wasn’t much time. The red light at the end of the tunnel was ahead. He waved his hand through the holo and smiled. It was a multi-level Zorcon feeding lounge with forty Zorcons inside.
Perfect.
The Avec bashed through the doors, throwing tables and Zorcons into the air. Its engines whined to a stop but the vehicle continued sliding on the floor until it crashed into the far wall.
Kalin hustled to stand on the seat. Dread overcame him at the sight of the Lurivin, a fifty-foot-diameter glowing sphere hovering inches above the shiny metal floor. The giant ball pulsated with a deep eerie hum. Inside was the latest in food preservation, Teridin, a clear gel was now bright red due to the hundreds of Earth-human body parts floating within. Legs, arms, and faces frozen with fear made him sick. Someone coughed.
At least thirty Zorcons were standing in front of the Lurivin, eating off tables and staring at him. Shocked at his presence, their mouths were covered with fresh blood and their cheeks were engorged with raw human meat. The familiar clicking sounds came from the shattered entrance. The Vinegaroon’s red eyes were glued on the Zorcons. Kalin grinned.
“Lunch time!” he yelled.
The creature leapt into the air. The Zorcons scattered. The monster’s landing shook the room, forcing the Zorcons to stumble and fall. The insect quickly gathered them together with its legs then used its massive claws to grab several at a time by their necks, throwing them against the wall to their deaths.
Kalin leisurely hopped out of the Avec and walked up the stairs to the exit. The Vinegaroon screeched at him and he turned, saluting it. His attacker had become his hero. Next to the exit were shelves lined with Barras. He watched the Vinegaroon tear into a screaming Zorcon. The monster seemed to enjoy the sound; maybe that’s why it hadn’t killed him sooner. Kalin took a Barra off the rack.
“Sorry, but I can’t let you hunt me again,” he said.
He blasted the Lurivin and it burst, releasing a torrent of Teridin and body parts into the room. The giant wave slammed the Vinegaroon into the far wall. Its shrieks became gurgles as the decayed matter smothered the insect and the remaining Zorcons.
Kalin nodded and slipped the Barra onto his shoulder then headed out the door. The lit hallway was white and clean, a refreshing change from the dingy tunnels. He heard the screech of the Vinegaroon again and took off running down the passageway.
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