Hexad: The Chamber (27 page)

Amanda turned and looked at Cray, then stopped. She walked back meekly, like a puppy that knew its master would punish it if it disobeyed.

"It's okay, you'll be okay," said Dale, pulling Amanda close, putting an arm around her waist.

Amanda didn't speak, couldn't. She was terrified, knowing what Cray wanted.

Dale reached for her knife.

"Please," said Cray. "You really think that's going to work?"

Dale just shrugged; he had to try.

"Take your weapons off Dale, and drop them," ordered Cray.

Dale did as he was told, it had been a long shot anyway. He felt more vulnerable than he'd ever felt in his life.

"Now, move," ordered Cray, stepping behind them and prodding Dale forward with the gun.

~~~

Time went into free-fall for Dale; everything became hyper-real. He could feel every beat of his heart — surprisingly slow considering he would normally melt down at the thought of danger to himself, let alone Amanda.

Each footstep was like a lifetime, senses acute, awareness expanding to take in not only his own thoughts and emotions but to notice as if for the first time everything around him too.

This was the clarity he'd heard about when people were in extreme situations, like the fabled life flashing before your eyes, or when mothers get superhuman strength when it comes to their children being in danger and they do whatever it takes to save them. Dale may not have felt superhuman, but he became more aware of himself and his environment than he had ever been in his entire life.

The hum of the dome became almost overpowering, as if it was getting louder and more insistent, rather than Dale simply focusing on it more. Watching his own feet move reluctantly forward felt weird, like he was seeing them for the first time and they weren't really his, moving of their own volition as he certainly didn't want any part in what was unfolding in the heightened reality he found himself now living in.

Cray pushed Dale hard in the back with the barrel and he had to let go of Amanda. "No more cuddling, stay apart. And keep walking."

Amanda turned to Dale, the fear so visible he was amazed she could actually walk. He knew he'd be on the floor, a gibbering wreck. His eyes focused on a pale freckle on her neck, pulsing quickly where the carotid pumped blood fast. He felt like he could see the adrenaline surge through her body so she could cope with the nightmare. What must be going on in her head? The things she knew had happened to all the other Amandas, and now were going to happen to her as well. It didn't bear thinking about.

How had it come to this? This bizarre situation where life didn't make any sense, where nothing made sense? Worlds created at the press of a button, the ability to travel through time and where megalomaniacs think nothing of ripping apart reality just because they can and they want to see what's on the other side?

The Chamber? That had to be the weirdest of the lot. Cray had gone to immense effort to build such a thing — Dale couldn't even begin to imagine how it was constructed, or the vast machinery involved, hidden behind the bedrock. They were probably devices larger than The Chamber itself, there to turn the massive arms that created the spin. Let alone its function: to house Amandas that were created in other universes, just so he could keep them, perpetuate the cycle until now it had all come to an end, Amandas used up. Gone.

"Stop," said Cray.

Dale realized he'd been lost in thought and hadn't noticed they were now getting close to the terrible room.

They were stood by the old woman, still involved in her digging. Cray bent down and helped her to her feet, with genuine affection too, it seemed. He treated her gently, like she was his family, as if he'd been a part of her life for a long time. Maybe he had, maybe he'd seen her as a young woman and made sporadic visits to her as she grew older, or one of him at the very least.

Damn, the other Amanda inside the room, I didn't tell her about her.
Dale glanced at Amanda, who mouthed a silent "What?" clearly seeing the worry in his eyes even though he tried to hide it.

"There's another one, a woman inside the room. She's not right Amanda, don't take any notice." This was going to be hard for her to take, seeing a version of herself reduced to such a pathetic creature, begging for the foul machine to perform its terrible act on her. Wanting it, needing it. And then it would be her turn, she was to be taken by the machine too. Drained of her life, a little bit less of a person afterward.

What could he do? How could he get them out of this mess? Dale had felt strangely confident until now, somehow believing that all would be well, that they'd get out, get away, leave victorious. Now he wasn't so sure. He hadn't consciously thought it, but he supposed he'd believed that he'd do what he'd done before: promise to make a jump and repeat what he did to allow them to get away, but so far nothing had happened. Was that just because he hadn't actually turned such vagaries into a proper conscious thought?

If so then now was the time to get the hell out before things got any worse.

"Dale. Dale! What other Amanda? What happened to her?" Amanda was even more terrified, maybe he should have kept quiet? She might not have to see the woman anyway.

"Quiet," ordered Cray, pointing the gun at them, helping the frail woman move. She was unsteady on her feet, muttering about worms, and she looked even more skeletal, if that was possible, now she was walking. Her legs seemed like they were nothing but twigs — matching her ineffective digging implement.

"Who's in there? What have you done to her? How could you let her," Amanda pointed at the old woman, "get like this? You're a monster."

"I didn't do it," said Cray, voice sharp. Yet there was a hint of pleading, like he didn't want to be seen as the bad guy. It was ridiculous. "It wasn't me. I told you that the other me let things go wrong, he didn't keep on running everything how he should have."

"Or maybe the whole place is just winding down," said Dale. "It's unstable Cray, can't you see that? This isn't natural and it can't go on working perfectly forever."

"It can, and it will. I can deal with any problems. But after we finish this, after you give of yourself Amanda. In there." Cray pointed.

Amanda collapsed to the ground like she was made of air and it had suddenly escaped through her mouth as she moaned with fear.

She was out cold as Dale bent to help. Her head was clammy, her hands were icy, eyes were shut and her breathing was shallow.

It was too much for her, it was as if she'd simply gone into shock, shut down as she couldn't face what was about to happen.

Dale began to panic, when he knew it was the last thing he should be doing. He had to get them out, and fast. Otherwise, he feared for Amanda's sanity, especially once she met the other woman inside the room — her fragile state meant it might send her over the edge. That or the machine itself could kill her.

Or Cray. Once he got what he wanted who was to say he wouldn't just get rid of them all? Wipe the slate clean and start again with his new access to countless Amandas from all the up-until-now closed-off worlds?

"Move. Now," ordered Cray. Dale stepped back reluctantly as Cray bent and felt for a pulse. Then he slapped Amanda hard across the cheek, color springing to her flesh like a bubbling geyser.

Amanda reacted instantly, sitting bolt upright, hand moving to her face. She looked terrible, but at least she was conscious.

"Okay, enough of this, time to make your little sacrifice. It's time to visit the machine."

"No, no you can't. I won't. You can't make me."

"Is that right?" Cray stepped back and before Dale knew what was happening his face felt like it was on fire. He put a hand to his cheek and it was pouring blood — Cray had ripped his flesh open with a quick swing of the gun.

"Stop it, just stop it. I'll do it, all right? Just leave him alone." Amanda stood shakily, while Dale tried to stop focusing on the pain so he could think of a way out.

Think Dale, just think. Okay, what if you jump and just power this damn thing down? No, because then we'll all die as who knows where we'll go flying off to inside this place. What about if—

"I said move, are you deaf?" Cray jabbed him hard with the gun then lifted it, arm moving back for another swing.

"Okay. We're going." Dale reached for Amanda's hand and said, "Are you all right? You gave me a bit of a scare then."

"I'm fine. Well, I'm not, but you know...?"

"I know."

"That looks bad," said Amanda, moving Dale's blood-stained hand away from his cheek.

"I'll live. Hopefully," said Dale grimly.

"Faster, walk faster." Cray jabbed Dale again, and with no other choice and no time to think of a way to get them out, Dale and Amanda, with Cray and the old Amanda behind, walked up the path.

Amanda squeezed his hand tightly, eyes focused on her feet.

Just trying to will them to move. She's braver than me. Think Dale, get out of here.

Time Unravels

Time Unknown

They reached the door.

Amanda tried to run, leaving Dale behind, but he didn't blame her, how could he? She was petrified. This wasn't just about her though, Dale could tell that much. Neither of them could avoid thinking about the consequences if The Chamber really did make a jump. Dale couldn't even imagine what kind of an effect it would have on reality if Cray was successful; he doubted Cray did either.

There was a strange silence as they stood outside. Amanda was next to Dale again, a few paces back from the door, Cray and the old Amanda were to their left, the old woman quiet, waiting. Cray was smiling, clearly anticipating what was to come.

Then the quiet was broken by a shriek of panicked excitement as the Amanda inside the room came to the door and spotted Cray.

"It's broken, it's not working. Are you going to fix it? Fix it, fix it, fix it."

"Yes Amanda, I'm going to fix it for you. Do you want to give of yourself, give to the machine?"

"Yes, yes, yes. Give to the machine. Give Amanda to the machine, make everything all right again. Bring everyone back, give Amanda someone to talk to. Amanda wants friends. Amanda needs more Amanda. Amanda is lonely."

"Don't you worry my dear, you won't be alone for much longer. I'm going to fix everything, just you wait and see."

Cray nudged Dale again, while the crazed Amanda danced around them excitedly, singing, "Give to the machine, give to the machine," before she ran back inside, then peered out, saying, "Hurry, hurry, hurry."

They went inside.

Amanda was lost in a daze of panic and confusion, not able to keep up with what was happening, the new Amanda an obvious shock. Dale should have told her about the crazed woman, but he hadn't thought things were going to go this far, this wrong.

Cray directed them over to an empty corner, then carefully moved the old woman to the ground, where she sat happily, humming something tuneless in a dull monotone, stick stabbing at the tiles. All the while the crazed Amanda hopped about excitedly, unable to contain her pleasure at the anticipation of the machine working again.

Dale watched as everything became hyper-real once more. He watched as Cray moved over to one of the large black stacks and took a small key from his suit pocket, then inserted it in a tiny keyhole. Once the door was open he flicked a series of switches and as he locked the door up the machine hummed into life, reminding Dale of a printer starting up. Once the machine had configured itself it went silent, the insane Amanda almost beside herself with excitement and anticipation, eyeing the machine greedily, wanting to give herself.

The sight of someone so far gone made Dale sick to his stomach. What had she been through for this to be the result?

"You did this Cray, look what you've done to the woman. You okay with that?"

"No, I'm not okay with that, but it wasn't me," said Cray defensively, "it was that idiot outside. He did it all wrong. I'm sorry." Cray was looking at Amanda, apologizing, utterly sincere. Amanda's eyes were glazed over, she couldn't cope with it and had retreated somewhere deep inside to escape the horror.

"You going to make her mad too?" asked Dale, watching as Cray lifted the old lady from the floor like a stack of brittle kindling.

"It has to be done; we all have to make sacrifices. This is too big to not see it through to the end Dale, you know that."

"I know nothing of the sort. I know that you're a monster, sick and twisted and utterly insane. You think I'm going to let you do this? Let you ruin everything?"

"What choice do you have? You move and you're dead." Cray half-undressed the old lady carefully then shuffled her into the machine, calming the hyper Amanda with promises that she could go next, that she would have her turn soon enough. She pouted like a child, but calmed a little, hanging her head like she'd been chastised.

The old woman stood in the machine, not moving, letting herself be wrapped in its metallic embrace without seeming to even notice. Dale watched in horror as the arm swiveled out from the recess and a soft pneumatic sound began. All too quickly the needle approached the naked upper body of the woman, her skin-covered skeleton waxy and blotchy under the stark white light.

She smiled as the needle punctured her spine, going in deep. Dale watched the precious fluid trickle down the tube as Amanda gasped next to him, eyes darting around the room like a cornered wild animal, returning to the old Amanda, drawn by the horror.

"Don't watch. This isn't happening Amanda, not really."

When it was over Cray dressed the woman, attention moving from her to Dale and Amanda, the gun trained on them almost constantly. Dale knew he'd never make it across the room to Cray even if he was distracted, and knew that if he was dead he'd never get Amanda and him out of The Chamber.

Next was the turn of the ever-so-eager insane Amanda, her naked upper torso already bared, ready for the promise of cold steel puncturing her skin, ice-cold metal sucking away what little reality she had left — if any.