Kraken Rising: Alex Hunter 6 (7 page)

Hammerson lifted another report from his desk. “Before you get there, I have one more job …”  

He knew this last task was far more delicate – high impact, low mortality. He also knew he made the right call not telling Alex about the Chinese intrusion into Aimee’s house to target Joshua. The last thing he needed was the Arcadian extracting bloody payback where he was about to send him. He handed the report to Alex. “Like I said, first we need to defang that dragon.”

Curious
, Shenjung Xing thought. Even from where he stood just outside the door, he smelled the odd odor escape. In the Antarctic, like most frozen climates, the sense of smell was near useless as the cold locked up odors. But the base’s escaping air was warm, and carried with it scents redolent of saltwater, copper, and something like ammonia.

Shenjung Xing, the head scientist, and leader on the team, was the chief mineralogist, and an engineer by trade. His second in command was a small, wiry woman, nearly overwhelmed by all her padded gear. Dr. Soong Chin Ling was a rare earth minerals specialist, and had worked with Shenjung for over a decade. Many times they had shared a bed, and many times he had thought of marriage, to have the idea whipped away by the next project. He turned to her now and raised his eyebrows. She shrugged in return.

In a few minutes, one of the soldiers came to the door, and waved them in. But as Shenjung went to step forward, the other soldiers pushed past. Shenjung bristled, but knew that he was in charge on paper only. Until they determined what happened to Zhang Li, and the other workers and security force, he was to follow Captain Wu Yang’s instructions like everyone else. The man’s face alone didn’t invite disagreement. And he tried hard to ignore that ogre, Mungoi, he had with him.

When the scientists and engineers finally got to enter the base, they moved along the corridor, and then into the main briefing rooms. Off to one side was the communication center, next were the dining facilities, and then some of the sleeping quarters and lavatories. The rooms were Spartan, and were as much used for storage as human habitation. It was below ground where most of the action took place.

The facilities constructed on the surface were little more than a cap over many levels of industrious activity below. Access was via an elevator that descended hundreds of feet to the mining platforms and miles of tunnel work.

Sublevels contained laboratories that used sophisticated processes of oxidization, acid baths, and crystallization to remove the valuable minerals, so the few tons of finished produce could be easily, and secretly, transported. Gadolinium, the soft and strange metal, was used in lasers, computer memory, and fluorescent tubes. Already global demand had outstripped supply, and China’s appetite for that metal, and other RREs such as terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, and dozens more, needed to be constantly fed.

“Comrade.” Wu Yang reappeared, pointed at Shenjung Xing’s chest, and then clicked his fingers.

Shenjung hated that, but swallowed it down for the good of the party. He turned to Soong, who had unzipped her coat. “Come with me.”

Together they hurried after the PLA leader. Shenjung’s feet skidded in something jelly-like. He ignored it, trying to keep up with the longer legs of Wu Yang. At the shaft room he stopped. Several of Yang’s men were standing around the elevator shaft – the only thing in the center of the room.

Beside him Soong crinkled her nose. It was here that the source of the smell was emanating from. The cage elevator that sat on top of the shaft was flattened open, its walls now like the petals of a flower. It was as if something had exploded within it and blown all four sides out each way. The heavy, metal roof of the elevator box was lying against the wall, with a huge dent in its center.

“Gas explosion?” Yang asked.

Shenjung approached the twisted metal of one of the cage sides, and crouched to look at the thick bars, twisted like softened rubber. They were coated in something that he dabbed at with his finger and brought to his nose. He recoiled as Soong crouched beside him. He offered his fingers to her. She sniffed at the residue.

“
Phew
, ammonia?” she asked softly.

“Maybe firedamp,” Shenjung said. He motioned to the peeled cage.
Firedamp
was a term used by miners as a catchall name for the myriad pockets of flammable gas found, especially in ancient strata. It was usually highly pressurized, easily ignited, and exploded with lethal force.

Shenjung rested his hands on his knees. “Maybe a vent that was ignited by the drilling …” He looked at the ceiling; there was a glistening hue as if the mucus was up there as well. “There are no scorch marks anywhere.”

He leaned forward and peered down into the shaft. The mechanisms and railings were all still in place, just the capping cage at the top had been obliterated. It was as if something had boiled up from below, refused to be contained, and like a massive fist, had punched upwards, and then reached on into the base. He shook his head, staring down into the darkness that stretched away, well beyond his vision. He knew the first shaft landing was a good five hundred feet down, and that there were lower horizontal shafts beyond that. Even more, before they reached the floor tunnels where the last work was being carried out.

“So, explosion, yes?” Yang asked. “And what is that smell?”

“It is highly likely it was a pocket of dirty methane that ignited. And then air blowback after the initial explosive expansion caused the damage.” Shenjung got to his feet.

“I concur,” Soong said, also rising. “As for the smell; it is strange, but the gases can be trapped for many millennia, and other compounds leach in, such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide, and maybe even ammonia sulphides. Caves can smell like old shoes, rose gardens, or even graveyards.”

“So, you two both think the explosion killed them all? Then, where are the bodies?” Yang’s eyes slid from Soong to Shenjung.

“No, no,” Shenjung said quickly. “There are no signs of incineration on the internal superstructure.”

Yang looked back to the elevator shaft. “So, Zhang Li took them all down into the tunnel for mining duties – the soldiers, the communications specialists, even the cook?”

Shenjung tried to put himself in Zhang Li’s place, trying to determine if there was any reason for him to commandeer the entire outpost’s staff. “Cave-in. Maybe there was a cave-in that trapped his mining and engineering team, and he needed the others to form a rescue party. To help him dig.”

Yang stared for a moment. “And then the explosion occurred, trapping them all.” His eyes narrowed. “
Hmm
.”

Shenjung gazed back at the shaft. “I knew Zhang Li. He was an excellent engineer and mining specialist. I cannot imagine any other reason for him to take non-mining personnel into the deep tunnel systems.”

“Yes, perhaps this makes sense.” Yang’s mouth turned down. “If there was a cave-in, and he needed extra hands, he would have used all resources available. It is what I would do.” He turned, his expression flat. “But I also would have sent a message to my superiors.”

Shenjung stayed silent, and after a moment Yang shrugged.

“If they are trapped, then until we fix that elevator car, no one is going down.” He barked instructions, and then turned back to Shenjung. “Get your engineers to repair the cage. My men will assist.”

He spun and left, followed by the enormous Mungoi. Several of the soldiers stayed behind, awaiting their instructions.

Soong stared into the dark elevator shaft. She held up a hand, palm outward. “It’s warm. The air rising feels warm.” She smiled weakly. “Like breathing.”

Shenjung grunted. “It’s not unusual for the earth to be a few degrees warmer within the deeper geology.”

She looked back at him, not convinced. “Would you have taken novice men and women into the tunnels?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. If I was confronted by a cave-in emergency, then I would like to think I would do anything and everything to rescue those trapped.”

She nodded and then sniffed deeply. “That smell.”

“Stay focused. It’s nothing unusual.” He exhaled, knowing that didn’t feel true.

“
Yi!
’ Soong jumped as shouts and a commotion came from one of the outer rooms. Yang’s soldiers ordered them to stay put before vanishing toward the din.

A few seconds later, one soldier stuck his head back in the room. “Captain needs you – there’s a survivor.”

*

The figure was a tiny ball of fear in the ring of soldiers. The huge steel refrigerator door hung open, and inside Shenjung could see that shelves had been shoved aside to accommodate a single occupant.

Shenjung looked back at the miserable being. The man had his hands thrown up over his head and he rocked back and forth, mumbling a single word, like a chant, over and over.

Yang stood over him, his arms folded and his brow creased. When he saw Shenjung, he pointed down at the man.

“This fool’s mind is gone. See what you can find out.” He went to turn away, but then spun back and delivered a kick to the side of the man’s rump. “And make him stop that constant wailing.”

The man screamed and rolled onto his side, curling up into an even tighter ball. Shenjung hissed his annoyance at the PLA captain and knelt beside the man. Up close, he could smell his body odor, excrement, and the sharp tang of fear. He had obviously been locked in the freezer for days and not bothered to exit, or even undress, for anything.

“He’s in shock,” Shenjung said.

Yang’s jaw jutted. “And I have two dozen people missing. He knows what happened. You make him tell us, or I will. Quickly now.”

Soong was scrolling through the camp’s personnel records on a computer pad, and turned the screen to Shenjung. “The man’s name is Lim Daiyu. He’s the base cook.” She leaned forward and gently placed a hand on Lim’s shoulder.

“Mister Lim, Lim Daiyu …”

“
Zhày
ǔ
!
”

The shouted word made Soong fall back.

“
Zhày
ǔ
– Zhày
ǔ
– Zhày
ǔ
!
” Lim lunged at her, his face streaked with tears and eyes showing whites all round.

Yang kicked him back. “Be careful.”

Lim covered up his head again, sobbing. Shenjung clicked his fingers at one of his team. “The medical bag; get me two mls of Librium, quickly.”

Yang leaned over the chanting man. “What is that imbecile saying?”

“
Zhày
ǔ
.” Shenjung snorted. “Do you not know your Chinese mythology, Captain?
Zhày
ǔ
is an ancient evil. It is supposed to be made up of pure yin, and devours men whole.” He looked up at the tall soldier. “And it lives in the underworld.”

Yang snorted. “Like most demons, I’m sure.”

A syringe of golden fluid was handed to Shenjung, and he stuck it immediately into the man’s arm. Shenjung handed the empty syringe over his shoulder and nodded to Soong.

She talked softly, her hand on Lim’s shoulder. “You’re safe now. You’re safe, Mister Lim. Do you know where you are?” she asked.

Lim moaned, but breathed deeply, his taut frame visibly relaxing. In a few seconds he nodded.

“Good.” She continued to pat Lim’s arm.

Shenjung leaned forward. “This is important, Mister Lim. What happened here? Where is everyone?”

Lim shook his head, crushing his eyes shut. “I don’t know.”

Shenjung put a hand on his shoulder. “Yes, you do. You hid in the refrigerator for a reason. Tell us why, Mister Lim. You’re safe to speak now.”

Lim Daiyu made a small sound in his throat. “I want to go home, please.” He looked up, his face running new tears. “We are all dead.”

Yang growled his impatience, and Shenjung ignored him.

“Why do you want to go home? What scared you?”

Lim looked towards the elevator shaft room. “They all went down to the lower levels to find the missing workers. A few of us had to remain here.” He rocked back and forth. “It came, came up, took them all. No escape for us …” He howled. “
Zhày
ǔ
-
ǔǔǔǔ
!”

Yang’s lips curled. “Superstitious idiot.” He kicked the man over, his howl shutting off. “Our answers are not up here. Ready your people. As soon as that cage is repaired, I want the first team to descend.”

Shenjung nodded, and then looked back to the elevator room. He felt a warm breeze on his cheek.
Like breathing
, Soong had said.

*

It didn’t take long for the engineers and soldiers to agree that the elevator cage could not be rebuilt – time and materials were both nonexistent. Instead, the engineers had straightened the guide-rails and created an open wood and steel platform. The metal sheet that had been the roof of the cage was too buckled to be of use and remained against the wall, a mute but stark representation of the power that had burst forth from the depths.

The first Chinese team descended slowly. Shenjung Xing stood to one side, with Soong crowding in close to him. He felt her small fingers intertwine with his. At the other side of the ten-by-ten platform stood Yang, immobile, a small reflection of the control panel’s lights in his coal-black eyes. Other than that small spark, the man might have been made from the same stone just beyond the cage.

Shenjung watched as the rough hewn walls shot upwards as they descended. The crowd on the platform meant those closest to the rushing stone were little more than inches from the jagged, uneven rock. A stumble would mean snagging on the stone and having clothing, and perhaps skin, shredded away in an instant.

Shenjung tilted his head back. There was a dot of light far above them now. The base camp – light and life, now dwindling away to nothing.

The last communication from the former engineer, Zhang Li, was that he was heading down to the lowest level tunnel – half a mile still to go. They would assemble at the bottom, and while Yang would send out scouts, the rest of them would wait for the entire team of engineers, miners, and soldiers to arrive, leaving just a skeleton crew topside.

A mile down now, and Shenjung already felt unsettled. At first they had passed through a layer of bone chilling cold emanating from the dark stone. But now in the depths, there was a warmth and humidity rising around them, and a smell that hinted at something vaguely reminiscent of humid shorelines or rotting vegetation.
Methane pockets
, Shenjung thought.
We need to be careful of sparks
.