プロテルの下

Water dropped against the cold wet concrete like a metronome ever so slightly out of tune. The yellow lights flickered, leaving an uncertain light leading us down below.

We descended the dull gray stairs, Caspial leading the way with his decrepit flashlight. With every step concrete dust fell from the ceiling. The old pipes around us groaned and screamed, a sound reminiscent of those full dive war games Caspian made me play when we were younger.

“Professor Juri didn’t mention there’d be this many dammed stairs,” I said. “Were elevators too advanced for them?”

“Are you willing to trust a four hundred-year-old elevator?” Sky said, still typing away at some blank white screen. “They used counterweights back then, not antigravity. Have fun when the cables snap.”

“Still faster than walking down.”

Sky rolled his eyes, turning back to his work.

“Professor Juri said most of them caved in ages ago, the few remaining sealed up. The staff didn’t want students to accidently wander down here.” Caspian said.

I raised an eyebrow. “Yet they allowed us down here? This is a disaster waiting to happen.”

“Street racing is fine, but heading down a few sets of stairs? Oh, that's way too dangerous, don’t even dream of it! Glad your priorities are set straight.”

With those beautiful parting words from my brother, our long descent came to an end. A massive void stretched out, shrouded in the tiny bit of light emitting from the stairwell behind us. Dampness soaked the air. From the thick layer of dust covering the ground, it was clear no human had interfered down in these catacombs for a very long time.

“Woah… this place is huge!” Kat’s awestruck voice echoed. “How was something this enormous below us.”

“Protel is built on an old university, and from what I’ve heard it wasn’t much smaller than ours,” Caspian said, tossing us each a flashlight from his sack. “Let’s spread out. If you find anything cool, hollar. I don’t trust the internet down here to do its job.”

As if on cue, Sky mumbled something as his screen disappeared. “You didn’t say there’d be no internet!”

“We’re a hundred feet underground with layers of concrete on either side.”

“Fine,” he muttered, still salty about his interruption. “Let’s go.”

                                                                           * * *

An hour had slipped by, and Kat and I found ourselves nearly smothered in trash. Our flashlights cast uncertain shadows over the mountains of broken crates and old scraps of paper. Kat leaned against a chunk of concrete, neck apparently throbbing, as I relentlessly went through one last pile.

In his obtuse explanation, Caspian had omitted the fact that ninety percent of everything down here was literally garbage. Gone were the dreams of more laptops. Unless my brother found cardboard boxes to be a priceless treasure this was a bust.

“Nothing, absolutely nothing!” I stretched, shoulders pounding in agony. “How is there not a single thing of value in this entire complex?”

“Surely there's a thing or two somewhere to snatch,” Kat said, pushing herself off the wall.

“Well, only one way to find out.” I shoved aside another tower of trash, the pile collapsing with a thud. A cloud of dust swirled in my flashlight's thin beam. I coughed, waving my hand like a fan. Just the thought of a shower was enough to make me drool right now. Around us, my flashlight’s beam only saw more of the same. Whoever had been down here last sure had been in a hurry. Several offices had husks of what had once been food, others still had the marks of a scuffle. And that wasn’t to mention the dried blood.

It had started slowly—just a drop here, a smear there. Yet it only took a bit of exploiting before it exploded. Room after room, thick layers of crimson paint soaked through the walls, crumbling away in bits whenever touched.

“BRRR! You have a call from Sir. Know it all. Answer?” What the hell Caspian? From my skull a soft feminine voice emitted from my enke.

“Sure?” I couldn’t help but frown. Hadn't he just insisted phones were a dead end? “Did you find anything?”

“Yea– Asta are you– bzz.”

“Hello? I hear more static than words dude.”

“I found– super dangerous– bottom floor. Don’t– here if your life depends on it! I–” His voice crackled, shattering into bits of noise. It was barely more than a garbled whisper, yet his tone made me freeze.

“Caspian! Wait, where the hell are you?” Kat turned at my tone, worry creeping in.

“No time– coming! Asta– Mom– danger.”

“Mom? What the hell do you mean Mom? Caspian, where are you?” My voice broke, panic seeping in. "Caspian!" I was almost shouting now, heart pounding in my chest as my eyes darted left and right.

“Im send– data packet and a video. Key– everything– super important. Have Sky look– I’ll me– leave. Tomorrow– for Mom.”

"Asta, what the hell is going on?" Kat asked, voice strained and eyes wide with concern. I could see the worry in her face.

“Caspian! Tell me where you are!”

“Not possible. Ta– Kat– Sky, run to the surface. We may fight but– love you Asta.”

“I'm sorry, but this connection has failed. Would you like to give Sir. Know it all a call back?

“Damn it!” I smashed my fist into a nearby concrete pillar, the impact sending a shearing pan through my arm. Blood smeared across the gray concrete. A tingling sensation crept up–nanobots racing to knit my torn flesh back together. Anger burst alit in my chest.

I intrinsically knew calling back wouldn’t do me any good. Bad internet hadn’t ended that call.

“Kat, I’m heading deeper. Find Sky and head back to the surface.”

“And leave you here alone?”

“I'll be fine!” I snapped. “My brother wants us to head back, something is wrong, and I’m going to go check it out.”

“Not alone you aren't! If Caspian wanted us to head back, maybe that's the best move.”

“You can let yourself get bossed around. I’ve been around him too long for that. I don’t know what's going on, but I’m not letting my idiot of a brother play hero and get himself hurt.”

“Hey, you there!” A booming voice came from behind us. “What are you doing down here?” The man let his flashlight down, revealing a blue security uniform with black buttons running down the front. His face scowled, eyes narrowing. “Students aren't allowed to be down here.”

“Excuse me? Were with the Vista club, we got permission.”

“Not anymore. Come on, don’t make me get violent.” Kat had to restrain my arm, muscles tensing. No way in hell this was a coincidence.

“Asta come on, we don’t want to make a fuss.”

“And let Caspian wallow away down here?” I yanked my arm free, fire now burning in my head. “You didn’t hear what he said, Kat!”

“If anyone can get out of here, it's Caspian. We're on thin ice as it is. If the school wants to kick us out we don’t have the right to refuse.”

“I get it!” I glared daggers at the security guard, making him retreat half a step. “But if my brother doesn't come up safe and sound, through hell and high water I will find you, and you’ll regret the very day you were born.”

“Edgy much,” Kat rolled her eyes, grabbing me by the shoulder. “Come on, I’m sure your brother is waiting for us upstairs. Lead the officer.”

“Y-yeah…” He mumbled, any trace of that fierce persona washed away. Every single time with these people, they face one ounce of resistance and break apart like a puzzle. “I’ll lead the way, my coworkers will collect the rest of you, so no need to worry.”

I couldn’t help but notice how high his voice pitched at the end. “They better be, I don’t make empty promises.”