Ground Zero

Corpse Carrier - Act 1 | Chapter 12 - Ground Zero
One Hour and Forty-Two Minutes After Juna Died

Radu had mentioned that word once already. A Gritborn. Something about them being decorated by DepthStones, and then something or another about connecting them to The Second Layer. Whatever the term Gritborn truly meant, Theo would have to find out later. The researcher was making it painfully obvious he was leading them by a string.

“Look alive, and welcome to Ground Zero,” the researcher said entering the compact village.

Upon closer look, Theo noticed that what he originally thought were torches attached by the huts’ front doors, were actually wooden holders for brightly glowing rocks. Most likely the same ones from the Cavern’s ceiling. Along with the light filled rocks, each hut had stones about two inches wide dangling from the eaves by rope. These jagged peach-colored stones emitted a faint aroma similar to gasoline. Two or three lined each outer wall and stopped just above the huts’ moss-curtained windows. Though the scent of gasoline wasn’t pleasant, it was at least faint.

Juna seemed to mind it more than Theo. She pinched her nose and tucked Specks inside of her button-up shirt in order to cover his own.

“What’s the rocks for, Radu?” Theo asked.

“Stones actually. Is there not something similar in your world?”

Theo shook his head.

“Insect repellent Stones,” Radu informed.

Finally, something Theo considered normal.

“Are we talking about repellent for flies or what? Because I don’t do too well with insects.” Juna said with a disoriented mumble from her pinched nose.

“No such kind,” Radu said. He approached a hefty wooden door attached to one of the larger village shacks. This shack had twelve repellent rocks visible for Theo to count, probably more on the other side. Four moss-curtained windows lined the front and a pale wooden sign hung above the door that read, Travelers of the Lost.

Though, the sign said no such thing in Theo’s language. Marks and scrapes were etched onto the wooden sign in place of legible letters, similar to the marks on their Fossil's title. So the question came to be, how could Theo understand it perfectly?

“The smaller bugs can’t survive here,” Radu continued. “The FleeingStones are hung to repel bigger insects from coming past The Second Layer. Those stones carry the scent of Coloana-Vie, a term we call the beast that means—Living Spine. The insects are scared of Coloana-Vie, much as we are, so Gritborns collect Stones soaked in the creature's secretion and hang them throughout our village.”

“Coloana-Vie? Did I say that right? What exactly is that?” Theo asked.

Radu scoffed and swung the door open with an expelling creak. “A creature you wouldn’t want to see even in nightmares. Heed this advice, if you ever catch the scent of a FleeingStone deep in The Chasm—run.”

Since stepping inside the village Theo hadn’t caught sight of any other residents. For a moment he wondered if Radu was the only human here, living in his own hallucination. Though upon entering the two-story shack the notion was disproved. Cackling erupted as the door widened and the sound of wooden chairs scraping against the shack’s floor sprung from inside. Around a dozen oval tables, all nicked at the edges and stained through the dark white wood, sat orderly in the room. Each table held close to four participants all of which had the same tankard in hand.

The drinking guests all wore similar leather clothing and oversized thin coats. Another aspect they all had in common was the tone of their skin. Pale. Pale as Radu and paler than Juna. A ghost-pale that changed from each person, some darker pale, some lighter pale. No exact tone stood out, though each man and woman were all paler than anyone Theo had ever met. Radu seemed to lean towards the more extreme pale side.

The researcher lifted a hand and signaled Theo and Juna to follow. He took them up a flight of stairs and to a balcony overlooking the first floor drinking bunch. The upper section was quieter, the cackling faint, and only a couple of the dozen tables held guests, none of which were completely full. Radu took a seat at a table near the railing and tapped on the seat next to him.

Theo and Juna sat.

While Juna peered over the railing and stargazed at the lively crowd below, Theo focused on the pearl-haired lady who approached their table. She wore a loose pitch-black gown with sleeves running past her hands, and had a slight scar that dipped underneath her chin. Nodding at Radu, the lady sat a wooden tray with three tankards onto the table, then politely walked away.

Radu took the closest tankard, then pushed the tray towards Theo and Juna. “You two must be thirsty, right?”

No chance Theo would drink that. He eyed the brow-ish liquid that slushed inside from when it was pushed, how it seemed more solid than actual liquid as it climbed the tankard’s inner side, then sluggishly retreated back down. Could they even drink the same liquid as those down here? Did these people even have water? There was a chance this stenchless slop was all they had to drink. For the village residents their bodies might have grown used to whatever the liquid was, but to Theo and Juna there was no telling what effects it could have on their bodies. Parasites, diarrhea, acid, malnourishment. The possibilities were endless, and just as risky.

“Wow this is good!” Juna said before taking another sip and slamming the half-empty tankard on the table. “What is this Radu?”

Theo groaned and pressed his head onto the table. He should have known. Even Specks seemed to have more common sense than

“What's the matter, Theo?” Juna asked.

He turned his head and glanced. Her eyes met him very curiously, her head tilting slightly and she took another sip.

“Nothing,” Theo groaned. “How do you feel?”

“Me? I feel pretty good I guess.”

Theo raised his head and stared at the liquid, debating whether dehydration or drinking whatever sat in front of him would do him worse. Eventually, he caved and drank.

Fruity. Surprisingly fruity, like pomegranate juice and berries mixed together with a slight tang as it slipped down his throat. He turned to Juna, tankard in hand. “It’s not bad.”

She smiled, then took another sip of her own.

“It’s the shopkeep's specialty,” Radu said. “She says it takes almost four hours to brew a batch. Ingredients from the farm in the entrance sections of The Chasm are what she uses.” Radu sipped, making a pleased face as he did. “I get them for free each visit.” He chuckled. “I know it might not look like it, but besides being a Gritborn I have one of the most dangerous jobs here. The people in this village never go outside, even moving between huts is typically dangerous. That's why someone like me who stays near The Mound all day tends to get stuff for free. Like a token of appreciation from the village.”

Radu eased the tankard down and pushed it to the side. He clasped his pale hands together and leveraged his elbows onto the table, then looked Theo in the eyes. “Though I know someone like me isn’t what you’re truly interested in hearing at the moment. So tell me, what is it you would like to know?”

Theo took another sip of the fruity liquid, allowing himself a slight moment of relaxation before being disrupted by what he might hear once the conversation started.

“I want to go back home,” Theo said, firm as he could.

The pale man smiled.

“The Chasm then. Your best bet is to descend.”