[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
the clacking of their legs and shells behind him in the dimness.
Wildly he swung around, searching the tunnel behind them.
Thrower, there s nothing there, Isles said softly.
There re bugs, Isles! Bloody big ones! Look! He pointed to one that came from the
darkness and scuttled up to him.
Frantically he stamped on it, hearing the crack of the shell and smelling the sharp tang
of beetle guts.
Stepping in front of him, she held his gaze with her own. Thrower, you are having
hallucinations brought on by withdrawal from the Styx. Do you understand me? There is
nothing there. No bugs. No beetles. No creepy-crawlies of any kind. It s just an
hallucination.
Are you sure? Sweat trickled down his temple, and he wiped it away with a shaking
hand. Oh God! Isles, there s one in your hair!
No. She grabbed his hand when he reached out to swipe at it. Watch me. There s
nothing there.
Horrified, he watched as she placed her hand on her hair. The beetle crawled up on her
hand and little pincers buried themselves deep into her flesh.
Isles! Your hand!
Nothing there, Thrower. Take a deep breath.
Christ, can t she see the strips of flesh the bug is pulling from her hand? Wildly he tore his
gaze from the sight, only to see another beetle scurrying up under her sleeveless suit. It slid
down the front, and seconds later a little spurt if blood appeared out of the top of the material.
The other beetle had scuttled down her hand and arm, and across to her cheek where it
started to feed upon her flesh.
Isles! He swiped out at her, and she dodged him.
Thrower, no! There is nothing there! She lowered her tone. Look at me. I am all
right. You are all right. Just turn around and start walking.
He tried. Some rational part of him agreed yes, it s a hallucination. You re in withdrawal.
But the bugs sound was so real, the tangy odor of their spilt guts as he stepped on them so real,
Angela Verdenius 61
the sight of them so real. When one skittered up the front of his jacket and up his neck, the
pincers clawing at his mouth, he screamed and slapped at it with his hand, trying to rip it off
his face, but it had hold of him, and no matter how he pulled, it hung on grimly.
And more skittered up his legs.
Swinging around, he saw Isles just standing there, her eyes concerned. And bugs
crawling all over her.
He snapped. Grabbing her hand, he hauled her after him. Run! For God s sake, run.
Isles! They re everywhere!
He was surprised when she simply ran with him. Half expecting her to fight him, he
felt relief wash through him as she ran beside him easily, her steps swinging loose and easy.
Hand-in-hand they ran down the tunnel.
There was no pain from his thigh, but his skin crawled, and he could hear the bugs, so
hungry, so ravenous for his flesh, scurrying behind him. He could imagine them coming along
the walls, the ceiling and the floor.
******
Underground Level Six
The Garrison
The Garrison was a mess. Water from the pool swept through the corridor, private
belongings littered the floor, and everything was just& a mess.
Picking her way through the wreckage, Manya slipped on some debris and swore as
she gashed her leg on the sharp metal prong sticking out of the wall. Her pupils dilated, and
claws shot from her fingertips as her half Monack side fought to get out. But as usual, her
human side was stronger, subduing the predator.
Coming to the Catwalk, she walked beneath it and passed the enormous floor-to-ceiling
wall of monitors that normally displayed images from cameras throughout the prison. Only
one of the monitors was working or trying to. It kept flickering, the picture unclear. It
seemed to be of some transport room or something, but she couldn t make out the figures or
what was happening, for thick lines kept running through it. Disregarding it, she continued to
the Control room. She had other concerns on her mind apart from non-effective monitors.
Finally reaching the doorway to the Control room, she stepped in and glanced around.
It looked like a disaster area. Wires, consoles, monitors& so much was damaged. Cautiously
she looked up and her breath caught in her throat as she saw that a part of the A.I was missing
from the cracked ceiling. Bits of it were still lit, indicating some control over certain areas. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
the clacking of their legs and shells behind him in the dimness.
Wildly he swung around, searching the tunnel behind them.
Thrower, there s nothing there, Isles said softly.
There re bugs, Isles! Bloody big ones! Look! He pointed to one that came from the
darkness and scuttled up to him.
Frantically he stamped on it, hearing the crack of the shell and smelling the sharp tang
of beetle guts.
Stepping in front of him, she held his gaze with her own. Thrower, you are having
hallucinations brought on by withdrawal from the Styx. Do you understand me? There is
nothing there. No bugs. No beetles. No creepy-crawlies of any kind. It s just an
hallucination.
Are you sure? Sweat trickled down his temple, and he wiped it away with a shaking
hand. Oh God! Isles, there s one in your hair!
No. She grabbed his hand when he reached out to swipe at it. Watch me. There s
nothing there.
Horrified, he watched as she placed her hand on her hair. The beetle crawled up on her
hand and little pincers buried themselves deep into her flesh.
Isles! Your hand!
Nothing there, Thrower. Take a deep breath.
Christ, can t she see the strips of flesh the bug is pulling from her hand? Wildly he tore his
gaze from the sight, only to see another beetle scurrying up under her sleeveless suit. It slid
down the front, and seconds later a little spurt if blood appeared out of the top of the material.
The other beetle had scuttled down her hand and arm, and across to her cheek where it
started to feed upon her flesh.
Isles! He swiped out at her, and she dodged him.
Thrower, no! There is nothing there! She lowered her tone. Look at me. I am all
right. You are all right. Just turn around and start walking.
He tried. Some rational part of him agreed yes, it s a hallucination. You re in withdrawal.
But the bugs sound was so real, the tangy odor of their spilt guts as he stepped on them so real,
Angela Verdenius 61
the sight of them so real. When one skittered up the front of his jacket and up his neck, the
pincers clawing at his mouth, he screamed and slapped at it with his hand, trying to rip it off
his face, but it had hold of him, and no matter how he pulled, it hung on grimly.
And more skittered up his legs.
Swinging around, he saw Isles just standing there, her eyes concerned. And bugs
crawling all over her.
He snapped. Grabbing her hand, he hauled her after him. Run! For God s sake, run.
Isles! They re everywhere!
He was surprised when she simply ran with him. Half expecting her to fight him, he
felt relief wash through him as she ran beside him easily, her steps swinging loose and easy.
Hand-in-hand they ran down the tunnel.
There was no pain from his thigh, but his skin crawled, and he could hear the bugs, so
hungry, so ravenous for his flesh, scurrying behind him. He could imagine them coming along
the walls, the ceiling and the floor.
******
Underground Level Six
The Garrison
The Garrison was a mess. Water from the pool swept through the corridor, private
belongings littered the floor, and everything was just& a mess.
Picking her way through the wreckage, Manya slipped on some debris and swore as
she gashed her leg on the sharp metal prong sticking out of the wall. Her pupils dilated, and
claws shot from her fingertips as her half Monack side fought to get out. But as usual, her
human side was stronger, subduing the predator.
Coming to the Catwalk, she walked beneath it and passed the enormous floor-to-ceiling
wall of monitors that normally displayed images from cameras throughout the prison. Only
one of the monitors was working or trying to. It kept flickering, the picture unclear. It
seemed to be of some transport room or something, but she couldn t make out the figures or
what was happening, for thick lines kept running through it. Disregarding it, she continued to
the Control room. She had other concerns on her mind apart from non-effective monitors.
Finally reaching the doorway to the Control room, she stepped in and glanced around.
It looked like a disaster area. Wires, consoles, monitors& so much was damaged. Cautiously
she looked up and her breath caught in her throat as she saw that a part of the A.I was missing
from the cracked ceiling. Bits of it were still lit, indicating some control over certain areas. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]