Apocalyptis [SEC2014]

Sadie nodded, and silently followed Mallory into the air shaft to make the climb down. She peered down into the darkness, wondering if those creatures were in the shaft waiting for them. She took a deep breath, and with one last nod to her sister and Wallace, descended into Apocalyptis.

They descended to Section A, the first entry way, and entered the facility quietly. They were thankful they didn't come across any of the creatures on their descent. “The alarm should have triggered in the control room when we opened the hatch. If everything is as it was a few hours ago, security should be here any minute to investigate.”, Mallory said.

They were never more relieved when, sure enough, security came running down the corridor. “Mallory, Ellison! Damn, we're glad to see you. Section D – everyone is gone! Did they actually make it to the surface?”, Mark Lancaster, a security officer from Section A asked.

“They did. But they are all dead.”, Mallory said bluntly.

Lancaster whistled. “So the surface isn't survivable?”

“Actually, no it's very survivable. It's just that...”, Sadie trailed off, unsure of how to proceed. How did one explain what they had experienced? It seemed so unbelievable, even to her.

“Save it for the council.”, Lancaster said, motioning for the two to follow him. “They have all been debating, and yelling in the Council Chambers since you left. I swear they are all about to have a collective stroke, over this mess. Analysts are still trying to back trace the source of the hack. From what I understand, they are beginning to suspect your sister, Ellison.”

Sadie smiled sadly. It was her fault all of those people were dead, not that they weren't going to die by the council's hands also. But the responsibility fell onto her shoulders, not her sisters. “Actually...”, when Mallory gave her a hard shove. She looked up at him in surprise, as he gave her a warning look to keep her mouth shut. She bristled, her first instinct to haul off and punch Jack in the face. She didn't like being told what to do. It was one of the reasons their relationship never worked out. They were too busy fighting all the time about who wore the pants in the relationship. However, she wisely kept her mouth shut, knowing at this point it didn't matter. Right or wrong, everything had changed today, and the council needed to know about it.

The council chamber was filled with loud, angry voices. Mallory took Sadie's hands and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Let me do the talking, Sadie.”, he whispered to her quietly. Sadie nodded, and together they entered the room.

“Finally!”, Councilman March said as Mallory and Sadie entered the room. “What the hell is going on down there in Section D? Lancaster here said the entire level was deserted! How did they all manage to get to the surface with you two there to stop them?”

“Sir, the surface is survivable. However, it's not unoccupied. We ran into something up there. Something that killed all of the Section D inhabitants.”, Mallory answered. Sadie pulled her digital recorder out from her backpack and handed it to the councilman.

Sadie watched as Rick March's ruddy face went pale. “This has to be some kind of joke.”, he said in protest, as he flipped through the pictures Sadie had taken. He handed the recorder to another councilman, and as it was passed around to each twelve members of the council, a shocked silence began to fill the room. Mallory removed the weapon and belt he'd take from one of the reptilian beings, and laid it onto the round table the councilmen all sat around. A collective gasp arose, and suddenly the room exploded with questions, and demands for answers.

Sadie listened for all of about ten seconds before breaking her silence. “We don't know!”, she exclaimed loudly, trying to cut through the dull roar that had filled the room. The room quieted, and Sadie took a deep breath. “When we reached topside, about a half dozen of these creatures had killed everyone from Section D, likely as they were coming up and out of the air shaft. One of those creatures spoke to me, in our language. It said that at some point in our ancient history, humans had forced their kind underground to try and live and survive. This is some sort of payback, for our ancestors misdeeds.”

“Well then we stay down here. Where it is safe!”, Councilman March stated, and the other councilmen around the table began to nod and murmur in agreement.

“We can't.”, Sadie argued. “They are below us, in the forbidden sections of the facility too. They control us. Our environment, our food.” She waves her arms around the room. "All of this, we don't control".

“That's ridiculous”, Karen Ramirez, another councilman said from her chair. “How would you know anything about the lower levels? Why I just spoke to your mother, who is in Section F, just yesterday. Don't you think, she'd have found some way to warn us of what is actually occurring in the lower levels? If what you say is true.”

Sadie stared at Councilman Ramirez in shock. They knew her mother was alive? They were in communications with her, and the council never thought to tell her! Fury began to build inside Sadie as she fought for control. Her mother was alive, and she was in one of the forbidden sections down further below, in the belly of Apocalyptis. “Now Sadie. You have to understand why we didn't tell you about your parents being in communications with us.”, Councilman Ramirez explained. “We knew, you and your sister would demand to be sent to them, or to speak to them. It is forbidden. We cannot risk people taking it upon themselves to move between these sections without clearance. The reason this facility has lasted as long as it has, is because we follow the rules sent up to us by the lower levels. They control all of this”.

Mallory cleared his throat. “Well, Sadie already took it upon herself to explore some of the lower levels. And what she found, was those same creatures she took pictures of on Earth's surface. Whether or not you want to believe Councilmen, the human race is not in control of their own fate. We are being manipulated and used. This underground facility is a prison. I suspect, they all are. We have to evacuate who we can. While there is still time.”

The council exploded with angry voices again. When the din rose to a roar, Sadie had had enough. “Stop it! Don't you all understand? They saw me down there in the forbidden levels. They know I was in the air shaft. They know we made it to the surface. We don't have much time.”, she cried.

“What would you have us do? This is our home. We can't survive out there. How can we?”, Councilman March argued stubbornly.

Sadie snatched her digital recorder from the table. “Then stay”, she spit out. “But I'm warning the other levels and leaving the choice up to them. Then I'm going down below, to get my parents.” And with that bold statement, she left the Council, with Mallory and Lancaster following behind her.

*End of Part II*

a reply to: CirqueDeTruth

Nice addition here!
(Twiddling thumbs awaiting more......) Syx.

a reply to: CirqueDeTruth

Looking forward to the ending.

Thank you everyone for the kind words and encouragement.

I will whip up the ending to this story over the weekend, and try to have it up for you all before the holiday (Thanksgiving).

CdT

Apocalyptis - Part III

Apocalyptis, which was usually very calm and orderly, became chaotic when word spread of the discovery of a hidden civilization living below them. To learn that they were also on the surface, a very livable surface, enraged many of the residents. It didn't take any convincing, the majority of of the people in sections B and C were willing to take there chances and make the climb to the surface.

Lancaster and Mallory were busy in the armory outfitting those capable with what weapons they had on hand. Sadie, was preparing to go down, to Section F, where Councilman Ramirez had said her mother was. “Lancaster,” where is the C4?”, Sadie demanded.

Mark Lancaster stared at Sadie in shock. “What are you planning on doing with the explosives, Sadie?”, he asked quietly.

“Once everyone is topside, and I'm able to find my parents, I plan on blowing up the air shaft. I want seal those monster in. Obviously, our ancestors thousands of years ago, had good reason to drive these beings underground and trap them there. When we began drilling into the Earth and creating these fall out bunkers and underground facilities, they were able to put plans into motion that convinced us the Earth was dying.”, Said explained.

Mallory shook his head. “No Sadie, we have our people down there in the forbidden levels. You would be trapping them in also.”

“We have no way of knowing if those people are even on our side! They obviously were sent down there to assist the enemy. For all we know they could be brainwashed and would fight for those creatures.”, Sadie argued vehemently, drawing several gazes there way.

Lancaster sighed. “Listen, I'll assist everyone on the levels we have access to in evacuating the facility. The entire security team is with us. Ellison, you and Mallory go down and see if you can't find Madelyn and Gregory Ellison. Your taking two other officers with you. Now if you can find your parents without first getting yourself killed, they may be able to warn other humans in the forbidden level to access the air shaft and make a run for freedom. I will have the explosives ready to use, once you are topside.”

Sadie reluctantly nodded her assent, while Mallory was choosing two of their best security officers to assist them in going down to the forbidden levels. Once everyone was outfitted and heavily armed, they made there way to the air shaft. “This is it Sadie. Are you sure you want to go down, instead of up?”, Mallory asked.

Instead of answering, she entered the air shaft and started climbing down the ladder to Section F. If her parents were alive, she had to attempt to find them. Even if that meant she'd never make it out of the forbidden sections. Sadie felt a momentary pang of guilt, knowing she may very well be sending the team who was entering further down into Apocalyptis with her, to their death. However, she knew she wouldn't be able to convince them to let her go it alone. Mallory, even after their break-up, continuously looked out for her like a mother hen. It annoyed her to no end.

Section F, when they entered it, was quiet. They didn't waste time in moving swiftly through the corridor, as they knew the alarm would alert security on this level that the hatch had been opened. Sure enough, before they could reach the common area of Section F, armed reptilian like creatures came barreling down the corridor. They were huge, standing well over seven feet tall. “Halt”, one of them commanded in a guttural, inhuman voice. That they could even sound out language amazed Sadie still.

In answer, Mallory and the other officers, took aim and fired. Three perfect head shots dropped the inhuman beings in short order, and they moved around them to enter the common area. Their blood was acrid, and Sadie had to cover her nose or risk losing the contents of her stomach. She hadn't noticed the smell on Earth's surface. But down here in this enclosed tomb, the offense smell was ripe and offensive.

The common area was filled with humans. They all sported a wrist band of sorts with several colored lights that flashed intermittently. The entrance of Sadie and her team seemed to shock most of the people gathered around the tables. Others seemed scared and angry. A voice from the back, a very familiar voice, spoke first. “What are you doing here in these sections? You don't belong here. Your not wearing the correct clearance to be on this level.”, Gregory Ellison said, standing up to get a better look at the intruders.

Sadie was speechless. She tried to find the words to call out to her father, but Mallory motioned for her to keep silent, and pushed her to the back of the team. “My names Jack Mallory, and I'm security to the upper levels. We have a situation, and all humans need to evacuate this facility.”, Mallory announced, causing a murmur of voices among the human inhabitants of Section F.

Sadie's heart dropped to her stomach, when another familiar voice rose over the commotion of voices. “You have no authority on this level, and what you think you know, is wrong. The earth is not survivable, and the only reason the human race survived is because the Saurian, that had been surviving below for centuries, took us in and helped us build all these underground facilities.”, Madelyn Ellison said, stepping forward to get a better look at the team who'd infiltrated their section.

“I'm sorry, Ma'am. But you are the ones who have been lied to and deceived. We've been to the Earth's surface. It is survivable, but it has been taken over by those creatures you call Saurian. We have proof.”, Mallory said. He handed Madelyn Ellison Sadie's digital recorder. She scanned through the pictures, first flippantly, and then more slowly as realization began to dawn on her. She checked the time stamps, and could only flip through the images in shock. The pile of bodies, human bodies. The Saurian, obviously on the surface of Earth, and then there were pictures of the trees, grass, animals. She handed the digital recorder over to her husband.

“That's my daughters digital recorder. I gave it to her just before I was called down to the forbidden sections. Is she alive?”, Madelyn asked the three men who hid Sadie behind them. Sadie pushed her way to the front. “Yes, I'm alive, mother. I can't say I was sure you would be. Seeing as no communications have ever been sent to me or Sarah ensuring us you were still alive.”

Mallory cleared his throat. There was no time for this. They had to evacuate the area as soon as possible. “Listen, there will be plenty of time for a family reunion. Sarah is topside, waiting for us to return. We have to move these people out.”.

“That's impossible”, Gregory Ellison warned. “These wrist bands alert and monitor us at all times. We are forbidden to move outside the parameters of where these bands allot us to go. There is no way to remove them without receiving an electric shock that is a deathblow. We've seen people try to remove them and die, several times."

Lancaster knelt down and removed his pack. “There are some things, that have been passed down and kept hidden, all these centuries”, Lancaster said, as he rummaged through his rough pack. He brought forth a hand held device with a strange metal bar arcing around the top of it. “This device will cause an EMF burst. It should knock out all electronic devices, even those wrist bands, long enough for everyone to remove them.”

The digital recorder had been passed among the dozens of people who were in the common room, with more people from different areas of the Section entering the room to find out what was going on. After only a few minutes of deliberation, the human inhabitants of Section F made a decision. “I trust my daughter, and I've never trusted the story of these Saurians. Let's do this”, Madelyn Ellison said, nodding to her daughter.

When the EMF burst was initiated, all power went dark. Including the lights in the facility. Flashlights were soon provided as Section F inhabitants worked quickly to remove the bracelets from the wrists. Nearly everyone was able to remove their bands, when power was restored to Section D. Only a handful were unable, or unwilling to remove their bands from their wrist. “The Saurians have been nothing but good to us down here. We won't betray them or leave.”, one man from across the room said.

“We have to move.”, Mallory said. “The EMF burst is sure to bring more of those creatures to investigate. We have to get to the air shaft and start trying to make it to the surface.”

“Mallory wait!”, Sadie said. “You didn't see what I saw down in Section H. They were eating people. They may use some of us to work on systems and fix the facility. But they also EAT us. We are their food source. Once this place evacuates, what will become of those left? Dinner?”, Sadie argued.

“It's too late now, darling”, Gregory Ellison told his daughter. “It's unfortunate, but they can't leave here now. They didn't or wasn't able to remove that device from their arm. We have to leave them behind.”

Those liberated, moved down into the corridor, with Mallory and the security team heading up the rear for defense. Sadie was at the hatch, assisting people into the air shaft and onto the ladder. “You best be moving out of the common area section”, Mallory told the remaining human inhabitants in the common area. “As soon as those creatures enter this area, my team will open fire and we have a few things that go boom, to seal off this corridor once everyone is in.”

“There are other exit points to this facility. Once we are topside, we will have to find those exits and seal them.”, Gregory told his daughter Sadie, before entering the shaft.

“Let's just get everyone topside and hope, there are no surprises waiting for us, Father. We need to find shelter, food, water and survive – before we start thinking about fighting back against those creatures.

“Saurians, “ Madelyn corrected her daughter. “They are conscious, intelligent beings. They also are not the only type of creature that lives below the surface. There is something else further below in the numbered sections. They cannot survive without the Saurian. There is some sort of symbiotic relationship between them.”

Sadie urged her mother into the shaft, while shining her light down further below, to ensure nothing was coming up from the lower levels. She peered below, her flashlight causing shadows to cast along the walls. She thought she saw movement, and reached for her sidearm. She moved the light around and caught a glimpse of something completely alien. When the light hit the creature, it made an unearthly sound, a screeching and it scurried down the shaft of the wall seemingly to escape the light.

“I need a flair!”, Sadie called out to her team. It was passed up to her, along the line of people waiting to get to the ladder that led to the surface. She lit the flair and let if fall down into the shaft, watching in fear and amazement as dozens of creatures screeched and scrambled to get away from the burning flair.

Sadie retrieved another flair, and this time lit it and wedged it in the ladder, creating what she hoped was a light barrier that would deter these strange new creatures, intent on following them up the shaft. She took her firearm, and blindly fired her weapon into the shaft below. The putrid odor that her, Wallace, and Sarah had experienced down on Level 1 filled the air shaft, along with screeches and wails. She'd hit some of those creatures. She was positive of it.

Mallory and the team at the other end of the corridor were firing at what Sadie could only assume were Saurian. A few minutes later a large explosion rocked the corridor, with Lancaster and the two other security officers running down the corridor. “We sealed the entrance to the corridor. We have to move now!”, Mallory said.

The last of the humans from Section F were already in the air shaft and heading towards the surface. Sadie, Mallory and the security team followed to make the long trek to the surface. She worried about Wallace and Sarah, who'd remained on the surface to help those below get topside. It was slow going, reaching the top, as Sadie and Mallory finally caught up with the rest of the people using the ladder to reach the surface. The flair below had burned out, so Sadie used their last flair to light and wedge into the ladder below them. She did had no desire to come face to face with what she had glimpsed down below. They moved like spiders, climbing the shaft walls without aid of the ladder.

Lancaster was at the top of the hatch to help them onto solid ground. “Glad you made it, Ellison, Mallory. I see you found your parents. They are over there with Sarah and Wallace. Sarah and Wallace had to deal with four more of those creatures, while waiting for reinforcements. Wallace was glanced in the shoulder with one of those weapons. It doesn't look good. Whatever those weapons are, they are creating a rapid infection in his body, and he's deteriorating fast.”

“We have seal this hatch”, Mallory told Lancaster. “Did you rig the explosive?”.

“Yes. We are using the rope to lower it down with the C4 attached at different points. When I push this trigger, the entire shaft should collapse. Once that's done, we will explode the hatch in an attempt to seal it shut.”, Lancaster said.

“There are other exits to this facility, according to the Ellison's. We are going to have to find them and seal them shut also. Those reptilian like humanoids, they are called Saurians. There is another creature down there to. Like nothing I'd ever seen. Like something from a nightmare.”, Mallory said.

“Everything about this day, is something of a nightmare, Jack”, Sadie said. She looked across the fields and was amazed to find hundreds of human beings that they had saved. She saw her mother administering to Wallace's wound, and Sarah hugging their long lost father.

All of her questions had been answered. However, what was left was a bitter truth. The fight was not over. It had just begun. There were dozens of underground facilities in the United States alone. Now that they knew earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, sun flares, nuclear power plant meltdowns, and meteorites – had not destroyed the Earth. It was time to fight back, and reclaim the Earth and their right to live on it - not imprisoned within it. It was time to end Apocalyptis.

~ The End ~ (For real this time. Otherwise, it will turn into a novella! lol) Thank you for reading my story, everyone. Now I'm off to read the other entry's in the contest.

CirqueDeTruth

Awesome story mom! But you need to continue it like now. Continue it on and then publish it! Apocalyptis #1 bestselling Sci-Fi adventure. I can see it.

-Love Cosmic

a reply to: Cosmicspirit

Thank you Darling, but I think your biased. I'm an editor's nightmare.

I'm glad you enjoyed the story.

~ Cirque

Just finally got a chance too read it all! I loved it and a great ending!

You really are a talented writer Cirque!

a reply to: CirqueDeTruth

your daughter is right

she needs an extra college fund anyway

You write well enough to publish
Even self publish..

You can do it
Editors can be found

Thank You Rip Control!

I know it's just taking the plunge. It's just I get really busy at times in my life. Into The Fringe Radio, Crafting, Kids, husband, babysitter on call... lol) - writing that break-out novel that turns into a series that turns into a network special.... will just have to wait.

But I can still get in the zone - I wrote this story in about 3 one hour segments. My word processor, was my editor! LOL. I never bothered to go through the character building and really bring in description to the work to make it pop off the page.

I really enjoyed Yeti Again ! You received a Flag and Stars from me.



CdT