Page 19

RIVERA

I slammed the emergency exit door panel as a deep groan echoed through the control room behind us. Metal screamed against metal, ancient gears grinding as the massive door sealed our only escape route. The timing couldn't have been closer - chunks of ceiling crashed down exactly where we'd stood seconds before, visible through the narrowing gap before the door slid completely shut.

"That was too damn close," I muttered, my voice unnaturally loud in the sudden quiet of the tunnel.

The emergency exit tunnel stretched ahead, sloping steeply upward into darkness. My handheld light cut a weak beam through the thick, dust-filled air. The smell hit me immediately - damp stone, metallic tang of ancient wiring, and the sharp bite of ozone that made my nose wrinkle. Water dripped somewhere in the darkness, each drop echoing against the stone walls.

Varek's fungal light cast a faint, pulsing blue glow that barely illuminated his face. Too faint. The light reflected his weakened state, its usual steady radiance now flickering erratically like a candle in a draft. His breathing came shallow and labored, each inhale a conscious effort.

"You still with me?" I asked, sweeping my light across the tunnel walls, checking for structural weaknesses.

"I am... functional," Varek replied, his usual commanding tone reduced to something tight and strained.

"Right. Functional." I snorted. "Let's get moving before 'functional' becomes 'unconscious.'"

I took point, scanning for hazards with each step. My markings tingled along my collarbone, responding to the energy fluctuations in the tunnel. A section of ceiling sagged dangerously to our left. Loose rocks scattered the path ahead. Damaged conduits sparked erratically along the walls, sending brief flashes of blue-white light dancing across the stone.

Varek followed behind me, one hand braced against the tunnel wall for support. His steps came heavy, uneven. Each time his foot dragged against the stone, my stomach clenched tighter.

I glanced back, catching the tight line of his jaw, the unnatural brightness in his eyes. Fever. The bond between us pulsated with his pain, a steady pulse of heat and sharp edges that mirrored my own rising anxiety.

"Easy, Varek. Almost there. Just a bit further," I said, slowing my pace to match his.

"You do not know where this tunnel leads," he pointed out, voice rough. "There is no 'almost there.'"

"Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine." I reached back, offering my shoulder for support. "Come on. Lean on me before you fall on your face."

He hesitated, pride warring with necessity. Finally, his hand came to rest on my shoulder, hot and heavy through my jacket. The contact sent our bond flaring brighter, his pain washing through me in a wave that nearly buckled my knees.

Got to keep moving. Got to get him to safety. He's burning up.

I forced myself forward, supporting his weight while simultaneously scanning for dangers my enhanced senses could detect that he might miss. The responsibility settled heavy on my shoulders, but I accepted it without question. This was Varek - stubborn, infuriating, brave Varek who'd shielded me from harm at his own expense. I owed him the same.

"The tunnel structure changes ahead," he murmured, head lifting slightly. "Listen."

I paused, straining my ears. The echo pattern had shifted - the tunnel opened into something larger just beyond the next bend.

"Good catch," I admitted, impressed despite his condition.

Okay, Varek, just stay with me. Don't you dare pass out on me.

We rounded the corner and stopped short. The tunnel expanded into a junction chamber where ancient machinery lined the walls - maintenance systems long abandoned but still sparking with residual power. Thick cables hung from the ceiling like metallic vines, swaying slightly in the artificial breeze from ventilation shafts. The air here carried more heat, tinged with the acrid smell of burning insulation.

"This doesn't look good," I muttered, sweeping my light across the room.

A sudden mechanical whir cut through the silence. My light caught something moving in the shadows - something large and multi-limbed. A maintenance drone, reactivated by our presence or the energy fluctuations. It skittered forward on eight metal legs, tools extending from its central housing like bizarre appendages. One sparked dangerously, cutting through the air in erratic patterns.

"Back," Varek ordered, straightening despite his pain. "That unit is malfunctioning."

The drone lurched toward us, blocking our only path forward. Its sensors swiveled in our direction, red lights blinking in an irregular pattern. One of its arms - tipped with what looked like a cutting tool - swung wildly, slicing through a hanging cable. Sparks showered down, igniting a small fire on the floor.

"We can't go back," I said, mind racing through options. "The control room is collapsing."

The drone advanced another meter, its movements jerky but purposeful. My markings flared in response to its energy signature, sending tingling awareness through my chest and arms. I could sense its power source, the damaged circuits, the failing logic processors.

"I can disable it," I said, stepping forward. "Cover me."

"—" Varek started, his voice sharp with warning.

"Trust me." I met his eyes briefly. "I can feel its systems."

I approached cautiously, focusing my awareness through my markings. The drone's energy signature pulsed erratically - damaged, confused, but following some ancient protocol to clear the tunnel of intruders.

"Hey, rustbucket," I called, drawing its attention away from Varek. "Over here."

The drone pivoted, sensors locking onto me. Perfect. I circled to its left, keeping my movements slow and deliberate. Just a little closer...

The drone lunged suddenly, faster than I anticipated. Its cutting arm slashed toward my face. I ducked, but not quite fast enough - the edge caught my sleeve, slicing through fabric and grazing my arm beneath.

Before I could recover, Varek moved with shocking speed for someone so injured. He grabbed a broken pipe from the floor and jammed it directly into the drone's central housing, using his full weight to drive it deep into the machine's core. The drone sparked violently, limbs flailing in all directions.

"Move!" Varek shouted, shoving me aside as the drone's power core overloaded.

We barely made it behind a section of fallen ceiling plate when the drone exploded in a shower of parts and electrical discharge. The blast echoed through the chamber, followed by an ominous cracking sound from above.

"The ceiling—" I started.

A section of the tunnel roof gave way, crashing down exactly where we'd been standing. Water gushed through the new opening, flooding across the floor and carrying debris with it.

Not now! We're so close!

"There," Varek pointed to a narrow side passage, barely visible behind a tangle of cables. "Air flow. That route is clear."

We splashed through the rising water toward the passage. Varek stumbled, his injured leg nearly giving out. I caught him, wrapping my arm around his waist to steady him.

"I've got you," I said, helping him through the narrow opening.

The side passage forced us to move single-file, Varek hunching his tall frame to avoid the low ceiling. The bond between us flared with shared danger and adrenaline, then settled into something deeper - concern, determination, protection.

"You should not have risked yourself with the drone," Varek said, his voice tight.

"Says the guy who just stabbed it with a pipe." I glanced back at him. "How's your shoulder?"

"Functional," he replied automatically, then grimaced. "The exertion... reopened the wound."

He pushed himself too hard. For me.

"We'll deal with it when we reach the surface," I promised. "Just stay with me a little longer."

The passage gradually widened and sloped more steeply upward. My markings sensed fresher air ahead, the energy signature of the tunnel systems fading as we approached what had to be an exit.

"Almost there," I said, more to encourage myself than Varek. "I can feel the change in air pressure."

Varek leaned more heavily against me with each step, his breathing increasingly labored. The heat from his skin burned through our clothing, fever raging unchecked. I tightened my grip around his waist, taking more of his weight.

"Just a little further," I urged. "You can rest once we're out."

"I am... still functional," he insisted, though the words came through gritted teeth.

The tunnel ended at a heavy metal hatch set into the ceiling. I passed my light to Varek and reached up, searching for the release mechanism. My fingers found a recessed handle, crusted with decades of mineral deposits.

"This might be stuck," I warned. "Brace yourself."

I pulled with all my strength. Nothing happened for several seconds, then with a screech of protesting metal, the hatch broke free. Cool air rushed in, carrying the scent of rain-washed earth and sulfur. I pushed the hatch fully open, revealing a patch of gray dawn sky.

"We made it," I breathed. "Let me go first, then I'll help you up."

We stood together under lightning, soaked and bleeding, but alive. I felt his hand brush mine as we stared at the others, and I didn’t pull away. I didn’t want to.

I hauled myself through the opening, emerging onto a rocky hillside far from where we'd entered the ruins. The landscape spread out before me, scarred and steaming from recent geothermal activity. No sign of the settlement, but in the distance, rocky formations that might mark Hammond's territory. The twin suns had just begun to rise, casting long shadows across the unfamiliar terrain.

"Varek, come on," I called down, reaching back through the hatch. "Give me your hand."

With considerable effort, Varek climbed through the opening, his movements stiff and pained. The moment he reached level ground, his legs simply gave out. He collapsed to his knees, then would have fallen completely if I hadn't caught him.

"Whoa, easy," I said, lowering him gently against a large boulder. "I've got you."

His skin burned against my hands, golden eyes glassy with fever. The burns across his shoulder and back looked angry and inflamed, the edges weeping clear fluid. He needed medical attention - proper care from Kavan or Selene, not my limited field skills.

"Let me see what I've got," I muttered, digging through my small medkit.

Antiseptic wipes, sealant patches, analgesic tabs - not nearly enough for injuries this severe. I cleaned the wounds as best I could, wincing at Varek's sharp intake of breath when the antiseptic touched raw flesh.

"Sorry," I murmured. "Almost done."

My markings tingled, drawing my attention to a cluster of broad-leafed plants growing in the shadow of a nearby rock formation. Something about them... I reached out, brushing my fingers across the waxy surface. My markings flared, recognizing properties - cooling, anti-inflammatory.

"This might help," I said, gathering several leaves. I crushed them between my palms, releasing a sharp, medicinal scent, then applied the resulting paste to Varek's burns.

He exhaled slowly as the natural remedy took effect. "Tashin leaf," he identified. "How did you know?"

"I didn't. My markings did." I secured the makeshift poultice with a sealant patch. "Better?"

"Yes." He leaned his head back against the rock, eyes closing briefly. "Thank you, ."

The use of my first name sent a warm current through our bond. It still surprised me, this connection between us - how quickly it had shifted from antagonism to something I couldn't quite name. Something that made his pain feel like my own, his relief my victory.

I scanned our surroundings, taking stock of our situation. Exposed, vulnerable, far from allies. Varek needed serious medical attention, but we had a critical mission to complete. Hammond's drilling operation continued to destabilize the ancient systems. Claire remained his captive, possibly the key to preventing catastrophic failure.

We made it. He made it. Now what?

"We need water," I said, practical concerns taking priority. "And shelter until you're strong enough to move."

"There is a stream," Varek said, nodding toward a depression in the landscape about half a kilometer away. "I can hear it."

"You stay put. I'll check it out."

"No." His hand caught my wrist, grip surprisingly strong despite his condition. "We remain together."

I studied his face - the determination there despite the pain and fever. The warrior hadn't completely surrendered to the wounded man.

"Okay, engineer. New problem. Survive. Get him safe. Find water. Then figure out how to get to Hammond.

"Alright," I conceded. "But we take it slow, and you tell me when you need to stop."

I helped Varek to his feet, supporting him as we made our slow way toward the sound of water. His tall frame leaned heavily against mine, but he remained stubbornly upright, one step at a time.

Looking up at his face, drawn with pain but set with characteristic determination, I felt that surge again - protectiveness, tenderness, and something deeper I wasn't ready to name.

I'll get us through this.