The Aethernet Falls

Chapter 13 - Aftermath - Part 2

“If I’m going to be stuck with the both of you for what is apparently the end of the world I can’t have you two constantly bickering like an old couple.” She was shouting now. It surprised even her. Clarissa had been all but catatonic after the shootout with the Militia, and subsequent confession from her brother.

Her outburst seemed to have an effect on the two of them as they hadn’t said a word. It ran through Boros’ mind that even his confidence and impossible knowledge of the future events that he couldn’t possibly know what was going to happen next. He only had that vague notion that something was going to happen, as though he was recalling a distant memory, the details of which he couldn’t get quite right.

Greco, even though he was a windbag and a mouthpiece for whatever government had the power to boss him around, was growing on him. It had taken his sister to bring him back from what he was only now realizing was anxiety, stress, and the oncoming adrenal crash. These things would never go away, and the adrenaline would come when he needed it, and go when he didn’t.

Things aren’t going to get better on their own and, at least in his own mind, he was the only one who could change that. Even then he wasn’t sure. It felt like carrying a space heater in a blizzard. Knowing that what you have should help, but you’re still going to freeze to death. He might not get to help anybody before he did die.

But he had to try.

“You’re right.” To everyone’s shock it was Greco who spoke. “I don’t know anything about you. Killer or not, you broke into my house. You knocked me unconscious. But you saved my life. If it weren’t for you, then and there, demanding I take you out of the city, I’d be less than a pile of dust scattering in the breeze.” He was shuffling his feet, no longer pacing. “I’m sorry.”

Boros didn’t respond. Didn’t feel he needed to. His sister glared daggers at him, but he wouldn’t budge. After all, Greco was right. He had saved the man's life, and his sister’s as well. And he could do so much more. He only needed to survive this.

And whatever comes next.

The lift hit the bottom and the doors opened on decrepit rollers. The stench of rotting food and god knew what else overcame them all. Every one of them took it in stride, and Boros couldn’t help but be impressed with Greco despite his handling of the corpse and the armed men earlier. He couldn’t help but feel that there was more to the man than a vapid mouthpiece despite what he persisted to believe. Perhaps he was still just going through the motions, doing whatever it took to impress the people he had to.

“Hello.” Boros bellowed into the darkness. Unsurprisingly, no one answered. He took a step out, the first to leave the heavy duty lift, abused by the unforgiving hand of time. Recessed light panels in the ceiling flickered to life one by one in an uneven, patchy pattern. Darker spots where the circuitry had failed after decades of neglect. The room they found themselves in was most likely a staging area for the dispersal of whatever shipments the place had received. It was mostly empty shelves of some dull metal set against more grey, concrete walls and empty space. Whatever had been there was long gone.

It didn’t matter.

They had enough food and water between them to last a while, hopefully long enough to find whatever Boros felt he had to look for. He still wasn’t sure what it was, but still hoped that he could find a hint somewhere here.

Clarissa had wandered off down a hallway wide enough to permit the passage of people on foot as well as an autoloader. Greco was leaning on his arms against one of the shelves. Boros was just waiting impatiently for whatever else might happen as a result of the fusion reactor blast.

He didn’t have to wait long.

The earth began to shake, but it wasn’t an earthquake. It wasn’t coming from below, but above. An impossibly loud crashing, even compared to the distant explosion.

“No.” He said, cursing under his breath.

Clarissa was sprinting back down the hall, “What the hell happened?” She was half shouting, half panting. She was tired. Everyone was but it seemed to be wearing on here the hardest.

“That, I believe, was the roof falling in on our heads.” Greco stated matter-of-factly despite the look of concern on his face.

Boros looked at them both. His sister he knew would be going through withdrawals soon, and Greco was a middle aged man, hair greying at the sides. They weren’t a crack squadron by any means and that meant he had to make a decision he really didn’t want to. “I’m going up.”