Chapter 13
The Old Sewage
On the hill, across the vast area of mine fields, there stood a private institution built by military generals and other important political figures in Cassandra. The institution was training the kids to become intellectual labor forces directly controlled by Veron. At Nina’s base, the report indicated that the old underground facility lab where Veron tried to breed super soldiers, were located right below the school. Although due to the constant breakout, they’ve moved it to the other location, but Nina found out that the lab was still operating at the minor scale.
Sarah Johnson, the marine under Nina’s command, was transferred from the main base to the bunker where undercover agents, Michel and Paul, were working. Sarah received the blueprint of the underground facility from Captain Stein. Nina ordered them to take a scout in that facility. Hopefully it gives out some clues about where the new one’s located at.
Sarah was glad to be out in the field, she loved field works as it gave the thrills and the sense of adventure. When Alvin Caravel was under Nina’s command, she often worked with Alvin, who was leading the paratroopers. She remembered the time when they tried to take out the rebel group who were hiding in the old storage building near the dock. Sarah infiltrated from the water and Caravel dropped from the air, they operated smoothly and quite easily took out the terrorist groups.
Sarah was wondering why Nina Polchinski didn’t even try to bring Caravel back. He was the best gunslinger she knew. His skills came pretty handy when she was confronting the enemy. Especially in Cassandra, where the majority of the people had the eyes of a dead fish which were saturated with hatred and obsession, she was always comforted by Alvin with his good hearted laughter. But she knew that he now adopted two children and got himself a girl. Although she was angry at Alvin for leaving them in this insecure time, she was glad Alvin was having a good life.
When Sarah went to the bunker, one of the guards escorted them from the gate. A lots of infantry units in the bunker greeted them. The bunker was quite big, the guard and Sarah went deeply inside the concrete wall and entered the room. Two agents, Michel and Paul, saluted and were quite excited to see her. At night, they moved along the trenches and moved toward the forest crammed with mines. Michel was high spirited since Sarah was with them. He was almost jumping around the forest, careless about mines. He ran into the forest and a moment later Sarah and Paul heard gunshots; they waited for Michel, raising their guns aimed at bushes and saw Michel gripping two rabbits by their long ears. But, Sarah said they shouldn’t make an unnecessary fire, because it (obviously) glows in the dark. They sat and decided to rest a little. Sarah yawned, saying that she had a long travel, so she started snoring under the tree.
Paul looked sad, looking at the rabbit, as if he wanted to cry.
“Ok... what is wrong?” Michel frowned.
“You killed poor rabbits,” said Paul.
“Paul, seriously, what the fuck?” said Michel, rolling his eyes. Paul just lay down on the grass and went to sleep also.
After four hours, alarm watch started beeping. It was dawn, Sarah groaned, complaining that she need to retire, opened her eyes and saw Michel’s face, spilling saliva over her hair. She smelt a stinking stench from her hair and saw his hand on her breast. She flushed, and punched right into his face. Michel started screaming. Paul startled, waking up abruptly, and saw Sarah beating up Michel. Paul yawned, and looked at the rabbits lying next to him, and breathe out heavily.
“Ok, gentlemen, let’s move out,” said Sarah, jeering at Michel’s bloated face.
They moved after Sarah was washing her hair with Michel’s water bottle, smelling her hair, frowning. They now passed the mine field following the trail given by the map. They’ve now seen the old rustic door on the side of the mountain.
They kicked the door to open and the door creaked loudly. They entered the dark passageway. The air was awful, the foul stench fumed out from the dark stair.
“Wow, just wow,” mumbled Michel, grabbing his nose. Paul face turned green, not feeling well. Sarah started cursing. They entered, and went down the stairs.
“I’m dehydrated…” said Michel, stumbling on the stair.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” said Paul, gulping his water.
“Fuck you,” Michel flipped him off. Paul grinned and gave him the water, Michel drank it.
“Is this a right way guys? Smells like the menstrual blood with gonorrhea,” said Michel, his face turning pale as the stench grows stronger. “Mixed with cow dung.”
“I’m pretty sure this is a biohazard area,” said Sarah. “A trash can, if you say.”
“Are you sure we are not going to be infected?” asked Michel.
“I don’t know baby,” said Sarah, chuckling.
“And why did we not bring the safety suit?” Paul groaned.
“Well, because if this is a real hazard, we’ve already been exposed by the water we drink in the city,” Sarah responded. “So… why bother?”
Paul seemed like he is getting sick, he’s going green and purple. “I feel… sick...” said he.
“Relax relax, they are just modifying genes, all of this shit is just like a rotten corpses rather than bio weaponries.” said Michel tapping Paul’s shoulder. “And the fact that the stench is this strong, this stuff is pretty recent.”
“Are you sure they are harmless?” said Paul.
“Of course not,” said Michel, sniggering.
“Fuck you,” grumbled Paul.
Sarah was looking at the map with a flashlight, the iron pipes and rubber wires were set up on the ceiling and walls, water was dripping from above.
“Guys guys, come here, give me that cutter,” said Sarah, waving at them to come near her. Paul handed her pipe cutter to Sarah. She was looking at the narrow pipe which was connected to the dark area. She cut the iron bar and made a hole big enough for them to enter.
Paul shook his head. “I ain’t fucking going there,” said he. Sarah ignored him and attached the rope on her belt, and gave the other side for Paul to grab on.
“I’m going in, Michel, check the other side,” said she.
“Roger that my lady,” said Michel, giving the rope to Paul. He locked both of them on his belt. They went into the much narrow tunnel, filled with a thick rubber wire. Sarah squeezed herself into the hole, struggling as it was slippery and gooey. After a while, Michel hit the end where the thick metal bar was blocking the way, and Sarah was crouching to move on.
“I’m getting something,” said Sarah, excited, looking at the vibration detector, pressing its rubber side on the metal wall. Sarah frowned.
“Hopefully the sound is not coming out from you guys! Everyone, freeze!” shouted Sarah. Michel and Paul stopped moving, breathing in silence.
“What is it?!” Michel shouted from the other side.
“Shut up!” she screeched.
“I’ve got nothing!” yelled Michel, grabbing the wire to get back. “Paul! Pull me back!”
Paul pulled the wire. Michel smoothly slid backward. Sarah groaned, tried to listen to the sound from the amplifier. Apart from Michel moaning and struggling to move toward Sarah, she heard the sound coming from deep down. It was a weird screeching sound, but it was muffed by dirt and walls. Sarah began to crawl more deeply, through the thick clammy wires. After she reached the iron bar blocking the way, she bellowed,
“Paul! Give me the Roboroach box! I’m going to slip the drones into it!’” she spat and groaned, rubbing her eyes. Her nose was already numbed due to the strong odors of chemicals.
“Ok! Here it goes!” shouted Paul. He clipped the box on the cable and released to Sarah, it hauled toward her. The box came near Sarah and the sound stopped at her hand. Sarah detached the box and opened it. It was full of machines which looked like a cockroaches.
“It surly fits the environment,” mumbled Sarah, holding one of them, gazing at it with her narrow eyes. After Sarah dropped all of the drones to the o
ther side of the iron bar, she shouted to pull her back. Paul dragged both Sarah and Michel, they slid back toward him.
“So… what was it?” said Michel, curious about the sound she heard.
“It’s not a rat,” said Sarah, grinning. “And I need a shower.”
“I can help you, if you know what I mean,” said Michel, playfully.
“Fuck you,” said Sarah.
“Please let’s get out of here, I puked more than once,” said Paul.
“Agreed, let’s go,” said Sarah.