possible. She heard him click off. Liri had no doubt he was rampaging through the sub’s control room, screaming orders. Both wondered if he’d send someone for them. They had to move quickly.
Five minutes went by and the reception’s outer door opened. The room was now stabilized, as were their decompressed bodies. The next room held a check-in booth and plush waiting chairs. When the Lieutenant had been there before, she had waited in a similar room until someone came and got her. You did not go anywhere in New Horizon unless escorted. She shivered at the completely devoid-of-humans welcoming area that usually was bustling with activity. The silence was deafening. The big telecoms that usually were playing the story of New Horizon, lay black and ominous. The computer terminals were flickering, nothing but static appeared on their screens.
They went out a side door that blinked EXIT. “At least the power is still on,” she pointed to the sign.
“It’s an emergency sign, it may be on generator,” Henri speculated. “Or maybe they left so quickly they didn’t have time to shut down.”
The door came out at the entrance to the recreational park. The smell of flowers and cut grass assaulted her nose. A state-of-the-art playground looked strangely abandoned as Horizon’s artificial breeze blew the swings about. The Seals headed down the road. The townhouses weren’t far away. The living quarters had been built near the park for the convenience of the residents.
“Is anyone here?” she yelled as they ran between the apartments. No answer. The two divers headed toward the facility’s center, where all the shops were lined up on either side of what was labeled Main Street. Windows full of merchandise still graced each store. “They must have left in a hurry,” she speculated to Henri. Several of the doors were opened. Approaching one, Liri noticed that the door’s window was broken. “Someone did this to get in.”
“Be careful,” Henri said. They both approached the opening with slow careful steps, watching for any movement - nothing but silence. “Hello,” he yelled in.
Henri went first, Liri followed close at his heels. The shop had been a type of pharmacy/grocery store with general supplies. They walked up and down the aisles.
“Notice what’s missing?” Liri asked him.
“Yes. The candy isle is cleared and the small snack area is mostly empty. Someone was here for food.”
“It was a child,” she speculated. “They left all the can goods. They also left the yogurt and cottage cheese in the refrigerated shelves. The cases are still cold, by the way, the power is still on. The Horizon inhabitants left in such a hurry, they didn’t turn the refrigeration off.”
“Yes, I noticed, Liri. Something is terribly wrong here.” Henri, who had been carrying his helmet, put it on. “Mel, how is it going?” he said into the microphone.
“Don’t ask. I’ve been ordered back to the ship. The dome will be destroyed in one hour and thirty-one minutes. You gotta get out of there.”
“We will as soon as we get the person left behind.” Henri assured him.
They continued down the main strip to the large research facility, which was locked up. As they turned to go back down Main St. a small figure stepped out from a nearby building. It was obviously a small girl dressed in a black hooded jacket that fell over a pair of ragged jeans. Her feet were covered in what look like big bunny slippers. Despite the hood, her face could be clearly seen.
“Hello.” Stepping forward, Liri raised both her hands; palm out to show the person she hadn’t anything in them. “Who are you?” she asked.
“Are you here to kill us?” The voice was high pitched and frightened. It looked like the girl was ready to run.
“Of course not!” Liri was shocked at the child’s words. The Lieutenant realized what the girl had said. “Us?”
“There are more of you?” Henri asked as he stepped up to stand near his girlfriend.
“Ah, ah…” the little figure’s eyes widened, by her scared cautious look Liri could tell the girl had let something slip. The hooded figure turned and ran.
“Wait, we are here to help you,” Liri yelled at the retreating figure. Both Seals ran after the child but the small body ducked into one of the stores.
“Great,” Henri sighed loudly. “We don’t have time for this. We have a little over an hour and this place blows up!”
“Please come out, we are here to get you out before they blow up this whole area.” Liri didn’t want to frighten the child but time was running out. “Please!” she shouted down the street.
They heard several growls. Turning the two soldiers saw a pack of large dogs stalking them. “Good grief,” she turned to Henri, “where did they come from?”
“My guess is they were pets left behind, and they are probably starving, probably ate the smaller animals already,” the Terrian said as he slowly backed up, pushing Liri behind him. Liri, however, was a Navy Seal, just as capable of fighting the dogs as her partner was. She stepped next to him, drawing the knife strapped to her leg. Henri already had his out, pointing the weapon at the dogs as if to threaten them. “Scat,” the Terrian bellowed at the four dogs that were slowly advancing. The animals stopped, showing their teeth, snarling loudly. The beasts crawled forward in attack mode.
“Here, over here,” came from one of the doorways. The little girl was waving what looked like a large piece of meat. The child threw the slab of steak down the street. The dogs rushed past the two Navy Seal divers and attacked the piece she had thrown out.
“Here,” her gloved hand waved to them and then disappeared back through the shop’s doorway. The navy soldiers rushed after the disappearing figure. The dogs were fighting over the meat. Loud snarling could be heard. Once in the store Liri slammed the entranceway shut.
“Good god, they left the animals behind!” She was so furious, she hit the wall in frustration. “Those fucking barbarians.”
“Yes, I noticed the birds and squirrels were still here.” Henri put his helmet on. “I’m not getting anyone,” he announced to his cohort. “I think we’ve been abandoned. Let’s hope Mel is still there.”
“They left us too,” came from the corner. A small girl stood with her hands on her hips. Tears slipped down her face as she pulled her hood closer around her as if embarrassed to be crying.
“Honey, how did you get left behind?” Henri’s slow melodic words seemed to catch the girl’s fancy.
“You sound funny,” she laughed a child’s laugh. “Do you always sing your words?”
“My planet is Terria, we all sound that way,” he told her and got a blank look.
“What is a planet?” She came closer. “Is it a building? I didn’t know all this existed,” she looked amusingly about as if her surroundings were amazing.
“I’ll explain it later,” the Terrian Seal said. “We have to get off of this facility. They are blowing the dome up.”
The shocked look on the girl was heart wrenching. “No! No! They can’t blow up our home.”
“What is your name?” Liri asked her.
“Dolphin,” her high-pitched voice replied.
“Alright, Dolphin, where are the others?” Liri asked trying to keep her voice steady as to not panic the child. “Can you take us to them?”
“You will not hurt them?” her soft sad words pleaded.
“Of course not, we are here to help.” Liri wanted to shout to hurry but kept her panic in check. The Lieutenant had been taught to keep calm in every dangerous situation. Navy Seals were made tough for a reason.
“Follow me, be careful of the dogs, stay close to me. Okay?” the child waved back to them.
“We will be right behind you,” Henri said and got a smile from the girl. Obviously, Dolphin found him fascinating.
First the girl stopped at what was seemed the store’s meat market and grabbed another steak. Liri noticed the piece of steak was getting brown.
“Here take this, if the dogs come throw it. You’ll throw the meat farther than I can.”
Henri reached into his back pocke
t getting one of his large diving gloves and then took the piece from the girl. The look on his face was one of disgust. The meat really did smell.
Dolphin led them out the back, down an alley between the two stores. The youngster looked both ways before heading down a side street. The Seal realized the girl was heading toward the main research building. “The doors are locked,” Liri shouted to the running child, “we couldn’t get in.”
The small girl paid her no heed but kept going past the front of the building around to the back. She stopped at what looked like a large air filter duct. A rope hung from one side, the child started pulling on it. Both Henri and Liri pulled too. They felt the metal grill give way, as the grate swung open. A gaping hole in the wall appeared just above the girl’s head.
She jumped up, grabbing the lower lip of the vent and scrambled up so quickly, Liri hadn’t time to help her. Obviously, the child had done this many times before.
It was then they heard the dogs as they came racing around the corner barking loudly. Liri yelled, “Throw the meat, Henri!”
The Terrian heaved the piece of meat. Liri had already scuttled into the hole. Henri was scuttling up when one of the dogs that had ignored the meat clamped on to his foot. Liri went to get her knife but Dolphin came to the hole and threw a big rock at the ferocious canine. It let go of the human foot, yelping away. Liri noticed the pile of stones that had been put by the opening, obviously by the girl. She’s smart, the lieutenant