32. The Basement

 
 
 
The elevator capsule dropped past the ground floor, and the group stood silently. It wasn’t a long trip, three or four metres down, before the doors opened again, and still, the memories of the last time they travelled this way haunted them. The door ground open on a room full of closed doors and a set of stairs heading down. The wall had been cut away on the right-hand side, revealing a cavern. As she stepped out of the capsule, Fureva-Yung listened to the tiny vibrations the solid surface reflected to her. All was silent to the right, but through to the caverns to the left, the regular dripping of water, a low droning hum and the raking sound of earth being tilled were clear.
 
“Big mob off to the East,” She quietly told the others as they each left the capsule and explored the space. Marius was onto the first closed door and, finding it jammed, called Nox over to scan.
“There’s a framework, bunk beds, the top one has collapsed to the lower. There are two boxes and…oh, there’s a skeleton…odd looking, with extra arms.
“Boxes?” Marius' eyes gleamed at the thought of shinies hidden within, “Open it up.”
Nox looked at him as if he’d confused her with someone else, “Me? Maybe Fureva-Yung can help.” She moved off to scan through the next door.
When the next door was also locked, Marius turned on Nox, frustrated.
“Can’t you reshape stuff to your will or something?” He asked, waving his hands mystically at the door.
“It...costs…something,” She admitted grudgingly, agitated at having to show a weakness, “Can’t Fureva-Yung pull the door open for you?”
“Oh?” Marius hadn’t realised that Nox’s abilities took such a toll. He turned to Fureva-Yung, who had been standing guard the whole time, listening to the sounds of life in the caverns.
“Hey, Furry, a little help?”
 
The door gave to Fureva-Yung’s might with a groan and a squeal of resisting metal. It echoes around the hard surfaces, pausing the sound of earth moving and starting up a new one, the sound of scratching from deep below. Fureva-Yung tapped the release for her armour, and she was instantly outfitted in a thick rubber catsuit with an embossed fluffy bunny tail. There were snickers from Jaden and Nox.
“Why are you laughing?” She asked, concerned her new armour was the focus of some jest.
“Nervous laughter. It was a surprise,” Jaden commented with a straight face.
“I laugh only in admiration,” Nox added, less successfully.
“Something is coming,” Fureva-Yung hushed and stepped before the group.
 
A hum echoed up the stairwell. A camera lens attached to a hovering drone snuck over the edge of the landing.
“Ah, we may want to cover our backs,” Jaden said, “We have a visitor in the stairwell and something coming through the floor.”
“Yeah, I’ve got something here too!” Marius replied, half listening as he found a shielding cypher. Knowing how useful it would be, he pulled out his knife and started integrating it there on the spot.
 
With one bound, Fureva-Yung leapt for the stairwell and the drone hiding there. Flipping backwards, she flew over the drone, snatching it out of the air before landing squarely on her two feet on the second flight of stairs. On the next floor down, two of what were becoming known as the Deep Craven stood statue still staring at Fureva-Yung. She waved the drone at them, the avatar of their god reduced to a fan. They quickly scampered off, looking for somewhere safe to hide.
 
“Ooh, could I have it?” Nox asked, holding out her hands for the drone. With no use for it, Fureva-Yung passed the drone to her companion.
The drone's mind called a ‘Monitor’ was two simple commands,’ keenly note and escape’. Just as she was about to probe deeper, disconnecting the drone from the network, the drone released a probe of its own. With a zap of blue light, it zapped Nox, making her drop it.
“Ouch!” Nox complained as the drone caught itself midfall and tried zapping Nox again.
Fueva-Yung grabbed the drone by the probe and waited, her gleeful anticipation reflected in the single lens of the drone's eye.
“What is she doing?” Jaden asked, watching as Fureva-Yung waited for the next zap.
“She’s waiting for a new memory. She’s noticed she sees them more when she gets zapped.” Nox replied, rubbing her electrocuted skin. When the zap came, Fureva-Yung jumped involuntarily, her rubbery tail twitched, but no memories were revealed.
“Let me have that,” Jaden said and, with a few swift movements, disabled the device, at least for the time being. The drone went limp in her hands, and now the scratching was the only sound they could hear. It echoed up the stairwell and vibrated through the souls of their feet.
Marius stepped out of the room, a fresh smear of blood on his knife hinting what he’d been up to.
“We could have done with your help,” Jaden said, taking in the signs of Marius incorporating another cypher.
“You looked like you had everything under control,” Marius replied, cleaning his knife as Temila had shown him and putting it carefully away.
 
Grabbing a bedspring from one of the broken beds, Fureva-Yung placed the drone inside and attached the whole thing to her belt for safekeeping. The drone now contained, she headed back towards the stairwell, her chain at the ready. The rest of the group followed Fureva-Yung down the stairs to the next level, Basement Two.
 
Here more doors lined the two sides of the room, flanking the stairwell. Going down, the stairwell was blocked by soil and rock, its origins soon evident in a passageway broken through the wall ahead. A black hole leading down filled the cavern from which the scratching sound echoed. Beside the passage, a giant crystal sat embedded in the wall, salvaged parts connecting it to the wall like a cancerous growth.
 
As before, Marius started opening doors as Fueva-Yung took point while Nox and Jaden focused on the crystal. Though not any crystal they’d seen in their travels, Nox quickly discerned its original purpose as a containment device. Tampered with, the crystal’s whole purpose was subverted and unrepairable.
“At least we have an idea of our enemy's origins,” Jaden said beside her as Nox sighed in frustration.
“Nox, what’s behind this door, “ Marius called from the last door in the row. It was jammed like the ones above. Not leaving the crystal, Nox scanned the room and saw another two footlockers like those in the first room.
The scratching and rumbling were growing louder, and Fureva-Yung was slowly advancing on the hole when Marius recalled her to open the last door. As she stepped away to pull the door aside, something of pointed metal poked up through the hole in the cavern. The point became a whirling drill bit attached to a huge scrap metal head the size of the bunk beds. Heavy clawed legs scrambled up and into the cavern dragging behind a massive body, almost as large as the elevator capsule. The whole automaton was made of scrap metal and scrounged tools and looked like a predatory beetle.
“Nox?” Jaden said, stepping away from the cavern.
Too engrossed in the crystal before her, Nox didn’t look up, “Huh?”
“There’s a beetle with a drill for a face!”
The drill face lunged at Nox, gouging a strip out of the unsuspecting Nox, who was thrown to the ground.
 
Jaden observed as the creature climbed out of the hole. Like its smaller counterparts, this one was custom-built by the intellect from bits and pieces. Though it was heavily armoured, Jaden was sure if they could strip the outer casing off, they could easily disable the automaton.
“Fureva-Yung, strip its armour and lets he how this thing ticks.”
 
From the stairs, another drone and two Deep Craven appeared. Using his newly acquired cypher, Marius put up an invisible force field between the party and the new arrivals. Something sparked, and a sharp pain in his side told Marius this would be the first and last use of the shield.
 
Nox down and Jaden next in line for attack by the giant automaton, Fureva-Yung launched herself directly into the fight, placing herself between Nox and the automaton. With the crowbar she’d used to open doors already in her hand, she started prying off the giant beast’s metal hide.
 
From behind the shield, the Deep Craven stopped and tapped the invisible force that blocked their way. Small and unarmed, they were not much of a threat. The drone also hovered to a stop, collecting all it could see and passing it back to the entity. From her prone position behind Fureva-Yung, Nox sent psychic blasts, first at the drone and then at the metal monster.
 
A deep hum started from within the giant beetle automaton. The sound vibrated through Fureva-Yung’s head like a hammer drill. She dodged the drill and tore the automaton’s armour apart through gritted teeth. Jaden saw her chance as a piece of metal hide peeled away from one side. Grabbing an iotum, she sent a beam of energy straight through. With no armour to resist the attack, the creature shuddered and squealed.
 
Behind the wall, the Deep Craven and drone could do nothing but watch. Nox focused on one of the two Deep Craven and made a telepathic link.
Please, we are friends to your people, Ulfa and Yelf, we mean you no harm.
Fureva-Yung’s chain whizzed overhead, and Marius stepped into the melee. The drill head swung around, missing Marius easily.
“I’m sorry, I don’t get the point.” He wasn’t smiling a moment later when the beetle started its drone again, and he, too, clutch his head against the sound. Fureva-Yung, put off her guard by the drone, wasn’t ready when a claw extended from underneath the carapace and grabbed her. A small door on the abdomen opened up, and Fureva-Yung disappeared inside.
Jaden tried lining up her shot for a second time. With the loss of Fureva-Yung, the beetle had turned, hiding the gap in its armour from her sight. The iotum skipped off the metal skin and burned out doing nothing. Jaden was left scrambling away, her fingers burnt.
 
Outside the shield, the drone turned to leave, as did one of the Deep Craven. The second one held its companion back, its large dark eyes staring back at the smallest alien hurt on the ground.
Please, we have come to help. We only want to be friends with your people, Nox linked with the second, and both stood by and let the drone fly back to its master.
 
Fureva-Yung, now trapped in a metal box filled with the humming sound, let her pain and frustration take over and started pounding ineffectually at the walls. Jaden, too, at a loss at what to do, tried distracting the beetle from its attack to no avail. Marius, however, spying through the rent Fureva-Yung had made in the armour, found the mechanism that created the painful hum. Reaching through, he pulled free the cabling to the mechanism, and the drone fell silent.
 
Fureva-Yung could think again. Using the crowbar, she pulled a panel of sheet metal away from the inside wall of the beetle. Beyond, the beetle’s mechanical innards whirled and spun, fully exposed to her crowbar.
Clunk!
A grinding of metal against metal and then…
Snap! Something metal broke inside the carapace, and the beetle stopped. The whirling drillbit slowed, and finally, with a shudder, the beetle’s head fell off.
“Well, there’s a truckload of problems dealt with. Good work, Furry!” Marius looked around at the mayhem. Fureva-Yung finally punched her way through the metal carapace to join her companions and the two remaining Deep Craven.
 
You really mean to come and free us from the Allseer? Asked the first through the telepathic link, they all shared.
That’s the idea, Marius replied, now looking at the burrower inquisitively. He dove into the carcass, looking for spare parts.
Yes, the being you know as the Allseer should be our friends. They are…sick, and we’ve come to help make them better, Nox explained, and the two Deep Craven nodded their heads thoughtfully.
“Please, we need your help in finding the Allseer,” Jaden spoke out loud as was her habit, her thoughts as clear as her words, “Are there places that are…special…sacred to the Allseer?”
 
The two Deep Craven pointed at the crystal beside the borrower.
We sometimes bring offerings here.
Offerings? How about Sacrifices? They’d heard from both Yelf and the escaped Unseen, as well as Ulfa and friends, how the Allseer demanded living sacrifices from the Deep Craven on occasion.
At the Altar, Both Deep Craven pointed above the burrower and into the caverns one floor up.
“How does the Allseer speak to you and tell you what it wants?”
Glazemar speaks for the Allseer. The group had heard this name before from Ulfa. They were chosen of the Allseer and acted in the role of a priest or shaman.
“How was Galzemar chosen?”
The Allseer spoke to them.
“What about more automatons?” Marius climbed out of the burrower handing out parts which when straight into Bellyache. Jaden almost squealed with joy.
“Smart tissue! We can fix Fureva-Yung’s armour! And these two,” She handed over a section of the device that had made the droning noise and another unknown contraption, “These are the hearts of brand new devices!” A third one she pulled out and laughed out loud.
“Here, incorporate this. You were so fond of the last one.” She handed a cypher back to Marius, who looked at it distastefully. It was another purgespitter.
 
Yes, big mob, the Deep Craven replied to Marius’ question, which meant more than two.
“Okay,” He looked around the group, “Well then, take us to your leader!”
 
They didn’t leave straight away, however. Nox was still gravely wounded, and Marius had to spend time providing first aid so that she could travel. It gave Nox a chance to continue her chat with the Deep Craven.
What are your names?
Ickus, One volunteered, turning to their friend.
Mal, Said the other.
I want you to stay with me and note everything that happens so you can tell your people, okay? You’ll see, these are great warriors who have come a long way. What has happened here with Nexion to make them the Allseer has happened at our home too. She knew the Deep Craven’s idea was travelling up out of the residential floors of the Spire, but she wanted to assure these two they were right to put their faith in them.
 
When Nox could stand, the group split, Fureva-Yung and Nox headed back up the stairs to the cavern area above, pointed out as the site of the Altar. With them came Mal and Ickus, silent as shadows, their large eyes missing nothing. Marius and Jaden continued past the hole and checked the lower caverns.
 
Fureva-Yung and Nox quickly came across a group of Deep Craven, their farming tools still clasped in their hands.
Please, stay with them and tell them what’s going on, Nox asked Ickus and Mal, which they gladly did.
Fureva-Yung led the way, with Nox trying to keep to the shadows behind her. They found two servitors waiting for them in a widening of the cavern. Fueva-Yung dodged a swing from one, but Nox was too slow to get out of the way of the second.
What was that? Marius’ thoughts came through the telepathic connection.
Nothing much, Nox replied, putting a stasis on one as Fureva-Yung pounded the second into the floor. When the first stopped moving, Nox moved around the frozen one and from a Fureva-Yung nod, she released the stasis. The servitor did not get a chance to attack.
Here there is salvage.
 
They reached a T-junction, with one path heading right, further away from the Spire and one running left to wards stairs going down.
I spotted a second monitor heading towards you. Keep an eye out, Marius called. Nox stayed at the junction between paths as Fureva-Yung moved ahead to connect with Jaden and Marius. They climbed the stairs to find her hard against a rock, looking in a refuse alcove.
Eye is here, She pointed into the dead end.
You look fine, but you need to improve your grammar, Marius quipped, confusing Fureva-Yung.
Never had a grammar.
Marius spotted the Monitor hiding high up against the room's low ceiling. With silent coordination via telepathy, Fureva-Yung hoisted Marius into the air towards the drone. Her aim was accurate, and Marius quickly had his hands on the drone before it could move. Unfortunately, it was ready with a retaliatory attack and zapped him in the face. Eyes watering, his face spasming, Marius and the monitor fell to the ground. Fureva-Yung seeing his distress, went to grab Marius. She tripped, and dragged Marius out of the air and onto the refuse pile in front of her.
“We will never speak of this again,” Fureva-Yung said once she’d established, Marius was fine and the drone was captured. Forcing the drone into another spring, they left stoic-faced, if a little grimy.