Steph Bennion - Paw-Prints of the Gods

“I collected some samples for optical dating from where we found Cadmus,” remarked Govannon, interrupting her thoughts. “We dated the outer structure to a hundred thousand years old or so, see? Strange thing is, the central chamber saw sunlight just twelve thousand years ago. What do your err… grey friends know about this place?”

“They recognise it as being built by their kind and that it’s very old,” Ravana told him. “They describe it as an entrance or a door to somewhere.”

“To the afterlife?” suggested Quirinus. “It could be a tomb.”

“Thraak thraak!”

“That’s religious talk,” Govannon said, inadvertently echoing Nana’s retort. “Though Cadmus thought the same. You’ll soon see what he meant.”

“Why won’t you tell us what you saw?” asked Ravana.

“You need to see it with your own eyes,” the archaeologist replied. “Trust me.”

Philyra scowled. The tiny flying robot buzzed close to her head, the searchlight beams of its triple-lens holovid camera illuminating the glistening tunnel walls with bright white light. She was starting to find the heavier gravity tiring, especially when trying to keep up with Fornax, who having recently come from Earth was light on her feet. The reporter’s cambot had recorded nothing but one nondescript damp passageway after another since their first tentative steps into the trench. As their descent continued past the eerie green lamps, Philyra began to wonder whether they would find anything worth reporting at the end of it all. She knew from watching shows like Weird Universe that archaeologists had a tendency to get excited over what viewers saw as amazingly-trivial finds.

“This place is creepy,” she grumbled. “Not to mention slimy. This damp is not good for my hair, you know. It took me ages to get the colour right.”

“The cambot also records sound,” Fornax reminded her. “And it homes in on whoever is speaking. Do you really want your bad hair day documented for posterity?”

“There’s not much else of interest down here,” muttered Philyra.

Ininna and Yima, the Que Qiao agents, were not far behind. They in turn were trailed by Xuthus, Hestia and Urania, who upon hearing the muffled curses of the two Dhusarian pilots as they tried to open their transport’s jammed door, had made it clear they had no intention of remaining in the domes alone. Hestia tried to leave Ravana’s cat behind, but the electric pet had taken a liking to her and kept jumping back into her arms every time she put it down. The students were talking about Ravana, who after her dramatic reappearance had left them in suspense about where she had been the last few weeks.

“She was like a different person,” remarked Hestia. Her luminous locks, currently bright orange, fascinated the cat and she frowned as the pet pawed at her neck with a diamond-tipped claw. “Ravana seemed so shy before.”

“Beheading that robot with a cricket bat was cool,” admitted Xuthus.

“She’s probably a witch,” said Urania. She glowered at the electric pet snug in Hestia’s embrace. “She and that damn cat flew in on a broomstick.”

Xuthus frowned. “Why don’t you like her?”

“Do I need a reason? My father says the refugees…”

“Never mind your father,” interrupted Xuthus. “What do you think?”

Urania glared at him. “You’re only sticking up for her because she fancies you.”

“Ravana does not!” snapped Hestia and blushed.

“Afraid of the competition? I’m sorry to break it to you, but you’re not Xuthus’ type. Nor it seems is any girl here,” Urania added mischievously. “Isn’t that right, Xuthus?”

Xuthus looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve barely glanced at Philyra. What she’s wearing would make most boys drool.”

“He does like girls!” protested Hestia. She frowned at Xuthus. “Don’t you?”

Ahead, Ininna spun upon her heels and stared angrily at the three students. Yima, Fornax and Philyra paused and turned to see what was going on.

“Will you be quiet!” Ininna hissed. “How are we supposed to sneak up on the infidel Dhusarians with you making so much racket!”

“Sorry,” Urania murmured.

“Though it was quite illuminating,” added Yima, grinning at Xuthus. “Is it true?”

“What?” retorted Xuthus. “I don’t know what you mean!”

“And you said there was nothing of interest down here,” Fornax chided Philyra.

Govannon led Ravana, Quirinus and the greys down the final slope, towards where the rasping voices of the clones echoed eerily from the tunnels ahead. The descent had taken far longer than Ravana anticipated and the cloying darkness was alive with strange murmurings that teased her nerves to the edge. After a couple of sharp turns Govannon paused, glanced back with a finger to his lips, then carefully crept forward. The right-hand wall before them curved towards a source of light, from where faint human voices could now be discerned alongside the buzzing screeches of the clones. Govannon peered around the corner and with a wave of his hand beckoned to Ravana and Quirinus.

“They’re in the chamber beyond,” he whispered. “Be careful.”

Ravana quietly lowered the cricket bat and her slate to the ground, her father doing likewise with the plasma cannon. Together they cautiously poked their heads around the wall. The passage ended at a tall archway, beyond which lay a space bathed in the glare of mounted floodlights and an odd blue glow from the walls. Standing near a damaged section of wall was the other military android, as defiantly invisible to Ravana’s implant as the first. Although not turned their way, it was undoubtedly scrutinising them with an array of sensors.

Seven figures stood in the chamber. Ravana’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of the hooded monks, who stood with Kedesh, Lilith and Dagan; all of whom she bitterly realised had deceived her one way or another. As a cyberclone began to speak, Ravana reeled under a surge of jagged emotions as her implant homed in on the creature’s telepathic turmoil.

“zz-oorphaaneed-chiild-oof-Sool-zz,” the figure rasped. “zz-kiing-byy-thee-greeaat-gaamee-zz! zz-yyoouu-muust-fuulfiill-yyoouur-deestiinyy-zz!”

“But I don’t know what to do!” wailed a little boy’s voice.

The manacled Artorius stood trembling in the shadows on the far side of the chamber. Next to him, a wavering Jizo took a swig from the bottle in her hand. They were half-hidden by the strange crumpled shape in the dark pool at the centre of the chamber, around which rose a circle of towering rods. Ravana felt a moment of panic when Jizo and Artorius glanced her way, then realised she was concealed behind the floodlight glare. She was relieved to find Artorius unharmed but a rescue seemed hopeless. Nana and Stripy pushed past her to look.

“It’s a weird cocoon with legs,” said Govannon, speaking in a hushed voice.

Ravana was puzzled. “What is?”

“The thing in the middle of the chamber, see?” he whispered. “Although now it looks more like a broken egg. When I was here before the walls weren’t glowing like that and those rods were only so high. There’s what’s left of a dead giant spider as well.”

“Thraak thraak!” cackled Nana.

“I’m more worried about that battlebot,” muttered Quirinus. “How the hell did a bunch of crackpots like these get hold of military hardware?”

The android turned its head and shuffled closer with a steely scrape of feet. Ravana gave Nana a curious stare. She was about to query what the grey had said when she heard footsteps in the tunnel behind. Several people approached in a very noisy fashion.