Emergence: Chapter 24

Trexor watched as hundreds of quake survivors walked west to the fields of Tapal. Many leaned on each other for mutual support, whereas the able-bodied and unharmed carried the more severely wounded. Trexor knew there was no point in moving the most wounded; there was no way medical teams would arrive in time to help, if any could make it. Trem had shared his green miracle liquid with a few of the wounded, but there was never any hope of there being enough to go round.

Trem stood next to Trexor and pointed in the distance. “Look: the buildings have sank over there. Maybe we should check it out.”

Trexor grunted non-committally, before heading over to where Trem was pointing. Crossing the road was an ordeal in itself; it was twisted around in the quake, making it more akin to climbing a rocky wall than simply walking. Trexor gasped as he lost his footing; the stone beneath his feet crumbled and fell down, nearly taking him with it. When he reached the peak, he jumped back down to the ground and wandered over to the gaping holes in the ground.

Similar to the chasm in the centre of Raan, these stretched down further than the eye could see; a descent into darkness that no man should ever take. The size of just one hole was larger than one of the skyscrapers, and Trexor wondered what went through the occupants' minds as they plummeted downwards towards certain death; he couldn't imagine it.

Trem picked up a loose brick and tossed it down the chasm. It bounced off the side and cracked in two, but neither made another sound as they fell. “Damn, that could go right down, for all we know.”

“Could do, yeah.” Out of the corner of his eye, Trexor saw something move. “What was that?” Trexor drew his pistol.

Trem looked around. “What was what?”

“Something, over there. Moved.” Trexor edged round the chasm towards where he saw the movement. “Something silver.”

“Silver?” Trem sounded puzzled. “You sure?”

“Positive. Look.” Trexor pointed at it as it came back into view.

The thing stood on four legs and seemed to have a feline body-shape, minus the tail. All of its features were minimalist; only a sleek silver skin was note-worthy. No markings of any sort. Even the head was bare, consisting of a curved wedge shape without ears, eyes or nose.

“What is it?” Trem asked, his voice wavering.

Trexor looked at him, briefly satisfied hearing the fear in his former enemy's voice. “I have no idea. Maybe the Xaosians planted it here?”

“It does seem rather mechanical,” Trem conceded, “But there's something...off about it. Let's move closer.”

They did so, Trexor clutching his pistol tightly while making sure not to make a sound. His feet tapped silently on the ground, and Trem seemed to float behind him, no sound escaping from his loose clothes or array of weapons.

Sensing something, the thing turned to face them. Its head split open, revealing teeth inside, with a gaping hole, which Trexor assumed was a throat; this seemed to be a threat. Trexor let loose a shot and the bullet got lodged in the thing's head. It paid the bullet no mind as the skin around it folded over it, absorbing the bullet entirely.

“The hell?” Trem moved forward, but Trexor put a hand in the way to stop him.

The thing stared at them both for a beat, before it leapt into the chasm, sticking to the steep walls. As it ran downwards into Raan's core, others appeared from hiding spots behind buildings or under rubble, and followed the first downwards into the chasm.

Trexor moved back away from the gaping pit even as the things disappeared into the darkness below. “What are they?” he whispered, more to himself than to Trem, who didn't answer. “They don't seem dangerous though.”

Trem walked to the chasm and looked inwards. Trexor followed his lead, and all around the sides they could see the things descending.

“Wonder where they came from...” Trem voiced his thoughts aloud.

“Maybe they came from the Xaosians and are attacking Raan's core,” Trexor said slowly, “or they may be from the core and were disturbed by the Xaosians.”

“I hope it's the latter.”

“I hope it's neither.” Trexor said, still hoping that this whole thing was just a nightmare. But he knew it wasn't.