Lost and Forgotten Ch. 04

Helios put out enough light for all of us to navigate by, so we didn't need headlamps. We reached the end of the tunnel and my rope was still there tied to spike I drove into the stone. I tested it and found it securely rooted in the earth. I went down first followed by Jynx and then Nick. Strange how quickly it went from Mr. Shaw multibillionaire to simply Nick. He was damnably likeable. I guess that is what they call charm. The cave was different. The floor had been littered with desiccated rats, but they were gone. Someone or something had cleaned up.

"Why?" I whispered.

"Why what?" Jynx asked placing her hand on my shoulder.

"The rats are gone." I said and then guided them to the pyramid.

"Holy shit!" Nick gasped as Helios' search lights illuminated the pyramid. "Surfer... are you getting this?"

"Barely Master Nick. Interference from the earth is greatly inhibiting the signal." The A.I.'s voice crackled with static.

I watched Nick drop onto his belly and shimmy towards the spot where the tip of the pyramid and the earth met. He began digging with his bare hand when I reached into my backpack and withdrew a trowel and slid it to him. He grinned and carefully worked the soil loose. Jynx and I squatted there watching him work.

"No fucking way!" Jynx cursed as the last of the dirt was removed and we saw the truth.

"I knew it." Nick growled. "I fucking knew it."

"How?" I said staring at the point of the multi-ton structure not touching the ground. "It is just hovering there. Are you getting this Helios?"

"Yes, Master John... John. I have performed a full spectrum analysis of this phenomenon. Analysis of the forces involved will take time to process. What is that?"

I had barely had time to form the question in my mind, 'what is what?', when the pressure wave hit. The sound followed as the entire cave shook as the timed explosions erupted in the tunnel above. I dove and covered Jynx with my body protecting her from falling debris. I cried out each time something slammed into my back. It took everything I had to keep her safe. The air was filled with clouds of dust and debris. We were all coughing as the heavier particles settled to the floor leaving the lighter ones to annoy and clog our lungs. I rolled off Jynx coughing and spitting. The chamber was pitch black. Helios must have been struck and damaged by falling rocks. I fumbled around and found my abandoned backpack. I blindly reached in and found one of the glowsticks. I slapped it against my knee and shook it. The strong yellow light revealed just how fucked we were.

"Helios." I growled as I continued to spit and wipe my mouth free of filth.

"He is trashed." Nick said as he rose unharmed from beneath the pyramid. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Jynx declared. "John protected me. Here." She said taking the glowstick from my grasp. "Turn around. Nick... lift his shirt."

"DAMN!" Nick cursed after he tugged my shirt up revealing my bruised and battered flesh.

"Jesus John... how the hell are you standing?" Jynx exclaimed.

"Not now. We need to get moving...now!" I snapped. "It laid a trap for us. It is in here and we are its next meal. UNNNN... Nick grab Helios and don't let go of him. He is our only hope of getting out of here."

"Gotcha." Nick agreed as he bent down and picked up the wreckage that was the drone. "Fuck!" He cursed. "I cut my hand. I'm fine." He declared when Jynx approached. "Where are we going?"

"This way." I said heading for the tunnel leading further down. "The men that dug this tunnel left signs." I said as Jynx held our plastic torch above her head and followed me. "I wanted to see the Flying Scotsman and if we are lucky we all will."

The silence was deafening. All of us were listening intently for the thing that had trapped us in here. I tried to hold off on that concept for as long as I could, but my mind refused. It latched onto the piles of dust I had found on our way in. This thing, this Formless as Nick had called it, had drilled those holes and placed explosives along the tunnel to seal it off. We were trapped with it in here. It could hunt us at its leisure. We had finite resources and it could simply wait until we ran out of water to pounce. I held onto that hope that it was a patient hunter. If it was we might have the time to find another exit. It had waited this long why not a bit more.

"Another sign." Jynx whispered. "It's in Chinese I think."

"Mandarin." Nick and I said at the same time. "This way."

While the sign pointed at the obvious path there were other natural tunnels that led in several other directions. This place was a veritable maze and our enemy likely knew every square inch of it. We followed the signs as they appeared, but our adversary never showed itself. Why? Why was it holding back? Thirty-two minutes later we reached the last sign. My HUD displayed the time and estimated direction we had been travelling in. We took the last few steps slowly expecting an ambush around the next corner. It never came. Instead we reached the tunnel that had been cut for the tunnel bisecting the mountain and possibly housing the Flying Scotsman. Jynx nearly tripped over the rail jutting up from the ground.

"I'll be damned." She cursed. "We made it."

The tunnel we had taken intersected with the much larger one cut for the train to use. I squinted as I looked down one end of the tracks and then fought the urge to scream when I spied the train sitting silently down the other end. It was intact. We walked down taking in this historic moment. We reached the ass end of the train and we could see that something was wrong.

"It is boarded up." Jynx said her voice shaking with fear. "The windows are blocked from the inside. They nailed shit to the fucking windows!" She stammered as panic replaced simple fear.

"We are here." I said placing my hand on her shoulder. "We'll fix Helios. We'll get out of here. All of us."

"I believe you." She said clinging close.

"What happened here?" Nick asked as we walked alongside the silent sentinel.

"No one knows. This tunnel was freshly completed when the Flying Scotsman was diverted here and the tunnel on both sides collapsed. End of story."

"Bullshit." Nick snapped. "Why was it diverted? Why was it here in the first place?"

"Oh that," I said feeling foolish. "The engineer that designed the train had created a brand-new kind of engine for the train. He was showing it off. As to why here... I don't know."

"The killings John don't forget the killings." Jynx added.

"What killings?" Nick asked as we reached the train's engine.

"Since this tunnel was begun every dark of the moon people went missing. The papers never printed how they died. They only listed the names, ages, and who survived them. What are you doing?" I asked as Nick approached the barricaded door to the engine compartment.

"Everything has a weak spot." He said just before striking the door with the palm of his hand. "Let's see what happened here." He added when the wood burst asunder from his attack.

We climbed up and into the train's engine. The controls were something out of a H.G. Wells novel. There were pressure gauges, levers, and cranks galore. When we placed our hands on any of the panels a faint vibration could be felt. It was still functioning! After all these years the damn thing still worked! Hope faded when we spied the desiccated bodies of the engineer and his crew. They were piled up like cordwood. The Formless had neatly stacked them for some unknown reason. We moved deeper into the train. The light from the glowstick only went so far and soon the bodies were swallowed up by the darkness as we moved into what had to be the first-class car. There were more bodies, but these had been left where they had fallen. The mummified screams were clearly visible even after so many years. Fingers formed into defensive claws, mouths wide open as they begged for mercy, and the puncture marks in their clothing where the thing had fed from them. Now I knew why it had left us unmolested. It wanted us to get here. It wanted us to see the futility of fighting it. We were doomed, and it wanted us to know that.

"We are fucked!" Jynx hissed despondently.

"The hell we are!" Nick fired back. "I am going to fix this piece of crap and get out of here."

"We are not going to die." I argued as something landed on the roof of the car. The ancient metal protested as the bulk of the thing slithered along the roof. "Aw fuck!"

"Calm the fuck down." Nick growled. "It wants us afraid. If we are afraid we will make a mistake. Jynx stay close."

The window to my left erupted in splinters as a massive tentacle exploded inwards and snatched Jynx off her feet. I sprang forward and grabbed at the transparent flesh with my bare hands. A searing flash of light blinded me momentarily as the Formless howled in pain and let go of Jynx. It withdrew the tentacle as quickly as it had appeared and raced away. We could hear its passage along the roof until the silence returned.

"John!" Jynx wept as she launched herself into my arms.

"I got you." I told her as I held her tight.

"What was that light?" Nick asked never losing his cool for a moment.

"I don't know." I said as Nick took the glowstick from Jynx's nerveless hand and shone it on my hand.

"I'll be damned. Where did you get that ring?"

"Oh that," I said holding it up and looking at it. "It belonged to Smith or, so the Old Man assured me. Why?"

"I think that ring is what drove the Formless away but why is the more important question."

I stared at him and he was shocked at the events that had unfolded. No. It was more than that. He recognized the ring or more specifically the design on the ring. His shock came from the insignia. The All-Seeing Eye framed by three swords forming a triangle meant something to Mr. Nick Shaw. I was sure of it.

"We don't have time for secrets." I said, and he stared at me. "Tell us or go off on your own Shaw. You can't withhold vital information now. Damn it man our lives are on the line."

"You are right. The Order of Chthon, we are known as the Order. It has been around since before the first Egyptian dynasty. It was founded by an immortal who even now guides the path of the organization. I never knew that your Missouri Smith was a member. By the quality of the ring and its design he was a ranked master and high up on the ladder. I don't know why it affected the Formless though, that is all I can say... even that is enough to forfeit your lives."

"They can fucking come after me once this is all over with." I snapped. "How do you even know about these Formless things?"

"I was part of a dig that discovered the City of Iram, the City of a Thousand Pillars. It was guarded by them, the Formless. I barely escaped."

"Iram?" Jynx muttered the name of the city.

"Legends say it was built by King Solomon using demonic servants, the Jinn. I am wondering if he used the Formless instead." Nick thought out loud. "They seem to have an innate understanding of geology and engineering."

"This one stole and planted explosives. It isn't some blind stupid monster. This thing can think and is hurt and pissed off now. We need a plan." I said looking around. "Maybe we can get this thing moving."

"What do you know about engineering?" Jynx asked me.

"Let's take a look at it and see what makes it so special." I said giving us a clear purpose and take our minds off the thing hunting us.

We returned to the front of the train and examined the controls carefully. It was Jynx who learned how to open the heart of the Flying Scotsman. We stared at it in wonder and not a little fear.

"What color is that?" Jynx asked her voice distant and cold enthralled by the blasphemous radiance.

"I don't know." I replied. "Close the damn thing. Close it Jynx!" I felt better once the two metal shutters slammed back into place. "Nick, you are awful quiet."

"In Iram. I found one of the treasure rooms it was nearly empty. Buried for all time in a metal box was a necklace. The stone clasped to the chain gave off that very same color. A shade that defies the mind and as unnatural as the Formless."

"It is like a waking nightmare." I muttered as I found the switch that powered up the great engine. "That's got it. Now what?" I tried other switches and soon a wan illumination filled the entire train. The ancient bulbs had barely survived the century underground. "They won't last long. I am open to suggestions."

"Where is that drone thing?" Jynx asked having recovered from her exposure to the heart of the train.

"It is back in first class." Nick said distracted. "I guess I should take a look at it and see if I can get it running."

Jynx screamed as both windows on either side of the engine blew inwards and the Formless attacked a second time. We were ill prepared. Jynx fumbled for the lighter as I brought my fist up with the ring blazing on my finger. It was prepared and resisted our initial pushback. It had nearly cornered Jynx when she found the lighter.

"Leave me the fuck alone!" She screamed as she pressed the lighter against its unnatural flesh. The stench was nearly overpowering. The thing roared and withdrew. Jynx lost the contents to her stomach and retched all over the floor of the car. "I... want... to... go... HOME! John please get me out of here. I can't take this anymore!"

The entire train shook, and the sound of screeching metal echoed within the tunnel. Jynx cried out about the drone and our only hope for survival. I panicked and began heading back when Nick stopped me. I looked at him like he lost his mind when he held up his damaged hand.

"I don't get it." I said nearly snapping.

"I cut my hand on purpose." Nick explained. "It contains the same nanites that course through your bloodstream. Surfer scanned you and confirmed my suspicions. The origin of your tech remains a mystery, but I know what mine can and cannot do. My blood infused the damaged drone and went to work repairing it. That thing is in for a devastating surprise. It believes the drone is still damaged. It isn't, the UV lighting is fully functional."

I can scarcely describe the sound the Formless made. I clapped my hands over my ears to try and block it out. I could see the blast of intense light coming from the next car. The train shook as the thing thrashed in its death throes. I stumbled to my feet and thrust the lever forward. The train shuddered a second time as it crept forward. It limped towards the wall of stone that stood between it and the sunlit world. The Formless shrieked again but this time it was far weaker than before. I slammed the second lever forward and the train picked up speed. The lumbering beast gathered up momentum as it neared the end of the line.

"This ends now!" I yelled. "Take care of her Nick."

With barely a look back I raced forward. I had no idea what I would do but damn it I had to do something to make sure that god forsaken thing didn't survive. The drone was still spewing forth its lethal ultraviolet light. It couldn't hover, but I could carry it. I snatched up the deadly orb and followed the trail of slime. It was insane, but it had to be done. I laughed when I thought that this is exactly what Missouri Smith would do. The tunnel led down. What started as a gentle spiral became a sudden steep plunge into darkness. It was like a water slide without the water. I cried out as I slid out of control into the abyss. I held the orb to me protectively. It was my only hope of ever seeing the outside world again.

"Fuck!" I cursed as I felt the rock give way to nothing.

There was no longer solid matter beneath me. I directed the light to the walls. The insane murals depicted impossible scenes of horror and landscapes no earthly artist could possibly render. The pigments hinted at unspeakable acts of violence and depravity. It was at this moment I must have lost consciousness or sanity for what followed was from the mind of madness itself.

Bubbles. There must have been a million of them clustered in that space between spaces. Some of them were tiny, others the size of soccer balls, and still others the diameter of moons and planets. The bubbles sang as they moved and orbited one another. The singing became a choir and that choir spoke to me.

"Killed..." the host of voices called out. "You killed my pet."

I tried to reply but there was suddenly no oxygen to fill my lungs. I gasped as I slowly asphyxiated.

"Hush. You will be my new plaything. Your ass belongs to me now. Say my name."

"Y..." I gasped as air rushed in and filled my lungs. "Yog... Sothoth." I said as the name filled my mind and the entirety of my being.

"That'll do. Almost there..." The cacophony filled every cell in my body. The distant crash echoed down from that impossible distance. The Flying Scotsman had made it. The train had pierced the wall of stone and both Jynx and Nick were safe. That is all that mattered. I could die happy that I had done some good. "Die? No plaything you aren't going to die. You are going to live so that your actions will amuse me. Now... off with you. Back to the world of men and don't disappoint me."

I was moving. In fact, I was accelerating. Wherever I was being sent to I was doing so very quickly. Where was Yog Sothoth sending me?

Epilogue:

Aftermath: The Middle of Nowhere

The ship was anchored in international waters. It had been in the same spot for three days waiting. The Captain slept as the sky above began to glow and pulsate. The crew on deck stared at the artificial aurora as it intensified and blazed with strange and weird luminosity. Yan Fong, a native sailor out of Singapore, pointed and drew attention to the object falling towards the ocean. Hen Sing, the ship's cook, raced to the Captain's cabin and pounded on the door.

"Captain. It is happening. The sign we were waiting for is happening now!"

"Keep an eye out and fire up the engines. We need to collect it before any other ship catches wind of it."

"Aye Captain." Sing replied as he conveyed the Captain's orders.

The tramp steamer pulled up anchor and with a deafening roar of engines and spray of sea water it turned about towards the falling object. The Captain set foot on the deck and watched the object still high up in the atmosphere fall steadily earthward. The letter had been true and accurate. The unknown author had paid handsomely for a ship to be in this portion of the ocean at this time.

"A falling star?" The Captain muttered with lips stained with alcohol.

"No." Brynn, the chief navigator, argued the point. "It is falling too slowly. It should have struck the ocean by now."

"What is it?" The Captain asked and then cursed. "By the gods... the clouds... they are on fire!"

"Smell that," Brynn said sniffing the air. "Ozone. Jesus! It is St. Elmo's Fire!"

The thing slowed its decent even more now until the ship was directly below it. The blazing sphere settled above the deck and slowly dimmed. The entire crew had assembled by then watching as the form of a man took shape within the drying storm of living lightning. He tumbled to the deck his nakedness quite profound. Wisps of steam rose from his body as the last of the St. Elmo's Fire dissipated.

"Get him some clothes and bring him to my cabin." The Captain ordered. "No one breathes a word of this. Besides, who would believe you."

"Easy now," Fong said as he took one side.

"We got you." Sing added. "What's your name?"

"Name?" The man moaned as his eyes opened and he looked around. "I'm on a ship. What is the name of this ship?"

"Wave Dancer. Don't let that fool you, she is sturdy and hale. Do you remember your name?"

"My name is... you can call me Smith... Missouri Smith." The man said as a tear slid down his cheek.

"Do you remember where you were before... this?" Sing asked as he helped the man up the stairs.