F
U T U R E B A R R I E R
( The
3rd Novel )
Secret Technology,
Unrequited Love, Absolute Vengeance
© May 2018 Written by David Wicker
Please do
not reprint without permission
 CHAPTER 48 -
"A Concerted Effort"
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CHOOSE A
DIFFERENT
CHAPTER TO
READ ]
* * *
This chapter is Rated: TEEN
Back with Daniel and Stefani many miles under the incredible underground Arkos city, morning had arrived by the show of 9:03am on the large digital clock for the cylindrical prison they were.
Daniel was the first to rise and washed his face and hands in the lukewarm water. He punched a button and got himself a banana disk to eat as Stefani finally stirred awake.
"Morning." he said, addressing her and biting into the semi-sweet protein circle.
Stefani had hoped it was just an elaborate hoax or nightmare she was were she was. But no, both her and him were still trapped many miles beneath Arkos in a sewage storage facility and they were still on the raised concrete "petri dish" of an observation stage.
She, too, washed herself, and punching a green button got herself a spinach protein disk to chew on. It was not really great, but when you are hungry, it was there.
"So, today we leave this cesspool, right ?" she asked of Daniel.
He nodded. "Yes, but we'll have to work together. From the time I've been down here I learned there are two levers that must be pulled in tandem in order to work. Then we'll both be free from here."
"I'll be free from here, anyways." Stefani thought to herself. For she had no quirks or qualms about escaping herself and leaving him to rot in here. For if he went to the authorities it could be the end of her job and possible imprisonment !
She also considered that since Arkos was murdered, as was said on the news earlier, a new leader should be chosen for this organization. Herself of course ! And she wasn't going to let some mealy mouthed moron like Daniel ruin it for her.
"This way." he offered and shimmied down the ladder to the side. Stefani followed suit and found herself knee deep in the awful muck again.
"There." he said, and pointed to the left where a long rusted lever that was down the edge of the tank they were in.
"Mine is over here." He then purposely strode to the right, wide and deep through the muck to another side where a considerably more camouflaged lever was.
Stefani pushed hard against her legs to get into position. Unfortunately to be at the lever he said would mean she would need to wade waist deep in it.
Daniel, seeing her hesitation spoke. "It's only for a moment. Understand I was in here buried up to my neck for several days thanks to you."
Stefani turned her head suddenly to retort, "Then why are you treating me so nice ? You could've - well - died down here because of what I did."
He nodded his head and gave a pleasant smile, "I try never to let the past interfere with my future. For the moment, we are allies. After we have both escaped, well - it might be better if we didn't cross paths again. I will certainly not interfere in your future affairs nor give you reason to be in contact with mine."
Stefani turned her head and grinned to herself. She would destroy this boy before the day was done and that just might not be death for him after all. For that would be too easy a solution for him. Her wicked mind turned busily over and over itself thinking diabolical things to do to him.
But she couldn't give him any indicator that she wasn't earnest about them both escaping. Turning her head again she spoke in earnest, "I'm ready here."
He was ready at his own switch. "Okay, we turn them both counter-clockwise on the count of 3. Ready ?"
Stefani did not speak as her mind was on the future and what she would do once she was free from this purgatory. Wealth and riches ! She was going to plunder Arkos' room as likely the door would still admit her.
"Ready !?" he yelled, to get her attention.
"Wha - oh, yes, ready here." she said.
"Good." he concluded. "Now, on the count of 3. 1 ... 2 ... 3 !"
He gripped his rusty lever and pulled it hard to the left counter-clockwise. Stefani did the same. A muffled speaker from somewhere issued a double-chirping sound of acceptance.
Suddenly the ground beneath Stefani began to rise ! She leg go of the switch momentarily, amazed, and the ground started to recede again.
* * *
"No !" Daniel yelled. "Keep holding the lever down until the circuit is complete !"
She nodded and grabbing the lever again, turned it a quarter spin counter-clockwise again and the landing beneath her started to rise. She held the lever this time. Suddenly the muck was washed off as the ground beneath her was slightly slanted like a wide diamond, and pure clear water issued from the top to clean it even further.
As the ground rose the lever she held did not. Suddenly it was level with her waist, then her knees. She gasped in pain trying to hold the lever down.
Daniel saw she was struggling and yelled, "Don't let go !"
"It'll cut my hand off !" she cried back. And sure enough the ground which was still rising was about a foot from her hand and the lever.
"Then let go !" he yelled.
She nodded and did so. The ground stopped moving and stayed where it was. A green light suddenly shone in the darkness to the left of Stefani and the irrefutable letters shone on a newly appearing door there. "EXIT."
. . .
Back with Dev and Lorraine. They were still talking a ride on the Ferris-go-round and had just reached the absolute top where it coasted to a stop so we could take in the view.
"Can you tell me now ?" I asked her.
"About what ?" she said and looked straight on ahead at something I couldn't see.
"About the chambers. You said when someone dies, they go to their chambers ?"
She turned to look at me. Shrugged, then said, "Sure. I guess we have some time yet."
She then explained it to me, "Up there. Each of those little red dots in the sky. Those aren't stars. Each person gets their own personal hell. Sometimes it's something they want, sometimes it's something they don't want but richly deserve because of their cruelty on Earth."
She looked up at the "stars" with me, "It's funny, of recent it's been 50/50. Mankind really is getting twisted and perverted compared to say hundreds of years ago."
"It's difficult for us now to think up any creative punishments anymore as the humans seem to believe they deserve the very terrible things we inflict on them - and some psychotic ones actually derive pleasure from the torture or degradation."
"That's messed up !" I told her with a grin.
She smiled and I leaned back, taking in the sights. Well, from what I could see the carnival itself was HUGE, I mean like miles across. Only in the distance separated by thick blackness were there pinpoints of light to show activity.
Suddenly Lorraine pointed. "Once you've had your fun here, that's where we're headed." and she pointed. Difficult to see with the darkness I saw a large tower raising up to the sky, easily miles tall.
"What is that ?"
"It has an ancient name that today is not very pronounceable. Humans simply call it the 'Perfection Engine.' It keeps hell ordered and numbered. Few things operate on randomness or luck as the Dark One himself likes to keep all the unknown figures for himself. Past, present, and future."
"I guess you couldn't beat him at Poker then ?" I offered.
She tilted her head to me and smiled. "It goes further than that, Dev. Not only would you not win. He would own the cards, the table, the very air around the table, all the chips, and be fully aware of every card that would appear even from a fully shuffled deck, down to the last card."
"That's a powerful ability." I said, trying to fathom it.
"Yes, that was the gift ordained to him from the Being of Balance. but you can see how a power like that makes things evil. It is the unpredictability of normal life, the luck, the FUN in discovering new things for the first time - that is that what makes humans such interesting creatures and their ability to enjoy life to the fullest - discovery."
"Without that, you can well grow cold, bitter, angry, and likely vengeful, for knowing every possible event before it happens. Nothing would be unknown. And to be inflicted with it for millions of years, it is a terrible curse if you really think about it."
"The Dark One now only gains pleasure from the displeasure of others - something he apparently cannot predict. Thus the chambers are now engineered individually for each fallen human, even those people just falling in here temporarily from sleep - they all get it."
I thought about this for a moment. "Doesn't this interfere with God's plan on the greatest gift he gave mankind ? That of their Free Will ?"
Lorraine whirled to look at me incredulously. "There is no way a snip of a boy like you could possible know about - " but stopped and smiled. "Oh no, you don't get the answer to that just yet. You can learn the answer to that at the true time of your passing."
Suddenly the ride stopped. I looked to see that we were back on the ground.
I stepped out and she graciously held a hand out for me to exit the carriage.
"Where to next ?" she asked me.
I turned to look. There was so much taking place. While I wasn't so much interested in the rides as I was the carnival games which looked captivating from where I stood.
I smiled. "Come on, let's lose your money to some perfectly rigged games."
She grinned and, taking my hand, we were off to the part of the carnival where all the games and challenges were.
END OF
CHAPTER 48
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