Down in the Underworld

Chapter 26 - Some things to sort out

A short time later, after Cal’s body had been moved back upstairs, the remaining crew gathered around a large table in the house kitchen. It was clear that before they planned their next move, they had some things to sort out. Fury was obviously anxious to get after Demise and rescue his Science Officer, Phoenix, but knew he couldn’t go after the Overworlders and Demise by himself, and the Anhinga was still a few hours away from being sea-worthy. Plus, there was the question of this Bowie-damned tech that everyone was dying to get their hands on. What could it really do? The only good news so far, as the Ghost had made clear, was that the next move was up to them.

Fury drained the last of his flask and banged his fist down on the hardwood of the tabletop. Wincing in pain, he looked over at Lady and frowned. He was drunker than he wanted to be, but he couldn’t do much about that now.

‘What in the hell even was that thing?’ he slurred. 

‘Easy there, Fury, we’ll get Phoenix back, they just want whatever that tech is, so it seems like a pretty straightforward trade, right? Phoenix is the important thing here, I don’t care about the tech, we’ll just meet Demise in the Londinium’s catacombs and give him what he wants.’

‘I don’t think it’s that simple Lady,’ Fury sighed, as his drunk, sad eyes rolled in her direction, ‘that tech you salvaged, I have an awful feeling that in the wrong hands it could be dangerous, psychotically deadly even. 

‘What do you mean?’ asked Deadeye, looking up from the bench where he was making himself a sandwich.

‘Look at this stage it’s mostly just a theory right, but I’m thinking that if that equipment you found really is part of some kind of terraforming machine, then imagine what the Overworlders could do if they got their hands on all the pieces, not to mention that maniac Demise and this Ghost woman … think of the Barrens, and the Dead West, I mean those places are already messed up, but it could always be worse, and what if they got to the Arbor or decided to do something even more fucked up to the water? Where would we be then? And do you really think that this weird troika are all honestly working together like old friends? I can feel it in my bones that given the slightest chance they would all sell each other out for half a penny and stab each other in the back.’

‘Dang, he’s right …’ Fizz trailed off. 

‘But what would be the point of doing anything to the Barrens, even the Dead West? They’re already like Hell on Earth from what I hear … and the water is already toxic enough …’ Lady said slowly.

‘But it’s not about that, think who would suffer the most from this, what would happen?’ 

‘Us, they would kill us, all of us,’ Hera whispered.

‘Right, they know a lot of us survived, they know where we live, and up until now they’ve tolerated us but they don’t really want us around, we’re dangerous and they don’t want the rest of the surface finding our we’re strutting around down here … and haven’t you noticed lately there’s more jumpers than ever? As much as you try to stifle free thought, you can’t keep everyone stupid forever. Ideas always find a way. And imagine if one day we all fought back? Did you ever consider forming an army with people from the Barrens and trying to get back to the surface? Maybe you haven’t, but I have, and if I have then so have others, perhaps someone has even tried it. And what about the reprogramming centres? Lady, you yourself escaped one of those, you know how bad they are, what if the people held there tried to escape, all at once? They’re smart people, they’re just scared right now, and fear is the only thing keeping them peaceful. If you think about it, there’s so many of us, all over the world, our numbers are growing and that makes us a threat to their control over the surface,’ Fury explained as his voice rose excitedly.

‘I never thought …’ Lady drifted off.

‘And imagine what would happen if we got hold of that machine,’ Fury continued, ‘and changed things for the better, if we fixed the water, or transformed the Barrens into one beautiful, massive garden? Then we wouldn’t have to scrape for everything we have, we could create our own world, we could set the others free.’

 ‘That would be amazing,’ admitted Lady, but her face was still a mask of uncertainty and sadness.

‘So why don’t we do that?!’ asked Deadeye, caught up in Fury’s manic agitation, ‘why don’t we go after them and get Phoenix back and the rest of that machine!?’

‘Well, it’ not an impossible idea ….’ said Lady.

‘’Yeah, so what’s stopping us?’

‘Look, if we do this, we obviously can’t go it alone, two subs against Demise and the Overworlders in their spec’d up Blanks? No thank you, not to mention that Ghost woman, and whatever Mellion hybrid friends she has slinking around in all those abandoned tunnels, no I don’t like those odds,’ said Lady, talking herself out of the idea.

‘So, we reach out to our friendlies, people we can trust, Underworlders, the Barrens people, Deadies … see who’ll join us, we have a week, right? we just have to hustle,’ suggested Fizz, not willing to let this proposal go.

‘Yes! We can get the word out, get as many subs as we can to join us, and we’ll do it for Cal,’ said Hera darkly, getting to her feet, her face still streaked with tears.

Lady looked over at Hera sadly. It was obvious she was exhausted, and that whatever she and Cal had gone through with the Ghost still plagued her. Lady wanted to tell her not to blame herself, but she knew it wouldn’t make any difference. At least not yet. The look in Hera’s eyes said she wanted revenge. Lady had seen that look before, and knew it wasn’t something that just went away. 

‘For Cal,’ Lady said finally, smiling at the girl. She knew she’d have to tell Fury to keep an eye on Hera. Angry people were often unpredictable and dangerous, especially to themselves when they let guilt cloud their judgement.

‘But first I’m going to head down to Stumpie’s and see how the repairs on the Anhinga are coming and if I need to, hurry them along,’ Lady added, getting to her feet.

‘I’ll come with you,’ said Fury also getting up and stumbling slightly, ‘I need to walk this off.’

‘What should we do here boss?’ asked Fizz. 

‘Start gathering supplies … food, meds, clothing, dive suits, weapons, whatever you can find.’

‘You got it Commander,’ replied Fizz, Deadeye and Cato together as Hera nodded silently.

 ‘Ugh, I need some fresh air, the room is spinning,’ mumbled Fury, making his way quickly from the room.

‘Good thing too, we need him sober,’ Lady sighed quietly to herself as she watched him leave before turning back to her team, ‘we should only need a couple of hours max, gather our crews and whoever else wants to join us and meet us on the docks as soon as you can.’

‘May Bowie watch over us all,’ whispered Hera.