Undefined - The Zephyr Book 1 ? (completed)(#Wattys2016)

Chapter 38 - Syianne

38 - Syianne

"RED ALERT! RED ALERT! EVACUATE! ERRATIC FEILDS IN ALL LAYERS! EVACUATE!"

The voice of Control screams in my ear as Sagastus slaps my cheeks. He pulls me by my arm. His grip is powerful. He does not look worried, although I can't really read his expression through the goggles and the Lightsilver headdress. He pulls me up to my feet; his Jewel is glowing with black light.

Control room continues to boom in my ear. "The way up is faster," Sagastus's voice interrupts the transmission.

"Wait! Cello? Cello?!"

"I'm climbing up the hatch Syianne!"

I sigh, relieved and nod at Sagastus.

"Let the Zephyr push you out," he says.

Push me out? Yes. That's what it wanted all along. I had been falling in, but the Zephyr wants to spit me out. It took us a long time to get down here, but we spring up in seconds, practically flying through the open hatch.

Like coming out from a deep dive, all the color, light and life of the world floods me at once. My body feels unspeakably heavy; the noise is enough to make my head explode. The Undefined girl is already unbuckling the straps from me. I lift my goggles and push down the flap from over my mouth and nose. Sagastus is still holding onto my arm, while the Undefined girl stares at us. He pulls me along as a stream of people continues to empty out of all the hatches. We head towards the stairs. I feel extremely relieved and happy to be out of there, to be done with it. I feel different in ways I can't explain. The adrenaline is still rushing through my blood.

We're almost at the stairs when uproar makes me turn around. All the wires except two have been rolled back against the wall; all the Plungers but two have risen out of the hatches. The Undefined man next to the only occupied hatch begins rolling in the wire with a special machine, several of the other hatch workers crowd around him looking nervous.

Two empty harnesses connected by a wire burst out from the hatch.

I'm seized with panic, Cello, where's Cello? I talked to him, but he wasn't out yet. I'm shaking all over before I remember that it can't be him, his pair wire had been severed by the Scribbles. I sigh with relief, even though I know I'm horrible.

Two people have been seized by the Zephyr and I think I don't care, as long as it isn't anyone I know.

But I can't relax until I see Cello, Fellin, Dairyk and even Risa. I'm in the crowd moving up the stairs, we're like a herd of sheep, flocking up towards the surface. Most of the faces I see look grim, but some seem excited from the commotion. Sagastus is among the excited. He was successful in what he set out to achieve. He finally did it — he untapped the black energy.

What he made me do had cost the lives of two people.

No, not what he made me do: I could have said no. If I had refused to do it, there would have been no way to force me. It was my own actions that had brought peril to everyone.

"Is this happening because I broke the shell?" I ask him while we wait in line for the elevator.

"No one knows," he says. He lifts his chin, looking down the line. Sagastus isn't very tall, but I'm rather short, I can't see anything beyond the people pressed close to me. "Medrick, a word, if you please."

Risa moves up the line followed by Dairyk. I feel some relief by seeing them, but I guess they aren't enough. There was no actual danger of the Zephyr taking the precious black Jewels. "What a mess," Risa says to Sagastus.