Sierra

Chapter 4

Jumping down to the elevator had a 32% chance of structural failure and 60 seconds save of travel time. It had been a risk, but a calculated risk. One that proved that even a 32% chance is still enough, as when he landed with a metal crunching bang on the top of the elevator, the cable snapped. The elevator dropped.

His computer ran through the math, searching the database for any backup or emergency systems. Instead, he got an error message -

DATA BASE NOT FOUND

- flashed in green text across his heads up display. He didn't get a chance to wonder about it as their free fall stopped as quickly as it began, with a deafening bang and a cloud of dust erupting from below him.

He hit the roof on his back. His helmet cracked back against the elevator pulley and the heads up display flickered at the impact. They had been at the bottom of the shaft already. They must have only dropped 10 feet before hitting the bottom.

Cole rolled over, locating the emergency hatch and crawled over to it. His display flickered again as he grabbed the hatch and yanked it open. He dropped down inside. Empty.

Ahead of him was the wide gaping doorway of another tunnel. He must have dropped them down right in front of it. The girl was gone, but the tunnel only headed one direction and he could hear the echoing run of her footfalls.

This hallway was taller and wider than the service tunnels. Metal tracks inlaid in the floor lead away from the elevator and he followed them. After 500 feet another doorway appeared.  Eight doorways actually. He ran straight into the center of a circle of identical openings to other tunnels. The tracks lead to the right, but he paused, waiting until he heard it. The third to the left, the sound of her panting and running carried down the tunnel. He turned, boots scraping against the dusty floor as he followed after her.

Another twist, another turn, doorways passed on either side and then two more of the circular junctions. Always her footsteps betrayed her and she was getting closer, losing more steam than he was.  The footsteps stopped. The hallway opened wide and deposited him in a chamber. 

He stopped as well, night vision scanning the giant chamber. It stretched upwards at least 50 feet into murky darkness and streams of dim light erupted from the ceiling. As he stepped under one he switched of the night vision and looked up. He doubted it was daylight, but maybe another tunnel existed above this one and clouded skylights let in enough light to turn this chamber a murky grey.

The ceiling curved down into the walls where four openings exited the chamber, one in each direction. Two were small, human-sized, the other two, at least 20 feet tall at their highest point.

In the chamber, an abandoned bulldozer and crane sat rusted and forgotten. Large pieces of train rail and pipe were scattered on the ground beside them. Too much trouble to get rid of a once the construction was done. He could tell the equipment had been picked over by scavengers, with just the skeletons remaining, the pieces too big to be moved. He scanned each piece, evaluating their cover potential.

His assessment done, his gaze focused on the bulldozer. Big enough to block her heat signature, close enough she could hide behind before he arrived in the chamber. He leveled his gun at what he knew to be her chest height, steadying it with both hands as he moved towards it.

"There's nowhere else to run. Come out with your hands up."

No response.

Cole stepped closer, gun perfectly level as he crept closer to only the corner she could be crouching behind. It came closer and he lunged the last step, whipping his gun around into her hiding place and - "Hands up - on the ground -" he stopped suddenly and blinked at the empty space. She wasn't there. His display flickered again and it took 1 second too long to catch up. A flash above him alerted just as his computer calculated where else she could be. Up.

It was just fast enough he could dodge back as she jumped, stabbing a knife at his face. It scrapped the front of his helmet as he reared back and stumbled backward. She landed on top of him, knocking him to the ground. Dust clouded around them as they hit the floor.

His computer helpfully chimed that it was an illegal weapon that she brought down, trying to slice through his neck. Any knife longer than 3 inches - not helpful right now! He pushed the data to the back of his mind.

His arm swung up, blocking her blow and her knife glanced off his armor. He brought his other arm around and pistol-whipped the side of her face. Her head snapped to the side with a cry.

Cole rolled, inverting their position. Her flashlight banged against the side of his helmet. The display flashed red. A diagram of him popped up, highlighting his head in yellow to inform him where the problem was. Why did it keep popping up? Couldn't it tell he was in a combat situation? The distraction was enough, just enough for her to stab her knife into the space between his armor in the bend of his shoulder.

There was no pain, there had been no reason to program them with pain, but there was a tingling sensation as the synapses shut down. His diagram flashed again, now with his left arm shoulder lighting up red.

She pushed out from beneath him, leaving her knife in his shoulder. He lifted his other arm and fired in her general direction. He knew it didn't have a lock on her, but it was enough to send her scurrying behind the bulldozer again.

His left arm twitched as he stood. His heads-up display ran diagnostic information, informing him of the issue and what it ran to try and fix it, another warning popped up but he focused past it. He stepped towards the bulldozer again, he heard her shift behind its protective shell.

"This is your last chance-" he called as he leveled his gun towards the dozer, "-come out with your hands-"

She came out, more suddenly than his predictions had indicated. His finger tugged against the trigger just as the flashlight flew from her hand. Had it fired? Why hadn't he fired? The computer took over and diagrams flashed in his face, warning him of inevitable impact. With his left arm was down, his right arm raised, blocking the light from hitting his helmet. It jarred against his hand, knocking the gun from his grip. It hit the floor and skittered across the concrete.

A single second passed as it stilled its slide, 6 feet away from either of them. She dove for it, he dove for her.

He grabbed her leg, her boot kicked firmly into his face, pushing her forward the last inch she needed. He yanked her back, but her fingers had already wrapped around it. She slid back, delivering his gun directly below his chin, just below the helmet and above the armor.

87% CHANCE OF TERMINATION

SEEK IMMEDIATE COVER

Flashed it's helpful green text across his face, warning him of his inevitable failure. Her finger squeezed the trigger.

Click.

Her face dropped, fingers frantically gripping the trigger again. Click. Click.

An earlier warning message popped up again, the one he had ignored along with the diagnostic issues. 

                                              WARNING: WEAPON EMPTY, RELOAD NOW.

"Shit!" she shouted, dragging him back to the moment. Her arm reared back, ready to slam the gun into his head. His hand snapped out, grabbing her wrist. She tried to yank it free, a scowl twisting her features. He didn't have another gun, he couldn't reload. Her eyes glance moved to his arm. The knife. She bucked up, her arm crossing between them to attempt to grab it. His other arm wouldn't respond. He couldn't stop her. Her fingers wrapped around it. Another second passed before his computer calculated how to incapacitate her. Stun mode. His hand twitched and then a shrill whistling sounded, indicating the charge up. Her eyes flashed to him, her hand yanking the knife from his shoulder.  

The charge dispelled, coursing from his hand into her wrist. She surged below him, bucking against the ground and then collapsed, unconscious.