H2G2 Storytime III: From Prussia with Love. Part LXI
Created | Updated Oct 6, 2007
Sreka and Daltmooreby travelled down the corridors towards the launch pad in stony cold silence. Finally the unspoken tension between them broke. "She was pissed." Daltmooreby observed casually.
"I know. I let her down." Sreka's head, hung uncharacteristically low.
"Obviously. "That was some slap." Daltmooreby continued ignoring Sreka's obvious agitation.
"Speak to me of this no more - I am helpless around women."
"Aren't we all?" Daltmooreby said with a sly smile, adding, "What exactly did you do to deserve that, if you don't mind my asking?"
"After I killed Vandeveer, she wanted me to guard the gate personally."
"Which you didn't. Or couldn't?" Daltmooreby fished for answers.
"I didn't get there in time. It was those damn agents! How did they get out of the tunnel?"
"Hmmph! It's a miracle any of us survived." Daltmooreby responded coolly.
"That was all Vandeveer. I should have stayed with you and Mary to watch those Agents and the others burn. Besides, I owed you nothing," Sreka spat. "I still don't."
"Well we can't turn back time can we?" On the bright side, at least I now know that, like me, you'd do almost anything to get back at Robinson."
"I know you would." Sreka said without thinking, wiping his brow..
Daltmooreby slowed as he considered this odd remark to his incautious needling. Suddenly the reason dawned on him:
Slowly he said: "You needed my help!" a grin erupting across his face like a gash. Gloating in Sreka's obvious discomfort. "That's why you approached me after I came up with Von Trapp from the tunnels. You already knew they were inside!" He took a sharp breath "..Oh..ooh but you hadn't told her - had you?"
"No."
"Ha ha! And to think, I was prepared to kill you right there and then."
"You would not have succeeded." Sreka muttered darkly.
"Perhaps not," Daltmooreby sniffed, "It's not really important."
If you still think you can beat me old man, then we should settle our dispute right now." Sreka said.
"What's to settle? We're even. You helped me get some measure of revenge on Robinson and for that I thank you. No, my good Cossack - all is forgiven," and he patted him lightly over his heart. "We have other things to focus on now." pulling back his coat to reveal the puch under his arm that carried the diamond.
Sreka looked up sharply. "Someone's coming."
Footsteps approached. A figure emerged from around a corner.
"Good evening" said the figure in the classic Cult weave. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Sebastian Grobvaughn - and I will be your pilot on this mission. Come - this way we can change in the atrium before boarding."
The Grand Master waited impatiently in the control room, tapping a severe stiletto heel on the chilly metal grating; the tinny metallic dinging signifying to all that were present that her patience was wearing out. Her arms were folded across her front and she wore a deep look of ill-tempered concern on her face, staring out of the window across the huge dark cavern.
"Have they finished?" she barked suddenly at some random member of the technical team who had carelessly wandered within her frosty orbit.
"Still - we are still waiting Grand Master." the occultists stammered gently.
"How long does it take to complete a safety check? It's not rocket science!"
"er...actually it is Emmenence...your um..grace." the same occultists replied without thinking before swallowing rather furiously as he realised belatedly that the entire room had suddenly fallen silent for him.
Annabel had stopped taping, she turned slowly to face him.
His eyes widened in horror.
"Yes...I suppose it is." She admitted with what appeared to be good humour.
He suddenly remembered to resume breathing.
A commotion at the door and three technicians appeared conversing amiably and stopped abruptly when they saw The Grand Master already waiting for their report on the raised gantry of the control Room.
"Deliver your report!" she demanded, placing both hands on a rail and leaning forward testily.
The lead technician stepped cautiously forward: "Everything looks good Grand Master. Just give the word."
"Excellent." Annabell beamed, "Start the clock and light her up."
A hand was raised, and a button depressed. Down in the Cavern, which had already started to fill up with people awaiting the spectacular event, a large digital clock illuminated In ominous red digits:
Large hallogeon bulbs thundered on, illuminating a pathway across the cavern floor; giant Hollywood spotlights errupted into collumns of light, turning about wildly until they settled on the gigantic sides of the space shuttle and the towering scaffold that held it upright and fed it the fuel and internal atmosphere. Lights on the scaffold flashed on segment by segment up the length of the tower until the entire structure was illuminated and the rocket stood proud in the middle, directly beneath the conical dome of the hollow volcano.
The crowd went nuts.
The din of their joy was heard even in the control room.
"The people are pleased your majesty" someone remarked.
"Of course they are. And now to capitalise on that fact...."
And she left in a flurry of robes and headed for the speaking gallery that protruded in front of the VIPs balcony beneath the control room.
A father caught his son by the shoulders and hissed for him to keep quiet. Passing them, Ody and Jamila walked, arm-in-arm, through the milling crowd as casually as possible.
She caught the lonely smile from her friend eyeing the parent and child, and gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder changing Ody's face to one of gratitude when he turned to look at her.
There was, Jamila felt, an uneasy tension in the air. Not that anyone else seemed to notice this, but there were guards visibly stood watching from every door into the chamber. She had the distinct impression that entry into the hall was easy but exting it would attract all sorts of unwanted attention. It felt as though the enormous reception room for the Cult's dedicated followers was being contained rather than protected.
"At least they're not looking for us," Ody murmured, reading Jamila's look of concern correctly, just a guard marched past.
"Not us specifically anyway." Jamila agreed.
"How are we going to get past them?" Ody asked, indicating the stern-faced guard stood by the exit.
Jamila looked back at the father and child. "Listen, I've got an idea." she said.
Arthur and X pass through a maze of pipes and industrial-looking machinery at the base of the rocket. Suddenly Arthur halts and peers back around a corner...."that could be useful" he said taking the thing that ahd been left, discarded on a workstation that had the day's maintainence jobs pinned to it.
"Come along - we've got to stop them before they lift off."
"Wow" Ody said "I'm amazed that worked."
Posing as a newly wed couple that had been thrilled that their honeymoon coinciding with the most important day in Cult history had been an inspired idea. They had jumped from alcove to alcove giving off the distinct impression of a couple looking to vent the excitement together and away from the crowds.
Tangoing and swaying up to a guard stood by the doors that lead towards the station, they both smiled and looked nervously apologetic - and the guard being a romantic soul gave them a nod to pass through.
"You just have to know how to read people" Jamila said.
Now the pair were in one of the many tunnels that bifurcated the mountain complex. There was a corridor but also a rail-line. It lay to Ody's right; in a small covered alcove suported by arches and columns, the monorail snaked into the distance. He realised he was looking at it with archeologist's eyes. He'd spent so long looking at the ruins of lost civilisations that he was suddenly struck to be stood looking at the workings of a previously unknown civilisation at the height of technological achievement. Yet here as there, there were small signs. Tells, he'd call them. There was a corridor but also a monorail. He'd bet his eye teeth that the corridor was for the ordinary cultist and the monorail was only for senior clergy.
Right now both were, thankfully deserted as the entire population of Alpha base had gathered in the main chamber to wittness the launch of the rocket.
Jamila had stopped in a small patch of light by a small, square pillar with a map on top telling them that 'They Were HERE' complete with crimson arrow pointing to their location. Ody's jogged up to her.
"It's like the maps in Egypt - what you really want to see is hidden. You can't expect them to have anything there they don't want Joe Cultist to know." Ody opined as he stepped beside her.
"Not necessarily," Jamila playfully pointing her finger at an area in the top left corner. "See they've just greyed out what we aren't supposed to know about. That's where the cells were, and that looks like the entrance we all came in, there's the rail network..."
"Yeah but look - how many platforms are there? Which one will take us out of here?
"Quick down!" Ody cried.
The monorail had started to hum that electronic whistle that idicated an approach. Ody peered out from behind the pillar, he saw a small shuttle with perhaps four seats skim along at a brisk pace and slow to a halt just past them.
A suitably robed official disembarked - and began ruffling his tunic and fluffing his rumples.
"Sir!" a cry rang out from behind them, back down the corridor.
Ody turned and saw an agited minion holding aloft a clipboard with a sheaf of paper flapping in the breeze as he ran down the corridor. Jamilla pressed up against the pillar squatting down, hoping not to be seen. Ody tried to do the same and pay attention to what was going on.
"Sir!" The minion ran towards the dignatory
"What is it Grampling?" I have to get to The VIP Balcony - the Grand Master will not abide my tardiness!" The senior clergyman said irritably.
"It's the latest predictions from the territories sir. He said brandishing the clipboard.
" and has everybody punched in?" the Robed figure said in an officious tone and donning some vari-focals to peer at the data.
"Not all." said the Clipboard hurriedly. "Obviously the last minute assignments have knocked the schedule out of whack and... unstable societal changes." She glanced at sheets from the board. "Sanaá, Brasília, Casablanca is voided pending review... Takamatsu and... Washington DC of course."
"Of course." The other murmured. "Reroute all professional rail lines to..." He took the clipboard and scanned, pausing only to mull over the options, "Substation Digamma. No need for excess energy waste. Just..." The lights started to dim overhead and the room beyond the corridor started to silence. "Just make sure it's secure." He thrust the pad back to its owner and hurried away. "And clear." The senior Cultist yelled back as an afterthought.
Clipboard was dismissed. The official apprached the doors which Ody and Jamilla had only just come. "Evening Bob." said the clergyman genially. "Evenin' your grace - off to see the big show eh?"
Quite so, bob, quite so, how are the wife and kids?
Their conversation faded.
but Clipboard hadn't left. He was stood staring at the monorail and furtively glancing this way and that. "It's a long walk" Ody heard him mumble.
"Come on" he hissed to Jamilla and grabbed her arm - "I've got an idea."
I've always wanted to use one of these"
Pausing briefly to consider the consequences if caught, Grampling took up residence in the rear-facing seat of the monorail car.
She paused briefly mapping out destination to sub-station Diagamma in her head as she placed the clipboard aside and grabbed the controls. The cart bumped then set off at a brisk pace.
Some seats behind Jamila peered at the back of Clipboard's head then carefully slid back down to lie across the floor with Ody who glanced at the jagged rock ceiling travelling overhead.
"I had a bad feeling about this," she said through gritted teeth.
"You heard them discussing the stations - this is our way out of here. " Ody whispered back.
"But can we leave just like that?"
Ody met her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean should we?"
"Is it that X guy?"
"What? No!" She hissed.
The two archeologists stared at each other as if daring to press the point.
"We can stay if you want, it's just that--"
"I know, Ody, I know. I get it, we're not qualified for this type if thing but I feel like we're..."
"Abandoning them?"
"Worse, it feels like we're just giving up. Y'know?"
He paused then nodded uncomfortably. "Yeah." Ody rubbed his temple. "So what do you want us to do?"
"Leave."
"But?"
"You've seen the number of guards dotted around, they're going to come looking for us - all of us - eventually. And those two are surrounded. So we leave but..."
A sinister grin crawled onto Ody's face. "You just don't want to leave quietly." He opened his hands. "Well why didn't you say so before?"
Jamila just rolled her eyes.
"Let's just find the exit before we make a scene, huh?"
"Deal." Jamila replied emphatically.
