The Lost Level, page 17
Just then, there was a terrible trumpeting noise, and the ground trembled beneath our feet as something crashed toward us. The grass parted, and the male octophant towered over us all, eyes blazing with fury. Its tusks were as long as javelins and thick as telephone poles, and its writhing tentacle–trunks looked strong enough to crush a steel safe like it was nothing more than an aluminum can. We stood paralyzed with fear, as did our attackers, as the enraged father lumbered toward us, bellowing a horrifying cry. He grasped one Reptilian with a trunk and began to squeeze, while simultaneously knocking aside another with a brush of his tusk. The stunned Anunnaki could only lay there, clawing at the ground as the octophant trampled him under one foot, pulping the snake man into red and green jelly and splattering the rest of us with gore. The sounds this made were terrible. The other helpless victim, still clutched in the beast’s trunk, wriggled helplessly. The octophant smashed him against the ground, repeatedly, splintering the snake man’s bones. Then, the monster tossed the limp form aside and glared at the rest of us.
I was hesitant to attack the beast if I could at all help it. After all, the father was just protecting its mate and offspring. Unfortunately, I could tell by its stance that the octophant would give no quarter. It intended to slaughter every living thing in our cluster. I briefly wondered if there was any hope of temporarily joining forces with the loathsome Anunnaki and defending ourselves together, but before I could devise a way to communicate this to them, the octophant charged again.
The serpent men scattered as the beast plowed toward us. I pushed Kasheena out of the way and then hurriedly helped Bloop to his feet. The octophant blundered between us, spearing an Anunnaki through the chest with his tusk while snatching another one with a serpentine tentacle. The impaled Reptilian slid down the tusk, staining it with gore. Its hapless companion struggled as one of the trunks squeezed his midsection. His eyes bulged, and his forked tongue protruded. Blood erupted from his mouth and nostrils.
While the octophant’s back was to us, I dragged a whimpering Bloop into the grass and found Kasheena. With our injured companion supported between us, we retreated through the vegetation, doing our best to not only stay concealed, but get as far away as we could as quickly as possible. Bloop made a valiant effort to remain quiet, but I could tell he was in agony. His fur was matted with pungent sweat, and he’d bitten through his lip to keep from crying out. Blood oozed around the shaft protruding from his thigh, and already the limb was swelling. He was wobbly on his feet, but remained upright with our help and seemed determined to press on, despite recently being crushed beneath a giant crab–lobster–scorpion monster and then shot in the leg by an arrow.
Behind us, the sounds of the octophant’s violent rampage continued. I kept glancing over my shoulder, certain that it would pursue us at any moment, but it seemed to be occupied with the remaining Anunnaki. I wondered where this particular group had come from and how they’d discovered us. Were they related to the other patrols we’d encountered, or had our paths crossed simply by chance? It occurred to me that if the creatures communicated telepathically, which all evidence seemed to indicate, then it was possible that one of the previous groups we’d killed might have sent out a call for reinforcements to any other Anunnaki within the area. How far did their telepathy reach? More importantly, where was their base camp or main civilization? They had plagued us at nearly every step throughout our journey, despite our long trek and the different regions we’d travelled through. I wondered just how large their numbers were and once again found myself pondering the possible reasons they had for so diligently attempting to capture us. They’d shown no hesitation to kill us, when directly threatened with the same, but it was clear that they’d prefer to take us alive. But for what purpose?
I was still mulling over these questions when I became aware that Bloop had gone limp. Panicked, I called a halt and laid him down in the grass between us. After checking his pulse, I was relieved to discover that he was not dead, but merely unconscious. His breathing had grown shallow and hitched, and his lips were pulled back from his teeth, revealing gums that had gone from black to grey.
“We’ve got to get this shaft out of him,” I whispered. “Is there any chance the Anunnaki could have poisoned the arrow?”
“It is doubtful,” Kasheena said, stroking Bloop’s fur. “They prefer their captives alive.”
“That’s what I was thinking, too. He’s probably just gone into shock. But no matter how badly they might want us alive, if we don’t help him soon, Bloop’s going to die.”
“I do not believe the octophant will follow us.”
I nodded, noticing how quiet the grasslands had become again. “It’s probably gone back to its mate. But even so, I’d still like to put some more distance between us.”
“We cannot drag Bloop between us in this state.”
“No,” I agreed. “We can’t. I’ll carry him. You’ll have to take point.”
Kasheena frowned in confusion. “Take…point?”
“Take the lead,” I explained. “I’m going to have my arms full with Bloop, so you’ll have to lead the way, watch for dangers, and protect us if something attacks.”
“So, you wish me to do what I have been doing all along?”
It took me a moment to see that Kasheena was joking.
“Well played,” I laughed. “Yes, exactly what you’ve been doing all along.”
She leaned over Bloop and gave me a quick kiss. Her lips were soft and warm, and even in that fleeting moment, she took my breath away. Then she stood up, readied her sword, and beckoned at me to follow—all business.
“Wait just one minute,” I said.
I cut a large strip of cloth from the bottom leg of my jeans and used it to make a tourniquet above Bloop’s injury. He groaned, but remained unconscious. As gently as possible, I scooped him up and draped him over my shoulders, holding fast to his arms and legs so that he wouldn’t slip off. I stooped over, struggling to remain upright and balance his weight. Walking while carrying him took a great amount of effort and concentration, but I managed.
Kasheena led us down a hill into a narrow, dry creek bed. The grass grew even higher along its banks, concealing us completely. We followed the gulch, and walking became easier. I still struggled with Bloop’s weight, however. I felt like I was carrying bags of cement. My shoulders ached, and my arms and leg muscles began to burn. The grasslands remained quiet, and there were no further signs of pursuit from either the octophant or the Anunnaki. Gnats and mosquitos buzzed incessantly around my face and ears. Unable to swat them away, I could only grit my teeth in annoyance and keep plodding along.
“Perhaps we should remove the arrow here?” Kasheena suggested.
“No,” I said. “We’re still too close to the octophant’s lair, and I don’t relish the idea of that daddy stumbling across us while we’re in the middle of working on Bloop. Plus, these aren’t the most sanitary of conditions. Isn’t there a structure or some form of shelter nearby?”
“There may be, but the only place I know of for certain is the Temple of the Slug, and it would be foolish to venture inside those walls.”
“But why? If it’s a walled–compound with a roof, then it would offer us protection and give Bloop a chance to rest. What’s so forbidden about this place? Why do your people fear it so?”
“I have told you before that I do not know, Aaron. Ever since I was a child, I have been warned of venturing into the temple. We will have to find another place. Come. Let us continue. We will find something else. I am sure of it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I did not know this creek bed was here. There is no telling what else might be hidden beneath the grass.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Kasheena didn’t reply. She stalked forward, staying alert. After a moment’s hesitation, I followed her.
Bloop moaned, still unconscious.
“Hang in there, buddy,” I whispered. “We’ll find a place to take care of you soon.”
And then we did, and even considering the strangeness of all I had experienced, the Lost Level surprised me again.
13
GHOSTS OF THE FOURTH REICH
FATIGUE BEGAN TO GNAW AT me as we followed the gulch. I struggled with Bloop’s weight. Desperate as I was to get him to safety and take care of his leg, I still needed to stop and rest. I was just about to tell Kasheena this when we came across the flying saucer.
That in itself wasn’t so surprising, especially given our previous encounter with the Greys. No, the strangeness came from the markings on the side of the craft—multiple renditions of a symbol that clearly indicated the UFO had originated on Earth. Perhaps not my Earth, but an Earth all the same.
The craft was relatively small, roughly the size of a sedan, but disc–shaped. It was manufactured out of some sort of heavy, silver metal that I couldn’t immediately identify. Sunlight should have glinted off the surface, but instead, the object seemed to swallow all light. Its shape reminded me of Saturn—a sphere surrounded by a disc. One edge of this outer disc was embedded deep into the terrain, and dirt and rocks lay piled up around it. Judging by the vegetation growing around it, I guessed that it had crashed here long ago. There was no obvious damage to the ship—no cracks or ruptures or signs of fire. There were also no windows or hatches. The outer hull was entirely smooth, with no visible means of entry into the craft’s interior. There were no visible marking, either.
Except for the swastikas.
“What is it?” Kasheena whispered.
“A flying saucer.”
Kneeling, I laid Bloop in the grass. He stirred, but did not awaken.
“A flying—”
“It’s like the airplanes we found. People used it to travel through the air.”
“Your people?”
“No,” I said, eyeing the swastikas. “Definitely not my people.”
“Is it safe?”
I shrugged. “It looks like it’s been here awhile. See how the grass and vines are growing over it? I’d guess whoever flew it here is long gone. And that’s good.”
“They were bad people?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “They were very bad people. Worse than the Anunnaki.”
We set to work on caring for Bloop. I built a small fire while Kasheena searched for water. It took me a long time and a lot of frustrated curses to manage doing so. I wished for a lighter, or some of the fire stones we’d had earlier, but had to resort to striking my dagger and sword together to produce sparks. The entire time I did it, I worried that the noise of steel on steel might attract predators, but none came. By the time Kasheena returned, I had the fire going hot. I’d used dry grass and fallen tree limbs for tinder, and was dismayed by how much smoke the grass produced, but there was nothing we could do. Kasheena eyed the billowing smoke apprehensively, and I could tell she was troubled by it, as well.
“It’s not great,” I admitted, “but I’m just glad I could get it going at all. I wish we had some fire rocks.”
“They are rare in this area,” she replied.
“Yeah, I remember you saying that before.”
“I found a small spring of good water nearby. But I do not think this fire is a good idea. If there are other Anunnaki about, they will see this.”
“I know,” I admitted, “but we need hot water in order to do this. Also, I’m convinced that they have the ability to track us through other means. Sight, hearing, and smell, of course, but given their telepathic abilities, I have to wonder if they’ve been able to find us via extrasensory abilities. Perhaps they’ve been tracking us via our thoughts.”
Frowning, Kasheena placed the water over the fire. She’d found some type of brown gourd out amongst the grass and had used that to carry the water in.
“Think about it,” I continued. “Different groups of Anunnaki have come upon us at different times throughout our journey. Now, I could accept that in one or two instances they stumbled across us due to blind luck. But for it to happen so often? That suggests to me that they were hunting us specifically. And given how determined their attacks have been, I have to assume revenge is now a part of it. We don’t know what their original intent was when they captured you and Bloop and your uncle, but it’s beyond that now. They want blood. Vengeance. Somehow, word of each group we’ve slain has made it back to the larger community. If they can do that, then it stands to reason they can track us through similar means.”
“You sound worried, Aaron. Do not be. You have said yourself, we have bested them with each attack.”
“Yes, we have. But if they are following us, what happens when we reach your village? We could end up leading them there.”
“The Anunnaki have been a thorn in my tribe’s side since before I was born. We do not fear them. It would not be the first time they have encountered our village. My people would slaughter any who dared set foot there. We always have before.”
Before I could respond, the water began to boil over, and I turned my attention back to the grisly task at hand.
“He’s unconscious,” I told Kasheena, “but I need you to hold him down anyway, in case he wakes up while I’m doing this.”
Nodding, she sat her weapons aside and knelt over Bloop. She straddled him, putting her knees on top of his shoulders, and then leaned forward, grasping his wrists. Bloop didn’t move. Satisfied that she had his upper body restrained, I sat across his legs, readjusting the tourniquet to make sure it was tight. Then, I slowly worked the shaft out of the wound. Bloop moaned and twitched, but his eyes remained shut. His tail slowly coiled. I blinked the sweat from my eyes and continued, cursing in frustration. The arrow’s barbed tip was caught in his flesh. Pulling my dagger from the fire, I used the heated blade to dig the arrowhead free.
The moment I touched the hot metal to his flesh, Bloop howled with pain. His eyes shot open, and his tail lashed out, swatting me in the face.
“Hold him,” I shouted. “You’ve got to keep him still.”
Grunting, Kasheena doubled her efforts, putting all her weight on his struggling form. His tail lashed out again, curling around my wrist. I wrenched it free with a gasp.
“Bloop,” I cried, “it’s us! Calm down, buddy. It’s going to be okay.”
Bloop roared, resisting with all his might.
“Damn it, Bloop. It’s me. It’s Aaron and Kasheena. Let us help you!”
He growled in response, thrashing and clawing at the dirt. Then, with a great shudder, he passed out again. I returned the blade to the wound, wincing at the smell of burning fur and flesh. The arrowhead was free within seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. I inspected the shaft, making sure there were no broken pieces still hidden inside his flesh. Then, I tossed the arrow aside and examined the wound. It was a ragged hole, about the size of a quarter. Blood leaked from it despite the tourniquet, and there were already signs of infection. I cleaned it as best I could, using all of the water we’d boiled. Then, I bound and bandaged it and sat back on my haunches, wiping the sweat from my brow. Kasheena climbed off Bloop and collapsed beside me. She, too, was dripping with sweat, and her long hair was plastered to her face, shoulders, and breasts.
“That’s it,” I panted. “I don’t know what else to do for him. Fuck…I just….”
“We have done all we can. When we reach my village, Shameal can do more.”
“What if he doesn’t make it until then? What if he dies before we reach your village? He’s our friend, Kasheena. He’s saved our lives more than once. I want to be able to return the favor.”
“I am troubled, too, Aaron. But the best thing we can do for him is to remain focused. He is not strong right now, so we must be strong for him.”
Rising to my feet, I put out the fire. The smoke quickly dissipated, and the embers merely smoldered. Satisfied that it would no longer telegraph our presence, I turned back to Bloop and checked his pulse. It was weak, but steady. His breathing seemed normal. Even better, the wound had clotted beneath the dressings.
“We’ll let him rest here for a bit,” I said.
“I think you and I should do the same,” Kasheena replied. “We have not stopped since our encounter with the robot. Are you hungry?”
“No, but I could use a drink.”
“I am thirsty, too. You watch over Bloop. I will get us more water.”
“Be careful.”
“And you, as well.”
She picked up her sword, retrieved the gourd, and headed for the spring. I sat by Bloop’s side and put my hand on his chest, hoping the gesture would comfort him, even in his unconscious state. Eventually, my attention returned to the wrecked craft.
The idea of Nazi flying saucers wasn’t new to me. I’d seen enough of them in comic books as a kid. And you also have to remember that during my initial experiments with traveling through the Labyrinth, I’d briefly visited a modern–day world where the Nazis were in control after winning World War II. Granted, I hadn’t seen any flying saucers while I was there, but the idea wasn’t so far–fetched.
I also knew the history of the Nazi Bell, a top–secret weapon the Germans had supposedly developed during World War II while the Allies were working on the atomic bomb. There was no one consensus among occult scholars and conspiracy theorists on what the Bell had actually been or what its purpose was. Some said it was an anti–gravity propulsion device. Others believed it to be an experiment in free energy. One group of devotees were convinced it had been a vehicular craft of some kind, while yet another insisted that it was a weapon. Time–travel had also been suggested, with some believing that the Bell had been the German’s own version of the Philadelphia Experiment, and still others proposing that the device had allowed Nazi scientists to see events from Earth’s past via the use of a mirror affixed to the interior of the device. There were as many theories about the Bell’s whereabouts as there were about its purpose, with some believing it to have been secreted off to a South American country after the war, and others insisting it had been seized by the Russians, Americans, or another nation’s intelligence agency, or perhaps an international group like Black Lodge. A few even insisted that the Bell’s creators had used the device to escape capture and that they had travelled through the Labyrinth with it, transporting themselves to another level where they’d be free from persecution.
