Day 1
Drip, drip, drip
The steady beat of the water falling from the tunnel roof
punctuated the silence. This was the worse part of any
battle, thought Joseph Narellus, the waiting. Worse even
than the blood shed that was to surely follow.
He shifted the heavy rifle in his hands and checked it once
more. Armed and ready. He just wished the person holding it
was ready.
He felt it first. A distant rumble to low to hear.
Something was moving down the tunnel ahead of him. He put
his foot on the metal rail in front of him. They where
using a train. This was going to be major attack.
“Incoming” Joseph shouted back down the tunnel. He could
now feel the cool air displaced by the on coming train.
Joseph took his position in an alcove on the left side of
the tunnel. The rest of his men took theirs. The rumble was
now clearly audible and getting louder very quickly.
They are going to try and ram the barrier, he thought. They
must know we have removed the tracks behind it. This was a
suicide mission for the train crew.
Joseph shook his head ever so slightly, so many willing to
throw their lives away for this war.
The rumble of the train had now become a roar. Joseph held
his weapon in close to his body and closed his eyes.
The train passed his hiding place at speed, no hint of the
breaks behind applied. Moments later the screech of
twisting metal and the crack of breaking stone. No
explosion. The enemy would be close behind or in the very
back of the train.
Joseph and his men moved from the alcoves almost as one,
half looking back toward the crash site, the half covering
the tunnel ahead. Joseph lead the forward team.
Tunnel was empty. Were where they?
No sounds of any fighting came from behind him.
What sort of tactic was this? No matter Joseph signaled his
men forward. Staying close the the tunnel wall they
advanced. There was no sign of any movement ahead. Joseph
ducked down low and reached out to touch the rail. There
was no hint of vibration.
Why would they advance by foot?
Joseph signaled to his men to hold with tiny flashes from a
signal lamp under his rifle and then ran on ahead. He
didn’t know what the enemy was planing and he had to know
what was lurking ahead. It was crazy to run in to the
darkness like this when it could be hiding enemy hordes,
but it was his job to kill and die for his station. If that
was to be now and that revealed the enemies plans that so
be it.
The tunnel was empty. Joseph ran onwards. There was no
enemy train waiting to bring troops to the now destroyed
barrier. There where no enemy troops at all.
Joseph stopped. He knew he was getting close to enemy
barrier. Doing that alone was a useless waste of his life.
He looked back down the tunnel. Why waste a train like
that?
They would waste such a resource unless they thought this
would be a decisive strike. What would such a strike be?
Joseph’s heat skipped a beat. They where going to try and
seal the tunnel!
He turned and ran.
As he ran he switched his signal lamp on again. To be
killed by his own men now, when he knew what the plan was
would be a cruel tragedy.
“The train, the train”. He shouted wildly as he ran back
towards the crash site. He one of his men, Reynolds lower
his weapon as he approached.
“There’s something on the train. They are going to try and
seal the tunnel”
Reynolds was now running ahead of him. “Storm the train” He
shouted ahead.
More of Joseph’s men fell in behind them and ahead there
where more moving in. “Lights on” Joseph shouted. Suddenly
all around them there where lights. No point in hiding now.
What ever the enemy where planing to do in the back of that
train they knew they had already started.
“Get them to move everything back from the barrier” Joseph
shouted.
He could see the train for the first time now. It was a
long train. At least six carriages. What every was going on
it would be in the back most one. This gave them the best
chance of surviving the crash. And there had to be people
there. If it where mechanical or electrical what ever was
going to happen would have happened by now.
The carriages had been totally de-railled by the impact and
final carriage lay upright, but diagonally across the
tunnel.
His men and there lights gathered at the edge of the tunnel
some distance back from the carriage. It was still a
carriage and as such could carry maybe 120 men and who
knows what heavy weapons.
“The rear door. Move in and kill every one. Three each on
each side outside to catch any runners”. Joseph Shouted
ahead as he approached his men. He was sure there would be
none, the men in here had decided to die a long time ago
and right now he was more than happy to make that happen
for them.
The heavy steel plate that had been welded on to the back
door took two blasts from the heavy rocket team before it
was blown in to the carriage.
Joseph was first in. He wasn’t thinking now, just acting.
The corridor beyond was empty of any live enemies. At least
two had been killed by the door being blow in or it might
have been the crash. It didn’t matter, one less obstacle to
over come.
The door at the end of the corridor opened. Joseph didn’t
wait to see what was there, he just opened fire. He kicked
the door open. The person opening it fell backwards. Joseph
shot the prone man with out thinking.
There where more men in the room beyond, some lay on the
floor, dead or inured, it didn’t matter they would all be
dead soon. Others worked on some sort of large gun assembly
which had been fixed to the floor in the center of the
room. The gun had broken lose in the impact and at least
one person had been in front of it when it had.
Joseph’s team burst in to the room behind him. One of the
enemy had started to fire. Some one fell to Joseph's left.
He dived for the floor and rolled, knocking the firing man
to the floor. A stab from the bayonet on Joseph’s rifle
made sure he stayed down.
The room filled with the sound of gun fire. Joseph looked
up.
The battle was over in seconds. 5 enemy dead, 1 of his own
men dead and 2 inured.
The strange gun looked to have been damaged in the crash
and was probably never going to fire, what ever it was
supposed to fire.
Move lives wasted in what looked like a futile attack.
Joseph and his men moved forward to clear the rest of the
carriages, but beyond the final one, there had been no one
in them. Just used as buffers to protect the strange gun in
the last. There was very little left of the train or
barrier. The enemy could just walk in now. They couldn’t
use a train now for sure. It would take months to clear the
wreckage and Joseph knew they wouldn’t. It made the perfect
barrier to more attacks.
The war was over, on this front at least. But there where
many more tunnels between Kings Cross and Liverpool street.
Joseph and his men had just reached the barrier command
post when news of the second attack got to them. A smaller
attack using the Victoria line tunnel had made it through
the barriers there and the fighting had made it to the
station it’s self.
Causalities had been light, be for an attack to have made
it that far was shocking. Had this attack just been a huge
diversion?
“Do they need any help with the mop up at the station?”
Joseph asked the phone operator.
Joseph just wanted to get back to the station. Anna worked
close to Victoria line tunnel.
“No, it sounds like the raiding party is all dead”.
Dam, thought Joseph. He would have to wait to she her
again. For a few moments he had felt now she must feel
every time he left for the tunnels. The station had always
been a safe place for her, for every one.
“Sergeant Narellus” a voice barked from behind him.
He turned to see an officer of the intelligence unit. His
black uniform so clean, so spotless. They did not dirty
them selves with the realities of actually fighting a war,
just with planning it.
“Sir” Joseph saluted sloppily. They intelligence officers
where worthy of nothing more.
“I need to know what happened in that carriage”. Joseph
sighed, this would take hours. He would want to know
everything and all of his men would need to tell him the
story and they would all have to do it separately.
It had, as Joseph predicated taken hours. The intelligence
men had gone over the every bit the that final carriage as
well as all of the accounts of the storming of it. By the
time released Joseph had told the same awful story three
times. Finally all of Joseph’s men where aloud to get
together and say there last farewell to their fallen
college. Private Harper was his name. Joseph didn’t know
him that well. He knew all of his men of course, they had
bonds with each that had been forged in heat of battle, but
Joseph always kept his men at a distance.
Joseph lead the men carrying the body to lime pit. In these
confined spaces, bodies had to be disposed of quickly to
stop infection.
“We commit our glorious dead to the earth from which they
came. The death of bother in the defense of his station and
those ideas for which it stands will be forever
remembered”. Joseph had read this standard text so many
times now it had lost all meaning. It was just two
sentences now. Much as the ideals for which they where
fighting for had lost any meaning.
They where just words too. Where these words worth dying
for? Joseph asked him self again and again.
“You will of course help us here, won’t you? You are after
all the hero that fended off this attack from those vile
fanatics from Liverpool street”.
The propaganda officer had grabbed Joseph the moment he had
arrived on the main platform at Kings Cross. Joseph was
desperately tired and wanted nothing more than to see Anna
then to sleep. He knew he could argue with this man, in
theory he had no actual military rank and so couldn’t order
him to do anything, but the propaganda department was very
well politically connected and if he refused it was sure to
get back to his commander.
Joseph sighed. “Very well when do you want me for
this…this…”
“Ceremony. Right away. He people need there hero’s now more
than ever”.
The propaganda man started to lead Joseph away. Joseph
stopped. “Wait a minute. Ceremony. What’s going to happen
at the ceremony”.
“You will get your meddle the…er” The man looked at his
clipboard. “Shield of extreme heroism. We are all set up to
do this right now. If you can just come this way”.
Another meddle dreamed up to keep the people supplied with
a steady stream of hero’s and we need new hero’s because
the old ones keep on dying, Joseph thought cynically.
“What about my men?”
“Oh yes your men they will get a mention”.
“Get a mention. One of them is not returning from this.
Private Harper deserves more than just getting a mention”
Joseph stopped and grabbed the propaganda man by the arm.
“If any one is going to get a decoration for this it should
be him”. The other people on the crowed platform moved
around the pair of them casting them annoyed or interested
looks.
The man squirmed in his grip. “Dead heros are no good to
us, we need some one that the people can rally around in
these dark times”.
“Well if this goes on much longer all you are going to have
is dead heros. You will mention his name. His family
deserve that much at least”. Joseph released his grip on
the mans arm. “Please don’t be difficult, we are doing this
for the people”.
Joseph walked on through the crowd quickly. “The people,
ha, how many of the people want to be fighting this war”.
Joseph shouted back at the man. The crowd between the
thinned out quickly, it seemed to sense there was something
interesting going on between these two men.
The propaganda man looked uncomfortably at the crowd and
then ran after Joseph. “Please do not say such things. If a
political officer where to hear this…”
Joseph turned around, “What? You would have to find your
self a new hero for your fake ceremony” The propaganda man
moved close to Joseph. “You know what could happen if a
political officer hears such things. You and your family
could get sent to the lower levels”.
“Let’s not make this official shall we” The propaganda man
added quietly.
The little man was threatening him. Joseph knew he could
easily do what he said the results for both him and Anna
could be severe.
Was this what I’m fighting to preserve? Joseph asked him
self. Would things be so bad under the religious
dictatorship of Liverpool street? Joseph looked at the
little man. He wouldn’t let this insignificant pen pusher
harm either him or Anna. The ceremony wouldn’t take long
then he could see Anna again.
He was wrong about that. The ceremony took a long time.
They hadn’t even started to set up with Joseph arrived in
the tiny studio. It seemed that only the propaganda man
knew who the ‘hero of the hour’ was. Joseph was sure that
he had just grabbed the first officer than he had seen on
the platform.
To make matters worse they insisted that he stay in his
dirty, worn and blood stained combat fatigues, to ‘better
show that it doesn’t matter what the conditions are our
heros can get the job done’. Joseph didn’t care any more,
it seemed that the whole thing was nothing to do with him,
he was just there to play the part of the hero then he
could go.
While they bickered about the script, the backdrop, the
music and lighting Joseph slept. When they where finally
ready, he then did his part, read the lines on the script
got the certificate (there was no actual meddle) and was at
last free to go.
Day 2
Joseph headed straight from the platform area up to the mid
level living area. Despite being a war hero I still don’t
get to live on the upper levels, Joseph thought cynically.
The mid levels weren’t so bad, anyway. The air was pretty
fresh and the water mostly clean.
The propaganda was still there, it always was every where.
Day and night the public screens showed the official news
on the ‘glorious campaign’. Joseph knew more than most that
only about 10% of what was said on these was true. Plenty
still believed it though, it was maybe preferable to
believe in such a fantasy than face the reality of the
world.
Joseph stepped around a bucket collecting water that was
dripping through a gap in the iron plates that lined the
circular tunnel. He looked up at the source of the leak. A
red stalagmite of rust had formed there. This leak wasn’t
new. A haggard looking woman stepped up to Joseph. Her eyes
where at once angry and scared.
She was ready to fight Joseph for that water. Joseph raised
one hand, nodded and walked on. The water was probably not
safe to drink, she must have known this, but she was still
ready to fight for it.
Joseph sighed. Again he wondered what they where fighting
and dying for. He would feel better when he saw Anna again.
She never saw the dark side of this world, only the light
and the good.
Joseph entered there dormitory. He had given up his,
admittedly tiny, private room to come and live in a common
room with Anna. As far as Joseph was concerned that trade
was well worth it. There was a strong sense of community in
this dormitory and Joseph had been welcomed with open arms.
In such an area a military man was an asset.
Marko was standing by the entrance as normal. He was
another military man, but he had been inured early in the
war and had been honorably discharged. He hadn’t been
called back up yet, but Joseph was sure if things carried
on the way they where now, people like Marko would find
them selves in combat again.
He was a huge mountain of man. His injury did nothing to
lessen that imposing figure and Joseph knew he was still a
formidable fighter.
“Hey, man” His rich, deep, dark voice filled the tunnel.
The two of them hugged each other. “Good to have you back
again”.
“Yes, I can take over for a while once I’ve seen Anna. Is
she here?”
Any happiness in Marko’s face seemed to drain away. He
shook his head. “No she’s not. She…”
Joseph was suddenly very worried. “…She was caught in the
attack on the Victoria line tunnel. She was hurt. They have
her at hospital on J level. You should be with her right
now”
Joseph just stood there, numb with shock. The war reached
his safe place. The place where everything else didn’t
matter, all of the violence, the killing, the horror, the
fear, they all went away. When Joseph was with Anna it was
all gone, everything was right with the world. And now the
war had reached that.
“…Joe…Joseph…” He realized it was Marko talking to him.
“…You should be with her now. She needs to know your okay”.
Joseph, coming back to his senses looked at Marko.
“Hospital on J level. Go!”
Joseph ran.
It was called a hospital, but in reality it was no more
than a section of the tunnels that had been closed off at
one end. There were no walls or doors, just opaque white
plastic curtains dividing the beds.
At least it wasn’t full, Joseph thought, as he passed empty
beds. Some one dressed in a white coat stepped out from the
curtains in front of Joseph. A doctor!
“Excuse me”. Joseph tapped him on the shoulder. He turned
to face Joseph. The face was familiar to him.
“Yes…err…Captain Nareulls isn’t it?”
“Yes, but please it’s just Joseph”. He knew him, now the
tall gaunt looking doctor had been a field medic for some
time. Joseph couldn’t remember his name, but he did
remember what this man had done for the inured in his unit
during the Metropolitan campaigns. “You have a lady here
that was caught in Victoria line attack”.
“Sadly yes, we have many. Can you describe her?”
“She’s short, slightly built. Longish stright black hair,
blue, grey eyes. Very pretty”
“Mmmm. Follow me” The doctors face was hard to read. Joseph
knew he never seemed to show much emotion, but did he look
sad? Joseph was really worried now. He wanted to ask how
she was, but he didn’t want to find out. She was physically
tough, but she was small and slightly built. If a she had
been shot, Joseph knew first hand what damage these weapons
could do.
The doctor pulled back a curtain and they entered a
makeshift office. “Please take a seat”.
It was bad Joseph knew this now. He didn’t want to believe
it but he knew this was very bad. Joseph him self had
delivered this sort of news to families but he never
thought he be on the receiving end.
He sat and the doctor sat by him. “I sorry, but she didn’t
survive her injuries. She died a few hours ago”.
Joseph’s world collapsed in to a deep dark pit. Everything
went away. All sensation faded to blackness. Joseph was
numb and totally alone.
He wasn’t sure how long he sat there like that, but slowly
he became aware of the doctors voice. The world returned,
but it was now emtpy. Empty and gray with out Anna.
“I am truly sorry to ask this, but do you feel up to
identifying the body formally?”
Joseph hear his voice and responded yes, but he wasn’t
really aware he had.
The doctor lead him through some more curtains. Joseph
followed, but he didn’t really know where he was or what he
was doing at the moment. He was just numb.
“What was her name?” The doctor asked.
“Err..” For the first time Joseph really became aware of
what had happened, where he was. Before him was a body on a
table, underneath a plastic sheet.
“…Anna…err sorry Annalaver Cartwright”. She hated her full
name, Joseph always thought it was a lovely, exotic
sounding name. The name Anna, just didn’t do her justice.
“Thank you” The doctor pulled back the sheet. “Is this
Anna?”
Her body lay there dressed in her normal work overalls. A
tiny blood stain just above the line of the sheet was the
only sign there was anything wrong. Her skin had always
been pail. Her eyes closed and tangled and twisted, she
could have just been asleep.
Joseph told him self, she was gone, but he still didn’t
believe it. He blinked away a tear
“Y…yes thats her”.
Joseph went through all of the official procedures
required, but he did so with out thinking or even noticing.
He knew what needed to be done, every one did.
There where was no family to inform, the war had left so
many alone like this. Joseph him self had nobody but… He
had nobody.
Hours later he got back to his dormitory. Every one there
knew what had happened by this stage. They all offered
condolences and their help with anything they could. Joseph
only barely noticed this, he was still numb from it all.
Numb and exhausted.
He lay down on Anna’s bunk. He wrapped the blanket around
him self as he curled. Surrounded by all he had left of
Anna, Joseph fell quickly in to a deep sleep.
Joseph’s sleep was deep, but it was not undisturbed.
He dreamed strange dreams. Dreams of a different place, a
very different place. A blissful station where there was no
war. A strange station where the tunnels where so wide and
hight that you could not see the walls. There was space
enough space, food, water and air for every one.
Then he dreamed of a strange place. A tunnel full of small
boxes, each one just big enough for the dead body it held.
Miles and miles of dead bodies.
These where strange, happy and terrible dreams at once.
Joseph awoke with a start. He didn’t know how long he’d
been sleeping for. For a blissful few moments he did not
remember his loss. For a few moments he was warm and
comfortable laying there on his bunk.
It didn’t last long.
His world was now empty. He had no family, no Anna, no
point for his existence. The war was not reason enough for
his continued existence. He sat up and pulled back the
little curtain that gave him the little privacy that this
place could offer.
“Ah Joseph, I hope I didn’t disturb you…” It was Collins,
the administrator of this dormitory. The balding little man
looked even more timid than normal. Joseph shook his head
and swung his legs out of the bunk.
“…And I am truly sorry to have to ask this, but as you know
we…we are very short of space…and…”
Joseph suddenly angry stood up quickly. Collins took a step
back and for the first time Joseph noticed Marko standing a
little way back. “Hey” he said.
Joseph’s anger faded. It was not this man’s fault. His job
was to run this dormitory, something he was doing now.
Joseph sighed and put his hand on Collins shoulder. “Yes. I
will move Anna’s things now”
“Th…thank you” Collins stammered. Visibly relieved he left
the two warriors.
Joseph gathered up Anna’s few belongings and put them in
his bag. Marko stood there saying nothing while he did.
“Sorry, man. I didn’t want to imply anything but…well I
know what it’s like to lose some one”
Joseph sat back down on the bunk and sighed. “It seems
everybody knows. Everybody has lost some one”. Marko sat
down on bunk opposite him.
They sat for a moment saying nothing. “What no words of
comfort?” Joseph asked.
“What could I say that would help? You know you can ask me
for any help you need. And you’ll be getting the talk from
everybody else so I figured what’s the point of me giving
it to you as well”.
“Thanks”
Joseph suddenly came to a decision. He stood up and started
to pack his own things in to his bag as well. He took off
his uniform jacket and left it on the bed. Marko looked on
but said nothing.
When Joseph finally swung the bag on to his back, Marko
stood up.
The two men looked at each other in silence for a moment.
“This there any point in me asking?” Marko asked.
“Nope. If I don’t tell you then you don’t have to lie when
they come looking for me”. Marko nodded sadly.
“Tell Collins that this bunk is free as well now”.
The two men hugged. “You will be missed and you know you
are always welcome back here…when your ready to come back”.
Joseph nodded and taking one final look at the place he had
called home and then he left.
Day 3
Joseph wondered down the tunnels and corridors of the
station. He didn’t have any direction or any plan, he just
wondered. He didn’t really see or think at all, he just
wondered.
The tunnels where filled with people. Joseph could just
become another face in the crowd. He didn’t really notice
any of the people around him, he didn’t really notice
anything at all. He just let the flow of the crowd take him
with it.
The crowd slowed by another cluster of public screens.
Joseph stopped simply because the man in front of him did.
He looked at the screen, but didn’t really see it. Members
of the crowd came and when as the continuous broadcast of
reports from the war and how well the council was running
where pumped out.
Suddenly something shook Joseph from the daze he had been
in. They where showing a meddle ceremony, for a war hero.
It was his ceremony. The one he had been part of before…
Joseph shut his eyes. Thinking about Anna made him feel
like the very core of his being was being pulled in to a
black empty pit. It was a physical feeling, this was not
just an emotion, it was real.
Joseph stumbled and almost fell. “Hey” The man he feel
against said as he looked a Joseph. For a moment his gaze
lingered on Joseph, almost like he knew the face.
Joseph turned away and quickly made his way from the public
screens. If he where recognized it could be dangerous,
there where enough people that believed the propaganda that
he could be mobbed overjoyed citizens wanting to thank him
for saving the world from the fanatics from Liverpool
street. Likewise if he was seen by those who knew or
suspected the truth, they might see Joseph as a puppet of
the system and make an example of him.
Joseph needed to get away from the crowds, that meant there
was only one real way to go and that was down.
The lower levels where less crowded for very good reasons.
Only those that had no choice lived there. Lives could be
harsh and cut short brutally on the lower levels, but at
least there it was not likely that any one would notice
him.
And if I die there what do I lose? Joseph asked him self.
The border between the mid and lower levels was sharp and
well defined. One level, N level was the boarder. It was
guarded of course, but the guards where only really
interested in keeping the lower levels down. People where
free to go down there, but they would have problems getting
back up.
Only the suicidal or the truly good of heart when down
willingly. Joseph knew he would be noticed going in and
hoped that he wasn’t recognized by any of the guards, this
was a job for the military after all.
The tunnel leading to O level was in noticeably worse
condition than those on the levels above. The ever present
cream and dark green paint was bubbled and cracked. Rust
showed through in many places.
The lighting on the stairway down flickered and several
lights where off altogether. The 4 guards watched Joseph
approach. He didn’t recognize any of them. They probably
hadn’t seen the broadcast yet, so they shouldn’t know him.
Joseph looked at one of the guards. He could see the
confusion in the guards face, why would any one go down
there? Joseph looked away suddenly. The guard did nothing.
They would check down here maybe, but by then he would be
lost to them. Lost to the world.
Joseph headed onwards in to the lower levels. He’d seen on
one walking since he had passed the broader 10 minutes ago.
The people he did see,where laying in the dim tunnel,
sleeping, stupefied on some drug or dead.
The air was thick with smells of the rot and decay all
around Joseph. The smell of human misery.
Up ahead clustered around the glow of a working public
screen three people stood. Joseph knew his could be
dangerous. Down here, there was only one law survival of
the strongest.
This could be it, Joseph thought. 3 on 1 odds where not
good. He wouldn’t go with out a fight however. He griped
the knife in his pocket. He was not going to show them any
fear. Joseph strode confidently towards the three.
They stopped talking and there eyes followed him as he
passed them. But they did nothing. Joseph was ready for a
strike coming from behind, his senses stretched out to the
maximum, just like before a battle, but none came.
For a moment the danger made him forget about Anna, but it
did not last long, then the deep dark pit that felt like it
was slowly eating him from the inside reopened and started
to gorge it’s self once again. Joseph walked on as far as
he could, but he was staggering now. Finally he rounded the
corner and the collapsed against a wall slimy with water a
green algae.
She was gone. The grief finally hit.
Joseph had no idea how long he had been laying there
against the soaking wall, it could have been hours. The
great waves of grief washed all other senses away. It was
only the raw instinct that his training had instilled in
him that brought him to his senses as the three approached.
But that was just to late. The first kick landed on
Joseph’s side. The pain cut through the grief as a pair of
hands yanked him up and Joseph got a clear look at one of
his attackers. He saw the second kick coming and he was
ready for it.
The pain was still intense, but his training was taking
over now. He hit the man in front of him with the flat of
his hand. The mans nose broke. The dropped Joseph as he
fell to the floor. Joseph slipped on the floor and went
down to. The other two men started to kick him. The anger
took over now. Joseph had lots of anger and no reason to
hold it now, they had started this. Joseph had just wanted
to escape.
Joseph lashed out at one of the mens legs with his own. The
kick powered by Joseph’s rage broke the mans knee. The
third man seeing his fallen colleges turned and ran.
Joseph’s anger had not expended it’s self yet. He slowly
climbed to his feet. The first man was getting up to. But
Joseph’s kick to the mans stomach put him back on the
floor. Joseph lifted the man up off the floor and hit.
He hit him again and again. His mind was filled with the
pure savage joy of the violence he was inflicting.
Thousands of human evolution was striped away and Joseph
was just an animal.
He suddenly became aware of some else standing close by.
Joseph’s wild eyes looked up at the man standing there. He
was dressed in some sort of cloak. The second attacker was
slowly pulling him self up. He whimpered when he saw what
had happened to the first attacker. Joseph’s anger still
burned and it had a second target now. He strode towards
the fallen man.
“Stop!” The voice carried so much power it even penetrated
Joseph’s wild fury. He looked at the man standing there and
then at the fallen man.
Joseph headed for the fallen man again. “No!” The standing
man said. It was not a shout, but it carried far more power
than a shout ever could.
Joseph’s anger faded. The red mist cleared. Slowly becoming
aware of where he was again and what he had just done
Joseph started to shake. The cloaked man looked at the
fallen one. “Leave…now!” He started to crawl away.
The man stood over the now still body of the first
attacker. “He will probably not live” He said impassively
to Joseph. “Did he deserve to die like this?”
Joseph heard the man, but did not respond, he sobbed.
“Probably” The man answered his own question. “Such people
should develop a keen sense of danger. These people clearly
did not. Had it not been you it would have been some one
else”. The cloaked man pulled a gun from the within the
patchwork cloak.
“No don’t”. Joseph shouted as the he shot the man in the
head.
“Why?” The man asked Joseph. His face was deeply lined and
looked tired and worn, the eyes where a light crystal blue.
They seemed to glow almost in the dark shadows of the man’s
face. The mans head was totally hairless. “You killed the
man, I merely hastened the end. This was a more humane end
than lying in this place helpless. You should know that”.
“Stand up now, there will be others coming soon” The
cloaked man helped Joseph up. Still in shock and with grief
constantly playing on his mind Joseph numbly accepted the
mans help. Joseph knew the man was dangerous, his own sense
of danger told him than. If he was going to help him that
was fine, if it was going to kill him that was fine too.
“Come” The man walked off, beckoning Joseph to follow him.
Joseph didn’t notice the route they took, but he knew they
had gone deeper still, two, maybe three levels more. The
air was now incredibly foul, and the floor was covered in a
thin layer of water.
Joseph slowly started to think about is situation. Who was
this strange man and where was he taking him? Why had he
decided to come down here?
The man suddenly stopped and held his clenched fist up.
Joseph knew what this meant. There was an enemy ahead. He
froze mid step. Surely their foot steps would have been
heard in this place. Ahead Joseph could see a spot of light
moving on the darkened wall. Around the corner there was
some one with a torch. He could hear, at lest one, possibly
two voices.
The chatter might have masked the sound of their approach.
The cloaked man pointed to a dark shadow on the opposite
wall. Joseph could make something out in the dim light. It
was a door, sightly ajar. Joseph nodded and moved as
quickly and quietly as he could through it. The man
followed him.
Joseph could make nothing of the room out, it was in total
darkness. All he could see was the thin strip of dim light
that was the crack in the door. They waited there for what
seemed like an age.
Joseph felt slightly relieved that even this strange man
seemed to fear something. Yet he seemed to have no fear of
Joseph or the three men that had attacked him. He seemed to
have some sort of power over them too. Maybe there boss. In
which case I’m dead, Joseph thought with out any real fear.
The sounds of watery foot steps got louder and then faded
away in to the quiet background sound of constant dripping.
“Pro revolution rebels”. The man explained as they stepped
back out in to the tunnel. “Very dangerous. Down here they
don’t care what side your on, they set up taps and relays
down here so they can use some the public screens to show
there messages”. The man pointed to a box which seemed to
have been grafted on to a pipe. “Like all fanatics they
will kill any one that doesn’t believe in the ‘cause’. What
ever that cause maybe. No better than the council really”.
“Look, just who are you?”
The man turned and looked long and hard at Joseph. “I am
you savour, is that not enough for the moment?”
“No. I have no idea who you are, where you taking me or
what you want”.
“Would knowing my name help you know ‘who I am’? I could
just give you any name I like. We are heading for what you
could say is my home and that last question…well one thing
at a time”. The man walked on.
The man was right, knowing his name was no good and since
he had no idea where he was or the dangers of this place
and the man clearly seemed to, he had little choice if he
wanted to survive. He had to stay with this man.
If I want to survive…
For a moment Joseph considered it again. Not existing any
more. An end to the numbness, an end to the pain. Sweet
dark, quiet oblivion.
The man walked on and Joseph decided he wanted to find out
who this man was, what he wanted from him. Joseph walked on
after the man.
Day 5
The water was up to Joseph’s knees now, but wasn’t just
water. There was a thick layer of sludge below it. It was
thick and sticky and made walking very hard. The strange
man warned him not to fall over, it was toxic and smelled
it.
“We will be safe here, for the moment” The man said as he
stopped in the middle of the dark tunnel.
“Safe. Yes if I don’t choke to death. How do you live with
this smell?”
“We will be out of it soon. Here” The man walked slowly to
the wall. The massive iron plates that made up all of the
walls of the tunnels had thick edges where they where
bolted to the negbouring plates. The man started to climb,
using these edges as steps. The tunnel was wide and hight
and Joseph could make out hole high up on the wall. The man
was heading for that.
“Come follow me, but not directly behind remember the toxic
slime”. Joseph climbed the wall avoiding the patches of the
slime the mans foot steps left.
The hole opened in to a duct of some sort. Crawling was the
only way to travel in this tight space. The man took off
his boots and left them just by the entrance to the duct.
Joseph did the same. The man then crawled off down the
duct.
Joseph thought the tunnel might be slopping up slightly and
he was sure that there was a slight draft of cool, fresh
air blowing down it.
“An air duct?” Joseph asked the man.
“No an old service tunnel. Used to carry water, power etc
when this level was in use. It connects to a utility
station. One was at the center of each area on every level.
Very good for getting around quickly. They are mostly
forgotten now”
The man emerged in to a large room. It was in fact huge,
but there was not much room it due to the huge pieces of
machinery and mass of pipe work in the room. The man stood
up
“Welcome to my home”.
Joseph looked around in amazement. Hundreds of people could
live here where it not for the machinery. It all seemed to
be silent and still now, so the room could be cleared and
what space that would give for living in! The room was
higher than any tunnel Joseph knew of.
“Just you live here?” The man nodded as he sat down on top
of some huge unknown machine.
“And this place makes air and water?”
The man sighed. “How quickly people forget. No they don’t
make it, process it yes. The water, air and power comes
from elsewhere”.
Joseph was still amazed at the size of the room, he stood
on the spot slowly turning and looking at the ceiling.
“Tell me have you ever through what is beyond the station
walls, where the water comes from or even what is at the
end of the lines?” Joseph gave the man a worried look.
“Your not a believer are you? The fanatics from Liverpool
street believe in something beyond the stations”.
The man shook his head. “All this time and people have not
changed” He muttered under his breath. “Are you sure that
is what they believe? Tell me do you know why you fight
them?”
Joseph knew the official answer to this, it was drilled in
to every one all the time by the propaganda, but here and
now it seemed to sound very silly to him. Joseph opened his
mouth to recite the words he knew by heart, but then
stopped.
“I see you don’t really know do you”. Joseph stood for a
moment, his mind locked in confusion. What was happening
here? So much had happened to him recently it seemed all
very unreal, like it was happening to some else and Joseph
was just watching.
Joseph shook his head. “Yes, I thought so. This is part of
the reason why you are so important in all of this. Sit
down please”.
Joseph sat. “Important in what, the war?”
The man shook his head. “The war, that is all you know
isn’t it. Yet there is something else isn’t there?”
Joseph was confused now, what did the man mean?
“There is so much you need to know, before we can start.
But it will not be easy for you and you very tired. Now is
not the time. You need rest first, then I will start to
tell you the truth beyond the war”.
Joseph was intrigued now and wanted to know what this
strange man was talking about, but he was also exhausted.
“Sleep now”. And Joseph did.
But again Joseph dreamed strange dreams.
This time he was in the huge utility station, but the man
was gone. It was just Joseph in this huge space alone. Then
the as Joseph explored and enjoyed the huge space, bit’s
the equipment started to fade. They just disappeared.
Slowly one by one the machines vanished, leaving more and
more empty space.
The pipe work pulled it’s self silently back in to the
walls.
Joseph could now get a true idea of just how large the room
was. It was bigger than…anything he had ever seen. And yet
the man had said there was one for each area of each level?
In all of the stations? There was so much space.
The room was almost empty now and Joseph’s foot steps
echoed. He suddenly realized just how small he was. He was
tiny and there was all of this space.
The echo’s of his foot steps got fainter and fainter. Fear
now griped Joseph. Something out there in all of this space
was eating the sounds around him. Something unknown,
unseen.
He ran for the distant wall. It couldn’t come from that
direction he where up against a wall. A corner he needed to
find a corner.
The wall faded to blackness. There was nothing there.
Joseph’s foot falls where silent now. The floor was gone.
There was nothing now, just Joseph. But in the distance,
far, far in the distance…
Joseph screamed silently.
Joseph awoke. He sat up. He was sweating and breathless.
The room was still filled with huge machines and their maze
of pipes and wires.. The man was there too. Laying a little
way from Joseph. The man turned over and looked him him.
“Mmm bad dreams”.
Joseph nodded. “I’m sorry you will probably have more after
you find out the full truth. But there is now other way of
do it. You still need sleep however”.
The man turned away.
“Thanks that is going to help me sleep now”. Joseph lay
back down and tried to sleep again.
Joseph did manage to get some more sleep. It was deep,
dreamless and therefore refreshing sleep.
He awoke to see the strange man standing over him. “You are
rested now?” He asked. Joseph nodded.
“Good then we can eat and drink and then I will begin”
The man handed Joseph a battered cup of water and standard
ration pack.
Joseph drank the water quickly, he then opened the ration
pack. “So how did you find me down here. I didn’t know I
was coming down here until…” Joseph suddenly stood up. “You
said you live here! That to much of a coincidence that I’m
so important to you and I just happen to chose to come down
here. What sort of trap is this”. Joseph looked around, him
expecting to see…something different, but he nothing had
changed.
“It is not any kind of trap. You…”
“Oh come on you where just waiting for the first person to
come down here to peddel this rubbish on them. What are
you, some kind of fanatic from Liverpool street? This isn’t
going work, you not going to turn me”.
The man still sat there and shook his head. “No I am not
from Liverpool street and I know you are important to me, I
did not just pick you. How many people do you think come
down here…Joseph Narellus”
Joseph looked at the man, in shock. He was sure he had not
told him his name. He checked his uniform, he wasn’t
wearing it, so no id there.
“How could you know my name?”
“I could not have found it out from you could I? As I said
you have a vital role to play in this. I know this because
I know you. Maybe you know this to, somewhere deep down
because you started to come to me. But I don’t think you
would have made it to me had I not found you and that…” The
man shook his head. “…Would have been a major set back for
us”
“Okay who are us? Kingcross?”
“No. Sit down. I have much to tell you and you need to know
it so that you may…”. The man suddenly looked up. His whole
posture changed. Joseph knew what this posture meant. He
was ready for battle.
Joseph quickly scanned the room. Nothing looked different,
but in room this size and filled as it was with equipment a
man could easy been hidden even when he was close by.
Joseph’s hand went to where is pistol would be. Of course
it was not there. Weapons where not carried by off duty
soldiers.
“What is it”. Joseph asked quietly.
“They have found us”. The was still looking around the
room. Joseph followed his gaze, he was looking high up on
the walls. There was not covering machinery there. Why
would they come from there? Joseph asked him self. It
didn’t make sense.
“Who?” Joseph asked urgently.
The man shook his head. “It doesn't matter. You must know
this. We have so little time and there is much to tell. I
don’t have time to tell you it all”.
From above them came the sound of an explosion. Joseph
turned towards the sound. “No. Listen to me”. Joseph looked
back at the man. He man looked straight in to Joseph’s
eyes. “You are important to all 7 of us. I was the first to
find you. There will be others. They will not kill you. You
are two important for that, we all need you, but if you
fight them they might kill you by mistake, you must not
fight them. You can win in any case, not here anyway…”
From above them Joseph could hear the shouts of men. He
could not make out the words, but it sounded like the
quick, staccato shouts of orders to men going in to battle.
“Who are you? How will I know who there are. Who are they.
What is going on!?”
“There is no time for questions now, only for facts. You
will know the others just as you knew not to fight me. Some
will try and help you, others will get in the way of the
quest, but in the end they can stop you from…”
Joseph heard a sound he knew. The sound of sub sonic bullet
from a snipers rifle. The man’s cloak puffed out slightly
on one side. Joseph knew he was dead. The bullet must have
travelled through most of his torso.
The mans’s month tried to say some final words by they died
in is throat with him. Joseph’s training told him to duck
for cover, but he knew it was probably all ready to late.
If there was a second sniper he was already dead. If there
was only one it would take a few seconds, but for some
reason Joseph believed the mans words ‘they will not not
kill you’.
So joseph just stood there and closed his eyes expecting
either death
…or something else.
“Hold it there” A voice from above commanded. “Hands
up…above your head”.
Joseph opened his eyes. The voice was coming from a solder
standing on top on one of the bit’s of machinery. His
weapon was trained on Joseph. From this range a hit, and a
fatal one at that, was a near certainty Joseph thought. The
man looked like an elite judging by the equipment and
tactics. More men where coming down on ropes from holes
blown the pipes above.
“On your knees now…”. The voice commanded. “…Head down”.
Again Joseph obeyed.
They clearly where not out to kill him. If they where he
would have been shot at long range by now, no this was a
capture mission. But why would the fanatics come down here
to capture just me? Joseph asked silently. Maybe I am
important.
One of them was now on the same bit of machinery as Joseph
now. Suddenly anger flared in him. These where the bastards
that killed Anna.
Joseph started to move, but there was another one behind
him and something came down on the back of his neck hard.
Joseph’s world exploded with the impact. Stunned, part of
Joseph knew what would happen next. The world started to
fade away and the last thing that Joseph felt was rough
rusty metal of the machine on the side of his face.
The world started to fade back slowly. First there was the
sound, foot steps, some distant voices. Then the feeling of
his body. The pain in the back of his neck and then
sickness in his stomach. His arms where tied behind his
back. He legs where lose. No vision, however. I’ve been
bagged and tagged, part of Joseph’s mind told him.
‘They will not kill you’ Joseph remembered the mans words.
So far that part was right.
The voices where louder now. Something about loading up and
the prisoner. Thats me, Joseph thought. Only now was
beginning to really grasp what had happened. Joseph tired
to prepare for the interrogation that was to come. He knew
that what ever he did they would break him. They controlled
his environment, it was only a matter of time till they
controlled him. But what he could do was make as hard as
possible for them. Make them waste there time finding out I
know nothing of any real importance.
He was dumped on a hard cold metal floor.
“Move out” a voice from above him said. The floor started
to vibrate. He must have been on train. Had they got so
close to Kings Cross that they could use a train or was it
that he had travelled further than he’d thought with the
strange man. If they where so close that they could come
through the lower levels that would be a powerful weapon
against them…
If only the council knew. If some one could tell them…
Joseph’s mind was racing.
“Come on get him up. Get them off” A different voice said
from above him. The voice sounded vaguely familiar. Joseph
was lifted to his feet and to his surprise the binding on
his hands was cut and the bag removed from his head.
The light dazzled his eyes for a few moments. This had to
be part of the interrogation strategy. It didn’t make
sense.
“Good. Your unhurt…” A figure stood before him, it was a
large man, in some sort of uniform. “…I’ll forgive the lack
of a salute, given the circumstances”.
The voice sounded like General Carter. It couldn’t be. It
looked like him to, the square cut, graying hair, but
build. It looked very much like him.
Joseph knew it was a trick. He said nothing. Don’t give
them anything to work with.
“Mmm, good. You remember your training I see”. It was
uncanny, they had done a very good job in picking this
double, he sounded and moved just like General Carter.
“Sorry about the tactics back there, but we had to get you
back and we had no idea what ideas that fanatic was putting
in to your head. We need to get you back to the station”
Joseph was totally confused now. It had to be a trick, but
it was….They need me? ‘…I was the first to find you…There
will be others…we all need you…’
Joseph’s head span, it was a trap, but when did he spring
it? Was this all real?
Joseph started to fall, but someone grabbed him from behind
before he could hit the floor.
“Thats it get some rest. Your going to need it, you are
very important to us now…”