City of Ruins

THIRTY-ONE



We travel back to the hotel in one of the undamaged hovercarts. I finally understand the practicality of these vehicles. Their relative thinness allows them to go around debris fields—and there are several debris fields throughout this part of Vaycehn. The hovercart’s pilot is very conscious of his passengers, never tilting the vehicle far enough to make us uncomfortable, but he still manages to maneuver around some dangerous areas.

Besides the pilot, there are only three of us in this vehicle. Bridge, Ilona, and I remained behind after the rest of the team went back to the hotel. Everyone got out of the cavern, but looking ragged. Even Mikk and Roderick, so seemingly indestructible below, looked almost ruined by the experience.

The tension, the heat, the physical labor had exhausted them like it exhausted me.

But my work wasn’t done. I needed to let the guides know we were heading back into the cavern as soon as we could.

Of course, they didn’t want us to. It quickly became clear that we would need permission from the city again, and I couldn’t tell them why. I hadn’t told Bridge or Ilona, either, when they started the negotiations with the guides. I didn’t want the news of the ship to leak to the Vaycehnese.

Bridge managed to convince the Bug operator that clearing the debris and inspecting the caverns for more damage was a priority. He did that not with authority and argument but with money.

This trip is going to cost us a lot more than expected. But it’ll be worthwhile—if the ship remains long enough for us to investigate it.

The guides don’t want us to go below for more than two weeks. That’s now long groundquakes continue after the first large one. But Bridge managed to get the guides to admit that such aftershocks only happened after a pure groundquake—one that occurred without an accompanying death hole.

The death hole quakes were usually one-time things.

Usually.

I know it will take a lot of argument and probably a handful of bribes to get us below. Bridge and Ilona are going to handle that, and I have told them to use their discretion.

We need to go below again, and the Vaycehnese shouldn’t stop us.

However, a repeat of today’s underground disaster could.

I’m not sure how many of the Six will be willing to go below again, and I’m not sure how to convince them.

I’m going to need to talk to the geologists and archeologists, and I’ve told Ilona I’ll need some Vaycehnese expert, someone who’ll help us prepare for disasters underground. At least, prepare better than we have been.

As we head back to the hotel, the damage from the quake becomes clear. Roads have collapsed. Some buildings have lost entire sides, while others remain standing undamaged.

The cloud of dust in the distance is, according to the hovercart’s pilot, from the death hole itself. It blew outward, sending debris a kilometer into the air. Some of that debris will float around for days.

I want someone from our team to figure out exactly where that death hole is in relationship to the underground room we’ve found. I want to know when the death hole appeared and whether or not it really was tied to the ship. I want a lot of things, and I’m too tired to ask for them.

We’ll need to have a meeting when we get back—I have to brief our people—but I’m not sure a meeting will be the most productive thing to do first.

First, we’ll need sleep.

My brain is mush. I’m so tired I’m shaking. I realize now how close we came to a complete disaster.

And yet, part of me doesn’t mind.

An intact working Dignity Vessel arrived in front of us. Intact. Working. It seems like a dream now, and I’m worried that when we get back the ship will be gone again.

We have readings from it, though. Readings and recordings, and I actually touched it.

I touched it. A living, breathing part of history. I’m still amazed.

The hovercart stops outside the hotel. We climb out—or rather, Bridge and Ilona climb out. I try, stagger, and nearly fall. Bridge catches me. His gaze meets mine.

He looks terrified.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” he asks me softly.

“Nothing sleep won’t cure,” I say.

But sleep is still a long way off. Ilona talks to the hovercart pilot, probably telling him when to return, something I would normally do. But I’m barely able to walk.

Bridge puts his arm around me, supporting me. Usually I hate to be helped, but his arm is comforting. I need the assistance.

We walk through the main doors into controlled chaos. The furniture has moved. Some of the potted plants that had been on the counters were gone, bits of dirt still littering the floor.

People are standing in front of the desk, the line five deep, the hotel employees looking frazzled. Many of the people at the desk are trying to check out. Others stand near the chairs, looking up.

I glance up too. Nothing has fallen, nothing looks different, but I’m not sure of that.

The elevators are blocked off, as are the mechanical stairways. We have to climb to the top floor.

The muscles in my legs scream with pain. They barely function. Twice my legs wobble so badly that Bridge has to keep me from falling.

Halfway up the stairs, Bridge asks, “What really happened down there, Boss?”

“Gravity,” I snarl. I’m beginning to hate gravity.

By the time we reach the top floor, I have decided that I’m not beginning to hate gravity. I do hate gravity. I hate it with every fiber of my exhausted being.

Bridge leads me to the door of the suite. “Maybe we should wait a few hours before we meet.”

Sensible, of course. But the team needs to know what they’re dealing with.

Or do they?

If they don’t know, they won’t let anything slip to the authorities in Vaycehn.

“Tell Ilona to figure out how to get us down there again as soon as possible,” I say.

Bridge is frowning at me. I want him to be taking notes. I want him to be nodding and agreeing. I don’t want him to look so disapproving.

“We’ll also need some training on surviving groundquakes, and we’ll need better guides, some that will be able to help us get out should another groundquake occur.”

“Boss, I don’t think that’s reasonable—”

“It is,” I say.

“You’re tired.”

I pull away from him and draw up to my full height. He’s treating me like a child. Like a stupid child who doesn’t know her own limits.

“We made the discovery of a lifetime down there, McAllister,” I say. “We have to get back to it and quickly.”

“If it was there before, I’m sure it will be there later,” he says in that same damn patronizing tone. I’m grateful for that tone when he uses it with the Vaycehnese. I hate it when he uses it on me.

“It wasn’t there before,” I say, “and it might be gone in a few days.”

His frown grows. I get the sense that he doesn’t believe me at all. Damn the exhaustion.

“I need rest,” I say. “We all need food. Then we need to meet and look over everything the team brought back. We’ll need a plan. But first, you and Ilona need to get us back to that room.”

“When it’s safe,” Bridge says.

“As soon as possible,” I say. “If you can’t follow that instruction, then find me someone who can.”

He holds up his hands. “All right.”

He waits as I unlock the door. I step inside the room. It’s cool and dry, the air on me like a caress.

“You’re not going to tell me what you found,” he says.

“No,” I say. “It’s better that you don’t know when you talk to the Vaycehnese.”

“It’s that big?” he asks.

“Bigger,” I say. “Much, much bigger.”

* * * *