Beneath the Fallen City - A Dystopian Fantasy Romance

Chapter 1

Kayla knew she was in trouble the moment her foot touched the ground. Feeling the floor give way beneath her boots, she tucked in her arms, forcing her body to relax in order to minimize the impact. She crashed through the floor, bringing building debris with her. Landing hard on a lower level of the ruins with a loud thump, a cloud of dust obscured her vision.

A rough voice sounded from the earpiece attached to her helmet. "What the hell's going on down there? I'll kick your ass if you damaged any artifacts."

Kayla shifted slightly. Thankfully, this level appeared stable. She moved her limbs to gauge the extent of her injuries. Nothing broken, just my pride. She'd have plenty of bruises tomorrow, and she was sure she'd never hear the end of it.

"Floor collapse in Sector Twelve. I'm fine, Leo. Thanks for asking." She rolled her eyes at his lack of concern.

There was a moment of static before the angry voice came back over the frequency. "You're supposed to be in Sector Four. Sector Twelve is still being mapped."

Kayla recognized her spotter's calmer tone when he interrupted Leo's impending tirade. "Leo, this is Veridian. We detected Carl's team on another frequency. It sounded like they were headed toward Sector Four. We thought it best to avoid them."

"Dammit," Leo swore. "They weren't supposed to be back in that area for another few days. We're working off bad information. Get out of that hole and get your asses back to camp. I don't have time for this shit."

"Understood," Veridian replied. "Kayla, are you secure?"

She grimaced and glanced around the room, her helmet light shining through the dust as it settled. "Not yet. Let me get into position. You'll need to lower the cable and harness about five meters." Kayla paused, and then added, "I hope you've got some hydrating packs. I'm parched."

She flipped open her wristband and switched channels on her commlink. Trusting Veridian would remember the code phrase indicating she wanted to speak with him on an unmonitored channel, she said, "Tell Leo the gear is jammed. I need at least ten minutes. If Carl's crew is working this area again, I don't know when we'll be able to come back. Let me see what I can scavenge."

Veridian huffed in exasperation, but he agreed. "Try to make it five, Kayla. Your vitals are out of sync, and Leo's monitoring from camp. He sounds pissed."

"That's nothing new," Kayla muttered and switched back to the main channel before flipping her wristband unit closed. She rolled over and got into a crawling position, wincing from the pain. Once she was confident the floor would support her, she stood and took a better look around the room.

The abandoned apartment building was several hundred years old. Neglect and the elements had taken their toll. Faded wallpaper peeled from the walls, and a thick layer of dust coated the floor. Most of the furniture had either been scavenged or had rotted over the years. It was easy to get disoriented in the ruins with the sloping floors, partially collapsed walls, and extensive structural damage. One of the tricks she'd learned over the years was to reconcile the current scene with the echoes of the past.

Kayla closed her eyes for a moment and visualized the way the room used to be. In her mind, she saw a large bedroom with an ornate bed against the wall in front of her. A low bookcase sat on the far wall with two overstuffed chairs. A strange painting hung over the bookcase and seemed to beckon her. On the opposite side of the room was a dresser with a large mirror where she imagined a woman modeling a silly-looking hat.

She shook her head to clear the realistic image from her mind. Keep it together, Kayla. It's only your imagination. Even so, she trusted her instincts. Veridian often joked that the ruins spoke to her. In a sense, she guessed it was true. Her instincts never let her down.