Ascent of Lies

Chapter 7

FUJITA RAN UP THE old and slippery stairs. She felt her heart race as she tried to keep herself from losing her balance as she took the stairs three at a time. Her feet barely made a sound on the cold stone, but she heard the panting of Aelius Valentino behind her. She looked around and say that the Human-Betazoid was struggling to keep up with her. Yet she did not slow down. They had no time to lose, a guard could approach any moment and throw them back into their prison.

After Fujita had found the key, she and Valentino had waited until the Vulcan guard had left. Then they had opened their cell and had left quietly. To their surprise, no guards had been awaiting them and they had been able to climb un six stairs. The two Starfleet officers were now nearing the top of the dungeon, and Fujita was still surprised that they were not walking into a trap. It seemed the Emperor was tired of games. Or she had yet to start.

Whichever it was, Fujita was glad that she and the Ensign had managed to get out. Negative progress was still progress. At least the powers in their own hands now, instead of being pushed around by fate.

They had reached the end of the staircase and the Admiral stopped. She looked around, scanning her environment. In front of her, a narrow corridor loomed in the dark. Fujita could not see the end of the tunnel, as the illumination was so poor that she could barely make pout any details whatsoever. Apparently, the Emperor was not a fan of lights.

Fujita took a step forward into the darkness. When nothing happened, she looked back at Valentino. "This way", she said, and she started walking again.

The tunnel seemed to continue endlessly, and the ominous feeling crept up in Fujita that the two of them were walking into a trap anyhow. The darkness was drenched in a heavy humidity, no light came from anywhere. Fujita had to follow the walls besides her with her hands to know that she was even walking the right way.

"Fujita", the Human woman heard Valentino whisper behind her. "I don't like this."

"Chin up, it's just a tunnel", Fujita said. "These guards have to walk this every day, so there can't be much wrong with this."

"Well... I don't like it anyhow. We can't even see what's coming, maybe they're already chasing us!" Valentino's voice trembled as he said this.

Fujita stopped and turned around. She put her hands on Valentino's shoulders – or what she thought were his shoulders, since she could not see them. With her face close to his, she said, "If they're on to us, turning around won't do us any good. We have to get out of here, it's not as if we have a change. Or would you rather we go back and stay in that cell until we rot away? The Emperor won't let us out, that's for sure. So, as I said, chin up and let's go. We've got a ship to rescue out there." Fujita felt the man try to steady himself and the two of them continued on their way.

After a minute or so, they finally started seeing a light in front of them. Fujita quickened her pace until they reached the end of the tunnel.

They found themselves in a forest.

"Wha–?" Fujita mumbled under her breath.

"I suppose we took a wrong turn somewhere", Valentino uttered.

Fujita let out a small laugh. There had been no turns, they had followed the only road there had been and it made no sense that the tunnel had ended here. They should have ended up in the Presidential Residence. Yet Fujita was glad that the Ensign had gotten back his sense of humour.

The Admiral looked around. The forest was similar to the one she had woken up in when she had first entered this dimension. The trees in the forest were white and the grass and leaves were of a bright green. Fujita could see a clearing a few meters ahead, which was overgrown with tall grasses and red flowers. A sense of peace overcame the Admiral as she became aware of the soft rustles and noises of the wildlife, the universal signal that everything was alright. Had these creatures been startled by any humanoid presence, they would not have been so calm.