The Fortress
Her body ached from crying until she had fallen asleep again. SODIA had tried to speak with her multiple times, but every time she had just gotten more confused and scared.
She cowered on the floor on one side of the control panels, Earth still glowing to her right. But she did not dare to take another look.
"So..." she hawked, her throat burning and her eyes swollen.
"It is 2182... Hell exists... Demons tried to eat everyone... this Slayer guy saved the world by himself ... and is now missing."
This is correct.
"And why am I here then? Why should I wake him up? Why me?"
This information is not available.
She sighed. This was all just a big and sad joke to her. But the catharsis was keeping her calm for now. She rubbed her face and felt the salty crystals on her skin. She didn't know if she was tired or wide awake, hungry, or feeling sick.
She got her lunch from the schoolbag and took a bite. It was getting stale but the savoury taste was still alive. After three big bites, she felt already full as her stomach didn't react too well to stress. When she nipped on her bottle of water she felt the urge to gulp it down immediately, but she held back. She had to make sure there were supplies around. Otherwise, this whole show would be ending quickly.
She took her dear notebook with blank pages and started scribbling. The date and all info about her, if anyone would ever find her. A few words about what had happened and the sentence:
"If you find me cold and rotten, please forgive me. I tried. I love you, Papa.".
She watched a record of her dad and her on her phone, listening to him bragging about her, how smart and kind she was. Making fun of her small height and ending in a brawl on the big bed, tangling them in the sheets. She turned it off, hoping it would be of use in the near future. For a moment she held it in her hand, praying, gathering the strength she would need now.
First supplies - then answers.
On the next page, she started a list of things she had and one for those she needed. Clutching the notebook in her hand she stood in the arch on the top of the stairs, leading further inside the shadowy halls.
"Fuck." she whispered as she blankly stared down the path that split into multiple directions.
"I gotta pee."
She sighed.
"SODIA? Is there a toilet or a bathroom or such a thing?"
There is. But it is currently unreachable for you due to damage.
"Oh no, fuck that... Is there nothing else?"
There is a couple of buckets or - if you prefer - the garden area.
She sighed again and rubbed her fingers on the bridge of her nose, feeling the crumbles of dried blood and dirt.
"The garden area. Can you lead me to it?"Without SODIAs lead, she would get lost every ten meters. She wondered what crazy mind would design a space like this. Countless stairs leading up and down, sometimes on only one side, sometimes on both, sometimes wide, sometimes narrow. Sometimes no steps at all. It rather looked like tunnels dug into a mountain by an animal. Or a hamster cage. She walked past half a dozen of broken doors and chopped-off corridors, some filled with rubble, others leading into literal space.
She had begun a map in her notebook, but since the building had more stories up and down than horizontal spacing she had to give it up. But she noted all the important rooms and stuff she found there. Still, she hadn't found anything edible so far. At least there was an infinite source of drinking water in the pond in the garden area. SODIA had called it infinite after she'd asked her about the quality of the water. For whatever infinite meant here.
She was feeling smaller the further she went. Every noise made her shriek and soon enough she was carrying a long and hollow metal bar around, much like a pipe but different, and weirdly lightweight. Every room she entered and every object was first touched with the bar. Who knew if there were aliens or traps around?
"Still need to find food...", she spoke to herself climbing down another flight of stairs into a bigger room below what she assumed was where she had started. A deep shaft was below her, and she thanked the gods that she wasn't too much afraid of heights. Her lunch was gone by now, and since there was no day and night cycle she could only guess what time it was.
"SODIA. Can you make a clock for me? Like when I arrived it was Morning on the 8th of July. I would like to keep time as it is in my... home...? Reality...? World...? Time...? Time."
The clock is established. It is currently late evening, the 9th of July 2016.
She stood in front of a wide door that for once didn't have a skull or whatever that was on it. She touched the panel to its side, but it lighted up red.
"Hm."
She touched it again. Red light. So far no door had been locked unless it would kill her to open it. SODIA knew better than her where each one led.
"Why is it locked? It's pretty much the last one here. Since the barracks are unreachable because of that huge pile of rubble this is the last possible place to find something useful..."
These are the private quarters of the Slayer. No entrance is allowed.
"Seriously...? He's not here and hasn't been in decades. Open it. Please."
Nothing happened.
"SODIA, if I can't find supplies then I'm dead in a few weeks. Is that what you want?"
She crossed her arms. Something happened on the screen. The door finally unlocked.
Astonished she stared into the room. Furniture, armour, weapons, and crates clattered the space. She confidently walked through it, right towards a carton crate that had FOOD written on it with a black marker. The material was worn out and inside she found heaven itself.14 Packs of Ramen and such
20 Protein Bars
9 Energy Bars
3 small Bags of Jerky
A handful bags of different flavoured chips
Some Chocolate and other sweets
8 cans of soda
Some milk powder and packs of tea"SODIA, can you calculate a rationing plan for me?", she asked as she sat on the floor, the food spread out and sorted in front of her.
For a human being, it is advised to calculate 1200 kcal per day while rationing. Since your body weight and height are lower than average, I would advise 1000 kcal/day. The supplies gathered would last for 30 days.
"Sounds like a lot... but..."
She looked around, her eyes suddenly fixed on the view of the planet.
"Make it 500 kcal/day."
The supplies would last 62 days. Warning! Rationing only 500ckal/day will come with serious health risks. I advise lowering the daily amount in two steps over two weeks. Week one - 1000kcal/day, Week two - 750 kcal/day - Week three and following - 500 kcal/day. All unnecessary physical activity should be halted.
She nodded tiredly.
"We'll do that then. Please sort the food to make the best distribution of macro-and micronutrients. Though this guy seems to eat like a broke uni-student that has no kit-"
Yep. No kitchen. Just some bowls and some cutlery. Not even a camping stove. Only cold food.
This was going great. She frowned.
Supplies are sorted. It will last 50 days. I advise more food intake today.
"I'm fine for today... I'm going to bed..."
She piled up all blankets, which were to her surprise all clean and fresh, and thought about layering them, but her eyes kept wandering to the big armchair. It smelled of somebody, a man, a little sweat but mostly his pure human scent.
After a moment of hesitation, she pulled the footrest up and lowered the back as far as possible. Then she covered it with a blanket and took two others to cover herself and pillow-substitute. Battered but anxious she had wrapped herself in the blanket like a caterpillar with her weapon next to her.
Her eyes watched unknown shadows creep along the walls and ceiling. They grew and shrank with the light of the sun as the Fortress circled the planet. Absent-minded she looked at the furniture and other stuff around the room. This was a home, as far as it could be, not just a break-room.
"SODIA... can you lock the door?", she whispered.
The door is now locked.
The AI spoke with a soft and quiet voice. It hadn't bothered her much more with questions, but answers were still out of reach. From tomorrow on she could finally get some information about all this. And maybe find a way out.
YOU ARE READING
DOOM SAGA I - I'll be home tomorrow
FanficWhat does a young woman from Earth have in common with the Doom Slayer? - Nothing at all. But as she is taken from her home and forced on a quest to find the missing soldier, she learns about his conquest from civilizations praising his name and ot...