HOME BUT NOT HOME

Chapter 16 - Mucking in the Sewers

Chapter 16 – Mucking in the Sewers

Sewers, Vertigo Town
Arlington County, VA
Thursday, April 30, 2076
09:47 EST GMT-5

Eventually, it took some time, but I found where the sewers were. I found the hatch in the ground leading to it. I then opened the hatch and without any hesitancy, I went in, and climbed down the ladder. I already had told Ranger and Aurora to just go back to work, while I handled this situation.

"Yeesh, it smells like rotten eggs." I said to myself, in disgust.

No shit! I was in a sewer. I then made my way through the sewer, trying to walk silently. My boots, however, were making quite a noise, as it touched the floor. There were also water puddles around me. I turned on my night vision goggles, as the sewers weren't very lit. I also enabled my oxygen filtration mask, and put it on, so I could make it through the sewers with ease.

"Yeah, this is bad!" I thought in my head. "If I go like this to Wheeler's office, then of course, I won't be welcomed."

"Ace, I'll be able to help you get to those marauders, let me lead the way." I.V.A.N.A said.

"Thank you!" I whispered.

So, I just made my way through the sewers, and as I moved forward, I started hearing voices. It was no doubt the marauders. But then I saw it and thank God. It was one of those sentry guns. I knew I wanted to keep a low profile, but I also needed to take out that sentry, if I needed to move forward. I then took out a grenade, as I formulated the plan. I then pulled the pin and threw the grenade towards the sentry. Then, I ducked behind a low-rising wall for cover. The grenade then exploded, the blast being loud enough to alert the marauders, but it did destroy the turret.

"What the fuck was that?" I heard the voice. "Humberto, go check it out!"

"Why me?" asked another voice, obviously Humberto.

"Cause, I told you so!" said the first voice.

Now was my cue, I got my pistol ready, equipped with a silencer. I then turned on the heat vision sensor to go with the night vision and saw the figure. I aimed straight for the figure's head, then fired the gun! The bullet flew and went through his thick skull, and the marauder fell to the floor. I just then waited for some time.

"Humberto, what's going on?" the first voice called out to his fallen comrade. "I'm coming there now!"

I then saw another figure coming and shot him in the head too. The other figure fell as well, and then I saw three more coming. Then I heard their radio.

"Keep your eyes peeled and stay alert!" said one of them. "Someone's down here."

"Must be one of Javier's hired guns!" said another voice over the radio.

Shit! They knew who I was. For sure, they weren't happy about it either. I then fired three more bullets, and dropped those bodies as well, then made my way further. I kept seeing sentry guns and kept throwing grenades. I kept firing wherever I saw movement, in my heat vision.

"I.V.A.N.A, how many are left?" I asked my AI.

"Not many to go!" said I.V.A.N.A. "Be careful, they will try killing anyone they find."

"Thanks for the tip!" I said with some excitement. "Let's keep moving."

I then cleared out whatever mess I found up ahead. Fired wherever I saw movement and dropped many bodies. I kept throwing grenades at the sentry turrets as well. Suddenly then, I heard silence. Apart from flowing water, I heard nothing else. I did it, I cleared the sewers.

"Alright, best return home, and change clothes, ASAP." I said to myself. "Or I can't show myself to Wheeler like this."

I then found a ladder, with a hatch above it. I climbed up and found the hatch was locked. I then saw a button next to a speaker. I pressed the button, and a green light lit.

"Who's there?" said a voice from the speaker, and I recognized it immediately.

"Javier, it's me! The sewers are cleared!" I informed him. "Let me out of here!"

"Wait one!" said Javier. "Okay it's unlocked! You can exit now!"

I then climbed out of the sewer, as the hatch opened. Much to my delight, it opened outside my new villa. I then saw some robots out there sweeping the sidewalk, and some mowing the lawn of other houses. Without any further thinking, I went inside my home, and went to take a shower and get a fresh change of clothes.