DESCENDING INTO SILENCE

PART ONE

MR. BIG WEALTH
|| DESCENDING INTO SILENCE

EPILOGUE

A torrential rain showered the mining station, shrouding it in darkness. Inside, a multitude of workers sought refuge, frantically barricading themselves within the confines of the station. This small warehouse-like structure contained a massive pit, measuring ten meters in width and spanning an astonishing depth of over 8 thousand meters. Alongside this abyss, a few essential amenities such as a refrigerator and sick bay could be found.

Peering into the hole, a worker nearby observed nothing but darkness. The means of descending into the pit was solely through a slow-moving elevator platform which required a significant amount of energy.

Roaming around the warehouse was a tall, bearded man. "Where is Roger!?" the man exclaimed, but his voice was drowned out by the rain pelting against the roof, rendering any other sounds inaudible unless shouted.

Seizing the boss by his shirt, a man nearby urgently exclaimed, "Roger has been trapped down there for quite some time! The extreme heat and lack of air!" Yelled the man.
The boss silently acknowledged and gently removed the man's grip from his shirt. He proceeded to make his way to the sick bay and started consuming rubbing alcohol.

Several workers, attempting to devise a plan to rescue Roger, took a break to smoke cigarettes. The rain had damaged the outdoor generator, causing a power outage.

An ebony SUV pulled up outside, and a short man emerged adorned in a black suit and white gloves. Stepping onto the muddy ground from the vehicle, the driver rushed out and held an umbrella, indicating the man's importance.

Upon the man's entrance into the premises, all activity came to a halt as everyone turned their attention towards him.

"Who is in charge here!" the man growled sternly. People pointed towards the direction of the sick bay. The man in the suit swiftly approached the boss and opened the door, finding him unconscious from the alcohol.

Unholstering his small handgun, the man fired several shots at the boss before making a slow exit.

"Now, is there anyone else in charge?" inquired the man, his expression unreadable.

"I am second in command to the..." but before the man could finish his sentence, he was met with a barrage of gunshots from the man in the suit.

Surveying the surroundings, the man wondered aloud, "Who else..." At that moment, a towering, muscular man standing at approximately six feet tall rose from his seat and strode towards the man.

"I AM THE NEW BOSS!" the man declared, while a smug smile played across his face. He holstered his gun and continued, "I'll tell you what, let's settle this with a fight!"

The muscular man picked up a beer bottle, smashed it against his own face, and flew into a rage.

The man stood still, observing the scene. Sensing the tension, everyone vacated the room, leaving only the man and the muscular adversary face to face.

Swiftly performing a side kick to the right leg of the muscular man, the man then pushed him to the ground. The muscular man rose, now limping on his injured leg.

Blindly swinging a punch at the man, the muscular man missed as the man skillfully evaded the attack and swiftly landed a kick to his left leg. Unable to maintain his balance, the muscular man dropped to his knees. Taking out his handgun, the man pressed it against the muscular man's throat.

In an instant, he pulled the trigger, causing blood and brain matter to spray across the surroundings behind the muscular man.

The lifeless body collapsed backwards. A few men dressed in suits strode in, resolute in their expressions.

The panic and distress overwhelmed the workers as the man fired his gun into the air. The sudden gunshot silenced the crowd, and slowly, the man holstered his weapon before snapping his fingers. A group of men in suits, positioned behind him, advanced towards the frightened individuals and came to a halt.

"I AM HIENMAN, AND I SHALL TAKE CONTROL NOW! I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS, AND AS YOUR FINAL PAYMENT, PLEASE ACCEPT THIS SEVERANCE AND DEPART!" declared the man. Everyone stood dumbfounded, stunned by his audacity. Hienman fired another shot at the ceiling, causing a wave of panic as people rushed to collect their belongings and swiftly left after receiving money.

After a few moments, only one person remained.
"You there!" shouted a suited man, drawing Hienman's attention. Hienman focused his gaze on the individual.

The tall figure was draped in a trench coat and donned a gas mask and a WW1 helmet, clutching a briefcase. Hienman approached the person cautiously and aimed his gun at their head.
The enigmatic individual stood in silence.

The rain ceased, and the men in suits approached the mysterious figure, offering them money. However, the person refused to accept it. Hienman lit a cigarette, perplexed by their actions.

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!" yelled Hienman, with the men in suits fixating on the enigmatic figure.

"What is your name? Do you have a name?" bellowed Hienman.
The mysterious person remained silent, their breathing heavy.

"Sir, should we proceed?" inquired a suited man.
"No," replied Hienman.
"He did not flinch when I held the gun to his head. He is either blind or fearless," pondered Hienman.
Hienman noticed a name tag.
"DEAF ENGINEER."
"Oh, he is deaf," smirked Hienman.
Hienman snapped his fingers, summoning a suited man to his side.
"Translate this," instructed Hienman to the suited man.
"YOU ARE FREE TO GO!" exclaimed Hienman. The man translated the message using hand gestures.
The Deaf Engineer shook his head.
"No," smirked Hienman.
Hienman turned to face the men in suits.
"No. He said...no...so you know what...we send him," smiled Hienman.

The man in the suit conveyed the message through sign language. The Deaf Engineer nodded.
The translator abruptly halted the hand gestures.
"Sir!" exclaimed the translator.
"What?" retorted Hienman.
"He agreed."
"Perfect," snarled Hienman.
Several hours later, deep in the underground mine, approximately 8 kilometers below the surface, two workers named Roger and Captain were tirelessly using pick axes to dig. Lost in their thoughts, they continued their laborious task.

Suddenly, Roger noticed that the canary, which served as an indicator for air quality, had perished. Overwhelmed with concern, he urgently called out to Captain. Surprised, Captain turned around and saw the lifeless canary.

Roger was in a state of panic and shouted, "Captain, we need to leave immediately!" The captain, however, noticed something shiny on the ground and picked it up. With a snarl, he decided to keep his discovery, a secret mineral, hidden in his sock. He approached Roger, who repeated his cry for escape.

"Captain!" Roger yelled urgently. "We must find a way to ascend manually. The air supply is depleting, and we have taken too long."

Captain firmly grabbed Roger's shirt and pressed him against the wall. In an attempt to reassure, Captain said, "Calm down. We won't perish. Let us focus on the present. If we escape now, our reward will be immense."

"Rich?" Roger exclaimed, clearly confused. "Have you lost your mind?"

"No, just filthy rich," Captain whispered quietly. "Well then, let's make our way out," Roger finally agreed, raising his voice.

Captain released his grip on Roger and made his way towards the elevator shaft of the mine. However, it was a mere platform that could only accommodate one person at a time.

Arriving at the platform, Captain turned around and said, "Roger, I will go first."

"No, we should go together," Roger objected.

"It won't function with both of us," Captain insisted. Roger attempted to pull Captain off the platform by grabbing his shirt, but Captain retaliated by punching Roger in the face. Stumbling back, Roger relented. Using a manual rope, Captain quickly began hoisting the platform upward.

Roger was left on the ground, agitated and full of panic. Several hours passed.

"Look, sir," a man in a suit exclaimed, pointing towards the hole. Hienman, upon following his gaze, observed Captain slowly emerging from the depths.

"Welcome to safety," Hienman greeted. Captain's eyes widened, and eventually, the platform aligned itself with the hole. Stepping off the platform, Captain was met by Hienman.

"So... anyone else down there?" Hienman inquired. Captain glanced back towards the abyss before focusing on Hienman.

"No," Captain replied curtly.

"In that case, shall we proceed with your departure?" Hienman asked.

"Yes, please," Captain replied, fear present in his voice.

"Well, then, don't waste any time," Hienman urged as he stepped aside. Captain briskly walked toward the exit.

A few men in suits quickly blocked the door. Startled, Captain halted and turned to face Hienman.

"By the way... you don't happen to have anything to declare, do you?" Hienman sneered.

"No," Captain asserted. Hienman looked down with disappointment.

"That's truly a shame," Hienman whispered to himself. He then drew his handgun and began shooting at Captain. The captain collapsed onto the ground, desperately gasping for air.

Stepping away from firing his gun, Hienman approached the lifeless body to examine it. The man dressed in formal attire declared, "He's clean."
"What?" Hienman exclaimed.

Regaining consciousness in the pit, Roger began to cough uncontrollably. Determined, he propped himself up and tears streamed down his face. It was then that Roger noticed a gleaming object on the ground, and he swiftly picked it up.
That's when realization hit him.
"Cursed ore?" Roger shouted.
"I've struck it rich!" Roger rejoiced.

Within moments, the captain's sock started to move. Spotting this, a suited individual pointed it out.
Reacting swiftly, the Deaf Engineer seized an axe and approached. Upon seeing the Deaf Engineer, Hienman quickly moved aside. The Deaf Engineer skillfully wielded the axe and severed the captain's leg. The blood from the severed foot turned black and the appendage took on an abnormal appearance.

"What is this?" Hienman inquired.
The sock had released a peculiar, slimy substance. It possessed a gunmetal black hue.

Hienman drew his gun and aimed it at the foot.
In a flash, the Deaf Engineer delivered a swift kick, propelling the foot into the hole where it plummeted.

Down the hole, the foot descended and landed on Roger's face. The slimy substance entered Roger's mouth and eyes, prompting him to cough and spit uncontrollably.
"Disgusting!" Roger exclaimed. The mineral that Roger had picked up shattered, revealing a slimy slug with a gunmetal black color. The slug latched onto Roger's hands and began burrowing beneath his skin.

"No, no!" Roger cried out.
Hearing the scream emanating from the pit, Hienman made his way over to the hole accompanied by his henchmen.

The Deaf Engineer used a nearby cigarette lighter to sear the tip of the axe.
Hienman watched in astonishment.

"So this mineral is a variation of an earthworm?" Hienman inquired.
"Even worse," stated one of the henchmen.
"In what way?" Hienman questioned.
Hienman glanced towards the infirmary and violently kicked down the door.

Inside, he discovered portfolios and files detailing the mineral known as Cursed ore. It was revealed that the mineral's eggs infected individuals, transforming them into human cocoons with teeth for faces.

Hienman exited the infirmary and began to vomit. Meanwhile, the Deaf Engineer stood motionless, exhaling heavily.
"NO, NO, NO! THIS LAND IS CURSED!" Hienman shouted.
"This isn't a mining station; it's a facility to control the spread of this disease!" Hienman exclaimed.
With his gun drawn, Hienman approached the Deaf Engineer.

Pointing it at his face, Hienman demanded, "Are you infected?"
"No," replied the Deaf Engineer.
"Do you have knowledge of this?" Hienman yelled.
"Yes."
"What lies beneath?" Hienman inquired.
"A nest. Our mission was to annihilate it," the Deaf Engineer revealed.
"Damn it!" Hienman exclaimed.