Zero Sum

Writing on the Wall

How did I get myself into this mess? Vlu wonders to no one in particular. He of course knows what brought him on this journey.

"How much longer do we need to walk?" his traveling companion moans.

Vlu ignores him. Knowing full well it would just lead to another meaningless back and forth dialogue that would lead them nowhere.

They are both aware of the task at hand. The reason they have to walk countless steps into this dark dank corridor. Where it is just quiet enough to almost hear each other's heartbeats. Is because mysterious writing began to appear ever so conveniently in one of the most inaccessible locations on Earth. Inaccessible it may be, but monitored it is most certainly not. Instead of human patrols however, it is actually drone piloted cameras that survey the long countless tunnels down here.

The drones did their job the best that they could. Scanning for signs of life, temperature changes, any sort of heat signature, indeed just one indication of any activity carried out by a living being. Finding none, and the drones were in prime shape, the technicians assured them, there is what necessitated the need of a human touch.

The fact that they have to walk is an even more infuriating burden placed on them. These corridors were never meant to be walked by man. Almost everything is automated down here. Being the case, it would not be "cost effective" to provide a form of transportation for what analysts foresee as being a one time trip, down to the deep recesses of these corridors.

"We are just about there," Vlu replies several moments later. Being deep in thought pondering over their burdensome task, he had let more than an hour go without speaking until now.

Their destination is a lone room tucked into a corner of one of these corridors. Dark without any source of natural or unnatural sources of light. Vlu chuckles to himself, the need of light is just about the only reason he had to bring along such a troublesome traveling companion, to carry the lantern. Vlu is the actual expert, authority on all things corridor related, he is the one now tasked to determine how the mysterious writing occurred to begin with, and to decipher its meaning, plus ensure that such a thing never happens again. Small order indeed.

"What is that?" his companion blurts out.

There is no need for words because Vlu feels exactly what he is referring to. Up until now there was no doubt that it was just the two of them down here. Now it is becoming apparent that a third presence is in the corridors with them. How is this possible? He wonders to himself, there is no way he could have missed something this obvious for this long of a time down here. There were no signs of an approach, at least none of normal means. Yet, the fact that the two of them are sensing the exact same thing at the exact same time can be no mere coincidence. There is something observing them. A drone? Impossible, their humming would be unmistakable if it were. No, whatever is in the corridors with them is not machine, and, he fears, not human either.

The thought of this both terrifies him and prevents him from turning around.

"Uh, doc?"

This imbecile accompanying him has no tact or logic. Clearly he already turned around to look in the direction the presence was coming from. Idiot, or genius? They already lack the element of surprise. This thing, whatever it is, has made sure of that. If they had not acknowledged it then perhaps the thing would go away.

"Vlestru!" He hears his mother cry out to him, "Do not be such a pussy, or you will grow up without a sack and everyone will just walk all over you!" He wants to have a good laugh at his mothers expense over her statement, but there is a part of himself that tells him that she is not worth it. In fact his mother has been passed away for many years now. For a moment he felt like a small child again at the mercy of his own mothers wrath. But in his right mind he knows that it has to be just a hallucination of sorts. A bad memory choosing to resurface because of the unbelievable horrific predicament he is in now.

"Turn around and fight you dumbass, I didnt raise no sissy boy!"

Shut the hell up he thinks to himself, not knowing whether to shout it out or internalize the words. He knows he is not crazy right?

It occurs to him that his traveling companion has been yelling this whole time. "Oh what the shit is that? Damn shit damn. What the fuck? Doc what the fuck? What do we do?"

Plebeian cant commit to a single thought and is letting his mind and his mouth run loose, right now is not the time to panic, analyze the situation, form a hypothesis, and then present a plan of action. That is how he was taught. So isn't that what he ought to do now?

That is what his mind is telling him anyways. His body is another story. His legs have already begun their retreat. Running. Is that all he is good at doing? He didn't even bother to check on his companion. Only giving a half turn of his head he looks back and sees the imbecile still cursing and standing agape at the apparition.

He finally said it, there is nothing scientific about it, this must be the work of a supernatural origin. There is no need for him being down here. He is an idiot for even attempting to explain the unexplainable. Hindsight is twenty-twenty or so they say isn't it?

The idiot should just run as well instead of gawking. Whatever was back there is not the sort of thing they were prepared to deal with.

I have to warn someone, he thinks to himself.

Giving a bit more than just a half turn now, he looks back at the proof of the hypocrisy of his words. He couldn't even bring himself to warn the idiot standing right beside him. In all likelihood he is going to keep on running without stopping and just leaving the organization out of sheer fright.