Better off Undead

Chapter 32: ...And Now the Screaming Starts

"-Alpha 10," finished the voice, and as it did the faint image of a young man in army greens became visible. "The time is 0807. We are here assisting Dr. Totenberg and his assistant Dr. Delambre on their expedition of the caves."

"Blah blah blah," came another voice, and the camera shifted to reveal another soldier, walking toward the first. "Do we really gotta do this shit?"

"This 'shit' as you call it is important scientific research," came an angry German voice. Now the camera focused on a third man, a man wearing khaki work clothes over a button down shirt and tie. He was balding, his dark brown hair making a little scoop along the center of his head like it was a solitary starfighter in the epic battle against time and age. Tall, thick glasses hung on a small, round nose that looked as though it would not be able to support this weight without the aid of the bushy brown mustache standing so firmly beneath it. "Need I remind you that Ryerson pays your bills, Private?"

The impertinent army man rolled his eyes. "Maybe the army's bills, ya corporate stooge. I ain't gettin' shit for this."

"There is no need for all the profanity, Private Waters." Again everyone turned, this time to see a young, beautiful woman. She was standing with her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face, like a disapproving mother who just walked in on her children fighting after she had asked them a hundred times to stop.

She wore black, baggy shorts that ended in tight loops just above her kneecaps. Her shirt was grey, short-sleeved, button-down, and similarly baggy. She wore ankle high work boots over thigh-high white cotton socks. Her hair was raven black, and hung long and loose down to her back, with bangs that looked like the teeth of a monster attempting to swallow her head-first. "You were briefed. You know the dangers here as well as anyone else."

"So a couple scientists went missing," Waters responded, shrugging. "I don't understand how that makes it army business."

"You're not paid to understand," Dr. Totenberg snapped, "You're paid to follow orders. Now you have your orders. Follow them."

"Yes... sir" the private muttered, unhappily. Then, once the doctor was out of earshot, added, "Herr Hitler."

With little more conversation, the group began to gather up equipment and move out. The camera shifted about, revealing a sunny grove in a beautifully green, wooded area. The trees gave way to hard, dark-colored rocks as the ground began to rise rapidly upwards. The group was gathered at the foot of a mountain, and from the look of things, were headed toward a cavernous opening in its base.

The cave entrance was small and cramped, forcing the team to go through it one at a time, and each person ducking down – except for Dr. Delambre, who was short enough to pass through with only a slight tilt of her head. The cameraman brought up the rear. He handed the camera off to someone already inside the cave in order to enter himself. Moments late it was back in his hands and the group was moving again.

Now below the earth, there was little but darkness greeting them. No rays of sunlight broke through the rocks to reach down into the depths of earth in which they now found themselves. All light here was artificial, jutting forth like lances against the blackness from the flashlights each person carried. The cavern was clearly massively voluminous, the rays of light occasionally fading off into the dark without reaching a wall or ceiling.

Despite these awe-inspiring depths, the group continued steadily forward, almost as though they had been here before and knew where they were going. In reality it was simply that despite the enormous size of the area they were currently in, it all narrowed down to only one exit at the far end of the cavern. Once they reached this area, the cave became more of a corridor, with slick, rounded walls left over from thousands of years before when an underground river had run through it. Here they were forced to walk two by two. This continued on for a time, until they came upon a room where the corridor split off in four directions. One of the lead army grunts shone his light down each corridor in turn, before calling out for directions.