2125 New beginnings.

Bathophobia

(Fear of depths)

(Just a note from me saying thanks,both for taking the time to read this and for been an awesome person, comments are always appreciated and I hope as such my work is getting better. All this is thanks to you! the reader so thanks :) enjoy reading... and yes, when I have time I will return to I.C.E thanks for the patience.

I woke feeling like I hadn't rested at all. Psycho was up already and clearing our small camp humming some tune I didn't recognise. He obviously heard my movement.

'Your up, Well shift your ass we have to move camp quickly, before were found.' I slowly got to my feet and began to help. Psycho was looking at me strangely, a look that gave me no comfort. His eyes had a strange hunger to them.

'I'm going to explain a few things to you, so don't open your mouth and you some of it might get through your thick skull.' He giggled that almost  ... inhuman laugh before continuing.'You crashed on Crey, It has a few cities here and there that are now deserted, In part through effort of your own. Before you arrived they world was in balance, the Claws hunted the vamps, the vamps scavenged from other creatures kills and the Unknown did Unknowny stuff.'

 He giggled again, and noticing I hadn't, snorted at me and continued. 'All was well, then for reasons not yet know to me, the Vamps started to get organised, they began hunting in packs, almost organised, killing creatures way past anything feasible, even killing Claws now and again. They also started turning people from the city's, making more of there own kind until they began dominating anything in the hunting grounds.'

'How does this have anything to do with me?'

I felt no loss for however many had died here, even if it was caused by me, I wanted to save my own hide, nothing else mattered to me. That's what I kept telling myself anyway, luckily I didn't show any signs of my thoughts to Psycho.

His eyes turned again to me, what I would call animal savagery clearly evident in them, 'Nothing yet, let me finish or I'll make you wish you had died on impact.'

He cleared his throat and continued.

'The Vamps were dominating everywhere, no matter how many the colonists killed there were more everyday, and then whole cities started disappearing. Whole cities, everybody living gone, dead, alive, or turned no one knew.There used to be billions on this planet, massive glistening cities, all gone.'When your ship entered our system there was one city left, Lora, but when you crashed, somehow every living person died, so I, blame you for whatever caused it .' 

After saying the story I could see the sadness on his face, gone was the look of contempt, his face was now filled with sorrow. Despite my normal resistance to friendliness, I actually felt for him and it shocked me. I felt sorry for this man who had shown nothing but contempt.

'So whats the plan?' I looked towards him, he seemed lost to his own thoughts. His head raised again and his rough eyes gained focus. 'We are going to Lora to find out why everyone one but me and your pathetic hide are dead.' His eyes were back to contempt for me.

I decided not to tell him about my scan of the planet, the scanners must of been wrong anyway. I decided to keep what I knew to myself, I still wasn't sure I trusted this...man.

We began jogging away from our camp, Psycho seemed to never tire, luckily I wasn't in bad shape and we made good progress across varying landscapes, small jungles, fields, rivers. All the while there was silence between us, nothing to be said except for the occasional snide remark from him if ever I fell behind. 

After days of travel we reached another rise and at the top the view took my breath away.

There was a city, perched on the edge of a mountain. It seemed impossible, such a large vertical marvel perched in such a, well stupid spot. It looked impressive but seemed so impractical. From my view  the only way to reach it was a massive walkway from a similar mountain in front, that was our current destination.

'Finally, we have arrived, Lora, Crey's capital city' He looked at me. 'My capital city.' The venom in his words may have frightened a lesser person but I had gained the amazing skill of not taking any notice of his crap.

After more tedious walking we arrived at the base of the bridge, or near enough as we had reached a problem, just a small one, nothing too life threatening,..  Vamps and the Unknown.

'Crap....Crap....Crap.' Psycho did an amazing slow motion dive to the side of the road, which ended with him winded and in pain. 

The Vamps were camped all around the entrance of the bridge, surrounding it completely. But the strangest thing was how the group of them was dotted with Unknown. They were seemingly unmoving yet my eyes couldn't focus on them properly.

'What now Neo?' I asked him, laughing silently at the idiot. He didn't look impressed. 'Who's Neo?'Anyway were going to have to either sneak past them by climbing along the cliff face, or we disguise ourselves and walk through them'. 'Lets do rock paper scissors to decide.'

'WHAT, did that dive give you a concussion?, you want to make a big decision by playing that?' 

'Yes'

'OK, lets play'

What have I done I thought, following this loon,I'm defiantly going to die.

My hand went behind my back,'Ok I win we climb, you win we sneak.' His eyes remained passive, giving no clue to what he was about to do.

3                 2                   1

I brought up rock, it was a fist as I enjoyed the thought of punching him, his hand was scissors. Crap, I won. I really struggled not punching him.

'Crap' I said, devastated at the result. He smiled, obviously relishing the thought of walking through the enemy.

We waited till nightfall to minimise the chances of been spotted. It was a beautiful clear night as we were so high up, the stars were glittering and the twin moons were glowing gently. Psycho had disappeared for ages and just as I thought he had deserted me, he returned.

'Here, I got you a present' He through a body of a Vamp at my feet. I changed into what he was wearing, a trench coat and a grey balaclava. My shoes I kept as the Vamp had ridiculously small feet, which even got a giggle from me, despite the tension.

Psycho got the raw end of the deal, which pleased me greatly, he had to squeeze into a purple jacket that hugged his figure so tightly I was convinced he would suffocate. That would be funny the remorseless side of me thought.

We began walking towards the camp, calmly , not to fast, as though we had just gone for a walk, just the two of us. Damn that sounds gay I thought, meh oh well.

The camp was even scarier close up, there were tents at the edges that formed a mail walkway towards the bridge entrance. The coppery smell was back along with flies and screams of pain from somewhere over to the side. Most of the Vamps were wide awake and looking hungry, some were playing cards, acting like normal...humans, but others were acting like animals, fighting each other over scraps of meat that I hoped wasn't human. 

We were roughly halfway when I noticed the first Unknown, he, she, it? Was just standing, or hovering I was unable to tell, by a tent with the flaps open. We were going to walk past it, my heart started beating faster....thump thump thump. I still couldn't look at it, it was a shadow, where there should be none, yet I could feel it's eyes following us, scrutinising us, looking for any foreign sign.

We were past, no one had even challenged us, we were free. The door to the bridge was just ahead, we left the edge of camp, then a growl, low and threatening broke the silence.

'Dont turn.'

Psycho had said it so softly, I almost hadn't heard him. 'Don't look it in it's eyes and defiantly don't turn around'. I could see him, he was just a step in front so I could see him, he was sweating, he looked scared, he looked like a man about to die. 

We were getting closer, so near, when I heard a growl beside me, and the feeling of breath on my neck. Fear gripped me and wouldn't let go. My mind started picturing all the horrible creatures I had ever imagined.

Psycho had reached the door, his hand reached out......

and turned the handle, he steeped inside.

And shut the door on me.

I was left alone.