Crossover

Chapter 14: The Base

The guards at the gate waved us though, no questions asked. We were on horseback so there wasn’t much to search anyways.

Oasis city was beautiful inside, but it was surrounded by a large metal wall, reaching almost 12 feet into the air. Every time I came here, I felt like I was in a glorified jail cell. I might have liked this city better if it didn’t have so many horrible memories. As much as I tried to stay calm for Chianti, I could feel myself getting nervous as we rode.

Even Zedron was tense, and he seemed to get more anxious the closer we got to the Norami Base. I’d forgotten how far their corporate powers really stretched, and I was surprised about the numbers of signs and posters advertising their products. Everywhere I went on Deressa I saw them.

I’d even seen advertisements and logos on Oria, and they had been a few recently on Lravien. I was worried that there would never be a place for me to hide anymore when I got Alia back.

We rode down the narrow streets between the buildings. Oasis city looked fairly modern, but Chianti and Peaberry weren’t out of place. Horses were used all over Deressa, and the influence of the Norami on Oasis city didn’t change that.

“You take the lead from here.” Zedron said. I guess he didn’t know this city as well.

I guided Chianti through the busy streets, checking back every few minutes to make sure that he was keeping up.

I saw the light from the logo before I saw the actual building, glowing blue against the tall buildings surrounding it. For a large corporation you’d expect them to have a larger base, but what you wouldn’t know is that most of it is underground.

I just hoped that I could still get in.

I stopped Chianti right around the side of the building, and hopped off. My dismount was much more graceful this time.

Zedron jumped off right behind me. “How are you going to get in?” he asked.

“Though one of the air vents.” I said. I scanned the wall of the grey building, looking for one. “There.” I said, as I pointed to a vent I’d spotted.

I turned to Zedron, prepared to say goodbye. “This is as far as you go.” I said, handing him Chianti’s reins. “I’m on my own from here on.”

He nodded. “I’ll wait here for you.” He said.

I was surprised. I assumed he’d want to leave now that we’d gotten here, but I had hoped he wouldn’t. I liked having someone to work with.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “As far as I’m concerned, you don’t owe me anything.”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” He said, standing there between the two horses. “I promised I’d get your daughter back, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

I gave him a smile, and ran towards the vent. I lifted the grate from over it and climbed inside.

I crawled forwards a ways before it slanted down. Turning around inside, I lowered myself down feet first. I could hear echoes of voices and noise from below; conversations carrying up the silvery shaft. Using both hands to brace myself against the sides, I began descending the floors.

This air vent ran the full height of the building, from the lowest sublevel to the very top of the building, so if I slipped I really had no chance of survival.

I counted the number of horizontal branches of the vent that I passed, keeping track of the floors. They had held me on the fourth sublevel, but she could be on the fifth as well.

When I reached the fourth sublevel branch, I carefully climbed inside. It ran inside the walls, so there were small slatted vents that were on the left side of the shaft. Checking through the slits to see that no-one was there, I pushed one off so that I could crawl out.

I searched every room on the fourth floor, peeking in through the small windows in the doors to look for her. Most of the rooms down here were tech labs, with pieces of half-finished contraptions out on the tables.

I looked into all the empty rooms and the busy ones. I didn’t miss a single one. But I also couldn’t find her. “Damn it, where are you Alia?” I muttered to myself.

I was about to give up when I reached the room at the end of a long hallway. I recognized it immediately. It was where they used to hold me, and run tests on me. I can’t explain why I went in. I could just feel that Alia was in there. Call it mother’s instinct, or maybe my ability to feel things in the universe, but I just knew.

I pushed the door open, and stepped inside marvelling at how it hadn’t changed. The lights were bright at the back, but all the others were dimmed giving it the illusion of being unused.

I took a deep breath. “Alia?” I called out.

I heard silence. I must have gotten it wrong.

I turned to leave, when someone said my name.

“Kefira.” I heard from the back of the room. “I’ve been waiting for you. Please come and sit.”

I turned around. Marina was standing there, calm as ever. Her hair flooded over her shoulders, making her look like she was wearing a cape of darkness.

“Where’s my daughter?” I demanded. “Why did you take her?”

“Why? Am I not allowed to spend time with my own grandchild?”

“She’s not your grandchild.” I spat, as I strode over to face her. “And you aren’t my mother. Now, where is she?”

She just smiled at me. “Kefira, you are always such a little spitfire.”

I just reached up and slapped her. “Give her back.” I insisted. “She’s not yours.”

“Oh but she is,” Marina said, recovering quickly. “You knew she could never be yours, even if you are her mother. That’s why you left us, isn’t it?”

I hated her with a burning fire. They owned me. I wasn’t a person. I never would be.

“No.” I said. “I left because I didn’t want to kill for you anymore. I am a person and I deserve to be treated as one.”

“Oh my.” Marina said, clasping her hand over her mouth in fake surprise. “Did I really just hear that? You know what happens now, don’t you?”

I shook my head.

She reached up with her hand to stroke my face. “Now you pay for your insolence,” she said, dropping her hand to my neck. Marina pressed the small button on the stun-block she had in her hand, sending electricity coursing through my body.  

I dropped to the floor like a stone.