Muse 9 (ONC 2020)

Chapter 5

Even after all these years, the way to the Drain was still stamped into my memory. Just as I clearly remembered the day I was in that wretched hole, I recalled every single step to reach it. It was scary, how I still knew what roads to take to bring me to the entrance of that cesspit.

I passed by Third Grate, one of the wealthier villages located down here in the Grid – if anyone down here could even be referred to as "wealthy." Skirting along the outside of the village, I couldn't help trying to see if any sunlight was leaking down through the iron bars, even though it was technically night for the Kycenans. But the allure of light, natural, non-copied light, was one that drew Gridirons like it did moths.

The houses of Third Grate faded behind me as I kept walking. Turning into a narrow, seldom traveled tunnel, I yanked the hood of my short cape up over my head as I picked up my pace. Everything seemed worse in this tunnel, although I wasn't sure how much of that was real and how much of that was due to what I knew was coming next.

The tunnel was narrower than my childhood memory had recorded it as, but not confining. I walked quickly, resisting the urge to cross my arms over my chest defensively. I needed to be loose, prepared for anything.

This tunnel led to the gutterfalls and to the Drain. Feeling dread settle over my heart, I shook my head roughly and began to run, the short tail of my cape flapping behind me. Right now, I could risk the loose fabric, but not for long. Not once I hit the gutterfalls.

The concrete beneath my feet shifted, abruptly becoming a mix of stone and concrete. We Gridirons referred to such a composition as "stonecrete" – a substance that often paved nightmares, due to its association with the Drain. The tunnel was about to end.

I slowed, reaching behind me for the straps on my cape. Securing them around my body, I ensured they were fastened on my belt, keeping my short cape close around me, before moving on, the Muse 8 rifle in my hands. With cautious steps, I approached the end of the tunnel.

The sound of rushing water struck my ears, and the air grew damper as I kept moving forward. The end of the tunnel narrowed even further, forcing me to stoop, then crouch, then crawl on my hands and knees toward the exit.

My rifle clutched to my chest with one hand, I came to the end of the tunnel and halted. The roaring of the gutterfalls filled my ears, and the force of the water seemed to send vibrations through the stonecrete, causing tremors to shiver through my body.

Lowering my body to the ground as I slung my rifle over my back again, I took a deep breath to steel my nerves. Sure, I could copy memories and sneak around Kycene, no problem – but the gutterfalls was the guardian of the Drain. This was it. From here on out, I had to keep my head in the game.

"Here goes nothing," I said through gritted teeth. Then I propelled myself out through the exit.

Water pounded past me as I reached up to grasp the bar that was secured above the tunnel exit. My fingers wrapped around the wet bar as I jerked out over the abyss, my body swinging with the momentum from exiting the tunnel. Slamming into the concrete face of the wall, I pushed down against the stonecrete edge under my boots, trying not to slip.

I was soaked within seconds as the water poured down the abyss. The gutterfalls was the largest drainage of water from the surface. Although there were other drainage points located throughout the Grid, this one, right by the Drain, was where all of the rainwater runoff from the capital city, Etheni, was emptied. It created a waterfall, of sorts, which wasn't always active.

But right now? It was. And it was strong.

My hair plastered against my neck and face as I held on to the bar, my body swaying. I needed to move, to get down to the opening that led into the Drain.

Where's that ledge? I could have sworn it was....

Glancing down and to the right, I noticed that the ledge I was thinking of was all but gone. With a grimace, I looked around for another place to go, now that I had already committed to this course of action.

To my left, directly below the tunnel exit, was another ledge. If I could drop down onto that....

Counting down silently from three, I pushed back from the bar until I was standing on the exit ledge, barely balanced there. With a quick movement, I stepped down from the exit and landed on the edge of the secondary ledge in a crouch.

The ledge was slippery and I was forced to throw my weight back to keep myself from falling over the edge. Hitting the concrete wall, I wiped the water from my face and reached into my pack, withdrawing a grappling line gun.

Peering up through the water pouring down past me, I aimed at the bar I had been hanging onto earlier and fired the line. I heard the soft clink of the hook making connection around the bar and fastened the line, already fed through its secure clip, to my belt.

With a deep breath, I stood up and jumped from the ledge, gripping the line in one hand as I controlled the slack with the other. Using my feet against the wall to help control my descent, I kept my head down to try and keep the water from blinding me.

I've got this. I've got this. I've got this.

My boots slipped from the wall suddenly and I swung forward. Drawing my knees up, I slammed into the wet surface. I bit back a grunt of pain, but not the curse. "Stark!"

Pushing back from the wall, I pressed the soles of my boots back up against the wall and continued with my descent. The unrelenting deluge rained down on me, the sheer force of the water jarring my bones. And I was only on the outlier of the flood.

It seemed forever before I reached the thin ledge that rimmed about half of the enormous drainage pipe's circumference. As soon as my feet touched the protrusion, I drew my line up short and leaned forward to avoid tumbling backward into the abyss. Wrapping my line around the small hook that had been secured there, most likely by Eurykhan, I then fed the slack line through my clip before securing it again and started edging out around the rim.

Funny, it had been wider last time I was there.

I didn't bother to tend my line, just kept my arms out wide and hugged the wall as I slowly inched along. I knew that hook would hold my weight if I slipped and fell. I remember Eurykhan bringing Luktor and I through here, all those years ago. My parents had trusted it.

And I trusted them.

The rim ended, two feet away from the entrance into my destination: another tunnel, this one with a larger opening to enter through. I tied my line off around a second small hook and removed the clip from my belt, slipping it over the hook.

I turned, gazing at the opening and then glancing down to the tunnel entrance. I didn't remember that gap being there.

The water's eroding the ledge away.

Taking a deep breath, I steeled my nerves. One shot. I had one shot.

I jumped.