The Ice Warrior

Chapter 16

Going back to the bunker, Silv led them down the long hall of what they assumed to be sleeping quarters because of the privacy offered by the sets of closed doors which lined the hallway. Although it had never been used, it was designed for a larger number of people. This was odd to Silv since, as far as her limited knowledge could tell her, bunkers were usually much smaller. They were built by the rich whose main goal was to protect their own lives. In their selfishness, they thought their wealth made them worthy of survival. However, fate had other plans.

It was pure luck that what Silv thought of as 'her bunker' was larger, built to save as many lives as possible and not only a few chosen ones. Though no one got to reap its benefits, Silv thought it served its purpose in helping her.

Over the years, the bunker and its different rooms offered Silv what she needed the most, escape from the reality that she was unwilling to accept. Even in that very moment, as they traversed its hallways, it was saving their lives since without them their mission would have been doomed even before it started.

"Where will we come out?" Rose asked after they had walked for quite a while.

"The maintenance room," Silv said.

"The one right across from the main base top-secret department?" Rose asked.

"Yes, but I am not sure if it's guarded or not. I know that they are usually automated, but I am not sure about that one. What do you think, grandma?" Silv asked.

"Oh, it's automated. I am sure of it. I remember that last year there was a glitch that was jeopardizing the whole grid, and we had to wait for half an hour for the maintenance guy from sector 3 to come and fix it." Rose said.

"Well, I guess we are in luck then," Silv said with relief.

"My dear, haven't I taught you anything? Never assume. We will have to be careful even though it's usually not guarded and approach the room with caution. You never know when another maintenance issue might pop up or when they might send someone to check the system functionality." Rose said.

Silv couldn't help feeling like a fool. She knew her grandmother was right. Though she remembered all of her lessons clearly, that wasn't noticeable in her behavior.

Yet, it was as if Rose's presence made her forget her training. The reason being that she felt like she needed to prove something, not only to Rose but to herself, too. Especially after what happened with Denis. She needed to prove that she was a good soldier.

Silv spent her whole life admiring Rose, wanting to be like her, but often she found her performance slipping up when Rose was nearby.

The nerves always made her anxious, but being aware of that didn't make Silv any less bothered that she made such terrible mistakes in front of the woman whom she admired the most.

"Yes, of course," she mumbled under her breath.

A few moments later, Silv slowed down her pace only to stop upon finally reaching the last door in the long hallway.

"The floor plans say it's just behind those doors," she whispered, pointing at the huge metal door.

"Is there a passage between here and the maintenance room or does the door lead directly into the room," Rose asked all business.

Arthur and Wir Eis stayed as quiet as they were during the long walk, and Silv wished they would say something. She wished for any interruption that would stop Rose's interrogation since it made her realize how little she had truly prepared for what they were about to undertake.

"I am not sure. The plans don't specify, and I've never been through that door before. However, all of the entries I have been through so far had the doors, a small passage, and then some kind of hidden exit into the outside world." Silv said.

It was clear that Rose was disappointed with her answer, but she said nothing. She just stood there for a moment, contemplating the best course of action.

"Well, I see no other option. We must go through. Let me and Arthur go first. We are less conspicuous than you two." Rose said.

Silv nodded her head helplessly, her grandmother's authority undeniable. There was no opposing the captain.

"Arthur, my dear, would you please open the door for me?" Rose said, addressing the AI.

"Of course, my lady," Arthur said.

Then he proceeded to open the door and bow stiffly, as much as his rigid new body allowed him.

Silv did not understand when Rose put the gestures into his programming, and she didn't have the time to ponder on it as Rose and Arthur slipped into the dark opening.

"All clear." Rose's voice reached them mere moments later.

Silv and Wir Eis went after them, down the short passage and into a small maintenance room, which was so brightly lit that Silv had to squint to adapt to the light. After their eyes adjusted, Silv could see that the room was like all the other maintenance rooms.

Different machines and devices purred contentedly as various lights flashed on and off while others held a constant green glow.

"All right, here is the plan," Rose said.

Silv stifled the bitterness that rose in her when she was so suddenly stripped of her leadership and listened carefully. One of the main reasons she did so, was the fact that Rose had spent a lot more time in the central room, the hub of all intel than Silv who mostly did fieldwork. Also, Silv knew that her military training was no match for her grandmother's experience.

"You and Arthur will get what you need. He has my retinal scan, my fingerprints, and my voice sample. The visual recognition software isn't working well these days, so the hologram he'll project should be enough to fool the system. By impersonating me you will gain immediate access without the system ever having to scan you. My clearance level is high enough that the system will assume anyone with me is good to go, that they have the clearance. Got it?" Rose asked.

"Yes," Silv said, trying her best to absorb all the information.

"Now, I am guessing you know what you are looking for better than I do, but Arthur still has a list of a few devices you might not be familiar with that might help you out. If anything goes wrong, activate Arthur's emergency protocols, and we'll come to your rescue." Rose said.

Silv mumbled in agreement, and soon enough, she and Arthur cautiously exited the room.

What Silv didn't notice, preoccupied as she was with what she needed to do, was the sound of a weapon being drawn.

As the doors closed behind them, Silv failed to see that Rose had her gun aimed at Wir Eis.

"Let's talk," Rose said, the moment the door closed behind Silv and Arthur, her gun leveled with Wir Eis's head.