Page 5 of Whispers of the Deep
Something struck Arges hard in the back. He tried to spin, but a metal arm had gripped him from behind. It wrapped around his waist in three sections. And though he wriggled in its grip, pushing at it with his arms until he thought they might break, he could not free himself from the demon the achromos had created.
It dragged him through the water, closer and closer to the wall of the metal tubing.
the achromo was going to crush him, he realized. He would be flattened against the side of their wall until his blood billowed around him.
But then the metal tube opened. Water rushed into the space beyond, dragging his tail with it as the suctioned force yanked him and the metal arm in. It deposited him before the wall closed with him and the metal arm inside.
Panicked now, he slammed himself against the glass. Once, twice, three times, snapping his shoulder out of place in the process. The damned metal wouldn’t give. He couldn’t get enough room to move his tail, so he had to bunch it underneath him and use only his abs to thrust himself forward. They’d trapped him. Trapped like he had trapped the tiny schools of fish in his palms when he was a child.
His twin hearts fluttered in his chest and he felt a flash of oil slick his skin. The panic reaction was meant to make him glide faster through the water that would no longer pull upon him, but there was nowhere for him to go. Only darkness surrounded him.
A hissing sound flooded through the room and suddenly, another rush of movement.
He was forced out into bright light, tumbling head over fin and striking yet another hard object as he landed. Trying to get his bearings, Arges stared around him and immediately sealed his gills along his sides. He was inside the tube.
He was inside the achromos’ home.
Horror sank in. They’d not only trapped him. They’d drawn him into their own death. The big man stood in front of him, though his face had paled as Arges drew himself up to his great height. His tail looped behind him, long and deadly as spikes slowly rose along the back of it. They dripped poison already, and each drop sizzled as it hit the metal floor. He had to balance himself on the glass of the tube, but that wouldn’t stop him from killing the man. He opened his mouth, all his teeth flashing in the red, blinking light, and he hissed long and low.
The man didn’t hesitate. He turned and fled down the tunnel to stand with the few remaining achromos.
They would seek their safety in the upper levels. And though he dragged himself toward them, slow and lethargic already with lack of air, he knew he’d have to take a breath soon.
The water.
He needed the water.
But he would terrify them with every ounce of his remaining life, if that’s what it took. And if he could destroy one of them in the process... all the better.
He’d always wanted to know what an achromo’s blood tasted like.
Three
Mira
Of all the times to be late, Mira had to pick the one time red lights flashed through the halls. The ones that meant, “Seriously. Get the fuck out.”
She’d been deep in the tunnels, though. Hermon had told their boss that he’d warned her about the crack in the glass and she said it wasn’t a big deal. Sure, she’d pointed out the giant scratch marks from the inside. She’d told them all about the monstrous undine that had attacked the glass and then blasted its way into their home.
Did anyone believe her? Of course not. They laughed right in her face and then sent her off to do grunt work that was a waste of her talent. But what did they care? She was now a liar on top of taking too many risks. An employee who wasn’t worth investing in.
She was going to scratch someone’s eyes out. It wasn’t too much to ask for a little god damned respect around here.
Careening around a corner, she swore under her breath as the air got even more thin. She wouldn’t be able to keep running if they ran out of air. She only had a few minutes.
Where were the crowds of people? Only engineers lived in this wing, but no one was so crazy that they would just ignore the blaring lights. And they’d all been taught from day one to not be a hero. Red lights? Run and leave your friends. Everyone for yourself.
She was going for the elevator. That was the quickest way to go, and probably everyone had gone the same way. Which meant there would be a line, but the elevator was quick. It always made her stomach bottom out when she rode it. That had to mean it could get them all out in time. Right?
Right.
Except then she saw the elevator at the end of the hall and her fucking boss was the last one in. She couldn’t mistake that giant for anyone else. And the red light at the top of the elevator meant the heartless fucker had turned the emergency on inside the elevator.
“Wait!” she shouted. “I’m almost?—”
The doors shut, and she was stuck down here.
“That mother fucking, god damned, bitch ass... Ugh!” Kicking the floor, she had to think about what to do next. The engineering wing was intentionally difficult to get out of, considering they had the most mishaps.
