Chapter 11: Chapter 0-11

For not being in a pressure vessel, the explosion was impressive. Hot and caustic liquid was thrown everywhere. Then the puddles created by that explosion boiled and threw progressively smaller droplets in an expanding area. I guess like the scavenger dog-demons, these ones also had some free ULE in them that helped the reactions progress faster and generate more heat. For a few seconds I was sitting there stunned, just watching the madness and trying to figure out how such a small fire could feel so hot even as far away as I was. My thoughts quickly shifted to ‘Oh shit’ as the scent of chemically-burning flesh wafted up from my right arm. 

 

When I had said the mixture had been flung everywhere, that had also included the slightly-less-than-thirty feet I was from the source. Thankfully, I hadn’t been hit by one of the original splashes- I was just standing a foot away from an angry puddle eating through the tiles on the floor and splashing me with droplets every so often. In another stroke of luck, the bits that had gotten on me were small enough that they lost all their energy almost as soon as they hit me. But that still wasn’t great for my health.

 

As I ran away- furiously shaking the right side of my body as hard as I could- the ringing in my ears subsided enough to draw my attention to the mass of demons. Needless to say, they were having a bad time. There was a lot of bubbling and unearthly screeching as half-melted demons tried in vain to escape the rapidly expanding cloud of smog- hindered by having the fluid they used in place of muscles all over the floor. 

 

I laughed with a hint of sadistic glee as I watched the cloud condensed on any cold or wet surface, where it started to bubble and hiss. It must have been a mess of aerosolized chlorine and acid- nasty to anything trying to exist in it. In an act of karmic retribution, my laugh was abruptly stopped when I realized I needed to get through the cloud if I wanted to get to where the batteries were.

 

A few ideas of how to solve this issue immediately came to mind: wait for it to settle down, go get something to neutralize the mess with, and/or go get some extra layers and a proper mask. I was about to ask Cleo if there was any perk that would let me not get burned by acid as a familiar and foreboding feeling passed over me. Much like when wave two had started, all the air I was holding in preparation to speak felt like it was abruptly sucked out. I took that as the signal to move and just make do with whatever I had on me- which wasn’t much. Besides my clothes, I had one fanny pack under my jacket which held my infiltration tools. I didn’t have goggles or even a real air filtration system, so I would have to get to and deal with the lock quick. Easy, right?

 

Turning to my familiar I explained, “I’m going to close my eyes and wrap the sleeve of my jacket tight around them so I don’t get any of the chemicals into my eyes. Can you guide me there and help me find the lock? I should be able to pick it by feel, so there is no need to worry about that. I really just don’t want to step in any of those puddles.”

 

{That should be doable. Just walk at a steady pace and I’ll tell you what to do as we go. Before you ask, I am unaffected by the gasses.}

 

I still didn’t fully trust them, but so far they hadn’t noticeably lied and did appear to care about my wellbeing, so I had decided this was an acceptable risk. I had no illusions that the Semiseelie just wanted to help- no one did- but whatever they were getting out of helping us probably wouldn’t get in the way of my goals… which were still sitting in the purgatory of ‘to be determined’ like they had been in middle school. As you can see I’m wildly ambitious. 

 

With a sigh, I did as I had said I would. I really yanked on the sleeve, getting it to push on my eyes uncomfortably but securely. Satisfied it wouldn’t slip off I called out, “I’m ready whenever you are.”

 

{Please walk forwards, we are ten feet from most of the mess…

{Stop here, shuffle to the right a bit… that's good, continue forwards…

{Turn left thirty degrees, there’s a big puddle we need to avoid…}

 

And on and on…

 

I had no clue how far we had gotten, but it had felt endless. Every step was flirting with anything and everything my brain could terrorize me with: a random sinkhole, one of the puddles left unnoticed, the open jaws of one of the demons, inexplicably placed rusty nails. This resulted in- for the millionth time today- my adrenaline pumping up, which left me hyper aware of my vulnerability and sweating.

 

Like with the demon’s hydraulic-fluid-internals, my sweat condensed the gasses quickly. Trickles of lightly burning pain raced down my body, only making me sweat harder and want to rush.

 

{STOP. Calm down. I know this sucks, but you almost walked right into the legs of one of the dead demons. Those might not be moving right now, but their legs are still viciously sharp.} Cleo paused as if taking a breath before continuing in a calmer voice, {We are close to halfway there, and from here on out, it's mostly demons' bodies and not caustic pools.}

 

After that scare, we continued. Everything hurt, but none of it was unmanageable. The eye wrapping must have been too tight, as my eyes joined the symphony of pain that was my body. I was tearing up and twitching with the urge to rub my eyes as hard as I could. That progressed to more acute pain- but even if the pain was from them being pushed so hard for so long, it was preferable to whatever the chemicals would do. 

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The rest of the trip was just as agonizingly slow as the beginning, each step taken with care and only after Cleo said it was safe. Finally I heard what I’d been hoping to hear for so long:

 

{Reach out and take a few more steps, you should feel the door.

{Lower your hand and move it a bit to the right… lower… lower… left a little… there! Feel the knob?}

 

“Yeah, give me a bit.”

 

The lock was like all the others: cheap. I only had to rake it for a few seconds before it turned and I rushed inside. I was quick to slam the door closed behind me and relock it before taking a few steps away. Wanting to make sure it was completely safe, I asked, “is the air clear here?”

 

{There doesn’t appear to be much- if any- leakage and the little gas let in by you opening the door has dispersed. However, do be careful, you are very close to the stairs.}

 

I hummed a thanks and untied my jacket from around my eyes. The room was dark, which was to be expected, but so close to the door I expected there to be some light leaking through. I blinked a couple times to clear the tears from my eyes, but that sent a lancing pain through them. My body responded by tearing up more and catching my breath in my throat. Concerningly, those tears burned as they flowed down my cheeks. 

 

I had definitely fucked up and overestimated how much help some cloth would be against that much gas. In hindsight, the whole idea of meandering blind through a World War 1 style battlefield with no real protection was incredibly stupid. Amidst my panicking over this realization, I rubbed my eyes in an attempt to help clear wherever was on them- but all that did was spread the pain around. 

 

“I- I think I’ll need your help navigating again. I-It's pretty dark, and I think I may have ruined my eyes…” was all I was able to squeak out before feeling like I was going to burst into tears. “I just want to get this over with and go home…”

 

Talking in a comforting voice, Cleo replied, {I understand. Just think of the people you’ll save… and how you can get back at them for being asshats if they live. Please reach out your right hand, there's a handrail. Take your time with the stairs; you should be safe here until at least the fourth wave. Although, I do hope you will be able to make it out before then.}

 

Taking their advice, I shoved the intrusive thought about a possibly ruined future into the back of my mind and slowly descended. It was noticeably colder at the bottom of the stairs, but not too uncomfortable. There was also another door- although it didn’t have a lock this time and thrummed with energy. Without hesitation I carefully turned the handle and pulled it open.

 

The wave of energy released filled me with exhilaration, banishing the beginnings of a headache and lessening the pains somewhat. Even without seeing it, I could feel the source on the other side.

 

“Those are the batteries, right? Where’s the lever or switch to release them?”

 

{Follow the left wall until you hit the corner, then continue. At around upper-chest height there is an electrical box with a lever pointing up. I assume all you have to do is pull it.}

 

“This better get me the tokens we need. I don’t want to get back to the garage blind, so let's fix me up here- you said it was safe right?” The question was rhetorical- I trusted Cleo’s assessment now- and pulled down before sliding down the wall into a sitting position. “Let's get your computer started. No point waiting.”

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