Chapter 7: Chapter 7 – The Dark Patch

Bo half climbed half fell down the rocky outcrop – travelling far faster than was safe and far, far faster than Fran would have liked. But he didn't have time to worry about silly little things like risking his life.

His head was full to bursting with ideas, and he needed to get to Gale as quickly as possible. The sooner, the better.

By either luck or divine intervention – he made it to the bottom in one piece. The second his feet touched the sand again, he immediately took off towards the tunnel entrance.

Gale was still standing by the tunnel mouth, his expression ever stoic. For the moment, he was peering into the tube he had filled with Borealis earlier and muttering to himself. But he quickly glanced up as the sound of Bo's frenzied approach reached his ears.

Readying himself for a fight, Gale hobbled over to his bag and grabbed a smaller metallic tube from a side pocket, clenching it tightly in his fist. He peered nervously into the gloom – gripping the canister ever tighter as the raucous sounds quickly approached.

It wasn't until Bo burst into view around the corner of the ridge that Gale finally relaxed. He took a deep breath and stashed the little cylinder back in his bag – grateful that he hadn't had to use his prototype so soon.

"Gale!" Bo shouted as he raced towards the old man.

"SHH!" Gale hissed, scowling furiously. "Do you have any idea what sorts of creatures are out there right now?" He gestured towards the murk, where hulking shadows lurked.

Far from calming down – Bo only grew more agitated, "That's exactly it, Gale!" He replied – his voice still a little too loud for comfort.

Gale grabbed Bo's arm and hauled him over to the tunnel mouth, "What is it?" He rasped.

"It's the desert creatures, Gale," Bo exclaimed, "I've just had a brilliant idea about how we can get more Borealis,"

"…" Gale paused with a thoughtful expression on his face, "You aren't planning to lure something into the cave and have it blow up… are you?"

Bo froze – his expression sinking, "I – I was, actually… how did you know?"

The old man laughed harshly, shaking his head, "You don't think I've already tried that?" He raised his hook pointedly.

"How do you think I lost this arm?"

"Oh…" Bo sighed defeatedly, "Why didn't it work then?"

"I don't know how, but everything that lives near here seems to know exactly how dangerous that tunnel is. They won't enter it unless you whip them up into a frenzy and…" Gale rubbed his elbow – just above where his arm was missing, "Well… when you whip those sorts of creatures into a frenzy… mistakes happen,"

Bo frowned, trying to figure out a way to make his plan work. He certainly didn't think mining six times the amount of Borealis he already had was feasible. His nerves would snap before he even managed to gather half of that.

But if what Gale had said was true, then Bo needed to figure out how to lure a creature into the tunnel – while simultaneously keeping himself out of harm's way.

Before he could think of anything, Gale pressed the ugly shoes and drill into his chest, "Hurry up," He ordered, "Borealis can't be mined anytime other than night,"

Bo paused, mid-thought "… what?"

"You heard me. It becomes far more reactive during the day - so it can only be mined at night,"

"But…" Bo did the math. If the tribe was moving away from them – which it was. And he had already spent the better part of one and a half days getting this stupid rock. Then… with each day that passed, his odds of returning to the tribe on time, and finding a Sarpa to kill, were getting slimmer as time passed. "I'll never make it back on time if we don't head to the tribe before the day after tomorrow,"

Gale nodded grimly, "Yes, that's about right,"

"So what? I only have one more night after this one to collect six times the amount of Borealis? Is that what you're saying?" Bo asked incredulously.

"Yes, that – is what I'm saying,"

"Okay," Bo took a deep breath, trying his very best not to freak out. "Then I had better hurry up,"

He quickly put the shoes on and hurried into the cavern. However, the speed that he could hurry at was severely limited – so he didn't move particularly fast.

Bo shuffled to the wall he had been mining earlier but paused before he began turning the drill again – he had a thought.

"Gale, how well have you explored this tunnel?" He asked over his shoulder.

Gale frowned, "I've never gone further than ten metres in; the Borealis gets more reactive the deeper you go,"

"But I'm lighter than you, right?" Bo asked pointedly.

The old man nodded, "You are,"

"So I can probably head further in than you," Bo continued.

Gale paused thoughtfully, "I suppose you could – but what would be the point? You don't have time to go exploring,"

"I don't have time either way," Bo said sardonically, "But who knows, maybe I'll find something deeper in the tunnel that gives me some ideas,"

With a frown, Gale scratched his chin with the end of his hook, "Be careful; it will be awkward if I have to explain how you died to Fran," He finally said.

Bo snorted and carefully set down his tools by the tunnel wall. Then, he began to shuffle deeper into the tunnel. Each step was tentative and as small as he could make it, but it still didn't take him long to venture five metres down the tunnel.

At that depth, every step he took sent a shower of sparks in all directions.

"You can always change your mind," Gale's voice came from the tunnel mouth.

Bo scowled and shook his head, "I'm making it at least as far as you did!"

"But what's the point?" Gale asked curiously. He didn't sound particularly frustrated – rather, amused by Bo's stubbornness.

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"I just want to see what's down there. Is that so strange?" Bo asked while taking another – ever so gentle – step.

"Yes," Gale responded bluntly.

When he had reached about eight metres in, Bo felt a marked change In the reaction his steps produced. Rather than sparks – there was a lick of flame. At that point, he felt like he was walking along the narrow edge of a cliff that jutted out over a volcano. One wrong move, one slip, one misstep – and it would all be over.

"Bo," Gale's voice echoed down the tunnel, sounding more serious than usual "Don't get yourself hurt over something as stupid as curiosity,"

"Shut up," Bo snapped, "I'm concentrating,"

He shuffled a little further forward as sweat beaded on his brow. Each time his foot hit the floor, a small explosion forced it back. It wasn't anything close to the fireball that had rocked the tunnel earlier – but the sensation left him off balance each time he moved, forcing him to put every ounce of his attention into staying on his feet.

He finally reached ten metres into the tunnel – with his heart in his mouth. In his entire life, Bo had never focused this much on anything. 

The further he travelled down the tunnel - the brighter the starry rock seemed to glow. It glittered and shone like a thousand gemstones, almost blinding him. He tried to peer deeper into the tunnel but couldn't make out more than a few metres past where he was because of the nearly blinding glare.

From what he could gather, it was much the same. Aside from a small dark spot on the rock floor, the tunnel was identical to…

Bo froze, squinting towards the dark spot. He knew it was impossible – his eyes must have been deceiving him. There was simply no other explanation.

"Gale," He called out shakily.

"What is it?" Gale shouted back.

"I think…" Bo stared transfixed at the dark spot on the tunnel floor. "I think there's water in here,"

Silence was Gale's only response for a long, long time, "Are you sure?" He finally asked – his voice quavering slightly.

"Yeah, I think so; there's a patch of damp here," Bo mumbled, squinting at the slightly damp patch in the centre of the tunnel. There, the Borealis was darker and appeared more like a regular rock than its usual glittering self.

The spot was barely two metres from Bo – but that distance felt like a hundred miles given the context. As if there was an uncrossable chasm between him and the damp patch on the tunnel floor.

As he watched, a single droplet of water slipped from the tunnel ceiling and splashed onto the damp patch.

Bo winced – expecting sparks or even an explosion. But when the droplet fell – the damp Borealis didn't react.

It didn't react.

Not even a single spark.

Bo stared at the spot with wide eyes, "Gale, the Borealis that the water touches doesn't react when something hits it," he said hurriedly.

"What!?" Gale snapped, "Are you serious?"

"Hold on, I'm coming back," Bo replied, shuffling out of the tunnel as quickly as he could.

When he got within a few metres of Gale, he stretched out his hand and said, "Give me something to throw at it?"

"Throw at what? The damp patch?" gale asked in disbelief, "Have you lost your mind?"

"No," Bo said, with an almost feral smile, "I'm going to do an experiment,"

Speechless, Gale handed over a rock the size of Bo's fist and watched with bated breath as Bo approached the damp patch again.

"Don't miss," Gale hissed.

Bo froze, taking a deep breath. He knew just how bad the consequences would be if he didn't hit his mark, "I won't."

With a gentle toss, Bo threw the rock across the two metres and onto the dark patch on the floor. It bounced with no reaction – losing most of its speed before skittering off down the tunnel in a shower of sparks.

"It didn't react!" Bo shouted, "Not even a spark!"

Gale was too stunned to respond - gaping gormlessly at Bo.

"I'm coming back up!" Bo yelled excitedly, "We need to change our plans!"

When he finally returned to the tunnel mouth and stepped out into safety, Bo breathed a sigh of relief - the likes of which had never been seen before.

This was big; he knew it was big. If they could find a way to wet the Borealis – then they could mine it in far, far larger quantities than ever before. He could even go up against a Sarpa with hundreds of firesticks if he wanted.

"So, do you have any water?" Bo asked half-heartedly. He already knew the answer but thought it couldn't hurt to ask.

Gale - who had yet to move since Bo threw the rock – broke free from his stasis and scowled.

"What do you think?"

With a sigh, Bo shook his head, "I didn't think so," He gazed off into the gloomy desert thoughtfully. All they needed was some water, and they could have all the Borealis they wanted.

But in Guarda, that – was easier said than done.

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