Chapter 129
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Nine
From the doorway, Connor could see the Moon twins, who were sitting in the center of a large room, shivering, backs resting against the crates that had been removed from the wheeled litters.
Unlike other rooms Connor had seen, this one was lined with support columns: thick cylinders of the same white composite materials as the walls. Anything could be hiding behind those.
The twins were complaining to each other about freezing, but something about them other than the shivering seemed off.
Their skin was discolored, and their faces were puffy.
Although Mosiah was in the room—pacing and staring at three darkened, arched doorways on the opposite wall, there was no sign of Selen.
Yet the stench and cold seemed to be coming from the room.
Connor waved for Elise to come to him, but put a finger to his lips.
She tiptoed forward and stopped at his side.
After ensuring there was nothing else down the passageway, Connor leaned in close to her. “They’re in there. No sign of Selen.”
The archaeologist frowned. “The artifacts?”
He pointed into the room. “In there.”
“She can’t be far.”
“Something’s wrong with the Tim and Tom. They look sick.”
Elise rubbed her chin. “I guess she could cause that.”
“Or the thing could.” Try as he might, Connor couldn’t accept that Selen was in control.
He absolutely believed Toshiko that Selen had sold him out.
But everything that was going on—everything that had gone on since the change had come over her—had to be this thing exerting control. Selen was still alive, and maybe he could save her somehow.
All he had to do was figure out how to defeat an ancient creature that had escaped the prison of an advanced alien species.
Simple enough.
He pointed to the floor. “Stay here.”
Elise tightened her grip on the Asp and nodded.
Then he went around the corner. “Tim. Tom. Mosiah. Everything okay?”
The Moon twins scrambled to their feet.
Tim laughed. “Connor! I knew you had to be alive!”
Tom ran a hand through his grimy hair, which had somehow managed to retain some of its fluorescent tones. “No way a quake would get you.”
“We found a couple alternate paths.”
Mosiah came around the crates. “This is quite the fortuitous development.”
The old man seemed reinvigorated, the flush gone from his face. Was that the result of the cold air or being so close to his destination?
Connor smiled. “Fortuitous for all of us. Where’s Selen?”
“She’s gone in search of the proper path.” Mosiah rubbed his forehead. “I can remember this chamber quite clearly, but the way forward eludes me.”
“But you’re close, right?”
The old man twisted around and waved at the three darkened doorways. “It’s through there. I think. Not far. Not far.” He bowed his head. “I must admit that I find it troubling I can’t recall which doorway.”
“It was years ago.”
“It was.” Mosiah chuckled. “I was a younger man, still making terrible mistakes.”
Connor stepped around the crates and the old man until there was a clear view of the doorways. “Did you know that Selen worked for one of your associates?”
“Hm? One of my associates?”
“Gu Li. It was years ago, before I joined the team.” Connor nodded toward the Moon brothers. “Before any of us.”
Mosiah’s mouth twisted into a frown. “He wasn’t a particularly good man.”
“They came back here. They were the ones who tried to get into the ships you left behind.”
“I can’t imagine why. We only abandoned non-essential gear.”
The Moon twins moved closer to Connor with stiff steps.
Tim’s eyes narrowed. “You think something’s up?” His voice was a croak.
Warmth radiated out from the amulet as Connor surveyed the room. “I think there’s a lot more going on than Selen told us.”
“She’s been acting odd.”
Tom nodded. “And we don’t feel very good.”
Connor scowled. “You look rough. If we’d brought Lem down, he could treat you.”
But Selen had insisted on leaving the android aboveground.
Tom twisted his arm around, revealing a tear in his shirt where green pus was caked. “Those tentacle things bit us.”
Even over the sulfuric smell filling the large room, Connor caught a whiff of the clone’s body: it stank like gangrene.
They would have to get the Moon twins to Lem soon.
Mosiah straightened. “Wait, now. You were watching over that archaeologist, weren’t you? Where’d she wander off to?”
Connor waved for Elise to come in, and she stepped through the entry, Asp held low but ready.
He turned back to the arched doorways. “We’re concerned about Selen.”
“Because she worked for Gu Li?” Mosiah shrugged. “Working for a cutthroat doesn’t make her one, does it?”
“He was more than a cutthroat. Those relics you stole—”
“Artifacts I’ve taken great expense to bring back to where they belong.”
“Right. But those artifacts were key in keeping something terrible imprisoned down there.” Connor pointed his sword at the center doorway. “When you stole them, they let the thing out into the world. And I think into your accomplice.”
“Into? You mean some sort of parasite?”
Elise crossed to the crates and ran a hand over one. “More of an energy—a possession.”
“Well, that’s a term you don’t hear often. Rest assured, Gu Li didn’t need something possessing him to do terrible things. Of the many troublesome associates during my quest for wealth, Gu Li was easily the worst.”
That sounded about right to Connor. “And that might be why he was chosen.”
The old man coughed. “All history now, I’m afraid. When your captain returns, we’ll conclude this endeavor, and the damage will be undone.”
“You can’t undo decades of weakening the defenses—”
Connor froze at the sound of booted feet coming from the rightmost doorway.
Selen stepped through. She looked calm and cool. When her eyes locked on Connor, she smiled.
Exactly as he’d hoped, she’d fought through the dark sway of—
She raised her weapon. “How unfortunate you made it, Connor.”
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