Chapter 6
Something on the other side. I repeated to let the logical side of my brain to catch up.
No black rubber ringed the hatch, which meant it wasn’t a Gateway to Outer Space.
There could be another Expanse and room for additional levels.
I laughed, but it sounded strained and metallic as it echoed.
I had thought sixteen levels incomprehensible.
Only one way to know for sure, I hooked my legs through the rungs on the ladder to anchor my body. Stretching my hands up, I searched for the release.
The pop-click reverberated through the bones in my arms. I pushed the hatch. The metal groaned and creaked, setting my teeth on edge. A dusty stale smell drifted down.
When the opening was big enough for me to fit through, I shined my light inside. The ladder continued another meter before stopping. Odd shapes decorated the wall. Taking a risk, I climbed into the space. The floor seemed solid so I stepped down, but still held onto the ladder just in case.
The good news—the floor didn’t disintegrate under me.
The bad—a strange tingle zipped through my foot and daylights turned on.
Blinded by the bright white light, I squeezed my eyes shut. Even through my eyelids, the harsh brilliance stabbed like a horrible migraine.
It took forever for my vision to adjust.
When I cracked an eye open, a giant monster loomed over me.
I screamed and hopped onto the ladder before logic took control. The huge thing was a thing, not a living breathing creature. It didn’t move. No sounds emanated. No lights shone from it. It appeared to be made of an odd black metal without rivets.
Unable to stifle my curiosity, I stepped closer.
About nine meters tall and a hundred meters wide, it was too long for me to guess with any accuracy.
A colossal sheep without a neck had been my initial impression.
Or a long sock filled with round balls. Or glass balls all stuck together in a rectangular shape.
Either way, the whole oddity rested on eight thick metal legs with massive wheels.
The head—for lack of a better word—had two large glass panes for its eyes, which reflected the daylights set into the ceiling.
If the roof high above this strange level was indeed the ceiling for Inside.
At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised to find yet another level and perhaps a whole other society living above us.
I ringed the structure and spotted its tiny twin right next to it. Not as scary as its super-sized brother, the smaller…what to call it? A lamb? A bubble thing? It appeared to be a conveyance of some type.
Once the shock of my discovery wore off, I realized that the room I stood in was indeed a room.
Inside was approximately two thousand meters wide, by two thousand meters long.
This area was a fraction of that size. In fact, my body’s internal sense of measurement suspected the room’s dimensions equaled one sector or quadrant—six hundred and sixty-six point seven square meters.
One ninth of a level. Or to convert it into Inside’s designation system so it matched the levels below, this area would be Quad G17.
Which meant, there was potentially five sectors and three more quadrants in this level. Did that mean eight more bubble monsters? I shuddered, sending a horde of goose bumps across my skin. Lightheaded, I leaned against the bumpy wall.
Remembering the patterns and symbols covering its surface, I straightened to examine them. The pictures and diagrams made as much sense to me as one of Logan’s computer screens.
I walked along the walls, seeking a doorway.
The strange markings continued, filling every centimeter without a break on three of the four walls.
In the middle of the north wall, which would be shared with Sector D17, was a Gateway outlined in the familiar black rubber seal.
But this one extended almost to the ceiling and was at least two hundred meters wide.
Big enough to fit the bubble monster. In the northwest corner, sheets of the black metal had been stacked.
I touched the smooth surface. It resembled glass, but seemed too thick.
Prying the first sheet up, I expected it to be heavy.
But it peeled away with a staticky-crackly sound.
It weighed nothing compared to metal or glass.
And the edges drooped like cloth, but not cloth.
It reminded me of a slice of Outer Space—black, cold, and weightless.
The dizziness returned full force. I dropped the sheet, and sat on the floor, holding my head in my hands. Discovering the Expanse paled in comparison to this find.
And then a thought stopped my heart. Should I tell the Committee?
The rapid pace of changes in our society had been overwhelming to the majority of the people.
Some even had trouble accepting the Expanse and new levels.
And what about the saboteur or saboteurs?
If they were upset over the fact we traveled through Outer Space to an unknown destination, what would they do when faced with this new discovery?
Perhaps we needed to deal with our current problems before I added more to the mix. I returned to the ladder and climbed down below the floor, replacing and resealing the near-invisible hatch. I wondered about the daylights and hoped they would turn off.
I had no memory of the rest of my descent other than the tricky maneuver of reattaching my harness to the safety line.
By the time I returned to the storeroom, it was hour thirty. Only two hours had passed since I had left Karla and went exploring. It seemed as if weeks had come and gone.
I perched on the edge of the couch’s cushion and tried to decide between showering and sleeping. But each time I forced my thoughts to the matter at hand, the image of the bubble monster reclaimed all of my attention.
When Riley arrived an hour later, I hadn’t moved. He sat next to me and I collapsed against him. Should I tell him?
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, supporting me. “You look like you had a close encounter with Chomper. What happened?” he asked.
I opened my mouth, but the words jammed in my throat.
“Logan told me you talked to Karla Trava. If she upset you, I’ll…”
Wrenching my thoughts away from my discovery, I focused on Riley, looking up at him. A hard stubbornness radiated from his blue eyes and the muscles in his neck strained.
“You’ll what?” I asked.
“I’ll put her in the same cell with Vinco and smuggle a knife to him.”
“Although she tried, she failed to unnerve me. But it’s so sweet of you.” I tapped my chest. “Nothing says you care for me better than offering to torture my enemies.”
He grinned. “No sense doing things half-hearted. And to think, some girls have to endure listening to poetry.”
“Poor things.” I tsked but couldn’t stop a smile.
Riley stroked my cheek with his fingers. “That’s better. Now you have some color in your face. Did something go wrong with searching for the bomber?”
Glad to have a topic I could handle, I said, “No. Jacy sent me to a guy named Bubba Boom.” I held up a hand to stop his snort of disbelief. “Just wait, the story gets better.” Telling him about the stink bombers, I filled him in on what I had learned.
He fiddled with a piece of ripped fabric on the couch’s arm. “Not much to go on. You can use the computer in my rooms to research the names Bubba Boom gave you. Logan assigned you a level ten security clearance so you can access the entire network.”
One of the perks of the rebellion was the abolishment of the ports. People no longer needed to have a port inserted into their jaws to connect with the computer.
“Why would he do that? I barely know how to use the computer.”
“You’re kidding right?” Riley stared at me as if I had told him Sheepy could talk.
I ignored his question. “Your computer is fine. I also need a shower. Is your dad working? I don’t want to bother him.”
This time Riley gave me a slow conspiratorial leer. “What a coincidence. I need a shower as well. Good thing my father’s busy for the next couple of hours and you have a promise to keep.”
Taking different routes to Riley’s rooms in Sector E4, I figured my path through the air ducts would be quicker than his through the corridors. But when I reached the vent for suite number three-six-nine-five, he waited below, standing on the table.
I opened the cover and dangled my legs. Riley caught me around my waist and I slid down him the rest of the way. He didn’t let go when my feet touched the table. Dipping his head closer to mine, he kissed me for a long time.
When he tugged at my uniform, I pulled away. Breathless for a moment, I sucked in a few deep breaths.
“Are you sure your father won’t be back soon?” I asked.
He answered with the metallic trill of my zipper unzipping. Cool air caressed my sweaty back. A nervous shiver raced over my skin. His lips found mine and his hands stroked my exposed back. Heat from his touch burned all the doubts away.
When he pulled the fabric of my jumpsuit down, he paused. “Shower?”
A big step, but my heart beat its approval. And the desire to see him naked and soapy overrode all logic. I imagined cold reason melting and steaming away in a puffy cloud.
We left a trail of clothes to the washroom. Warm water, the scent of soap and slippery skin made for an exhilarating combination. I worried about the ugly scars crisscrossing my torso, arms and legs, but no hint of disgust or pity darkened his expression.
He wiped the water from my eyes. “You’re beautiful. I—”
I covered his mouth with mine afraid to hear him utter words I couldn’t repeat back to him. Grabbing the soap, I worked it into a frothy lather. I explored the hard ridges of his stomach, the smooth lines of his back and his nice grabbable butt as we kissed under the spray of hot water.