Chapter 14 – Weight of the City

Barrion’s Bunker Under Club Velum - 4:04 pm, Date 123, 516 P.A.

“What asshole builds a bunker without backup power” Jack bemoans helping Barrion tear open a panel on the wall in pitch darkness the room shaking every few seconds.

It hits the ground with a thud. “Don’t need it.” Barrion reply's turning a lightly glowing valve that was behind it.

With a loud hiss and a thunk the back corner of the concrete bunker falls away crashing loudly on its way down the same low glow illuminating a ladder leading deep into darkness. Barrion and Jack taking the lead going down.

“Never really did get your name.?” Spinned says to the Cyan former barman waiting for their turn on the ladder.

“Cyu The Flow, but most of my patrons just call me Flow” he says casually patting Spinned on the back before he starts on the ladder.

“Sure...”

It takes quite a bit to reach the bottom, all the Fractles doing their best not to fall when shaken by the rhythmic crashing above them. “Three and a half layers. We can go up or down from here.” Barrion announces reaching the bottom.

Jack reaches the bottom and is handed a chest strapped flashlight from a rusty shelf in the cramped concrete chamber. “I need to regroup with the butchers on the second layer, you three take the lower tunnels back to Haldwake, use the lesser known routes.”

“Id rather join the fun if Im being honest” Barrion says handing out lights “Cyu, tell the Heads to prepare for war and to work with the Butchers, let them know your taking my position.” Barrion throws Cyu a silver coin covered in scratch marks as gunfire can be heard in the tunnels above.

“Ill keep him safe.” Spinned says not wasting any time heading down while Cyu stares silently at the coin following close behind.

“Fine then, Ill see you both in Haldwake” Jack says leaving through the upper passage with Barrion.

The first few minutes through the shifting tunnels are fairly calm with most commotion coming from the sewers above but the shaking is clearly causing stability issues, With Barrions lead the two move through a maze of passageways and maintenance corridors the few others they meet more concerned with getting lower then staying to chat, that is until they hear the crackling of the P.A. system turning on.

“Did you get the power? Fuck yea! ATTENTION CITIZENS OF HERONS SHORE THE PROMISE HAS BEEN BROKEN WE ARE BEING SHELLED BY OUR STOLEN CITY, THE BUTCHERS HAVE A DEFENSIVE LINE AT THE 7th SUB LEVEL AUDITORIUM BENEATH THE CITY OFFICE WE WILL BE ABANDONING HERONS SHORE IN 3 HOURS, MANY PEOPLE ARE COMPROMISED WE ARE STILL DETERMINING THE METHOD OF CONTROL TRUST NOONE WE WILL BE SCREENING EVERYONE AT THE AU-” the voice on the P.A. system is cut off replaced with the robotic voice of TC3.

“NO”

The following sound could best be described as both scratching glass and the most beautiful choir one has ever heard it felt like hours tho only a few minutes had passed the strange song interrupted by only the words, “CUT IT.” Before the tunnels once more returned to the two Fractals their path forward caved in and blood stained sewage flooding in from above.

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“Dammit, we have to go up.” Barrion says searching for his shotgun in the muck finding it at his feet. “You stable enough to fight?”

“Always!” Jacks pistols still firmly held in his hands. “No mercy?”

“If they get close lets not take risks, Run and gun just like old times.”

“Think Tell would be happy to know we are fighting together again?” Jack struggling to climb the rubble as putrefied waste pours down.

Barrion laughs “Ever the sentimental one, never change Jack!”

Peaking over the top the group only see a few corpses on the side paths bleeding into the central stream, Though the shelling hasn't slowed there's an unexpected quietness to the upper level many paths caved in already and paths down seemingly intentionally destroyed, They snake their way through the maze towards their destination until they see a slim figure at the end of long tunnel cave-ins making it the only way forward.

“Sorry” Jack yells to the still being which turns to them only to be met 3 well placed shots that spark upon denting a pitch black armored face plate the knocking it off its feet.

Under the flash and spark of gunfire the only detail on the black metal that can be made out is the numbers 001 painted onto its face

Jack and Barrion start running on each side of the stream to close the distance as 001 flips around to a prone position, stabs its two bladed arms into the ground and launches itself at inhuman speed towards them.

“GOT IT” Barrion yells a blast of his shotgun hitting the clearly mechanical being in its side knocking it off course into the wall.

001 hits the ground and rolls towards Jack who responds by firing 2 more rounds into its side knocking it into the sewage stream allowing Jack and Barrion to pass it.

“Seven left.” Jack says reaching near the end of the tunnel thrashing in the water closing in on them.

“Four.” Barrion replys just before the mechanical monstrosity bursts out of the water towards him meeting a point black shot to its chest killing its momentum.

As soon as the chamber cycles, “Make that two.” Barrion fires again at the things head while it swipes at his legs managing to knock it into the water causing only a glancing cut.

“We arent hurting it!” Barrion Yells.

“Nearest way up?” Jack asks firing two shots into the water stopping the thrashing for a couple seconds

“There should be service door.”

They reach the end of the sewer tunnel splitting into two directions “I see it on this side” Jack noticing the machine has gone quiet and the murky water has gone still “Wait.”

“Im gonna jump!” Barrion yells grabbing a large rock off the ground.

“I said wait you Fragmented idiot!” Jack yells kneeling and carefully bracing himself.

“No time...” Barrion yells throwing the rock over the water

As if on Que 001 bursts from the water slicing the rock in half and is met with three shots too its lower half causing it to land back in the water head first while Barrion makes the jump.

“Dammit its intelligent.” Jack whispers as they break into a sprint towards the door.

“I have a idea” Barrion whispers grabbing jack as they reach the door, opening it frantically hiding behind it as open as they can make it, a few moments later 001 bursts from the stream once more not waiting a second to run into the room and loudly up the stairs within.

Quietly as they can the fractles get as far away from this thing as they can before taking a moment to regain their bearings, reload, and look for a way back down,

“I think its gone, I don’t know any armor that can take a beating like that while being so light.” Jack says looking in his pockets for bullets. “Shit Im down to 2 lose bullets left.”

“Maybe some secret alloy a corp was working on?” Barrion says loading and wiping down his shotgun “got plenty of shells you should've at-least taken a short barrel from Cyu.”

Jack Sighs “Probably, too late now, we should be pretty close tho.”

“Did you notice when the shelling stopped?” Barrion asks both fractals moving again.

“A few minutes ago I think, why? Makes this easier for us.”

“Why do you think it would stop firing?” Barrion says picking up the pace.

“Well it would if everyone was dead.. or it had something to lose…” Jack picks up the pace aswell. “Ok I know a way down around here, I don’t hear movement yet.”