Read Online The Deep Beneath by Natalie Wright - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Natalie Wright
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bring him in.
The elevator doors opened to a long windowless and doorless corridor. The ceiling was formed concrete as were the walls. Overhead fluorescents flooded the hall with bright, white light.
Commander Sturgis’ assistant, Sewell, met her at the elevator. His plump face was red and splotchy from hoofing it from his office in the administrative wing to the seldom-used desert entrance. Sturgis did not pause to allow him to catch his breath. She walked briskly down the hall, her heels clicking on the linoleum floor. Sewell followed behind her at nearly a jog, his breathing loud and ragged. “Containment crew is on its way,” he said.
Sturgis looked at her watch without stopping. “A little slow, aren’t they?”
“It’s been less than ten minutes since we received the transmission, Commander.”
“That’s five minutes too slow. This is critical to everything we’ve worked for. If we don’t get 9 back tonight, we’re done.”
“Yes, ma’am. What now?”
“We bring 9 in.”
“What is your plan, Commander?”
Sturgis stopped and turned to face Sewell. “What’s the one weapon strong enough to go up against a H.A.L.F.?”
Sewell’s expression went blank and his eyes widened. “You mean –”
“Exactly.”
“But how do we know that 10 is any more reliable than 9? She could end up doing the same thing that 9 did.”
Commander Sturgis stopped and glared at Sewell. “No, she will not. She is my sole creation, and I did not allow Randall to taint her training with all his humanistic mumbo jumbo like he did with 9.” Sturgis continued the walk to her office. “Go get 10 for me. Take her to the H.A.L.F. study room. I need to have a girl-to-girl chat. Time for our little teenage alien hybrid to earn her keep.”
5
NO. NINE
“Help us?” Erika asked.
H.A.L.F. 9 approached them slowly. If Erika hadn’t been holding Jack, she would have taken a step backward. After what she’d seen 9 do to the soldiers, she was uneasy about him.
“I can help your friend,” he said. “Lay him back down.”
Though Erika’s right arm felt like wobbly spaghetti from holding Jack up, she didn’t let go of him and neither did Ian.
“Your friend has lost a large quantity of blood. If he continues to lose blood, he will expire.”
“That’s why we have to get him to the hospital,” Ian said. “So please, stand aside so we can get him outta here.” Ian’s words may have been polite, but his tone was clipped.
“I can stop the blood loss.” H.A.L.F. 9 reached his hand toward Jack.
Ian pulled Jack backward and away from 9’s touch. Erika almost toppled over from the sudden jerking of Jack’s body, but she caught her balance and remained upright.
“What’re you doing? Keep your hands to yourself,” Ian said.
H.A.L.F. 9’s brows came together in what could have been anger. But his face was so smooth, his features so small and his eyes so dark and blank that it was difficult to gauge his emotions.
“Maybe he needs to touch Jack to heal him,” Erika said. “Am I right?”
H.A.L.F. 9 nodded. “I will not harm your friend. If I desired to terminate him, I would have accomplished the task by now.”
On the one hand, 9’s statement calmed Erika’s fears. But on the other, it reminded her that 9 could kill her – all of them – if he wanted to. Note to self. Don’t piss him off.
“Let’s give it a shot, Ian. If he can heal as well as he can kill, he might save Jack’s life.”
After a few seconds, Ian said, “Fine. But if he tries anything –”
You’ll what? Erika kept the question to herself.
They gently lowered Jack to the ground. Erika knelt and rested Jack’s head in her lap. He looked as though he was in a peaceful sleep. Or dead . The thought made her shudder.
H.A.L.F. 9 knelt beside Jack. He put one of his thin hands on Jack’s chest. Now with 9 so close, his features were more visible. His lips were thin and pale. He had high, prominent cheekbones but a small bump of a
The elevator doors opened to a long windowless and doorless corridor. The ceiling was formed concrete as were the walls. Overhead fluorescents flooded the hall with bright, white light.
Commander Sturgis’ assistant, Sewell, met her at the elevator. His plump face was red and splotchy from hoofing it from his office in the administrative wing to the seldom-used desert entrance. Sturgis did not pause to allow him to catch his breath. She walked briskly down the hall, her heels clicking on the linoleum floor. Sewell followed behind her at nearly a jog, his breathing loud and ragged. “Containment crew is on its way,” he said.
Sturgis looked at her watch without stopping. “A little slow, aren’t they?”
“It’s been less than ten minutes since we received the transmission, Commander.”
“That’s five minutes too slow. This is critical to everything we’ve worked for. If we don’t get 9 back tonight, we’re done.”
“Yes, ma’am. What now?”
“We bring 9 in.”
“What is your plan, Commander?”
Sturgis stopped and turned to face Sewell. “What’s the one weapon strong enough to go up against a H.A.L.F.?”
Sewell’s expression went blank and his eyes widened. “You mean –”
“Exactly.”
“But how do we know that 10 is any more reliable than 9? She could end up doing the same thing that 9 did.”
Commander Sturgis stopped and glared at Sewell. “No, she will not. She is my sole creation, and I did not allow Randall to taint her training with all his humanistic mumbo jumbo like he did with 9.” Sturgis continued the walk to her office. “Go get 10 for me. Take her to the H.A.L.F. study room. I need to have a girl-to-girl chat. Time for our little teenage alien hybrid to earn her keep.”
5
NO. NINE
“Help us?” Erika asked.
H.A.L.F. 9 approached them slowly. If Erika hadn’t been holding Jack, she would have taken a step backward. After what she’d seen 9 do to the soldiers, she was uneasy about him.
“I can help your friend,” he said. “Lay him back down.”
Though Erika’s right arm felt like wobbly spaghetti from holding Jack up, she didn’t let go of him and neither did Ian.
“Your friend has lost a large quantity of blood. If he continues to lose blood, he will expire.”
“That’s why we have to get him to the hospital,” Ian said. “So please, stand aside so we can get him outta here.” Ian’s words may have been polite, but his tone was clipped.
“I can stop the blood loss.” H.A.L.F. 9 reached his hand toward Jack.
Ian pulled Jack backward and away from 9’s touch. Erika almost toppled over from the sudden jerking of Jack’s body, but she caught her balance and remained upright.
“What’re you doing? Keep your hands to yourself,” Ian said.
H.A.L.F. 9’s brows came together in what could have been anger. But his face was so smooth, his features so small and his eyes so dark and blank that it was difficult to gauge his emotions.
“Maybe he needs to touch Jack to heal him,” Erika said. “Am I right?”
H.A.L.F. 9 nodded. “I will not harm your friend. If I desired to terminate him, I would have accomplished the task by now.”
On the one hand, 9’s statement calmed Erika’s fears. But on the other, it reminded her that 9 could kill her – all of them – if he wanted to. Note to self. Don’t piss him off.
“Let’s give it a shot, Ian. If he can heal as well as he can kill, he might save Jack’s life.”
After a few seconds, Ian said, “Fine. But if he tries anything –”
You’ll what? Erika kept the question to herself.
They gently lowered Jack to the ground. Erika knelt and rested Jack’s head in her lap. He looked as though he was in a peaceful sleep. Or dead . The thought made her shudder.
H.A.L.F. 9 knelt beside Jack. He put one of his thin hands on Jack’s chest. Now with 9 so close, his features were more visible. His lips were thin and pale. He had high, prominent cheekbones but a small bump of a
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