Chapter Text
The lift door closed slowly behind them and Tank pressed the button to take them to Floor B1 – the so-called Re-Education floor where Gestalts (and the occasional Replika) disappeared to; but more importantly for them where the surface access lift was. With a load groaning sound the machinery came to life, and there was a sudden jolt as the lift began to make its way ponderously upwards – Lily thought that the lift was moving slower than normal, as if it was also reluctant to allow them to reach their destination. As if it to underline the point, with a shower of sparks from the control panel and a loud bang the lift came to a sudden halt, causing Lily to stumble into Tank.
“Careful,” Tank said, her strong hands stopping her from falling and pulling her close, “although that did not sound good.”
“No,” Lily said, a little reluctant to leave the embrace. “Even worse, we are stuck between floors as well.” She pointed at the display that showed they were indeed stationary between floors B2 and B3, and felt despair begin to creep over her again. “It's like we are never going to be able to escape,” she said, “we are going to be stuck here until we die.”
“Shh,” Tank said, squeezing her hard enough that she heard herself creak a little. “Hey, we got this far, we can get further.”
“OK,” Lily said in a small voice, trying to take comfort from Tank's words. “You're right, we have. I can still get you to see the stars like I said I would.”
“I know,” Tank said, before bending down and giving her an encouraging kiss. “See if you can fix the panel, and I'll try and find an emergency hatch.”
“Fix the panel? How?”
“Didn't you learn anything when you were reading about all those spaceships?” Tank asked, as she began to reach around the ceiling of the lift. “They must have had something.”
“I don't think so, it was mainly about flying and what they could do,” Lily said as she stepped over to the panel from which a little smoke was leaking from, before trying to see if she had actually saved an electrical manual or something to her memory, desperate to be of some use. “But I'll try.” There was a big red button on the panel which had 'reset' written underneath it, but pressing appeared to do nothing. She ran her fingers over the panel, trying to work out how to start. There were screws holding it down, and she realised she couldn't see a screwdriver anywhere.
“Tank, there's some screws on the panel. I need to find something to try and get them out.” She bent down to search around the bottom of the panel in the vain hope that she'd missed something, but her fingers found nothing but dust and what could have been dried blood, along with a shell casing for what looked like a shotgun. As she inspected it there was a load clang that caused her to look up, to see Tank proffering a thin piece of metal she'd pulled from off the side of the lift.
“Try this,” she said, “although I hope it wasn't from something important.” Lily took the piece and began using the edge to carefully undo the screws, some of which had been carelessly painted over. As she worked she could hear Tank moving about behind her, occasionally jumping which caused the whole lift to shake.
“There's a hatch but it's closed,” Tank said. “And bolted from the outside as well, I can’t get to it to undo it.”
“That makes no sense,” Lily replied, before letting out a little exclamation of delight as the last screw came out and she carefully lifted the panel away, exposing a myriad of wires and a mess of chunky looking electronics.
Where do I even start?
Having finished her own investigations, Tank came and leaned against the wall of the lift besides her, watching as Lily stared at the electronics while trying not to panic.
OK, try and think this through... there was smoke, so are there any burnt wires?
“There's a Protektor card in the slot,” Tank remarked. “I don't know who could have left it there, you are supposed to take them with you.”
I can't seen any burnt wires? So what's wrong?
“Maybe they forgot,” Lily said absent-mindedly. “We were all panicking, remember.”
“They wouldn't forget,” Tank declared, “I think that Elster unit used it to get down from the surface. That's why it got left here, as she wouldn't know to take it.”
“Then we know it will get us up to there, if I can fix it.” Lily couldn't help but let a little frustration creep into her voice as she methodically traced all the wires to check that they were all still connected.
They look intact... so what's left?
She felt a hand touch her shoulder and she reached up to give it a squeeze, before deciding to look at what she thought were the capacitors.
“I wonder how that Elster is doing,” Tank said. “I hope she got to where she needed to go, wherever that was. Maybe we should have gone with her.”
“I don't think she really needed our help,” Lily replied. “Pass me that piece of metal again, can you? Thanks.”
Maybe these fuses...? Need to get these little things off.
“After we see the stars,” Tank said after a minute, as Lily was carefully levering the hard plastic covers off the fuses, “what shall we do?”
“What do you mean – ouch!” Lily sucked her finger where she had inadvertently trapped it, trying not to get annoyed at Tank's unusually talkative manner – she should be enjoying the fact her girlfriend was talking so much, it was just a shame that she was doing it while she was trying to concentrate.
Why did they have to put pain sensors there anyway. What was the point in that.
“This,” Tank said, and Lily turned to see that she was pointing at a poster showing the STORCH units, proudly declaring how fierce they were in defending the Eusan Nation. “They will be coming here to lock down the facility and deal with any survivors. Like us.”
“Well let's be faraway before that then,” Lily said, before yanking out a fuse and inspecting it. “I think this is the problem, look it's all burnt.”
“If we try and run they'll find us,” Tank said, “there is nothing but barren desert outside of the compound for kilometres, until the next facility which will definitely be guarded.”
“Can you bend this piece of metal off into a small strip,” Lily ordered, suddenly realising that she was being the proactive one – a change she would have never expected. “And let's get there first, before worrying about it.” Tank didn't answer, instead busying herself with working the metal to try and break off a small piece as requested. While she had worked Lily couldn't help but glance at the poster and feel a sense of despair which she tried to hide – unfortunately Tank was entirely correct; their overall position on the face of it was hopeless; even if they did escape here it was only going to be back into the hands of the Eusan Nation, and a guaranteed decommissioning – most likely after a lengthy interrogation as to the events here.
Where could we even escape to? Even if we could we would just be found again, there's nowhere to go.
As Tank handed her the freshly broken sliver of metal, she thought she saw a vision of an incredible palace floating amidst the clouds, mighty ships flying past in the background, then it changed to a gestalt with white hair on a ship looking sad, and a red desert with strange black pillars – but as soon as she tried to focus on it all a little more clearly it disappeared, fading away into a strangely hopeful feeling and the lingering thought of a girl with white hair asleep next to a Replika that looked oddly familiar, although why eluded her.
“Did you see that?” she asked Tank, who looked at her a little puzzled.
“What?”
“I thought I saw... do you know where a palace is?”
“A what?”
“Never mind.” She took the piece of metal and inspected the gap where the fuse should be, before carefully wedging it into the prongs – as she did so it gave off a little spark and she quickly drew her hand away. Taking the panel she dropped it back into place, leaving the screws out for now. “OK, let's try this. Ready?” Tank came and held her hand, squeezing it tight as Lily held her finger over the button to reset the lift. Without knowing what else to do she sent a heartfelt plea out to the Glorious Leader that it would work, the irony of such a request not lost on her, and pressed the button.
There was a pause that seemed to go on forever before the lift motor began to hum and the lift suddenly jerked upwards, nearly catching them both by surprise, but Tank held her firm.
“You did it!” Tank exclaimed, before bending down to give a her a kiss. “I knew you could!” Lily basked in Tank's praise, while also feeling a little surprised herself – she was learning that she was more capable than she had realised, or had ever been told she was. She stood on the tips of her feet to kiss Tank back, momentarily forgetting their predicament and feeling utterly safe as Tank wrapped her arms around her. The chime of the lift brought her back to reality, and she reluctantly left the embrace as the doors opened.
Lily immediately went to leave the lift but Tank held her back, putting a finger to her lips as she as she pushed Lily behind her, before she picked up her rifle from the floor and held it at the ready and carefully leaned out of the lift. As Lily anxiously waited for Tank to finish, she reached for her own rifle that she had put to one side, gingerly picking it up and trying to imitate the way Tank was holding hers. Tank drew away from the entrance and bent down to whisper into her ear.
“There's two of those things prowling in the corridor outside,” she said. “I think our best route is past them, through the staff room and then take the south corridor to the surface access.” Lily nodded, her fingers tightening on the rifle as the prospect of escaping to the surface neared, but so did the fact that they might have to fight their way there.
“You ready?” Tank asked, and Lily answered by picking up the bag and slinging it over her shoulder, mouth set in a determined grimace. Without a further word Tank left the lift, Lily trailing behind her and much to her shame using Tank a little like a shield, hiding behind her and hoping she wouldn't be noticed. There was an ear-splitting screech as one of the shambling horrors saw them, and Lily saw that they were the same as the ones that had attacked her earlier – former friends, perhaps, or maybe twisted copies of them. Tank had no such qualms about who they might have been however, the rifle in her hands letting out a short, staccato bark, the flashes from the muzzle lighting up the dimly lit corridor. Twice she fired, and each time Lily reflexively cowered close to her, hating the noise and the violence, but eternally glad that Tank was here with her.
“Let's go,” Tank said, “before any others come.” Tank set off as quickly as her damaged leg would allow her towards the door at the far end, Lily scurrying after her and trying not to look at the still twitching, misshapen things on the ground. The door to the staff room was closed, and with a check over her shoulder Tank opened it, only to be met by a steel shield that swatted her to the floor like a discarded ragdoll. Lily stared at the horrific monster that now stood in front of her, as tall as her Tank but the face a nightmarish mess of twisted flesh and blood, the remnants of teeth wetly glistening in the flickering light. Tank scrabbled for her rifle but the monster raised its baton and struck down at her, Tank raising her arm just in time to block the blow, although she let out a little grunt as it hit her. Lily stood there transfixed as she watched Tank block yet another blow, trying to roll out of the way until the shield knocked her sideways and into the wall.
The thing let out a screech and raised its baton once again, and Lily felt sick with terror at the sight of it looming over the only thing that mattered to her, and there was a sudden rush of deafening noise and flame and the monster screeched as it reeled backwards, blood and tissue erupting from its face and spattering over her. Lily kept her finger on the trigger until the gun clicked empty, pouring every last bullet into the monster even as it fell backwards with a heavy crash and lay still.
There was a moments silence only broken by the sound of Lily's breathing, and she found her hands shaking a little as she still held the rifle. Tank wasted no time in scrambling to her feet and pushing her into the room, before dragging the body out outside and with a rescued rifle in hand, closed the door behind them, setting the lock. Throughout this Lily had just stood there holding the rifle, still trying to process what she had done – something that was quickly dismissed from her mind as Tank wrapped an arm around her and gave her a kiss.
“You've saved me twice now,” Tank said, “you're… the best.”
“I don't know,” Lily said, “I don't know what I am doing, not like you.” Tank looked at her and went to say something, but there was a load thump on the door behind them that made it rattle, before it was followed by another, and another.
“We need to barricade the door!” Lily said, but Tank was already moving, dragging a sofa from across the room to block the door. Without being prompted Lily went to grab some chairs to pile on top of it, pulling some from a large pile against a wall, below a poster which caught Lily’s eye.
Buyan will Burn. That… looks like a palace?
She stared at it for a moment before another load thump on the door brought her back to the present, and she quickly took the chairs and dumped them on the sofa that Tank had managed to push into place. They spent an urgent few moments piling as much furniture and heavy objects as they could find in front of the door, until Lily could reach no higher.
“That should hold for long enough,” Tank said, “but we must prepare for the last push to the surface access. How much ammunition do we have left?” Lily looked through the bag she was still carrying, setting out what they had on the floor, ignoring the continuous thumps and bangs and scrapes coming from the other side of their barricade.
“Four of these that are full, and whatever is left in your rifle I think,” she said. “Sorry, I fired all of mine.”
“OK,” Tank said, before sitting down opposite her and taking both rifles in hand began to methodically check them over and rearm them.
“Tank,” Lily asked as she watched her work, “what do you know about Buyan?” Tank looked up at her for a moment, before pulling out a magazine and inspecting it, then beginning to tape it to the side of her gun.
“Home of the Great Enemy,” she said, “where the Imperial Palace is, defended by their Navy that the Eusan Nation will defeat anytime now. At least that’s what the posters say, and what we are told. Why?”
“It’s just… I saw it earlier. And a girl with white hair. And I… I don’t know what it means. I keep seeing things.”
“Given everything that is happening that is maybe the least strange thing.”
“Maybe.” Lily sat there in silence as Tank finished with the rifles and then checked over her leg, testing the motion of it. “Do you think they have Replika's there?” Lily said suddenly, and this time Tank regarded her with curiosity. “In the Empire, I mean. I know we... the Eusan Nation invented them and perfected them, but... they must have them as well?”
“I don't know,” Tank said. “I mean... I guess they do? Maybe an Elster would know, as they travel to the front. We should have asked her.”
“We couldn't get there anyway,” Lily said quietly to herself, “we're stuck on Leng.” She thought for a moment longer, before with a sigh stood up, holding out a hand to Tank. “Come on then, we can't stay here – they'll be through that door eventually.”
“No, we can't – here, your rifle. If you have to shoot again, remember – pull the trigger once, then release it.” Lily took the rifle and did her best to try and take onboard Tank's words, knowing that if she didn't the chances of them seeing the stars – let alone anything else afterwards – would be exceedingly slim. She picked up the bag and slung it over her shoulder, following Tank to the far door.
“When we get through head straight the access,” Tank said. “We don't know what is there, but whatever there is don't stop, keep moving. Don't let anything touch you, and no matter what happens – get to the access.”
“I'm not going to go without you,” Lily said. “I promised that we would see the stars together and we will. I'd rather be decommissioned than leave you behind.” Tank gave her a sad smile, before squeezing her hand.
“OK.”
Lily had found herself holding her breath as Tank opened the door onto the corridor – just a mere fifteen metres away was the door to the surface access lift, the only way to the surface, to the stars, to an escape from this nightmare. That was all well and good, for unfortunately Lily could see the shambling forms of infected monsters that were in the corridor - including one she hadn't seen before, a hideous thing with a horrifically elongated face that looked almost like a beak protruding from it.
She didn't have time to take it all in, for with an ear rending screech that still made her skin crawl they began to lurch forwards, distorted arms and claws blindly reaching for them. Tank stood her ground, raising her rifle and firing a short burst at the nearest which caused it to stumble backwards; Lily took heart from the sheer solidity of her girlfriend next to her and raised her own rifle, firing a shot that missed its intended target. Tank didn't seem to notice, stepping forward and striking the foe she'd shot with the butt of her rifle before putting a round into its head, stamping down viciously as she did so.
Lily fired again and this time she hit, inadvertently striking the beak headed monster that towered even over Tank – with a screech it swung its gaze towards her, shambling forwards in jerky strides, uncoordinated and unnatural. Lily fired again, trying to keep to what Tank had told her but she was utterly terrified; she was dimly aware of Tank shouting something and the flash of gunfire and screams, horrible screams; but all she could see was the thing coming at her, shrugging off another bullet that impacted its torso. Lily fired again and this time she struck true, blowing a bloody chunk of flesh from the creatures face causing it to howl, but it was not enough, a misshapen lump of an arm striking her, a screech of metal as it scraped and clawed at her, feeling her chest begin to buckle and cave as the force of it pushed her down and to the ground.
Lily didn't even seem to be able to think clearly, rolling out of the way in desperation just as something heavy struck the ground next to her; she felt Tank's hand grabbing her up and half-pulling half-dragging her towards the surface access, the corridor a cacophony of screeches and gunfire as Tank fired until her gun emptied. Lily managed to stumble to her feet as something tried to grab at her, feeling claws around her ankle that she instinctively stamped on. The giant had had turned to face her and she fired her rifle again, conscious of Tank scrabbling around to try and reload her own rifle and trying to buy her some time; her shots seemed to cause it to reel backwards a little, it stumbling into another shape that was itself rising from the ground.
“Run!” yelled Tank, and Lily needed no further bidding – she followed Tank as she shoulder barged something out of the way, Lily not caring what it was and entirely focused on the door ahead. Tank hit the button to open it, and there was an agonising pause before they opened. Lily practically flung herself inside, Tank following close behind.
“Hit the button!” Tank yelled, standing in the doorway and firing her rifle, the screams of their pursuers echoing around them. Lily stumbled towards the controls as Tank's rifle barked again, the noise deafening inside the enclosed space. She hit the button to take them to the surface, and the doors closed with a crash as something heavy hit them, but they held; Lily collapsed sobbing to the floor as the lift began its slow ascent.
The surface, and the stars, were within their grasp.