CHAPTER 5: Reoccurring Nightmare
“‘SOH-kah-nohl TEE-mikh dihn.’ Type two security,” Kida read carefully.
Milo peered over her shoulder. “Directions seem the same,” he said, starting to read. The warrior moved in front of him, sighing, but blocking his view. He looked through the tight-woven bars, barely making out what must have been the glistening of glass and the shapes of various instruments.
Kida placed her hand in the slot on the doorframe. Once again she quickly pulled it out, sucking in air through clenched teeth to bear with the ebbing pain of the stab.
The gate slid upward, and a blue beam streamed down from the top of the gateway, illuminating intricate floor patterns.
The queen peered in, then led, passing into the light, and entering the dark room beyond.
The moment she left the doorway, the gate crashed down behind her, giving everyone a start. Kida rushed to the bars, trying to lift them. She glanced to the side, and then fiddled with something on the doorframe. “This panel is damaged!”
“Kida!” Milo was on the other side, looking in. “I’m not sure if I can open the door. I wasn’t born Atlantean.” He moved aside.
Sweet and Mole were both trying to lift the door, but with little luck.
“But you have been een Atlantees longer than any of us out here,” Mole grunted.
“I’ll give it a shot.” The linguist put his hand in the slot. “YEE-IEE!” He pulled back when he felt a deep stab in his pointer finger. A tiny glow disappeared as he heard a soft humming behind him.
The cartographer looked to the gate. Nothing seemed to happen. “Kida, are you sure the panel on your side is broken?”
The white-haired woman glanced down a moment as she spoke before facing him again. “Yes, I am very sure it…” Her eyes were no longer focused on him, but now somewhere past and above.
“What are you…?” Milo turned to look, seeing one of the stone sea snakes on the ceiling move, eyes radiating blue light. It looked right at him.
“Look out!” Everyone dodged as blue lightning sizzled from the serpent’s jaws, cutting a large whole straight through the bars. The energy surged on, searing through jars of fluids and imbedding itself in a panel at the other end of the room. The fluid in the containers ignited, and the panel of gauges exploded.
“Kida!!!”
The floor shook.
A dark-colored hand and the cuff of a singed sleeve reached through the hole in the gate, groping for and quickly finding the access panel and slot.
As the door opened, Milo helped Kida away from the fire.
Pieces of the ceiling began to fall. The linguist could hear his ears pop.
“Milo! This place is ah comin’ down faster than my last flower shop!”
“Eet is worse than that, Vinny! Thees type of tremors, as noted by zee severity and the tone of the rumble, are from deeper in zee earth!”
“Then… That means…” Milo looked to Kida.
“The Pillar of Atlantis! We must return immediately and help our people!” The crew had begun to run, pausing only to reopen the type-one security door.
“They’ll never make it…” Milo was at a loss for words.
“Yes they will, but neither them nor us will last long if we don’t hurry!” Everyone stopped to look at Audrey.
“How?!” Milo bent down the same time Audrey did to help her unroll the maps.
“The gauge panels. The same pressure systems that must have been used to contain any chemical spill or fire must be what’s keeping this place together! Minimize danger here, and you minimize it in Atlantis!”
Milo was scanning the map intensely. More than just his life was at stake. “…Audrey, how do you know all this?!”
“Complex pneumatic and hydraulic systems. Whitmore didn’t hire me for nothing. Move it!”
“Right! All of you get the switches we’ve already found. I’ll get the other two. Get to the aqua-evac as soon as everyone can. Don’t wait more than--”
“I am going with you!” Kida announced firmly, yet worried. “You cannot do this alone.”
“Kida! You’re going to be needed…”
She gave him a look and his heart sank.
“I’m not going to be able to convince you otherwise, am I?” The scholar’s mind raced as she shook her head. He recalculated his plan, knowing now what he must forfeit. “Okay, then, let’s move!”
The team split, and Milo and Kida rushed down the hall. The ceiling found it quite a chore to hold up its own weight, and intermittently relieved itself of it, sending the couple scrambling to avoid being crushed.
The hall opened up into a circular room before continuing. There were the familiar markings of a gauge panel set into the wall. Milo yanked it open with ease, or rather, it almost flew open as steam, shot out.
A cracking sound above their heads alerted them to a large chunk about to fall. They dodged, watching the immense boulder hit the ground and roll onto its long side.
The wall began to crack, small pieces falling away to reveal crystal circuitry.
“How do we know if we’ve adjusted it correctly?!”
“I-I don’t know, I don’t know!” When the worst of the steam cleared, Milo reached his hand in, fingers gripping the dial, only to be burned.
“AH!!!” He pulled back, quickly pulling his sleeves over his hands and reaching again for the dials. He turned one until a loud “click” was heard, the steam reducing. He could turn it no more.
There was a beep from their belts. The two looked down, seeing their communications boxes still there. Milo pushed the button as Kida joined them at the dials with sleeve-covered hands.
“Milo! Kida! Turn—dials unteel—lock een place!” Mole’s voice fizzed through the other end
“Gotcha!” Milo yelled.
The steam dissipated completely with the last click.
The ground shook harder. A crystal rod, a piece of the circuit, fell out of place, leaving only the very end of it sticking out of the stone. It was like a short pole.
Steam once again erupted from the box.
“Not again!” Milo reached for the dials. He glanced around as his fingers fiddled, and an idea struck him. “Kida!” The man pointed a finger from the boulder to the rod.
“Give me a boost upward!” He followed her to the monstrous slab, giving her a leg up, albeit awkward, to help her up where there were no hand or footholds. The huntress quickly scaled the rest of the boulder, and then stood at the far end of the massive slab. She broke into a run, leaping off the other side. A careful kick-off gave her body a backwards spin. As she neared the “pole,” she lashed out, kicking upwards to knock it back into the wall.
Kida landed hard on her feet, falling forward in a heap.
“Kida!” This was proof to Milo what he needed to do as he helped her up. She was all right, he saw, and he knew he could not let the precious blood of the queen be in peril.
He could not let his wife be in peril.
With the steam no longer spewing forth, Milo led the way, avoiding bones, rocks, and jumping over the occasional vehicle.
A familiar smell greeted them.
The hall of the dead appeared once again, but even more horrible as the dead were destroyed. Water began to spray violently from cracks in the walls.
“Milo! What are we doing here?! Milo!”
He did not answer, only to run into the side passageway.
The floor in front of them released its anger at being awakened and split, steam shooting out of the crack.
“YAH!!!” Milo spun his arms to jump back.
“YAHD-lu-goh-nikh!”
As the steam slowed, a malevolent red glow shone upon the sides of the cracks.
The linguist said nothing, but narrowed his eyes in determination and jumped over the crack, his vision blurred by steamed glasses, and his skin turned tender from the heat.
“Milo?!” Kida emerged from the wall of steam.
He ran to the swordfish vehicle’s controls, scanning directions and busily working the panel.
Kida began to grow angry, frustrated at Milo’s silence and her inability to help. It rumbled in her voice as she shouted at him, following him to the now-open cockpit. “Milo!!! What do you plan to use this for?!”
He stopped, looking into her eyes, almost apologetically. “You.” Immediately Milo took advantage of the surprise, shoving her into the glowing cockpit as she cried out. Hastily he closed the hatch and ran for the control panel. Roars of rage and the sound of Kida beating on the sealed door met his ears. The king was not looking forward to her reaction when they would next meet.
That is, if he survived.
With the punch of a station number, the vehicle rose, aligned itself, and shot forward with incredible speed.
"Okay, Milo, find the nearest vehicle!" He ran out, heading into the last, unexplored corridor, taking corners so tight he almost rammed his shoulders into them. "C'mon, vehicle… Vehicle…" He came to a dead stop. "Oh, great…"
To one side was a kelokh.
"MY-loh-toap! NEE-pukh!" Kida's rage burned in her voice as she beat on the inside of the vehicle, struggling, but unable to open the hatch.
She could feel the vehicle turning, moving away, and she steadied herself.
Before the queen had time to blink the floor moved out from under her, and she slammed against the back wall of the cockpit.
Kida rubbed the back of her head, feeling the pain melt away as soothingly as ice.
"The walls," she murmured, looking at their glow, realizing why they were lined with sheets of crystal.
There was no time to ponder over it any longer. She had to do something, but what she was not immediately sure.
Suddenly she reached for her communications box at her side, hoping it had not been broken.
Kida pressed the buttons very hard, her voice forceful, angry and fearful "Is anyone listening?! This is Kida speaking! This is an emergency!"
A voice came through the other side, almost incomprehensible through the static.
"Kida?! Kida!" Audrey looked on as Sweet used his brawn to turn the last corroded dial.
"We can barely hear you!" Mole stood on tip-toes to yell into the receiver. "Milo tricked m-- shoved -- into-- Now-- by himself-- Last dial-- get -- -ed help!"
Vinny and Audrey looked to each other, a little unsure of what they had to do.
The demolitionist answered on his own communicator. "'Ey, where are you? Are you ah safe?"
"Y-- --vehi-- do not-- where. --elp Milo! He is -- kill himse--!" Her voice was furious.
Click! Sweet finished the job.
"We'll do what we can," the doctor answered as they began to run for the aqua-evac. "Hold on!"
"Save--!" The transmission was broken.
Milo could hardly hear himself think over the roar of the old vehicle and the rumble of rock around him.
The king knew what he had sacrificed. Kida knew that getting Kida to the surface was too important. That was true for both the Atlanteans and for his heart.
He only prayed she would survive the bends.
The kelock rose and he rounded the corner, picking up speed.
Walls, ceilings, and floors were cracking all around him. Surrendering to the agent that is chaos. Steam rushed out, announcing its freedom with such vibrancy and enthusiastic, rebellious energy it proved painful whenever Milo met with it.
The area was labyrinthine, and Milo quickly lost track of where he was in relation to all else. Occasionally a wall would collapse and the linguist would look back to see where he had been just a short time earlier.
Falling rubble was beginning to tear at the links of the sail, snagging it and making the vehicle much harder to pilot.
There was little choice.
Fingers slid along the fin-bar, feeling for the small protrusion.
Milo entered a great hall, but its greatness was literally crumbling away as the fin snapped down. He reeled, trying desperately to keep his balance. Finally finding a stable position, he let the vehicle move slightly.
Amongst the steam and the water coming in, Milo looked on, determined. The rushing wind buffeted his body as if trying to hold him back.
Only his hair and his sweater yielded to the whim of the wind.
He pressed his lips together, thought a prayer, and awkwardly dodged the debris as he exited the great hall.
Kida reached back, the sudden turn having ripped the communications box from her fingers. She pressed the button again.
"Hello?! Is anyone there?!"
Not even static answered.
The queen tossed the box aside, useless, to put her hands on the armrests to steady herself.
There was a muffled sound.
I was like screaming.
She could feel the vehicle touch ground. It shook violently, to the point that she could feel her breath come in spurts.
The hatch opened and sensation flooded her.
It was night, and the red glow of the calling crystal was shocking. Terrified people ran right past her, not noticing. She could literally see the plaster coming off the walls, the repaired columns, the beautiful frescos languishing. Buildings began to crumble.
It was a reoccurring nightmare.
Yet, that was only the beginning of what she felt.
The moment she stepped out of the vehicle she felt lightheaded. Kida's entire left side felt suddenly weak, then numb, and she staggered. It was hard for her to breathe. The pain in her joints was unbearable, and she gritted her teeth as the world spun, glowing red.
As she collapsed, the queen thought it was changing to blue.
Every dodge was a trial, and Milo could barely stay on the kelokh. He was tiring, but there was little he could do.
The cartographer knew he had to be close.
A large boulder presented itself, and Milo swerved, but another rock clipped the back edge of his vehicle.
It was enough.
Milo fell forward, hugging the vehicle as it hit the floor, sliding. After a few painful rolls, it came to a stop. Milo lay there a second, trying to decide if he could get up off the slab floor, let alone discern if anything was broken.
He rose, looking up.
There was the last gauge panel before him, and necessity drove the man on. He flung the door open. Shielding his face with his hands as steam burst out. He pulled his sleeves over his hands again, rocks landing hard on his body as he worked the dials.
Milo could barely see through fogged lenses, but he didn't need to see to find that the last valve was going to be hard to turn. Both hands on it, he put what muscle he had into his labor.
"…Almost there…!"
The floor suddenly gave way, and Milo looked down, seeing a gruesome sight. Far below lava boiled, and as he fell he saw water pour down the sides of the chasm.
Milo saw death before him and his heart pounded in his ears. Frantic he rolled over in the air, grabbing rocks that were falling from the ceiling. He desperately tossed them at the last dial.
Clack! It hit another rock.
Clang! A stone bounced off the gauge.
Snap!
Crack!
Milo fell.
Clack--CLICK!!!
Based off the Disney Picture "Atlantis: the Lost Empire." The Name "Shards of Chaos" is property of Disney. The term "gorlock" is property of Disney Interactive. The characters, "MUH-suh MIH-kee" and Khohbdesheh are my property, and I acknowledge I do not own the names. Fan fiction storyline also my property. Milo Thatch, Kidagakash, Bendoh, Rourke and other characters, names, concepts, and all Atlantean in this story are property of the Walt Disney Company.
Disclaimer: Atlantis: the Lost Empire, and the characters, language, symbols, storylines and titles are property of he Walt Disney Company. This site has been created for entertainment, non-profit purposes only. See sources.
Permission must be granted by the fan authors/artists before their material is to be used. Credit must also be given to the respective author/artist in question. Do so via their e-mail. Questions? Comments? E-mail me at Like_A_Star8800@yahoo.com.