Book 3 Chapter 18: Malcontent

Book 3 Chapter 18: Malcontent

I moved over to the Undertakers corpse. Their yellow eyes were open and afraid, I took a moment to close them, then searched through their belongings. I found a data-square, a necklace with a pendant of a Bloodmane carved out of stone, and a rifle with a fair amount of ammo. I looked around until I saw a soft patch of ground, and dug it up with my hands, tearing through roots and ground until I had a good sized hole. I then rolled the body into the hole, and buried it. I didnt need to, but I didnt like the idea of something else coming along and eating her. My stomach grumbled at the scent of death, but I cut a slab of meat from the Ursan I killed to satiate it, enjoying the strong taste as the fresh blood of it ran down my throat.

I made my way into the bunker. I couldnt be sure whether or not the Undertaker had yet been inside herself, and so had no idea if the data-square had been filled with the information shed been sent to retrieve. It wasnt as if the data made it heavier, at least not in any way I could detect. I made my way into the cave that the bunker was housed in, then into the bunker itself. Things were much as I left them, I saw no reason to do another search for loot since Id already done so the first time Id been there. I instead went directly to the main terminal, downloaded all the information onto both the square Id brought, and the one the undertaker had with her as a backup, then left. I wasnt sure of what Julian would do with the data. Perhaps create a vaccine against the one the Remnants were developing? Or perhaps he had bigger plans. I hadnt had the time to ask him about its exact purpose, but I was certain it would be for the good of Potts either way.

I shook my head to return my focus to the task at hand. The lack of sleep was starting to affect my attention. I made my way further into the black woods. Deeper into it than Id been before. The other Undertaker that was missing was at a bunker nearly twenty miles deeper in, and I didnt have high hopes that theyd survived based on the state in which Id found his compatriot.

I walked through the brush quickly, but carefully. Unlike the area around the rEvolutionary Virus bunker, I was unfamiliar with this territory, and while I had maps that depicted the region, I couldnt be certain that things hadnt shifted since the bombs fell. I used my newly enhanced sense of smell to avoid several Ursans, and to catch an injured mutant turkey that I tore into while moving. There was a part of me that wanted to stalk the Ursans for a while, confront them, and eat them. The time and risk involved was, of course, too high though.

Having the weight of a sword on my back felt right. The absence of the one Id received from the Rens had bothered me, and while I still had my knife at my hip, it wasnt the same. I broke myself from that line of thought, my mind was still drifting too much. I moved out of the room, and further down the hall, there was a final lab to my left, and then the hall went forward to some double doors. The final lab was labeled, Nirvana. I opened the door, and found a slightly different lab from the others. There was still an array of computers, but half of this lab was sealed away with glass. Through that glass I could see a number of speakers, as well as some kind of padding on the wall. I also saw, sitting in the corner, leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, an Undertaker. I moved to the door, quickly, and swung it open concerned he was in trouble.

Once the door was cracked, I wondered why I had been so worried? Everything was fine. There was nothing to worry about, nothing to be afraid of. A kind of warm contentment permeated every inch of me, and I started to walk through the door, looking for someplace comfortable to sit down.

Why was nothing wrong? Came an alternative train of thought. You could die at any moment. Dont let your guard down. How many rounds do you have for your rifle? Dont stay still, you need to keep moving. What will happen while youre away from the war? The moment you stop moving, the whip is going to hit your back. The warmth is a lie, it will kill you.

I slammed the door and stepped backward. My heartrate had slowed to a crawl, but now it was rapidly speeding back up. I took a moment to calm myself and think through what happened. It had felt familiar, that sense of contentment. I sometimes felt it when Id been on my boat for more than a day or so. When it happened I would almost immediately start to feel an intense sense of unease, as if that kind of contentment wasnt something I could handle. Id just experienced the same thing, but at a much faster pace.

I looked back through the glass. The Undertaker was breathing steadily, and seemed to be okay. I just needed to find a way to shut off whatever was active in that room.