Sunken Tunnels

Chapter Three of the Cel Story Arc
The walls of the sewer were covered in dead moss and mold. Even the sewer plants weren't safe from the radiation up above. Murdantis looked around slowly.

"I think we should head down that tunnel." she said, pointing to the tunnel directly in front of them, "There must be a way out somewhere ahead."

Cel nodded in agreement, but he didn't really listen to what she said. He was too dazed to listen. Murdantis began to swim ahead but stopped when she noticed that Cel wasn't following.

"Cel! Come on." she shouted.

Finally Cel snapped out of the trance he was in and swam along behind Murdantis. The water was thick with decaying wastes, and it was worsened by the radiation. It was tiring to swim through, and Cel hoped that he hadn't begun to rust. After what seemed like an eternity of swimming, they came to a halt and climbed up onto a fallen rock to rest for awhile. There were pipes up above in the ceiling. Probably a way out, but there was no way they could reach them. They would have to find another way.

Cel noticed a large shape moving in the water below. It glided through the water effortlessly and circled around the rock that he and Murdantis sat upon.

"What's that?" Cel whispered in awe.

"367 Emergence. They're very territorial. Don't make any sudden movements or it could shoot a jet of water at us." Murdantis warned. It was too late for warnings, since the 367 Emergence had already noticed the two of them on the rock and stopped circling the rock and was now staring in the direction of Cel. Before he could do anything, a jet of water rocketed from the Emergence and slammed Cel off of the rock and into the water below.

"Cel!" Murdantis shouted, diving in after him.

The 367 Emergence swam over to Cel, who was regaining his senses after being slammed with the water. He looked around dizzily and saw the thick shape of the mechanical fish approaching him at a startling speed. Murdantis swam in front of him and stabbed at the 367 Emergence with her spear, but missed. The fish darted out of the way skillfully and charged at Murdantis. It thrashed its tail at her and pummeled her out of the water.

Cel finally gathered himself and charged at the metal fish and swung with his miniature blade and sliced open the tube in the 367 Emergence's tail, which caused it to retreat into the depths of the sewer. Cel searched desperately for Murdantis and found her floating motionless a short distance away. She was breathing faintly, but she didn't seem to be conscious. Cel heaved her out of the water and back onto the rock and tried to awaken her.

"Murdantis! Murdantis! Wake up!" he shouted as he shook her vigorously. Eventually she sat up slowly and rubbed her head slowly.

"I th-th-think a circuit is d-d-damaged. I h-hit my head on the w-wall of the s-s-sewer pretty hard after th-th-that 367 Emer-emergence hit m-me." she said shakily.

"Do you think you can stand?" Cel asked worriedly. He didn't want to lose her. Murdantis was his only companion, and he could never survive on his own without her.

She nodded her head and stood up clumsily. "I'll be okay. W-w-well. We should k-keep heading further down the t-t-t-t-t-tunnel. We have to g-get out of here soon." She dived into the water below and sat at the bottom for a second before swimming up slowly. Cel jumped in after her.

Cel lead the way this time, looking back frequently to make sure that Murdantis was close behind. Every time he looked, he saw that she was falling behind, so he had to slow down and let her catch up. Eventually they came to a pipe that was in the wall of the sewer rather than the ceiling.

"Maybe we can get out that way?" Cel suggested.

Murdantis just nodded, a spark flying out of the side of her head.

Cel swam over to the pipe and climbed up. He had to pull Murdantis out of the water and into the pipe. They began walking onward immediately, only to be stopped when they saw that the pipe turned upwards at a sharp angle that they could never possibly walk up. It was just too steep. There were, however, ridges in the pipe that could be used as footholds, meaning that they would have to climb up the pipe.

"This won't be easy... Murdantis? Do you think you'll be able to climb?" Cel asked hesitantly.

"O-of course I c-c-can. I haven't l-lost all of m-my energy." Murdantis snapped.

Cel began climbing first, still looking back occasionally to make sure Murdantis was still there. After a few agonizing minutes of climbing, they came to a horizontal section of the pipe, which allowed them to stop climbing and rest. Murdantis was now breathing in quick gasps, and sparks would occasionally shoot out of some of her joints.

"Are you okay, Murdantis?" Cel asked worriedly.

Murdantis looked at him and sighed. "N-not r-r-really. A-a-all of that climbing further d-d-d-damaged the br-br-bro-broken circuit... I c-c-can't keep climbing, Cel. I'm s-sorry. L-leave me here."

"No! I'll carry you if you can't keep climbing. We're both getting out of here." Cel said briskly.

"C-cel..." Murdantis responded with only that word.

Cel lifted up Murdantis and began climbing once again, this time at a much slower pace.

"You d-d-don't have t-to do th-this, Cel... I'll j-just slow y-y-you down." Murdantis said after a few minutes.

"No. I have to. We're friends and I won't leave you behind. No matter what." Cel said adamantly. Murdantis was said nothing after that.

Finally Cel reached the end of the pipe and climbed up into a large ceramic bowl of some kind. He looked up and saw a round opening leading out of the bowl. He mustered all of his energy to pull himself and Murdantis up the side of the bowl and out of it. He jumped down off of the ledge and landed on a soft surface. They were out of the sewer. He set down Murdantis, who was now well enough to stand.

"... Thanks..." she said quietly.

"Now that we're out of there... I think we should keep on our way to safety." Cel said.

"No," Murdantis shook her head, "I th-think we... you sh-should g-go and t-try to stop 000 E-em-emergence. It w-w-would be b-better if y-y-you c-c-could g-g-get s-str-straight to the r-root of the problem r-r-rather th-than hide l-like a lousy i-i-i-insect."

"But... how will I find 000 Emergence?" Cel asked.

"Th-ther-there is a w-way. I-if y-you c-close your e-e-eyes and s-sense the r-r-radiation around you, you should b-b-be able t-t-to feel a s-strong current o-of r-r-radiation c-coming f-f-from a c-certain direction. In th-that direction is The Factory, 000 Emergence's b-b-base..." Murdantis explained.

"Okay..." Cel closed his eyes and felt all of the energy and radiation around him. It was strange... he saw strange light patterns in his head, and the more he felt the energy, the stranger the light patterns became. Sure enough, to his left was a particularly powerful looking light pattern. It was a deep reddish orange and was a big glowing sphere, spinning and morphing with the surrounding lights, sucking up other light patterns. That must have been the direction of The Factory.

"I've found it." said Cel, "Let's go."

"Cel... I'm n-not c-c-coming a-along. I w-w-won't make it." Murdantis said sadly.

"You're coming. You can make it. I'll help you." Cel urged.

"Cel... okay." Murdantis finally agreed.