FLOOR 21: Descent (The Tower Legacy) Read online

  The only noise you can hear for a second is the projector humming before the other Scavengers start staring at each other. It occurs to me that I’m pretty much the only person that knew this was the whole point. After the incident with Creepy Sally, I got what was apparently a super rare chance to meet the Tower director, Edward Pygmallion. Anyway, guy said that he’d realized we needed to find a way out of the Tower. Which, like, duh. I’ve literally been arguing that since I was twelve. The point is he made me a Scavenger, but he also agreed to start looking for a way to ground floor. I mean, he can’t do that personally, but that’s what he has us for. So, even if I’m not surprised by the point of the mission, everyone else is. Literally, nobody’s ever been told that we should try to get out of the Tower, since we’re supposed to be waiting for the Builders to rescue us. Anyway, Abbott keeps chatting.

  “It should not come as any surprise when I say that this information is strictly confidential. As far as your friends and family are concerned, this Scavenging is like any other. Its purpose is to acquire food and materials for the population. Of course, they are also aware that this Scavenging is partly about finding the previous Scavenging team, so you may discuss that as well. However, all discussion concerning reaching ground floor is strictly limited to the people in this room. Is that understood?”

  Again, by pure rehearsal, we respond, “Yes, sir!”

  “Before the end of our session, I must stress one final point. You all have your own reasons for joining this group. Some of you were assigned the role by Tower Authority while others among you volunteered, taking the position in place of someone else. Regardless of how you came to be a Scavenger, you must always remember that there is one duty above all others that Scavengers honor.”

  He takes a step forward and walks the length of the classroom. The click of his boots count the time as he slowly makes his way back to the center. “Our duty is to ensure the security and life of the people of the Tower. That includes family, friends, and loved ones. It also includes people whose faces you will never see. Our profession asks us to be willing to give up the most precious gift we have: our lives. Don’t be deluded before you continue in your training. People die in the Deep on a regular basis. However, they do so with the understanding that they give their lives so that others will live. That applies to the bonds that you all share. Each one of us lives to protect the other. Like the many parts of a body, no one of us can function as well without the other. A Scavenger’s highest duty is to protect those around them, which requires us to set aside our own lives. If you think this is about adventure or glory, well, those stories do emerge. But for every amazing tale of survival, there is a tale of loss and sacrifice. All I ask of you is that you understand that you must lay your life down for the sake of the team if called upon. Is that understood?”

  I don’t know what to think about Abbott, and maybe I won’t ever get him. Sometimes he seems like such an airbag, and other times you almost respect him. It makes me feel dirty saying that. I dunno, I guess I never really knew the commander before I got into the Scavengers. I always preferred Commander Vick McGill, but that’s just because McGill seemed like what a real hero was supposed to be like. Plus, Abbott was such a toolbag when we first met, so yeah, saying anything nice about him makes me vomit a little. Then again, when he gives a speech like this one, you kinda start to think that maybe you judged him too fast. Which, I mean, that seems to be one of the emerging patterns of my life. Anyway, he dismisses the class and everyone just sadly stampedes out of the door. I’m still thinking about the commander’s words when I realize my dad’s making a beeline for me, but by then it’s too late to try and dodge him. He moves like a ghost, disappearing between people and popping up again until he’s right in front of me. I’m barely on my feet when he flashes out between two of my teammates and slides face to face with me.

  “Jackie,” he says.

  “Oh, uh, hey there, dad?”

  “We have to talk.”

  The four most dreaded words in the Standard language.

  Nothing good ever follows the words ‘we have to talk.’ Those are the words your mom tells you when she’s coming in to let you know your grandma died, or what a girl tells a guy right before she decides to obliterate his heart with a breakup. ‘We have to talk’ has been used throughout history as a way of letting people know that what’s about to happen is going to be super awkward for everyone involved. Now, normally when confronted by this kind of dire circumstance, I’d try to find a way to slip out of it, but I know we need to have this conversation. Plus, the class is still crowded around outside. I couldn’t slip by if I tried.

  So, I feel my breath wrestle out of my throat in one agonized sigh. “I know, dad. I’m sorry. I was just really uncomfortable because, you know, I don’t know how to deal with you as parents. I mean, real parents, not the zombies you acted like before.”

  “Right, and I’ve said I’m sorry too. It’s not like your mom and I wanted to act like that.”

  “Yeah, I get that, it’s just I’m having to adjust, you know? It’s not like it’s easy for me to suddenly have you guys all in my business,” I say while my hands flail like wet towels. “I’ve spent my whole teenage career getting used to not having you guys act normal. I mean, I barely even got to know anyone else ‘cause I was so busy trying to figure out when my life got so messed up. Seriously, Allison’s like my only real friend. Now I’m thinking that Tommy might be one, but that idea just skeeves me out. Then there’s this guy I like, and I’m stressing that situation because I don’t know what happened to him. Is he dead? Is he trapped? Is he still trying to get back?”

  My dad’s lips crack open as he smiles. His white teeth flow like milk behind his coffee skin. “Jacko, you’re not doing this for a boy, are you?”

  “Psh. Please. This is the only thing I’ve ever wanted. But, I mean . . .” My shoulders lock near my ears as I try to find the right words. “Just so we’re clear, I’d do this anyway. This is my dream, but I mean, I do want to find Mike. I’d be full on lying if I said I didn’t. I just don’t want it to be one or the other though, you know? It can’t hurt to want to do my job and find him at the same time. I get to do what I want sometimes. Right?”

  “Ahh, Jackie. I get it.” His smile turns to a quick laugh. “You’re right about it being a long time since we were a normal family. I forgot you were seventeen, and that means you’re starting to keep your eye out for, well, a guy. Your dad’s not the only man you’re going to have in your life forever.”

  “Well, I mean, don’t sell yourself short. You’re not so bad, but I think mom’s kind of got the hots for you.”

  “That she does. Well, hey, I’m sorry champ. I’m going to try and stress you less, but you’ve also got to remember, me and your mom are really worried about where you’re going. There’s nothing unusual about that. It’s the Deep Creep, after all.”

  “Yeah, I got that, and I’m going to try and chill with the whole, you know, dodging the family thing. I’ve sorta been freaking out about all the attention I’ve been getting. But if it’s any consolation, I was totally missing you and mom back when Tower Authority had me locked up.”

  “You should tell your mother that. I think she’d appreciate it.”

  My head dips when dad mentions her. “God. I’ve got to have this talk with her, too?”

  “Don’t you think you should, Jacko?”

  “Uuuugh.” My eyes roll past him and toward the door. “Fine, you’re right. Can we at least go right now so I can get it done? All the feels are going to have me moping by the time I go to sleep.”

  Dad smiles again as he claps me across the shoulder. It reminds me of when we used to play baseball, when he’d pat me across the back whenever I got a good hit on a ball. I think it’s about that second that I remember why I wanted dad to get back to normal. I mean, I actually do like it when he’s proud of me. Just, you know, don’t tell him that.

  Recording Ten

  Let me set
the scene for you.

  It’s my first time in the Deep Creep.

  I’m hella scared.

  It’s not the ‘real’ Deep Creep. I mean, we’re above Floor 21, but they’ve taken us to a lonely part of the north wing. I knew something was wrong when we were walking. I mean, the further we went, the more Creep there was. At first you could feel the humidity from all the moisture that the Creep creates, not to mention its, uh, ‘body heat.’ My pants literally melded with my legs as the moisture glued them together. Then the Creep started to pile on top of itself along the floor, growing into those clusters that dad warned us about. I mean, this was a legit serious situation and we had a full team of Security, all with those wicked flamethrowers strapped to their backs. That should tell you something about how worried they were about this part of the Tower.

  Still, I didn’t really get stressed until we got to the end of a hallway. It was just a dead end with a single door, but what really got me worried was the pale red light overhead that hugged both sides of the frame. Covering the door was a metal shutter, like the ones we use when the halls get dangerous. Abbott nodded to it before talking. “This is what we call The Red Room. In actuality, it’s an apartment with a series of rooms, each of which is saturated in Creep. That’s partly the result of natural development and partly the result of the Science department stimulating growth here. There’s a singular purpose as to why we encourage that much growth in this room though, and that is to see whether you can stand up to the paranoia and hallucinations that the Creep evokes.”

  At the time I thought he was trying to scare us, but the look on his face made me think twice. “There is a legitimate danger to this room, which is why we’ve brought along a full Security compliment. Should you get into danger, we hope to be able to pull you out before you’ve suffocated to death.” Abbott tapped at a keypad on the wall and a slamming rattled through my ears as the shutter lifted. My eyes went to the door handle, and suddenly I felt like time was just screeching to a halt. “You will each enter alone. You will each spend a half hour within the apartment. Finally, you will each activate a hidden sensor that has been secured within. It looks similar to the Pocket Space Generator, albeit a darker color. It is hidden somewhere inside and must be activated. Afterward, only listen for the sound of the red door when it opens. That is your time to come out.”

  He left the convo hanging like it was just that simple, and after that we were called at random. A few people had to go in before me, but I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that I had to wait for my turn. I mean, it was kinda weird just sitting around outside. At first I tried to joke around with Tommy, but that red light just creeped me the hell out. Still, I mean, the first half-hour was probably the easiest, since we didn’t know what to expect. Yeah, I’d say it was pretty chill. We were all just camped out in the hall like we were on vacation or something. So, at first we wasted time talking, which of course we used to come up with ideas about what might be inside. A lot of the new recruits were just like me and wondered if the commander was just trying to psych us out or something.

  Thing was, the whole time, Abbott looked like he was on edge. The Security members he had with him weren’t playing around, either. These were big guys, like, Floor 1 sized giants, and none of them relaxed or even tried talking to each other. The commander kept walking down the hall and back to the door, eyeing us, then saying something real quick to some of the Security. Once in a while, he’d check his tablet, but every time he’d go back to the red door and just stare at it, like he knew something was coming.

  I don’t remember exactly what I was saying to Tommy when it happened. I think I was probably talking about something stupid, like what flavor of gum I like most. All I know is, I was looking at him one second, then flying onto my feet as a scream broke the hallway. Suddenly, I was getting shoved aside as burly Security members barreled past me and over to the door, where Abbott was already waiting with his sword. He paused everyone with a flash of his hand and we all tensed up while we waited. It’s like everyone stopped breathing at once. At least the orange glow from his blade was comforting, since you could count on that thing to cut through just about anything that might explode into the hall. After a few seconds, the commander checked something on his tablet before giving the team a hand signal. None of us really knew what was going on, but we eased up and settled back onto the ground. Security stayed posted at the front, but even with them lining the wall, nothing was the same afterward. I couldn’t joke about gum again after hearing that scream, and it was a long ten minutes until I saw Abbott move back to the door. It was like he knew what was coming before it happened, and he stepped aside just as one of the recruits shot out of the Red Room and back into the hall. Whoever it was, I think his name was Hershel, literally took all of half a step before collapsing into a ball on the ground. He was breathing super heavy and his skin was almost as white as the paper in a book. Instantly, one of the guys from Security had a blanket around him while they took him down the hall.

  It’s weird though, because not all of the team reacted like that. I’d probably even say that most didn’t, and nobody else ever came back out as bad as Hershel. But what stuck in my head was his look when he hit the ground. His fingernails were carving into the carpet, and his eyes . . . just, when he looked up, he stared right at me and . . . it was like he was trying to scream but nothing would come out of his mouth. He just gasped and choked while he was trying to pull himself forward, and the way he was looking at me . . . I felt like he was burning something into my soul.

  Abbot acted like it was nothing, and while Hershel was getting help, the commander was already calling up the next member of the team. I kinda just sat in a daze while time kept rolling, even if I couldn’t notice it. I was just . . . I dunno. I kept staring back at Hershel as he took drinks from his bottle of water, but he avoided looking at any of us for the rest of the time we were there. Anyway, I was so out of it I didn’t realize my name’d been called until Tommy elbowed me in my ribs. I snapped him a look before I noticed everyone was staring at me. Geez. My stomach literally collapsed as I realized it was my turn. Abbott already had the door open.

  “Cadet Coleman,” he said as he waved toward the entrance. I couldn’t see anything inside, like it was the open jaw of a monster, and I was about to step down its throat. Tommy gave me a pat on the shoulder and wished me luck, which, I mean, of course I appreciated it.

  Still.

  It was my time to go, not his. I was the one that was about to step into the Deep.

  Did I mention Hershel never came back to the program?

  Recording Eleven

  Back to that scene I set.

  At first I just stare into the darkness while the door clicks behind me. The sound vanishes into an endless black that fills my eyes after the light from outside vanishes. For a second, I stand around, waiting for my eyes to adjust, but it’s so dark that nothing is coming into focus. Finally, I start freaking so hard that my hands are shaking by the time I grab my flashlight. It explodes alive in a halo of light that burns away parts of the darkness. I flip the light back and forth, spying out the room as quick as I can, but the first thing I notice is that this place is huge. Like, I’ve talked before about how big my apartment is compared to people that live on the lower floors. This is something else, though. Something bigger.

  I’m staring at what had to have been the living room once. There’s a couch facing a television and two big, comfy looking chairs on either side. At least, once upon a time they were comfy. Now they’re slick with Creep juice, and the light reflects off their surfaces. The TV’s been hit by something, and there’s a big crack across the top right, which probably happened because of some panicking rookie. It really only has my attention for a second as I try to keep cool, but I can feel my breath struggling to get out of my lungs as I take a few steps into the black. I’m able to spot a desk and some drawers against the wall, and I figure if that sensor I’m supposed to find is anywhe
re, it’s going to be hidden away in a place like that. Finally, I’m able to work up the nerve to slide forward. Literally, the floors are slick and I can already see drips of moisture falling in long strings from the ceiling.

  When I get to the desk, I’m feeling pretty psyched that they gave us gloves, because the amount of juice on the handle is thick. I slide open the drawer, but there’s only some papers scattered around inside with a bunch of numbers scribbled on them. Nothing too important. I close it and move to the next drawer, but struggle with the handle for a second. It fights me as I try to get it open, so I grab it with both hands and yank it. Again, it keeps telling me no, so I finally haul back on it until I nearly strip it out of the desk. When I tear at it, I feel my heels sliding on the ground. I’m about a half second away from screaming as I feel my body tumbling backward, my back slamming into the goo that’s saturating the carpet. Drops go spattering into the air before raining back down across my face, and my breath accelerates as I quickly sit up, the back of my clothes wet with Creep gunk. Worst is that I can feel it on my skin, and its send jolts of electricity darting through my neck. It’s something I’ve felt before, whenever I’ve actually touched Creep. It has an effect on you, but I don’t know how strong the effect is if you haven’t had direct contact. My sweatshirt’s thick, so my clothes protect me from the worst of it, but I can still feel the moisture seeping through. Shaking my head, I step back to the desk while, the whole time, my hands are prying the wet cotton from my back.