Blacker
Chapter Five:

MacGregor awoke like a light. As if he hadn’t slept at all. Just as he’d awoken from the operation that had failed to return the sight to his right eye. Suddenly and with remarkable clarity, he was self-aware once more. He was lying on something hard and unyielding, yet it didn’t feel like wood or stone. The warmth of one or more person leaned against him as he stretched. It was difficult to move, his body aching as though he’d just finished running a marathon. His muscles felt exhausted. Breathing was difficult.

“F… Fraze?”

He spoke without thinking. Without fully surveying his surroundings. There was at least one person nearby, so he wasn’t alone. All he could think of was the most familiar person in his life.

“He’s here.” It was Hunter’s voice, almost a whisper, as she spoke next to him. “Mr. Sharpe made it, also, but they’re both out of it. And I can’t stand up just yet. But the weakness is wearing off, I think. Don’t try to move for now. You might pass out again. Braverman and Simard aren’t here. They’re still… outside.”

He didn’t heed Hunter’s warning and tried to push against the ground with his left arm. It felt like a large string of spaghetti attached to his shoulder. He felt nauseated and lightheaded all at once and knew that he was about to slip into unconsciousness. He stopped trying to move and collapsed back onto the ground. He breathed noisily, his lips flapping against the smooth surface that his face was pressed against. He tried to speak, but he couldn’t make a sound. All that emerged were unintelligible grunts. He felt a hand touching his cheek. The relief that flowed through him was so enormous that he began to shake uncontrollably.

“Don’t panic. The weakness will pass in a minute or two. It’s alright. I couldn’t move either, but you’ll feel better in a few minutes. I could barely breathe to begin with, but I can almost walk now. My strength is coming back.”

“Wh… where…”

“Don’t speak!” she chided. “It will just make things worse. Just relax and breathe slowly. Try to stay calm. If you panic, you’ll pass out. But your strength will come back soon, trust me.”

He wanted to ask more, but didn’t have the strength. As if sensing this, Hunter continued to talk.

“I don’t know where we are. I can’t see anything. There’s no light wherever we’ve ended up. No sounds either. I think the SOD must be some kind of a compartment or a doorway into something. I haven’t heard any sounds from anywhere. Just the sounds of Millar and Sharpe breathing and groaning. I know that Braverman didn’t make it. I saw him fall, or I think that’s what happened. I don’t know what happened to the soldiers, but I don’t think they’re here. Sharpe and your friend Millar are lying a few feet away. Your friend hasn’t woken up yet, but he seems to be fine. Once I could crawl I moved them both into the recovery position. That’s what I was doing to you when you woke up.”

MacGregor opened his mouth. The wrong sounds came out. But it was a little easier to breathe. Hunter’s hands were on his face, gently lifting and turning his head. He wanted to thanks her, but he could barely move his lips.

“We’re inside it, whatever it is,” Hunter said. “I don’t think Braverman made it inside. He went back for something. Equipment, I think. I saw him grab hold of a rucksack, then he turned to look at me. I could see in his eyes that he knew he wasn’t going to make it. But there wasn’t anything I could do. I wanted to shout at him to just leave the bag and come on, but I could barely take the last step into the SOD let alone speak or shout. He was only about fifteen feet away from me. I think he tripped or stumbled. He couldn’t get up. I was still looking at him. I think Sharpe dragged me into the SOD. I’m not sure what happened exactly because I passed out. It felt like the life had just drained out of me. When I woke up I was lying on top of Sharpe. I thought he was dead, at first. Then I thought the weight of my body on his chest would suffocate him. But I couldn’t move for a long time. It was hard enough for me to even to breathe, let alone move. I never saw Simard after he went off on the horse. I don’t think he’s here.”

MacGregor lay on his side, blinking slowly. He found it was a little easier to breathe now, but Hunter’s words had calmed him enormously. Knowing that this terrible state of powerlessness would end meant everything. Fraser was okay. Braverman hadn’t made it. Neither had Simard. It was a long time before he found the strength to speak. When he did, the sounds were barely audible even to himself.

“Are we inside the SOD?”

“Yes, or at least that’s the last thing I remember. Your friend ran to help me when our horse collapsed. I could barely move by then. He had his arm around you. I think you were unconscious by then. I saw him stumble towards the SOD and then he just kind of fell into it, dragging you with him. I felt too lightheaded to walk. I was thinking about… I was about to pass out. It seemed like such a welcoming feeling. I was just tired and ready to give up. Then Sharpe was beside me shouting and screaming. That’s the last thing I remember. That, and waking up here.”

“Thirsty,” MacGregor said. “Is there water?”

“Thankfully, we have a bottle at least. But I don’t know if there’s any more. Do you want me to hold it while you take a sip?”

“I think I can manage. I can move my right arm a little now.”

“I’ll help you. Be careful not to spill it. Like I said, it might be all the water we’ve got.”

MacGregor reached for the bottle. His arm felt like lead. He felt the plastic and grabbed hold. Hunter kept hold of the bottle and allowed him to guide it to his mouth. He wasn’t terribly thirsty, but his mouth and throat felt dry. He took a careful swallow and released the bottle to his companion.

“Thanks for that.”

“You’re welcome.”

MacGregor wasn’t strong enough to move very much, but he felt around the ground with his right hand. The surface was smooth and hard, but slightly rubbery. He poked at the ground with the nail of his thumb.

“We’re inside it?”

“We’re inside it,” Hunter echoed. “Whatever it is, we’re inside it. Floor feels strange, doesn’t it?”

“Like rubber,” MacGregor agreed. “But not quite like rubber. But it’s strange. Not stone, wood or metal. And it’s not cold to the touch. Are we in some kind of spaceship then? Is that what this is?”

“You think the SOD is a spaceship?”

“Simard seemed convinced that this had something to do with aliens. What else could the SOD be? You said it was a giant black ball? Were there any features? Legs?” he laughed quietly. “Was there a drawing of an alien’s head on the outside?”

“I’m glad you’re able to laugh at this,” Hunter said evenly. “And I’m not being sarcastic. I really am glad you’re able to replace even a modicum of humor. It completely fails me, I’m afraid. To answer your question? No, there weren’t any distinguishing features to the sphere. It was just a massive black orb. It was half buried in the ground.”

“What did it look like?”

“Big, black ball.” Hunter’s tone was indifferent. “It didn’t cast a shadow, they tell me. I didn’t have time to notice. I just remember trying to get into it.”

MacGregor closed his eyes. He remembered something. It came to him suddenly.

“You were trying to get into it,” he said. “It would never have occurred to me to do that. I remember the two uniformed soldiers. They were running away from it. Maybe Simard was with them. I can only vaguely remember.”

“Doesn’t matter anyway. We’re here.”

“If it’s aliens, then, when are they going to introduce themselves?”

“I really don’t know,” Hunter replied. “Perhaps they already have.”