Page 63 of Jewel of the Sea

Chapter 13

Arkon held Aymee’s hand as he led her up the steps to the next level and turned right. His presence made this dreary, broken down place bearable — without him, its emptiness, gloom, and dilapidation might have crushed her. She swept her light over the walls, which had been stained by water and time, and noted several small cracks. Bits of debris that had fallen from the walls and ceiling lay scattered on the floor.

While the lower level’s edge was lined with thick mooring posts that were spanned by heavy chains in some places, the second tier had a waist-high guardrail that blended seamlessly with the railing of the two bridges. Aymee glanced over her shoulder; for a fleeting instant, she imagined some huge watercraft anchored there, its metal-and-plastic hull gleaming under long-dead lights.

They stopped and turned toward a pitch-black corridor to their left. Aymee shined her light onto the wall over it. Like everything else here, the words were worn, but remained legible.

AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.

“Turn off your light,” Arkon said.

They both clicked off their flashlights.

“There is a light at the end of the hallway,” he said.

“I don’t see anything.”

“It’s very small. Very faint. A single point of red…”

“Has it always been on?”

“I do not know. I have never noticed it before.” Without releasing her hand, he moved ahead of her into the corridor, switching his light on again.

She turned her light on and followed him.

Though she’d seen construction like this in The Watch — at least one or two of the old concrete structures had hallways like this — there was something oppressive about this space despite it only being three or four meters deep. Perhaps it was instinctual claustrophobia, but the walls and ceiling felt too close after the relatively open area of the bay, where the ceiling was so high she’d yet to see it through the cloying shadows.

They passed two large metal doors — one on each side, both with small keypads built into their frames — as they moved. Arkon held his light on the door at the end of the corridor. It looked like the others at first glance, but Arkon gestured to its keypad.

“There.”

They shifted their lights away, and she saw what he’d noticed from the other end of the hallway — a small red light on the upper corner of the keypad.

“The other keypads are dark,” Arkon said.

“So, this is the only one working?”

“Maybe. It could be the only one with functioning power. This would be the spot to try, I’d guess.”

Aymee straightened and considered the keypad, running her fingers over the flat numbers. “You said there was a keypad to enter the Facility. Did you try the code here?”

Arkon extended a hand and entered a sequence of numbers. The red light flashed and returned to its dull, constant glow.

“How did Macy’s suit allow her access?”

“She said it asked her when she drew near. Perhaps if you activate the suit, the system will recognize its location and do the same?”

Adjusting her hold on the flashlight, Aymee felt along the suit until she found the wrist piece. She traced her fingers along its shallow grooves. Light flared from it, as intense as that cast by their flashlights, and formed into a glowing orb.

“Hello!” The hologram pulsed as it spoke. “I am your system assistant and monitor, Sam. How may I be of service?”

Aymee glanced at Arkon. The blue glow cast deep shadows on his cheeks, and his pupils were thin lines as he stared at the hologram.

“Sam, can you grant us access?” Aymee asked.

The hologram flickered and was silent for a moment. “You are standing at the IDC Personnel Entry Door. Is this what you require access to?”

“Yes.”

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