Page 53 of Alien Healer's Touch

We reached the cave, pulling ourselves onto a narrow ledge above steaming pools of water. Below us, the flooded shaft continued filling. Above, a series of natural chimneys led toward daylight.

"Those vents release pressure periodically," I explained. "If we time it correctly, we can use a geyser eruption to reach the surface."

Selene looked skeptical. "You want us to ride a geyser?"

"It's either that or stay here until the water rises enough to drown us." She studied the vents for a moment, then nodded. "The rhythms aren't random. Look at how the steam pulses—there's a pattern."

She was right. The largest vent showed signs of an imminent eruption, pressure building visibly.

"That one," I pointed. "When it erupts, we'll have to jump into the flow. The water pressure will carry us upward."

"And if we miss the timing?"

"Then we'll be slammed against the rocks by superheated water."

She gave me a wry look. "At least you're honest."

The water continued rising, now lapping at the edge of our ledge. We positioned ourselves beneath the largest vent, waiting for the telltale signs of eruption.

"Ready?" I asked, taking her hand.

She squeezed mine in return. "As I'll ever be."

The vent rumbled, steam intensifying.

"Now!" We leaped upward as the geyser erupted, the force of superheated water catching us and propelling us through the natural chimney. The journey lasted only seconds—a violent, turbulent ascent through near-boiling water and steam. Then suddenly, we were airborne, thrown clear of the vent into open air.

We landed hard on wet ground, rolling away from the still-erupting geyser. Gasping and soaked, we lay there for several moments, simply breathing in the fresh air.

When I finally sat up, I barely recognized our surroundings. The landscape had transformed dramatically since we'd entered the underground facility. What had been a forest clearing was now a steaming field of freshly exposed rock and mud. The storm and seismic activity had reshaped the entire area, toppling trees and creating new formations of stone.

Selene pushed herself to her feet beside me, surveying the changed terrain. "We made it."

A strange sensation prickled behind my neck—the feeling of disorientation in a landscape suddenly foreign. I scanned our surroundings, trying to get my bearings through the steam. As the mist parted ahead of us, I went still at the sight before me—where once had been dense forest now stood an impossible formation: a massive arch of newly exposed stone, twisted and gleaming with mineral deposits, spanning across what was a newly formed ravine. The seismic activity hadn't just changed the surface—it had completely rewritten the geography around us.

SELENE

My eyes fixed on the massive stone arch looming before us, its newly exposed minerals glistening in the diffuse light. I stepped through a cloud of steam, distracted by the impossible formation, and my boot sank into mud far softer than expected. My entire body tensed, anticipating a plunge through to whatever waited beneath. The ground held—barely.

"Careful," Kavan murmured behind me, his fingers brushing my elbow. "The crust here becomes unstable after eruptions."

"You think?" I yanked my boot free and wiped sweat from my forehead. Humidity clung to my skin, droplets running down my neck.

Vibrant turquoise and electric blue pools bubbled between crusty white mineral deposits, forcing us to zigzag across the transformed landscape. Steam jets shot skyward at random intervals like nature's warning signals.

"This isn't exactly the scenic route back to civilization," I muttered, testing another patch with my toe before committing my weight.

"It may be our only route." Kavan moved across the treacherous surface with natural ease, his emerald skin glistening with moisture in the strange light. "The tunnels collapsed behind us."

I knelt beside the closest pool, maintaining my balance. The steam carried a metallic scent, not unpleasant but definitely alien. As I leaned closer, my markings brightened almost painfully. What was this?

"Let's keep moving," I said, standing. "The sooner we reach safer ground, the better."

Kavan nodded, pointing to a ridge about half a kilometer away. "If we can reach that formation, we should have a clearer view of where we are in relation to the settlement."

Taking the lead again, I picked my way across the field, letting my markings guide me. When they dimmed, I changed course. When they brightened painfully, I backed away. Trusting these alien patterns etched into my skin felt bizarre, but they hadn't steered me wrong yet.

Beyond the hot springs, the landscape revealed the full extent of seismic devastation. What had once been a gently sloping valley now featured jagged ravines cut into exposed bedrock. Steam vented from earth cracks, creating an ever-shifting obstacle course of visibility.

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