The Lost Level (11 page)

“Maybe,” I agreed and let the matter pass from my mind. There was
so much bizarreness around me, it was hard to focus on one particular thing. I
was trapped on a world with dinosaurs, giant robots, a beautiful barbarian
princess, a furry black and blue–hued intelligent cat–thing, piranha birds,
abandoned Jeeps and wheelchairs, phantom thunder, carnivorous grass,
kleptomaniac vines, savage snake men, perpetual sunlight, meteorologist moss,
and a host of other things. Underground metal passageways didn’t seem so
perplexing or important when compared to some of those.

After reaching the top again, we discovered a small spring
bubbling up through some rocks. Bloop knelt and sniffed the water. Apparently
satisfied that it was safe, he cupped his hands and drank. Then, Kasheena and I
did the same. After a brief respite, we continued on our way and soon found a
flat, smooth space on the forest floor on which to make camp. Using our swords,
the three of us cut fronds from a palm tree and lay them on the ground to make
a bed. We covered these with soft green and yellow ferns. After that, we cut
some more palm fronds and fashioned a canopy above the bed.

Bloop disappeared into the forest while Kasheena and I gathered a
number of large rocks and formed a stone fire pit. I asked her how we would
make a fire. To the best of my knowledge, neither her nor Bloop had a tinder
box or matches (if they had, I don’t know where they would have hidden them,
given his full nudity and her lack of anything other than a loincloth). And I
certainly couldn’t start one with the few items I had scavenged.

Kasheena gave me a playful smile. “I have much to teach you,
Aaron.”

She walked into the forest and beckoned me to follow. Puzzled, I
did as she requested. She searched the ground, overturning rotten logs and
sweeping the vegetation aside until she found a strange–colored rock—grey and
silver shot through with brick–red speckles. The stone was roughly the size of
a baseball. She pried it up out of the ground and then searched until she found
another.

“These rocks produce a spark when ground together. I noticed that
there were many of them in the area when we were setting up the camp. Unlike
our meal before our encounter with the dragon, we can cook our dinner now.”

“I’d like that.”

“As would I,” she agreed. “Gather some tinder, and then I will
start a fire. It should give us some comfort until the rains come.”

“And how soon will that be?”

She glanced up at the treetops and shrugged. “It is hard to know
for sure. The trees grow close together here, and I cannot get a good view of
the sky. But soon, I think.”

I went about gathering an armful of twigs and branches, mindful
of where I stepped and what I touched. I also made sure to focus only on dead
wood, rather than cutting any from the trees. I’d seen what some of the
vegetation in the Lost Level could do, and I didn’t want to take any chances
with the strange plants growing around me. I piled the tinder up and then added
some of the scrap paper I’d collected from the Jeep.

Bloop returned to camp just as I did. He carried three rabbits
with him. They looked remarkably like the rabbits back home, except for their
fur, which had a greenish tint—probably some sort of camouflage effect. He
proceeded to skin and field dress them. Given my reaction to our earlier meal,
I wondered if this was for my benefit or not. He offered us the bloody innards,
but both Kasheena and I declined. Shrugging, Bloop noisily slurped them down.
Bits of gore dangled from his whiskers and the fur on his chin. He grinned,
flashing blood–stained fangs.

Kasheena, meanwhile, piled my tinder in the center of the ring of
stones and then crouched over it, holding one of the peculiar rocks in each
hand. She struck them together, reminding me of a teacher knocking two
chalkboard erasers together, but instead of producing a cloud of dust, a shower
of bright sparks erupted. Their vibrancy surprised me. I had expected a few
singular sparks, much like that produced from a piece of flint, but instead, it
was like she’d turned on an arc–welder. The paper caught fire instantly, and
Kasheena knelt over it and blew gently, further fanning the flames until the
tinder caught. Twigs popped and crackled as the fire spread. Soon, its heat
filled our campsite.

“We will keep these,” Kasheena said, hefting the stones. “This
type of rock is rare in the lands around my village. My people will be very
pleased to receive them. Usually, we must travel far to secure them. May we
carry them in your pack, Aaron?”

“Of course.”

“We will wrap them in the skins of the rabbits Bloop caught. That
will keep the stones from accidentally striking one another and setting your
pack on fire. We will clean the skins and let them dry over the fire while we
sleep so that the smell of blood doesn’t attract predators.”

We spitted the rabbits and then roasted them over the fire. As
they cooked, my mind wandered back to the smell of the dinosaur roasting in the
valley, which then made me wonder again about the possibility of a forest fire
breaking out. I touched upon my concerns with Kasheena, but she didn’t seem
perturbed by the prospect and merely assured me once again that it would soon
rain. I also tried to explain my concerns about the nuclear potential of the
robot and what impact a meltdown could have on the environment, but was unable
to properly articulate it in a way that made her understand my fears.

Conversation dwindled and our impatience grew as we waited for
the meat to cook. I occupied myself by sorting through my pack again. First, I
used the rest of John LeMay’s paperwork to wipe down my .45 and sword, doing my
best to clean them with my meager implements. I tossed the soiled papers into
the fire, watching the last remnants of John LeMay’s life blacken and curl as
the flames licked at them. I felt as if I should toast him or something,
wherever he was now.

Here’s to you, John LeMay,
I thought.
You saved my
life. I hope somebody did the same for you.

When the papers were reduced to ashes, I turned my attention back
to my gear. I double checked my ammunition and verified that I had five bullets
left. Kasheena and Bloop watched with interest as I sorted through everything
else. Bloop was especially fascinated with the binoculars and hooted with
delight after I showed him how to work them. Kasheena was enamored with the
tube of cherry–flavored lip balm. I applied some to my lips and then invited
her to do the same to her own. She put some on, licked it off, laughed, and
then applied another layer.

Finally, the rabbits finished cooking. All three of us ate
ravenously, and I suspect that Kasheena’s and my table manners were probably
just as bad as Bloop’s. Grease dribbled down my chin and forearms, making my beard
and arm hair sticky. Fat burst and crackled deliciously beneath my teeth. The
meat was burned black on the outside and still half–raw at the center, and it
seared my fingers and tongue, but despite that, it was one of the best things I’ve
ever tasted. As I sit here writing this account inside the abandoned school
bus, my mouth still waters at the memory of that meal.

And the rabbit isn’t the only thing from that night that I
remember with such clarity.

After we were finished with our meal, Kasheena dug a hole and
buried the rabbit bones so they wouldn’t attract predators. Then, using sign
language, she indicated to Bloop that he should sleep while we took first
watch. After a few moments, our furry companion seemed to get the message. He
crawled under the canopy of palm fronds and was soon fast asleep. He snored
softly, and he must have dreamed, because occasionally his tail twitched,
snaking back and forth behind him. He reminded me of a napping housecat, curled
up in the sunshine. Once, he stirred, swatting at a buzzing insect, but then
lay still again. Kasheena and I watched him sleep for a while. Then we tiptoed
away from the fire and campsite so that we could talk more freely without
waking him.

We found an area where the ground had been carpeted by a soft
blanket of moss, and we sat down cross–legged and facing one another. Our knees
were only inches apart, and occasionally we would accidentally brush against
each other. Every time this happened, I felt an electric thrill run through my
body. Despite her rugged lifestyle, Kasheena’s skin was silken soft. And warm.
I remember her warmth most of all. We talked for what felt like hours. I told
her of life back on Earth and she told me about life here in the Lost Level. I
studied her while we talked—trying hard to not be obvious about it. She had a
raw, pure beauty that didn’t rely on cosmetics or hair styling or fashion. Her
teeth were white, if a tiny bit crooked, but that only added to her appeal. Her
hair was clean, and given our close proximity, I inhaled her natural,
intoxicating scent with every breath.

At some point, our conversation faltered. I looked into her eyes.
She smiled. An instant later, we fell into a passionate kiss. We made love to
each other right there on the moss, and halfway through, it began to rain.
Kasheena laughed softly as she rode me.

“You see, Aaron? I told you it would rain.”

I nodded, reaching up to massage her rain–slicked breasts. She
lowered herself and kissed me again. The campfire sputtered and hissed before
fizzling out completely. Our lovemaking continued, and soon we were drenched,
both from passion and the weather. Concerned about birth control, I attempted
to pull out at the last minute, but Kasheena wrapped her arms and legs around
me and locked her hips, urging me on.

Later, we crept back into camp and lay down near Bloop. I shook
him gently until he awoke and then tried to communicate that it was his turn on
watch. Kasheena had already fallen asleep. He glanced at her and then looked at
me. His nostrils flared. He grinned, flashing his fangs, and then playfully
punched my shoulder. I returned the gesture, even as I felt my ears turn red
from embarrassment. Still smiling, Bloop grunted and then moved to the edge of
the shelter. With his weapons within easy reach, he sat cross–legged and stared
out into the rain.

I curled up next to Kasheena, spooning her, and tried to sleep. I’d
feared that sleeping during perpetual daylight might prove difficult, but it
didn’t with her by my side. I closed my eyes and sighed. My last thought was a
feeling of contentment and gratitude, and a vague sense of disquiet when I
considered my eventual return to Earth.

§

I awoke at some point, unable to guess how much time had
passed. I felt groggy and found it hard to focus at first, so it couldn’t have
been too long. The first thing I became aware of was that the rain had stopped.
It occurred to me that I hadn’t noticed if the sky got darker with the arrival
of the storm clouds, preoccupied as I’d been, and now it was too late to tell.
The sun beat down upon us, as always. The cooler temperatures the storm had
brought with it were gone now, dissipating like the steam rising up from the
ground.

The forest was now filled with the sound of water droplets
falling from the trees, but that wasn’t what had disturbed me from my sleep.
What had woken me was a second sound—a low, distant rumbling that sounded
unmistakably like a machine. Despite the heat and sunlight, the sweat on my
body turned cold and the hair on my arms stood up. Fearing that another giant
robot was approaching our camp, I bolted upright, gasping.

Bloop turned, startled by my reaction. He cocked his head,
staring at me with a puzzled expression. I pointed to my ear, but his confusion
was still apparent. I held a finger to my lips, indicating silence, and then
cupped my ear as if listening. The machine sounds hadn’t grown louder, but now
that I was aware of them, I could hear them more clearly. They were a distinct,
steady throbbing noise, similar to an idling engine. Curiously, it seemed to be
coming from beneath our feet. Then I became aware that the trees around us were
swaying slightly, and yet there was no breeze. Whatever it was, it was enough
to disturb them from below.

I made a listening motion again and then pointed at the ground.
Bloop cocked his head and then shrugged. I repeated the hand signals more
insistently. Sighing, Bloop got to his feet and padded over to me. He pointed
at the ground, then his ear.

“You hear it, too, don’t you?”

I know he didn’t understand me, but my tone must have
communicated my intent, because Bloop nodded and then shrugged. Then he put his
hands together, lay his furry cheek against them and pretended to sleep. When
he opened his eyes again, he pointed at me and then back to the shelter, where
Kasheena still slept undisturbed.

“But what is it?” I asked. “What’s that noise? Aren’t you
concerned? What if it’s another one of those giant robots?”

Bloop commiserated by making a low murmuring growl. Then, he gave
my shoulder a gentle pat and indicated once again that I should go back to
sleep. Sighing with frustration, I crawled back to bed while Bloop returned to
his post. I lay there listening to the machine sounds and wondering about their
origins. Eventually, the noise ceased, but it was a long time before I slept
again.

THERE’S NO WAY OF TELLING
how much
longer we slept. It could have been only hours or it could have very well been
days. I awoke to find that Kasheena had already risen. She had managed to light
another fire and was in the process of cooking breakfast. I was surprised to
see Bloop curled up nearby me, snoring softly. Obviously, enough time had
passed that she’d relieved him on watch. When I asked her about this, I was
stunned to discover that each of them had stood two additional watches while I
slept.

“I did not want to wake you,” Kasheena said. “You slept so
soundly, and it seemed a shame to disturb it. I thought perhaps you needed time
to recover from the shock of being away from your people. So, we let you sleep.”