The Apocalypse Contract

CHAPTER 31 - SYDNEY

The earth rushed past her, and darkness swallowed Sydney. Then stabbing pain like a hundred small knives as she was wrenched to a stop. Her heart pounded, each beat sending a wave of agony through her.

"Bloody hell," Roger shouted from somewhere below her, "What the damnable bloody blazes..."

"Roger," Sydney croaked, "are you alright?"

"No I am most certainly not. I'm scratched to bloody hell, tangled in these damnable roots, and my best jacket is positively ruined. And you? How have you fared?"

"Pretty much the same I think. I'm hanging almost upside down, caught on these roots. They damn near yanked my legs out of their socket when I snagged on them. Can you climb up to me?"

"Let me try." The sound of struggling followed as well as a few uncivilized words. "No, I'm held fast. These roots are like cables."

"Hold on, I'll climb down to you and help." She grabbed a root and began to pull herself upright, then screamed and let go.

"Miss Rossiter! What is wrong?" The sounds of more struggle emerged from below.

"I'm fine. I just scratched the hell out of my hand." She looked at it, and blood began to well from the red lines on her palm. "I'm bleeding!"

"Yes, I am as well. Not surprising after a tumble like that."

"No, this isn't right. We shouldn't be bleeding. The simulation..." She took a sudden breath. She was not in control of this world. The rules were different.

"What? What aren't you telling me, Miss Rossiter?"

"Nothing. I'm just having an existential crisis. And stop calling me Miss Rossiter. It's Sydney. You make me feel like I'm back in Mr. Peterson's advanced algebra class when you say it like that."

"My apologies... Sydney."

She looked at one of the roots near her head, then cautiously touched it with her hand. It felt like metal, like a bunch of wires wound together into a cable. Smaller strands strayed from the bundle, ending in sharp points and hooks. It was these that had scratched them and caught in their clothing. She carefully extracted herself from the tangle of them, then began working her way down to Roger. She stopped after descending only a few feet.

"Holy hell, would you look at this," she exclaimed.

"What? I can't see a thing but blurry shadows from down here."

"I found one of the clockwork insects. A grasshopper, I think. It's all tangled up in the roots."

"Do be careful."

"Don't worry, it's very dead. The fall didn't do it any favors, it seems." It was the size of a large dog, covered in riveted plates of iron and steel. She gave it a poke just to confirm it was inactive. "Huh. Now that's weird. The roots are magnetic. They're stuck to this thing but good."

"That's all very interesting, but maybe we could look at it on the way back up."

"Yes, sorry, I'm on my way." She started back down, encountering more entangled clockwork insects on the way. Exhausted and covered in scratches, she finally reached him. "Good grief how did you get so wrapped up in these things?"

"I assure you it was not my intention."

"Just hold still. This will take some doing." She set to work.

Several minutes into the process, Roger spoke up. "Is someone brewing tea?"

"I wish. What prompted that?"