Dark World

Chapter 15 - White Sands

The cold low temperatures of the desert plummeted during the night as the alien-looking terrain spanned out in a flat endless expanse. The stars shone as Pacifica had never seen them before. He had to catch herself not to grab Dipper's hand out of impulse. She was enraptured by the silent beauty of the stars swath of the milky way band as the moon made its way across the night sky. The desert was silent as they trudged forward.

Pacifica slipped in the sand and Dipper caught her arm steadying her. "Stupid shoes, I would have packed my hiking boots from when I visited Mount Rainier if I had known," Pacifica grumbled. Dipper smiled at her congenially. "We're almost there," he said consulting his phone. He adjusted the strap on the heavy backpack of Pacifica's that he was carrying. Pacifica leaned over at the top of the sandhill to catch her breath. She placed her hands on her knees as she took in labored breaths. The tip of the barrel on the AR15 MPR on her back poked out above her shoulder on its sling.

Dipper walked another hundred feet before he stopped. Pacifica leaned against him as he consulted the phone. "Were here!" he announced. Pacifica looked around. There was nothing but an open desert as far as the eye could see. In the other direction, they had walked from you could barely make out the White Sands, NM missile testing facility. The only thing of notice was a  rock structure that seemed almost out of place in the barren desert. It was decent-sized and half covered in sand. Dipper walked along the rock wall face feeling it with his hands. Just what was he expecting to find?!? Pacifica sighed in defeat. Dipper continued to feel out the rock ledge with staunch resolution. Pacifica sighed and plopped down in the sand falling on her butt in a pout. They had come all this way out here, with a portal mind you planned everything and now just when she got her hopes up, just when she thought she might actually be able to find closure and move past..."

The ground began to rumble and shake slightly. Her head snapped up to see Dipper standing next to what now appeared to be a rectangular doorway in the rock face. Pacifica jumped to her feet with excitement. She raced over to Dipper next to the rock. His had was next to a control panel that had not been there before. Dipper said, "I started hitting the rock till I hit a hallow section. Once I found the door it took a little bit of observation and deduction to find the control panel. It was hidden behind a facade that looked just like the rock face. Pacifica grabbed Dipper's hand in excitement. "I could Kiss you Pines!" she said excitedly. Then she realized what she had said and quickly dropped his hand and looked at the ground. "Sorry," she muttered. She was never so thankful for the near pitch-black that hid her face. Dipper stood in the faint distant light emitting from the doorway. She could see his blush was strong.

Dipper put his hands on her shoulders looking at her face. "Pacifica he said with a soft but commanding voice. She lifted her head and looked into his deep brown chestnut eyes. Eyes she could dive into and whisper his name as she fell into oblivion. Dipper said, "Whatever happens down there I want you to know that I care about you. I'll do whatever is necessary to protect you." She saw the commanding solemnity in his eyes and the conviction in his voice and knew he would protect her with his life. Her eyes darted from one eye to the other. "I know," she whispered. Dipper pulled her into a deep embrace as he placed his hand on the back of her head. She drew in the heady scent of aftershave and cologne. Subtle undertones of spiced rum and astringent pine. It was a scent she could lose herself in the way one commits to a dream when they are half awake and take the plunge deep into the unfathomable depths of a world shrouded in ambiguous truths and clandestine metaphors.

"Let's go," Dipper said drawing her back up from the depths in a moment. Pacifica shook her head clearing it. Dipper led the way into the cement tunnel. It quickly emptied onto a catwalk bellow was what appeared to be a massive four-story storage area. The area bellow was well lit, but they remained above the large domed lamps and thus remained concealed in the shadows. Dipper walked slowly not wanting to give away his position by making any sound on the catwalk. Pacifica followed his lead smartly. They followed the catwalk for a few hundred feet till it terminated on the far wall in an entrance. The door was just like the door from the facility they had raided earlier. Dipper turned to see Pacifica drawing the dropper out of her bag. She squeezed a drop of the radiant bright green liquid. Dipper now knew it was a plant, and that her laptop and phone could receive data from the nanobot-like organisms as they laced themselves into the circuitry. Her plant in the backpack served as an amplifier to transmit and receive across long distances to remote plant hosts or clients. It was truly amazing tech he thought.