The Nibiru Effect

Memory 41

I stare at the Plain of Pain, frozen in horror. Every few seconds a geyser erupts from one of the countless holes that riddle the vast expanse, sending water and steam flying high into the air. The columns of superheated water vary in both size and intensity, but one thing is constant.

There's no way to predict where the next geyser will appear.

"Is this the shortcut you spoke of?" asks Kara.

There's no doubt in my mind Korri would willingly answer Kara's question, but I'm the only one capable of translating my friend's words, and I'm still too stunned to do so.

"Won't!" barks Jonn. "Why aren't you translating?"

I don't appreciate his tone, but he's right. We need answers.

"Tell us about the Plain of Pain," I urge.

"This used to be a lake," says Korri, "but it dried up long ago. All that remains is a subterranean body of superheated water."

"Why is it so hot?"

"The volcano," explains Korri, pointing to the mountain I now notice for the first time. It's still quite far, yet it towers high above us. Though it's entirely covered in vegetation, I can tell by its shape it used to be a volcano.

"Is that..." I begin, thinking of the cave painting that has haunted my dreams for the past few weeks.

Korri nods. "That's the Mountain of Fire. It's where Korrigana lives."

"I thought the volcano was dormant."

"It hasn't erupted in ages," says Korri, "but it still produces lava. There are dozens of underground rivers of molten rock, but the largest one passes underneath the Plain of Pain."

"Is that why there are geysers?" I ask.

The small korrigan nods again. "The lava river flows directly into the underground lake. The geysers are the result of the two fronts meeting. Not only are they deadly, but they're impossible to predict. Crossing the Plain of Pain is impossible."

"I don't get it," admits Kara once I translate everything Korri just told me. "Why would Korri lead us here if we can't cross?"

"Who cares?" says Jonn. "Let's just go around."

"We can't," I remind him. "We don't have enough food."

"We should go back," urges Kara. "We can resupply and travel around the Plain of Pain."

"That will take too long," argues Jonn.

"We don't have a choice."

"Yes, we do."

"There's a way across," reveals Korri before Jonn and Kara start arguing. "It's both short and safe... Well, relatively safe."

I don't like the sound of that, but I translate for my friends.

"Didn't he said the Plain of Pain can't be crossed," asks Jonn.

"I said the appearance of geysers is random and thus can't be predicted," clarifies Korri once I've translated Jonn's words.

"How will we get across?"

"We won't go across," says Korri. "We'll go beneath."

"What does that mean?" asks Kara once I explain Korri's plan.

"Who cares?" interjects Jonn. "All that matters is that we get across and stop Avalon before she changes anything else."

Kara doesn't seem pleased by her father's bullheadedness, but she agrees to trust Korri. Before long, we're moving again, only this time we travel alongside the Plain of Pain, not toward it.