Chapter 66
Chapter 66: Underground Network
Absolute blackness surrounded the bunker, pushing in like a physical weight on Philip and the others. The main sounds for several long minutes were their ragged breathing and the faint murmur of passing on devices. “Is everyone doing well??” Philip yelled in the dark, his voice seeming oddly distorted.
Then arrived a chorus of uncertain affirmations. Little bits of light started to show slowly as people turned on their phone flashlights or located emergency lamps. As the light returned Philip turned around.
The bunker was scattered with equipment, and the collision of alien energies burned the walls. Still, it seemed almost unbelievable that everyone was still whole. “What did happen?” Helping Dr. Reeves stand up, Amanda asked. “Where is… where is Cambel?” Philip looked at the area the Cambel-entity had been standing in.
She was nowhere to be seen; only a faint glow in the air, like warm rising off heated black-top. As he said, “Gone,” his voice mixed relief with fear. “But I doubt we have seen the end of her… it.” Philip started to feel a warm sensation against his chest as the assembly gathered their minds.
When he pulled Amelia’s sketchbook out, it was shining softly and vibrating. “Mr. Dr. Waller,” Reeves said, glancing at the book with analytical attention, “I feel that sketchbook just saved our lives.” Philip nodded while he ran his fingertips over the cover. “Amelia saved us,” he said softly. “She is somehow reacting from wherever they are holding her.”
Realizing they were not battling alone appeared to inspire the squad more. They started evaluating their circumstances and trying to recover whatever tools they could. Amanda said following a look at their systems, “Our communications are down.” We separate from everything else.
Philip grimaced after weighing their alternatives. “We cannot stay here.” It’s not safe, hence we have to learn what’s happening out there. As they got ready to leave their compromised haven, the chamber crackled. Philip initially believed it was just really terrible gear, but at that moment he remembered the stationary nature of a radio transmission. ” hello? Is anyone else nearby? This is Obstruction Cell 7, telecom on all crisis frequencies.
Though the voice was weak and twisted, all the same definitely human. Philip and the others cast startled but hopeful glances. Amanda rushed to their jury-manipulated correspondence system, adjusting wires and dials. Her forehead wrinkled with concentration, she added, “I’m trying to boost the signal.”
After a tense moment, the voice emerged more clearly: “To any survivors out there, you are in good company. The aliens have seized major cities, yet pockets of opposition still exist. Should you chance to hear this, respond with recurrence 87. 5.” Philip grabbed the microphone while his heart hammered. Philip Waller here. Right now we are in Philadelphia. This is who. Silence for a little then “Mr. Waller? The CEO of Waller Communications is _ Say thank you to God; you are living. Skipper Sarah Chen here from the United States Army. From a safe spot, we are organizing resistance’s activities.” Help came flooding over the assembly. In this conflict all things considered, they were in good company.
For the following hour, they briefed Captain Chen. The image that emerged was bleak: alien intelligence had devastated large cities all around, and the surviving humans either fled or were “assimilated” into the hive mind. Still, there were also inspirational stories of organizations exactly like theirs conquering seeming insurmount challenges. “We want to interface with other opposition cells,” Philip continued, his mind already planning tactics. “Build a system to distribute knowledge and tools.”
Chief Chen nodded in agreement. “We have been gradually building out safe lines of contact. It is challenging though as the aliens seem to be able to intercept most electronic messages. Dr. Reeves spoke up after having earlier closed his mouth. “What would happen if we never used electronic transmissions at all?” Think about the possibility that we went old school. Everyone’s attention was focused on him as he described his idea-a network of human couriers who would go between resistance cells on foot or by any kind of transportation that was at hand.
Though it would be slower than digital transmission, the aliens would find it far more difficult to detect or intercept. Philip and his colleagues developed a plan to counter the Cambel entity using pre-arranged drop sites and coded signals. They contacted other resistance cells and dispatched runners carrying necessary tools and information.
Using his financial sense, Philip took over as coordinator for their growing network. Following their encounter with the Cambel-element, they embraced their most unforgettable major development when a sprinter arrived from a cell in New York with encoded information. The scientists identified a flaw in their energy fields: a recurrence upsetting their equilibrium.
Philip’s mind drifted to Amelia, a sketchbook quiet since their encounter with Cambel. Amanda called him to watch the fuzzy picture of a massive alien construct with a human figure positioned at its base. This led to the realization that Amelia was crucial in the fortification of the outsiders.NôvelDrama.Org © 2024.
A warning explosion went through their interim central command as Philip struggled to process this new data. Amanda said several contacts were approaching but they were not human.
Philip’s mind flew as he considered the data they had just acquired, the frequency capable of upsetting the alien energy fields. Dr. Reeves questioned Philip on how quickly they might arrange anything to convey that recurrence. As the others ready for a probable conflict, Philip secretly begged for Amelia’s sketchbook to return to life. As the sound of approaching things outside gained in volume, Philip could hear the odd, dissonant hum accompanying the extraterrestrial presence.
Driven Reeves worked furiously on a hurriedly built gadget, connecting cables and dialing in corrections. “It’s ready,” he murmured as the first unusual figures emerged from their hiding place. Philip let out a long breath while maintaining his finger on the activating switch. Right at this point was their first actual challenge against the extraterrestrial invaders.
Either they would be overrun in minutes or the frequency would work. Mumbling, “Here goes nothing,” he pressed the button. For a minute nothing appeared to happen. Then everyone gasped as a low-pitched whine enveloped the room. The alien forms’ fluid motions around the periphery become unstable and unpredictable. The resistance warriors cheered as the creatures withdrew apparently unable to withstand the sonic attack. All the same, their celebration was brief.
The effect of the recurrence reduced as rapidly as it had begun. When the aliens returned united, they observed their bodies evolve and flourish. “They’re changing,” adds Dr. Reeves, whose voice trembles with astonishment and horror. “In real time, learning to oppose the frequency.” Philip stared anxuously as their one advantage vanished.
The deliberate, frightening motions of the alien start their advance once more. Philip’s hands held Amelia’s notebook, which returned to life just when all looked gone. Pages turned on their own will reveal intricate examples that pulse with great strength. Not sure why, Philip held the book up toward the approaching beings.
The extraterrestrial forms were hit with an explosion of vitality in an amazing show of light and music. As the beings withdrew, their distorted forms seemed to be in pain.
They then disappeared as fast as they had first shown, leaving just a faint glitter in the air. As the dust settled, Philip turned down to study the still sketchbook he was carrying. Amelia had once more saved them some way or another. then? How? And roughly how much did she pay? Gathering around, their looks were a mix of relief and uncertainty. “What just transpired?” Amanda asked the question everyone else was thinking about.
Philip nodded, really trying to do it on his own. He said, “I’m not sure.” “Be that as it may, I think… Amelia, I believe, simply handed us another tool to fight this war. As they started to examine the incidents, a fresh transmission buzzed across their radio. It was Skipper Chen, her voice critical. “Waller, we are experiencing what you might be getting on accident.
Our scouts have discovered a crucial flaw in the exterior protection. But we need your help if we are to use it.” Philip and his colleagues looked at one other. Their near catastrophe shook them and exhausted them. Still, they were also the greatest hope many had. Philip remarked, “We’re listening, Captain.” “What do you need from us?” As Chen started to lay out their dangerous plan, Philip felt a mixture of anxiety and resolve.
They were going to face the alien invaders squarely. Moreover, they had a clear advantage this time: Amelia’s perplexing connection with the otherworldly forces under action. Philip understood one thing without a doubt: the real battle was just beginning. Whatever came first.