Sewer Escape
“Gurgle… glurk…”
One of the divers collapsed.
This one’s a female.
Anomaly ‘Diver’ contained.
I hoisted up one of the missing people who’d been dragged around by the divers and checked the gallery.
Starving over here, anything works. A-grade harpoon for 10k.
It was a post I’d put up a while back. No new replies since.
Hmm… why’s that?
I’d just shared my thoughts on the divers, but everyone got all cold about it.
Thankfully, the Containment Gallery ghosts checked the map for me, so I made it back to Team Leader Nahee pretty quick.
“You’re back, Jeongchan. Wanna look for more?”
“Nah, doesn’t seem like there’s any left around here.”
“Perfect timing. Let’s go. We’ve been in these sewers almost a day. Stay much longer and we’ll lose our sense of direction.”
“Then let’s get out fast.”
I picked up the pace. Rusty ladders dotted the path here and there; I sent them up one by one. After the first one climbed, the ladder vanished.
“Can’t all go up together, huh?”
“Nope. You can come down together, but up? One at a time. And the spots change every time.”
The system reeked of malice toward anyone entering.
Can’t let my anomalies deal with crap like this. Gotta hug ‘em safe in my arms ASAP.
I erased explored sections from the map and kept moving. Team Leader Nahee looked uneasy the whole way.
“This is weird.”
“What is?”
“Thought the anomalies multiplied and blocked people. Happens sometimes. But there weren’t that many this time, so why couldn’t our team get out?”
Come to think of it, I’d been too busy catching anomalies to notice.
“Maybe the newbies were careless? Rushed in cocky?”
“Response Agency checks here regularly to save people. They’re trained and come in teams—no way.”
Then why? They could move around fine.
“Rusty ladder over there.”
Team Leader Nahee hypnotized a missing person with a gesture.
“Hold up.”
“You first? You pushed hard today—go ahead.”
“Not that.”
Unlike the others, this rusty ladder oozed malicious intent.
“Team Leader, know what happens if you climb a non-rusty one?”
“Lucky if it vanishes mid-climb. Reach the top? Gone to who-knows-where. Why?”
I stared at the ladder; she caught on quick.
“Feels like one of those bad ones?”
“Yeah.”
Looked fine, but no climbing that.
“Normally I’d say nah, but…”
She pondered.
“You’ve got sharp eyes, Jeongchan. Found those missing folks, escaped the community center and convenience store with ‘em too, right?”
“Yep.”
“Better skip this. Someone rusted it on purpose to confuse.”
“Huh? Who?”
“Dunno. Plenty of shady groups to suspect.”
Crime syndicates to corps—wide range.
“Figure that later. Find another way first?”
The constant trickle of sewer water had grown familiar after so long.
Wait.
Was the channel always this high?
“Gotta move faster. Water’s rising.”
Team Leader Nahee slung a missing person over each shoulder—injured ones who moved slow.
I scanned quick. Water creeping up made the bulky divers faster too.
Still, I’d gotten used to their patterns. Metal dive suits blunted my hits anyway.
Aimed for joints, but not ideal with time short.
Easiest: shove ‘em into the channel.
Splash—
Diver swept away. It’d return, but we wouldn’t be here.
“Jeongchan, you’re nimble. Bit more experience and 9th grade’s a breeze.”
Sure enough, something human-ish lurked there.
“What’s that—person?”
Team Leader Nahee’s face hardened.
“Catfish. Avoid fighting if possible.”
“Stronger than divers?”
“Nah, but their blood draws more catfish by the smell. Too many—better backtrack.”
“Not a problem then.”
Blood was the issue? Fine by me.
Poison gas bloated its flesh. No metal armor like divers.
Capture Sickle Chain: Inflicts no physical damage; disables targeted area instead.
Shwick—
Sliced by the chain, the catfish dropped.
Anomaly ‘Catfish’ contained.
“No blood splatter?”
“That’s the weapon for ya.”
“Eyes, gear—you’re full of surprises, Jeongchan.”
I sent sane missing folks up good ladders, shoving divers and snagging the catfish.
“Stay too long down here, that’s what happens. Let’s move.”
Water brimmed the channel. Four divers rode it toward us.
Good thing: all missing people up. Any later and disaster.
“Jeongchan, this way!”
Dodged divers, ran. Stray anomalies popped up—catfish mine, divers hers.
“That ladder?”
“Fake.”
Water lapped my feet.
“That one?”
“Fake.”
Water rose.
“How ‘bout that?”
Both ladders across the channel looked real to me.
“Both real.”
Stepped to cross.
“Jeongchan!”
Something yanked me from the center channel. Octopus legs. Anomaly bursting mid-flow.
Can’t dodge.
Aerial, unavoidable.
“Chain! Gimme the chain!”
Tossed chain to Team Leader first, slashed the gripping tentacle with the sickle. Grip loosened; she yanked me back.
Almost died stupidly.
“Don’t cross channels reckless. That ladder over there.”
Water surged fast.
“Nah, too late. Jeongchan, I’ll cross this time. Cover the octopus legs.”
“I slip?”
“We’re done. I trust ya.”
Trust? Or that heavy “you got this” gaze.
“Don’t sweat it. I’ve got good eyes. You’ll do exactly what I say. Here I go.”
She handed me her baton, leaped the channel without hesitation.
Tentacles lashed; I gripped chain, hurled sickle.
Shwick—
Sickle clipped tentacle; she barely made it across.
“Whew, close one.”
She stuck out her tongue, big hurdle cleared.
“Freelance first gig was tougher than expected. You good?”
“Yeah.”
Plenty of anomalies bagged—solid haul.
“I’ll look into the culprits. Gotta see who did this. Tell ya if I find out.”
“Cool.”
“You did great. Curious what reward you’ll get. Saved lives, spotted rigged ladders—expect good stuff.”
Rewards? Anomalies alone were plenty. Extra cash? Sweet. Containment rooms ain’t cheap.
But first things first.
Had to educate these new anomalies quick. That’s why I busted my ass.
Rushed back to the Containment Facility.
First thing: a diver. Female by the look.
Sleek, streamlined skull fused to the dive suit. Rough yet smooth surface.
Was that aero suit truly one-piece? Dying to know. Time to find out.
Oh right. Just this.