Free 2041 Sanctuary (Genesis) by Robert Storey Page A

saying?’ Jason said, overjoyed.
    ‘I don’t know, it sounded like Trish, but I’m not so sure now.’
    ‘How can you not be sure?’
    ‘It’s a weak signal, it keeps breaking up. It sounded like her at first. I’m sorry, Jas, I don’t know … I might have been wrong.’
    Jason didn’t say anything else and Sarah questioned what she’d heard. It had sounded like Trish’s voice. She knew it had. I couldn’t have been mistaken, could I?
    Walking through twists and turns, Sarah followed a path that kept the signal as strong as possible. Occasionally it stopped, only to start again. It still sounded like a woman, but who that woman was remained to be seen.
    Weaving through the darkness, they eventually emerged into a central chamber. The floor dropped away below, but Jason said he could see the entrances to many other tunnels above and below, each one connected to the rest by a network of narrow paths. As they worked their way down, the signal drew them onwards, taking them further into the structure.
    Sarah had a worrying thought. ‘What if it’s a trap?’ she said, slowing.
    Jason shook his head. ‘It’s not. It must be Trish. You said it yourself. And instincts don’t lie.’
    ‘I don’t like it.’ She stopped walking and shone the crystal in his direction.
    ‘What if it is her?’ he said. ‘We have to find out, one way or the other.’
    Sarah knew he was right, but he hadn’t just seen what she had.
    A strange sound echoed through the passages behind them and Sarah looked at Jason in disquiet.
    ‘Let’s keep moving,’ he said.
    She nodded in agreement and they set out at a faster pace.
    Reaching the bottom, they clambered over a fallen statue and followed a narrow stream into another warren of tunnels.
    The signal got stronger and Sarah pressed a button on her helmet. ‘Trish, is that you?’
    She waited a moment before a distorted reply came back.
    ‘Well?’ Jason said.
    Sarah shook her head. ‘I don’t know, it’s still breaking up too much.’
    They carried on a little further before the signal grew much louder and a high pitched feedback whistle made Sarah wince in pain. The torches on top of her helmet stuttered to life before her visor also blazed forth, it’s plethora of digital dials and readouts lighting up like a fighter jet’s head-up display.
    Stowing the crystal in her coveralls, Sarah’s elation at being able to see properly again took a back seat as a familiar voice came through her internal speakers.
    ‘Can anyone hear me?’ the voice said. ‘Is anyone there?’
    ‘Trish,’ – Sarah glanced at Jason, her eyes widening – ‘is that you?’
    ‘Oh my God – Sarah?!’
    Sarah felt like her heart would explode with joy. ‘Trish, yes, it’s Sarah! Are you okay? Where are you?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ she said, her voice breaking with emotion, ‘I’ve been following you for ages. It’s so good to hear your voice. I thought I was going to die down here, alone in the dark.’
    ‘Is your helmet working?’
    ‘Yes; it’s pretty smashed up, one torch doesn’t work, the other blinks a bit and the visor’s cracked, but yes, it’s been working ever since it dried out.’
    Despite Sarah’s soaring spirits at her friend being alive, she frowned, stopped and held up a hand to Jason who smiled while wiping away tears from his cheeks. ‘What do you mean, you’ve been following us?’
    Trish didn’t reply for a moment and Sarah thought she could hear her friend crying. ‘I’ve been following the light from your torches,’ Trish said, sniffling, ‘but you’ve always been one step ahead. Why didn’t you hear me calling you? Why didn’t you—’
    ‘Trish, stop. How long have you been following the light?’
    ‘I don’t know, it seems like forever. Hours, days maybe, I don’t know.’
    Sarah glanced at Jason. ‘Is it a faint blue light?’
    ‘No, it’s quite bright, and more green than blue. I can see it now. Why?’
    ‘Trish, I don’t want you to panic,