Chapter 8 - The Trap

Everything was still, like the world was holding its breath. The cube floated right in front of her. It was a true duplicate of the large mothership that had released all these monstrosities with its sharp edges and a metallic sheen that was aging and rough. It seemed to have grown more than twice its original size since that first day, looking like a fat and happy royal as it lazily floated through its domain.

I really hope the bomb is big enough for this thing, she thought as she poked her head from her hiding spot.

She was hidden in one of the entryways to one of the many retail shops lining the street. The sidewalk was littered with tall banners and signs for all the different shops advertising their wares. She scrunched her nose a bit at the smell, as the stagnant air was tainted by the various trash piles along the street. Despite that, she figured this area, cluttered as it was, would give her the highest chance of moving around without being noticed.

Passing over cars that were crushed bumper to bumper from their owners' sudden disappearance, it skimmed above them, barely clearing the tallest car, like it was too much of an effort to keep itself afloat.

She crouched down behind a bright red sign, almost as tall and thin as her, with big letters advertising "real estate" written across the front, as the cube got closer. This was it. She would draw its attention and start running for her life. She prayed that Ye Joon was still ready where she had left him.

How long had it been since she left? She had given him very specific instructions to wait and be ready. That as long as the sun was in the sky, she would come back with one of these monsters.

She still didn't like the fact that he was involved at all. She had told him it was too dangerous. That it was her crazy plan and that there was no guarantee that it would work. He wouldn't back down though, even though she had tried to reason with him. She was the faster runner and would have the better chance at out running the cubes. She was the chemist, so she better understood the bomb they were trying to detonate. He had gone over to the table, grabbed the makeshift detonator they created, and had told her stubbornly "anyone can push a button." Letting out a frustrated groan, she had tried to think of any way to refute him, but she came up blank. If she was willing to risk her life for this idiotic idea then he had every right to too. Telling him he couldn't simply because it was dangerous and she was scared for him, would be selfish. She knew he had been thinking the exact same thing about her, but he was still letting her go. She could at least respect his decision and give him the same respect.

"Fine," she had conceded, "but you have to stay as far away from the action as possible. And if you see a cube without me leading it, you run. You run anywhere you have to to get to safety. And if I don't come back by the time the sun sets, you leave without me."

She held up a hand stopping his protests.

"Don't go looking for me. That's how people always miss each other in the shows. So, you come back here, okay? I'll meet you here,"

If I'm still alive, the unspoken words hung between them, and she had tried not to think about how this might be one of the last times she would see Ye Joon.

She gave him a small smile hoping to cover just how anxious she was about this plan. In its essence their plan was simple. She would go out and find a cube, lead it back to where Ye Joon was hiding with the bomb, and he would detonate it. They had gone over it hundreds of times, but the real world wasn't a whiteboard and they knew next to nothing about these cubes.

But she could tell her smile did very little to comfort him.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine," she had promised.

Now, face to face with one and about to do one of the most idiotic things of her life, she reconsidered those words.

The cube was now almost parallel with where she crouched. She was about to step out from her hiding spot when from the corner of her eye she saw a group of people emerge from a building and start to weave between the cars.

It was an eclectic bunch to be sneaking around together; a middle-aged man, an older gentleman, a lady who looked to be in her upper thirties who was clutching the hand of a small child and two workers that looked to be about Ji Hye's own age with the aprons of their workplace still around their necks. They had very little in common except for the fact they all probably got caught in the same store during the attack. Well, that and the fact they were all insane to be out in the open with the cube.

But Ji Hye could hardly talk. She was out there just like them, but instead of trying to avoid it, she was going to do a head on confrontation.

I'm the insane one, she thought, shaking her head.

The group of people were halfway across the street when they hit a dead-end. The only way forward for them to go was over the hood of a car that had been a part of the line of rear-ended casualties. Either that or turn around and find another way, but time was running short. No one sane would want to be out on the street with this cube any longer than they had to.

The young male worker took the lead. He slid across the car hood effortlessly waving for the next person. The mother and her young girl went next followed by the older gentleman.

Ji Hye crouched there watching them with bated breath. It was going well. The first three passed over without a hitch. It wasn't until the older gentleman climbed up to slide across, that things went disastrously wrong.

The car alarm blared beneath him, shattering the silence. Ji Hye clapped her hands over her ears, gasping. The man fell from the car in startled surprise and Ji Hye would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so terrifying. The cube had stopped its progress down the street, the mottled side facing the group glowing a faint white. It began to slowly float towards them with lazy grace.

The group didn't run. They didn't panic. They just stood in wide eye terror as the bringer of death closed in. The little girl, the only one with her senses, was pulling at her mom's hand crying, but the lady was rigid with fear.

Don't be the hero, she thought to herself. Don't be the hero.

Her hand reached down, flinching at the sound that assaulted her ears, and grabbed an abandoned soju bottle from one of the abandoned trash piles.

"Hey," she yelled, throwing the bottle as hard as she could towards the creature. It shattered against its metallic exterior, liquid spraying on its surface.

The cube stopped its languid trek. The side facing her gave a dull throb of light, before returning to its gliding towards the group.

She stared at the cube nonplused. She had just been brushed off by an otherworldly being and she didn't know how she felt about it.

She looked around for something else she could do. Another thing she could throw. Anything she could do to help the group, but she couldn't see how, when it clearly wasn't interested in her.

She heard a scream and looked back towards the group of people. The cube might not have been amused by her little scene, but it had apparently drawn the people out of their shock as they all began screaming and darting around.

The older gentleman climbed back onto the car shimmying across it, having gotten over his initial shock. The middle-aged man turned back the way they had entered the cluster of cars. The female employee, both exits blocked by the men, was trapped, and she looked desperately around for another way out.

The cube's face began glowing brighter.

The mother stumbled out of her shock and turned to run, dragging her crying daughter after her. The young man shoved past the mother causing her to run into a car, the little girl falling to the ground in his haste to get away.

It was all too little too late.

Ji Hye was forced to crouch behind the wall of the front entry as the cubes light became unbearably bright even with only the one side glowing.

She knew it was over when the world fell into a deafening silence once again.

She couldn't look, but she had to.

Peaking around the corner, she saw no one. Only the cube, floating there, unmoving. Then it changed, just a bit. A faint ripple coursed down its body, and it became the slightest bit larger than it had been only seconds ago.

A panel opened on the top and multiple colors of fabrics shot out. Ji Hye recognized them, the sky-blue shirt of the middle-aged man and the store aprons of the shop employees. Ji Hye's throat tightened as she saw the small orange dress of the little girl floating in the sky next to her mother's blazer.

She stood there, frozen in horror as she stared up at those clothes. It wasn't until the cube began to glow brightly that she realized just how close it had gotten to her.

Shit, she dashed from her hiding spot. Apparently, the cube hadn't forgotten about her and her insolence. She took an immediate right. She had chosen this spot because it was right next to a side street that she could duck into and lose sight of the cubes glow. It had apparently been a good idea.

She ran down the street looking back only to make sure the cube followed, putting on an extra burst of speed when she saw the glowing face. Its looming presence filled the mouth of the side street and she prayed that it would continue to follow her even if she went down streets that it wouldn't be able to fit.

Guess we'll find out; she thought as she turned down an alleyway. Halfway down she threw a glance over her shoulder. The cube was no longer behind her. She stopped running, instead puzzling out the best way to get the cube back to Ye Joon. She continued down the alley lost in thought.

She reached the mouth of the alley when something gray and shiny dropped right in front of her. Surprise made her fall backwards as she stared at the cube. Her panic making her clutch whatever she could on the ground, another soju bottle it turned out, thank god their country liked to drink so much, and flung it at the cube.

It once again shattered harmlessly off its metallic surface, and Ji Hye had to cover her face from the flying glass. The glowing it emitted faded, instead giving a little pulse of light like it had back in the main street, as if it were surprised.

It was an intriguing question to ponder, whether they felt emotion or not, but she didn't have time to think about it.

She scrambled to her feet, dashing towards the other end of the alley, her footsteps matching the rhythm of her pounding heart. Again, she looked behind her only to find that, again, the cube was not there.

Idiot, they can fly, she looked up and sure enough through the cracks of the tall buildings she saw it floating behind her. At the very least the soju bottle had bought her a few extra seconds as the cube seemed a bit farther behind than it was before.

She got to the mouth of the alley and her brain went on autopilot no longer having to worry if the cube was following her as she turned down street after street.

She was almost there.

Twigs and dead leaves crunched under foot as she entered the campus grounds. Red and orange trees blurred around her as she hit the main pathway at a dead sprint.

Faster. I need to go faster; she thought as the cube drew steadily closer. The cube hadn't changed its pace once during the entire chase, mocking her with its lazy ease like a predator that liked to play with its food before the kill. She put on another burst of speed, but she was nearing her limit.

She split off from the main path heading down one of the smaller paths that led to the buildings. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her engineering building pass by.

A little further. I can make it just a little further.

She could see the finish line, a gap between two vast engineering buildings, but the cube was too close to her. She had to get farther ahead for this plan to work. She gritted her teeth and willed her body to move even faster, her legs like lead under her.

"Ye Joon," she screamed into the silence, "get ready."

If that bastard wasn't ready, he would have hell to pay.

Rounding the corner of the building, she didn't stop as she entered the junkyard. It was the testing center for many engineering experiments. The outdoor concrete pad was littered with discarded scraps of failed experiments that could have been easily mistaken as a junkyard. It had been easy to conceal the bomb among all the junk. She hit the back wall with a grunt, unable to stop her speed as she stumbled into the vestibule.

She almost collapsed from exhaustion as her legs finally stopped moving. Sweat poured off her and she was glad for the brisk autumn day. But she couldn't stop and relish the relief of having made it. The cube was only seconds behind her.

She peaked out from her hiding spot. Across the way, in the mirroring entry, Ye Joon was doing likewise. He clutched at the remote in his hand, face white as a ghost. He was terrified, but he was ready. She let out a sigh of relief. So far, so good.

The cube rounded the corner into their trap and stopped.

A little closer, Ji Hye pleaded.

A second passed, the cube continued to sit, unmoving, inches out of the blast zone. Then, as if hearing her pleas, it slowly advanced, flashing its dull perplexed light.

It was fully in the blasting zone now. Not daring to take her eyes from it, she held her breath waiting for the explosion.

It didn't come.

She looked at Ye Joon. He stood watching the cube approach frantically pushing the detonation button, but nothing was happening.

As if feeling her eyes on him, he looked at her, panic making his eyes wide.

Shit, she thought. The one thing that she was worried would go wrong, did go wrong. They had failed. All their efforts had amounted to this. The prototype had worked but that was on a much smaller scale than this one. They needed a stronger connection to set off something of this scale.

"Ye Joon," she had said right before leaving to find the cube, "there's a chance this detonator won't work."

"But it worked on the prototype," he had objected.

"That was a much smaller bomb. It required less juice than this one. Without testing it we won't know if the connection is strong enough. This was the best I could make with what I had."

"How can we make a stronger connection?"

"A bigger detonator," she waved a hand brushing off the question, but then thought about it, her inquisitive mind taking over, "possibly getting closer to it since that would technically make the connection stronger. But Ye Joon," she grabbed his face with both of her hands forcing him to look into her eyes, "if it doesn't go off, we retreat. Do you understand?"

He nodded slightly, eyes dropping to the concrete.

"We'll go through those doors, and I'll find you inside. Get somewhere safe but stay close to the door so I can find you. Don't roam the building or else you'll get lost, and I'll never be able to find you. Okay?"

Another slight nod.

She breathed out a long breath dropping her hands, "okay."

"It'll work," he said. At her silence, he lifted his head staring at her, "The bomb. It'll work. Don't worry. Just," he paused for a heartbeat, "come back safely."

She lifted her hand and brushed his cheek with her thumb. It was warm and soft under her touch. It was only a few seconds, but she took every precious moment to drink his face in, possibly for the last time. The sad face that lit up whenever he saw her. His full mouth that formed a little heart when something made him truly happy. His downturned eyes that twinkled with unspoken mischievous but were as warm and inviting as a hug on a rainy day.

She gave him a small smile putting every unspoken word and emotion into it.

"I'll be back," she said, and before the emotions could catch up with her, she dropped her hand and left the junkyard to find one of the cubes.

She stared at his face now. Panicked and scared. She should have never let him come on this insane mission. She gave him a slight shake of her head, jerking her head towards the door. He stared at his own door but didn't move.

Too long, she thought, we have to retreat now.

The cube was getting closer. If they waited any longer it would find them. She wasn't sure if it could get through doors, but she wasn't inclined to find out.

Ye Joon turned back to her, and she knew something was wrong. His breathing had calmed, and his thumb had stilled on the detonator. She knew in that instant what he planned to do.

She shook her head desperately at him, but she knew it would do no good. His eyes had the determined resolve of a bull, and she knew nothing would change his mind. This was her fault. She had all but spoon fed him the idea.

"No," she whispered, but it came out more like a plea.

He smiled at her. A small smile, lips turning up at the corners. His eyes scrunched up, gleaming in the fading light. A smile filled with all his unspoken words that she had given him only hours before. A smile of longing and one of goodbye. The smile of a dead man.

He dashed out from his hiding spot, running head on towards the cube.

"No," the scream tore from her throat, cracking with despair. All she could do was watch in horror as hot tears streamed down her face.

It was over in an instant.

Ye Joon sprinted towards the cube while hitting the detonate button. The cube stopped its advance, pulsing with light at Ye Joon's sudden rush. Its face glowed brighter with each step Ye Joon took. She knew this was it. He would either be taken by the bomb or the cube.

A few meters away, the detonator was finally in range and the bomb exploded.

Ye Joon was thrown back by the blast, shrapnel and chemicals exploding every which way. Ji Hye was forced to duck her head back into the alcove to protect herself from any stray shrapnel that flew through the air.

As the dust settled, she peaked around the corner. All was still. Ye Joon was on the ground and her heart jumped at the sight of him lying there motionless.

She stumbled from the entry, ears still ringing from the blast, legs heavy with fatigue. She felt like she was walking in molasses as she made her way to Ye Joon's motionless body. She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it. Ye Joon couldn't be dead.

The weak moan that escaped from his lips was all the confirmation she needed, and she almost burst into tears from the relief. He began to move, rolling to his side coughing, then using his arms to prop himself up into a sitting position.

In some sick twist of fate, the cube had saved Ye Joon's life. It had taken the brunt of the force, exploding into hundreds of smaller cubes that littered the pavement. It seemed fitting to meet its end here, having been reduced to nothing but a pile of discarded metals.

She looked at the little cubes and began to feel a sense of euphoria. They had done it. They had killed one of the monsters. She turned back to Ye Joon, hoping to celebrate their victory, but she could immediately tell something was wrong.

Rocking back and forth, Ye Joon's whole body was shaking. His head was bowed low between his knees, and his hands clutched his face.

"Ye Joon," she asked in a voice people often used around spooked animals. He didn't respond, instead rocking faster, moans, loud and erratic, escaping from him.

Suddenly, his body went rigid all over and silence filled the yard.

Then he was screaming. An ear-piercing shriek that could barely be described as human. His head was tilted back, hands digging into his face as he howled to the heavens.

She dropped to her knees in front of him scanning him from head to toe. Overall his body had suffered very little from the explosion. He would have some scrapes and bruises but nothing time couldn't heal. But when she tried to move his hands from his face, he turned away from her.

"It hurts," he screamed over and over again.

"Ye Joon, we need to get out of here," the beginning of tears threatened her eyes, but she blinked them away. Pushing it to the back of her mind, she shut off all emotion. She had to get him out of here and it wouldn't help if she were an emotional wreck. They needed the voice of reason right now and if he was suffering from chemical burns from the bomb, she needed to get water on him fast. "I know you're in pain, but we have to leave."

"It hurts," the scream was his only acknowledgement to her words. "It hurts so much."

"I know," she said, voice cracking despite herself. She wrapped an arm around his waist hoisting him up. She was suddenly grateful she had been so strict about keeping a consistent workout schedule. It also helped that he was only an inch or two taller than her. It would have been a lot harder if he had been twice her size. He leaned against her, barely able to keep himself upright as she stumbled towards the door.

She threw one last look at the scrap yard, at the circle now blown free of rubbish with a small black scorch mark in the middle. The small cubes still lay there, lifeless, and gray and despite the pain of Ye Joon thrashing in her arms, she felt a blossom of hope kindle in her chest.

They made it into the hallways and Ye Joon's screams were amplified as they echoed off the painted brick walls. The ceiling was low and the yellow, fluorescent lights made the corridor feel dingey. This hallway was primarily used for back of house or workshop activities and it was apparent the university did very little to make it presentable.

I need to find a room to hide him, she thought desperately. If Ye Joon really was suffering from chemical burns like she assumed, she needed to get water as quickly as possible.

She cursed herself for not knowing this building better. She had had a few classes here but most of her classes had been in the chemistry building. If she remembered right, the restrooms would be in the central atrium that had full wall windows, so that was no good.

She hauled him down the hallway, passing door after door. It was sheer dumb luck that one of the first doors she passed had a sign that read "Janitor's closet."

Please have a sink, she thought as she pushed the door open. She all but collapsed to the ground, Ye Joon going limp in her arms. He fell to the ground and curled into a ball; hands still wrapped around his face. His voice was running ragged, but that didn't stop the continuous shrieks of agony. She looked around desperately for a sink but found none.

"Damnit," she cursed. She ran her hands through her hair, thinking. It would be quicker for her to run to the bathroom and get water than to drag Ye Joon all the way there. But if she left him, she wouldn't be able to protect him.

He's too loud. If any one of those things comes searching after that blast they'll find him.

She kneeled next to Ye Joon, his face ghost-like in the dark. She made little shushing noises as she gently patted his hair, "I'll be right back. I'm going to get some water for you."

Reluctantly, she grabbed the hem of her shirt. She tore a piece free, wadding it up into a ball.

"I'll be back, but I need you to be quiet, okay?" Her voice cracked with the last word, unable to hold back her emotion any longer. Heavy wet tears fell from her eyes, splashing to the ground.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Ye Joon," she sobbed as she took the little ball of cloth and as gently as she could, shoved it into Ye Joon's mouth, muffling the screams.

Swiftly she got up, grabbing the biggest container she could find and exited the room. She couldn't stay any longer looking at Ye Joon or she would fall apart entirely. She had a purpose and she needed to focus on that.

As she turned to the atrium, something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Turning back to the way they had come; she could just make out the scrap yard through the glass windows.

Something was moving along the ground outside. She would have mistaken it for a gust of wind, but the movement was too linear for that.

It couldn't be, she thought. And the horror of the idea erased all thoughts of Ye Joon from her mind. She carefully approached the doors dreading the possibilities.

The sight she saw made her blood run cold and her knees almost gave out.

The little cubes were moving. Rolling and converging into one another like some kind of magnet was drawing them together until there were several clusters around the scrap yard. They clicked into place with one another, each grouping forming a smaller cube than the one she had led on a chase. One by one each cube began to lift from the concrete until there were a dozen new cubes floating in the scrap yard. They vanished in the blink of an eye. Some exited from the mouth of the yard as others took to the sky on the hunt for their next kill.

What have we done, she thought, horrified.

They hadn't killed it all. They had only bred new ones.