The following day, all twelve of them moved with purpose. They packed their things, checked their equipment, then checked it again. They made sure everything was secured tightly to their bodies, that nothing would fall loose during movement or combat.
Gustav was doing a final mental checklist when something occurred to him. "Wait. Have the eight of them not been able to go inside the Sub-Space yet? How are we getting them through using your method, Benny?"
The question struck Benny like a hammer. Fuck. They'd forgotten about that crucial detail. In all their preparation and training, they'd overlooked the most basic logistical problem.
Then an idea formed. Something they hadn't tested before, but it made sense in theory.
"Well, I have an idea, leader," Benny said slowly, working through it as he spoke. "But we haven't tried it before. Let me think this out loud."
The group gathered closer, listening.
"How did we enter the Sub-Space the first time? We touched the rats, right? But fundamentally, why were we able to do that? What made it work?"
He paused, looking around at the blank faces. No one seemed to follow his logic yet.
"The key is that we touched the rats. But why did that matter?"
Silence. Then Ripler's eyes lit up with understanding.
"Wasn't it because the rats were already denizens of that place? By association with them or touching them, we were able to pass through?"
Benny pointed at him. "Correct! Ten points for you, sir genius!"
Ripler smirked at the compliment, though the sarcasm in Benny's tone wasn't lost on anyone.
Meredith spoke up next, seeing where this was going but also seeing the problem. "But none of us here are denizens of that place, are we? We only passed through once. We're not residents."
"That's where my idea comes from," Benny explained. "What if we think of it another way? Maybe we can pass through with the rest holding onto us, the same way we did with the rats. Put simply, we've already passed through the dimensional crack, that's the key "We have passed through before". If my theory is correct, then by association with that logic we should be able to take them through the same way we did by riding the rats. Shouldn't we?"
The group fell silent, contemplating. They weren't sure if the logic held up, but they also couldn't dismiss it outright. They didn't have many options anyway.
Kael voiced what they were all thinking. "We could do what you did last time. Jump on the rats' backs. But that seems too dangerous now."
"Exactly," Benny agreed. "The mutated rats are probably already aware something's wrong. And there are definitely sentries waiting on the other side after what happened to their vanguard and with our previous excursion then it most likely there are already guards all over the one place they could also be invaded. If we go through one at a time like before, we'll get picked off. We need to enter all at once so we can defend ourselves and destroy any sentries immediately."
Gustav was the last to speak, weighing the options carefully. "Very well. We'll test your theory, Benny. It could be wrong, but it could also be right." He paused, then added with conviction, "And I believe it's right. You've made correct assumptions and deductions so far, and they've worked greatly in our favor. I trust your instincts on this."
The confidence in Gustav's voice steadied the group. If their leader believed in the plan, they would follow it.
"We'll go in squads of three," Gustav continued, planning the logistics. "Those who haven't gone yet should grab onto one of us who's already entered before. This way, if something goes wrong and we can't all meet up immediately, we'll still have functional combat units. Then, as discussed, we'll rendezvous at our FOB, the cave we used before."
The rest nodded in silent agreement. It was risky, but so was everything else they'd done.
---
They made their way to the first floor, moving carefully through the labyrinth corridors. The familiar darkness pressed in around them, but they knew these paths now. Knew where the monsters patrolled, where the safe routes were.
When they reached the area near the dimensional crack, Gustav held up a hand to halt the group. Senna moved forward silently, her scout training making her nearly invisible in the shadows. She disappeared into the darkness ahead.
Minutes passed. The group waited in tense silence, hands on weapons, ready for anything.
Then Senna returned, signaling that the area was clear. No mutated rats. No rat men patrol. At least not right now.
They moved into position near the dimensional crack. The space looked normal to most of them, just another stretch of labyrinth wall. But those who'd been through before could see it if they looked closely. A subtle shift in the air, a distortion that marked where reality bent and twisted.
"Are you all ready?" Gustav looked to his right, then his left, meeting the eyes of each person.
When he saw determination reflected back at him, he gave his orders. "Then as planned, grab onto someone who's been through before. See you on the other side."
They formed their squads of three. Each veteran of the Sub-Space had two others holding onto their arms or shoulders. The physical contact felt awkward, but it was necessary if Benny's theory was correct.
The four who'd been through before stepped forward and placed their hands on the invisible barrier.
The system prompt appeared in their vision, the same ethereal text they'd seen before.
[Would you like to enter the Sub-Space: Rat Kingdom?]
[Yes/No]
They all mentally selected yes.
Reality twisted.
The sensation was familiar to the veterans but shocking to the newcomers. It felt like being pulled through a space too small for your body, reality compressing and then expanding around you. Not painful, but deeply unsettling.
Then they were through.
All twelve of them materialized on the other side. The theory had worked. The physical contact with someone who'd already passed through was enough to grant passage.
Behind them, the dimensional crack sealed, leaving no trace of their entry. The labyrinth remained empty once more, filled only with the recurring, ever-encroaching darkness that encapsulated it.
But on the other side, in the perpetual daylight of the Rat Kingdom, twelve humans had just invaded. Armed, trained, and ready for war.
The rat men had no idea what was coming.
---
The first thing that hit the newcomers was the light. After so long in the darkness of the labyrinth, the constant daylight of the Sub-Space was almost blinding. They squinted, their eyes struggling to adjust, but as before they realized it wasn't so just the instinctive feeling of such a phenomenon.
The second thing was the smell. Not the damp, stale air of the labyrinth, but something different. Earthy, with hints of vegetation and animal musk. The smell of a living ecosystem.
"Holy shit," one of the newcomers whispered. "It's real. It's all real."
"Keep your voices down," Gustav ordered quietly. "We don't know if there are patrols nearby."
They were in the same arrival point as before, a small clearing surrounded by strange, twisted vegetation. The perpetual sun hung in the sky, unmoving. The alien landscape stretched out before them.
Zy, seeing the Sub-Space for the first time, immediately started cataloging tactical information. Sight lines, cover positions, escape routes. His trap-maker's mind was already working.
Nida melted into the shadows instinctively, despite the daylight. Old assassin habits.
Hiro and Roman looked around with wide eyes, taking in this impossible place that shouldn't exist.
"Form up," Gustav said. "We move to the FOB. Stay alert. Stay quiet. If you see anything, signal, don't shout."
They began moving through the strange forest, twelve humans entering a kingdom of monsters. The invasion had begun.
And there would be no turning back now.