16
Right Nut climbs down - and one look at his face tells us he hates this gig. He reaches the twist where the shaft becomes a tunnel. Beams his light. Sees nothing. Crawls ahead to reach... A juncture. Here the tunnel splits into two passages. Right Nut points the E.L.G. down a passage and FIRES.
He checks on the gun's display-screen. He can "see" the sonic grenades detonate. They show clear tunnel.
Right Nut turns and FIRES down the other passage.
A bogey registers. It's far ahead and moving away. But it's there.
"Shit."
He deliberates - then makes the wisest decision of his young life.
"Clear, Boss. Nothing down there."
Others help him out of the shaft.
"Alright, someone get a torch. Seal this thing up tight as a 12-year-old. Left Nut, pick a dog and kill it. Then drag it around the block so they all see." The Boss demands, "Let them think we got it so everyone can calm the fuck down!"
Skin Walkers deploy. Boss turns back to Right Nut - and his face makes the Boss wonder if the tunnel really was clear.
.
.
.
"So what is it?" John asks.
"What's that?" Jamie answers as he fiddles with his gun.
"What they are dragging about like they won a feckin war or something" John points where some Skin Walkers are in the Main Hold gaining slaps to the back and cheers.
"Heard it was a rabid dog. Got loose of the kennel and was living under the cell block." The Fuel Manager, Daggs says knowingly "Not one of those Dermil things at all!"
"A dog? That comes through the shafts?" John frowned "That sound right to you, Daggs?"
"Only know what I hear."
"But do you believe what you hear?"
"I believe it's time to shit-can all these questions."
John turns to Jamie and they share a moment, and then look over where Ianto and Suzie are looking at something on the tablet.
"Ianto?"
"Toshiko has pulled up the sonic blaster feedback to check the readings he was getting. Know how he said it was clear?" Ianto replies as he swings the tablet to show the heat signature and Jack curses softly.
.
.
.
One by one, the team enters a new lower level as they move without the help of the Skin Walkers now … they now know this is down to them. All look around with the same thought. "Let's get through here fast."
John eyes the largest waterfall, fed by a conduit near the ceiling.
The adjacent wall looks climbable. He starts for it, pushing through hip-deep water. The bowels of the vessel … literally as they are now in the sewer system that is slowly filters back to fresh water again.
Silent, anxious, the others follow. Andy touches an outcropping. Bones interlace the black resin. Human bones. They are entering the burial area for those who died in the skin and are forever part of the vessel now. A creepy reminder that we all die up here.
Trailing, Jamie hears a SPLASH. He whirls to see... A footprint spreading on the water. Did something fall in? Or did something dive in?
John reaches the far side of the pool. Slips out. Waits for the others. Then starts up the wall.
Skirting the waterfall, the team climb.
Jamie keeps an eye on the water below. Nothing surfaces to give chase. Breathing a little easier, he climbs out - but we can still see the waterfall. Beneath its veil of water, a black shadow climbs.
John scales a platform at the head of the waterfall. He turns back to wait for the others, then... "Where's Jamie?"
Andy swing back "Thought he was right..."
They look back down just as... Jamie bursts through the waterfall, skewered on the claw of the Rogue Dermil. No furry little beast but a huge shiny monster. He tries to scream but can only vomit blooded water. As quickly as he appeared, Jamie vanishes.
A bone-freezing moment. Suddenly John leaps into the conduit that feeds the waterfall... and grabs the ceiling hand-grips. Jack, Suzie, Andy, Ianto come on his ass. Hand over hand, they sling over the quick-moving water, heading upstream. Ianto chances a look back to see... The Rogue Dermil.
"It's coming!" Ianto yells with horror.
Flushed with adrenaline, the team pick up the speed, hands blurring over the grips, Andy jungle-gyms past Suzie: Suzie's having trouble keeping up.
John peers ahead, how much further? How much?
The Rogue gains.
Suzie misses a grip. She breaks her fall but can only hang, arms on fire. Just when it seems she'll drop into the filthy water... Ianto catches her from behind, scissoring her in his legs.
"Hold onto me! Hold on!" Ianto yells.
Suzie twines around him. Carrying both weights now, Ianto swings onward.
John reaches a landing - and the end of the line: A downpour of water falls from an overhead shaft. The conduit terminates here.
Ianto's hands are ripped and bleeding.
Suzie slips down his body. Now her feet drag in the river, slowing them even more.
Trying to work different muscles, Ianto switches to a back-handed grab. It doesn't help.
Jack makes the landing. Looks around. Can't find… "John!"
Suddenly he's there, stepping out of the downpour. "There's a ladder! Here!"
Jack motions Andy forward and Andy plunges an arm into the water. Gropes upward. Feels the first rung. Gulps air and vanishes into the downpour. John looks back to see... The Rogue right behind Ianto and Suzie. In three seconds they'll be dead. Unless Ianto will...
"Drop her." John yells.
The Rogue's long bony back slips underwater.
"Drop her." John yells again, this time frantic as he struggles to hold Jack back now he has finally seen Ianto's dilemma.
Ianto keeps coming. Suzie keeps holding on.
"Drop her, Ianto!" Jack screams now, seeing too late what John saw.
Ianto never does. Something black rushes up from the water. In a heartbeat, they're both gone.
Jack follows them with a dive into the water as John cries out with horror.