Toul Eldrig finally got a light working and was trying to calm his men. the
quake had hit without warning and had caused a cave-in, blocking their exit.
The ceiling wasn't looking too stable either. At least they wouldn't go hungry,
as the Edenberry vines had managed to grow, even in here. There were also
people outside working to get them out. Even now he was speaking to Dr. Carter.
"We're working on getting the rocks clear, but it's gonna take time," she said.
"My only worry is in after shock's ma'am, if we get a bad one, the roof'll cave
in."
"Good point, keep working on that side, but send a couple of guys to try and
find another exit."
"Way ahead of you, sent a couple o'people out a minute ago."
Veronica moved through the dark tunnels with her friend Peter, searching for
another exit out of the side passage. Their only light was a flashlight.
Occasionally, bits of rock fell from the ceiling, rattling her nerves slightly.
She was terrified at the prospect of being buried alive.
Peter stumbled behind her, "Damn vines," he said, "Isn't there anything they
don't get into?"
She didn't answer, because she was busy tripping on a vine herself. She swore
as she hit the ground and then tried to get up, but her leg was caught on
something. She tried to shine her light on it, but her position was such that
she could't see it.
"What's the matter?" Peter asked.
"Can you see what I'm stuck on?"
He took the flashlight from her and took a look at her leg. "Blimey," he
said, "there's a vine all wrapped around there." He began trying to pry it
loose.
"What?" she asked in a shocked whisper. Then she gasped as the vine tightened
it's grip. "Agh! It's crushing my leg!"
Peter swore and pulled out his knife and tried to cut it. Veronica saw a
shadowy movement behind him and cried out. He spun around to see it.
The light went out.
"Peter!" she cried.
There was a scream, cut short by a gurgle and a horrible crunching sound.
"Peter," she sobbed as a vine felt its way around her throat...
Toul's men continued pulling away the rocks, and were finally making some
progress, when the screaming started. It was way back, where a group of diggers
were waiting for Veronica and Peter to report back.
He called down, "Hey! What's happening back there?"
More screams.
"Dr. Carter?" he spoke through the comms, "Dr. Carter, can you here me?"
"What is it?"
"I don't know, I think something's attacking my men!"
"What?!" Carter exclaimed into her comm. The transmission was fuzzy and she was
praying that she had heard the last part wrong. Her heart started pounding
against her ribs as she listened to the yelling and screaming through her comm.
Then she noticed that her men had stopped digging and were staring at her with
horror. She rounded on them angrily, "Keep digging," she shouted.
They redoubled their efforts and were making progress, when the screaming
stopped.
Carter stopped and spoke into her comm, "Eldrig?" she said very, very
quietly, "Are you there?"
Nothing.
They finally managed to break through the wall. Huntington was the first one
in, with Carter right behind him. At first she couldn't see anything because he
was blocking her view.
"Bloody hell," he whispered in a shocked voice.
"What?" she said, drawing her pistol. Finally she could see.
The floor was littered with clothes and mining equiptment, but there was no
sign of life, besides the vines of the Edenberry bushes.
quake had hit without warning and had caused a cave-in, blocking their exit.
The ceiling wasn't looking too stable either. At least they wouldn't go hungry,
as the Edenberry vines had managed to grow, even in here. There were also
people outside working to get them out. Even now he was speaking to Dr. Carter.
"We're working on getting the rocks clear, but it's gonna take time," she said.
"My only worry is in after shock's ma'am, if we get a bad one, the roof'll cave
in."
"Good point, keep working on that side, but send a couple of guys to try and
find another exit."
"Way ahead of you, sent a couple o'people out a minute ago."
Veronica moved through the dark tunnels with her friend Peter, searching for
another exit out of the side passage. Their only light was a flashlight.
Occasionally, bits of rock fell from the ceiling, rattling her nerves slightly.
She was terrified at the prospect of being buried alive.
Peter stumbled behind her, "Damn vines," he said, "Isn't there anything they
don't get into?"
She didn't answer, because she was busy tripping on a vine herself. She swore
as she hit the ground and then tried to get up, but her leg was caught on
something. She tried to shine her light on it, but her position was such that
she could't see it.
"What's the matter?" Peter asked.
"Can you see what I'm stuck on?"
He took the flashlight from her and took a look at her leg. "Blimey," he
said, "there's a vine all wrapped around there." He began trying to pry it
loose.
"What?" she asked in a shocked whisper. Then she gasped as the vine tightened
it's grip. "Agh! It's crushing my leg!"
Peter swore and pulled out his knife and tried to cut it. Veronica saw a
shadowy movement behind him and cried out. He spun around to see it.
The light went out.
"Peter!" she cried.
There was a scream, cut short by a gurgle and a horrible crunching sound.
"Peter," she sobbed as a vine felt its way around her throat...
Toul's men continued pulling away the rocks, and were finally making some
progress, when the screaming started. It was way back, where a group of diggers
were waiting for Veronica and Peter to report back.
He called down, "Hey! What's happening back there?"
More screams.
"Dr. Carter?" he spoke through the comms, "Dr. Carter, can you here me?"
"What is it?"
"I don't know, I think something's attacking my men!"
"What?!" Carter exclaimed into her comm. The transmission was fuzzy and she was
praying that she had heard the last part wrong. Her heart started pounding
against her ribs as she listened to the yelling and screaming through her comm.
Then she noticed that her men had stopped digging and were staring at her with
horror. She rounded on them angrily, "Keep digging," she shouted.
They redoubled their efforts and were making progress, when the screaming
stopped.
Carter stopped and spoke into her comm, "Eldrig?" she said very, very
quietly, "Are you there?"
Nothing.
They finally managed to break through the wall. Huntington was the first one
in, with Carter right behind him. At first she couldn't see anything because he
was blocking her view.
"Bloody hell," he whispered in a shocked voice.
"What?" she said, drawing her pistol. Finally she could see.
The floor was littered with clothes and mining equiptment, but there was no
sign of life, besides the vines of the Edenberry bushes.