Chapter 7
On one end of the kitchen there were two apertures: one for deliveries, and one
for outgoing garbage. They were, as far as he could determine, the only two
ways out of the building. He had decided against the garbage chute for obvious
reasons.
The delivery chute emptied onto a conveyor belt on which stood several unopened
boxes. Obi-Wan hoped that that meant the last delivery had been recent.
Deliveries were, unfortunately, not on a regular schedule, so they would just
have to take their chances. Now he jumped up onto the conveyor, stepped around
the boxes, and got his first close look at the aperture. Qui-Gon stood
nonchalantly by, munching a cracker, in what he hoped was the best place for
blocking any view Cynara might have of what was happening.
Obi-Wan crouched behind a box and peered through the bars of the delivery door
at the conveyor which continued up and away. He'd seen deliveries come in twice
before. The door had opened upwards and into the room automatically just before
the first box emerged. Which meant it was triggered somehow from outside. Or
maybe… Obi-Wan allowed himself a smile as he found the simple pressure switch
just beyond arm's reach through the chute. An incoming box would brush against
it on its way down the conveyor, opening the door. All it needed was a little
push. Slowly, he slipped the sword from his belt.
Behind him, Qui-Gon heard the soft click, the quiet whine of the door opening,
and was through it in one mighty dive, coming to rest beside his Padawan, one
foot helping the grate to shut quietly.
"So far so good," Obi-Wan whispered as they turned and began to crawl up the
conveyor toward an unseen outside access port. The passageway was small,
perhaps a meter square.
"That's what I thought, when I tried this route on my third escape attempt,"
Qui-Gon replied.
Obi-Wan paused in his climb, his first thought to second-guess his choice of
escape route. What other two ways had Qui-Gon tried first, deeming them more
worthy? What had he missed? Then he realized that there was a more important
issue at hand.
"And then what happened?" he turned to ask his Master. Before Qui-Gon could
answer, there came a booming sound from above.
"This," Qui-Gon answered, as they both looked up to see a line of boxes moving
towards them, as the conveyor belt switched on.
On one end of the kitchen there were two apertures: one for deliveries, and one
for outgoing garbage. They were, as far as he could determine, the only two
ways out of the building. He had decided against the garbage chute for obvious
reasons.
The delivery chute emptied onto a conveyor belt on which stood several unopened
boxes. Obi-Wan hoped that that meant the last delivery had been recent.
Deliveries were, unfortunately, not on a regular schedule, so they would just
have to take their chances. Now he jumped up onto the conveyor, stepped around
the boxes, and got his first close look at the aperture. Qui-Gon stood
nonchalantly by, munching a cracker, in what he hoped was the best place for
blocking any view Cynara might have of what was happening.
Obi-Wan crouched behind a box and peered through the bars of the delivery door
at the conveyor which continued up and away. He'd seen deliveries come in twice
before. The door had opened upwards and into the room automatically just before
the first box emerged. Which meant it was triggered somehow from outside. Or
maybe… Obi-Wan allowed himself a smile as he found the simple pressure switch
just beyond arm's reach through the chute. An incoming box would brush against
it on its way down the conveyor, opening the door. All it needed was a little
push. Slowly, he slipped the sword from his belt.
Behind him, Qui-Gon heard the soft click, the quiet whine of the door opening,
and was through it in one mighty dive, coming to rest beside his Padawan, one
foot helping the grate to shut quietly.
"So far so good," Obi-Wan whispered as they turned and began to crawl up the
conveyor toward an unseen outside access port. The passageway was small,
perhaps a meter square.
"That's what I thought, when I tried this route on my third escape attempt,"
Qui-Gon replied.
Obi-Wan paused in his climb, his first thought to second-guess his choice of
escape route. What other two ways had Qui-Gon tried first, deeming them more
worthy? What had he missed? Then he realized that there was a more important
issue at hand.
"And then what happened?" he turned to ask his Master. Before Qui-Gon could
answer, there came a booming sound from above.
"This," Qui-Gon answered, as they both looked up to see a line of boxes moving
towards them, as the conveyor belt switched on.