Two
The motors of their hoverbikes died away as they stopped to check their bearings. Helpfully a little arrow pointed around the corner.
"I don't get it." Scott said looking at his victim locator. "We should be getting a reading from them by now, but there's nothing."
Virgil hopped off his hoverbike and reached into the storage compartment and retrieved his own victim locator. "I'm getting the same reading. The only thing I'm picking up is the generator and the river."
"Me too. I'll go ahead and see if I get a reading further on. Maybe there's something blocking the signal. You go back and check that corridor we just passed. Maybe they've moved down there. Leave your 'bike, in case it's that causing the interference."
Virgil frowned "The hoverbike?"
"I'm just covering all bases. I don't think that's the problem but just in case it is..."
"Okay Scott." Virgil started walking back the way they'd come. "See you soon." He called over his shoulder, almost as an afterthought.
"Yeah." Scott said abstractly. "See you." He climbed off his own bike and walked towards the roaring sounds of the subterranean river. A five and a half foot, three inch wide, steel fence stood between him and where the river obviously was. By standing on tiptoe he was able to get a good look down into the rushing waters. He hadn't realised that they would be moving so fast.
Engineers had carved out the hard rock so that the river ran alongside the complex. Pumps ensured that the water level was kept below a critical level. The subterranean waters were that cold that if anyone fell in, it would be a toss up as to whether the rushing waters would drown them before they'd die of hypothermia.
Scott could feel the cool air floating above the waters and marvelled at how the engineers had managed to keep the room temperatures to a more comfortable 22 degrees Celsius. Looking to his right he could see a large turbine that was connected to one of the three remaining power plants. The sound it was making was almost deafening.
He moved on towards the archives room.
"Virgil to Scott." His radio crackled into life.
He turned the volume up and shouted into own radio. "Scott here."
"Any sign?"
"What?"
"Any sign?" Virgil shouted again.
"No nothing. I'm going to check the archives now. You seen anything?" As he moved away from the turbines the decibel level decreased.
"Nothing here. There's a small hallway off to the right. I'll check that."
"F-A-B Keep in touch."
Scott entered the archives. Strangely the room was in darkness. "Is anyone there?" he called out as he felt around for a light switch. "This is International Rescue."
No reply.
The shiver ran down Scott's spine again, as he switched the lights on. The room was suddenly bathed in a cold, off white, glow. Scott blinked against the bright light and shaded his eyes. When they'd adjusted to the light he looked around.
The room was empty.
"Scott to Virgil."
Virgil's voice sounded tinny. "Go ahead Scott."
"The archive room's empty."
"Empty?!"
"Have you found anything?"
"No."
"Come back to the 'bikes. We'll have to arrange a new plan."
"F-A-B"
Scott turned out the lights and left the room. Once again his ears were assaulted by the sounds of the ever rushing water and the splashing of the turbine. On impulse he looked over the thick steel wall, still searching for the missing scientists.
***
Apart from having no victims to rescue, things had been going so well. Everything had been in their favour. They could have done the rescue with their eyes shut.
Until that moment.
At that moment Scott's luck ran out.
The explosion sent Virgil running back towards where he'd last seen his brother...
The motors of their hoverbikes died away as they stopped to check their bearings. Helpfully a little arrow pointed around the corner.
"I don't get it." Scott said looking at his victim locator. "We should be getting a reading from them by now, but there's nothing."
Virgil hopped off his hoverbike and reached into the storage compartment and retrieved his own victim locator. "I'm getting the same reading. The only thing I'm picking up is the generator and the river."
"Me too. I'll go ahead and see if I get a reading further on. Maybe there's something blocking the signal. You go back and check that corridor we just passed. Maybe they've moved down there. Leave your 'bike, in case it's that causing the interference."
Virgil frowned "The hoverbike?"
"I'm just covering all bases. I don't think that's the problem but just in case it is..."
"Okay Scott." Virgil started walking back the way they'd come. "See you soon." He called over his shoulder, almost as an afterthought.
"Yeah." Scott said abstractly. "See you." He climbed off his own bike and walked towards the roaring sounds of the subterranean river. A five and a half foot, three inch wide, steel fence stood between him and where the river obviously was. By standing on tiptoe he was able to get a good look down into the rushing waters. He hadn't realised that they would be moving so fast.
Engineers had carved out the hard rock so that the river ran alongside the complex. Pumps ensured that the water level was kept below a critical level. The subterranean waters were that cold that if anyone fell in, it would be a toss up as to whether the rushing waters would drown them before they'd die of hypothermia.
Scott could feel the cool air floating above the waters and marvelled at how the engineers had managed to keep the room temperatures to a more comfortable 22 degrees Celsius. Looking to his right he could see a large turbine that was connected to one of the three remaining power plants. The sound it was making was almost deafening.
He moved on towards the archives room.
"Virgil to Scott." His radio crackled into life.
He turned the volume up and shouted into own radio. "Scott here."
"Any sign?"
"What?"
"Any sign?" Virgil shouted again.
"No nothing. I'm going to check the archives now. You seen anything?" As he moved away from the turbines the decibel level decreased.
"Nothing here. There's a small hallway off to the right. I'll check that."
"F-A-B Keep in touch."
Scott entered the archives. Strangely the room was in darkness. "Is anyone there?" he called out as he felt around for a light switch. "This is International Rescue."
No reply.
The shiver ran down Scott's spine again, as he switched the lights on. The room was suddenly bathed in a cold, off white, glow. Scott blinked against the bright light and shaded his eyes. When they'd adjusted to the light he looked around.
The room was empty.
"Scott to Virgil."
Virgil's voice sounded tinny. "Go ahead Scott."
"The archive room's empty."
"Empty?!"
"Have you found anything?"
"No."
"Come back to the 'bikes. We'll have to arrange a new plan."
"F-A-B"
Scott turned out the lights and left the room. Once again his ears were assaulted by the sounds of the ever rushing water and the splashing of the turbine. On impulse he looked over the thick steel wall, still searching for the missing scientists.
***
Apart from having no victims to rescue, things had been going so well. Everything had been in their favour. They could have done the rescue with their eyes shut.
Until that moment.
At that moment Scott's luck ran out.
The explosion sent Virgil running back towards where he'd last seen his brother...