Herosae Kitsune: Chapter 6 - Following the Fuse

Thoughts came to Sarephel as bright lit residential halls passed her by. Saying face was difficult, but less difficult than the recourse of her actions. Each passing wooden porthole reminding of the bitter gap she made the night before, there was little that could be changed. “D510” It wasn't luxury class but the neighbourhood was decent. Just off centre from T-intersection and a little short of the over watching courtyard balcony, Sarephel figured that Aera deserved a little better thought out of the community. Knocking in a guilty fashion, rustles from behind the door locked her in place. Trying to smile but bitterly failing the door opened too quickly. “Sara!” She was met ecstatically. “Come in.”

Following the commands of her sweet mistress, Aera guarded the door with open arms, hugging Sarephel as she entered. Warmth and tender care, her guilt melted off and Sarephel smiled once more. Area pulled away quickly. “Where were you?” She begged “I left the muffins out and everything.”

“I... Just.” The awkward guilt seeping back in.

“Come on.” her girlfriend dragged her in, closing the door behind them.

Staggering on her own, Sarephel remarked “So this is your new place, huh?”

“Yup.” Aera replied, returning for her love. Arms wrapped from behind.

A woman called in from the adjacent room, “Is that Sarephel I hear?” Halana's voice just as toned and accented as ever.

“Yes!” Aera remembered, dragging Sarephel into that same room. “This is the kitchen.”

“Don't worry, I won't give you heck.” Halana remarked. “The kitchen isn't that small anymore.”

“It is pretty big.” Sarephel remarked.

“It was the one thing I really wanted,” Aera continued, “And your dad came through on it.” opening up the pantry “There is so much room!”

Sarephel lightened right up. “I see you've stocked up.”

Aera nodded. “I wish you were here last night.”

“Yeah,” Halana added, “Then you could have seen Kayli covered in cream dip. She had to clean it up while she was still getting it everywhere.”

“Then she took a shower and ended up sitting in the bowl she set aside.”

“I think Tami put it there on purpose.” Halana admitted.”Kayli isn't that prone to failure”

“At least they didn't fight again.”

“I...” Sarephel tried to amend.

“Hm?” Aera notioned, not hearing her girlfriends mumbled apology.

“I'm sorry, I was up late last night.”

“I understand but why didn't you show up at all?”

Gripping the back of her own fizzling brain, Sarephel tried to answer calmly “I didn't want to wake you”

“I wouldn't have minded...” Aera consoled, moving them out to the living room

Trying to explain, Sarephel felt herself falling down a hole with each word becoming less confidant than the last. “I wanted you to show me around when you were more... Awake.

Aera snuffed. “It's not that special, it's just a place.” Her shrug leading them to the couch. The air of sympathetic disapointment.

“But...” Sarephel sat down, holding herself in. “I wanted it to be special, for you... I just felt like I would disappoint you again...” Just a foot away from her love, Sarephel couldn't bring herself in.

“I know who I am with,” Aera assured. “I don't care as long as you show up...” Trying to reach out past Sarephel's shell. “It's kinda hard to have a girlfriend that gets dragged away all the time if she doesn't even drop by to get abducted in the first place.”

“If I got dragged away,” Sarephel intercepting the incoming hands. “Would you be upset?

Aera paused. Truth being a blight stain on a white rug. “I'll get over it I guess,” Her voice irked, soon sliding into Sarephel anew “But I didn't tell you that, alright?”

“Okay...”

Adjusting her position, Aera let her frustration disappear. “I don't care when, just... Show up next time. Okay?”

“I will.” Sarephel assured, caressing Aera's bare arms, still emanating a gentle heat. Soft smells of fragrant lotions and softer tails rubbing against her legs. The sounds of kitchen work preparing supper. For a moment, everything fell into place. Sarephel relaxed, all tension leaving into a kindled flutter of senses awakening. It was like before, when the air was full and there was nothing to do. Times before her training when nothing seemed to matter. Waiting for something to happen, only to be content with the moment there. Moist evaporation from the kitchen, arms wrapped tight around her stuffed friend clad to nothing more than what was there. No strenuous thoughts, no nerves set to defend, no burden of holster or phone. Remembering which, Sarephel unbuttoned her side, and laid it below her.

“Hey Sarephel.” Tami greeted, leaving her room. Sarephel neglected, returning only to Aera.

“I guess this is your new couch, huh? It's a lot softer than standard issue.”

“Just showed up this morning.” Aera replied.

“Been a while.” Halana interrupted, “What have you been up to?” Drying her hands by the door.

“Go away 'Lana.” Aera moaned.

“Tough tiddy. All you two ever do is make out and conjoin like worms.”

“And how great it is.” Sarephel replied.

“How's the job going? Aera was worried about you all morning.”

“Yeah.” Aera added. “How did it go with that Garris guy anyway?”

Sarephel chuckled. “He's checked out of the infirm so, as useless as tits on a bull for right now. Hes a good man, too good. Had to leave him behind.”

“Are you okay?” Aera stiffened her back, looking into her lovers eyes.

Sarephel gave an confirmed response, “Just a scratch or two. I'll show you later though. Mostly just tired” she stretched. “Nothing three hours in the library couldn't fix.”

“You read?” Halana poked, making her way into the chair.

“Not much else to do. The holes are being locked off and disappearing faster than they can be found. On top of that, Kaunzi has been running me off in search of a bunch of files I can't make too much sense of.”

“Holes? That the thing Aera was telling me about.” Halana asked, Aera confirmed. “So there are more of them?”

“Supposedly. With that Kaunzi found, it looks like there are countless holes all over, but finding the entrances...” Sarephel returned into a phase of frustration. “It's really got daddy upset. It's a complete mess at this point.” Pulling her pet tighter.

“Say, I don't suppose that alarm earlier today was you was it?”

“Yeah, what makes you say that?”

Halana broke into laughter. “See! I told you it was her.” Aera trying to find something to toss at the resident hyena “She was like that's could have been Sarephel and I was like it probably was.”

“So you just figured it was me taring all the way down the central elevator.”

“Yeah.” The two replied in sync, Halana continuing. “Who else do I have to blame? Of course I'm going to think it's someone I know.”

“What was it anyway?” Aera asked, pulling up to adjust herself and her clinging undergarments.

Sarephel hesitated to respond. “It's not something you want to know about.”

“Try me.” Halana intervened.

“It was...” Sarephel fumbled to find suitable terms. “...A biomech.”

“Cool!”

“That sounds serious” Tami returned from the facilities. “And cool, yeah.”

“Not cool!” Sarephel retorted. “They are ridiculously dangerous, and they are being made here in this tower!” Regretfully spouting, she turned back, guiltily to Aera who's face was sickly and frightened. “No.”

“Here?” Aera replied, gripping tighter.

“It's fine, the guard are looking everywhere, I'm sure they'll find another way in and stop it...”

“It's not fine.” Aera reminded. “You said they were being blocked off faster than they could be found.”

“I was just, frustrated is all.” Sarephel tried to calm. “It'll all be fine, alright?”

Aera's eyes like beautiful beaches poured out precious sea water, blazing a shallow river down her side. “And you had to fight one of those things, didn't you?...”

“Not many else can.” Sarephel admitted. “No one better than me.” In a comforting bluff she wiped the tear off and licked it off her finger, kissing Aera. Pulling her down.”

“So...” Tami awkwardly interrupted. “How long till supper?”

“Enough time for you to go back to sleep.” Halana issued.

“Alright, see ya.”

“Glad she's gone.” Sarephel confessed. “Makes me feel ashamed every time she stares at me.”

“She gets like that whenever we're together.” Aera added.

“Like a fool in front of a moving train... I'm sorry to ask this Halana, but you've been all over the lower floors, right?”

“In a means of speaking, yes, there isn't an inch I haven't walked.”

“Is there anywhere that seemed... Out of place?”

“Sara!” Aera stopped, irritated.

“It's to help dad find another way in.” Sarephel defended.

Halana shook her head. “In honour of Aera I can't answer... However...”

“'Lana!”

Halana laughed. “I really can't think of any off hand. People do all kinds of crap down there. Pick and choose, really.”

“Go make supper or something.”

“There's nothing to do til it's done... Come to mention it, there is this one place...” Halana pretended to think. “Just kidding.”

“Oh piss off!” Aera cursed.

“Fine.” Halana returned. “I had to go anyway!” She chuckled, wandering off to the bathroom.

Sweat poured down the centre of her top, and Sarephel could feel it stick between her legs. Pulling up to escape the heat, Aera retracted to air herself off too. Flicking her clothes, Sarephel changed topic “If Tami sleeps there then where do you sleep? Not the couch...”

“No, Halana sleeps here. I got that room.” Aera pointed behind the couch. It was adjacent to the master bedroom and by it's appearance, it was little more than a closet.

“Why?” Sarephel argued. “It's your place, you should have the big room!”

“It's better than the couch, and keeping Tami and Kayli wont sleep with anyone else.”

“Their sisters, they can fit in the guest room.”

“...Yeah, and cramming them in a small space with the way they fight, there wouldn't be a guest room left.”

“Still not fair.”

The door swung furiously open. “Ha!” Halana entered. “Have I ever told you girls that I do my best thinking on the can?” Sarephel shook her disturbed head, as Aera nodded with narrow slights. “I thought of somewhere.”

“That great!” Sarephel jumped. “I mean... In respects to Aera, who has her girlfriend back, I should probably let it be... So, where is it?” She hastily asked, joyously.

“Both of you!” Aera shouted furiously.

“Aera, It's for daddy, you know.”

“But now?” She whined, slowly shaking Sarephel's arm with first grasp.

Sarephel reached in, lifting Aera slightly with a hug “It's important, and he's your daddy too.”

Aera's unwillingness still persisted. “Hes not everyone's dad, you know that right?”

“No,” Lowering her partner. “But he will be when I marry you.” The blushing glimmer of butterflies flying up behind Aeras eyes. The long silence manifesting into the shy sputter of mumbles that was universally understood broke her ocean walls once more.

“Not in front of people.” She uttered, flem crackling up her voice.

Sly as living whips, Halana shook her head in disbelief, unable to stop herself from being touched. “And who do I marry? Some skinny boy who traded his love-life in for a life-love of misery.”

“Come on,” Sarephel calmly shook Aera, “It's not the first time I've told you that, and it won't be the last.”

“Here I thought you told me everything, Aera...” Halana adored. “Sorry, hun... The last thing I want is monsters out of a fiction novel ruining my day. That place your looking for...”

*not happy with transition*

“You getting this?” Sarephel came in, connection crackling, re-buffering it's filters. Loud noises from the distant machinery pounding in over the noise cancellation.

“Yup, waiting for the signal to stabilize...” Halana confirmed, “That sure looks like the right area.” Concrete floors and dark wood walls, with plenty of industrial networking. Floor twenty three was mainly loading and storage. Given the stock of this area, it was oddly extirpated.

“Alright, where is this strange anomaly?”

“You see that pipe to your left?... That.” Rising from the ground and probably big enough to transport an entire vehicle, the massive tube was hard to miss. Sarephel slid her eyes off it looking for something smaller. That was it alright. Shooting out at ninety degrees, the massive pipe was suspended well above her as well. “Follow it up behind you, see where it disappears?”

“I see what you mean.” Sarephel confirmed, noting it's mount into the wall, down the corridor and over the bend.

“On the other side of that hall is and a square entrance that feeds into up on the second level”

Shaking her head. “That thing?” Cynically, Sarephel announced her disbelief “Doesn't look like a great way in for transporting illegal parts.”

“Where is it?, I don't see it.” Kayli complained in the background.

Guiding, Halana directed “It's right there.” Pointing, for everyone but Sarephel.

“HEY!” Tami shouted, loudly breaking over the intercom. “Stop hogging all the snacks you wench!”

“Blleeeh.” Mouthful and mockingly Kayli

Irritated, and slightly offended “You two just ate!” Halana shot back.

“But we're gonna watch a movie.” Whining.

Rolling her eyes, Sarephel called in over the line, “Will you please get them to shut up?”

“Shut up or I'll demote you to the storage closet!” Aera reprimanded, without a shred of hesitation.

“Ignore them...” Halana continued. “There is more.”

“Uh huh...” She said, coming under the place of question. Looking around, there was hardly anyone to be even heard let alone seen. This silence was about the only shady quality running for it. Leaping heavily, Sarephel found her way up and an uncomfortable heat.

“Mind watching the pipe, it's hot.”

Internally the mechanism in her mind spoke almost audibly obvious, late in warning she instead focused climbing around it's girth. As expected, the low entrance made very little to the desire of this entrance. “Well, I'm not sure the addicts would even use this route.”

“I actually came across this while looking for a place to party. Make a small base and call it my own even. It was a good day.”

“It's not melting my shoes, so It could be worse. I take it this is a steam pipe that leads to the topper floors for heating.”

“It's not very well maintenance either. Look below you, you should see a drop to your side.”

Green lit, night vision turned on, about the only light to see anything other than the dim radiance at bend far ahead. Below the pipe was floored, poorly but who'd care to decorate that. Not too far along, a small drop big enough to fit a small hallway appeared, tall and almost pitch bottomed. “How'd you find this anyway? Looks like no way back up.”

“The pipe was too hot for me so I crawled under it. Just about lost my flashlight when I looked in so I turned back not wanting to get lost down there.”

“It's too dark to be anything but what I'm looking for... I think this is the place after all. Thank you Halana.”

“Don't thank me yet.”

Being silent wasn't possible, without anything to climb down on Sarephel landed, rolling. Quickly, she checked both ways, no one. One way was a dead end or a secret opening perhaps, the other a shortish hall with an intersection perpendicular splitting paths. Approaching, footsteps scuffled in the darkest halls. She dropped, rolling tails tucked in into the corner of the hall, echos unable to determine the direction from the split. One individual, concealed in cloth cruised along in front, merely twenty feet away. “Whoa, this is really legit, isn't it?” Tami commented, reminding Sarephel of the line. After he passed, she lowered the volume and continued. Neither direction was appealing, though someone would have to have something to do unless guarding, and if so than what. Behind him slowly creeping behind, she noticed a side path up ahead. He didn't take it, but looking down herself it lead to an stairwell. No one behind her, she took it.

This room had a ledge overlooking the stairwell, like before. Wherever it went, being close to the ground level, she wanted to find it's bottom entrance. Somewhere hardened criminals could sneak in from. Nerves crept in, the dark eery passage of danger with no one to know where she was, she wasn't sure she'd even find the same entrance out. Aera watched quietly, engaged and breathing quietly, entranced in the entire transmission. Everyone became really quiet. “You're getting this, right?”

Quiet “Mmhmh.” from audience, and Halana admitted. “This is pretty crazy.”

“You're recording this, right?” Tami asked, quietly engaged as well.

“You know, I'm the one that needs to be quiet, right?” Sarephel reminded, turning the volume up again. “I can barely hear you with all your whispers and murmuring.”

“Sorry.” Halana apologized. “And yes, I'm recording this. How could I not?”

“Good, might be useful later. Who knows.” Sarephel returned to her work, leaning over the balcony. Deep pits making a great chasm far deeper than she brought rope for. Withdrawing her knife, she picked away at the base of the metal railing, strong; but pushing against the top, it felt brittle. Sure enough, it chipped away as she scraped it's top. Spikes would alert everyone, testing the line she tied at the basin seemed fine, a risk she was about to take.

Descending once more, Sarephel let down her line, clipping on she continued as normal. Each level, peeking in from above before moving to the next checkpoint. If only the line could disconnect from above, she wished, making it all the way would probably require undesirable exploring. This itself was too much to readily take in. Staring down below, something happened. Not sure what, something caught her eye. It must have been someone, somehow. The rope reached it's last inch. Just short, Sarephel locked onto the bottom hook and swung herself towards the ledge. Quietly, or more quietly than before, he landing smoothly alerted a whole of no one. This floor was a straight path forward, just as dreary as before. All connecting, the thoughts of how these many paths remained secret was astonishing. Time to tie the second rope. Turning back to the shaft, she came to meet a horror. Behind her walked a tall, neck-less black creature, almost close enough to touch. Screams erupted over the line punching Sarephel's adrenaline through the roof. Quickly reaching for her blades it didn't seem to notice her. Stepping back, Sarephel kept ready to strike. It teleported behind her, somehow. Heart racing, bickering and overlapping questions made her connection a trampled mess. The creature simply continued, ignorantly mindless of her presence and disappeared down the hall.

“Sorry.” Sarephel cursed. “You girls are getting muted for a while.” True to her word, the communication was squelched. Looking back down the halls, it made this whole experience less enjoyable by the moment. Testing the basin of the next rail she tied a new rope in a frightening hurry. Descending much quicker, and frantically checking all over. Soon another creature emerged, climbing the side of the shaft. This network was loaded with them, working bio-slaves. Mindless, wall climbing freaky bio-slaves. Their rounded heads and slug like grotesque pitch black bodies, metal attachments and radiating aura hum were unsettling but their threat diminished.

Leading the final length, immeasurable floors in the darkness fell underneath the last swing to safety. Likely to breach the underground levels, her voyage was detoured to leave the boundless void of oblivion. Halls of daunting unknowns just as bleak as the rest sprawled out echoing sounds of eery ambience. Distance imitations of sharp fluttering echos and humming made their home off these plaster walls. To the ear, pressed against them, deeper hallows danced the confines of it's hidden volume. Unclear whether part of the mystery or the clockwork outside, the deeper she got, the less comfortable Sarephel became. Still somehow feeding though through distorted and choppy footage, a couch of eager watchers could only marvel. Parcel by parcel of static frame splotched over top, every fourth step and getting worse, they might get a new update. The hallway broke off, for a brief moment the connection stabilized returning distorted sound.

Along it's sides were doors, with light drawn from their base. Slowly Sarephel crept through, noises on the other side like tinkering. There were shallow lights but slit crack, looking down the stairwell was activity on the walls. Shadows of things moving, minor strobing flash accompanied with electric buzzing and wires blurred puppetry on bland concrete. On it's second level, unseen by the living workers, Sarephel moved in closing the door behind her. Metal catwalk overlooked production. Eight tables with five of which filled each laid an assembly line. Boxes stacked off the sides and a conveyor belt crawling out through a narrow passage. “You getting this?” Sarephel whispered, unmuting her wire.

Morbidly delayed, she was answered, “Yeah, it's insane.” Robotic static muffling out it's source “What are they making?”

Sarephel shook her head, retracting before she could draw attention, then muted her channel. It appeared to be boxes like Daz carried out, assigned by someone mysterious. Most the workers probably didn't even know who they worked for, just earning a check. Working here, the check had to be better than a tower job could pay; creepy and dingy and all kind of shady wrong, there could be no other reason to do it than the fat sum at the end of the day. Loosing her nerves, Sarepel thought to each level and it's probable entrances. The stairwell was out of commission and she doubted there were any other passages down. Connection worsened, returning to a static suspense of garbled newspaper cutouts. Everyone at home sighed, Tami and Kayli returning to the bowl they neglected, getting bored. Just the same dull reception. “Tell me when it gets better.” Kayli complained, leaving the couch.

“Wait, it's getting better...” Aera informed. “Maybe.” Sarephel turned the corner, clipping the video again. Desynchronized, they heard loud modulated screech and meeting them was the blinding image of something bright and frightening. Frame after frame, floor, wall, corner, it changed from place to place every time. Whatever she found, she was running.

Loudly approaching, Sarephel kept moving, assailant barely keeping pace. The massive hulking sentry didn't do corners well as she attempted to loose it in the bends. Gaining the most distance she could, the network was shallow and escape was out the hole or down it's chasm. To her side, another door, this one without light. Large and without clear sight yet, Sarephel launched through the door slamming it behind her. Just like the other, however empty, it laid out the same. Heart racing, she heard it behind her. It stopped, knowing very well where she was. Trembling, she reached for Natheena, realizing the ruckus that was made would surely spawn more trouble. In terms of being caught, this was pissing off the hive. Lashing whips crushed the door behind, knocking Sarephel over the railing. Her eyes fixing on an alternative, the fuse was lit. If she raced it, she could find the bottom entrance and escape that way. As little as she wanted to fight another after her first terrifying experience, she could avoid it altogether. Into the vent she dove. Though tight passage, the thundering sound of the shattered wall behind charged her adrenaline. Slight shocks seeped into her, grateful of the rubber bottom. Out like lightning Sarephel scrambled on the other side. Storage room with a chute down, the first place in mind.

Light shown from below. Gripping the edges, she came to a stop. People caught onto the commotion. Murmurs and comments bounced back and forth. Curiosity striking both ends of the porthole Sarephel blocked. Hoping it would dye down, she felt her grip slipping. Strenuously her stamina drained, gripping tightly with any skin she could brace with on the embedded snagless transport pipe she prayed that it would last. A mans voice called out, stern and authoritarian. “All workers are hereby evacuated immediately. Compications have compromised your safty, please send out any shipment, ready or not, and seal the elevator.” His audience conspired, inquiring the issue only to be silenced “That is an order!” All communication ceased. Boxes flopped onto a metal plate that jiggled creaking springs in a hurry and left.

Climbing down, her strength gave out near the end, flopping her into the vacant room. She sat there, resting on her tails, taking in the surroundings while rubbing her sore arms. Cracking a few joints, the stiffness resonated in her skin, fading only slightly. One metal hatch sat in the space opposite of the shelves around her. Quite out of place was the set of buttons hanging above, from what she heard, probably the “elevator”.

Three buttons of differing green lit shades stood between her and exiting this purgatory. The inscriptions were illegible with the twilight and without texture her night vision did less than little to nothing. Up, down, close, or something, Sarephel pressed the middle button. Seemingly nothing happened, she pressed it again. Pressing all the buttons, the hatch finally opened, light lit from below unable to readily reach her. The shipment, coming to meet her. Middle, then down, the platform stopped and went down, following her before the hatch sealed again. This long elevator's bottom took it's sweet time to reach, peeking down the sides it brought her well below where she figured. Almost there, it emptied into a larger collections room. She heard something, soon audibly clear. Two men were chatting. “You know it'd work.” Sarephel saw their shadows outside the room. Rolling off, she hid on top of the highest shelf, laying flat against it.

“Horal! Whad make ya think 'aat?” A tall muscular man walked in, long brown hair let down past his shoulders, a strange foreign accent lacing his lisp with an intelligent charm.

“Ell, ya think ina bar, ye'd get 'aat stuff.” The pudgy second emerged, “No safer place an where yad most expect it.” His clothes damaged in oil and coloured liquid stains blotching his under shirt.

“Exactly.” Reaching for a box

“See?” Gesturing, arms extended.

“No,” dropping a load in Horal's arms “I see you're stupid. Ye'd put illegal shed 'aird right where 'querity check'n most”

“Yea, airs so much ov'it everywhere, oo'd expect it'd be me?”

“I'on know, the guard who ook for people pedalin.”

“An oo says id's me”

“On tha'ds why yur'a moron. om on, soona we pack this out, soona I can drop yur stupid auss.” The strong man replied, dragging another package away.

“On you 'ink ye'd gotta bedda idea?”

“For dealing faed? Yeh, a lot bedda.”

“Right en Plendal, what ya figgar?” Their sound still echoing down the hall as they babbled. Sarephle dropped down, peeking around the corner.

“Feir'one, ye don't pedal it in'a ruddeh bar.”

“Oh? Air'd ya pedal it en?”

“Like'r rest. Where eh don't get caught being a right dundermuck.” Plendal informed, releasing his grip onto the cart.

“Uh, at's where they think ye'd sellet. At ain't very smart.” They stopped there, continuing to bicker, Horal still going on. “Ya seea ragged fellow on a bench, what ya?”

“Pedalin faed.”

“Zackly! Pedalin faed. An oos aight behin'em? The guard. 'eh you sir, yed right not be pedalin faed says I?' 'no sir, I just ook like ah'am.' Like an idiot.”

“En whyzit they still around?” Plendal returned. Sarephel returning to her hiding, the ruckus of metal shelves being unheard over the debate.

“Oz idiots'r being popped our air muddars whits faster an'eh can be puta'ay.”

“Ya say?”

“I says say I, right idiots through'en through.” Grabbing another box

“An says say you, you ought hide in tha'open with ya fingers dipped?”

“Why, says I, SHOULD I? Ide it!” Horal professed, down the hall. “'No sir, justa man' I say.”

“Right, right, an you sellen?”

“Ay.”

“Not on you?”

“No.”

Plendal shook his head. “You'd be shot, second eh see'ya not carry'in.”

“Where at? I tellz'em it's unda'a tree.”

“An oo'd be dumb enough believe some shed like aat, uh?”

“Customa, guard right ain't.” Horal stated going for another box, Sarephel snucking in behind. Beyond was a small station and the cart well loaded. She ducked under the ledge, stiffening away from the electrified rail just next to her.

“Right, ina bar. You pedalin faed, an tellem id's unda'a rock. An if'e dodn't shoot ya, he cuff'ya air undercover guard can buy faed in under'ya.”

“Ah didn't ave'it on me.” Horal explained directly overtop, the box being carelessly dropped on to of the rest.

“But ya sold it to'em.”

A silence fell. Right proudly Horal continued, “An till then?” Says he, ringing the button to move the cart,

“Ya make money, like the rest'a em and get caught like the idiot ya'are.”

“Aht? Me says you?”

“Right, I says say I! Right idiot through'en thro...” The doors closed behind, Sarephel clinging off of the cart. Climbing fully aboard, she found the rail taking her a long way to three oblong lifts carrying similar filled carts. Lowering, the front most cart dropped down into a well lit area and the sounds of workers passing it along. Sarephel got off to watch down the slits of her platform, a woman checking off the boxes. The second cart went, and eventually the third right after.

Barely in time, Sarephel emptied the cart to fit her under the fort and slid through unseen. Ready to emerge, she was passed through two large doors into another pitch dark tunnle. The cart sped up, and Sarephel peeked out. With night vision, she could see the rail tunnle passing her, with a large glow to her side. It was huge, gauging the speed with it's movement she realized exactly where she was brought to. “Wow...” She astonished. “I must be under the lake below, and this...” Sarephel looked ahead. “Must be an underground passage out of the tower... But...” Turning her sound back on. “Hello... Hello?” Signal was lost long ago and could not travel through so much water and space. Truly on her own she came closer and closer to what she could best remember, the restricted zone. Still, looking up all around her, it was beautiful. In awe, she watched weightless shadows wave and flicker, fish swimming between her and the generators solar light. Her eyes adjusting to it seemed tranquil but ahead was hell. She pondered heading back, to where security would not be so insane and ahead which may have lead elsewhere for all she knew. Wherever it took her, she was getting to the bottom of things. Dropping the ear piece into her top, she laid back watching the splendour before the end brought her into places truly unknown.