unaffected.
“I can’t believe this,” Raines said. “I see it, but I can’t believe it.”
Jake turned to see a tunnel in the back of the cave, right where the missing door should be located. “They must have gone in there,” he said.
When everyone turned to see what he was talking about, AJ walked over to look inside. “It’s a well-lit tunnel,” she said then looked back at Jake. “I think we’re about to get some of our questions answered.”
As Jake stood there looking at the door, the story of Pandora’s box came back to him, and he said, “I just hope the answers don’t get us all killed.”
Chapter 13
“Everyone find your backpacks,” AJ said, “and load them up with as much food and water as you can carry.”
Jake looked back at the galley. “Everyone grab a knife from the counter as well, just in case.”
Raines’s face turned serious. “Do you think it’s dangerous in there? If your father and Ash went inside…”
Jake looked at him and then up at the cave they were standing in. “My father and Ash are part of this,” he said. “I think that makes them the danger here.” Raines nodded and headed to fill his backpack.
His crew had become proficient at last-minute packing, and within fifteen minutes, they were all heading into the tunnel single file. Jake offered the lead to AJ, since she had far more experience with dangerous situations, but she declined and insisted on going last to “defend the rear,” as she put it.
He carried a large knife in his right hand. It felt awkward, and he kept switching from point up to point down, but neither seemed correct. What if he ran into Ash or his father holding it that way? Would they think he was threatening them? He wished he could have been able to carry it tucked out of the way, like fastened to his belt, but there hadn’t been time to work anything out.
The tunnel went straight back for at least a hundred meters before it reached a steep stairwell heading downward. After several minutes descending it, Jake could feel the pressure in his ears building. The weight of what must be millions of tons of stone above him made him feel small and insignificant. When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, he stopped and allowed the others to gather in another narrow tunnel. This tunnel was very short, and at the end was a metallic wall with a door set in the middle.
“That’s the torus,” Vee said. “After a day spent next to it, I’d recognize that material anywhere.”
“Why did my brother have us looking up on the surface for a way in?” Jessie asked. “If he knew about this entrance, why didn’t he tell us?”
Jake realized that his acoustics officer still wasn’t getting it. She had been through so much already, with her brother dying, then coming back to life, then her being told he was just a simulation, then alive again. It would be too much for most people. “I think it’s safe to assume that Ash isn’t telling us everything,” he said, trying to break the truth to her gently. “However, we don’t actually have any proof that he, or my father, are doing anything that would be detrimental to us.”
“They lied to us,” AJ reminded him, “about everything.”
“Yes, they did, but—”
“No buts, Jake. We have to be prepared for a worst-case scenario. We’re on our own down here, and they have the advantage.” She looked at Jessie. “We need everyone on their toes. Do you understand what that means, Jessie?”
She nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m on your side if…if it comes to that.”
“Good girl. All right, everyone get their knives ready.” She turned to Jake. “You go first, and I’ll follow.”
Before he had the chance to protest, she pushed open the door. Inside, it looked like a narrow room, but when he stepped through the opening, he saw that it was actually a walkway running left and right as far as he could see.
“Which way?” Vee asked.
“Should we split up?” Raines
“I can’t believe this,” Raines said. “I see it, but I can’t believe it.”
Jake turned to see a tunnel in the back of the cave, right where the missing door should be located. “They must have gone in there,” he said.
When everyone turned to see what he was talking about, AJ walked over to look inside. “It’s a well-lit tunnel,” she said then looked back at Jake. “I think we’re about to get some of our questions answered.”
As Jake stood there looking at the door, the story of Pandora’s box came back to him, and he said, “I just hope the answers don’t get us all killed.”
Chapter 13
“Everyone find your backpacks,” AJ said, “and load them up with as much food and water as you can carry.”
Jake looked back at the galley. “Everyone grab a knife from the counter as well, just in case.”
Raines’s face turned serious. “Do you think it’s dangerous in there? If your father and Ash went inside…”
Jake looked at him and then up at the cave they were standing in. “My father and Ash are part of this,” he said. “I think that makes them the danger here.” Raines nodded and headed to fill his backpack.
His crew had become proficient at last-minute packing, and within fifteen minutes, they were all heading into the tunnel single file. Jake offered the lead to AJ, since she had far more experience with dangerous situations, but she declined and insisted on going last to “defend the rear,” as she put it.
He carried a large knife in his right hand. It felt awkward, and he kept switching from point up to point down, but neither seemed correct. What if he ran into Ash or his father holding it that way? Would they think he was threatening them? He wished he could have been able to carry it tucked out of the way, like fastened to his belt, but there hadn’t been time to work anything out.
The tunnel went straight back for at least a hundred meters before it reached a steep stairwell heading downward. After several minutes descending it, Jake could feel the pressure in his ears building. The weight of what must be millions of tons of stone above him made him feel small and insignificant. When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, he stopped and allowed the others to gather in another narrow tunnel. This tunnel was very short, and at the end was a metallic wall with a door set in the middle.
“That’s the torus,” Vee said. “After a day spent next to it, I’d recognize that material anywhere.”
“Why did my brother have us looking up on the surface for a way in?” Jessie asked. “If he knew about this entrance, why didn’t he tell us?”
Jake realized that his acoustics officer still wasn’t getting it. She had been through so much already, with her brother dying, then coming back to life, then her being told he was just a simulation, then alive again. It would be too much for most people. “I think it’s safe to assume that Ash isn’t telling us everything,” he said, trying to break the truth to her gently. “However, we don’t actually have any proof that he, or my father, are doing anything that would be detrimental to us.”
“They lied to us,” AJ reminded him, “about everything.”
“Yes, they did, but—”
“No buts, Jake. We have to be prepared for a worst-case scenario. We’re on our own down here, and they have the advantage.” She looked at Jessie. “We need everyone on their toes. Do you understand what that means, Jessie?”
She nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m on your side if…if it comes to that.”
“Good girl. All right, everyone get their knives ready.” She turned to Jake. “You go first, and I’ll follow.”
Before he had the chance to protest, she pushed open the door. Inside, it looked like a narrow room, but when he stepped through the opening, he saw that it was actually a walkway running left and right as far as he could see.
“Which way?” Vee asked.
“Should we split up?” Raines
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