Waste Deep

Waste Deep Chapter 12: Stupid games. Stupid Prizes.

"Do you have any idea what you're even talking about?!" Dibbuk complained, tossing a slab of stone over her shoulder. 

"Yes. I do. If you keep the pressure up in the tanks you can ready them quicker than having to re-pressurize them every time." Selby argued back, tossing a much smaller slab over his own. 

"You'd be right, for about a week. Then one of the seals would split and leave you without any flesh on your spine. I know, ask Harvel when you see him next." She argued back, heaving another bicycle sized stone over her shoulder.

"What are you two on about?" Wicksomme chimed in, breathing heavily as he hefted a shovelful of stones aside. 

"Nothing! If we got better quality seals for the tanks it wouldn't be a factor. Problem solved." Selby said, wiping away a deluge of sweat from his forehead.

"Good luck with that Klagbender." Lier added from further up the pile of debris. Dibbuk shifted out of the way as a shower of small stones slid down the remains of the caved in tunnel. This was one of the oldest pipes she'd ever seen. Void of metal, the entirety of the chamber they were in was constructed of what looked like paving stones. 

They'd been attempting to clear the debris for over an hour at this point and so far all they could fit through the hole was Liers hand. Things weren't looking good for their little expedition. The sensor was only a half mile away from where they were and yet, with no charted way around they might have to turn back. 

"Klagbender, come try to get through this would you? I'm not as lithe as I used to be." Lier said, gesturing towards the hole he'd been working on. Selby climbed to the top and attempted to fit his head and shoulders through the gap. He'd gotten about halfway in before pulling himself out with such force another shower of stones rained down upon Dibbuks arms.

"Nope. Not gonna work. Need more room." Selby stated, quickly dusting himself off and making his way back down the pile. 

"Not doing that. Not doing that." Dibbuk heard, the thoughts sounding panicked. Selby quickly began sifting through bricks and stone shards, throwing up little clouds of dust around his feet. Dibbuk eyed Selby from across the tunnel. 

'What's eating him? He's been getting more and more bitchy for the last two hours. It honestly seemed like he could have fit.' She thought, taking a second to glance up at Lier. 

He didn't seem very pleased with Selby at the moment either. The thousand yard stare Lier was giving him was slightly squinty-er than the one he normally wore. His gaze relaxed a bit as he met Dibbuks own and it seemed an understanding was forming between them. Neither of them were going to put up with Selbys shit for much longer.

Dibbuk inspected the rubble again. Most of the large rocks were near the bottom. One in particular caught her eye near the edge of the pile. It was probably the largest of all the stones currently blocking their way. It looked like it had broken through the wall where it had fallen.

Dibbuk walked back up the pipe and nudged Mary's shoulder. At the moment she was with Don lowering a long black cord into a crack that ran from the bottom of the pile outwards. 

"Do you think I should move that rock?" Dibbuk asked, pulling Marys focus away from the fissure. 

Mary glanced up at the heap and scoffed, "Be more specific hun."

"I meant, do you think I could move that rock and not bring this place crashing down around our ears?" Dibbuk elaborated, scooping a stray brick out of the drying sludge and lobbing it at the monolith. Mary took another look at the boulder then gave her a "so so" hand gesture.