The Way It Is

finding - part 1

"Come on, little princess. No slowing us down so you can pout. We have to live to complete your damn mission!"

He is right. I do need to complete this mission. I pick up my pace and almost take the lead.

"That's my girl."

Ok, we are going to need to discuss talking about me like I am his property later. I glare sideways at Britt, who smiles cheekily at me.

We fly through the entrance of the market like it isn't there. We can not get caught or seen entering a secrete passage. And I can hear shouting off in the distance. They may not know which direction to head yet, but there are only so many directions to go.

"Next Syndicate?"

"Far North wall, twenty paces in from the East wall, you will see a window. Go there."

"Here."

"Look directly where the wall and floor meet. Along the edge, there is a button about the size of a small marble. It might look like an outlet or metal latch. Press it."

Damn, that was easier than expected. I step down on the tiny metal disc protruding from the floor. Easy to miss if you weren't looking or didn't have an A.I. mapping all the electrical lines and energy currents in the building.

It looks like a lost piece of metal that the humans had used as currency before killing their planet.

A door slides down into the wall below the floor, and a small three-foot entrance to a tunnel appears.

I want to question how this works, as everything else in the building seems as dead and lifeless as the entire city is. Humans lost the ability to produce power over a decade ago. Yet, it can wait. First, I want to make sure no one is going to follow us.

Ok, so not the most appealing escape route I have ever seen. Nevertheless better than being killed by crazy-ass Zu'Lar before I have a chance to find this frozen human.

Once there's a slight click indicating the opening is as big as it will get (this is a disappointment but tolerable), I don't hesitate, Britt crawling in behind me. After about four feet, we crawl into an open space. A dim light flickers on as we stand, showing us the large platform we are perched on at the top of a twenty-foot ladder. It drops down to an extensive and well-built tunnel.

The room is a cross between structure and cave, half the walls being cut stone and the other half higher up obviously made of the same material the supermarket is made of. Hidden room meets cave, I guess. Very grey and dreary either way. Not exactly giving me the warm fuzzies.

If I had to guess, this room is about twenty feet by twenty feet and tall as the building. At the bottom of the ladder, the tunnel entrance is made of smooth well cut and fitted stone panels. It's well built and looks way too new to be in this place. That's a little unnerving. And again, where is the power coming from?

I hear the wall behind us rise and lock in place. The four feet we had just crawled through is gone as if it had never been there. I refuse to let this situation rattle me. Time to keep moving. Less dwelling on things I can't control.

Britt breaks the silence first.

"Looks clear. Can you reach Syndicate in here?"

Britt is playing with gadgets that are essentially the only thing actually helping us on this mission besides Syndicate.

He asks a good question, though.

"Syndicate?" Nothing. I tap my microband than my communicator. Nope. Well, that sucks. "We are alone."