Unknown --- Complete [ adding some things ]

Part 6

Savannah didn't take Robert's advice in sneaking around to see what Dean was up to. The reason he knew was he was the only one hunkered down in a darkened corner waiting for him. It was a stupid thing to do it would reveal to everyone that he was nosy as hell.

But he wanted to know how and why he was making more than the rest of them. It was a job that the company encouraged competition, so this was his way of figuring out a way to compete.

He was exhausted from his trip. He ended his day as he always did -- eating, listening to Greg and Savannah, and some of the things Laura would bring up. She stopped inserting herself into conversations after she told him she lied about the food.

Once that was all said and done, Dean started his walk toward the caverns. Robert, did his trip around and sneaked in from the other side. The caverns were used by other teams roughly three years ago.

They were the first in this section of this world. So they had several entrances but his team didn't linger from one another as the first team did.

He decided that this would take his slight fear of the possibility of starving to death.

He was tucked behind a manmade wall. He resisted the urge to check his watch to see what time it was. Inside, it was always dark no matter what time of the day it was. It didn't help that the wall he was leaning against was rough, hard and constantly jabbing into the middle of his back.

The entire section of their area was quiet, it didn't sink in until he started hearing the scratching of the dirt -- someone walking toward the caverns. Huff, and then someone crashing to the bottom of the place.

There is a ladder. He said mentally being useful. But then, another crash, noises and more crashing.

Not someone -- something. The buckets that they used to drop their scrapings out the walls to collect to send out to Earth. Some more things fell onto the earth then finally, Robert concluded the person -- Dean -- using the ladder like a proper person.

For an hour he sat there with nothing exciting. There was just the typical work that one person would do. Robert realized an issue of sneaking back to the house so he could very least rest before going into work tomorrow. He stared at the wall...

A hard kick to his right leg, Robert's eyes fluttered open. A hazy person squat in front of him.

"Find anything interesting back here?" Dean asked. His face expressionless as he waited for a response, "Since you're here -- help me carry these back up."

He slid one of the buckets hard.

Robert nodded. He gladly took one and started the other way.

"Where are you going?"

"Did you know there are stairs this way?"

"Did you always know that?"

"No, I had to figure out a way when I was --"

"Sneaking on me?" Dean filled in.

"Flick on the light you'll be able to see better."

"I left it at the front of the caves."

"Damn it." Grumbled Robert -- who wasn't anticipating carrying anything when he was exiting the back of the caverns.

"We should add more easier ways to this place."

"They don't pay us for that."

"But we're the ones who are going to be here for three years. Why not make it easier on ourselves?" Robert tripped knocking the bucket. As he fell, he could hear it rolling off in the distance. As he tried to stand back up he realized he also knocked more than the bucket off. "God damn it."

"Look what happens when you've ----"

Another crash, bucket rolling and Dean crashes alongside Robert.

"Your damned leg." Dean growled working to pull himself up. His arm stretched forward sliding hard against Robert's back.

"I'll move -- " the words Robert struggled to bring out as the wind had been wiped out of him, "I am sliding left." And, he started to do so as Dean worked the other way. Once Dean was up he mumbled something and headed back to the front of the cavern. Soon a flash of light was reaching Robert -- he could see the contents of the buckets strewn across the dirt. The buckets on opposite ends of where the items were tossed. His leg only a stretch from him -- he grabbed tight of it and started re-connecting it to his stump.

"They're not supposed to do that anymore." Robert groaned. But his hasn't felt correct since it was created for him. There was no evidence that there was an issue.

"If there is any shrinkage, the fit may be an issue. Are you noticing any issue?"

"Well, my leg fell off." Robert tried with the joke. Even with the lighting and not seeing Dean's face very well -- he knew it didn't help anything, "It hasn't felt right.. "

"Emotionally or physically?"

"Physically -- but it's never been too rough on me. Emotionally, I haven't actually thought much on it." Robert paused, "I healed faster than I have ever thought possible thanks to Z's tech, an almost believable leg. But there is something I can't pin. It's just..."

"Go to the main building, find something different. This isn't going to help with the goals we've set."

"How do you make more than the rest of us with just you?"

"What did you see?" Dean raised his hands outward, "Was there anything that helped give you that answer?"

"I fell asleep."

"Then, you spy on your co-workers and then ask instead of doing it the normal way?"

"You're not great with the whole answering questions thing."

"We've only known each other for a month." Dean answered, "We need to clean this up."

Dean helped him rise, then they collected and tidied their mess up. The steps to the outer world were easier to manage than the rope ladder.

The sun was rising, creating the warm feeling, homesickness settled in his bones as he continued walking with Dean. They stopped and he went inside to retrieve the rest of his buckets. He carried out a total of nine buckets.

"How do you get this counted when the counter drones don't show up until the main work week hours?"

"That's none of your concern, really." Dean shrugged and then waved him on, "Go. You should have a few hours of sleep before you have to work today."

Robert took his words and heading home -- halfway home when he realized that Dean never answered how he managed to ring up more than the rest of them.

Never become a spy. He checked that off as one of his career choices.