//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: For Your Eyes Only // by Indie Cred //------------------------------// “A fucking dead end?! Are you kidding me?!” Shores yelled out. I didn’t say anything. I was thinking those exact words myself. We had found ourselves in a small room, no more than thirty feet in each direction, filled with whirring machines that blew cold air at us. There were no other doors, no signs of an escape route. I pushed the button on the doorframe, hoping to at least buy us a few seconds. Dr. Opal began pacing back and forth, muttering to herself until the Sergeant put a hoof out to stop her. She was just about to say something to him when Ironside pointed up at something. “Look. Those pipes run from those machines to the ceiling.” He said, still staring up. “So?! What the hell does that matter?!” Opal screeched. “They’re blowing out air. Maybe they go up to the surface.” He said, walking over to the nearest machine. “Help me turn this thing off.” Dr. Opal stood there, her mouth agape. She seemed like she was about to say something snide, but stopped when I placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Doc, unless you have a better idea, I suggest you start searching.” After a few seconds, Shores called out that he had found something, pointing to a silver lever on the side of the machine. He reached up and pulled it down, and the machine silenced. Wasting no time, Ironside began to kick at the metal grate on the front of the machine. The grate fell to the ground with a clatter after a few well-placed kicks, revealing a large fan and the opening to the pipe. He kicked at the fan until it finally fell away, giving just enough room to move into the machine. “I can’t see anything. It’s too dark.” He said, backing out of the opening. Glass stepped forward and moved in, his horn beginning to glow. “How much rope do we have?” He asked. Rainy dug through the bag and pulled out the rope we had left. “About thirty feet…” She said. “Not gonna be enough. See if there’s anything else we can use.” Opal looked up suddenly, and then grabbed Ironside. “Those panels on the wall! Start kicking them!” She said, her voice suddenly very serious. Ironside nodded, and began to attack the walls with his hind legs. The panel caved in slightly, and Opal rushed over, pulling at the now bent corner to reveal a mass of multi-colored wires crisscrossing through the wall. She began ripping the wires out of the wall with her hooves, piling them in the middle of the room. “Is this enough?” She said, looking at Glass. “We need a good hundred feet or so.” Rainy and Speedy began tying the now freed wires together, cording them as best they could. “We’re up to about sixty feet” Rainy called out. Ironside and Shores began kicking at the walls again, Glass and Dr. Opal tearing away at the loose panels. The screaming was drawing closer. Though we had a door between us and them, it wouldn’t hold for long. We had maybe five, ten minutes at the most before they reached us. “We don’t have any more time! This is going to have to do.” I said, grabbing some of the wires and cording them together. “Everybody get to work!” With all of us knotting the wires and rope together, the work took less than two minutes. I passed the end of the rope to Glass. “I’m not going to be able to do this, sir.” He said. “Why the hell not?” “Well, I can’t get up the pipe to attach it. We’re going to need someone else for this.” He said, looking at Speedy. “Shit.” She said, realizing all eyes were on her. “Fiine.” She said, rolling her eyes. She grabbed the rope in her mouth and walked into the open machine. “Don’t let it snag on anything while I’m moving. I don’t really want to fall halfway up there.” “Don’t worry about that, we’ve got it covered. Just get a move on.” I said, pushing her forward. She jumped up and began to fly up the pipe slowly. “Glass, move in there and give her some light.” After a few tense moments, the rope stopped sliding into the open pipe. Speedy called down from above “All clear! Just go one at a time, I don’t know how much weight this thing can hold!” I stepped away from the machine and addressed the remainder of our group. “Alright, we have an escape plan. Doc, you and Rainy will go first. Glass, Shores, you’re up next, followed by Ironside. The Sergeant and I will go last.” I gave Dr. Opal a sly smile and said “I hope you were good at gym class, doc.” “Only subject I got less than an A on.” She replied nervously. Rainy flew up the pipe quickly, followed by the doctor, who climbed slowly up the makeshift rope, cursing the whole way. “Alright Shores, you’re up.” I said, the Sergeant pushing him forward. “Yes, sir.” The screaming was nearly upon us now. Only another few minutes and they’d be at the door. Shores took a good minute and a half to reach the top, Glass waiting at the bottom for him to call the all clear. As soon as Shores yelled out, Glass took off like a rocket, moving up the rope. “Ironside, you ready?” I said, nudging the Private. “No, sir.” He replied curtly. “Too damn bad.” I said, pushing him towards the opening of the machine. “There isn’t enough time!” He shouted. “You two might get stuck down here!” “And what the hell does you getting stuck with us do to solve that?” The Sergeant spoke up. “All clear!” shouted Glass from the top of the pipe. PFC Ironsides backed away from the rope and looked at me. “It’s not right. I can’t just leave.” He said. “Private First Class Ironside.” I said coldly. “Need I remind you that I can take that new rank of yours away at any time? Disobeying a direct order from your superior officer seems like a pretty good reason to bust you down.” “…point taken, sir.” He said quietly, and began to climb. He had gotten almost halfway up the rope when the banging began. Meaty fists slammed against the metal door, the hollow percussion like thunder. “I think it’s for you, sir.” The Sergeant said wryly. “Damn missionaries.” I retorted. “I know what you’re planning, sir. I don’t like it.” “Too damned bad, Sergeant. There’s only enough time for one of us to get out of here, and you’re it.” “I respectfully disagree, sir.” He said, standing up. “I don’t think I like your tone, Sergeant.” I said, still watching the door vibrate from the impacts. “Duly noted.” He replied, and then everything went black.