The Quarry

[Rage Menelas]

[font=Lucida Sans Unicode]Ryan moved down the darkened corridor, feeling the wall with his hands. He was very unsteady on his feet, the medication muddling his balance. He was just basically as confused as hell. Where was Laura? He had come to depend on her to be there for him. And why was that Dalq'chette mucking with him in his sleep...? That was a little much to accept! Just his luck! ...dreaming of a babe like Laura and it turns out to be some deformed alien chick instead...! Well, quarantine be damned, he was leaving!

He suddenly heard a noise up ahead, slunk backward against the wall. By chance he slipped into an alcove. Comforted by this seclusion, he stayed put until the noise up ahead died. Now his eyes were starting to cope with the dimmed lighting. It was not totally dark after all but just subdued, a soft yellow glow permeating the corridor. He blinked hard, rubbed his eyes, drew a deep breath and left his sanctuary.

Passing several chambers along the way, he glanced furtively within each in turn. Finding nothing of interest, he continued on. In his drugged state, he really didn't know what he was looking for. All the rooms seemed to be duplicates of the one he had just left. Some had people asleep on a high table-bed; some were empty. Laura wasn't in any of them.

Abruptly, the corridor ended. It dumped out into a large, spacious room with rows of tables and air-chairs. Against the left wall was a partially enclosed area with machinery within. Even in his impaired state, Ryan recognized it as sustenance equipment. This had to be the cafeteria. It must be very late now as the facility was darkened and empty; no diners present. He glanced back the way he had come. Not much choice, either go through this room or retrace his path and try the opposite direction. He wished his brain was working better; everything was so fuzzy. He decided to cross the room to the corridor at the far end.

Halfway there he heard voices again, coming from both directions this time, behind and in front of him. He was trapped! He stumbled into the galley area, where the sustenance machines were lined up like dutiful soldiers on parade. There he danced around for a few seconds looking for somewhere to hide. A door located between two rows of machinery suddenly looked promising; it looked to be large enough to hide in. The voices were coming dangerously close now as he pulled on the door and leaped inside.

The smell was horrendous as he hit the chute. It was greased with old food and he slid down it at a scary rate of speed. He pressed his hands against either side trying to slow his wild descent. It did no good whatsoever; he continued downward at break-neck speed. After a small eternity the chute spat him out into the cold environment of Hei'a 12. He landed in a stale, fetid, semi-frozen heap of refuse, naked and dazed.