🚀 go-pugleaf

ADMIN: Characters written the following authors, alphabetically listed;
       Quig             Carl Fogelin      (fogelinc@cyanamid.com)
       MaryMary         Steve Masticol    (masticol@cs.rutgers.edu)
       'Kaena           Mike Metlay       (metlay@netcom.com)
       D'Fi             John Sinteur      (sinteur@fourc.nl)

                  Episode framework by: Carl Fogelin
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That was more _excitement_ than Quig wanted in one day, but he had
his suspicions that the _fun_ was only starting.  Since they were
now MIA, landing at Parson's Field would be inappropriate.

Pulling out his map, Quig went forward to where D'Fi was sitting,
to compare maps.

'Kaena, his stomach resettling, looked out the window at the landscape
flying by, his expression stern.

Now up front, "Where are we?" inquired Quig.

"Here" pointed D'Fi, "lower left corner of grid twenty-four twelve.
Right where MaryMary told me to fly to."

Quig looked at his map and carefully compared what he saw with the
surroundings.  "Hmmm" said Quig, "We need to get to Pitcher's Retreat"
pointing to a section on D'Fi's map.  "I make it to be about three
miles away.  There's an entrance to the 'combs there which we can use."  

"Ok... why is it called Pitcher's Retreat?"

"Huh?  Oh, from the air it looks like a baseball diamond.  You know,
Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, Commisky Park?"  After a pause, "You
do know what baseball is, don't yah?"

D'Fi thaought a bit.  "Is it like bashball?"

"Well, yes and no...  It's similar, but baseball doesn't condone
violence..."

"Anyway, in the center of that _diamond_ is a mound which contains an
entrance to the tunnels.  I figure that's the best entrance to use.
It's not well known, and I think it connects to the tunnel we want."

Now looking at his map, "We start here, then move over to chute 1-alpha
there, then... 337... shaft beta223..."  As Quig spoke, the map rotated
left and right until he looked up smiling and said "...which gets us to
the tunnel where that erroded vitrifoam plug is."

MaryMary bit her lower lip.  "Hey Quig, we've got no kind of nav system
to help us out.  We can't even drop breadcrumbs in case we get lost.  You
sure about that route?"

Grinning ear to ear, Quig quipped "Yup!"

*******

Pitcher's Retreat did indeed look like a baseball field, though one made
from rock and sand.  They landed by the presumed tunnel entrance.  While
the hopper's main engine was spinning down, D'Fi decided it was a good
time to do some briefing.

"Okay, listen up," said D'Fi, "might as well get in the right mood.
Quig, you take the point, you..."

"I'll take point" interjected 'Kaena, "Quig has no military training."

D'Fi turned to 'Kaena and said "I figured you would bring up the rear
and watch our backs."  After a momentary pause, D'fi continued.  "Okay.
'Kaena takes point and MaryMary brings up the rear.  I want the map
near the front.  Quig, you follow 'Kaena and watch the left sector,
I'll watch the right."

Everyone started to pick up their bits of equipment while D'Fi continued
his briefing.  "Keep fifteen to twenty meters distance, and no talking.
If you need the attention of of the person in front of you, slap your
thigh twice, like this."  D'Fi hardly made a noise, just enough to be
heard.

"'Kaena, you ever walked point before?"

"I usually work alone."

"Ok, there's a couple of things.  Keep an ear out for this <slap><slap>
signal, and look back every now and then.  Most importantly though, do
you know what to do if we get separated?"

"Head for an agreed upon rendezous location?"

"Almost.  Every time you see a likely rendezvous spot, say every 
kilometer or so, you make this signal."  D'Fi lifted his hand over his
head and drew a small circle in the air.  "Then you point to the spot
you picked.  We will pass it on.  That gives us a fresh rendezvous."

"Also, when 'Kaena makes this signal..."  D'Fi put his fist over his
head, "... he has spotted something bad.  Stop whatever you're doing
and squat."

It had been a looong time since Quig had gotten a brief like that.  Old
cobwebs were being stirred.  As to the comment about lack of military
training, that wasn't exactly true.  He decided not to correct 'Kaena's
statement.  It was better that the party thought he had no training than
to depend on what little he remembered.

*******

Quig had failed to mention that the tunnel's entrance was caved in, but
he had brought some ore-jacking equipment which opened the tunnel in no
time at all.  The others finished unpacking the ICARUS and loaded up the
skimmer they had brought along for movement in the tunnels.  And, just
like Quig promised, he managed to guide them to where the vitrifoam plug
was.

"Quig, I had my doubts about you, and your psych profile says I should,"
said MaryMary, "But to hell with 'em -- the doubts and the profile.  You
sure do know your ways around the tunnels."

Quig gave her a wry smiled ("Good thing one tunnel looks like another to
these tin-horns.  I would have sworn that the second-left was the
appropriate turn") and said "Thanks."

"Let's get on with it," 'Kaena said, hoisting the duffel bag to his back
and securing it with arm straps.  It vanished into the shadows.  He
pulled out one of the handguns, a pistol with a standard grip and two
needle-thin barrels, over and under it.  Checking the readout, he read
"Little gun OK."  He then checked the other hip, which had a pistol with
no barrel at all, just a metal sphere attached to the grip. "Big gun OK."
Then the rifle.  "REALLY big gun OK."  'Kaena then stood watch while the
others made themselves ready.

Quig asked D'Fi to help him put his pack on.  When D'Fi lifted the small
pack, he was surprised at the weight and grunted "What have you got in
there, lead?"

"Nope, just a bunch of useful items and my sweet Betsy."  Quig then 
grabbed his walking cane and proclaimed he was ready.

'Kaena nodded, unsurprised.  _Betsy_ was Quig's jackhammer.  If he was
carrying her in that small pack, it meant that the crazed miner had
access to better technology than he'd been letting on.  'Kaena shifted
the shadows on his back selfconsciously.

D'Fi played with the skimmer controls, and suddenly its color started
matching the background.

'Kaena reached over his shoulder and pulled a pair of mirrored sun
glasses from the pack.  He fitted them on; they covered his eyes
completely.  "Ready."

Taking his point position, 'Kaena, followed by Quig, D'Fi, and lastly
MaryMary climbed the foam wall, traversed the burrowed passage and
decended into the dark tunnel.

*******

Viewing through ultraviolet, the cavern lost a lot of detail.  Edges
stood out strong, but there wasn't the coloration detail that people
took as commonplace.  The area was noticable wet, with lichen and
similar plant-like organisms clinging to the walls.  The floor was a
mushy mud, a couple of inches deep.  Sounds of dripping water and 
small creatures could be heard, resonating off the walls of the tunnel.  

And there was something else.  The party felt like they were being
watched...

'Kaena's ears went back flat against his head.  In hushed tones he
said "I'll scout forward.  Cover my back."  And with that, he crouched
down into the shadows... and vanished.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Carl Fogelin (fogelinc@cyanamid.com)

   "You want to be a hero... You are a hero.  I saw what you did in
   there.  I saw the way you faced down those monsters.  I've never
   seen anything more heroic than that.  How can you say you're not
   a hero?"  -- The Barsoom Project, Larry Niven & Steve Barnes