Cave-In

[knux400]

You may access your internal database to request more information on any text in this update or previous updates. Highlight the text you would like details on and select the "Quote" option when composing a reply.

---

With Matri and Exclusit's help, you've already told Delve everything you know about your situation, horror and all. They seemed taken aback at first, but calmed down surprisingly quickly.

"Did you have anyone with you when you fell? Was there a buddy we should look out for?"
"I-was-wiith-two-other-people-wheen-I-fell. Riya-is-the-HR-director, I'm-espeecially-worried-about-heer. She-waasn't-even-supposed-to-bee-down-here, but-there-was-soome-kind-of-dispute-and-she-had-to-come-doown-here-to-get-everyone-to-fill-out-forms-and-whaatnot. She's-a-Flexin, so-I'm-worrried-about-her-getting-hurt-down-here."

You remember what a Flexin is, vaguely. They're balloon creatures that spawn under specific conditions. Their physiology seems particularly ill-suited to this environment. If a horror were to get a good swipe in with its claws...

"Thee-other-person-I-was-with, I-didn't-know-too-well. I-think-their-name-was-Sarah? They're-a-gesabott. That's-aboout-all-I-know. We-didn't-talk-much. But-if-whaat-you-said-about-the-shifting-tunnels-is-truue, theey-could-be-anywhere-down-here."

Gesabotts... You barely remember anything about them other than their name. They look inorganic, but you honestly have no idea. The only thing you can remember for sure is the distinctly plug-shaped tail the species shares.

"Got it. Right now the plan is to try and burn our way out, but we'd need to get through the layer of stone first..."
"And-there's-no-waay-of-knowing-if-we're-at-the-edge-or-noot."
"Right. Do you have anything with you we can use as fuel?"
"No. But..."

Delve looks down for a moment, thinking to himself.

"Wee-don't-have-to-burn-our-way-ouut, necessarily."
"What do you mean?"
"Horrors-are-made-of-goooey-stuff, right-Maatri?"
"Yeah." Matri nods.
"If-wee-had-adequaate-protection, it-miight-be-possible-to-swim-through. Soomething-biig-and-built-for-underwater-traavel. I-could-probably-do-it-myself, eeven."
"That's... That could work." Matri puts a fin on their chin. "Of course, you wouldn't be able to see anything, and sonar would be basically useless with how thick that stuff is. You'd be swimming completely blind. And the rest of us would have to have a vehicle, otherwise we'd get waterlogged... horrorlogged? And potentially torn apart or crushed if it happens to shift while we're inside it."
"It's something, at least." Exclusit chimes in. "It would allow us to travel further through the horror than just burning a hole in it. And we wouldn't need large amounts of fuel to pull it off."
"Exaactly." Delve replies.
"Well... Do you know of any submersible vehicles we could use?" You ask.
"...No. There-miight-be-other-Sheala-frames-doown-here, but-nothiing-that-would-accomodaate-the-rest-of-you."
"So we have yet another abstract idea of how to escape, but no tangible means of doing it. Great." Exclusit laments.
"It's more than we had before!" Matri offers.

Everyone turns to you for a plan. How exactly did you manage to become the leader of this group again?