Cave-In

[knux400]

As much as you'd love to just sit, this is a good opportunity to get some socialization in. It'll be more comfortable here in a one-on-one situation than it will be later, you tell yourself.

"How do you tell when a wand is out of batteries? And any other important safety info to keep in mind?"

"Well, after that incident I told you about, we made it so each person has to carry one at all times while in the mine, so batteries are less of an issue now. But to answer your question, there's a blinking red light that starts going off when the battery is low. After that, it just stops working entirely. I think it lasts for a few minutes while the light is blinking."

You nod.

"Uhh, other safety stuff... If you don't have night vision of some kind, keep a flashlight on you at all times, watch for falling rocks or sudden drop-offs, and always have a buddy with you when you're exploring. Don't go out alone. I think that's all the big ones, but obviously just have common sense and stay alert."

"So what's the schedule for today? What does a typical workday look like here?"

"Depends on what you're doing exactly. You're going to be on the surveying team, so you won't be doing any actual mining. It's your job to find the best spots for digging up crystals, as well as making sure the cave is safe for bringing in heavy equipment. The rest of your team will be able to show you the ropes and tell you what to look for specifically. Surveying isn't really my line of work, so I can't get into many specifics beyond that.

As for your schedule, it's pretty flexible since these are caves we've never been in. We've got no idea how much time we can allocate to exploring each cave system, so you really just need to be out of there at around 5:00 so we can give you a ride back to the main building, otherwise you're going to be walking the whole way. Or rolling, I guess. Just keep track of how far you've been and how long it'll take you to get out. That's something the rest of your team can help with, too."

As Ortho is finishing his sentence, they pull up to a handful of other similar vehicles, all parked haphazardly a few feet away from some tall metal fences with barbed wire across the top. They pull out a key and unlock the gate, leading you inside. A large hole in the ground dominates your vision, with various crates and excavation equipment scattered along the edge. There are several walkways leading to the center, where a square framework houses a large elevator that descends down as far as you can see- and presumably a lot deeper than that.

"Oh yeah, and here's your key to get in and out of the gate. You've got fingers, right?"
"Yup." You raise a claw and reveal three small digits that were tucked inside your shell. "I've got some pockets in here, too."
"Great. Most crawlers have stuff like that nowadays, but you can never be sure."

They hand you the key and you tuck it inside your shell, sliding it into one of the many small pouches lining the inside. Meanwhile, Ortho steps onto the walkway, motioning for you to follow. Once you're both on the elevator, they press the button labeled "-9.25". The elevator slowly descends, bringing the two of you deeper into darkness. You can't help but peer out the sides- this cave is immense, and all the floodlights lining the walls begin to look like stars in the night sky. Ortho follows your gaze.

"Believe it or not, this is one of the smaller ones."

You simply continue to stare, awestruck.

"Anyway, this elevator takes a while, so... Anything else you wanted to chat about?"