What seemed like an age passed as the crude elevator rattled slowly upwards, the three occupants unsure of what awaited them at the top of this terrifying ride. More than once a scorching updraft from the lava below blew at the elevator, making it sway like a chestnut on a string. Eventually, the elevator reached the top.

They stepped off the elevator and into hell. The stench hit them first; a stomach-clenching, gagging smell that made them want to throw up. Then their eyes caught up with them.

The cabin they had ascended into was about the size of the main hall at Fowl Manor, but the walls were lined with filthy iron cages and open coffins were stacked high at the far end, between two thin flights of stairs that curved upwards towards an upper deck. There was a single, slumbering drone leaning against a wall, who stirred as the elevator arrived.

“Prisoner transfer?” it growled. John nodded.

“From the main cells,” he replied, trying to sound Drone-like. “Taking it to queen. She wants a slave.”
The drone was clearly suspicious.

“Show your squad-mark,” it demanded.

“Umm.. err” said John, his eyes darting from side to side, and then shot the Drone.

“Boring conversation anyway. Let’s see if we’ve got anyone alive in here.” He stooped to pick up the keys, passing them to Holly. Artemis unlocked the manacles, and Holly massaged her wrists before setting to work.

Most of the cells were empty; a few contained corpses, and one contained a living person.

“Mulch? What?” Holly seemed confused when her former business partner walked out of a cell. He looked around, blinking in the light, before looking straight at Holly.

“You took your time, Short. I was beginning to give up hope.”

Holly laughed, tears of joy welling in her eyes, and hugged the dwarf tightly. She broke away, laughing, and hugged him again. After several minutes, John tapped on her shoulder.

“Can we wrap this up? The explosives are planted, and this place is going big-kaboom-bye-bye any minute.”

Holly managed to pull herself away, and turned. John passed her the hellhammer dropped by the drone, then finished wiring the detonator to the explosives.

“Right. Well then, shall we leg it?”

“That would be the logical thing to do,” said Artemis, and the quartet left with haste. They ascended the stairs that led to the upper cabin, and were met by three armed drones. Instinctively, Holly shielded, darting around the room and taking down the first drone. A quick shot from John took out the second, and Mulch charged the third. Within moments, they were all down.

The barge had been piloted into a holding area, and parked inbetween two other barges. A gangplank was extended from the ground nearby, and four drones ran up into the cabin.

Some other stories by LEP-recon124:

• Easing back into this...
• Probably the coolest thing ever (Part one of a series that I have no idea when will finish)
• LEP-centurion001 part two
• Pariah (a dreams and nightmares spin-off)
• LEP-centurion001