“Elevator.” Kowalski voiced whatthey all thought.
“How long?” John was almostbeside him.
“Ninety seconds, max.”
They began climbing as quickly asthey could, the sound of the elevator becoming louder every second as itplummeted towards them from the blackness above. There were no lights on theelevator – no way of knowing how close it was.
John and Kowalski made it to thetop and swung themselves into the tunnel. Almost as soon as his feet hit theground John turned and grabbed at Gillespie’s rope. He nearly lost balance andtook a second to steady himself.
“Give me a hand to pull him up!”
Kowalski obeyed and they rippedon the rope, dragging Gillespie up. As soon as he was in reach, John grabbedback of his jacket. Kowalski dropped his weight on the rope in a final rip,then let it go as John heaved Gillespie over the edge and the man lifted hisfeet clear seconds before the elevator plunged past.
The rope rocketed past Kowalski,snapping like a whip, and he buried his face in his hands as he rolled clear. John overbalanced with Gillespie’s weight, and tripped on Kowalski. The ropesnapped the walls and disappeared down the shaft with the elevator, echoing asit cracked its way into the dark.
For a minute, the three of themlay tangled up, light beams angling in all directions, and coughing for breath,as a cloud of dust rose about them. John pushed Gillespie away and tried tountangle his legs so he could stand.
“I’m getting too old for this,”Gillespie groaned.
“You’re getting slow,” John toldhim before the dust in his throat had him coughing again. He let it clearbefore continuing. “You used to cover that distance in under sixty seconds.”
“Who won?” Gillespie took John’soffered hand and pulled himself to his feet.
“Who cares?” The more John triedto dust himself off, the more dust he was actually stirring up.
“What do you mean, who won?”Kowalski wanted to know. “That’s not fair. You didn’t tell me it was a race.”
“You were racing when you heardthat elevator,” John reminded him. “Madison to Bismarck. Ready to transport.”
“Bringing you up now, sir.” Lorraine’s voice was a welcome sound.
Kowalski was still complaining toGillespie about the unfair race. John knew there was something wrong when theywere still underground a few seconds later.
“Lorraine?” he queried.
“The transporter won’t lock onproperly. The crystals are causing interference. Can you hold on a minute?”
“Not like we’re going anywhere,”he muttered.
“Sir?” Lorraine queried.
He hadn’t meant her to hearthat. “When you’re ready, Lorraine.”
“Yes, sir.”
He looked at Gillespie andKowalski, who were still arguing. He was better off staying out of that. Heshivered as the chill set in, telling himself it was just because he wascooling down.
“I can get two of you outeasily,” Lorraine informed John. “The third will have to wait to see whateffect the crystals have on the systems.”
“Take Gillespie and Kowalski.”
“No,” Gillespie cut in. “Takethe commander. I’ll stay.”
“Take Gillespie and Kowalski,”John repeated firmly. “That’s an order,” he added. glaring Gillespie intosilence.
As they disappeared, John pulledout a crystal and sat down.
“All this for a couple of rocks,”his breath escaped. He put the crystal away, drew his knees up and wrapped hisarms around them. It was quiet. The darkness closed in on him. Heconcentrated on his breathing, trying to remain calm while he waited.
No sooner had they materialisedon the ship than Gillespie switched his light off and charged at thetransporter console. “Get him up,” he ordered.
“I can’t, sir,” Lorraineanswered. “The crystals drained the power. We’ll have to wait for it torecharge.”
“Sam?” Gillespie wanted a secondopinion.
“Sounds right.” Kowalski had toagree with Lorraine.
Gillespie reached across theconsole. “Re-route power from somewhere else.”
“You’ll overload the circuits.”
“I don’t care how many circuitsyou blow. Just get him out!”
Lorraine looked at the console. The power was reading five percent.
“Ease up a bit,” Kowalskifrowned, unbuckling his helmet and lifting it off his head. The light wasstill on – as was Gillespie’s – and he switched it off.
“I’ll do it myself.” Gillespieknew the systems, knew where to draw power from. As the circuits began toblow, he bypassed them.
“Take these to engineering.” Kowalski gave his collection bag to Lorraine and unbuckled his belt, letting itfall to the floor. “I’ll sort this.”
She stepped clear of the console,but remained inside the doorway. He took her place, patching up the holesGillespie was making.
John heard the elevator again. It was coming up, getting closer. He turned off his light; it was completelyblack. He saw the light from the elevator shaft. Nothing but a faint haze atfirst, rapidly brightening and thickening as the elevator rose. He froze as itstopped on his level.
“We’re pulling you out.” Gillespie’s voice was a welcome relief.
“I’m not alone.”
John was on his feet. As hebegan to dematerialise, he saw the Centauri’s step off the elevator. He heaveda sigh of relief as he stepped – stumbled and almost fell – off the transporterpad.
Gillespie caught his eyes, aworried look on his face.
“Thank you,” John acknowledged. “Centauri’s are down there. I saw them as you were bringing me up, so I assumethey saw me.”
“They wouldn’t know you though,”Gillespie hoped.
“No, but they’ll be on thelookout for an Earth ship. We need to get away from here.”
“No go, sir,” Kowalski informedthem. “Gillespie just blew half the remaining circuits pulling you out.”
If Gillespie should have feltguilty, it didn’t show. Not in the slightest.
Lorraine glared at him.
John unclipped the bag from hisbelt. “Then you better get these crystals down to engineering and let me knowwhat you do have left.”
“Yes, sir,” Kowalski answered.
John took off his helmet and belt– the ropes were lost to the mine shaft – and began to put his gear away.
“Sam.” Gillespie unclipped hisbag and unbuckled his belt.
“What?” Kowalski snapped.
John frowned, his attentionshifting between the two men before spying Lorraine’s anger.
Gillespie tossed his bag. Kowalski caught it, his glare full of unspoken words before he headed out thedoor with Lorraine.
“Lorraine.” Gillespie dumped hishelmet on the console and raced after her.
She didn’t answer, didn’t evenstop.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you.” Hisvoice was soft.
“Are you?” she ground out,stopping momentarily.
“Yes. I don’t take out myfrustrations on women.”
“Is that what you call it?” Sheturned to face him, but she wasn’t
