They remained on alert, waiting to see if another tremor would occur. Nothing for a few moments, but another trembling was soon felt, lighter this time, but intense enough to see some fine cracks forming across the walls.

"Were these... earthquakes?" Although a possibility, it was rather unlikely for such phenomenon to transpire in this region.

"I don't know-" Billy had a good look around, his expression frowned, as he sensed a potential danger. "We're god knows how many feet underground- and I don't like what I see on those walls... we should work our way back up- now." She nodded in agreement, as she pulled out the disk.

They backtrack to the elevator, visible damage all around: small chunks of cement came off the ceiling, dust and dirt particles filling the pungent air. Something definitely happened, but the exact cause remained unknown. A quick push of the button, yet they received no response.

"The door won't open..." Her features creased. Everything was fine before that quake... She tried a few more times, but still nothing.

"Whatever happened, it must've cause some damage-" With the elevator being the only way back up, their options were very limited. Maybe there's something in that room we could use to break open the door- if it can even be done... He gave her a small pat on the back, and gestured back in direction of the control room.

"What are we looking for, exactly?" She assume his reasoning.

"Anything that could help us pry open the door-" He confirmed. "Just be careful while looking around-" They scouted the area; browsing through desks and metal shelves, hoping to find something useful. They looked and looked, but could spot no tools or keys.

"What do we do?" Her eyes trailed the cracks along the walls. His response wasn't prompt; his eyes narrowed, a hand on his chin, he appeared in deep reflection.

"The doctor-" A thought jolted. "He said something about knowing how to get Ruben out without being seen..." He scanned the room. "Which means there's a passage somewhere - maybe a vent - that connects this place to the outside - or another building..." It was a very likely possibility.

"Like an emergency or maintenance shaft?" He nodded in response. "Makes sense... but the way it sounded-" He omitted one detail. "That passage would be hidden somewhere in that room... the one where-" Her eyes scowled; she didn't need to finish her sentence.

"That might be it-" He pointed towards a visible grid; he pulled away a cabinet, and free the way to a ventilation shaft. "It's a tight fit, but big enough for both of us to crawl through." Although bolted to the wall, a good kick was all it took to break open the old and rusty cover. He leaned in; the air was heavy, with no light whatsoever. "I didn't see any flashlight while looking around-"

"I didn't either..." She shook her head. Proceeding through in complete darkness would not be without risks, but this was their one and only escape route. "We'll just have to be careful..."

"Can you manage?" He refocused his attention onto her. A quick glance down at her injury, his expression a struggle between hesitancy and frustration.

"I have no choice." There were no other answers. He sighed, shook his head, and proceeded in first.

The path was straightforward, with the occasional turns; the inside somewhat cold, the humming of generators and machinery vibrating through the crawling space. They moved at slower pace, her wound affecting her mobility. Several minutes passed, a quick pause every now and then, to allow her to rest a bit. They eventually reached the end of the vent, to a small opening with a ladder leading up. An emergency light gleamed a reddish hue, about twenty feet above.

"Not the sturdiest-" He pulled on the side rails. "But if we watch our step, we should be ok." He climbed worse, back at the water treatment plant. Once again, he proceeded first; keeping a steady grip, he slowly climbed up. All was well, until another quake shortly followed; the ladder felt the impact, a few of its brackets loosening up. They remained still, unsure on what would follow.

"We're almost at the next floor... I think-" He could see what looked like grid with a small opening, and the ladder continuing up, for another sixty feet or so. "We'll make it out- just don't worry alright?" He turned to look at her, an anxious expression as her reply.

They resumed their climbing, and past the first emergency light; dust and small floating debris filling the shaft, making it more difficult to keep their eyes opened. A change in the air was soon felt, becoming thicker, a burning scent adding an unsettling vibe.

"Billy... I think-" She feared what she could smell.

"I know." He caught up to her worries. The last thing we need, is a goddamn fire! His mind screamed. He picked up the pace, feeling an increase in temperature. They finally reached the meshed platform, a clear checkpoint between floors.

"That's a long way up still... and a long way down..." Her eyes traveled from the remaining climb, to the shaft they came from. Her heartbeat increased, a shiver waved across her body. She could feel her wound pulsing, the pain slowly resurfacing. And then, came drops from above.