A few at first, like a mist slowly descending, but the flow quickly increased to something akin to a small waterfall siding one of the walls. They looked up, their eyes widening, as they noticed several streams coming down. The entire shaft was rendered wet, the ladder now a slippery hazard.
"Fuck-" He cursed. His mind was in chaos, his survival skills and military composure put through the ultimate test once again. There was no way back, only upward. But to where, and whether or not they could make it out safely, was hammering in his head.
"We have to keep going..." Her tone was low, laced with extreme fatigue and a pained expression. She pressed against her injury, feeling moisture coming through the bandages; she glimpsed at her hand, and saw the crimson print left on her skin. "Just... give me a minute..." She pulled out an extra gauze roll and a tube of petrolatum, and tried to stay clear of water the best she could.
"You're-" He was cut off by a hand gesture, and the faintest of smile. Although her field of expertise was pediatrics, she had solid knowledge on various surgical procedures. She had sutured her wound with precision, giving the quivering of her hands, and the stress and rush she was under. But the unexpected physical activities that followed, greatly compromised the healing process.
"I won't end up... like Jase..." She gave him a reassuring look, as she applied the gel. A few more minutes, and she was once again fully patched up, and ready to go. "After you..." She gestured in the direction of the ladder.
"Not this time-" He shook his head. "You go first- if you slip, I can catch you." She didn't argue, for it was both a thoughtful and logical decision. They continued on, each step feeling like a gamble. The temperature clashed between an increase in heat, and the cold water splashing on them. The visibility worsened, the air much thicker, with the burning scent now blending with that of rust and damp.
"There's the other platform..." She could see a glimpse, right above another emergency light. They climbed to the second checkpoint, and noticed a small opening with a crawling space, and a faded sign that read: T01-TR. "That's..!?"
"Probably how Dr Nolhan escaped with Ruben." He recalled the name from the fortified door. "From the room he was kept in... to this hellhole." But if he knew about this path, how come no one else did? He pushed the thought aside, for now at least, as they faced a more pressing matter. The water flow was increasing from all sides, feeling as if the shaft was purposely being filled up. He leaned down, his face flush to the meshed floor; his eyes squinted, hoping to see if the water was accumulating at the bottom. But the situation, combined with the height they stood at, made it impossible to confirm.
"Things aren't looking good-" She shared his concerns.
"We keep going up..." His replies were limited. "Slow and steady... we can make it out." A few moments passed, before the pair resumed the climb.
Following a challenging and dangerous escape route, about eighty feet above B3, they eventually reached a hatch and a rusty sign. Anaka being in the lead, made things a bit trickier; the handle seemed jammed, and between injury and stand, she didn't have the strength or maneuvering space to dislodge it.
"Let's switch places, but be - very - careful-" Although hesitant to have her below him, he was the only one fit to potentially open the hatch. One thing was in their favor however, for they now stood above the water breach, making the uppermost part of the shaft dry, and the ladder somewhat safer. He tried turning the handle once, in the direction indicated by the arrow, but he was quick to notice long scratch marks opposite the instructions. These look fresh- which means the doctor and the boy really did come through here... how the hell did he managed- AND with a sick boy of all things??
With some effort and brute force, he finally managed to unloosen the handgrip, and open the hatch. He climbed inside a closet-size room, stretched an arm, and helped her up. He proceeded with a quick scan of their surroundings; resembling the lowest level, the cement walls were damp and cracks, combined with a tangled mess of pipes and wires, the floor covered in small puddles of rusty water. But fresh damage was also visible, most likely caused by the quakes, and the burning scent and thin layer of smoke still filled the air.
"How are you holding up?" He gave her a concerned look; she replied with a warm smile. She glimpsed at her bandages; although their clothes were more than just damp, the combination of gel and extra gauze seemed to have kept the cotton material dry. No sign of continuous bleeding, but the pain remained; nothing she couldn't manage however, their high adrenaline keeping them both going.
"Something's definitely on fire... but it seems to be from the lower levels." She felt the temperature cooler than before. "Do you think it was some kind of explosions..." He nodded in response.
Was it accidental... or intentional? His mind stormed with many possibilities. "Regardless, we need to get out of here..." He spotted a narrow door, a dry bloody print trailing from the mid panel to the handle. "And we need to be careful..." He pulled out his weapon, and opened the way to a low ceiling corridor. They proceeded on, with the occasional rat crawling between steps, a flickering emergency light found every twenty feet or so.
"Anaka-" He came to an abrupt halt. "Pull out your weapon, and stay - very - calm-" His eyes focused on the far ceiling, to where four pairs of legs crept in synchrony. She trailed his line of sight; an immediate chill ran down her spine.
