Author: Joseph Marsh

Chapter 13

Tales of grandeur

	Emma Spent the next few hours enplaning everything she had been through to Minako who quietly listened, asking an occasional question here and there. Emma felt good being able to vent. It was nice to have some one she could trust, to talk to.  After they spoke Emma found a quiet nook in the module ate some of her survival food and fell asleep.  Again, she had nightmares but this time, she dreamed of faceless stalkers and rigged doors that exploded when she opened them. Always she felt a malevolent presence, following and watching her in her dreams. She was glad to finally wake in the morning, though, to say she felt rested would be pushing it.

	That night several woman found their way to the module, but Allan was still missing. Emma and Minako thought it best to keep the knowledge of a saboteur and their distance from known space quiet, at least, until they knew more. That morning, Emma talked to one of the new arrivals and she was told of a bearded man, matching Allan's description, entering a door not far form their position.
	“What!?” Emma said incredulously. The five foot, blond beauty stared blankly back at her. “A door?...”  She asked but was again met with a blank stare.  “As in a door too...?”  

	“I don't know. It just seemed to lead into a concrete thingy.” She reply scratching her head.
	“How have you survived so long in this place?” Emma said rolling her eyes. Never mind. Where is it? Can you find this door?” 

	“What are you thinking?” Minako asked, overhearing the conversation. “We should stay here. Your husband made me promise to look out for you on this little expedition. Granted, I don't think he quite had this place in mind. I keep my promises Em. Besides, the whole thing sounds too grandiose to me. No offense gorgeous.” 

	Emma pulled Minako aside and lowered her voice. “I'm thing my... Boy toy was it? I think boy toy Allan was holding out on me. I'm thinking he was following me in order to find the module he brought down. I know it's a long shot but think about it. Some one had to send that signal. At the very least, he can give us information that we can use to survive. He knows this planet better than any of us... And at the very, very least, I wanna kick his ass for running off like that. Not the best way in the would to earn my respect or trust.” 

	The two women exchanged a long look into each other's eyes, thinking over their options. Minako knew her friend well enough to know that when she made up her mind, she would not be dissuaded, unless you could completely put her at a loss for words. Not an easy feat. Then, without an other word, they turned on the blond again. “Well how about it sweetheart, can you guide us to that door?” Minako said with a seductive grin. She liked that grin. It tended to disarm people regardless of their sex. She was fond of saying “You can catch more flies with milk and sugar than explosives and hand guns.” She also had an other saying. “If at first you don't succeed, your using the wrong weapons.”

	The blond, Sam was her name, agreed and two more women volunteered to go as well. Petra, a soft spoken, petite little thing with brown hair and Arra a tall, pail skinned, Eastern European girl, with curly brown hair and glacier blue eyes. She spoke with a thick accent and cursed in her native tongue, witch none but her understood. 
	
	Before leaving, Minako hacked into the module's sparse armory and took out three plasma rifles and the other set of nano-armor for Emma. Emma offered up her cloths but strangely only Arra accepted. Arra was the only one with experience firing a weapon, besides Emma and Minako, so she was given the other rifle. After Emma donned her armor and the team was equipped their rifles, they headed out.
	
	It didn't take them long to find the door. It was hidden, mostly in vines and brush but still managed to stick out like a sore thumb. It seemed to lead underground, though there was no obvious structure beneath. There was a key pad on the door and a small round window. The window was dirty to the point that the only thing they could tell by looking through it, was that it was dark inside.
	
	“When you saw him enter, did he seem to know the combination?” Emma asked.
	
	“What do you mean?” Asked sam. Still looking confused.
	
	“Did he spend a lot of time out here or did he just punch in some numbers and open the door? We want to know if he looked like he'd been here before.” Minako said. She spoke slowly, as if trying to explain something to a child.
	
	“I think, maybe he knew the number.” she said shrugging. Emma and Minako exchanged another one of their thinking glances and tuned on the door.
	
	“Can you hack it?” Emma asked. She folder her arms looking at the lock with disdain.
	
	Minako sighed and crossed her arms as well “Not without a nano-hack kit or two or three days of brute force random button pushing.”
	
	“Hmm... Plan B then?” Emma asked with a mischievous grin.
	
	Minako returned her smile “Plan B.” she agreed. She unslung her plasma rifle from her back and blasted the lock with it, melting a softball sized hole in the door. It swung outward with a gust of cool air that carried the smell of a dank cave with it. “After you partner.” she said gesturing toward the door. “Watch your ass honey, I know I am.” she winked, then gestured for the others to join them.
	
	Emma clicked her flashlight on. It was mounted on the lower tac-rail of her plasma rifle. She then headed down the stairs but as she entered, all the lights clicked on, illuminating the long path down. She paused for a second and exchanged a confused glance with Minako. Minako shrugged and after a moment, waived her on. After a moment's hesitation, Emma killed her light, slung her rifle and continued, the rest of her party following close behind. It wasn't long before they came to a fork in the road. The stairs ended in a small landing with two doors, each leading in opposite directions.

	“Meet back here in half an hour.” Emma said gesturing toward the door to the left. Arra nodded acknowledgment then cursed in her language, shaking her head.

	Minako and Emma took the path to the right and the other three followed the path to the left. Since Arra had the plasma rifle, she went first, followed by Sam then Petra. As the five woman exited the landing, the doors closed behind them and locked. Then a magnetic field activated around Arra's team's exit. It would render their plasma rifle useless on the locking mechanism. Only one of the women was aware of these goings on, however. She wasn't about to tell any one though. This was all going according to their plans. She smiled to herself as the lights in the hall went out, drowning the three of them in darkness.