>>5308747Landing with a dull ‘<span class="mu-i">squeak</span>’ on the lower conveyor belt, you allow a sigh of relief as you find whatever was causing the zaps earlier torn into several metal chunks! While Vivaldi stands next to it like a dog that just tore up a pillow, Art and Sybil take a breather next to what appears to be some kind of…. <span class="mu-g">MAINTENANCE PASSAGE</span> leading upwards!
“There ya’ are.” Art observes with a grin as you trot over to your two pals. “Thanks for sending help–a second later and I’d be a fly in a bug zapper.”
“I’m sorry again, Artie…” Sybil adds as she runs a hand over his helmeted head, “I would have aided you as well if I wasn’t-”
“Relax, alright?” Interrupts the rent-a-cop, “You don’t have to be perfect <span class="mu-i">24/7</span>, y’know…”
Ignoring Syb’s flustered giggling and the bile rising in the back of your throat, you shift your attention from the lovebirds over to the passage. So, you say as you clear your throat, what’s this, then?
“Oh, right!” Art remarks as if just remembering, “Your uh, your friend here tore <span class="mu-i">that</span> off its hinges.” he explains, pointing to the remains of what you assume was some kind of mesh or zappy machine. “Mid-smash, though, I guess he accidentally tore a part of the wall away.”
“Convenient.” Sybil observes as she peeks into the recess leading upwards. “It would appear to be a service hatch of sorts.”
It sure does, you nod, and even better, it looks like the golems use it too–rather than a massive, rusty ladder towering overhead, you instead find a ramp spiraling upwards along with some sort of <span class="mu-g">CARGO LIFT</span> in the middle! Score!
“You can say that again.” Art chuckles. “This should take us up pretty far, don’t you think?”
Before you can respond, a series of blood curdling shrieks ring out across the main waste shaft… or was it the maintenance one?
As you deliberate further with your pals, two more sets of feet drop onto the belt behind you–one belonging to Ernesto, of course, who lands like a pile of bricks, and Talbot, who lands like a pile of <span class="mu-s">JERK!</span>
“Yep, I made it…” Talbot says with a shrug as he and Ernesto approach the group. “Ooh, secret passage.”
“Where have you been anyways?” Art asks as he rises to his feet.
Eating <span class="mu-i">garbage</span>, you answer with a smug grin!
“Hey, it didn’t <span class="mu-i">taste</span> like trash, alright??” Talbot counters in an offended tone! “Besides, you know what goes into hot dogs?”
He’s gonna know what your <span class="mu-s">FIST</span> goes into if he ever uses you as a shield again!
“I thought you were gonna armor up! Shoot me!”
Oh, you’re definitely thinking about it!
>CONTD. 