Rescue Run - Part IV

Posted on Fri Jan 9th, 2026 @ 6:15am by Lieutenant Katya Davi & Lieutenant Amy Gordon

1,763 words; about a 9 minute read

[PREVIOUSLY]

Kat could climb without the rope, allowing Amy to use it--at least for the ascent. She was almost halfway up the rock pile as she was going a little slower so she didn't risk dislodging too many rocks and causing another slide as the new debris had destabilized the entire mound. She paused, adjusting her grip on a large rock to turn around and see what Amy indicated. "That...is not good." Which was a gross understatement, to say the least. It was really, really, not good.

[CONTINUED]

A finger of lava was snaking its way out of a side tunnel. But the glow farther back indicated that the explosion--or whatever it had been--opened a fissure into a magma chamber. No wonder it was getting so hot. At least it was moving slowly. For now.

Kat turned and climbed faster, taking as much care as she could to not slip without going too slowly. While the temperature was now uncomfortable--even in the suits--she couldn't afford to be careless. Once she reached the top, she unhooked the rope and went over to Amy. "Now we need to find a way down, get the cart, and go."

"Yes let’s do that I really do not want to be here any longer." Amy casting a look back towards where that lava was coming from. She could swear she saw two glowing eyes which burned like red hot coals staring straight at her and Katya, then the tendril wrapping itself around the leg of one of the dead miners and pulling it towards its maw. She must be hallucinating? "That lava is alive..." she muttered quietly.

Amy's eyes flashed over to Katya, "I suggest we go up that ladder" pointing towards the direction of their escape. Maybe we can find another tunnel and get down from there." heading in that direction feeling a worried sensation, tightness in her chest.

Kat was picking up on Amy's emotions, and that mental image wasn't helping. "It's not going to get us up here." Although, depending on where the lava came from, it could collapse the entire cavern. And that ladder was made of wood.

She followed Amy to the ladder as she pulled out her tricorder. At least the tunnel went in the right direction, but it made a turn that took it farther from the opening. Hopefully they could find a way down before then.

Amy scrambled up the ladder, having to slow her climb as she slipped on the rung barely catching herself. She didn't want to drop down upon Katya, and the two of them taking a tumble downwards. A quiet eep escaped her lips as she caught herself and her next initial move, assisted by the surge of adrenaline. She was up into the tunnel that the ladder led to. She moved to get out of Katya's way, her gasping for air, feeling somewhat relieved at being on higher ground. "Okay which direction." her voice shaky.

Kat waited until Amy was off the ladder to start her own climb, just in case it couldn't hold their combined weight. She went as fast as she felt she could, safely. She didn't want to rush into danger, or make a stupid mistake. Not that Amy was, but Kat tried to be aware of her surroundings in case she got turned around in the bowels of a ship or station. When she caught up to Amy, she pointed. "That way. Stop ten meters before the tunnel turns. I want to check the floor."

Amy pulled out her tricorder to make certain that she didn't go beyond the ten meter mark, and proceeded as quickly as she could, taking comfort in the harness which hugged her through the EV suit. She rounded the corner, stopped at the ten meter mark and waited for Katya to arrive to where she stood.

As Kat approached, the ground trembled again and she had to brace against the wall of the tunnel for balance. A low rumble sounded farther back, followed by a dull roar. She turned around to use her tricorder. "Part of the lower cave collapsed a hundred yards behind us. The lava flow has increased."

She hurried up to Amy and checked the ground below them. "This is the thinnest section of tunnel. If there's a way down, it'll be around here." It was more than just the thickness. They'd need to use their phasers to cut a way down, and she didn't want to cause the rock around the hole they had to cut to destabilize and collapse the area around it.

She walked around the space, carefully measuring density and stability, then stopped. "Right here." She took out her phaser and began to burn a hole.

Amy watched Katya, then pulled out her own phaser aiming it at the same area. She concentrated, trying to put out from her mind the creepy lava monster she had seen. The sooner they got out of here the better. She looked at her hand which she noticed had a slight shake to it. She frowned and willed her hand to stop trembling. It worked! The rocks under the phaser beam, became red then began to form a hole the rocks melting beneath.

"Keep an eye out for instabilities. This should work, but we can't afford to let down our guard." As Kat continued to focus on the hole, she checked her tricorder. "Okay. Stop. Let's see what we've got so far." She waited for the rock to cool a bit, then checked the depth of the hole and the surrounding rock. "Another four inches should do it." She stepped back a bit for safety, aimed at the center of the hole, and activated her phaser again.

Before they could burn a hole through, the ground began to shake again. More rocks and debris rained down from above them. Somewhere deeper in the cave they heard a roar. Kat turned and saw dust and debris billowing toward them. "Time's up. Keep focused on the hole. I'll find a way to anchor the rope." They were going down fast and hard. Hopefully with a rope assistance.

This level didn't have the support girders of the lower level, but she found a metal pipe sticking six inches above the ground. It was good enough. She secured the rope to the pipe, checked it for stability, and ran back to Amy just in time to see her break through. "Good." She secured the rope to the harness and left enough hanging for her own use. "I'll go first. Once I'm half way down, you start. I'll be at the bottom to stabilize the rope for you."

Kat hooked the rope through her carabiners and around her waist as the dust cloud engulfed them. At least they had the suits. She pulled the rope tight and climbed down the hole, then dropped to the ground, using the rope to slow her progress enough for safety. Mostly. She landed hard, but still on her feet and disengaged the rope, then moved off to the side enough to be out of the way and held the rope taut.

Amy stumbled back slightly regaining her balance. Taking a deep breath, she followed after Katya trying to not go down too quickly but the urgency was there. Katya holding the rope taut, helped immensely. As careful as she could be Amy did slip as she got mostly down, her grip loosened slightly she could feel part of her gloves rip. She landed hard barely remembering to bend her knees to soften the landing.

"Ok, shall we go?" Amy heading towards where the survivor was waiting for them, limping slightly. She had to ignore the dull pain in her hands and her ankle. The ground trembled beneath their feet once more. Amy cast a glance back, her breath coming quickly.

"Yeah," Kat replied after she unhooked the rope, leaving it where it was. The temperature continued to climb and there was more ash and debris in the air. "Just...don't look back." She helped Amy as the two hurried back to the cart. As soon as Kat was sure their passenger was still alive and breathing, she climbed in the cart. All they had to do now was get far enough away from the mine and the mountain.

Amy didn't want to look back and she wasn't going to. If she did Amy mused, as she began to pump the handle of the cart they were in, she might turn into a pillar of salt or for that matter, might see that lava-Amy slammed that thought from her mind. Instead, another streak of adrenaline shot through her, as she heard more rumbling.

"Get away from the mines, get away from the mines," she intoned, "Don't look back, don't look back." really feeling a strong sense of urgency.

"Sing," Kat said, "It'll help distract you and give you a rhythm to follow. It doesn't have to be loud--or even vocal-but it helps." She said nothing for a moment as the ground rumbled and rocks shot into the sky behind them, some landing several meters away. "We need to be in sync. How about this: I've been running from the lava all the live-long day..."

Hearing Katya's words made Amy chuckle as she aded her own lyrics, "We've been running from the lava, just to get away." then started to hum the rest of the tune while the two of them kept the cart moving along.

They wouldn't be able to get all the way back to the compound at this speed, but they didn't have to. They just had to get far enough away from the mine to be safe. As the kilometers passed and nothing else happened, Kat slowed to a more reasonable speed. "How are you doing?"

Amy gave out a slight chuckle, "I am doing swimmingly."

"Good," she said. Glad that neither of them were seriously injured. "And now to go back and face the music."

"As for music, what sort of music do you think we'll be facing? Something from Bach? Prelude and Fugue in D Major?" Amy having a twinkle in her eyes, feeling rather relieved to be away from that mess.

"Maybe. Or Prelude and Fugue in D Major by Liszt." Kat paused, then chuckled. "No. It should be Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky." It was fitting.

END

Agatha Smith
(Amy Gordon)
SS Adelaide

Katarina Diaz
SS Adelaide
AKA Katya Davi - USS Valiant

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