The tunnels were winding, grey and absolutely dark. I initially hesitated about exploring the tangled mess of tunnels without any kind of map, as we probably wouldn't be able to come back, even if we diffuse the bomb. However, the lives of hundreds of people and a solid portion of the US's income were in danger, so we went on.
- Wait, what are we actually looking for? - Amber asked out of nowhere.
- Uhh... - Sebastian started.
- Some kind of bomb? - Claudius finished for him.
- Yeah, because a tiny bomb is easy to find in a gigantic mess of lava tubes. We don't even know if what that agent told Einstein is true! It might have been a decoy, and we're looking for nothing in the middle of nowhere! - Amber replied fiercely.
- Hey, maybe Yasha can help us? - I asked.
- Like how? - Amber hissed back.
- Whip up a map of the tunnels, perhaps? He is a programmer, so it shouldn't be hard to find for him - I responded.
- I think this is a good idea, but how do we call him? He's not a part of our team - Claudius noted.
- Leave it to me - Sebastian dialled something into his walkie-talkie, presumably switching the channel. We heard a familiar Russian voice.
- Who is this? - Yasha asked. Amber grabbed Sebastian's walkie-talkie and took the initiative.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mVnkFOD4U
- This is Amber, the girl from the spy team who speaks Russian. We might need a little thing from you - she said in Russian.
- Ahh, the spy guys. What do you need? - Yasha sighed.
- It turns out that there is a bomb in the lava tubes that will destroy a lot of stuff if it goes off in a bit, but we're more or less lost in the tunnels. Does a map of them exist? If so, could you upload one? - Amber asked in response. We just stood by her, not knowing what she was saying.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7BsJI532G
- Oh, that's horrible - Yasha noticed that we were talking about grave matters - I'll try to find something. Give me a sec - We heard some quick typing and the gentle hum of a computer - Okay, here it is. You should have it on your built-in holographic projector.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKdDTVBc4S
- These things have projectors?! - Claudius was surprised. Amber, however, knew about the device and turned it on. A blueish projection of the map emerged from her arm, with a red, flashing dot pinpointing our location.
- Thank you, Yasha! You're help is essential for the safety of these bases. Not only the American one - Amber replied cheerfully before hanging up.
- Okay, now to find a bomb that may or may not be here - Claudius added. We got back to exploration.
As far as I knew, the tunnels were formed due to basaltic lava flows earlier in the Moon's history. When the lava flowed away and cooled, it drained the tunnels and left them hollow. After approximately fifteen minutes, we noticed that the red dot was near the edge of the map.
- It seems like we're reaching the very edge of what has been explored - I said upon noticing this. Soon enough, we found an American flag that was planted down when the bravest extraterrestrial explorers from our country reached their destination before turning back. However, it was knocked over by someone. Footprints near the size of our own formed a path away from it.
- It was probably the bad guys who did this - Amber nodded. We decided to follow their footsteps and see where they lead us. Eventually, we saw a bright light flash in the distance.
- I think someone is here. Probably an enemy agent - Sebastian whispered. As we tried to sneak past the light, it turned out to be an L-class rover piloted by none other than Dawn.
- Oh, you figured out our plan. Too bad you won't foil it - Dawn smirked before trying to run us over with her rover. Luckily, we managed to jump away, but the manoeuvre forced us to split our team in two. Amber and Claudius jumped to the left, while Sebastian and I made a desperate escape to the tunnel branching off to the right.
Fortunately for us two, the tunnel we entered was too narrow for the rover to follow us, but it also meant that moving around was more difficult than before. Moreover, Dawn still tried to take us down with her laser blaster, as a few pellets of light flew past us. We hid behind a corner, trying to plan our next move. It seemed like Dawn was going to chase down Amber and Claudius. Without Amber, we had no way of knowing where we were heading and turning back wasn't an option, as Dawn might still be nearby. So we went forward, into the dark.
I noticed that Sebastian seemed sad. He was moving slowly with his head facing the floor. Something clearly bothered him, and I wanted to know what it was. So I asked him about it.
- Hey, you seem concerned. Are you fine?
- Nothing is fine. We're stranded in dark tunnels, further than anyone dared to go, chased by enemy agents, forced to find and diffuse a deadly bomb in the middle of nowhere, and... - He sighed.
- What "and"? - I tried to sound caring so as not to annoy him.
- Fine, I'll just get it off my chest. I had a crush on Dawn and am heartbroken by the fact that she is evil. It feels like a nuclear explosion ripping you apart... Satisfied? - He replied on a single breath.
- Oh, that's sad... I don't know how that feels - this made Dawn's betrayal even worse, as now I knew what impact it had on Sebastian. It was terrible and made the atmosphere sombre.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNXabZjAa8
- I thought that maybe she'll switch back. That maybe it was a trick... Uhh... - Sebastian's mind was in a whirl.
- I know that it feels terrible, but we won't change the past. The best we can do is change the future by having Dawn pay for her sins. We need to capture her and put her on trial... - I tried to comfort him, but I didn't know if I was doing a good job.
- You're right. Let's bring that traitor to jail! - Sebastian replied with new determination. I still heard a clear note of sadness in his voice, but I was happy that he was determined to set things right. We continued our walk at a much faster pace.
Eventually, we found the tunnel in which we were forced to split up, judging by the footprints and tyre trails. We decided to enter the left tunnel, in the hope of finding the traitor and our friends. After a few minutes, we noticed that we were going deeper down. Finally, we had to sit down and rest for a bit, but that's when we heard screams. Familiar screams. They belonged to Claudius and Amber. We instantly got up and quickly came to their aid. They were in a fist fight with Dawn, as they seemingly broke her laser blaster. From our perspective, it seemed like our friends were losing, so we didn't hesitate when it came to a surprise attack.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdMPQ6EPiJ
Dawn was understandably shocked by the assault, but she still fought back, landing a series of punches and kicks, pushing some of us away. Sebastian and I held on for as long as possible, but even we were overpowered and tossed against the stony wall. Then, Dawn grabbed her blaster and clicked something on it, revealing that it wasn't, in fact, broken. She was about to fire and vaporise us when someone knocked her out.
It was Einstein.
ns216.73.216.13da2
and then Add to home screen.