Episode nine:
Taush had gone first, waving a light to him and sending it down. Rigil followed and I climbed down the ladder last. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could see the other two ahead of me bathed in the soft light of the floating orb. The core seemed wide and dim. I saw what I thought at first were bags piled against the walls. Then, they moved. They stood and waited quietly. The smell of unwashed Kee assailed my senses. I stepped forward to join Rigil and the captain beneath the light. I could now see more movement far along the dim tube. Confused voices whispered in the dark and my heart was crushed.
I stepped in front of my companions and filled my lungs with the foul air. “Hear me,” I said into the darkness. “My name is Jees. All of you, follow me into the light.”
