Malparadiso Station Season 2.7

Episode 17 Slime Trek

Dangerous Slime Tunnel

Episode 17: Slime Trek

Slime led Yroi out to a dim tunnel, much brighter than the tribe’s little cave. “Be quiet. Act brave.”

Yroi followed his lead, mostly skirting any side tunnels, and giving way to anyone coming in their direction. She didn’t know how deep they were, maybe even Lev5, not a safe place to be.

The tribe had no safe places.

As they moved up the spiral, Slime ducked into a side tunnel. This one looked hand hewn, not the smooth-sided passages made by the first settlers with their machines. It led into a dark pod, littered with the leavings of sentients who spent time there sleeping, taking kreef, or whatever else deep dwellers did.

No one was there right then, which made Yroi feel better.

Slime knocked a tattoo on another section of wall, as he had before, and they slipped unseen into another dark space.

Yroi took several deep breaths. She would do whatever it took to get her mission accomplished to get back to Myril.

“This way easy,” Slime whispered. “Come.”

The floor was smooth and much wider. They could walk side by side.

Slime didn’t speak, so Yroi said nothing. She tried to listen to whatever sounds might be, feel the air pressure around them. The smell became putrid, burning the insides of her nose.

“No touch wall,” Slime said. “Hold my hand. Cover mouth.” He pulled a rag from his clothing and put it over his face.

Yroi had a bandanna in a pocket, and so used that.

Here there was some glowing fungus, faintly lighting the passage. Faint colors shifted between the colonies of fungus. This was the flowering stage of the spice that Myril had wanted to learn to use. This was the stage after the drug that possessed so many of the Stoners. Yroi had seen a glimpse of a room of such a fungus in Mistress Z’s deeper lairs. She hadn’t known what it was then, but now she could see it in all its terrifying glory.

Did the Stoners of Lev5 come in here and scrape away whatever they needed to fry their brains?

Slime picked up the pace, not running, but moving quickly through and away from the glowing walls.

Shortly they came to steps with dim lighting. The walls here were dry, not the slimy mess they had just moved through.

“Keep mask on,” Slime said, his voice muffled a bit. “Not safe yet.”

They began to climb, wide steps spiraling around, cut into the stone wall. Yroi had never seen steps like this, only spirals and ramps. She was soon breathing hard behind her bandanna, but Slime did not slow down.

“Not long now.” he said. “Rest soon.” He took her hand to pull her along.

If she stumbled, it would be a long, bumpy fall. She tried harder, breathed harder. She kept looking up, looking for more light, though this was not as dark as the cave had been. Another step. Another step. Her knees and calves ached. She was getting hungry too. How long since she had eaten?

But then, how long since Slime had eaten? She hadn’t seen any food in the tribe’s pod. No scraps, no sign of cooking, no smell of cooking.

Another step. Another step. Another step.

“Hsst.” Slime pulled her onto a landing where a door fit into a wall. The steps continued up, but Slime sat briefly, letting Yroi catch her breath.

Slime took off his rag. “You stay. I look.” He opened the door a crack, letting more light in. He slipped out, closing the door behind him.

Yroi took off her bandanna, grateful for more air to breathe. She stashed it in a pocket, wondering if the laundry servants would find some kind of spores or stains from the fungus.

Who would they report to? How would she explain that? Would she be affected by the fungus?

The door opened again. Slime held out his hand. “Come now.”

Yroi walked out into Lev3, the level where she grew up, just around the spiral from the Full Bowl, Granny Claws, and maybe some answers.

“You not forget deal?” Slime asked.

“No. I remember. I owe you.”