Once the platform settled to a stop, Al waited for a few seconds before standing up. He was careful not to move too quickly lest he trigger it to drop again. When he aimed his light around and saw dirt, indicating a possible ground floor, he jumped off.
Now standing upright, he removed his gun and pointed the attached light at the elevator. It was not moving because this was the bottom; he could see dirt under it. Now he felt silly for jumping off. What if the damn thing went back up? He took a second to reflect on the speed and time he had traveled. At the speed he dropped, he guessed it could have easily descended a quarter mile or more. Not good.
The first thing he noticed was the heat. It was very hot, so hot in fact that his exposed skin began to burn. The air burned his nostrils and had a burnt sulfur smell. He then realized he was soaked with sweat.