The cooler air outside the fungus room helped clear Tim’s head. He knew what he had to do. Set up defensive barriers against the Sentinels. Keep them at bay while he tried to find some way out or summon help.
He moved quickly, heading straight for the outcrop of rock salt. Once there, he made a swag of his jacket, loaded it up and slung it over his shoulder. Then, gathering as much as he could carry in his free arm, he kicked a few of the larger boulders into the channel behind him and headed back.
There were three other passages running off from the junction. All of them barred. He piled pieces of rock salt in front of each, leaving the larger lumps to dissolve slowly while grinding up the smaller ones and sloshing the water through the bars.
He thought about the fungus and how it was a source of food. They hadn’t seen any other rooms like it in the Sentinels’ lair. What if it was the only one? A good pile of salt around it would keep them away. And hungry. Perhaps he could even use it as a bargaining chip: food in exchange for freedom.
He returned for another load and piled the whole of it around the narrow fissure in the wall.
Finally satisfied, he went back to the entrance passage and checked again for buttons or switches or levers that would release the outer door, certain he must have missed something. But once again he found nothing.
* * *
Phmmm.
‘It work!’
A circular area of rock a metre in diameter glowed dull red as the laser pulse struck it. Coral and Ludokrus felt a backwash of hot air roll over them.
The cutter made a deep whine that grew steadily until it went beyond the range of normal hearing. Then, for several seconds, the air crackled with static electricity until the charge was suddenly released with a second phmmm of sound that accompanied another crimson bolt.
This time the circular area glowed cherry red and the first few millimetres of rock sagged and melted, dribbling away to congeal around the base of the tripod the laser cutter sat on. The charge built up again, slowly and inexorably. Twenty seconds later — phmmm — another layer of rock dribbled away.
The cutter was a boxy, briefcase-sized device with a tapering, conical end. It was aimed upwards at a slight angle so that melted rock ran back and kept the tunnel it was cutting clear.
‘How long’s it going to take?’ Coral shielded her face from the blast of hot air.
‘Hard to say. One hour maybe.’
Norman returned, drawn by the sound.
‘Find anything?’ Coral asked.
He shook his head. ‘But all that means is they’re not behind a metal door. Which kind of makes sense. That shelf and access tunnel were quick jobs. This one’s obviously better disguised.’
‘So how do we find it?’
‘The way we started searching in the first place. There must be a line or a join or a seam where the two sides fit together.’ He took back his torch.
Phmmm.
Another wave of heat washed over them.
‘Let’s check it out.’ Coral fanned her hand. ‘Better than slow-roasting here.’
* * *
The sound of a car turning into the reserve drew Alice back from her vantage point overlooking the coastal track. A green station wagon. The TV people. What were they doing back? She didn’t want them disturbing the mice.
Eric was looking over the closed-up caravan when she emerged from the bush. Crystal was still in the car.
‘Still no sign of the tourists?’ he said.
‘No.’
‘Just thought we’d pop in as we were passing.’
‘Are you leaving then?’
‘Heading to Fox Glacier. One of the missing men lives there. Those guys that were lost in the bush when the first meteorite came down. We’re going to interview him for tonight’s bulletin.’
‘Does that mean you won’t be using me?’
‘Not tonight.’
Alice sighed. There was still time to redeem herself.
‘Any luck with Glad Smith?’
He shook his head. ‘But there is one thing you could do.’ He opened the rear door and took a brown leather bag from the seat.
‘What’s this?’
‘Concealed camera. The lens points out here, see? There’s full instructions in the side pocket. And here’s my card in case you have problems.’
‘What do you want me to do with it?’
‘Fox Glacier’s about two hours drive so we’ll stay overnight. Be back sometime tomorrow. In the meantime, if the tourists show up and you manage to get an interview with this Albert character ...’ He gave her a knowing wink.
‘Yes, all right,’ she said and watched them drive away.
* * *
‘Ooohh!’
‘Oooww!’
‘What’s happening?’
‘The salt contamination’s getting worse.’
‘That wretched monkey boy! He’s trying to kill us. We have to do something or we’ll never make it back to the control room.’
‘There’s only one thing we can do.’
‘Do it then. Quickly. It’s us or him!’