Smoking Power

Chapter 17

I tap my fingers against the glass table top. Over and over again, the steady beat of the gentle tap seems to drown out all other noise inside the plane. I watch Ambers facial expressions as she carefully studies the photo of the manuscript that was inscribed in the tunnels that we have long since left.

Valerie, sits motionless in the same position that she's been in for the last two days. After we managed to hike back down Mount Lhotse by using the dreaded Escaletti burrows, we have done nothing but sleep, eat, relax and try to decipher the next clue. At least Amber try's to decipher it.

She continues to stare at my phone screen, one hand up to her mouth in a thinking position. Just because I'm the only one smart enough to take a photo of it, means that I have to suffer in endless boredom of nothing to do.

I sigh and stretch my legs. "You figured what language it's in yet?" I ask Amber, still tapping my fingers on the table.

"Nope." She answers simply, in a voice that tells you to be quiet to let her think. She flicks her attention between my phone and hers, which is on some language app. Honestly, I'm concerned about the things Amber does in her spare time.

I sigh again and get up to see what Declans doing. I find him in his cabin, staring intently at some show on the TV on the wall. Dully, I wonder how much the electricity bill must be for this place. There must be a TV in every room.

"Declan," I say in a sweet voice. "I'm booored." I draw out the 'bored' so he gets the point. I lazily flop down on the end of his bed.

"I take it Amber hasn't finished decoding?" Declan says, not really paying any attention.

"Nope." I say, popping the 'p'.

I look up at Declan, who's sitting up on the other side of his bed. "So you're just going to lie down there?" Declan asks, still staring at the TV.

"Alright, alright. I know when I'm not wanted." I huff getting up off his bed. I can see a smile spread across Declans face. Ignoring it, I walk out of his cabin and look for something else to entertain me.

I idly walk through the planes rooms. Looking for anything interesting. I walk past Amber and see that she's still looking for the right language. How many languages are there anyway? I shrug and continue my walk around the plane. I'm surprised how many rooms there actually are in this place, from the outside you wouldn't expect-

I stop my train of thought when something catches my eye in one of the smaller storage rooms that I have yet to enter. I back track my steps so I'm now standing at the doorway of the room. It's pitch black inside. I frown in confusion as I see something glow, again. I stand still for a couple of minutes and watch the slow, steady pulsing of something in a box.

Whatever it is flashes different colours, green, red, purple, pale pink. Does Gareth own some really cool disco equipment that he forgot to turn off? I slide my hand along the inside of the wall, feeling for the light switch. I smile to myself when I feel the lump of white plastic on the wall.

Feeling very proud of myself for that small achievement, I flick the switch on and allow my eyes to adjust to the sudden burst of white light. This room is similar to the other storage room that Gareth put all of our equipment in, it's just a little smaller.

Metal shelves line the perimeter of the room. Each shelf is neatly stacked with brown cardboard boxes. I head straight for the half open box where I saw the colourful glowing coming from.

Acting like the skilled ninja I am, I dramatically open the rest of the box like there is a bomb in it, that's about to explode at any minute. This is what boredom does to people.