Solar Warden

The drill Part 90

The drill was done. They had now an entrance of over two-meter height and three-meter width. Slowly the drill moved to the side. It was controlled from the Icarus.

"Captain, we go in. We will send drones down the lift if possible and return. Maybe a bigger hole would be useful, later," Knight radioed to the Captain.

"Affirmative. We continue with the drill when you are at the lift."

"Pearce, get your team ready. SW-1 prepare to move out. Yamada, you support us with drones. We try to activate the lift. You send the drones in. Freeman, your team continues guarding the prisoners." Then Knight moved out to the new entrance.

Yamada let the pilots of his shuttle send more drones. So he had seven available. Knight was the first who went in. The walls seemed to be molten out of the stone. At some point were metallic structures. Probably to support the static. They did not come close to the machinery which was producing rods of metal. The other drones still observed this level. So the only threat could come from the lift.

They were close now. Knight brought the teams in position while the laser drill started its work again. Then he went to the elevator and tried to activated it with the only mechanism he found. It was not a button. Only an area maybe a touch pad or something similar. He just touched it and moved his hand close to it around. There was no visible signal. While he slowly walked backward the door opened. It was moving up. The lift was empty. Five drones flew in.

"We are scanning the lift now. There is a similar area which you pushed on it. I try to touch it with a drone." Yamada informed.

Knight had stopped walking back. One of the drone was flying to the probable button. It slowly knocked on it. Nothing happened.

"I'll push it," Knight said then.

"No, wait. I try the infrared laser scanner. It would be useful if we can interact with the drones," Yamada interrupted.

It seemed to work the door closed. There was only this outer door at first. Then a transparent one like roller blind came down. It was the same as on the other side. There the stones of the mountain could be seen. The whole top area was a light area. It was not bright but sufficient. Slowly the lift went down. The walls outside could be seen on both sides now. Then a door on the other side came in sight. As the lift stopped the transparent door opened first. Then the other followed a second later.

It looked quite similar in this level and there was no one to see. The drones went out and scanned the area. One stayed close to the lift as signal relay.

"Captain, we are moving back," Knight informed and waited.

"Ok. The drill is off and moving away," came the reply seconds later.

The two teams headed out to the others while the scanning continued. Still no one was seen. But there was a production installation to see, which seemed to produce a mining machine like the one they captured. Also there was a different type of door.