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ERIC NYLUND
131
This was more than a curiosity, now. Ackerson had been sit-
ting on a tremendous secret—a very dangerous secret. "Just his
style to play with fire and get us all burned."
Additional files detailed the procurement of digging equip-
ment, and a new set of blueprints and geological surveys. The
new maps looked like a network of veins and arteries.
"What am I looking at, Kalmiya?"
"According to the coordinates of these secondary maps, Doc-
tor, this facility was built over an old titanium mine ... and be-
fore that this site was surveyed as an extinct volcano. These are
designated as a series of lava tubes."
"I wonder if they used the natural passages to help build the
mines, and later this facility?" Dr. Halsey removed her glasses
and cleaned them as she thought this through. "No ... if it was as
simple as that, why would Ackerson be interested? And why
then classify this data as level X-ray? How does this connect to
the alien artifact on Cote d'Azur?"
"I can't say," Kalmiya replied, "but perhaps there's a back
door you can use to escape."
"Yes, yes." Dr. Halsey downloaded all of Ackerson's secret
files to her data pad. "I'll consider that later. Right now we
should concentrate—"
"Detecting increased seismic activity, Doctor."
Dr. Halsey froze. She felt it more than saw it—a series of
faint, rhythmic thumps, like thunder in the distance.
Dust rained from the ceiling tiles and scattered the light for
the holographic system into a dazzling starburst.
"They're coming," Dr. Halsey whispered. She opened a COM
channel to the Spartans. "Get back to the lab ASAP. I might have
away out!"
She stumbled as a powerful blast rocked the chamber. There
was a shriek of stressed metal, and the main support beam over-
head shifted, fell, and crashed onto her desk.
The lights went dead.