The Fallen

            I am relieved to see my colleagues, and this time I will not allow myself to get separated from them again.  Together we enter the mist filled tunnel and once again I use my hand to guide me through the darkness.  The cold rock is wet and slimy to the touch and the walls are oozing with the same component found in the cavern.   The faint odor that was barely noticeable before, has now become pungent.  Although the stench is difficult to bear, Dr. Lutz has determined that it poses no danger to our health.  The tunnel seems endless and we remain quiet amid the darkness as we navigate our way through its many twists and turn.  Little is spoken until Josef our weapons expert notices a blue light reflecting off the mist.   The light radiates through small holes borrowed into the walls and floor of the tunnel.  The light now guides our steps and raises caution.   Still we were all aware of the risks and each of us vows to continue moving forward.  We come across several exoskeletons, similar in size and shape to the one found in the cavern.   We advance slowly and Samuel advises us to stay close to one another.  We are stopped in our tracks by what appears to be a doorway encrypted with the same markings seen throughout the mine.  The door is sealed tight with no visible joints or hinges.  I run my hand along the markings and reflect upon the sketches in my journal.  For the first time the familiar pattern is beginning to make sense, and I finally see what has been laid out before us.  One faces west, another due north and again west; the etchings chart the cave, as the stars chart the heavens.  I touch each symbol one at a time, carefully sliding my hand along the cold service.  Several times I repeat this pattern until we feel a surge of power and the rock separates from the walls.  There before us lies the answers we have come to find.