Tankov hated going deeper into the tunnels. Sure they were holding up pretty well considering they were ancient, but Tankov hated the small spaces. His large frame was not built for these small people buildings. The dark was also one of Tankov's great fears. He blamed his brother for this when he had been left alone in cave by his brother when he was young. Meany Shubin bullied him into going on this trip in the first place. Now all he could think about what what lay beyond the light of his torch. There hadn't been any sightings of the chompers that used to plague the island when he was young for at least six years now, but they still haunted his memory. He tried focusing his hearing and all he could hear was his own boots on the rusted grating and the echo that resulted. He relaxed knowing he was the only one.
"Tankov why can't you just say no. You can stand up to him," Tankov muttered to himself. Alas he also knew that would never happen. He gave a heavy sigh as he delved deeper.
The grating turned into steps leading down towards a large doorway. As he descended he had to remind himself what he was looking for. Something about silver wiring. Apparently it was extremely valuable. He reached the bottom of the stairs only to be greeted by a large metal door cracked open. There was enough room for him to pop his head in. All he could see was perpetual darkness. The room must have been large. There was a railing along the sides of the room. That is when he noticed that the room had no floor. It just continued downwards into an infinite darkness. Tankov nearly had a slight panic before reminding himself he was the only one around and he wasn't even in the room yet.
With great effort he pushed the metal door open enough for him to squeeze through. From here he could see others doors that the railings led to. His flashlight did nothing to show him across the darkness to the other side. It had been slim pickings in the rest of the complex, but this looked undisturbed. His brother wouldn't yell at him this time for coming back empty handed. What a relief Tankov thought. In truth he was quite surprised no one had ever been here. It wasn't exactly hidden. He made his way on one of the railings. The echo of his boots on the metal was now louder than ever. The sound seemed to go on forever.
He was curious now to see how long it would last. He took a look around to see if he was alone and let out a long whistle. It echoed back longer than he anticipated. He smiled. It kept echoing.
"Damn this room is bigger than I thought," he mumbled to himself. The whistling did not cease. His smile however did. It didn't sound truly like his anymore. It carried a tune and it sounded like it was coming through a speaker. This is when Tankov started to panic. Clearly he wasn't alone. Maybe this place was haunted. The thought began to settle into his mind.
"Who goes there?" he yelled out. The whistling stopped. His hand rested on the sidearm on his hip. "Come out where I can see you!" Still no response.
Something started to vibrate. The railings groaned with the stress. There was a loud noise coming from below something akin to metallic whine. Tankov was taking no chances and made a dash for the door. He was shuffling through when flood lights began to come on one by one. The light blinded him, but he was already though and running up the stairs. Stupid Shubin and his stupid wires. What would he tell his brother? After a distance he slowed to catch his breath. He couldn't feel the vibrations or hear anything other than his own breathing. His mind was still racing from the experience. He tried thinking of how Shubin would calm him down.
"Just another earthquake. Just the wind coming through the tunnels. Electrical stuff is always on the fritz. Just your own imagination you dumb tub of lard." he would probably say. Tankov laughed nervously trying to reassure himself. From the dark tunnels behind him however, he heard a voice carried by an echo. He couldn't make it out. Sounded like it was asking a question. He didn't wait around to find out. His legs carried him at full sprint the rest of the way home.
"Tankov why can't you just say no. You can stand up to him," Tankov muttered to himself. Alas he also knew that would never happen. He gave a heavy sigh as he delved deeper.
The grating turned into steps leading down towards a large doorway. As he descended he had to remind himself what he was looking for. Something about silver wiring. Apparently it was extremely valuable. He reached the bottom of the stairs only to be greeted by a large metal door cracked open. There was enough room for him to pop his head in. All he could see was perpetual darkness. The room must have been large. There was a railing along the sides of the room. That is when he noticed that the room had no floor. It just continued downwards into an infinite darkness. Tankov nearly had a slight panic before reminding himself he was the only one around and he wasn't even in the room yet.
With great effort he pushed the metal door open enough for him to squeeze through. From here he could see others doors that the railings led to. His flashlight did nothing to show him across the darkness to the other side. It had been slim pickings in the rest of the complex, but this looked undisturbed. His brother wouldn't yell at him this time for coming back empty handed. What a relief Tankov thought. In truth he was quite surprised no one had ever been here. It wasn't exactly hidden. He made his way on one of the railings. The echo of his boots on the metal was now louder than ever. The sound seemed to go on forever.
He was curious now to see how long it would last. He took a look around to see if he was alone and let out a long whistle. It echoed back longer than he anticipated. He smiled. It kept echoing.
"Damn this room is bigger than I thought," he mumbled to himself. The whistling did not cease. His smile however did. It didn't sound truly like his anymore. It carried a tune and it sounded like it was coming through a speaker. This is when Tankov started to panic. Clearly he wasn't alone. Maybe this place was haunted. The thought began to settle into his mind.
"Who goes there?" he yelled out. The whistling stopped. His hand rested on the sidearm on his hip. "Come out where I can see you!" Still no response.
Something started to vibrate. The railings groaned with the stress. There was a loud noise coming from below something akin to metallic whine. Tankov was taking no chances and made a dash for the door. He was shuffling through when flood lights began to come on one by one. The light blinded him, but he was already though and running up the stairs. Stupid Shubin and his stupid wires. What would he tell his brother? After a distance he slowed to catch his breath. He couldn't feel the vibrations or hear anything other than his own breathing. His mind was still racing from the experience. He tried thinking of how Shubin would calm him down.
"Just another earthquake. Just the wind coming through the tunnels. Electrical stuff is always on the fritz. Just your own imagination you dumb tub of lard." he would probably say. Tankov laughed nervously trying to reassure himself. From the dark tunnels behind him however, he heard a voice carried by an echo. He couldn't make it out. Sounded like it was asking a question. He didn't wait around to find out. His legs carried him at full sprint the rest of the way home.