Sunburns & Hyperdrive Troubles

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt gave her hand a gentle squeeze. He tried to reconcile with the idea of giving away nearly twenty million credits worth of merchandise, but doing so would take him time. There really was a ridiculous amount of money in this bunker, so much money that Kurt found it difficult to reason giving it away, but he would do it. He respected Kaile enough for that, knew that it was the right thing to do. It made a part of him feel awful, but another part feel grand.

He supposed that was the good part of him.

"Yeah." Kurt said trying to cheer himself up. "I guess we'll look through the rest of the place."

If they found anything else of value, like a massive stack of credits, he was keeping that. Of course, he rather doubted that they would encounter such a thing, but he could still hope that somewhere in this place was a treasure room filled with priceless antiques and collectibles. "Check the emergency kit, I bet there's another flashlight."

Trying to move on from the subject of his wilted wealth, Kurt pointed towards the glove box of the speeder to try and get them to move on.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

He had such a dejected expression on his face.

Likely thinking about what he could of had, done...Kaile smiled. She knew that it would have been the 'verse to Kurt. That he was willing to do this, to do the right thing, only warmed her heart.

This time, taking extra special care that there were no sudden movements, Kaile leaned her torso forward. A chaste kiss pressed lightly against his scruffy cheek, the prickles of his beard tickling her so.

"Thank you," she whispered softly, staring up at him with a softness in her eyes and a ghost of a smile in her lips. Backing away, she sat back down.

"A spare flashlight."

With a start, Kaile did as instructed. He was right, there should be an emergency kit standard on all speeders. Especially military ones. However, being in storage for decades - perhaps even centuries - meant that some hinges were a bit difficult to work with. The first attempt didn't work well. Her hand gave the glove box another shake and a jiggle. No dice.

"I think something might be stuck." she mumble, bending lower to get a good look. The pads of her fingers ran up and down the length of the lever. With the touch of those slender digits guiding her, she gave a slight grimace, then with a slight rush of the Force, pulled down and out.

The glove box fell open with a slight clatter. "There we go!" she said with a small victory grin. Drawing forward, her hand began searching for the emergency kit. It wasn't hard to miss.

"Might as well take the whole thing." she told Kurt. It would not only have a flashlight, but restock their med pack with a military grade one. Flipping it open after using Kurt as a perch, Kaile went digging through the contents. The flashlight was held in her hand with a slight arm pump a few seconds later.

"Reckon it still works?" she asked, bringing it up close to her face and pressing the button. Light shone right in her eyes and she gave a wince, shutting her lids at the bright glow.

"Yup! Still works." she said with a slight grimace.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

He smiled as she pressed the kiss against his cheek, though as soon as she began to dig through the glove box he couldn't help but lean back and close his eyes. There was a part of him that still had to come to terms with this. The decision was made as far as he was concerned, but a greater part of him was still aching from having made it. Money wasn't everything, but it made a whole lot of stuff easier, including life on the run.

A sigh escaped his lips as Kaile half plopped down on him, Kurt becoming a perch of sorts as the flashlight burned to life and struck her in the face.

Unconsciously Kurt clamped his eyes shut even further, not wanting to burn his pupils in the mini-sun that Kaile had just turned on in her hands. His head shook, his hands quickly coming up to redirect the beam of light away from him and Kaile so that it would instead shine down into the bunker.

"Okay." The Courier said finally, his voice gone of all disappointment. "Let's go find the treasure room."

Unlikely that existed.

But one could dream.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Kaile gave a chuckle. He was trying his best. It was all she could ask for. There were others who wouldn't be able to do the same. Who would have demanded to sell this credit mine to the highest bidder. Who wouldn't have cared who they were selling it as long as they received a profit.

Kurt wasn't like that.

"Coming," she said, blinking rapidly so that her stinging eyes would be able to focus again. "That was bright." she muttered, shaking her head. Moving along, she took the emergency kit in hand. Opening the door, she carried the case carefully as she made her way down. With a hop, she landed on her feet.

"... although. A treasure room wouldn't be too far off," Kaile commented, Kurt following around behind her. Where to go first? The door shut on the speeder, and Kaile panned her gaze to think of a place to set the items that they'll take with them down. A grimace and she set the box down, wiggling her fingers while she held up the flashlight with the right.

"Maybe I can slice into the security system..." she mulled aloud. "Get a map. See how really big this place is."

Oh yeah, that was a perk about having a roommate who was a spy.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"If you can find a console." Kurt pointed out. "Most of the systems have been completely mechanical so far, or at least, hardwired. It wouldn't surprise me if this thing had bare minimum in the ways of computers and holo-screens. I think it's meant to be some kind of emergency warfare bunker."

That made a lot of sense to him really. "Someplace that a remnant of a beaten army can come to to resupply and hold out long enough to attack again. Most Empires are famous for wanting to hang on long after their time, and this...well this is kind of perfect for that."

Kurt pointed to all the vehicles around them.

"Maybe if we get into the sub-basements." Kurt suggested, pointing his flashlight towards the elevator. "The lower levels probably have secure systems."

It would stand to reason that the lower they went into this facility the more secure it was, so if they went all the way to the bottom they might find a war room or some kind of operational center. It was logical, and really Kurt only guessed it because of the military training that he had received.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"Do you really want to risk the turbolift?" Kaile would query, arching her brow over to the pilot. "We don't know how long that thing has been non operational... not to mention.. if it still works at all?"

It was one thing to be wandering throughout a bunker. Another to use a lift and then be stuck who knows how many levels underground. That would bring a whole new measure of bad to worse in no time flat.

"Let's test it out... taking the extra time to see if it goes all the way up and down shouldn't be a problem." Kaile would counter, taking a step forward then another. She juggled the flashlight in her hands back and forth, keeping the beam directed to the lift. There was still many unknowns about the bunker an its contents.

With the twin blaster doors open, at least a gust of wind came pouring through, allowing for a measure of circulation. It also, unfortunately, picked up a thin cloud of dust that would tickle the nose.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

The turbo-lift pulled open, a wave of dust pushing against his face.

Kurt wiggled his nose.

"Pleasant." The Courier said as he shone the flashlight into the lift. There was of course, nothing there, but it seemed prudent to him that he should check and recheck everything before doing anything in this abandoned place. Moving into the lift he motioned for Kaile to stay put for now, his eyes looking over the dusted control console of the turbo-lift itself. His hand rubbed off the thick layer of dust that had formed over the buttons, his eyes wandering until he found what he wanted. "Here we go."

Kurt reached out and pressed the button, immediately jumping out of the lift and standing next to Kaile.

Half a moment passed, there was a slight whirring, and then suddenly the lifts doors slid closed. There was a racket, though not from the lift itself. He half turned, seeing that one of the outer doors of the lift refused to close. A slight chuckle erupted from him, a shake of his head as the closed lift in front of them suddenly dropped away and down into the abyss.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Kaile's flashlight beamed upon the open outer door. "Well.. that's one thing we need to watch for." As she stepped closer to the edge, the Lorrdian carefully adjusted her flashlight to peer inside the shaft. A draft shot up, sending a small cloud of dust. It tickled her nose, made her feel it at the back of her throat. Her face scrunched up and she shut her eyes.

Twitch, twitch.. "Ahh-choo!" she sneezed, sounding much like a mouse with such a tiny, high pitched sneezed. Blinking rapidly, she waved her free hand in front of her, clearing some of the dust.

Illuminating the shaft, she got a first glance at it. Making she she didn't fall, she leaned over for a better look.

"Looks like.. at least a good twenty floors... " that was quite a drop. Enough of one that she could be wrong and there might be more...

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt held onto the back of Kaile's shirt almost instinctively, making sure that she didn't accidentally drop herself down the shaft of the turbo-lift. There was no doubt in her mind that she had the potential to fall down there, and if she did? Well even with magical Jedi powers he was almost entirely sure that she would go splat. When she mentioned twenty four floors he let out a loud whistle, his eyes wandering back towards the storage room behind them.

"That's huge." He commented.

"If every floor is like this?" Holy poodoo. Maybe they were really underselling this find. "Though I doubt it all is, there has to be something more to this. Probably barracks, armories for soldiers, maybe even a few office buildings."

This was getting more and more exciting by the minute. "Let's see if we can't head all the way to the bottom."

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"Yeah. It has to be a full facility to warrant all of the personnel they would even need to support this-- hey!" that was about the time Kurt tugged her back from the shaft. He had an expression on his face that suggested that he was certain with her luck, she'd teeter over.

"I'm fine, really!" she insisted. None the less she appreciated the sentiment. Kurt was ever looking after her. Dusting herself off, the sounds of the turbolift coming to a slow halt resonated from the shaft. "Guess it hit bottom." she told him, taking another peek inside.

The whine of levers and cranks echoed loudly in her ears. "Here it comes." she said, taking a step back towards the pilot. "So go to the bottom and work our way up?" brown eyes turned to the courier beside her. Her fingers would flex around the handle of her flashlight. Who knew what else was down there. It was exciting as it was a tiny bit scary.

Who knows what we'll find.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"I suppose." Kurt answered as he stepped forward and into the turbo-lift, half bouncing up and down to test the weight that the thing could hold.

"I somehow doubt that the lowest levels have anything too interesting." At least not as interesting as the first. "Though I guess we'll find the power generator somewhere, no way this thing doesn't have back up turbines in the water somewhere. A base this far underground surrounded by water? They'd be idiots not to have it be powered by the currents surrounding the island."

He shrugged as Kaile stepped inside of the Lift.

The Courier doubted that the people who designed this bunker were idiots, just the opposite in fact, they had likely chosen this island specifically for what it was. Large enough to conceal the bunkers entrance but small enough to escape any real development. Along with the island being situated directly within the planets most powerful current, yeah, he doubted that the designers hadn't used hydro-electric power for at least some of the facilities needs.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Hydro-electric power?

Now that made sense. Kaile mulled along with that, quietly watching Kurt bounce up and down. A small snicker and a thought came to her. Soon, she too was bouncing up and down on the turbo lift.

"I think it will be able to handle our weight," she joked with a bit of sass. Pausing her bounce, she extended her hand. Okay, here we go, she mused. There were specific floors, and as she estimated, there were twenty-one floors. A little bit less than her original guess, but that did not mean it was any less impressive.

Selecting the basement level, Kaile took a deep breath, "Here's to hoping we aren't running into a Rakghoul trap." came her half joke. That was unlikely, but one could do with some banter at times like this. "If you get infected. Don't worry." her expression turned grave, the doors of the turbo lift shutting them in.

She shone the light of the flashlight right under her chin, casting long dramatic shadows over her face.

"I'll take care of the Messa."

Her grin practically split her face in two, the lift shuddering as it began its descent.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt smiled. "Really?"

The doors slowly began to close.

"Because I'm planning on chucking Bobo out the windo-" The doors slammed shut, and without warning they suddenly began to drop. It was clear that whatever safety regulations turbo-lifts were normally supposed to hold to didn't apply to this lift. They fell so fast that Kurt was almost entirely sure that they had made a mistake, that they would soon be squished on the underside of this turbo-lift and consigned to die. Luckily that was proven false by the sudden lurch as the Turbo-lift was forcefully slowed by the repulsor clamps on it's side.

Kurt reached out to his left and grabbed onto one of the bars to his left, his other hand snaking around Kaile so that he could steady her along with himself. The Turbo-lift screech suddenly, Kurt wanting to cover his ears but finding that both of his hands were rather busy. He flinched, but managed to keep both himself and Kaile standing upright.

"Oh dear." He said as they finally came to a full stop. "That was horrible."

His stomach had turned upside down, his meager sustenance from today threatening to make another appearance.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

“Yes rea--”

Then everything seemed to go to the Nine Hells.

Kaile screamed. There was no other reaction. That sickening freefall sensation jolted through her belly, and she blindly reached for purchase. A white knuckle grip latched onto a rail. Everything seemed to go blank. People say that your life flashes before your eyes when you are about to die. That didn’t happen with Kaile, everything just seemed to go.. blank.

All she felt was the grip of Kurt’s arm and the lurch of her heart.

It happened so fast and ended just as quickly. By all accounts Kaile was certain that they were going to die then and there. Her heart hammered in her throat and she felt sick. Vertigo reached out to claim her, and she would have collapsed had it not been for Kurt.

The screeching sound didn’t help matters, and Kaile curled herself against the pilot. Are we going to die? Are we going to die? I don’t want to die!

By the time the realization came that they were not going to be two bloody splats on the floor of the lift, Kaile was trembling to the point her teeth were chattering. She was deathly pale, latched onto Kurt with a death grip. Her face pressed against his damp shirt, and tears prickle at the corner of her eyes.

To add insult to injury, there was a soft ding, indicating they had reached the basement. The soft hiss of the lift’s door sliding open was a smooth and easy slide welcoming them to another unknown.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kaile's death grip had pressed most of the oxygen from Kurt's lungs, his eyes half bugging out and his face growing slightly pale from his own lost of breath. Neither of them had expected the Elevator to drop like that, neither of them had expected any of that. His eyes settled forward, his arms struggling slightly under Kaile's death grip.

"Kaille." Kurt breathed, waggling his fingers slightly. "Kaile...."

There was a clear lack of breath to his voice, though he did manage to wrap his arm half around her and pat her on the back, gently rubbing the small of her back in a soothing motion in order to comfort her. The fall had been sudden, the turbo-lift hadn't exactly been a pleasant ride and in truth he hadn't entirely expected them to make it either. His stomach was still flipped entirely upside down, his head felt as though it weight two pounds lighter than usual and his eyes threatened to roll up into the back of his head, though he was sure that was perhaps due to the lack of oxygen.

"I...can't...breath." Kurt waggled some more.

This time he attempted to tickle her, though keep her close by so she didn't fall over when she detached from him.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]


It took a bit, but Kaile finally managed to register the wheezing, strained call from Kurt. Her hold would slack, and she drew herself into a smaller frame.

“S-sorreh.” her apology came out in a thick twang. “You okay?” ever the concern for others before herself. Her fingers were still trembling, and she ended up taking a step away, wrapping her arms around herself. She tucked her hands into her armpits, a rather defensive position. In the chaos of their sudden descent, the flashlight had fallen from her grip.

It now rolled in an arc back and forth, before coming to a halt. The beam of light sent a shaft of illumination down the corridor. Lights would flicker in and out, barely giving any illumination. Perhaps there was another circuit breaker nearby to reset them.

Swallowing hard, Kaile rocked back and forth.

That was not something she ever wanted to go through again.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Almost instinctively Kurt reached out to her and embraced her, the need to comfort her soaring through him as he saw her shake up like that. It was clear that Kaile had not enjoyed the experience that they had undergone. She was visibly shaking, fear pulling through her and permeating the air around her. His hands would wrap around her and Kurt would pull her into a tight hug. He embraced her, one hand slowly pulling through her hair in a soothing cafune.

"It's alright." He told her.

"We don't have to do it again." They wouldn't be going to the bottom again anyway. "We'll take the stares back up."

They wouldn't have to take the elevator if Kaile didn't want to, and he was more than willing to bet there were stairs somewhere around here, if not, well they could just climb the elevator shaft. Kurt was by no means going to force Kaile to experience all of that again, especially with how shaken she was.

He certainly wasn't going to take her to any amusement park rides.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

It was like being wrapped around one's favorite blanket. The warmth of his body seemed to permeate her down to her bones. The stroke of his hand calmed her, her heart slowing down in the comfort of his embrace. Like a child, she buried her face against his chest again, her arms snaking through past his ribs to hold him close. This time, without the death grip.

"Sorry...." she uttered weakly, her voice muffled against his chest. "Just didn't expect that." dropping twenty-one floors had that effect. Had it been a rollercoaster, Kaile would have been fine. It would have been expected. Having it done out of the blue on a turbo lift they had barely tested to see if it worked was not the sort of thrills she'd look for.

Even racing against nature itself was a blast, an adrenaline rush. Something she saw coming. The free fall drop she did not.

Taking a shuddering breath, she attempted to gather her bearings. Still trembling, she slid her face up. The scruff along his jaw rasped against her cheek. Like a kitten, she nuzzled it, expelling a sigh.

"I'm okay now..." the reassurance was said in a low voice, but she was trying to be a trooper and keep her chin up.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

He rubbed the small of her back. "Alright."

There was still some hesitation to her tone, a bit of fright in the way that she stood, but she was at least trying to be better, trying to compose herself. Kurt didn't blame her all that much of course, a sudden drop of twenty four stories? That was enough to make anyone clench. He himself had half wanted to scream, though the slight bit of confidence in the Turbo-lifts engineering had prevented him from completely embarrassing himself in front of Kaile.

"You okay to keep going?" Kurt asked.

He was weary of lingering within the turbo-lift shaft, mostly because he had no idea if the thing would randomly decide to run back up again. He didn't trust these old systems, especially after the wild ride that the two of them had just been through.

"Not to rush you." He tried to inject a bit of joy into his tone. "But I mean, I do have placed to be..."

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

A half scowl would fade the blanch from Kaile's face. This was a good way to distract her.

"Oh? What place?" she'd ask, drawing away from his embrace to give him room. There was a mock tone of affront and indignation in her voice, playing along.

"A fancy race to go to?' she quipped, humor slowly coming back to the Lorrdian."Taking a groupie out to a fancy dinner?" she laid it on thick. Shaking her head, but grateful for the pilot, her eyes would drift around the lift. Ah! There! Taking a few steps, the young woman caught sight of her flashlight. Bending down, her fingers would curl over the handle.

"Well at least this didn't break," she mused aloud. Thank goodness for small blessings. Straightening, she gave it one last inspection. "Looks good," she told him, rotating her wrist to peer out of the lift.

"No rakghouls so far." Kaile would murmur, stepping outside. "Darn, I reckon the Messa stills stays in your name."