Cyber Prison: The Beginning

Chapter 6: Entering the underground

The next morning, we woke up after sleeping amongst wooden box crates. And ragged blankets we found nearby. Not exactly the most comfortable sleep, but still not too bad for a couple of fugitives on the run.
"We need to talk about a plan on what to do next," I say to Ava.
"You're right," said Ava.
"So what's the plan?" I ask.
"I was just thinking, we know we didn't kill those people at the Building Sector and that the report on that crisis had been manipulated to blame us," Ava said calmly.
"Yeah?" I said.
"Well, that must mean someone from the military sector had corrupted the report because we knew something, or they didn't want us finding out something, right?" Ava asked.
"True, I think you might be onto something, but how can we find that out?" I ask.
"I have someone I think we can talk to about this, an old friend. But she works in the government sector, and trying to head over in that direction, it will be heavily guarded for sure. So we will need to go underground," Ava said.
"Underground? Isn't it a maze of pipes underground we will be lucky to survive down there yet alone actually finding a way out?" I ask.
"I know, but what other choice do we have?" Ava said.

We pack up our supplies, then head down to the lower floors of the factory until we stumble upon a sewerage grate lid in the ground.
"Here we go private, no turning back now," Ava said.

We entered down a small crawlspace with a rusted ladder leading down into a dark, dimly lit drain system. The corridors down here were dark long and seemed like they went on forever.
It smelt like absolute filth down here with green sludge along the walls, rats scuttering all over the ground, and cobwebs everywhere.
"What now, do we know which way to go to get to your friend?" I asked Ava.
"Not sure just yet, but we need to find an employee down here who can show us directions. That's my plan," Ava said.

We set out walking down the corridors, keeping an ear out for anybody, or looking for anything to help us find out where to go. Eventually, we hear some banging from around the corner and turn around it to find a plumber bent over in a closet with a spanner working on a loose pipe.
"Hands up," Ava shouted, holding her rifle aimed at the plumber.
"I don't want any trouble," the plumber said as he raised his hands and dropped his spanner.
"Tell us how to get to underneath the government sector, and cause any alarm or trouble we will shoot you, understood?" Ava said harshly.
"Yes," the plumber said shakily.
I couldn't believe that Ava could be this scary, and I'm stuck with her. Is it possible that I'm just expendable to her, I mean, could she kill me one day if i became useless?

The plumber was being held hostage by Ava as we embarked through the winding maze of sewerage tunnels becoming less aware of our surroundings as we travelled, can we trust this guy or is he just leading us to our death?
At last, we arrive at a big open room at the end of a corridor filled with the stench of death.
"Are you sure you even know where you're going? This is a dead end. Do you want to die?" Ava shouts as she presses the rifle against his head.
"No, no, I swear if you enter the hole in the centre of the room, it takes you to a corridor that leads to underneath the government sector," the plumber said.
"Good, then you're coming with us until we get to the opening underneath. Is that clear?" Ava said sternly.
The plumber walks up to hole nervously, sweat dripping from his face, eyes filled with fear.
"Go on, you first," Ava said.
The plumber struggled then tripped Ava over, and she fell into the hole.
He quickly turned his eyes dead on me, grabbed a screwdriver, and shanked me in my stomach before throwing me into the hole as well.
"Goodbye fugitives, enjoy feeding time!" Laughed the plumber as he walked out the room, his voice cackling into the back of our heads as we fell to the bottom of the hole.