The Blighted

Chapter 6

The path was winding, long and seemed to slope even deeper into the ground. Again it was pitch black and impossible to see anything within two feet. Jim Kirk at one point nearly tripped over Spock which he kindly apologized. Spock simply paid no mind to it as they continued on.
"Anything, Spock?" Jim asked quietly.
"3.5 meters is another chamber with...a bizarre life sign. Another, presumably human and the other...Jim I do believe we found the main chamber. I suggest we be discrete and exceptionally cautious." Spock explained in almost a whisper.
Taking a deep breath before slowing his pace, he noticed near the ground, there was a peculiar fog. It was faint and slightly luminescent. "This can't be actual fog, can it?" Kirk asked quietly, confused.
"No, sir. There isn't any water in the general vicinity nor should there be volcanic activity that could cause heat." Spock said just as quietly.

The ambience got creepier as they approached the tunnel's end into the next chamber. It was huge. Absolutely massive. It looked like a bottomless pit.
"My god...Did the indigenous people know anything about these caverns? I mean you could fit an escort ship down here." Jim said quietly in shock as he carefully gazed down the cylindrical chamber. He saw nothing but blackness.
"Possibly. They rely heavily on caves and large caverns for mining and avoiding any natural disasters that may be catastrophic on the surface." Spock explained. "This could be either storage or..." Spock paused as he could make out a spiraling path leading down. "A grand hall..." He pointed out the path.
"Ah how convenient.." Jim said lastly before following closely behind Spock.

About twenty yards later down the spiraling path that seemed to go on forever, Jim was beginning to show signs of some terrible fatigue. He was slowing and breathing quickly and heavily. "Now..." He began as he panted, "I think...I should've worked out before this..h-how much further gosh dammit..!" He said a little louder than he intended.
All the sudden it appeared they had awoken something...and it wasn't pleasant. They heard something slide across the inner walls of the chamber and whatever it was sounded huge as it sounded like it was moving close.
Both captain and first officer crouched behind a conveniently placed pillar before they saw many green eyes peering in their general direction. It's source was a darkened figure with what looked like many legs, a long, gigantic, chitinous body and a sickly glowing green sphere in the middle of its chest. It made an ungodly hiss before moving deeper down into the chamber. Once they couldn't hear it's footsteps any longer, Spock whispered, "that..appears to be the source of this disease.."
"We need to kill that thing?" Jim near yelped in fear. He was obviously horrified by the sight of what they had just seen.
Spock simply nodded. The captain's blood felt like ice as he stared into the seemingly bottomless pit.