Mirror Space - Marianne de Pierres [102]
An automaton had already picked up her empty bladder and distributed it to a conveyor. When she reached halfway to the exit, the ceiling tubes began to descend.
Mira increased her pace, careless of discovery now. She had to get out before the spraying started. But the door was too far. She glanced around. frantically. The nearest conveyor disappeared into a narrow cavity in the wall. She ran alongside it, planning to climb onto the conveyor and crawl through its tunnel. As she reached the wall and climbed up onto the track, she heard a noise. Not the hissing of the tube hydraulics or the whine of the scurrying automatons - more like an animal caught in something.
She climbed onto the track and glanced backwards. One of the containers behind her on the conveyor was making erratic, rocking movements. Had something alive been trapped in there?
Above her, the bottom of each ceiling tube had opened and projected a directional nozzle.
She crouched, preparing to crawl through the rubber-fringed entrance to the cargo tunnel, but the container noise became louder and punctuated with sounds that could have been grunts. Not animal, perhaps . . . but surely not. . .
She climbed around the cartons between her and the moving container and bent to inspect it. It was adorned with icons denoting it as a refrigerator, and she sighted the refrigerant bar along one side. Now she was closer, she could see the door partially opened but the latch caught on the carton next to it.
Using her knees and lower body she shifted the neighbouring carton a fraction closer to release the latch.
The door of the refrigerated container flew open and a body spilled out, almost knocking her off the conveyor. She scrambled onto the top of the carton and clung to it.
The ‘esque emitted a moan or a sob, she could not tell which, and glanced wildly around. Eyes fixed on her, unfocused at first and then slowly, incredulously widening.
‘Baronessa?’ The male ‘esque’s voice was hoarse with emotion and distress.
She stared into the stranger’s face. How did this man know her?
She inhaled sharply and then stopped. The taint of something sickly sweet filled her lungs. She let out her breath. ‘Quickly,’ she said. ‘The spray.’
He followed her back along the conveyor, crawling into the wall cavity behind her. The conveyor veered off at a right angle, disappearing through a slot under a closed shutter. There wasn’t enough space for them to follow it.
‘We’re trapped,’ said Mira shrilly.
The ‘esque seemed even more frantic than she, flailing at the first shutter with his fists in a way that seemed familiar.
‘It’s unbreakable,’ she said automatically. Something about his panic had the reverse effect on her. She felt calmer; more able to think. ‘There must be a failsafe option. Automated facilities are required to have them.’ She knew that from the flight manuals she’d studied. ‘Look for a flywheel or an embedded disc.’
The ‘esque obediently began searching one side of the small tunnel section while she looked over the other. The sweetly poisoned scent was creeping in.
‘Here,’ he cried, pointing overhead.
‘Spin it,’ she instructed. ‘Quickly.’
He worked the embedded wheel with frantic fingers but it was stiff and unresponsive. ‘It won’t move,’ he gasped.
‘Harder!’ she urged him. She put her sleeve to her mouth. The scent was stronger in only a few breaths.
He grunted with effort, the way he had when still trapped in the container, biting his lip, screwing up his face. As he did a flap of skin moved along his cheek as though it might slough off altogether.
He wiped the sweat from his face against his sleeve as he pressed on the wheel. The skin peeled off and fell onto the belt. Beneath it was an ugly, blackened scar.
‘It’s moving!’ His voice raised, and slowly, as he wound, so did the screen.
When it was just high enough for them to crawl under she bade him leave the winding. He followed her again and she could hear him coughing and grabbing his throat.
Mira wanted to do the same. The fumes were caught in her chest and mouth,