SURGE: "Hmm, how strong does this rope need to be. I'm wondering how we can get around this. Homemade rope will be very difficult if it needs to be super strong, which it sounds like it needs to be. I wonder if we can find some metal cables or such. Maybe in our discussion with Etienne we can find another option that doesn't require strong rope or such."
SURGE: Surge pauses a moment then replies, "What if we lodged a mining tool into the wall so that it was slowly cutting out the support rock? Let's say that we modify a mining tool, such as a laser or whatever is the best tool for cutting through rock, so that it continuously runs once started. We could cut a place in the wall where we could set the tool securely and that it would be aimed right at the place that it needed to cut through. We switch it on then several minutes later it has cut through enough rock that the cave-in is started. Is that possible?"
ARPAD: Arpad thinks about it for a bit and then discusses it with Max and Dayne (with Vamperina translating for Dayne). "It might work, but it should be considered a last resort." Arpad thinks for a second and then corrects himself, "make that second to last resort. Last resort would be a strong person manually triggering the cave-in by knocking out the support and then running like hell. As Jack mentioned, the ideal is that the cave-in happens slowly but there is absolutely no way that we can be sure that will be the case so we would basically be betting someone's life on it. With our present knowledge, the best, and most likely available trigger is a strong rope or rope-like object. With a rope, we both feel somewhat confident that we can create a cave-in that will hopefully serve our needs. Our confidence goes up with two ropes to simultaneously pull out two supports. If we used your idea, we would want to tie or somehow wedge the mining laser against an upper support and then rig it to stay on long enough to cut through the support. The danger is that the plastic log won't be cut all the way through since no one will be guiding it. And if it does cut all the way through, the cut may not stay because the heat of the mining laser might fuse the plastic back together. Still, it would be weaker so it is an option. The deliberately weakened ceiling might break through the weakened upper support and cause the cave-in anyway. Another consideration here is that the support that we need to cut through is in full view of the lift shaft cavern so any guard wandering by is probably going to notice the unmanned laser cutting through the support."
VAMPERINA: After she and Dayne return from taking Nobody to the infirmary she asks, "Well, what should we do now? Dayne doesn't believe that Nobody will be out of action for very long ... a few days at the most. Do we want to put our plans on hold until then? At the very minimum we will, of course, take Curt down to the DZ tomorrow. Do we also want to cut into the tunnel tomorrow?"
SURGE: "I think we bring down Curt and open up the exit for him to explore. I'm curious what you all think about a light source. Should we just pass him through a mining light for now? Or should I attempt to make a flashlight out of the AFB? Clearly, having Jack talk to Etienne should happen as soon as possible."
VAMPERINA: "Don't we have some cold light lanterns?"
SURGE: "Yes, we do. I suppose we could just use those but do we need to save those for the whole group?"
..........
CURT: The day after Curt spent the first night as a plug for the hole, he will relay the following little bit of information that he learned the previous night. "I spent the first few hours of the night just listening to both in the hold and in the mining area. Other than an occasional guard walking by down in the main corridor, I saw and heard nothing of interest. After about 4 hours, the lights went off, and all was quiet for the rest of the night. I spent perhaps 30 minutes to an hour inside the hole last night, and spent a little time looking around. I found that one of the crannies goes back quite a ways. It was just big enough for a normal person to squirm through. I don't know how far it goes. It could end after 10 feet or it could lead to another natural cavern. In any event, no light penetrated that far so I would have been either be exploring in total darkness, or will have to light one of the cold light lanterns.
CURT: That's about all I discovered. If you want me to explore more, I will either need to use one of the lanterns, or we will need to come up with another light source for me to use" Any suggestions? |