I Took a Walk Episode Ten Starting Back

Earning this bonus could cost Jimmy his life

One glance at that map and Jimmy knew there was no way to get there on foot in the time he had without cutting back through the ridge. The ridge wound for twenty miles before getting low enough for him to walk around. He went to the typing poster and began pointing.

I NEED TO GET FROM HERE TO THE LAB BASEMENT WITH THE LEAST TIME UNDERGROUND.

Words appeared on the screen.

I’m Major Pine. Doctor Eastland, Mr. Griever, and I are already discussing that with my people. It is assumed that you got lost.

Jimmy went back to the poster.

I FELL DOWN 

LOST ORENTATION TO THE LAB

GUESSED WRONG WHEN I GOT UP

That confirms Eastland’s guess. Have you fallen more than once?

YES 2 MORE TIMES

We will take that into account as much as we can. I can already tell you that you have at least one, two-mile stretch through the ridge that is two miles from here.

IS THERE A PIPE OR SEWER AT THE RIGHT LEVEL LEADING INTO THE LAB

 I GOT OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN FOLLOWING ONE I CAME ACROSS

Checking. Also adding that to my people’s information to get you where you need to be.

Exhaustion hit him. He began to sit down.

What are you doing?

He straightened up and started pointing.

NEED REST

BEEN WALKING IN THIS HEAVY SUIT FOR HOURS

Sitting on a flat surface in the suit was as uncomfortable as hell. He tried laying on his side.

***

Light flashing in his eyes startled him. He woke panicked and flailing, his arm passing through the man that had been holding the strobe to his face.

That man fell back in fear.

The room had changed. They had brought in more people and a large screen monitor was there, hooked up to a laptop.

We let you sleep for two hours as we worked out as many details as possible, but time is getting short and you need to move now. The first and last leg of your journey are the longest times underground and we have cut them to the minimum. The first is 2.2 miles. The last is .9 miles. After finishing the first large underground stretch, you will walk toward Delmar for four miles, then in a drainage ditch for half a mile. There is now an arrow in it pointing at the basement of a house ninety feet away. You will make for that. Inside will be a man with an arrow pointing to the next basement. The longest distance you will have is sixty yards before you have that last .9 mile stretch underground.

Good luck.

Jimmy looked at the map. That was a lot of basements to zigzag through.

He got to his feet and saw a line painted on the floor and someone pointing in that direction. He lined himself up on the painted mark and started. It took him into the next room and out the side wall at an angle. Outside below him, every hundred yards, he saw uniformed men with flags stretching into the distance.

He strode forth with purpose and more hope than he had had since that first fall.

The men got further and further below as he walked. He realized that the cliff he approached was the same one he had exited from, though several hundred yards further along it.

If he had turned the other way, then would he have walked that two miles and come out much closer to the Lab?

Then he saw the arrow pointing at an angle on the ground below.

No. Chances are, he would have become hopelessly lost.

He lined himself up with that arrow below, took a deep breath, and reentered the cliff.