Shafted

<snip>
“This is a tomb now…show what respect you can, but find us a way out of here….quickly…”
</snip>

Grimacing at her surroundings, Cass pulled the psi-scanner out of her jacket pocket and slapped the thing hard on the side to get it to boot up
“I... think we might struggle” she announced after a moment “Looks like they sealed this place before they died”
“Crap” Davie hissed “What the smeg did they do that for?”
“Dunno…” Cass muttered distractedly “Oh, hang on; I may have something …over there!”
She pointed out towards the far end of the cargo bay, lost from sight in the gloomy darkness that shrouded the deck
“I think there might be a way out”
The small group of humans regarded each other for a moment before Jay sighed, tiredly waving everyone forward
“Sounds like the best option we’ve got - Let’s go”
Wordlessly they began moving, picking their way through the shadows around the huddled, skeletal remains of their former friends and comrades, taking care not to disturb anything with their passing

To Cassandra’s eyes, things just got more and more troubling as they walked; the occasional almost identifiable wisp of hair or uniform bearing some recognisable feature or other, soon gave way to nothing but undisturbed dust for a good twenty minutes, before they saw the first body with its skull smashed to pieces, its twisted limbs splayed around it on the floor
“This way” Cass murmured pointedly, indicating the direction of the back wall “Let’s keep moving”
“Agreed” Jay growled, frowning
They passed dozens upon dozens more skeletons bearing the marks of ancient violence: fragments of uniform, smashed skulls, missing limbs and charred bones; scattered pieces of humanity
In spite of herself Cass shivered, she knew only too well what it was that these ruined bodies likely meant
“They must have hated us so much” she whispered
Jay flashed her a look, but said nothing

They continued in awkward silence for another ten or so minute’s until they reached the wall of the cargo bay, and guided by Cassandra’s psi-scanner they quickly located a large hole that had been torn through the wall by girders that appeared to have collapsed down from decks above them
Picking their way through the metallic debris that was strewn across the floor, the small group peered through the hole into a twenty meter wide vertical shaft that rose and fell into darkness both above and below them; three or four of the girders that had smashed through the wall were lodged tightly up against one of the walls of the shaft at a precarious angle, almost but not quite providing access to a decaying service ladder set in the wall nearby
“This must have been one of the industrial service lifts” Jay murmured, his voice echoing quietly in the cavernous space “They were used to move mining equipment”
Cass fiddled with the psi-scanner a moment, trying to extract any meaningful readings before putting the useless thing away in disgust
“If we can get to that ladder, it looks like we can go up or down” she said quietly “Up is where the drive room is, but down will be easier on whoever is going to volunteer to carry Seymour”
“Oh, I’m sorry to be so much of a burden to you all” Seymour snapped “I lost my legs heroically, saving the Captain, you know!”
A loud crash echoed distantly around the cargo bay, followed by an inhuman roar of triumph
“Looks like they found that loose plate on the floor…”

<tag>
Can we get to the ladder? Which direction will we head?
The service lift shaft won’t go all the way up to the drive room, and it’ll be easier and safer to go down and avoid any Huzards, but this will mean we’re losing more time against the Simulants - have they already got to the drive room?
</tag>