Land Down Under (KJDarKnight & Treasure)

Faelar didn't notice just stared up at the sky. How could these people.love entire lives never seeing the sky?

"Fuck" Pepper muttered. If they needed her then it was bad. She slipped her feet into her boots and blindly tied them up "come with me. Could use muscle no doubt" she said before getting up and going to a cabinet, finding an emergency lantern
 
"I will come," Badru agreed. He followed her faithfully, glancing at Faelar. The boy was staring out the window with a hunger Badru recognized. He considered leaving him there, but if they needed Gray... "Come. Needed."

Gray glanced at him. He wasn't certain how he was needed. With the electricity gone, he couldn't send word or recieve it to or from anyone.
 
Faelar looked over "right" he hurried off after Pepper and Badru, Pepper leading the way with a lantern.

"We'll have to repel down...the lifts won't be working if the power is out" she said she said mostly to herself as she hurried, practically running whence they were down the ladder. The power was out. Didn't mean just no light. It meant the air would run out. Hundreds of people would die in their sleep if she didn't get things up and running.

She made it to the nearest lift and opened an emergency box on the wall next to it, a long length of rope "Gray. Stay by the radio. I'll get an emergency line working. If I can't get the air going we will need to evacuate" she pulled a key off from where it hung around her neck "if I give the word. Unlock that box and pull the lever" she said pointing to a smaller second faded red box with the half chipped off word "EMERGENCY ONLY"

"It will switch on the red lights and sound an alarm through the entire city. It runs on a back up generator. Will get the lifts running too but that's it" she explained the plan
 
Gray nodded, glad of the dim light so he could nod. He kept Faelar close and put the key in his pocket. The cave Desolation resided in was big enough they'd have plenty of time to evacuate, but not much to spare outside of that. He picked up the radio and waited, strangely relaxed. Some part of him knew this was always going to come someday.

Badru studied the box then looked to Pepper. "Leave now, fix, then bring people back?" he suggested. He didn't realize exactly how big a task it would be to get everyone out of the city.
 
Pepper shook her head "too many people" she said as she rigged up the rope to repel down. She got the rope and harness on herself then helped Badru get his on. The harness barely big enough. A bit snug and probably not comfortable.

"Follow what I do ok?" She said, looking up at him. Crash course but it wasn't all that hard really
 
"Understood," Badru grunted, feeling the harness pinch a little. He didn't complain despite the tightness of this contraption. She had to have a reason for it, and this was urgant. Complaining could come later.
 
Pepper showed him how to hold the ropes then showed him how it worked by going down first, just a short ways before waiting for him, she had rigged it so he could come down next to her rather than going one by one all the way down
 
Badru had no problem with the ropes and easily followed Pepper down. He'd climbed with ropes before, though not with the harness get-up. He moved quickly though carefully, keeping a close eye on Pepper.
 
Pepper moved with expert ease. She had run emergency protocol tests monthly and this was one of them.

The only light was the lantern on her hip as they descended down and down until a faint light appeared at the bottom. Good. They at least had some back up lights up and going so they could see to work.

As they reached the floor they hear shouting, smelled smoke and people running all over the place trying to keep everything from falling apart.

Pepper quickly unclipped herself and got her harness off, glancing at Badru to see if he needed help
 
Badru took off his harness a little too fast and broke a strap, but he tossed it aside. "What do I do?" he asked, instantly looking for how he could help.
 
"Follow me" Pepper answered as she rushed off. She could already think of several places she could use his height and strength
It would save everyone time and energy having him there.

She started ordering people around as she went, nobody questioned her. She was basically the boss around there
 
Badru buckled down and did exactly as he was told wherever Pepper put him. He did not understand engines, but this one did now sound happy. It growled angrily, spitting steam and smoke. If it was an animal, he'd consider putting it out of its missery. From the way Pepper moved, she was trying to save it, so he did his best to help her. Some of the parts were so hot they burned his hands, but he kept going.
 
Pepper was hyper focused getting everything together enough that the engine revved to life with a low rumble and pops as lights flicked back on and a rush as the air flow returned.

Pepper wiped a sweaty brow and grabbed the radio she had to connect to Gray.

"Gray. I got a patch job on this thing but it's not going to hold long. Maybe twenty-four hours. I'll keep working but we need to evacuate the city as a precaution if I can't get a better repair job done in that time. Get ahold of Misty for the weather and get the information to the authorities. If they don't listen. Pull the damn lever"
 
"Understood," Gray tapped back. He turned to Faelar, blinking in the blinding light. "Can you make it home from here? You need to get to Justira. The city is failing and we will need to leave." He didn't wait for an answer as he started frantically tapping out the message to the city council's office. His contact at the office took him seriously, but would the council?
 
Faelar didn't need to be told twice. He hurried back the way he thought they had come but hard to say when he was entirely blind all the way there but it wasn't too far.

Pepper hoped they would listen but she highly doubted it. They had been denying this possibility for years!

Pepper finally took a moment to sit and drink some water, offering some to Badru too
 
Badru accepted the water though his still stood, sweat glistening on his ebony skin. He took a long drink then handed it back to Pepper. "The engine dies," he stated. If it wasn't dying, then he would be shocked. Nothing should make the noises this thing was.
 
She nodded "I know..been telling them for years. Only a matter of time" she said "we need more parts...new parts" she wiped the sweat away with a rag and offered one for him too
 
Badru tried to think how to explain. "This man," he said, waving a hand to indicate an invisible man standing near him, "think one thing. This man," a different invisible man got a wave, "think one thing. this man," a third invisible man, "think other one thing. None work together. Too much different thought."
 
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