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upstairs downstairs
When Raitt was one step up, Pettigrew closed the hatch, and Raitt adjusted his light.
There was enough downdraft that Raitt could feel his hair moving.
He felt the tension in his body lessen with each step, one foot on each side of the tube.
He was truly careful about being silent. The rules on the main ship were such that everything above the level of The Hub and MedLab was the exclusive domain of the Government itself, so each step up took Raitt further away from the areas where his badge meant something.
Stephen Raitt was, in effect, breaking into the White House.
He reached the chute above his entry point, already somewhat out of breath. He managed to pull himself onto the eight inch ledge to rest his arms & legs. He listened for any sounds through the hatch.
Nothing.
He moved his gloved hand to the vox strapped on his epaulet. He held down the 7 key he'd programmed for Natasha.
Right there, no waiting.
"You read me, Natasha?" Raitt stayed in character.
Eileen gleefully did likewise. "You are sound like you are inside barrel, comrade Boris dahlink, it is hard work, I think."
"But you are hearink me ok?" Raitt smiled in the darkness.
"Every word, dahlink."
"Good, I am checking in next floor soon. I see blood below me, just a little on the side." Raitt was moving his light around.
"Yes, but we are knowing this already." Pettigrew had the presence of mind not to mention Aggie's collision with the unfortunate Rekha on the vox.
"Da, tovarisch. I head up to next floor, talk to you soon." Raitt was getting an uneasy feeling.
Eileen dropped out of character. "You be careful, ears are everywhere."
Raitt nodded alone in the darkness. "I hear that."
He clicked off, worked his way into position and began to straddle up the chute again.
It was an hour later when he saw the inevitable. He was sitting on the second last chute entrance, talking to Pettigrew quietly, shining his light up the chute.
"I think I can see a dark patch on the opposite wall."
Pettigrew dropped her voice. "Geezas!"
"I know. Also there's a black stain right where the chute comes in."
"I think you should come back now." Pettigrew was very anxious.
"We need the blood sample."
Pettigrew sounded resigned. "I know. Just get it, don't call me or wait around, just come back in one piece, let me hear you say it."
Raitt knew she was right. "I'll grab the samples and head straight back, I promise."
"Good, see you soon." Pettigrew sounded better, but felt very worried.
Raitt re-positioned himself in the chute.
In five minutes, he had several samples on swabs in his left breast pocket.
In fifteen minutes, he had multiple samples from around the chute in his right.
Thirty seconds later, the chute hatch opened, there were a few soft pops and Stephen Raitt was falling the full length of the tube down into the laundry room.
He just wasn't aware of it, that's all.
There was enough downdraft that Raitt could feel his hair moving.
He felt the tension in his body lessen with each step, one foot on each side of the tube.
He was truly careful about being silent. The rules on the main ship were such that everything above the level of The Hub and MedLab was the exclusive domain of the Government itself, so each step up took Raitt further away from the areas where his badge meant something.
Stephen Raitt was, in effect, breaking into the White House.
He reached the chute above his entry point, already somewhat out of breath. He managed to pull himself onto the eight inch ledge to rest his arms & legs. He listened for any sounds through the hatch.
Nothing.
He moved his gloved hand to the vox strapped on his epaulet. He held down the 7 key he'd programmed for Natasha.
Right there, no waiting.
"You read me, Natasha?" Raitt stayed in character.
Eileen gleefully did likewise. "You are sound like you are inside barrel, comrade Boris dahlink, it is hard work, I think."
"But you are hearink me ok?" Raitt smiled in the darkness.
"Every word, dahlink."
"Good, I am checking in next floor soon. I see blood below me, just a little on the side." Raitt was moving his light around.
"Yes, but we are knowing this already." Pettigrew had the presence of mind not to mention Aggie's collision with the unfortunate Rekha on the vox.
"Da, tovarisch. I head up to next floor, talk to you soon." Raitt was getting an uneasy feeling.
Eileen dropped out of character. "You be careful, ears are everywhere."
Raitt nodded alone in the darkness. "I hear that."
He clicked off, worked his way into position and began to straddle up the chute again.
It was an hour later when he saw the inevitable. He was sitting on the second last chute entrance, talking to Pettigrew quietly, shining his light up the chute.
"I think I can see a dark patch on the opposite wall."
Pettigrew dropped her voice. "Geezas!"
"I know. Also there's a black stain right where the chute comes in."
"I think you should come back now." Pettigrew was very anxious.
"We need the blood sample."
Pettigrew sounded resigned. "I know. Just get it, don't call me or wait around, just come back in one piece, let me hear you say it."
Raitt knew she was right. "I'll grab the samples and head straight back, I promise."
"Good, see you soon." Pettigrew sounded better, but felt very worried.
Raitt re-positioned himself in the chute.
In five minutes, he had several samples on swabs in his left breast pocket.
In fifteen minutes, he had multiple samples from around the chute in his right.
Thirty seconds later, the chute hatch opened, there were a few soft pops and Stephen Raitt was falling the full length of the tube down into the laundry room.
He just wasn't aware of it, that's all.
