h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Will we be out of here soon? Oh, goody! Monsters, Inc. opens tonight! Now, normally I wouldn't consider seeing a scary movie like that, but I have some very good friends who are in...

*trails off, her tone suddenly becomes very sober* Oh. Mr. Wolfman is right, isn't he? We mustn't go and just leave the Heart-of-Darkness thingie wandering about, can we?

*hops down from Caerwynn's hood, finds a loose sock among the detritus on the floor, hops about searching for a half-brick*

*begins to tremble, contiues in a barely audible wisper* I seem to have misplaced my bottle, I hope this will do.

*follows Lil*

*arrives at top of root ladder, stands up and stretches gratefully*

*She finds herself in a fair-sized utility closet, the door of which is slightly ajar, admitteing a bright clean light. There is a recharging platform for a CLI cleaningbot, but the platform is vacant*

*Lil pushes open the door and steps out into the corridor, sparkly clean yellow tiles on the curved walls/ceiling and unglazed terra cotta tile underfoot. Recessed lighting casts a cheery glow against the tile, and right across from the closet, the CLI logo is set in mosaic and banded just like a subway sign in the Nodnol tube*

*Stepping further out, Lil peers round the curve and sees a lift entrance. Next to it is a sign saying

To CLI (Employees Only)
and ATELIER

A cleaningbot is nearby, trying to remove a large sooty mark from the floor*

*Recovers his breath from his narrow train related scrape and crosses over to the other door* There is no public transport up there is there? So, either leave by this door and return to the Atelier, for a comfortable seat and a glass of something refreshing and relaxing or back down into the tunnels to do battle with a pulsating, evil book title. Hmm, I'm off. *Munchkin quickly hares up the ladder after Lil. Upon arriving in the above described corridor he starts at the Underground sign and then politely asks;*
Er, which way to the Atelier then?

That lift entrance should let us into the service elevator that goes right up to the salon. And I for one can't wait to sit down on a velvet sofa and be waited on by Matina.

*stepping closer* Only, I don't remember there being a stop for CLI at all, restricted or not...

*feels pangs of curiosity*

Oh, sorry, that was me. I just found it lying over here and wondered what it was for. *Puts curiosity, pangs and all, back in the corner where he found it*

Well, which would you rather have, an adventure or a cup of tea and a cinnamon bun in front of the fire?

No, don't bother to answer.

*hits the call button on the lift*

*Goes to answer, then shuts up when told to, as his mother always taught him* You know, normally lifts when you push the button don't make a wooshing, air in tunnel, sort of noise.

*the lift doors open and Lil and Munchkin find themselves at the end of a tunnel. A light is rushing toward them with a high-pitched shriek*

I could do with Zaphod's glasses at this point.
Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!
Did I put clean underwear on?

*moves closer to Lil and away from Munchkin due to the question mark over the underwear*

*hits the CLOSE button*

*After a pause, during which time the bright light rushes closer and the noise becomes overwhelming, the doors close*

I wonder if that's a CLI security feature? We can wait for Garius and Affi to turn it off, if that's what it is, or we can go to the Aroma Cafe.

Are there any other security devices I should know of?

*the cleaning bot swivels toward them and speaks*

I am not authorised to divulge that information, sir.

But I'm glad you closed the door. People -- or whatever -- don't, and next thing you know I've got another major cleaning job on my watch.

*having followed Lil up the ladder into the basement, feels very relieved to be away from the HoD*

Actually I'm in a bit of a dilemma now, is it fair to leave the others to deal with the HoD?

Will they contact us if it proves a ventricle too far and they need help?

*Notices the rapidly diminishing pool of assistants.*

Well, it looks like it's just you and me, Affy plus one with a brick. Unless, Titania and that Tentacle are still around here somewhere.

*Thinks for a moment.*

You know, we have one net across the tunnel. If we could somehow block the tunnel behind the HoD, it would trap him down here.

*The thump-thumps get nearer and nearer.*

*clamor chittering down in tunnel*
*red eyes glow in darkness*

heh heh heh
Styx and 7th platoon are here, wolfboy

*turns and strides down the corridor, and around the curve of the passage, only to see another lift entrance. The sign over this one has been removed, and a piece of paper has been pasted on top of the space, that says in neat print "NAME REMOVED BY MODERATORS"*

This should be the place.

*Lil hits the call button and almost immediately the doors open to show ... a lift*

I'll check it out and if it's OK, I'll send the lift back down -- we can have a latte then walk back to the Atelier through the Magick Wood.

*Lil steps in and the doors close*

Aha! More than enough help!

Say, Styx, do you know of any passages that lead from here to somewhere down the tunnel behind the HoD? I'd like to take a few of these barrels and cause a cave-in back there.

*the lift doors open again, onto an empty lift, save for some blue letters shimmering on the back wall* http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F26140?thread=140977&post=1452128#p1452128