14
Janine stared at the remains of an exploded cavern wall. From her experiences at the Sydney Research Station, she knew exactly what had happened.
“Someone escaped.” She gestured Shannon to follow her into the short, jagged passageway, picking her way carefully through rubble. “All the research stations have emergency escape pods, carefully sealed and obscured. In the event of enemy attack, natural disaster, or contaminant outbreak, these pods are here for those who know about them. Research Station personnel are briefed on them, and emergency evacuation drills mention them as alternatives to the usual exit routes. I've never seen one used.”
She shined her light upward to the underside of a retractable roof, then down to a metal bracing scorched with burn marks. Sniffing, she smelled
