Checkers had reached the end of the ladder. While she could climb down another three rungs and suspend herself by the arms, without the support of her legs, she would not be able to pull herself back up, and doubted that she could fly back up. She needed to find the distance down. At first she prodded at the wall, hoping to dislodge some loose rock. However, the wall was solidly built, and was in fact almost smooth, although not polished. She could detect a little ridge about half the height and depth of her thumb at eye level, but it would not be enough to hang onto. It was colder than the rock. She guessed that it was a metal of some sort. Having failed to find a loose rock, she reached into her pouch, looking for an expendable item. She found a bit of wallhugger bone that she had not cleaned out, and dropped it on the ground. The shard hit the floor quietly in about a second. It was hard to tell, but the floor seemed to be sunk below the level of the other room, but not very far, perhaps as much as a story of a building. It was far enough to injure a leg, but not far enough for gliding to be effective. Checkers knew from her training at Electric Pass as a youngster that a good scout will make sure that she can return to the point of origin before setting off. She climbs the ladder, feeling her way against the wall from time to time to see if she can find any irregularities that may be useful.
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1/8/2003 6:56:01 PM
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