Dark Places

Emmett tosses the strange object back to Jaz. "Nah, the one I'd seen didn't have these wires in it. Your guess is as good as mine."

He watches the rock that Y'breq throws, eager to see if this is the portal that the foreman mentioned. Does it only work with living creatures? Will it melt the rock? I'm gonna have to see what's on the other side of that thing. I don't like having it in my damned town, there's no way I'm going to let it sit there not knowing where it leads.

"You folks ever seen one of them?" He whispers to the others.

"Nope, can't say I ever did. Think that's what we're looking for?" Lyle whispers back to Emmett.

"No, I'm sure we'll find another weird, shimmering, lightning hole deep inside this mine somewhere," Emmett replies with a sarcastic grin. "Are we going through the thing?"

"Oh- By all means...after you. Watch your step."Lyle says smiling. Then his brow creases. "Wait...Whoever goes through might want to consider wearing one of those masks..."

Jaz puts on the mask he is holding, and holds the other out. "Anyone else coming?"

"If there’s no objections, I’ll join you. In and out- we’re scouting not invading."

The rock vanished into the portal, which then stabilizes. Lightning still flickers around the edge, but you see the interior of a building just beyond, high tech and incredibly clean. Spotless.

"No risk, no reward. I'll follow you through. I hope those masks are unneeded as there are not enough for everyone."

Ok. We move forward.

"I'm coming also, after all, we are already here and this looks the only way forward, hopefully my own mask will provide me enough protection, I'm starting to think that if those poor victims came from somewhere else their masks could have been for protecting them from our environment, so i would be careful with those masks as well just in case.

"It seems like we’re all of one accord... in for a penny and all that?" Lyle readies his bow and adjusts his equipment, preparing to step through with his companions.

Emmett cautiously approaches the strange curtain. "Maybe we ought to tie you off or somethin'. Yeah, I kinda like that idea. I don't want you gettin' grabbed or anythin' once you head over."

He pulls a 50ft rope from his bag and ties a simple loop around Jaz, motioning for one of the others to do the same around Lyle.

"Awright, you ready?"

The portal is growing more agitated when you step through one by one. On the other side, it seems as if you have stepped out of Cooperstown into a rich city or numenera facility far away. Looking behind its as you'd expect, the mine tunnel visible, except instead of disguised as tunnel supports, the archway looks like it is plastic and metal and technology.

Most astonishing, a huge glass pane takes one wall, or the room that you're in, the view through it of a planet hanging in the void of star-dappled black emptiness.

Less astonishing is that robot, three legged and glowing blue. Sparks spark from one of its legs, damaged in some manner. The blue glow on its "head" faces you.

"Greetings, children. I am Cooper, and you have arrived just in time."

"Cooper.... I hate to tell you, but we are actually here o help any of our miners that need help... "

"Children? A bit presumptuous, don't you think...." Emmett trails off, quieted by the sight in front of him. He prides himself on having done more traveling than most, but this is far more than he's ever imagined he might see.

He turns his head slightly, speaking to Cooper, but doesn't look away from the view in front of him. "Uh. Cooper. What are we lookin' at? I see stars, but you don't often see that in the night sky. Where under Leib's blue sky did you take us?"

"Your miners, all of my children are in grave danger. You are the ones that answered my call. Will you listen to my plea?"

To Emmett, it responds, "Tombstone Redoubt. A relic, an anchor, a crossroads."

Electricity bursts from its broken leg, sparks scattering across the floor. It's blue light fades briefly, and with it the lights in the room you're occupying.

"Speak, Cooper, and we shall listen."

"Im all ears- but on the way in we were jumped by something- things really nasty. Are any more of them crawling around in here?" Lyle says, eying the room for entrance and exits.