Chapter 6 - The Gorge

She entered the run’s changeroom and went to her locker to pull out her orange outside suit, and checked it over for damage or weak spots. They had to wear them whenever they went out, it protected them from the elements, the harsh cold and unforgiving rays of light that reflected into the solar system. You could survive outside without a suit but it wasn’t pleasant. It was freezing and if you got hit by a ray of light it felt like an ice cold knife being dragged across your skin, it left a red mark too.

Jenny and Mac entered the room too. They were the other runners for this morning.

“Hey Mia” Jenny said

“Hey guys” Mia replied

“Going to set a new record this morning” Mac teased

“Nah” Said Mia “I don’t think you will be catching my old record anytime soon; I don’t want to make it even harder for you guys”

“Ha!” said Mac “don’t worry, I’ll knock your record off real soon”

“You wish Mac” Jenny said with a gentle shove to Mac’s shoulder

“Are we ready, Trainees?” Asked Master Alex, as he entered the room.

“Yes Sir” Came the response from all 3 trainees.

“Good” Master Alex said as he walked around inspecting them getting ready, making sure their suits were in good condition and everything in place. He walked up to the computer, getting this morning’s run program open. “Ok, ready to sync your comms”

Mia pulled her Comm Screen out of her pocket and placed it on the sync stand. She pulled on her suit and after a beep sounded from her comm screen she removed it from the Sync stand and put it in her forearm pocket with a clear film so she could input her readings on the run. Mac and Jenny followed suit. They all put their gloves on and stood with their helmets under their arms waiting for the signal to start.

“Right, who is going first” asked Master Alex.

Jenny stepped forward, Mac fell in behind her, Mia didn’t bother to move, she had plenty of time. Jenny clipped her helmet on and walked through into the entry room as the door slid open and then closed. There was then a 5 second delay before the outside door opened and then Jenny would be off checking all the maintenance valves on the north run, there was twenty six in total. The river run had twenty eight valves and the Gorge run had Thirty two. Runners would stop at each valve check the reading against their run details they had just sync to their comm screens. They would also record that reading into her device and it would tell her what zone it was in, green, orange or red.

A reading in the orange zone would need pressure released via a big round tap that needed to be unscrewed to release pressure, a reading in the red zone would trigger an alarm in the maintenance headquarters and another team would get ready to come out in case there was a problem releasing the pressure. The more pressure behind the taps the harder they are to move. The program also showed valves that were irregular in their readings, that might also mean trouble.

While Mac was going through the doors, Mia put the ends of her eleclace into her ears, opened up her play list. Just before she clipped on her helmet Master Alex said “Happy Hunting” Mia gave a smile and it was now her turn to go through the doors.

Mia loved this run the most, it was named after a huge gorge that you had to climb up and back down at different parts, plus there was part where you had to make a 2meter jump over a huge cavern that was at least 50 meters deep. It was exhilarating.  The landscape was dry and rocky, it looked kind of like desert but was freezing cold not scorching hot. There was almost no plant life and a few animals, mainly of the small scuttling kind, but it was extremely rare to see anything on a run.

Mia was half way through the run that should take her about three hours when she came to the first orange valve that would need to be released. She turned the tap one way watching the reading drop until it was back in the green, then she turned the tap the opposite way to turn it off, she typed the new reading into her comm screen and checked the reading was stable before heading off again – the next bit was a steep climb up the gorge, she scaled it easily, hands and feet finding the best places without her even thinking. On top of the ridge was an easy run checking the next three valves then she used a rope & pully that were already there to abseil down the gorge face. She then followed the well-worn track checking valves as she went. The big jump was coming up, it was only marked with a sign. She accelerated a little and lengthened her stride slightly sailed over the cavern. She always tried to looked down – just for the thrill. The rest of the run had only one other valve that needed adjusting. She continued on the track that would take her directly back to base. That was a good run only two valves were out. She didn’t stop running until she was at the entry room and had hit the opening button. She was a little out of breath because she had pushed herself on the run back.

Bending over to catch her breath, she heard someone coming up behind her. “Hey . . . Mac” she said trying to catch her breath “maybe you really will catch my record”

“Hell yeah” Mac replied equally out of breath.

“Did you have a good run?”

“Yeah only one orange, you?” Mac asked

“two”

The door opened and they both moved through. Once the outside door was shut they clipped off their helmets and walked to the next door that opened as if on que. There was no one in the change room but that was normal, the Master would be checking on their progress as they put their readings in. They would already know their runs were successful.

They stripped off their suits, and put them in the wash pile. By the time they were rostered on for their next run their suits would be ready again in their lockers. “Time for a shower” announced Mia

“Wanna share?” Mac offered

“Nice try but sadly no!” Mia said

Just then Jenny entered the room from her run.

“Hey how’d you go” Mia asked

“Six oranges, that’s the most I think I have ever had,” said Jenny

“Yeah wow, that is a lot,” said Mia

With a cheeky look Mac cut in “Hey we’re just going for a shower, wanna join?”

Mia gave Jenny a, just ignore him look and exited the room.

“Hey wait up” called Mac with a chuckle.