“Doctor Regi! Doctor Regi! The tremors are back!” A frenzied scientist wearing a chalk white lab coat and holding a TMDM (Tremor and Motion Detector Monitor, a Velieezian scientist’s best friend) dashed across the room rather comically. Goggles rested on her dark spiky hair. A strange aura of sulfur surrounded her. It was Doctor Erma Wiggins. She was easily excited, and very frantic.
Doctor Reginald Winters glanced up from his papers. Just as he had predicted. Doctor Martin was a genius, plain and simple. He was calm and calculating, and sometimes harsh, but that made him rather boring in anything else. He was well-known on the planet Velieez for his advancements in the science and medical fields. He considered his greatest accomplishment was coming up with a cure for Cancir, a deadly disease.
Doctor Regi and Doctor Erma and a small group of scientists had set up a camp in the rocky deserts of Velieez. Here is where they had detected the source of the tremors. Something was below and they would find out. Ever since he had discovered the snow people of the North pole, he had learned they were in contact with another species that lived underground, possibly the same species, but adapted to another environment. Either way, Regi was determined to find out what was beneath the earth.
“These tremors are larger than they’ve ever been,” Erma explained. “Something big is happening.”
Regi’s eyes didn’t look up from the TMDM. “Fascinating. Erma, prepare the drill. We’re going in.”
“But sir, it might not be safe! We don’t know what’s down there.”
“We will soon.”
“Y-yes sir. Ya hear that, boys, we’re goin’ in!”
A loud whirring sound revealed the T-1001 Excavadrill was on and ready. Erma had already changed into a stained tan jumpsuit and was clearly ready for the journey. Regi quickly changed into his explorer suit, which consisted of a brown shirt tucked into jeans and military boots. He holstered his handgun, hoping he wouldn’t have to use it.
Regi, Erma, and two other scientists were suited up and ready. They strolled proudly into the drill. It was a large machine that resembled an excavator, but with a drill in the front. It was Regi’s pride and joy, since he aided in the construction of the behemoth.
Erma sat down in the captain chair and messed with the controls. The machine began boring its way into the rocky surface. Down and down they went. Regi finally felt the fatigue from his days of restless work. They had poured over countless maps, screens, and various tools, with little to eat and drink. As they continued the descent, he drifted off.
**********
Skrunch! “Wha–!” Regi jolted awake. He immediately fell forward onto the windshield. The drill was completely vertical, the drill facing directly down. They were teetering on the edge of a rocky ledge, a vast cavern with buildings and pools all over below. Regi held his breath. He felt a sharp pain in his lungs. He looked down to see blood pooling out of his chest. A sharp chunk of rock was sticking into him. He coughed up
Painfully, he looked around to see if anyone was there. Erma lied on the glass next to him, not moving. Another scientist was stuck in between the rocky cliff and the drill, his neck angled in the wrong way. The other scientist was hanging from a cord on the ceiling, his throat slit, and blood dripping from his neck onto the floor next to Regi.
He tried to stay calm when every ounce of his body was telling him to panic. He managed to gasp, “Erma!” He felt like there was so much rock and dust in his throat. No response from Erma. Thinking this was his final moments, he looked out at the glorious city that sprawled endlessly below him. Creatures that looked like ants from where he was went about their day, not knowing of Regi’s peril. A giant floating rock in the middle of the city boasted more buildings, these more incredible than the others. Four giant generators hummed far below, with giant electrical cords running from them to every house in the city. Regi was awestruck.
Then, the ship lurched forward, and Regi blacked out…
**********
Regi awoke to many eyes, all peering at him. He groaned and looked around him. He was lying in what looked to be a hospital bed, with many cords attached to him. Many more beds were all around him, but they were all empty.
The creatures which resembled furry little moles were curiously poking him and laughing.
Regi lurched forward, ripping cords off himself. “Where am I? How am I alive?”
“I believe I can give a suitable explanation.” All the little creatures parted and a much taller wiser looking creature strode through.
“I am Drudge, the Prime Minister of Mole City. We are Mole-Men, and you came falling from the sky. Luckily we live in the center of the planet–gravity works differently, and so, you floated down just as a feather would. Oh, and your friend is in the other room, I expect you will want to see her. Now, I think you have some explaining to do.”