Chapter 9

Staring through the open door, Ally turned to meet Eoin's gaze, her mouth in a flat line.

He stared back with a guileless expression.

She scowled, glaring at him. 'You did something!'

'I didn't!'

'How did it know you? How did you know to touch it?'

'I guessed!'

While entirely probable, she still didn't believe him. With a huff of annoyance Ally turned back to the open doorway. 'Fine. Give me a moment to check it.' When he didn't respond she twisted to meet those blue grey eyes.

The innocent expression wavered, she was sure of it.

Eoin shrugged and gave a half bow with a sweeping arm, the archaic gesture supposed to be charming. Turning back before he saw the smile touch her lips, Ally stepped across the threshold onto a stairwell landing.

The sterile smell struck first, then a coldness though she couldn't say if it were actually colder or just the illusion from being encased in steel. Eoin pressed close behind her as they peered into the space. Taking the ten steps down into the surprisingly large rounded space, Ally held a hand up, signalling for Eoin to stop. Before her she could see a ledge like table that jutted out from the side of the space, following the curve around. Beneath the staircase was an open doorway. Ally stayed still for a moment, ears almost ringing with the effort to hear even the slightest noise. There was a soft hum running through everything, and she assumed it must be the power source, but where did it come from? Her walk along the tunnel had revealed potential hidden panels, if her eyes didn't deceive her, as well as an odd entrance or exit some way down, a circular door like what Eoin had speculated for the tunnel end they had entered through, half jammed open and heavily overgrown from the outside; she'd only just been able to glimpse sunlight through it. Nothing that she'd seen anywhere had revealed a power source, or even cables for a power source, suggesting it had all been well hidden when this place was built.

'Ally?'

'Give me a moment, there's a room out here I want to check.' Ignoring the hum for the moment, Ally stepped through the doorway beneath the stairs. Instantly the space lit up. Ally stared in astonishment. The doorway led to a tiny hallway, with two more doorways. From where she stood Ally could see straight into what appeared to be sleeping accommodation. A bed set against the wall sat perched on a platform that seemed layered. Ally squinted at it and cautiously moved closer peering into the room then gasped.

The wall opposite the bed showed the jungle! From edge to edge.

'What?' Eoin's voice from right behind made Ally jolt but she was too distracted to be annoyed.

'Look!'

'Oh wow!' Eoin didn't hesitate to squeeze past her. He admired the image for a brief second before the bed had his attention. Ally watched in wonder as he swiftly made sense of how it all worked. She stayed still in the doorway as he slid the bed back then swung it up. With a soft click the bed slotted into place and a wall slid over it. The layered platform slid too, the top section moving back half the width of the bottom. With several deft presses here and there, Eoin had the platform opening up to reveal what must be a kitchen hidden within, though it all looked foreign to Ally. In the platform below, storage spaces yielded numerous sealed containers.

'What are those?' Ally asked as she entered the room, squatting beside him to lift one of the containers.

It wasn't made of steel, and it didn't seem like the plastic containers they'd come across before. It sealed tight on its contents, taking a rough outline of it.

Eoin turned the container he had in his hands over and over, while casting furtive glances at a device in the kitchen area.

'I think,' he said as he stood, speculatively eyeing the rounded pot on the kitchen area. 'I think this might be food. And I think that might cook it.'

Ally couldn't stop her eyebrows shooting up in disbelief as she stared at the silver pot-like device that had no obvious opening. Eoin didn't hesitate, moving like he always did with objects she considered unidentifiable and therefore dangerous. He deliberately placed his palm on the top of the rounded silver pot. A hum seemed to vibrate through Eoin's hand. The top of the silver pot lifted, revealing an opening. Eoin promptly set the knobbly shaped container of suspected food into the silver pot.

The lid clamped shut.

They exchanged a glance, hers concerned, his excited.

A rapid ticking sound caused Ally to leap to her feet, a hand on Eoin's arm about to wrench him bodily from the room when a clear sharp 'ding' rang out.

The lid opened, and Ally jerked back, half dragging Eoin.

'Calm down, Ally! Look!'

From the open lid steam rose, along with the scent of rich spices, and meat.

Ally stared in bewilderment at the pot while Eoin shook off her hold and moved into the kitchen space, selecting a plate and utensils before peering into the pot. He gave a chuckle of delight and carefully reached in.

Gone was the misshapen container he'd set into the device, in its place a wide open platter covered with food. Ally gaped at it, mouth working as Eoin spooned it onto the plate.

Finally she found her voice. 'You're not going to eat that?'

Eoin's eyes jerked up from admiring the steaming plate to stare at her with bewilderment, that open confused expression causing a sudden flare of anger.

'Don't be ridiculous!' Ally half shouted. 'If this is before Q.E then that is over five thousand years old! You cannot eat it!'

Eoin's confusion melted away to amusement, the half arched eyebrow patronizing Ally. 'You're not worried about me poisoning myself?'

Proper fury at his calm, teasing question forced an override in her system and she blacked out, vision narrowing to pin pricks of muffled light, her legs buckling, and her hearing blurring out until nothing registered in her mind.