They helped the broken, compliant scientist to his feet and began the frantic, desperate race against the encroaching void. They ran through the collapsing corridors of the laboratory, the sterile, white walls now a chaotic, flickering mess of exposed wiring and crumbling plaster. They reached the sub-level just as the floor above them gave way, a shower of debris crashing down behind them, sealing their path.
The teleporter was a simple, circular platform of polished chrome, humming with a quiet, latent power. It was small, barely large enough for all of them to fit. Elara, his movements slow and mechanical, keyed in a series of commands on a nearby console. A shimmering, golden dome of energy flickered to life around the platform.
"It will take us to the surface," he said, his voice a flat, emotionless monotone. "Back to the city."
