Chapter 6 - Tunnel Vision 

                    “Here, take these” Ursula whispers into Lynette's reddened-cold ear as she hands over a spare pair of panties she had just brought back from the Karlsland outpost. Lynn slips them on out of view of the many soldiers, engineers and other witches who rush about the edge of the crater taking measurements, surveying the area and managing the sturdy mechanical lift as it cranks its line back to the surface. 

                     “Thank’s Ursula. Much better” Lynn smiles with a snap of the elastic waistband around her hips. “I have to admit you Karlslanders sure are good at setting up shop quickly”. 

                     “Blitzkrieg construction at its finest!” Ursula boasts just as the rumbling of the crane’s gear comes to a halt and the gondola is pulled in. Over at the edge of the precipice two men clamber out of the basket and trudge through the sludgy ice to meet up with Commander Marseille inside a small tent. Both Ursula and Lynn likewise rush over to hear the soldiers report. 

                      “Ah, there you are. Fully dressed now Ms Bishop?” Marseille smirks behind a steaming mug of coffee, causing Lynn to shrink away with embarrassment. “You’ve caused quite the commotion in my base. If you were wondering; your fellow Britannians were worried about you. I’ve let them know you're fine.”

                      “Thank you Commander Marseille.” Lynn replies shyly. 

                      “Oh come now, lighten up. You didn't cause any damage, and depending on what these two report we might be closer to the oil field. Well men?” Hanna says, putting her drink down and looking sternly at her soldiers. 

                      “Yes Sturmbannführer Marseille!” one of the shivering men bellows. “The ice has crashed into a large underground tunnel system which appears to head towards the East and the South-West. The tunnels are very wide with a solid floor, however the ceilings appear unstable. We ventured roughly a kilometre into the South tunnel before we encountered a large crevasse splitting the entire structure, it was impossible to cross on foot. There’s no telling how much further the tunnel goes.” he reports obediently. 

                      “Any signs of oil?” Marseille interrupts. 

                      “No Sturmbannführer.” the man relays with apprehension. 

                      “Hmp! Ursula, what is this thing?” Hanna asks as she slouches back in her chair and pulls her cap down over her eyes. 

                      “It would be unusual but they could be lava tubes. Molten rock could get stuck under the ice and carve out tunnels following the path of least resistance. Maybe ancient river channels… Ugh, it's really strange Marseille.” the small scientist speculates. 

                      “Yeah it is… How far might they go?” 

                      “Without getting some more men down there to map them, we really won't know. I’m not a geologist by any means but I’ve never heard of anything like this.” says Ursula.

                      “It will take forever to do that but we can't risk the possibility that there might be more of them, possibly under New Swabia. A collapse would be devastating. For now the safety of the base takes priority, understood Officer Hartmann?” Marseille says as she pouts her lips and furrows her brow with frustration. As a silence falls over the few within the tent Lynette suddenly comes to a fascinating realisation. 

                      “Commander Marseills, if I may: I might know a way to map the tunnels very quickly.” Lynette suggests; a wave of warm confidence washing over her as she steps forward, a curious look growing across everyone else's faces. 

                       Ursula beams in awe at the large calibre bullet in her hands, flipping it over, rolling it around, examining every aspect of its design as it shimmers in the sunlight. 

                       “Fascinating! Just fascinating! You Brits are giving me a run for the money in crazy inventions!” Ursula smiles over at Lynn, who is slipping her legs into her striker unit and holding her anti-tank rifle in her arms.

                        “At least this won't set anyone on fire, Officer Hartmann.” Hanna chimes in as she takes the bullet from her comrades grasp.

                        “My inventions never set anyone on fire!” Ursula retorts defiantly. “One did electrocute someone though…” she quietly admits to herself.

                       “Ha! Well, shall we get this show on the road Ms. Bishop?” Marseille asks as she hands the brass casing over to Lynette. 

                       “Thank you. With any luck you’ll be able to pick up the sonar waves over on the consoles.” Lynn says as she motions Ursula over to a large and bulky set of generators and monitoring equipment piled up below a heavy drab tarpaulin. Once she arrives she shoots a firm thumbs-up signalling that the gear is in working order and that the operation can begin. 

                        “I don't know if we’ve found the oil or something else but I do have to admit; it's all very exciting isnt it?” Hanna smirks back at Lynn.

                        “Yeah it is. Right, I’ll get going then.” the Britannian witch grins back before revving her engines and taking off high into the vast pale blue sky above. 

                         Lynn ascends a few hundred feet above the makeshift outpost and now she can finally see just how massive the hole which opened actually is. Off in the distance she can make out New Swabia, its tall radio mast and solid HQ building clearly visible on the flat landscape. She wonders what Commander Rhys and the others must be doing right now, and how far away the plane sent by the Furious might be. 

                         Getting her thoughts back on track; Lynn pulls the bolt on her rifle and positions herself to aim a precise shot into the centre of the crater. She breathes steadily, the air filling with condensation, specks of now drifting into her familiar’s ears with a gentle tickle. Down below all the men and workers look up with excited anticipation. It’s been a long time since some of them have seen a witch fire off a weapon, and the way Lynn is positioned truly makes her look like one of the motivational recruitment posters many of them saw years ago. 

                        Lynette exhales gently and squeezes the heavy trigger. Instantly a thunderous boom fills the air and her body is thrown back from the intense recoil. At supersonic speeds the special sonar bullet slams into the bottom of the ice crater. Despite the excitement; the moment is fleeting. Lynn did only fire a single bullet which acted like any other, it was nothing that spectacular. Soon after, while the faint crack of the shot still rings off distant hills and cliffs, Lynn descends, locking her unit back in the docking station which had been pulled by dogs down from the base. After getting some help to pull her legs from her strikers she rushes over to the machine tent to see if the plan worked. 

                          “The signals coming through! Amazing! It worked!” the Karlsland scientist exclaims as the circular screen on the computer bank begins to fill in with numerous lines, shapes and blobs. “Wow, it's so extensive. This is a huge structure!” she says, turning to face Lynn and Hanna who stand behind her. “Good job Lynn!”

                           “Thank you. Can you make any sense of those lines? Do any go under the base?” Lynn asks as she rubs her hands together for warmth. 

                           “I’d need to plot it all over an actual map, but… no, I don't think there are any tunnels under New Swabia. It goes on for ages though. Ah! Look here, this splotch is massive, it must be a cavern or cave underground!” Ursula remarks, pointing to one of the largest data signals on the ice-rimmed glass monitor. 

                            “Hmm, intriguing…” Hanna mumbles into a clenched fist. 

                            “Could we lower one of the snow cruisers down there?” Lynn suggests tentatively. 

                             “We could, but with how unstable the ceiling is I don't want to risk losing one to another collapse.” Hanna replies. 

                             “What about the dog sleds?” Ursula asks. 

                             “The report said there’s big cracks in the ground. Who knows how many bridges we’d need to get across.” The tent falls silent as everyone thinks, moving their gazes out over the mysteriously beckoning hole. 

                             “We could take the strikers.” Lynn says after a moment of contemplation. “We won't have to worry about a cave-in if we don't touch the walls or the ceiling.”. Almost as soon as Lynn gives her idea Hanna’s warm gloved hand slaps down on her shoulder with great force. 

                             “I’m starting to like you even more Ms. Bishop!” the Karlsland Commander chuckles with a friendly grin. “It’s decided - Officer Hartmann I want you to stay up here and monitor the situation for now. If you need any more assistance then Lynette's Britannian friends have my permission to go wherever you need them. Lynn and I shall go down into the tunnels and fly towards that large signal source.” Marseille says with bold confidence, rising her caps brim and flipping her hair to catch in the wind. Her comments grab the attention of several of the workers nearby who stop to mutter among themselves. Surely it is a crazy idea to fly down into that dark unknown. Then again; both Marseille and Lynette are ace witches, they can handle anything.

                      The buzz of two striker units, Lynette's Spitfires and Hanna’s Messerscharfs rumble and echo loudly as the pair descend slowly into the icy opening. At a safe distance Ursula stands waving off her companions as they begin on their exploration, a slight look of concern shimmering behind her glasses. Both witches have been outfitted with the type of sturdy helmets one might see in a mineshaft with bright headlamps attached to light their way. While Lynn still wields her rifle, Hanna carts around a pack laced with rope and ice axes. They aren't expecting any problems, but as Commander Rhys says - the key to survival is preparation. 

                       The girls take a moment shining their lamps ahead of themselves into the murky darkness of this subterranean world, slicing like blades into the gloom, illuminating the odd flash of turquoise blue ice, pure and clear. The air is still and horrendously dry. It's actually rather disorienting seeing so much ice which should be incredibly wet, yet the intense cold does not allow any moisture to even form. There’s no wind down here so it’s unlikely there are any other openings close by, Lynn thinks to herself as an apprehensive shiver runs up her spine. 

                        “If you don't hear from us in five hours send a search team!” Hanna yells back up to Ursula at the craters rim, receiving a firm nod in confirmation. “Lead the way Ms. Bishop.” 

                        The blue glow of the strikers blades reflects in a beautiful dance all around the witches as they steadily pitch forward and they drive into the tunnel, into the unknown. 

                         Hanna and Lynette fly into the darkness for several minutes at a slow pace, little faster than a determined walk. The sound of their engines echoes behind them and the light from their heads bounces and catches on every odd outcropping they pass by. Every now and then they fly over incredibly deep and wide cracks, more akin to canyons in the tunnel floor. The previous explorers were right, they couldn't have crossed these even with a snow cruiser. Aside from their own strikers; it’s deftly silent down here, the only rumblings being the occasional creaking of the ice around them as it settles, sharp and quick, like snapping cables. It's unnerving, strangely unnatural and claustrophobic. Lynn wonders if anyone else in the 501st would have been brave… or stupid, enough to come down here. Would Rhys? She’s sure he’d enjoy the adventure if nothing else. 

                         “It sure is strange to fly underground isn't it Ms. Bishop?” Hanna eventually says from just behind Lynette, breaking the silence between the two witches. Lynn falls back to be directly beside her Karlsland counterpart. 

                          “It's not my first time flying below the ground. The Berlin subway was much smaller after all. And please; Commander Marseille, call me Lynn.” the Britannian smiles shyly.

                          “Hmm. Very well “Lynn”. How has life been treating you?” Hanna asks as she flips over to fly inverted. Lynns not sure if she’s showing off or just being relaxed, but it's rather uncomfortable. 

                          “It's been good… Britannia’s pretty boring I guess.” she replies meekly. “I… How’s Karlsland right now?”

                         “It’s a mess. You guys got off easy. Do you know how hard it’s been rebuilding a city from nothing?” Hanna sighs, looking away into the darkness. “All those dead, the art, the culture, gone forever…” 

                         “I’ve seen it. I helped out with reconstruction in Gallia. My mother always said the worst thing about the war was the loss of humanity. I’m really sorry Marseille.” Lynn says gently.

                         “Yeah… but that's over now.” Hanna whispers before quickly flipping back onto her front, her hair waving around her body like a beautiful ballet dancer's dress. “I know Ursula has been talking to you about me behind my back. What did she say?” Marseille asks with a tone far colder than any of the ice surrounding her. A frozen terror overcomes Lynn as she stairs at the Karlsland fighter ace across from her, a painfully tense atmosphere radiating worse than the pitch darkness that envelops them. 

                         “Uhh… she… she said you’d joined the Covern International.” the startled witch finally stutters out, shivering as if the cold had only now hit her. 

                         “I have… Why do you look so afraid, Lynette?” Hanna asks sinisterly. 

                         “I don't know…” is all Lynn can whisper in reply. 

                        “Ha! I got you good!” Hanna suddenly burst out with a huge smile across her face, bobbing her striker up and down as she laughs loudly, Lynns tension instantly turning to bewildered confusion. “There’s no need to be so worried! Lighten up! Yes I’ve joined the Coven, and I know Ursula doesn't agree, but that's her problem and I’ll run our mission here as I see fit. As long as it doesn't get in the way she can believe whatever she wants.” Hanna smiles, adjusting the glowing light on her forehead to wipe condensation from the lens. 

                         “Ursula said that you… hate people with no magic?” Lynn asks rhetorically.

                         “Nonsense! I don't hate non-witches. I don't necessarily believe we’re better than them. It's just… I’ve realised how much they use us.” Hanna says.

                         “What do you mean?”

                         “Think about it Lynette; how many world leaders can you think of that are witches like us? When was Britannia’s last witch Prime Minister? Karlsland’s never had a witch on the throne. Fuso, Liberion, nowhere puts us in power.” Marseille states.

                         “Is that such a big deal?” asks Lynn inquisitively. 

                         “They turned to us in their time of need against the Neuroi, had us fight, suffer and die for them. They used us as weapons and now that the Neuroi are gone; what happens? They give us a pension, some medals and head-pats as thanks, but they won’t represent us. They won’t give us a say in how this new world is run, even though we saved it for them.” Hanna says, an obvious hint of bitterness and anger seeming into her voice. 

                         “But we never could have defeated the Neuroi on our own. We needed their help just as they needed ours. And… What about men like Rommel? You served with him, what would he say?” Lynn posits defiantly.

                        “Men like Rommel are few and far between. Lynette do you honestly think the politicians in the Reichstag or your Parliament care about you now that your job is done? They’re happy to use us when we’re needed… but throw us away when we’re not. They stabbed us in the back!” Hanna spits venomously with disgust. 

                       “...What happened, Marseille? Is the situation in Karlsland really that bad?” Lynette asks sorrowfully. She came here hoping to make things better for the people of Britannia, did Karlsland have it so much worse? 

           “They might not hunt us like they did a hundred years ago but yeah, it's bad. After everything we lost we deserve all the same representation everyone else does! They’re afraid of us, afraid of our power. We’ve never given them reason to be afraid… but we could.” Hanna says coldly, staring off into the inky blackness ahead of them as the ice groans and the tunnel continues into the abyss. 

           The pair of witches continue their subterranean flight in silence. Lynn is still unsure about her comrades intentions, her words ringing in her ears. Some of what she said makes sense. She’s seen similar things happening in Britannia but never given it much thought, or maybe she’s chosen to ignore it. Either way the hints of anger and hatred seeping through Marseilles words are screaming at Lynn to run from this strange new ideology. Lynn has never wanted to hate anyone. She wonders what Yoshika would have said to Hanna if she were here, probably something that would get her in trouble. 

           After a while more of continuous flying down the seemingly endless tunnel the sound of the strikers engines echoing off the walls begins to change tone. It’s quickly noticeable after so long listening to the same droning sounds. The shape of the passageway must be changing, or maybe, they've finally reached their goal. 

           Indeed this is soon proven to be the case as the girls exit the long tunnel into a gigantic ice cavern. It’s far too dark to see anything at all, but just from the feeling of the air around them, their awareness is telling them that the narrow confines have opened up. Their headlights shine and catch glimpses of objects lurking in the gloom, unidentifiable and worryingly unknown. Hanna however has come prepared as she digs into her pack and rummages for a set of long-burning flares.

           She strikes their ignitions, blasting the girls with a bright red glow as sparks and smoke plume off the small stick. Marseille begins throwing the illuminating flares all around the area revealing an incredible, unbelievable sight. Even before the room has been entirely lit up they both hover in place, struck in absolute awe, their mouths agape in a wordless shock. 

           What stands before the witches, scattered about the red glowing ice is the long forgotten remains of a sailing ship. It had been taken apart, not broken, its bow and stern separated a few metres, with what seems to be makeshift tents and cabins between the sections, some of which have collapsed and fallen over. A dense layer of frost coats every surface giving the vessel a ghostly, haunting appearance. 

           As Lynn scans over the otherworldly sight her eyes catch a glimpse of letters beneath a dense shene of ice. She gently floats over, the blue glow of her strikers overpowering the red flares as she approaches the extremely well preserved wood of the ship's bow. Hanna joins her and begins to scratch away at the frosted surface with one of her axes. Moments later the majesty of the ship's nameplate is revealed to the world after many years of being lost and unseen. 

           “The Endurance?” Lynn says in astonishment.