The tunnel continued on for some time, with John and Lyra ordering the group to a halt at regular intervals so they could disable some unseen trap or another. Theseus had begun to collect some of the archaic mechanical devices, storing them inside his spider-robot armoury. Some of the laser traps involved deadlier mechanisms than simple alarms, however, including small explosives and in one instance an actual laser. Without John to guide them, the group would have been buried alive or sliced in half by now. On the other hand, the magical traps Lyra said she was disarming remained a mystery – the vagrant girl was unable to tell what they did, only that they were there. Allegedly. Until Phoenie saw the magic with her own eyes she was sceptical. Maybe this was how Theseus and John felt about her own paranormal claims?

After a twenty-minute’s slog through the passage, everyone came to an abrupt halt in unison. Neither John nor Lyra had raised their hands to stop them this time – it was as if the collective group conscious had made the decision to stop for them. After all, what was the point continuing if the tunnel stopped around the next bend?

“Man, I can’t believe there’s a dead end up ahead,” said Joel, turning his back on the way ahead with shoulders slumped, “We came all this way for that?”

John ignored the obvious truth and strode on forwards, cutting through the current as he approached the corner. “This isn’t right,” he said, “There is no dead end – at least according to the sonar map,”

Theseus ruffled his hair. “Dead end, what the hell’re you guys talking about?”

“There’s one around the corner,” said Andromeda, “Can’t you tell? We might as well turn back…” Her voice trailed off as if she were beginning to question the very validity of her own sure statement. Phoenie herself, convinced there was a dead-end, begun to wonder just how she knew.

Lyra waded forward to join John at the corner. “Get a grip, ya fecking idiots, it’s an illusion. Come on, Armstrong, you ain’t falling for it, are ya?”

Theseus shrugged and followed the short Raven girl, his robot buzzing alongside him. When they disappeared around the corner with John, the rest of the group exchanged confused looks.

“Did they just walk through the dead end?” asked Kaori.

Phoenie snapped her fingers, the reality of the situation so obvious to her now. “Of course, there is no dead end! We’re up against the same people who have been playing with our memories, remember?”

Joel, left standing alone in the water, rushed off after the others as if wanting to show the girls he hadn’t really fallen for the trick. Katrina, camera still clicking away, scrambled alone the rock path after him, Kaori following as best she could in her heavy cloak. Andromeda looked at Phoenie and shrugged.

“Whatever it is these shaman-people are doing, it’s scarily effective,” she said, “I still can’t shake the feeling it’s a dead end around there,”

“Me neither,” said Phoenie, “I guess we’ll just have to ignore our instincts and put our faith in science, just this once,”

When they rounded the corner there was indeed no sign of a dead end – just the rest of the group waiting for them.

“Told ya,” said Lyra, wearing a smug grin.

Chapter 49
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