Hub Space Part III

He made his way deeper, winding through corridors and passing numerous doors. Eventually he came to where the hallways became uncut and rocklike. Now in a cave, he moved deftly over the rough terrain. He finished loading his shotgun as the walls widened and opened into a cavern. The footsteps echoed and bounced off the walls when he descended the three narrow stairs. His shoes came up muddy from the floor, and every noise was amplified ten-fold. With dialated eyes, he stared out onto the mass of buzzing oraganisms congregated in the middle of the floor. He was in the middle of cocking the gun but in order to keep it from making a sound he held it. Taking one foot behind the other, the space-traveler moved backwards with every intent on leaving thisplace far behind. However, one detail he forgot about was the tiny staircase he came in from. His right foot hit the bottom stair and in slow motion he fell. As he did so, he let go of the gun, and the sharp "chhchha" rang unheeded around the room. But just as he noticed no reaction from the group, the shotgun hit the ground and let off a round.
As he sprinted around the corner, his momentum sent him into the opposte wall. He pushed off and drove down the hallway. He passed through the rocks and into the hallway. The doors blurred as he past them. Like a bird he flew over the first set of stairs but was delayed in his retreat by the automatic door at the entrance of the building. It did not rise fast enough for him. Repeatedly he looked behind him until his impatience wore too thin. He knelt and rolled under it. Falling forward, he made his way directly to his ship. Never again would he return to that place. In the review mirror he could see the angry mob swarming the landing pad. He truly believed that he narrowly escaped a bad fate.