Three-sixteen's POV

Three-sixteen awoke to the familiar darkness of the mine. This time it was a bit different though. He could perceive more than shadows and shapes, he saw different shades of color, although they were faint. He could make out every ridge and every edge in the rocky surfaces around him. He saw geomites, creeping bugs, and even dust particles drifting in the air.

The cave was quiet save for a faint, steady humming. Three-sixteen couldn’t identify the source of the noise. He couldn’t find Five-ninety-one either.

He wasn’t quite sure where he was, but he noticed light filtering into the tunnel from somewhere further on. The hum came from that direction as well so he decided to investigate.

As he reached the place where light and darkness touched, he saw a large crack in the ceiling of the tunnel. It was about two feet wide and it went all the way up through the stone and out of sight. He was close enough to the surface now that he could hear wind whistling as it passed through the gap in the rock.

He heard the hum more clearly from here, but he still wasn’t quite sure where it came from or what was making the sound.

He looked back down the tunnel, hopping to see Five-ninety-one, but she still wasn’t there. Between the light and where he woke, there were no exits, crossings, or even cracks and both ends of the tunnel were collapsed and likely unstable. There was only one way to go. He needed to find Five-ninety-one, and he would.., he just had to go to the surface first.

He told himself that she was probably up there waiting on him, but he didn't feel convinced. He felt afraid, almost as if he was abandoning her.

His eyes returned to the crack in the ceiling. He thought the gap was wide enough for him to fit through. He reached for it, but hesitated as he tried to recall what the surface was like.

It had been so many cycles since he’d left the mine; Three-sixteen knew by his growth that years must have passed, but he wasn’t sure how many. He wasn't sure how much the world outside might have changed.

He wasn’t sure what he would do or where he would go.

He shook his head. He did know. He would find Five-ninety-one and they would… well, he could figure that out after he found her.

He pushed aside his fear and reached for the crack. He just had to pull himself up and spider-walk to the top. He’d done it before in vertical mine shafts that were too small for an elevator. He knew he could do it.

The stone was rough and cool beneath his fingers as he gripped the edges of the crack. He pulled himself up, using his elbows to hold himself in place as raised his feet into void.

The rock cut into his skin, but he pushed through the pain.

He pressed his feet against the walls and pushed with all his might to be sure they would hold him. When he was satisfied that the gap was secure, Three-sixteen began his climb, reaching higher with one arm, then the other, followed by one foot and then the next. He continued that way until he was around halfway up the breach. The rocks were slick and hard to grip, and the edges were cutting into his flesh, but he kept climbing.

He was almost to the surface.

Vibrations rumbled through the rock as something shifted below. Three-sixteen paused for a moment, afraid to move. He didn't know what was causing the shift, and he didn’t know if the walls would hold.

His foot slipped and heard stones clattering beneath him. The tunnel was going to collapse.

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Three-sixteen increased his pace, pulling himself higher with more speed and urgency. His hands felt like they were being torn apart and he could feel warm blood trickling down his palms.

He felt like he was climbing the inside of an hourglass. If the walls were to collapse now, he would and be buried forever. He had to reach the top before that happened. He had to find Five-ninety-one.

The sound of breaking stone and falling rubble was all around him, egging him ever faster.

His arms were shaking when he reached the top of the gap. His legs felt like they did after riding in a mine car for several hours going over rough bumps and turns.

He rolled out of the gap onto a heap of dry earth, but the rumbling hadn’t stopped. He wasn’t safe here. At any moment the ground might collapse and he might not be able to climb back out again. He needed to keep moving.

He forced himself up and ran. His muscles ached and his head was pounding, but he kept running. The ground shook, and the earth trembled as the tunnel collapsed.

Three-sixteen tripped and stumbled over his feet as the ground shifted beneath him. He scrambled to regain his balance, but tumbled head over heels. His head struck the earth and he landed on his back with a hard thump.

His lungs emptied of air and his vision blurry, Three-sixteen lay dazed as he tried to understand his situation.

The surface world was more overwhelming than Three-sixteen had expected. Light filled his eyes with so much color hethought he might go blind, and the smells were so fresh and so pure that he wondered how he had survived for so long without it. He even considered that through out all of his time in the mine, he’d never truly had the experience of breathing. He sat up and gasped, trying to fill his lungs like he did in the mine, but he felt like he was choking.

He fell back and closed his eyes. He tried to focus on his breathing. Inhaling and exhaling, slowly, one breath at a time.He tried to focus, but the sounds of nature stole away his attention.

Chirps, crowing and shrill bird calls from distant trees jolted him with their unfamiliarity.

A breeze blew through his hair, and the warmth of sunlight caressed his skin. Three-sixteen couldn’t decide if the surface was beautiful or terrifying. It was everything he remembered it to be and nothing like he recalled.

Three-sixteen lay there for a long while before he finally opened his eyes and lifted his head. His vision was clearer now. He could see the sky, the sun, and a large open field ahead of him. A few clouds drifted by, casting shadows over the ground.

He also saw movement to the right, a small creature, no bigger than his hand, was moving about on six tiny legs. It had a long antennae and a bulbous backend that dragged on the ground. He didn’t know what it was called, but he thought it looked strange.

Three-sixteen sat up and watched the bug as it went about its business, seemingly oblivious to his presence. Three-sixteen didn’t move, but the bug continued to crawl around, stopping to nibble at a tuft of grass here or there, and occasionally to tap the earth with its tiny mandibles.

Three-sixteen wondered what it was doing. He could see that it was eating the grass, but how could something so small survive in such a large world? How could it find a safe place to live and what sort of life could it even expect? He figured the creature would spend it’s entire existence just searching for food and trying not to get squashed.

Three-sixteen watched the bug with fascination, trying to determine if the creature had a purpose or was simply surviving. He wondered what his own purpose was. Was his existence the same as this bug? He had served a lord all his life, a lord he’d never met. Every moment he lived knowing it might be his last. If he angered a magistrate, they’d kill him as easily as he might smash the bug.

His heart felt heavy with sadness as he realized the bug was doomed to die. There was nothing he could do to save it and there was nothing it could do to save itself.

Three-sixteen looked away from the bug as his eyes grew misty. He was not a bug. Five-ninety-one wasn’t either. They had an opportunity now and he would make sure it didn’t go to waste.

He knew he had to find her, but where to begin? He was sure she’d come to the surface, but he had no idea where she’d gone after that. He wished she had just waited for him, or woken him up before she wandered off. They could have gone together.

Finding no indication of what direction she may have gone, and lacking any sort of tracking skills, Three-sixteen thought it best to just wait. To wait for her return. She would return, he was certain.

He spent a while sitting there watching the bug and occasionally looking around to see if Five-ninety-one had returned, but the only living thing he saw was the bug, and he heard only the sounds of nature.

After a while, Three-sixteen thought of taking a walk, but he was afraid he would get lost in the wilderness and never find his way back. He was getting hot though and if he stayed in the sun much longer he’d need to find water.

The shade of a large tree looked appealing and it wasn’t so far. He’d see Five-ninety-one when she came back and she’d see him. He thought it was a good place to wait, so he moved. It shouldn’t be much longer before she returned. He just needed to be a little more patient. He thought she might even bring back food and water.