Along the stairway in the pyramid, Adelaric stopped us. He remembered that there were some stairs missing, with a gaping hole in stead. This was not visible, so it means the nanite swarm must be mimicking the missing stairs.
We carefully probed each stair, and as soon as we did that, whatever was controlling the swarm recalled it. The missing stairs and the hole became apparent.
At the top of the stairs we entered a narrow, long, high-roofed hall, lined with stone gargoyles. Grotesque figures, representing animals that no doubt symbolized virtues or vices at some time. This part of the pyramid was dark, lit only by a fluorescence from the engravings in the metal wall and by our headlights.
We were halfway down the hall when some of the gargoyles, casting off millennias of dust, started moving from their plinths. This was not the action of nanites, the EM pulse guns did some damage but did not stop these golems from moving towards us. They were slow, so we could rush towards the inner chambers at the end of the hallway. We managed to get inside and close the doors before the gargoyles got there. The things did not attempt to break down the door.
Mitsiro's assistants that remained topside witnessed it all, but they regained their calm despite some initial panic. They activated some excavation drones from outside the pyramid. These drones are designed to crack rock, and can be remote piloted to take care of the gargoyles. They're small enough to get inside the pyramid. We should have a safe way out. And we should have been escorted by them in the first place.
[to be continued]
