text: [Themes: Espionage, Science Fiction]
  
  > go downward
  Mr. Teeterwaller comes with you.
  
  A deep, concrete-lined canal is to the east; metal rungs are set
  into the wall, forming a ladder down into the canal. A tall fence topped with razor wire is to the north.
  Pipes and conduits are everywhere, packed so tightly together that
  they form walls. Narrow openings in the pipes allow travel to the southeast and southwest. To the west, a cylindrical tower rises up out of the pipes and looms several stories overhead; a spiral stairway encircling the tower leads up. The ground is replaced by a metal grating for the ten feet around the tower.
  
  > examine the grating
  It's a sturdy metal grating covering a shaft around the tower.
  
  Mr. Teeterwaller mumbles something to himself.
  
  > open the grating
  It's firmly fixed in place.
  
  Mr. Teeterwaller looks around.
  
  > go to the southwest
  Mr. Teeterwaller comes with you.
  
  The forest of pipes opens up a little here into a large clear area.
  In the center of the clearing stands a tall metal enclosure topped with a brightly-lit red sign:
  
  An opening in the pipes leads northeast, and another passage leads south. You may also be able to squeeze through a narrow crawl-way to the southeast.
  
  > look at the enclosure
  The enclosure is about seven feet tall and open on one side to provide access to the equipment within. A gray fire hose is coiled up neatly on a giant reel. In addition, the enclosure contains a newer gas mask and an older gas mask.
  
  Mr. Teeterwaller mumbles something to himself.
  
  > get the masks
  newer gas mask: Mr. Teeterwaller picks up the older gas mask. "Good idea," he says. "This could come in handy."
  
  Taken.
  older gas mask: Mr. Teeterwaller is carrying the older gas mask and won't let you have it.
  
  Teeterwaller looks around purposefully.
  
  > get the hose
  You take hold of the end of the fire hose, and unreel the hose a couple of feet. The reel remains under tension as you pull it, but it allows you to unreel the hose.
  
  Mr. Teeterwaller watches you expectantly.
  
  > examine hose
  (the coiled fire hose)
  The hose is neatly coiled on a giant reel (except for the last few feet, which you're holding); next to the coil is a valve with a brass control wheel. The hose ends in a nozzle, attached to which is a lever.
  
  A lightning bolt rips through the sky nearby to the east.
  
  Teeterwaller looks through his pockets for something.
  
  > Turn wheel
  You turn the wheel counterclockwise until it stops. You can hear water rush through the valve for a few moments as the hose pressurizes.
  
  Mr. Teeterwaller starts telling you some office gossip, but stops, a little disappointed, when he realizes you don't know the people involved in the embarrassing parts.
  
  > Go northeast
  You carefully pull the fire hose along with you. The reel unwinds, letting out the hose for you.
  
  Mr. Teeterwaller comes with you.
  
  A deep, concrete-lined canal is to the east; metal rungs are set
  into the wall, forming a ladder down into the canal. A tall fence topped with razor wire is to the north.
  Pipes and conduits are everywhere, packed so tightly together that
  they form walls. Narrow openings in the pipes allow travel to the southeast and southwest. To the west, a cylindrical tower rises up out of the pipes and looms several stories overhead; a spiral stairway encircling the tower leads up. The ground is replaced by a metal grating for the ten feet around the tower.
  The fire hose stretches along the ground through the opening to the southwest.
  
  > go west
  You won't be able to drag the hose up the stairs; it would get stuck wrapping around the tower wall.
  
  Mr. Teeterwaller looks around.
  
  > Go east
  Teeterwaller looks down into the canal. "I don't think the hose will make it over the edge without some help," he says. "I'll stay up here and guide it over the edge for you." He situates himself at the top of the ladder as you start to climb down.
  
  Vertical concrete walls line this deep canal. A chain-link fence crosses over the top of the canal above; under the fence, a steel gate hangs several feet above the water, allowing passage through a low opening under the gate. To the south, the canal stops at a concrete wall perforated by an array of pipes.
  A ladder is set into the west wall.
  The fire hose stretches up the wall of the canal to the top of the ladder.
  
  > put the hose in rusty
  You shove the fire hose nozzle into the pipe. You still have to hold the hose to keep it from retracting.
  
  > pull the lever
  You pull the lever, and water immediately starts gushing through the nozzle and into the pipe. The pipe quickly fills up, and the water starts shooting back out. You release the lever and jump out of the way as the water pours out of the pipe. A deflated silver balloon falls out of the pipe, carried by the force of the water.
  
  > take the balloon
  Taken.
  
  A lightning bolt flashes through the sky a short distance to the north.
  
  > examine the pump
  It's a small hand-operated pump, probably for inflating basketballs or something similar.
  
  > examine the balloon
  It's an ordinary balloon, made of shiny silver plastic. It's currently fully deflated.
  
  > Go upwards
  You cautiously climb up the rungs. It's quite a ways up and you feel a little anxious about the height, but you reach the top.
  
  The fire hose retracts as you go.
  
  A deep, concrete-lined canal is to the east; metal rungs are set
  into the wall, forming a ladder down into the canal. A tall fence topped with razor wire is to the north.
  Pipes and conduits are everywhere, packed so tightly together that
  they form walls. Narrow openings in the pipes allow travel to the southeast and southwest. To the west, a cylindrical tower rises up out of the pipes and looms several stories overhead; a spiral stairway encircling the tower leads up. The ground is replaced by a metal grating for the ten feet around the tower.
  The fire hose stretches along the ground through the opening to the southwest.
  Your boss Mr. Teeterwaller is here.
  
  Mr. Teeterwaller watches you expectantly.
  
  > Go southeast
  You can't get the hose around the bend--there are too many pipes at odd angles.
  
  A bolt of lightning streaks down from the sky and strikes the ground a short distance to the west.
  
  Mr. Teeterwaller mumbles something to himself.
  
  > drop the hose
  As soon as you let go of the hose, it slides away to the southeast as the reel winds the hose back onto the coil.
  
  Mr. Teeterwaller mumbles something to himself.
  
  > go southeast
  Mr. Teeterwaller comes with you.
  
  The pipes are just barely far enough apart here for you to squeeze through to the northwest, but this is otherwise a dead end.
  A space between some pipes to the east affords a peephole view of a large courtyard.
  
  "Look!" Mr. Teeterwaller says, pointing through the opening in the pipes.
  
  Through the opening, you can see several trucks parked in the courtyard--the same trucks that you saw hijacked.
  
  Two people, wearing baggy white whole-body suits with hoods and gas masks, emerge from the back of one of the trucks, walking backwards, carrying something. They continue out down a ramp at the back of the truck; two more people dressed the same way come into view, also helping to carry the object, which you can now see is a large shiny silver crate. Two more people come out of the truck, then another two carrying the trailing end of the crate. The eight slowly make their way down the ramp with the obviously heavy cargo.
  
  You wonder what they could be removing from the trucks that requires such elaborate protective clothing. You look at Teeterwaller. He's watching intently, but, strangely, does not seem surprised by what he's seeing.
  
  Another space-suited worker emerges from the truck, slowly waving a wand attached by a cord to a box that makes intermittent ticking sounds.
  
  You feel a chill as you realize that the cargo must be radioactive.
  
  The group and their load disappear behind the truck, and the clicking of the Geiger counter recedes into inaudibility.
  
  Teeterwaller continues watching for a few moments. "Interesting," he finally says.