Raising Solace

In Opal’s darkest times there had always been a light. Sometimes real,
occasionally imagined. The distinction wasn’t relevant. The light kept her
going, and that was the only thing of importance.
Her headlight lamp wasn’t affected by the power failure, so continued to
shine for her, glinting off objects and walls, saving her from the depths of
ultimate darkness where she would be truly lost.
There was no time to stand around waiting and planning. Aseides would
restore base power and send Warders to finish her. Opal could freeze up
with fear, or she could act. Life was forwards motion, for as long as
possible.
But forwards meant going through the open doorway into the tight
caverns beyond. The tightly pressed surfaces were composed of weird
growths, like the crunchy alien efflorescence in these rooms, but magnified
a thousandfold beyond the security door. They extended, touched,
solidified, creating passages, tunnels, and claustrophobic squeezes...