Gehenna Inc‪.‬

Digging a hole to the lava core of the earth would produce a lot of power-a lot more than bargained for, perhaps! 


Excerpt:

The shuttle car was rolling back to operations headquarters. Vic Stewart sat at the controls, lines of weariness biting deeply along the strong jaws and indenting the forehead with a perpetual frown. 


''How much longer and further we got to go, Meredith?" he asked. 


"Hard to say," Bill Meredith replied. "Maybe six months, maybe a year, maybe tomorrow. And the same could be said as to the distance . Why?" 


Vic wiped the sweat from his eyes. The car was practically sound and airproof and hot as blazes. His body was tensed from strain. Meredith, on the other hand, was lax and completely at ease s he sat forward alongside Vic and watched the bare rock slide backward as the car speed forward. His lean tanned face had a look of eagerness and youth about it that his companions no longer had, yet both were about the same age.


"Well," Vic said. "I've been down here in this tunnel for three months now. Gettin' kinda tired, if you know what I mean?" 


"Sure," Meredith replied. "I understand. Let's see... You've been in operations for a little better than a year. Right?" 


"Yep! Vic Stewart, the bear for punishment. So it's been a year, eh? Seems like ten years. No wonder they give six month contracts. A guy could go crazy working the tunnel. Say! Maybe I've turned psycho, too?" 


Meredith grinned, leaned forward and patted the others shoulder affectingly. "No with Vic Stewart, he said."Anyone else, but not old Vic."


Vic growled a laugh out of his throat. "Bill. Tell me what it's like up above. Haven't seen the sun or smelled fresh air in fourteen months. And even a vicarious pleasure would be enough for me today." 


"Well," said the other. "I can't really say. My nose hasn't had much of a chance to lift from the grindstone of Grant and Company." 


A far-away look came to life in Vic Stewart's eyes, and the frown deepened perceptibly on his forehead. It was evident the mention of train of unpleasant thoughts. Suddenly he turned and faced Meredith, 


"That, bosom buddy, seems to be the universal complaint. Grant and Company--," Vic stopped looked at the other from under lowered lids and turned again to the controls. 


"Go on, Vic," Meredith said. His face was as placid as the waters of a mill pond. 


"--Why not?" Vic said reflectively, speaking without looking at his friend, as if the words had to come forth. "You're new in Gehenna, Bill. You're gonna hear a lot which will surprise you. Knock you off your pins, in fact. Grant and Company are the unpardonable sin down here."