Still speaking with Derrick Burcham, the characters learn that the company who had been running the now abandoned mine, IPT Consolidated, left the planet after control of Pratt was turned over to Carthen-Si. The operation simply became unprofitable under Carthen-Si’s lease terms and IPT left the planet about 5 years ago. Burcham says that occasionally his men go up to the mine to scrounge for scrap metal, but those trips are rare now. He has heard that a cave-in has sealed the mine’s old entrance, but that there may be elevator shafts or other ways to get in. The characters then take their leave of the Burchamites and head out for the mine.
The first two days are uneventful, jungle travel having become somewhat routine after nearly 5 days on the road from Tammuz. They are just beginning to gain some elevation and can now clearly see the mountains whenever a gap opens in the dense canopy. Everything seems normal when, suddenly, the front of the truck drops and they are brought to an immediate halt. They can see that the truck has fallen into a shallow pit that has been dug in the road and concealed with dead branches and leaves. This is plainly some kind of trap. Skyburn, with Fred’s help, gets out to try and free the truck using the winch while Ethan and Jack take up lookout positions. For a while, nothing happens, but once all the characters are out of the truck and separated, Fred hears a “thunk” on the hood of the vehicle, and sees that it was, in fact, an arrow. Fred calls to the others to let them know they’re being attacked, while Ethan and Jack are suddenly confronted with multiple, bi-pedal, frog-like creatures rushing from the dense undergrowth and brandishing knives. The Grungs are springing their trap.
With their weapons, claws and sharp teeth set in wide amphibian mouths, the set about attacking Jack and Ethan, while Nevada is pelted by arrows from a concealed enemy on the ridge above him. Fred takes cover and provides supporting fire for Ethan who is beset by two of the dreaded Red Grungs, the moist poisonous of the species. Fred and Ethan both damage the two Red Grungs, but one of them manages to pierce Ethan’s armor with its sharp teeth. Ethan can instantly feel the effect of the poison and withdraws back to Fred’s position to administer a dose of antivenom. Meanwhile Jack is slashing at the two non-poisonous, Yellow Grungs attacking him. Jack’s armor seems to be absorbing most of the damage, but the cutlass is less efficient that his rifle, and the armor can only hold up so long against the small, but resilient Grungs. Nevada can barely see his attacker, but manages to land most of his shots while his helmet deflects the arrows being launched at him by the Green Grung in the trees.
Just as Fred and Ethan are finishing off the “Deadly Reds”, a Gold Grung bursts from behind the vegetation riding a large quadra-pedal lizard. The lizard and its rider charge at Ethan and Fred. Fred shoots at the lizard and connects as the Gold Grung dismounts to confront Fred directly with its poisonous blade and fangs. The lizard attacks Ethan, while Fred faces his new attacker, all doing and taking damage as the bullets, claws and laser beams fly. Meanwhile Jack and Nevada have dispatched their Grung aggressors, and can now turn their attention to the last remaining Gold Grung and its steed. Against superior numbers and firepower, these go down quickly and the characters are free to inspect the remains.
Apart from a few knives and some leather goods, the Grung bodies don’t have much to offer, so the characters set about freeing the truck to get back on their way. Nevada, figures out how to string the winch cable under the truck to a tree behind, allowing the winch to pull the truck backwards and freeing it from the pit. That done, the characters are now back on their way to the mine.
Gradually, the characters work their way out of the dense, humid environs of the jungle and up to the arid highlands where the mine is located. Following the old, sun-baked road up to the part one of the mine’s boring operations they arrive to find a terraced pit with an un-healthy looking pool of water and the rusty remnants of a large drilling apparatus. There are weathered concrete pads, with old, mostly empty barrels and piles of bent scrap metal. The characters park the truck and begin searching for an entrance. Their search reveals a circular “man-hole” type plate on a concrete pad, but it appears to be well and truly stuck, and the characters do not have a wrench large enough for the rusty bolts. Searching further Fred sees what looks like an elevator North of the pit, and with Jack and Ethan following, he begins making his way in that direction.
When crossing the pipeline Fred catches the glimpse of a reflecting surface coming from Northeast near where a stack of cinderblocks sets covered by some sheets of rusty, corrugated metal. Nevada climbs up to the top of the elevator, covering the rest of the group as they investigate the cinder blocks. When the corrugated metal is pulled aside, it reveals a motorcycle, propped up against the blocks, and missing its fuel cell.
Nevada has spotted another, similar piece of corrugated metal, and, with no indication of any immediate threat, climbs down from the elevator and heads toward it. While Jack, Ethan and Fred re-cover the motorcycle, Nevada pulls aside the other metal sheet which reveals another man-hole, only this one has been opened. A ladder leads into the darkness below, and all four characters climb down into the depths of the mine.