The voice they were coming to hate spoke from above, "Keeping moving is a good idea. If you stay too long in one location the ceiling over you will start dropping. But you can't just rush on through either because the tunnel has been boobytrapped."

Maria stopped dead when she heard that and Rick's face bumped into her ass. As he started stammering apologies the voice from the speaker was laughing, "Oh man! That was pure gold! These nightvision cameras are great."

"Don't worry about it Rick. It's covered under the pact we made." Maria said. She looked up at the ceiling she couldn't see and asked, "What kind of traps? If we are really amusing you that much how about a little more info?"

"Well sure honeycakes, I was coming to that. The good doctor wanted all kinds of traps in this tunnel. Light triggered traps, sound triggered traps, even traps triggered by changes in air pressure. Do you how expensive all that would be? He's rich but not that rich and even with our alternate methods of fundraising we don't have enough money to do everything he dreams up. So all the traps in this tunnel are triggered by pressure plates in the floor. I don't know if you can use that to your advantage but maybe you can."

Maria sighed quietly then said, "I'm continuing forward but slowly." She started forward feeling ahead for anything suspicious.

"If you want I can go first," Rick stated, "I thought we might have to fight things when I asked you to go first but if it is just traps I shouldn't let you take the risk." He took a deep breath, "If you'll just slide over I go ahead of you. Maybe I can try the traps ahead of time with sand."

"No, I don't think it is possible to switch places in this tunnel and we'll lose the dubious but possibly necessary help of our pervy friend in the ceiling. Unless you want Bobby and Rhonda to try and switch too? No, it's not feasible. Especially since we shouldn't stay in one place too long. I'll continue and hope to find the traps before they find me." Unfortunately she found the first one the hard way.

There was a click then a loud 'ZAP' sound. Rick had afterimage of something poking out of the water and a very bright electrical arc. With his eyes closed Rick asked worriedly, "Are you alright Maria?"

"Ow, yeah mostly. I absorbed all the electricity. I didn't even know I could do that and I don't think I did it right because it hurt, but I'm not injured. I'm going to have to release this energy somehow so brace yourselves."

"Why? Oh yeah the water." Rick answered his own question. "Are you okay to start moving again?"

Maria replied, "Yeah, but I can't hold it in much longer. I hope you're enjoying the view because it'll be gone soon."

"Huh?" Rick opened his eyes. She was glowing again and perfectly visible, "Oh, I had my eyes closed before. Go ahead and blast away, I'll close them again."
He didn't quite close them as fast as he said and they were still open when a lightning bolt ripped from her down the tunnel. "Wow, that was bright!"

Maria chuckled a little, "I thought you were going to close your eyes?" She had stopped glowing and they were once more plunged into darkness.

Rick blushed unseen but his voice showed his embarrassment as he started to apologize. "I was ... I mean I'm ... yes I was enjoying the view so much I couldn't stop. I'm sorry."

"Heh, it's okay. I'll take it as compliment." She was proceeding very carefully after that and found two more without triggering them. She tried to relay exactly where they were to those behind her but Rhonda triggered one anyway despite her efforts.

There was a click, then an "Ow!" from behind Rick. "All stop," he called back. "Who got hit?"

"Rhonda," Bobby's voice called back from the darkness.

"I got shot in the ass!" She sounded hurt and angry, "I think it's still in there."
There were splashing sounds as she frantically searched herself. "Got it! It feels like a dart. What the fuck?"

"Are you feeling weird or numb or anything?" Rick called back.

"I don't feel anything," Rhonda started then paused. "My butt is numb and my leg is starting to get numb too. Crap! What do I do?"

"Don't panic, I'll think of something." Rick thought fast for a few moments then spoke, "I have an idea. It's a little embarrassing but it should work."

"Tell me. It can't be worse that what we've already been through."