"Can you see the sky from up there?" I called, craning my neck.

"No," came the reply. "I can't see anything."

"Bother." I turned back to the contraption at my feet. It was, quite frankly, mangled. I shook it, as though that would do something, and rubbed a grimy hand over my face. Ukie landed with a controlled thud behind me, having returned from her scrambles.

"Nyuck. The dirt is sticky in here," she said irritably, ruffling her fur. I grumbled under my breath. "Any luck?" she asked.

"No." I crouched. "Normally, I would be able to get it working, at least long enough to maybe get us out of here. But..." She leaned over my shoulder.

"But?"

I pointed. "But that," I said. "It's completely shattered."

"I have no idea what that does."

"It's important, and I don't have anything to replace it with." If I'd had some of my tools with me, I'd put together a make-shift replacement from some of the more unnecessary metal, but I didn't have my tools. Ukie straightened, looking around.

"I take it that a rock isn't going to cut it?"

I gave a bark of laughter. "No, a rock won't cut it."