#expedition!!

"You guys take it easy out there," Dutch was saying as he, Jacob and Roth prepared to lower the platform into the earth. "If you're not back in three days, we're coming out there after your butts!" The metal platform gave a jerk and a rusty shriek, then slowly began to drop. Designed long ago by the Detroit Salt Co. mining industry to haul heavy equipment down into the depths of the earth and back again, the industrial elevator had found a new use--Mutt, Stronghorn and 9-Lives, parked loosely side-by-side, awaited transport, their drivers (plus Chuck) ready to embark on a different kind of mission. One that would take them far away from everything they knew.

But getting out from under Deluxe was tricky business; its supporting infrastructure bordered Motorcity on all sides, as far as they knew. Creating an access point to the outside would require nothing short of several sticks of dynamite. And if Kane had bots patrolling the perimeter, the explosions would surely draw their attention to the breach, which left them with only one other alternative for escape: straight down, 1200 feet (365 meters) into the ancient salt mines below Detroit where an abandoned network of tunnels acted like an underground freeway made entirely of rock salt  If they followed it out far enough, it would hopefully lead to another mine shaft to the southwest of Detroit, beyond Motorcity and Deluxe. 

As they plunge gradually into darkness, Texas drums his fingers on Stronghorn's dash and steering wheel, too full of excited energy to worry about things like cave-ins or getting stuck midway down the mine shaft or suddenly plummeting to their deaths thanks to some mechanical malfunction. Of course, a descent this deep into the earth isn't particularly speedy so to kill some time, Texas decides to "serenade" his friends with some tunes that are as old as the dirt rising above them but still recognizable even a hundred-fifty years later.

"Exiiit Detroit, ennnter other side. Taaake my hand, we're off to expedition-laaand! Ooo yeah! What, that wasn't good? You guys prefer Bee Gee's or somethin'?" Clearing his throat, he attempts his best high-pitched 'Stayin' Alive' voice via holocube. "Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk that I'm a womanly man, no time to talk. Hahaha, see that? I changed the words and now it's funny. Come on, this stuff's hilarious!"