Slimer Read Free

Then, breathless, they waited for a reaction.
        There was none. The only sound came from the waves lapping against the giant cylindrical legs supporting the platform. Mark noticed that the sea was beginning to get a little rougher. Perhaps they had got to the rig just in time.
        'It is deserted,' said Alex resentfully. 'They must have pumped the field dry and abandoned it.'
        'No way,' said Mark. 'Even if the field's not being worked any more there is sure to be someone still up on the thing. A couple of caretakers at least. If you leave a rig empty anyone can just come along and claim salvage rights.'
        'Okay, wise guy,' said Alex, 'where are these caretakers of yours?'
        Mark shrugged. 'Asleep maybe. How should I know?'
        Paul pointed at the sign visible on the nearest side of the platform. 'The Brinkstone Oil Company,' he read aloud. 'Never heard of it.'
        'I have,' said Alex. 'It's one of the smaller American outfits. Owned by one guy, I think.'
        'We can't just sit here,' said Linda. 'We've got to get up there…'
        'But how?' asked Rochelle, 'you see any escalators?'
        She was right. Neither the four supporting legs nor the network of girder struts between them offered any visible means of climbing up to the platform.
        'There has to be a way to get up there,' said Paul. 'They can't just use helicopters all the time to get on and off. What if they want to transfer people or equipment from boats…?'
        Unexpectedly, he got his answer. There was the sound of an engine suddenly starting up somewhere on the rig and then one of the cranes began to move. In startled silence they watched as the arm of the crane swung out over the top of the platform holding a large metal cage. Then they all started to cheer as they realised what was happening.
        The cage was swiftly lowered until it was suspended just above the water a mere ten yards or so from their boat. As quickly as possible they paddled over to it. The cage was about eight feet wide and had only three sides. The fourth side was open, apart from a chain stretched across it.
        Getting from the boat into the cage was a tricky manoeuvre and all of them were soaked to the waist by the time they were inside and clinging to the wide steel mesh of the sides.
        There was a jerk and the cage began to rise rapidly. Mark watched the lifeboat get smaller and smaller as it drifted away. It looked a disturbingly fragile little vessel seen from above in this way and he wondered how much longer they could have survived in it, particularly as the sea was beginning to turn ominous.
        The cage continued to rise and Mark felt a wave of dizziness overcome him. He didn't like heights at the best of times. Swallowing hard he shut his eyes and clung tightly to the mesh, hoping the others weren't noticing his distress: 'Now I know what a fish feels like when it's hauled out of the sea in a net,' he heard Linda gasp.
        Then came a jarring bump and he opened his eyes. The cage was now sitting safely on the top deck of the platform. Nearby were three huge chimneys and looming overhead was the boom of the crane that had rescued them but there was no sign of any welcoming committee. The place was deserted.
        They got shakily out of the cage and stood looking around. After all that time at sea it felt strange to be on something solid again.
        'Where is everyone?' asked Chris.
        Paul was staring up at the driver's cabin on the crane. Sounding puzzled, he said, 'I can't even see anyone inside that thing.'
        'There's gotta be!' cried Alex. 'You think it picked us up all by itself?'
        'Then where is he?'
        'I'll go see,' said Mark suddenly and hurried over to the ladder leading up to the cabin. It wasn't too high and he was anxious to make up for his display of weakness in the cage. While the others watched he began to climb.
        Halfway up he