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Very slowly he adjusted to the blackness of his surroundings。 He appeared to be in some small chamber which he presumed was the access point to the maintenance shaft。 To his right； Bond could just make out the shape of a door。 His feet scraped loudly on the stone floor as he crossed to the door； gently pulling it open and moving through into what felt like a larger chamber。
Two steps in he stopped； frozen like a statue。 He could smell the scent of blood and death。 More； he was conscious of the cold metal of a pistol gently resting in his neck； just under his ear。
〃Don't even breathe；' a voice said in Russian。 Then； 〃Where are the others？〃
〃I'm alone。〃 His voice a fraction more relaxed。
〃Aren't we all？〃 There was a faint chuckle and the lights came on； almost blinding him with their brightness。 He turned to see his old friend； Alec Trevelyan； grinning at him； still looking like the eternal schoolboy。 Many had said of Trevelyan that he had a picture in the attic； like Dorian Grey。
〃Glad you could drop in； James。〃
〃It was a slightly longer journey than I'd expected； but most of it was downhill。〃 Trevelyan motioned towards a second door； open and revealing a curved metal stairwell。
〃You ready； James？〃
〃Let's do it。〃 Bond moved first； through the door and down the spiral stairwell。 〃You e up this way？〃 he asked of 006。
〃Yes。 There's a door at the bottom to your right and another facing you。 That's the one with the electronic locks。 Behind it you'll find Aladdin's cave。 After a fashion anyway。
Already Bond was unzipping one of the pouches on his belt。 By the time they reached the electronic door he had the little oblong box in his hand。 The box was magnetic and he clamped it onto the side of the door； throwing a small switch as he did so。 Immediately a series of lights began to pulse and a small digital read…out started to move very fast 〃It's really quite simple；' Q had said。 〃It works very like an auto…dialer； except it sorts through every known permutation of numbers and letters at a speed of around five hundred a second。 When it detects part of a matching pattern it starts to configure the entire electronic code。 Even on a cleverly invented system it shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes to hit the right numbers or letters。 As soon as it's done that； the lock will be activated。〃
〃A very handy little gadget to take on a picnic；' Bond had replied。
Q had given him the ghost of a smile。 〃I had it tested on the vaults below the Bank of England；' he said。 〃The people there didn't like it one bit。〃 By the time Bond's memory took in the conversation； the box gave a final little beep and the door clicked open。
They were on a high； suspended walkway； looking down on what seemed to be a huge manufacturing plant。 On the far side a row of some six massive stainless steel vats stood in line； linked together by slim metal tubing。 This line of vats ended in a mass of tubes and pumps which went into a much larger container like some kind of pressure cooker。 More tubes and pumps disappeared through the wall area to their right。 By this time； Bond was pletely disoriented。 He had no idea of his position in relation to the ground above。
To the left； at the end of these gigantic containers was another electronic door； while directly underneath them Bond could make out a wide conveyor belt； running the length of the floor and rolling through a fringed rubber flap。
〃What's through there？〃 Bond indicated the electronic door。
〃The rest of the laboratories； I should think。〃 Trevelyan gave another chuckle。 〃I just went missing into the connecting passages when I got here。 The map M gave us was pretty accurate； so I hid up where you found me。 I played at being a kind of phantom of the labs so to speak。 The music of the night down here isn't really my thing though。〃 Bond indicated the big red signs； decorated with skulls and crossed bones which hung everywhere。 In Russian they said： 〃DANGER。 HIGHLY INFLAMMABLE。〃
〃And those？〃 he asked。
〃They're scouring out all the equipment。 I gathered； from what I heard on that quite disgusting underground train ride； that this is all new stuff。 Has to be absolutely clean before they start processing the new horror。〃
〃Smoking in here could seriously damage your health then？' 〃Definitely； and the second…hand smoke would kill very quickly indeed。' 〃Let's get the place rigged up。 Bond headed towards the steps that led down onto the deadly factory's floor and clamped the electronic device onto the door at the end。
Then he began emptying his pouches and pockets of the neatly packaged timers and charges which he had carried in with him。
Together they set about placing the explosives behind the vats and on the connecting tubing。
〃I'll do the last one；' he called to Trevelyan。 〃If I set it for three minutes or so that should give us plenty of time to get out。 The rest'll go up by spontaneous bustion。
The device on the door gave its final little beep； signifying that it had unlocked the electronic password； and as it did so a piercing； shrieking warning klaxon went off。
Bond swore。 〃Get behind this stuff； Alec。 No time to。。。〃 He was cut off by the sound of a voice； magnified by an electric loud hailer 〃This is Colonel Ourumov； the disembodied voice grated。 〃You are surrounded and there is no way you can escape。 Just drop any weapons and e out with your hands on your heads。 Now！〃
〃No way；' Bond muttered； continuing down the line of steel vats that towered above him。 Aloud he called； 〃Alec； put that bit of high…tech gadgetry into reverse。 Just hit the switch on the left side。〃 He had almost reached the final high pressure cooker device。 〃Alec？〃 He ducked down and peered around the corner of the drum。
His old friend 006； Alec Trevelyan； knelt on the floor。 Behind him； with the muzzle of a pistol against Trevelyan's cheek； stood a tall； sinister Soviet officer wearing the shoulder boards of a colonel。
He was backed by half…a…dozen heavily armed troops； one of whom loosed off a round in Bond's direction。
〃Fool。 Stop that；' yelled Ourumov。 〃If you hit any of the hardware； you'll blow us all to hell and gone。
Bond drew back； and looked at the timer he was about to insert into the final charge； the one that would bring about a chain reaction and blow most of the place to pieces。 He glanced across to the other side of the factory floor towards the conveyor belt。 The start button was set into a metal post near the fringed rubber flap。
〃I give you a count of ten；' Ourumov shouted。 〃If you're not out by then； I will shoot your r。ade。〃
〃And set off an inferno？〃 Bond set the timer for one minute and plugged it into the explosive charge。
Then he removed a grenade from the belt pouch that contained four of these lethal little bombs。
〃One Two。。。〃 Ourumov began counting。
Bond pulled the pin from the grenade； holding down the safety lever。
〃Three。。。 Four。。
Bond stepped from behind the massive steel pressure cooker。 His arms were wide apart； the grenade in his left hand； pistol in the right。
〃Fiv