The hive growth here had fused with the pipes, spreading through the entire processing network.
The assigned Engineer sliced through a thick tendril; it responded with a twitch.
Then the entire pipe shuddered, rattling the entire place like a horror house.
A sudden hiss echoed; yellow vapor spilled from a ruptured valve, forcing the squad to retreat.
"Get back! Back out, now!" the squad leader shouted.
Soldiers dragged the Engineer away from the ruptured pipeline as the yellow vapor spread across the processing floor.
The Engineer wiped the fog from his goggles and glanced at the valve assembly.
"The flesh has blocked the pressure release," he said calmly. "The pipe is still loaded."
"How do we un-load it then?" the squad leader asked.
"Sweep the upper pipes," the Engineer answered. "Then flush them out."
"We can do that," the squad leader nodded, then pointed at the three Army Soldiers and a Conscript.
"You heard the man. Move with me! The rest, stay here."
