The wind roared around him as he soared upwards, and the cells, walkways and flashing lights of the lower levels became a blur around him. As water poured into the prison, though, it also hit the bottom of the shaft and was caught up in the current. The air column quickly became an inverted rainstorm, drenching him through his jumpsuit and stinging his eyes as the drops flew past. Nearing the top, he angled his body so that he moved forward and was able to alight on the very edge of the top level.

Before him stretched a colossal dome, what he assumed to be the above-ground portion of the prison structure. It was almost entirely empty, just bare steel walls webbed with support girders and lit by bulbs hung from the ceiling by wires. Each was contained within its own small reflectorised dome, so the floor was covered by patched of stark brilliance spread through deep blue shadows. The upside-down waterfall behind him was beginning to spray fluid out across the floor, where it formed puddles that glimmered faintly in the specked light.

The only other things in the room were a barred door at the far end and the metallic colossus rising from the centre of the floor. The warden was humanoid, but in an exaggerated fashion. The tower of dark mental and sharp edges was topped by a tiny head and glowing, beady eyes that scanned the room with malice. He could see the faint blue glow of the powerpack mentioned in the PDA shining from within the thing's chest, but it was obviously well protected. The thing rose and swivelled towards him, whirring as it did so. Falcon raised his tray-shield uncertainly. He was no fighter himself, but surely some of the others coming up behind him would be. The one who had spoken at the bottom of the shaft, for instance, looked as if he knew what he was doing.