The team made a foray into the pit, only to discover a large domed room containing mounds of what looked like gold and a central lake of ominously dark liquid. Leaning against the mountain of gold coins, necklaces, statuary and so forth was a familiar-looking red cylinder.
Driven by the wholesome desire to explore and not at all by base notions of more gold than Croesus had dreamed of, the team ventured into the domed room and split up to explore.
A sad mistake.
For the lake turned out to contain a foul, gigantic worm-like beast that attacked without preamble, driving Wilhelm and Miss Myles back into the shaft, driving Professor Grant and Miss White back against the dome walls and marooning poor Wilmont on the pile of treasure he was investigating with a scholarly eye.
Nothing seemed to harm the beast but eventually Grant and Miss White were able to escape with their lives, the worm sunk back into the loathsome pool and Wilmont was able to tip-toe from the scene without further enraging the foul beast.
The scientists of the expedition conferred together and came to the conclusion that perhaps the worm might be susceptible to salt in large enough amounts, so once again the team departed for their nearest source of supplies and procured several hogsheads of salt, along with a quantity of acid and glass bowls which were used by Wilhelm to fabricate acid grenades. All was loaded aboard the Persephone and once more the team journeyed to Bordobaar, where evidence of yet another failed expedition was seen strewn about the streets.
It seemed that the team had recent competition for the fabulous treasure. And scientific discoveries of course.
The team wasted no time at all in securing the Persephone and descending into the pit once more, armed with acid grenades and enough salt to pickle a herd of Venusian Brontostampi.
A desperate struggle then ensued, but the team persevered and prevailed against the worm, killing it - or so they thought at the time. This left them free to collect the gold unmolested and they got on with the salvage with a will.
It was after perhaps an hour that the first symptoms of sickness were seen in Professor Grant and Wilmont. Swift action by Wilhelm and his fabulous healing device saved both salvagers from almost certain madness and death, for it was obvious to all that the sickness produced the same hideous scabbing as that seen on the unfortunate legionaries of Fort Oublié!
It was deduced that the atmosphere inside the room was contaminated in some way, likely with some form of the dastardly Red Sands. That cylinder leaning on the mountain of gold? Could that be to blame?
Wilmont and Wilhelm suggested that perhaps what was needed was some sort of suit with a self contained atmosphere, perhaps a modified diving suit, inside which those tasked with the salvage could work in comparative safety. Of course, strict care would have to be taken to avoid contamination.
Almost as an afterthought, Professor Grant announced that the samples of worm tissue he had procured from the "dead" beast were showing regenerative signs, suggesting that perhaps the animal might - if not actually dead - revive to plague them further.
It was with this dispiriting news - along with imprecations and demands that the sample be carefully watched less a new worm grow from it - that the Persephone steamed back toward civilization, shrugging off the attentions of an importunate Martian Pirate with judicious use of the steam-powered Gatling gun on the foredeck.
