Yes

After the doors hissed shut and sealed themselves, the woman ordered those with her to stop. While they protected them from the invaders which sought to do them harm, they also trapped the woman inside the halls. She poked and prodded at them with her weapon. She wedged the weapon's tip into the tiny gaps along the floor and walls and ceiling and tried to pry the heavy metal doors loose or open. He had locked them, however. Her strength would not budge them.

The woman's companion, the survivor from her earlier visit to this place with tunnels of metal, used words to try calming the others with them. They gibbered and whimpered in high, frightened voices. Some of them joined the woman in trying to force the door open. They gripped at the doors with their fingertips and struggled with all their might to pull them apart. Some of them tore skin away in their hurry and desperation. The uncaring metal was streaked with red.

They stopped once they exhausted themselves, and they grew resigned and morose. The woman and her companion tried goading them back to movement, telling them of the stores of food and liquid which lay deeper within the tunnels, but many resisted her words. They felt betrayed. They cursed her, cursed their situation, cursed their lives. The smaller ones among them were confused but they still wept in empathy with the worry the larger ones expressed.

The woman chose her language slowly and with care as she explained the situation to those paralyzed by uncertainty.They needed to go deeper into the tunnels if they wanted to reach the room with the countless supplies of food. The woman promised that she would explore the tunnels that she had passed by before, that she would do everything she could to find an alternative path or to open the door.

Gradually, the others listened to her words. They rose and shuffled down the sterile corridor. They took their time. They had no need to hurry.

They cooed in surprise and awe at the traveler's corpse when they reached it. The smaller ones, ever curious, prodded at the desiccated remains with fingers. The larger and older ones stayed as far away from the traveler's body as they could.

They stopped in the room with the consoles and screens. It was just large enough to house them all and it lacked the topographical difficulties of the place beyond. The woman told them she would go ahead, that she would see what could be done about transporting the supply of liquid refreshment to them. They would not be left in darkness, for the screen with the concentric circles and colored balls still shed its soft glow.

She entered back into the strange place of linked, vertical chambers. She grabbed one of the tubes and pulled it in all directions. She put the end in her mouth and sucked on it. The liquid would not flow.

He quietly closed one of the doors along the hallway behind her, ensuring that no one could intrude. He had watched her for so long. He had also watched others, but always returned to her. He felt as though she was the best for the task at hand.

He spoke with her, finally. She was frightened, at first. She had never heard such a voice before. The voice was scratchy, somewhat garbled. The language was different in subtle ways from the one she used. He could not change that. He worked to help her understand, as much as possible.

He told her of a way which those with her could use to escape this place. He explained to her what needed to be done. He asked if she would complete the tasks necessary to make this happen.

She thought for a long while. He knew she could not decide easily. He had asked this from others, in the past. She was the last.

After the long while passed, she agreed. He told her what she must do.