Subterranean Draft Neutralized

A rogue gust of thermal exhaust began whistling through the slotted steel grate near the perimeter wall. Such unsanctioned air displacement signaled a subterranean breach. I marched directly onto the metal lattice and detected a solitary, desiccated pine needle lodged between two iron teeth, vibrating like an uncalibrated antenna. I planted my right greave directly over the gap, driving the butt of my sidearm down onto its fragile fibrous stalk. It snapped in two with a muted, brittle click and fell into the dark shaft below. The whistling ceased. Airspace secured.