Eaty enters the lift, seats line the outside of the lift, along with 3 inner circles of seating each one surrounding the next one. Even with 50 riders, the lift is barely at a quarter capacity. Eaty takes their regular seat on the outskirts of the room, and 3487 plops down beside Eaty, and soon after the Zeta seeker takes a seat on the other side of Eaty.
“So about this whole dying thing” they grin.
Eaty begins talking about the situation and trying to downplay it, performing damage control from 3487’s previous remark.
As the last Collector enters the lift and sits down an attendant shouts.
“All Collectors, harnesses on, and secure loose supplies!”
The clicking of seat harnesses, and shuffling of bags can be heard from all across the room.
The attendant begins a countdown.
“Descent in 5…”
Air can be heard purging from outside in large quantities.
“4…”
The inside of the lift becomes filled with the noise of metal chatting, as mechanisms unlatch, and move across the internals of the lift.
“3…”
The lights in the lift dim for a moment as large amounts of power are called for elsewhere.
“2…”
The whining of hydraulic pumps can be heard, getting louder the closer they get to maximum load. Cylinders strain, pulling against the final latches on the lift, until finally
“1…”
A loud POP is heard as the final latches give way, sending the lift into free fall, the forces of which push the collectors into the tops of their harnesses. While the Lift attendants are still standing, seemingly magnetized to the floor.
Eaty and the other Seeker continue to engage in conversation, leaving 3487 out. Bored, 3487 looks in front to the next row of seats facing them. There they see 3 Collectors, obviously new, based on how they’re handling the sudden drop. Still bored, 3487 speaks out to them.
“I’ve never seen you three here. Are you all new?” 3487 says.
They all suddenly compose themselves, and turn and look at 3487, as if startled by the voice suddenly addressing them.
“Y-yeah, we-“
“Yep that’s us, we’re-“
“We’re all thetas, just got to Cen-“
They all stop and look at each other with a nasty expression, like they’re offended that the other would dare talk over them. Until one of them speaks back up and says something about it.
“Hey! I was talking!”
“You were taking too long!”
“You didn’t even give me a second!”
3487 watches on as the three of them argue amongst each other over a simple question. Before speaking up to break their quarreling
“Glad to see the teamwork is there.” 3487 snickers.
The comment breaks them out of their pointless argument.
“We’re not usually this bad, we’re just a little on edge.”
“Don’t worry about it, the first drop is always nerve racking” 3487 smiles sympathetically. “Do you all have everything you need? Prepared for your task?” 3487 asks.
“Yep got everything!”
“You sure? You need to be 100% sure on patching supplies, terminating splices especially, doubly so if none of you are cryogenic.”
“None of us are, but we definitely have terminating splices, 1256 has them”
“I don’t have them, 1577 was supposed to bring them”
“I thought 1000 was bringing them”
3487 wears an uneasy expression as an argument breaks out once again. 3487 leans over and taps Eaty to get their attention, Eaty turns from their conversation and looks quizzically at 3487.
“Pass me your bag real quick”
Eaty doesn’t ask any questions and hands the bag over, turning back to their conversation. 3487 digs in the bag and pulls out a few terminating splices.
“Hey!” 3487 says, getting the arguing groups attention. They turn and look. “Catch!” 3487 throws the splices over to the group. And they manage to catch them before they hit the roof.
“Thanks!.. You didn’t have to help us out, we should’ve been prepared.”
“Collectors have to help each other out, just promise me you’ll pay it forward.” 3487 smiles. “You have crimpers, right?
One of them is already digging through a bag, and with the time their taking, its undoubtedly unorganized. Finally they sit back up, holding up a pair of crimpers proudly above them. “HERE THEY ARE!”
3487 smiles, and lets out a small laugh. “Good job, just make sure you can get to them faster than that when you need them.”
They continue to talk, 3487 exchanging tips, and general knowledge with the group. The lift falls for 15 minutes with nothing but solid ground visible through the few windows, until a attendant speaks up once again
“We are approaching the Epsilon Layer of the depths! All Epsilon Collectors prepare for departure!”
Suddenly the solid rock gives way, and out through the window, an empty cavity can be seen stretching in all directions as far as you can see, the floor of the cavity can be seen far below. The ground is made up of an organic looking material. The general landscape is forested, and hilly, giving the appearance of nature. Looking out towards the horizons, several groups of buildings can be seen dotting the landscape, the density of which starts out thick near the lift and tapers off thinner, and thinner, as you look further out. Large metal pillars rise from the ground and impale the ceiling. Mechanical features, gears, pulleys, lamps, wires, dot the ceiling and hang down from it, their purpose unknown. A constant pulse of energy can be seen cascading through the ceiling, the arcs being produced by it lighting the area in a blue hue.
The lift continues to fall towards the ground, as it gets closer to the ground, the forested landscape begins to lose its charade, the trees viewed from high up, now close, are seen to be imitations being made from various metals, and wires, in the shape of trees, and the ground, once seen as organic, is actually made up of powdered metal oxides, more flaky in some places, generally under the faux trees. Getting closer and closer to the ground, until finally the sounds of air pressurizing chambers can be heard, fluid flows into cylinders actuating the brakes on each corner of the lift. Squeals of friction material against metal permeate the air, and the lift shakes violently until it comes to a stop above a seemingly bottomless pit. A bridge spans across the pit, conjoining the lift to the ground of the landscape around them. The doors of the lift begin to open.
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“All Collectors with Epsilon level clearance are to exit the lift now!” The attendant continues as collectors begin unfastening harnesses and making their way to the doors “The lift will return in approximately 2 hours, and run on a bi hourly schedule until the next scramble! Do not miss the last ascent.” The guard says sternly, turning to look directly at the group of new collectors.
3487 looks at the new collector in front of them, their body undoubtedly tense.
“You’ll all be fine.” Upon hearing 3487 the new collector jumps, and quickly turns to look at 3487. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” 3487 laughs. “Just make sure to get out with plenty of time left, you can always come back next time.” 3487 cocks their head to the side, and smiles.
“Will do, and thanks for your help again.” The collector replies. “By the way I’m 1000, Theta 1000”
“ETA 3487. I wish I had a multiple of 1000 call sign. ” 3487 sighs sarcastically “Lucky” 3487 grins. “I’ll see you topside sometime”
“See you topside” Theta 1000 takes off out the door with their group heading into Epsilon proper.
After confirming the departure of all Epsilon level collectors the doors slam shut and the lift begins free falling down into the depths once more. 3487 sits in their seat, in the now considerably more empty lift, just trying to stave off the boredom of the trip down. They ponder the experiences happening above, and foremost the outcome of the new found groups first trip. Until suddenly a jolt hits 3487 from the side, pushing them slightly.
“Hey! What was that for?” 3487 yells, suddenly turning to face Eaty, who has just playfully punched them in the arm.
Eaty shrugs “I had to get you to stop daydreaming somehow.” Eaty pauses for a second before continuing. “ I saw that you made a new friend, or maybe even friendsss” Eaty grins, holding the S for effect.
“I had to.” An angry expression comes across 3487’s panel “At Least I had someone to talk to on this descent, you know, because that’s what friends do, talk to each other. Maybe even while stuck on a boring lift. Just a thought though.” 3487 crosses their arms.
“I swear, I talk to another seeker without you for 15 minutes and you act like I’ve abandoned you,” Eaty laughs “I’m sorry, you’ve got my full attention. What do you want to talk about?” Eaty says, slightly picking.
“Why don’t you talk about it with the old timer over there?” 3487 points at the Zeta Seeker.
Eaty looks over at the Seeker sitting next to them.
“Don’t drag me into this. The little one’s scary” The zeta seeker grins at Eaty
Eaty sighs, and turns back to 3487, “I would, but it seems like you’ve scared off my other sources of conversation.”
“Well in that case I’ll help you out, so you’re not bored out of your mind on the trip down,” 3487 chuckles. “ So what’s the plan for today's task?”
Eaty and 3487 talk about the task at hand, strategies and contingencies, until the attendant speaks up again
“All Delta collectors prepare for departure!”
The lift soon drops into another open cavity, this one also stretching on as far as can be seen, which is a shorter distance here than on the Epsilon level, due to a dark blue fog like haze that hangs far on the horizon, limiting visibility.
Instead of a forested landscape, a massive city stretches out, buildings of various heights and sizes are organized into a “block” like format. Large empty main streets stretch out straight in eight evenly spaced sections. With smaller, less organized ones shooting off from them, and running every which way, in a somewhat chaotic nature.
The overall condition of the city varies greatly, some sections are filled with crumbling infrastructure, covered with creeping wires, who’s presence suggests that they had grown, and reclaimed the buildings, despite the impossibility of that. Other sections of the city stand tall, buildings stand with slight damage, but intact. Almost as if they’ve been maintained. Energy surges constantly through this layer's ceiling as well, this time taking a darker shade of blue, bathing the city in a much darker hue than the previous layer.
Once again, the brakes of the lift apply, shaking the entire machine, until it comes to a stop once again above another bottomless pit, with another bridge connecting it to the Delta layer. The attendant shouts, harnesses click apart, the doors open, and Seekers exit.
As the lift drops once more, it’s eerily quiet, with only 3 collectors and a few attendants remaining. They sit in somewhat somber silence as the lift drops for a while preparing themselves for the trip to come, and their thoughts wander on the state of the layer they’re walking into, until 3487 breaks the silence.
“Why are you two so quiet?”
“And there it goes.” Eaty sighs, and looks towards to the other seeker “Well we had longer on this descent than usual” Eaty smiles.
“It was a pretty long time based on past drops” The zeta seeker replies
“Well im, sorrryyy, but you couldn’t have been doing anything else more important” 3487 leans forward in their seat, in order to give both of them a dirty look.
“We were thinking… it’s something you should probably do more of. Eaty pickingly says, poking the side of 3487’s helmet.
“I don’t wanna.”
“And why is that? Takes too much energy?
“No.” 3487 pauses for a bit, and looks forwards towards the floor in front of them “It makes me nervous.”
Eaty and the other seeker quickly look towards each other pausing for a second, sharing a knowing look until Eaty turns back and looks at 3487, “Well, in that case… I guess I'll just have to handle the thinking for you.
3487 turns to Eaty and a small smile begins displaying across their panel.
“Y’know, since that tiny processor of yours can’t do it.”
The smile immediately fades into an annoyed look as 3487 reaches over and unlatches Eaty’s harness, sending them flying up and slamming into the roof, pinned against it. The other seekers panel lights up into a happy shocked expression as they fight the urge to burst out laughing. 3487 continues to keep eye contact with Eaty, still wearing the same annoyed expression. The lift attendants watch un-phased, due to the previous experiences of riding the lift down with this group many times. Suddenly the brakes are applied, which sends Eaty from the roof, to the floor, quickly, slamming against their seat and sliding out across the floor. At this point the other Seeker can no longer take it, and bursts out laughing, as Eaty lays completely still on the floor.
“They actually just did that!” The Seeker says between fits of laughter.
Eaty still lying completely still on the floor, speaks up, “That… Really hurt.” Eaty sits up slowly, and turns to 3487 who is now wearing a smug smile. About to say something they’re cut off by the lift attendant.
“All Gamma collectors… Please exit the lift now.”
Upon hearing this, they all notice that the lift is currently sitting on the Gamma layer, doors already open. Eaty get’s up, and heads towards the door, “I’m not even going to say anything, come on, lets go.”
They both get up, The Zeta Seeker makes their way to the door, still trying to stop laughing. 3487 grabs their bag along with Eaty’s, quickly heading towards the door and as they exit, they hand Eaty their bag “Here you go, buddy!”
Eaty smiles, and takes their pack, “Thanks.”
As they exit the lift, the doors close behind them. They all turn their panels to full brightness, to light the immediate area around them up. As the lift begins to ascend, they stand looking out at nothing.
“Well at least it’s not a blackout.”
“Way to be positive.”
The Gamma layer is shrouded in a thick dark blue, almost black fog. Limiting visibility to about 50 meters. Unlike the other layers, the lift stops on a small solid expanded metal platform, held up by cables and solid rods extending far into the sky, and assumedly attaching to the roof of the layer, flashing red lights sit on all corners of the platform. Cat walks also made of expanded metal shoot off into the distance until they’re obscured by the fog. Other than the island they’re standing on, nothing is visible. Over the sides of the platform is nothing for as far as you can see other than the things hanging in the expanse. Shapes, some simple, some complex and mechanical devices, gears, levers, motors, cylinders, etc, ranging from tiny, to gargantuan and everywhere in between hang everywhere in the expanse, and surely continue past where the fog obscures vision. The layer is dark, but a dim light emanates in pulses from “streams” that run throughout the empty space of the layer, far away but massive, they give off dark blue light, in an inconsistent rhythm, anywhere from a pulse every few seconds to minutes between them, or in the case of a blackout, not at all. When the pulses come through, silhouettes can be seen through the fog, mostly parts hanging in the air, and cat walks stretching out, but further in the distance, massive silhouettes of swaths of land can be seen with various structures upon them.
“Well, best get going I guess” The Zeta Seeker says.
“Want to travel with us?” Eaty asks,
“Nah, I’ve got my own tasks to do. Thanks for the offer though” They begin walking away from them, towards a catwalk.
“We’ll see you topside, good luck out there 4250.”
4250 waves with their back still turned, walking off down a Cat walk until they disappear into the fog.
“We better get going too, you ready?” Eaty looks at 3487
“Ready.”