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Turnabout Teardown: Steadfast Spring
Track 20 - Depths of Time

Track 20 - Depths of Time

"You sure? I mean, I got a GrabPack. You don't."

Saturday.

The big day. There wasn't a meeting that morning as everyone knew what they had to do. Tabi, Agoti and possibly S were off to visit the farm. Meanwhile, you and Kapi were about to break into some toy factory to find an unreleased doll.

S had done some 'reconnaissance' and found that the place was really abandoned. Abandoned to the point it didn't even have security anymore.

Neither he nor Displo were even able to find who owned the land. The place seemed to be in limbo.

Either way, you and Kapi found yourselves sitting in what you think was the factory's original parking lot.

A few warehouses had been built around it is cutting off the true size of the facility. Despite the obstructions you could see the place was gigantic. At its sheer size you were amazed that nobody had claimed this land sooner. It looked to be in an opportune location.

It was located in a very industrial area, full of warehouses and other factories. Due to it being the weekend the place had little activity. Most people were off. The lot was empty.

Despite it once being a factory there looked to be plenty of customer-oriented stuff. Looking at the top of the building you could see structures beyond the facility walls. It looked like a cartoon-ish town the way it was set up, a large front area with lots of designs, a few towers in the distance and what looked to be even fake homes on the right. The whole place looked like an anomaly even within the city.

It appeared as a combo of the innocence of 50s toys crossed with the surrealist children-cartoons of the 2000s. All so strange. The morning sun further added to its surrealism, tinting the brightly coloured towers, hazing the red and yellow brick building and shining off the bright blue roof it had. It all looked very artificial.

However the outwardly bright appearance was just in your mind.

The place was in a serious state of decay, The once brightly coloured bricks had faded to a darker mustard colour, cracks in the bricks had formed and moss or mold started to form in the crevices. Where there were once windows had been either smashed in or had wooden boards placed to block out the sun.

If there was even a sign that read "Playtime Co." it was long gone. The only implication of a sign having been present there was the single letter P atop the entry way.

Now Playing...

Artist: Eric Clapton & Michael Kamen

Song: Edge of Darkness

Kapi stepped out of the car first. As you step out, you notice his expression start to light up. Not wanting him to be disappointed later you say. "I don't think we're gonna find much here."

"You don't know that. I got a good feeling about this."

You check yourself. You were equipped with Displo's security outfit. Tabi had gone off about how these kinds of places were cursed and why he avoided them. You took it to heart; extra weaponry packed a result of that. Two handguns both fully loaded and a police baton from your earlier days. Though it was officially a baton, the other officers had commonly referred to it as an extendo. Aside from the gun in the chest pocket you had the backup around your leg. Stashed in other pockets were a few extra clips. While Kapi may have been optimistic about it, you were ready for anything.

It didn't help that the place was the alleged location of several disappearances. S had informed you of that, clearly trying to scare you.

You offered Kapi weaponry, but he refused. He seemed pretty sure of himself that there wouldn't be an issue. He was dressed in his usual clothing. Colourful hoodie, black jeans and his trademarked pink hat. He only carried with him a flashlight, though he remarked he wouldn't likely need it. It looked bright enough that the sun would light in the insides.

"Let's try to find a map then go from there." You say. Kapi nodded.

Under normal circumstances the entrance would have looked happy. It was stylized as a slanted square, made to look how a child draws a house. Up front was the bright blue roof, holes present. Behind that further you could see a red dome, also strewn with holes. The outline of the house was yellow, but the paint had either chipped away or stained as time worked through it. Even the blue hue of the exterior was fading as well, if it hadn't been scraped off or outright vandalized. The place was in ruins.

Several 'do not enter' signs were strewn about, some nailed to the wall, some merely stickered to it. Some of the signs "read private property, do not enter", while others displayed laws regarding trespassing.

The evidence of trash around the entrance and cigarette butts implied that this was probably a spot for the nearby warehouse workers to hang out.

A few notices were taped to door. Skimming through them they mostly referred to the city's government telling the owners there was too much garbage, or environmental complaints or other complaints. Either way, it didn't bode well.

One that particularly stood out was a recent one for a noise complaint. It wasn't that recent, but its very existence worried you slightly. This place was allegedly abandoned, right?

With no door present you and Kapi step inside.

"So if we find him, how are you expecting we get him out?" You ask, curious to hear his response.

"Just drag him out. Who's gonna stop us? This place has no security, S said so."

"I guess. That's to be seen though." You say, still a little unsure. You figure if anyone asks to just pass off you were security.

The lobby was barren of any seating areas and stands. Everything was gone. The only things remaining in the lobby were a decaying circular desk at the back between two doors and a smashed-up television in the corner.

There were scraps of what once might have been a table or a chair in another corner but that had long since vanished.

Through holes in the roof atop light pierced through, creating grids of light on the floor, particles floating through the light. Behind the desk, painted on the wall was a cartoon-ish picture of Huggy, a speech bubble next to him reading "Welcome!"

You approach the desk cautiously, Kapi following. You weren't paying attention but vaguely hear him make a remark about the computer on it.

There was a computer on top of the desk though upon closer inspection it was smashed in. The monitor, a CRT indicated it was an extremely old computer.

The whole place smelled of stale air and mildew. It didn't smell contaminated or dirty. Just dingy.

Looking at the computer you noticed something strange below the desk. The machine was plugged into a power bar and its light was still glowing. Looking up you now notice that fluorescent lights still lit the place.

So this place was still running after all. You point up to the lights. "See that?" You say.

"Huh? The light? What about it?" Kapi said, confused.

"Well this place is supposed to be abandoned. You don't find it odd that the lights are on?"

"Ehn, it's probably nothing. They probably just haven't cut the power yet." He said, ears twitching as he spoke. "Or maybe some kid came here and forgot to turn off the light." Kapi shrugged.

"I guess."

"Ohh. I think he could be there." Kapi said pointing to the left hallway. A sign above the entrance read "GIFT SHOP." For the state of decay the place was in you were surprised it was even legible.

With no idea where to find Huggy, you follow Kapi. "Let's hurry up. I don't like this place." You mutter.

"Sure!"

Pushing aside ruined glass doors you enter the gift shop. It was a large room, walls painted in brightly fading colours. There was a stencil painting of a blue cat holding a gift box on the back wall. Atop the ceiling a railroad, a large toy train still chugging along on it. The rails looked a little warped but otherwise it was functional.

The power was still on here as well. Not wanting to deal with the possibility that the place was secretly being run you just shrug it off. Perhaps Kapi was right. They just hadn't cut the power yet.

The shelves were mostly barren, only a few small stuffies remaining on them. You consider searching the register but figure you don't need the money. One thing was for certain. Huggy wasn't here.

"Darn." Kapi remarked.

Returning to the main room you take the lead and go to security. It was just the opposite direction of the gift shop. Going down the hallway, passing by some slashed lounge couches you and Kapi reach the door.

Though having the same glass office doors that the gift shop had this one was locked. There was a number pad present.

Though looking at it you see that three of the numbers were faded. Pressing a few keys you find the passcode seems to only be 3 numbers long.

"Hold on. Let me see if I can smash this." Kapi said.

"I can solve it."

Figuring it was only 3 numbers long and that 3 numbers had been faded you figure the combo to be grouping of those. So there were only 6 combinations then. You start entering every combo of those numbers.

"What are you doing?" Kapi asked, noticing you entering numbers at random.

"Solving it." With the 4th attempt the door unlocks.

"How did you-?"

"Don't worry about it. Just a police secret."

The security room was in much better shape. Like you had seen in IRIS, the wall was strewn with security cameras, all of which were off. There was a desk in the corner and what looked like a large vent at the end of the room.

"Let's see if they have an info on Huggy."

Kapi instead found himself more interested in the vent-looking area. He ran up to in, looking inside it. You check the desk, shuffling through the folders on it.

"Woah! Look at this!" Kapi exclaimed. "Just a second." You turn to see that it wasn't actually a vent, but a display case. Kapi activated something on the panel and it started to open. A TV next to it started playing some video. You didn't like the noise it was making and ignore it, deciding it's not important.

Kapi was far more interested in the object in front of him. The video explained it to be the "GrabPack". It was some sort of toy Playtime was working on. He picked it up and strapped it his back like jetpack. Around his back it had two arms with hands extruding from the side in front of Kapi. There were handles for each, that as the video explained, could allow the hands to grab objects and things from far away. Infatuated with this newfound power he started to use it, grabbing various objects around the room.

Meanwhile, a few folders later you found a security map of your section of the factory. You were reading it before you felt something prodding at your back. You look to see Kapi having backed up to the wall and was poking at you with some blue mechanical hand.

"What the hell is that?"

"It's the GrabPack! Pretty cool huh?"

You shrug. "I guess. Looks old though."

"Ehn, I'm sure I could fix it up. Displo too. I'm gonna keep it. Give it a new paint job."

You shrug. You didn't have any problem with him taking it.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Organizing the maps on the table you determine the path. "Alright so. According to the map the factory is just behind the entry desk. We go there and we should be able to reach the lines and storage. Figure if he's still there we check it first."

"Sure! Let's go!"

Returning to the lobby you go to the doors behind the desk, jumping over the turnstile. It was clear this area was meant for customers. The facility must have doubled as a playground-type area.

That was further evident by the large Lego-looking door frame that surrounded it. The door was jammed open but not enough to walk through. You and Kapi found yourself ducking under it.

One small hallway later you and Kapi entered the true lobby. It was at the bottom dome you'd seen earlier outside. A cylindrical-room, doors all around, some still labeled with their original signs. If there was power here it wasn't flowing currently. The only light present was through the grid windows that lined the ceiling.

A sign above the stage on the ceiling displayed the company’s logo in the same faded text he'd seen elsewhere.

Kapi approached the centre of the room. A small stage was raised, poles surrounding it, keeping people away as if it were a museum. Though the centre piece was missing Kapi could tell what was supposed to be there.

Comically large building blocks were also on the stage, surrounding where Huggy should have been standing.

The sign in front on the ground read "Huggy Wuggy" in large cartoon-ish text. There was a large blurb explaining what the toy was. Clearly a model of Huggy was supposed to be here. As time had ravaged this place, Kapi figured thieves probably already stole him.

Kapi pushed the red button on the Huggy sign and a tune broke the silence of the factory. The quality was terrible, time having not been kind to the machine but nonetheless it played.

You nearly jumped, only milliseconds away from pulling you gun out. "The hell are you doing?" You say, more annoyed than startled.

"I just wanted to see if it would work. Where should we go?" Kapi asked. He looked around.

With how gung-ho Kapi had been you start to worry a bit more. Though he may have thought it to be abandoned the lights, noise complaint and state of the place said to you there were still people here. You weren't going to take a chance.

You pull the security map out, looking it over.

"Ooh, I know. I think I can restore power first, then check the security cameras." Kapi said, already starting to dart past you. One of the rooms in the lobby had a sign above it labeled POWER. Before he could get too far you grab his hood, stopping him.

"Hold on a sec. I'm still looking at the map."

"Argh, well hurry up."

"I think it's best if you stay around the top." You suggest.

"Huh? Why?" Kapi asked, his struggling against you stopping.

Not wanting to decry him for not being stealthy you mention something else. "I think it'll be better if you stick around this area and look. I'm gonna head deeper into the factory." You say.

"You sure? I mean, I got a GrabPack. You don't."

"I have two nine millimetres and a baton. I think I'm more equipped. And I'm still not convinced this place is abandoned."

"Aw, you're no fun."

You point at the map. "Restore the power and security cameras. Then look around these areas." You say pointing to other exits in the lobby. There were several rooms still unopened from a Theater to a hallway labeled 'Innovation' and another called 'Testing'.

"I'm gonna go deeper in, towards the factory area." Looking at the map you notice that one of the ways connected to the factory floor though looking at the door it was closed shut. "I'm gonna find another way in but after checking those areas see if you can meet me by the factory there."

"Got it!"

You felt a little bad about splitting up, but you decide it would be safer if he stuck around this area. Satisfied you let Kapi run off to the Power room.

You open your phone to send a message to S asking to watch him but stop. S' contact page had been modified to display a photo of a sign that read "Gone Farming!" Clearly, he wouldn't be a help here, still stuck with Tabi and Agoti.

You shout into the power room. "Don't go deeper in until I've made sure it's safe! Call me if you need anything!"

"Sure, (Y/N)! You can count on me!" Just peering in, Kapi was doing something with the GrabPack moving lights around.

Back alone in the lobby you hear rustling coming from some unknown direction. You hope it's just Kapi screwing around.

The map read that due east, just next to the power room was some sort of assembly line. Judging by the map you'd need to go down a maintenance tunnel and could work your way through two separate factory floors. If there was anywhere Huggy could be it should be there.

You figure at the very least there could be parts of Huggy then just have Kapi build him.

The tiles in the main lobby were about the same as the entrance. White tiles with the occasional red or yellow or blue tile sprinkled about randomly. If they weren't covered in dust they were covered in dirt. Nature had already begun to reclaim this place.

The entry beside the power room was in remarkably better shape. The archways looked to have been made out of building blocks and were still in decent condition, though a bit warped from time and dampness. The lights were working too, albeit flickering slightly. As you walked down the hallway you notice a poster still in-tact.

It was of a cartoon cat called "Candy Cat" displaying some new jawbreakers Playtime had. Wonder if there's any leftover candy around. Nah, 100% chance it would be rotten.

Down the large hallway a sign atop the archway read "Make-A-Friend". Though the map marked this as an assembly way you figure it must have been turned into a public space at some point.

The actual Make-A-Friend area was blocked off at the end of the hall by large building blocks and a shuttered door. That wasn't your intention, instead going to the service door next to it. A sign above read 'Tunnel 05'.

You'd spoken too soon about the lights as all the ones in the tunnel were off. Only a pair of lights above the door at the other end were lit. The enclosed space looked liminal.

The only things visible were a bit of the floor and pipes on the wall, barely lit by the light you were letting in. Unsure if there was even a floor still you use your phone to light the way.

The pipes were slowly expelling steam furthering your fears this place was still active. Between disappearances you determined the owners must have still been active, possibly making toys illegally. You try to recall but don't remember Displo or S saying why the company got shut down.

If they were still operating, faking being abandoned what other lengths would they go to? You touch your baton instinctively. It was still strapped to your leg.

Above the door at the end of the hallway was a cartoon-ish picture of Huggy wearing a hard hat holding a hammer.

With how much signage there was of this guy you figure there had to have been a lot of toys made. Just be glad it was Huggy that Kapi got interested in, not some rare toy, you think.

Stepping through you enter a larger maintenance area. Large bins for parts, janitorial equipment, metal cabinets. There was plenty of black and yellow tape on the floors.

Yep. This was one of the backrooms.

Searching the metal cabinets yielded nothing of value. No sign of any toys here except minor parts. While you'd only seen the one photo of Huggy you had a basic idea of what to look for.

Going up the stairs you find yourself atop a balcony over part of the assembly line. Straight ahead on a wall was yet another picture of Huggy. He was dressed as a carpenter here.

This room seemed to be the exit of the floor, where workers assembled and packed up toys. You were standing on an overlook, probably where management watched. Part of the railing was destroyed; a pile of boxes present where one could've fallen. Seeing the fall was only a few metres you jump down, cushioned by the boxes.

There was no clear path back that way, but climbing was always an option.

There was a conveyer belt in the centre of the room, various cardboard boxes and scraps surrounding it. It didn't take much to see most of the boxes were empty. Up high a hallway bisected the room. Under the hallway led to a poorly lit inlay. Nothing there except more shelving and more boxes.

Light from the outside poured in and lit the front and walls, giving it a similar grid pattern to earlier. It gave everything in the room a slightly lighter hue as well. It was cloudy out, only a small amount of the sun's light making it through.

A motivational sign displayed that this was indeed the shipping bay. As you looked around there was one unusual thing on the floor. In seemingly random spots there were splashes of paint in the form of handprints. You guess that some kids made it this far and started vandalizing the place.

With nothing but tons of boxes around you start opening them one by one. Hopefully a Huggy model or part would be in one of them. Your hopes weren't high, the only toy you'd found so far was the head of some cartoon tiger.

Kapi was had no trouble in the power room. His GrabPack doubled as a current and with it he was able to reroute the power and restore it. It did take a bit of trial and error though.

A small console near the open breaker lit up.

AIX RT v2.2, c. 1990

Loading playtime.c...

NOTE: Unable to connect to other grids.

A bunch of technical jargon flew by that Kapi ignored. He was looking for something specific. With the key presses of an ancient keyboard he heard generators roar.

Power was restored to this sector, now diverted from other ones. Power in the security room had been restored too.

The facility was much larger than he thought, as evident by the existence of several other grids. It didn't deter him though. He was ready to search the whole facility!

With the security back online he left the power room. The flickering stopped as proper power was restored to them. They still blinked ever so slightly, fluorescent lights showing their age.

Feeling accomplished, he returned to the security room, stopping in the lobby after hearing rustling. From atop the ceiling some dust fell, though when Kapi looked up nothing was there. He decided the place was infested by rats. They must've been startled by power restoration.

To keep the rats away he started whistling a tune.

The security room was full of life, monitors turning on slowly. Some of the monitors were clearly damaged. Some had burn-in, old images being displayed on them. Some weren't even turning on. As Kapi waited by the central computer for it to come alive he shot you a text.

Kapi: powers back up

(Y/N): thanks still exploring lemme know if you see anything

Kapi: k im gonna try to find you on the camera then gonna check the theater

You look around the receiving bay. There were no cameras to be seen anywhere. Ah well, he'll find you later. You hope that turning the power on didn't alert whoever still occupied this place. If anyone even did still walk these halls.

Kapi's stunt also gave power to your room somewhat. With the sound of hydraulics moving for the first time in ages, the conveyer belt door opened. It was where the toys would move in from.

Though meant for packages it was far larger than that. You gulp. There didn't seem to be another way out of the room anyways. You text Kapi to double check power or whatever he can see to verify the conveyer systems were off. "At the very least, the conveyers and machinery in the receiving bay." You'd heard of way too many industrial accidents to just go in. A minute later Kapi confirmed it was safe. You warn Kapi to not touch anything while you were in.

Ducking under the ceiling you enter the conveyer tunnel. It was pitch black in here sans some muted lights underneath the belt. Using your phone you see that almost immediately into it, the tunnel goes down 45 degrees deeper into the facility. You step out of the tunnel.

Judging by the map at the bottom of the tunnel there should be an access shaft where you could access to one of the factory floors.

You realize now that it might have been possible to just try to get the power to open the factory then go with Kapi. Ehn, that's the main reason we need to plan for the heist You think. The first version won't be the best. You chuckle, though it does little to calm your nerves.

Enough wasting time. You get back into the tunnel and position yourself atop the angle change. With a light push you slide down, white lights flashing you by. The steel rollers help you slide down. It would have been enjoyable if not for the context.

You nearly crash into a "DO NOT ENTER" sign, just barely stopping yourself. After getting up and brushing off you find the access tunnel and proceed through it.

Still dark in here, you note. The lights down the access shaft were even darker, glowing a deep red instead of white. They had become more spaced out too. If it were not for phone you'd have been stumbling almost blindly.

Navigating through tunnels and stairways later you see an exit. There was some sort of red alarm on the ceiling towards it. It was silent but blinking faintly. Probably just from detecting you in the tunnels, you hope.

It was off the path of the access area. Sliding down a shorter tunnel you enter another factory floor; you pop out of some machine and help yourself down. Just as the map had displayed. Another factory floor.

The room was more spacious than the receiving bay. Though not as big as you'd expect a factory floor. It appeared that this area was another assembly floor.

You look back. It appeared that you emerged from some sort of parts holder. The glass was gone so you were just able to walk out though it appeared as if it was supposed to filter them into 1 piece at a time like from a gum ball machine.

It even had the metal flap.

Next to the conveyer belt in front of your entrance was another machine. It had large googly eyes on it and the conveyer tunnel into it was stylized like a mouth. It had a white light on it that was lit. The machine linked up to a bunch of other similar contraptions. Another one was blue with teeth and a closed mouth, another one, red, looked a little wonky.

That tunnel was far too small to enter. It was meant for toys. Recalling the size of Huggy from the ad, if it was too small for you it was definitely too small for him. He wouldn't be here.

On the right, across the floor from the contraption was a staircase and platforms leading up to some ceiling walkway. You were grateful those lights were working as there was no sky light here. Checking your phone you still had a good signal.

The place looked more preserved than the rest of the facility. You guess it hadn't been touched since the place was first shut down. It was also significantly colder here. Though your uniform was doing more than enough to keep you warm.

Next to the staircase was a closed door, which according to the map should've lead back to a central point and back to Kapi's area. Realizing it now that door was the same as the one blocked off earlier. You had essentially gone in a circle. Sighing, you figure it's a good time to get Kapi now.

However there was no switch or key on the door. Just an open pedestal. It needed something.

Not wanting to mess with the machines you instead go up, getting a good look at the place from atop. A sign hidden amongst the steel walkway indicated where you were.

This was the Make-A-Friend workshop. "Hmm." Maybe that's what they want. A 'friend' to open the door, you think.

Walking along the grid walkway you continuously glance down. No sign of any toys here, let along a Huggy toy. Actually, wait. Looking down the middle you notice there was a Make-A-Friend stand in the middle with a large red button.

Remembering that this was supposed to be part of a tour you head back down and push the button.

A voice on some intercom starts explains the toy making process as all the googly-eyed machines spring to life. If the place wasn't in such disarray, it would have been endearing. Now it was just sad looking.

You watch as parts from the right flow in from some pipes and go in and out of the toy monster machines as it 'ate' them and spat out assembled parts onto the belt. Its googly eyes just stare back expressionless as the machines worked. It was creepy.

It worried you slightly too. It was making too much noise. You didn't want to attract attention. Hopefully Kapi was doing alright.

Slowly it chugged alone before finally the yellow machine spat out a perfectly assembled cat/tiger/feline thing. You look it over. Maybe a bobcat?

Either way, you pick it up and place it on the pedestal and sure enough, the door opens to an empty hallway. You take a few steps back and glance back at the machines. Now was a good a time as ever to message Kapi.

Before you could you hear footsteps behind you. Your cop instinct pulls out and you face back.

Standing there, obscured by the archway was Huggy. He walked forward slightly, having to duck under the already tall archway.

You were greeted by his wide open-mouth grin, an endless row of teeth from inside him. He looked happy to see you, but you couldn't tell if it was a violent grin or that was the way he looked.

The Monster Arrives [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/5347fd06-56ca-4d36-8584-e8dd38de8e12/dgbyi1n-42edff7c-fa72-4946-b601-e0e296e02d5b.png/v1/fill/w_1192,h_670,q_70,strp/the_monster_arrives_by_odaocer_dgbyi1n-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9NzIwIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvNTM0N2ZkMDYtNTZjYS00ZDM2LTg1ODQtZThkZDM4ZGU4ZTEyXC9kZ2J5aTFuLTQyZWRmZjdjLWZhNzItNDk0Ni1iNjAxLWUwZTI5NmUwMmQ1Yi5wbmciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTI4MCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.yQrV5LVk2AnpsL63wungOvSRqqpwYMt8x3u4Z6PHl94]

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The next chapter called Abandoned and Forgotten. (vs. Huggy).