Underside Chapter 1: CollapseA Chapter by aaaa Richard is taken into Underside. File security level: Black
Subject of interest: Krenner, L. Richard
Everything from this point on is a secret beyond a secret. Things in here could change the world forever, and not for the better. This is the story of Chief Engineering Officer on Project: Mole, a construction project funded by one of the largest trusts in the U.S. The goal being to sink geothermal lines to harness the Earth’s mantel to run all their facilities cleanly and efficiently. Though the actual goal shall become apparent as the file goes on.
Since actual accounts are scarce we must look towards a book from the Lead Ballroom, the largest library in Underside. It was written by Sky Skimmer scholar X’alen Shinfar [Closest English pronunciation to actual name, the English language lacks the letters to write the true name] after receiving the full account of Richard Krenner’s journey in Underside. Though at times it is dramatized unnecessarily on a whole it gives an accurate representation of what occurred in the three months Richard spent in Underside.
Krenner himself refuses to provide an account due to his self-imposed exile on the Isles of Cranton in the Sea of Golden Towers. Though in the few contacts with him since he solved our “little problem” he has given a few scraps of information, and the transcripts of those meeting are put into the files when necessary. Other sources have been used to give a more detailed and full account, such as certain news stories from Overside, accounts from various people that Krenner encountered along his journey, and documents that the Sky Skimmers have allowed us to transcribe from the information stores at the Lead Ballroom.
Time:1:37 PM Date: 3/1/2020 Location: Southern Atlantic, 3.7 kilometers under oceanic crust. Enroute to Lamp Light Way Station Document: The following is taken from He Who Lit the Darkness, written by X’alen Shinfar, and has been translated from Hin’kuklak to English:
“Why do I have to attend this stupid thing? I should be down there in the muck helping my boys fix drill head five,” said Richard as he leaned back in his chair. The pumps keeping the air at a density they could breathe nearly drowned out the sentence, but she heard it anyway. “Because you are the Chief Engineering Officer, and therefore an executive officer, and therefore a face of the workers, and therefore you need to attend so we can look like I give a damn about what you think.” said Josephine, whose suit was had been so cleanly pressed at the start of the ride he could have used it to shave with, but to his delight, and her disgust, it had wilted in the humid atmosphere inside the elevator. She was not used to being this deep inside the project, and was not enjoying herself in the least. Probably because a four-hour elevator rides was not the thing she wanted to do before a fancy dress party. She had been so angry upon arriving on the engineering station and finding him freshly out from declogging one of the muck grinders, she had scolded him the entire time it had taken him to clean himself and somehow fit himself into tuxedo that had somehow made it way into his room while he had bathed. “I know that, but really? You are throwing a ball for your investors and you choose here? I know they are richer than anyone has a right to, but do you really think they want to spend an afternoon drinking from small glasses and eating finger food?” He unclipped the various safety buckles that were need to ensure a safe landing in case something went wrong, and that Josephine had conveniently forgotten. The doors slid open onto a gilded ballroom covered in the best things money could buy. The tables were covered in gold, the silverware shinned with what had obviously taken some poor attendant hours of work, and the ceiling sported some large mural of man sculpting golems out of clay. Though the party was already underway everyone turned to see whom the new arrival were, and a large round of applause rang out as Richard stood blinking in the light. He had never been one for social gathering, and got twitchy when surrounded by too many people. Though they said that was normal for people like him, or as others said, for geniuses. Socially coward, but brilliant, that what had landed him this job fresh out of college. It had only taken him four months of showing the masters how thing should be done to get him on this. The most important job of all, so called free energy. Though with the supply bills he occasionally sent to headquarters it didn’t seems to free to him. He felt something sharps press against the top of his foot, he looked down to see end of Josephine’s stiletto resting on top of his shoe. Then his eyes trailed up past the stocking clad legs and half-suit-half-dress-thing she was wearing before coming to rest on her face. “Now go play nice with the rich and famous or I won’t let you back down there for a month.” “Yes, dear,” he mocked before getting assaulted by people wanting to shake his hand, and though there was a lot of hand shaking and hellos they didn’t let him get past a sentence or two before hurrying off to some other grouping of richly dressed notables before leaving to anyone else who wanted to greet him. Half an hour later he had finally made his way through the enormous room to the observation deck. The entire thing was made of glass and poised them twenty feet over the edge. The lights from inside the ballroom allowed them to see the opposite wall of the tunnel, which was riddled with supports, and around a hundred feet below them. After that the light petered out and all that was there was a sea of darkness, though even that shouldn’t be there. Anywhere but around this way station the tunnel narrowed for just large enough to send equipment up and down. His cell phone vibrated in his pocket, and he answered it while plugging his other ear. “Sir, we have an emergency down here! The area around drill head five had collapsed, and the rest of it is threatening to go. We got a tremor around ten minutes ago that destabilized the area.” Tremor? He hadn’t felt anything up here. “Just plug the entire area, and send it guys in dreadnought suits to fish anyone out and set up pumps to drain the area into one of the emergency caverns. If there are any aftershocks just switch the supports to cushion instead of rigid and hold the place together as best you c--” The ground under his feet began to tremble. Behind him he heard a few gasps from the crowd, and some yelling started, but his focus was elsewhere. “Are you getting another shake down there!” he roared into the phone over the increasing volume behind him. The shake was getting more violent by the second. “No sir, what’s going on up his sir?” The voice on the other end of the line was panicked. “Hopefully nothing more that a littl-” He saw a crack appear in the glass under his feet. “S**t.” He dropped the phone and ran for the door back into the main ballroom. The lookout was rated for this sort of thing. They had built the station to practically wait out the end of the world, but that wasn’t stopping the cracks from chasing him towards the door. As he reached the door and went to wretch it open the once solid surface below him shattered, and for a moment he was left hanging there for the doorknob. He had never been the athletic type though, and his grip was slipping fast, and the fact that the doorknob had probably been polished a hundred times for the party wasn’t helping. A portion of the ceiling that was still in place broke off and struck him in the shoulder, it cut deeply and forced him to lose his grip. For a moment he floated there and felt like he was falling through a snowstorm as every piece of glass glittered with the last lights from way station. As he descended into the darkness he screamed in one final attempt for help before the world went pitch black.
Document: Informational flier given to those visiting Lamp Light Purpose: The following had been taken to give readers a broader view into what Lamp Light is, because unfortunately the primary document is scarce on any details.
Lamp Light
Below the Southern Atlantic stirs that largest Green Energy effort to date. The Ukiseft Conglomerate has drilled deep into the planet to harness the power of the very Earth itself. By attaching thermal generator on the end of lines implanted into the Earth’s molten mantel we plan to power not only all of our facilities cleanly and efficiently, but also to provide that power to others, so that they too can reduce their carbon footprint.
Construction on the largest drilling platform on the planet began in late 2017 and was completed late 2018 under the supervision of renowned engineer and inventor of the revolutionary Smog Conversion System Richard Krenner. Over the next five years we plan to drill all the way through the mantel and deep enough to have four central lines to generators that can provide enough power a day to light the entire east coast for a week.
How can you be a part of this great prospect you ask? Well, Lamp Light is your answer. Lamp Light is the is a facility located at the halfway point between the oceanic crust and the mantel. It contains the residence areas for senior officers of the project and workers alike, along with more luxurious facilities which include the Grand Ballroom, over one hundred luxury suites, a complete spa and fitness areas, a team of private chefs, and much more. Information on how you could rent have possibly buy a room inside this great facility can be inquired by simply contacting our offices with the following information... [Rest of pamphlet omitted due to not being relevant] © 2010 aaaaAuthor's Note
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