Netherworld

(A 'Thank You' to Rozovian G for providing some of his own music which helped with my writing immensely.

Part I -- Discovery

-- Recording commenced. --

True Date Unknown;

Artificial Date 12-14-28 (P.ost C.ivilization)

Personal Log of Machinist A-18-#0321 -- Samuel Riggs

119th Entry

I bought some new chronovids today at Dunn's Shop. The colony supervisors just had a new set released to the public. I got three, since I can't spare too much cash before vacation if I want to take Chloe to the R&R Level.

I got one that dates a little over three hundred years before P.C., when whatever society that existed before this was established. It's mostly paintings and dramatizations, since, I guess, they didn't have recording technology back then.

The second one's from about one hundred and sixty years before P.C., during some big war that some maniacal tyrant started. The chronovid says he almost wiped out an entire people. Kind of like what happened to us.

The last chronovid is really interesting to watch. It's a compliation of major events that took place in the last ten years before P.C. For some reason we don't really know as much about those last years as we do all the history that happened before it, which we can't even really relate to.

I'm not sure if I believe what I see in the 'vids. It all seems like another world, like none of it's even really our past at all. I mean, when you think about it, how strange is that? To be born into a culture with a past that might not even be real?

-- Recording complete. --

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-- Recording commenced. --

True Date Unknown;

Artificial Date 12-16-28 (P.ost C.ivilization)

Personal Log of Machinist A-18-#0321 -- Samuel Riggs

120th Entry

Graves was on my case again today. The bastard said I set the lathe wrong, so that the metal for the trepans coils the wrong way. I don't even work the damn lathe, that's Hawksley's job. I told Graves he'd know that if he wasn't such a dumbass slob who spends most of his time cussing out others to hide what a moron he is. He just gave me an angry look on his chubby ogre face then complained about how he's just one guy, and that he can't keep track of thousands of people and their jobs. Even though that's exactly what a division manager's supposed to do. So, surprise, surprise, the asshole made me work late, re-straightening the trepan metal. Idiot.

After my shift finally ended, I went to The Stock and met up with Chloe and Eddie. They were already waiting for me, hanging around before they had to go in for their shifts.

-- Audiovisual video sequence accessed. --

Monitor: Technician B-05-#2517 (Chloe Lawrence) and Miner B-01-#1045 (Edward Marke) sit talking quietly at Counter 9. Chloe Lawrence is smoking a cigarette, Edward Marke consumes an alcoholic beverage. Machinist A-18-#0321 (Samuel Riggs) enters Recreation Plaza "The Stock" through Entrance 2-of-4. He scans the area and spots Chloe Lawrence and Edward Marke from across the square and proceeds to walk up to them. He sits down and orders an alcoholic beverage from a servercom, then places his head on the table in an expression of exasperation/exhaustion.

Edward: Tough day in the pits, Sammy?

Samuel: Let's just say you should stay away from the lathes today, or someone's liable to give you shit. (He raises his head.

Chloe: Well, seeing as how I work the computer terminals, and Eddie works in the caves, I don't think that'll be a problem. (She grins.)

Samuel: I'm so sick of this. (He takes out a cigarette, lights it, and begins to smoke.I hate workin' the A shift.

Chloe: So sign up for B Division. We could all get off work at the same time and do something afterwards.

Eddie: Yeah...and hey, ya get to sleep in! (Edward chuckles, takes a drink.Till the afternoon. Then ya get out in the evening. It's not bad.

Samuel: (He scoffs. Nah, I can't do that. I'm one of the head machinists in the A; Graves won't let me reschedule. Besides...I already can't get enough sleep as it is. Switchin' shifts'd only fuck up my cycle more. I mean, who cares when I start or when I get off if I haven't slept a wink? (He leans back in his chair. Everything's the same, anyways, no matter what time of the day it is.

(A server comes to the counter with Samuel's drink and leaves. Samuel takes a swig.

Chloe: If you say so, Sammy. (She takes a drag of her cigarette.

Eddie: (He takes another drink.Well, ya could at least stop bitchin' about it so much. It's hard on all of us, not just you, kid.

(A horn blares. B shift has begun.

Chloe: (She puts out her cigarette, turns to Edward. That's us. (She turns to Samuel, smiles. See you later.

Samuel: We still gettin' together over vacation?

Chloe Of course.

Eddie: (As he walks away) Ooh-hoo! You crazy lovebirds...

Chloe: (She laughs) Shut up, you. (She looks back at Samuel, whispers. Hey, I'll stop by tonight after work.

Samuel: You sure? I don't want you to get caught out after curfew...

Chloe: (She grins. I get off at 20, duh. Curfew's not till 23.

Samuel: Oh...right. (He squints his eyes tightly and shakes his head, supposedly to rouse himself. Okay. Later.

-- Audiovisual video sequence concluded. --

Yeah, just another day. Like every one before it and every one that'll follow.

I've been getting this anxious feeling more and more. I feel impatient, like I'm sitting on my ass waiting for something to happen. I don't know what it is, but it feels like it's something big. It's effecting my work, my sleep, my social life. I hope something changes soon, or I might just start to snap. Maybe it's just being cooped up in this hole all my life...

-- Recording complete. --

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-- Recording commenced. --

True Date Unknown;

Artificial Date 12-20-28 (P.ost C.ivilization)

Personal Log of Machinist A-18-#0321 -- Samuel Riggs

121st Entry

So, we finally installed the new trepans yesterday.

-- Audiovisual video sequence accessed. --

Monitor: A large crowd of colonists is gathered within the pits. Before them are ten massive drillcars. A group of four men stand alongside each of them. To the left of the crowd is a tall platform where the colony supervisors sit. One of them rises and steps up to the podium.

Colony Supervisor: And now, colonists, we take one more step towards a better tomorrow!

The supervisor motions to the workers and they install the bulky trepans onto the front of the drillcars. There is a multi-layered mechanical echo as each trepan is locked in. The crowd cheers.

-- Audiovisual video sequence concluded. --

Now the drilling project's ready to start once vacation's over. The supervisors figured it'd be a nice gesture to give everybody a break before we begin the colony expansion. I still can't believe we're gonna do it. We've never added onto the colony, never since it's formation. But the population's increasing every year that goes by. For the first time in the colony's short history, some people actually don't have homes. That's why we're doing this, for the people.

At least, that's what they tell us.

But I don't really care about that right now. All that matters to me is the time off that I can spend with Chloe. Honestly, if it wasn't for her, I don't know where I'd be. She's the closest friend I have. I've known her longer even than Eddie. And...lately it feels like she might be becoming more. The last time she came to my quarters, there was this strange tension. It wasn't unpleasant or awkward or anything, just...different. Maybe during vacation I can see just how far our relationship can go.

-- Recording complete. --

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-- Recording commenced. --

True Date Unknown;

Artificial Date 12-27-28 (P.ost C.ivilization)

Personal Log of Machinist A-18-#0321 -- Samuel Riggs

122nd Entry

-- Audiovisual video sequence accessed. --

Monitor: (The following is extracted from the recording of events that occured within R&R Level Lodging Sector, Room 419 from 12-20-28 P.C. to 12-26-28 P.C. This particular recording is dated 12-24-28 P.C.

Sitting on a bed is Technician B-05-#2517 (Chloe Lawrence) and Machinist A-18-#0321 (Samuel Riggs). They are close to one another, their faces inches apart, hands on one another. The lights are dim.

Samuel: Chloe...

Chloe: Yes?

Samuel: I've been wantin' this for a long time.

Chloe: So have I.

(They kiss for several seconds.

Samuel: (He pulls away. Chloe...I don't know how I'd get by without you.

Chloe: Aw, Sammy...you're tougher than you think. (She goes to kiss him again.

Samuel: No...it's more than just workin' the pits. It's this whole thing.

Chloe: What thing? What're you talking about?

Samuel: I mean everything. Everything we've ever known, everything around us. The colony.

Chloe: (She giggles uncertainly.What about it?

Samuel: Don't you feel it? The...isolation? The emptiness? Sometimes it's like there's no real reason for the colony to exist at all...

Chloe: (She looks surprised. How can you say that? It's because of the colony humanity is still around, Sammy. We're the only ones left. It's up to us to revitalize society.

Samuel: (He scoffs. Don't tell me you believe that bullshit? How can you? I mean, what do we do that's so important, that's helping us 'revitalize society'?

Chloe: (She pauses in thought...The expansion, for one.

Samuel: And how long has that taken us? Almost thirty years. Shouldn't we have done more by now? Why are we still just a colony? Why aren't we a city by now? Why haven't we made more colonies?

Chloe: Well...you know...it takes a while for these kind of things to happen. You know what they say; "Rome wasn't built in a day".

Samuel: (He stands up, becoming agitated.) We don't even know if Rome was built at all!

Chloe: Don't be ridiculous. It's in the chronovids.

Samuel: The chronovids. Right. And who says the stuff in 'em is true? How would any of us know? We've never seen anything but the colony's walls.

Chloe: Sam...what's wrong?

Samuel: (He sits down beside Chloe once again, angry, but visibly defeated. I don't know. I don't know what's wrong, but I know that something is. It doesn't make sense...

(Chloe looks away from him, down at her hands sitting in her lap.

Chloe: I...I can't do this anymore. (She stands up, moves to leave.)

Samuel: Wait, Chloe, where're you goin'?

Chloe: I don't know. But I can't be with you right now, Sam. You're a mess. You've been a mess for so long now. I've heard all this from you so many times. You've lost your grip, and I don't want to be with someone like that. I can't deal with it. I've got my own problems.

Samuel: No, please, don't --

Chloe: I'm sorry, Sam.

-- Audiovisual video sequence concluded. --

I fucked things up with Chloe. Bad. We spent a lot of time together in the R&R Level and things seemed to be going well. But...I don't know...I cracked. I let whatever's going on inside me start to leak out and it turned Chloe away. I knew most people wouldn't understand what I've been feeling. Most of the other colonists don't seem to realize how confined they are. But Chloe...I thought she would understand me.

She said she doesn't want to get involved with someone who doesn't have a grip on themselves. Is that true? Am I really that out of it? I guess it's this sleeping problem of mine. That and this claustrophobic feeling I've been having. It's like the colony is shrinking around me with each passing day. I mean, I can remember being a little kid and the colony seemed so big. Now there are people everywhere. But...it must've always been like this. Right?

Eddie tells me they started the drilling today. Out in the caverns. Supposedly, they're planning on adding a whole sector, giving thousands of people new places to live and work.

I don't know how much longer I can do this. I need something different. I guess I should look for a hobby or something to put myself into. All I can really do, though, is watch those chronovids, even though I don't really trust them.

There's just something...missing from them. Like pieces of a puzzle I can't find. Those last few years. I keep thinking about them. What happened? I've been noticing that about the others; no one asks that question. No one asks why we're here.

All they do is what they've been told to. Their little routines. Work, all they seem to do is work. Then they go home and sleep. Is that all we have to look forward to? Why bother to have a colony at all?

It's so late. I feel like only half of me's here, but I won't get any sleep tonight. I guess I'll just watch those 'vids again.

-- Recording complete. --

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-- Recording commenced. --

True Date Unknown;

Artificial Date 12-28-28 (P.ost C.ivilization)

Personal Log of Machinist A-18-#0321 -- Samuel Riggs

123rd Entry

-- Audiovisual video sequence accessed. --

Monitor: (The following is an extensive series of clips compiled together for future study.

Machinist A-18-#0321 (Samuel Riggs) sits on his bed within his quarters (Domicile #929 in Sector 5 Apartment Complex). He is watching a chronovid on a hand-held video player. The look on his face is that of boredom and underlying dissatisfaction.

Video Player Clip: ...Unfortunately, little information concerning the final years before colonization was instigated is available to us today...

(Samuel scowls. His expression becomes furious. He clenches the video player in his hands and yells at it.

Samuel: Why the fuck not?!

(He violently throws the video player across his room and it hits the wall, breaking and falling to the floor. A low whine escapes the device as it dies.

Samuel: (Muttering to himself) I'm sick of this...I'm so fuckin' sick of this...

(Samuel puts his fingers to his temples, rubbing them in frustration.

Samuel: (Still to himself) I can't -- I can't take it. I...I've gotta walk around...calm down. Damn it, I feel so...trapt.

(He changes into his work uniform, zips it up and shuts off his room lights.

-- Switch to Apartment Complex hallway camera. --

Samuel exits his quarters discreetly, first simply peering out the doorway. After a small amount of time passes, he steps out into the hallway of Sector 5's Apartment Complex. He looks behind him, ahead of him, and doesn't move for another moment. Then, he begins walking, with great care to maintain silence, down the hallway.

-- Switch to elevator hallway camera. --

Samuel walks down to the Complex elevator. He presses the button to activate it and the doors open. He enters, stands a moment in hesistation, then presses a button inside the elevator. The doors close.

-- Switch to Recreation Plaza camera. --

Samuel enters Recreation Plaza "The Stock" through entrance 4-of-4. The area is silent and empty and the ceiling lights on their dimmest setting, nearly on at all. He looks around and moves to Booth 6. He sits down a moment, then slouches until he is lying down in the booth. From the other side of the plaza, hushed voices are heard. Samuel sits up in surprise.

Samuel: (Whispering to himself) Oh, shit!

(Samuel ducks down in the booth again and watches as two people near the plaza offscreen. Voices, men's, speak to one another.

Man's Voice 1: Damn, I hate going topside. It's so friggin' cold up there.

Man's Voice 2: Aw, quit yer belly-achin', kid. This is what we're here for. You signed up for it.

Man's Voice 1: Yeah, yeah, I know...hey, where's McCullen? He's supposed to be with us, isn't he?

Man's Voice 2: He's meetin' us on the way to the caves. He had to make copies of the colony records for the boys upstairs.

Man's Voice 1: Yikes. I'd hate to have his job.

Man's Voice 2: Yeah, havin' to monitor hundreds of hours of... (The voices trail off.

(Samuel sits up again.

Samuel: (Whispering to himself) "Topside"? (He squints, staring offscreen, presumably at the two men. S'that...Graves?

(He gets up from the booth, crouches, and follows the offscreen figures timidly.

-- Switch to cavern camera. --

From a doorway below the camera, the two unknown men enter the frame. One of them is a large man, Division Manager S5-A (Hank Graves). The other is young and thin, Vendor D-43-#6459 (Arnold Shumacher). A third man, Electrician C-02-#0053 (Warren McCullen), follows behind them with a suitcase. They are all in bundled clothing. They walk into the caverns, passing the ten drillcars prepared for colony expansion, five of them on either side of the men.

Graves: So how long did those copies take you, McCullen?

McCullen: Almost a week.

Shumacher Jesus!

McCullen: Yeah, and I had to keep recording while I was making 'em, too. So, the most recent stuff is all last-minute.

Graves: It's good quality, though, right?

McCullen: Oh, yeah, it'll be fine.

(Samuel enters the frame. The other three men are far-off. He sneaks towards the drillcars on the left side of the cavern and draws closer to the other men.

-- Switch to alternate cavern camera. --

The three men stand at the end of the cavern. It appears to be of normal rock until one of them, Graves, presses a crag and the lower section of the cave vanishes into itself, revealing a tall metal barrier. Graves pushes a series of buttons on a padlock on the door. There is a pause, then the padlock unlatches and the metal barrier opens, spliting down the middle and its two halves retreating into the cave wall. A gust of cold wind enters the cave. Outside, is a white, snowy landscape.

Samuel: (Whispering to himself)What the...?

(The three men exit through the massive doorway into the snow. Samuel stares on. The doors begin to close and Samuel goes to move, but pauses in hesitation. Finally, he dashes towards the door and through it.

-- Audiovisual video sequence concluded. --

I don't know where to begin. It's incredible. Just what I've been waiting for all these years. Finally, I know. There's something out there! Something other than this colony.

I was in my quarters, feeling...imprisoned, almost. I hadn't slept in days and little things were getting to me, so I decided to do something I've never done before. I left my quarters after curfew, just to go for a walk, to get my head together.

It's...it's unbelievable. While I was wandering around the colony, I saw two men doing the same. One of them was Graves. I followed them to the caverns (another guy met up with them) and they...they opened this door. A door made out of the cave wall. When it opened, it got cold and through the door was...was a world of white.

They went through the door and I followed them, keeping myself at a distance because something told me that it wasn't a good idea to get caught.

I still can't believe it happened. Through the door -- outside it -- was this freezing landscape with...with trees! And snow. It was windy and...there was a cloudy, dark grey sky. There was so much, stuff I've only seen or heard about in the chronovids, but it's real. It's all real. It's the world that we had to retreat from into the colony.

The three guys walked through the snow -- it was so beautiful and soft -- going deeper into the wilderness. I didn't know what else to do, so I kept followed them...

--

Sam skulked further out into the ivory wasteland, following the three men by tracking their footprints. The men themselves were far ahead of him, having vanished behind a snowy dune. When he looked behind him, he saw small cave entrance from which he'd come out of. Was the whole colony confined within? How could it be, unless perhaps...was it below?

His mind raced with incomplete thoughts and emotions. He was elated, awestruck, confused, scared, and suspicious. This shattered all the things he thought he knew to be true. But he had had only a taste, and it was intoxicating. He had to find out more.

He continued on until he came to the dune the men had disappered behind, and descended down a steep hill. From his vantage point, he could see their diminishing outlines in the distance, on level land. They were approaching a cluster of vehicles as white as everything else around them. Awaiting the men were figures also garbed in white, thick garments. Sam would've called them people, but the furred things they wore animalized them, and their faces were strange. They had large goggle-eyes and mouths akin to the proboscis of some insects he had seen in his chronovids.

Sam desperately wanted to get closer, but he knew he couldn't without being seen. As much as he disliked it, he could only watch the strange meeting from afar. What was going on?

He stayed there a while, observing. Graves and the others talked with the beings in white for a long time, until finally one of the other two from the colony handed one of the white things, the presumed leader of the group, the suitcase he'd been holding. The beings in white began to return to their vehicles and Sam concluded that the conference they had been having was over. The three colony men began to walk back towards him.

Sam realized he had to get back before the others discovered him there. He took a last look at the mysterious vehicles driving off for parts unknown, then turned and ran for the caverns, and within, the colony.

--

...I don't know what happened really. It was bizarre to watch. But I do know that the next chance I get, I'm going out again.

-- Recording complete. --