<Begin Recording at: 08:46AM>
Date: 29/04/37
Location: Level 13.1's governmental plaza, Renovations Division main building.
Participants: Jack Amspoker, Penelope, Fritz Opel.
Fritz Opel: Hey, got something for us.
[With some haste, Fritz walked into the large office room that was utilised by the Renovations Division's top members. Although there were a good amount of desks present, enough for each member to sit with some spaces spare, not many were actually using the desks provided. This was especially the case for the less humanoid and former BRC members of the division, which took up the majority of those present.]
Penelope: Ooooh! Really, huh? Well, pass it over, human.
[Penelope shot Fritz a wink, turning on her six legs and sauntering to him from her desk. She looked down at his hand, to which he was carrying a standard issue tablet with a basic, automatically generated report form. Once Fritz realised Penelope was eyeing it, he passed it to her with an awkward smile.]
Fritz Opel: Here, it's uh… just the usual bunch of reviews that people give. Nothing special.
Penelope: Aw, really? Shit. Thanks anyways!
Fritz Opel: Yeah, no problem? Are you guys gonna actually… read them?
Jack Amspoker: …No. Who cares about what dumb ideas people have? They don't know how this place works, and they definitely don't have our timetable and quota. Fuck that, dude.
Fritz Opel: Right… This is maybe obvious, but what's the point in them, then?
Penelope: I dunno? Cap'n probably gets off to hearing good praise his group receive. Even if it's not his group anymore… Fucking dumbass.
Fritz Opel: Where actually is he right now?
Jack Amspoker: Huh. Dunno, really?
Penelope: He's probably out holidaying and enjoying the ~fruits of his labour~. As in, y'know, our labour.
Fritz Opel: Right…
[Fritz awkwardly cleared his throat, scooting to sit at his desk. It was decorated with a myriad of more 'normal' items, at least when compared to what most of the other employees had on theirs. Meanwhile, Penelope looked back at the tablet and began to hastily scroll to the bottom of the list to delete the inbox. As she did so, Penelope began to realise a commonality with the suggestions as they quickly whizzed by her eyes, and that a large sum of nearly a hundred were grouped together under a warning label.]
Penelope: Ooooh… Hang on a moment, actually…
Jack Amspoker: Penelope, please don't tell me you've scrolled past an idea you like. We're done fucking with Level 0, okay? We've done it twice.
Penelope: No, no, not that… The list of reports has done something strange.
Fritz Opel: What's it done?
Penelope: It's done something I've never seen before.
Jack Amspoker: Hm… Alright, consider me a little intrigued.
Penelope: Let's see, uh… oh, alright. It's listed over a hundred of these requests as being fraudulent! That's fuckin' amazing.
Fritz Opel: How is a suggestion fraudulent…?
Penelope: Now, that's exactly what I was thinking, meatbag!
[Penelope grinned, making her way to her desk which she had raised up high in order for her to stand at it and work. She set down the tablet on a stand to angle it upwards, and began to skim through the reviews. When she reached the second review, a curious smile crept onto her face, one which turned incredibly entertained by the third and fourth.]
Penelope: Holy shit, guys, this is the weirdest thing I have ever seen. Hang on just a moment.
[Penelope double tapped the top right corner of the screen and pressed one of the options that had subsequently dropped down. The lights in the office dimmed, and the two others present turned their heads to the section of the wall that had a flush television/interactive whiteboard within it, watching as a projection of the tablet appeared on its surface. As Penelope began to talk, she began to scroll the list slowly, her movements copied on the wall.]
Penelope: So… Someone, over the course of a single day, submitted… Well, around a dozen suggestion forms for us to, um, huh.
Jack Amspoker: Penelope, your pauses are beginning to piss me off.
Penelope: Oh, well, sooorrryy! I'm just incredibly confused, as should you be! Not all of us can afford being either stoic or boisterous, some of us get stuck with stunned silence. It appears this guy, I dunno who they are, sent a request for us to "revive" the old "Level 32". Entertainland or something, I think. I vaguely remember it.
Fritz Opel: Why would someone suggest that so many times…?
Penelope: No idea, my guy, but it is entertaining? Oh, incredible! They did this over the course of a week! Over a hundred suggestions for bringing back some level I didn't even realise was dead! Amazing!
Jack Amspoker: If you say so… they sound annoying.
Penelope: Jack, just to be clear, this guy seems like the most annoying guy I've ever heard of. You gotta admire the dedication, though.
Fritz Opel: Um… yeah, I suppose. Why not. This sounds like something we should report, right? That's not normal behaviour.
Penelope: If we were boring, sure. I ain't boring, though, I think we should do it.
Jack Amspoker: What?? No! We're not doing the requests of some hyper-fixated moron! What did I just say about our timetables and our quotas?? You literally said the same thing a moment ago!
Penelope: Well… true, and for the record I totally agree with ya Jack, but think about it like this… we've never actually revived a level before, why don't we give it a go?
Jack Amspoker: We've never tried it because it's not possible. It's dead.
Fritz Opel: Just because it's dead, that doesn't mean it's gone. The level still exist, just inactive and… decaying.
Jack Amspoker: Yeah. I know. I've been renovating levels since before you noclipped, Fritz, I know how a level dies.
Fritz Opel: Right. Sorry.
Penelope: You shouldn't have said that, Jacko! If all levels end up in the compost heap at the bottom of the Blue Channel, there's no reason to say that we can't pull them out?
Jack Amspoker: Uh, yeah there is. They'll be abandoned, toppled over, and possibly buried under a level which died and fell on top of it.
Penelope: Pah, minor things. Barely even issues! I think we should at least try it, and Level 32 sounds like a fun first go. From what I remember it's pretty small and simple, what could go wrong?
Jack Amspoker: Everything. We're not doing it.
Penelope: We'll see.
Well, it's been a few days and nobody's knocked at my door, I have to assume my plan worked! Whether or not the requests actually go through, I have no idea whatsoever, but if the next email on the M.E.O.D.'s new projects at the end of this month doesn't mention Level 32, I'll draft up some more request forms and drop them off at a few other levels. I'm considering widening my reach a bit more, instead of solely dropping off these requests in Level 608. Maybe 436, 890, and that Asian looking one I can't remember the name of.
Esther has gradually been getting better, I think, which is good. It did take her a while to come around, but I'm glad she has, and no doubt I helped out with it. From what I know, she hasn't had any visits from extended friends on Somalia's side, or surprise Blogrooms interviews/questions. Things have been quiet! I can only assume the reporters that would have been crowding around her are instead doing research for the series idea I gave Holly, so I guess I helped in two ways? Neat.
The third instalment of The Places We Lost comes out tomorrow, which I'll definitely give a read to. I have been slipping Holly Clove messages of levels to cover, ones like the old Level 70 and 85, but whether or not she actually uses them I have no idea. It's not like she responds often. Last week's was the Crimson Forest, tomorrow's is Factory of Overgrowth, and neither of those are ones I suggested. The tease for next week will probably be one I put forwards.
<Begin Recording at: 09:27AM>
Date: 01/05/37
Location: The Control Centre, main terminal.
Participants: Penelope, Jack Amspoker, David MossDavid.
Penelope: Alright, party people, let's get this going!
[With a spring in her many steps, Penelope strolled into the large octagonal chamber that made up the main "editing suite" for the Backrooms Remodelling Co. Most of the chamber was taken up by floor-to-ceiling server blocks that lined the walls and formed rows in the middle of the room, with the rest being taken up by a newly installed terminal in a C shape that had the ability to visualise and broadly edit levels remotely. Jack Amspoker and David MossDavid were sat at opposite sides of this terminal, looking to Penelope in unison.]
Jack Amspoker: Well, look who finally showed up. You're only half an hour late.
Penelope: Hey, 28 minutes, I counted. And besides, I'm busy, as per usual! Cap'n's still off on his extended vacation doing god knows what, and let's be honest here, with who knows what.
David MossDavid: I didn't need that image in my head.
Penelope: Tough! You can distract yourself with work.
[After her remark, Penelope sauntered to the middle of the desk, kicking away a chair marked "Cap'n" so that she could stand in its place. She picked up her satchel with both hands, flipping it on its head and dumping its contents onto an empty part of the terminal's countertop. Half a dozen ancient looking level keys clattered onto the table, some old enough to leave a dusting of rust powder on the terminal's surface.]
Penelope: There we go, boys. Five level keys which I think once connected to the old Level 32.
Jack Amspoker: You think?
David MossDavid: I thought you said you could get us level keys from Level 32 for definite, Pen?
Jack Amspoker: I could get us keys easy. If this doesn't work, I'm gonna suggest cancelling the project to Cap'n himself. I'll drop him a direct line.
Penelope: If these keys don't work, Jack, I'm going to make you get 10 more as unpaid overtime, I am number two here!
Jack Amspoker: Yeah yeah, whatever. David, try the first key won't you?
David MossDavid: Uhm, which one's the first one?
Jack Amspoker: Any, dude.
[With a momentary apology, David scooted over to the pile of keys and raised up his forearms, letting his hands hover above the collection of old keys before taking one at random. He held it in his hands, gazing at it curiously before nodding to himself and making his way back to his section of the control panel. Holding the key at the bow, he slotted it into the terminal's master lock, twisting it to the right to activate some of the terminal's functions. Watching the screen, David tapped rhythmically and anxiously on his thigh as the terminal seemed to struggle with the key it was provided.]
David MossDavid: Nothing yet, guys.
Jack Amspoker: Well, obvio-
Penelope: Hey! Don't need you bringing the mood down any more than it already is… Give the key a moment, it has been dead for at least a decade.
David MossDavid: I think this key has been dead for a little longer than that… It looks older than most of the others. Ah. It can't get a lock. So to speak.
Jack Amspoker: That's not surprising… Even if it could get a lock on the level's frequency in the Bottomless Blue, its frequency will be surrounded by the other frequencies of every other dead level around and below it. This is why this is a bad idea, Penelope. God I want a drink.
Penelope: Ignore him, sweetie. Take one of the less rusted looking keys and give it another go.
David MossDavid: I… alright.
I hope you got home safe, Magnus! Sorry I slept in so late, I get why you left. I imagine you're busy, right?
Look who it is! Awake at last. Sorry for leaving, yeah, I have a lot to do. I enjoyed the film last night, though? Could I suggest the next one?
Sure! Sorry for having to take the couch again, I can't imagine it's very comfortable.
Nah, it's fine, it's comfortable enough?
Maybe I can come to yours at some point? I know you have a spare room, or at least I think you do. Do you?.
I wouldn't expect you to travel when you've got so much going on.
I still feel bad.
Okay, look, for the record, I do not want a repeat of last month… but we can share a bed? Opposite sides, obviously.
If that's okay with you?
I'm warming up to the idea the more I think about it.
<Begin Recording at: 09:07AM>
Date: 03/05/37
Location: The Control Centre, main terminal.
Participants: Penelope, Jack Amspoker, David MossDavid.
Penelope: Okay, third time's the charm… And I think I've got a winner!
[With a grin, Penelope upturned her satchel yet again, just like she had the previous two days. Only two keys clattered out of her bag and onto the terminal, although one of them certainly stood out in contrast to the other. It looked almost pristine, with only a few specks of rust on the bit and the pin.]
David MossDavid: Is that one meant to be there?
Penelope: It is! You wouldn't believe it, but this one's from a collector. They recently passed away, I believe, so their entire stock was up for auction online. I noticed the one labelled Entertainland in the pictures.
Jack Amspoker: Did you spend a fucking fortune on it?
Penelope: Nyope~! I got it marked as a business expense. Even got the permission to end the auction and just buy the whole thing outright. Those other keys are sitting very nicely in my shed.
David MossDavid: Do you want me to try that one first?
Penelope: Course! It's the one I'm banking on the most That other one is a last ditch backup, I'm confident about this one.
[With a nod, David scooted his chair over to the pile of keys and took the almost pristine one, bringing it to the same slot he had used almost twenty times over the past three days. He slotted it in and twisted it to lock it in place, and looked to the same monitor he had many times already. His knee began to bounce, watching the loading wheel spin slowly and endlessly, hitting a couple of stutters after ten seconds of searching. The room was as tense as it was silent, with Jack Amspoker fiddling with some origami animal in boredom while Penelope began to peer over David's shoulder.]
David MossDavid: Oh! I think it's worked!
Jack Amspoker: What? No way it worked, fuck off.
David MossDavid: No, it's definitely worked… It's faint, but I've got a matching frequency between the key and a blip in the Bottomless Blue.
Penelope: Brilliant! Can we get a visual?
[Penelope reared up behind David fully, putting her hands on the back of his seat while she peered over his head, looking down at the screen.]
David MossDavid: Oh, hi. Yeah, hang on, I can get it up.
[David leaned forward, tapping on the corner of the screen and swiping up on the collapsible that dropped down after the fact. In the middle of the room, just in front of the terminals, a thin pane of glass began to slide down from the ceiling. When it was fully deployed, taking up the height of the room, an opaque image projected onto it. Initially, the image was a solid blue screen with a loading wheel spinning endlessly, however in an instant it changed to a drone camera that was lowering onto a flat, messy expanse misted in a blue haze.]
Jack Amspoker: I can't see it.
Penelope: Well, duh, it was a small level, and I already can't make any details out from this distance.
David MossDavid: The grunts will be getting closer, give them time. It's a long distance to travel.
Jack Amspoker: Alright, alright…
[Although unconvinced, Jack leaned back in his chair with his animal and watched the screen with his arms firmly crossed. The other two watched with him as the drone began to lower closer to the floor of the Bottomless Blue, hovering above the hollow skeleton of an 80's Soviet era city level.]
Jack Amspoker: I don't think that's it.
Penelope: Wow, you really had to get all your neurons to fire to make that assumption, didn't you?
Jack Amspoker: Whatever.
David MossDavid: Just ignore him, David… We're close to it, I think.
[The drone continued to fly, passing over a series of rooms painted in yellow and blue with their rooves caved in, a single hospital room planted on top of a spiked mountain top, and a large expanse of pools ornamented with ancient Greek architecture. Eventually, after passing what had to be fifteen other deceased levels, the drone stopped at an entrance archway toppled forwards at a listed angle of around 15 degrees. While some of the letters were missing, the archway clearly read "E TERT INL N "]
Jack Amspoker: Huh. Okay, fair enough, we found it.
Penelope: And you were doubting us soooo much, too! Learn to live a little, pet. Can you ask the drone to give us a birdseye view, David?
[David silently nodded, looking down at the on-screen keyboard and typing a pretty basic instruction. Though it took a moment for the drone to move after he pressed enter, the drone's camera began to elevate and tilt forwards at the same time, displaying the full width and length of the former Level 32.]
Penelope: Alright, so it's not in the best condition, but it has been dead for over 15 years, I'm really not sure what anybody was expecting.
David MossDavid: Is… Is there another level on top of it?
Penelope: Yes. Yes there is. I don't think that mountain was there when the level was alive.
Jack Amspoker: That mountain has also crushed an entire roller coaster.
Penelope: Glad to see the optimist has a relevant quip. Wait, why are you still here?
Jack Amspoker: I work here?
Penelope: Not at this very second? You're not paid to be miserable, you know. Go do something productive elsewhere.
So, something interesting has come up. I'm about to leave to 11 to spend another night at Esther's, which given what she suggested it should be a fun night, but I noticed something interesting from the Blogrooms' members emails. The monthly plans for the M.E.O.D. have been delayed by five days, which to my knowledge hasn't ever happened since the Blogrooms began. I don't mean to get all conspiratorial (and hopeful), but perhaps somewhere there's some work going on with Level 32? Maybe it's a little worrying that they would need to delay with that, but hey, if it ends up being on their monthly roundup I'll overlook that worry.
Anyways, I have literally nothing to write because the day's not actually over yet! I'm just happy I get spend almost repeated nights at Esther's. At this rate, I may as well move in. Considering the work I've done and the work I've got to do, I think I deserve that at the very least.
<Begin Recording at: 04:27AM>
Date: 04/05/37
Location: Bottomless Blue.
Participants: Penelope,(Remote control room operator) Jack Amspoker.(On-site investigator.)
Jack Amspoker: This suit smells like ass, Penelope.
Penelope: Have you really not learned your lesson with complaining?
Jack Amspoker: No.
Penelope: Oooh, well, suit yourself. Or don't, you know. Next time you won't wear any protection at all, and then you can really complain!
Jack Amspoker: Whatever, point to me the direction to go.
Penelope: Alrighty, alrighty… Twenty five degrees to your left, Jacko! Entertainland will be visible in about 10 minutes.
Jack Amspoker: Great…
[Jack Amspoker took out a digital compass from his black hazmat suit's pocket, impatiently staring at it during it's calibration. When it was fully operational, he began to turn on his heel, and when he had turned the right amount in the right direction he set off. He passed through the remainder of the dead level he had previously been trudging through, reaching the end of a singular corridor that was angled down a slope and listed 90 degrees. Taking large strides over the empty spaces doors used to reside, he reached the end of the corridor and exited back into the deep blue sky of the Bottomless Blue, his feet planting firmly on solid ground.]
Penelope: You sound pretty disappointed about that? I figured you'd be excited to see a physical monument to how wrong you were about this project?
Jack Amspoker: Well, unsurprisingly, no. I'm not.
[Jack Amspoker continued to walk, passing between trees that were a random mix between intact, tilted, and completely uprooted. After venturing for long enough, he found the mostly intact ruins of a house. Although the home itself had little structural damage, besides a few shattered windows and glimpses of upturned furniture inside, a wooden shed grafted directly to the side of it had collapsed to form a ramp. Jack used this to his advantage, and climbed up to an intact shred of the shack's roof, using that to reach the main house's roof and lift himself up onto it to look out to the distance.]
Jack Amspoker: The trees are blocking my view, slightly… but I think I see it. I see the mountain that's crushed one of the attractions, at least.
Penelope: Good! That means you're close. Hop off that house and keep going, you're still facing the right way.
[Jack made his way down, following the same path it took for him to reach the roof in the first place. He passed by the house, as well as many others, looking around idly before then taking a step on the pavement of a road towards the level's perimeter. Suddenly, the plastic screen in his hazmat suit flashed up a warning in the form of a big, flashing exclamation mark and the caption to the side reading "!Hazard detected!" and "Trigger activated" underneath.]
Jack Amspoker: Oops, shit. What function did I just activate?
Penelope: Let's see… Um, oh! Wow, you're a real unlucky fella! When this level was functioning, walking on the roads in the level's perimeter would noclip ya back to the middle.
Jack Amspoker: Weird. And what does it do now it's broken?
Penelope: It would've torn you in half! Aren't you glad you have the suit, huh?
Jack Amspoker: You know, I don't actually care about what it does anymore. The least you could do is wash this thing once in a while.
[Jack, carefully, lifted his foot off the pavement. Once he was sure he was safe, he resumed his walking of the level graveyard. He passed through a myriad of other levels—from a murky greyscale desert to a ruined replica of the titanic sitting in a shallow pool of water, and finally to curved ceilings for indoor swimming pools—and took approximately eight minutes and six activations of his hazmat suit's defences to reach his destination. He had to climb a short pile of bicycles from a decrepit bike store level, but he had finally reached the forward listing front archway for the previous Level 32. He looked up at it, taking a moment to stop and catch his breath.]
Penelope: You admiring the sign or something?
Jack Amspoker: I'm getting my strength back. That wasn't exactly an easy climb.
Penelope: It didn't look it, no. Oh well. Do you remember what you've got to do?
[As Penelope spoke, Jack Amspoker stretched his arms and his back at the same time. He began to walk slowly into the bulk of the dead Level 32, passing underneath the sign.]
Jack Amspoker: Just a normal survey, right? The same as what we'd do for any other level.
Penelope: Yep! Just focus on all the stuff that damaged though, alright? We needa know what we can salvage.
Jack Amspoker: How often do you want pictures?
Penelope: Eh, whenever's relevant.
Assessing further relevancy—-potential for brevity.
. . .
Brevity assessed—-summarising further events.
> !Activity detected!
> Monitoring activated
• Specialist Camera BR 2-4 active
• Specialised mic BR 2-4 active
• Real-time AI transcript active
<Begin Recording at: 08:37AM>
Date: 04/05/37
Location: Apartment Zimals, first floor, apartment four. Level 11.
Involved individuals: Esther Hanks, Magnus Grand.
[In what was still considered to be the early hours of Level 11's "morning", while the rest of Apartment Zimals had either left or were in the process of leaving for their Monday jobs, both Esther Hanks and Magnus Grand were asleep. They were sharing a bed, and despite the fact it was a single they were in slumber at opposite ends. Magnus had most of the covers, but Esther still had enough to cover herself and keep warm. She was, however, the first one to begin stirring.
Lazily, Esther's face scrunched and pushed into the pillow, her faint snoring ending abruptly as her eyes opened to look from point to point across her room, and then to both her and Magnus' clothes strewn across the floor. With a tired grumble, she fully sat up, shutting her eye closest to the window to keep the light out of it. As Esther groaned and disturbed the blankets, Magnus began to wake up, twisting from facing away from Esther to laying on his back while his eyes slowly opened to look at her.]
Magnus Grand: Oh, wow, that's a sight… You're awake?
Esther Hanks: Yeah, I'm… I'm awake. My head is throbbing like crazy, though. How much did we drink?
Magnus Grand: A lot, from what I remember? Parts of the night are kinda fuzzy, but I remember other bits.
[Esther Hanks chuckled weakly, looking across Magnus with an unsure expression as he kicked off his covers and sat up in the bed. She slowly got out of bed and onto her feet, putting on some essential pieces of clothing and tying a dressing gown around herself afterwards.]
Magnus Grand: Hey, do you mind passing me something to put on too?
Esther Hanks: Oh, yeah, sorry. Look, about last night…
[Esther's words trailed off, doing a small twist on her heel and picking up the pair of basic shorts that Magnus was wearing the night before. She handed him the clothing, to which he thanked Esther and slid them on.]
Magnus Grand: What about it…? Did you not like it or something?
Esther Hanks: No, no, it was nice? Um… I just don't know what it makes us. Please, don't take this the wrong way, but I never ever saw us doing something like… like what we did.
Magnus Grand: That's okay? I already knew that, and I don't think anyone ever has seen me in that way before anyway.
Esther Hanks: D-Don't put yourself down like that… Look, I liked it, but I was also drunk. Both of us were. If this… continues… I want to take it slow.
Magnus Grand: Well, why wouldn't it continue?
Esther Hanks: In case either of us get cold feet? Or in case you stop coming over? Especially after what I just said, I probably came off as cruel?
Magnus Grand: No, you were honest! I like that in a woman? Besides, I can take a blow to my ego at least once in a while.
[Esther Hanks snickered at Magnus' comment, going to her bedside table and taking her phone off of the charging pad. She sat on the side of the bed and scrolled it while Magnus came to sit next to her, looking at what she was scrolling through.]
Esther Hanks: Fuck, we both slept through my alarms… How much sleep did we even get?
Magnus Grand: I… I don't know, but probably not a lot? We watched a lot of films before we even got into bed, yet alone before we went to sleep. You also seem to have a few messages from your sister you missed.
Esther Hanks: Oh. Oh no.
Magnus Grand: What's wrong?
Esther Hanks: It's the 4th! I'm supposed to be in Level 13.1 to give a big talk, it's the anniversary of the 13.1 incident and… shit. I'm gonna have to talk about my mom again.
Magnus Grand: When do you have to be there?
Esther Hanks: Not until midday, but I was really hoping to do a bit of cleaning and essential shopping before I left. I-It's not your fault, by the way, I'm not blaming you.
Magnus Grand: Hm… I assume you'll want to get a shower before you leave, too?
Esther Hanks: Yeah, I will… I'll have to order food in again, won't I. I guess I have the money for it.
Magnus Grand: You shouldn't have to? Look, I don't have anything going on today, let me do your cleaning and shopping for you. Just get me a list before you leave.
Esther Hanks: Are you sure?
Magnus Grand: I'm not saying it for shits and giggles?
Esther Hanks: Then… thank you. I'm gonna get the shower now before I put off doing it too much, and I'll get you a list when I'm out.
[Hastily, Esther got to her feet once more, going to her wardrobe and taking out some smart casual clothes which she draped over her arm. Before leaving the room, she turned to Magnus, opting to give him a soft but caring hug which he chose to reciprocate a little tighter. After, Esther waved him off and left the room, leaving Magnus to begin redressing properly.]
Evaluating conversation tracking procedures, potential activation of:
- Specialised camera BR2 2-4
- Specialised mic BR2 2-4
- Real-Time AI transcript
. . .
. . .
Evalution of conversation tracking procedures concluded, potential activation of:
- Specialised camera BR2 2-4
- Specialised mic BR2 2-4
- Real-Time AI transcript
Denied.
<Begin Recording at: 7:20PM>
Date: 08/05/37
Location: The Control Centre, main terminal.
Participants: Penelope, Jack Amspoker, David MossDavid.
Penelope: Gentle… Gentle with it…
Jack Amspoker: I'm being as gentle with it as I can…
Penelope: You better be? This has been specially made for us, and if we fuck this up-
Jack Amspoker: Yeah yeah yeah, we slice Entertainland in half and fuck this up forever. You've said it so much I'm going to remember it until I die.
Penelope: Good, that means you'll do this right. Go for a wide reach with it, ideally we want to grab some bits of the levels that surround it so we have more to sculpt with.
Jack Amspoker: Let me dilate it then…
[Jack moved his attention back to the controls below his hands, watching the small screen above the twin joysticks and set of buttons between them. He keyed in a command on the button board, and then gently pushed the left joystick to the north-east, watching as the 3d diagram of a cube without a top and bottom gradually got wider.]
Jack Amspoker: Do you think that's a good enough width? It's 230 meters in height, and 270 in width, I'm gonna try and steal most of the mountain in our grab.
Penelope: That should do, yeah… David, is the claw ready?
David MossDavid: It seems to be? I'm not fully sure, I'm not used to calibrating something on this scale.
Jack Amspoker: Then if this fucks up, it would make it your fault instead of mine? I'm ready with the measurements and timings once we move it in location, which is… your job.
David MossDavid: I get the idea… just give me a moment to recheck everything.
[David sighed to himself, scooting his chair forwards and looking intently at the readouts and dial configurations he had established for today's operation. He took about a minute to ensure everything was correct while making minute adjustments, which Penelope waited for far more patiently than Jack did. Once he was done, he sat back in his chair and looked at the other two.]
David MossDavid: It's calibrated, and I've even moved it into position.
Jack Amspoker: You've definitely got it in the right spot?
David MossDavid: Yes, obviously…? This is as much my job as it is yours, I'm doing this professionally. Can you give the go-ahead, Penelope?
Penelope: Oh, gladly! I've been waiting for this for days…
[Penelope walked closer, nudging Jack and his chair out of the way to make room for her many legs. She typed in a command on the keyboard in front of her before pressing enter, grinning widely as she watched the thin pane of glass slide down from the ceiling with a projected image of the Bottomless Blue on it. It was another birds-eye view of the former Level 32, but now with a noticeable square shadow over the top, with what looked like four spikes protruding from each side.]
Penelope: Wait for it…
Jack Amspoker: This better not fuck up.
[With a tense air in the room, the trio watched as the shadow that loomed above Level 32 got wider while the spikes on said shadow expanded outwards. The origin of it came into view, resembling a perfect cube of office rooms, complete with windows and hallways that led straight out into the blue void. Attached to the underneath looked to be a gigantic industrial grabbing claw made of a great quantity of telescopic components. Each claw arm was made of five different parts that articulated on hinges, widening out further before stopping as the tips of each one got close to touching the ground.]
Penelope: The claw arms look like they're in good alignment?
Jack Amspoker: And at good measurements, too.
Penelope: Yeah yeah, we get it, you helped… If you're so happy with your work, get ready to retract the claws in to safely take Level 32 upwards.
[Jack Amspoker rolled his eyes with a grumble, paying close attention as the tips of the grabbing claw touched down on the surface of the Bottomless Blue and began to penetrate into it. They tore through the ground, severing the former mountain level in two and destroying a great chunk of the bike shop level that was in front of Level 32's entrance. Once the claw and the level that was piloting it settled, Jack amspoker sighed and began sending further commands to the device.
The area that the claw arms were circling around began to shift upwards, and when claws were fully encapsulating the underside of Entertainland the chunk of office rooms began to slowly float upwards. With a few shifts and course corrections as it ascended, the claw had successfully elevated the entirety of the old Level 32 off of the Bottomless Blue's floor, revealing the crushed remains of a level made up of yellow hallways underneath.]
David MossDavid: Holy shit, that actually worked…
Penelope: Of course it did! We've had days to plan this out, why wouldn't it have worked?
Jack Amspoker: Because just about every step of this has gone well so far, it's bound to fuck up eventually.
Penelope: Oh, shut up, you spoil sport… It's late, let's get this thing stationed somewhere and we can venture to it in the morning.
You doing alright, Esther? Sorry I’ve not been around much the past few days. How was the stuff at Level 13.1? Was it busy?
It was worse than busy, but it’s okay. I imagine you went straight home after doing the cleaning and shopping?
Yeah, sorry, my bad. I should’ve let you know, but I was sorta dead set on getting to work.
I understand! I gotta admit, it feels weird with you not being here now, I sort of got used to it.
I mean, we can move in together, that’s normal?
I don’t know about that just yet. I’m already unsure of what we are after what happened the other day. I don’t know if I’m ready to share a place with anyone at all.
We don’t have to be dating to share an apartment?
If the apartment only has one bedroom, we kind of do? I don’t mean to seem like I’m leading you on or anything, but obviously things aren’t great for me. Frankly they feel worse after going to 13.1.
Really? Why would that be.
I really thought I was over my Mom, Magnus. I really, really tried to be brave when I gave my speech and met all the important people that were there.
It doesn’t help that I was being treated like both a show pony and some lazy second option for a guest at the same time. It’s pretty clear they all wished Somalia was there, but they settled with me. They just had to make some big deal about Somalia adopting me during the incident and whatever. Leyland was the worst with it, people are right about him.
Are you there, Magnus?
Yeah, sorry, just listening to you. Sorry about all that.
… Yeah.
I’ll hopefully be in a better state tomorrow, maybe we can meet somewhere in public instead of coming to my dumb old house?.
I’d like that? Where would you wanna go?
I’ve always wanted to go to Level 304, honestly. We can get something to eat? You can stop at mine overnight if the path back to 209 is too long.
That sounds like a date? Is it one?
It’s not meant to be! I know it sounds like one, but I just want to go somewhere new and get my mind off of shit again. I guess we could try it, though. I don’t think I’m ready for public affection, but we can at least call it a date. Maybe.
I think that sounds fun? I’ll find something nice to wear.
Then I suppose I will too.
Cya then, then.
<Begin Recording at: 10:44AM>
Date: 09/05/37
Location: The Control Centre main terminal, PA341
Participants: Penelope, Jack Amspoker, David MossDavid.
Jack Amspoker: And here I thought I was out of the suit.
Penelope: Do you really think I'd pass up an opportunity to see you in it again? Shit's funny.
Jack Amspoker: I'm a good field operator, I don't need a suit for this.
Penelope: Uh, yeah, why not. I'll believe that.
David MossDavid: Could you raise your arm, Jack?
[Jack grumbled, glaring at Penelope with a neutral scowl as he raised up his right arm, allowing David to finish putting on the hazmat suit for him. Once David was finished, he smiled and patted Jack's shoulder, recoiling with an awkward chuckle towards Penelope when Jack growled at him.]
Penelope: Well then, you little feral thing… Let me make a puncture and we'll get you to whatever the higherups are calling Entertainland right now.
David MossDavid: I think it's PA341 or something?
Penelope: Yes! Probably. I dunno, I don't care, we just called shit whatever we wanted once upon a time.
Jack Amspoker: Can you just puncture a hole into Level 32 already?
Penelope: Alright, alright…
[Penelope's words trailed off, looking around the room silently with slightly pursed lips. Jack scowled at her while crossing his arms; David looked on between the two confusedly. After ten seconds had passed, Penelope decided to stop teasing Jack and turn to face the control board. She keyed in a few prompts, causing a klaxon to blare while industrial metal shutters closed over the exits into further parts of the Control Room. Once the trio were locked inside the main terminal room, the familiar transparent pane of glass began to descend in front of them. Instead of displaying a projection of another monitor or a drone's POV, however, the material of the plane began to ripple as Penelope continued to type, pull levers, and dial knobs.]
David MossDavid: Where did we even put PA341 anyways, Pen?
Penelope: Huh? Oh, a good few megametres above the Bottomless Blue I think. There's no records of where Entertainland used to be, not even the Corpus Cores knew.
Jack Amspoker: How the fuck are we keeping it in static orbit then?
David MossDavid: Yeah… same question, actually. We don't fully understand how levels keep their static orbits, are we winging it?
Jack Amspoker: Why didn't we use the claw to keep it in place?
Penelope: Because I just generated some temporary Voidstone instead. It's done the trick.
Jack Amspoker: Static orbits negate what we know about Voidstone.
Penelope: Yeah, well… whatever, it's working. Hopefully Level Evolution will kick in and the Backrooms will just turn it into a level on its own. Like how you lather a lamb in another sheep's juices so it thinks the lamb is its child.
Jack Amspoker: Fucking gross, Penelope. Why do you know that?
Penelope: I watch a lot of old television. Anyhoo, you have a job to do!
[Penelope looked forwards at the still shimmering and warping pane ahead of them, her smirk widening as it took on a definitive shape. As the glass darkened into a brown/black hue, the inside of it formed an arched doorway, hollowing out in the middle as the opening touched the ground. When the inside was empty, instead of looking out to the servers in the rest of the Control Room, the new doorway opened to a slightly orangey white sky, with two long yet low-relief concrete structures flanking both sides of the door in the foreground.]
Jack Amspoker: Is the puncture complete? It's not gonna rip me in half, right?
Penelope: As much as I'd enjoy that, no, it won't. I'm good at my job. On the other side of that door is Level 32, or Entertainland.
David MossDavid: Or PA341.
Penelope: Meh, it can have a lot of names. It's a progressive time.
Jack Amspoker: Whatever, dude. I'm going through.
Penelope: Hey! We haven't mic-checked you!
Jack Amspoker: Good, I hope it's batteries are flat.
[Jack cackled to himself at his own joke, passing through the doorway and into PA341. He sighed and stretched his limbs once he was outdoors, even if his full body suit prevented him from feeling the soft blowing of wind and the smell of surprisingly natural air.]
Penelope: Hellooooo~! Do you hear me?
[Jack winced, his speaker that relayed communication back to the Control Room emitting a loud shriek of white noise before Penelope's voice crackled in. With a groan, Jack lowered his arms and replied.]
Jack Amspoker: Yeah, yeah. Loud and clear, Penelope.
Penelope: Good! So, is it successful? I assume you're still alive, right?
Jack Amspoker: You blew out the mic and killed my ears, so as much as I wish I was dead right now, I'm not. Did you make a fucking skybox for this place?
Penelope: Skybox, wind generation, give me a few days and I'll get some birds and insects and rodents about the place.
Jack Amspoker: Yeah, maybe don't? This place isn't actually stable yet.
Penelope: Sure, but it's getting there, and that is why you're in the level. Get a look around, will you? See if anything's been disturbed since we uplifted the place yesterday.
Jack Amspoker: I know, you don't have to remind me. I'll be your little gopher.
Penelope: Ta, babes.
Jack Amspoker: Gross, don't call me that.
Assessing further relevancy—-potential for brevity.
. . .
Brevity assessed—-summarising further events.
Jack Amspoker: So, what do you think?
Penelope: Honestly, I think this couldn't have gone better! Excellent. Come on, admit that this has been a good project. You've had fun.
Jack Amspoker: Nyeh, shut up. I'll admit it was a good project if you admit it was worth delaying the M.E.O.D. monthly news update for.
Penelope: Oh, dude, it totally was. It's been fun watching those humans flounder with their schedules.
Jack Amspoker: That is true, I'll grant you. Alright, fine, it was a fun project. We should probably send our findings to the relevant divisions, though. Their monthly news has to be out today.
Penelope: Yeah, I know. Since when did you care about when their shit comes out?
Jack Amspoker: I care when it inconveniences you, Penelope.
Penelope: Ha ha. Right, come back to the gate and we'll pull you out. After today we've got a lot of work to do on Entertainland, or whatever it ends up being called.
Suspicious Activity Archived
View below.
<Begin Recording at: 06:11PM>
Date: 09/05/37
Location: Level 304, habitable Panaderias 15, table 8.
Person/People of Note: Esther Hanks, Magnus Grand, Tilly Waite.
[Both Esther and Magnus had been eating for a long while now, exchanging some basic conversation back and forth that stopped and started intermittently and switched subjects with each awkward pause. The table they were sat at was, at least, in the corner of the safe Panaderias their waitress had directed them to, meaning no one else could see the awkwardness. As previously discussed between the two of them, they had dressed up a little for the occasion, with Magnus having fit himself with a smart shirt and tight waistcoat that complimented a tailored pair of trousers and basic but shiny leather shoes. Esther, by coincidence, had matched his outfit, wearing a more frilly blouse with a high collar, an equally tight waist coat with a jacket, and a long skirt.
Esther was slightly picking at her empanada and salad with her fork as she looked up to Magnus, who smiled at her and was seemingly unaware of her awkwardness. Esther sat up, raising her hand politely as another waitress passed by their table on her way to serve a different group.]
Magnus Grand: Are you okay?
Esther Hanks: Yeah, just gonna ask for some more water. I'm not asking for the bill or anything, don't worry.
Magnus Grand: I… didn't think you were?
Esther Hanks: Right! Right…
Tilly Waite: What can I get you?
[Immediately moving her attention away from less awkward topics, Esther turned her head and faced the waitress she had flagged down, who had only just arrived at the pair's table. She had a tablet in her hand, and kept on a neutral, professional smile as she waited for Esther's response.]
Esther Hanks: Um, just a water, please! I wasn't expecting these things to be quite as spicy as they are. Do you want anything extra, Magnus? How's your paella?
Magnus Grand: Oh, it's fine! Not really spicy, either. I don't need anything.
Tilly Waite: So just one water?
Esther Hanks: Please. Yeah.
[Tilly looked between the two as Esther gave a sustained look back, the latter putting on an awkward smile. Tilly hummed under her breath, but slowly stepped backwards and left a few moments after to get Esther's basic order fulfilled.]
Magnus Grand: You alright…?
Esther Hanks: Yeah? I just said I was?
Magnus Grand: I'm just making sure. You have been… distant. Is there something on your mind?
Esther Hanks: I went over this earlier, didn't I?
[Esther's words became a little more mumbled as she shot Magnus an awkward expression, slouching back into her wooden chair.]
Magnus Grand: Oh. Your… your mom and 13.1, course.
Esther Hanks: You're talking like you forgot about it.
Magnus Grand: No, no! Of course not… It's just you were doing well with moving on from your mother, and the M.E.O.D. were out of your face for ages. I figured things were fine?
Esther Hanks: Things were never "fine", I don't blame you if you didn't notice, b-but it still hurts like hell without my Mom. There's a whole bunch of little ways she used to be in my life, and now those are gone. My Dad's still out of the picture, too, he's refusing to even pick up the phone after he missed her passing.
Magnus Grand: Sounds like a lot?
Esther Hanks: Wow, you don't say. Sorry, no, that was rude of me. I just want to know that you realise that this is tough for me. You do, don't you?
Magnus Grand: Why do you think I don't?
Esther Hanks: Because of how you've acted this entire date? I-I've tried to open up, and it feels like you're not listening to me?
Magnus Grand: I listen!
Esther Hanks: It doesn't feel like it? You either have nothing to say o-or you…
Magnus Grand: Or I…?
Esther Hanks: No, no… Forget it. It's my fault. I-I keep being mean to you, don't I? It keeps happening, and it's always when my mom comes up.
Magnus Grand: No, you're not…
Esther Hanks: I don't want you to lie to me, I know I do. I can tell whenever you stop talking to me.
Magnus Grand: You don't mean it, I know you don't. I try to give you the space to heal and calm down on your own.
Esther Hanks: It certainly does work? How come you agreed to do this then, Magnus? 13.1's anniversary is still on my mind… every year it's going to roll around and Leyland's gonna put me on some stage to recite about my mom for the rest of my life. I won't ever get a break.
Magnus Grand: Hey, calm down… it's okay. You're in a tough spot, I-I get it. I am here for you, and I'll help you get over what happened. At the very least I'll be there to try.
[Seeming unsure, Esther hummed under her breath, watching as Magnus outstretched his hand invitingly across the table to her. She looked him in the eyes, catching what looked, to her, like a welcoming smile. She smiled back, taking a moment to wipe one of her eyes before taking his hand. His fingers wrapped comfortably yet tightly around hers, which she reciprocated—albeit not as tight. As they held hands, the waitress the pair had flagged returned with the Esther's water, clearing her throat awkwardly.]
Tilly Waite: Um, Madam, I have your water.
Esther Hanks: Oh! Thanks.
[Esther let go of Magnus' hand abruptly, using it to take the water from the waitresses wide, black tray and setting it down on the table next to her plate. Tilly watched the two worriedly, having a small and cautious frown on her face before resorting back to a more neutral look and professional tone of voice.]
Tilly Waite: Do you two need anything else?
Esther Hanks: Um, Magnus?
[Esther moved her attention over to Magnus, who—in the short time between Tilly showing up and now, had quickly hopped on their phone to scroll something with an intense look on his face.]
Esther Hanks: I don't think we need anything else. Thanks, though.
[Tilly nodded politely, moving the tray from the palm of her hand to hold it against her chest, leaving in a small scuttle afterwards to tend to another table. Once the two were alone again, Esther looked back to Magnus, trying not to get frustrated with him.]
Esther Hanks: Is there something important happening on your phone, or…?
Magnus Grand: Oh! Yeah, actually, there is. The M.E.O.D. just published their monthly plans, I'm reading through it.
Esther Hanks: You subscribe to that newsletter? Wait, it's the 9th. Shouldn't it already be out?
Magnus Grand: Oh, it got delayed by almost a week, they never said why, but I feel like the email will explain.
Esther Hanks: And you're reading it mid date?
Magnus Grand: Well, if it's what I think it is, it'll make the date better.
Esther Hanks: …How? Wait, how on multiple levels. How does a group email make this 'date' better?
Magnus Grand: Because… because… hang on, I'm just going through the headings.
Esther Hanks: Oh, no, by all means do take your time.
[Esther Hanks crossed her arms, watching Magnus and his sudden fixation with scrolling through his phone. She kept her mood neutral, deciding to look out at the wider room and idly glance at the other people eating—some of which were unmistakably happy couples. Midway through watching two men share a crumble together, Esther was pulled back to the dinner by Magnus.]
Magnus Grand: Oh! They're actually doing it!
Esther Hanks: Doing… what?
Magnus Grand: Oh, this is perfect… So do you remember when we found that document on the old Level 32 for a laugh? Right before your life went to shit?
Esther Hanks: My life already wasn't great, but… Go on…
Magnus Grand: Well, according to this, it's being revived!
Esther Hanks: Wait, what? How? Why?
Magnus Grand: I guess it's just something they can do now the BRC are part of us? They don't elaborate much on the why, unfortunately… Other that they're inspired off of the Blogrooms series on dead levels that they've got going on.
Esther Hanks: …Okay. How does that make this better, though?
Magnus Grand: Is it not obvious? We could have a date at Level 32! Or whatever they call it. It's still PA34…1 in this.
Esther Hanks: That's… actually not a bad idea? It's sorta nice that this news came out so soon after we talked about it together?
Magnus Grand: Yeah, actually, now you mention it that is a big coincidence. Maybe the universe is just doing you a favour? Trying to give you something nice back?
Esther Hanks: It's not much of one, it's not the level I remember most from my childhood or anything, but… it'd be nice.
Magnus Grand: It'd take you back to a simpler time?
Esther Hanks: Yeah, it would. You make a good point.
Magnus Grand: Of course I do! I mean, it'll probably take months to finish renovating PA-Whatever, I can't imagine it's in a good state after being dead for over a decade. But when it's open to the public, do you want to go to it? As a… as a date?
Esther Hanks: That's a long distance between our first and second date…
Magnus Grand: We can go on other ones in the mean time? Maybe to 890 to get a feel for what it'll be like?
Esther Hanks: Do you want to? Even with how cranky I've been for most of this dinner?
Magnus Grand: You're going through stuff, I get why you're acting out of character. It's teething troubles, I'll find a way through for you.