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<!DOCTYPE html> < html > < head > < title > Overdue Maintenence < / title > < link rel = "stylesheet" type = "text/css" href = "html_resources/style.css" > < / head > < body > < a href = "index.html" > < button class = "back" > < < / button > < / a >
< h1 > Overdue Maintenance < / h1 >
< p >
Jack parks the truck just before the exit of a tunnel and they get out.
Roaring water echoes from somewhere deep below. Annie grabs her bag and
goes ahead. The tunnel wall to the right features doors, large gates,
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and windows that allow a peek into abandoned offices, storage spaces, and
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control rooms. The end of the tunnel connects to a balcony with rusted
metal walkways going to either side, extending into a narrow ravine.
She steps onto it, making sure to keep her distance to the rusty railing,
and looks around. The walkway to the right connects to the top of a dam
blocking the ravine. A couple bushes, flowers, and a small tree grow
there, partially concealing the rusty < span class = "comment" > armatures?
< / span > and the wall is green from moss and small ferns. Water flows
over the spillway, falling into the depths below where it joins a
torrent of water rushing out of two big pipes at the bottom of the
ravine. The other walkway leads to a freestanding staircase going all
the way down.
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< / p >
< p >
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Jack walks up next to her, grabbing hold of the railing, trying to
shake it but it doesn't budge.< br / >
< span class = "quote speech" > Looks like it' s gonna hold.< / span > < br / >
He turns to the right and steps onto the walkway before having an idea.
He turns to Annie and Michelle:< br / >
< span class = "quote speech" > Ladies first.< / span > < br / >
While Annie is still thinking about a response, Michelle' s response
is immediate:< br / >
< span class = "quote speech" > Thanks but you can go ahead.< / span > < br / >
< span class = "quote speech" > You two are lighter though.< / span >
< / p >
< p class = "comment" >
They walk to the dam, look into the windows
< / p >
< p class = "comment" >
Some events have changed, this needs to be tied together again.
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< / p >
< p >
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< span class = "quote speech" > Annie?< / span > Michelle calls
< span class = "comment" > ?< / span > her. They are standing by one of the doors
in the tunnel wall. Jack pulls a wire through the latch and opens it.
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Inside is the main control room. The wall to the right is lined with
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metal cabinets that have levers, buttons, switches, and large gauges on
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them. The wall to the left features a front of windows, allowing a view
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of the spillway and the top of the dam. Some of the windows have cracks
but somehow none are broken. In front of the windows is a collection of
random furniture, mostly desks and chairs. The center of the room is
taken up by a large console with more buttons, switches, and gauges that
is facing the windows and an opening in the floor covered by a thick
glass pane. They roam around the room for a moment. Annie looks outside,
admiring the flowering lilypads floating in the water that is held back
by the dam.
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< / p >
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< p >
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Michelle asks: < span class = "quote speech" > Jack, what' s the status
on that dome city you' re building? You guys only have two years to
finish that project.< / span > < br / >
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< span class = "quote speech" > Oh no, I guess we' re gonna have to slack
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less while waiting for bureaucracy to take its course.< / span > < br / >
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< span class = "quote speech" > Look, the power lines are gonna get hooked up
to the battery bank in a couple days. Aren' t you excited for
that?< / span > < br / >
< span class = "quote speech" > Not my department but I sure hope we' re
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no longer gonna need these portable batteries down there. Having a working
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power grid is gonna be so nice.< / span > < br / >
They are looking at a calendar on the wall and laughing. It shows October
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1991 with a few entries and crossed-off days.
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< / p >
< p >
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Jack looks at a clipboard that was placed on the control panel on the
center console.< br / >
< span class = "quote speech" > The next maintenence expedition is scheduled
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for 2011... I don' t think anyone ever stepped foot in here after
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Sunside Cove was sealed off.< / span > < br / >
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< span class = "quote speech" > It wouldn' t surprise me.< / span > Annie
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turns around and leans against the center console.
< span class = "quote speech" > Apart from a small group, the entire city is
legitimately scared of the outside world.< / span > < br / >
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< span class = "quote speech" > I mean they' re probably right, the
outside world is dangerous. Look down, by the way.< / span > < br / >
< span class = "quote speech" > Whoa!< / span > < br / >
She stumbles backwards. Without noticing it, she had walked onto the
glass pane. It allows a view down into a hall filled with machinery.
< / p >
< p >
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They gather around it and look down. The floor is flooded by water
rushing out of a burst pipe and spraying out from the flanges of many
other pipe sections.< br / >
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< span class = "quote speech" > It' s a miracle this place is still
running.< / span >
< / p >
< p class = "comment" >
missing section
< / p >
< p >
Jack turns the key and the gate starts to move up, scrathcing and
squeeking as it does, revealing a bunch of crates. About half-way
up, it gets stuck, making a buzzing noise. Jack lets go of the key, it
stops. They duck under the gate and look around. They find themselves in
a warehouse much larger than the gate and windows facing the tunnel would
lead to assume.< br / >
< span class = "quote speech" > Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is what I call
an adequate stockpile of spare parts.< / span > < br / >
Jack walks up to a huge crate and wipes the dust off the label:
< span class = "quote non-speech" > Turbine C, replacement 2< / span > .
< / p >
< p class = "comment" >
exploring the warehouse, they find a forklift and a railroad in the back
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< / p >
< p class = "copyright" > Copyright © 2023 Jan Danielzick (aka. BodgeMaster) – All rights reserved.< / p > < script > let spans = [ "<span class=\"paper green\">" , "<span>" ] ; let pre _texts = document . getElementsByTagName ( "pre" ) ; for ( let i = 0 ; i < pre _texts . length ; i ++ ) { if ( pre _texts [ i ] . className != "paper" ) continue ; let lines = pre _texts [ i ] . innerHTML . split ( "\n" ) ; let result = "" ; for ( let j = 0 ; j < lines . length ; j ++ ) { result = result + spans [ j % 2 ] + lines [ j ] + " " . repeat ( 80 - lines [ j ] . length ) + "</span>\n" ; } pre _texts [ i ] . innerHTML = result ; } < / script > < / body > < / html >
