The sound is clearer, it comes from down there. Annie walks down the - stairs and turns on the lights. She rarely goes to the basement, usually - just to add to the piles of archived paperwork on the rows of shelves, - but she had no idea there was anything other than the archive down here. + stairs and turns the lights on. She rarely goes to the basement, usually + just to add to the piles of paperwork on the rows of shelves, but she had + no idea there was anything other than the archive down here.
beep beep @@ -43,8 +43,8 @@
The room is dimly lit by a few light fixtures on the walls. Looking through between the rows of binders, boxes, and loose stacks of paper, - she notices a small dark area in the back of the room. She begins to - walk towards it. + she notices a small dark area in the back of the room. She walks towards + it.
beep beep @@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ the rest of the room, she finds what looks to be a small office. There is a large wooden desk with a comfortable-looking though well-worn leather chair in front of it. Next to the chair is a floor lamp that was - apparently placed there in the absence of a desk lamp. The desk itself is + apparently placed there in absence of a desk lamp. The desk itself is a mess, apart from a neatly organized row of books towards the wall, holding all sorts of cables and other things. Front and center is a terminal... @@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ Type reply: █ BEEP BEEP
-hello +Type reply: hello█
Click, @@ -112,8 +112,8 @@ hello click, click. - The buttons click with a very satisfying feeling and sound. Unlike the - beeping noise which is ... now gone. It was kinda loud and getting + The buttons have a very satisfying feel and sound to them - unlike the + beeping noise which is ... now gone. It was unpleasantly loud and annoying.
@@ -125,132 +125,107 @@ Thank you. Appreciate it. That took a while to... type?... Is that the word? The rows of buttons are arranged in a strange order... Annie looks around. Lots of cables, a pile of paper, an empty cup, some pens and pencils, a screwdriver and - other tools, a rubber duck - what an odd place to find a rubber duck... - A phone! She picks it up - no signal. Freizeichen? - Weird. Maybe it's disconnected. She looks on the floor and, - sure enough, there is the plug - not for much longer as she finds a - phone socket and plugs it in. Strange electrical noises. She tries to - dial a number but nothing happens. A couple random characters appear on - the terminal. She drops the receiver back on the cradle and types into - the terminal again: + other tools, a rubber duck – what an odd place to find a rubber + duck... A phone! She picks it up – no signal. + Freizeichen? Weird. Maybe it's disconnected. She looks on + the floor and, sure enough, there is the plug – not for much + longer as she finds a phone socket and plugs it in. Strange electrical + noises. She tries to dial a number but nothing happens. A couple random + characters appear on the terminal. She drops the receiver back on the + cradle and types into the terminal again: + ++ add the random characters
i cant call anyone the phone is only making weird noises -This modem is probably on the same line, I'll disconnect. I will dial -in again in a bit. Talk to you then. +This modem is probably on the same line. I can disconnect for a while and +dial in again in a bit. + +okay + +Talk to you then. LINE DISCONNECTED - - Tue, 2106-06-01, 19:16 AgriWorks Login: █-
- Annie picks up the phone again - but who to call? Her coworkers would - probably make fun of her or be annoyed. Also, this place, - "Cryo Facility 53", she had never heard of it. - The only one who might know more about that place is her grandpa, as he - had thoroughly studied the plans of the city in his spare time back in - the day. So she dials his number... + What's a modem? she wonders + for a second but then disregards the thought as she picks up the phone + again. Who to call though? Her coworkers would probably make fun of her + or be annoyed. Also, this place, + Cryo Facility 53, she had + never heard of it. The only one who might know more about it is her + grandpa, as he used to work for the power company and still spends a lot + of his time studying the plans of the city. So she dials his number...
- She is greeted by the friendly voice of an old man.
- What's on your mind that you call
- now?
- Note to self: Improve this, it doesn't sound
- right to me
- Uhhh...
- She makes a short pause.
- This might be a little bit weird but someone
- contacted me from a location called
- "Cryo Facility 53". I wondered if you happen to know
- where that is. or anything about it
+ Annie is greeted by the friendly voice of an old man. After
+ a short exchange of "Hello, how are
+ you?", she begins explain the situation. He interrupts her
+ while relaying what Jack had written:
+ Cryo Facility? Are you sure?
+ Yes, it says here: Cryo Facility 53.
+ Well that makes it very interesting.
+ Unfortunately, we can't get there. These cryogenic facilities are
+ outside the dome.
+ So there is no way we can help him?
+ Well not directly. Facility 53 does happen to
+ be on the mountain above <dome city> but it isn't connected to
+ the dome.
+ How did he get there then?
+ He ... didn't. He's been there from
+ the start.
+ How?
+ Cryogenic sleep - it's a way to preserve
+ people for a log time. It was thought to be impossible for a long time
+ but they somehow made it work just before the apocalypse happened.
- Cryo Facility? Haven't heard anyone
- talk about these in a while... Are you sure?
- Yes, it says here: Cryo Facility 53.
-
- What does he want?
-
- Annie relays what Jack had told her about his situation and asks who
- would be the right person to help him.
- That's a bit of a tricky question...
- These cryogenics facilities are outside the dome.
+ He's one from the old world? Doesn't
+ that mean that he's way over a hundred years old?
- Slowly, she sets the receiver back on the cradle. What would she tell - Jack? What could she do for him? And the outside world - people could - survive there? She looks at the terminal but nothing had changed. + Slowly, she sets the receiver back on the cradle, pondering over what she + had just learned. The call had left her with more questions than she had + before. And what would she tell Jack? She looks at the terminal but + nothing had changed so she gets up to grab some snacks.
- Annie ponders over what she had just learned for a moment, then she gets - up to grab some snacks. A cup of juice and a cookie later, she returns, - holding two additional cookies. She leans against the wall while nibbling - at one of them. The second cookie is almost gone when she hears it again: -
-- BEEP BEEP -
-- Annie looks up and walks over to the terminal. + A cup of juice and two cookies later, she hears the telephone ring in the + basement. She grabs another cookie and hurries back down the stairs. She + makes it to the desk just in time for the phone to stop ringing. The + text on the terminal begins to move. She sits down, reads what just + appeared on screen, and starts typing:
Hello again. --
- Again, she sits down in the chair. -
+hello i am really sorry but we cannot get to facility 53 its outside --hello i am really sorry but we cannot help you we cant get to -outpost 53 its outside +Hm. Okay. Sucks to be me, I guess... -Hm. Okay... -+is there anything else i can do for you -
- Annie doesn't know what to say. She feels bad for Jack, but there - really is nothing she could do about it. -
- -- TODO: Fix this -
--is there anything else i could do for you - -Yes. I might be able to force the door open if I had a service manual for -it. Do you think you can get me a copy? +Yes. I might be able to fix up the door if I had a service manual for it. +Do you think you can get me a copy? i dont know where would i find it @@ -258,9 +233,8 @@ You are in the city under the mountain, right? yes <name of city> -If memory serves right, there is a library in the city center. They should -have it. I need the service manual for a Neotek Dynamics B33FY-AF Bunker -Door. +The library should have it. +I need the service manual for a Neotek Dynamics B33FY-AF Bunker Door. yes but how would i get a book to you @@ -268,43 +242,46 @@ They should have a digital version of it... You are not very familiar with computers, are you? no - -Are there any computer people you could ask to send me one? ++
+ Annie looks up from the terminal. She finds a piece of paper and a pen + – whoever works here hopefully won't mind – and writes + down B33FY-AF door. +
++Are there any computer people you could ask for help? not sure they would do that my grandpa might but he doesnt work here -Any computer hooked up to a modem and a phone line should do. If he knows -his way around computers - and has access to one - he will be able to do +As long as he has access to a computer and modem, he should be able to do this. whats a modem -A modem is typically a small device that allows a computer to connect to -the telephone network so that two computers that are far away from each -other can be connected - like the computers we are using right now. +It allows you to connect computers over the telephone network. -i think he has one --
- Note to self: This makes little sense given her unfamiliarity with - computers. She knows that her grandpa is reasonably familiar with - computers and that he has one, but that's about it. -
--Great! Could you please ask him if he can establish a connection to -<phone number> at 300 baud? +not sure he has one but i can ask -i think he would love to do that its his sort of thing but it will take a -few days - -Thank you - I never asked your name... +Thank you. +Btw, I never asked your name... annie Thank you, Annie! +In case he does, he can reach this modem under <phone number> at +300 baud. ++
+ She picks up the pen again and adds the phone number and + 300 baud – whatever that + means. +
++okay but it might take a couple days + I can hold out down here for quite a while, don't worry about a couple -days. I'll check back on Friday evening if I don't hear from you -or your grandpa before then. Is that okay? +days. I'll be back on this terminal on Friday evening if I don't +hear from you or your grandpa before then. Is that okay? are you safe down there @@ -314,22 +291,20 @@ day. ok thats good-
- The light of day, Annie thinks to - herself, what does it look like? - reword this + The light of day, Annie thinks to + herself, what is it like?
-I have to go now, the bunker's daily phone usage quota is running out. Thank you again and looking forward to talk to you and your grandpa. -The manual I need is for the Neotek Dynamics B33FY-AF Bunker Door, this -modem can be reached under <phone number> at 300 baud. +B33FY-AF Bunker Door +<phone number> +300 baud I will connect back to this terminal on Friday if we haven't -established contact before then, okay? +established contact before then. can we talk tomorrow i have questions @@ -339,41 +314,44 @@ LINE DISCONNECTED - Tue, 2106-06-01, 20:12 -AgriWorks Login: +AgriWorks Login: █
- Is that a yes or a no?, Annie wonders, - still slightly puzzled by the whole situation. She starts reading all - that's still on the screen. - The light of day, she quietly says to - herself. + Is that a yes or a no?, Annie + wonders, still not quite sure what to make of the whole situation. + She starts re-reading all that's still on the screen. + The light of day, she quietly mumbles + to herself.
As she reads the section with the bunker door and the phone number, she - reaches for a pen and some paper and writes them down - whoever works - here hopefully won't mind. As Annie continues reading, she hears a - quiet clicking noise and the terminal turns off. The screen flashes and - quickly turns to black. A tiny red light on the side comes on to - illuminate the letters "RDY". + double-checks what she had written down. She continues to read. After a + moment, the terminal makes a quiet click and turns off. The screen + flashes and quickly turns to black before a tiny red light under the + adjustment knobs comes on to illuminate the letters "RDY".
-- This still needs a satisfying conclusion of how she gets up, grabs her - stuff, and leaves. +
+ Annie collects the crumbs of the third cookie that had magically + disappeared and eats them. Then, she gets up, takes the piece of paper, + and walks back to the stairs. Still thinking about the phrase + the light of day, she returns to + her office. Now, she wants to see it too – out of curiosity. + She collects her things and leaves for the day.
Annie closes the door behind herself and locks it. As she takes a breath - of the slightly humid air, she takes a step back onto the sidewalk to - look at the clock above the entrance... 8:35 PM - the realization of how - much time had passed hits: Normally she'd be home by now. She starts + of the slightly humid air, she steps back onto the sidewalk to look at + the clock above the entrance... 8:25 PM - the realization of how much + time had passed hits: Normally she'd be at home already. She starts walking towards the metro station at the corner. The buildings here are similar to the ones in other parts of the city - three to four story houses painted in different colors - but they are lacking balconies and, instead of being homes, they mostly house offices. On the other side of the street is an embankment that holds the rails for the metro and beyond that is the outer wall of the dome. The street lights illuminating the - area had already switched to their low-brightness mode for the night. - She had only seen it like this a couple of times, it made the area look - eerie. + area had already switched to the lower brightness for the night giving + the area an eerie look. Only a couple times had she seen it like this + while staying late for company events.
Annie reaches the corner. She looks left and right before crossing the @@ -382,10 +360,10 @@ AgriWorks Login: next train arrives, that's a long wait... The station is completely devoid of life, nobody else is out here this late. Annie walks up to the vending machine at the upper end of the staircase - - "OUT OF ORDER"... Hrm. Mildly frustrated, she sits - down on one of the benches and and starts rummaging in her bag. She finds - her headphones and puts them on. At the end of the cable is her walkman. - She presses play and starts listening. + OUT OF ORDER... Hrm. + Mildly frustrated, she sits down on one of the benches and and starts + rummaging in her bag. She finds her headphones and puts them on. At the + end of the cable is her walkman. She presses play and starts listening.
Copyright © 2023 Jan Danielzick (aka. BodgeMaster) – All rights reserved.