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<h1> Overdue Maintenance </h1>
<p>
Jack parks the truck just before the exit of a tunnel and the four get
out. Roaring water echoes from somewhere in the distance. Annie grabs
her bag and follows the others towards the end of the tunnel. The wall
to the right features doors, large gates, and a few windows that allow
a peek into abandoned offices, storage spaces, and a machine shop.
The end of the tunnel connects to a large balcony extending into
a narrow ravine with rusted metal walkways going to either side.
</p>
<p>
They walk onto it and take a look around: The walkway to the left
goes to a freestanding staircase tower that leads down and is just
as rusty as the walkway itself. The walkway to the right connects
to the top of a concrete dam blocking the ravine. A couple bushes,
flowers, and a small tree grow there, partially hiding rusty cranks
and levers, and the dam is green from moss and small ferns growing
all over its side. Water flows over the spillway, falling into the
depths below. To the right of the dam and walkway, inset into
the same side of the ravine as the tunnel exit, is a wall with
a front of windows.<br />
<span class="quote speech">Annie, check this out!</span><br />
Jack gestures for her to come to the railing. She hesitates.<br />
<span class="quote speech">That railing is gonna hold, yeah?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Idunno?...</span> He attempts to push
<span class="comment">shove?</span> it and bangs agains it –
it doesn't budge. <span class="quote speech">Probably?</span><br />
She walks over and cautiously leans on it to peer down. The water
flowing over the spillway joins a torrent of water rushing out of
two big pipes deep below, at the bottom of the ravine.
</p>
<p>
Michelle and James go ahead, using the walkway towards the dam.
About half-way, as Michelle walks onto the next section of walkway,
it starts making scary <span class="comment">foreboding?</span> creaking
noises. The moment James reaches it, the creaking turns into cracking
and the panel of <span class="comment">grid floor</span> beings
to give out underneath his feet. He grabs on to one of the railings and
quickly <span class="comment">hops? Idk some word between "step"
and "jump"</span> onto the beam holding it, leaving the
section of floor barely hanging on.<br />
Michelle asks: <span class="quote speech">You okay?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Yeah – less so the floor...</span>
<br />
The two walk the rest of the way across, meanwhile Annie and Jack stay
on the balcony.
</p>
<p class="comment">TODO: Change this so Michelle and James explore the
dam first, then turn their attention to the windows.</p>
<p>
After the <span class="comment">Aufregung?</span> dies down, Michelle
and James start looking around.<br />
<span class="quote speech">Would you look at that!</span><br />
Michelle is looking through the windows. A few of them have cracks but
most are somehow intact.<br />
<span class="quote speech">I think I found what we're looking
for.</span><br />
Jack asks: <span class="quote speech">The control room?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Yea, it's right here.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Guess we're gonna have to climb
across...</span><br />
Annie says: <span class="quote speech">I'm not doing that.</span>
<br />
James walks up to one of the windows saying:
<span class="quote speech">Looks like there might be a way back to
the tunnel from inside. We could let you in that way.</span><br />
Jack replies: <span class="quote speech">That would work
but we probably don't wanna break these windows.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Nobody said anything of
<i>breaking</i>...</span><br />
James takes a screwdriver out of his pocket. He jams it inbetween
the window and its frame, then quickly pulls on it. The window jumps
open with a bang.<br />
</p>
<p>
Jack and Annie are waiting in the tunnel next to a door.
The handle moves down and they hear the deadbold retracting with
a click. The door creaks as it gets pulled inward, revealing a hallway.
Michelle is on the other side, leading the way. James is standing in
a door to the left, holding it open. They go through and enter the
control room, a somewhat large room packed with equipment. Across the
room is the wall with the window front, allowing a view of the spillway
and the top of the dam. In front of it is a random collection of
electronics and furniture, mostly desks and chairs and terminals,
<span class="comment">zusammengeschoben? piled up?</span> for storage.
In the center is a large
console with more buttons, switches, and gauges that is facing the
windows and an opening in the floor behind it, covered with a thick
glass pane.
The wall to the left is lined with metal cabinets with buttons,
switches, large gauges and levers on them.
The wall to the right is taken up by storage
<span class="comment">cabinets? the drawer thingies...</span>
and an assortment of large devices and contraptions.
</p>
<p class="comment">TODO: They take a brief look at the control room
and then climb outside onto the dam, returning to the control room
afterwards.</span>
<p>
<span class="comment">This needs to be tied together again as the
beginning of the chapter has been rewritten.</span>
They roam around the room for a while. Annie looks outside, admiring
the flowering lilypads floating in the water held back by the dam.
Meanwhile, Michelle looks at an old calendar.<br />
<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 />
<span class="quote speech">Oh no, I guess we're gonna have to slack
less while waiting for bureaucracy to take its course.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">The power lines are gonna get hooked up
to the battery bank in a couple days. Aren't you excited for
progress?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Not my department but I sure hope we're
no longer gonna need these portable batteries down there. Having a
working power grid is gonna be so nice.</span><br />
They are laughing. The calendar shows October 1991 with a few entries
and crossed-off days.
</p>
<p>
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
for 2011... I don't think anyone ever stepped foot in here after
Sunside Cove was sealed off.</span><br />
Annie turns around and leans against the center console.<br />
<span class="quote speech">It wouldn't surprise me. Many people are
legitimately scared of the outside world.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">I mean they're probably right, the
outside world is pretty dangerous. Watch your step, 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>
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 />
<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. He lets go of the key and 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
</p>
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