111 lines
6.2 KiB
HTML
111 lines
6.2 KiB
HTML
<!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,
|
|
and windows that allow a peek into abandoned offices, storage spaces, and
|
|
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.
|
|
</p>
|
|
<p>
|
|
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.
|
|
</p>
|
|
<p>
|
|
<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.
|
|
Inside is the main control room. The wall to the right is lined with
|
|
metal cabinets that have levers, buttons, switches, and large gauges on
|
|
them. The wall to the left features a front of windows, allowing a view
|
|
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.
|
|
</p>
|
|
<p>
|
|
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 />
|
|
<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">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
|
|
no longer gonna need these portable batteries down there. Having a working
|
|
power grid is gonna be so nice.</span><br />
|
|
They are looking at a calendar on the wall and laughing. It 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 />
|
|
<span class="quote speech">It wouldn't surprise me.</span> Annie
|
|
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 />
|
|
<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>
|
|
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. 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
|
|
</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>
|