The rusted metal grate groaned in protest as Kael, using a chunk of broken rebar he'd found nearby as a lever, managed to pry it upwards just enough to squeeze his body through the opening. The stench hit him like a physical blow – a gag-inducing cocktail of stagnant water, industrial solvents, raw sewage, and something else, something metallic and vaguely electric that spoke of unnatural processes nearby. Slime, thick and disturbingly slick, coated the concrete lip of the storm drain. Taking a final, disgusted breath of the relatively fresh Sector 9 air, Kael lowered himself into the oppressive darkness.
The grate slammed shut above him with a clang that echoed alarmingly in the confined space. Pitch blackness enveloped him. For a terrifying moment, he felt utterly blind, submerged in stench and shadow. Then, The Loom adjusted, flickering lines of pale green light overlaying his vision, mapping the immediate surroundings. [Visual Spectrum: Obscured. Switching to Resonance Imaging/Thermal Overlay. Limited Range/Resolution].
The tunnel was roughly cylindrical, maybe a meter and a half high, forcing Kael into an uncomfortable crouch. Murky water, ankle-deep and freezing cold, flowed sluggishly around his worn sneakers. The air was heavy, humid, and tasted foul. Every splash, every scrape of his shoes on the gritty bottom, echoed unnervingly. He started moving, following the main channel, hoping it ran parallel to the Gamma-7 facility above ground.
The Loom became his eyes and ears, warning him of hazards in the oppressive dark. [Caution: Minor Structural Instability Detected - Ceiling Section Ahead - Risk of Debris Fall]. He hugged the opposite wall, hearing small chunks of concrete splash into the water nearby. [Warning: Pocket of Unidentified Volatile Gases Detected (Methane/Unknown Compound Mix) - Location: Side Tunnel Right - Avoid Inhalation]. He held his breath, moving past the opening quickly. [Bio-Signature Detected: Multiple Small Entities - Classification: Mutated Rodentia (Oversized, Minor Bioluminescence) - Behavior: Scavenging - Non-Hostile Unless Provoked]. Glowing rats scurried in the periphery of his Loom-vision, their eyes reflecting the pale green light like tiny, malevolent embers.
He pushed onward, the claustrophobia a heavy weight on his chest. Above him, through meters of earth and concrete, he could feel the oppressive presence of the DOS facility. As he drew closer, following a network of smaller runoff pipes feeding into the main drain, The Loom's perception of Gamma-7 sharpened significantly, bypassing the surface wards and dampening fields.
[Facility Analysis Update (Sub-Surface Scan): Detected Large Shielded Energy Source - Depth: Approx. 50m - Signature Analysis suggests contained high-energy reaction (Plasma Torus? Stabilized Micro-Rift? Data Inconclusive). High Metaphysical Radiation Levels Emanating (Primarily Thaumic/Kinetic Spectrum). Multiple Sub-Levels Confirmed (-10m to -70m estimated). Shielded Data Conduits Detected - Running Along Tunnel Ceiling - Proximity: 5 meters Ahead]. A stabilized rift? The thought sent a fresh wave of fear through him. What were they keeping in there?
Just as he was processing this terrifying new data, the Seal pattern flared behind his eyes again. The proximity to the facility's immense power source, combined with his own stress, seemed to be aggravating the memetic hazard. A spike of agony shot through his skull, momentarily whiting out his vision, including The Loom's overlay. [!!MEMETIC HAZARD ACTIVE!! Cognitive Stress Spike! Neural Interference Detected! Potential for Uncontrolled Resonance Discharge - HIGH RISK!! Attempting Dampening Protocol... FAILED! User Control Required!]
Kael stumbled, pressing his hands to his temples, fighting nausea and the urge to scream. He focused all his will on shoving the swirling Seal pattern back, containing it, terrified that any 'resonance discharge' would act like a massive flare in the dark, alerting whatever security systems patrolled the facility's depths. Slowly, painstakingly, the throbbing receded to a dull ache, the unwanted patterns fading from his immediate vision, though he could feel them lurking, waiting. He checked The Loom for the OOS drone. [OOS Drone Signature: Signal Lost (Obstructed by Ground/Concrete/Facility Shielding)]. At least that was one small mercy. Underground, he was temporarily off their scope.
He forced himself to continue, moving slower now, wary of triggering the Seal again. He reached a junction where several smaller pipes converged into the main tunnel. One pipe, however, stood out. It was larger, made of a different, darker metal alloy, and looked significantly newer than the crumbling concrete infrastructure around it. It emerged directly from the tunnel wall, heading back towards the unseen core of Gamma-7. It radiated a faint warmth he could feel even through the chill water, and hummed with a low, powerful thrum. The Loom analyzed it: [Source Pipe Analysis: Diameter 0.8m - Material: Tungsten-Ceramic Composite? - Temperature: Elevated (Approx. 45°C) - Contents: Heavy Water/Deuterium Oxide Coolant (Trace Contaminants Detected: Exotic Particles consistent with Rift Stabilisation Byproducts, Encrypted Data Fragments - High Density Burst Transmission?) - Origin: Gamma-7 Primary Reactor/Containment Core]. Encrypted data fragments… in the coolant discharge? What kind of system was that?
Just downstream from where this pipe entered the main tunnel, set into the concrete wall about chest-high, was a heavy steel access hatch. It was circular, like a submarine hatch, with a large, rusted manual wheel lock in the center and what looked like a defunct electronic keypad beside it. It was painted the same drab, anonymous grey as the bunker above. Kael's heart leaped. This had to lead inside the facility proper. The Loom confirmed: [Access Hatch Detected: Material: Reinforced Steel (Lead-Lined?) - Locking Mechanism: Manual Wheel (Significant Corrosion), Electronic Lock (Interface Damaged/Offline). No Active Wards Detected on Hatch Exterior - Low-Level Resonance Seepage Detected from Behind Hatch (Power Conduits/Ambient Field)].
As Kael stared at the hatch, planning his next move, a sudden movement in the shadows of a narrow side pipe caught his eye. He flinched, ready for anything. The Loom identified it instantly: [Bio-Signature Detected: Gelatinous Mass (Approx. 0.5m Diameter) - Classification: Scavenger Organism (Mutated Slime Mold - Type Gamma-9?) - Function: Consuming Chemical/Biological Waste - Threat Level: Minimal (Avoid Direct Contact - Mild Corrosive Properties)]. A quivering blob of translucent, faintly iridescent slime was slowly oozing along the pipe wall, absorbing grime. Kael shuddered. Just another delightful resident of Sector 9's underbelly.
But the hatch… this was it. It bypassed the formidable outer defenses. If the electronic lock was truly dead, then only rust and time stood between him and the facility's interior. Even reaching a service corridor inside would be a massive advantage. The Loom could potentially access internal networks, analyze systems, find answers about the OOS tech, about Gamma-7's purpose, maybe even find something to help him control his own runaway resonance. It was terrifyingly risky, but it was the only concrete opportunity he'd found.
His objective was clear: Get the hatch open. Get inside. Scan everything. Get out. Before something infinitely worse than glowing rats or corrosive slime found him.
He waded closer, the foul water swirling around his knees. He reached out and put his hands on the cold, rough surface of the rusted wheel lock. It felt heavy, immovable. The air seeping from the hatch's edges felt heavy too, charged with static and the faint, unnerving hum of immense power held barely in check just meters away. The Seal throbbed sympathetically behind his eyes. Taking a deep, steadying breath that tasted of mold and machinery, Kael braced his feet against the slimy floor and threw his weight into turning the wheel.