Exploration Team:
Team Members:
- M37-1 (Team Lead), M37-2, M37-3, M37-4, M37-5
Foreword: ATF Mu-37 are to abseil down the central gap of Stairwell 55-B in order to determine it's anomalously extended depth. Each team member's headcam video feed will be broadcast to Control for review post-exploration.
BEGIN LOG
M37-1: Everyone, mics on?
M37-5: Affirmative.
M37-2: Yep.
M37-3: Mic is on, lead.
M37-4: Online.
M37-1: Alright, we good to go?
Command: Begin the exploration.
[ATF Mu-37 descend into Stairwell 55-B.]
M37-3: [Glancing downwards] Fuck, would you look at that.
M37-1: Yeah, it's quite something.
M37-5: I think we're gonna need to turn on our lights, lead.
M37-1: Absolutely. Everyone, lights on. It's getting dark as shit down here.
[The team activate their helmet-lights. All five look down.]
[M37-2: drops a quarter and watches it fall.]
M37-4: Holy shit.
M37-2: Four, you okay?
M37-4: I'm fine. It's just… this place is huge.
M37-3: We're not even past where it would have ended yet.
M37-2: Looks like it goes on forever.
M37-5: Probably does. Did they even bother to tell any of us why this happened?
M37-1: Five, that's not why we're here.
M37-4: Still, knowing what the fuck we're dealing with helps.
M37-1: I guess I can vouch for that.
[The team pass the original location of Sublevel 12.]
M37-5: It's official, this place is fucked.
M37-3: We've come all the way down. And there's still more stairs.
Command: Acknowledged, please continue.
M37-2: Hey, I forgot they were listening. Guess they heard five's crazy-ass story then, huh.
M37-5: Shut the fuck up before I sever your rope with my own teeth.
M37-1: Keep the comms clean, will you?
[M73-1 descends a further 10 meters below the rest of the team, obscuring him from vision.]
M37-4: Don't!
M37-1: [Shouting upwards] What?
M37-4: N-nothing, lead. Nothing. Sorry.
[M37-1 continues to descend.]
M37-3: Are you - alright, four?
M37-4: Yeah, fine. I'm just a little… shaken up. Something about this place.
M37-2: I can understand that. We gotta go down a little more, okay?
M37-4: I'll be right behind you.
[M73-2, -3, and -5 descend at an increased pace, disappearing from M37-4's vision. M37-4 attempts to follow them, but is unable to.]
M37-4: I can't- My tether's stuck! I can't go down!
[Silence.]
The following portion of this transcript is gathered from M37-4's headcam footage alone. Command continued to follow the other team members, ignoring M37-4 and not reporting any issue with the tether system. Investigation into these events is ongoing.
[M37-4 begins tugging on his primary tether.]
M37-4: Guys! I'm stuck. My tether won't shift!
[Silence.]
M37-4: Guys?
[M37-4 continues. A small tear appears in his backup tether, which M37-4 does not seem to notice.]
M37-4: If I just… keep pulling…
[M37-4 pulls both his primary and backup tether at once.]
M37-4: Nearly… there…
[M37-4 lunges at the primary tether and punches it, causing it to snap.]
M37-4: Oh shit. Guys, my- My uh… tether just snapped. Guys? Hello? I need help with this.
[M37-4 looks downwards, and then upwards.]
M37-4: Assholes.
M37-4: [Sigh] Can't go down, can't go back up. Team is… unresponsive. You hearin' this? Command, do you read me?
[A low-pitched, reverberating sound is heard in the distance.]
M37-4: Command? That you? Everything sounds… everything's distorted… down here.
[M37-4 begins to tug on his backup tether. The tear increases in size.]
M37-4: Need… need to get… up. It's not safe down here.
[Several more sounds are heard, emanating from both above and below M37-4.]
M37-4: Which way…?
[The backup tether tears in several more areas, again not noticed by M37-4.]
M37-4: Not safe… down here.
[M37-4 kicks the backup tether, snapping it. M37-4's video feed cuts out.]
[M37-4's video feed returns after 35 minutes, showing only pitch blackness. Heavy breathing is heard, presumably coming from M37-4.]
[M37-4 begins to speak in a quiet, raspy voice.]
M37-4: I… don't know where I am…
[M37-4's helmet light is activated, revealing the entrance of Sublevel 12.]
M37-4: Where… is this? How far?
[M37-4 looks up. Stairwell 55-B extends out of view.]
M37-4: It's been… so long. I don't remember…?
[M37-4 turns around. His primary and backup tether are seen on the ground. Several distorted screams are heard, coming from behind the Sublevel 12 entrance door.]
M37-4: He's almost here.
[Silence for ten seconds. A loud metallic banging is heard as a large dent appears in the Sublevel 12 entrance door. M37-4 seems to be severely agitated by this.]
M37-4: He's coming. Faster than ever. He's watching. Watching under your bed. Your walls. Hiding in your hair and your teeth. All of the dark lights are watching you, and him. In your house, darkness is surrounding him. Her grace is gone, her death is short, the flaming beacon beckons ahead.
[The distorted screams continue, increasing in volume and reverberation. M37-4 begins breathing at an unnatural pace as the dent increases in size.]
M37-4: [Intermediate laughing throughout] The twisted steps, the dark, dark lights along it. The dark, dark nights instilled upon you by those not upon it.
[M37-4 looks up once more. A male humanoid figure is seen rapidly falling towards M37-4.]
M37-4: He is punished. So punished. All are punished. Overlooking, overseeing. Your soul is being changed by her eye. Her eye travels the steps, in this place of dark lights. He is gone here. He is always gone here, and forever will always will be. Forever.
[The figure increases in speed. M37-4 falls to the ground on his knees. The dent bursts open, and a deafening scream is heard from within.]
M37-4: I am here, and alas, he is coming.
[The figure reaches the ground, and M37-4's video feed cuts out permanently.]
END LOG
