Ashwood Cross

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ask the robot if there's another robot in operation somewhere.

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Hey, er... Robot?

I was thinking about the structure, and that slot you came out of.
There are two of those slots over there, right?
Does that mean there's more Robots like you around?

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Hey look, a screen (?) with a lightning symbol on it.

Walk through the little entranceway(?)-hole thing near the orange light. What could it be?

At first, you thought you saw another screen with an Electricity symbol on it.
On second glance, though, it's just a Sign attached to the wall.
It's probably meant to identify something about the Structure. Or about this Equipment?
Higher up, you see a series of Industrial Lights. None seem to be lit up, though.

To the left of that, you see an Entryway into the structure. It leads down into darkness.
Part of you wants to charge on in and investigate, but you still want to look around out here.

Back to the right, there's what looks like a long Metal Console, with a screen like the Robot's. It's dark.
On a metal shelf, you see a small, box-shaped Green Device. It's connected by wire to a smaller device.
Nearest you, there seems to be a Wheel of some sort. A manual control, maybe?

Wha's down the grated hole? Looks like a drain of some sort given the angle!

maybe peek down the drain.

You take a few careful steps down into the Bricked-Up Pit, and look around.
It almost reminds you of a swimming pool. Maybe it's some kind of Holding Tank?

In the center, there's some kind of Drain with a grate in the bottom.
It's too dark to see into it very far, but you see a faint metallic glimmer.

Set into one wall, you see what look like the ends of two Big Metal Pipes, too.
You could almost stand in one if they were open, but they're sealed off by Iris Shutters.

Check out the green toaster whatsit

>Interact with the green RADIO. What kind of person would think that is a toaster?

Hana would, apparently.

You take a closer look at the Green Device. Some weird, vintage-looking Radio, maybe?
At least, you think it's a Radio. Could be a toaster. Do radios even work underground?

Whatever it is, it's got a hand unit wired to a base box, with a single knob and two buttons.
You play with the buttons and turn the knob a bit, but nothing seems to happen.
It seems like it's broken. Or at least like it's not being powered right now.

Just to be sure, you press your ear against the Hand Unit, but don't hear anything.



...or do you?

There's no clear sound. But you can almost hear a sound?
It's... like a static that's so faint, that it's almost inaudible.
Or like a familiar song your mind can hear, even without your ears.

The song is distant and muffled, through heavy blankets.
The night before, you were texting from bed. You were exhausted.
You were waiting for her response. You fell asleep, phone in hand.
Your phone got lost somewhere under your bedding, while you slept.
But you know that song by heart. The alarm you hear, every morning.
Even muffled, at the edge of your dreams, you recognize it instantly.

It's a breathy melody. No clear notes. Just a soft wall of sound.
Distant, muffled words. Countless hushed voices, in another room.
They're whispering there, but there are so many whispers.
So many people. A mumuring of hundreds, in chorus.
You can hear them rising together, rumbling through the walls.
Laughing voices. Angry voices. Lost voices. Hurt voices.
A gasp of shock. A panicked voice. Is she calling your name?

More voices, now. Thousands of voices. Tens of thousands?
They shout. They sob. They comfort. They stammer. They plead.
Louder, and louder they rise. A storm-wind swelling in your mind.
The voices become incomprehensible, like an endless peal of thunder.
A tempest wind that deafens your thoughts, drowns them in howling light...



Something sharp and cold prods your leg.

All at once, it's silent again.

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