The Humans; So Much To Explore
The Sanctuary. It was large, expansive, but empty. The interior was devoid of any life, or even, anything. All there was to see were the giant, polished metallic walls, and the metallic floor, shining like mirrors reflecting an empty space. Vincent saw his own reflection on the walls and floor. As he looked around, Vincent's confusion only deepened. What was the purpose of this place? Why had they been brought here? And most importantly, why was it so empty? There were no furnishings, no decorations, nothing to indicate that this place was anything more than an empty shell, like a house stripped bare of all its belongings. Except the lights in the ceiling, they weren't torches or lanterns, anything like that, but rather what Jake described as 'LEDs'.
The group's footsteps echoed as the metal doors slid and closed behind them, again with a hiss. Vincent's voice bounced off the walls, like when he was in a cave. "What is this… place?" he inquired, glancing around the gigantic space.
"Vincent, you see, this part is just to show, our headquarters is underground." Jake pointed down.
"What?" Vincent scratched his head. "Under… the ground? You mean, the soil?"
"Mhm. You'll see." Jake said. "Hey Peter!"
"Already on it, Jake." Peter replied, seemingly moving his fingers in nothing but air. "Done." he said.
And then, the floor began to rumble, and hiss. It vibrated subtly and groaned, slowly descending into the depths below.
"What the hell!?" Vincent exclaimed, his eyes darting everywhere as the floor he was standing on kept going deeper and deeper down. But everyone seemed unfazed.
"Calm down bud." Peter laughed.
"We're going underground." Jake explained simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"It'll take a minute or two, it's pretty deep." Peter said.
"I— I—" Vincent couldn't say anything, he was in awe, like a kid experiencing new things.
Suddenly, with a deafening groan, the opening overhead began to close as a second floor slid in, hissing as it closed, and plunged the group into darkness.
"Wha— wha—!?" Vincent panicked.
"Relax friend!" Jake laughed. And then, as if in response to Jake's reassurance, LEDs in the walls turned on.
"LEDs in the walls too?" Vincent chuckled.
"Mhm." Jake nodded. "Quite the ride, isn't it?"
And then, a monotone voice, that of a woman, rang out the place. "Welcome." it said.
"Woah…" Vincent murmured. "Is that a real person?"
"Nah." Peter shrugged. "Kinda like uh, it's like, okay yeah I have no idea how to explain. Jake?" he asked.
"It's… a voice that always speaks whenever anyone enters the sanctuary. We call her a 'speaker' for that reason."
"Hmm… I see…" Vincent glanced around, as if expecting more to happen. With a soft thud, the platform they stood on came to a halt, signalling their arrival. Part of the wall in front of them slid open, revealing a well-lit corridor leading deeper into the underground complex. The air felt cooler here, lacking the dampness of the storm above. Jake gestured for Vincent to follow as they stepped off the platform and into the corridor.
"Hey. One of y'all carry Vincent." Peter said, as he swung his feet, and began gliding on the floor.
"What!? How are you doing that!?" Vincent exclaimed, trying to do the same by swinging his feet forwards.
"Ay Vincent, slow down." Lance laughed. "You see, this floor is made of many tiny marbles that spin when something flat, like the bottom of our shoes, swings forward. Look." Lance then swung his feet like how Peter did, and he began gliding across the floor deeper into the hallway. "And yes, I used this as an excuse to leave you to carry Vincent, Jake!" he yelled as he glided away.
"You guys!" Jake shouted in mock exasperation, chuckling afterwards.
"Well… guess I gotta give you a ride." Jake sighed as he gestured to Vincent to get on his back.
"You sure?" Vincent hesitated.
"Just get on." Jake groaned. Vincent did so, despite his weight, Jake stood up pretty easily. "Now hold on tight. And I mean it." he cautioned, swinging his feet and gliding away into the hallway. As Jake carried Vincent on his back, they glided through the corridor, the floor beneath them like a river of tiny marbles, swirling and spinning with each movement. Vincent could feel the smooth, polished surface sliding beneath Jake, as if he himself was the one gliding. The air rushed past them, cool and refreshing, as they picked up speed. Vincent's heart raced with excitement. The walls of the corridor blurred into streaks of metallic silver and lights from the LEDs. Vincent grinned as the wind whipped at his face, not the dangerous ones from the storm, but rather a soothing one. He almost seemed to forget all the bad things as Jake effortlessly twisted and turned. The sensation was cut short though as Jake slowed down, and then they reached their destination. Banter filled the air, mixed with the aroma of coffee, mouth-watering food and the scent of the cool air. Vincent got off, glancing around the place.
"Welcome to the heart of The Apex, new friend." Jake chuckled, taking off his helmet. "Look as much as you like, I'll get you a room." he said, as he ran away into the crowd of people. So many people. Vincent was in awe, like a lone traveller stumbling upon a bustling city for the first time. He had never seen this many people together, not even in his village. Rows of workstations lined the perimeter, where people seemed to be engaged in various tasks. In the centre of the chamber stood a large communal area, where tables and chairs were arranged in a welcoming manner. Groups of people gathered around, like bees buzzing around a hive, sharing meals and conversation, their laughter mingling with the hum of activity. Along one wall, a series of doors led to living quarters, each marked with a designation indicating its occupant. The place was filled with a blue-purple neon hue.