chapter 24

after getting to the base for a good night's rest I am fairly good to get started again after getting my armor back on, getting the food, and then to what I plan to do for this morning while eating, check, how the underground greenhouse looks since unlike the other constructs I couldn't see its progress being built like the others, so I got curious as I walk to the water filter to look for the enterance to it as I see a pipe that goes from it as I follow it to a small path down hugging the side of the building facing the purifier

the enterance is clearly something they will work with last, just enough to put material inside and not cause accidents, it is a steep incline and not necessarily tall or wide and not very smooth, but enough not to trip easily, as I take a sip of water that was given for the day as I decend down hoping not to meet too many down here already

it wasn't very deep just enough to be the equivalent of two floors down to get to it as I start to see some light appearing downward as I enter the side as I see the greenhouse, or more green base

their are multiple made walls, so I couldn't see much at the moment as I see the panels made and the metal door looking air tight, as I walk up to it as it has a small glass window like a peephole as I look through seeing the same tiles with some 3 layer constructs with the bottom layer having compost bins and Plana labeled as " deep rooted ones" the middle is the most normal and probably for the average plants, as it has multiple cubed pots to hold them in, as for the tope shelf the plants that where put their look to be the vine type as they go on , as all these plants seem normal and I don't see bloodsplatter, I assume it is safe to enter as I open the door and enter the room

the first thing I notices is how surprisingly humid the place is as I look at the water sprayer on the ceiling as I see the place looks to be the central part of the greenhouse as I see the other doors some I can tell people are inside of working already this early some how, as I looked around the place

there seems to be 6 enterances, one being where I came from and 5 others as I look at the doors for each, as one seems to be for an ice area, however looks closed for later probably to find a good way to be that cold its setments placed but no ice, only seeds at the side for later, then there was the desert room clearly finished as the outside isn't very different from one, it has the dried dirt, and some plants already on with a sprout or two i can see and the utter lack of water system other than a timer and a watering can, the ocean room looks already done with the tanksand the the machineryfor an aquarium, just with no water to speak of, since they do only have water from one machine and it doesn't rain that often I could already tell , the rainforest room I can see some people working on it As they are currently doing the ceiling water systems as the places for the plants are already down as it has a surpriseing large amount of space for i presume to be for the trees they may put down, as the next door, as the last one is the swamp nowhere near done and plenty work that could still be done, with it basically looking like the frame and bones of thw construction mostly lines of what goes where, digging, and working on the tiles for the ground, wall, and ceiling, all of which that I noticed through the glass before one of those inside see me

the place I almost feel disappointed, but then again it's not gonna be a massive constructs like the moving city nearby, as I begin to walk out to take my leave only bump into someone making me almost drop the already half finished food but does trip, a somewhat old man with grayed hair and their clothes a bit ragged like all of us, with armor on their legs and torso so they got up fine to see me they have blue eyes and wrinkles, from their spotted skin that comes with age, their back somehow straight

" Huh? what are you doing eating in here? it's easy enough for people to trip in this clutter without eating at the same time?"

" Ah! sorry sir -"

" Just call me Craig, again, what are you doing here? I haven't seen you before. "

" Oh, I was just curious, yknow, unlike the other construction teams, I couldn't see what was going on inside here and"

" Kid, you sound like a health inspector. It's fine, but I don't think the others noticed you're here?"

" No, you don't have to think about it, see ya!"

as I quickly rushed by the old man as they looked over into my direction as they said something under their breath that I just barely heard before I got to the surface

" o should mention this to the other for looking at the mirrors more often, it is working how it was this easy for such a young one."

as I take a small breath as I just lean at the side of another wall of the base to finish my food as I see some getting on back as I finish up and see some people to be working on another machine on this side of the wall, as at that point I started going why not and asked the two working on it

" Ah, hello, that seems fairly new. What, is it?"

I can just see the two just hump when they noticed me being right their as they almost drop the tool they were holding, was was a long haired red head, who looked like the girl has run on two hours of sleep every day since we had to be under the rule of the seven, the other is a boy with orange hair and a lot of freckles to the point where if one looked from far away would say their skin was red, both have green eyes, as the girl is slender, the boy was a bit on the chubby side yet I can see muscle on his arms if I look away from his deceptive baby face as the girl spoke

"y-yeah, it's a wood chipper,"

her voice sounds as tired as she looks and yet somehow very clear

" Think of it as the food crates trash can and recycling bin!"

meanwhile, the boys' voice is excitable, not a ten but maybe a seven as they sound ready for anything

" Yeah, that! it was a recent quest so me and my brother and I decided, "

" to give it a shot!"

as I begin to nod in agreement with my questions answered as I introduce myself

" Well, thanks for answering. Call me Jake!"

"Ah, just call me Anna,"

" and I am Collin."

"yknow I really should know more people by now, so what are you two doing on here? you both don't look near as ready as the others I've seen, not even Cody"

" we were, more, recent, since the quests from the moving city changed,"

" Hm? how so?"

" they went from hunting, and lookout quest to building quests, makes it much easier for me and my sister to get down ourselves too since the base quest was finished"

" Huh, that so? well, I was one of the first the landed here, and I did the first quest ever available. "

" Was that an attempt at, pride?"

which made me deflate a bit as I continued

" Well, either way, good luck down here. As long as you are surrounded by the base walls, you should be fairly safe, for the most part,"

" Most, part?"

" you two weren't here for very long clearly, when it rains stay inside, and some monsters can go over the wall, when that happens go inside the base and stay inside, that is really all if you stick to base"

"Oh, ok! thanks for the advice!"

as the boy and girl start to continue working on the woodchiper slash composter as I finally finish my food, as I place the crate beside them as I start walking to the wall to catch up to my group as I walk down on the platforms at the side of the walls as I take the chance to see Brownie just looking at the sun, as well as the heightened towers almost done just one left as I soon see my team who stop the platform to wait for me as I run over to them

" Hey guys, apologies if I'm last again. I was curious about the underground greenhouse "

" Always in thar between after we already started but before it actually counts as late"

" Don't mind, Ent here, what was it like, we can talk while we work?"

" as I nod and get starting on the work along with my two teammates, as while we all start up our process on work I explain what I saw at the underground greenhouse and the two new people I met on the way back"

_

working for the ceiling project for the entirety of the base is the largest project I took part in, and I am taking charge to make sure the entire plan goes smoothly, whoever has made the plans have some lack of danger, then again the one who makes them is probably one of the leaders, just from the metal spider incident showed their power

I had to make some small updates in order to increase the safety somewhat yet I fear that wouldn't be enough for everyone, I can see a group of other teens like me starting to loosen up as they throw the ropes near the barrier I asked to be constructed, as they start to lean into the barrier ready to throw as I head over to tell them not two, I see a crack form

" Stop! STOP!"

I started to scream as I started to rush over, yelling others, hearing me confused as they also started stopping what they were doing, looking over as i rushed over to him

"Stop leaning on the rail!!"

as the guy in question looks confused as they look right at me, not getting what I mean as just before they move away

the rail breaks

and all I hear next are screams