The elevator is a sumptiously-outfitted 12-foot wide by 12-foot deep by 10-foot high "cubic" room, or so it seems. On the far wall another elevator door is outlined but closed, hinting that this elevator may serve different floors in different directions. Or maybe some floors just have "pull-through" access. Who knows? Corporate strategies don't always make sense, and an elevator built like this one is just one megacorp impressing several smaller others.
Ace temporarily stops, recovering from being overtaken by an unknown incoming avian bandage, which Block quickly steps past to retrieve. Block looks around for X, but X appears to have vanished. block mutters under his breath, "Man, I have *got* to get him to teach me how to do that..."
Ace is pausing for a few seconds in the doorway, blinking his eyes a few times as if to clear his vision, squeezing them shut as Block slips by, turning to gaze at the control panel. Block mutters something like "Anyone see the stairwell?" as he studies the expansive control panel, mounted in the center of the wall so as to be reachable by trolls and dwarves alike. It looks like a plate of finely-cut onyx with ghost-white square diamond-sculpted buttons on it, running from top to bottom of the panel in three columns. Column 1 (left-most) from top to bottom reads "8", "7", "6", "5", and "4". Column 2 (in the middle) reads "3", "2", "*-1-*-L-*", "B", and "BB". Column 3 (right-most) reads "PD", "V1", "V2", "V3", and "V4". Reflectively, Block adds "Oh; One other thing. The boys outside also said, 'down there'. I think we ought'a head to the basement levels." He continues to look at the black-and-white panel, very craftily presented.
There is a scant whisper of sound in the hallway - maybe a piece of paper being blown past a hall air vent, or perhaps an artifact noise from where ever that random clatter is coming from. The random clatter makes its presence known yet again, as it crunches through the otherwise silent background, coming to a randomly cut-off stop, as usual. It's so regular in its irregularity that you three almost don't consider it any more.
"What is your structural status?" asks Block, "Is there any damage to your systems? Or any systems you normally interact with?" It is apparent that the elevator is in some form of the "Fireman mode", as it responds on the (hidden) elevator speaker systems (rare, since they usually interact via the A/R interface) "Non-sequitur. All systems are functioning normally." (Block also hears it on his A/R system, as it is still in tune with the building.)
Block decides that this is the appropriate time to quote Private Hudson: "We're on an express elevator to Hell, going down!" In an offhand yet purposeful manner, he continues, "What does 'PD' stand for?"
"I'm not sure how far down there is," the command push sqwawks, "But let's go to B and take a look. Block, how do things look on your end?" The "B" button beeps quietly as it lights up. Ace regains his visual acuities and steps across the threshold as the doors begin to skate closed. Silently they fill the gap and soon the doorway is solidly filled by hardwood, er, ballroom doors. Guess it could be worse - they could be glass, right?
There is a brief sussurus of motion, something you have to really feel for to "get", as the elevator glides down to whatever "B" happens to -er- be. In less time than it takes to talk about it, the doors are already beginning to slide open.
GM Note: I figure this is where everybody wants to make their next move, preparation, that sort of thing, so we'll freeze-frame at the point where the doors quietly yet purposefully float open. What's happening, folks? |
