For most people in modern cities, the metro tunnels are an everyday necessity. We use it to get to the places we need to go quickly and effectively. It is not an uncommon occurrence for the rails to switch tune, bringing heaps of people just like you to an interwebbing space of unfamiliarity. And yet, the transportation system cannot be demolished as productivity would suffer a painful blow. The expanding rails are all built on lies. Wherever you came from, it is of no matter now. Our paths have converged, and the trains have all arrived to the same station: A place where our lives are always at stake.
⬙ Standard Access ⬘
The Union Of Metro Transportation, otherwise known as the U.O.M.T, is a force to be reckoned with. In baseline, they continue to sponsor a majority of the metropolitan train tunnel construction worldwide. This was not out of care for the systems they praise but to cover up the multiple entrances to the Metro Limspace System. The late founder of the U.O.M.T, Thomas Stillman, discovered these entrances. When trains pass through the entrances, which take the form of normal train tunnels or smaller hidden entrances among the world's train stations, there is a miniscule chance for the threshold to be crossed. In certain affected locations, even riding an elevator can shift its destination into the Metro Limspace System. As of now, there is no known consistent method of entry.
When arriving into the system via train, it is important to act fast and know what to do. The train will eventually begin to move slower along the track, as the rails adjust and change to accommodate the model of the train. Upon arrival at the Entrance Platform, it should be evident that this is not your intended destination. The platform may contain other people roaming about, as if waiting for passengers to unload from the trains. Although few may not have bad intentions, always be sure to avoid all contact so as not to attract unwanted attention from U.O.M.T Mules. If a U.O.M.T Mule approaches you, ignore them and move past until they lose interest and move on to other prey. It is important not to interact with them, no matter their promises. It is all a ploy to bait unknowing victims into being shipped off to one of their work camps.
Deep blue lights illuminate the platform, hung up on the ceilings and pillars. This is to repel entities. These lights should be the biggest sign that a person is in the Metro Limspace System. The trains can also hold more minor indicators of your arrival through the standard route. For example, the first indicator should be light spasms inside the train before entering through the threshold. Another detail to be noted is the elongated wait. Arriving at the entrance platform can take anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes, and while some baseline train routes take the same amount of time or longer, this should be the first idea that something is abnormal. Other signs include tunnel discoloring, the removal of ads from their usual placeholders, and train maps being wholly altered.
There are signs posted around the entrance platform, guiding most to the U.O.M.T checkpoint. If anyone is deemed fit to work by the staff at the checkpoint, they will be shipped off on a train against their will towards one of the two main work camps, Alpha and Beta. To avoid this, there is a marked route underneath the entrance platform. Anyone can access it while the tracks are completely clear. There is a short window to jump onto the tracks and duck into the underpass while trains depart from the station. This should shield anyone from the U.O.M.T's watchful eyes if needed, and they do not patrol the tracks. Follow the yellow markings on the wall past the scan and into the tunnels to get past the checkpoint. It is safe to exit the underpass into the tunnels once you have left the station.
⬙ The Tunnels ⬘
An image taken from one of the many scattered platforms throughout The Tunnels. A train can be seen approaching.
The Tunnels consist of constantly changing paths and architecture. The sleek metal rails bolted to the ground may act as a path toward the nearest station and as a trail toward dead ends. It is essential to note the danger of oncoming trains while navigating this area. Most trains can be heard and avoided in time due to the excessive noise they make. Certain sections of the track may not hold an underpass, and death is at least quick if a train comes through.
This path through The Tunnels is a necessary step towards the passage to Hub 3. Hub 3 itself is a large settlement mostly free of U.O.M.T eyes. While others have forged different approaches to Hub 3, most are incredibly dangerous and, in most cases, will lead to significant injury or death.
There are potentially thousands of unknown routes from the entrance platform to Hub 3, creating the danger of becoming lost within The Tunnels. While these mysterious routes primarily span off to nowhere, some can be severe threats, being that of dead ends, holes, and traps. While encountering these false paths is a statistical inevitably for most, there is a chance of going through The Tunnels without experiencing an issue such as those referenced. That is the insanity of The Tunnels.
Collapsed tunnels can serve as a significant roadblock. Some paths can be completely blocked off, requiring backtracking through the tunnels. Additionally, some damaged tunnels may collapse under certain circumstances, potentially burying survivors. The signs that a tunnel could collapse are cracks in the tunnels, missing support pillars, and the underpass missing from the walls. It is a severe risk like the many other dangers in the tunnels.
Entities are rare along the route to Hub 3 from the Entrance Platform. Whilst many survivors making the trek to Hub 3 will not even catch a glimpse of an entity, straying far from the main tunnels into spurs or secluded sidehalls increases the chance of an encounter. Therefore, it is essential to remember to stay calm and be prepared to run when encountering anything that could be classified as an entity.
Among The Tunnels, nomadic communities roam. While they usually reside outside of the routes to Hub 3, they can provide valuable information and resource trades for mutual benefit. Of course, they choose to live outside of Hub 3 for their purposes, but these tight-knit wanderers may serve as a crucial part of anyone's journey to Hub 3.1
"I personally find peace in exploration within the tunnels. Knowing there is always something more to find, someone else to help has fueled me for the longest time. And yet… it gets tedious and lonesome. You spend days, maybe months going to the farthest reaches of the tunnels, only to find yourself right back where your journey began. It hurts, but it propels you to do it again, to desperately find a change, some break in the loop. When you find that new place, that missing piece, the satisfaction is always worth the pain.
— Dr. Haywood Lilac, from his 'Personal Journal'
While finding a way to Hub 3, anyone can run into smaller, more insignificant platforms along the path. While these can lead off to smaller areas bridging tunnels together, they can primarily serve as a point to rest, hide, and avoid being run over by oncoming trains. They can sometimes hold minute amounts of resources left behind by nomadic peoples, but the chance of that is pretty much zero.
When nearing Hub 3 through the tunnels, it can be observed that there is a more grand color palette and tiled walls. However, this part of the tunnels does have frequent train activity, so it is vital to keep an ear out to avoid being killed. This fresher layout approaching Hub 3 will mark the end of a long journey for some, and for others, only the beginning of their story.
⬙ Survival Guide ⬘
It is imperative to get to the tunnels as soon as possible after arriving on the Entrance Platform if you want to survive. After that, it's a journey into the winding and utterly confusing tunnels until you find where you want to go, whether it be Hub 3 or the furthest reaches of the tunnels themselves.
While getting to the safety of Hub 3 is a long, harrowing journey, it is a process that all should go through. It is the way to survive within this harsh world that we have been placed into. Hopefully an exit will be found one day. Good luck and stay safe while traveling throughout the Metro Limspace System.