Level 994 - "Exist Here"
rating: +85+x

SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY:

Class Pending

  • Habitable
  • Undeveloped
  • Devoid of Entities
%E6%B5%B7%E6%BB%A91

The beach.

Description

Level 994 is a beach facing the sea on the east and surrounded by mountains in other directions. As no animals or plants have been observed, it has been determined that no entities exist in this level. Moreover, there are also no observable structures in this level.

The sea facing the beach has irregular flood and ebb tides. The maximum beach area reachable after the ebb tide has been recorded to be about twenty square kilometers, but the minimum beach area reachable after the flood tide is uncertain and unrecorded.

Though Level 994 is suitable for living, no group but the M.E.G. has managed to establish a settlement here. Currently, the M.E.G. has dispatched authorized personnel for construction beginning on April 12, 2022, with a set complation date of Jul 26, 2022.

Outside of the irregular flood and ebb tides, there is nothing else of note within Level 994.


On May 12, 2022, Jeff Brook, an M.E.G. constructor, returned to Base Beta through the entrance of Level 994. The following is a transcript of Dr. Scott Spencer's interview with him.

[Begin Log]

Scott: So you were the only one sent to Level 994 for construction, right?

Jeff: I've said it countless times, yes! And if you don't believe it, you can just go and check the database!

Scott: Oh well, that explains why there is no trace of construction in that level, but… the M.E.G. would never make such a stupid mistake… we did have plans to build bases in that level, but only one constructor? That's impossible because, you know, even if ten constructors were sent, it still wouldn't be enough.

Jeff: That's the truth! I'm not lying! I don't know what the hell you guys have been thinking! I shouldn't have accepted this task!

Scott: I've just sent someone to confirm that, and… do you remember how you felt when you accepted this task?

Jeff: [Equivocating] Hmm… emm… pissed? I don't know. I can't remember…

Scott: You have a habit of diarizing, and what's more, we recovered your diary. You explicitly wrote down your mood on April 22: excited and expectant.

Jeff: … What? That makes no sense. No normal person would feel that way when receiving such a task… give it here, Dr. Spencer. I don’t remember having written anything like that.

[Scott takes the diary out of his backpack and hands it to Jeff, and then Jeff snatches it.]

Jeff: [Reading the contents of the diary] Let me see… April 22, 2022… I received a significant task today; it is to build a base in Level 994. Given the basic environment introduction and properties list given by my superiors, it is a habitable level! If I can establish a base here, I will have made great contributions! By the time it's done, I'm going to carve my name on the gate of the base, and then my name will be stamped on the page of history!…

[Jeff's face is drawn.]

Jeff: This is definitely my handwriting… I practiced copperplate as a child so if someone imitated my handwriting, I would be able to tell.

[Jeff continues to read his diary.]

Jeff: It stops on May 3? I've been keeping a diary every day! And our base…I don't know why but my progress is all lost! I’ve worked hard to build it up!

Scott: In fact, there's one thing you haven't noticed. From April 22 to May 3, you only wrote down a pile of unimportant personal affairs and almost never mentioned anything about the base. We've read your diary, and the last content about the base is that on the evening of April 24, you mentioned that the construction would officially begin the next day, and then there's no more. To be honest, I've read your diary over and over again, no less than ten times, but the words I can find about the construction of the base are no more than ten lines.

[Silently, Jeff closes the notebook and gives it back to Scott.]

Scott: I have to remind you that your state of mind was pretty bad in the first few days after you came back, Mr. Brook. I suppose you seem to have experienced severe emotional hits, and that's why we need to know what happened from May 3 to May 12.

Jeff: 3 to 12… well, I don't remember anything about that. But it seems that there was a huge flood tide on May 10. You know there is a sea on Level 994.

Scott: Then what on earth happened? Did that flood tide affect your construction progress? And is your mental state relevant to that flood tide?

Jeff: I said I don't know! I really don't know! What the hell are you saying?

Scott: There are a great many things about you that are suspicious… in fact, there are many points that I doubt just from speaking with you here, as you skirted around everything we needed you to explain. Do you know what I think? Yes, maybe we did send one "Jeff Brook" there for construction, but you are not him anymore, and according to the M.E.G. standard, you may be regarded as an entity now.

[At this moment, the assistant comes in and reports to Scott the statement that only one constructor was sent to Level 994 for construction was confirmed to be true and relevant information has been found in the database.]

Jeff: See? You wouldn't believe me…so can you explain why I was the only constructor sent by the M.E.G?

Scott: That's not my business. In fact, maybe some of my superiors should be regarded as entities too. Anyhow, this level is quite abnormal… It seems to have an ability to effect reality and our minds. Obviously, it doesn't seem to want us to build a base there.

Jeff: Well, what are you gonna do?

Scott: I'm going to send agents to thoroughly explore this level to figure out what the problem is. I'm sorry, you have to be suspended from your duties for some time, during which we will dispatch specific personnel to observe you.

[End Log]


The following records were found in the M.E.G. database and are presumed to be the audio of exploring Level 994 from M.E.G. agent Richee James, but no such agent could be found in the personnel database. Relevant personnel inquired about the content of the audio. Dr. Spencer indicated that although he intended to send agents to explore Level 994, it had not been implemented. Therefore, the audio is only for reference and the authenticity cannot be guaranteed.

[Begin Audio]

Richee: This is agent Richee James, appointed by Dr. Scott Spencer to explore Level 994. I don't have a camera so I will send back the audio recording in real time. Now the recording equipment works well, and I'm gonna introduce everything I see and accept commands from the base.

Richee: I walked through the iron gate and arrived within the level. The tide seems to be ebbing now because I can't see the end of the beach. What an ebb!

Base: The entrance is on the mountain on the west side of the beach, so I recommend that you go north first and turn southeast after reaching the end, then return to the entrance after reaching the other end. According to the data, Level 994 is finite so you can do that.

Richee: Copy.

[The sound of walking.]

Richee: The beach is clean and I didn't see any trace left by Jeff. I can't even see a hammer here, let alone large building materials.

Richee: It's the same here, very clean. I didn't see any threatening entities, nor friendly ones, so I seem to be the only one on this wide beach. There's only the sound of waves apart from the sound of me trampling the sand.

Base: No signs so far? Keep walking.

Richee: Nothing…nothing at all. Are you sure Scott is not lying? Please don't let me do this in vain.

Base: Be serious.

[…]

Richee: Hey base, are you there?

Base: Yes. Did you notice anything?

Richee: No, nothing yet. I just…want to talk, it's too quiet here.

Base: We've been listening in the headphones so you can speak whenever you want.

Richee: Okay.

[…]

Richee: Hmm…I'm almost at the end of the north now and I can see the cliff that has nothing but sand. Do you want me to turn?

Base: Sure, you can go southeast now.

Richee: I'll walk close to the sea.

Base: Just keep a distance.

[The sound of walking and waves gradually expanding.]

Richee: I'm about 15 meters away from the sea now. I'll walk along here so at least I can still hear a bit of noise from the sea.

[The sound of walking and the waves.]

Richee: I see some pebbles on the beach. Oh! I'm gonna try ducks and drakes.

Base: Don't-

[There is slight distortion and the sound of splashing after the pebble fell into the water is not captured.]

Richee: There's still no signs of buildings. I think we can draw a conclusion.

Base: Please continue.

Richee: Okay then.

[…]

Richee: Gotta say, things are starting to get weird…I feel that the sound of the waves is…unreal.

Base: What do you mean unreal?

Richee: I was born in the Frontrooms and I've been to the sea before. The sound of the waves in the Frontrooms is…the pure sound of spray, giving me an intoxicated sensation, and I can feel the vastness of the peaceful and grand sea. I was far from the sea and now I get closer to it, and I feel the sound of the waves is very…mixed or just…noisy, which is definitely not entirely the result of the movement of water.

Base: You mean…

Richee: I want to keep away from the sea, 30 meters is fine.

Base: Okay.

[The sound of walking and weakening waves.]

Richee: When was this place discovered?

Base: About 9 years ago.

Richee: 9 years? Such good climate and safe environment, and you guys…you didn't think of buliding a base until this year? And only one person was sent?

Base: I have no idea. Maybe the flood tide will destroy the buildings.

Richee: I don't think so.

[…]

Richee: No, no, I can still hear the sound of the sea…the noise of it…this is not the pure sound of the sea. I'm standing on the beach but…this is not the sea…this is not…pure water. It's not.

Base: I don't understand.

Richee: I…I gotta get closer.

[The sound of running.]

Richee: I'm only 5 meters away from the sea now, and the noise is obvious, but not clear enough. So I gotta get closer.
Base: Don't go any further. Get back to the safety now!

Richee: Don't bother me, I'm just 3 meters away now. I may be touched by the sea at any time but that sound…it makes me panic, so I must listen and figure it out. The exploration will be a failure to me if I can't do this…

[The sound of the sea becomes louder.]

Richee: Shit…I probably know what happened to Jeff.

Richee: I hear…the sound of machines, tracks, jets, talking, shouting, crying, friction, howling, and praying…

Richee: Except for water. This is not water!

[The sound of swallowing and then there's seconds of silence.]

Richee: And I see…things. The water is clear so I can see a lot of things down there. I see…rust, debris of buildings, daily necessities, and…

Richee: Faces. Oversoaked, swelling faces. The facial features are completely twisted and the barely recognizable eyeballs have already popped out of eye sockets. The hair is all gone, and I can see something fibrous floating on the edge. The nose is gone too, only two holes left.

Richee: And the color…is just the color of an ordinary sea which is…transparent, and I can't distinguish it from a distance…It has been confusing us. Have we been confused by this calm sea for nearly 9 years?

Richee: Look at these twisted faces. The lips are still moving… No, not lips, they have already rotted and fallen off.

Richee: All the faces are talking. Their voices mix with the sound of roaring machines and whistling winds, but I can still vaguely hear them saying…saying…

Richee: Leave before the tide comes.

Base: Richee!

[The sound of quick running and weakening waves.]

Richee: 40 meters away. I'm back to safety now.

Base: We'll talk about your punishment later. The mission is terminated, you have to come back and make a report on what happened just now.

Richee: Copy that.

[The sound of walking and weakening waves.]

Richee: Base, can you hear me? The beach suddenly fogged up, I can't see my surroundings.

Base: Walk in a straight line, and don't stop.

Richee: I'll try my best.

[The rapidly growing sound of waves.]

Base: Hurry up! Did you get to the entrance?

Richee: On my way! Right on my way, but…

Base: But what?

Richee: The tide is coming.

[End Audio]


Bases, Outposts and Communities

There are no bases, outposts, or communities on this level.

Entrances And Exits

Entrances

Walking through an iron gate engraved with the word "EXIST" in Level 11, Level 221 and Level 422 will send one to Level 994.

Exits

Please just go back to where you came from, the tide is coming, you must leave before the tide comes.










SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY:

Class Pending

  • Non-existent
  • Non-existent
  • Non-existent

This level doesn't exist. Do not believe any content on this page.


We all stayed here. All of us together. I still often miss the seas in the Frontrooms. They're so serene, so extensive. I miss the never-ending waves and my aquamarine fantasies.

I miss walking on the beach with people in swimming suits.

It may be the same here, feeling my body softening, rotting, decomposing, and scattering.

Is that sea…

Is that you…

Do you…do you still remember me…

I don't want to be forgotten. I exist here. I've become a part of the sea.

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