Info
Paradise 997 is the first act of my original series "Origins".
Wrote by Charles Delameuh, GLed by
Clinically Insane
Critic(s) : Clinically Insane
Tech Help: ReyDay
The purple M.E.G. theme is a derivate of the M.E.G. Edgy theme by Kai4C
Inspirations : Level 171 "A Grand Illusion" by UnforseenDrop; Level 66 "Exhibit" by
A_Large_Toaster; Level 611 "The maze, the creatures, the monster" by
Sariastuff; and mostly my weird dreams.
M.E.G. Notice
The data from Operation Dark Travel has finally been recovered. With the acquisition of the last piece of the puzzle, we can now gather all the information regarding this famous Level 997. First and foremost, it's important to know that communication with the outside world has been proven impossible when you're inside this level. On the face of it, this might be a handy way of keeping the level safe from unwanted eyes, but it's more of a hassle than anything else, especially when it comes to sending data back to HQ.
- Senior Researcher Mutsuki
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Introduction
Level 997, named under Operation “Dark Travel”, was originally discovered by a M.E.G. Operator, affiliated with the “Track Mappers” regiment.1However, all communication with him was suddenly cut off while he was still on Level 217.
Shortly after the incident, the M.E.G. Overseer Circle2 launched a rescue operation, under the name “Brightstar”, with the deployment of a rescue team with the mission of finding the missing operator. The rescue team comprised three operators: two members of Team “Micheal”3 and one member of Team “Jack”4.
We recovered several notes left by our missing operator, but at present we still don't know what happened to him. The search was finally called off, and the operator was declared “MIA”5. And that's not all, as two of the operators from the rescue team deployed on Operation “Brightstar” have also been declared “KIA”, leaving operator Seras Valentina, from Team Micheal, as the sole survivor of the expedition.
This newly-discovered Level caught the attention of the Overseer Circle, and in particular Overseer █, who launched Operation "Dark Travel" shortly after the Operation "Brightstar" incident, in turn sending a team made up of M.E.G. elites.
- Senior Researcher Mutsuki, ██/██/████
SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY:
Class omega
- Classified Documentation
- Covert Operations
- Entity Domination
Security Classification: SECRET
Security Protocols: Under direct orders from the Overseers Circle, information regarding Level Paradise 997 is restricted to all individuals not involved in Operation “Dark Travel” and must, at all costs, be kept secret from wanderers and other groups. Any leak of information will be met by severe disciplinary measures.
Security Justification: The void, a major element of Level Paradise 997, is currently under investigation as its properties and origins could lead to undocumented areas of the Backrooms.The guardian of the gates of heaven will take good care of them.
Description
the void
The indestructible windows give the view of an everlasting purple void where the exterior of as yet undocumented Levels can be seen in the distance, in the same way as the Blue Channel.
The space station is about 20 kilometers long, since you'll essentially hit dead ends from this distance. What's more, the further into the station you go, the safer and in better condition it becomes.
A notable observation was made about the structure of the Level. Paradise 997: although the level consists mainly of a series of maze-like corridors, with compartments similar to those of a science-fiction spaceship, several places and compartments seem out of place for such an environment. Please refer to the expedition log for further details.
Sector 1 - A Derelict Space Station
One of the multiple hallways of the first sector
After waking up, you'll find yourself in a narrow room with a single window giving the wiew of an unrealistic purple void. Once you've opened the obstructed door after a few attempts, a gloomy corridor in very poor condition will appear before you, with a failing sliding metal door at the end of the corridor. Indeed, you'll even notice the door emitting electrical sparks. Once you've reached the door, you'll feel a sense of dread, as if something bad is about to happen…
The first areas resemble the interior of a gloomy and derelict space station, with occasional compartments linked by narrow corridors that can extend in several directions. But, only one direction allows you to progress further into the level. Communication screens displaying advertisements and miscellaneous information malfunction at regular intervals, while lighting, metal sliding doors and electronics in general barely function, making exploration more difficult than it already is.
Most of the time, the loudspeakers emit broken jazz music with a sinister air, making the premises more lively, while the PA system6 controlled by what appears to be an artificial intelligence, which will, at times, partially interrupt the music by making statements that can be as informal as they can be disturbing; things an AI isn't supposed to say, at least. The guardian warns the unwanted guestsTo top it all off, a smell of petrified flesh and an absurd amount of blood and human remains invade much of the corridors and compartments in the first sector. In addition, notes left by deceased wanderers are commonly found throughout the sector. These are systematically written in their own blood, on scraps of paper, notebooks or even walls in some cases.
After walking for a while, the area shifted into an atrium with architecture similar to those built in France in the early 1900s. This place was both very familiar and… disgusting, a very strange sensation indeed. It reeked of petrified flesh and most of the place was painted in blood. After passing through the auditorium at the end, we found ourselves in what appeared to be a large shopping mall with a glass ceiling right in the middle, which gave us the impression that the purple void was about to crash down onto us.
Sector 2 - Party Rooms
an arcade room
If I remember correctly, I think I mentioned earlier that, on certain occasions, you'll find yourself in places that have nothing to do with the main theme of the level. Well, sector 2 is a case in point.
In fact, once you've passed through the shopping mall located just outside the 14-kilometer starting point, the area turns into a party room. The walls are decorated with multiple fluorescent symbols illuminated by neon lights. The place gives off a relaxing aura, almost making you forget the horrors experienced in the first area.
We immediately suspected a possible connection with entity 67, but as it turns out, there's no evidence of their presence, or even existence, here.
The party rooms feature bowling alleys, neon mazes, arcades rooms and playgrounds, where you'll find an ample supply of edible food, almond water and a variety of equally useful medical equipment. What's more, the speakers play “joyful” music in the background and the AI behind the PA system intervenes with a much friendlier voice.
You could say that the second sector is the perfect antithesis of the first, but as to why it's right in the middle of a space station? I'd rather not think about it too much, anyway, in this alternate reality, nonsense is common sense.
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It is coming…
Sector 3 - A Quiet Space Station
After 17 kilometers, the area reverts to its state of space station with its labyrinthine corridors, except that this time the premises are in almost brand new condition, all clean and tidy.
Throughout the fully functional laboratories, spacious storage rooms and machine rooms, you will find valuable high-tech equipment, as well as terminals and computers containing logsbook whose handwriting is illegible. These are sigils that most probably have a special meaning, but we haven't managed to decipher them yet. Only the numbers are identical to ours.
Once you have reached the 20-kilometer mark, which is the limit of the level, you'll have a choice of four paths, each leading to four different loading bays housing several carcasses of Entities 90. We strongly believe these entities were once responsible for maintaining and operating the space station, but we have no solid evidence to support this theory.
A large airlock door can also be found in each loading bay. Behind each airlock door is a large decompression chamber. There are two red buttons, one to open the first airlock door from the loading bay and a second to open the second airlock door leading directly to the void mentioned several times in the article. In addition to the buttons, a control room is located high up in the same compartment, allowing you to open both airlock doors remotely. When you trigger the opening of the second airlock door, the first will close automatically before triggering the opening of the second. Once the second airlock door is open, any people or objects in the decompression chamber will be sucked into the void, and the safety system will automatically close the door after 10 seconds.
We've listed the airlocks below.
This one sends you straight into the void. We have theorized that the void will take you to one of the islands seen afar. However, we have not yet carried out human tests due to our limited staff. To be tested in a future operation.
- Senior Researcher Kyle Riah, 11/01/2024
Entity
We were warned about hostile entity presence but there's nothing to report at the moment. Not to question command but, is the information we were provided correct?
A unique entity, nicknamed "the Whisperer", wanders the station. The entity seems to be devoid of any physical form and can only be located by its dreadful whispering sounds, which become more intense as it gets closer to you. It would explain the countless corpses found inside the level.Additional Documents
Meeting between Seras and Overseer █
Title:
The discovery of a new level, and possibly another realm
Date:
December 22, 2023
Description:
Immediately after escaping from Level 997 as the sole survivor, Operator Seras Valentina, still to this day devastated by the perilous expedition, received a call from Overseer █, who asked to see her in his office at Base Omega. Seras is very wary of him, but she felt the necessity to inform the M.E.G. at least.
<BEGIN RECORDING>
When Operator Seras arrived at Omega Base, on Level 4, Overseer █ was already waiting for her in his office.
Overseer █: Seras, my dear Seras. What a relief to see you back safe and sound!
Seras: Is my return the cause of your good mood? Or are you happy because I'm about to tell my little story, █?
Overseer █: Come on, my dear, hasn't anyone ever told you that your attitude spoils your charm? Hm, why don't you tell me your story?
Seras: You're so predictable, you insensitive old bastard… [Taking a deep breath] Fine, I'll talk. It's not like I've got anything to lose anyway, but you can tell your fellow Overseers that they better do my teammates justice.
Overseer █: [while maintaining his usual demeanor] Wise decision, I'm listening.
Seras: Although our adventure since our arrival is worthy of a piece of horror fiction, the nightmare really began when we were in a kind of atrium reminiscent of those built in the early 1900s in France, as Antoine mentioned. More precisely, we were stuck in the auditorium towards the end. The setting was a complete departure from the “spaceship” environment of the earlier areas. Broken jazz music played continuously from old gramophones hanging in the corners as speakers, while the wooden doors proved much sturdier than the sliding metal ones. As we were breaking down the door blocking our progress, I noticed a surveillance camera pointing in our direction. There was a red dot lit up next to the lens, as if someone had been watching us all along…
Shortly afterwards, we could hear whisperings. The same ones we'd heard in the corridors of the first zones, but this time they were more intense… more terrifying. I could feel in my whole body a shivering sensation, and that's when I felt this thing coming towards me. I could only watch as darkness started to invade the auditorium; the lights flickered intensely while the loudspeakers emitted a deafening static noise. I could no longer see Antoine or Operator Anderson, as if they had suddenly vanished into thin air. In the heat of the moment, I threw a firesalt bomb in front of me and emptied a full clip of .308 loaded with firesalt ammunition, hoping the thing was only invisible, but these actions had no effect whatsoever.
When I turned around, the previously blocked door had opened, as if by magic. I didn't ask myself any questions and started running, having the feeling that something terrible was going to happen if those whispers reached me. I have no concrete proof about this thing and therefore only my words can support my statements. But it seems that this thing isn't as fast as it looks. On the other hand, when I was running away from it, I could feel intense headaches… My worst memories came flooding back. I could hear hallucinations of my loved ones screaming in agony. Memories of my past life, long before I found myself in this cursed yellow labyrinth, flashed through my head. Fragments of confused memories mixed together and was messing with my brain. All the while, they were being relayed to the station's display screens and loudspeakers. At times, I couldn't even tell the fake from the real; whether I was still alive or whether Death had already caught me.
While my thoughts were busy trying to make sense of all of it, I hadn't even realized I ran more than 10 kilometers straight. However, I do remember running through a shopping mall which then led me to “party rooms”, similar to the places we used to celebrate our birthdays as kids. Well, you're entitled to think I'm bullshitting, but I personally think these places are really part of the level… Anyway, at the end of my run, I came across an intersection with four paths numbered 1 to 4. I couldn't hear the whispers any more, but something told me I'd better get out of here as soon as possible. A large chalk arrow pointed to the second path. I decided to trust whoever had drawn the arrow and take the second path.
Overseer █: And what about the other team members ?
Seras: I was just getting to that. When I reached the loading bay, to my great surprise and relief, Antoine was waiting for me, sitting with his back to the wall. However, something wasn't right, something didn't make sense, I couldn't really tell if it was another one of those damn illusions or if it was reality this time. After all the sh*t I'd just been through, I decided to abandon all sense of rationality and instead of trying to figure out what was really going on, I comforted myself with the thought that I was finally reunited with him. We talked for quite a while, about our long journey, the day he saved me from one Wretch, our various adventures within the M.E.G., our quest to find his missing little brother… until the day we found ourselves in that damn level. I was deeply convinced that it was real this time… That we were both going to get out of this shithole alive… Or so I thought.
Seras: I'm sorry Seras, but I can't stay any longer. I'll see you again, I promise. I'll be waiting. Je t'aimes.” Those were his last words before disappearing under the blinking of my eyes. Those words still haunts me to this day…
Seras: Of course, what was I even expecting… Another mistake on my part, another one of those hallucinations, ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE F*UCKING LIES!
Seras: Shortly afterwards, I could hear those damn whispers coming towards me again, but this time, instead of feeling fear, I could only feel hatred. Judging by previous encounters, I'm pretty sure these whispers have something to do with all the hallucinations I've experienced so far. Including Antoine… This thing, this entity or whatever the f*ck is behind dared to play with me, like a vulgar toy! I couldn't even say goodbye to Antoine… I was no longer afraid of Death. This time, I refused to flee and remained motionless, waiting firmly for the whispers to consume me…
Seras: 5 seconds…
Seras: 10 seconds…
Seras: 15 seconds…
Seras: I opened my eyes. The whisperings disappeared… It took me few minutes to realize what happened but, it seems like it spared me for some reason.
Seras: I headed toward the airlock doors and pressed the red button next to it, sucking me into the void and sending me back to Level 217.
Overseer █: Well, well, well. I can say that your opus rivals the greatest works of drama! I'm really impressed…
Seras: …
Overseer █: Lieutenant Antoine Belfort. He was one of my most talented man and an such an honorable person. What will Team Micheal become without him?Seras: [Having accumulated anger] FOR F*CK SAKE! Don't you even realize how I've felt since that day? I've lost a friend, and much more than that! Antoine Belfort was like a big brother to me! He was the reason I joined the M.E.G.; HE BELIEVED IN THEM AND THEIR IDEOLOGY OF “BETTERING HUMANITY”; HE TRUSTED YOU!!!
And you… you lied to us about the real dangers, you neglected the risks we could face on such an expedition. AND ON TOP OF THAT, YOU DARE TO PRESSURE US INTO TAKING PART IN YOUR SUICIDE MISSIONS? When will your nonsense ever stop… Do you get a kick out of sending people to their death while your asses sit on a chair?Supervisor “: …
Seras: Yeah, that's what I thought. Pfft, and why am I wasting my time with you anyway? I have no reason to fight for your organization and YOUR f*cking interests anymore. After all, YOU AND ALL YOUR COLLEAGUES FROM ABOVE have sent us right into the monster's mouth!!!
From now on, you can count me out. Good luck with the rest, ███████, you'll need it.
Seras left the office without further ado, showing no sign of hesitation.
Overseer █: [Feeling no empathy or compassion whatsoever] Sacrifices needs to be done to move forward, you know. Especially in a dimension like the Backrooms… You were a great element Seras, but, I'm afraid, the next time our paths cross again, I'll be much less gentle, my dear.
Overseer █: [dialing]
Overseer █: HQ, Overseer █ calling. We haven't been able to locate our man. However, we got some juicy information… Send me four personnel at base Omega: one renowned scientist and three elite operatives. Brave and cold-blooded personnel, preferably; this entity could disturb our operations. As such, I'm launching a new Operation, effective immediately. Operation codename: Dark Travel. Security classification: secret. I'll be leading the operation. Overseer █ out.
<END RECORDING>
Bases, Outposts and Communities
M.E.G Outpost "Alpha-Omega"
A secretive outpost in the CCTV room of the space station, hidden in sector 3. Access to it is only possible through selected M.E.G. personnel or direct orders from Overseer █. The current headcount is 1 scientist and 3 elite operatives. It found them.
Entrances And Exits
Entrances
The only consistent entrance is to enter the marked pod on Level 217. You will fall unconscious and wake up in one of the bedrooms in the very first area.
There may be other entrances, as notes left by wanderers suggest they entered this level from Level 78, but we're still trying to find an entrance from there.
Exits
Opening airlocks found at the limit of the level.
Overseer Circle : Main Editor
Overseer █ : Supervisor
Anonymous : Drop The Mask
« Paradise 997 | Paradise 770 | Paradise 771 »
Offsets
Offset 0
Name: The Gates of Heaven
Offset 1
Name: Entity 997-A
Offset 2
Name: Drop The Mask
Offset 3
Name: Liberation