Level 223 : "Gelatinous"

Level 223 is a translucent block composed almost entirely of gel. The level is approximately six hundred meters in diameter, and several cuboid air pockets can be found submerged throughout its interior. Subsistence on this level for an extended period of time has been deemed so far to be impossible.

Submerged in the level, only a few objects and entity types can be found. The entities excavated include Clumps and several Reviooks — all of which appear to be in a sort of dormant state, attacking only when fully released from the gel. The documented items that have been recovered consist of keys, books (in poor condition), coffee mugs, empty plastic bottles, and an assortment of miscellaneous plastic waste.

The area around Level 223 has the appearance of a cloudy sky. The clouds are situated both above and below the cube. There is no day/night cycle or weather patterns, although the sky has been documented to change colors. It can take on the appearance of a sunset, a sunrise, and multiple shades of blue and green.

Dubbed “cube gel” (colloquially referred to as simply “gel”), the composition of the substance that makes up Level 223 is currently unidentified. It has no nutritional value or beneficial properties. It has been confirmed to be non-toxic.

Cube gel is a non-Newtonian fluid, and its viscosity increases with applied stress. Any object or entity that stays in place while placing its weight on the gel will be inevitably absorbed. As long as the individual moves quickly and provides enough force with each step to cause the fluid to become thick, they will be able to stay on the surface.

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ｰﾛen File: hartley-messaﾀｴ.mp3

[A man’s voice begins talking.]
Unknown: “It took forever to find the right entry to say this in. God, what a pain in the ass… [static] …gotta make this database simpler.”
[Pause. The man coughs.]
Unknown: “Okay. Hey, I’m Hartley.”
Hartley: “The folks who contribute to the database have a philosophy, right? They… damn, I’m not sure how to start this. You want to find out more about this place. You want to keep people safe, and you’ll do anything to achieve that. I get that! I really do! I swear, I care. I’m only human.”
[He sighs.]
Hartley: “And that’s exactly why I can’t let myself focus on the greater good here; it’s because of him. If you see him, you’ll think he can’t be fixed. The others, they weren’t safe with him — if they’d been the ones trying, he would have been beyond saving! But I knew he was in there still, and I found him, and he hasn’t killed me yet.”
[Hartley laughs hoarsely.]
Hartley: “I can’t let him out. Partly for everyone else’s safety, but mostly for his. He’s all that matters to me right now. I’m trying to fix him. Like, uh, rehab.”
[Pause.]
Hartley: “Anyways. We’re here, in the emptiest place we could find. It’s, uh.”
[Pause, sound of fingers snapping wetly.]
Hartley: “Level 223, that’s it. I’ve been trying to find somewhere else, but I don’t know what he’ll do if they find us. I can’t trust him the way I want to. Every day, though, we sink in a little deeper. Into this situation, into this… isolation, into this place. I’ll wake up, knee-deep in it. It’s— in my hair, in my ears, under my fingernails. God.”
[Pause.]
Hartley: “So this is my demand, I guess. Please leave us alone. I know, I’ve lost my shit if I’m actually planning on staying with him and doing this by myself and— I’ve heard it all. Look, the only reason I’m even putting this here is because I think we’ll be leaving soon. Just have to say it while I can.”
[His voice falters.]
Hartley: “…sorry, this is kinda a lot. Christ, I hope this file goes through.”
[A muffled screech sounds in the background. It doesn’t sound human; the sound is rough and warbling, almost painful to the ear.]
Hartley [shouting]: “Okay, Jas, I’ll be in there in a minute!”
Hartley: “He was trapped, and desperate, and half out of his mind, and no matter what happened, it’s not his fault. It’s not his fault that he’s like this! He’s getting better, I promise, just give him-”
[Jas shrieks again.]
Hartley: “…time.”
File playback complete. Replay?

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Hey, this is Hartley again
I may have fucked up the data when I put my audio file in.
I’m trying to fix it; give me a moment.

ﾑﾐre eﾙﾀ e?C lo?ei sroO tuﾏ?s
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There are no bases, communities, or outposts

Entrﾕ軣e
nErtnaﾉ｢
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There’s a couple ways to get in. I had Jasper by the arm and we tripped into a ditch in
Never mind. Probably shouldn’t share that for our safety haha
Waiting for this entry to relσad
I’ll talk as I wait.

Don’t know if anyone’s even actually seeing this, anyways.
We keep getting transmissions. Cries for help on distant levels, radio check-ins on a frequency we shouldn’t be able to reach.

Yesteɾdαy, I heaɾd someone die. They screaɱed oυt α name: a friend, or a family membeɾ, or maybe a lover, αnd ɯent silent. There was nothing I could do but listen. I didn’t know their name, or where they were, or what killed them, jυst the name of whoever they’d thought of in their final moments.
It was intimate, in a way. A total stranger, their last words ringing in my ears. For all I know, I was the only one to hear them.
I try to keep my transmitter on. My signal can never reach far enough to respond, so no one knows I’m listening.
I don’t want anyone to be unheard. Even if there’s nothing I can do to help them,
No one deserves to die alone.

he didn’t.

I wondered for a while if I was the only one who knew about this. It couldn’t be possible, right? Over the time I’ve spent here, there’s been a couple stray visitors.

I think it’s the level, or whatever it’s made out of. Something about it allows you to receive messages from just about anywhere. I’ve been testing it out in my free time.
Depending on the distance of the broadcasting location and the quality of the original transmission, the clarity of the audio seems to be able to go from completely unintelligible to crystal-clear. And it’s there. It’s actually there, a human voice, reaching out from god knows how many thousands of un-linear miles away.

Back home, I’d call this some kind of scientific breakthrough, but it’s not, not really. Science doesn’t always follow the rules in this place.

I got your transmission, V. The answer is no.
…
Okay, I think I’ve fixed the issue.
Try now and see if it works.

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

Not really. I see a couple people going in and out, pretty often.
I mean, Jasper and I are here. We’ve been here for weeks? Or months?
I can be hｳnest in this, rig𝘩 t?_
It’s a little terrifying.
No matter how long I’m here nothing ever cɦanɢeֆ.
And sσɱetimes I think I’ve made a bɾeakthroυɠh with him. That he’s himself. That he knows me.
He has to.

One day, he reached out. He touchєd my face with his hand and he looked at me, really looked at me.
I miss the way things were more than anything. It’s never going to go back to how it was.

Entrances

Sorry, no. Redacted for our safety.
No-clipping into one of the aquariums in Level 43 will place you inside an air pocket located in a lower corner of the level. Closing your eyes and submerging yourself in a fountain in Level 11 will occasionally lead you to find yourself in this level. Climbing to any of the upper windows in Level 105 and pressing yourself through the stained glass is also a confirmed method of entry.

Exits

Sinking all the way through the cube will transport the wanderer into one of a collection of levels. Leaving consistently through the same spot will, more often than not, lead to the same level. This method is consistent but risky; entities submerged in the gel may attack. In addition, wanderers may not be able to hold their breath long enough to exit the level.

We can leave anytime, but I can't take Jasper until he’s healed.
I see you now.
Ha! That’s funny.
Finally, this time I’m the one talking,

and I know you’re there.

Aren’t you? I see your cursor hovering over the page.

I’ll have you help me out, if you don’t mind. It’s the least you can do.
Tell the others about us. Tell them not to go near him.
Thanks for your help — Hartley

Author: KeenestGreen

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