Chapter 20: Horrors At The Bottom Of The Ocean

The bottom meter of the stairwell was flooded with salty water. Unusually, there was a door at the bottom of the stairs, sealed tightly. It looked to be a standard door on an underwater vessel, but it was so rusted, it was amazing that it was even holding together.

I took a look around the stairwell for anything I could use to cover my bag to protect it from all the water, but as usual, there wasn't anything in here to help me. I felt like me having to leave my bag behind was going to be a common theme. Was there another hub on the other side of this one though?

If there was, that would be incredibly generous of this place, and maybe they have useful information. Ha! There isn't a single chance it would be like that. Even if there is another hub on the next floor, I wouldn't trust a single thing they told me.

I'd keep my bag with me, but if it really was holding me back, I'd just ditch it and take an elevator on the next floor to my camp setup on The Hub. Grab a new one and resources, I made sure that I didn't have anything of incredible value on me. The most valuable thing was the handful of acetaminophen tablets in a plastic bag.

I tried to open the door, but it took a long time. The handle I was supposed to turn was rusted shut. Even once I got the handle turned, the water seemed to be holding the door mostly shut. On the topic of water, I was angry.

Like I had predicted, after drying off and making sure everything was in order and not growing mold, I just ended up getting everything soaked immediately. I had left my bag on the steps while I fought with the door, just in case this was the only flooded area. The water came up to just above my waist, soaking everything beneath.

Wet and angry, I gave it my all as I pulled on the door. It wasn't budging, even slightly. Was there something else I was missing? There had to have been if I was pulling this hard and the door wasn't opening. Unless there was more water on the other side…

If there was water on the other side of this door, I was never going to be able to get it open at this rate. The amount of pressure on the other side of the door would make it impossible to open. Maybe if I somehow managed to flood this side too, it might work, but then everything would be underwater.

If the door was sticking for some reason other than water, flooding this side would just make it worse. Wait, what is that small thing at the top of the door? There was a small little lever, that once I pulled it, there was a *click*. The door slowly slid open with water rushing through the small crack.

The water was trying to pull me through the door, but since the door was opening slowly, I had plenty of time to escape to the stairs and climb out of the water. As I watched the water drain from the stairwell, I felt like an idiot.

There was just a small lever on the top of the door acting as an extra lock. Why would I use so much energy to try and move the door, when the answer was so simple. I could only shake my head in shame. I even looked around but missed it because I was angry about some water.

Once the water had drained as much as it was going to, I walked to the door and pushed it open a bit more so I could get through with my bag. The sight in front of me was surreal, and not so subtly terrifying.

I was at the bottom of the ocean.

Surrounding me was a glass tunnel. Actually, hopefully it isn't glass, as I'm not sure about glass' ability to withstand the pressure this far down. It was insanely dark outside of the well lit tunnel, accentuating the fact that this was the bottom. The gray color of the sand outside the tunnel was unsettling.

There didn't seem to be anything swimming around, but then again, I could probably only see a few meters out of the tunnel. My anxiety had never been so high. I wasn't prepared for this… I was going to absolutely, without a single doubt in my mind, die here.

I was terrified of deep water. I knew how to swim, sure, but what good does swimming do for me when I was so deep under the water that the pressure alone could kill me in a few seconds. It scared me to the point that I must have stood in the same spot for nearly half an hour.

Petrified. I eventually managed to force myself to move. I couldn't just stand here forever and wait to die. I had to take things into my own hands and take control. No one was going to save me if I said I was scared and needed help, I'm on my own. Time to act like it.

I take careful observation of everything around me in the tunnel. The stairwell was gone, in classic fashion. To my left was a door labeled 'Airlock', and to my right was a door labeled 'Interior'. I wasn't able to see what was on the other side of each door as they were connected to flat solid walls that were painted white.

Now, I'm not a specialist, but I think airlocks usually separate high pressure from low pressure environments. Using my amazing powers of deduction, I really shouldn't go over there unless I wanted to die. I had no way to survive outside this tunnel that felt like it was normal earth atmosphere levels of pressure.

One oddity I noticed though, was that gravity was different, I was lighter. Not like I could jump like I was on the moon or anything, but there was a noticeable difference from normal. I felt like maybe saying the weight of my bag had disappeared would be a good way to put it.

Distracting myself in small ways like this made me really forget my complete dread of the current situation. Of course it did, my hands weren't shaking so much that grabbing onto the wheel that spun the door open was somehow a challenge. Of course not.

Though, grabbing onto it was the hardest part. The door that led to the 'Interior' opened much smoother than the entrance to this floor. No tricks, just spin the wheel, door unlocks and swings open. How nice of the next hallway to be absolutely filled with horrid creatures that I could barely describe.

The floor of the hall in front of me was filled with a few centimeters of water, soaking my already wet boots. In the water was writhing black masses of… something. They looked like piles of decaying matter, but they were alive. They moved, and they reacted to my presence.

The sound of the door opening all the way and slamming into the wall made them all startle. They shook and shivered, as if scared. I was tempted to leave and go check the airlock side, but decided that this was easy enough to get through, I just needed to make sure these things wouldn't attack me.

I walked carefully into the room with my weapon ready, unsure what my ax could really do to these slime creatures. Probably nothing, but holding it made me feel a bit better. I walked up to the nearest one with my weapon ready as I approached.

It didn't do anything as I approached it, which felt odd. I didn't feel it was dangerous, but when it started to move towards me, I jumped back and swung my weapon down just in case it lunged, but it didn't. I could feel it looking at me.

It didn't have any eyes as far as I could tell, but it was a distinct feeling of being watched and observed. It wasn't aggressive, it just felt curious. I could feel its emotions almost develop in real time as it watched me. One thing I couldn't get past though, was the smell.

The creature smelled like it looked, decay. Just an overwhelming stench that burned in my nostrils, but I was curious about this creature. I needed to know what it was doing. Morbid curiosity fueling my actions now more than fear ever had.

The creature slowly started to change shape. The emotions it was emitting now were confusing to me, as it emitted fear continuously as its own form shifted into something that mimicked my current weapon that I was holding towards it.

Huh?

On the ground was a perfect replica of my weapon, but instead of wood and metal, it was pitch black and made of this decay. I licked my dry lips and reached down towards the new weapon on the ground with my free left hand.

My fingers touched it and I felt the strong fear coming from the creature, it was surreal. It was like the creature was trying to use fear as a weapon, but I wasn't scared of this thing. I could feel the fear it was emitting, it was my own fear it was digging from deep in my own mind. I knew it was, but it felt wrong.

I firmly grasp the weapon mimic as I keep myself calm under the torrent of surfacing fear. It was wrong, everything about this was wrong, and I wasn't supposed to do this. I wasn't supposed to be able to do this. The feelings of my own fear being transmitted to the active part of my mind made it seem fake, like it isn't actually my own fear.

Feeling something breathing on my neck, I swung the new weapon around behind me without even fully looking, and I saw myself, or more accurately, a copy of me. It was another of the creatures, but instead of copying my weapon, it had copied me, and it was watching me now.

While, it was watching as much as it could with the creature that had turned into a weapon sticking out of the side of its skull. Yeah, that was weird, seeing my own weapon in my own head. There was no blood, I don't think these mimics could bleed.

My curiosity had been sated, and the weird feelings from the mimic had stopped flowing to me so it was time to leave. The mimic had been affecting my thoughts more subtly than what I had noticed at first. I was stepping over the piles as they almost called out to me but I ignored them

It was different from the manipulation I felt on floor eleven. It was more subtle, it used a forward tactic that had me distracted, then made me act out of character underneath the surface level manipulation. I was honestly impressed. I would have never touched that creature made of decay if my thoughts were my own.

I would have ignored it, no matter how interesting it was that it morphed into a copy of my weapon, right down to the marks of wear and tear on it. The copy of myself was the weirder part. I didn't hear it going through the water at all, like it had been behind me the whole time.

A chill goes down my spine as I turn around, and the creature mimicked to my own appearance is directly behind me again. This time I use my real weapon with everything I've got. The mimic started to mimic not only my looks, but my actions. It raised its arms when I did, and slammed down when I did, but the key difference was that I had a weapon in my hands.

The head of the mimic creature fell to the floor and melted into a pile of goo again, with the body of the mimic not too far behind. I checked my surroundings to make sure there wasn't another and I ran. They were still manipulating me subtly, somehow. I should have heard the mimic follow me.

The next door was unlabeled, but I couldn't wait. I spun the wheel-like handle as fast as I could. It spun faster than I thought it would and slams loudly as it reaches the end of the internal screw. I pushed as hard as I could and the door swung open slowly, giving me plenty of time to look back in the hall and see most of the mimics looked exactly like me, with some having even changed to match my clothing and skin color.

As soon as I could get through the door, I did. Several of the creatures were immediately behind me. I had the urge to watch them more, and my curiosity almost made me. It was unnatural how much these mimics could control my emotions. So I closed the door, and it stopped.

I surveyed the new hall in front of me and it seemed empty, just me, the lights and the tunnel. I slid down the wall and held my head in my hands. I was exhausted, more than I should have been having just started the floor.

They didn't control my thoughts, but my emotions. It was dangerous. I couldn't do anything about it, they made me stand there, watching. They used several tactics just to try and get me to watch them. Was I even safe out here?

I had no way to tell if I was still being controlled. With floor eleven, I could feel the control effect, but here… I can't feel anything. I could feel them forcing surface level emotions, but I couldn't feel the subtle emotions. They also had some method interfering with my sense of hearing.

My hands were shaking.

I'm scared.

For the first time since coming down to these floors, I was actually scared, and didn't know what to do. It wasn't quite like the panic attacks on floor one, it was deeper. Terror was ripping through my mind and I was struggling. I wasn't fit to go on. I needed to take a long break here and calm myself.

I couldn't even see through my own tears.

…

Only after I had opened my eyes had I realized I passed out. I still felt scared, but it wasn't soul rending terror anymore. I slowly stood up from the ground and reassessed my surroundings. Nothing changed, it was me and this small hallway.

I could easily read the label on the other door from this side of the hall. It said 'Hall Seven', as if that meant anything. However, I would no longer be opening any doors labeled 'Interior'. I don't care if they might not all be the same. If I have to go through that again… I might be better off just heading back to The Hub forever.

So I just won't watch any more of those mimics. I know their tricks now, and can avoid them. My mind is my own and I am tired of the creatures and monsters in this place constantly controlling it. I actually wonder if it would be a good idea to train my mental fortitude somehow.

I could go back to floor eleven.

I really should go back there and train myself a little. It was foolish, and just an all around bad idea, but what if it worked, and I could resist these mind controlling effects. This was real life, and not a video game, mental fortitude wasn't a stat I could train.

The comparison here was like training a resistance to bullets. First of fall, who would even bother trying, and second, it was going to hurt like hell. As well as the fact that there was no way it would work, but trying might not hurt. Well, it was going to hurt and be extremely frustrating, but I will do it as soon as I find the next reliable elevator not on a boss floor.

With my mental state recovering, I got on with my journey. I needed to get through this floor before anything else truly horrible happens to me here. My hands firmly grasped the wheel on the door and I spun it around until the door slid open.

The hall ahead was dark, and I could see cracks on the outer walls. The hall was about to break, so I had to get through quickly. Once I cleared the door, it slammed shut unnaturally fast. The vibration caused by this worried me, and those worries were immediately recognized as I heard the slight sound of glass giving way.

I started to run without hesitating. I could hear the cracking getting louder behind me. The hall I was in felt long, and I couldn't see the other side yet. My ears popped as I heard water rushing from where I had entered the hallway.

The pressure was changing, and the water was rushing in. I was running as fast as I possibly could, the other door still wasn't in sight. The dark hall made it really hard to see if there was anything in front of me at all.

No time to panic, there was only running on my mind. Run faster. Run as fast as my tired and sore legs could take me. There was no choice. It was run or drown as the hallways filled with water. I keep running until my head makes contact with metal.

It hurts really bad, and my vision blurred at the edges as I grabbed the wheel. I spun it as I could feel water climb my ankles. The water was rising, but the door had already started to open. I slip through as a large wave of water splashes me against the wall in the next hallway.

Everything hurts as I slam the door shut. It clicks as the locks fall into place and the water stops coming through. I hate boss floors, I hate them so much. If this one is also fifteen rooms long, I'm going to die long before I reach the end. I've been through what, three, four?

Four rooms and I've felt dread regarding my own existence, and then almost died. The odds weren't looking good. I think it was time to consider turning around. If I left, I could always come back once I prepared better. Floor nineteen sucks, but is manageable. Then I can go wherever I want once I get to eighteen.

No, I have to keep pushing forwards. Going back now was easy, but if I couldn't get through this much, I would have no chance later on. I don't know how many floors this place has, but I have to get stronger, physically and mentally. If I didn't I wasn't going to survive.

So I walked forwards. Step by step I was going to get through this floor. No matter how long it takes or how hard it gets. No matter how many injuries I receive, I will see this floor through to the end. On the topic of injuries, I could feel a dull pain in my ribs from slamming into the glass wall, then slamming myself into the door.

Hopefully I hadn't broken a rib, but if I did, there's nothing to do other than suck it up. I'll rest on the next floor if I can find a safe spot. I poked around my ribs and felt one spot just under my left armpit that was extremely sore to the touch. I can finally use the great words of my old family doctor.

'If it hurts, don't do it.'

Advice to live by, right there. The next door had no label on it so I was a bit hesitant to open it. I did anyway though, as going back wasn't an option. The other side just made me shake my head in frustration.

The tunnel was dark, the lights on the side of the hall had gone out, but there was a large amount of some sort of bioluminescent creature sliding its way along the outside of the tunnel. It looked like it was a massive snake.

The glass seemed to be holding quite well despite the size of the creature. I walked into the room calmly. There was a door almost immediately after this one. The hall was maybe twenty meters long. I wasn't going to complain.

The snake looking creature moved faster once I was about halfway through the room. I could now confirm it was a large snake. If I stretched my arms above my head, this snake was probably still wider at the thinnest part I could see. Then its face pressed against the tunnel.

It looked directly into my eyes and its massive tongue hit the glass with a thud. Well, so much for staying calm. My heart started beating frantically as I could see the snake try to tighten around the tunnel. I get to the door and read the slightly worn out label 'Final Hall'.

With no other choice as the tunnel started to crack, I went through the door. The other side was overwhelming. It looked to be a cafeteria of some sort. Benches and tables filled the entire large hall. On the very far side, I saw the green exit sign that signaled my freedom, but something was odd here.

There was someone, or something in a deep dive suit sitting at a table between me and the exit. It was moving, and I wasn't sure if this was some sort of monster or if it was another one of the things that didn't want to kill me but was forced to.

So I was careful. I made as little noise as possible as I tried to walk along the outside of the room, avoiding its attention. That only lasted for so long, the thing, it looked directly at me. Inside the visor, I could only see a human skull, there was nothing living inside the suit, yet it waved to me.

Once I blinked my eyes, it was gone. Full sweep of the room later, it really was just completely gone. Was it a hallucination, or something else? I had no way of telling, but I beelined it for the exit. I got up on the tables and started running over them, as it was the fastest route.

There was nothing chasing me, and nothing trying to kill me, I just wanted out as fast as I possibly could. I was breathing heavily, which caused my ribs to hurt. There was something wrong with more than one, but I opened the normal looking door to the next floor with little regard for my own health.

I was inside the stairwell.

I did it.

I survived another boss floor.

YES!

I pump my fist in the air, genuinely excited. I did it. I made it through. There is no energy left in me though. I pushed too hard too soon. I wasn't ready to do this floor. So many things could have gone wrong, so many more things could have tried to kill me. I could have encountered more mimics.

But I didn't and in the end, as long as I make it to the next floor, it doesn't really matter what happens between point A and B.

So I celebrate my victory, no matter how small it may seem to others.