One-Sided Secrets: Stories Unfolded Through a Single Phone Call

The blue wire. Not the teal one, the royal blue one. Snip it. Good. Okay. This is a bit more hands-on than last week’s problem, isn’t it? Unfolding all those one-sided secrets on a phone call feels... quaint now. Just breathe. You’re doing great. Now, look for the ladder on your right. It should be three meters past the junction box. Tell me when you see the yellow stripe. No, don't worry about the noise. It’s just the pressure settling. The whole level is unstable. You see it? Good. Go down. Slowly. The rungs are slick.

I’m watching the heat signature on my side... it’s still stationary. Whatever it is, it hasn't clocked you yet. Keep your light pointed at your feet. How’s your leg? … I know. I know. Just a little further. The access tunnel is at the bottom of this shaft. It’s a straight shot to the old service elevator from there. We get you there, we get you out. What do you mean, it’s not there? The schematics show… wait. Wait, okay. The wall collapsed. Damn it. Okay. Okay, don't panic. I’m looking for another way. Pan right with your light.

Slowly. Tell me what you see. Pipes… conduits… anything with a service panel. That sound. Was that you? Oh god. It’s moving. It’s moving. Go. Now. To your left. There’s a ventilation duct. Do you see a grate marked seventeen-B? It’s not a good option, but it’s the only one you have. Go! Of course it’s locked. Okay. Use the pry bar. Put your back into it. I can hear it getting closer on the feed. It’s fast. Faster than they said. Come on, come on, come on… It’s open? Go. Get in. Don’t look back, just crawl. It’s a straight line, about fifty meters.

It’s going to be tight. Just keep moving forward. I’ll meet you at the exhaust port on the surface. I’m already on my way. I know it’s dark. Just… think about that bar in Monterey. The one with the terrible jukebox. We’ll go there when this is over. I’ll even let you play that song you love. Just keep crawling. You’re almost there. I can see the light from your end on the exterior camera. What? No. No, that can’t be right. The schematics… they end. Anna, the duct is blocked. It’s a dead end. Get back. Turn around and get back here now!

Anna? Anna, talk to me. ANNA! I hear it. The echo… you found another way. A drain pipe. You’re out. You’re in the water. I see you. You’re okay. You are okay. Wait. What was that splash? That wasn’t you. Anna… what came out of the pipe with you?