Alan was led down into a hidden staircase within another stairway. It was opened when his guide pressed his palm into the wall. Alan saw a glimpse of a hand with only three long, clawed fingers. They walked down the staircase in silence. It led almost straight down, with no end in sight. After a few minutes, an exit abruptly appeared, which they took. Alan continued following the guide for a series of additional twists and turns. How he was ever supposed to have found his own way down here, he had no idea. Maybe that was supposed to have been part of the challenge.

Still, the place was definitely barren, so he probably could have gotten away with sneaking around. Alan hadn’t seen another living or mechanical soul down here. Finally, after around a half hour of walking, the guide stopped in front of a wall, which Alan assumed to actually be a doorway.

“Here is the lift down to the Undercity. It should be back up soon. 15 minutes down, 15 minutes up, a continuous ride between bottom and top. Once you get out continue until you reach the light.

"Let an Administrator know when you are back up and they will send someone to guide you out. Do not sneak around, as you are more likely to get yourself killed than find any secrets. Most of the rooms are empty death traps. Good luck with whatever it is you’re trying to do.”

Abruptly, the guide turned around and left, walking the complete opposite way they had came.

There are also numerous hidden sensors spread around this area, Eve let Alan know. I doubt Phantom or anyone else was able to come here without the Administrator’s knowledge.

Interesting. It isn’t like I planned on sneaking around here, anyways…

Alan silently waited in front of the metal wall, hoping this wasn’t some sort of practical joke. He should probably be more trusting of people, instead of imagining all the horrible stuff that might happen. Then, the wall suddenly opened up, revealing a metal room. Within was a girl, around Alan's age, who seemed as surprised to see Alan as Alan was to see her. She was tall and pretty, with long blonde hair and blue eyes.

The girl wore a grey, leather outfit with a hood, almost straight out of an assassin’s game, nicely accentuating a beautiful figure. Strapped to her sides was a knife and what appeared to be a wooden stake. Looking closer, she appeared to be wounded, with blood on her shoulder—

GET IN THE LIFT, NOW.

The door in the wall had begun to close, the room beginning to descend. Alan dived forward as the girl was jarred into action as well. They quickly moved out of each other’s way, eyes briefly meeting as they passed each other by, the girl leaping out, Alan diving in. Alan landed in the metal room, able to get a last glance at the girl’s shapely departing figure as she threw up her hood.