It was miraculous what a difference sight could make. Whereas before the Abyss Labyrinth had been an unknown, inhospitable dungeon, it now seemed more like a clean, orderly facility to Alan. Gone were the shady pathways, the ever encompassing darkness. In their place Alan was able to see well maintained metal roadways, connecting the overall facility in a logical manner like detailed circuitry. While there was still a depth which Alan could not penetrate all around him, he had plunged into the darkness before, it was no longer unknown.

Boldly, Alan strode up to the doorway that blocked his path, noting the letters and numbers painted onto the wall. Consciously, he attempted to find an AI presence to interact with. His mind immediately thought of the Connect ability he had gained, and he felt his subconscious activate some protocol. A faint presence began to power up. Alan sent it a message immediately.

Greetings.

… Systems Initializing. Error. Warning: Limited Power.

Greetings Traveler. Warning: Main Systems Offline.

Right, can you let me in? I have something that contains some energy, and wanted to test it out. Alan held up the crystal he had received earlier.

Energy signature recognized. Hypothesis: Enough energy for five months in Low Power Setting. Adequate… for now. Please follow the designated path. Traveler set as friendly. Please do not fire upon defensive structures and workers. Sector 3 Chief Warden will guide you on how to deposit the energy.

Resuming Power Savings Mode. Estimated remaining power supply for limited functionalities: 3,000 years. Please contact the Authorities and repair or supply a permanent power source, Traveler. Current threat level: Gamma.

The connection ended. Alan’s quest failed to update, but he did receive a notification that he was now on friendly terms with the Abyss Labyrinth, which hopefully meant the wardens wouldn't attack him. Alan pushed against the doorway in front. This time, as a whirling of gears sounded, Alan could see a metal tunnel extend outwards from the structure, downwards to his right.

Not questioning it, Alan proceeded forwards. This central hub area looked to be in somewhat better repair than the one he had been in earlier. A few metal desks and tables remained, while the screen held fewer cracks. There was a flicker of light as the screen suddenly flashed to life, displaying what Alan assumed to be a map.

The hub that he was now in was a green circle. Hundreds of other circles were displayed as well, showing a vastness to the dungeon that Alan couldn’t quite comprehend. If he was reading it right, this map was equal in size to North America. Eve let Alan know that this was only a portion of the facility. One of four red squares was shown to be Alan’s destination, roughly 50 miles away.

Um, we aren’t expected to walk there, are we?

Eve sent a mental shrug. Proceed down the path provided.

Sighing, Alan went into the corridor open to him. As he made his way to the end of the hallway, he found himself in front of a metal slide. Remembering his earlier slide, Alan hesitated.