No, wait… Alan frantically racked his brain for reasons he should be let in, yet, in the nervous state he was in, couldn’t think of any off the top of his head.
Alan took a deep breath, telling himself to calm down, hoping he didn’t look like an idiot simply staring at the Administrator, breathing heavily due to the run over.
All right, can you please wait a moment to contact the person who gave me this task? he finally asked.
Certainly.
Alan quickly sent a message to Phantom:
Alan: Hello, Phantom? Are you there?
Phantom: Huh, what? Why are you contacting me so early in the morning? I just fell asleep.
Alan glanced at the clock, it was 7:34 a.m.
Alan: Um, sorry for the disturbance, I had a few questions about the task you gave me. I’m having trouble entering the Undercity, and was wondering if you had the authority to grant me access to the Administrator entrance.
Phantom: Grant authority? You mean you went up and asked the Administrators to enter, and they just said they needed what exactly?
Um, who can authorize my entrance? Alan asked the administrator.
Any officer in any organization rank D or above or a party member that meets the minimum safety requirements should suffice.
Alan almost face palmed, he should have asked this question earlier. He could have hired a bodyguard, without annoying Phantom. Of course, the bodyguard might have betrayed him, or maybe Phantom was planning a trap… No, he wouldn’t risk getting on the Chief Administrator’s bad side, right?
Alan: Um, apparently any officer of an organization rank D or above has to grant me the authority.
Phantom: Well, I think I’m an officer and the Black Rose Guild is an A rank guild, so I guess you’re in luck, kiddo. Give me the Administrator’s contact info.
Alan quickly did so.
All right, Traveler, you are granted permission to enter the Undercity. Please wait here for a guide that will take you to the entrance.
Okay, thanks for your help!
Alan cut off the connection with the Administrator, sending a quick reply to Phantom.
Alan: Thanks a lot for the help, they said they’d let me through! Um, a quick question, how far away is the place that holds the package? I’m a bit worried about time.
Phantom: Really? It was that easy? Huh. The destination isn’t too far, just maybe a twenty minute run from the Administrator’s entrance. Your quest should update itself.
Alan: Oh, how did you expect me to get into the Undercity? Um, also, I don’t suppose you could give me any sort of emblem that would grant me some sort of authority as a courier of the Black Rose guild? How am I supposed to let them know you sent me, otherwise?
Phantom: I hear most people sneak into the entrance. I wasn’t even aware the Administrators knew it existed… Also, sorry, as you aren’t yet a member yet I can’t give you any sort of emblem. Now, this package pickup is sort of under the table so don’t tell them who sent you, okay? No mentioning the Black Rose guild or me. Tell them the boss sent you to pick up the designated package, the quest will give you the info about it. These deals happen all the time in the Undercity. Now, I’m getting back to sleep. I was up late doing guild stuff. Important guild stuff. Only message me again if the planet’s about to explode or something like that, okay?
Alan: Um all right.
Phantom ended the conversation.
A few moments later, a humanoid figure wearing a grey, flowing robe walked up to Alan. Like so many other people, they had a hood on, hiding their face. A gruff, digitized male voice said from beneath the hood, “Are you Alan?”
Alan nodded.
“All right, follow me.”
The figure turned around, surprisingly agile despite Alan's assumption it was an older man or construct. Alan rapidly followed the guide down a back hallway, then through a series of red walls of light. Each time they turned a corner or entered a hallway, the lights would turn on above them. When they left, they would turn off, plunging the area into darkness. Each and every inch of space was the exact same grey, silver metal. The walls, the ceiling, even the floor.
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.
Alan closed his eyes and concentrated, quickly having Eve bring up an image of the girl, telling himself it was to figure out more about her, not just to look at her. A few details had escaped his initial glance. Upon closer inspection, the stave he had seen had a number of light blue glowing runes on it, making the girl a Psionic ability user. Additionally, the blood on her didn’t seem to stem from any obvious wound, making Alan suspect it was someone else’s. Finally, her ears were distinctly pointed, making her a space elf or something. Eve quickly brought up a list of about 20 humanoid species with pointed ears, which Alan closed.