The Backrooms: Zeta Code

Chapter 3: The Museum

I stood up, dusting myself off. I looked around, and realised that we were in a very spacious auditorium. I realised that we were in a museum only when I saw Axel on the stage. He waved at us to join him, and we climbed the steps to get to him. When we joined him on the stage, I immediately could tell what was wrong. One of the soldiers were laying on the floor, unconscious. His arm had ten deep scratch marks, which concerned me. I went to take a look, and realised that they were all evenly spaced out, and I realised that they were claw marks from a single hand. I gasped at the realisation, and Axel nodded, as if his suspicions were confirmed. "He got to us like this," Axel explained. "He said he was in a three-story house when he got attacked. Jay and Ky were with him, so they might be able to give information. However," he sighed. "They went to find medical supplies in this level." I nodded, processing the information. I decided to explore close to the auditorium while I waited, and Axel said that he would radio me if anything happened.

I walked out into the halls and saw they were filled with art works and sculptures. Upon further inspection I concluded that this was a museum about the history of America, since it was all related to American-involved wars and artefacts. I walked along the halls, and strangely, the further I walked, the less sense the descriptions of certain artefacts became. For example, the plaque beneath a vase with intricate flower carvings read: "This skreelorp was found in a pit in Slamfergri, Quezelto. It has many intricate carvings of krelloblorps, causing it to be very precious within the Shrumborlgie community." I walked further down, and saw that even the artefacts started to be confusing. There was one that was just a soccer ball, in a pretty new condition, and a sandwich in a clear plastic lunchbox. However, what disturbed me the most was when I found an artefact that wss a sign saying: "HE'S COMING. TURN BACK NOW." I took this as my signal to turn back, and at that moment I got a call from Axel. "Hey, Columbus," he said. "You better come back." I rushed back to the auditorium, still disturbed by the sign.

The soldier on the floor was now conscious, and being tended to by Jay and Kash, muttering nonsense. He kept talking about something called the "Zeta Code", and that it was "the only way out". I looked at Axel expectantly, and he gave me a look that said: Not now. Later. Eventually they got him to calm down, abd he soon fell asleep. "Let him recover," Jay reached out to block me before I could inspect the man's injuries. I reluctantly stepped away, wanting to check on him. I looked around for Axel, and saw him at the entrance of the auditorium, waiting for me expectantly.
I followed him outside, and he told me everything he knew. "So," Axel began. "The Zeta Code is a code somewhere in Cluster II that will counteract the giant beasts that Elijah is planning to release. Yes, there are a few people here, but radio connections between Clusters I and II are impossible, and the only way in here is by Level 999, which not everyone can make it to. I know a guy here, who resides on what he calls "Square One", with five other people." He also told me that he can find his location, and that it would be very far away. The Zeta Code also has to be spoken to the giants to stop them.

All of us gathered at the auditorium as we prepared to drop down a trapdoor on the stage, Jay carrying the unconscious soldier. Suddenly, the lights started flickering, and a screech was heard from outside. I thought back to the sign, and my heart sank. "Get in," I told them. "He's coming." Far too experienced with this sort of thing, none of them argued and quickly jumped in. As I jumped in, I vaguely saw the black shadow dashing into the auditorium and felt lucky that we left in time to not have to deal with it.