7/29/1987

As I walked into the Complex, the usual yellow walls and buzzing lights greeted me. Johnson already had the rope on him, so we were clear to start the exploration. As we walked, we talked about things such as how we found out about Async or Mr. Beck’s failed assassination attempt. This went on for a while, but we found nothing except yellow hallways and lights. 

That is, until I heard something.

I turned around and it seemed to be coming from another corridor. I walked ahead of the others into the hall, and as I got closer, the noise started to sound more like a crowd of people. I then turned again to the source of the sound, but instead of people, all I found was a dead end. The chatter was definitely coming from the wall, but how? “Hey guys, do you hear this?” I asked my comrades. No response. I turned back to the hallway where they were walking past me. “Hey!” I called out, but they didn’t stop. All of a sudden, a flash of black light obscured my vision, and just like that, they were gone. I ran into the hall and turned to the right. 

“Guys?” I asked. They weren’t there. I turned to the left. Still no one. “George?!” I called out, panic rising in my voice. I ran forward only to find more hallways. No, no, this wasn’t how I would die. I had to find the exit. I kept walking, but then found some kind of auditorium. The walls were still yellow, and the carpet was as moldy and brown as ever. However, there was a pile of what seemed to be charcoal in the center of the room. I went over to it and touched it. Thanks to the hazmat suit I was wearing, whatever chemicals it contained didn’t poison me. The substance definitely wasn’t sentient since it didn’t move or produce any heat. I immediately went back to searching again. 

I then came across some kind of security room with a poster of the Async Foundation on it. I was relieved to see a sign of my employers, but the poster also seemed recently placed. I opened the door to find power grids and computers all over the place. The room smelled fresh, and was dimly illuminated by blue lights. “Is anyone here?” I asked out loud. Just then, the lights turned a glaring red and an alarm went off. Three guys in hazmat suits burst through the door and pointed their rifles at me. However, one of them noticed my nametag and asked “Adam?” 

“Yes,” I replied. “Why?” The guard took a deep breath and then . . .

“Sir, you’ve been missing for 4 years.”