Having completed his system shopping, Richard stepped onto a slit in the floor. With a soft pneumatic hiss, the slit opened to reveal a pod-sized elevator, gleaming faintly. He stepped inside, the interior minimalist and sleek, devoid of buttons save for a single, glowing interface panel. He pressed "Level -11."
The door sealed with a silent whoosh. Instantly, the magnetic levitation system engaged. There was no sensation of acceleration, only a sudden, profound drop. The elevator plunged downwards, faster than a freefalling bullet, the air pressure shifting barely perceptible as it tore through the rock and reinforced concrete. From merely fifty feet below the surface, it plummeted through thousands of feet of earth, bypassing multiple, shallower levels, until, at precisely 2,900 feet, it slowed as smoothly as it had begun, stopping without a tremor.
