The Loading Zone is the first of the man-made subsections and main access point of Level 520. It consists of two main areas: the Holding Bay, and the Gateways.

The Holding Bay

The Holding Bay.

Though fairly average-looking, the Holding Bay is a crucial point in the exporting process. This area is where we prepare and store all the goods that travel through Level 520. The Shelfers Union catalogs, sorts, stacks, and ships every last item, all of which come from the Warehouse.

It is an industrial storage area measuring approximately 4,000 square meters. The room contains various shelves, pallets, and holding pens specifically suited to our needs. While the area closest to the Gateways is neatly packed, the back area can easily be described as "organized chaos".

Many objects sourced from the Warehouse need processing for them to be ready to ship—this can consist of various forms of preparation. Depending on the nature of the item, it may require partial or full disassembly, with usable components stripped and cataloged.² Materials are sorted by type and condition; some are tested for stability and safety, cleaned, or unpacked when necessary, and, in some cases, reassembled or repurposed entirely before being cleared for distribution.

The goods are then loaded into applicable containers before being shipped to one of the many levels that connect to the Loading Zone.

Loading Zone doors.

The Gateways are a series of commercial rolling service doors, thirty in total, lining the northernmost wall of the Loading Zone. As their name implies, these act as our gateways to the wider Backrooms, the arteries of our entire operation.

Each door uses a carefully devised locking system to ensure that it will only open when we want them to. Built by Backrooms Robotics, the Gateways are equipped with the Keyway System, a proprietary technology utilizing Level Keys to create stable transportation thresholds that we can activate and deactivate with the flip of a switch. Each door is large enough to ship all manner of products and is able to safely fit two forklifts at a time, allowing for the expeditious transfer of goods.

Speaking of the forklifts, the Loading Zone is where the Shelfers' Fleet is docked and serviced. Sixteen units, all recovered from the Warehouse and brought back from the brink by our trusty Tinkerers³—they stand as the pride of the Shelfers Union and the backbone of day-to-day operations.⁴

Main corridor of Union Square.

Union Square is the center of our entire operation, serving as our home and logistics hub. The subsection was constructed around the central passage, known as the Pipeline, which existed before the establishment of this base. While the main corridor may not be much to look at, the connecting rooms were designed by the Backrooms Remodeling Company to our specifications. As a cost-effective alternative to building a subsection from scratch, they utilized existing architecture found within the many iterations of the warehouse.

The Shipyard

This hangar-style warehouse is filled with large steel shipping containers, retrofitted into the cozy living quarters of the Shelfers Union. Each container boasts a 40 m² floor plan, the layout of which is designed by the occupants themselves—ensuring that every unit feels like home. While the exterior may be rough around the edges, we have first access to a wide range of products and goods; "top-shelf" items often find their way to the communal stores, where the Shelfers have first pick.

The Shipyard holds enough containers for up to 600 Shelfers, though many of the containers are used as storage, recreational areas, and the infirmary⁵. These containers are stacked, up to three high, and arranged in blocks. These blocks form easily navigable alleys and pathways, with a second tier accessible through metal gantries and stairs. This area is lit by lighting fixtures in the ceiling that simulate daylight, which are deactivated at night to emulate a natural diurnal cycle. Various potted trees and plants can be found throughout the Shipyard. They add to the overall charm and help keep morale high.

Shelfers' living quarters.

Interior of one of the container homes.

The Cargo Commons

Cargo Commons west end.

A series of container stacks that house various shops and services, known as the Cargo Commons, is the prime attraction of the Shipyard. Shelfers can find all sorts of goods: food, clothes, art, electronics, and many other items. Benny's Boutique offers a great haircut, and you can even grab a drink at our very own bar, "The Rusty Hatch".⁶ While it can get crowded, the shift schedules rarely converge free time, so there's usually just enough room.

Dispatch; Communication department.

Just across the Pipeline from the Shipyard you'll find the entrance to Dispatch, the logistical center of our operations on Level 520. It takes the form of a large, off-white room with high ceilings and carpeted flooring. Most of the space has been converted into cubicles, desks, meeting rooms, and planning areas. It is not only important for our day-to-day operations but also for the B.N.T.G. supply chain as a whole. A great deal of planning goes into managing the Union and the vast amounts of goods that travel from the Warehouse. If the Shipyard is our heart, Dispatch is undoubtedly the brain of the Shelfers Union.

The work here is vast and unending⁷, just as much of a challenge as venturing into the Warehouse itself. The staff here are some of the best the B.N.T.G. has to offer, tasked with maintaining order across a system that is constantly in motion.

Nearly every aspect of our work here on Level 520 is logged, assigned, and routed through Dispatch. Information the Extractors⁸ relay back from the Warehouse is processed here, then used for both immediate routing decisions and long-term planning efforts. Maps of new sections and catalogs of all known products within the Warehouse are created and stored here. To add to the controlled chaos, Dispatch also acts as our primary information thoroughfare to other bases and storage facilities spread across the Backrooms. Almost the entire supply chain is logged and updated within the collective files of Dispatch.

Collectively known as the Warehouse, this area is what most people think of when they think of Level 520—an ostensibly endless array of warehouses, each varying in size, architecture, and composition. The rooms and their contents range from modern to archaic,⁹ most having their own internal logic that dictates everything from shelving systems to the items found within them. While some warehouses have consistently themed items, others have no discernible rhyme or reason—knowing the difference can save countless hours of exploration.

Some rooms lack shelves altogether, consisting of pallets, piles, or other less common arrangements. Be prepared for anything from densely packed to sparse and empty storage rooms. While each warehouse varies in condition, most internal systems, such as lighting or air conditioning, remain operational even when the area appears old or dilapidated.

Individual warehouses are connected by a variety of corridors and access points, with some warehouses having multiple exits—or none at all. The hallways, much like the warehouses themselves, often contain items or pallets, usually appearing as though they were in transit when abandoned. While some corridors are large enough to accommodate forklifts, the inconsistent mobility makes long-range travel impossible with vehicles. Almost the entirety of the Warehouse is traversed on foot, unless the individual area has an alternative mode of transportation. Items are then carried or, more often than not, carted to the Pipeline where they can be sorted onto pallets for transport.¹⁰

The Shelfers Union has mapped miles of warehouses and continues to explore new areas weekly. Each discovered warehouse is briefly cataloged, and signage is added to its entrance indicating dangers, number of exits, and the priority of items held within. Under normal conditions, this helps Extractors know what they're getting into at a glance. While the general room arrangement remains somewhat stable, certain conditions—namely blackout or restocking events—can cause abrupt shifts in layout and content within a warehouse.

Despite the extensive exploration conducted by the Shelfers Union, no definitive boundary to Level 520 has been identified, and it is assumed most of the level is still unexplored. While it's easy to be lulled by a false sense of security within the Warehouse, these uncharted areas pose great risk to both the uninitiated and hardened veterans alike. Careful planning and keen observational skills are necessary when venturing through Level 520—every excursion we take is done with weeks of preparation behind it.

Extracting the items found within the Warehouse is the entire reason for the Shelfers Union's existence. Level 520 is filled with everything from raw material to complex devices; it's our job to find and extract those items.

Most items within the Warehouse are unbranded or marked by unknown/nonsensical branding, though, on occasion, items with notable branding from the Frontrooms have been found—often accompanying products not usually associated with the brand.¹² The packaging for items is typically written in either English, Simplified Chinese, or an unknown/nonsensical language, though other recognizable languages have been found in smaller quantities.

Unlike many of the other levels that contain large quantities of resources, no Almond Water, Firesalt, or any other Backrooms-associated object has ever been found within Level 520. Items found here are often those one would typically find in a warehouse in the Frontrooms, though some anomalous or hazardous items do break this rule to some extent.

Although many of the items found are mundane and possess varying degrees of usefulness, others are deceptive—concealing dangerous materials, traps, entities, or even nothing at all. Learning to tell the difference is a skill gained through experience and requires a keen eye—things like misshapen packages, off-color products, or out-of-place merchandise are all clues seasoned Extractors look for. Even so, many of these hazards are undetectable until triggered, regardless of experience.

Below you'll find a summary of some of the more common products sourced from the Warehouse.

• Raw material
• Tools and Hardware
• Stationery Supplies
• Technology
• Food and Beverages

Warehouse containing drums of raw chemical compounds.

Level 520 holds vast amounts of raw resources, some of which cannot easily be found or replicated on other levels. Many of the more abundant materials like wood, steel, and plastic are too cumbersome to easily export and are only sourced for local use when necessary.

Things like bulk chemicals, copper, and other rarer materials can also be a challenge to move, but their value usually outweighs the effort. Some of the more popular resources are isopropyl alcohol (for use as a disinfectant), helium, fluorine, and sulfuric acid.¹³ Regardless of the type, raw material runs are almost always a time- and effort-extensive process that requires large Extractor teams to properly manage.

A cache of new unbranded chainsaws.

One of the most overlooked resources in the Backrooms are tools and hardware; every building project, workshop, and research center alike relies on all kinds of tools and fasteners to fulfill its goals. Many of these tools are difficult to make or require specialized molds and machinery to produce. The Shelfers Union supplies the B.N.T.G. and, by extension, other groups with much-needed equipment. Hand tools, bolts, screws, and power tools are a fairly common resource to discover. Other more specialized tools have also been recovered, though with far less frequency.

One of the most sought-after and rare types of products in this category is military hardware: weapons, armor, ammo, and other tools generally associated with warfare or defense. The single dedicated military warehouse that has been discovered was fully depleted before we fully understood the rules by which the level seems to operate.

Room filled with large rolls of uncut white paper.

There's a good chance that, during your time with the B.N.T.G., you've used stationery sourced directly from Level 520 without even knowing it. Paper, writing utensils, ink, glue, staplers—most office supplies circulating within the organization originate here.

The B.N.T.G. depends on this supply to such an extent that they have been restricted to two industrial paper rolls monthly. These rolls are transported to the Storage Unit, where they are processed into printer paper for internal distribution and trade with other groups. Currently, two major stockpiles have been documented, and, barring unforeseen complications, their combined reserves are projected to last until 2034.

As with most high-demand resources, bulk stationery warehouses remain among the most sought-after rooms to discover.¹⁴

Aisle filled with various contraptions.

Technology is commonplace throughout Level 520, though the usefulness of these finds varies greatly. Warehouses dedicated to this kind of equipment contain everything from outdated computers and damaged phones to loose electrical components, medical devices, and unfamiliar machinery with unclear function. While the volume is substantial, most items are either non-operational, incomplete, or incompatible with known systems we use. Easily recoverable equipment is typically stripped for parts rather than used as-is.

Functional devices do surface, but their reliability is inconsistent, and many require extensive refurbishment before being used. It's far more likely to find smaller caches of useful items in warehouses unrelated to general technology.

Operational units that we do not fully understand are typically sent for testing and, in some cases, have led to new technological developments.

Aisle tightly packed with pallets of mixed food items.

Food is the most inconsistent material sourced from the Warehouse. The most commonly found are what we call "mixed food"—things like canned goods, small boxed items, candy, or other common consumables. Some of these products are edible, though we must carefully check each lot. Like much of the Warehouse's merchandise, these items have a quite random array of ingredients that can often be harmful if consumed.¹⁵

The safer option is usually products like grain (rice, flour, oats), salt, spices, or other single-ingredient items. These are more consistent and typically do not contain harmful materials, and when they do, they're easier to detect.

A more popular product that we have discovered is alcohol. Whiskey, scotch, beer, wine, and rum—all spread through a total of four warehouses. These hot commodity items are carefully rationed to prevent a loss of stock.¹⁶

Blackout Events

Still captured from video of a blackout event.

Blackout events begin when all functioning lighting within a warehouse shuts off in rapid succession. There are usually signs that one is about to occur, but they’re easy to miss and happen fast. As it begins, the lights will start emitting a low buzzing noise that steadily rises in pitch until the bulbs deactivate. The effect spreads quickly, disabling anything that produces light, including equipment brought in from outside, such as flashlights or camera flash apparatus.

Without any natural light, the warehouse is plunged into an unnatural darkness, completely obscuring visibility.¹⁷ Notably, videos and pictures taken during the event reveal a heavy distortion and unknown visual artifacts that are not visible to the naked eye. While the lights are out, witnesses often report a low, whirling noise, along with vertigo and a pressure in the head.

The event typically lasts between 30 and 90 seconds. The lights will then all reactivate at once, revealing that the warehouse has shifted into a completely different orientation. Despite the changes to the internal layout, the size and general shape of the warehouse remain the same.

It is extremely important to remain still during a blackout event. Moving while the lights are out has been known to cause displacement within the warehouse—sometimes with fatal results.¹⁸

Instance of SHC caught on video.

There have been a total of fifteen cases of spontaneous human combustion reported since the discovery of Level 520 in 2017. The direct cause of this phenomenon is unknown, but circumstantial evidence points towards a product being involved.

In each documented case, the victim was interacting with an item on a shelf. Due to the substantial damage caused by the event, information on the object in question and the surrounding products is limited. Another consistency is that the warehouse in which the event occurs has always been newly discovered, further complicating the process of identifying the cause.

Regardless of the trigger, these events are highly destructive, with the heat produced by them reaching ~3,000°C based on circumstantial evidence. The combustion is so intense that the flesh melts and the liquid in the body instantly vaporizes, causing it to erupt, spreading molten slag throughout the area.

If you are a witness to this event, your first priority should be to avert your eyes and gain as much distance from the victim as possible. Immediately report the situation and do not approach the area. The temperature of the molten liquid can remain high for several hours, and proper precautions must be taken.

Typically the products within a warehouse in which spontaneous human combustion occurs will be condemned, for fear of triggering another event.

Restocking Events

Collection of restocked "products"

A restocking event is what we call the process by which new items replace products removed from the Warehouse. This occurs when a shelf, pallet, rack, or other form of container has most if not all of the items removed from it. This event doesn't happen immediately after the items are removed—in fact, the process has never been directly witnessed.

Restocking occurs after two prerequisites have been met: 75%-100% of stock has been removed from a unit and the warehouse is not being observed. The observational requirement extends to all forms of recording equipment—audio, video, and even thermal imaging from behind a closed door has delayed the event from occurring. Once the prerequisites are met, one of two things will transpire after ~48 hours.

Restocked items will either appear as near-identical replacements or as a featureless black cube. The amount of returned product depends on how much was taken: leaving a larger portion behind results in a more generous replenishment, while stripping a unit closer to empty significantly reduces what is restored. Fully depleting the stock results in all of the product being replaced by cubes, with no known method of reversing the process.

The black cubes that replace the products are made from an unknown material. They are brittle under pressure, nonflammable, nonconductive, and inedible. They hold no intrinsic value and can't be used for anything more than a trinket, despite many efforts to prove otherwise. A growing theory is that the warehouse needs examples of the product it is attempting to replace, and the boxes are a placeholder when it cannot replicate them.¹⁹

Though the previously mentioned phenomena are quite dangerous, nothing in Level 520 affects day-to-day operations more than the restocking events. They dictate everything from routes taken and exploration plans to extraction limits and market values. Unfortunately, despite all we've learned about the event, we have not determined a way to nullify the diminishing returns of products. Inevitably, all resources that we extract will be replaced by these cubes.

Shelf Life

Shelf Life; recovered in 2023.

Shelf Life is the name given to a species of physiologically diverse organisms that inhabit the Warehouse. They are composed of a protein-based, translucent material that forms into bundles and folds. They possess different variations of organs, be it livers, lungs, kidneys, eyes, mouths, and even ears—though it does not appear they need any of these to survive. The only consistent systems found in all Shelf Life are nerve clusters, a heart (or multiple), and a circulatory system.

These creatures have no discernible orientation. Even when they have limbs, movement is slow. Rather than walking they undulate or refold their bodies into a new position with each "step" taken. These peculiar entities have a very slow growth rate, accumulating mass based on their caloric intake. The average specimen weighs between 28 and 112 grams, with some reaching nearly twice that size in captivity.

Shelf Life are docile, only showing mild curiosity toward humans when they are able to perceive them. Their diet consists entirely of particulate matter, both organic and inorganic—dust being the most abundant in their natural environment. They have been known to also consume substances such as dirt, pollen, breadcrumbs, sugar, and salt. Due to their passive nature and minimal care requirements, Shelf Life have become a somewhat common pet among Shelfers.²¹

Shoplifter capturing an unsuspecting Extractor.

Little is known about Shoplifters, to the extent that we don't know if it's one entity or a species of multiple. From what we've been able to discern, a Shoplifter is a long, amorphous entity that dwells within the air ducts of the Warehouse.

They are composed of an unknown, black, and malleable substance that is capable of extending great distances. Whatever the material is, it's highly resistant to external damage—bladed weapons, bullets, and fire have all been ineffective at damaging the entity. Not much else is known about their physical appearance; they tend to use multiple appendages, or what appears to be appendages, typically numbering five or more. These are the only parts of the entity we have witnessed, leading to many questions and theories on the actual appearance of the creature(s).²²

The Shoplifters are highly aggressive, only being seen at times in which they are actively attempting to snatch a target. Their arrival is announced by an unmistakable clattering from the air ducts as they make their way to the vent. The appendages will then effortlessly remove the vent with brute force, bursting into the room and toward their intended victim. If the person is unable to hide in time, the Shoplifter will take hold of the individual and lift them back to the ducts at a high speed. Regardless of the size of the opening or the victim, the person will be forcibly pulled through the vent.²³

Due to their clumsy entrances and the relative rarity of encounters, procedures have been established to reduce losses caused by Shoplifters. Earphones, speakers, or any form of ear obstruction are strictly prohibited during extractions, as personnel must be able to hear an approach in time to react. Since all attempts to damage a Shoplifter have proven fruitless, avoiding the threat is the only reliable response. If the clattering is heard in the area, extractors are to get low along the shelving and remain silent. If the Shoplifter fails to locate a target, it will recoil back through its point of entry and leave the area shortly after.