Level 522 - "The Backrooms Robotics Headquarters"

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Description

Level 522 is the designation of a complex megastructure of steel and machinery, rather hidden within the confines of the Backrooms. Its architecture can be likened to that of a gargantuan skyscraper, finite in width and immeasurably tall. No two floors can be considered identical, with area varying by the kilometer and inconsistent layout, although differences are hardly notable in any case. Despite its size, the level is anything but spacious, its floors randomly segmented into various rooms and littered with a myriad of objects, rendering the space claustrophobic and difficult to navigate.¹ Indestructible windows can occasionally be found, but lead to void; an 'outside' is not presently known or accessible. No top nor bottom floor has been discovered.

Obvious upon first arrival, nearly every surface is riddled with mounds and tangles of what can only be referred to as technological junk. Cables, circuitboards, and various other machinery are abundant, scattered about haphazardly or even embedded into the walls and floor. The sounds of grinding metal and scraping rust echo throughout the space, their origins extending far past walls and into unreachable places. While a portion of these mechanisms connect and work in predictable manner, the functions of many are unknown, if any, running into holes to nowhere and attaching at impossible junctions, as if their original purposes had been discarded; there is little pattern that can be discerned amongst the clutter.² While most are identifiable to common objects from the Frontrooms, occasionally found within the masses of wiring are incomplete pieces of highly complex machines, alien in design, composition, and nature; all known attempts to reverse engineer or complete them have been unsuccessful.³ The existence of all this 'tech junk' alone is an ever-present safety hazard on the level, making exploration and research a hassle. Level 522 is a skyscraper only in referral; it is not human-made.

It is difficult to discern the presence of 'life' within the Backrooms, and Level 522 is no different. Apart from modern exploration and habitation, organic matter is not present within the structure. In its place is machinery — infestations of sparking, lashing wires; jerking robotic machines; and walls of incoherent motherboards, to name a few examples. Whether or not a consciousness is present is unclear. Occasionally heard of are tales of explorers who have wandered far and deep into the bounds of Level 522, purporting to be searching for salvation within the megastructure. Of those who return, no details of their experience are willingly described. Of those who do not, material presence of their remains has yet to be found, though there are certainly claims to the contrary. The presence of a higher being(s) within the confines of Level 522 has not been determined.

In spite of these details, it is no secret that the level's potential is vast. Research into its properties and uses has been ongoing for years, though for most, results are limited. Of course, most is not all, and Backrooms Robotics continues to be on the forefront of technological development within the level, commodifying a once unsustainable research venture. Present within it now are a myriad of objects and machines, distinctly man-made, though seemingly not with the kind of engineering achievable outside the confines of the megastructure. Through trade, the reach of these creations has extended far past the bounds of the level, but their variety and concentration will always be highest within it; exact numbers are unknown.

Groups, Outposts, and Communities

Largely known through word of mouth, the level was for years deemed unfit for settlement; it was only in recent years that the structure's existence became more than rumours. Human presence on Level 522 in the modern day is largely dominated by the aforementioned technological company Backrooms Robotics. The structure serves as the group's main base and where a large part of their activities take place. The entirety of Level 522 is currently considered to be within Backrooms Robotics jurisdiction, and all known presence by outside parties occur under their permission. It is for this reason that extensive information of the level's layout and details is not publicly available.

It is difficult to overstate the level to which Backrooms Robotics has adapted to and modified the megastructure. While the Backrooms will never be fully understood, a non-insignificant portion of Level 522 appears to have been heavily integrated within the company and its activities, the masses of mechanical parts serving purpose for the corporation, and their own modifications following the structure's contours as seamlessly as the junk on its floor. Their employees are in many ways not too different, working their way around the disorganized space with a level of familiarity that suggests habitation for much longer than in actuality. Safety appears to only be a concern for those outside the loop.

For most of its existence, Level 522 was considered too environmentally hostile for benefit by most groups, a perception that Backrooms Robotics has certainly shifted. Under the control of a familiar enterprise, it did not take long for major groups to show interest in the level and its resources, using their previous connections to the company in an attempt to strike deals and partnerships. Today it is known that a large number of both temporary and permanent outposts are present within the structure for a variety of their own reasons, sharing the space irrespective of political alignment. Of course, these outposts are limited in their reach, holding no ownership over Backrooms Robotics' domain.



Access to and egress from Level 522 is mainly achieved through a set of artificially-modified Elevator entities that connect at the other end to Backrooms Robotics' Level 11 outlet.⁴ Sparsely found throughout Level 522 are doors with signage proclaiming an exit; they will lead to random industrial levels.⁵ All other known gateways are unreliable and borderline dangerous to seek out.