A wall made out of lead

"So tell me about Earth," Lirien said, her eyes briefly leaving the rugged road that winded ahead. Her hand was on the steering wheel, but she turned to face Hiro momentarily.

"What about it?" Hiro asked, seeming almost uninterested.

"Everything. The environment, the people, the women. And what was it like to be leader of the Zlanov Crew?"

"Well," Hiro began, his gaze distant as he recalled his memories. "Earth, it's a planet with diverse landscapes, from lush forests to vast deserts. People... well, they can be kind, cruel, and everything in between. As for being the leader of the Zlanov Crew, it had its moments of chaos, but we were like a family, looking out for each other."

"We're here," Lirien announced, gently pulling the space rover over. They both gathered their weapons and exited the space rover.

Hiro cast his gaze around, taking in the alien landscape. Jagged rocks jutted from the ground, casting long, eerie shadows in the dim light.

The air was tinged with the faint scent of sulfur, making each breath feel alien. "So what's this place? And what are we doing here?" Hiro asked Lirien as he looked around.

"This," Lirien explained, her eyes fixed on the mysterious, abandoned Arcadian factory, "is an abandoned Arcadian factory. It's been like a black site; we knew nothing about it until they suddenly abandoned it two days ago. We've been getting some strange energy readings."

The factory, though abandoned just two days prior, already bore the initial signs of decay. Despite its recent vacancy, a thin layer of dust had settled on surfaces, and the air held a stillness that contrasted with the recent hustle and bustle that must have taken place within its walls.

The abrupt abandonment gave the place an unsettling aura, as if its workers had fled in haste, leaving behind an enigmatic atmosphere waiting to be unraveled.

Hiro followed her gaze, his curiosity piqued as he took in the enigmatic structure. "Energy readings, huh? Sounds intriguing."

The screen in front of Hiro's eyes suddenly lit up, and Nova, who had been quiet all through the journey, voiced out in Hiro's head.

[New Task Assigned.]

[Task: Locate the sublevels.]

'Sublevels?' Hiro questioned Nova in his thoughts. 'Does this place have a sublevel?' he asked, a hint of curiosity in his mental voice.

[That's for you to find out.] Nova replied.

"Shall we?" Hiro said to Lirien who was strapping her weapons on. She brought out two portable scanners that resembled a mobile phone.

"Here. Kaida had them programmed already to scan for the specific energy signatures." She explained. "You know how to use one of this right?"

"Of course," Hiro said, collecting the scanner from her.

"Great, lead the way." She said to Hiro.

'Nova? Display the blueprint of this factory.' He said to Nova and the screen changed immediately to display the blueprint, with 2 dots representing him and Lirien.

As Hiro and Lirien moved through the extracting factory, the scanner directed their path. The factory was a labyrinth of dimly lit corridors and vast chambers filled with the remnants of machinery from another era.

Broken conveyor belts and rusted equipment stood as silent witnesses to the facility's abandonment.

In one of their hushed conversations, Lirien whispered to Hiro, "This place gives me the creeps. It's like a graveyard of forgotten technology."

Hiro nodded in agreement, his eyes scanning their surroundings. "I can't shake the feeling that there's more to this place than meets the eye."

Hiro, walking a few steps ahead, studied the blueprint on his screen as they moved. His keen eyes noticed an empty space marked on the map. 'What's in there?' he asked Nova.

[Seems empty.] Nova replied.

Hiro's curiosity got the better of him. "There's no way an empty room will have some sort of ladder or stairs. Seems I should go check it out," he mused, searching for a way to separate from Lirien temporarily.

As they continued deeper into the factory, they reached a point where the scanner directed them in two different directions. Hiro swiftly took charge of the situation. "I'll go this way, and you go there. Comms are on; we'll meet back here in, let's say, 20 minutes?" he suggested.

"Sure. Let me know through the comms if you find something," Lirien replied, and they both went their separate ways, their footsteps echoing in the abandoned factory.

As soon as Hiro rounded a corner, putting some distance between himself and Lirien, he stealthily pocketed the scanner and changed his course toward the mysterious empty room.

Upon reaching the room, Hiro noticed that the door had a peculiar lock mechanism. "Weird, huh? An empty room with extra security," he muttered to himself, leaning in to examine the lock screen. "Can you unlock this, Nova?" he asked.

[Of course, host. There... you... go,] Nova replied, and with her assistance, the door unlocked, revealing a small, seemingly empty room.

Hiro entered cautiously, but to his dismay, the door began to close behind him. Panic welled up within him. "Hold the door, Nova," Hiro urged urgently.

[I can't, not until the door locks before I can open it again,] Nova replied.

The door shut, and Hiro was trapped inside. In a swift response, he activated his X-ray vision, scanning the room for any hidden clues. His gaze settled on the wall opposite the door, but there was something unusual about it. It seemed like something was blocking his view.

Frustrated, he hit the wall and demanded, "What's this?"

[A wall made out of lead. Why?] Nova inquired.

"Switch to heat vision," Hiro commanded with a sense of urgency.

[Why?] Nova questioned.

"Don't ask me why. Just do it," Hiro replied, his instincts telling him that there was more to this room than met the eye.

[Switching to heat vision,] Nova confirmed as the room began to reveal its secrets through thermal imaging.

[There seems to be something beyond those walls,] Nova observed.

"I think so too," Hiro agreed, his eyes catching a false tile on the wall. His fingers brushed over the surface until he found it, and he counted to three in his mind before pressing on the tile.

'This should open a secret passage or door or something,' Hiro thought to himself, anticipation building.

However, as soon as his hand left the tile, the ground beneath him suddenly gave way, and Hiro found himself plummeting into an abyss of darkness. Panic coursed through him as he descended into the unknown.