SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY
CLASS 3
Environment: 5/5
Deadzone
Entities: 0/5
No Hostile Entities
A comet passing by August-1B.
Description
Upon entry into Level 188, wanderers are deposited on the surface of a small planet named August-1B bearing striking similarity to the planet Mercury. Resemblance between the two is noted in their size, grey, crater-covered surfaces, lethal levels of incident surface radiation, and extreme temperatures.
Athough this may initially lead wanderers to believe that they have actually emerged on Mercury, several key differences quickly prove otherwise. Upon further exploration, one may soon notice the following:
- Unlike Mercury, August-1B contains an atmosphere with breathable oxygen. However, the 10.2% surface concentration of O2 (as opposed to healthy levels of ~21%) is insufficient for sustained habitation without life-support systems.
- Temperatures recorded on August-1B are less extreme. Mercury has temperatures ranging from -173°C (-280°F) to 427°C (809°F), while August-1B's temperatures range between -98°C (-144°F) and 221°C (430°F).
- Despite similarities in the terrain of August-1B to that of Mercury, the former's ground actually consists of weathered metal oxides instead of metal silicates.
- August-1B orbits a blue supergiant, termed "August-1A", rather than a yellow dwarf.
Most importantly, August-1B contains a sizeable terminator (or "twilight") zone. Unlike Mercury, which rotates about its own axis, tidally locked astronomical bodies such as August-1B do not contain a day-night cycle. Having one side perpetually facing the sun (August-1A) and one side perpetually facing away, half of the planet is constantly engulfed in blazing sunlight with soaring temperatures, while the other half is plunged into perpetual, frozen darkness. However, the area lying just between these two halves remains at a relatively safe low temperature. Though these may reach the likes of 40° C (104° F), the small, ring-shaped region is able to support life, and may be traversed even without hermetically-sealed exploration suits.
Other Planets
Crystals, apparently from the surface of August-1C. Photograph recovered from the Space Station of August-1B. Authenticity of image uncertain.
Artistic representation of August-1D.
August-1B is only one of three planets in its solar system. The other two planets, named August-1C and August-1D, can be seen directly from August-1B's sky. August-1C, the closer of the two, appears to be comprised entirely out of crystals. August-1D, on the other hand, is thought to be a vast, ocean-like planet, theorized based on its orbit to have its own moon.
Comets are also numerous in Level 188—as many as 1,000 distinct comets have been documented in orbit of August-1A. Consequently, the skies of August-1B are frequently visited by mesmerizing meteor shower displays, especially in the months between April and September. Meteors are often colored blue-green, but have also been observed in white, purple, pink, and orange hues.
Space Station
Photograph of August-1B's space station taken by a very old camera.
August-1B is home to a massive, dilapidated space station. Exploration of the location has been limited, due to challenges posed by August-1B's harsh atmosphere and terrain.
Initial Observation Logs: Space Station
Location
~ 1 mile (1.6km) west of entrance. Station is located on a plateau within a large crater, approx. 350 yards (320m) in diameter.
Layout
Approx. 1300ft (400m) wide, 1600ft (500m) long, 3 storeys tall. Due to fire damage, upper floors were inaccesible for exploration.
Key internal facilities include:
- 3 Mechanical workshops/garages (with non-functional air-locks)
- 3 Greenhouses
- 2 Scientific laboratories
- 1 Medical bay
- 1 Indoor gym
- 1 Observatory with telescope
- 1 Central operations/meeting room
- 5 Personal quarters/sleep chambers
- Numerous additional smaller rooms (bathroom, kitchen, storage, etc.)
Key external facilities include:
- 1 Rooftop solar array
- 1 Unmanned rover parking bay (14 rovers total)
Condition
- Life-support systems offline
- Internal facilities charred beyond repair
- Fire damage external as well as internal, appearing to originate from overloaded electrical circuits. Solar flare suspected as primary cause
- Observatory appears to have suffered cave-in well prior to facility's overall failure
Facilities bear marks of extensive and frequent prior repair, suggesting the station may have had numerous separate periods of operation.
Inhabitants
All inhabitants dead.
- 7 corpses found total
- Suspected cause of death: asphyxiation (5x), fire (2x)
- Numerous unmarked graves discovered outside facility, in proximity to garage air-locks. Body count uncertain
- Community of origin uncertain
Artifacts and findings
Identifiable artifacts are anachronistically mixed. 1960s, 1980s, 2000s and unknown (possibly Lost, Macchina, Steel?) tech are all present in varying degrees, suggesting periodic and varied use of the complex.
Markings from several unrecognized groups are present—"Cartographers' Republic", "Commonwealth of Space", "Backrooms Robotics", "Schola Obscura", etc.
Surviving documents/logs salvaged from station for further study.
Data compiled by Track Mappers 4-2 1st Sergeant Savant J. Pryce
The recovered records and artifacts appear to confirm the complex was operated by numerous distinct circles at different points in time. None of these communities are presently known to the M.E.G. or its affiliates.
In an attempt to make sense of its history and origin, the following artifacts have been recovered from the Space Station. In particular, journal entries from a deceased individual known only as "August" appear to originate from the group responsible for the station's initial construction and operation, and detail the circumstances which led up to her tragic death.
#1: "COMMONWEALTH" CD
DATE: 15th May 2011
DESCRIPTION:
This Compact Disk (CD) records audio of a party of several explorers from a significant group, known as the "Commonwealth of Space", arriving at the entrance to Level 188. This group is not known to the M.E.G. or its affiliates at present, and their origins and goals are unclear. Apart from the single CD recording, no items within the Space Station bear any clear indication (writing, insignia, etc.) of origin from the group.
<Begin Log>
Voice 1: Alright, we're here. Finally found the stinkin' place.
Voice 2: Heyooo-
Voice 1: SHUT UP Bradley, I'm recordin' here-
Voice 4: Blimey, it's roasting in there!
Voice 3: Thermometer says fifty degrees. We're in for a bad time, boys.
Voice 1: [Violent shushing.] This is Commander Daz of the Commonwealth of Space reporting in. We have found the window into the purported "Mercury Level" and we will begin exploration shortly. So—we all ready?
Voice 2: Uhh… actually…
Voice 3: Damn it Bradley, what now?
Voice 2: This… window… it's a little familiar… don't you think?
Voice 1: What do you mean?
Voice 4: Now that you mention it, doesn't this kind of look the entrance to that other place? The one that had-
Voice 2: The lampposts, yeah! The forest of lampposts? With the tiny square elephants? That one?
[There is a brief silence.]
Voice 3: I have no idea what you're talking about, man.
Voice 4: He's right, though… don't you remember? I was just telling you about it last week-
Voice 1: Alright, cut the chatter. Doesn't matter what this place isn't, what matters is we've found what the Commonwealth was lookin' for. Sharpen up, we're going in. Daz out.
<End Log>
#2: CARTOGRAPHERS' CASSETTE
DATE: 20th June 2004
DESCRIPTION:
This cassette recording describes several individuals, hailing from an unknown community known as the "Cartographers' Republic". Though they appear to mention the M.E.G., records of their existence are not known to the group, nor indeed did the M.E.G. exist at the supposed date. The recording was in extremely poor condition, and required extensive audio clean-up before its contents became intelligible.
<Begin Log>
Voice 1: Date 20th June 2004. Time 1734 hours. Expedition log number 76. There has been a strange aberration in the readings from the past seven hours. We suspect interference from the Major Explorer Gro-
[The recording suffers severe distortion at this juncture, and the voice is inaudible over the static for several seconds.]
Voice 1: -ppears to be growing at a much faster rate than previously anticipated. In addition, radiation levels seem to be spiking, so signal disruption is expected. Life support systems are holding, but we are on stand-by for evacuation-
[In the background, there is a commotion.]
Voice 2: OPEN THE DOOR!
Voice 3: I'm trying! It won't budge!
Voice 4: (In German) We're going to die on this rock.
[Static obscures the feed for several minutes. Nothing is audible until the last ninety seconds or so.]
Voice 1: If anyone hears us… We are frontiersmen of the twenty-second Legion of the Cartographers' Republic of Liminal Space. It is our-
Voice 5: (In German) Captain, do you seriously intend to die?
Voice 4: (Also German) Silence! How dare you interrupt the Pledge of Allegiance!
Voice 3: Sir, we must not give up while we can still get out-
[The individual speaking into the recording device raises his voice, attempting to drown out the noise around him.]
Voice 1: We shall leave no door latched shut, no gate left fastened, until the glorious day-
Voice 2: (Sobbing) We're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're-
Voice 6: (Cursing in Russian)
[Static continues to worsen. The voice continues, undaunted.]
Voice 1: … IS OUR HONOR TO LIVE, TO FIGHT, AND TO DIE IN THE NAME OF THE EMPRESS, LONG MAY SHE RE-
<End Log>
#3: STORAGE INVENTORY RECORD
DATE: 10th July 1987
DESCRIPTION: The following was found in a folder marked with the Cartographers' insignia. It contains comparatively recent annotations in English, Russian, and Korean, presumably by one of the Cartographers. The annotations, and existence of the record itself, heavily imply that the Space Station was in existence before the Cartographers' arrival.
Scene 08.7 Outpost Inventory Record
Storage Room 1:
- 10x Oxygen Tanks
- 19x Constantan Wire Spools (5mm)
- 22x Galvanized Copper Wire Spools (10mm)
- 3x Electric Drill
- 3x Electric Wrench
- 2x Butane Welding Blowtorch
- 2x Exo-sonic Screwdriver (Flathead)
- 2x Endo-sonic Screwdriver (Phillips)
- 4x Box of Assorted Nuts, Bolts and Washers
- 5x Box of Assorted Screws
- 2x Box of Assorted Runic Talismans
- 10x Can of WD-40
- 5x Stick of Superglue
- 8x Drone Tires 7x Drone Tires 5x Tires
- 3x Rubber Hose
- 5x Landovnium Nitrate Fertiliser Bags
- 25x Assorted Crop Seeds
Storage Room 2:
- 5x Grinner Exterminator canister
- 5x First-Aid kits 2x First-Aid kits
- 5x Fire Extinguisher
- 15x Peanut Water Emergency Reserves (10 Gallon/Can)
- 15x Emergency Rations
- 2x Flamesalt rifle (emergency use only)
- 1x TransDim Blood Gate (DIRE EMERGENCIES ONLY. DO NOT TAMPER.)
Storage Room 3:
Record 10th Jul 1987 by Quartermaster Jennings.
#4: JOURNAL ENTRIES OF "AUGUST"
DATE: July to August. Year unknown.
DESCRIPTION:
The following are several journal entries by a woman known only as August. While not all pages were preserved in satisfactory condition, entries which remained legible have provided the most clarity on the nature of the Space Station and of Level 188 itself. August's affiliation is unclear, though, from her writings, she appears to have been part of the group that originally built and inhabited the Space Station. The writing contains bizarre references to August's and her crewmates' non-anthropoid physical features (horns, tail, etc.), suggesting that her group may have consisted partially or fully of non-human entities.
22nd July
Heyoooo
Today's been pretty fun! Pretty routine in most senses (Growin da potato, doin da exercise, fixin da station) BUTTTT still pretty fun. Haha butt.
Highlight of the day—finally got a turn to pilot the rover, and it was SO FUN. Literally felt like a video game, with a lil remote and a joystick n everything it was so cute lol. Like, around 1300 hours we rigged him up, had to replace one of the tires, but we got him out and rollin' in half an hour. And we were off! Got him all the way out to Waypoint 7 to set up the new beacon! Got chewed out by the boss for stopping to stare at the scenery a bit too much, but meh it's aight. We parked the rover boi at the Waypoint overnight, since we probably need another four hours to get it back, and there isn't enough time for that left today. Eh, no biggie.
I mean, like, the SIGHTS! Man! How could I NOT stop to admire them? Rolling hills and dunes and dust blowing in the wind. Cliffs and mountains that stretch up and up and up and cast the longest shadows, and make your heart race as your lil rover teeters precariously on the edge. Wide, yawning valleys and craters that make us feel small like ants!! MASSIVE flats and faults as far as the eye can see.
Boulders in all sorts of funny shapes too along the route (I could SWEar there's one that looked like Squidbob near waypoint 4) and the COMETS. The comets are incredible. You can see 'em whirl and twist and flash and spin. Green and blue and white and pink! That and the gorgeous, huuuuge moons in the red sky. Okay, I'm bad at descriptions. Here's a pic!
[Regretfully, the photograph appears to have fallen out. Marks are evident where it was once clumsily glued onto the page.]
I've finally decided on his name too! Settled on "Possibility". Might sound a lil strange, but it does remind me of some of the Mars rovers. Like Opportunity! But yeah, I named him that because of what I've been seeing out there. Towering mountains! Gaping valleys! Bumpy craters! Rolling deserts! And just THINK of other planets besides! Alien sights like this are why I signed up to be out here. It's incredible seeing what's out there in the vast world beyond Ketuvvah… endless possibilities.
Dot says I'm getting too attached to him. I don't care :P Possibility my boved. My cool little beanie boi. Adorable little wheelie with the cutest teeny camera face… I luv him <3
OOP kinda abrupt, but I hafta go. Greenhouse is in trouble, LEDs on the fritz again… ugh. At least I get to hang with Gabriel. Still don't talk much with him, but he's chill. Wanna ask about the secrets to his tail tho, man looks fly even first thing in the morning right outta bed, sheeeeesh
More tomorrow! Or maybe Thursday idk lol just whenev I feel like it
K I really gotta go byeeee
24th July
Okay hiiiii
Uhh things are… not lookin good.
The greenhouse from two days ago? It's still not fixed. Not only that, the lights failed in Greenhouse Three as well. This is NOT GOOD. The potato patch in Three isn't mature yet. It needs constant light if they're gonna survive and grow. We're doing the best we can, but… they might not make it.
Poor babies :( I loved my potats. Not as much as Possibility, but… I loved them :((((
And of course, there's more. The watch… it's starting to act up. Before, it was ticking down normally, like a regular old clock. Ticking down once per second. But ever since the lights started acting funny, it's been… glitching. Like, sometimes the number ticks down two or three or ten instead of one.
Big boss Maddie says it's an indicator of some kind, for like, "tempura special" anomalies or something. I don't know what that means, but she was basically explainin' that if the watch gets to zero, there'll be this HUGE solar flare that'll make the whole station explode. Scary. She says the aberrations are probably to do with the smaller flares we were starting to see before the telescope broke again (Thanks to Wade >:| ). I mean, the number's at like, 3000 years or something, so I don't think we'll be in trouble, but… it's a bit scary, still.
We've all been really busy, but it's been nice talking to Gabe. Since we're the technicians on roster for the week, we've been the ones rushing around to fix everything, so we've been talking for like hours for the past three days. He's really cool actually. Waaay better at electrical stuff than me. I've just been handing him the tools mostly while he fixes things. And he plays the drums too! We had a lil jam sesh earlier tonight when we finally got off duty, and it was sickkkkkkkk.
Dot says we're cute together, but I don't think so. I mean, I don't like him like THAT, ya know. He's just a friend.
Okay actually maybe she's right… he IS kinda cute. I like it when he laughs. Maybe I'd consid
Gotta run, lights failed in Greenhouse 2 + air isnt working in medbay, it is NOT GOOD.
26th July
This. Is. REAL BAD.
Round lunchtime yesterday, Maddie gathered us all in the mess and showed us the Watch. Remember how last entry I said it was kinda glitchin a bit? Uhh well, now it's totally WACK. The numbers are clicking down like RAIN. Makes sense now that the lights have been acting up. The sun is going CRAZY for some reason we can't really understand. Temp's gone up, radiation shield's needed a boost too.
That's not all. The ticking is getting FASTER. It clicked past 2800 years by light's out yesterday. And it was down to 2400 by dinner today. Gabeyboy did the math… he says if it keeps goin at this rate, we're gonna need to be outta here by 29th.
And that's the worst part. If the clock doesn't stabilize soon, Maddie said we're gonna have to leave. And if we have to leave… we'll need the Bloodgate.
I don't like it. Inuve got REALLY upset, especially. But Maddie's kinda right. Someone's gonna need to go if we're all gonna make it out. She's gonna make it fair, at least. Everyone's name in a box, she looks away, ruffle ruffle, name out. And not until we're SURE that we need it. We all took a vote, and we agreed to wait another 2 days, at least. Phew.
If it does happen though… hope it won't be me (obviously) or Dot. Or Gabe. Ohhh gosh I hope it's not Gabe… I REALLY hope it's not Gabe. Anyone but Dottie and Gabe. Pls pls pls I just found a guy who's actually decent don't sacrifice him to the blood god right after :((((
Okay but seriously though. I don't want anyone else to go. Still miss Joghana after what happened when we first got here, before the station was up, and the place was still just a barren wasteland, and we were still sleepin' in the Mobile Base Truck (shoulda named him something too tbh, before we scrapped him. Ah well.) About Joghana though. Didn't know her well, but… having someone disappear right at the beginning of the mission. It was a ROUGH couple months.
Hope it all works out. I also hope that Joghana's still out there.
28th July
The clock never stopped.
We cast the lots.
They picked me.
29th July
It's time.
I don't know how to describe how I feel. I haven't eaten anything since I was chosen. I can't sleep either. I've shaved my horns, so that I can at least cling to some dignity as it happens.
There's no hope now, anyway. The watch is down to 500 years as I write. It'll hit zero within the hour. Gabe has the Bloodgate up and running.
Radiation shield's down too. Lura got caught in the sun when it happened. She's alright, but she's got a nasty sunburn now. Crops are all dead too, obviously.
I said goodbye to Possibility this morning. We finally drove him back from the Waypoint. We'd forgotten about him with all the chaos happening. I went outside, took him into the station, and rinsed him off. I knew no one else loves him like I do, and probably he'd be scrapped even if he survived. I wanted him to know he's more than some machine, or a hunk of junk. So I sat down and just… wrapped my arms around him. Gave him a long, tight hug. I couldn't let go, though. I kinda just sat there and… cried.
Dottie found me sitting there, clinging to Possy, tears n snot dripping off my face. She broke down too.
The three of us just sat there and… cried. Bawled our eyes out. For a long, long time.
I asked Dot to bring Possy through the portal. She said she would.
I tried to talk to Gabe, later on. He said he was busy with the portal. Told me to go away.
He wouldn't even look at me. I don't blame him.
I hope… I hope they miss me. I hope they make it out. I hope it'll be worth it.
I don't wanna go.
I've got nothing more to say.
So be it.
Goodbye.
In view of August's heartbreaking sacrifice, the M.E.G. has elected not only to name each planet in Level 188 after her, but also to create an entire naming system for celestial objects within the Backrooms, known as the August Celestial Object Nomenclature Scheme (ACONS).
Guide to ACONS
The existence of entire astronomical/celestial systems within the bounds of Liminal Space (Megaflora, Level 24, Level 78, etc.) has been equal parts puzzling and fascinating. The August Celestial Object Nomenclature Scheme (ACONS) has been devised to aid with documentation of such systems.
- August-1A: This component indicates use of the ACONS. The name has been chosen to honor August's legacy, and should never be altered or removed.
- August-1A: This number indicates the celestial system within the Backrooms to which the object belongs. In this case, Level 188 has been designated system 1.
- August-1A: The letter A denotes the system's Central Stellar Object, or CSO. This may be a single star, binary star, black hole, or other similar celestial object. The letter B indicates that the planet or star in question is closest to the CSO, and so on.
A complete guide to the ACONS may be found here on the M.E.G. Public Archive.
M.E.G. — Bettering Humanity
Discovery
Level 188 was discovered in May 2021 by an unnamed party of wanderers, who stumbled upon its entrance in Level 3 en route to M.E.G. Base Gamma. Following a thorough expedition by M.E.G. Team 'Troglodyte' of Regiment Track Mappers, the Space Station was discovered, and the artifacts above were collected for research and analysis.
Entrances and Exits
The only known entrance and exit to Level 188 is a single window within Level 3. The window opens up to a crater wall within August-1B's terminator zone, about a mile (1.6 km) from the Space Station.
At present, there are no other known entrances or exits.
Please note that additional entrances and exits found on other pages are not to be trusted. Their erroneous appearance has been attributed to the Mandela Effect.
Addendum
New file (188-LOG3.alog) added on date 10/10/2037. Proceed?
