There was a sound of tearing metal and crumbling concrete as both frame pilots went [i]down[/i], descending to the second level of the facility. It was certainly one way to get in.

Above them, the writhing arms shot over the hole, slamming into something with a loud, metallic thud.

The creature's mass was too large to effectively fit its whole body into the hallway they had entered, but how flexible it was and how capable it was of altering its shape remained to be seen.

At least, though, for the moment, it did not seem aware that they had descended.

In a contrast to the upper floor of the facility, where nature had taken hold, the level they had arrived at seemed to be largely shielded from such degradation. Certainly, a few plants capable of dealing with low light conditions seemed to have found their way in to grow along the walls, and there was a musty, damp scent. But aside from that conditions seemed remarkably better.

However, visibility was quite poor.

At least, for a moment. As if somehow detecting a presence, the lights slowly began to come on, starting from the pilots' location and spreading outwards. The floors were linoleum, the walls fairly plain and featureless, with evenly-spaced lighting fixtures on the ceiling. The featureless walls were occasionally broken by a door that likely did not conceal anything relevant to their mission. Ahead of them was a corner where the hall turned right, and all of this would have seemed relatively mundane aside from what marked the wall at the bend.

Something had cut into the wall. Three lengthy gashes, marked with a dry, red-brown stain.

There was other sign of violence, no discarded body.

[@JDubs][@ERode]