Wednesday, Feb. 12

Important art: renders of Levels 1 and 2, plus preliminary layouts, plus level descriptions/purpose added to the Design Document.

• LEVEL 1 DESCRIPTION
• It’s claustrophobic–no more than twelve feet across, maybe seven feet wide. The inside mess is part of the reason for this; aside from the tools strewn about, it just looks rickety. The walls are made of sheet metal and steel bars. There’s probably some newspaper patching the holes made by rats. There’s two pipes leading out of the top of the shop. They look like they run way up; cavernous. But if you’d look at it from the outside… they go nowhere. The shop can be more than cobbled material. 
• Christmas lights adorn the back wall. It surrounds a little space of curated wall; almost like a little shrine. Metal tacks and shreds are arranged as an impromptu art installation. Underneath, there’s a file cabinet. There’s one set of drawers labeled “Metropolis”. It’s in scribbly handwriting. The Barista didn’t write it, but it’s halfway open, so they’ve clearly peaked inside. It seems to be a lending library of gossip; not just about the Metropolis, but all of the Company.  
• There’s a main window; where the Barista passes coffee and tools to the workers. Underneath, a long counter made of dark wood. To the right, there’s a coffee part. The pot has a bunch of spare parts. It’s a well-worn patchwork piece of machinery. Who knows how many times it’s been dismantled and put together. It has scribbles and signatures on it, signed by members of the company. There’s a wooden name plate on it–the coffee pot has a name. It’s a work of pride.
• There’s piles of tools under and beside the counter; to rent them, scrip coin. A box sits on the counter full of branded coins; emblazoned with “#99” There aren’t many coins in it–the barista likes to lend things out for free. In fact, a few IOU notes and silly drawings sit in the box. Company #99 isn’t monitored very closely, so it’s a friendlier place than it should be. 
• The lending window is wide, and the sunlight peers into the shop. There’s a half-broken shade that should be coming down but clearly stuck. It’s dirty, moldy bamboo. Steps lead down the shop; rickety wooden pegs. At the bottom of the stairs–bright green flowers; like shamrocks. They are beautiful against the orange horizon. 
• Speaking of the horizon, you can see it from the horizon. That and the abandoned building across the way. The building is of old material and anchored by low walls. They’re a bit exposed; the stainless steel under the top plastic layer is shining through (think of the epitome of apple design). 

Across the horizon is the salty sea–a ghost white sea of bumpy salt piles. Even further is the Metropolis–a pink orange silhouette. But you know it’s massive just from it’s far off size. But it’s hidden behind a mass of clouds.

LEVEL 2 DESCRIPTION

• At some point… the Barista makes it to an abandoned refinery in the middle of the Salt Sea. 
• It’s rusted. But still a brilliant blue underneath. Pipes run from the top all the way to a cylinder breaking the ground. Two pipes nearby run from the ground all the way to the Metropolis. There are spackles of red–rusted paint and detail work around screws and the check panel. 
  • But the Metropolis doesn’t look any closer than it does from the coffee shop. It would be an impossible journey to reach it. 
• At this time of day, the neverending sunset is brilliant. It surrounds you. And the Metropolis looks beautiful against it. 
• Just a further past the refinery is a slope. And a gaggle of rocks. Empty beer bottles litter the area. And some tools were abandoned. It’s clear a couple of workers were hanging out here; not letting the impossibility of the Salt Mine getting them down.