Lorenzo snuck along the street, keeping an eye out for giant cockroaches as usual. He wasn’t far from the Sideways Hotel, where the mysterious ‘G’ had told him to go.
Flagtown looked different than the last time Lorenzo had seen it. More ruined, for sure. Buildings were starting to fall apart as they were neglected and the fearsome beasts that now roamed the streets got to them. Cars were tipped over, streetlights were shattered and windows were smashed.
Walking past what was once perhaps the best traditional tattooist in Melbourne, Lorenzo wondered if things could have been different. He supposed that the elites not launching a bunch of nukes at each other would have been a good start.
As he got closer to his destination, Lorenzo began to have doubts. He’d come all this way, but maybe it would be better if he lived out his days as a tattooist near Brisbane. It was a nice place, after all, but alas, he wasn’t trained in tattoo art. It would be a good end to his life, even if it was short.
No, he told himself. You’ve come this far. See it through.
And so he continued on, entering the ruined building of the Sideways Hotel. The lobby was empty, but a simple sign pointed toward the elevator up ahead. The button flashed slowly, urging Lorenzo to push it. Eventually, he approached and did just that.
The elevator opened up and Lorenzo headed inside. The buttons on the panel had been taped over with duct tape, so he simply let the elevator do its own thing. Surprisingly, it began to head down, even though there were no floors below as far as he could tell.
After about thirty seconds, the elevator pulled open, revealing a figure standing ominously in the darkness up ahead. As Lorenzo approached, the figure turned.
“Welcome, old friend,” said Gideon. “I hope you are ready to begin your new life in the underground. We have much work to do.”