THE SERVICE LEVEL
=================

The ladder ends at a narrow corridor. The first section looks homemade:
conduit, old telephone cable, faded Wisconsin utility labels, vacuum
tubes and military surplus hardware.

Then human construction begins merging with something else. Wires
disappear into surfaces with no connectors. Concrete gives way to black
material that seems to drink the fluorescent light.

On the wall:

    NODE 608
    SURFACE MAINTENANCE
    NO PERSONNEL BELOW RETURN LINE

The corridor branches toward clicking relays, an operator desk, a machine
room and a door that should lead outside.