The Station, Part 16 cont.

I’m stepping away from the wall again, just for the hell of it and look at the tunnels I’ve already explored and those I haven’t. They all look alike. All of them are vaguely oval shaped, with no discernible markings on the surrounding wall. I’m looking from one tunnel to the next. Feels like I’m playing that game from childhood. You know, the one where you have two pictures that at first glace look identical. Then you are informed that there are some differences between them. Of course they’re all very subtle things that unless you were looking for them they would otherwise be missed…missed like the fact that some tunnels entrances are slightly wider then others…son of a bitch. How the hell did I miss that before? I’m a damn idiot. The shapes alternative. I’m going back to take a better look, but yeah, they are definitely different. There’s at least two, no, make that three different oval variations. One is taller and thinner, another is almost but not quite round, and third wider than the rest. Now I have to think. All the ones I’ve tried on this side have been of the first two variations, the one I was going to try next is the third. Holy shit, I think I’ve figured it out. Have you? Well, why didn’t you say so? Damn, I could have saved myself a hell of a lot of time if I’d seen this sooner. I hope. Still haven’t proven my theory yet. But if I’m right, I think I’ve just read my first extraterrestrial road signs.

I just entered my latest tunnel, the one that is wider than the rest. So far it’s been a horizontal walk, but I’m betting my paycheck that it will start to slope down. It will. Watch. Okay still horizontal. Come on, don’t make a liar outta me. Bradley, you’re a freakin’ genius. You out there, you all owe me a paycheck. She’s sloping downward. And not too steep this time. Looks like I’ll be traveling down and farther out this time, away from that inner sea. I wonder if I’ll be below even that place. If so, it may mean I’ll have to do some backtracking. But if I’m also right about Frontier’s whereabouts, I’ll be on the same level as she. And if I’m correct in assuming the shapes mean what I think they do, I just need to find a tunnel that is of the roundest shape. I’m getting closer, people. I’m going to find my way back to Frontier and get the hell out of this space suit, take a hot shower and eat some solid food. Tunnel still isn’t sloping that much. Must be going pretty far out then. Could be a rather long walk back through one of the lower levels. I still left a beacon back at the beginning, just in case. Just in case. I’m not even going to consider that possibility anymore. I’m not going to kick myself for being so dense about the tunnel shapes. I’m now beginning think that there’s a lot more subtlety here than meets the eye. And perhaps it isn’t meant to be subtle at all. Maybe it’s blatantly obvious to something other than human. Of course, it would have to be. I’m not supposed to be here. If I thought more like them then perhaps this place would be very easy to navigate. It can’t just be tunnel shapes that provide direction. Reminds me of that dream. Didn’t mention it to you before. I’d forgotten about until now. Something about my discovery jogged my memory of it. I usually don’t remember dreams, but this one was very vivid. Maybe more vivid than any other dream I’ve had before.