A man's loafers thudded through the subterranean passage. He moved with urgent, rhythmic strides, his shadow stretching and shrinking against the ground. High above, a series of rectangular glass skylights broke through the ceiling, funneling pale, natural light down from the surface in slanted beams.
The walls consisted of uniform concrete panels that caught the midday glare in sharp, geometric blocks, creating a high-contrast gauntlet of brilliant white and deep, obsidian shadow. As he walked, he passed through alternating zones of heat and chill. First came the warmth of the sun-drenched patches, followed immediately by the biting cold of the dark voids between the windows.
He reached the end of the hall and turned a sharp corner. A single wood door stood embedded in the concrete wall. He pulled it open and began to descend a flight of stairs that led even deeper into the underground. The air grew thick and still as he reached the bottom.
