Skyscrapers & ... Groundscrapers? (RP)

Under his breath Herman says, "come on baby, Papa needs a happy, tall ,leafy beanstalk."

Well there was almost some grunting. I mean Herman is visualizing and at the same time literally willing a beanstalk into existence. Of course this involves a lot of core work (gotta keep up the pilates) which ain't gonna be obvious while wearing '*** Institute' (tm) overalls. If it his hoodoo worked you will hear a susurrus, that is, the rustling of (hopefully) big leaves coming from the elevator shaft. And if it really worked you will see big ole leaves sticking out of the elevator shaft that is now open.

- Herman, Fiona, and Arthur -

Up from the pit of the elevator a beanstalk grows. Were there beans spilled down there at some point in the past? Did it grow out of the detritus that has collected over the years? Did it spring fully-formed from the mind of one man? Hard to say.

The elevator shaft is now filled, as far as the eye can see, with ropy vines and massive leaves. The vines should make the shaft an ideal route up and down, though the leaves are a bit of a hindrance.

What do you do?

"… Damn" says Arthur. He briefly grips Herman's shoulder. "Nice work!"

He looks "up" the elevator shaft. It's dark and leafy up there.

"Fi, how many floors do you think we should go?"

- Fiona -

Your scanner's range is insufficient to pierce 30 stories of concrete, but you are pretty sure the 'heart', as you think of it, is not situated in the first half-dozen floors or so, maybe even the first full dozen. You shake the scanner and peer at it, there are strange readings closer than that, though, some above as well as those below in the dark.

The elevator beanstalk creaks as it continues to grow. It will provide a much easier path up the building. But skipping floors has its risks as well as its benefits. You know, from your previous jaunt into a break, that they can be unstable and may have a time-limit before they ... turn bad. But the people voluntarily going into the dark and then turning into goblins (you don't know if that part was voluntary, surely not?), as well as the knowledge of the regenerative abilities of the salamander are all fascinating. But, more importantly, who knows which tidbit of data could prove vital to your success. In a role-playing-game, the party having fore-knowledge that the troll or hydra needs to be fought with fire can make all the difference to whether they will or end up as hydra-poop.

• How high do you climb the beanstalk? Anyone should answer.

What do you do?

Fair enough. This is pretty neeto. Up we go.

You all make your way up the spiral beanstalk. It turns out that, when a elevator car is not there, the locking mechanism on the outer elevator doors is pretty obvious —at least to anyone with experience manipulating devices— and it needs next to no effort to slide the doors open against the spring that makes them close.

You skip the first two doors, as they have already been explored by some of your party, and peer into the fourth floor (not counting the mezzanine). Stark bright light shines in from the top-side windows, and the bottom-side windows are dark but intact.

What do you do?

- Fiona -

Thankfully there are no signs of divided office workers among the office-dividers that have piled up in the bottom V. And, as below, no traces of any injuries on this floor.

The light from the windows above you seems quite intense! And, a little fiddling with your scanner suggests it is slightly out of phase with the expected sunlight. Maybe the UV filters on the windows are messing with your readings? Or maybe Herman saw something from outside?

What do you do?

- Herman -

Now that you think of it. There is a certain ... smell to the light? If that is even possible. It is not Ozone, but puts you in mind of that sort of effect.

A bean-pod —it is fruiting already!— flops out as you open the door, conveniently pinning it open so it does not spring closed and lock you out again, and you can use it to climb out and take a look around.

What do you do?

Arthur is experiencing climbing up an elevator shaft that is crowded with a big vegetable and lit only by flashlights. He is not loving it. So when Herman gets the door open, Arthur eagerly looks out over his shoulder. That makes it a little crowded with Fiona also trying to scan stuff out the door. So Arthur pulls back into the beanstalk's leafiness.