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There's something etched on it in smudged but legible text. "PRODUCED BY 321-CORP. CONTECT 9-9911-58220 FOR EPLACMENT PADTS."
That's clearly gibberish. A lot of the other gears on it have similarly garbled text as if they're trying to poorly copy something.
No, it's more than that. Checking at the many gaps throughout the clockwork, something is slowly but perceptibly growing out of them. Soon enough, one of the many gaps is filled with a mangled and half-formed gear.
"It's alive." Wendy mutters with thinly veiled hate in her words. It's clear what she expects the origin of this to be. She grabs a sharp hunk of stone off the floor and slices it down the gear.
The rock cuts through it easily, splitting it in half, before it immediately reforms. You didn't see any flesh or blood but nevertheless, you can easily cut through it and it can reform.
A shudder runs through the clock tower. It's very minute and was evenly spread out throughout the structure but it was enough for you to notice. A nearly inaudible murmuring fills your ears in old I-Corp dialect. You can make out "DON'T", "JUST CLAIM", "YOUR PRIZE", "LEAVE ALONE" in that same dialect.
Hm. Couldn't hurt to try communicating. You tap at one of the empty gaps in the clockwork. "Do you understand? Five teeth if yes." A gear pops up. As you expected, it only had gear teeth. So it's sentient after all.
Wendy digs into your pocket for the PULSATING GEAR and sticks it into one of the many gaps in the clockwork. The shuddering begins again but it's a lot more noticeable this time around but as soon as it starts, the gear is spat out. Intriguing. Some of the text on the gears are now a lot more understandable after that.
"THANK FOR MEAL BELOW."
"PLEASE GET YOUR PRIZE."
"SO COLD."
"BEEN SO LONG SINCE FRIENDS."
"WON'T EAT YOU."
"Wendy. Light up your flamethrower and hold it up against one of the bricks."
Wendy follows your command. Not spending more than what's necessary to keep it light, she presses the hot tip of the flamethrower against the stone wall.
The shuddering begins again.
<span class="mu-r">Okay! You're inside something living and it makes up the whole clocktower! That's totally not worrisome!</span>- Wait.
>-2d6 SURPLUS! 2d6 LEFT!
It's oddly warm in here. It's been like this for a while but you only noticed it down. It's warm, cozy, but oddly humid in it. Words that should not be used to describe any building in this part of I-Corp. If the water below was steaming hot and had ready to 'grab' onto food...
Are you in this thing's mouth? Was down the ladder into its stomach?
You share a look with Wendy. Both of you immediately agree that you want to get to the top to figure out what the fuck is going on here before running ASAP. You are NOT being paid to do this. The two of you immediately start rushing up the ladder to get to the top of this incredibly tall clock tower.
As expected for something 125 stories up, it's going to take a while to go anywhere. Might as well mention THAT...
