Level ☏ is an oddball level of the Backrooms.
Level ☏ - "The Phone Rang"
Contents
Description
Level ☏ takes the appearance of a darkened, blank room with a red telephone in the middle on a circular brown table. There are no buttons on the telephone dial, and the phone seems to ring every 10 minutes. The ring can sound either loud or quiet depending on which entity is near. The level has no specific length or width, so it seems infinite. Every time the phone rings, it will become more distorted as you stay in the level. More hallucinations will occur, and it may seem like a lot of entities are coming towards you. When you pick up the phone, the voice is always censored out and glitched. The call will last for a certain amount of time before it ends. Every once in a while, a word can be heard. This word is going to be about this specific level. If you stay here long enough, you can figure out the words and put them together to create a random sentence.
The telephone is colored red, with no particular rust on the sides or front. If one happens to endure the phone call and mentally survives until the call ends, the phone will automatically place itself down. How long the call seems to be has not been recorded. After the call, the wanderer will experience the level's spotlight growing in size, revealing more about the level. The level then acts like a mirror. More telephones and tables will appear, and more furniture will supposedly reveal itself after some time, such as sofas, lamps, and chairs. The calls when you reach a duplicated telephone will be even harder and more difficult to understand, until it's just plain static.
Since this level has a direct connection from the telephone line to the caller, the problems are said to be on the other side, but apparently, Gary hasn't found that out yet, so we need to rely on them. From our research so far, the entity deemed "The Man on the Other Side" can also multiply itself, along with the telephones and furniture. The multiplication of this entity and other parts of furniture is rather infinite, as the level is infinite.
This level also seems to be in a different timeline, having wanderers believe that everything is going crazy everywhere, and there is no escape. No survival kits or medical care are found in this level, which makes it a “difficult surviving” type of level.
"Attempted to Record" Words/Phrases
- E██AP█
- ██OM
- N█-C██P
- O█E
- █NT██Y
- █EH███
- I█S ██EN █ON█
- PI██ █P T█E PH██E
- █ W█LL █E C██ING S█ON
- I█E B██N ST█C█ H██E FOR █ ██NG █I█E
Log 1 - The Phone Rang (3/19/02)
[BEGIN LOG]
Walter: “Are you sure you want to do this? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
Xavier: “Dude, you’ve been bugging me for about how long. I’ll be fine. I’ll just radio you back on what I see… if that made sense.”
Walter: “Alright fine. Just be careful when you go there. Level 9 can be a scary place.”
Xavier: “I’ve heard. I’ll get back to you shortly.”
Walter: “Alright… Goodbye.”
Xavier: “See ya!”
Xavier walks no-clips through the wall.
Xavier: “WO█AH!!”
Walter: “What happened?!”
Xavier: “This i█ Lev██ 9.”
Walter: “Can you repeat that? The connection seems poor.”
Xavier: “THIS ISN’T LEVEL 9!”
Walter: “What? What level are you on?!”
Xavier: “I don’t know. It seems blank, and there’s an old telephone in the middle.”
Walter: “Telephone? Is it ringing?”
Xavier: “No. It’s just… there.”
Walter: “Maybe approach it, see what
behind you happens.”
Xavier: “Behind me?! What’s behind me?!”
Walter: “I didn’t say anything about something behind you…”
Xavier: “Oh…”
The telephone starts to ring.
Xavier: “AH!”
Walter: “What happened?!”
Xavier: “The phone just started to ring, that’s all.”
Walter: “Do you want to answer it?”
Xavier: “If we want to find information about this level, I suppose so.”
Footsteps can be heard.
Xavier: “WHAT WAS THAT?!”
Walter: “WHAT’S HAPPENING?!”
Xavier: “I hear footsteps… what do I do…?”
Walter: “ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE!”
Xavier runs to the phone and picks it up.
???: “ ██████ █████ ███ ████ ████████████ “
Xavier: “What…?”
???: “ ████████ ████ ████ ████ ████ “
Xavier: “What are you doing…?”
Walter: “Xavier?! GET OUT OF THERE, I CAN SEE AN ENTITY BEHIND YOU!”
Xavier: “I don’t believe you…”
Walter: “What…”
The radio cuts to static.
Walter: “XAVIER NO!”
[END LOG]
Log 2 - Confirmation (3/23/02)
[BEGIN LOG]
Dr. Willows: We need to search this level for any mysterious changes.
Eric: Haven’t two people explored the level before?
Dr. Willows: Only one came back, Eric. Remember that. This level is dangerous. We should send our top 2 most highly trained-
Eric: We don’t have that here, Doc.
Dr. Willows: Right, I forgot.
Eric: And, we’re the only ones here. We are the ones that have to go.
Dr. Willows: Are you out of your goddamn mind?! Do you know what this particular level is capable of?
Eric: It’s not a Class 5, it’s a Class 2. Sure, it’s still dangerous, but not up to the point where it’s all hazardous and infested.
Dr. Willows: Oh, you’re right. Nothing to be afraid of?
Eric: Sure…
Dr. Willows: Alright, where is that entrance?
Eric: Hold on! I have the list right here. It was from the person that came back. I don’t know what he did, but he somehow managed to get back there in two different ways.
Dr. Willows: What’s the most effective way?
Eric: Level 39.
Dr. Willows: Well, sh**, that will take a good long while.
Eric: I guess. Follow me.
Dr. Willows: Okay. Wait, what level are we on again?
Eric: I told you this many times. We’re on Level 0. This is the Manila Room.
Dr. Willows: OH! Okay.
Eric: Just follow me.
Dr. Willows: Alright…
After countless hours of traveling levels, dealing with entities, taking rests, crying, sleeping, something seems to happen.
Eric: I’m… so… tired…
Dr. Willows: Well… you were the one… *pants* that wanted to do this…
Eric: I don’t even remember what level we’re supposed to be on.
Dr. Willows: I think… this is Level 29.
Eric: And you’d think we’d be getting a sunset that could light this area up.
Dr. Willows: There are non-entity hazards here, so be careful.
Eric: Alright.
After deciding to walk again, entities kept on blocking their path. Countless rests, hours of crying, days of sleeping, weeks of starvation, and somehow, something is keeping them alive.
Dr. Willows: IS THIS IT?! PLEASE LET THIS BE THE LEVEL! I’VE BEEN SUFFERING FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG
Eric: GET IT TOGETHER!
Dr. Willows: Sorry..
Eric: Please let this be a prison wa-
Eric sees a marking with a note on the side.
Eric: Hold on. Let me read this.
“See this marking? Yes, it’s an entrance. To what level? Find out yourself.”
Eric: Radio me.
Dr. Willows: Oh, alright. WAIT STOP, LET ME COME WITH YOU!
Eric: COME ON!
They both fall into a spotlight.
Dr. Willows: Oh god…
Eric: My legs aren’t working… God damn.
Dr. Willows: This telephone seems interesting.
Eric:DON’T TOUCH THAT!
Dr. Willows: You said to touch it?
Eric: NO! BACK AWAY!
The phone starts to ring.
Eric: I HOPE WE’RE RECORDING THIS…
Dr. Willows: It’s impolite to not pick up.
Eric: Huh-? WAIT, NO! GET AWAY NOW! PLEASE DON’T!
Dr. Willows picks up the phone.
Eric: SH*T!
Dr. Willows: Hello?
Eric: Please…
Dr. Willows: Hm? Entity? What’s that?
Eric: WHERE?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!
Dr. Willows: The man behind me?
Dr. Willows turns around.
Dr. Willows: Wait, who are you?
Eric: Excuse me?
Dr. Willows: Why are you here?
Eric: Uhm… Same reason as you..? WHAT IS HAPPENING?!
Dr. Willows: Same reason? So, you want to speak with the man on the other line?
Eric: I’m good!
Dr. Willows: OH, CO██ ██-
[END LOG]
Log 3 - Clones (3/28/02)
[BEGIN LOG]
Eric: "Oh god... I... finally escaped... I didn't know she was turning into one of those things...
???: "Over here. Over here. Over here. Over here. Over-"
Eric: "The hell is that?"
Eric walks towards the unknown sound, eventually finding a TV.
Eric: "A TV? What's it doing here?"
???: "Over here. Over here. Over here. O-"
The TV turned off immediately.
Eric: "Uhm... okay. Do I need to do something with this, or-"
Eric suddenly falls through the TV, and lands on a white floor.
Eric: "What the-"
Eric looks up towards a red telephone.
Eric: "Oh god, not again! I was just here... not even a week ago!"
Eric stands up and pushes the telephone to the ground, continuously stomping it until a part breaks.
Eric: "Now, you won't be able to get me."
Lights begin turn on in every direction, revealing more telephones and tables.
Eric: "Wait... what? I had never seen this before.."
Eric walks to one of the phones and starts inspecting it.
Eric: "I don't know if I should be freaked out or amazed... All of these must contain one entity. And if these stretch on forever... then there is... an infinite amount of entities? How is that possible?!"
Eric picks a phone up.
Eric: "Hello?"
???: "Eric. We. Need. Help."
Eric panicked and threw the phone.
Eric: "THE HELL WAS THAT?!"
???: "Eric. Come on. Be with us. You are safe. With me."
Eric: "What are you saying...?"
Another voice joins in.
??? (2): "Come with us. You'll be safe."
Eric: "I don't trust you..."
Another voice joins in.
??? (3): "Trust us. We are your family."
Eric: "GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Another voice joins in.
??? (4): "Come closer. Now. Come closer. Now. We are your friends. We are your family. You can trust us. You can't live without us. COME WITH US, ERIC. COME NOW! YOU HAVE NO CHOICE! WE ARE YOUR FAMILY. YOU CAN'T LIVE UNTIL YOU ACCEPT!"
Eric: "What does that mean-"
Eric drops dead.
[END LOG]
Entities
The only known entities on this level are:
- The Men on the Other Side
Colonies and Outposts
Because of the darkness and infinite area of the level, there can be no such colony or outpost here,
Entrances
- Writing a message on a prison wall in Level 39 will send you here.
- No-clipping through a tree in Level 210 will bring you here.
"I'm sorry, but our research is inevitable. We can't do things for you anymore. This will not be updated, no matter what you say." - Dr. Willows“But, you have to… We need you. You are our top priority. What has gotten into you…? Dr. Willows? Please answer!“I can’t and won’t. You can’t force me to do anything. I’m under someone else’s control.” - Dr. Willows“We need to help the people. You’re backing out on your own original plan! Everyone will die because of what you’re doing!”“I do not care. People need to take care of themselves in this world. Not everyone can help others forever.” - Dr. Willows“You’re making a big mistake! You don’t know what you are doing, and currently, there is a mass genocide in a few levels, and what are you doing? Sitting around watching each death!”“You’re making it seem like I’m a monster, but I’m not. I’m merely refraining from causing more harm than good to others.” - Dr. Willows“More harm?! You already caused enough! You need to help, now. It’s your turn to make sure everyone’s safe before the big event comes. Please, come with me. We could do so much more than we already are!”“No.”
Exits
[01101111|01011001 01101111] [00100000|01110101 00100000] [01101110|01101011 01101110] [01110111|01101111 01110111] [01110111|00100000 01110111] [01100101|01101000 01100101] [01100101|01110010 01100101] [01110100|00100000 01110100] [01100101|01101000 01100101] [01100101|00100000 01100101] [01101001|01111000 01101001] [00100000|01110100 00100000] [01110011|01101001 01110011] [00100000|00101110 00100000] [01101111|01011001 01101111] [00100000|01110101 00100000] [01101110|01101011 01101110] [01110111|01101111 01110111] [00100000|00101110 00100000] [01101000|01010111 01101000] [01110010|01100101 01110010] [00101110|01100101 00101110] [01010100|00100000 01010100] [01100101|01101000 01100101] [01100101|00100000 01100101] [01101001|01111000 01101001] [00101110|01110100 00101110] [01001001|00100000 01001001] [00101110|01110011 00101110]
Addendum: The Men on the Other Side
The Men on the Other Side are said to be the callers that call the red telephone. The one who picks up the phone is the only one who can truly hear what the caller says. When trying to record or monitor the voice, it will glitch, or censor itself. That way, no information is passed through, and no clues are left from the caller. The location of this caller hasn't been traced or figured out. The effects of this person calling you is left to be researched, but it has been confirmed that a person will experience total memory loss of a particular person, or sudden irrational fear of the caller and anyone around them. How these effects happen is unknown. The Men are deemed to be entities that only resides in this level, and has lived here for no one knows how long. How the Men look/appear as or how they communicate is also unknown, and more attempts to trace all of their locations are still being made.
