Level 156

Opening the exit door, I am met with the endless monotony of theatre lobbies for the first time. The dark hues of red become the first thing I notice amongst the liminal expanse, however, the loud humming of the lights and the smell of buttery popcorn eventually become apparent. My new surroundings give me a familiar unsettling feeling, just like every other place in this realm... ⠀

I give out a long sigh. The Backrooms never fail to make me uncomfortable, even when levels are entirely devoid of entities. After all these years, I still haven´t gotten used to traversing the inconsistent layout that most levels hold. I haven´t gotten used to the apprehension that fills my chest every time I see the nerve-racking emptiness of these places, nor have I gotten used to the pangs of homesickness that take me back to my simple life in Baseline Reality.

Still, I have found a resting place. A home, if you want to call it that way. Not as fancy as you´d expect, and certainly not as welcoming; nonetheless, a home.

~ Captain R. Mackenzie; M.E.G

1

1

Threat Index: Class 1

»⠀Safe

»⠀Stable

»⠀Minimal Entity Count

The first known image of Level 156, displaying one of the frequently found lobby rooms and an exit to the Outside.

Description

An image of Level 156, revealing a door that leads to the Hallways.

Akin to movie theatres from the late 20th century, Level 156 is primarily composed of vast, interconnected cinema rooms and hallways. Walls are primarily a dark shade of red, whilst the carpet floor is dotted with stars colored in the same hue. This kind of celestial body is also widely referenced throughout the expanse of the level, whether it be on the trademarks of popcorn boxes, the decaying poster frames strewn across, or the ticket booths that appear rarely. Upon entering the level, wanderers will most likely encounter themselves on the sections of the level, which bear a resemblance to lobby areas. These interconnected lobbies make up most of the interior parts found throughout, holding large quantities of empty ticket booths and popcorn machines that are sparingly scattered around.

Temperatures within Level 156 are slightly cold, as the digits decrease the deeper one traverses into the level. It has been documented that, upon initial entry, the first rooms stay at 25 degrees Celcius, whilst at the one kilometer mark, they remain at an approximate 22 degrees. In further areas where the temperatures hits freezing point, thin ice sheets have been found to unknowingly appear one the carpets, even in sections where there are no anomalous fluids saturating the carpets. What causes these fluctuations in temperatures are thought to be the varying numbers of cooling machinery found throughout, which can be found either in excessive or insufficient quantities.

As aforementioned before, vintage popcorn machines have been found throughout the Lobby Rooms in small quantities. These machines, while non functional, seem to hold moderate amounts of popcorn in them. Tests carried by the M.E.G have revealed that, while their composition is exact to popcorn from Baseline Reality, these items hold theoretical anomalous properties that prevent them from becoming stale and chewy. Additionally, their taste has been revealed to be extremely similar to butter, although some hold high numbers of nutrients, such as vitamins and lipids.

The theatre rooms that can be found beyond the doors hold the same characteristics as the rest of the level, with red walls and star patterned carpets. They are still distinguished by their black leather seats that are aligned in rows of 12, as well as the noticeable screens displayed on the front of the auditorium. A strange phenomenon manifests upon viewing screens that display static or colour bars, which results in the wanderer being unable to exit the level via its thresholds. As such, many wanderers that are under the effect of the phenomenon decide to settle through the halls of the level, possibly suffering from starvation and dehydration due to a lack of supplies. The only way one can still exit the level is by holding to someone who has not viewed any of the screens.

The Outside/The Flatland

The Outside of Level 156, taken during nighttime.

Similar to how certain levels host different areas within themselves, Level 156 does too. Exiting the actual cinema through pairs of glass doors reveal an exterior flatland known simply as "The Outside". Upon closer inspection, the Outside resembles a top-floor parking lot filled with streetlights that emmit different hues of orange, certain kinds of vegetation, and the rare stationed vehicle. The entirety of the lot remains enshrouded in a thich fog, limiting visibility to only a dozen meters.

Those venturing into the Outside have reported several anomalies. Most apparently, the red stars that are still visible in the sky despite the fog. These celestial bodies have been found lining up in a straight line, likely forming a path. All paths created by the stars have always led back to the ginormous edifice that makes the cinema, and as such, are considered to be helpful for wanderers lost in the Outside. For many, the stars in the Outside are though to be related to the replicas viewed on the carpet floor, although theories related to this relationship are elusive.

The Outside holds a day/night cycle, in which each lasts approximately about 10 hours. Temperatures have been found to vary greatly within each period. During the day, they usually stay between 5°C and 10°C, while at night they usually lower up to -2°C. While large quantities of snow seem to fall into the outside at times, they immediately melt upon touching a solid surface, creating many sections filled with large puddles.

Wanderers that have traveled through The Outside have reported hearing numerous sorts of noises, all related to vehicles in some way. One may the engines of a plane, as well as honks from cars and trucks. These sounds have been documented to not be hallucinations, although their origin is mostly unknown. Certain wanderers have reported seeing the vehicles producing the aforementioned sounds, such as planes traversing the sky of the area, as well as trucks parked in some sections of The Outside.

Entities

Encounters with entities within Level 156 are minimal. The only entities reported are stray Skin Stealers and [[[Entity 5|Clumps]].

Colonies and Outposts

As of current times, only two outposts have been settled within Level 156. While finding them is challenging, they are known to be points of interest to be on the lookout for.

M.E.G Outpost Lambda

One of the outposts within Level 156 is Outpost Lambda owned by the M.E.G, which was settled in 1996. The outpost currently houses over 90 wanderers, most personnel holding previous medical studies. Nonetheless, the base also holds a small military force prepared to act out against any entities or hostile groups. Outpost Lambda is known to have large quantities of resources, as numerous trade routes have been developed with other connecting levels within the safe category.

Outpost Lambda maintains extremely strong relations with the S.R.C from level 4, as both are centered on the medical well-being of wanderers. Both bases are known to often trade and aid each other in healing wanderers of physical and mental injuries.

Backrooms Colonists Base Arrowpoint

Although lesser in size, Base Arrowpoint from the Backrooms Colonists still provides resources to wanderers traversing the level. It is located near the lobby entrances into the Outside. The base houses around 13 wanderers, which reside in makeshift tents. Outpost Lambda is known to have relatively good relations with this base, as trading between the two bases has been beneficial for the groups. Base Arrowpoint is known to hold numerous unspecified Level Keys, which are currently on sale for quantities of certain items.

Assortments of communities

Groups of wanderers non-aligned with groups have also taken advantage of the safety and stability that offers the initial Lobby Rooms of the level. These camps are generally small, however, one should be careful whilst approaching them, as certain ones may hold wanderers with bad intentions. Ruins of the previously established Hadiran colonies still remain to this day, with their surrounding areas being entirely abandoned.

Entrances

• Curtained rooms are known to lead here or to Level 4.
• Certain doors in Level 54 lead here.
• Attempting to watch a movie in Level 162 will lead one here.
• Noclipping through a window in Level 624 sends one to the exterior of this level.

Exits

• Doors labeled "Home" are known to lead one back into Level 114.
• Taking an escalator found in a hallway takes one to Level 33.
• Certain areas of the Outside are known to lead to Level 917.
• Random noclipping is rumored to take one to Level 40.
• Certain hatches within the Outside have been documented to lead into Level 322.
• An automatic door may lead to Level 296.

Footnotes

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• Image 1 from the liminal space subreddit, posted by mptorz.
• Image 2 is from Google Maps, posted by Karacha.
• Image 3 from the liminal space subreddit, posted by Methionylth.