The overpowering streetlights blind you...““Upon my entry to this urban dystopia, I was flash banged by the careless streetlights washing away their entire surroundings with a powerful solid white with a hint of yellow.”
— January 26, 2016.
LEVEL 82
THREAT INDEX
CLASS 2
Exit: 1/5
Easy to Exit
Environment: 3/5
High Environmental Risk
Entities: 2/5
Some Hostile Presence
Level 82, informally as Brutal Lights or Light Pollution, is a series of crammed alleyways known for its excessive light pollution.
Level 82 manifests as a grid network of interconnected alleyways of a city, comprising downtown and suburban districts with architectural design from the 20th century. The state of Level 82 is noticeably tainted; one can see potholes on the roads, litter scattered throughout the premises of the city, and vandalism on the structures. It is not infrequent to stumble across parts of the level that are stuck under construction, namely roads and buildings, which may block off pathways.
Despite being crammed, with the roads being one-way and only being able to fit in one average-sized car, the infrastructure of Level 82 is not pedestrian friendly; one may see narrow sidewalks, poorly planned crosswalks, or no sidewalks at all in certain districts. Moreover, urban sprawl within the city is evident, as locations are usually spread apart, are accompanied with large parking lots, and the layout of Level 82's roads promote car dependency, with other means of transportation being unprioritized.
The buildings of Level 82 are typically residential and retail. Strangely, the majority of the structures are sealed off and are unable to be entered; buildings that are able to be entered reveal themselves to be empty and hollow on the inside. Construction materials such as planks, tools, ladders, and essential resources such as Almond Water can be commonly found inside, implying that renovation has happened in the interiors of these edifices. In addition, one is able to see the interiors of the buildings that are inaccessible via the unbreakable windows, showing an oddly furnished interior in contrast to the hollow accessible buildings of Level 82.
Vending machines and ATMs can be found on Level 82's sidewalks and sometimes the inside of some buildings. Vending machines in particular offer random items normally not offered by an ordinary vending machine in return for particular items. For example, a vending machine can take in Moth Jelly and give the buyer a batch of dead Deathmoths. Where one can find the currency required to purchase the items offered by the vending machines is by withdrawing them from the level's ATMs. The items offered by vending machines are categorized into 2 categories—purely random items, which are automatically restocked by the machine—and essentials such as Almond Water, which are not restocked by the machine.
The most common litter one can find is shattered lightbulbs of various kinds, typically found near streetlights, in dumpsters or garbage bags. Not only can the shattered glass of lightbulbs cut someone, but some certain lightbulbs may house mercury, which can be toxic.
Level 82 is trapped in a state of nighttime; however, the level's most notable characteristic is the excessive usage of light within the city limits—this is best seen through the unusual number of unfiltered streetlights dotted alongside the streets, as well as indoor lighting in some structures[1]. These light sources are constantly on and because they are unfiltered, they are concluded to produce a substantial amount of ultraviolet light alongside visible light. In prolonged exposure, this can result in sunburns, as well as an increased risk of skin cancer. Likewise, staring at the level's streetlights can damage one's retina and result in blurred vision, color distortion or blindness.
Furthermore, any equipment that uses light (e.g. flashlights) that are brought into Level 82 are anomalously amplified to become even brighter. Depending on the device, this may cause it to die out quicker, or overheat, resulting in damage.
Due to the plentiful usage of bright lights in Level 82, this creates high levels of light pollution, to the point where it washes out any luminous celestial bodies that may lurk in the level's featureless night sky. Moreover, a yellow gradient visibly emanates from the horizon of the cityscape, truly visualizing the severity of Level 82's light pollution[2]. As the lights of Level 82 are continuously on with no way to turn them off, they will inevitably combust, and potentially explode as a result of overheating—unless these lights are manually reinstalled, it is speculated Level 82 may enter a state of darkness in the far foreseeable future, assuming it is not disturbed[3].
The temperature of Level 82 is rather chilly, fluctuating from 11°C (33.8°F) to 19°C (66.2°F). In addition, the weather is stagnated, with the level not experiencing any sort of wind, and occasional stratus clouds only appear every now and then. The streetlights can keep wanderers warm from the uncomfortably cold conditions of Level 82, though it is recommended to use sunblock as to prevent the risk of sunburn or skin cancer.
““When I gazed at the otherwise featureless yellow-black canvas that is the light polluted skies of Level 82, I noted specks of light racing around at unimaginable speeds, as if the skies were their personal racetrack.”
— January 26, 2016.
Strange phenomena are prevalent in Level 82, materializing as auditorial or visual; most apparent within the level, one can hear the faint sounds of human activity in the background; this could be cars moving, sirens, traffic, appliances, chatter, etc. However, trying to approach these sounds is fruitless, as they seem to never get any louder or quieter regardless of one's position.
Light phenomena can appear in a variety of forms: when one looks at the sky, one may occasionally spot dots of bright lights freely flying around in the sky—these unidentified anomalous/aerial phenomena (UAP) move erratically, going in rather predetermined movements (e.g. zigzags, straight lines, abrupt turns), and can shift their speed to hypersonic levels in a matter of seconds. Likewise, all attempts to get a closer look at these UAPs have resulted in them flying away at unimaginable speeds. Along with their altitude high in the skies, their approximate small size, and their rapid speed, means a visual description of them cannot be formed.
Additionally, every now and then, one may witness search lights appearing to come from a helicopter scan the city of Level 82, but without any helicopter to emit the light. As previously mentioned, since light is amplified within Level 82, going underneath the search light(s) can temporarily disorient, stun, and blind the individual. It is speculated that the anomalies the level can lead to the wanderer ultimately entering the wretched cycle, though the sparse population of Wretches in Level 82 suggests otherwise.
““The sheer amount of noise and the blinding lights that blanketed the brick jungle made it near-impossible for me to even rest from the troubles I had to deal with prior to visiting this damned place. Having streaked through days without a good night's snooze, even a part of me couldn't understand the insane things I have been doing to cope with this madness.”
— January 30, 2016
The biggest hazard of Level 82 is its impact on an individual's circadian rhythm, which is essentially the wanderer's natural clock in their brain. Although the Backrooms as a whole does not exactly possess a consistent day and night cycle in a way that matches a person's circadian rhythm, Level 82's effect on the person's rhythm is felt by far one of the most.
The combination of the level's constant bright lights, the high levels of background noise, as well as the permanent state of nighttime, are all culprits to severely disrupting the circadian rhythm. Not only does it become troublesome to try to fall asleep in Level 82, but it also comes with a variety of symptoms such as such as fatigue, headaches, decreased alertness, sluggish reaction time, difficulty with memory and decision-making, bizarre irritable behaviour, depression, hallucinations, and disorders like delayed sleep-wake phase disorder and advanced sleep-wake phase disorder.
Fortunately, most of these repercussions will fade away should one leave Level 82, but even if one exits the level with these symptoms, they will remain with the wanderer for a prolonged period of time. Nonetheless, a disrupted circadian rhythm can prove to be detrimental, especially in the Backrooms, as their lowered alertness, reaction time, and memory primarily makes them most vulnerable to the myriads of danger present in many levels.
Likewise, these symptoms seem to also affect the level's entity population—the majority of the entities in Level 82 have been observed to spend a lot of their time in dingy places, only infrequently being active for a brief period of time. Their weariness makes them easier to flee from if the victim is well rested, albeit they also show signs of higher aggression due to the exact same symptoms affecting them.
It is advised to limit one's time in Level 82 to prevent these symptoms from taking place or becoming more severe. However, if one's circadian rhythm has been disrupted by the level, yet manages to escape, they are urged to spend their time in a safe level or a fellow human outpost in a level refreshing themselves until they are rid of their symptoms. Those who are fatigued by Level 82's effects make it harder for them to gather resources to survive, deal with the level's entities, and to exit as a whole. As a result, those who become victim to the symptoms in the level are basically stuck unless they are intervened by outside help.
Level 82 has a quite limited population of Skin-Stealers, Clumps, Wretches, Predatory Doors, and Windows. As said, the affect the level has on their circadian rhythm and the fact they are spread out in the city limits makes them less of a threat, but one should still beware of them regardless.
Wanderers are able to meet each other in Level 82; however, the impact the level has on one's circadian rhythm, as well as the various other anomalies present in the level renders establishing any colonies infeasible.
Entrances
- This level is one of the many destinations that the highway signs of Level 91 can bring a traveller to;
- Under specific conditions, wandering about in Level 38 may cause the level's buildings to morph into the buildings of this level. Continue to wander and the landscape will shift to here;
- Imagining a dystopian city in Level 18;
- Going into a darkened passageway in Level 117 or Level 8;
Exits
- One can encounter an intersection of the city mysteriously in perpetual downpour—noclipping anywhere in this section brings one to Level 124;
- Exterior doors labelled "Research" can lead one to Level 289;
- Wandering deep enough into narrow alleyways may transition one to hallways that eventually lead to Level -80;
- Interacting with a dismantled lamp will bring one to Level -9.
Footnotes
- ↑ Most of these light sources are reported to use metal halide light bulbs, with LED and incandescent lightbulbs being rather scarce.
- ↑ In the Bortle scale, the light pollution of Level 82 is comparable to a Bortle class 9.
- ↑ As of now, there have been a handful of reports of streetlights being overwhelmed by heat and subsequently combusting. Thus, this potential hazard is something one does not have to necessarily watch out for.
““...I hear something”
— February 1, 2016.
““And it's approaching me at rapid speed...”
— February 1, 2016.
The Lights Shut Off []
A break from the monotony of light-polluted streets.
Something that was told to only happen when in the future the lights are forced to retreat.
The bustling streets far into the horizon pause.
And now I can only make out my environment by tangibility.
But that makes me as joyous as someone who stumbles into the Rosatin if I were to say my reaction as a simile.
Since the lights and I,
finally get their rest.
A chance,
to fall asleep at last,
without being hearing traffic fights and streetlights on blast.
...
I hibernated for a good day or so,
for a good night's sleep I was happy to undergo.
When I woke up,
I noticed something atop the skies that were known to be empty.
•
It was not just one speck of light.
• •
It was more, and more lit up as I stared into the abyss above.
• • • •
I almost felt afraid.
• • • • • • • •
What were they?
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
As I pondered to myself, they only continued to multiply.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
I feared they could be aliens ready to invade.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
But the doubts and nerve-wracking would cease as I took a closer look at the patterns.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
They resembled something else...
I kept my eyes peeled at it, and I could see more...
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Wow.
I did not believe what I was seeing.
What slashed through the sky was a thing I have forgotten to miss.
A thing we have since tried to hide away in every urban center, no matter the realm we could be in.
An astronomical relic of beauty I believed to only appear in the rooms fronter.
Its dimness illuminated the entire city.
It was a stunning display that brought a tear to my eye.
It was a galaxy,
something like a galaxy,
but in this dimension, it would be a cluster,
a cluster of levels.
It was beautiful.
Author: Irri.
Author's Note: This page was mostly made to spread awareness of light pollution, urban sprawl, and poor car dependant urban infrastructure.
Images:
- First image is by u/MonsteraBigTits on r/LiminalSpace (https://www.reddit.com/r/LiminalSpace/comments/17js6q8/a_street_corner_of_nyc_in_the_1970s/).
- Second image is by u/GreenAppleThe16 on r/LiminalSpace (https://www.reddit.com/r/LiminalSpace/comments/17w91nm/my_alleyway_is_super_creepy/).
- Third image is from KLAS-TV (https://www.8newsnow.com/mystery-wire/black-triangle-ufo-sightings-around-the-planet-span-decades/); many websites share the same formatting as this one for some reason, I just chose this one since it says KLAS in the website title.
- Fourth image was taken from the Level Creation Guide; actual image source is undetermined.
- Fifth image is from www.newmexico.org (https://www.newmexico.org/darkskies/).