Machine Divers

Written by Grapple

Beware what lies beneath the surface

— Warning scribbled on a post

Divers are people who jump through the Husk's many holes to explore the inside of the machine. Most divers don't work for anyone but themselves. They take resources for themselves or their communities. Some people are employed by certain organisations, meaning they are looking for specific things inside the machine.

Library Archivists

The government has its own set of divers too. All that is known about them is that they work at the library located at the Head. They call themselves the archivists, and are quite rare to find inside the machine. If someone meets an archivist, they are said to learn priceless knowledge from them.

Explorers

The biggest draw to being a diver for most people is the amount of exploration they can do. Most of the machine depths remain unexplored, and its oddities are currently unexplainable. Those who dive to explore are usually not employed by anyone and they do it for their love of exploration.

Mechanics

Some people go into the machine to grab resources for their own use or were hired to get it for other people. There are plenty that have been left behind, like batteries, power packs and tech that has yet to be understood. Some resources come with a manual, and others don't. Some are easy to use and manage, while others are needlessly difficult.

Decoders

The Scribbles remain an enigma to most people, who cannot read the old tongue. Which was why the decoders used to dive into the machine to note them down and translate. Decoders were sometimes considered a type of diver for this reason.

Divers who can decode are a rarity in this day and age, after they all went to the Head to work with the government 10 years ago. Since then, nobody has seen them.

Equipment

To explore the machine, people use a wide variety of tools and equipment to help them out. Those who are starting out tend to use a lot of tools to help them navigate some of the unsteady parts of the machine. Government recommendations include staffs, ropes and grappling hooks to so people can easily get from place to place.

There's a lot of fancy equipment being sold that people use to navigate the machine. However, the most important things for beginners to have are a harness and some good-quality hooks and clips to prevent unnecessary accidents.

The Curfew

I see the dangers of the night
I protect the citizens from this blight

— A scribble from the government

When it comes to exploration, divers are free to dive deep. The only condition is that they return before the end of the day. Nobody really knows why this rule is in place, and the government have not explained it to the people. However, it's usually best to follow official advice to avoid getting hurt.

Alternative Names

Explorers, Jumpers

Demand

Medium