Abyssal Aquiferium
Hidden beneath the Black Box Casino's deepest bedrock levels lurks the Abyssal Aquiferium, a lake-filled grotto that caters to the Box's deep-water-bound visitors. This limestone complex was carved by a freshwater lake that drains into an unfathomable abyss beyond the reach of humans.
Dancing rainbows sparkle on limestone walls from light refracted in rippling peaks whenever the water is disturbed. The lake shines with bioluminescent lichen that cling to everything under the water's surface. The atmosphere is cool and damp, heavy with the blunt odor of wet rock and a whiff of rotting algae. The syncopated rhythm of dripping echoes from all directions, the sources hidden deep in shadowed crevices. A quiet moment — the sort that never happens except when the cosmos aligns — would reveal a river or waterfall rushing somewhere in the distance.
Tourism
Many of the Box's Strange and Unusual guests are uncomfortable without — even confined to — deep water. Merfolk, selkies, and rusalka are just a few of the guest types found frequenting the grotto.
Here, they enjoy the same high-stakes gaming experienced found on the casino floor. However, grotto games are tailored to the needs and desires of the waterbound.
The Worldbuilder's Note
Let's talk about spacetime.
For the story I'm trying to tell, it's necessary to have access to water. That body of water needs to be deep and dark, mysterious and frightening. But we're still in the desert. And, we're still tied to the general realness of Nevada's landscape — no large bodies of surface water.
However. I've already established that the Box extends underground. Also, the spatial flexibility within. Beyond that, the Mojave Desert is famous for freshwater-filled karst pockets like the Aquiferium.
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