Grid Glyphs

The Language of Safeharbor

Mouse clutched the wound as she traveled down a rocky tunnel. How long had it been since leaving the den. Days? She had a fever, the wound burning as she made her way toward the surface.
She followed the sound of gunfire, guided by slowly flashing red light lights on either side of the tunnel. She eventually found the sight of the battle, a bloody scene that took place outside of a massive steel door.
She could smell smoke from the enemy's weapons, saw the bodies littering the rocky ground. She saw a man sitting against the wall, a wayfarer.
She quickly rushed forward and searched for his medkit. After several moments of scrambling in the dark, she found it was missing, likely taken by those that killed him.
His weapon was also gone, the only thing that remained was a grid chisel. She grabbed ahold of it and removed his helmet. She put it on, and found it fully functional. Before standing, she ripped off the patch on his arm, a nametag. His name was Wolf.
She rotated a dial on the side of the helmet, activating low light vision. She took a moment to scan the room with new eyes. The other bodies were outcasts, their clothing dark, tattered and stained with blood.
She approached the door. She couldn't find a keyhole. She pressed against a circular pad and the door opened.
Light poured from the other side, the sound of metal grinding on metal echoing down the tunnel.
Mouse squinted and switched the helmet off to avoid being blinded by the white light. She struggled to keep the rifle up. She winced as she aimed around the side of the door.
She saw a hallway, metal walls stretching down to even lower levels. She saw more doors on either side, some of them were open.
She heard voices bouncing off the walls from further down the corridor. She pulled out the chisel and looked for a main line connecting power to the hall. It didn't take long to find it.
She pressed a button on the side of the chisel, activating a beam of light. It etched into metal as she carved a path to the nearest grounding pin.
The heat melted the resin, unspooling the copper wire and filling the crevice left behind by the beam. Within moments, the lights along the hall flickered off.
She activated the helmet once more. She heard footsteps, and soon saw two outcasts entering from a door on the right. They felt along the walls, blindly navigating the sudden darkness.
Mouse prepared to fire, but thought twice when she saw their frightened faces, their human faces...

The grid is alive in many ways. It's ever-changing, growing and shrinking to suit the planet's needs. There is a central computer behind it all, not an AI, but close to it. When we arrived, we were at its mercy, unable to direct the flow of power.
The walls of Safeharbor contain grooves filled with copper. The copper is wrapped in resin. Geothermal plants near the planet's core wirelessly transfer electrical power, and use these grid lines to carry power across the planet.
We adapted. We needed power. We sought to tame its wilds. We learned how to speak its language, and mastered the use of its tools.

Grid chisels

Grid chisels proved to be a crucial component in altering the grid. These tools are compacted spools of resin and copper, adorned with a laser cutter to etch grooves in Safeharbor steel.
The heat unwinds the resin, the copper, and fills the groove. This carries the electrical current, but that is not its only purpose.
The chisels can be used to add power and alter how it flows. It can even be used to cut power off entirely. The tool is a necessity for those of us who venture into uncharted territory.

Grid receivers

Grid lines are straight lines that trail along the walls, floors, and ceilings. They carry electricity to and from a wireless receiver. This is where the circuit begins, and ends.
Every building has a receiver. Finding it opens many doors, and is the first step when venturing below. These receivers send power all the way down to the depths. Restoring this power is the only way we can go deeper.
Grid receivers are often found in basement levels of a building, but some can be significantly higher, sometimes on the roof. Most buildings lack power when explored, some unforeseen circumstances blocking the flow. Restoring it is crucial to our effects.