Within the vast territories of the Underworld civilization where corridors and hallways make up the streets and travel-ways of a world within the Earth, it was a rare occasion to step into a great expansive area where the ceiling lifted high above structures, courtyards and balconies. In a world where the walls closing in around a person was a matter of reality more than a psychological affliction, the vastness of such places could be a treat worthy of a relieved sigh. Shining examples of days gone by dotted the territories here and there with examples of such cavernous multitude, none more so magnificent than Allis Place.
Now home to the mammoth medical complex and Infirmary within the San Diego Underworld, centuries passed saw Allis Place as a luxurious alternative to the at times unpredictable surface life. Constructed before the migration underground began, Allis Place was the prototype for a new way of living, offered up only to the wealthiest of citizens. Life within the Earth was a fresh idea, a habitat protected by storms and natural disaster, where a synthesized environment guaranteed an environment of perfection. With magnificent condominium structures that encircled a central park capped by a high domed ceiling that resembled the blue sky, the light of the sun was simulated brilliantly through the use of sprite technology; clusters of virtual sunlamps that emulated the passing of days from the bright dawning of morning to the ambiance of dusk. Life within Allis Place guaranteed perfect weather with a calm but somewhat breezy atmosphere at a regulated temperature agreed upon by the homeowners, and most importantly no worries of the declining Upperworld atmosphere.
A stroll through the park of the Allis Place of old offered little difference from the natural beauties of the surface, tree-lined groves that wove through a perfectly manicured field of grass and flora all surrounding a glorious fountain of white marble that shot a plume of water high up towards the domed ceiling, yet resulted in relatively no splash upon the return to its basin. Allis Place was state of the art upon its completion when it was offered up as a retreat, or a home to the privileged military who worked nearby and could take advantage of the rotisserie parking that circled the construct and provided a quick journey of a vehicle to the surface.
When the migration was a young movement years after her construction, the decline of the Upperworld accelerating with the opening of fissures in the Earth’s crust releasing corrosive poisonous gasses, the success of the lifestyle Allis Place offered had resulted in a few more such communities having been built. The need for underground life grew rapidly, but no other space would be built with an emphasis on beauty and luxury as Allis Place was. Allis Place was also first of the underground communities to have been targeted as government broke apart, and the nomads remaining on the surface made a final attempt at salvation. Not far from San Diego, a great fissure burst open along the Mexican border spewing poisonous gasses into the air creating a rim of destruction that quickly spread inwards towards the serene waterfront community. What remained of surface life in the area stormed the entrance to Allis Place in desperation, forcing their way into what seemed the only option for protection from the looming cloud of poison gas. Many lives were lost in the ensuing battle that was the first spark in a war for salvation that ultimately overtook the continent.
The trees no longer stood in Allis Place, though one tree-like statue replaced the once magnificent fountain at the center courtyard that replaced the park. Color remained however. Different from the bland complexes that made up the Underworld, here a robust palette of blue and green tiled the surrounding edifices, a reminder of the luxury that once existed. Though Allis Place had become a place of illness and medicine, some visited simply to enjoy a few moments of an expansive structure where the dull ceiling still shined more so than any other spot in the known Underworld. In many ways Allis Place could be considered a tomb where the death of surface-life began and ultimately was interred. For such a reputation, the shining expanse of Allis Place was more so considered a spot of gloomy remembrance.