"Maybe we can take a look from the top of one of these buildings," Geo suggested.
They turned toward a random building. A slab of metal had torn away from the wall, and stepping through, they found themselves in a huge hollow room. Dim light came from a number of white tubes set around the wall. Only a quarter of them were lit, and one was flickering. Hung from the center of the room was a metal sign which read:
NEW EDISON ELECTRIC COMPANY
and beneath it, in smaller letters:
"Light Down The Ages"
One of the huge cylinders, across the floor, was buzzing.
As they mounted a spiral staircase to the next floor the great room turned about them, sinking. At last they stepped up into a dark corridor. A red light glowed at the end which said: EXIT.
Doors outlined themselves along the hall in a red haze. Geo moved to one at random and opened it. Natural light fell in on them as the others came to see. They entered a room whose outer wall was torn away. The floor broke off irregularly over thrusting girders.
"What could have happened to it?" Urson asked.
"See," Iimmi explained. "That roadway must have crashed into the wall and knocked it away."