The Limbo Zone

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 ⚠ Warning! ⚠ 
 This page mentions the following subject that some readers may find sensitive: 
 Mentions of suicide 
 If you are comfortable with facing this topic, please proceed by clicking here. 
 
 
 
It was a typical summer's day. The sun was out, and we had decided to go out to the local shopping mall as my parents' idea of a day out. 
Everything was normal at first. People filled the building, every nook and cranny was drowned with typical chatter. Shops were filled with the usual items: those with clothes and other fashion items strung across the first floor; stores offering refreshments collected nearby the entrance; and other shops that sold typical necessities remained scattered throughout the center. It was a bit overwhelming, to be honest.
In retrospect, I should have prepared more that day. We had just exited a shop when a massive headache assailed me. I told my dad, but as he worringly glanced at me, my vision went black and upon waking up... 
TERMINAL
The Limbo Zone
FREQUENCY
Occasional
LOCATION
Global
DESTINATION
 Level 0, Level 1
EXTRA
The Limbo Zone is not a simple entrance to The Backrooms, but it acts more like a tunnel. Unavoidable once encountered.
 
 I — Overview 
The Limbo Zone, also referred to as the In-between, or simply Limbo, is a rare phenonemon that can occur within The Frontrooms that inevitably results in one's arrival to The Backrooms. The period that the passenger spends within this Terminal can typically fluctuate between a day to a month in Limbo time, but some rumours state that people have ended up being stuck within Limbo for up to a decade, and others that say that some are simply stuck there without an egress.
The Limbo Zone takes the appearance of reality with one immediately noticeable difference: no other lifeform can be found within its bounds. Passengers find themselves completely alone, even if multiple people are in Limbo at once and this can cause one to go insane if left within its sterile confines. 
Colour perception and vision within the Terminal is highly altered, with effects assailing the passenger as they spend time within the Terminal, for no discovered reason. Examples include increased vision saturation, colourblindness, and vignetted vision, among many others. All of these cease upon arrival to Level 0, but some can conclude while in Limbo, normally being replaced with another. 
One will also find other, seemingly beneficial, changes regarding their want for basic necessities. Starvation and dehydration halt while here, and the need for sleep is eliminated too. Ageing stops while within the Terminal, with one remaining the same age as they were when they entered until they egress. Fundamentally, upon entry, one is immortal and remains as such until their departure from the Terminal.
Time within Limbo continues to march forward, albeit slower. One day in The Limbo Zone is about five days on Earth, but this can vacillate by approximately a few hours for unknown reasons. Even with this passing of time, the environment in Limbo does not change from the exact date that the passenger entered it. If someone entered in August 2012, for example, The Limbo Zone would appear as Earth was in August 2012, but this would be different for someone that entered in December 2021.
Seasons are non-existent within Limbo, but weather effects periodically occur, with the exclusion of all precipitation. These events occur, like time's passing, slower; clouds can last in the sky for a matter of Earth weeks before crossing the passenger's horizon, the type of which mimics that of Earth's cumulus clouds, and a clear sky can remain as such for a similar time, giving the illusion of a stationary sky. Wind, however, acts at a usual speed, which contrasts the other meteorological features present within The Limbo Zone.
Planes and satellites cannot be found either, with the latter ceasing to exist and the former either being reverted back to its last stationary position or acting as the latter. Nothing is present within Limbo's night sky, apart from the aforementioned clouds, permitting an incredibly gloomy sky if the passenger entered Limbo in a rural area. Streetlights can be found within the In-between, but it's unknown how they function because electricity production is not conducted because of the Terminal's nature. Vehicles and other pieces of equipment that utilise electricity within Limbo do not function, and it is impossible to make them function. However, it is feasible to utilise equipment that one has brought into the In-between.
Objects have been known to glitch within Limbo, according to wanderer accounts. While a minor occurrence, that does not have much effect on the Terminal or the passenger, it can do so in a manner of ways, including spontaneous no-clipping into nearby objects or infrastructure, abrupt and fleeting colour or shadow changes in the object or for objects surrounding it- an example of this could include an object losing its shadow completely for a few seconds, or for it to be accentuated to the point where the floors turn black, for a similar amount of time- and other mysterious phenomena. These occurences are extremely seldom, however, and not nearly as common as such events are within the Backrooms.
 
II — Discovery 
The Limbo Zone was first discovered in August 2015 after a wanderer stumbled into Level 1's Base Blink. Some that resided there described the wanderer as appearing "as though she had been through hell and back". After some rest, they eventually interviewed her on the nature of her appearance, in which she explained what had happened to her within Limbo.
The file can be found below.
 > Open Log LZ-1? < Close Log LZ-1? 
 Log LZ-1 
>> Log Begins. << 
>> Location: Base Blink, Level 1. << 
>> Interviewer: Jacob Alson, Outpost Leader. << 
>> Interviewee: Lea Basli, Wanderer. << 
> Jacob and Lea enter the room and shut the door. They sit down. < 
Jacob: How about we start with names? I'm Jacob. 
Lea: I'm Lea. You won't hurt me, will you? 
Jacob: Of course not. You're welcome to stay for as long as you like. Can we ask some questions, just to address the rumours? 
Lea: Sure. It's the least you deserve for helping me. 
Jacob: Alright, let's get started. If you need to step out at any time, feel free to do so. 
Jacob: How did you get here? 
Lea: To here, or to that other place? 
Jacob: To the Backrooms in general. You must have went through Level 0, right? 
> Lea looks confused. < 
Jacob: Bright yellow rooms? Damp carpets? 
> Lea looks more confused. < 
Lea: I don't think so. 
Jacob: Alright, could you explain to me how you got here, if not through Level 0? 
Lea: Before ending up in... this place, I was at a university. I had woken up late, and, therefore, I hurried to get to my lecture. On my way there, however, this massive, painful headache attacked me. It was so painful that I must have fainted or something. I remember seeing another girl nearby rushing to my aid before I lost consciousness but upon waking up... I... 
> Lea begins to break down. Jacob tries to comfort her. < 
Jacob: It's alright. We're here to help you. 
> Lea calms slightly. < 
Lea: I'm so sorry. This whole thing is just so overwhelming and I don't know what to do. 
Jacob: It's OK. Do you want to step outside for a bit? 
> Lea smiles. < 
Lea: No no, I'm fine. But honestly, thank you. 
Jacob: Do you want something to eat or drink? 
Lea: Thanks for the offer, but I'm alright for now. I should finish my explanation, I owe you so much. 
Lea: Upon waking up... everyone had disappeared. There was no sign of life anywhere. I tried to call somebody, anybody, on my phone, but there was no reception, which was strange because I had called people out there many times before. I walked to my lecture, and nobody was there at all. Everywhere I looked was liminal: abandoned, deserted, but everything looked perfectly fine, excluding other people, of course. It was like I was the last person on Earth. 
Lea: It was strange. I never felt hungry, or thirsty, or tired. I just kept walking. My vision went funny quite a lot of the time, too. I felt as if I stayed in there for at least a month, but the days seemed to drag on. 
Jacob: Interesting. So how did you get here, then? 
Lea: I didn't know where to go, so I just kept exploring the city, trying to find a single person, but to no avail. I was forced to leave in order to try and find somebody in another city. After what seemed like a month or so of searching, I found that it was empty too. As I set off to search another, I tripped on a rock and just... fell here. It was really confusing, and I almost got torn to pieces by one of those weird, dog looking things before finding this place. 
Jacob: That's... interesting. We've not had a documented case of an experience similar to yours. When did you enter this "in-between" place? 
Lea: I think it was... April 15th? 
Jacob: ...And what year? 
Lea: 2005. 
> They remain silent for a minute. < 
Jacob: Lea, I don't know how to say it, but it's August 15th 2015. You've been in that hellhole for ten fucking years.
 
Afterword 
Lea was soon found dead after the interview, with a knife inserted into her chest. It is believed that she committed suicide after experiencing what she had and failing to come to terms with her situation. 
May she rest in peace.
 
III — Documentation 
Attached in the file below are multiple documents of different passengers' experiences in The Limbo Zone.
 > Open Documentation? < Close Documentation? 
 Document LZ-A 
Passenger Name: Robert Danialson
 Passenger Gender: Male 
 Passenger Age: 21 
Date of Arrival: August 2023 
Location of Arrival: San Francisco, USA
Date of Departure: September 2023
Location of Departure: Level 0
Current Location: Level 399
Incident Report: Robert arrived in Limbo while driving home. He experienced the typical headache, and thus pulled over before losing consciousness. After awakening in his car- but in Limbo- he tried to start it but to no avail, so he began to trek back to his house. Robert instantly noticed the lack of life within the Terminal, and so he continued walking home. No supplies could be found in nearby shops or houses, but this wasn't an issue as he figured out that he could not starve, and that he was in some alternate reality. He spent his time performing his daily routine before tripping up the stairs within his house and no-clipping into Level 0.
Post-Incident Report: Robert arrived in Level 399 with several M.E.G. personnel as part of a mission to study it and its exits. After the mission was completed, he joined the Megacolony, and remains in perfect health as of 2024.
 Document LZ-B 
Passenger Name: Angela Wood
 Passenger Gender: Female 
 Passenger Age: 33 
Date of Arrival: February 2020 
Location of Arrival: Canberra, Australia
Date of Departure: September 2020
Location of Departure: Level 1
Current Location: Level 154
Incident Report: Angela describes herself as adventurous, and so, unlike most passengers, she quickly recovered from panic after she entered the In-between. On her way to work, she tripped, spilling her coffee and obtaining the signature headache. She thought something was wrong, so she tried to call her friend, but she then fainted, dropping her phone as well. Upon waking up, she began to panic as everyone had disappeared, but calmed after a few minutes when she realised that she could do whatever she wanted. She stole a boat and made her way across the ocean, with hopes to explore Egypt. However, while in the middle of the ocean, she fell over due to increased wave activity, mixed with general clumsiness. This caused her to noclip into Level 1. 
Post-Incident Report: Angela found a small group of wanderer and joined them. They traversed a multitude of levels before ending up in Level 154, where she currently stays with two other members of the group, utilising the trains to discover new destinations.
 Document LZ-C
Passenger Name: Lucas Roya
 Passenger Gender: Male 
 Passenger Age: 25 
Date of Arrival: November 2019 
Location of Arrival: Hamilton, Canada
Date of Departure: September 2023
Location of Departure: Level 0
Current Location: Level 115
Incident Report: Lucas got into a terrible accident while utilising his motorcycle on the day that he found himself in the In-between, causing him to be at a huge disadvantage due to his permanently marred arm. However, he managed to improve so that he could escape from the empty hospital that he found himself in to try and get to his nearby school and find someone to help him. He noclipped into Level 0 after his injured arm slammed into a door, causing him to fall over agonisingly. 
Post-Incident Report: Lucas eventually reached Level 100 by accident after losing his group. He managed to complete The Trial, and entered Level 115, but it took so much out of him that he died on the bed that he awoke in after an hour. He peacefully rests in a serene enclave, in which a monument has been erected in honour of his death.
 Document LZ-D 
Passenger Name: Isabella Broders
 Passenger Gender: Female 
 Passenger Age: 15 
Date of Arrival: January 2020 
Location of Arrival: Birmingham, UK
Date of Departure: January 2020
Location of Departure: Level 0
Current Location: Level 1
Incident Report: On her way home, Isabella tripped and she- along with her school bag- fell into the In-between. She noticed the lack of people upon emerging the caliginous alley that she had always had to hurry through. From there, she tried to use her phone and call someone, but there was, understandably, no signal. Isabella only spent a few days within Limbo, and according to her, she spent the majority of the time doodling and figuring out what the place was before she fell into the curb and arrived at Level 0.
Post-Incident Report: Isabella found the Cultus Sancti, who tried to use her for information about the M.E.G. before she managed to escape to Base Blink, in which she now permanently resides.
 Document LZ-E
Passenger Name: Jon Buck
 Passenger Gender: Male 
 Passenger Age: 25 
Date of Arrival: October 1997 
Location of Arrival: [UNKNOWN]
Date of Departure: N/A
Location of Departure: N/A
Current Location: Limbo
Incident Report: The only reason why the M.E.G. knows of this mysterious person's existence is through the disordered stream of notes that the M.E.G. has collected over time, starting from 2016. It is unknown why Jon can't seem to leave- which, from the scribbled and partially torn, yet somewhat poetic, notes, seems likely- but it is known that he has been stuck in Limbo for approximately 27 years.
Post-Incident Report: His last note arrived in January 2024. It is shown below:
Why must the heavens bring this fate upon me? 
I am completely alone, with nobody left, and yet I cannot die. 
Oh, [UNINTELLIGIBLE - Jon has scribbled over this person's name], do you pity my fate too, or did God order you to stare daggers into my very soul? 
I am like an ant, being prodded at by a group of cruel children. They could squash me if they wanted, but they want to tear me apart before they do. 
All of my once saturated positivity has been eclipsed by this meaningless hell. 
- Jon Buck. 
IV — Gates 
 IV-A — Arrivals 
Arrivals into The Limbo Zone happens infrequently and at random. Before the passenger's arrival, they will typically experience a spontaneous, painful headache that lasts about 5 minutes, before falling unconscious and passing into Limbo. To others in The Frontrooms, it will appear as though one had entered the Backrooms, with the passenger no-clipping through the floor as they faint; however, it is extremely likely that such observers will subconsciously fabricate a false explanation to rationalise the disappearance, thus forgetting the passenger's entry into Limbo. 
There is also a large possibility that experiencing these effects will not send one to the In-between, but instead signals to something else, such as a thunderclap headache. If fainting occurs often, or with other symptoms, bar a headache, then it is recommended to not worry about the possibility of entering Limbo and seek medical attention if the issue is concerning the affected. 
 IV-B — Departures 
Departures from Limbo are rare, and like entry, a random occurrence. No-Clipping is the only viable departure, which, in Limbo, can only be performed accidentally, as meditative noclipping is nigh unfeasible. When this does occur, the passenger will most likely be taken to Level 0, but one can find themselves in Level 1 alongside the former.
 > Open Author and Licensing Details > Close Author and Licensing Details 
 Writers and Contributors 
 Author: Char 
Terminals were created by Gooby. He also created the content warning screen that I may have stolen. :problem:
I made the table (by that I mean that I stole a bunch of code from the Alt Class Template and the wiki's Common.css), but Cringe helped me out a ton with adjusting and fixing the table.
 Image Sources 
1st image uploaded onto Reddit by u/stankboxers.
2nd image uploaded likewise by u/Nebula943_.
 
Category:Terminals