The Underbelly is the basement of the Training Block. It is accessed through a trapdoor that is only opened upon the correct code being typed into the control panel. This is true for both sides of the trapdoor, above and below. Once you come down the stone stairs, a dim red light becomes visible at the end of a blackened corridor. Occasionally, this light flickers, sometimes once, sometimes several times. The faint hum of electricity is audible so there is never genuine silence in this hidden part of the Magic School.

Come, come into the Underbelly, leave your fears of the dark behind as you make your way through this oddly warm corridor and into the room beyond, where the light casts a red glow on the faces of those present and a sense of secrecy prevails.

So what is here? Machines. Computers, in fact, with screens and cameras set up that monitor the entire Magic School. Every room. Every room. And a strange-looking contraption with space to stand in that is intriguing even just by the way it looks. And what else? It looks like most things, if there's anything, are well hidden. Maybe some assistance can be found...

::Arriving at the foot of the stairs, Paige wishes she'd brought a flashlight as a dark corridor greets her from the bottom. She can hear others following her, though, so braves it out and strides forward through the darkness to the odd red light at the end of the tunnel. She's never been here before. Never even heard or smelt a whiff of it. How could Prue have managed to keep this a secret all this time? And why?::

(I better get an explanation, Prue. Or you can bet your ass I'll have a thing or two to say about it.)

::She continues to the end of the corridor, becoming disoriented with her position in the grounds now. Are they still within the barriers of the Training Block or elsewhere in the grounds now? And what direction is she going in? When she arrives in the main room, which is spacious and filled with various items she has absolutely no idea what they are, she wonders what on earth she's walked into - and how Prue managed to work all of these things.::

"I knew she was making sci-fi movies..."

::Second to arrive is Jasmine, who had followed a little way behind Paige in order to allow the redhead first look around what was up ahead. In retrospect, this could've been a dangerous move. But now Jasmine has walked through the entrance and her expression goes a little blank with wonder.::

"... crikey."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

::Paige walks close to one of the large, hip-height computers. So these are where that humming sound is coming from. Maybe. She glances at the piece of equipment where it looks like there should be an alien suspended midair or something, then moves on, trailing a finger across metal.::

::Paz conjours up some light to travel down the corridor with himself, allowing him to be a little less fearful of the unknown. He soon reaches the girls, and allows the light to dissapate.::

"What is this place?"

::The close quaters and dimmed red lights causes Paz to whisper, as if they're in some hallowed place. Maybe they are. Maybe this could solve a lot of problems.::

"Nooooo idea. But I've definitely seen it before."

::Paige nods to herself, then turns around.::

"In Blade Runner."

::Sera reaches the room and steps out from behind Paz, equally as awed as everyone else. Her eyes rove around the room, taking in all the crazy equipment. Her jaw has gone slack, her eyes wide.::

(Whoa.)

::Zack and Zoe spill in, tripping over each other as they followed Sera too closely down the corridor.::

(Um-)

::Chloe almost trips over the twins, but thankfully moves around them. She hangs back behind Sera, taking in the corridor.::

(It's like a bomb shelter... Suiting.)

::Wesley enters as well, pretty much in the same general absorbing process as everyone one else; nothing really noteworthy.::

"Wow."

::Petunius muses as his gaze sweeps across the area carefully.::

"Talk about convenient..."

(And...awesome.)

::Dante descends into the tech filled room with an incredulous look::

"Maybe it'd be best not to tell the government about this. They might assume we're forming a base to take over the world."

::Zoe has to stare at the place which looks like it belongs in a sci-fi movie.::

"And you wanted to run."

::She fixes her brother with a look.::

::Azura walks in with assorted members of family and others and promptly stops.::

(How did this get here?)

(I knew Prue was Batman.)

"Good thinking."

::Paige replies to Dante, unsure of what she's supposed to be doing down here.::

"Oh, crap, I forgot the Book."

::The redhead cringes, looking at the roof.::

[There's a switch on the wall that says 'start' on it.]

::Jasmine seems to be the first to notice it.::

"What about this?"

::Point point.::

::Paige joins Jasmine, stroking her beard.::

"Hm. Start."

::Shrugging, she reaches up to presses the switch.::

[A loud clunking sound is heard, reverberating around the room. Then a humming, as something electrical is booting up. Behind Paige and before the others, the contraption that has space for a person to stand within it - though it is an 'open' machine without a door, the interior is a semi-circle, boots up.]

"Anybody wanna volunteer?"

::Too late, because a figure appears in the space, flickering with electrical surges. It clears its throat.::

"Okay, Prue, you have about ten seconds to switch this thing off before you embarrass yourself."

::The figure comes into focus suddenly, looking less pixelated and more like a real person. Of course, we all know who this person is. Prue stands still in the machine, looking around without seeing, waiting.::

::Paige's hand is still up at the 'start' switch. Her elbow creases with slow, trickling shock. She pales and her lips part slightly, her jaw dropping at the speed of the tortoise.::

::Andrea, too, gapes at the - what is it, a hologram? Is it real? Can she see them?::

(Is it a ghost??)

::She's too stunned to say anything though.::

(Who the hell's that?)

::Contrary to Paige, Sera's jaw might be on the floor by now. She stares at the digital reincarnation of the eldest Charmed One, her eyes wide with wonder.::

(... is she real?)

"Prue?"

::Sharon's gaping too.::

"All right, your ten seconds are up, slowcoach."

::Prue shifts her weight, her image shimmering momentarily.::

"Okay, whoever's at the controls over-"

::She points. As her hand leaves the pod, it disappears - but her arm is aimed in Paige's direction.::

"-there, I need you to do a few things so I know who I'm talking to. Okay?"

"Holy crap..."

(How did she GET this stuff?)

::Jasmine glances at Paige, but immediately has to look at the deceased Charmed One. She can barely take her eyes off her.::

::Stares.::

"Trust me, it's really simple. Even Andrea could do it."

::Prue's mouth twists in a little half smile.::

::Andrea hears her name but she's too much in shock by the situation to offer any reaction.::

"If Andrea's dead, I am truly, truly sorry."

::Clasping her hands, Prue nods sincerely.::

"Moving on, I firstly need to know how many, if any, of my sisters are here. So if whoever's over there could press the button on the panel that's big and yellow once per sister that'd be great. If none of them are here, don't do anything."

::Paige's hand lowers, slowly. She presses the yellow button. Once.::

(She must've made this ages ago...)

::The redhead would have more to say about it if she wasn't so stunned.::

::The beep of the button causes Prue's image to jump. She doesn't seem to notice.::

"One. Bummer."

::She turns her head, sighing.::

"Okay. Now I need to know... who."

::She looks up, directly at Paige.::

"Press it once for Piper, twice for Phoebe and three times for Paige."

::Beep. Beep... beep.::

::Prue's image skips again. She grins and opens her arms, both hands disappearing as soon as they leave the field of energy.::

"Paaaige! Congratulations on sticking around! Just stand right underneath the button whoever pressed to turn me on and don't move, okay? I wanna see you when I'm talking to you."

"Oh my god..."

::Paige is already standing where Prue said and it's incredibly powerful and disconcerting to see her dead sister look her in the eyes like this.::

::Andrea frowns suddenly, Prue's insult from earlier just catching up with her now.::

(...)

"Az..."

::Paige's voice is barely above a throaty whisper.::

(How did she do this?)

::She feels completely vulnerable. She's not seen her sister in a year and a half. This isn't how she wanted to see her again. Because as realistic as all of this is, that's just a recording, just a Prue from the past being played on tape.::