#underground lair

[bumblebeeappletree]

Brought up on James Bond, Chris Oakes saw the appeal of an underground lair, but his reasons for building a 4,000-square-foot mansion nearly entirely below ground were permit-related.

When he asked for permission to build a home on land he owned – the garden of a former mansion-turned-apartment building – a local inspector turned him down saying, appeal inspection said, "and it was quite key words,” explains Oakes, “you'll never get planning for any house here which takes away the view from the street of the main house. Conservation area, period house, you won't get it."

So Oakes went underground, building huge walk-on glass skylights and green-walled sunken patios that make the space feel full of natural daylight and humidity-free. There’s a car elevator to arrive like Bond, but there’s also a small glass “folly” building that acts as an entryway for those who enter on foot by staircase.

Huntsmere https://www.instagram.com/huntsmere/?...

On *faircompanies: https://faircompanies.com/videos/coul...

[thequantumlyunstableman]

Meet The Dracs 11-17 Nov

The room shuttered to a stop. The General rose slowly from his chair and walked toward me. I stepped back and he just walked past me. He opened the doors, took one step through, paused, looked back and asked, "Coming?"

I followed him out of the room and onto a long walkway. I glanced on either side of the walkway and beneath us was a giant pit. I sighed. How overly dramatic of him. And then I wondered, what if he wasn't being dramatic? We WERE here to see his monsters. I looked down again. How far did the pit go?

The man continued walking and I followed him out of the pit room and into another. We were still up on a walkway, but below us was not a pit. I could see the floor. I could also see the cages on the floor and I could see the creatures in those cages. One might call them monsters, but they looked pitiful. I felt sorry for them. Those poor creatures, what had Zlodeyskiy done to them? There were lions with horns and scales and pigs with wings and talons. There was a part wolf, part snake, part bat creature. They were hideous abominations. The animals looked sick and diseased. "What have you done?" I demanded.

The General looked back at me. "Oh, these? These are the failures. There are many of them, I know, but there are successes too. Wonderful, glorious successes! Come. Let me show you the successes." The General turned and continued walking down the walkway.

I glared at his back. I wished there was something I could do for this poor creatures, but there wasn't. I followed him out of the room. He stopped at the doorway. "Now, Miss Stone. I would like to introduce you to my Dracs. They are wonderful."

On the other side of the door were three dozen men, though men might be the wrong word. Maybe once they had been men, but not anymore. They looked more like alligator-men. They had scales over their bodies. Some of them had tails. They all had claws and I could see their fangs. Was this what Hera was? Had Zlodeyskiy turned her into some kind of reptile person?

The far door opened and seven more reptilemen came walking into the room dragging a body. It took me a second to realize the body was Lu Wu. He was beaten and bloody. "Oh, my god," I gasped.

"Where are the others?" The General asked.

"Gone," said one of the Drac, his arm missing.

"I sent three dozen of you..." The General shrugged his anger away. "It appears I severely underestimated, Mr. Lu."

I ran to Lu, through the Dracs, glad none of them attacked me. "Wu! Are you all right?"

His eyes seemed to struggle to focus. Yet he smiled nonetheless. "Miss Stone, I see I have found you."

"Are you all right?" I repeated.

"I...could use a hug."

"A hug?"

"Please."

I was confused, but he looked bad so I wrapped my arms around. "Hold tight," he whispered. Then suddenly there was a Poof and we were gone!

to be continued next week

or everyday on @QuantumUnstable

[thequantumlyunstableman]

The General's Lair 21-27 Oct

Hera and her armed escort led me down the hall to an elevator. Inside, she pressed down. "What the hell is going on?" I asked.

"We're taking you to the General," Hera said. "He has some questions he has to ask you. And you are going to tell him everything he wants."

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Hera pulled me out into a large room that reminded me of an evil version of the Quantumcave. There were massive televisions across the wall, showing what I assumed were various parts of the estate. Guards running this way and that. I searched the screens for Tilly but I couldn't find her.

"It won't work." I turned my eyes toward the General's voice. In the middle of the room was a large throne-like chair, it twisted around until the General was facing us. "Your plan, it will not work."

"The only plan I have is to attend your son's birthday party and represent my country's interests to the best of my abilities," I told him.

"Do not play coy with me, woman!" he growled. "You tried to use your feminine wiles on me, tried to seduce me! But it did not work on me! I am too strong for your womanly way! We are mere moments from catching your partner."

I replied, "The only person with me is my daughter."

The General's expression went thoughtful. "Your daughter?"

Uh-oh! Did I just put this maniac on Tilly's trail? "But she has nothing to do with anything!" I said, quickly.

"SOMEone has infiltrated my base," the General replied, angrily. "And I assure you that that person, no matter who it is, will die."

I had to act. There was no more time to play it safe. But before I could take my second step, I was on the floor with Hera standing over me. She shook her head. "Don't even think about it."

The General laughed. "You see, Miss Stone? There is nothing you can do to escape. I am firmly in control. You might as well tell me who you're working with because it is only...Ah, here we go. It is too late, Miss Stone. We found them."

Oh, no, Tilly! I thought as I looked at the monitor. Wait, that's not Tilly. That's...Lu Wu? What the hell was Lu Wu doing down there? Was he a spy, too? How could he do that with his children here? Mathilda was more than capable of taking care of herself, but Lu's children were much much younger. He was putting them at great risk! There must be some kind of mistake. Perhaps he got lost?

And now the General's men were surrounding him! They were surely going to kill him! Lu Wu clapped his hands and suddenly his children were by his side! How the hell did that happen? Where had they been hiding? Why had he taken them down there? And now he was using them as human shields? What kind of monster was he? Lu Wu appeared to say something as he made a symbol with his hands. What was he...? His children! They...were beginning...to change!?!

to be continued next week

or everyday on @QuantumUnstable

[ericwilsonart]

The 1970s Cold War Era Home built 26 Feet Underground

You wouldn’t happen to be in the market for a 1970s underground family home, equipped to live in for up to a year without resurfacing in the event of a nuclear missile strike that wipes out humanity, would ya? Because it just so happens one has just come onto the market. And this piece of real [...]

[outsidepeg]

new dachshund magnet.