Their mechs burrowed through the surface, breaking through layer after layer. When they could climb down they did, otherwise they drilled and if need be, blasted. Trudging through dirt, metal, machines, buildings and pavement. Finally, the cracked though the surface of the last layer, and fell a hundred meters or so. The only lights the floodlights on their mechs, casting shadows like giants in this lightless city, they ventured forth.
"What is this place?" One pilot asked.
"This place was once called new york city. It was one of the greatest cities mankind ever had." Said the other, over the sound of a rustling map.
"Doesn't seem all that new to me."
"Well, back then there was already a city called york, so they called this one new york. Guess they called the whole kingdom the state of New York, too."
"Why didn't they just make up a new name?"
"Friend, it was 4000 years ago. I have no fucking idea what they were thinking. This way."
The two mechs trudged between buildings. Nothing moved, except what the heavy metal machines shook with their steps. One pointed their floodlights at an old road sign.
"You know, for a street called broadway, it's not very wide."
"I mean it was to them, probably. This city started with horses. It'd feel wider if we weren't in proper vehicles."
"I don't want to get out down here. I'll stay in my baby, thank you. How much further? What are we even down here for, anyway?"
"Not long, and you'll see."
A few dozen blocks, and they found themselves at a vast open space. Times square, the map said. Home of broadway shows. Much of the map was illegible, badly scanned from an ancient text, but this much was clear. A place of great culture.
"Hey, did you see that?"
"See what?"
"I swore I saw something move."
"You're just paranoid. Nothing's been living here for 3250 years. There's not even air this far down."
They banked up a different street, and eventually got into a maze of dense streets and buildings. Finally, they reached an intersection and the first mech stopped. There was a hissing noise, and the hatch opened, revealing a pilot in a hardsuit and helmet lights, clutching a map and a briefcase.
The other mech shifted nervously. "Hey comrade, you sure this is legal?"
The first pilot laughed over the radio. "Oh, it is SUPER illegal. We could get in deep fucking shit."
The mech threw up its hands. "Well what the fuck? Why'd you drag me into this?"
"Because you and I are about to make the find of the millenium." He grinned through the thick glass of his helmet, and pushed open a door to a building on the street corner. A little bell jingled its first since time immemorial. The mech leaned down and looked in, arms crossed against its chest hatch.
"Dim the floodlights, will you? Some of this stuff is sensitive to light." He searched through the rows and columns of the building, before settling in front of a container that came up to his waist. He wiped a couple of inches of dust off the top, smiled, and set down his briefcase on a shelf behind him, and opened it up. Carefully using small tools, he cracked the edge of the case, and slid the glass aside.
"Holy fucking shit, it's real."
The mech's face outside was all but pressed to the window of the ancient bodega. "What? What's real? I swear I keep hearing things moving, we gotta get a move on, get back in your mech so I can do a scan sweep without cooking you in there."
The pilot was reaching deep into the chest cooler and pulling out item after item, and fitting them neatly into the briefcase. He laughed, feeling a bit mad. He'd found ambrosia. The real nectar of the gods. Somehow, even after multiple millenia, they were perfectly preserved.
"Hey, HEY! COME ON! what's so special you wanna risk running into whatever fucking monsters are fucking looking for a meal down here?"
The pilot grabbed one last thing, slammed the cooler shut, and held it up for the mech to see.
"It's just a bottle? What's—no. Wait. It can't be. That's impossible! It was lost in the first collapse! There's no way!"
In the mech pilot's hand, and stacked full in the briefcase beside him, was 15 unopened bottles of Crystal Pepsitm.
