"[lower in the Great Shaft] Stand in awe. The surface is three miles above us. Three miles! Our construction was triumphant... and tragic. You will not be able to continue downward without providing fresh air to the tunnels. Raise this floor, and power the fans. I trust you can discover how?"
January 1, 1970
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Myst_V%3A_End_of_Ages