THE EMERGENCY CALL
That night, a call came in to the fire and rescue station.
An unidentified light had been flashing all night above the woods outside town. A low vibration - almost like an animal growling - was rising from deep underground. A resident who entered the woods in pursuit of a pet cat had also stopped responding.
The missing cat's name is Whiskers.
The deployment order came through. You gathered your equipment, boarded the vehicle, and headed for the woods.
This deployment would not end on the ground.
THE SILENT WOODS
The woods were unnaturally silent.
Not a single insect could be heard. There was wind, yet almost no rustle of leaves. With every step, you felt eyes watching from behind. Every time you turned, no one was there.
Then the path began to feel wrong. You kept moving forward, yet the same trees, the same rocks, and places you had already passed appeared again.
A trail of tiny marks remained underfoot. It was the only sign pointing the way ahead.
FIELD NOTE
Strange marks scar the tree trunks. They resemble both claw marks and writing, and do not appear natural.
FOUND OBJECT
A small collar lies on the ground. One name is engraved on its metal tag.
WHISKERS
On the night each person vanished, a light was seen above the woods.
ABDUCTION
It arrived without a sound.
The sky above burned white. Your body lifted from the ground. You tried to scream, but could not hear your own voice. The woods, your crew - everything disappeared into the light.
When you opened your eyes again, the woods were gone. Wet-looking black walls. Pulsing light. Structures that seemed neither fully mechanical nor alive.
Then you felt something wrong in your arm. Something was moving beneath your skin.
You had been taken. And you were already infected.
DO NOT FEAR UNKNOWN DEVICES
Do not judge a device by its appearance. Touch it, move it, and test its response. The craft's machinery may hold the key to moving forward.
DON'T TRUST WHAT'S UP OR DOWN
Inside the craft, even gravity may be part of the puzzle. If the way seems blocked, change your perspective and look around.
DO NOT MISS THE TRACES
Traces of previous captives remain inside the craft. What they left behind may lead you to an escape route.
DO NOT LOSE WHISKERS
The cat is somewhere inside this nightmare. Finding Whiskers may not mean the mission is over.
THE PARASITE
Whatever entered your body will not wait.
The nature of the infection is unknown. What is known is that your body will change as time passes.
ESCAPE BEFORE THE INFECTION SPREADS45:00
The objective is simple: escape the craft, stop the infection, and return to the surface alive.
SURVIVAL RULES
From this point on, action matters more than knowledge. Remember these rules if you want to return alive.
The tool in your hand may solve someone else's problem. Call out everything you find and everything you learn.
Grab it. Pull it. Turn it. Throw it. Some things cannot be understood by looking alone. If something responds, test it.
If you reach a dead end, look at the ceiling. Imagine what lies beneath the floor. Assumptions can become the strongest barrier.
DEPLOYMENT
You will soon put on your equipment.
The moment you lower the headset,
the ordinary world will disappear.
What remains is the darkness of the woods. The light overhead. The alien craft. And beneath your skin,
something not your own moves slowly.
Whether everyone returns is up to you.
