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"Man, this place is really fucked. I mean, seriously—the game didn't do this place justice because IT'S EVEN FUCKING *SHITTIER* THAN IN-GAME!"
I mutter to myself while walking through the all-concrete-everything facility. It's filled with garbage, busted crates, toppled filing cabinets… and mannequins. Yeah. Mannequins.
Mental note: lock those guys in a room—just to be safe. Considering how they acted in the game, I'm not taking any chances.
"So, let's see what my options are here. I can either burn this place down and almost kill myself like the last guy did—according to the lore—or maybe, just *maybe*, I can clean up the mess he left behind and try to survive long enough without going insane from all the alien crap and cryptid mythos I'm probably gonna run into during my stay."
*Sigh.*
"Then again, the only reason that stuff's even here is probably because of that tumor-like thing under the Earth. Oh, and the whole cultist situation. Yeah. Real welcoming."
I take a deep breath, try not to smell the mildew, and steel myself.
"Welp. Let's start cleaning this shitty place up."
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**\[One Cleaning Montage Later]**
*(Author's note: Sorry, but we're skipping the filler stuff. I doubt anyone wants to read an entire chapter about picking up trash and sorting through old files like a glorified janitor.)*
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"Well… that took a *lot* longer than I thought it would. Thankfully, there's an incinerator here—which, honestly, raises a few questions. Like, why the hell is there an incinerator in the first place?"
Then again, the locked storage room full of hanging cow carcasses gives me *plenty* of reason not to ask too many questions around here.
On the plus side, I found a crowbar. Now I can pretend I'm channeling my inner Gordon Freeman. Who knows—maybe some mysterious, blue-suited alien business guy will take an interest in me, too.
I chuckle to myself. The joke helps ease some of the anxiety this place gives off like radioactive sweat.
"Hmm… I think it's time to fire up the computer systems."
I head over to the ancient console and flip the switch. A chorus of old hardware noises kicks to life—clicks, clacks, the whirring of dusty fans—and then a familiar four-colored window logo flickers onto the screen.
"Wow. They're still using this? Couldn't the assholes at ASO send me something that *isn't* from the dial-up era? It's 2025, for God's sake."
I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck.
"Then again… the fact that it *still works* is kind of impressive. Guess that counts for something."
I begin sifting through the files and programs. Surprisingly, a few emails are already waiting for me.
"Let's see…"
* One from Ena, checking in on whether I arrived okay. Apparently, she left me a gun in the garage. Let's hope she's not just messing with me—because in the game, that gun was usually found in one of the satellite buildings.
* One from Dr. Bao—being an asshole, as usual. Basically just yelling at me to get straight to work if this message reaches me. No 'Welcome,' no 'How are you adjusting to this nightmare?'—just pure Bao energy.
* There's also a file on the Signal Finder program and a company-run Store. Apparently, I can buy supplies with 'points' earned through my work. Because what's a corporate dystopia without being a consumer slave to your own employer?
"Yay me, I guess."
*Sigh.*
"Whatever. Let's move on. What do I actually have right now?"
I check my current 'loadout' like some makeshift survival game character.
* One crowbar.
* A bunch of ancient computers.
* A microwave. That'll probably come in handy later, considering what happens in this place...
I pause and rub my forehead, my thoughts getting heavy. The isolation is already starting to settle in.
"Welp… I'm probably developing early-stage schizophrenia, judging by how much I'm talking to myself."
I glance around the empty facility.
"...Man, fuck this."
I pull up the store app and click through the basic supply options.
"I'm buying coffee and shrimp. I don't care if I'm wasting points this early. I need *something* comforting in this nightmare bunker."
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I hope you enjoyed this please leave a comment and any criticism is welcome it helps a lot