[07-21-21 16:49:47] Jordan: What the fuck? Grimm! Heidecker! What's your status?
[16:49:53] Grimm: All clear.
[16:49:55] Heidecker: Looking good- wait, aren't you behind us?
[16:50:01] Jordan: Do you copy? Where are you?!
[16:50:06] Heidecker: We're at Level 5. Sir?
[16:50:11] Grimm: HQ-
[16:50:12] Jordan: Come on! What's wrong with this hunk of crap?! Shouldn't I be at Level 5?
[16:50:15] Grimm: HQ, are our comms running okay?
[16:50:18] HQ: Everything reads all clear, but it seems Agent Lazarus can't hear you. We're currently trying to solve the issue, over.
[16:50:24] Jordan: HQ, do you come in? This place is some kind of warehouse.
[16:50:30] HQ: Agent Lazarus, do you copy now?
[16:50:36] Jordan: Goddamn it, this should be working fine! Doesn't even say I've been disconnected… Alright, I'm gonna roll with the assumption that my audio is still coming through. Let it be known on record that I cannot hear shit.
[16:51:00] Heidecker: I don't get it. We went through the same door, didn't we?
[16:51:04] HQ: Do another clear of the ar-
[16:51:06] Jordan: What in the… [Rustling.]
[16:51:10] HQ: We're isolating Agent Lazarus to a different frequency and seeing if we can't figure this out. In the meantime, you two do another clear of the area and check the door you came through. Be cautious.
[16:51:20] Grimm: Roger.
[16:51:22] HQ: If there is no determinable way to regroup, you will have to proceed with the mission on your own.
[16:51:28] Heidecker: I fucking hate this place. Over.
[16:51:33] Grimm: What did you get yourself into this time, Lazzo?
[16:54:39] Jordan: HQ. Come in, HQ.
[16:54:43] HQ: We hear you loud and clear. We are going to leave this ch-
[16:54:46] Jordan: My GPS is compromised. There's a program here that is definitely not authorized software. How should I proceed?
[16:54:52] HQ: We're going to leave this channel open, but it's our suspicion-
[16:54:56] Jordan: Motherfuck.
[16:54:59] HQ: -that you won't be able to hear us until you can exit the level you're on.
[16:55:04] Jordan: [Clattering.]
[16:55:06] HQ: Godspeed, soldier.
[16:58:17] Jordan: [Sigh.] If this data is getting stored, and I damn well hope it is, it could be vital to keep my mic hot. New frontiers are Compass Point's raison d'etre, after all. Just wish I had my team.
[16:59:33] I'm gonna check for infohazards in this program as well as I can. I will report back ASAP.
[17:03:11] Everything's fine. I'll keep doing routine checks with prolonged exposure. Besides, if it's showing me the way out, I'd be a fool to throw it away. Still…I'm trying some escape procedures first. [Various grunts, clangs and exclamations truncated.]
[17:42:30] Okay. Multiple attempts to no-clip into suspect geometry have all failed. Any doors I've found so far are either welded shut or lead into more of this industrial shitscape. I think one section was a paint facility. Could smell the fumes as soon as I got close. Based on the markings in the area, I believe this is Level 277. That's what I'm gonna call it, anyway.
[17:42:44] HQ: Roger. We will run an immediate search on Level 277. I pray there's nothing we find that you need to hear.
[17:42:51] Jordan: Oh, would you look at that. A Faceling with a hardhat. It would almost be cute if it wasn't disgusting.
[17:43:02] HQ: Looks like we have nothing on a 277, which makes you either lucky or unlucky. We'll send a request up the chain of command for any archived data that matches your descriptions.
[18:11:38] Jordan: As I understand it, what this program wants me to do is work shifts by visiting different parts of the complex. Basically a patrol. I'd say it's poetic, but I hope it's just a coincidence.
[19:01:08] The layout of this building is complete nonsense. I've seen cab assemblies running straight into what I assume are call centers that were abandoned some 40-odd years ago. But what really surprises me is how these Facelings are moving. Some of 'em are more efficient than the bastards I'm assigned with! [Laughs.]
[19:01:44] Damn, I'm not really used to the silence. Hasn't been that way for a long time.
[19:32:13] The more I venture due East, the more I'm noticing a damp red sludge coating some surfaces. Looks a bit like blood, but the composition is different. Not a snowball's chance in hell I'm letting it get near my face or hands. That's up to the research freaks if you can manage to get 'em in here.
[19:34:33] This part's especially- what?
[19:34:39] Found a laptop, of all things. Against all odds, it works…barely. Let's see here.
[19:34:55] [Whistles.]
[19:34:59] You boys back home are gonna love this. I'm taking as many pictures as I can. Don't know how much longer the battery will hold out, though.
[19:35:26] HQ: I can see that you've recovered some intel. Can you hear us?
[19:35:36] I repeat, can you hear us?… We cannot afford to monitor this frequency constantly, so we'll have an operative checking in once every four hours. We'll get an alert if any more pictures are sent over.
[19:35:50] Jordan: Ah, dammit. Thing's toast. I'm finding a good position to hole up in and go over this data.
[19:48:23] This guy left some pretty decent notes. We absolutely need to bring the research freaks in if what he talked about is true. Think I'll refrain from too much radio chatter unless I have something to report that isn't covered here. This place is starting to make me feel uneasy.
[23:24:15] Completed my first route. Message received through Securitus was congratulatory.
[07-22-21 00:00:00] HQ: Agent Lazarus, do you come in? [Further attempts truncated.]
[06:32:56] Jordan: Current supplies will last two weeks. Remind me whose bright idea it was to restock at Beta when I get home.
[15:05:27] God…damn… [Heavy breathing.]
[15:06:01] Some of these routes are harder than drills I've had to do. I'm going at my own pace from now on.
[18:22:13] Spotted a Dunk in a hallway. Looks different than the one that Mr. Eze described. It's…oxidized, I think.
[18:22:42] This one's a no-go in terms of taming. I just can't imagine a Faceling taming a Dunk, but I guess you learn something new every day.
[07-23-21 09:17:22] The monotony of this is already irritating me. I can picture the boys right now, playing a round of poker and laughing their asses off that I'm stuck doing a simpleton's work because a level told me to.
[09:19:46] I'm tempted to look for the same exit the good professor found, but something's telling me I shouldn't. I had to skip past a few pages, but I'm sure I caught the last one. How'd only his laptop wind up back here?
[07-25-21 14:12:40] Seems the routes I'm taking have gotten easier. Can it tell what I'm able to handle? I'm doing another check for infohazards to be safe.
[14:16:31] Everything's clear. But- gah!
[14:16:33] [Loud thud.]
[14:16:35] Watch where you're fucking moving, buddy!
[14:16:42] Why did I just mouth off to a Faceling? HQ, please scrub that off the record.
[07-28-21 20:13:13] I'm not sure what they're making in this section, but it's sweltering. I'm getting readings of 60°C in here. Good thing our suits can handle harsh temperatures.
[22:31:58] Fuck me…at least that's over.
[22:32:24] [Loud exhale.]
[22:32:28] Man, that almond water hits the spot. Why did I even go through there?
[22:32:35] Oh, yeah. The route.
[22:32:40] This is stupid. I'm attempting more escape procedures at 0600 tomorrow.
[07-29-21 10:03:58] I've tried everything in the manual and then some. Standard wall clips, corner clips, ceiling jumps, superbounces. Hell, I fucking tried that backwards shit that Idraulico insists he pulled off. Nothing. I'm gonna attempt to pass through any obscure entryway that doesn't look like it'll kill me.
[19:12:17] Not only has this been an utterly unproductive waste of my time, but now I have several messages from Securitus that I'm convinced were expertly crafted to piss me off.
[19:12:31] It's situations like these you think maybe this is penance for what you've done.
[20:29:04] Time to resume following the Securitus GPS. I'll still try my hand at no-clipping into any promising spots, but if I keep up this pace, I'm gonna exhaust myself more than I already have. My rations are okay, but my almond water's running low.
[08-01-21 07:05:11] Almond water is officially gone. I've spent the past two days trying to secure a source of anything drinkable. The piping system here makes as little sense as everything else and all it's carrying is bile.
[08-02-21 22:16:58] Is this how I'm gonna go out? Honestly…I could call it fitting. Deserved, even. Deep down, I might be sick of this shit anyway. Not just this place. All of it. Everything.
[22:17:22] Scrub that off the record, by the way.
[08-03-21 13:00:00] What? Is this a joke?
[13:00:09] Securitus is telling me that I get a break. [Laughs.]
[13:00:17] Sure, break my fucking kneecaps, why don't you?
[13:00:48] HQ, let it be known if I don't report back after this that under no circumstances should someone in Level 277 enter any area designated "the break room".
[13:11:33] This is too good to be true. There's a cup of water in front of me. I'm running every diagnostic on it possible before I drink it.
[13:35:06] Securitus says I'm over on my break time, but they can suck a turd through a tailpipe. Anyway, everything comes back clean. It's 100% regular distilled water.
[13:35:18] HQ, if I don't report back after this, please start a file on a new Object that is indistinguishable from water but kills you anyway.
[13:35:47] I am starting to wish I got sent literally anywhere less boring than here.
[08-06-21 19:37:04] Status update: after depleting my rations, I'm now receiving food in addition to water. Still no anomalous properties in either. It would have been real kind of whatever's doing this to start prior to my own supplies running out, but whatever.
[08-08-21 15:18:52] Jogging has gotten easier during my routes. Almost feel like I'm in my prime again. Almost, anyway.
[08-11-21 09:23:10] Some of these Facelings are beginning to look familiar. I mean, not in a they-look-like-my-loved-ones kind of way. Just that I've seen 'em around here before. It's a little queer considering I've never once doubled back into a previous area. But I guess they have their routes too, right?
[08-18-21 18:41:55] For somewhere that has a picture of the outside, this really seems infinite. Truth be told, I'm losing morale. I don't know if I'm getting out of here. I need some time to think instead of running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
[08-19-21 05:31:12] Something is wrong. Ever since stopping my Securitus patrols, I've felt increasingly doubtful. Unsure. Guilty. But beyond that…obligated. To keep doing it. And this- this sense of duty…it feels like my other duties are slipping from me. There is no way this isn't a cognitive hazard. I'm throwing my GPS away.
[08:02:37] I came back for it. I…I'll run some scans. On myself. On everything.
[08:39:25] They all came back clean.
[08-22-21 14:25:39] I've gotten very efficient at running routes, I think. Probably the best there is. But it doesn't really matter. I can tell when things aren't right. Screw what the scans say. What am I supposed to do, though? Do I even have another option?
[08-23-21 03:22:03] Maybe I'm simply paranoid. This goddamn constant rust and steam and banging and clanging is getting to me. I feel obligated because I do have an obligation - to get the fuck back home to my team. I have to find a way. I will find a way.
[03:24:12] I'm up too late. I should sleep. Or else it'll affect my shift.
[08:45:23] Hey…you there…I said you! Hey! HEY! [Rustling.]
[08:45:29] Listen to me! Do you hear me!? Do you-
[08:45:32] [Static.]
[08:45:33] Whuh?
[08:45:35] [High-pitched moaning.]
[08:45:36] Christ!
[08:45:38] [Gurgling.]
[08:45:38] Back off! Right the FUCK now! I- I said…just.
[08:45:51] What the fuck?
[08-32-21 09:13:47] This is totally insane. I'm all shook up…over a… a Faceling.
[09:13:41] I spotted one of 'em packing boxes. And this time I knew for sure that I had seen him around. But it felt as if…I'd known him for longer than I'd actually been here. It felt natural. Then he turned to me, and I swear to God he acknowledged me. The same way an old pal would. Despite everything, it all made sense. And I just snapped. I began shaking him, trying to throw him to the ground. For some reason, I thought he'd be able to respond to me, which only made me more frantic.
[09:13:24] His face started tearing. Right where the mouth would be. Right where the eyes would be. And that red shit started leaking out. I backed off, raised my pistol. All the while he's wailing and crying. Didn't even come at me. He just…lurched away.
[09:13:11] I didn't fire. I don't know why. I remember when we used to kill Facelings for fun. But I couldn't pull the trigger this time.
[09:13:03] Why couldn't I do it?
[08-00 00:00:00] I haven't gotten a new route since that incident. I'm worried. If I can't get water anymore, I won't last for much longer.
[00:00:00] I'm back to trying to no-clip out, which still-
[00:00:00] [Audible ding.]
[00:00:00] O-oh…hgk…
[00:00:00] [Vomiting.]
[00:00:00] No no no no no no no no no no no…no, no, no, nnnuh-
[00:00:00] [Vomiting.]
[00:00:00] [Whimpering.]
[11-13 00:00:00] Is this thing on?
[00:00:00] I got a message from Securitus.
[00:00:00] Said, "We need to talk." From the Supervisor.
[00:00:00] I've been on the task force a looong time. Been through a lot of ugly, nasty, mind-bending shit. Seen people die in the worst ways. Still remember when I had to spend a few days in the ward after getting dropped into Level 6.
[00:00:00] This is nothing like any of that.
[00:00:00] Have you ever imagined what it feels like to be a puppy that wets the floor? When…when your owner comes in? When they pick you up by the scruff of your n-neck and rub your face in it?
[00:00:00] [Gasp.]
[00:00:00] Sorry. I was- where was I?
[00:00:00] Yeah. The puppy. Multiply that by one trillion and it doesn't even come close.
[00:00:00] I…I'm not a soldier. What even am I?
[00:00:00] All I know is- is- is that.
[00:00:00] He's disappointed.
[00:00:00] He's not even mad, he's… [Sobbing.]
[55-55 00:00:00] Please please please [Unintelligible] please please no no no no no no please.
[00:00:00] I can do better I can do better I can do better I can do better…I ch-
[00:00:00] [Vomiting.]
[00-00 00:00:00] You don't understand. He he he he's watching…eval…[Unintelligible.] He's always here he's you and [Unintelligible] should do better b-because I…He won't come out. He's inside. He's all of us but he won't come out. Why? Why why why why WHY WHY WHY?
[00:00:00] Oh.
[00:00:00] I have to go.
[00-00 00:00:00] HQ, this is 1st Lieutenant Jordan Lazarus reporting in. Callsign M450A. Hope you're still listening. You won't believe the dressing down I got from the boss! I scared one of the regulars half to death! He understands this isn't an easy change of career, though, so I'm pretty sure I'm in the green. Still, he doesn't want any more mishaps. Seems as though there are gonna be some site-wide policy changes. That's life, I guess. Anyway, tell the boys that I've found new employment. Hell, I think my chance for a promotion here is even better! Pretty sure I won't be coming back, but I'll send you a postcard if I can. My shift is coming up, so…ta-ta!