SURVIVAL DIFFICULTY:
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Info
Made by noah rabe
Thank you LiminalDoctor &
r a t i f
What happened?
You walk through the remnants of the laboratory before you, infatuated.
Less than a month ago, you'd known this place as the final frontier of anti-decay weapons research. That was until all communications were haphazardly cut. People from your base camp rumored that the decay had already swallowed them whole; others believed they had found an exit.
These rumors are what propagated the mission "Seared Frontier." You were assigned a simple task: find out what happened here.
Scrounging around the barren desks, you stumble across a journal on the floor next to some blueprints, labeled "Heartman," who you knew as both an assistant researcher in the M.E.G. and a friend.
Immediately flipping to the first page—with hopes of finding some sign of what happened—you find that the interior remains miraculously largely undamaged. You skim through the page:
June 2nd, 20##
Hey there, journal,
Today, I've been officially assigned to my first station! It's quite hopeful to see these different kinds of groups coming together to stop this Decay thing. The Robotics with their ingenuity,the B.N.T.G. with their resources, and the M.E.G. with their research. With all of us—along with a few others I didn't mention—I feel like we've got a good chance of crushing this decay. I haven't been briefed on what we're going to be doing just yet to end this, but I can't say I'm not interested to find out!
Skimming the journal, a faint smile is painted across your face. Heartman was inexperienced, which showed in the way she conducted herself. No useful information yet; you skim to the next page:
June 9th, 20##
Hey again, journal,
It's been a while since I last updated this thing, but a lot has happened since I last wrote. For instance, with our current knowledge, we estimate that it should take only a couple of days to syart experimenting on a possible solution.
I wonder how long it'll take to get satisfactory results. After all, we all know what's at stake if we don't come up with a solution… I guess I'm just being a cynic. We've got this. Everyone else is counting on us.
You furrow your brow. Perhaps the situation was worse than you thought, considered even the always-optimistic Heartman wasn't too sure. You read on.
June 14th, 20##
Hello, journal,
I've been putting overtime into this project. As I'm writing this, we have a couple of different inventions being built. Our one completed project—which we're calling the Elixir—is a compound that utilizes a combination of Backrooms-unique materials to kill off the infection.
Now, I'll be honest, I didn't believe it'd succeed until we tested it on Level 511's destructive phenomenon. When the compound was administered on the phenomenon, it sizzled down to the portion where the infection destroyed its last particle. After this, we weren't able to detect any signs of the phenomenon. It's far from confirmation, but at least we know that it's ready for field testing. I'll write more on this once it's done.
Update: Holy shit that was a disaster. I'd been hyped up to see the fruits of our labor, only for the compound to dissolve in the decay.
As you read on, you ask yourself whether you could've supported her more. You take your phone and take a picture of the test and the results, moving on to the next page.
June 17th, 20##
Well, journal,
A team of 5 people went missing without a trace this morning. Worse yet, they took both our months of research documents and the device that the Backrooms Robotics was spending their time on.
What's even the point of going on with this project anymore? We're more than half a month deep into this project with all of the best technology and experts in the industry at our disposal, and nothing to show for it. Am I the only insane to think that we don't stand a chance?
You have to confront reality, and you hate that. You clutch the notebook tightly. Reading this coming from her is hard. She meant so much to you, and you couldn't be there.
But you know you have to read on, no matter how hard it is; you release your grip on the notebook and flip the page, continuing.
June 23rd, 20##
Well, journal,
One of the men returned from the missing group and pulled me aside. They were rambling endlessly on about how they knew what I was feeling and they felt it too. Has Jamie been telling others about our therapy sessions?
The research team has a new toy they want to test out, but from the way the last test went, we're better off trying to find an exit. I know it's weird to judge something based on one test, but the others don't understand the problem at all. It's a death sentence, and we're just waiting in jail until the execution happens.
We can't keep going on like this. Some progress needs to happen. We're going in circles, wasting our time till it gets here. However, the Robotics engineers think they've got it figured out. I'll see it out, but I have my doubts. I'll be back with an update.
Update: The little gadget—a grenade-looking item that emits some kind of burst of light—was hucked into the decay, which seemed to absorb the light, similarly to a black hole. Fucking perfect. If we don't make any actual progress soon, then I'm going to jump off a proverbial bridge.
Tears trickle down your cheek as you look down. Your only friend was losing herself. With so much left unanswered, you turn the page with only a sparkle of hope that you can find good news. You notice that half of the page was torn to shreds.
Aug 14th, 20##
Journal,
I remember day one. I thought that we could stop this rot. Oh, how naive I was to believe that. Recently, they've been involving me more with the experiments. I can see the hopelessness beyond their faux enthusiasm; they all feel the exact same way as me deep down. They just hide it by being workaholics.
Well, maybe I can learn something from them. Despite the fact that the new invention has no chance in hell of succeeding, we can at least keep ourselves occupied until the end. The new device acts as both previous inventions—a grenade that contains a highly combustible version of 'the Elixer.'
Upd###: It all happened so quick—one moment I held the device in my hands, and the next everyone was on the floor. Jamie, one of the few things that still mattered to me, is gone. Without her, I'd be… nevermind. Death was bound to be upon me anyway, so it doesn't matter. Nothing does anymore. It's a miracle I've even survived this long, but hey, at least I'll get to be with her soon. Maybe there are happy endings sometimes.
You attempt to read further, but it's too ripped for you to discern what it was supposed to say. You had found the answer you sought, but it wasn't nearly as helpful as you'd hoped. As you look closer to the ground, you notice something under the desk. What is that?
It's the charred skeletal remains of a corpse. You cover your mouth, holding in vomit, unable to take your eyes off of the remains of your once-friend.
You retrieve the blueprints and leave the room, saying your final goodbyes as you flee back headquarters. Once you reach headquarters, you tell your boss the mission was a success, and additionally, blueprints have been found. You notice the surprise from his face slowly fade throughout the story when he hands you a letter from a man named 'Ron Sacksworth,' who invited you to join them at a new 'Final Frontier' base.
Deciding to continue what your friend had once started, you bid your co-workers farewell. Staying positive is what could make or break this fight. After all, there is no hope nor meaning, except for what you make of it.