upnorth

Yeah, mysteries are satisfying in their own right for sure!

@Leeanda what do you think about the story so far, any favorite characters or moments? 🙂

Hopefully not a permanent end but it's been a very long project so I think a break will be good. The game updates can hopefully provide more inspiration as well 😋

Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄 After (a little) over 3 years of collaborative fan-fiction writing that started off with pure improvisation with writers freely contributing, which over time matured into an established story with new locations and characters and multiple story arcs, it is time to take a break. It's been a ton of fun, but it's also become harder and harder to keep track of everything that has happened in order to keep the story and characters of our own lore consistent. About half way through we started coordinating and discussing ideas in Discord, with new writers being invited as they contributed. That has worked very well, but still required some discussions for every new part of the story. So in order to try to simplify things and hopefully make it more fun and less work and get more people inspired to contribute to this project going forward, we have decided to wrap up the main story here at the base and invite everyone to write their own spin-offs that you can link to here as well as opening up to discussing things again! Do a solo piece or team up and collaborate with someone! As part of this, we thought we would share the loose threads and open questions we have been keeping track of ourselves as ideas for spin-offs: How long will the base be able to sustain the group, will they find the supplies and and possibly fuel for the truck they might need for long-term survival? Will they encounter the wounded and enraged bear again? What has happened on the main land and will the group be able to get more news about it? What will happen to Hank and his old 4-legged friend? Did Amy's boyfriend and the rest of the remaining crew survive at the oil field? Did the escaped convicts that followed the doc from Black Rock survive? What will Christine remember about the base since her visit there so many years ago? What kind of work was done at this base, is it connected to the communication arrays throughout Great Bear, "Wintermute" and Atwood? Thank you for "reading, enjoying and contributing" so far 🤩 Please share your feedback, your questions and thoughts or perhaps create art or use AI tools to illustrate your favorite parts of the story! Looking forward to see what you come up with 😁

- Ok. Lets fetch the last supplies from the gate and try to make some makeshift beds. It's at least warm in here so we can use some of our clothes to sleep on for now. It's been a long day. Christine suggested. Everyone agreed. Christine and the doc went back to fetch the last of the supplies. Erik found a fairly quiet spot away from most of the slightly eerie computer screens and electronic noises for them to sleep. Amy couldn't sleep now and a bit frustrated went back to look at the door. Erik was right, there was no obvious way to unlock it. - Hey, where did you put the stuff we found in the guard room? She asked Erik. - Uh, it's in a pile over there. He pointed. She went there and looked. No keys. But they had a lock that didn't appear to take a regular key. What else could it be. She picked up the id card. Looked like it had belonged to one of the guards. Did it have a hidden key somewhere? She looked closely and turned it around in her hands, nothing stood out to her. - Wait a minute... she thought out loud as she took the id badge with her. - Found something? Erik commented without looking up. - Maybe... she answered. She went up to the red glowing panel, she still couldn't see any instructions on it or around it. But she went with her hunch and put the id card up against it. Suddenly it changed, it glowed green! Erik turned around as he also heard what happened next. There was a slight buzzing sound as the door started to slide open. - You found the key!? What was it? Erik shouted in amazement. - The id card, apparently this door uses some kind of wireless technology. She said as she swung around triumphantly for the second time that day. - Damn, I would never have guessed! Erik commented. As he approached, the door started to slide back again, and the panel turned red. - Oh, we might have to find something to hold it open with. Especially if it's dependent on the aurora to work at all, or we will get locked inside. Erik thought out loud. - I guess we can try one of the chairs from the guard room? Amy suggested. - Good idea! Erik responded as he went to fetch it. They opened the door again, put the chair in place and waited. The door started to close and some engine somewhere was struggling as it started to push quite hard against the chair, but it seemed to eventually give up. - Ok, it's holding, barely. I guess we should find something a little sturdier but I think we're good for some initial exploration at least. Erik noted. - Yeah, I guess we could just have someone stay outside with the id card to be safe so that we can get it open again if needed. Amy suggested. - Good idea! You really are great with puzzles you know! He smirked gratefully. Amy smiled back, a little less awkward than usual. Suddenly they heard paws and looked over. It was Mocha, followed by Emma. They had woken up by the commotion. - Hey, sorry for waking ya, but we can probably sleep in real beds soon! Erik explained. - Where is mommy? Emma asked. - Oh, she is just fetching some supplies with the doctor. They will be here any minute. Erik continued. Emma looked cautiously at the door squeezing an office chair. - Ha, yeah, the door is electric and it closes by itself so we have to keep it open with a chair in case the electricity disappears again. - Wasn't there crates in the sewage tunnel? Amy thought out loud. - That's right! First thing I found! That should work much better, I'll go get one! Erik answered now wide awake with excitement. He met Christine and the doc in the hallway, just smirking at them as they asked where he was going. He found and took one of the crates, it was a little hard to carry through the stairs and doors but he managed. As he arrived back at the entrance they were all gathered and trying to see past the opened door. They quickly switched out the chair and put the crate in place up side down to be able to step on it easily. It seemed to be holding pretty well. With all major issues seemingly resolved, they finally all felt how exhausted they were and one by one started their venture further into the base. They found a relatively small area with a cantina and some barracks. To anyone else it it would have just looked like old and abandoned military facilities, but to them it was just what they had hoped for. They found food, standard medical cabinets and beds for everyone! - I have to say, it was a risky bet coming here, but it seems like it payed off! And we haven't even explored the entire facility yet! Erik noted with appreciation to Christine. - Do you remember any of it yet? He asked. - Yeah, it's slowly starting to come back to me, I think we shared a meal here at least. But it almost feels like it's been rebuilt since I visited. It was some time ago after all. I don't remember any electric doors. Christine answered, looking around them. - Well, I'm off to bed! Amy waved good night to the rest of them and took Mocha to find a bed for the two of them. - Yeah, we really should call it a day. Come on Emma, you get to pick your own bed! She motioned her daughter to follow Amy. - I'm gonna take a minute to do an inventory of our medical supplies in case of any emergencies. I need to take care of my hand from earlier too. The doc announced. - Oh, you got hurt? Let me help you. Erik offered. They all eventually went to bed and fell asleep under the slightly eerie aurora lights illuminating the barracks as well. All of them dreaming various odd things about the past weeks experiences now feeling a lot safer than in a long time. Having lost a companion to The Long Dark, they fell asleep grateful that the rest of them had all survived the risky and perilous journey to this their new home for the time being. Not really knowing what opportunities or secrets it held. To be continued...

Curiosity had got the better of Erik and a little more energized he did a second sweep of everything they currently had access to, starting outside the control room to not disturb Emma and Mocha for now. He was mostly interested in the guard room trying to find a key to the locked door, but they seemed to have found everything in their first check. Well, except for that locked cabinet, but he still couldn't find a key for it and he didn't have anything to break it open with. Amy woke up from a pretty restless slumber by the sound of steps from the corridor. Christine and the doc had returned. - Everything alright in here? Christine asked rhetorically. - I guess, the power just came on and we have a door to a room with beds we can't open. Amy answered sarcastically. - The power just turned on? The doc asked. - Must be the aurora, we were just loading up when it started and the wolves went crazy, almost didn't get inside in time. Christine noted. - The aurora? What do you mean? The doc asked. - Well, me and Emma were out on a walk when it happened the first time but Amy told us that all the electronics went crazy in her home, so it seems to affect electrical circuits. It's essentially solar flares penetrating down to the surface of the Earth instead of getting blocked by the atmosphere, so it does make some sense. Christine explained. - Oh, I guess that explains why the security systems acted up at Black Rock then. Man, this is a lot to comprehend. Did you report it to the authorities? The doc replied. - Yeah, it's a known issue that they are trying to find workarounds for but their resources are limited to say the least. I don't think we can count on their help, although it would be nice to get some news I suppose. It's been some time. Christine filled him in. - Man, it can't be healthy to be exposed to the radiation. I guess we are lucky to be inside. The doc concluded. - So, did you manage to get anything from the truck? Amy asked. - Yeah, not much but some essentials. The wolf pack we managed to fight off followed us here and managed to break through the gate to the base when the aurora started. We only managed two trips to the truck but we have some medicine and some food at least. Christine explained. - The wolves broke through the gate!? Erik had noticed their arrival and came back to the control room. - Yeah, your scrap metal lock seemed sturdy enough but they apparently ripped it open anyway. Christine noted. - So now we have a wolf pack between us and the truck? Erik sighed. - Yeah. Luckily we brought all the guns when we left it, but we're gonna have to fight if we want to bring any more supplies inside the base. Christine noted. Amy vaguely listened to the reporting of the supply run but all she could think about was getting a good night sleep. What was the key to that damn door? It didn't have any obvious slots or a key-pad for a code like the pad-lock.

Amy had nearly fallen asleep when Erik shook her gently. - Hey, wake up! Something's going on! He told her as she looked at him tired and confused. Outside the windows he could see colors dancing in the sky and now he heard winding sounds from inside the base. Soon lights started to flicker and computers were making their boot-up sounds. - The aurora seem to be activating the electric systems! That must have been backup generators! Erik now standing up trying to better assess the new situation. - Ok... so does the door to the beds open now? Amy asked while yawning and wiping her eyes. - Let me see. There seem to be some kind of an electronic lock but it's just a panel glowing red, so I guess that means locked? Erik noted after he had turned around to inspect the door again. Amy got up and away from the door to let Erik try getting it open again, no luck. - I wonder what kind of keys they use, I can't find any holes or slots for a key. Erik thought out loud. Amy being frustrated with the whole situation decided to leave Erik at the door to go check on Mocha. As she walked over she thought she could hear faint sounds from outside the base, but was too tired to think much of it. She found Mocha and Emma still sleeping despite the computers in the control room having turned on now. She sat down to pet Mocha and try to get some sleep herself.

The fact that they stood in a bit of a clearing in the courtyard made it easier to see with fewer of the otherwise tall trees around. Colors were dancing across the sky above the base. A new aurora had started. The new effects of an aurora, otherwise just a really pretty sight in arctic countries, was still a mystery to both of them. But they had also seen with their own eyes that weird things could happen including wildlife becoming more aggressive, so they didn't waste any time. They ran for the sewage gate as fast as they could as they heard the wolves already attacking the gate behind them. They never noticed the faint flickering lights through the windows of the base. As they arrived at the icy path, they were even more stressed out as it was still hard to traverse the section between the courtyard and the sewage gate in the snow. Although a bit trampled down at this point. Not knowing the durability of the material Erik had used to lock the base gate increased the stress to near panic. They had weapons but only Christine was an experienced shooter and they didn't want to find out how much harder a wolf pack was to scare off like this. - Careful! We still need to take it slow over the doors! The doc anxiously instructed Christine as she frantically started the traverse. - I know! Shut up and get ready to defend us. I'll cover you once I'm on the other side! She snapped back at him. The doc begrudgingly readied his weapon as he waited for Christine to finish crossing. The base gate did seem to hold for now but the attacks was not a comforting sound to listen too. Seemed like it would just be a matter of time, and if it happened it would be that much harder to fetch the remaining supplies! At least they had taken all the weapons out if the truck when they began finding an entrance so they did have a chance to reach it if they needed. - Ok! I'm over! Get going while I cover you. Careful on the second door, it's slippery. Christine disrupted his thoughts. His normally calm nerves during surgery seemed to have abandoned him in this instance. Although to his defense it was hardly a situation that even trauma doctors were trained for. Stuff of nightmares, this! - Ok, I'm coming! He said starting his traverse with shaky legs. Having rather heavy cans of food on him this time didn't help. Suddenly there was a big crashing sound, they couldn't really see much through the trees but soon they heard the growls. - Hurry! They got through the gate! Christine shouted. The added urgency finally caused the doc to lose his cool completely. His already shaky legs now scrambled for something to push against and quickly kicked away the first door, hitting the ice with his knee hard and broke through. Panicked he managed to drag himself out of it. Luckily, being down on both his hands and legs now did seem to help distribute his weight enough to get some purchase. He hadn't noticed but Christine had started moving towards him and he suddenly felt a tug on his jacket as she helped pull him the rest of the way. They could now hear paws running through the snow closing in. They didn't have to communicate. The doc got up on his feet as fast as he could, helped by Christine pulling, and they both ran in through the gate. The doc collapsed on the floor while Christine spent a few precious seconds putting the lock back and scrambling the code with shaking hands. She had barely stepped back before the jaws of multiple glowing wolves were throwing themselves against the gate, trying to bite her in between the bars. - Holy hell! What is that!? The doc shouted with wide open eyes, not believing what he was witnessing. - I don't know, some strange effect of the aurora it seems like. Are you ok? Christine replied trying to catch her breath. - Yeah yeah, just wet and cold from breaking through the ice back there, thanks for the pull by the way. But I suppose we are actually safe this time. Might need a drink, or 7, after this though. The doc reassured her, while getting to his feet. - Yeah, me too. I think Erik might be able to help us out there. Christine commented as they started to walk back into the base with the some of the supplies, laughing a little at the insanity of what they had just been through. - Damn, I think I cut my hand when I fell. The doc noted as they came back to the control room as the adrenaline subsided.

The doc was waiting by the gate just looking out into the night as Christine came back. He gave her a brief look as she approached and quickly unlocked the gate. They picked up the locker doors and carefully went out. - Should we try to figure out where the ice is weaker? Christine asked, not sure what to do. - No, it's too dark. It's probably been weakened all the way anyway. Lets just try to lay them down in a path and hope it relieves some of the pressure. Hopefully they won't slide around too much. The doc responded. The ice still creaked but it didn't seem to break, and they both managed to traverse it safely one more time. They followed their footsteps back towards the courtyard, they couldn't see much else anyway. - I figure we should grab medicine and water purification tablets first. MRE's would be good too. We can probably hold on warm clothing for now, the base seem to be warm even in the middle of the night. Christine suggested as they started to approach the truck. - Agreed. Medicine first, food second, and then anything else we can carry. We will hopefully find plenty of supplies in the base, but for now we only know that it's warm inside. The doc replied. The truck stood where they left it. The gate seemed to be closed and "locked" still as well. The doc wondered for a second what Erik had improvised for a lock, he couldn't see it from the truck. They had to dig through things a but eventually found their most essential supplies. They briefly discussed taking a backpack and big jacket each to be able to carry as much as possible, but remembered the ice issue and decided on multiple light weight trips instead. As they prepared to go back to the base, something caught Christine's eye. She readied her gun and walked towards the gate. - Heard something? The doc asked. - No... saw. She replied after a few seconds. They both approached the gate and tried to see further down the road. It was very dark but they could faintly see the tire tracks still. Then they saw it. Eyes. First just two, then more slowly appeared. - Yeah, we have company. They followed us. The doc commented. - Ok. Let's focus. Looks like Erik did a solid job locking the gate with some scrap metal, that will probably hold them out. We need to get moving. I want to do at least two trips. Lets just dump the supplies inside the gate and go back to save time. The others can help carry it in from there. The doc agreed and they both left the gate. They jogged a bit over the courtyard to save time but also to get warm, they had been out in the cold for a while. They found their path over the ice and managed to get across, but they heard the creaking again. The mood picked up as they unloaded the first load of supplies inside the gates. They had to walk carefully as the doors moved around easily on the ice but they made it back yet again. When they arrived at the truck, they could see the wolf pack circling outside the gate, but they didn't seem to want to attack it. Perhaps they were waiting for the humans to jump into their machine and come back out again. Something about the situation didn't feel right to Christine, but she couldn't identify it. Perhaps just the overall amount of risks they were suddenly dealing with, but she felt the need to get back into safety as soon as possible. - Lets hurry up, I don't want to stay out here all night. Christine noted as she quickly packed her pockets. The doc didn't quite agree, they should be safe and have time, but Christine's tone of voice was enough to convince him now was not the time to argue about it. They were soon done and started to head back hearing snarls behind them when they suddenly both noticed something else. Not from the gate this time, but above them.

Erik and Amy had carefully explored the entrance area. There were windows but it was still pretty dark and hard to see anything in the middle of the night. They were of course mainly focused on finding beds for the group, but kept an eye open for anything useful or interesting. They found some cardboard boxes in what looked like a trash bin that could be used to make a fire, useful for cooking even if the base didn't need heating, looked like it was from deliveries of MREs or other food. They soon found themselves in the guard room which proved much more interesting. - I'll start from the other end and we can work towards the middle. Erik suggested as they noticed various cabinets as well as notes and maps on the walls and on a desk. - Sure. Amy replied, being too tired to feel enthusiasm over anything other than a pillow at this point. Before they had managed to search much they heard steps and looked out of the room, it was Christine. She explained the situation, they laughed a bit about it as Amy gave her the note with the code. Amy felt a bit silly about locking the door behind them but didn't say anything. Better safe than sorry. At least they didn't seem to be annoyed about it. They went back to looking through the room and aside from a locked cabinet they couldn't find the key for they had soon summed up their findings; some spare ammunition, a worn revolver, some snacks, old patrol orders, lists of planned visitors to the base including id numbers for verification, a plastic card with unclear purpose, but perhaps most importantly - a faded map over the facilities! Erik took the map and left the room, Amy didn't quite understand why but followed him. He walked to the part of the entrance area that was most lit up by the night sky through one of the windows and held up the map. - This is just what we need! Erik commented with excitement. - Can you see anywhere for us to crash? Amy asked with a skeptical smirk. - Let me check, it's kind of hard to read. Erik answered. He looked closely at the map for a couple of minutes with Amy waiting impatiently, considering checking on Mocha although they seemed to be just fine. - Yes, I think this says "barracks"! It seems to be fairly close, past some sort of gate near the guard post? Erik finally reported. - Ok, lets check it out! Amy replied suddenly a little more enthusiastic. They walked to what looked like a door close to where it should be on the map that they hadn't seen before simply because it melted into the wall in the dark. They couldn't find a way to open it though. - Damn, so close. Amy sighed. - Yeah, that's annoying. At least we are safe here but beds would have been really nice... Erik said as he turned around and sat down with the back against the gate. - I think we should just wait and rest for a bit until they have finished unloading the truck. We might get lucky tomorrow in the daylight, perhaps we can find some ventilation shaft or something. At least we managed to access the base tonight, I guess reading random notes is very important! Erik said with a smirk. Amy didn't say anything but sat down with him, feeling very tired.

Emma was told to lay down with Mocha in a corner to try to sleep. Christine took off her middle layer to make her a makeshift bed, although Mocha already provided plenty of comfort. Amy decided to help explore the base with Erik as she wanted to be close to Mocha anyway. Christine agreed and teamed up with the doc to start unloading the truck. - Good thinking with the improved support over the ice, but it's hard to tell where the ground is solid under it. Christine noted. - True, but we might get an advantage simply by stepping on them as is too, as it will hopefully spread the pressure of our feet over the entire surface. The doc explained. - Good point. I suppose the remaining risk is that it might still slide around with the low friction of metal on ice. Christine continued, now slightly amused by the intellectual sparring. - Haha, touché! Yes, we might have to put some cloth in between to lower that risk, although it might not help much. Slow and steady wins the race as usual I suppose. The doc conceded. The merry pair soon went through the door and down the stairs towards the gate. As they approached they sighed. - Oh, Amy must have locked the padlock behind us! Christine commented. - You didn't by chance get the combination, did you? The doc asked. - Haha, no. I think she has the note with her as well. I'll go back and get it. Christine said with a smirk. Christine found Erik and Amy outside the control room. They had searched a small entrance area, a lobby of sorts, and had found a small guard room nearby. They were looking through it as she walked up. They exchanged a couple of jokes regarding the lock and she was soon on her way again. Walking through the control room she happily noted that both Emma and Mocha had fallen asleep.

Despite carefully traversing the iced-over entrance one by one getting to the now open sewage gate, they could all hear the creaks. It was too dark to see much, but if they had they would have noticed very visible cracks forming. They soon found Erik a bit further inside the tunnel. He was inspecting a crate. - Found anything interesting? Christine asked. - No, they seem to be empty. My best guess is that they contained some kind of maintenance equipment considering where we are. Lets continue, hopefully this leads all the way inside the base. Erik noted. - Lets form a human chain, we could easily get lost in the dark otherwise. I suppose the dog can navigate well enough though. The doc suggested. - Good idea! Christine agreed. After stumbling around a bit in the dark they were soon holding hands and slowly exploring further step by step. Erik being in the lead soon found some stairs that thankfully lead to an open door out of the cold and smelly tunnel. He was not very familiar with military bases but figured that they were in a low security area. Thankful to get out of the cold and wet, but also a little nervous about how far into the base they would be able to get access. - Keep an eye out for anything we could use to create a bridge, that ice at the gate wont hold for much longer. If we want to unload the truck we need something sturdier to walk on. The doc noted as they were walking through a corridor. - Good point! Some boards or perhaps locker doors might work. Erik agreed. Before long they found themselves in what resembled a control room of some sort. It seemed to be near the entrance. They found and searched some lockers and cabins and shared some sodas and snacks. - I think this is a pretty good place to hunker down for the night. Perhaps we should split up, some of us could start unloading the truck of the most important supplies while the rest continue exploring? It would be great if we could find some crew quarters with beds. The doc suggested. They all agreed that it was a great idea. Emma was told to stay put with Mocha as it was still dark and Christine didn't want her running around a military base. Besides it was long overdue to get some sleep for everyone, but especially Emma. They managed to get the doors off a couple of the open lockers. They weren't super sturdy but it was better than nothing.

Was this really happening? Had she managed to figure out how to access a military base through a sewage entrance with the help of a cryptic note from a safe? Amy had trouble wrapping her head around recent events, but it felt great to have been so useful in an otherwise much more capable group of people. The (cute) wilderness expert Erik, survivalist and natural leader Christine, and of course the doc. Talk about being in good company for the situation. Christine, Emma and the doc had started walking around a little where they were waiting trying to keep warm when Amy made it back to the group. She didn't say anything but smiled and held up the unlocked padlock. - You figured it out!? Christine shouted in astonishment. - Yeah! The code from the safe we couldn't figure out at your house was the combination. Your husband must have been working on security or something but at least we can get inside now! Amy commented trying to hide her sense of pride. - Where is Erik? The doc asked. - He stayed back at the entrance, it's icy and slippery getting to the gate and he didn't want to risk breaking the ice. I guess he has started exploring the base now. He asked me to get you. Amy replied. - Oh, I guess we should get going then. But perhaps just one at a time across the ice? Christine suggested. - Yeah, that's probably for the best. I heard the ice creaking a bit on my way back actually. Amy replied. - We really should be unloading the truck and get the supplies inside as well. The doc thought out loud. - Good point. But lets head inside first and hopefully find some place warmer than this to plan our next steps. We should be alone here for a while at least. Christine suggested. Amy took the lead as they all headed inside. The ice holding for now, although they could all hear it creaking now. Amy decided to lock the gate behind them and scrambled the code, just in case. They soon found Erik a bit further inside, inspecting some crates for supplies as best he could in the dark.

As they came close enough to the fence to see it and a couple of signs on it clearly, the truck finally made it clear to everyone that this was its last few meters of service this time around. The road went through a big gate, which oddly enough was open, and Erik carefully tried to keep the truck at speed through the gate so that they might close it behind them for some temporary safety. - What's that sound, is the truck broken? Emma asked. - No, we are just out of gas. We were very lucky to find as much as we did before we left town. Erik noted. - What does out of gas mean? Emma asked as she turned around to look at her mom. - Gas is the fuel for the truck, it makes the engine run so that it can move. Christine explained calmly, suddenly feeling a lot safer again. The truck finally came to an abrupt stop, luckily Erik had got them past the fence and about half way through the small courtyard first. - I'll head back and close the gate. We don't have any locks but I'll improvise something to at least keep animals out. You can start looking for a way inside. Erik told the others as he quickly left the drivers seat and started walking back to the gate. - Well, the gate was open so I suppose we could check if the main entrance is open as well. Christine pondered. The group went up to the only door they could see. It also had a few warning signs. Unfortunately it did not open. It looked reinforced as well so they would not likely be able to pry it open. They did notice some windows but they looked reinforced too and would probably not break from either tools or bullets. They were discussing building an emergency shelter when Erik joined them again. - Any luck? He asked. - Unfortunately no, manually locked or automatically locked without power it seems. We were thinking that we might build some kind of shelter instead? Christine informed him. - I think that's a good emergency plan, but lets have a look around first. Erik suggested. They agreed and after fetching all the guns they had from the truck, they started exploring the area outside the base along the main wall. They started with what looked like the shorter walk and not surprisingly it ended quite soon where the fence met the wall. They couldn't see anything of interest in the dark so they simply turned around and walked the other way. The other direction was more promising, but the base wall continued outside the courtyard and into the woods which unfortunately had deep snow in places making the trek harder. It was also getting very dark and hard to see anything. But determined to not give up having got this far they pushed on. Soon they could hear running water and not long after noticed the source of the mist from their arrival. A small creek with fast running water. - Stay here, I'll take a closer look. Erik said as he signed with his hand to the others. The base wall went all the way out against the water, surrounded with ice at the edges. He walked a bit further to be able to look around. It was too dark to see well but the ice provided some illumination and he noticed a gate! Very carefully he managed to hug the wall and get around the corner before standing at what seemed to be a sewage entrance. The ice seemed solid enough but did creak a little under his weight, they would have to be careful. Up close he could see water running out from a tunnel. He was also slightly dismayed to see a padlock. He pulled on it but it was locked. And they didn't have bolt cutters... he decided to report back. - So basically we're screwed then? Amy asked. - Well, we did arrive very late in the dark. We might see something new tomorrow. Christine suggested, suddenly feeling a bit ashamed about her convincing everyone to find their way here only to not be able to get in. - What kind of lock is it anyway? Amy continued. - Uh, a combination lock. But it's 4 numbers, gonna take a long time to test every combination and we can't even be sure it will unlock given how damp it is at the gate. Might have rusted shut by now. Erik answered, feeling the weight of the situation as well. - Wait. 4 numbers? That reminds me of something. Where have we seen 4 numbers? Amy thought aloud suddenly more enthusiastic without anyone understanding why. - Was there numbers on the maps? She asked Christine. - Not that I recall, perhaps some coordinates and the scales. Christine suggested. - Oh wait! I think I got it! Amy suddenly started running towards the gate. - Be careful on the ice! Eric managed to shout after her. They had studied the documents of Christine's late husband in quite some detail in her kitchen before they left but the rest of them had mostly focused on the maps to locate the base. Only Amy had bothered to check the other notes properly as well. She now pulled out the small piece of paper with what seemed like some code on it that they hadn't been able to understand at the time. Finally at the gate she grabbed the lock and immediately started turning the dials. It was quite cold to the touch but they did turn thankfully! When she had turned 2 of the 4 dials Erik finally caught up to her. - What did you remember? He asked slightly winded from trying to catch up in case of any ice related emergencies. - The code! The code from the notes in the safe! It was 4 numbers too! Amy quickly noted as she continued with the 3rd. He couldn't really recall what she was talking about but let her work, and before he had time to think about it much they both heard it. Click! Yes! Amy shouted. She had pulled the padlock open, and opened the door. They had found a way into the base! A smelly way, but not too bad in the cold and no one was complaining anyway. She triumphantly turned around to face him. - Great job! You might have just saved us! Erik said feeling a tonne of weight fall off his mind. She just smiled and looked away slightly embarrassed. - Why don't you go tell the others the good news! I'm a lot heavier than you and we don't want to risk the ice breaking, it's creaking under my steps. Erik suggested. Amy nodded and carefully started to navigate her way back to the rest of the group.

The truck kept going on a pretty good road in the middle of the old, tall, trees. Erik didn't say anything but he had noticed that the fuel gauge was indicating dangerously low, nearly empty levels of fuel. But the engine wasn't sputtering just yet, so at least it wasn't obvious. They all sat silently and stared into the evening, trying to identify any useful features in front of them. Road signs, buildings, fences. Anything that might surround a military base. No one could see anything for about 20 minutes. But then Erik noticed something straight ahead. - I think I see a fence! Straight ahead. Can't be a fallen tree or a rock. Erik mentioned and pointed. Everyone looked but no one saw anything. What they didn't know was that there was mist coming from a nearby creek that hadn't yet frozen over. The faint feature disappeared briefly for Erik as well, making him doubt his vision. - I see it too now! Christine suddenly shouted! - You visited this place before right, do you recognize it? Amy asked her. - Not yet, it's been many years and it's so dark, but the road feels familiar. As the truck came closer, still without revealing its dire resources, they all saw the fence and the contours of some buildings behind it and the mood in the truck improved drastically.