TRACKS OF TERROR -- DAY 13: CONTAINMENT UNIT -- DEEPER SHADOWS
==============================================================

Published: March 2, 2025
Author: Daniel Conderman
Context: Recovered Conderman.Group interactive survival-horror serial
Original URL: https://conderman.group/2025/03/day-13-containment-unit-deeper-shadows/


INDIVIDUAL CHOICES
------------------

Penny chose Loot. Determined to find gear or intelligence that could save us,
she rummaged through the half-broken consoles and cryo-tank cabinets.
Knowledge is power--especially against unstoppable undead.

Despite his injuries, R.C. chose Sneak and insisted on quietly scouting the
deeper sections of the car. He believed avoiding additional creatures might
give us a fighting chance.


PENNY'S LOOT ATTEMPT
--------------------

With a few survivors keeping watch, Penny pried open a console labeled
"Refrig-Cryo Backup." Sparks flew and burning circuits filled the air, but she
pulled out a dented metal box. Inside she found:

  * Three vials of fluorescent liquid marked with a biohazard symbol and the
    word "Catalyst."

  * An outdated "EmergenTek Specialist" ID card. The photo was blurred and
    only the partial name "-uin" remained readable.

  * A half-burned data chip that might contain research logs.

One ruined cryo-chamber was empty except for a gash in its metal: whatever had
been inside must have wrenched itself free. Another held a corpse rotted beyond
recognition, apparently never reanimated. Penny looked away and muttered,
"Thank God this one stayed dead."


R.C.'S SNEAK ATTEMPT
--------------------

R.C. went alone into the gloom beyond a twisted metal partition. According to
the salvaged blueprint, the area might connect to an auxiliary corridor.

He radioed back on a battered walkie-talkie: "Footprints here, fresh... can't
tell if they're human." Moments later came a faint clang. "Something's
moving--overhead vents, maybe."

When he returned, sweat plastered his hair to his forehead. He had found a
hidden door with a powered digital lock. After he tried random codes, a loud
beep might have triggered an alarm. He slipped away and reemerged trembling
but unscathed. His injuries were clearly wearing him down.


OUTCOME
-------

Neither search triggered a new brawl, but Car 14 remains unsecured. The
Catalyst vials suggest more experimental serums: medicine, enhancements, or
poison. The digital lock could guard subjects or crucial gear, and an alarm
might mean we are on borrowed time. R.C. can barely stand.

The EmergenTek logo on Penny's ID card includes a stylized "Q," possibly a
clue to the lock.


HALFWAY THERE, STILL HANGING ON
-------------------------------

We gather near the half-collapsed control panel. Penny shows me the vials and
wonders whether their chemicals might subdue the undead. R.C. leans against a
wall, breathing hard but insisting stealth is the answer. The entire car
groans as the train hits rough track.

What is your approach?

  Fight     -- Bust open the locked door and face what is behind it.
  Sneak     -- Scout the corners and vents to avoid a direct fight.
  Improvise -- Use the vials, freeze grenades, or lock to make a trap.
  Persuade  -- Rally the survivors to work together.
  Loot      -- Decode the data chip and search for a password.

Penny has mysterious vials, R.C. is near exhaustion, and something may be
waiting behind the digital lock.