2023-10-03 19:03:44 +02:00
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<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title> First Steps Outside </title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="html_resources/style.css"></head><body><a href="index.html"><button class="back"><</button></a>
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2023-09-22 19:42:13 +02:00
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<h1> First Steps Outside</h1>
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<p>
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The station is is much larger than any of the metro stations inside the
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dome. It has many platforms. Portions of the tall roof that is supported
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2023-10-01 23:16:49 +02:00
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by large stone pillars and rusty steel beams have caved in and what's
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still standing has holes. Rays of light poke through holes in the walls
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and the roof. All of that is visually stunning but what really catches
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Annie's eyes are the plants everywhere. Parts of the platforms are
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densely covered in the thin, green blades of some plant giving them a
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fuzzy look. Vines cling to the walls and pillars, crawl along gaps and
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edges, and hang from the rusty beams and the fringes of the caved in roof
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sections. Moss grows on the rusted benches and trash cans.
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2023-09-22 19:42:13 +02:00
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</p>
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<p>
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2023-10-04 08:27:12 +02:00
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Jack turns off the generator and decelerates the train. Clanging from
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under the floor followed by the squeaking of the brakes. The train runs
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over a bunch of bushes and tall flowers that have taken root on the
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tracks before coming to a halt next to a staircase in the center of the
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2023-10-01 23:16:49 +02:00
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platform.<br />
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2023-09-22 19:42:13 +02:00
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<span class="speech">Exit to the right</span>, he says in unison with the
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2023-10-01 23:16:49 +02:00
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automated voice while turning the switch for the doors and gesturing
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towards the passenger area.<br />
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2023-09-22 19:42:13 +02:00
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<span class="speech">After you.</span>
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</p>
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<p>
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Annie walks over to the closest door and pushes the button. Pressurized
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2023-10-01 23:16:49 +02:00
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air hisses and the right half opens very slowly. They step out onto the
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platform. Annie breathes the warm air. It smells of the run-over plants.
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Insects are buzzing about, and the wind rustles through the leaves. She
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crouches down and touches the carpet of green fuzziness.<br />
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2023-09-22 19:42:13 +02:00
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<span class="speech">Grass. It grows pretty much everywhere, usually much
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taller than this though.</span><br />
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She looks up at him.<br />
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<span class="speech">I knew there would be more plants out here... I
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didn't expect that many of them.</span><br />
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<span class="speech">Welcome to the outside world. Wanna take a quick
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look around?</span><br />
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She gets up.<br />
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<span class="speech">Sure.</span>
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</p>
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<p>
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They walk down a flight of stairs taking them to a tunnel under the
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platforms. The floor is covered in water so they follow a ledge on the
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side. Jack leads Annie up the stairs to the last platform. From there,
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they step outside through a side entrance.
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</p>
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<p>
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Annie is hit by the light and warmth of the setting sun. She closes her
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eyes and faces it for a moment.<br />
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2023-10-01 23:16:49 +02:00
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<span class="speech">This is nice.</span> She turns to Jack.
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2023-09-22 19:42:13 +02:00
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<span class="speech">And this light is just always up there?</span><br />
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2023-10-01 23:16:49 +02:00
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Jack chuckles. <span class="speech">Well... No. Only during the
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day.</span><br />
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Annie looks around. They are standing on a balcony-like platform
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2023-10-04 08:27:12 +02:00
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overlooking a city in a valley.<br />
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<span class="speech">Wooow</span>, she utters in astonishment.<br />
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<span class="speech">Ivydale - or at least what remains of it.</span>
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<br />
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She walks over to the rusted railing and goes to lean against it.<br />
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2023-09-22 19:42:13 +02:00
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<span class="speech">Don't lean on that.</span><br />
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2023-10-04 08:27:12 +02:00
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<span class="speech">Why not?</span><br />
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She steps back.<br />
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2023-09-22 19:42:13 +02:00
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<span class="speech">Watch.</span><br />
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2023-10-04 22:55:10 +02:00
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He pushes against it. Loud cracking follows, and the ringing of metal.
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A roughly two meter wide section of the railing breaks loose and falls.
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Annie takes a bigger step back. The railing crashes into the ground
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below with a loud ringing bang.<br />
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2023-09-22 19:42:13 +02:00
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<span class="speech">How did you know?</span><br />
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2023-10-04 08:27:12 +02:00
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<span class="speech">I made the same mistake over there.</span><br />
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2023-10-01 23:16:49 +02:00
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He points to another missing section in the railing that Annie
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2023-10-04 08:27:12 +02:00
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hadn't noticed before.<br />
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<span class="speech">Be careful around old buildings.</span>
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2023-09-22 19:42:13 +02:00
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</p>
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<p>
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Cautiously stepping back to the edge, Annie looks down. Bushes cover the
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hillside below the tall embankment wall that holds the station,
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overgrowing everything. The walls of small ruins and half fallen-in
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fences stick out here and there, and the bushes are interrupted by what
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remains of roads and staircases. Small rivers cut through the landscape.
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Annie looks up. The ruins further down the valley are larger the closer
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they are to the center of the urban area below.<br />
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<span class="speech">It's much bigger than <dome city>.</span>
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<br />
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<span class="speech">Many things are bigger than <dome city>.
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2023-10-01 23:16:49 +02:00
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This is the smaller of two sister cities.</span><br />
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He points towards another urban center in the distance.<br />
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2023-10-04 22:55:10 +02:00
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<span class="speech">That over there is Sentinel Shores, the place
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I used to call home.</span>
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</p>
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<p class="comment">
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At some point before this, Jack needs to tell her something along the
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lines of "No pity. I chose this life."
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</p>
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<p>
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After pointing out some other notable landmarks, Jack decides it is time
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to get going. He starts to lead the way, walking to the end of the end of
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the station that they entered it from, before abruptly turning to Annie.
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<span class="speech">You know what we forgot?</span>
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2023-09-22 19:42:13 +02:00
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</p>
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<p>
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2023-10-04 22:55:10 +02:00
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They return to the side entrance, walk down the stairs, follow the ledge,
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back up the stairs, and end up at the train. Annie puts the documents
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back into her bag. Jack grabs the keys from the control panel
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<span class="speech">just for good measure</span> and uses one of them to
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close the door from the outside.
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2023-09-22 19:42:13 +02:00
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</p>
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2023-10-01 23:16:49 +02:00
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<p class="comment">
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2023-10-04 22:55:10 +02:00
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I don't like this. It feels too contrived. Would have been better if
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Jack had just closed the door when they left the train and left it at
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that. That also allows for a later scene where someone realizes that
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the documents are still in the train.
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack leads the way again, this time walking to the end of the platform
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where the tunnels open up into the station. There, they use another
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underpass taking them to the end of the balcony-like walkway. It
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connects to a wide staircase down from the end of the embankment
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where the mountain extends over the tunnels and the back wall of the
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station. It leads to a collapsed bridge next to a large waterfall.
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Annie marvels at the sheer amount of water flowing by, something that
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she has never seen before.
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2023-10-01 23:16:49 +02:00
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</p>
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2023-09-22 19:42:13 +02:00
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<p>
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Jack goes ahead, climbing down the wall where the bridge used to begin
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by grabbing onto the edges of the large sandstone blocks. Annie struggles
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to follow. After what feels like an eternity, she manages to get half-way
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down the wall.<br />
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<span class="speech">You can jump from there.</span><br />
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They make their way across the fast-flowing river by stepping on large
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stones in the water, and continue through the bushes towards Outpost 53.
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</p>
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