Disaster Report Diaries (Raw Danger!) Part Two

This is my exploration of the Disaster Report series where I will chronicle my playthrough like a text-based Let’s Play. Now let’s continue Raw Danger!...

While working on Christmas Eve, a sudden flood had hit the underground area of Geo City, and Joshua Harwell had been tasked with finding fellow waitstaff Stephanie McMurrough…

Despite the sudden rush of water that had almost killed me, the ladies’ locker room still only had ankle-deep water. Despite knowing for a fact that Stephanie was inside the room, I couldn’t see anyone. I found a Mobile Phone on a table and was able to use it to light up the room, where I also found a Heating Pad and a Pedometer Compass, which I equipped. Then, I noticed one of the lockers shaking every so often, which clearly meant either a trapped jungle cat, or (more likely) Stephanie was inside for some reason.

Opening the locker, she didn’t explain herself, only asking what happened. I told her the levee broke (she hadn’t been at the staff meeting earlier) but that didn’t explain how the water had gotten here so quickly as that was several miles away. There was a hole in the wall adjoining the kitchen, but some lockers blocked the way. I asked Stephanie to help me push them over, and we went through.

The phone rang and I answered it, only for Stephanie’s father to ask who I was. I asked who he was, then had a nice conversation with him where he asked me to help Stephanie get to a station on the north side of Downtown Geo. I agreed with “A man should always protect a woman” as I figured it was better to get in good with the rich family rather than answer with the more combative “It’s a pain in the ass, but alright.”

I finally let him speak to Stephanie and there was clearly something going on there but a tremor caused her to drop the phone into the water. I told her it wasn’t her fault, and we warmed ourselves by the gas stove, and I cooked up some Tomato Soup to share, while keeping for later some Chicken Noodle soup that I picked up. I also picked up a Pot because I figured I could use it to catch some water and boil it, if not now then later. Unfortunately, access to the Geo costume that I had found earlier was blocked by collapsed shelves, so that would have to remain where it was, and we left the kitchen after I picked up a Good Flashlight.

Despite the torrent of water that had almost killed me, the hallway was still blocked, so we went into the main hall. It had changed since I was in there a short while earlier, with the main stage having fallen into a hole. The corridor collapsed behind us and I told Stephanie that I would protect her. The floor gave way as we began to walk across an overturned table, so we were completely unhindered by that, however the water was rushing out through the doors we had to use.

Exiting the hall, I was almost swept over the side into the abyss, but managed to get back to Stephanie, and even snagged a Heating Pad along the way. Unfortunately, the moment I stepped ahead of Stephanie, the floor dropped and I barely grabbed hold of the edge behind me! Leading the way, I managed to grab onto a sofa as the floor gave way under the weight of water, but my salvation was quickly being pushed into the hole! I let go and pushed on through the weight of water only to get knocked back by a wave caused by falling masonry!

However, we were finally at the evacuation point that I had been told to reach, and there was nobody there. I said that they must have evacuated already. Across what remained of the atrium we saw people running on a higher tier. Even if we thought that we could have been heard over the roar of the water, we didn’t have time to call out as the glass ceiling high above us finally shattered, with tons of glass and water — and a truck — came down to attempt to fill the hole.

Frighteningly, they seemed to manage it! The water level was rising, having been ankle-deep across most of the floor so far, so I hurried to the escalator. Stephanie called out, she was unable to move through the current, so I took her hand and got her up to the next floor. She thanked me and I told her that I would do anything for her.

A First Aid Kit was near my feet, so I grabbed that and we noticed that the other survivors were on the same floor, but on the other side of some girders which blocked our way. After moving a sheet I found a crawl space, but the other side was still blocked, and the people couldn’t hear me shouting. Exploring the other direction, I found a Heating Pad and a Bullhorn. Unfortunately, I couldn’t fit it in my backpack, so I had to use the Heating Pad and discard one of my two Pots. A D Battery lay on the floor close by, so I hurried back over to Stephanie and gave her a Heating Pad, then went and grabbed the battery before finally using the Bullhorn to get in touch with the survivors.

There were about 20 people that I could see, and one of our fellow waiters made sure the blockage was removed so that we could crawl through to join them. The Head Chef told me that a worker had gone to check the escape route, but meanwhile everyone was freezing cold. There was a Survival Point around the corner, but it had no fuel — except for the Kerosene Tank nearby that nobody had apparently noticed. Frustratingly, I needed to drop my Bullhorn to pick it up, and people were finally able to warm up.

The worker returned, but moments later there was a tremor and given the sudden, short rush of water the escape route had just collapsed behind him. He suggested that the only other route open to us was the lift on the top floor, the issue was reaching it. While the adults attempted to solve things, Stephanie gave her jacket to an older survivor who thanked her and said that she was lucky to have such a good boyfriend. I told Stephanie to stop being shy, but someone interrupted by calling for help which she went to provide.

After warming up at the Survival Point I grabbed a Heating Pad and went to join Stephanie. Someone needed to reach a ladder and climb up to where the elevator was, and the only volunteer had sprained their ankle. So “someone” obviously meant me, and I went for the ladder, carefully crossing a fallen column which a tremor shook loose. It fell the moment I reached solid ground, so I was glad that I had moved swiftly…

There was some Chicken Broth in a crate and a Rope Ladder next to another Survival Point. However, I couldn’t pick it up so I had to eat the Chicken Broth and throw away a Heating Pad, to make room in my inventory. After securing and sending the ladder down, they sent up the women and children first as the water began rising. An argument broke out over who was coming up next, but a tremor cut that short by washing seven survivors away.

Out of the 20 or so who I had counted earlier, there were six remaining, including myself and Stephanie. In fact, Stephanie and the older woman were the only “women and children” present, so that earlier sentiment rang a little hollow…

The worker hurried off to find the key to operate the elevator while Stephanie had a breakdown over the sudden loss of life. I tried to hug her, but she pushed me off and went to the elevator. I was going to join her, but the worker returned and was visibly bleeding, so I went to assist him. A big tremor hit, damaging the floor that we were on and causing the elevator to dangle in mid-air! A torrent of water gushed across the damaged floor, but I was able to grab onto a rope and pull myself along while carrying the worker on my back. I also somehow managed to leap two whole metres to the elevator while still carrying the bloke!

He recovered and activated the elevator, sending us up to the surface. But the West side of the city was in terrible shape, if our one building was any indicator…