The Long Dark- A Journey Through Frozen Hell

Power Plant

Miho pulled up the hood to the coat, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

With a rifle with less than half a magazine of ammunition, little food, a flare pistol and three flare shots, and clothing that didn't block the wind, she set off in the dead of night, following the powerlines.

A sad detail was that the more Miho walked, the more she realized her determination was wanning. Hope was depleting and the will to live... it was losing. She was losing it.

She thought about Donner. The horrible things he might have done. What would happen if the power came back on and they bust him out.

A thought that horrified her was using the rifle on herself to keep Donner inside and not hurt anyone else.

Then again, Mathis might capture some other unfortunate soul and use them.

She also thought about the convicts too. Men who were too bad for the mainland. She also remembered Vachon mentioning C block and shutterig at the thought of those being perverted prisoners who would take advantage of her.

Miho shook away those thoughts as she walked across a bridge, looking at the water below.

She maneuvered through the wreck, listening to the wolves howl in the distance.

Miho stared up at the enormous devastating landslide that blocked her path.

She turned around and walked up a steep incline, maneuvering around devastation, walking across fallen trees hundreds of feet above where one slip would be fatal.

Eventually, she made it to the dam as rushing water echoed.

Miho gave a small smile, walking through the gate and walked inside.

She shut the door behind her when the phone rang.

Miho hurried over and picked it up.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Me again." The stranger said.

Miho bowed her head.

"So they sent you to check on the power plant."

"Yeah. That's what they told me to do."

"Do you always do what hardened criminals tell you to do?".

"Do I have a choice?"

"You know that you won't be able to get the power back on right?"

"I know. What's your name?"

"You can call me Jace."

"Nice to meet you Jace. What are we doing exactly?"

"I don't know about you but I'm not here to work on my tan."

"How are you involved in this? Are you in trouble?"

"If that psycho Donner makes it out of solitary and we're all in trouble Miho."

"I see."

"I can tell you all about the power and how I'm involved but first, you have to prove yourself. I need your help."

"How did you end up here?" Miho asked.

"Car broke down when the aurora appeared. Not broke, just stopped working like most things. Ot was freezing so I got out and started walking. I walked for hours, nearly froze to death when I found a fence and then a guard tower. Then I heard gunshots. It was horrible. The shots were... There were so many. I waited... half an hour? I could see them slumped up against the wall. Blood everywhere. It was guards, prison workers, civilians, innocent. Executed them. I had to get out but I know the area a bit. You're not getting out in foot. I don't know if anyone's coming to help but I gotta do what I can to keep those fuckers locked up. Donner, if he gets out, no one within a hundred clicks will be safe. And if this thing will last as long as I think it will. This thing will end badly for all of us."

"What did Donner do?" Miho asked.

"I guess you don't follow the news much. Donner is a psychopath. If there's a law, he broke it. I hear his old man Mathis isn't much better, but Donner. He's a once in a generation criminal."

"I can confirm Mathis doesn't qualify for father of the year."

Miho could hear Jace stiffle a giggle before getting serious.

"Wait, you know him?"

"He's the reason why I ended up here. He's here to break Donner out."

"Shit, this is worse than I thought."

"What could happen if he gets out?"

"Donner, if he gets out, he will make it his personal mission to hurt any human he gets his hands on Blackrock just for shits and giggles."

"So we can work together to keep him locked up. How though?" Miho asked.

"Trust. That's how."

"That isn't alot."

"You wanna prove you're trust worthy?"

"Yes."

"What's in it for you?"

"Getting out of here. That's what." Miho said.

"Okay, listen up. There are physical lockups that the convicts can manipulate to get Donner out. I mean, they're morons but even morons get lucky sometimes. We need to fix that so they don't accidently break him out."

"How do we do that?"

"Well just so happens I have the plans for this accident thing. Victorian Era but solitary is newer. But the stuff under it, old as shit."

"How do we do that?"

"We get underneath and bust up any of the locking systems. We seize up the system, it's so old and heavy, it'll take a nuclear bomb to break them out."

"Okay. How do I get there?"

"Steam tunnels on the other side of the spillway. According to these plans, they'll more or less lead you under solitary."

"Okay, then what?" Miho asked.

"Then you break anything that looks like a switch, fuse, vacuum tube, anything."

"Okay. I'll get to it."

"Wait, do you know a Yukari Akiyama?" Jace asked.

"Yukari Akiyama!? I know her!" Miho said.

"Well, I caught her sneaking around my safe place. I hit her twice with arrows and patched her up. She's tied up right now so that should motivate you."

"Don't hurt her, please." Miho said.

"I won't. I can't guarantee she won't hurt me."

"I'll help you. Just don't hurt her."

"Good luck Miho." Jace said before hanging up.

Miho stepped away from the phone, making her way into the old steam tunnels.

Miho grabbed a piece of old wood, getting it to catch fire and made her way though the tunnels.