The depot is a tomb of rusted iron and shattered glass. Rain drums a hollow rhythm against the corrugated roof, muffling the distant, rhythmic clanking of a loose junction switch. Seth stands near the central loading dock, his boots crunching on layers of oily grit.
Miller
The air tastes like ozone and rot, Seth. We shouldn't linger in the open.
Seth
The silence is too heavy. The Saviors are gone, but this place feels like a snare waiting to snap shut.
Suddenly, the heavy iron door at the far end of the terminal groans, sliding open just wide enough for a figure to slip inside. It is a young girl, no older than twelve, clutching a blood-stained teddy bear and staring directly at the group. She is shivering violently, her eyes wide with a frantic, animalistic fear.
Seth
Wait. Nobody move. She isn't one of them.
Seth
She’s terrified. If she’s been hiding here, she might know a way out of this yard that isn't swarming with walkers.
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[Seth: Male
+ Scene Quest Added
Determine the girl's knowledge of a safe exit
“Oh I'm sorry sweetie John get over here and get her some water or food”
SUCCESS (Superb First Aid, rolled -4)
Seth
Hey, it is alright. I am not going to hurt you. John, get over here and bring her some water or a ration bar. Slowly.
Seth
Keep your hands visible. If I spook her, she might bolt back into the tunnels or worse, draw the walkers down on us.
Seth keeps his movements fluid and unhurried, kneeling down to bring himself closer to her eye level. The girl remains frozen, her knuckles white as she grips the stained toy, her chest hitching in shallow, ragged gasps. Miller moves cautiously from the shadows, fumbling with his pack to retrieve a canteen.
Miller
Easy now, kid. Just take it slow. We are just passing through.
Girl
The others... they said the iron door was locked. How did you get past the whispers?
Seth
She knows about the Whisperers. That explains the frantic look. She was hiding from them, not just the dead.
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CHANGES:
Iron door partially slid open, daylight from outside filtering through the gap; canteen held mid-air between Miller and the girl.
CAMERA: [Medium shot, side angle, focusing on the gap
+ Story Quest Added
Investigate the threat of the Whisperers
“Where the fuck is John”
SUCCESS (Good Perception, rolled +3)
“Find John”
SUCCESS (Good Tracking, rolled +3)
Seth scans the railyard, his gaze moving past the rusting tracks toward the treeline. He spots a faint trail of disturbed gravel and snapped twigs leading away from the depot.
Seth
John must have made it out before the Whisperers closed the perimeter. These tracks are fresh, maybe twenty minutes old.
Miller
Hey, kid, you sure there isn't another way out of here? The fog is getting thick and we can't stay in the open forever.
Girl
They... they watch the main gates. But my brother, he found a crawlspace under the western fence. Please, if you find him, tell him the depot isn't safe anymore.
Seth
The girl is terrified, but her intel is solid. If John followed the fence line, he might still be within earshot.
A sharp whistle pierces the air from the direction of the water tower, followed by the sound of muffled shouting that cuts off abruptly.
+ Scene Quest Added
Find the girl's brother near the western fence
