"Face Off" is the thirty-first mission of The Home Front.
Trapped underground with only a dead man for company. You might have more on your plate than you can handle!
EXERCISES: Mountain Climber, Forearm Plank, Air Punch, Step Up, Bicep Curl
Cast[]
Plot[]
Freeze![]
Sure, you may be trapped in a bunker with Artemus Thurman's desiccated corpse waiting for his fail-safe to kick in, but at least the bunker has stopped shaking. Unfortunately, Sam has also spotted Mr Invisible headed your way. Sam isn't sure how because Thurman looks really dead. You need another exit. There's a vent shaft above that book shelf. You could use the Mountain Climber movements to help you get up there! Good job! Keep moving through the vent.
Rat Bite Fever[]
Mr Invisible just entered the coffin room, so you'll need to stay still and silent. Sam says that he looks just like Thurman. More pressingly, there are some big rats in the vents with you, trying to get past. Get into a Plank position to give them space so they don't need to bite you. Good job, the rats are moving on. Mr Invisible seems to be trying to assemble something, and he won't hear you so now's a good time to move on.
Buying Time[]
Sam doesn't like the look of the room you've dropped into. There are planets smaller than Thurman's ego! You hear a noise and open the door a crack, but Thurman is there. You'll have to fight back with some Punches! You get a few good hits in, and manage to rip a strip of skin off his face. Underneath that, there's just metal. During the fight, he knocks down a load of the Thurman memorabilia, and that distracts him enough for you to slip past. Push over those shelves too to buy yourself time.
Thurmanator[]
Janine has taken over comms, and she guides you through the bunker as quickly as possible until you reach the stairs. Better climb quickly to escape the Thurman Robot.
I Robot[]
You reach the top of the stairs with a small lead on Thurman. You reach the exit, but it just leads to Thurman's underground town. You run down the street, and Janine tells you to unfasten a fire hydrant. The Thurman-bot has avoided water so it's worth a shot. Use your Bicep Curls to unscrew it! You release the water but the Thurman-bot avoids it with superhuman reflexes. You do the same with the other hydrants and manage to get the Thurman-bot with the water which sends him flying. Unfortunately, it seems you've discovered how Thurman could be in two places at once; there's more than one robot! You need to get back to the dumbwaiter you used to escape last time. Keep cranking any hydrants you come across as you go!
Electric Ghost[]
You reach the dumbwaiter in the Thurman Institute, but it's already descending! One of the robots emerges from it and the other is just behind you. Janine loses signal and you're left with the electric ghost of Artemus Thurman.
Transcript[]
SAM YAO: Okay Five, let’s think about the positives here! I mean yeah, you’re trapped in Artemus Thurman’s secret bunker with Thurman’s really, really dead body, and Thurman’s audio tapes are talking about some kind of creepy after-death contingency plan of his, but hey, on the plus side, the weird mysterious rumbling that was shaking the bunker has stopped. ...Yeah, I know, not really feeling like there are enough positives on that list. I’m pretty sure trouble’s coming, Five. Stretch out, warm up, be ready for anything.
Uh-oh. I’ve got cams going down across the bunker. Looks like our friend Mr. Invisible is headed your way. You know, I don’t get it. That’s definitely Thurman’s body in the glass coffin, and he looks like he’s been there for years. So who’s been chasing you around with his face? Hey, you don’t think all that occult stuff Thurman believed in, it… yeah, it’s all just rubbish, right? He didn’t summon a demon double of himself or something? No. No, of course not.
Anyway, whatever he is, he’s blocking the way you came. You need another exit. Um… yeah. Yes. See that big iron bookshelf behind the machine hooked up to the coffin? There’s a vent shaft above it. You’ve got to get up there.
Remember doing mountain climbers? That’s the one where you’re on the floor in a high plank position on your hands and feet. You had your hands beneath your shoulders and your elbows unlocked, moving your knees up to your chest one at a time. That was climbing practice, Five. Use that motion, get up the bookshelf now.
Oh wow, look at all those big leather books. What’s… The Automatic Fiend? Alchemy and You. [laughs] Free Market Vampirism? I guess those books are what Thurman wanted to wake up to if his occult rituals worked. Which uh, you know, they-they probably didn’t.
Oh Five, you need to hurry. That other definitely-not-a-demon Thurman is getting closer. You’re halfway up the shelf, keep climbing. You’re almost there, but so is he. Can you see the vent? It’s the little square panel on the wall above the bookshelf just below the ceiling. Oh God. Are those skulls on top of the shelf?
All right, you’re at the vent. Crawl inside. You can use the mountain climber motion for that, push with your legs. [vent rattles] God, that vent’s a bit tight, isn’t it? Not to mention noisy. Five, you can rest there, or if you’ve got more energy, keep up that motion, push yourself further into the vent. But the moment you hear a door behind you, freeze. Whoever he is, the other Thurman is almost in the coffin room. And if he hears you… well, I don’t know what he’ll do, but based on Thurman’s bunker so far, I really don’t want to find out.
SAM YAO: Five, freeze. Stay absolutely still in that vent. Don’t make a sound! I know it’s dusty in there, but don’t even sneeze. Our friend just burst into the coffin room. My cam in there’s still working. Must be out of his jamming range. It’s Thurman. It-it definitely 100% is. Slicked-back hair, dark suit. I mean, young, but definitely Thurman. What’s he done to himself? He’s just standing, looking around.
[rats squeak] Oh hell, Five, there are rats in there with you, big ones. They’re trying to get past. Better not tempt them to bite. Ease into a plank position, let them under you. Oh! Do it gently. Be very quiet. Now, now! That’s it, keep your weight on your forearms and toes, lock your core. Don’t risk any more movement. The Thurman...demon, whatever just spent 10 solid seconds staring at the coffin. Now he’s getting stuff out of a drawer, wooden slats and candles.
Oh! Hold still, Five. Those rats are sniffing under you. That’s it, Five, you’re doing great. Don’t give the rats a reason to bite. Maxine says rat bite fever is a real thing and you really don’t want it. The rats are scuttling away. Just-just hold that plank till they go around your feet. Thurman’s unpacking power tools down there. Hopefully he’ll leave the room before you tire out.
[drill whirs]
[sighs] Five, relax. Stop planking. He’s making a lot of noise. Looks like he’s putting something together. The rats are gone and he won’t hear you moving over that din. You can shuffle further into the vent.
[static, audio distorts] Oh, I’m losing signal as you go deeper, Five. If you see more rats, you’d better plank again, let them get past you. And if he pauses drilling, freeze in place, rest until he starts again. Okay, use your own judgment. Plank more if you need to. I’ll be back in touch as soon as you get out of that shaft. ...I hope.
SAM YAO: Five? Five, are you receiving? I’ve got your head cam feed. I saw you drop out of the vent. Uh, just trying to get cam access for the room you’re in. Are those… are those brain scans up on the wall? Dozens and dozens of brain scans. What does that sign above the door say? “The Thurman Cerebrum Appreciation Chamber.” Oh wow. Genuinely, Five, I think there are planets smaller than this guy’s ego. [laughs] There’s even a really bad waxwork of him in the corner there, wearing a smoking jacket.
Now don’t worry, Five, the living Thurman just left the coffin room. Even if he knew you were there, he’d never catch up. Hold on. Do you hear that? Something outside. Just… yeah, just-just go to the door, ease it open a crack.
[door creaks open]
ARTEMUS THURMAN: There’ll always be a place for you here, Five.
SAM YAO: Thurman! It-it can’t be! How did he move so fast? I can’t… uh, Five, there’s-there’s no way out of there. It’s a dead end.
ARTEMUS THURMAN: Looks like I’ll have to beat some sense into you.
SAM YAO: He’s raising his fists. Oh God, he looks furious, like actually murderous. Five, I don’t think you’ve got any choice. You’ll have to fight him. That missed you by inches! Bloody hell, I can see the size of the dent it left in the wall! If that had hit you, Five… Five, the waxwork’s wearing gold rings. You can use them as knuckle dusters. You have to start punching him back or he’ll destroy you.
He’s coming up behind you, Five. Swing! You can’t let him hit you or you’re finished. Brilliant! You dodged that blow. Now go for the knockout. Get him! Yes! That’s it, Five, you caught him right in the face. Hit him again! Oh God, he isn’t even blinking. He’s not slowing down, no matter how hard you hit him. But he’s leaving his left side open. Keep punching with the knuckle duster and you’ll get through. There! Solid punch, Five. That’ll bring him down.
Stop, stop now. Oh yeah, ugh, there’s-there’s blood everywhere. Oh my God. Are you… are you seeing that, Five? You’ve-you’ve torn a strip of skin right off his face, and under the skin… Oh no. [laughs] Right, okay. Yeah. Under the skin, he’s metal.
Oh no! No, look out! [Five’s ears ring] Five, are you okay? He punched you right into that wall. Oh, you look concussed. Put your fists down. Concentrate on getting up. That thing, you’ve torn off half his face. Look at him. Metal skull, glowing green eyes. He’s-he’s not human. He’s like a terminator.
Five, move! He’s diving at you! He-he-he went right past you. Look. When you hit the wall, you knocked down a load of scans. He’s scrambling to put them back up. His hands are a blur! Get out of there, Five, while he’s distracted. Uh, yeah. If you can, punch over some of those filing cabinets by the door on your way out. They’re labeled backup scans. The mess might buy you extra time. Go!
JANINE DE LUCA: Five, Colonel De Luca here. I’ve taken over from Mr. Yao. I would scarcely have believed his report if I’d not seen the cam footage. Your pursuer is a robot. We know Thurman created artificial hounds, but this is something else entirely.
That corridor leads to a storage room, Five. Press on through it. Those boxes, they’re filled with copies of Thurman’s unpublished book, The Reaper Ultimatum. Left for his son, one assumes, or his own vanity.
Five, that machine just came through the door behind you. He’s moving fast and accelerating. You’ve mauled his face, Five, but the metallic skin beneath is unmarked. I do not think you have done any real harm. The synthetic flesh is bleeding. The detail is incredible!
Duck into the stairwell on your right. There is a door at the top which says exit. Step up those stairs as fast as you can. The Thurman facsimile is on the stairs behind you. He appears immune to fatigue and pain. He will not falter. I know his blow dazed you, Five, but you must keep ahead of him. Step faster, reach that exit door. Move!
JANINE DE LUCA: That’s it, Five. You’ve crested the steps. Now through the door marked exit. You have a lead on Thurman, but a narrow one. [door creaks open, birds twitter] Damn! That wasn’t a real exit. Suburban streets in the style of 1950s Americana, white picket fences and swimming pools. You’re in Thurman’s underground town. Naturally, he connected it to his bunker. Move down the street, Five. Your foe is catching up. His steps are cracking concrete. He is holding nothing back.
There’s a red fire hydrant on that street corner with a wrench chained to it. We have seen this Thurman robot avoid water. The hydrant has nozzles facing north, south, east, and west. There is a large bolt on the top. Use the wrench to crank the bolt. That will build up water pressure. Hurry. It should feel no harder than doing bicep curls.
Advanced as he is, perhaps the robot is not fully insulated against water. [bolt creaks] Good, Five. Thurman is coming from the south. Open the nozzle facing him. Crank the cap covering the nozzle until it comes off. [nozzle creaks and rattles] The nozzle’s coming off. Stop cranking, Five. Step back from the rush of water.
[water gushes]
ARTEMUS THURMAN: You’ll need to be quicker than that to catch me off guard.
JANINE DE LUCA: He evaded it at last second leap, reflexes beyond any human. He’s circling you, assessing the threat. Five, loosen the other nozzle caps, but not all the way. Don’t unleash them yet. Get cranking again now. A change in tactics is required.
Keep cranking. Act like you’re struggling. Whichever angle he approaches from, he’ll be in range of a nozzle. Draw him in. He’s charging from the east. One more crank should undo the nozzle facing that way. Wait, Five, until he’s too close to dodge. Let him almost reach you. And… one last crank, now!
[water rushes] Excellent work, Five! He dodged a micro second too slow. The water sent him skittering. Good lord, he crumpled that Cadillac on impact! He’s down. You can… another one. There’s another Thurman coming out of the bunker! This one’s undamaged. That is how he is able to be in two places simultaneously! There is more than one robot!
ARTEMUS THURMAN: [distorted] It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
JANINE DE LUCA: The first robot is emerging from the wreckage of the car. He’s moving slowly, but intact. Five, you cannot fight these things. Get to the Thurman Institute. The dumbwaiter there is the only nearby route to the surface. Crank any more hydrants you pass on the way. At the very least, slippery streets may slow them down. Don’t let them catch you. Go!
ARTEMUS THURMAN: Welcome to the Thurman Institute of Technology, where today’s dreams become tomorrow’s reality.
JANINE DE LUCA: That’s it, Five, through the laboratory door on your left. Cams are shutting down in your wake. The Thurmans are closing fast. Thurman was obsessed with his own image. These robots must be part of his quest for immortality. How do they connect with his occult fixation, or with the coffin you found? There’s the dumbwaiter, Five. The cupboard in the wall by the stack of tinned food. Power to it was cut after your last visit, presumably by the Thurmans, but Mr. Yao has managed to re-route. Hurry, the corridor behind you just lost cams.
Wait, the dumbwaiter is active. It’s descending. The damaged Thurman is emerging. They must have split up, sent him through the mall. Back away, Five. [static, distorted audio] The other Thurman is blocking the way out. You’re trapped, Five. I’m losing signal. You must - [static]
ARTEMUS THURMAN: Hello, Brandon. If you’re hearing this message, you’ve been apprehended on the lam. Nice try, boy, but you can’t outwit the old man. Artemus Thurman is about to stage his biggest comeback yet, and whether you like it or not, he’s going to have your help, if it’s literally the last thing you do.
Codex[]
Letter[]
FIVE! Oh man, I don't know if this message is going to reach you, but if you do get it, please, PLEASE let us know if you're okay! I'll keep trying you on our normal frequency, but in the meantime, please just... look after yourself, okay? Janine and I, and everyone here, we're all working as hard as we can to bring you home, so please stay safe.
Love,
Sam
Supplies[]
The following supplies can be found in this mission.
(List may be incomplete.)
Baseball Bat
Board game
Candles
Cricket bat
First Aid Kit
Flashlight
Football
Laptop
Mobile Phone
Overcoat
Pain Meds
Shirt
Shorts
Sports Bra
Trainers
Umbrella
Underwear
Whisky
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