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Side story · Sinkhole

Side storyLangston questline

Into the Valley of Death

Find Langston's missing cat Alfred and survive what is waiting deeper in the Sinkhole.

First objective
Central · Field Office
Reward
Untapped Catnip Toy
Start or resume the trackerI'm stuck
Quest routeObjective 0 of 8

This tracker only records what you tick. The site never reads your save.

Alfred's trail runs from Langston's Sinkhole apartment to Maria deeper below.
Quick answer

Speak with Pope during Recursions and Iterations, then collect Langston's apartment key at the Central Field Office. Search his Sinkhole apartment, lure Alfred into the carrier, follow him to Maria, and use Call Cat three times in the second phase before finishing the fight.

Recursions and IterationsEvacuation Zone

Quest progress

Tick each objective as the quest journal updates. Progress is saved on this device only.

This trigger opens the side story while Recursions and Iterations is active.

Objective 0 of 8

Saved in this browser only.

Quest walkthrough

Five phases: get the key, find Alfred, lure him into the carrier, follow him, and defeat Maria.

1

Get Langston's Key

Into the Valley of Death opens through Pope, but the apartment key comes from Langston at the Central Field Office.

  1. 1Meet Pope in the Oldest House and finish the conversation about the Sinkhole.
  2. 2Travel to the Central Field Office and talk to Langston about his missing cat.
  3. 3Take Langston's apartment key.
  4. 4Return to the Evacuation Zone and enter the Sinkhole.
I'm stuck

If the quest has not appeared, keep progressing Recursions and Iterations until the conversation with Pope happens.

Alfred's trail runs from Langston's Sinkhole apartment to Maria deeper below.
2

Reach Langston's Apartment

The apartment sits past the Personnel Access platform, through the Dombrow platform and the taped-off door.

Route
  1. 1Personnel Access platform
  2. 2Dombrow platform
  3. 3Follow the yellow tape
  4. 4Door marked 5
I'm stuck

If you cannot find the door, return to the Personnel Access platform and follow the yellow tape from there.

Personnel Access, the Dombrow platform, the yellow tape and the door numbered 5.
Search the Apartment

The apartment shows an escalating trail: scratches, then blood, then the cat feeder and carrier.

3

Lure Alfred Into the Carrier

Set the trap in the right bedroom, use the piano, and remove every plant before you leave.

  1. 1Find the bedroom with the TV nearby.
  2. 2Place the carrier on the bed and put the feeder inside.
  3. 3Use the piano to draw Alfred out.
  4. 4Move all four potted plants out of the bedroom.
  5. 5Leave the room and wait for Langston's call, then return for the carrier.
I'm stuck

Alfred only settles once the piano has played, every plant is outside the room and you have left.

The right bedroom has a piano, a TV and four potted plants.
Alfred won't enter the carrier?
  • Carrier is on the correct bed
  • Feeder is inside the carrier
  • The piano has been used
  • All 4 plants are outside the room
  • You left the room
  • Langston's dialogue has finished
4

Follow Alfred

Carry Alfred back toward Dombrow and let the trail and Langston's translations point the way down.

  1. 1Look for knocked-over plants, then dirty paw prints beside them. They point toward the next clue, not a fixed turn.
  2. 2Return to Dombrow and inspect what happened before following Alfred deeper.
  3. 3Keep the carrier with you and follow the blood trail downward.
I'm stuck

If Alfred's directions stop, return to the last plant or paw print and continue downward.

Knocked-over plants and dirty paw prints mark Alfred's route.
Route

If Alfred's directions stop, return to the last plant or paw print and continue downward.

Recursions and IterationsEvacuation Zone
Story details are hidden

Gameplay answers stay visible. Reveal only if you want the story context behind Dombrow, Maria and Alfred.

  • Story details are hidden

    Dombrow's outcome

  • Story details are hidden

    Maria's identity

  • Story details are hidden

    What Alfred really is

Defeat Maria With Alfred

Close the distance, force Maria out of her shroud and deal normal damage until the first phase ends.

Quest encounter
Phase 1 · Direct combat

Close the distance, force Maria out of her shroud and deal normal damage until the first phase ends.

I'm stuck

If Maria will not take damage, close in and break her shroud before firing.

The red wall crack in Maria's room is where the carrier has to go.

How to use Call Cat

In the second phase, place the carrier at the red wall crack so Alfred can slip into the wall, then guide him onto Maria.

Do not call the glowing window. Call one window ahead of the moving red glow.

  1. 1Pick up the carrier.
  2. 2Place the carrier beside the red wall crack.
  3. 3Alfred enters the wall; watch the moving red glow.
  4. 4Predict the next window and use Call Cat.
  5. 5Hit Maria while she is exposed.
Alfred's hits
Hit 0 of 3

After three successful hits, Maria returns and you can finish the fight.

Call Cat timing
 
A
Red glow
↑ Call here
B
 
 
C
 
 
D
 

The red glow travels between windows. Call Alfred at the window the glow is moving toward.

Call Alfred at the window ahead of the red glow, then hit Maria while she is exposed.
Call Cat not working?
  • Is the carrier at the red wall crack?
  • Did Alfred enter the wall?
  • Are you calling the current window? Don't.
  • Call one window ahead of the moving red glow.
  • Has Alfred hit Maria three times?

Maria defeated ≠ quest complete

Return Alfred

Maria defeated is not the end. Pick up the carrier, go back up and find Dombrow, then place the carrier near him to finish the quest.

Bring the carrier back to Dombrow to trigger completion.

Quest reward

Artifact

Untapped Catnip Toy

250 Evacuation Zone XP

Rewarded when the carrier is returned to Dombrow and the quest completes.

Rewarded when the carrier is returned to Dombrow and the quest completes.

Langston questline

Into the Valley of Death is the first Langston request. His follow-up mission unlocks once this quest is complete.

  1. Into the Valley of Death
  2. Panopticon Service Request

Where are you stuck?

Pick the closest problem to jump to the fix.

A quest-specific blocker belongs on this page; a patch-level broken state belongs in Help.

Quest Troubleshooter

Ask the assistant

Why isn't Alfred coming?

The assistant reads your quest state and answers in player language: which objective is missing and what to do next.

Ask about this quest →

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Keep going

This side story sits inside the Contain the Crisis progression and feeds back into the quest hub.

All questsFull walkthroughWhat To Do Next

Into the Valley of Death

Objective 0 of 8

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