100 The Labyrinth [HOPR Hunt Puzzle #16]

Kanza had heard stories of the intricate network of vents and passages beneath the settlement, but it was the first time she’d seen them with her own eyes. Although she was used to the access tunnels the relayers were forced to use to keep them out of sight of the higher status citizens, this was something different: cramped, rusted, and suffused with a damp that stuck in her lungs. Were these the original tunnels built when Settlement U-2649 was first founded?

Time passed, although Kanza had no idea how long. Her wrist console had stopped functioning as soon as she slipped below the surface. Something about these tunnels had put her beyond Central’s normally all-seeing gaze. But there was no sign of her contact. How long could she stay here before she was missed?

She edged further along the passage, but it wasn’t long before she reached a fork. Squinting into the gloom, she could see branches on every side. There was no way to proceed without getting hopelessly lost.

Suddenly, the dim lights all shut off and an ear-splitting sound filled the tiny space. She was used to Central’s monotone messages, but this was something else entirely: the AI sounded shrill, almost angry.

“BREACH IN PROGRESS! BREACH IN PROGRESS! BARRICADE INTERIOR PASSAGES. BRING INTRUDER PROMPTLY.”

In a panic, Kanza ran blindly into the first passage she could find. Feeling her way along the rusted metal walls, she turned once, twice, three times. But the furious warning didn’t seem to be getting any further away. In despair, she sank to the floor.

Trying to catch her breath, a strange light caught Kanza’s eye. Was it a way out? Creeping towards the glow, she saw it wasn’t an exit, but some kind of luminous paint applied clumsily to the walls of the tunnel.

DAEDALUS IS DEAD TO US

BROTHERS IN PRIVACY,

XXX 👁️X

Below that a different hand had scrawled six words:

FIND ESCAPE ROUTE, JUST ADD LIGHT

Kanza realized she’d need to use all her senses to escape.

Can you help her? Once you’ve deciphered the message, you’ll understand where to go next.