Disease Research Facility

This article is about the Disease Research Facility. You may be looking for the Primary Containment Facility.

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This article contains unmarked spoilers. Players new to the game would want to avoid or be cautious toward this article.

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   <default>Disease Research Facility</default>
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</image> <label>Tab</label> <label>Type</label> <label>Biome</label> <label>Cavern</label> <label>Depth Range</label> <label>Biome ID</label> <label>goto ID</label> <label>Coordinates</label> <label>Base ID</label> <label>Music</label> <group> <header>Map</header> <image source="image"> </image> <label>Adjacent Biomes</label> <label>Point of Interest</label> </group> </infobox>

Detecting an alien broadcast. Linguistic analysis reads: 'Caution: hazardous materials and lifeforms contained within.' File:DRFMessage.ogg

― PDA, Dialogue

The Disease Research Facility (DRF) is an abandoned and destroyed Alien Base located in a cave that can be accessed from the Lost River Junction and the Mountains connection. Built around one thousand years ago, sometime before the imprisonment of the Sea Emperor Leviathan, the main purpose of this Facility was to infect creatures with the Kharaa Bacterium to study their reaction to the disease. The sole specimen that survived the Kharaa Bacterium was sent to the Primary Containment Facility for further testing in order to synthesize a cure for the bacterium.

The Disease Research Facility is heavily damaged, and unlike the other bases, is completely filled with water. It lies partially suspended by several loose-hanging cables, with several sections of destroyed cables found scattered around the perimeter of the facility. The base was attacked and destroyed by a Sea Dragon Leviathan (which is found dead via it's skeletal remains outside the base) in an attempt to retrieve its stolen egg - an event that also unleashed the Kharaa bacterium into the native ecosystem and prompted the Precursor Race to initiate their planetary quarantine by activating the Quarantine Enforcement Platform.

The Disease Research Facility was set up partially to study the skeleton in the Bones Field - the remains of a three-million-year-old super-predator.

Interior

The interior of the Disease Research Facility is mainly a straight path, from the entrance to the Warper room, with some deviation. Starting at the entrance, the right-hand wall contains an Ion Cube and a force field room that can be unlocked with a Purple Tablet; this room contains a Data Download entitled "Alien Research Data". Continuing along the path, which turns left and downwards, there is another Ion Crystal and a small tank on the left. The main path turns right into a room containing the Sea Dragon's egg and various fauna. The path turns right again, with a large aquarium on the left, accessible via a broken window, housing Skeletal Remains. At the end of the path is a room with various Warper parts, including a torso that can be scanned. A data terminal in this room, when interacted with, triggers the PDA to prompt the Player to perform a self-scan, which reveals the Kharaa Bacterium has spread to the skin on the player's hands.

Data Bank Entries

Disease Research Facility=

Intercepted background data regarding a further facility elsewhere on the planet.

Disease Research Facility
Personnel: 7
Function: Live specimen study
Objective: Synthesis of antidote for highly infectious bacterium designated 'Kharaa'
Location: Cave system with extensive fossil record, south-west of enforcement platform, 800m depth
Precautions: Remote containment and research sites to reduce the risk of contagion. Offsite thermal power generator. Ground-to-air quarantine enforcement platform in case of security breach.

In the event of an outbreak, quarantine procedures will be automatically enforced with immediate effect. The quarantine enforcement platform will target all incoming and outgoing craft, to prevent the spread of infection off-world.

|-| Kharaa Contagion Profile=

Discovery: First encountered during routine network expansion on outer worlds.

Pandemic Development: Network error resulted in routine quarantine procedure failure. Contagion was uploaded to and spread quickly through, the core worlds. Confirmed deaths: 143 billion individuals.

Bacterial Mechanisms: Attaches to healthy living cells and mutates the basic genetic structure.

Symptoms: Stage 1: None. Stage 2: Gradual immune system failure. Stage 3: Unpredictable alterations to biological structure. Stage 4: A complete shutdown of executive function.

Emergency Steps Taken: Core worlds quarantined. Bacterial samples distributed to isolated disease research facilities for vaccine development.

Treatment procedure: Unknown.

|-| Damage Report=

Leviathan detected at facility perimeter, closing at high speed.
Exterior anchor cable impacted with massive force. Exterior anchor system buckling, facility sinking. Collision with sea floor.
Breaches detected in containment unit 7 (leviathan eggs).
Immediate specimen destruction protocol initiated. 314 specimens destroyed. 1 specimen unaccounted for.
Evacuating staff to off-site sanctuaries.
Planetary quarantine protocol initiated at the following sites: Ground-to-air Quarantine Enforcement Platform; Power Plant; Primary Containment Facility.

WARNING: Infected individuals may not leave the planet.

|-| Alien Facility Structural Damage=


Given the physical strength of the construction material it is likely that visible structural damage to this facility is the result of its collapse to the sea floor, rather than erosion over time.

|-| Research Specimen Theta=

The skeletal remains of a vast predator, housed within an artificial habitat.

Habitat:
The environment constructed to house the specimen suggests it was kept alive in containment for research purposes for months, or even years. Organic matter indicates the habitat once supported extensive plant life, though it has since decayed.
Cause of Death:
There is little physical damage to the skeleton, suggesting death from malnourishment or outside interference.
Biology:
While it shares some skeletal traits with the biter, this fossilized specimen is significantly larger and features unusual forearms. It matches no living species encountered so far, indicating it has either faced extinction in the past thousand years or evolved beyond recognition.

|-| Specimen Research Data=

This device catalogues information on the organisms contained at this facility prior to the bacterium's release into the ecosystem. A number of entries have been translated.

Large Herbivore Gamma:
Shows no immunity to infection - death commonly occurs within 4 days. Does show limited symptom remission on exposure to emperor stomach enzymes, but symptoms quickly recur.

Leviathan Embryos:
Adult specimen too large to study in containment. Egg specimens acquired from the nesting site. Embryos show no signs of immunity - death commonly occurs within 3 weeks. A small sample of eggs has been retained for continued, high priority research on leviathan hatching mechanisms.

Small Herbivore Theta:
Shows no immunity to infection. Shows advanced learning behaviors. Shows some capacity to transmit enzymes to other specimens.

Unidentified Leviathan:
The closest translation of the alien symbol for this specimen is 'sea emperor'. Bone samples from deceased leviathan specimens indicate some potential for Kharaa immunity. Single specimen captured for study at purpose-built emperor containment facility, constructed in a volcanic region at depth 1200m.

PDA Assessment: While it is unlikely that the emperor specimen is still contained within the facility described, it may be possible to acquire there further data on their attempts to develop a vaccine.

|-| Sea Dragon Egg=


This large egg is held in a hermetically sealed environment, and has been chemically sterilized. Without the means at this facility to house a fully grown sea dragon specimen, it is possible the aliens sought to study instead the egg-laying and incubation process in leviathan species. To what end is unclear.

|-| Ray Species=

The display case encountered within the alien research facility contains three different species of ray, indigenous to 4546B and each adapted to different environments. The specimens on display are 99.99% genetically identical to those encountered on the planet today, suggesting that rays in particular have undergone little evolutionary mutation in the past millennium. This being said, the physical dissimilarity between the subspecies themselves suggests their last common ancestor was many millions of years ago.

|-| Damaged Anchor Cable=


These thick cables appear to have been designed to anchor the nearby facility to the surrounding cave walls. Damage to some of the cabling has resulted in the facility collapsing to the floor. Calculations suggest such damage would require an external percussive force in excess of 300 tons.

|-| Rib Cage Samples=

This display case within the alien research facility contains an array of rib cages harvested from the indigenous lifeforms. There is a particular focus in this instance on vertebrate skeletal structures. While some of these skeletons match organisms encountered on the planet so far, most cannot be matched with confidence, suggesting either that there are species out there not yet accounted for, or that they have become extinct since these samples were collected.

|-| Self-Warping Quarantine Enforcer Unit=

This lifeform shows signs of heavy genetic modification, and extensive mechanical grafting.

Its digestive and pulmonary systems have been replaced by an onboard battery receiving energy directly from this facility and distributing it around the body.

Miniaturized phase technology has been implanted beneath the skin and is triggered by the central nervous system, allowing the construct to teleport at will.

The brain and central nervous system have been digitally augmented with advanced processing power and remote communications.

Assessment: Programmable Hunter/Killer - Avoid

|-| Warper Parts=


The organic parts in the display cases and on the laboratory tables contain DNA from dozens of different organisms, largely originating offworld. They are in varying states of augmentation with advanced technologies.

|-| Production Line=


An array of bio-mechanical parts, suspended on a conveyor system leading to a partially intact construct. This production line setup suggests these self-warping constructs were built, maintained and deployed by the aliens that designed this facility.

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Gallery

<tabber> Screenshots= <tabber> Exterior=

The exterior of the Disease Research Facility
The entrance to the facility
Entrance from the Lost River Junction
Entrance from the Mountains connection
Various fragments including panels, large chunks, and cables
Skeletons found inside and outside the brine river
The Sea Dragon Leviathan Skeleton PDA

|-| Interior=

The balcony area
An Ion Cube found in the balcony area, right next to the entrance
A small room close to the entrance containing a data terminal. A Purple Artifact is required for access
A broken aquarium under the Balcony Area
Another Ion Cube in the balcony area
The Balcony Area connecting to the Lab Room
A lab in the Disease Research Facility with two aquariums, a specimen tank and two surgery tables
A specimen tank with a Sea Dragon Leviathan Egg within
A tank with a Ghostray, Rabbit Ray and a Crimson Ray inside
Another tank with a Spadefish, a Hoopfish, and a Lava Larva inside
Another tank with various bones inside
Damage in the Disease Research Facility
Yet another Ion Cube
A small alcove with a data terminal, overlooking the main tank
The observation room in the Disease Research Facility
A data terminal in this lab
Various tanks with assorted Warper parts in it
Two tables with assorted Warper parts on them
More Warper parts
The room with the inactive Warper
The inactive Warper
Close up of the Warper's exposed structure
An aquarium inside the Disease Research Facility containing the skeleton of an extinct life form
Another view of the Aquarium
The Skeleton in the Aquarium
Some Bones in the Aquarium