Maiden Voyage

**Maiden Voyage** is the second level of *Switchback VR*. It is the first level themed around *Man of Medan* as part of the "Haunted Shipwreck" levels.

## Before Level

The player looks around the overturned train, which is now on fire, and hears screams all around them as Charlotte's distorted voice continues her voicemail. The Curator eventually appears at the end of the train, pushing the door. After cutting to black, Belial's whispers can be heard.

## Layout

The player emerges on the track from an empty train station as Belial taunts them saying "I honestly hope it isn't a sign of things to come." The cart drives past the warehouses before entering the Chinese Market. A foghorn blasts in the distance as the player rides into the market, past the training dummy and stopping outside the fortune teller's tent. It opens to reveal a crystal ball, which floats before exploding or being shot, after which it explodes and an undead soldier appears to attack the player. The player must kill two more zombies before going through the tent, where several zombies roar at them from behind a fence. After killing some zombies that emerged, the player defeats one more wave of soldiers that come from behind a different fence before entering the building.

The player slowly goes up an incline before quickly going through the rest of the building, needing to duck several overhead obstacles and optionally shooting some zombies along the way. Leaving the building, the foghorn sounds again and the player can shoot a Demon Crate. Passing through the cargo area, a group of zombies rushes towards the cart, although killing them is optional as the player continues to ride on until the cart suddenly stops in the middle of the track surrounded by crates. Several crates catch fire as three seaweed-covered zombies pop up right next to the cart to attack. After killing them, the player rides onto the ship.

Entering the ship, the player speeds up and must dodge more obstacles before stopping in front of a zombie laying on the track. The zombie starts to get up when it is suddenly dragged away by a swarm of rats that burst down from the ceiling before turning to attack the player. Shooting the rats decreases the damage they do to the player as they scurry past, and after surviving a second swarm of rats the player proceeds into a bathroom, possibly shooting a Demon Crate on the way. In the bathroom, the player can shoot the Sailor Girl in the mirror before they are ambushed by multiple zombies emerging from the stalls and through the mirrors as well as one more seaweed zombie popping up at the end of the wave.

After leaving the bathroom and completing another dodging segment, the player enters a passage of flesh and faces a giant Human Experiment head, which opens its mouth to vomit at the player and unleash a smaller Human Experiment enemy. The cart moves into a corridor where the player must kill two more Human Experiments that emerge from the doors. The player then goes through the kitchen, and can go left or right on the track.

* Going left has the player dodge some pipes before entering the cafeteria, where all the tables are floating. The player must kill a Human Experiment and several zombies that emerge or drop from the ceiling.
* Going right has the player dodge a pipe before entering a kitchen, where they can shoot a Demon Crate before the cart stops. A Human Experiment begins to crawl up from the elevator shaft, but is crushed by the elevator falling on it, and a rat swarm jumps from the elevator as another Human Experiment attacks from the corridor. After killing them, the cart moves forward and stops at another Demon Crate as a rat swarms bursts from another elevator and the corridor, followed by a Human Experiment from behind the wall.

Returning to the main track, the player drives through the ship's wreckage stops as a seaweed zombie pops up in front of the cart and a speedboat suddenly crashes nearby, unleashing several more zombies and two Human Experiments. After killing them, the player goes through a gate and sees The Curator on the right side, observing them. The player enters a wrecked plane through its tail and goes up an incline before going down into the ship. The cart stops in front of a machine that is shooting a jet of flame onto the track and the game explains that the player must shoot the valve to turn it off. The player must do that to three machines in the way, each with one more valve than the last, while fending off a Human Experiment in the process. The room is set ablaze when the final machine is turned off, and the player stops to fight several radio operator zombies that crawl on the ceiling toward the player before dropping down in front of them. After killing them, the gate at the end of the room opens, and the player can go left or right on the track.

* Going left leads the player to two Demon Crates and stops them in the engine room, where regular and radio operator zombies attack. When defeated, the cart continues forward and is ambushed by three seaweed zombies and one more radio operator near another Demon Crate. The cart then proceeds out of the engine room and back to the corridors.
* Going right has the player shoot at another swarm of rats before entering a corridor and facing several Human Experiments that come from every direction. A seaweed zombie pops up just as the path ends.

Returning to the main track, the player enters Cargo Hold 3 while shooting another rat swarm and then into Hold 3A, which is full of caskets and has a fire burning at the end of the room. The caskets start floating as the player passes them, and after one opens to release a wave of blood, another opens to reveal a demonic Belial, who screams at the player before disappearing. After another dodging segment, the player can shoot two Demon Crates and must face several waves of zombies, seaweed zombies, and Human Experiments, as well as a rat swarm. Near the end of the fight, several hanged zombies are raised around the room. The Curator observes the player on the second floor, he turns around and moves further to the ballroom as the player rides closer to him.

The player hears screaming and rides into the ballroom, where soft piano music plays. As the player approaches the curtains at the end of the room, the piano suddenly slams shut and the curtains open to reveal Anthony trapped in a glass box that is slowly filling with water. He begs the player for help, and the player can shoot at the valves on the two machines in the room to free him or shoot off the locks on the door under him to proceed.

* If the valves are successfully activated and Anthony is still alive, he is released from the box and slowly floats up into the air before disappearing in a white flash.
* If the player does not proceed or help Anthony in time, he drowns.

Once the locks on the door are shot off, it opens and blood gushes out before the player rides through, is shown their score, and re-enters the empty train station.

## Trivia

* This is the only themed level that comes first but still includes an encounter with a passenger.
* The options on this level's *Journey So Far* screen are:
	+ You shot/didn't shoot the crystal ball at the market
	+ You shot/didn't shoot the ghost on the mirror
	+ You sank/didn't sink the diving boat
	+ Anthony saved/killed/abandoned in the Haunted Shipwreck

## Gallery

The Curator enters the train.The Curator watches as the player rides in the wrecked plane.The Curator observes on the second floor.