Seeking Asylum

Seeking Asylum is the tenth story mode stage in MADNESS: Project Nexus and the first stage in the Commercial District The focus returns to Hank as he traverses an old Nexus Asylum filled with insane patients and doctors in search of Dr. Hoffnar.

## Briefing

With the entrance to the **Nexus Asylums** open, the only thing left to do is find Dr. Hoffnarr's office within. With any luck, he may have left some clue of what happened to Project Nexus before Director Phobos died, or even how to shut the Project down permanently.

## The Stage

Hank is greeted by a security checkpoint. A gate prevents him from proceeding, and only approved staff can pass through. If they try to pass through through the main entrance without clearance, turrets instantly kill the person. Hank instead, decides to leap the counter to avoid the entrance.

After, a gate with spikes blocks him again, but this time with Patients on the other side. They beg for Hank to flip the lever and let them out. Having no choice with him needing to pass, he flips the lever. The Patients however, are hostile and attempt to kill Hank. He has to survive for 45 seconds with Patients flooding the room for the door to unlock. In the same room, a false restricted door can be passed through, which leads to the sewers. A Firebug can be found there.

The next room is a "personality analysis" where they send tons of Patients into a single area. Guns can be found in the following room, along with Orderlies first showing up. A bunch more are doing things to the Patients. A terminal contains an order that says that no official Nexus Core personnel should be remaining in that facility. Hank continues until he's stuck in another room similar to the "personality analysis" earlier in the level.

Finally, Hank reaches the room with documents that contain information on Project Nexus. As Hank is about to leave, Jebediah Christoff shows up and stops him. He tries and fight him, but Hank still wins. Jebus was mistaken that Hank wanted power, and not to destroy Project Nexus. Relieved, he assists Hank in trying to find Hoffnar.

## Snoopables

* Evacuation Order
* Old Missive
* Old Files
* Crumpled Note

You find an old evacuation order with a Project Nexus letterhead from Dr. Hofnarr, specifying that all medical personnel abandon their belongings and leave the asylum posthaste. The unforunate patients are labeled as "HIGH PRIORITY HAZARDS" and are specifically mandated to be left behind.

According to this order, there should be zero official Nexus Core staff remaining in this facility.

An old missive reads:

"Day 12: Even if Christoff finds a way to bring S-3LFs back to Nevada from the..."Other Place"...we have no guarantee of the integrity of the S-3LF. All of my research tells me it is a place of psychopathic derangement and insanity. I am afraid of what may come of it."

Written into some old files:

"Day 118: We are making substantial progress with Project Nexus. Director Phobos has erected a massive gateway directly into the Science Tower, and now we're putting more S-3LFs into bodies than ever before.

"But...accessing the "Other Place"</color> has yielded some...repercussions. A corrupting force I've come refer to as "Dissonant Reality" is warping logic and distorting the mind of anyone who perceives it.

"I've had to pull my scientists from the Tower. Phobos is pissed, but the safety of my guys comes first."

A crumpled note reads:

"Day 402: Haha! It works! "Dissonant Reality" can be contained...and I'M the one who FIGURED IT OUT!

"Using my own patented Divergence Engine technology, I was able to filter the Dissonant Reality radiation into simple canisters for storage and processing. This will safen the entire process henceforth.

"Now to find a way to hide this discovery from that bastard, Phobos. From here on out, I'm going to have to be extremely careful. The moment he finds out I've solved the Dissonant Reality crisis, he'll weaponize the whole process, and that's going to make my job a bit tricky."
## Characters

### Enemies

* Asylum Patient
* Orderly
* Harmacist
* Harmacist Jr.

## Music

* Waltzer White - Cheshyre
* Resolution - Cheshyre