Amnesia: The Dark Descent [Part One]

Hunting for Chemicals

Daniel woke up some time later in the same place, though you wouldn't be able to tell if time had actually passed. He yawned and sat himself up, eyes still groggy from his sleep. He pulled himself up and grabbed his lantern, debating whether or not it was worth turning it on and deciding he could see just fine. He half-heartedly looked over the desk again and was surprised to see something he'd missed. A glass beaker sat next to a hand-scribbled note, it's transparent surface glinting with non-existent light. Daniel picked up the jar and examined it, placing it carefully back onto the desk and picked up the note and rubbed his eyes before continuing to read.

Early Alchemy Experiment

This is my third attempt to produce artificial Vitae. The former compounds lacked the potency I need, but I sense I'm close. This time I will attempt Aqua Regia instead or Aqua Fortis in hope it will produce a more even solution. 

The experiment was unsuccessful. The solution is highly acidic and proves impractical to put to any use except as a detergent. Organic tissue reacts especially violently to the solution and should be handled with the greatest care. I might be able to use the recipe, but I'm losing hope that I will find an alchemic solution to my predicament.

 Daniel raised an eyebrow. So the chemicals he would probably have to find were acidic? He thought about the record and re-read it, paying special attention to the section where the vitae was described.

"Highly acidic, bad reaction... organic tissue... Oh!" Daniel exclaimed, getting excited. He had to get into the Refinery, which was blocked by the red organic tissue. Maybe the acid would get through that, and he could get in. 

Excited, he planned out what he had to do aloud, in case anyone was listening.

"Right, so... I need the acidic Vitae. So I need to go into the Wine cellar to get them... Which I have to key too. So that shouldn't be too hard. I need... four chemicals." He counted down on his fingers.

"Aqua Regia, Cuprite, Calamine and Orpiment." He stood still, listening to the room as he came to terms with what he'd said. How did he know those chemicals? He hadn't read about them, well, save the ones that were in the note. Shaking his head he almost forgot about the possible monsters that were lurking as he left the laboratory and ascended the old stairs, creaking under his weight. 

"Maybe I was the one making the vitae?" He tested out the thought, but none of it rang true in his mind. Sighing again, which he seemed to be doing a lot of recently, he shoved the red door open with his should. It gave way rather quickly, making him wonder whether he was just imagining things before.

Stepping back into the Entrance hall, he ascended the stairs and crossed the short space between the Laboratory and the Wine Cellar. He produced the large key from his pocket and pushed it into the lock, twisting it until a loud thunk echoed through the room as it unlocked. He pocketed the key again and pushed against the door which swung open without much effort. 

"Are these getting easier or am I getting stronger?" He wondered aloud, of course, no one answered him. Daniel started down the stone stairs that led into the Wine cellar, turning left and moving down some more. It was darker down here than in the Laboratory and to his dismay the lantern was almost empty, so Daniel decided to put his tinderboxes to good use. He located a mounted wall torch and lit it with a tinderbox, the yellow flame burst into life and snapped angrily at his hand, casting shadows over the walls and ceiling. Daniel stood for a moment, basking in it's light and just for a moment he was in a different place, no mysterious shadow or crazy castle. No murdering Alexander or memory loss, just warmth and sunlight and peace. Daniel exhaled deeply, relishing in the very brief moment before opening his eyes and setting off down the corridor into the wine cellar with a little more enthusiasm than before. 

He finally stepped onto solid ground, gazing around him at the place which was the cellar. As he moved towards the wall he thought he heard something strange, as he stopped to listen something in the back of his mind flicked and the sound was amplified as if it was happening right in front of him. 

"Where did the Baron go?" A man yelled, his voice was slurred and jovial.

"Who cares? He left us enough wine to last us a lifetime, or at least until tomorrow!" The two men laughed, something which sounded like glasses clanging together and liquid sloshing echoed through the room as the laughing faded away and everything once again fell silent, albeit eerily so. Daniel shook his head and continued right then forward towards a piece of paper which had been pinned up on the wall. It's corners were curled outwards as if it was some kind of exotic flower, he held his lantern up to see the faded lines on the page. It was a map of the area, nothing out of the way of walls and stairs. Not even doors were marked on it. 

"Huh." Daniel flinched as his lantern ran out of oil before turning right again, moving through a door into another section of the wine cellar. Inside was an oil barrel which Daniel great fully ran over too, turning the tap and filling his lantern up. It had just enough oil left to fill to just under the brim. He looked around the room and noticed a stack of shelves nearby and he hurried over to inspect it. 

Daniel scanned the shelf and almost jumped with joy as he grabbed another tinderbox. Since he had used one before he was worried he'd start using them all freely and he'd run out, so this find was a good one, no matter how childish. He looked around the rest of the room, there was a table in the far corner with a tiny silver tinderbox sitting on top. He picked that one up too and slipped it into his jacket pocket feeling very pleased with himself, when he noticed the splintered remains of another wooden side table. As he approached it the light from his lantern shone on something strange amongst the remains. It reflected little streams of light around the room, and as Daniel cleared the path his hand came in contact with something cold and small. He produced a palm-sized glass vial containing some kind of pink liquid which seemed almost... luminescent. He turned the vial over and saw a tiny  label had been glued to the back. 

Calamine

"Well." Daniel said, pocketing the chemical. "This is a start." He turned to leave when the ground started shaking and rubble fell from the ceiling. He stumbled around for support and his hand came in contact with a nearby shelf which wobbled unsteadily with the earthquake. He looked up for something to grab onto but all he saw was a large wooden barrel roll off the top shelf. Daniel ducked down and whipped his arms up for protection but he was too slow and it hit him in the forehead, causing him to go crashing to the shaking ground. He blinked once before his world faded to black.