Safehouse
| Safehouse | |
|---|---|
| NODE | Node 1 |
| LAYER | Surface |
| SECURITY | style="padding: 4px 12px; color:
|
| CONNECTS | Public Lattice (Node 2) |
| NPCs | None |
| ITEMS | Datapad, Basic Toolkit, Credstick |
| ENEMIES | None |
| STATUS | style="padding: 4px 12px; color:
|
| ZERO's basement hideout and the only safe harbor in the Grid. Starting location and home base. | |
The Safehouse is Node 1 of The Lattice — ZERO's starting location and home base throughout Terminal Descent. A basement hideout with a battered Cyberdeck rig, the Safehouse is the only node in the game with zero security, no IC encounters, and no HEAT generation.
Features
- Security Level: 0 (completely safe)
- HEAT Reduction: -5 per turn rested
- Save Point: Full save/load functionality
- Tutorial: Teaches basic commands (LOOK, EXAMINE, SEARCH, MOVE, STATUS)
Starting Items
| Item | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Datapad | Data | Cracked datapad with encrypted message from Lyra |
| Basic Toolkit | Equipment | Salvaged case containing ATTACK v1 and SHIELD v1 starter programs |
| Credstick | Currency | Half-empty credstick with 500 credits remaining |
Lyra's Message
The terminal in the Safehouse contains a message from Lyra — the game's inciting incident. The message provides coordinates to the Echo Ruins and warns about increased Hive activity. This message also serves as the tutorial's narrative framing.
Strategic Use
The Safehouse remains accessible throughout the game as a retreat point:
- HEAT reduction — Best location for reducing HEAT (-5 per turn)
- Safe saving — No risk of interruption during save operations
- Regrouping — Review collected data, plan next moves
- Story hub — New messages and data appear here as the story progresses
Connections
- → Public Lattice (Node 2) — Only exit