The Caldwell Containment
A critical failure in a laboratory freezer unit disrupts the annual grant review at the Caldwell Research Institute. An independent forensic specialist is called to the site to establish a factual record of the incident. The investigation documents the activities and interactions of six faculty members present in the facility during the period in question.
Initial Crime Scene
The first breath inside the Caldwell Science Wing is a sterile mix of disinfectant and aging paper, underpinned by the low, mechanical hum of the large freezer unit in its tiled alcove. Fluorescent tubes flicker overhead, casting a flickering, sickly glow on the long corridor of polished wood panels. To your left, a pinned departmental sign-out sheet for master keys is covered in neat, careful columns. Ahead, the freezer alcove is dimly lit, its surface reflecting the sterile light. The air is cool, and a single, sharp ping from a distant door chime echoes once before the silence reasserts itself.
Crime Scene Environment
The laboratory wing operates under constant fluorescent lighting, casting a flat, shadowless illumination with occasional, stressed flickers. The ambient air temperature is cool and stable, maintained by the building's ventilation system, with low humidity typical of a controlled academic environment. Acoustic density is minimal; sounds are muffled by the wood-paneled corridors and thick office doors, creating a pervasive, hushed quiet where isolated noises—a dropped pen, a clearing throat—carry unnaturally far.
Investigation Constraints
Early 1990s academic setting. Technologies include: landline telephones, paper logbooks, manual key locks, basic laboratory refrigeration units with mechanical thermostats and simple alarm bells, paper memos, physical filing cabinets, VHS security tapes with degraded footage, and university mailroom interoffice envelopes.
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