Note: All Photos in this post courtesy of Red Run
For the second year in a row, I and some friends decided to save the world from the zombie apocalypse during Virginia City's annual Red Run event. This year team Whiskey Rebels was composed of Lacey (who joined me last year) and her boyfriend, Josh. We had all three put time into researching and building study guides in the days leading up to the event. Red Run combines a run with an escape room with a few brain-craving zombies thrown into the course for good measure. Last years event was a tremendous amount of fun, and after taking third place, we decided to actually put some effort into it this year in the hopes of winning it all.
I met up with Josh and Lacey about an hour before our launch time. Enjoying some beers in the Virginia City Brewery, we went over strategy and got our bibs and flags attached. As launch time approached, we headed over to our starting location and were directed into a large shipping container as zombies above banged on the roof and sides while dumping red corn starch on us for effect. As the seconds ticked down, the zombies grew more restless until finally the doors at the other end sprang open and we, along with a few other teams, made a mad break down C-street through the zombie horde. From the sidelines, a number of guns fired and red smoke filled the air. Only Lacey lost a flag to the undead in this first section.
Once we reached a safe zone, we re-read our clue as we walked downhill and towards the city's sports fields. As we soon discovered, this year's event was more focused on running and less focused on the puzzle. Upon reaching the field, we again had to jook and spin our way through a horde of brain-hungry zombies all trying to grab our flags, but we made it through safely. Signs direct us to go one direction while some other teams are directed to go a different route. As we will later find out, all teams must do both parts, but some teams do the blue route first followed by the white, while other teams do the reverse order.
Along the route, symbols are placed in sometimes obvious and sometimes less-than-obvious places. Our immediate goal is to collect symbols numbered one through five. As we proceed down the jeep trail away from the field, we encounter a very narrow section with a number of zombies just waiting to grab our flags. In this narrow choke-point, it's practically impossible to escape the undead without some loss. We lost a total of four flags in this section, leaving us with only one flag remaining attached to Josh. We take a quick water break before continuing on to find the final three symbols. After collecting those three, we figure out the clue and learn that we need to go to the Delta Saloon, where we find a key to the cipher. It's a simple replacement alphabet and our symbols spell out the word 'black'.
With our password at hand, we return to the Game-master. Here we learn that we must now run the second half of the course. We decide to visit the second half's key before collecting symbols this time. As Lacey is struggling with all of the uphill, we decide that she will stay behind and function as central command while Josh and I collect the next five symbols. We make a bit better time with this strategy. For one of the clues, Josh has to go into one of the old abandoned silver mines. I would go, but I'm wearing prescription sunglasses. If I remove them, I loose my distance vision, but if I leave them on, I won't be able to see anything in the dark mine. Josh goes in and quickly returns with the symbol.
After collecting a couple of symbols, we determine the second letter is 'i' and the fifth letter is 't'. We call Lacey and she begins looking at all of the possible five letter words that fit this criteria. The cell service in Virginia City is not very dependable and while Josh and I make our way to the next symbol, I start to think that perhaps the two words are somehow connected. We had already considered that most of the words that fit the criteria of word two are those in the 'ight' family (fight, might, wight, etc.). As last year's puzzle had us applying black-lights to our clues to find hidden notes, I'm forced to wonder if that may be the second word, "light'.
My hunch turns out to be right and Lacey has already confirmed it with other teams, we make a mad break for the game-master, who provide another clue that must have black lights applied to it in order to read it. When we finally get to the crypt where the facilities are set up to do this, we learn the location of the survivor who we are looking for. We make a mad break for it and finally get the antidote. As it turns out, Lace and Josh both think I'm faster than they are and since I have the official tagged bib, it makes sense that I make a break for the finish line with the antidote. As soon as we clear the boarded sidewalk, I sprint at full speed down the center of C-street for the finish line. As I have no flags left for the zombies, I don't fear the dead and dying. Lacey and Josh cross the finish line just moments after I do and we are all given our award medal and take advantage of our free beer.
Staying for the awards ceremony, we learn that we didn't place this year, but also figure out that several teams sort of cheated by trading the passwords between them instead of figuring both out for themselves. While still a great deal of fun, Lacey and I both think that last year's event was substantially more fun, as the puzzle was much more difficult and there was less running. In total, I think we ran about six miles, but since it isn't a constant run, I didn't bother to time myself. Hopefully, next year they will tweak the event to be less cheatable and have a more challenging puzzle.
No comments:
Post a Comment