The Furnace Chamber is a location in the Maintenance Sector of the Oldest House.

Background

The Furnace Chamber is the location of the Oldest House's waste incinerator, the Furnace. While the Furnace has been used to handle waste as sensitive as biohazardous material,^[1] and various boxes of tape reels, booklets, and other materials can be found near the Furnace waiting to be incinerated, outdated paperwork is not allowed to be incinerated.^[2] Some other mysteries are associated with the Furnace: it is said to be heating something, but it is not indicated what that may be. Furthermore, the Furnace is always active even when left unattended, and at least one person has complained that it makes a wheezing sound.^[2]

Dr. Edna Pierse of the Parakinesiology Department believes the Furnace is a paranatural entity, as she claims she can hear it talking to her, and also that she cannot find any records for the Bureau ever installing the Furnace.^[3]

Layout

The Furnace Chamber is a long rectangular room with its entrance in the east, west of the NSC Coolant Pumps Entrance Control Point, and leading to the Furnace in the far west end of the room. There are two levels in the chamber, with an elevated catwalk level (entrance level) and a lower machinery pit. A locked door can be found in one of the duct tunnels along the north wall; these maintenance ducts connect all the way to the entrance of the Black Rock Quarry. The door can only be opened from the other side.

Related missions

• What a Mess: Burn the Trash: Ahti tasks Jesse with disposing of trash (the aforementioned biohazardous waste) around the Furnace Chamber by throwing it into the Furnace.
• Eternal Fire: This mission is unmarked and is only available after completing What a Mess: Burn the Trash. It involves throwing six TVs found around the Furnace Chamber into the Furnace.

Collectibles

Two Collectibles can be found inside the Furnace Chamber:

• Furnace Research: On the mail tube station to the left of the Furnace.
• Mail Tube Complaint: On a shelf on the lower level, just beneath the catwalk in front of the Furnace.

Trivia

• The Furnace Chamber was inspired by Mayan temples.
• Originally, there were going to be 'hoppers' scattered around the Oldest House that players would use to 'sacrifice' items to the Furnace.^[4]
• There was also going to be a mysterious caretaker of the Furnace in the chamber itself, but they were cut.^[4]

FBC Firebreak

Six years after the initial Hiss invasion, the Furnace has escalated markedly in its behavior, throwing frequent paranatural flares that threaten to destroy the Oldest House. Members of the Firebreak Initiative now make regular trips into danger to repair equipment damaged by the heat, and if necessary, suppress the Furnace's activity by dumping barrels of Black Rock powder into the flames so that repairs can be made to its blast seals.

Gallery

The Furnace

Furnace Research

Furnace Research

Mail Tube Complaint

Mail Tube Complaint

From The Art and Making of Control.

Six years after the Hiss invaded, and things aren't looking so hot.

Ramping up to flare.

Flaring off.

Post flare.

References