Lake House

But here I was, the yet unwritten future waiting to unfold before me. This article belongs to an upcoming Alan Wake product and all of its content is subject to change. Additional information will be added as it becomes available.

Lake House
Vital statistics
Episodes:	Expansion 2: Lake House
Type:	Research Station
Location:	Bright Falls, WA
Inhabitants:	Federal Bureau of Control Dr. Marmont and Dr. Marmont

 The station heads are not currently available. Access is restricted without their permission. 

― FBC Buzzer at Cauldron Lake during Return 1: Invitation

The Lake House, officially known as Research Facility WA-03, is a research station located in Bright Falls, Washington. The station is operated by the Research Department of the Federal Bureau of Control, led by Drs. Jules and Diana Marmont. The facility was constructed after the 2010 Altered World Event, meant to study and monitor Cauldron Lake, which is a Place of Power and Threshold to the Dark Place.

History

Background

In September 2010, an Altered World Event (AWE) occurred in Bright Falls, Washington. The Federal Bureau of Control investigated in the aftermath and discovered Cauldron Lake to be a threshold to another dimension, called the Dark Place. Within this dimension is a hostile entity known as the Dark Presence, which the FBC calls "the Shadow."

In the aftermath of the AWE, the FBC covered up the incident and cordoned off Cauldron Lake and its surroundings from the public using toxic volcanic gases as an excuse. Agents of the FBC's Investigations Department were sent to monitor the lake and enforce the FBC cordon, while a monitoring station was established to alert the agents of any paranatural activity at the lake. Separately, the Lake House research station was set up in the vicinity of Cauldron Lake to further the FBC's research into the lake and its paranatural properties. The Investigations unit was expected to share their intel with the Lake House, but not vice versa.

The Koskela Brothers took issue with the FBC's interference at Cauldron Lake. They snuck into the FBC laboratory (likely the Lake House) and stole a number of documents detailing the past AWEs at Cauldron Lake, and this was what influenced them to create the Cult of the Tree. Someone also began sabotaging Lake House equipment, although the Cult of the Tree warns its members against doing so.

The actual research conducted at the Lake House is yet unknown. An FBC file stolen by the Cult of the Tree can be found in the Kalevala Knights Workshop, which mentions two scientists both named Dr. Marmont who work at the "Cauldron Lake research site." The FBC's Department of Parafictional Research also set up experimental Nursery Rhymes throughout Cauldron Lake, Bright Falls, and Watery in order to test the lake's ability to alter reality through art, nominally with the approval of both Drs. Marmont.

Control

In AWE, a report by Kiran Estevez to the chief of the FBC's Investigations Department can be found. Estevez mentions that the Lake House is not sharing their research data (or even explaining what they are researching), which hampers her team's ability to monitor Cauldron Lake. She also mentions that the Investigations unit is having problems with their monitoring station.

Alan Wake 2

In Alan Wake 2, there is a gated-off road south of the Cauldron Lake General Store which is marked as an entrance to the Lake House. Saga Anderson can optionally interact with the gate buzzer to request the FBC's aid with her investigation of the Cult of the Tree. During Return 1: Invitation, before Saga leaves for Bright Falls, she will receive a response from an FBC agent who says the station heads are unavailable and that the station is off-limits without their permission. On subsequent attempts (or if the first attempt is made after returning to Cauldron Lake), she will receive no response.

Later, the Lake House is revealed to have been attacked by the Dark Presence, with no known survivors. When Agent Estevez and her team came back to Bright Falls having received word of an AWE there, they visited the Lake House for backup but found it occupied by Taken. Estevez' team suffered heavy casualties but managed to retreat.