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This is going to get strange. There's no helping it. The universe is much deeper and weirder than people know. My brother and I know. We've seen it. We've seen you. But there are some people, an agency, that doesn't want anyone knowing more than what they see. That's why they took my brother and have been chasing me my whole life. But I can't keep running. - ― The Sibling
North Star is the second episode in the Night Springs expansion of Alan Wake 2. A failed attempt by Alan Wake to escape the Dark Place, the follows a young woman known simply as "The Sibling" who, in her search for her missing brother, is guided by her "alien guardian angel" to the Coffee World theme park, which has been taken over by a secret government agency.
Plot[]
- A young woman on a mission to save a missing loved one. Desperately trying to stay one step ahead of the shadowy government agents hunting her, agents from the very same agency that took the only person she cares about. On her quest, she is guided by her mysterious alien guardian angel. Her guiding star shows her the way, as it always has. She does not know what strangeness awaits her, as she follows its unwavering light to the small town... of Night Springs. Tonight's dream-like episode: North Star.
- ― Opening Narration
The Sibling.
The episode begins outside the Coffee World theme park, in Night Springs, where the protagonist, "The Sibling", guided by a mysterious alien entity that resides within her, has arrived in search of her missing brother, who was captured by a "shadowy government agency". Unfortunately for her, the park entrance is closed and a security code is required to enter. Her guiding star directs her to the security booth and shows her the correct code. Once inside, the Sibling explores the seemingly abandoned park before discovering that strange shadowy figures roam the place. Her guiding star directs her to a nearby gazebo, where a local sheriff calls out to her and warns her to stay in the light. The Sheriff asks her how she managed to enter the park, to which the Sibling tells him, after some hesitation, that she let herself in.
The Sibling talks with The Sheriff.
The Sibling learns from the Sheriff that the government had been putting something in the coffee that caused people to turn into "coffee monsters". She tells him that she is searching for her missing brother, to which the Sheriff tells her that several Night Springs residents have also been abducted, which is the reason why he is in the park, and tries to dissuade her from continuing her search, but the Sibling is adamant on not leaving without her brother. Respecting her decision, the Sheriff tells her that he suspects the missing people are being held in the nearby warehouse, but warns her that it has an advanced security system, though its intercom seems to be broken. He also gives her a spare pistol and flashlight and warns her not to drink the coffee. After she departs to the Coffee Warehouse, the Sibling discovers that the coffee monsters have become hostile. Approaching her destination, she sees her path blocked by a dark, coffee-like substance, which she manages to destroy with her flashlight before being attacked by more coffee monsters. Once at the warehouse, she attempts to enter, but the security system requires her to provide a passkey, which she does not have. The system, however, allows her to submit to a security question for authorization: to recite the fourth word of Dark Triangle Coffee's mission statement as seen in their orientation video.
The Coffee Warehouse's intercom.
Unable to answer the question correctly, the Sibling decides to look for the orientation video at the park’s Welcome Center. Unfortunately for her, the videotape is missing. Returning to the gazebo, she tells what she learned to the Sheriff, who is surprised to learn that the intercom worked for her. He explains that the videotape she is looking for contains brainwashing messages, which he claims to have already experienced after watching a small portion of it, and urges her against watching it. However, due to the Sibling’s insistence, he reluctantly tells her that he hid it in cup number 4 of the Slow Roaster Ferris wheel and gives her the ride's control keys. After retrieving the videotape, the Sibling watches the orientation video and discovers that the word she is looking for is "truth". It is then that the video begins to take over her mind, but she is saved by her guiding star. Back at the warehouse, the Sibling answers the security question correctly, but further verification is required and she is now asked to recite the optimal roasting temperature for Dark Triangle Coffee beans, in Fahrenheit. The guiding star directs her to a nearby roasting bar where the answer can be obtained by solving a mathematical riddle presented on a series of posters. The optimal roasting temperature turns out to be four hundred and eighty-seven degrees.
The Sibling feels the Dark Pyramid Coffee taking over her mind.
After she answers the second question correctly, the security system once again requests for further verification and asks her to try the coffee. Having come so far, the Sibling decides to do it, trusting her guiding star to protect her. Investigating the Tasting Room, she finds a cup of Dark Triangle Coffee and drinks it, feeling its brainwashing effects almost immediately, but is saved once again by her guardian. Exiting the Tasting Room, she hears screams and gunshots coming from nearby. Outside the warehouse, she finds the Sheriff, who explains that, while looking for her, he was attacked by the coffee monsters and ingested the coffee during the struggle, but assures her that he managed to spill it out. He then claims that he discovered that something else besides the government is behind all of this and urges her to escape from Coffee World as soon as she finds her brother.
The Sibling finds her brother.
As the Sheriff stays behind to catch his breath, the Sibling returns to the warehouse and tells the security system that she has tried the coffee, which it confirms and orders her to forfeit her weapons. After doing so, she is allowed to enter. Once inside, she is attacked by two coffee mascots, who know that she is not one of them. Sneaking from them, she finds a key and uses it to enter a nearby office. There, the Sibling finds the Sheriff, now under the influence of the Dark Pyramid Coffee. Unable to help him, she descends down a trap door and passes through a small room decorated with constellations before continuing down a set of stairs. Entering a dark room, the Sibling realizes that the government is not behind the conspiracy as she finds her brother floating inside a containment cell, surrounded by piles of coffee thermoses. The Brother greets her and says that he would like to tell her about a dream he had.
- A conspiracy within a conspiracy. How can one expose a lie when the truth exists beyond our wildest imagination? Who can ever truly know how deep the rabbit hole goes... in Night Springs.
- ― Closing Narration.
Cast[]
- Courtney Hope as The Sibling
- Shawn Ashmore as The Sheriff
- Matthew Porretta as The Brother (voice)
- Ilkka Villi as The Brother (model)
- David Harewood as Warlin Door
- TBA as the Security System
Walkthrough[]
Main Article: North Star/Walkthrough
Notes[]
Connections and similarities with the Remedy Connected Universe[]
- The episode’s plot is based on Control: a young woman, whose brother was kidnapped by a secret government agency when they were children, is guided by her “guardian angel” to the place in which he is held captive, only to discover that said place has been taken over by a hostile supernatural force.
- The Sibling is virtually identical to Jesse Faden both in terms of appearance, personality and backstory. Her opening monologue is very similar to Jesse Faden’s at the beginning of Control.
- Aside from being green in color, the “guiding star” is also identical to Jesse’s alien guardian, Polaris. In addition, the episode’s title is also a reference to Polaris’ namesake, also known as the "North Star".
- While the Dark Triangle Coffee’s name and imagery are reminiscent of the Board, its corrupting effects mirror that of the Hiss. The scenes in which the Sibling begins to fall victim to the videotape and the coffee’s brainwashing, only for her to be saved by her guiding star, are nearly identical to the scene in which Jesse is first exposed to the Hiss, with Polaris saving her.
- The Brother occupies Dylan Faden’s role. While it is not clear what his role as “The Mug” entails, it seems that it is similar to Dylan’s position as the Hiss’ conduit. His comment at the end of the episode, in which he tells his sister that he would like to tell her about a dream he had, is similar to what Dylan told his sister during some of their meetings.
- In terms of appearance and behavior, the coffee monsters are similar to Fadeouts, including their aversion to light.
- The Sheriff is identical to Tim Breaker. Him interacting with the Sibling is an indirect nod to Quantum Break, whose protagonists, Jack Joice and Beth Wilder, were also portrayed by Shawn Ashmore and Courtney Hope.
- The stashes of supplies scattered around Coffee World are similar to those belonging to the Cult of the Tree.
Gallery[]
Promotional images[]
Concept art[]
Screenshots[]
Interactables[]
