The Tangle

The western end of the Switchback, and the place where Mara Sato was finally found in Session 2. Named by locals; Mike calls it “a little place we call the Tangle,” and Neon Drift’s immediate reaction is “that’s a rough spot.”

Overview

Per the GM’s description: the Tangle earns its name because the Switchback here “stops looking like infrastructure and starts looking like scar tissue.” Roads split, double back, dive under one another, then vanish into maintenance tunnels that clearly stopped being maintained years ago. Old Rest Easy signage hangs crooked over newer barriers. Half the lights are dead; the ones that work pulse amber through steam leaking from cracked pipes. Traffic thunders constantly overhead, and every sound at ground level feels too close.

Mara was found where three service lanes knot together beneath a collapsed flyover.

Known Facts

• Occupies the western portion of the Switchback.
• Largely abandoned/decayed infrastructure — dead maintenance tunnels, failed lighting, obsolete REIS signage.
• Reachable from the restricted-access NSMC tunnels; Mara came up out of those and crossed to the Tangle on foot.
• Low enough traffic and low enough sympathy that a woman shouting “help, I’m being kidnapped” draws no response whatsoever.

Appearances

• Session 2 — Where the crew located and took custody of Mara Sato.