Private Tim Caufman struggles through a storm when he stops to assess his situation and contact Earl Serrano. Though he is unsure of what he's been sent to find, Serrano is positive that the device is key to their survival. Eventually, the storm clears and he locates the crashed ship on the edge of a cliff. Breaking the quarantine seal on the door, Tim is startled by the sight of a bloodied soldier stumbling out of the ship. He falls over, an ice axe embedded in his back. The perpetrator, a Necromorph, retrieves, his weapon and proceeds to attack Tim.
Tim kills the creature with minor difficulty, he is urged by Serrano to look for a canister that's half a meter long and ventures inside. More Necromorph attack Tim; after he kills them he heads up a ladder into the cockpit. There, he locates the Codex and attempts to contact Serrano with news of his success when the ship lurches and begins to explode.
The nose of the ship going over the edge of the cliff, Tim claws his way to safety. He is thrown out the side door with mere seconds to save himself from a fall. Attaching the codex to the his suit he rappels down the side of the cliff, Serrano urging the private to meet him at the silo and not to stop for anything. Halfway down the mountain he is forced to make a run for it before the ship's debris can crush him.
An avalanche caused by the ship throws him off his feet and sliding down the mountain on his back. The ship debris catches up with him and sends Tim flying through the air and crashing to the ground. When Tim comes to, he finds himself in an encampment where soldiers lay on the ground dead or hung from electrical structures. General Mahad appears, seemingly out of nowhere, startling the young soldier.
When Tim inquires about the whereabouts of Serrano, Mahad doesn't answer him; instead he chooses to ruminate the doctor's optimism. Tim, remembering the Codex, explains to the general that Serrano believes they can be saved if he can get the Codex to the city. Mahad thinks they've lost control of the situation and takes the Codex from Tim. He asks Tim if he loves the Earth and his family; when Tim answers the in affirmative, Mahad shoots him in the head. He activates the Codex and purges its information. Mahad takes a moment to salute the S.C.A.F. flag before he commits suicide.