[Perplexed as he is by the intrusion, Alan’s at least curious enough to walk over to the vent and peer up to try and see what exactly the man’s doing up there. The light from his room doesn’t reach very far into the vents, but Alan can faintly see the glint of something sharp in the man’s hand -- no doubt the sound of the scraping noise. After his earlier question, it’s easy to guess what he’s scratching into the side of the vent.]

You might want to mark more than just room numbers if you’re exploring past the barracks, [Alan remarks, ignoring the rudeness in the man’s own comments.] People have gotten lost up there before.