There are lies we tell with our tongues, and there are lies we tell with our bodies—dragging ourselves through the mud to feign a salvation we do not deserve. Inside the sanctuary, the laws of biology have been repealed. A feverish hunger demands a sacrament of brass and fire, a hot casing swallowed to silence the singing in the veins. We peel back the skin of the mission to find the rot of betrayal waiting in a fifteen-year-old photograph. The healer descends into the earth to sleep, leaving the patients to wonder if the cure is simply a slower, heavier form of death.

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/576NbWAEm1uOBDxlW1F4Os?si=c7228e49ddb94035

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Find us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@deadletterbureau

Find transcripts: https://dead-letter-bureau.captivate.fm/

Talk to us on Discord: https://discord.gg/2RFYaWHm33

Cast

Nick Sayers... Writer, Handler, and Editor

Kristina... Agent Ryan

Ryan... Agent Barone

Jordan... Agent Del

Podcast art by Studio Janie

Music and Sound Effects from Envato.

Here are some other shows we love! Search them up.

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Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is a trademark and copyright owned by the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. The contents of this podcast are ©Nick Sayers, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

Agent Ryan, you are walking through the dark swamp.

2

00:00:03,932 --> 00:00:06,232

You still have your night vision.

3

00:00:06,612 --> 00:00:08,212

You're able to navigate it.

4

00:00:08,212 --> 00:00:12,632

Can you give me another survival?

5

00:00:12,632 --> 00:00:16,903

And then if you're trying to do this stealthy, a stealth.

6

00:00:16,903 --> 00:00:21,623

Survival looking at 50 got 27.

7

00:00:22,537 --> 00:00:24,348

Okay, you're still on track.

8

00:00:24,348 --> 00:00:26,397

You follow the tracks just fine.

9

00:00:26,891 --> 00:00:33,805

Okay, stealthy, don't have much, I'm looking for 13, nope, 42.

10

00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:36,253

Okay, you're trying to be quiet.

11

00:00:36,253 --> 00:00:41,019

You're trying to avoid any of these other things seeing you.

12

00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:48,320

Any thoughts that you wanna share with the audience as you're walking toward or following

these tracks?

13

00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:54,270

Yeah, mean, a lot of thoughts and no thoughts at the same time.

14

00:00:54,270 --> 00:01:10,695

I mean, I'm thinking about the encounter I just had and the situation I'm now in and, you

know, kind of thinking like I should have just been the one, should have just volunteered.

15

00:01:10,695 --> 00:01:17,427

And that still might be the case in three days, but...

16

00:01:17,427 --> 00:01:26,378

Also contemplating like, you know, what my story is once I do reconnect with Barone and

Dell.

17

00:01:26,450 --> 00:01:27,192

Great.

18

00:01:27,192 --> 00:01:29,036

You're passing through the swamp.

19

00:01:29,036 --> 00:01:35,241

On the other side, Barone, as you are packing up to go look for Ryan, what is your tact?

20

00:01:35,241 --> 00:01:36,432

What are you taking?

21

00:01:37,799 --> 00:01:47,453

Ooh man, so still being dark, anything to see with flashlight, uh my backpack gun, mainly

anything to fight with.

22

00:01:47,453 --> 00:01:56,388

I probably have my firearm at my side and then my M4 kind of strapped uh catty corner

across my chest, like ready to go.

23

00:01:56,388 --> 00:02:03,582

uh Gloves on, ready to take on the night to try and find my friend and maybe kill a couple

things in between.

24

00:02:03,582 --> 00:02:07,379

Great, go ahead and give me survival and then search as well.

25

00:02:07,667 --> 00:02:08,527

Okay.

26

00:02:09,267 --> 00:02:13,487

Let us start with survival looking for 37.

27

00:02:13,727 --> 00:02:15,967

I got a 27.

28

00:02:15,967 --> 00:02:17,247

Good there.

29

00:02:17,247 --> 00:02:18,967

And then what was the other one?

30

00:02:19,913 --> 00:02:20,794

search.

31

00:02:21,247 --> 00:02:28,631

search we got a 56 above 54 so I missed by two

32

00:02:29,001 --> 00:02:30,272

Okay, yeah.

33

00:02:30,272 --> 00:02:43,938

So you set out into the dark swamp, you have your flashlight and you are presumably

following your tracks or are you taking another tact for where you should walk?

34

00:02:43,997 --> 00:02:46,469

Nope, I'm going right back where we started.

35

00:02:46,469 --> 00:02:51,592

anything, I'm thinking in my mind, okay, there's gotta be footprints or impressions

somewhere.

36

00:02:51,592 --> 00:02:55,214

And maybe if I'm quick enough, Ryan's not too far gone.

37

00:02:55,214 --> 00:02:57,285

So I'm going exactly back where I came from.

38

00:02:58,078 --> 00:02:59,190

Perfect, great.

39

00:02:59,190 --> 00:03:03,535

Del, in the cabin, you are sitting there.

40

00:03:03,535 --> 00:03:12,343

Karas is still with you and is kind of putzing around the cabin, organizing some papers,

mumbling to himself here and there.

41

00:03:12,343 --> 00:03:15,686

Do you have any questions with him now that you're alone with him?

42

00:03:15,827 --> 00:03:24,809

Yeah, I want to know what led a man to embed himself in an organization like Majestic in

the first place.

43

00:03:25,701 --> 00:03:26,781

straight to the point.

44

00:03:26,781 --> 00:03:38,208

um Not to split hairs, but I worked for a company called Armitage, which was, uh I guess,

affiliated in ways with Majestic.

45

00:03:38,208 --> 00:03:43,830

was, I am a biologist and a medical doctor as well.

46

00:03:44,891 --> 00:03:51,935

I used to look at things, samples they brought back, things that weren't from here.

47

00:03:52,075 --> 00:03:53,490

It was a good job at

48

00:03:53,490 --> 00:03:57,784

paid well and then one day it wasn't a job anymore.

49

00:03:57,884 --> 00:04:02,414

But um scientific pursuits were always the goal for me.

50

00:04:02,414 --> 00:04:12,569

I was never involved in the, I guess, clandestine or deep state activities of the

organization.

51

00:04:13,825 --> 00:04:21,465

can imagine that being the bleedingest edge, perhaps on planet Earth, my curiosity gets

the best of me sometimes too.

52

00:04:21,465 --> 00:04:23,316

You know how these things happen.

53

00:04:23,757 --> 00:04:27,420

You are just a talented biologist in college.

54

00:04:27,420 --> 00:04:34,766

um Getting your PhD and you get approached by a company, it gives you a lot of money.

55

00:04:35,187 --> 00:04:41,684

And before you know it, you're looking at alien biology.

56

00:04:42,306 --> 00:04:45,035

No sir, I don't know the first fucking thing about that.

57

00:04:45,850 --> 00:04:49,443

Well, I wish I could be in your position.

58

00:04:49,443 --> 00:04:52,284

I'm a simple sugar man, but I'm a...

59

00:04:52,925 --> 00:04:55,193

You are an astronaut and I'm an astronomer.

60

00:04:55,193 --> 00:04:57,559

I have to look from the sides.

61

00:04:57,559 --> 00:05:01,106

Well, it does seem to have ended us both up in the same predicament.

62

00:05:01,106 --> 00:05:04,780

I know it doesn't do well for my heart.

63

00:05:06,222 --> 00:05:11,549

If you're on the way out like you look, I don't know.

64

00:05:11,549 --> 00:05:14,862

I can't imagine this is the end you would imagine for yourself.

65

00:05:16,341 --> 00:05:18,002

No, of course not.

66

00:05:18,222 --> 00:05:19,603

But this...

67

00:05:21,225 --> 00:05:24,387

the promise of a different type of end is...

68

00:05:25,748 --> 00:05:27,069

something I...

69

00:05:27,830 --> 00:05:30,632

yearn for at this point.

70

00:05:31,624 --> 00:05:39,273

When you say promise, who exactly is promising and how much stock can you put in that

promise?

71

00:05:39,273 --> 00:05:41,674

I can't put any stock in any promise.

72

00:05:41,674 --> 00:05:43,654

This is, again, new territory.

73

00:05:43,654 --> 00:05:55,418

uh I am fairly certain that if I were to sing this song I could talk with these little

green men, or maybe even their masters.

74

00:05:55,418 --> 00:05:58,539

This thing carries some power to it.

75

00:05:58,539 --> 00:06:06,081

Just the uh incomplete version that the Verdant Path had.

76

00:06:06,180 --> 00:06:08,854

discovered would bring them.

77

00:06:08,854 --> 00:06:19,844

So, of course, the complete and full version must do something more, right?

78

00:06:20,423 --> 00:06:21,734

you need the other half.

79

00:06:21,734 --> 00:06:33,003

Yeah, I mean, look, our third um did the most investigatory work on uh Finch's aftermath.

80

00:06:33,003 --> 00:06:39,208

It's possible that, you know, he has a footnote or something about a verse or a tune.

81

00:06:39,348 --> 00:06:47,715

But in this year's Swamp, we heard a song, a singing, something or other, if you could

call it that.

82

00:06:48,696 --> 00:06:50,208

Not a night or two ago.

83

00:06:50,208 --> 00:06:55,817

Feels like maybe something else ah has heard this lullaby.

84

00:06:56,552 --> 00:06:57,904

That is the Verdant Path.

85

00:06:57,904 --> 00:07:08,299

The swamp people, lack of a better term, they were human once and they knew the song and

could sing it in a melodic and beautiful way once.

86

00:07:08,299 --> 00:07:21,056

They worshipped with it at one time, but they got too close to the cultures and they

started to eat the swamp, I guess.

87

00:07:21,914 --> 00:07:35,491

is the only way to describe it and then they started to become one with it and now the

version is a it's a disgrace a bastardized version of what they once could sing

88

00:07:35,491 --> 00:07:36,094

I

89

00:07:36,094 --> 00:07:38,256

Yeah, I think I'll just mull that over.

90

00:07:38,256 --> 00:07:40,267

Like, it sounds like...

91

00:07:41,628 --> 00:07:46,962

a way to turn the page to the next chapter, but I'm honestly not sure if we shouldn't just

burn the book.

92

00:07:47,788 --> 00:07:48,628

Yeah.

93

00:07:49,789 --> 00:07:54,232

Yeah, I am quite tired.

94

00:07:54,332 --> 00:07:56,053

I'm going to retire.

95

00:07:56,494 --> 00:07:59,916

If there's anything else I can do to make you comfortable, please tell me now.

96

00:08:00,021 --> 00:08:08,168

Yeah, can you prop that up and he'll kind of like, crook his elbow so that he can put the

firearm in it to point at the doorway.

97

00:08:10,397 --> 00:08:25,724

Of course, I hope you won't be needing that but yes Sure, yeah, he props your arm up and

um Opens the door and leaves to the outside um Doesn't stay in the cabin you hear

98

00:08:25,724 --> 00:08:35,288

footsteps recede in the distance we will cut over to Agent Ryan agent Ryan you are walking

99

00:08:35,488 --> 00:08:38,330

You've long passed the church at this point.

100

00:08:38,551 --> 00:08:51,431

And in the distance you see shadows of trees cast over each other as a flashlight starts

basically um almost looks like police sirens through trees and looks choppy ahead of you

101

00:08:51,431 --> 00:08:52,962

like a strobe light.

102

00:08:53,102 --> 00:08:55,264

Do you go towards the flashlight?

103

00:08:57,761 --> 00:09:03,443

Can I make out who or what, like the shape of who's got this flashlight?

104

00:09:03,564 --> 00:09:05,125

No, it's in the distance.

105

00:09:05,225 --> 00:09:10,469

Agent Barone, you are getting to the area where the ghost town is.

106

00:09:10,469 --> 00:09:15,132

Give me another search and see if you can see Agent Ryan.

107

00:09:15,775 --> 00:09:16,497

Sounds good.

108

00:09:16,497 --> 00:09:19,371

uh Crit fail 99.

109

00:09:19,372 --> 00:09:23,236

Yeah, you know how flashlights are.

110

00:09:23,236 --> 00:09:34,926

Sometimes they can be a little, um they can kind of blind you to what's right in front of

you and you aren't looking in the distance, but you are wandering on the same tracks.

111

00:09:34,926 --> 00:09:39,770

um Unless you're trying to hide Agent Ryan, you're gonna see each other.

112

00:09:39,770 --> 00:09:41,471

Are you trying to hide Agent Ryan?

113

00:09:41,471 --> 00:09:47,124

I'm not, I'm kind of guessing like it's somebody looking for me at this point.

114

00:09:47,124 --> 00:09:51,636

I'm gonna drop to the ground and pretend like I'm crawling.

115

00:09:51,636 --> 00:09:55,664

because my legs kind of fucked up.

116

00:09:56,398 --> 00:09:59,407

eh We're all just a bunch of liars in this party.

117

00:09:59,407 --> 00:10:01,908

You guys are tearing each other apart.

118

00:10:01,908 --> 00:10:11,952

ah Yeah, Barone, you see the form on the ground of Agent Ryan covered in mud, crawling

towards you.

119

00:10:11,952 --> 00:10:21,855

He still has his service pistol and his large satchel that is on his back, but does look

like he's injured as he crawls.

120

00:10:22,396 --> 00:10:25,357

Agent Ryan, can you roll, oh, sorry, sorry.

121

00:10:25,357 --> 00:10:27,658

Agent Ryan, roll me a deception.

122

00:10:28,093 --> 00:10:34,377

Okay, um deception.

123

00:10:34,377 --> 00:10:36,201

Am I supposed to have that on my list?

124

00:10:36,201 --> 00:10:37,723

Because I don't.

125

00:10:38,166 --> 00:10:39,188

is it performance?

126

00:10:39,188 --> 00:10:39,800

Let me see.

127

00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:41,545

Let me bring up my character sheets.

128

00:10:41,545 --> 00:10:43,268

Neither of those are present.

129

00:10:44,027 --> 00:10:45,548

I Persuade.

130

00:10:46,407 --> 00:10:46,809

Okay.

131

00:10:46,809 --> 00:10:51,547

uh 2461.

132

00:10:51,607 --> 00:10:52,947

Fuck.

133

00:10:53,044 --> 00:11:01,477

Yeah, as you're crawling, um Barone, this is a long distance to crawl, right?

134

00:11:01,477 --> 00:11:08,839

Like you were on the ATV and it took you about six minutes to get from the church to this

spot, right?

135

00:11:08,839 --> 00:11:18,062

So you're, you know, you can take it at face value, but it does seem a little strange to

you that Ryan is crawling.

136

00:11:18,222 --> 00:11:19,642

so a lot, but you know.

137

00:11:20,484 --> 00:11:23,427

Not not four days, which is how long it would take you to crawl that distance.

138

00:11:23,427 --> 00:11:28,851

way, as soon as I see Ryan's form, that's not the first thing that's most important and

top of mind.

139

00:11:28,851 --> 00:11:35,827

uh Barone starts running like gun out still definitely scanning around but starts running

towards Ryan.

140

00:11:35,827 --> 00:11:37,097

She's like, holy shit.

141

00:11:37,097 --> 00:11:37,948

Holy shit, Ryan.

142

00:11:37,948 --> 00:11:38,308

my God.

143

00:11:38,308 --> 00:11:38,644

my God.

144

00:11:38,644 --> 00:11:39,399

my God.

145

00:11:39,399 --> 00:11:39,849

Stay there.

146

00:11:39,849 --> 00:11:47,124

Stay down and I'll kind of like uh kneel next to Ryan in like, dude, just do a sweep

around.

147

00:11:47,158 --> 00:11:50,828

Knowing that last time somebody was down and we were trying to save them.

148

00:11:50,828 --> 00:11:55,241

We got ambushed immediately So I'm watching eyes open like a hawk for that

149

00:11:55,241 --> 00:12:00,911

Yeah, go ahead, you can roll your alertness and then give me first aid as well.

150

00:12:01,129 --> 00:12:05,489

Sure, so alertness, we're looking for 81, we got 62, success.

151

00:12:05,589 --> 00:12:10,809

And then first aid, have epic fail, 100.

152

00:12:10,809 --> 00:12:12,689

We got 100 on first aid.

153

00:12:12,828 --> 00:12:14,993

snap.

154

00:12:15,998 --> 00:12:17,953

Sorry, I don't need it anymore.

155

00:12:18,482 --> 00:12:26,486

Yeah, given the extreme circumstance here, Agent Perrone, you you look at the wound, it

does seem like it would make Ryan crawl.

156

00:12:26,486 --> 00:12:34,290

Maybe Ryan just has this like extreme lease on life and has been like crawling his ass off

to get here.

157

00:12:34,290 --> 00:12:37,951

But you're, you feel like it's too dark and muddy to do anything about it.

158

00:12:37,962 --> 00:12:39,379

Yeah, absolutely.

159

00:12:39,792 --> 00:12:46,299

And when I see you, right, I'm like, bro, I'm so glad you found me.

160

00:12:46,299 --> 00:12:49,122

I've been crawling for so long.

161

00:12:49,122 --> 00:12:54,358

My leg hurts so bad.

162

00:12:54,546 --> 00:13:06,755

I'll take one glance back and just see footprints go straight to crawling and I'm like

hmm, okay, not gonna fucking, no dog in this fight, absolutely not.

163

00:13:06,755 --> 00:13:09,102

Jesus' footprints.

164

00:13:10,335 --> 00:13:10,835

you

165

00:13:10,835 --> 00:13:13,842

with that alertness I do or do not hear anything.

166

00:13:14,241 --> 00:13:16,926

You do not, it's very quiet.

167

00:13:17,479 --> 00:13:19,864

Ryan is a snotty crier, right?

168

00:13:19,906 --> 00:13:22,933

Like when you, when snotty, like.

169

00:13:23,261 --> 00:13:23,912

definitely.

170

00:13:23,912 --> 00:13:25,965

He's snotty when he's not crying.

171

00:13:27,597 --> 00:13:28,577

Gross.

172

00:13:29,978 --> 00:13:31,709

Yeah, not seeing anything.

173

00:13:31,709 --> 00:13:36,919

I think I put my firearm slung back across my chest and I grabbed Ryan.

174

00:13:36,919 --> 00:13:41,264

I'm like, I don't know what the fuck happened to you, but my God, I'm so glad you're

alive.

175

00:13:41,264 --> 00:13:41,985

Nobody's died.

176

00:13:41,985 --> 00:13:43,285

Nobody's died on my team.

177

00:13:43,285 --> 00:13:43,976

I'm not dead.

178

00:13:43,976 --> 00:13:46,027

We need to get out of here.

179

00:13:46,487 --> 00:13:48,168

Funny story.

180

00:13:48,588 --> 00:13:50,499

The doc or Dr.

181

00:13:50,499 --> 00:13:53,151

Carras, kind of a good guy, not really sure.

182

00:13:53,151 --> 00:13:54,731

That's where we're holding up.

183

00:13:55,092 --> 00:13:55,992

Will?

184

00:13:56,017 --> 00:14:04,818

No, no, he found us and you would know that if you were where you were supposed to be and

then I slap him in the face I'm like what the fuck happened to you Ryan?

185

00:14:05,422 --> 00:14:06,643

Oh, excuse me.

186

00:14:06,643 --> 00:14:12,997

um I don't know why you're slapping me, but I am completely innocent here.

187

00:14:12,997 --> 00:14:13,968

was...

188

00:14:13,968 --> 00:14:15,155

You ran away from me.

189

00:14:15,155 --> 00:14:16,429

You left me.

190

00:14:16,870 --> 00:14:25,196

And all of a sudden, a fucking swamp monster came out of the swamp towards me and I had to

crawl my ass away.

191

00:14:25,782 --> 00:14:27,709

I was saving my life.

192

00:14:27,709 --> 00:14:30,001

You know, all right, maybe I was a little too harsh.

193

00:14:30,001 --> 00:14:32,773

If I could take that slap back, I would, but I can't.

194

00:14:32,773 --> 00:14:34,675

So you're just gonna have to live with it for now.

195

00:14:34,675 --> 00:14:38,599

ah That's my frustration gift to you, but I'm also glad you're alive.

196

00:14:38,599 --> 00:14:42,702

And then I'll start helping Agent Ryan to the ATV.

197

00:14:42,702 --> 00:14:50,929

And Del's in really shoddy shape, but if we get back to him and get together, we could at

least figure out what the fuck to do next.

198

00:14:51,497 --> 00:14:51,916

Yeah.

199

00:14:51,916 --> 00:14:53,443

yeah, I would like to see that, let's go.

200

00:14:53,443 --> 00:15:00,995

You get on the ATV, start heading back, back at the cabin, Dell, you are alone in his

living space.

201

00:15:00,995 --> 00:15:03,197

What are you thinking you wanna do?

202

00:15:04,551 --> 00:15:14,977

I am uh not moving first of all, but scanning for things that look like pockets of

interest, right?

203

00:15:14,977 --> 00:15:31,606

So if there was any sort of bizarre uh trinket or knickknack, if there was a book on the

shelf that looked like it had been particularly worn, if there was a stack of papers that

204

00:15:31,606 --> 00:15:32,086

looked

205

00:15:32,086 --> 00:15:35,358

loose and accessible, those would be what I was hunting for.

206

00:15:35,358 --> 00:15:39,961

I'm looking for uh something that looks like Karas references.

207

00:15:39,961 --> 00:15:47,855

Often uh a book that has been heavily trafficked, a stack of loose papers, or something

weird and unnatural.

208

00:15:47,855 --> 00:15:49,087

Those are the three biggies.

209

00:15:49,087 --> 00:15:51,718

His desk has papers all over it.

210

00:15:51,758 --> 00:15:53,740

You would have to get up and walk over to it.

211

00:15:53,740 --> 00:15:55,130

You can give it a shot.

212

00:15:55,130 --> 00:16:01,144

You'll just need to give me a power roll or sorry, a con roll to attempt it.

213

00:16:01,144 --> 00:16:04,806

And the bookshelf, it's kind of tilted away from you.

214

00:16:04,806 --> 00:16:07,607

You'd have to go up to it and investigate it.

215

00:16:08,287 --> 00:16:13,307

Alright, well it's gonna be con to do either of those I imagine, so I mean no time like

the present.

216

00:16:13,307 --> 00:16:18,078

It's obviously inadvisable, but like, what are we here to do if not investigate?

217

00:16:18,078 --> 00:16:21,389

55 is the number and a critical success, I guess.

218

00:16:21,389 --> 00:16:22,549

let's go.

219

00:16:22,589 --> 00:16:23,089

Dang.

220

00:16:23,089 --> 00:16:24,570

Okay.

221

00:16:24,570 --> 00:16:28,413

Yeah, you said curiosity gets the best of us all.

222

00:16:28,413 --> 00:16:39,958

It's getting the best of you and you're able to push through some pain and hunched over

almost to the point of crawling, you get to the desk and start looking through the papers.

223

00:16:39,958 --> 00:16:44,559

You have enough time, you're not pressured by time, so you don't need to roll a search.

224

00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:48,021

But looking through them, it seems like there's...

225

00:16:48,386 --> 00:16:53,510

scientific papers on different metals, specifically mercury.

226

00:16:53,510 --> 00:16:58,753

There is a DNA analysis that is very technical.

227

00:16:58,873 --> 00:17:02,736

I'm not sure exactly like what it means.

228

00:17:02,736 --> 00:17:07,258

There are a few old photos of him.

229

00:17:07,499 --> 00:17:12,182

Looks like him like at the desert with like groups of people.

230

00:17:12,702 --> 00:17:17,305

And there is finally a

231

00:17:18,291 --> 00:17:23,628

a piece of paper at the bottom that has a bunch of scrawled symbols on it.

232

00:17:24,471 --> 00:17:25,713

And it's aged.

233

00:17:25,713 --> 00:17:31,382

It looks fairly old, like he's been at it for a long time.

234

00:17:31,382 --> 00:17:37,598

not like Torah aged, but like just he has worn it over time.

235

00:17:38,500 --> 00:17:40,726

Yeah, it's been in and out of his pocket.

236

00:17:40,990 --> 00:17:44,874

Here, I'll put it in Slack, or not Slack, but Discord.

237

00:17:44,874 --> 00:17:51,862

these symbols do they look like they are of a similar font to what uh Arthur Finch had

scrawled?

238

00:17:52,825 --> 00:17:53,638

Absolutely.

239

00:17:53,638 --> 00:18:05,980

Yeah, then I guess I am thinking more and more maybe that Agent Ryan might know something

about this song and I am feeling a little foolish for not paying more attention when he

240

00:18:05,980 --> 00:18:08,942

was rattling off all those little factoids sitting in that car.

241

00:18:08,942 --> 00:18:10,385

It was just a fucking lot, man.

242

00:18:10,385 --> 00:18:11,248

It was a lot.

243

00:18:11,248 --> 00:18:14,421

Okay, uh the DNA analysis.

244

00:18:14,421 --> 00:18:19,645

uh I understand that I cannot necessarily parse the science.

245

00:18:19,645 --> 00:18:24,809

Does it seem as though I could determine what the subjects were, right?

246

00:18:24,809 --> 00:18:30,995

Like, whose DNA are we analyzing, and for what, maybe?

247

00:18:30,995 --> 00:18:33,918

Yeah, the way, let me see.

248

00:18:33,918 --> 00:18:35,767

Let get you to roll for this one.

249

00:18:35,767 --> 00:18:42,298

Go ahead and roll your occult.

250

00:18:42,298 --> 00:18:44,309

Hmm, no, not even close.

251

00:18:45,041 --> 00:18:49,881

Yeah, it's a little too cryptic for your eyes.

252

00:18:49,881 --> 00:18:53,427

Like it's not adding up to you.

253

00:18:53,976 --> 00:18:56,998

I imagine I'm also like a little flustered for time, right?

254

00:18:56,998 --> 00:19:02,271

And this is no time to like try and actually read through an abstract.

255

00:19:02,271 --> 00:19:03,812

It's just gonna be way too dense.

256

00:19:03,812 --> 00:19:11,517

So yeah, I think my eyes flit over to em the door and make sure that Karas isn't coming

back or whatever.

257

00:19:11,517 --> 00:19:14,388

And then the bookshelf is probably my next stop.

258

00:19:14,896 --> 00:19:18,080

you get to the bookshelf and what you're tacked with the bookshelf.

259

00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:21,192

So you're just pulling books out, looking for specific books.

260

00:19:21,324 --> 00:19:24,777

No, I'm looking for things that have been uh trafficked, right?

261

00:19:24,777 --> 00:19:31,203

So places that he seems to refer to often or a heavily worn book, right?

262

00:19:31,203 --> 00:19:34,657

So signs of tracks in the dust or what have you.

263

00:19:34,657 --> 00:19:40,080

Yeah, that one will require a search, but also give me a look.

264

00:19:40,737 --> 00:19:41,737

Okay.

265

00:19:41,917 --> 00:19:46,337

Search says no, and the luck says no with a 51.

266

00:19:46,337 --> 00:19:48,808

It doesn't say no, it says fuck you, actually.

267

00:19:48,808 --> 00:19:55,656

Yeah, you're digging through, it's a simple bookshelf, but there is a lot of materials on

here.

268

00:19:55,656 --> 00:20:12,772

There's philosophy, there is biology, there's some military science or some biographies,

there's history, any specific genre you would look for and go like diving.

269

00:20:12,778 --> 00:20:15,148

have to imagine I failed this search on account.

270

00:20:15,148 --> 00:20:17,451

There are too many big fucking words.

271

00:20:17,451 --> 00:20:19,993

I gotta stop saying fucking this episode.

272

00:20:20,033 --> 00:20:21,831

I imagine I failed that search on account.

273

00:20:21,831 --> 00:20:24,266

There are too many big words on most of these.

274

00:20:24,266 --> 00:20:27,658

So I'm gonna go for something that seems a little bit more manageable.

275

00:20:27,918 --> 00:20:36,445

If there are any picture books with aliens in them or uh something that is a little bit

more illustrative, we'll start there.

276

00:20:36,445 --> 00:20:50,016

You're cruising through the spines and you do see a, it looks like an old binding of a

book and it is just called Alien Encounters.

277

00:20:50,677 --> 00:20:57,503

And there is a few books next to it as well that don't have any words on them at all.

278

00:20:57,503 --> 00:21:01,025

They are just hard bound books.

279

00:21:01,186 --> 00:21:03,639

Go ahead and roll me another look.

280

00:21:03,639 --> 00:21:05,649

Yeah, lucky today, 17.

281

00:21:06,181 --> 00:21:20,909

Okay, yeah, as you're pulling these books out, a photograph comes out between this alien

book and the nondescript one and falls down to your feet.

282

00:21:21,422 --> 00:21:27,947

I really wish I was quick enough to catch that because I'm gonna be wincing all the way

down, but I was stupid.

283

00:21:27,947 --> 00:21:34,709

Yeah, go ahead and give me an intelligence role.

284

00:21:34,709 --> 00:21:36,681

where you guys learned my secret power.

285

00:21:36,681 --> 00:21:38,561

86 no good

286

00:21:39,457 --> 00:21:40,537

Okay.

287

00:21:40,678 --> 00:21:42,219

The picture is old.

288

00:21:42,219 --> 00:21:52,348

You see Karas in it and he is sitting with a group of different aged men.

289

00:21:52,528 --> 00:21:56,192

They are at some site in the desert.

290

00:21:56,192 --> 00:22:04,599

There is some makeshift tents and bunkers behind them and you just recognize Karas.

291

00:22:04,599 --> 00:22:07,361

But the photo on the back,

292

00:22:07,795 --> 00:22:12,476

has a date and that date is 1983.

293

00:22:12,476 --> 00:22:25,867

m If I had to imagine Karras 15 years ago, how much do I think this affliction has aged

him in the meantime?

294

00:22:25,867 --> 00:22:27,518

It has aged him a lot.

295

00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:32,355

he looks like he hits the golf course every day.

296

00:22:32,355 --> 00:22:42,417

He looks pretty spry for a, know, he's in his middle ages, but upper middle ages at this

point, but he is not gaunt.

297

00:22:42,417 --> 00:22:45,259

He has a bit of a gut in fact.

298

00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:46,320

Yeah.

299

00:22:46,612 --> 00:22:53,618

I mean, I don't like that prognosis for myself, and I think that's ringing in the back of

my head.

300

00:22:53,958 --> 00:23:00,878

But I will pocket the photo on account of somebody's got to know who these men are.

301

00:23:00,878 --> 00:23:06,045

I think I will return to the couch so as not to be conspicuous.

302

00:23:06,593 --> 00:23:07,554

Perfect.

303

00:23:08,177 --> 00:23:21,294

All right, you pull through the swamp you're cruising and you pull up to this just, I

mean, it would be picturesque during the day, this cabin out in the middle of nowhere.

304

00:23:21,634 --> 00:23:28,338

You hear the gentle hum of a generator somewhere around it and the lights are on through

the front window.

305

00:23:28,338 --> 00:23:36,004

You see the outline of maybe Dell shoulder with a rifle sticking up aimed at the door.

306

00:23:36,564 --> 00:23:39,673

and you're able to get off and go inside.

307

00:23:39,673 --> 00:23:40,706

Is that what you're doing?

308

00:23:40,706 --> 00:23:41,987

So kind of weird.

309

00:23:41,987 --> 00:23:45,110

ah This is home for the night.

310

00:23:45,110 --> 00:23:47,152

Kuros has been nothing but nice to us.

311

00:23:47,152 --> 00:23:49,395

We have some talking to do with him.

312

00:23:49,395 --> 00:23:56,962

Come morning, but right now I think beggars can't be choosers and we're just gonna spend

the night in the belly of the beast if that's all right.

313

00:23:56,962 --> 00:24:05,349

I don't have any other options, so I plop myself off the ATV and start crawling up the

steps to the cabin.

314

00:24:05,535 --> 00:24:08,649

Okay, Ryan, don't have to, by God, you don't have to fucking crawl.

315

00:24:08,649 --> 00:24:19,801

And I put his arm over and just practice that deadlift that I've done a bajillion times

and like give him a bit of brace and help his chunky body up those stairs.

316

00:24:20,144 --> 00:24:22,477

This chunky body.

317

00:24:22,641 --> 00:24:25,712

250s around your max and that's what he's pushing.

318

00:24:25,712 --> 00:24:31,624

you're, but you're able to deadlift him up and help him in Dell.

319

00:24:31,765 --> 00:24:33,195

You see them come through.

320

00:24:33,195 --> 00:24:36,687

You heard the ATV, you glanced out the window and saw it was them.

321

00:24:36,687 --> 00:24:39,248

Anything you want to say to them as they come in?

322

00:24:40,472 --> 00:24:42,953

the door comes open and I just yell, bang!

323

00:24:42,953 --> 00:24:45,231

Did not tell you to watch your six.

324

00:24:45,231 --> 00:24:46,862

No!

325

00:24:47,164 --> 00:24:47,664

Fuck!

326

00:24:47,664 --> 00:24:48,585

Fuck!

327

00:24:48,585 --> 00:24:49,046

Del!

328

00:24:49,046 --> 00:24:50,838

Sorry, I meant it.

329

00:24:50,838 --> 00:24:55,654

We thought we'd be super loud and like, obviously it's me and talking to Ryan.

330

00:24:55,654 --> 00:24:56,745

Oh, I found Ryan.

331

00:24:56,745 --> 00:24:57,657

Ryan's safe.

332

00:24:57,657 --> 00:25:05,015

He's not dead, so that's all three of us safe and home and sound and I walk him through

the door.

333

00:25:05,376 --> 00:25:07,815

And I'm like, I thought you said that was in bad shape.

334

00:25:07,815 --> 00:25:09,941

Seems like nothing's changed to me.

335

00:25:10,383 --> 00:25:12,345

no, he's a spry little kid, that's for sure.

336

00:25:12,345 --> 00:25:13,826

No, he looks great, doesn't he?

337

00:25:13,826 --> 00:25:19,720

And I turn around slowly with like eyes decently open like...

338

00:25:20,982 --> 00:25:22,286

Hey doll, you look like me.

339

00:25:22,286 --> 00:25:25,770

Yeah, he looks pretty tore up, especially around the chest area.

340

00:25:25,770 --> 00:25:28,844

Agent Ryan, what do you reveal to Del about where you've been?

341

00:25:28,844 --> 00:25:31,888

I don't offer information unless I'm asked about it.

342

00:25:31,888 --> 00:25:46,545

So I just kind of dropped to the ground when Barone let's go of me and just kind of sit

there and like warm my body a little bit after being out in the cold.

343

00:25:46,545 --> 00:25:47,315

Yeah, for sure.

344

00:25:47,315 --> 00:25:56,020

think I kind of drop you down to the to the couch, not the ground, because you're still

very much my friend and teammate that is half alive.

345

00:25:56,020 --> 00:26:10,738

ah And in doing so, uh I'll set you down and be like, well, tell you, Ryan here got

ambushed as well somehow and crawled six miles all the way back to where I found him on

346

00:26:10,738 --> 00:26:11,689

the ATV.

347

00:26:11,689 --> 00:26:12,760

Isn't that right, Ryan?

348

00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:15,781

And I turn around and look at Ryan with like a skeptical face.

349

00:26:16,706 --> 00:26:18,127

Yeah, she also slapped me.

350

00:26:18,127 --> 00:26:19,508

So there's that part too.

351

00:26:19,508 --> 00:26:26,234

But yeah, I had to crawl quickly away because I was on the edge of the swamp.

352

00:26:26,234 --> 00:26:31,819

And wouldn't you know it, those swamp creatures came back and tried to attack me.

353

00:26:31,819 --> 00:26:34,180

And Barone left me.

354

00:26:34,180 --> 00:26:37,583

I'm glad you're alive, but Barone left me and I had no choice.

355

00:26:37,583 --> 00:26:41,026

So I had to crawl to safety on my own.

356

00:26:41,026 --> 00:26:46,220

And luckily you guys had some pretty thick ATV tracks that I could follow to find you.

357

00:26:46,510 --> 00:26:48,012

Yeah, man, those...

358

00:26:48,694 --> 00:26:52,350

you fought off another assailant in the swamp all yourself?

359

00:26:52,350 --> 00:26:53,753

You must have quite a story to tell.

360

00:26:53,753 --> 00:26:55,827

I mean, I didn't do much to fight it off.

361

00:26:55,827 --> 00:27:04,074

I just quickly crawled away back to the shore and went as far as I could and it didn't

seem to follow me for some reason.

362

00:27:04,093 --> 00:27:04,535

So.

363

00:27:04,535 --> 00:27:06,712

that's an oxymoron if I ever heard one.

364

00:27:06,712 --> 00:27:08,829

You quickly crawled back to the shore.

365

00:27:08,829 --> 00:27:09,546

I did.

366

00:27:09,546 --> 00:27:10,623

I'm a good crawler.

367

00:27:10,623 --> 00:27:13,979

I know for a fact you can't even run a mile, you're not a quick anything.

368

00:27:16,079 --> 00:27:18,038

Well, I don't know what to tell you.

369

00:27:18,038 --> 00:27:22,666

I was able to survive the situation and get my ass halfway here.

370

00:27:22,777 --> 00:27:24,880

So yeah.

371

00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:26,873

Yeah, yeah, me too.

372

00:27:26,873 --> 00:27:36,242

and I'll go grab that whiskey that was sitting on the counter and pour up a third one just

to get a little sipper for everybody and I'll pass it around.

373

00:27:36,242 --> 00:27:39,505

I'm to be like, well, here's to the team back together again.

374

00:27:39,505 --> 00:27:41,498

And I'll hold it out for like a little cheers.

375

00:27:41,498 --> 00:27:44,825

a lot of firsts for you on this uh operation, isn't it?

376

00:27:44,825 --> 00:27:46,594

Yeah, yup.

377

00:27:46,882 --> 00:27:48,227

Living the life.

378

00:27:48,306 --> 00:27:54,140

nice good good burn and she pours the rest on down and sets it on the counter.

379

00:27:54,541 --> 00:27:58,344

Well uh we have some talking to do with Karas.

380

00:27:58,344 --> 00:27:59,515

He's searching for some stuff.

381

00:27:59,515 --> 00:28:04,229

It's too much to figure out right now but you guys look comfy.

382

00:28:04,229 --> 00:28:14,197

I will make a bed kind of there in the corner and I'll go in the corner kind of next to

the door knowing that I'm the only healthy person and Karas' place is probably safe

383

00:28:14,197 --> 00:28:14,958

enough.

384

00:28:15,850 --> 00:28:22,186

But that's where I'll post up for the night, taking care of the team and making sure we're

all safe.

385

00:28:24,532 --> 00:28:32,400

will make sure to point out that uh Kharaz just waltzed off into the swamp when he said

night night.

386

00:28:32,501 --> 00:28:35,104

Wouldn't you have expected, doesn't he have a bedroom here?

387

00:28:35,104 --> 00:28:40,059

Like I ain't been perusing the place, but where's he staying?

388

00:28:40,630 --> 00:28:41,683

No, I'm sorry, what?

389

00:28:41,683 --> 00:28:45,743

He just uh walked off and I'll kind of look out the front window.

390

00:28:45,743 --> 00:28:47,234

I mean, I had no recourse.

391

00:28:47,234 --> 00:28:52,490

I was in no state to go chasing after him, but yeah, he didn't offer any sort of

explanation.

392

00:28:52,490 --> 00:28:55,934

He just trudged off into the sunset.

393

00:28:55,934 --> 00:28:57,786

Huh, alright.

394

00:28:57,786 --> 00:29:06,625

And I will turn around to see if there's like any other doors like maybe Dell thought he

did and he did it and he went in a different direction and I'll just kind of do a quick

395

00:29:06,625 --> 00:29:07,157

search.

396

00:29:07,157 --> 00:29:12,648

Yeah, give me either search or survival, because it's kind of a tracking too.

397

00:29:12,648 --> 00:29:14,236

Yep, we did good, 15.

398

00:29:14,803 --> 00:29:15,684

Great.

399

00:29:15,887 --> 00:29:20,882

So you see, are you following like where you think he went outside?

400

00:29:21,714 --> 00:29:24,457

gosh, yeah probably a little bit.

401

00:29:24,457 --> 00:29:25,358

hang on, Del.

402

00:29:25,358 --> 00:29:32,112

I'll be right back and I'll grab my firearm and uh yeah, I'll at least see which direction

it went in for sure.

403

00:29:32,478 --> 00:29:35,349

Yeah, you walk out, you see his tracks.

404

00:29:35,349 --> 00:29:37,020

It's not like he's trying to cover them.

405

00:29:37,020 --> 00:29:40,241

They lead about a hundred paces from the cabin.

406

00:29:40,241 --> 00:29:47,404

And as you're walking, you stomp on what sounds like plywood with some dirt on it.

407

00:29:47,404 --> 00:29:52,226

It's just sitting there and it sounds hollow under it.

408

00:29:53,219 --> 00:29:54,951

it sounds hollow.

409

00:29:54,951 --> 00:30:06,510

Alright, duck, I hope you don't mind me snooping a little bit and like just in like a

normal voice I'll be like, forgive me for being thorough and I'll lift it just a little

410

00:30:06,510 --> 00:30:07,290

bit.

411

00:30:07,793 --> 00:30:13,557

Yeah, it lifts up and you see a ladder that goes down into darkness.

412

00:30:13,870 --> 00:30:15,912

ladder into darkness.

413

00:30:15,912 --> 00:30:19,915

uh Okay I...

414

00:30:20,336 --> 00:30:21,857

nope that sounds ominous.

415

00:30:21,857 --> 00:30:23,109

Oh snap.

416

00:30:23,109 --> 00:30:23,672

What should I do?

417

00:30:23,672 --> 00:30:24,886

What should I do?

418

00:30:25,151 --> 00:30:26,629

Jordan, should I go in?

419

00:30:26,629 --> 00:30:41,217

Dell is just spiritually thinking about the fact that he said that when Kharaz hears our

motor coming that he's gonna run underground and he's feeling very validated and confused.

420

00:30:41,217 --> 00:30:42,807

Is he a snake or isn't he?

421

00:30:42,807 --> 00:30:44,839

I thought we were pretty good here.

422

00:30:44,889 --> 00:30:48,441

I don't think you should go anywhere by yourself.

423

00:30:48,606 --> 00:30:50,186

Yeah, yeah, okay.

424

00:30:50,186 --> 00:30:50,506

All right.

425

00:30:50,506 --> 00:30:53,046

If there's a little bit of push, I'd be like, no, you got me.

426

00:30:53,046 --> 00:30:54,566

Okay, let's go down the ladder.

427

00:30:54,566 --> 00:30:56,186

No, think safety is it.

428

00:30:56,186 --> 00:30:57,226

And that's, that's funny.

429

00:30:57,226 --> 00:30:59,986

I thought the exact same thing about being a snake underground.

430

00:30:59,986 --> 00:31:07,006

I think I'll just take note of where that is, put the plywood back on down and go back and

join my teammate.

431

00:31:07,006 --> 00:31:08,466

That's teammates.

432

00:31:08,466 --> 00:31:10,491

That's the most important thing in this moment.

433

00:31:10,491 --> 00:31:16,412

between one person on the team being able to walk and zero people on the team being able

to walk is a big difference.

434

00:31:16,412 --> 00:31:18,021

Absolutely, for sure.

435

00:31:18,021 --> 00:31:19,307

So I head back.

436

00:31:19,307 --> 00:31:21,349

Beautiful.

437

00:31:21,570 --> 00:31:28,940

back in here, Dell, are you sharing any of the pictures or papers you found or are you

guys just headed to bed?

438

00:31:28,940 --> 00:31:42,798

Well, no, I think I definitely do have questions for Ryan in particular about the nature

of his discoveries in Finch's writings and specifically anything that would be akin to a

439

00:31:42,798 --> 00:31:43,330

song.

440

00:31:43,330 --> 00:31:46,978

in context of the paper you found or are you just keeping that to yourself?

441

00:31:46,978 --> 00:31:49,100

Well, yeah, I'm not sharing a paper.

442

00:31:49,100 --> 00:32:07,237

I'm just going to recount the fact that Karras was talking about being interested in

researching the other half of this song and that uh Arthur Finch had maybe been on a lead

443

00:32:07,237 --> 00:32:08,898

uh to something like that.

444

00:32:08,898 --> 00:32:12,331

And that's really what he was most interested in.

445

00:32:12,375 --> 00:32:19,439

And so I was just curious if uh Ryan could refresh my memory on the contents of uh Finch's

writings.

446

00:32:19,439 --> 00:32:27,211

Yeah, I do remember seeing, you know, some symbols scrawled here and there.

447

00:32:27,571 --> 00:32:35,213

Couldn't really make any sense of, you know, what the meaning, you know, necessarily

behind them was.

448

00:32:36,329 --> 00:32:44,215

As far as songs, mean, most of the writings were just all over the place.

449

00:32:44,675 --> 00:32:49,530

No rhyme or reason or, you know, anything song like.

450

00:32:49,530 --> 00:32:52,578

that I can remember.

451

00:32:53,226 --> 00:32:58,490

Yeah, these symbols, did they seem like a language?

452

00:32:58,490 --> 00:32:59,681

Hmm, possibly.

453

00:32:59,681 --> 00:33:11,493

Yeah, I mean, maybe it was something that he was, you know, doodling as he was

communicating or taking that, you know, these drugs, something he was seeing on his own,

454

00:33:11,493 --> 00:33:12,304

I'm not sure.

455

00:33:12,304 --> 00:33:17,540

But there was no like, you know.

456

00:33:17,540 --> 00:33:20,314

Like it didn't seem like there was any purpose to them.

457

00:33:20,314 --> 00:33:26,903

It was just kind of like doodles on the edges of, you know, some of the writings of the

papers and things like that.

458

00:33:26,903 --> 00:33:32,334

Yeah, I imagine it was probably hard to figure out what was meaningful in all that slop.

459

00:33:33,790 --> 00:33:36,081

Okay, well, um...

460

00:33:36,836 --> 00:33:47,291

Yeah, I mean, I guess I will unfold the paper from Karas's desk and I will just ask if

they happen to look anything like this.

461

00:33:47,291 --> 00:33:48,301

Hmm.

462

00:33:48,342 --> 00:33:49,002

Hmm.

463

00:33:49,002 --> 00:33:50,623

Yeah, interesting.

464

00:33:51,444 --> 00:33:55,366

Yeah, I mean, maybe it's hard to say from, you know, just like my memory.

465

00:33:55,366 --> 00:33:58,499

But yeah, it's possible.

466

00:33:58,499 --> 00:34:02,291

mean, I wonder.

467

00:34:02,892 --> 00:34:04,815

Because, yeah.

468

00:34:04,815 --> 00:34:20,919

uh I think I was looking for that exact moment of realization or recognition to see if

there was any sort of flash uh or a greediness even if that was in him.

469

00:34:20,919 --> 00:34:29,262

Yeah, let's, so Agent Ryan, when you see the paper, upon first glance and scanning it, you

have this.

470

00:34:29,262 --> 00:34:29,694

oh

471

00:34:29,694 --> 00:34:36,098

again, somatic subconscious connection to these symbols now.

472

00:34:36,279 --> 00:34:44,244

And when you look at the paper, you realize that there's everything he needs here.

473

00:34:44,244 --> 00:34:57,073

Like this is the entire cryptic, or sorry, this is the entire lexicon of symbols that he

would need to.

474

00:34:57,317 --> 00:34:59,818

finish this ritual in front of you.

475

00:35:00,699 --> 00:35:09,256

If you wanna try to disguise any reaction to this, you can try, but it'll be a contested

role.

476

00:35:09,256 --> 00:35:13,500

So you would roll your charisma versus his humanant.

477

00:35:13,500 --> 00:35:18,475

Okay, m I'm guessing my charisma's, it's 50.

478

00:35:18,475 --> 00:35:21,698

It's not too bad.

479

00:35:21,698 --> 00:35:23,630

Yeah, let's do it.

480

00:35:23,630 --> 00:35:25,130

As well, fuck it.

481

00:35:27,398 --> 00:35:28,876

27.

482

00:35:29,554 --> 00:35:30,826

16.

483

00:35:32,621 --> 00:35:34,112

ha ha ha.

484

00:35:35,094 --> 00:35:36,986

God damn it.

485

00:35:37,444 --> 00:35:44,269

but the higher number in a success, in a contested success takes the cake.

486

00:35:44,269 --> 00:35:51,356

So Ryan is successfully able to mask the reaction on his face when he realizes that

everything is here written down.

487

00:35:51,356 --> 00:35:54,502

But that is curious to you, Ryan.

488

00:35:54,502 --> 00:35:59,333

Because what they just told you is he was looking for something, right?

489

00:35:59,333 --> 00:36:03,192

Like, why would he be looking for something else if he has everything he needs?

490

00:36:03,192 --> 00:36:05,408

Maybe he doesn't know he has everything he needs.

491

00:36:05,408 --> 00:36:06,268

So.

492

00:36:07,205 --> 00:36:11,596

Yeah, do you say anything about this to Dell or Agent Brown?

493

00:36:11,693 --> 00:36:17,430

No, I, you know, continue with my story of

494

00:36:17,430 --> 00:36:23,484

kind of looks maybe, maybe, you know, symbols look like symbols to me.

495

00:36:23,484 --> 00:36:29,318

And it is possible that some of these match what was in Arthur's drawings.

496

00:36:29,318 --> 00:36:34,833

But yeah, I am curious as to why Cross wants this information for sure.

497

00:36:34,833 --> 00:36:39,876

Yeah, and why he feels comfortable asking us for it as well.

498

00:36:40,179 --> 00:36:45,443

Well, that might be my fault or to my credit.

499

00:36:45,443 --> 00:36:46,624

I'm not really sure which one.

500

00:36:46,624 --> 00:36:55,811

uh And as she's like, you know, making a little home for her, like by the front door and

like starting to nest down a little bit.

501

00:36:56,612 --> 00:36:57,003

Yeah.

502

00:36:57,003 --> 00:37:08,923

So our mission here is to find out as much as we can about Majestic and Majestic's weapons

and find Karos and silence him in one of two ways.

503

00:37:08,923 --> 00:37:09,863

One being

504

00:37:09,863 --> 00:37:21,701

Death the other one being he flips to our side Karas already wants to wants to die and

exit this world and if If we can help him do that.

505

00:37:21,701 --> 00:37:27,380

He is willing to be open with as much information as he possibly has I mean, I'm

506

00:37:27,380 --> 00:37:30,808

what do you mean he wants to die and exit this world?

507

00:37:31,351 --> 00:37:35,054

yeah, no, he wants to be that and I point over to the jar with the brain.

508

00:37:35,054 --> 00:37:40,739

He wants to be that brain there in a jar for God knows what reason.

509

00:37:40,739 --> 00:37:50,928

uh But if he wants to do that, which means he stops leaking and we get our information, I

call that a win-win for the boogeyman.

510

00:37:50,928 --> 00:37:52,646

so you wanna put his brain in that jar.

511

00:37:52,646 --> 00:38:08,634

I'm not sure how to get to the resolution of this, but if he wants that and it stops him

from being our enemy, then by all means, maybe if this, I can imagine something that does

512

00:38:08,634 --> 00:38:17,752

that is maybe not 100 % about peace, so if it's of any danger, I'm more than happy to send

a couple.

513

00:38:18,553 --> 00:38:28,757

Bullets of lead straight through its body in some capacity whatsoever, but if it's no

danger and leaves us alone, then, you know, maybe as the uneducated new teammate, maybe

514

00:38:28,757 --> 00:38:32,784

it's the wrong call to say, let's find by all means.

515

00:38:32,784 --> 00:38:36,049

Okay, well, mean, interesting.

516

00:38:36,049 --> 00:38:46,067

I guess I'm looking forward to meeting him and talking to him more about this because,

yeah, I don't know why anybody would just want to put their brain in a jar.

517

00:38:46,067 --> 00:38:54,793

You know, I've learned to not ask too many questions and understand as little as humanly

possible in a lot of situations here, so...

518

00:38:55,174 --> 00:38:56,614

No, I don't know either.

519

00:38:56,614 --> 00:38:59,527

Del, by the way, he's for sure a snake.

520

00:38:59,527 --> 00:39:03,409

yeah, he is sleeping under the ground outside right now for sure.

521

00:39:03,870 --> 00:39:05,617

I fucking knew it!

522

00:39:05,821 --> 00:39:06,383

Mm-hmm.

523

00:39:06,383 --> 00:39:08,239

Yeah, I owe you a beer for that one.

524

00:39:08,239 --> 00:39:09,842

That's that's on me

525

00:39:10,790 --> 00:39:16,646

Yeah, when we get out of here, I'm getting one of those uh Mexican Cokes in the glass

bottle.

526

00:39:16,929 --> 00:39:17,371

Yeah.

527

00:39:17,371 --> 00:39:24,683

I buy you one of those helmets with like two cups on it and we could just do like one

Mexican Coke in each one and you could suck that sucker on down.

528

00:39:25,406 --> 00:39:27,253

I like what you're slinging.

529

00:39:27,253 --> 00:39:28,817

um

530

00:39:28,817 --> 00:39:29,790

potion.

531

00:39:30,968 --> 00:39:38,118

Yeah, um I am sure I had a pertinent thought, but it has escaped.

532

00:39:38,731 --> 00:39:44,462

You still have the photo, but yeah, if you want you guys can also go to bed.

533

00:39:45,156 --> 00:39:48,982

Yeah, it was about more information about the brain in the jar, right?

534

00:39:48,982 --> 00:39:55,649

We contacted our agency and we sent some things back to be examined further.

535

00:39:55,910 --> 00:40:03,379

And I recall that they know that we have the brain in the jar, but did we hand that off to

get more intel on that as well?

536

00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:05,971

No, we have that with us.

537

00:40:05,971 --> 00:40:14,288

That's what he found in our backpacks and led him to be like, I know you're not just bird

watchers doing the documentary.

538

00:40:14,629 --> 00:40:18,828

So no, that's here and literally on the table next to us right now.

539

00:40:18,828 --> 00:40:37,368

Okay, I think my inclination then would at least be to try and get contact with

Butterfield before we either helped or hindered Karos uh to finish out his plan to

540

00:40:37,368 --> 00:40:38,998

de-brain himself.

541

00:40:39,019 --> 00:40:47,529

On account of, like, that sounds like an okay plan if this thing is entirely benign, but

we have

542

00:40:47,529 --> 00:40:52,185

only the idea that it is of significant importance and should never be let out of our

sight.

543

00:40:52,185 --> 00:40:54,614

So I'm not about to like go make in another.

544

00:40:54,614 --> 00:40:55,806

Mm-hmm.

545

00:40:55,806 --> 00:41:05,279

Yeah, I mean I'm open to either I figured we get it here and if it starts doing spooky

dangerous stuff We just pump it full of lead, but I'm I'm perfectly fine with trying to

546

00:41:05,279 --> 00:41:09,105

make contact and Doing a sit rep if you will

547

00:41:09,105 --> 00:41:13,797

Headed to bed, talking about the photo, what's next?

548

00:41:14,715 --> 00:41:15,131

Uh.

549

00:41:15,131 --> 00:41:18,742

I guess, did you want to make that phone call right now?

550

00:41:18,742 --> 00:41:20,162

we have a means to?

551

00:41:20,162 --> 00:41:25,142

thought last time we went to the gas station.

552

00:41:25,815 --> 00:41:26,718

We did.

553

00:41:26,882 --> 00:41:28,548

Yep, no sat phone.

554

00:41:29,098 --> 00:41:34,953

Yeah, so I surely do, I promise you that, but uh it seems like we're gonna have to sit

tight.

555

00:41:34,953 --> 00:41:43,101

I guess my inclination would be then to buy us time with Kharos before we do anything

dramatic.

556

00:41:43,101 --> 00:41:49,235

I mean, not like we can't do anything, just don't put the man's brain in a jar before we

know what the heck that even means.

557

00:41:49,235 --> 00:41:50,001

Yeah.

558

00:41:50,001 --> 00:41:59,067

I'm trying to think though how we would get out of this swamp, away from this area, do

that thing and come back.

559

00:41:59,468 --> 00:42:01,570

That sounds like a lot of time.

560

00:42:01,570 --> 00:42:13,619

think, I think as Barone, we are trusted agents to, and you know, are trusted to complete

the mission at whatever cost.

561

00:42:14,100 --> 00:42:17,704

I think we take it under our own power and do what we think is best.

562

00:42:17,704 --> 00:42:18,848

That sounds fine and fair.

563

00:42:18,848 --> 00:42:21,247

Was he talking about, like, doing this tomorrow?

564

00:42:21,247 --> 00:42:25,148

Like, wake up and unzip his noggin?

565

00:42:26,017 --> 00:42:28,530

You know, I am not sure about that.

566

00:42:28,530 --> 00:42:40,265

I figure he probably wants to do it sooner than later and not gonna lie, Del, if I could

get out of this swamp tomorrow, sooner, tonight, I absolutely would.

567

00:42:40,265 --> 00:42:45,831

I never wanna see a swampy mosquito or smell this putrid smell ever again.

568

00:42:46,258 --> 00:42:48,222

Yeah, no, I do get that.

569

00:42:48,222 --> 00:42:55,419

guess if we could perhaps encourage him to do it later rather than sooner, that's all I

was advocating.

570

00:42:55,419 --> 00:42:59,928

Right, well I guess let's talk to him in the morning and figure it out then.

571

00:43:00,814 --> 00:43:07,754

And I'm just kind of sitting on the couch just like listening to them have this

conversation back and forth.

572

00:43:07,754 --> 00:43:16,746

I have my own motivations in this and am thinking already about how to.

573

00:43:18,678 --> 00:43:23,501

not stall this.

574

00:43:23,501 --> 00:43:35,016

yeah, I'm just listening to you guys and then obviously haven't met this person yet, but I

know what his motivations are and I understand what my motivations are and it seems like

575

00:43:35,016 --> 00:43:36,396

they are in alignment.

576

00:43:36,396 --> 00:43:44,230

so I again, feel kind of like on the outs as far as like what the next steps are.

577

00:43:44,627 --> 00:43:51,478

and obviously can't like reveal what my you know agenda is so

578

00:43:51,530 --> 00:43:52,778

Yeah, um.

579

00:43:52,778 --> 00:43:53,078

kids.

580

00:43:53,078 --> 00:43:55,769

um

581

00:43:55,769 --> 00:44:07,829

think I will, you know, seeing that we have kind of decided that next steps are to be

taken tomorrow, I will just give kind of a flippant, like, well, good night, and I will

582

00:44:07,829 --> 00:44:15,572

casually toss the photo of Kharos onto the little table in between us, and I will roll

over to go tonight.

583

00:44:15,572 --> 00:44:17,734

Anybody grabbing the photo taking a look?

584

00:44:18,693 --> 00:44:24,806

If it's within reach and I can get to it while still pretending to be very injured, then

yes, I, yeah.

585

00:44:25,581 --> 00:44:28,388

Roll your intelligence times five.

586

00:44:29,200 --> 00:44:33,999

Intelligence is 80.

587

00:44:34,999 --> 00:44:36,678

16.

588

00:44:37,813 --> 00:44:41,774

You look at the photo, scan it with some time looking at it.

589

00:44:41,774 --> 00:44:50,778

There is a young man right to Karas's left, a young Butterfield by your estimation.

590

00:44:50,778 --> 00:44:57,783

It looks exactly like him if he were just coming into his career potentially.

591

00:44:57,783 --> 00:44:59,103

Can you roll San?

592

00:44:59,353 --> 00:45:00,144

Okay.

593

00:45:00,144 --> 00:45:01,924

Nope, 77.

594

00:45:02,690 --> 00:45:04,183

Okay, roll me a D4.

595

00:45:05,308 --> 00:45:07,518

Yeah, let me get that out.

596

00:45:08,579 --> 00:45:10,439

and I got a two.

597

00:45:10,439 --> 00:45:13,509

Okay, you lose two Sanon unless you wanna project.

598

00:45:13,737 --> 00:45:19,783

my God, have low saline as it is.

599

00:45:19,884 --> 00:45:25,417

I will fuck it, I'll take it.

600

00:45:25,417 --> 00:45:28,972

I'm gonna take it, cause I'm crazy.

601

00:45:29,457 --> 00:45:35,039

You're also low on willpower, so projecting would potentially put you in a psychotic

state, but yeah.

602

00:45:35,039 --> 00:45:36,020

is true.

603

00:45:36,020 --> 00:45:37,762

That is very true.

604

00:45:37,762 --> 00:45:40,301

If I'm not already there, right?

605

00:45:41,393 --> 00:45:46,983

you realize that this is Handler Butterfield next to Keras.

606

00:45:47,550 --> 00:45:57,843

Is there any indication in the photo of like when this was taken at all or what the

context of the photo is?

607

00:45:57,927 --> 00:46:00,614

It's about 15 years ago on the back.

608

00:46:01,876 --> 00:46:07,407

And are they like chummy chummy, like Trump Epstein next to each other?

609

00:46:07,429 --> 00:46:12,357

Or is it a different type of relationship photo?

610

00:46:12,357 --> 00:46:16,491

No, it looks like one of those group photos of a project, right?

611

00:46:16,491 --> 00:46:24,040

Where maybe they were working on something and somebody was like, let's take a group of

all the people at the dig site or the whatever site.

612

00:46:24,040 --> 00:46:27,394

So, but they are standing next to each other.

613

00:46:27,394 --> 00:46:33,064

So they used to work together is what I'm gathering, right?

614

00:46:33,064 --> 00:46:34,456

Yes, right?

615

00:46:35,188 --> 00:46:36,377

Seems like it.

616

00:46:37,012 --> 00:46:38,424

Yeah, that's very interesting.

617

00:46:38,424 --> 00:46:39,885

just cause I'm curious.

618

00:46:39,885 --> 00:46:43,058

He didn't, he didn't, Butterfield didn't tell us about this.

619

00:46:43,058 --> 00:46:48,533

he, uh, presented carossus like this new person.

620

00:46:48,533 --> 00:46:49,464

don't know anything about.

621

00:46:49,464 --> 00:46:52,282

He wasn't like this one guy I used to work with, right?

622

00:46:52,282 --> 00:46:58,443

He made it seem like Arthur Finch was the only reason he knew of Kerasa's existence.

623

00:46:59,103 --> 00:47:00,605

Sneaky cat snake.

624

00:47:00,605 --> 00:47:04,427

I mean, he does not have to tell us shit, but yeah.

625

00:47:04,427 --> 00:47:11,072

Okay, well then this makes me extra curious about what Butterfield will say once we call

with our update.

626

00:47:11,072 --> 00:47:12,873

If we call with our update.

627

00:47:14,374 --> 00:47:14,885

Yeah.

628

00:47:14,885 --> 00:47:15,576

Off to bed?

629

00:47:15,576 --> 00:47:17,390

Are we doing like any watches?

630

00:47:17,390 --> 00:47:18,894

Is everybody just going to sleep?

631

00:47:18,894 --> 00:47:19,725

Feeling safe?

632

00:47:19,725 --> 00:47:20,856

What are you thinking?

633

00:47:20,939 --> 00:47:33,748

I'm sleeping right next to the door and I think ah I'm pretty much like put my foot in

front of the door so when that opens it hits my foot and I am up and awake but I mean I

634

00:47:33,748 --> 00:47:41,695

have taken a beating I'm just as tired as everybody else so I need some sleep too man or

I'm not I'm not nothing's getting better

635

00:47:41,695 --> 00:47:43,866

Sounds good.

636

00:47:44,247 --> 00:47:52,093

Barone and Dell, can you roll me a con roll as you're sleeping?

637

00:47:52,585 --> 00:47:53,836

87 no good.

638

00:47:53,836 --> 00:47:55,761

48, success.

639

00:47:55,761 --> 00:47:59,565

Del, you are feeling extremely hungry.

640

00:47:59,565 --> 00:48:04,838

This thing inside of you is needing to be fed.

641

00:48:04,838 --> 00:48:06,129

Like you just know it.

642

00:48:06,129 --> 00:48:13,114

You're very paranoid and pessimistic about this thing already, but it's a type of hunger

you've never felt.

643

00:48:13,134 --> 00:48:21,940

Barone, you also feel extremely hungry, like uncharacteristically hungry like you were in

the hotel room before.

644

00:48:22,279 --> 00:48:27,139

you are able to steel yourself against it and still get some sleep.

645

00:48:27,139 --> 00:48:28,371

Okay, great.

646

00:48:28,371 --> 00:48:40,693

And when he pulled out those, when uh the doc pulled out those capsules, did he leave

those on the counter by chance and leave those with us or did he take it with him?

647

00:48:41,306 --> 00:48:47,623

He left them on the counter, they're capsules that are in, like they're just capsules in a

white bottle.

648

00:48:47,623 --> 00:48:51,178

There's no prescription label or anything.

649

00:48:51,178 --> 00:48:56,412

I mean, yeah, I assume this is he ground up metal and put them in capsules himself.

650

00:48:56,412 --> 00:49:01,146

I don't think there's like, it's not a corner for big pharma.

651

00:49:01,146 --> 00:49:02,167

I don't think so.

652

00:49:02,167 --> 00:49:04,449

Yeah, that tracks that totally makes sense.

653

00:49:04,990 --> 00:49:10,234

Yeah, I think the first thing in the morning, I'm gonna probably go go grab that.

654

00:49:10,234 --> 00:49:11,545

But all right, great.

655

00:49:11,545 --> 00:49:18,531

I will uh smash my stomach, give myself a little punch, shut up in there, and then try to

get some sleep.

656

00:49:19,410 --> 00:49:23,207

Del, what are you doing to satiate this as you're trying to sleep?

657

00:49:23,240 --> 00:49:29,586

Yeah, I'm tossing and turning and I'm not really liking this uncomfortable sensation.

658

00:49:29,980 --> 00:49:38,964

I have to imagine I've been on a lot of watches where bodily functions could not be

attended to and this is like a different kind of gnawing.

659

00:49:38,964 --> 00:49:46,149

And I look at the bullet in the whiskey glass and it sounds really good but I am not going

to

660

00:49:46,605 --> 00:50:01,989

uh Allow anything that has come into contact with alcohol to enter my mouth And I am going

to Just like quietly mutter to the room anybody else feel like a hot meal and I'm gonna

661

00:50:01,989 --> 00:50:05,746

take my Pistol and I'm going to shove it down into the couch.

662

00:50:05,746 --> 00:50:09,848

I'm going to Wrap a blanket around it.

663

00:50:09,848 --> 00:50:14,551

I'm going to fire a single shot into the back of the uh the couch

664

00:50:14,551 --> 00:50:17,086

and then I'm going to swallow the hot shell casing.

665

00:50:17,086 --> 00:50:19,050

What the actual fuck, Del?

666

00:50:19,050 --> 00:50:20,664

What is- what's happening?

667

00:50:20,664 --> 00:50:23,409

And I'll sit up with my rifle, like, ready to go.

668

00:50:23,409 --> 00:50:25,111

What are you shooting at?

669

00:50:25,533 --> 00:50:26,957

Are you crazy?

670

00:50:26,957 --> 00:50:27,255

Yeah.

671

00:50:27,255 --> 00:50:34,094

I don't know what the hell is going on because nobody told me about like what happened to

Dell.

672

00:50:34,094 --> 00:50:37,599

And so I'm like, my God, why are you shooting your gun?

673

00:50:37,599 --> 00:50:45,909

And I'm like, I like go to reach for my own gun and I'm like dropping it because I was

deep asleep when this happened.

674

00:50:46,049 --> 00:50:57,515

Yeah, the shooting of the gun becomes very secondary as I take that spent shell casing and

I just start to like bite down on it and compress the walls in my mouth.

675

00:50:57,716 --> 00:50:59,057

And I'll just say...

676

00:51:01,473 --> 00:51:03,529

Price of living, I suppose.

677

00:51:03,529 --> 00:51:14,659

I don't really know what to make of it, but apparently we got something inside of us now

and they're hungry.

678

00:51:15,490 --> 00:51:19,671

I mean don't say us, don't be a snitch, Del.

679

00:51:20,692 --> 00:51:22,532

Ryan, kind of weird.

680

00:51:23,112 --> 00:51:35,196

We're not aliens per se, but we definitely have uh metal-eating tiny monsters inside of us

and it makes us all normal humans still also.

681

00:51:35,196 --> 00:51:41,908

We just need to eat metal once in a while and I think I'll be fine, perfectly fine, but

Del for sure would have been dead if we didn't do that.

682

00:51:41,908 --> 00:51:43,298

So hey, there's the update.

683

00:51:43,298 --> 00:51:50,860

uh No guns for no guns for anybody else and I'll walk around and I'll fucking grab

Everybody's guns out of their hands.

684

00:51:50,860 --> 00:51:52,403

I'm like no no for you.

685

00:51:52,403 --> 00:51:53,204

No for you.

686

00:51:53,204 --> 00:51:57,067

You guys are going crazy And I'll start walking back towards the door

687

00:51:57,067 --> 00:52:03,169

You know, okay, but Del, there's an easier way to get a bullet out of your gun.

688

00:52:03,169 --> 00:52:06,010

Just saying, you don't have to shoot it.

689

00:52:06,010 --> 00:52:10,052

So if you want to eat bullets, fine.

690

00:52:10,052 --> 00:52:13,553

You know, everything's fucking weird now, so whatever.

691

00:52:13,553 --> 00:52:19,725

But can you just, you know, not shoot a gun to get a bullet out of it, please?

692

00:52:19,725 --> 00:52:20,815

Thank you.

693

00:52:22,416 --> 00:52:26,170

They only come out of my gun one way and I'm not gonna eat the gunpowder.

694

00:52:26,170 --> 00:52:27,443

That shit'll give you cancer.

695

00:52:27,443 --> 00:52:28,244

Right, fair.

696

00:52:28,244 --> 00:52:36,051

uh not gonna lie, I maybe peed a little when you scared me awake, but uh that was pretty

badass.

697

00:52:36,051 --> 00:52:36,771

That was pretty cool.

698

00:52:36,771 --> 00:52:37,402

That was pretty cool.

699

00:52:37,402 --> 00:52:38,833

Also, no guns.

700

00:52:38,833 --> 00:52:40,755

So no more of that.

701

00:52:40,755 --> 00:52:42,076

Also pretty cool, Del.

702

00:52:42,076 --> 00:52:43,974

uh Go to bed.

703

00:52:43,974 --> 00:52:53,273

imagine that you're feeling really good about the fact that you have a reason to take

Dell's gun away from him that he will actually not fight you on this time because when you

704

00:52:53,273 --> 00:53:03,163

were sleeping by the door, he had already gone to sleep with that rifle pointed at the

door and his finger is sure twitchy when he sleeps.

705

00:53:03,803 --> 00:53:05,742

no, I didn't even think about that.

706

00:53:05,742 --> 00:53:10,310

All right, so with the bullet, can now get a Knight's Rest.

707

00:53:10,310 --> 00:53:18,515

Everybody give yourself a D6 of willpower points back if you've spent willpower, and then

you can take one hit point each.

708

00:53:18,515 --> 00:53:22,234

So roll a d6 and whatever you get, you get that back in willpower.

709

00:53:22,234 --> 00:53:26,694

Of course I roll a one.

710

00:53:26,914 --> 00:53:27,873

Cool.

711

00:53:27,873 --> 00:53:29,961

got a healthy plus four.

712

00:53:29,961 --> 00:53:31,425

I'll take that.

713

00:53:32,302 --> 00:53:33,380

And then what did you say?

714

00:53:33,380 --> 00:53:34,681

We get what else?

715

00:53:34,681 --> 00:53:35,895

Hit points.

716

00:53:36,365 --> 00:53:38,021

Just one hit point back.

717

00:53:38,211 --> 00:53:38,507

Okay.