[CLICK]
ARCHIVIST
Right. There we go. Martin, what do you see?
MARTIN
W-what?
ARCHIVIST
I can’t really stand up yet. I need you to describe what’s going on. For the record.
MARTIN
Oh. Right. Yeah. Um, Sasha tackled Tim and there was a bit of a struggle, but she made it out of the Archives. That was about five minutes ago, and…she’s probably gone to get help. I don’t know for sure, but, well, it’s Sasha. She wouldn’t just abandon us.
ARCHIVIST
Did it look like any of the worms…got her before she left?
MARTIN
No, I don’t think so. Tim neither, I think. It’s a bit hard to tell, what with—it was a lot out there, but I think they both got out without a mark on them. [mumbling] Or a new one, anyway.
ARCHIVIST
Tim. What happened to Tim?
MARTIN
They got split up and he ran to your office. That was where they came in, you said you’d made a hole, so…Christ, I hope he’s careful in there. Jane Prentiss didn’t follow him, and, and the worms should be coming towards her, so as long as he doesn’t…maybe he found the spare CO2.
ARCHIVIST
Spare? What? Where? I never saw any.
MARTIN
I hid a couple in the old casefile boxes.
ARCHIVIST
What, why?
MARTIN
So they’d be handy? I’ve been stashing them pretty much everywhere I can think of. There’s only the one in here, though, since the room is sealed, so…
ARCHIVIST
No, I mean, why hide them?
MARTIN
So the worms wouldn’t find them.
Look, I know it sounds stupid.
ARCHIVIST
Yes. Yes, it is. They’re just…they’re just unclassified parasites. They don’t have consciousness, they can’t plan, they’re just an unthinking infection.
MARTIN
[Sounding tired] Whatever helps you sleep at night, Jon.
ARCHIVIST
[Audibly bristling] And just what is that supposed to mean?
MARTIN
You can’t possibly actually be this big of a skeptic. Nobody can work for the Magnus Institute and not have some idea of what’s going on—and I know you’ve never doubted when it comes to Prentiss, or to Leitners, you always treat those statements with a lot more…I dunno, respect. But when it comes to anything else, I’ve listened to you recording and you just dismiss them. You tear them to pieces like they’re wasting your time, but half of your “rational” explanations are more far-fetched than just admitting that there’s a ghost or something. It’s one thing to want evidence before you confirm something is legitimate, but there comes a point when you’ve got to just…accept that you believe. For crying out loud, you thought I was a ghost, and your only evidence for that was Tim.
ARCHIVIST
Of course I believe. Of course I do. Have you ever taken a look at the stuff we have in Artifact Storage? That’s enough to convince anyone. But, but even before that…why do you think I started working here? It’s not exactly glamorous. I have…I’ve always believed in the supernatural. Within reason, I mean. I still think most of the statements down here aren’t real. Of the hundreds I’ve recorded, we’ve had maybe…thirty, forty that are…that go on tape. Those I believe, at least for the most part.
MARTIN
Then why don’t you—
ARCHIVIST
Because I’m scared, Martin! Because when I record those statements, it feels…it feels like I’m being watched. I…I lose myself a bit. And then when I come back, it’s like…if I admit that there’s any truth to them, whatever’s watching will…know somehow. The skepticism, feigning ignorance. It just felt safer somehow.
MARTIN
…
It’s a good strategy, I’ll grant you that. Worked for Joshua Gillespie, I guess. For a little while, anyway. Don’t think he’s the only one, either.
But it won’t work forever. Ignorance only keeps you safe for so long, but the minute you start accepting that any of it’s true, the only safe way is to accept that all of it is true. Pretending not to believe is just going to get you killed, because it means you’ll miss something until it’s staring you in the face, and by then it’s too late.
ARCHIVIST
…I suppose you’re right.
Still, it’s not my fault we’re about to get eaten by worms. Speaking of, can you see anything?
MARTIN
Not much. They’re just…there.
ARCHIVIST
How many?
MARTIN
Too many. And they’re coming up through the floorboards still. I didn’t think they could fit through.
ARCHIVIST
Prentiss?
MARTIN
No, I can’t…[frustrated noises] Hold on. This glass…
[DEEP BREATH, FOLLOWED BY A FAINT HISS OF STATIC]
She’s over by the shelves. Or at least there’s a lot of…there’s something person-sized over there.
ARCHIVIST
[Dry but slightly shaky] You might be able to see better with your glasses on.
MARTIN
Yeah, you’d think, but it’s easier to pinpoint without them. Christ, that’s a lot.
ARCHIVIST
A lot of what? Worms?
MARTIN
Yeah, basically.
Yeah, it’s Prentiss all right.
ARCHIVIST
What’s she doing?
MARTIN
Not sure. She’s messing with the boxes. She’s just picked one up and—aah!
ARCHIVIST
What?
MARTIN
She’s…she’s destroying them. Sort of.
ARCHIVIST
Sort of?
MARTIN
N-no, more like…Corrupting them. I’m not sure what that stuff is coming out of her mouth, but I think we should probably burn them.
ARCHIVIST
Right.
Right.
MARTIN
…
I’ll teach you the way we used to burn Leitners.
If you want.
ARCHIVIST
We?
MARTIN
Me and Gerry and Neens. The three of us.
[FAINT CREAKING NOISE AS MARTIN SITS ON THE COT NEXT TO JON]
I lied, Jon. Or, well…not lied, not about most things, but I haven’t told you everything. The only thing I really lied about was my CV. I don’t have a master’s in parapsychology. I don’t even have a degree. I was seventeen, my mum was having…problems, and my stepfather was starting to get forgetful. It wasn’t too bad then, not so bad he couldn’t function or take care of Mum, but it caused issues for him at work and he lost his job. I had to drop out of school to support us all, but nobody was hiring without qualifications and when I offered to take over Mum’s job at Pinhole Books Aunt Mary said I wouldn’t be needed, thank you very much. I started making things up. My lie about parapsychology got me in the door here at the Institute, and I know why Elias hired me after that, but…honestly, most of my employment details are made up. I won’t even be twenty-nine until next month.
The reason I know so much about Leitners isn’t because of a degree or a thesis or anything. It’s…that was literally most of my childhood. Mum and Mary Keay were—I don’t know if you’d call them friends, but they worked together, and not just at the bookshop. If they’d actually been witches, they’d probably have been a coven. A lot of what they did was tracking down Leitners. Books of power, you know? And the three of us got recruited to help.
ARCHIVIST
That’s why you’re here? In the Archives, I mean. I—truth be told, it’s been bothering me for a while. You’ve been living down here for four months, under the constant threat of…this. Sleeping with a corkscrew and a fire extinguisher. You must know that’s not normal for an archiving job. That’s why you stay?
MARTIN
Partly. Partly because I realized you didn’t know what was going on, not like I did, and I thought…I just thought if I stuck around, maybe I could keep you safe. You and Tim and Sasha. [bitter laugh] You can see how well that worked out.
ARCHIVIST
We’re alive, aren’t we?
MARTIN
For now.
Mostly, though, I haven’t left because…I don’t think I can. While I was still…you know, upstairs…I think I could have walked away, no harm done. Once I came down here…well, I think we’re all caught now.
ARCHIVIST
Yes.
Yes, I—I see what you mean. I think.
MARTIN
[Softly] I wish you did.
[CLICK]
[CLICK]
SASHA
[Breathing heavily] Oh, God, that’s so much.
Okay, Jon. I know you’ll want to know what’s been happening. If you’re alive after this. There are worms on the upper floors. Not so many as down in the Archives, but enough.
I set off the fire alarm, so everyone’s evacuated but me and Elias. I haven’t seen any sign of the fire brigade, but I haven’t been near a window in a while. There was…a wave of worms, I guess, and I got separated from Elias. We were on our way to set off the fire suppressant system manually. I hope he made it, but who knows. Maybe everyone’s dead already.
I’ve had to retreat into Artifact Storage. That should tell you something about how bad it is out there.
God, I hate this place.
Did I ever tell you I joined the Institute as a practical researcher? I had to analyze and investigate all the stuff in here. Take notes after sleeping in the rusted chair, write in the memory book, that sort of thing. I transferred after three months. Would have quit, but I couldn’t afford to back then.
Never understood why we keep all this stuff secret. I mean, we’ve got enough here to send any skeptic packing, but it’s just locked away. I—I asked Elias about it once, but he just mumbled something about funding and mission statements. He’s good at changing the subject, isn’t he?
Sorry, I’m rambling. No worms, though, that’s—
MYSTERIOUS FIGURE
Get back!
SASHA
What—who’s there? Who are you?
MYSTERIOUS FIGURE
Just—shit. Get out of here!
SASHA
Look, you shouldn’t—
MYSTERIOUS FIGURE
[Agonized and desperate] Listen to me. If you take one more step forward, if you look at that, you will die. Get out of here.
SASHA
Are you threatening me?
MYSTERIOUS FIGURE
Damn it, I’m trying to save you! I don’t know who you are, but you don’t—[gasps in pain]
SASHA
Are you hurt? Shit, the worms—come on, let me—
MYSTERIOUS FIGURE
[Panicked] No, no, don’t touch me! Not yet! Just—
SASHA
Wait, that’s—is there someone else in here?
MYSTERIOUS FIGURE
Oh, fuck.
[SASHA SCREAMS, THE MYSTERIOUS FIGURE YELLS, A DOOR SLAMS]
SASHA
What was that?
MYSTERIOUS FIGURE
Don’t know. That’s never been my—
[MYSTERIOUS FIGURE DROPS TO ONE KNEE, MAKING STRANGLED NOISES OF AGONY]
SASHA
Are you okay? Have you—have you been bitten?
MYSTERIOUS FIGURE
[Strained] No—no, it’s—give me a second. It’ll pass.
[DELIBERATELY FORCED BREATHING THAT SLOWLY EVENS OUT]
MYSTERIOUS FIGURE
Right, okay. Get out of here. If you know a way out that isn’t that way, I suggest you take it.
SASHA
Look, I don’t know who you are, but I’m not leaving you behind. Besides, I don’t know if my friends are okay. We’ve got to stop those worms.
MYSTERIOUS FIGURE
[Dryly] I’m open to suggestions. I suppose setting the whole place on fire is out of the question.
SASHA
No! Not with—the CO2 is going to be bad enough, but they can survive that. Maybe.
We’ve just got to trigger the system. There should be a manual override. Elias was going to set it off, but we got separated, I don’t know if he managed it.
MYSTERIOUS FIGURE
Lead the way.
[CLICK]