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Side Missions – Control

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A Merry Chase

Jesse: Whoa! This place makes me nauseous. An Object of Power. How do you think it got down here? A carousel horse. Why is kid stuff always so creepy?
The Board: <The Horse/Choo-Choo allows you to Evade/Dash. Use it. Prove/Escape yourself.>

The Board: <Success/End-of-Level Achievement, Director! You have been approved/elusive You and the Horse are now Bound/Friends for Life.>
Jesse: Let’s see the Hiss keep up with me now.

What a Mess: Burn the Trash

Ahti: The works on the task board here you can do later when you have time.
Jesse: (Vacation? Right.) Thank you, Ahti.
Ahti: Yep. Burn the trash. Throw it in the fire. Burn it all. Burn it into a reindeer, not into a moose.

Jesse: By “trash”, did Ahti mean barrels full of hazardous biological material?

Jesse: Seems like I’m breaking some environmental regulations on waste disposal, but if that’s what Ahti wants, then I’ll get it done.

Jesse: That’s all of them.

A Good Defense

Speaker Audio: So… So I—I… just read this? Welcome to the Ranger Field Training Course. The course must be completed in the specified amount of time. When you’re ready to start, press the button. Is that all or—
Jesse: I always did love obstacle courses.
Speaker Audio: Get ready, Ranger. Course starting in five. Four. Three. Two. One. Go! Forty-five seconds remaining. Thirty seconds remaining. Fifteen seconds remaining. Five seconds remaining. Course failed. Try again, Ranger.
Jesse: Shit.
Speaker Audio: Get ready, Ranger. Course starting in five. Four. Three. Two. One. Go! Forty-five seconds remaining. Thirty seconds remaining. Fifteen seconds remaining. Five seconds remaining. Course completed. Congratulations, Ranger. Can I do that one again?
Jesse: I’m guessing this isn’t usually part of the course. It’s protecting itself.
The Board: <The Copies have been given Weapons/Projectiles. Shield yourself to pass/level up.>

A Captive Audience

Jesse: I see it. Another Object of Power? They’re just standing there, mesmerized by it.

The Board: <Good work/playing, Director. You have been approved/coercive. The X-ray now Bound/Validated.>

Jesse: Their brains were fried when I took over the object.

What a Mess: Clear the Clog

Ahti: Tango is a window into a Finn’s soul. It came from Suomi Finland. Anyone who says anything else is a lying goat.

Ahit: It’s back. What would kill a bad thing? Paska mikä paska.

Jesse: Shit. What now?
Ahti: My old enemy, the Clog, is blocking the pipes. You need to deal with that shit. He’s very clever, he’s trying to sneak in. We got him caught with his hand in the fish trap. Get rid of him.

Jesse: Hello again, Mr. Clog. You’ve really let yourself go.

Jesse: We should go down there to clear out the rest of it.

Jesse: Goodbye, Mr. Clog. I sincerely hope we never meet again.

Old Growth

Underhill: Excuse me, are you lost? Do you normally barge into people’s private workspaces?
Jesse: (She clearly doesn’t know who she’s talking to.) Shouldn’t you be in a safe room?
Underhill: Why? Because of those “Hiss” things the Rangers keep going on about? Haven’t you people sorted that out yet? The situation down here could spell doom for the Bureau.
Jesse: You mean this Mold?
Underhill: Correct. Perhaps you could help me. I require samples of various Mold strains, and the Mold has made the environment far too dangerous for me to fetch them myself.
Jesse: Really? Mold samples? I thought this “could spell doom.”
Underhill: It could and it will, whoever you are. The Mold is spreading. We need to find the source before it spreads too far.
Jesse: And these samples will do that?
Underhill: No. Samples of five unique strains, when blended properly, will allow you to travel deeper into the pit, where I’ve pinpointed the approximate location of the source of the Mold.
Jesse: Okay, so what do these samples look like?
Underhill: Similar to the one on my table there. I’ve made a list of the samples I need. Here. You’ll find them throughout the Threshold.
Jesse: I’ll take a look. My name’s Jesse, by the way.
Underhill: I’m sure it is.
Jesse: Have you worked at the FBC very long?
Underhill: Not long enough to understand their inane methodology. They want me to “solve” the Mold, but how is one to solve anything when the basic molecular structure of this fungus is an utter enigma?
Jesse: Oh, sorry, are you asking me?
Underhill: It’s rhetorical. The Bureau wants to control, not comprehend. But to answer your question, I’m a seasoned Threshold researcher that’s been brought in on a provisional basis to resolve this matter.
Jesse: (That’s all you had to say.) What have you learned about the Mold?
Underhill: Firstly, the term “mold” is a gross oversimplification used only to ease communication. That said, the Mold itself appears to be the product of complex micro-organisms. They spin the Mold, building structures like miniscule cities, swiftly colonizing our dimension. And the speed of these tiny engineers relative to their size. Simply staggering!
Jesse: So it grows fast?
Underhill: If you’re not going to listen, then why did you ask?
Jesse: So the Mold is coming in from…where?
Underhill: We don’t have a name for the Threshold dimension. The origin point has been identified, but the density of the fungus makes it impossible to enter. Even if we could, I speculate that we would only find a reality entirely subsumed by the fungus. Total decomposition!
Jesse: (It’s weird how excited she is, right?) What do you know about the Hiss?
Underhill: How could I know anything about an entity I have only just learned of? This is exactly the Bureau’s problem. My work is always interrupted by these, these… superfluous matters.
Jesse: Calm down. Just keep your HRA on and I’m sure you’ll be fine.
Underhill: This crude thing? I thought it was Darling’s idea of a practical joke.
Jesse: Not quite. Just keep your head down while I handle the Hiss. I need to get going.
Underhill: Try not to transport any spores outside the infected areas.

Jesse: It smells so sweet down here. Suddenly I’m really hungry. I wonder how this Mold tastes. Are those people?

Jesse: Found one.

Jesse: This must be one of the samples.

Jesse: Gross. Underhill is gonna owe me for this.

Jesse: One of Underhill’s samples.

Jesse: This looks like a good one. That’s all five samples. I should get these back to Underhill.

Underhill: You look like a woman with Mold for me.
Jesse: I found all five, but… I kind of wanted to eat them.
Underhill: The Mold has that effect on some people. Likely due to the fact that it’s not actually Mold… or even of this dimension. I suspect it is the result of two incompatible molecular structures, one dominant, coming into contact. I call it “Mold” or “Fungus’ because it’s closer in appearance and behavior than anything else we know… except perhaps bacteria.
Jesse: (She reminds me of my old biology teacher.)
Underhill: Did you happen to meet any more members of my Ranger detail?
Jesse: I didn’t see any Rangers. Just walking Mold people. Unless…
Underhill: Yes. If you found “Mold people”, you found my Rangers. I refer to the creatures as Hosts. They, like other unwary agents, succumbed to the “appetite”. But that’s nothing for you to worry about. The pill I’m about to make with these samples will make the lower level perfectly safe to traverse. It has the added benefit of immunizing you against the pit’s toxic spores.
Jesse: (I feel like I should ask to see her credentials.)
Underhill: There, that didn’t take too long, now, did it? Ingest this pill, then go and find the source of the Mold. Only there can we begin to understand how to stop it.
Jesse: (Take a mystery pill because a rude lady in a hazmat suit tells you to. Great idea, Jesse.) Ugh.
Underhill: Honestly, did you want me to wrap it in cheese?
Jesse: Not the taste, the smell. It stinks in here now.
Underhill: Good. That means the pill is working. The worse it smells, the safer you’ll be. Now go. Find the source.
Jesse: Have you worked with Emily Pope?
Underhill: Our paths have crossed. Darling arranged for us to have a coffee. A meeting of the minds, he called it. She’s talented, I can certainly see her doing well here.
Jesse: (I feel like there’s a “but” coming”.)
Underhill: But she’s drunk a bit too much of the Bureau’s proverbial Kool-Aid. She shouldn’t be afraid to forge ahead on her own. Science is skepticism. Everything must be questioned before the truth can emerge.
Jesse: So is Darling your boss?
Underhill: If you insist on clinging to such outdated hierarchies, then yes. However I would argue our fields are too dissimilar for one to manage the other. Of course, Darling would much prefer to find his own miracle solution to the Bureau’s fungal frustrations. He always needs to be the hero.
Jesse: So tell me again how you came to work at the Bureau?
Underhill: Well like I said, I was brought in as a special advisor. A temporary position, you see. Although that’s not the whole truth. I was employed here for a time, straight out of University. After a decade of admittedly fascinating work in Threshold research and regulation, I began to chafe under the bureaucracy. I needed a change. Not that academia was so different.
Jesse: And then the Mold happened?
Underhill: About four months ago, yes. Since my departure from the Bureau, they hadn’t been able to find my equal in Threshold analysis. Darling and I had kept in touch over the years, meeting at conferences and the like. He called me and I booked a flight. I’ve never been able to say no to a man with a dangerous alien biosphere. I had to leave my post in the middle of the term, but so be it.
Jesse: (So she’s a professor. That explains a lot.) The Mold seems to be having some weird effects on things.
Underhill: Indeed. Even people are susceptible. The fungus grows rapidly within the chest cavity, killing the host. Luckily, one must ingest the stalks to become infected.
Jesse: Don’t eat the mold. Okay.
Underhill: We’ve always cremated the infected bodies after autopsy, but I believe there may be another stage of maturity. A blooming, if you will.
Jesse: (I never thought the word “blooming” would sound so horrible.) Thanks for the information.
Underhill: My pleasure.

Jesse: Oh god, the further I go, the worse it smells.

Jesse: This must be the pit Underhill was talking about.

Jesse: Is that the source? It’s… kind of pretty. Nope. Not pretty.

Jesse: I need to stop being surprised by all the weird shit in this place.

Underhill: You’ve returned, I see. And you’re not sprouting Mold from your eyes. I take it that means my pill worked. Now, tell me everything. Did you find the source? You did, didn’t you?
Jesse: I found a big angry plant. Like, gigantic. I killed it.
Underhill: You killed it? You found the source and you killed it? I could have learned so much from a live specimen.
Jesse: (Her concern is touching. Really. It’s too much.) Here. I brought you a sample.
Underhill: A piece of the innermost Mold. You’re not such a lost cause after all. Strange. So different, even superficially. Another stage of growth perhaps?
Jesse: Please. No more stages.
Underhill: You’ll be pleased to know that cutting down the creature at the source has already resulted in a notable cessation of the Mold’s rapid growth. You’ve bought me time for further study.

A Matter of Time

Horowitz: If anyone’s there, I could really use a hand.
Jesse: Someone needs help over there. Sounds like there’s a man down.

Jesse: I’m here. What happened to you?
Horowitz: Got in a little scrap. Name’s Horowitz. I—
Jesse: Is he going to be okay?
Horowitz: Don’t look at me like that. I’m fine. But Wells is still in there. You gotta get him out.
Jesse: Who’s Wells?
Horowitz: My squadmate. We were hunting a runaway Altered Item. We followed it down into the Clocks.
Jesse: The Clocks?
Horowitz: A Threshold. The Bureau sealed it up years back ‘cause of all the clocks. We followed the Altered Item inside, but the way it was acting… we weren’t ready. Me and Wells were the only ones to make it to the Motel cord. He was right behind me, but he never showed up on this side.
Jesse: I’ll go find him, but first you need to get to a medic.
Horowitz: Wells is the medic! Please, you gotta get him out of here. I’ll be fine, really. Rupe can patch me up later.
Jesse: Fine. But I’ll be back for you.
Horowitz: I’d damn well hope so. Just use the Motel cord there. It should get you into the Clocks. Sorry, the Threshold.

Jesse: This Wells guy can’t be far. Those must be the clocks he was talking about.
Wells: Don’t you die on me! Shit!
Jesse: Are you Wells? Your friend asked me to come looking for you.
Wells: That must be Horowitz. Glad he got out. I stayed back to help the others. Did a shit job of it, clearly.
Jesse: You tried. That’s enough. Horowitz needs your help now. How do we get out of here?
Wells: We should head back through the Threshold. We can look for other survivors as we go.
Jesse: We’d better hurry. Which way?
Wells: Just follow the blood. Let’s go.

Jesse: What’s with the clocks?
Wells: Threshold effect. This used to be a regular office wing before the Threshold manifested. The forces at play in there got a hold of someone’s old clock and started duplicating it. Now the office is abandoned and it’s clocks all the way down.

Wells: Locked. Think you can find a way around?
Jesse: Let me see.

Jesse: So you came down here for an Altered Item?
Wells: The Anchor, yeah. Langston said it’s be a simple Item retrieval. But the power that thing had. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Wells: Thanks. That’s O’Neil. Shit. No one else got out.

Wells: That safe room is where the Altered Item cornered us. We sealed the door on the way out. We couldn’t let it get out into the Bureau.
Jesse: I’ll need to come deal with that Altered Item later. If I open the Safe Room now, Wells could get hurt.
Wells: We locked it tight. Come on, we need to get back to Horowitz.

Wells: When it was clear we couldn’t contain the Altered Item, Horowitz ordered a retreat. We got out, but Hiss were waiting for us. I took Horowitz to the Motel cord and went back for the others.
Jesse: That was brave of you.
Wells: I’m the medic. It’s my job.

Wells: We’re not far now.

Wells: Come on. The Motel cord is on the other side of Logistics. Horowitz should still be there. Let’s go. Hold on. Something’s wrong with him.
Jesse: Shit.
Wells: Horowitz. Aw, god, no. You Hiss motherfuckers took him!

Jesse: I should talk to Wells, make sure he’s okay. I’m sorry about your friend.
Wells: Thanks. And thanks for coming to get me. Horowitz’s HRA must have been damaged in the Threshold. Guy never put himself first. At least the Anchor Altered Item is still locked away down in the Clocks. I hope it rots down here.
Jesse: That Altered Item needs to be dealt with before it hurts anyone else. I should go back down and contain it. Head to the Executive Sector, Wells. They could use a medic.
Wells: Thank you, Director. I’ll go see what good I can do there.

The Enemy Within

Jesse: This is the Safe Room Wells showed me. The one with the Altered Item inside. Great. More clocks. How am I supposed to get across that? What the fuck is that? It’s making MORE clocks?

Jesse: That must be the Altered Item. There. No wonder the Rangers had such a hard time with that one.

Fridge Duty

Phillip: Hello? Is anyone there?
Jesse: What are you doing in there?
Phillip: Oh, thank God. Look, someone has to watch this object at all times or it deviates. My shift replacement never showed up. Can you help me?
Jesse: Damn. I can’t, I’m sorry. There’s an emergency. But I’ll come back, I promise.
Phillip: Okay, okay. Just… don’t forget. I can’t stare at this thing much longer.

Phillip: Keep your eyes open, Phillip. Keep them open.
Jesse: Hey, what can I do?
Phillip: You’re back! Oh, thank you, thank you. If I look away, I don’t know what this thing will do. You have to get me out of here. The door can only be opened by the Panopticon supervisor. That’s Langston, if he’s still around.
Jesse: Langston. Yeah, I know him. I’ll go ask him how to get you out.
Phillip: Please hurry. My eyes, they can’t—they can’t—
Jesse: Hey, calm down. Just focus. What’s your name?
Phillip: Focus. Right. My name is Phillip. And…I think I can hold on for a bit. It’s just, my eyes. My eyes hurt so much.
Jesse: Just hang on, Phillip.

Jesse: There’s someone named Phillip up in a cell. He’s watching a refrigerator and very rapidly losing it
. Langston: Phillip? Oh, shit. I forgot about fridge duty! He’s been in there for over a day! I totally forgot.
Jesse: You forgot about him?
Langston: There’s a lot going on! The Hiss, the Benicoff TV! Considering the number of things I’m juggling, ma’am, I think it’s—
Jesse: Listen, it’s fine. We just need to get him out of there. He said you’d be able to open the cell door.
Langston: Yeah, I can unlock it on my terminal. There, done. Door open. But Phillip can’t just leave. The fridge is behaving erratically. Ocular contact is the only thing that seems to placate it. If we don’t have someone in there watching it twenty-four seven, people will die.
Jesse: I’ll figure something out. I’m pretty good with these things.
Langston: Being “pretty good” with Altered Items isn’t standard Bureau procedure, ma’am.
Jesse: (He doesn’t know us very well.) I’ll see you later, Langston.
Langston: I’ll be here. Like always.

Phillip: Hello? Jesse?
Jesse: I’m back. I’m coming in.
Phillip: Thank you. Thank you, thank you. Jesse! The Fridge is doing something—
Jesse: Phillip? Phillip? Agh! If I look away, it hurts me.
Former: # # # / / # !? $$ *^^ () ### #
Jesse: This sounds like the Board, but I can’t understand it. What the fuck?!

Jesse: Wait. There’s no Black Pyramid here… The Fridge seems fixed.

Langston: Some of the security cameras aren’t working. How do I get those fixed? How’d it go? Where’s Phillip?
Jesse: Phillip’s gone. Something happened before I could get him out.
Langston: Poor Phillip. He never did like fridge duty. But if you’re here, then who’s watching the fridge?
Jesse: The fridge is fine now. I took care of it.
Langston: You don’t just “take care” of Altered Items. What did you do?
Jesse: I touched it and wound up in the Astral Plane. This… thing was in there. It was huge. Had one big eye. Wasn’t friendly.
Langston: We’ve been getting reports from the Astralnauts lately about something fitting that description. The Astral Plane is usually connected to our world through Objects of Power, not Altered Items. If this thing is linking itself to Altered Items, then it’s clearly powerful. This may happen again.
Jesse: Do you think that thing is what got Phillip?
Langston: Must’ve been. The Panopticon is a dangerous place. The agents all know the risks. But since you’re some sort of Altered Item whisperer, I’ve got a list of others for you to corral. The Hiss are causing containment breaches left, right and center. Here, start with these. I’ll see if there are any others missing while you’re gone. My life just got a whole lot easier.
Jesse: I’ll see you later, Langston.
Langston: I’ll be here. Like always.

Put a Record On

Jesse: I found this token. Any idea what it does?
Arish: That is a Jukebox Token. Little bastards turn up in the weirdest places, like bad pennies. The Rangers use them to activate an old Object of Power.
Jesse: A Jukebox, I assume. Does it have any good songs?
Arish: Nope, just the one record. Be careful turning it on though. When it’s playing, you get a free trip to the Formation.
Jesse: (The Formation? That sounds ominous.) Why’s it send you there?
Arish: The Bureau has been wondering that for years. I mean, it’s just a pile of rocks, built by God knows who, but… Researchers have confirmed in the same Threshold as the Quarry, but no-one’s ever been able to map a physical route to the Formation from Maintenance.
Jesse: So it’s in the Quarry, you just don’t know where?
Arish: Pretty much. We only send in annual expeditions to the Formation now. “Check ups”, Salvador calls them. This year’s team went in the day the Hiss arrived. Come to think of it, the song should have brought them back hours ago.
Jesse: I can go in and take a look.
Arish: I’d appreciate that. The Jukebox is kept just past the security both over there. Put in the Token and enjoy the ride.

Jesse: Stars. That certainly looks like the same sky as the Quarry. Guess I should look for those Rangers.
Lopez: Squad Captain Lopez, reporting on expedition 17-B. At the Formation now. Visually, no distinction from the previous visit. The link detectors are still standing. One arch has a light flashing, so we’re going to give the area a once over. Then we’ll head back. Lopez out.
Jesse: A flashing light. They must have gone that way. Link detectors?

Lopez: They’re all dead. These… things killed them all. There are so many. If you’re listening, get out. No! Stay the fuck away-
Jesse: The Hiss. They’re here.

Jesse: Guess the song ended. Good timing.

Arish: There you are. Did you, uh, did you find those Rangers at the Formation?
Jesse: I found them, but it’s not good news. The Hiss got there first. Lots of them.
Arish: Another dead team. Jesus. You know, I should’ve seen this coming. The Formation, it’s got like a pull to it. Things just end up there. I’m sure you saw all the junk from the Bureau lying around.
Jesse: There were a lot of Hiss, Arish. I mean, a lot. Did they get pulled in too?
Arish: Or they forced their way in. The Formation is just a big question mark to us. Who knows, you might even find some useful stuff down there. All I know is we cannot let the Hiss get comfortable.
Jesse: Sounds like you have a plan.
Arish: Uh-huh, a simple one. You need to find more Tokens and clear the Hiss the fuck out of the Formation.
Jesse: (That is simple.)
Arish: Oh, and I found a file on the Formation while you were gone. Take a look for yourself, if you want. A lot of the terms in there are way beyond me. I don’t like to overcomplicate these situations. When in doubt, fuck it, shoot something, right?
Jesse: Real helpful, Arish.
Arish: I try.

Old Friends

Arish: I don’t think I ever told you this, but I was actually on the path to being a Ranger once. Did the whole bootcamp thing. Even got rookie status. Anyway, not the point. My old Ranger squad was a great bunch. There we’re six, plus me. Remus, Hazzard, Cho, Guy, Heptonstall, and Thomson. They were supposed to get back from an expedition yesterday. We had beers and wings planned. Problem is, they weren’t here when Darling handed out the HRAs.
Jesse: (Then they had nothing protecting them from the Hiss)
Arish: You see, they prep for the worst, but I think that we’re already past that. We all wore these pouches around our neck and I really don’t want the Hiss to get them. Can you find them for me? The squad would have come back through Maintenance, but they probably spread out from there.
Jesse: I’ll keep an eye out for them, Arish. (And I won’t let them stay Hiss.)

Jesse: This was one of Arish’s ranger buddies.I should find the others.

Jesse: Another pouch for Arish.

Jesse: Another one squad mate of Arish’s.

Jesse: A pouch, just like Arish said.

Jesse: They didn’t stand a chance without HRAs.

Jesse: That’s all of them. Arish saw it coming though. I should get these back to him.

Jesse: Here are the pouches. I found six.
Arish: That’s all of them, not counting mine. Well, I guess I’ll just have to wear all of them. It sounds sappy, I know, but— That’s all I can think to do.
Jesse: (Nothing’s easy with the Hiss. Is it rude to ask what’s inside?) What’s inside the pouches? (Too late now.)
Arish: The story’s confidential, but uh… Well, I guess I can tell you, being the Director and all. So, the Bureau had heard rumors of a werewolf gathering upstate every full moon. Us being rookies, they sent us to confirm it was bullshit.
Jesse: (Hold on. Is he about to tell me werewolves are real?)
Arish: Turns out there was an Altered Item that was creating violent gravitational anomalies during full moons. Oh man, we nearly bit it that night. To remember the occasion, we all bought silver bullets to wear around our necks, just in case we ever ran into another “werewolf”.
Jesse: So why did you leave the Rangers?
Arish: Thought I could do more good here. Somebody’s gotta protect the people who protect everybody else, right?
Jesse: So what’s next for Simon Arish?
Arish: First off, I’m banning all Slide Projectors, that’s it. Seriously though, we need to review our protocols. Research should not be making decisions that endanger the entire Bureau, no fuck it, the entier fucking world, without some serious oversight.
Jesse: I think Pope would agree. Certain people in the Bureau have been working in the shadows for too long.
Arish: And I’d like to make these HRAs part of the mandatory Bureau uniform. They’re not stylish, but better safe than sorry.
Jesse: I don’t think anyone will complain. Not after this. What are your thoughts on me serving as Director?
Arish: I couldn’t be more excited. I mean look, don’t get me wrong; Trench was fine, but you pulled us back from the brink, so… Well, I’m honored to serve, ma’am. I mean fuck, shit, Faden. Sorry.
Jesse: (He’ll get it one day.) So, what’s the situation in my Bureau, Arish?
Arish: The situation is we are still up to our eyes in Hiss. Not to mention the months of repairs it’s gonna take just to get this place up and running again.
Jesse: But is it doable?
Arish: Of course it is. You just might need to tell some Rangers to grab a wrench, once they’re done hunting Hiss.
Jesse: Did anyone ever mention to you that Darling was using the Slide Projector?
Arish: Salvador never did, but I doubt he even knew. I’m well aware that it’s our job to study and contain the things that we don’t understand, but… some of the things Darling did were way outside of our mission statement. Look, these things are not toys, and acting like they are is only ever going to end one way. At least, Pope seems to understand that.
Jesse: Well it’s secure now. No one can reach it without my say so.
Arish: Thank Christ for that.
Jesse: Marshall’s been missing for a while now. Any ideas where she could be?
Arish: Last time I saw her was in Maintenance, when I was leading the Rangers out of the Atlas. I told her it wasn’t safe, but she said she had to go check on something.
Jesse: Did you ask where she was going?
Arish: Marshall is not the kind of person you question. Kind of intimidating, you know? But she was by herself, if that helps at all.
Jesse: Not really. But thanks. (Hopefully she turns up.) I’ll see you later.
Arish: You know where I’ll be.

What a Mess: Clear the Mold

Jesse: The Mold’s gotten in here too? All right. Let’s get cleaning, she said, cocking her gun.

Jesse: That should slow it down.

What a Mess: Talk to the Plants

Ahti: They are very good listeners, you can tell them anything.

Jesse: Talk to the plants. Small talk was never my strong suit. At least, they can’t talk back.

Jesse: I hope your day has been productive, little plant. That really works, huh?

Jesse: I hope those nasty Hiss haven’t been bothering you too much.

Jesse: I wish my leaves were as pretty as yours.

Jesse: Do you have a family? I have a brother. I miss him a lot.

Jesse: They say I’m the Director, but what does that mean? I have no experience in leadership roles. I have no on-the-job training!

Jesse: Your chlorophyll really brings out the green in your leaves. That’s all of them, but I kinda wish there were more.

Langston’s Runaways

Traffic Light

Jesse: That must be one of the missing Altered Items.

Jesse: One less escaped Altered Item to worry about.

Moving Letter

Jesse: That’s no normal piece of paper. Okay. Need to know where it’s gonna end up. I need to find the other pages.

Jesse: Should be one more page.

Jesse: Done and done.

Japanese Paper Lantern

Jesse: That wasn’t so bad.

Jesse: I found all those missing Altered Items.
Langston: All of them? Wow, you have a gift, ma’am. But those weren’t all of the Altered Items missing from the Panopticon. The Hiss must be making them restless. We’ve had several more containment breaches.
Jesse: (How many of these things did he lose?) How many?
Langston: Just a couple. Should be no problem for you. I really appreciate your help. Really. Just super.

Mannequin

Jesse: God. The only thing creepier than one mannequin is a few dozen of the damn things.

Jesse: New Bureau policy: no more mannequins.

Rubber Duck

Jesse: Disappearing ducks. Great.

Jesse: Finally. No more quacking.

Flamingo

Jesse: That’s got to be an Altered Item.

Jesse: This thing again. You got into another Altered Item? What does this thing want? Is it fighting the Board?

Jesse: I never did like Flamingos. Too pink.

Jesse: Every Altered Item on your list is now back in the Panopticon, safe and sound.
Langston: That’s a load off my mind! Missing Altered Items don’t exactly reflect well on me, you know? Did they give you any trouble?
Jesse: The Flamingo pulled me into the Astral Plane, just like the Fridge did. The same creature was there.
Langston: Hmm. I was looking over the old activity reports and multiple items have been displaying much more destructive behavior in the past few weeks. There’s some connection there, I bet, but that’s a bit above my pay grade.
Jesse: Hmm. Something to keep an eye on.
Langston: And if I have any more runaways, I’ll know just who to call.
Jesse: (I guess this is my life now.)

Mold Removal

Jesse: So what now?
Underhill: I’m glad you asked. While you were busy in the pit, a number of Mold Hosts were sighted beyond the Threshold. They managed to sneak out without the Rangers noticing. There’s a reason I didn’t send “Steve” and “Andy” to find the Mold source with the others. These vagrant Hosts must be eradicated as soon as possible. The Mold can still be spread by their overgrown bodies.
Jesse: Any idea where they went?
Underhill: The Hosts I’ve observed are not a sprightly bunch. Here are the reports I’ve received. They’ll help you find them.
Jesse: I’ll go take care of them.
Underhill: Good. And be quick about it.
Jesse: (There’s a nice way to say that.) I’ll see you later, Raya.

Jesse: There’s one of those Mold Hosts.

Jesse: I think that’s the last one. I should let Underhill know.

Jesse: I found the Hosts. They won’t be spreading any more Mold.
Underhill: Well done. I’ll send burn teams to sanitize the locations. I am beginning to wonder if these Hosts are originating outside the Threshold, in independent patches of Mold growth.
Jesse: You don’t sound very optimistic.
Underhill: Optimism is for farmers, as my mother always said. I suppose you can now return to that Hiss business you all seem so concerned about.
Jesse: (This woman has some incredible tunnel vision.)

Self-Reflection

Jesse: Why’d they keep an Altered Item here? What a weird way to lock something up.

Jesse: (unintelligible speech) Wait, that didn’t sound right. (unintelligible speech) Yeah, that’s not good. Did you see that? Someone’s in there. (unintelligible speech)
Essej: (unintelligible speech)
Jesse: That’s not good (unintelligible speech)

Jesse: Nothing but a pale imitation. Another one? (unintelligible speech) That better be all of them. That explains why they locked this Mirror up.

Jesse: I wonder what the Bureau was doing with this thing? Well, it’s cleared now. The Hiss is gone. It’s dealt with.

What a Mess: Take a Break

Jesse: I guess I just take a seat? This is what being a janitor’s all about.

Jesse: I suppose the janitor’s assistant does need proper janitor attire.

Found Footage

Jesse: I can’t see a thing. Maybe I should’ve thought this through… The light. Another TV? It’s so dark. How am I supposed to drag this thing out of here?

Jesse: This is fine, Jesse. You’re okay. Just don’t drop the TV.

Jesse: There’s the way out, up there. Back at the cell. Thank God.

Mr. Tommasi

Pope: Do you remember Mr. Tommasi? The Head of Communication? The Hiss he was changed into showed up in Containment. Near the Turntable.
Jesse: I’ll take care of it. (That thing’s not getting away this time.)
Pope: I’ve heard reports about his particular use of language and intonation when repeating the Hiss babbling. The biological and behavioral distinctions between different Hiss corrupted individuals is truly fascinating. I wonder if I could categorize the data…
Jesse: (She’s already off on her own thing.)

Jesse: There you are.

Jesse: There. I guess the Bureau should start looking for a new Head of Communications.

Jesse: I took care of the Tommasi problem. Sorry. I forget he was a co-worker.
Pope: Don’t apologize. That wasn’t the real Tommasi. He died when the Hiss got him.
Jesse: You’re right. I just didn’t want to be insensitive. Sentimentality is a weakness in situations like these, Jesse.
Pope: That’s Bureau 101.
Jesse: (I don’t think Emily’s in danger of being called sentimental.)

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