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TV Host: Mount Redtooth, its top littered with man-made eyes that stare into the endless depths of space. Tonight, the champion of light will depend on them to pick out a message from the ether. As history repeats itself, the man remembers the patterns. He knows that he needs the missing part for the telescope.
Wake: I’d better find Dr. Meadows’ car. That’s where the camera should be.
Rachel: It’s you! How dare you — no, wait, it isn’t you, is it? I… I suppose you’d better come in. I’ll… I’ll unlock the door.
Wake: Thanks!
Rachel: You’ll have to forgive me, but this feels very strange. It seems like this has all happened before.
Wake: I have the replacement part for your telescope, Doctor!
Rachel: I… all right. Uh, let’s get it installed.
Rachel: I think we can give this a go, although I have this strange feeling that something will go wrong…
Wake: Don’t start it up yet! There’s a problem with the coolant system!
Rachel: … yes, that’s right! I remember! All right, let me think — if they’re sabotaging it, they’ll be at the primary coolant pipe outside. If you can secure it, we should be ready to pick up the signal. That is why you’re here, isn’t it?
Wake: Yes, it is. I’ll take care of it.
Rachel: Before you go — if you have the time, I’d appreciate it if you came up here and explained a few things. All of this is very strange to me.
Wake: Hello.
Rachel: I don’t quite know what going on, but I seem to remember having had this encounter before.
Wake: It’s not déjà vu, Doctor. This has happened before. We’re caught in a time loop.
Rachel: That’s utterly insane. How could that be?
Wake: I can’t really explain it. I suppose I could call it magic.
Rachel: I don’t believe in magic.
Wake: Neither do I, but I can’t argue with what I’ve experienced. Listen: what matters now is the signal. The last time we only caught a part of it. I need the rest of it. Whether you believe me or not, you want to look into this as much as I do, right?
Rachel: I… yes, all right.
Wake: I realize that you have trouble believing this.
Rachel: That’s an understatement. I can’t deny that what you say resonates with me on some level I don’t pretend to understand, but for all I know, I’m simply delusional.
Wake: But it’s not just you. I’ve experienced the same thing as you. Doesn’t that prove something, at least?
Rachel: Maybe. On the other hand, given your appearance and the fact that you’re trying to convince me that I’m not insane, perhaps you’re merely a hallucination that accompanies my delusions.
Wake: You’re not having a psychotic episode, Doctor. For what it’s worth, I’m a skeptic by nature. I completely understand your reluctance to believe me.
Rachel: There are people caught so deep in their psychosis that they retroactively manufacture memories and beliefs that conform to the situation at hand.
Wake: Sure, but you have to stop second-guessing yourself at some point… if you want to get something done.
Rachel: These being hate the light, am I correct? You should be able to turn on the lights and secure the area that way!
Wake: Doctor, can you hear me? I think we’re good to go.
Rachel: All right, I’ll start looking for the signal. Please head back.
Wake: I guess they didn’t like that. The whole damn mountain’s trying to kill me!
Rachel: It’s working! Please, come up here.
Wake: You find the signal?
Rachel: Yes. I don’t think it’s quite the same thing we had… um, the last time. Still, we’re definitely pitching it up.
Wake: Are we getting the complete signal now?
Rachel: I’m afraid not. Take a look at it yourself, I’m printing out a hardcopy now. But I’d like to ask you a question or two before you do that, though. If you don’t mind.
Wake: What’s on your mind, Doctor?
Rachel: Most people would find these vents extremely disturbing — provided that they survive those creatures, that is. You seem to be quite adept at dealing with the situation. Why is that?
Wake: Yes. I was involved in… it’s a complex story. I was in this small town, and a horrible thing from another dimension kidnapped my wife and manipulated me into writing this horror story that came true. I learned to fight it with light, and I managed to contain it and free my wife, but I was trapped in its world.
Rachel: Are you serious?
Wake: Absolutely. So I’m used to reality working in strange or even impossible ways, and I’ve fought these things — not exactly like this, but close enough — for a good while now. Of course, I have certain advantages. Was there anything else?
Rachel: What did you mean when you said you have advantages?
Wake: At the risk of sounding like a lunatic: reality is much more fluid than people think. It can be… influenced.
Rachel: I didn’t take you for a mystic.
Wake: I’m not. I’m a writer. And under certain conditions, I can, for lack of a better word, rewrite reality. Change things.
Rachel: That’s absurd!
Wake: But it works.
Rachel: Assuming I believe this… why don’t you simply… I don’t know, write yourself some superpowers?
Wake: It’s not quite that simple. You need to follow certain laws of… drama, I suppose. You need to think about consistency and symbolism. Often what you write isn’t anywhere near as important as what you imply. There are things out there that will take advantage of your mistakes.
Rachel: You really believe in this?
Wake: Don’t look at me like that. You’ve experienced some of this yourself.
Rachel: I will gladly admit that something exceedingly strange is going on, but this idea that you’re somehow altering reality with your writing is ridiculous. You’re essentially saying you’re controlling my actions. Leaving aside the rational arguments against this, what gives you the right?
Wake: Well… It’s more like having a destiny, a path you’re on. You’re not aware of it, but there it is. If somebody changes it, what difference does it make? It’s what every writer does. If you write something that affects one of the characters, they don’t really know about that —
Rachel: I’m not a “character”. Are you saying that it’s all right to take advantage of someone if they aren’t aware of it?
Wake: Look, all I meant was that if you’re genuinely making all your own decisions, and those decisions lead to whatever destiny you have, what practical difference does it make?
Rachel: I suppose that depends on whether our destinies are determined by things like physics and probabilities, or natural reality, which is presumably neutral and impartial, or by some kind of an intelligence. If it’s the latter, that intelligence makes choices based on some criteria. If we suffer as a result of those choices, there’’s a moral and ethical element involved, regardless of whether we’re aware of its manipulations. Wouldn’t you agree?
Wake: I… You’re taking this very well. I thought you’d be angry.
Rachel: I suppose I would be, if I thought you could actually do this.
TV Host: Another printout. Another signal fragment. The message is still not complete, but it’s another piece of the weapon he has built against his adversary. Mere words on a piece of paper, but in the right hands, they will hold back the darkness.