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Darling: Welcome to the Research Sector of the Federal Bureau of Control. I’m Doctor Casper Darling, Head of Research. Somebody thought this video would make for great internal communication. I’m looking at you, Mr. Tommasi. So. This is where the magic happens. Anyway. I’ve always been here. Through those years, we’ve made astonishing discoveries. Authored studies of grave importance. In all of this work, there is one thing we know, and that’s how little we truly know. Rest assured we’re committed to keep pushing the known laws and borders of reality, and to make the Bureau proud. So welcome, assuming you have the necessary clearance. And do follow the safety protocols, read the manual, otherwise bad things will happen.
Trench: …Impossibly changing labyrinth… Can ever pass through… Dimensional Research… Every measure of security…
Darling: I’ve been fielding questions recently regarding HRAs: what are they for? Do you always need to wear them? And what’s the deal with the Hedron Resonance, anyway? I’ll—Fuck. Despite what you may have heard, HRAs are not monitoring devices. We are not tracking your movements or listening to your conversations while you’re wearing them. We do that regardless of whether or not you’re wearing an HRA. Think of them as a life preserver. Only instead of water, the thing HRAs protect you from is classified. One day, that classified not-water might pour in, and you’ll be glad you’re got an HRA keeping you afloat. And if you don’t have an HRA, don’t worry. It’ll be quick and painless. Kidding. I’m kidding. We’re making more.
Marshall: Pryce! Come in, Pryce! This is Marshall, we need—
Jesse: She’s in trouble. I need to reach her.
Darling: The Astral Plane. Similar to an iceberg, what you see is not what you always get. Regardless, this place is vitally important to the Bureau. Most information on the Astral Plane is classified, but we can talk in broad strokes, keeping in mind that these are staggeringly complex systems, and simplification does them no justice. The white non-space. The ever-present, inverted black pyramid. The Board. All linked. Intrinsically tied to the Oldest House, tied to the Director, the process of choosing a director, tied to all Objects of Power, in terms of who controls them? Yes.
Jesse: I can’t believe they keep that thing here. What was the Bureau doing with that thing?
Marshall: Someone answer, damn it! We need backup down here.
Jesse: Marshall? Are you still there? Shit. We’re so close. We need to hurry.
Marshall: If anyone is listening, we’ve encountered heavy resistance. We’ve fallen back to the Luck Department. All agents are ordered to converge here.
Jesse: Marshall, can you hear me?
Marshall: Yes, I can hear you. Who is this?
Jesse: My name is Jesse Faden. I’m coming to help.
Marshall: Faden? Hold on, I’m sending the elevator for you. We need to talk.
Jesse: She’s got that right.
Jesse: More of you? Really?
Guard: Welcome to the party, ma’am. Marshall is right down the hall.
Marshall: There you are. I was starting to worry. Congratulations on your appointment, Director Faden. I’m Helen Marshall, Head of Bureau Operations. Zachariah’s dead then, and I assume you found his gun.
Jesse: Just call me Jesse. Trench told me to find you. He said you could help.
Marshall: And he told you this through the Hotline? Make sense.
Jesse: (None of this fazes her? Really?)
Marshall: Here’s the situation: Darling created the HRAs in a lab nearby. We need more if we’re going to survive this attack. My rangers can’t secure the lab alone, not against those things. We need more firepower.
Jesse: (At least she seems to know what’s going on here. She could know about Dylan.) I can clear out the Hiss. I’ll be your firepower.
Marshall: That’s a good answer.
Jesse: (Is she testing me?)
Marshall: Darling has systems in place to protect his labs. This should help you get past them. We’ll talk more after you clear out the Hiss. Rangers, let her through. We’ll have to lock the door behind you. Sorry, but we can’t risk a breach.
Jesse: I see rangers over there. We have to help them.
Jesse: This way to the lab? Okay. You must like these HRAs. Sounds like Darling built them, and most of the things around here. If Marshall can’t help us with Dylan, he’s our next best bet. Assuming he’s not dead, or taken over by the Hiss.
Jesse: You led me here, any idea how to make it work?
Marshall: Hello again, Director. It appears we have a new problem. We need to get the HRA machine working.
Jesse: I’ve replaced a couple spark plugs, but this looks a bit more complicated.
Marshall: Darling must’ve had a system. Randomness isn’t in his nature. The punchcards, the symbols, the terminals. How do they connect?
Jesse: I’ll see what I can do.
Jesse: So, we need to find all the punchcards.
Marshall: Have you checked the upper floor? Each punchcard should correspond to a terminal. These whiteboard drawings may be important. It looks like he was working on something to do with these symbols. What do the symbols mean? What do these whiteboards mean? Try different combinations. One of them has to work.
Marshall: The Prism shattered. Darling’s prototypes have a lot of issues. We need a new plan. We need more Black Rock Prisms to make this machine work. Darling has another lab down in the Black Rock Processing site in Maintenance. That must be where he keeps the Prisms.
Jesse: I’ve been to Maintenance already. I can find a way. (But how long will that take? Nothing here is simple. I need to ask her now, before I go.) I need something from you first. What do you know about Dylan Faden?
Marshall: I knew this was coming. Lives are at stake here, and we need this machine working to save those lives. Once that is done, Director Faden, then we can talk.
Jesse: (She’s right, as much as I don’t want to admit it. I’m the only one who can help.) Fine, I’ll get the Prisms first. (Dylan will have to wait just a little longer.) But don’t call me Director. Jesse is fine.
Marshall: I’ll call you Faden. Here, you’ll need this Keycard.
Jesse: Thanks. Emily Pope has set up a base in Executive. Once I have the Prism, I’ll meet you there.
Marshall: Right. I’ll move out immediately. And keep an eye out for Darling. Finding him might be the key to stopping the Hiss.
Darling: Just one large-scale HRA… It’s there now. We are about to be exposed to a different kind of resonance—a hostile, viral, invasive resonance. That’s what the Hedron Resonance Amplifiers are for: taking the protection Hedron can provide us, and keeping us from being wiped out.