Episode 24
Episode 24 - OPERATION FERALIMINAL RESONANCE
PRENTISS, PARIS, ROISON, and RYAN each spend time attempting to recover from the traumatic and mostly unexplainable events of their last opera. It's months before The Program comes calling again, giving them an unexpected reprieve. On October 29th, 2023, the Agents are called back into the field to investigate a pirate radio station in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Adapted from a scenario by Thomas DiPaolo.
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Transcript
Hello?
Speaker A:Which time is it?
Speaker B:Who is it?
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:Situation green, all turf, no surf.
Speaker A:Sorry, honey, I have to take this.
Speaker C:I think, in general, the show is a bad show.
Speaker A:Thanks, man.
Speaker A:So, with.
Speaker A:On that note.
Speaker A:On that note, let's get this piece of shit started.
Speaker A:We have a little homework from last operation.
Speaker A:I need to award some unnatural to our stalwart surviving characters.
Speaker A:So I would like everyone.
Speaker A:I would like everyone but Ryan to roll a 1D6 to see how much your character has gained during their experiences with the unnatural in Operation Molten Carrier.
Speaker A:Just let us know what you get.
Speaker C:Classic Ryan feels bullied.
Speaker B:I got two, three.
Speaker A:Got it.
Speaker A:This is so a hot one, a hot two and a hot three is.
Speaker D:What I.
Speaker D:Ryan, your character, it's half alien already.
Speaker D:Are you worried about.
Speaker C:So he should have, like, a ton of unnatural knowledge.
Speaker C:You should be like, please go to.
Speaker A:Your character sheet and pop that in for me, because I am lazy.
Speaker C:How about ryan rolls a 1D 10?
Speaker A:Ryan, you go ahead and roll a 1D 6 plus 2.
Speaker C:Oh, shit.
Speaker C:Now I feel special.
Speaker E:That's coming off the top of your sanity.
Speaker D:So you know I'm gonna go, don't you?
Speaker C:I feel like an asshole because I rolled a 4.
Speaker C:But at least we're keeping the 1, 2, 3, 4.
Speaker E:All right.
Speaker A:Good job.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker A:Well, that's easy.
Speaker B:In order at that.
Speaker A:Fascinating.
Speaker C:I'm gonna start my home scene by saying Ryan feels more unnatural.
Speaker C:He feels less natural.
Speaker A:He's.
Speaker A:He is definitely a little weird, though.
Speaker A:He's got some things going on.
Speaker C:Sure, sure, sure, sure.
Speaker C:Don't spoil it, Chris.
Speaker A:Also, we know, Prentice, You.
Speaker A:You hit your breaking point during the pitched battle of Pier 31.
Speaker C:Congratulations.
Speaker A:You've racked up a trauma.
Speaker A:We're gonna do our best to incorporate that into any subsequent scenes as appropriate.
Speaker C:We're gonna fold it in.
Speaker A:Working together to make that.
Speaker A:To make that scene a bit, hopefully.
Speaker A:I think that's about it.
Speaker A:We should dive into the home scene.
Speaker A:What's happened to our agents in between operations.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Because you know, Delta Green's calling you back to the field.
Speaker A:I'm gonna let y'all know you have a few months.
Speaker A:Actually, it's a lengthier period of time than you've had in the recent past.
Speaker A:Where it seems like, how is it on girth?
Speaker A:Where it seems like you've been called in again and again with very little R R in between.
Speaker A:Did you say, how is it on girth?
Speaker A:That's what you said, right?
Speaker A:Yeah, it was.
Speaker A:I get it.
Speaker E:I got it.
Speaker A:I got it now.
Speaker A:Sorry.
Speaker A:Yeah, it took me a second, though.
Speaker E:Yeah, I was getting it out there.
Speaker C:You whipped it.
Speaker C:Now, our listeners, you ripped it out.
Speaker C:Yeah, I.
Speaker C:I flopped it and it made a thunk.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker A:Now, is that, like, because it's so big or is there a problem?
Speaker E:Sounds like it's so big it might be a.
Speaker A:But there's a problem Hydro.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker A:You gotta toast with blood.
Speaker A:So I think what we're gonna do, we will move to see what Brison gets up to in this period.
Speaker B:All right?
Speaker B:Roisin sat in her camp room at Camp Peary, talking to her best friend, Daniel.
Speaker B:Logically, she knew he wasn't really there.
Speaker B:He couldn't be.
Speaker B:He'd been dead for years.
Speaker B:She still remembered watching his eyes go strangely calm as he was brutally gunned down in the dirty scrubland of the Syrian dmz.
Speaker B:But here he was in her room, talking to Roizen as if nothing had changed in the four years since she'd carried his lifeless body out of harm's way to be buried at his family plot.
Speaker B:The talk was productive.
Speaker B:Daniel convinced her in his roundabout way that it was time to return home.
Speaker B:A quick call to Snedegar, and Roizen soon handed over Jeff's old laptop.
Speaker B:After assuring the agent that she would keep in touch with a hug, she wished Sneddegor well, watching the shimmering black shadow of her brother encouragingly nod from behind the agent's shoulder.
Speaker B:She soon made another call to Ryan, but couldn't bring herself to let the phone ring more than once.
Speaker B:Instead, she sent him an encrypted message via the old channels, off to the villa for long spell.
Speaker B:Fond regards.
Speaker B:Many happy returns.
Speaker B:BC knew her bags were already packed, complex arrangements made, and all the right palms greased to get her out of the States with little fuss.
Speaker B:Waiting for the Air Force lift to take off, Roizen held tightly, desperately, onto the small thumb drive containing an image of Jeff's computer, as well as a collection of photographs from her work with ourselves.
Speaker B:There was only one last call to make.
Speaker B:The plane's engine began to spin up when the call finally connected and she heard a familiar voice on the other end of the line.
Speaker B:Her voice almost choking, she eventually answered.
Speaker B:Abba, tell everyone I'm coming home.
Speaker B:See you soon.
Speaker B:Several pairs of ghostly hands rested on her shoulders reassuringly as the plane lifted off into the night.
Speaker A:All right, so this sounds like Agent Royson is going home, back to Israel, right?
Speaker B:That's correct.
Speaker A:Okay, she may be out of communications range for future operas, but it seems like she was starting to see a few things that were encouraging her to take a break.
Speaker A:Maybe a lengthy one.
Speaker A:Let's go to Agent Princess.
Speaker E:Dr.
Speaker E:Everett Hampson's mind is reeling.
Speaker E:This last opera left his nerves tattered and his body drained.
Speaker E:Returning to his penthouse, he drops his bags in the entryway, drifts his way over to his plush chaise lounge and face plants into its cushions.
Speaker E:When he wakes up, his body feels refreshed but his nerves still feel on edge, as if he's waiting for the next shoe to drop.
Speaker E:He impatiently checks his phone.
Speaker E:Nothing worth worrying about.
Speaker E:Just another goddamn check in from Dr.
Speaker E:Pastor.
Speaker E:Like he cares.
Speaker E:News?
Speaker E:More of the usual.
Speaker E:His condo's immaculate, nothing to clean or rearrange that's out of place.
Speaker E:What's the sensation?
Speaker E:Something isn't right and Dr.
Speaker E:Everett Hampson can't soothe his sense of out of place ness like hands constantly ringing in his mind.
Speaker E:This silence in his condo is too much.
Speaker E:He turns on his Bang and Olufsen sound system, sits back in his deep overstuffed listening chair, pulls up his favorite ween song.
Speaker E:Buckingham green, already at 3, seems too loud and his nerves jerk his thumb to the volume.
Speaker E:Down.
Speaker E:No more.
Speaker E:He can barely hear the song as it slowly gallops through the intro and his anxiety mounts in anticipation as it builds toward the inevitable crescendo.
Speaker E:Nope.
Speaker E:Anxiety screams through his mind.
Speaker E:Visions of the warehouse firefight, of clashing demons and unstoppable container ships roar through Dr.
Speaker E:Everett Hampson's mind as his thumb reflexively jabs the power on his ultra luxe hi fi sound sound system.
Speaker E:Dr.
Speaker E:Everett Hanson jumps to his feet and paces back and forth.
Speaker E:I need to relax.
Speaker E:He thinks.
Speaker E:So no uppers.
Speaker E:Dr.
Speaker E:Everett Hampson pulls out his iPhone and eyes it suspiciously before turning the volume as low as it will audibly go and calls his favorite party girl Cashmere Chastity.
Speaker E:CC for short.
Speaker E:I want to party tonight, but chill vibes only, you get me.
Speaker E:Oh, and come to my condo.
Speaker E:I'm not sure I want to go out tonight.
Speaker E:Bring whatever you think will suit the mood and venmo me the request.
Speaker A:And I think you want me to be Cece, right?
Speaker A:Kashmir Chastity.
Speaker A:Excellent.
Speaker A:So she sends back to you.
Speaker A:You got it, sweetie.
Speaker A:I can be there in an hour.
Speaker E:True to her word, CC rings the doorbell an hour later, a cacophonous bing bong eliciting a fuck from Dr.
Speaker E:Everett Hampson as he launches from his couch into flight mode, his mind back in the goddamn warehouse.
Speaker E:Calamitous noise, dazzling light play, blood flying every which way as Two shadowy demon things dance in the air to the symphony of death below them.
Speaker E:Bing bong.
Speaker E:No bing bong.
Speaker E:Jesus.
Speaker E:Bing bong.
Speaker A:Why?
Speaker E:Bing Bong.
Speaker E:Dr.
Speaker E:Everett Hampson's mind is stuck in the shattered warehouse night on repeat with every impatient ring, his body rocking in his spacious penthouse closet.
Speaker E:Expensive clothes wadded and stuffed over his ears.
Speaker E:But it's not enough.
Speaker E:The ringing stopped after some time.
Speaker E:Dr.
Speaker E:Everett Hampson doesn't know when.
Speaker E:When he emerges cautiously from his closet, he checks his phone.
Speaker E:One message.
Speaker E:CeCe, not cool, bitch.
Speaker A:I'm charging you.
Speaker E:Her public Venmo payment request is to the amount of $4,000 with an emoji of a female shrugging.
Speaker E:Dr.
Speaker E:Everett Hampson grudgingly pays the request, removes his soiled clothes and takes a shower.
Speaker E:When his mind is settled, he looks into replacing his doorbell ringer with a cell phone notification instead.
Speaker E:Something he can handle.
Speaker E:He takes another couple of days off work to orient himself in his new mental state.
Speaker E:And I'm gonna play that out as mechanically he's going to be fulfilling his responsibilities.
Speaker A:Do you already have him up?
Speaker A:Eric, do you want to walk us through what you get to do?
Speaker E:I get to improve a bond by 1d6 if I succeed.
Speaker E:If I fail, it only gains one or a fumble would be reduced by 1d4 and lose one sanity.
Speaker E:A critical can give me a 1d6 gain.
Speaker A:So it's a sanity roll you have to make?
Speaker E:It is.
Speaker A:I'll have to report back how you roll, so go ahead.
Speaker E:Okay.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:That's a failure.
Speaker C:Don't believe it.
Speaker E:Classic.
Speaker A:So what does that mean?
Speaker A:That means one to your bond.
Speaker E:That means one to the bond.
Speaker A:That's it.
Speaker A:Which bond are you going to raise by one?
Speaker E:I think Rodrigo Pastor.
Speaker A:The much maligned.
Speaker E:Yeah, he's been.
Speaker E:He's been the object of Prentiss Fury and just getting back into the flow of things.
Speaker E:Sticking his nose to the grindstone with.
Speaker E:With their center does improve relations with him somewhat, though he is still somewhat acidic towards him.
Speaker A:Like it?
Speaker A:Well, it's been months.
Speaker A:It sounds like Dr.
Speaker A:Hampson slash agent Prentice is grappling with some incredible inner demons.
Speaker A:But Delta Green calls him.
Speaker A:How does that happen?
Speaker A:And where is he off to again?
Speaker E:He gets a notification on his cell phone telling him the location for his next opera that he is invited to.
Speaker E:It's going to be, I believe in Boston is.
Speaker A:You just get a text message?
Speaker A:No.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker A:Come on, man.
Speaker E:No, no.
Speaker E:You want me to be fancier?
Speaker A:Well, I mean, I gave you like a whole list of examples.
Speaker A:You can just pick One of those.
Speaker A:They're like thousand times better than you getting a text message.
Speaker A:Don't just.
Speaker A:Don't just come to the table with.
Speaker A:I got a text message from Delta Green.
Speaker C:Holy shit.
Speaker B:So many better ways we could play this better.
Speaker C:Holy shit.
Speaker E:Missed that.
Speaker B:To be fair, he posted it at like 6am Eastern.
Speaker E:I did.
Speaker E:I did kind of fart that out.
Speaker E:I've been thinking about it all.
Speaker A:That.
Speaker A:That is.
Speaker A:That is not an appropriate all week product.
Speaker A:So, yeah, give it another go.
Speaker A:I just.
Speaker E:Every time I think about it, I change it up and it just.
Speaker A:Let's go back to one of the other ones.
Speaker C:That's so funny.
Speaker A:Delta Green texts me, hey, bro, you free this weekend to come to Boston?
Speaker E:You.
Speaker E:You up?
Speaker A:You're green.
Speaker A:Booty call.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E:He gets a dead drop at his office.
Speaker A:Nope, that's.
Speaker E:I guess that'd be a dead drop.
Speaker A:That's a normal drop, though.
Speaker E:That's stupid.
Speaker E:Just throw that out.
Speaker E:He.
Speaker A:That's a dead drop.
Speaker B:That is literally a dead drop.
Speaker E:Prentice is in his favorite coffee shop.
Speaker E:His name gets called when his latte order ready and it doesn't have his name on it, but his code name and it has a phone number written on it.
Speaker E:He immediately knows, of course, he's expected to call.
Speaker E:That he does so.
Speaker E:And receives the automated message that he is to arrive in Boston at his soonest convenience.
Speaker A:It says that you'll be meeting a contact named Snedeker at the Legal seafoods restaurant around 1 to 2am ideally.
Speaker E:Beautiful.
Speaker E:In anticipation of this trip, Prentiss will purchase some Bang and Olufsen earbuds that have noise canceling built into them.
Speaker A:Anything else that I need to know?
Speaker A:Any special things he's going to bring?
Speaker A:Or is he just.
Speaker E:He's going to bring his usual go bag.
Speaker E:Nothing out of the ordinary that he hasn't brought before.
Speaker A:Got it.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:Well, he makes arrangements.
Speaker A:It sounds like he has a lot of flexibility with his professional life.
Speaker A:Owning his own practice.
Speaker A:Does he spit on Dr.
Speaker A:Pastor just one last time before he leaves?
Speaker E:Or he does leave a nice parting lug right in the center of his forehead and says, I'm out.
Speaker A:Minus one to that bond.
Speaker A:So that's.
Speaker A:That's that.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Goodbye.
Speaker A:Back.
Speaker A:Back to the balance.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You catch a red eye flight and you're on your way to Boston, Massachusetts, to the international airport.
Speaker A:Okay, Agent Paris, what have you been up to?
Speaker A:When we left you, you were in a physical predicament.
Speaker A:What does Agent Paris do now that he is between operations and probably unable to perform his professional duties.
Speaker D:So after receiving some medical care in a place that was a little less like the side of a warehouse and getting his bones reset, Paris hops on the nearest plane straight to El Salvador and finds a beach somewhere looking over the Pacific Ocean and spends the days letting them pass by.
Speaker D:Paris knows his time away is limited, but he does his best to savor each moment, allowing himself to float away in a pleasant haze of driven by neon colored cocktails as he soaks in sunset after sunset, filling his nights with cheap beers, party girls and local music.
Speaker E:It's during one of the Mormon Church.
Speaker E:Think of that.
Speaker D:It's not a fucking Mormon.
Speaker A:Yeah, this is gonna get back to the LDS dude, and you're in trouble.
Speaker D:The only fight that he gets into is when some asshole offers him a cup of coffee.
Speaker D:He says, I don't drink coffee.
Speaker A:That's so good.
Speaker C:Is Paris Blonde.
Speaker D:Why are we getting off script here, guys?
Speaker D:Let's hold to the script.
Speaker D:Hold to the script, everyone.
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker D:It's during Friday night.
Speaker B:You're the one who went off script in the first place.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Since your plan is to basically go on vacation, what is the mechanic for that?
Speaker A:What do you stand to gain for taking this extended R and R from your professional duties and of course away from the traumas you just experienced?
Speaker D:Sanity and physical repair.
Speaker A:It sounds to me like it's in the back to nature spot.
Speaker A:So this is going to reduce any non delta green bond by one.
Speaker A:You're going to roll sanity and you stand to gain sanity for taking this vacation.
Speaker A:So if you'll roll sanity, please, I will report back if you pass, fail, fumble, or have a critical success.
Speaker A:Okay, you actually passed.
Speaker A:So roll a 1d4 to gain that much sanity and I will add that to your character sheet.
Speaker A:What total results from that, you will not know.
Speaker A:Okay, How'd you do?
Speaker D:Rolled a three.
Speaker A:That's not bad.
Speaker D:Three and four.
Speaker A:This has done you, done you very well.
Speaker A:This has been a time well spent.
Speaker A:Away.
Speaker A:Now, obviously your professional life has suffered because you did have one of your bonds decrease in value.
Speaker A:You may want to think about what that means.
Speaker A:So it's during one of these hazy, fun drunky evenings that a familiar man surprises you.
Speaker A:He pulls out the only other chair at your small table and takes a seat.
Speaker A:And he's holding up his hands.
Speaker A:He soon places them on top of the table surface and fur in your brow.
Speaker A:You're not exactly sure what's happening yet.
Speaker A:He's olive skinned, he has a thick and well kept beard.
Speaker A:His rather voluminous and well oiled black hair, it's tied back in a small knot.
Speaker A:He's wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt.
Speaker A:It's depicting dancing hula guys and girls and in a repeating pattern and your eyes go wide.
Speaker A:You realize that you've left your sidearm back at your beach cabin.
Speaker A:And you also realize that this is the same individual who kidnapped you and forced you to dissect that thing.
Speaker A:The experience that you were almost sure, at least you were very hopeful.
Speaker A:Had to have been a dream.
Speaker A:He looks at you as you struggle to move or say something and says, easy mate, easy.
Speaker A:I come in peace.
Speaker A:No guns, no threats.
Speaker A:I'm just a bit logged up and I'd like to have a quick word if you'd let me.
Speaker A:I'm not here to ruin your holiday.
Speaker D:You.
Speaker A:You are Sergeant Trace, right?
Speaker D:What the hey man, Don't.
Speaker D:Don't use my name.
Speaker A:He smiles.
Speaker A:Look.
Speaker A:Hey everyone.
Speaker A:This guy right here, Trace.
Speaker A:He fights unknowable cosmic godlings and alien incursions right here.
Speaker A:See?
Speaker A:Nobody cares.
Speaker D:Fucking asshole.
Speaker D:What?
Speaker D:What is it?
Speaker A:Well, I need to see you with my own two eyes.
Speaker A:It's not every day one gets to see someone cut a bloke out of the floor, carry him out to a getaway van in broad daylight.
Speaker A:Bravo, old son.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:What do you think I'm doing here?
Speaker D:Trying to forget a lot of that.
Speaker A:Don't blame you.
Speaker A:Don't blame you.
Speaker A:Is it working?
Speaker D:Well, the more neon the drink, the better it works.
Speaker D:But no, not really.
Speaker A:Prefer logging myself, but teach it down.
Speaker A:He nods.
Speaker A:So right to the point then.
Speaker A:I'm here to let you know that the organization you're working for is more than a bit dodgy.
Speaker A:What I'm saying is you can't trust anyone from it.
Speaker A:Your partner, your bosses, none of it.
Speaker A:They aren't who they say they are.
Speaker A:We suspect it's been compromised since the early aughts, maybe even earlier.
Speaker A:Bottom line, there's some good folks out there fighting the good fight.
Speaker A:And we think you might have what it takes to join up.
Speaker A:Face the bigger things that are out there, the real threats.
Speaker D:I'm sorry, you trying to recruit me for something?
Speaker A:He smiles kind of smirking a little bit.
Speaker A:Listen, I'm not asking you to betray anyone or throw any of your fellows under the bus.
Speaker A:Just take this card.
Speaker A:He produces a small white business card from the pocket in his Hawaiian shirt.
Speaker A:Call this number.
Speaker A:Schedule a time to go into this office at your leisure.
Speaker A:You will meet a lovely woman there.
Speaker A:So Please don't shoot her.
Speaker A:She'll just ask you a few questions.
Speaker A:You'll answer them again.
Speaker A:Nothing about your friends.
Speaker A:Think of it as a last test.
Speaker A:You'll leave, then I'll find you in a few days and we'll have a real chat.
Speaker D:Paris looks down at the card, looks back at the guy, takes a drink, looks at him and says, I think it's best if you go hurt.
Speaker A:Understood?
Speaker A:Understood.
Speaker A:Think on it though, alright?
Speaker A:He nods.
Speaker A:He stands up.
Speaker A:Enjoy your holiday.
Speaker A:He turns and he walks away from your chair on the beachfront and disappears behind the resort deck.
Speaker A:So, Paris, you're going to be called back into the field.
Speaker A:You know it, I know it, Delta Green knows it.
Speaker A:And it's going to happen.
Speaker A:Now, it's been months, but how does the program get in touch with Paris?
Speaker A:And how do they get him to Boston tonight?
Speaker D:So that same day, later that evening, as he's sitting there, still at that same table, coincidence, bad timing, planned timing, whatever it was, an officer walks up to him in a US military uniform and says, paris?
Speaker D:Paris says, yeah, that's me.
Speaker D:What is it now?
Speaker D:And he says, oh, I was asked to hand this to you.
Speaker D:Honestly, I did not expect to find anyone here.
Speaker D:But orders are orders, you know?
Speaker D:And here you are.
Speaker D:Hands him up into a folder.
Speaker D:Paris starts looking at it, sees a seal, looks up and says, yeah, and you're.
Speaker D:You're supposed to come with me back to the.
Speaker D:To the CSL cooperative security location.
Speaker D:And I'm going to butcher this fucking name.
Speaker D:Sorry.
Speaker A:That's okay.
Speaker A:This.
Speaker A:This particular military guy can butcher it.
Speaker A:Not you.
Speaker A:It's him.
Speaker D:There you go.
Speaker A:It's the npc.
Speaker A:I blame all my shit on the npc, so.
Speaker A:So rock it out, man.
Speaker A:Enjoy.
Speaker D:Yeah, this.
Speaker D:This.
Speaker D:Let me give.
Speaker D:Let me give him a good accent then.
Speaker D:Well, man, this.
Speaker D:You're supposed to come back with me to CSL Comalapa, El Salvador.
Speaker D:No, I'm just kidding.
Speaker D:Sorry.
Speaker A:I love you.
Speaker C:That was great.
Speaker D:Here we go.
Speaker A:Keep going.
Speaker E:Yeah, dude, keep it going.
Speaker D:So, yeah, it's supposed to come with me back to the CSL Comalapa.
Speaker D:It's about two and a half hours from here.
Speaker D:Yeah, honestly, it's.
Speaker D:This is weird.
Speaker D:They said to find it here and give you that folder.
Speaker D:Paris says, yeah, all right, let me get my stuff.
Speaker D:And the officer looks at him and says, well, it's like your holiday's over.
Speaker D:And Paris says, man, it's the second fucking time I've heard that today.
Speaker D:Paris grabs his gear and on the ride back, sitting in the back seat pops open the folder, starts reviewing the documents, gets to the Cooper circular location.
Speaker D:The CSL Comalapa base hops a plane that had been waiting for him and heads on to Boston.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:You'll be getting there after midnight, just like Agent Prentice.
Speaker A:All right, Agent Ryan, what does Scott Malik do during these months between operations?
Speaker C:Scott Malik takes a trip to Saudi Arabia.
Speaker C:Vail does a work trip to do some business with some of the oil executives in the region.
Speaker C:He also contacts some of his less savory companions to get inquire into getting body armor.
Speaker C:He's been sliced open enough times to learn that a more live armor is.
Speaker C:Is necessary.
Speaker C:Also, while while doing that, he's in the market for an upgraded firearm as well.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker A:I mean, for somebody.
Speaker A:If Scott Malik's means, you know, finding an outlet especially.
Speaker A:And this is his home country.
Speaker A:Correct.
Speaker A:Or is he an American citizen or.
Speaker C:He's dual citizen.
Speaker C:He's a dual citizen.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Got it, got it, got it.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Finding an outlet here for like a specialty tailor for this kind of.
Speaker A:Kind of soft weave, but extremely effective, like executive level Kevlar armor that would, you know, hopefully be concealable under a business suit.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I think that's your aim.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's a cinch for you.
Speaker A:It's expensive, but again, it's a cinch.
Speaker A:So unless you tell me otherwise, I'm gonna assume that you're wearing this soft weave under your suit at all times.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker A:Pop that onto your character shoe.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So for all intents, this is gonna function as a, like a level three, a Kevlar.
Speaker A:However, this is an ex.
Speaker A:This has, like, an extraordinary low profile comparatively to, like, concealable versions that are typically available.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:And so you.
Speaker A:You're wanting another type of firearm there.
Speaker A:Saudi Arabia is a wonderful place for somebody of your background and means to find basically anything you want.
Speaker A:Getting it back to the States might be another story, but you won't have too much difficulty depending on what your aim is.
Speaker A:That was a pun.
Speaker C:Perfect.
Speaker C:Well done.
Speaker C:I'm not going for anything automatic or semi.
Speaker C:Automatic.
Speaker C:It's still.
Speaker C:It's still.
Speaker C:I mean, I.
Speaker C:I still think the discretion of a handgun is in play.
Speaker C:Out of character.
Speaker C:I'm not sure really.
Speaker A:Gotcha.
Speaker A:Did you want something with more stopping power, like a higher caliber weapon?
Speaker A:I mean, you could.
Speaker A:Yes, you could get a hand.
Speaker A:You can get a handgun that will fire 50 caliber rounds.
Speaker A:It's loud, it has incredible recoil, but it's.
Speaker A:It's something that you could.
Speaker A:But I'm strongly Get your hands on.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker A:Yeah, sure.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So I don't know if the Desert Eagle, which is the only.50 cal handgun that comes to my mind right now, is something that is like, typically you would find in a Saudi Arabian weapons market or arms dealer there, but let's say something similar at least is what you find and you do some test firing.
Speaker A:It is a ridiculous monster of a sidearm.
Speaker A:Massive, very heavy.
Speaker A:The weight of it actually helps with the recoil problem, which is significant, but you soon get a good feel for it and feel like that this is going to come in handy in the future.
Speaker C:So I'll replace my current medium pistol with that, ideally.
Speaker A:Right, right.
Speaker A:We'll.
Speaker A:We'll upgrade that to a heavy pistol.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:Well, that's not really falling into our, you know, home scene mechanics.
Speaker A:I'm super down with you getting more gear.
Speaker A:You have plenty of time to do so.
Speaker A:But is there anything you'd like to do within that kind of world, like upping skills, trying to get some sanity up, working on a bond?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So out of character.
Speaker C:Chris, I think based on what we had discussed, I'll fly back to the States and hit up Sneder.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker C:To basically practice with this gun, but.
Speaker A:I think so I have a bit for Ryan here, so give me just a moment.
Speaker A:I'm going to intrude on your home scene.
Speaker A:So this, this might change any pathways you want to explore, and I'm totally fine with that if you decide after we go through this that you're like, I'm going to do something different than what we discussed.
Speaker A:So, okay.
Speaker A:Yep, you're back in the States and one of your many sleepless nights.
Speaker A:As you shower soundlessly, painlessly and disconcertingly, your hair sloughs off in one or two bunches, all of it effortlessly coming out entirely as your hands repeatedly rub over your now bald scalp.
Speaker A:You stare at the hair as the shower's water slowly runs it off your hands between your fingers to soon clog the drain.
Speaker A:You turn off the water, step out, catching sight of your face in the opposing mirror.
Speaker A:Your eyebrows gone, all your other body hair gone in one quick, brief moment.
Speaker A:Well, now there's a stranger staring at you from your reflection.
Speaker A:Hairless, thinner than ever ever before, perhaps gaunt.
Speaker A:Your cheekbones have never been so pronounced, your features never so angular.
Speaker A:Lack of hair adds an additional unnatural quality to your appearance.
Speaker A:And again, you barely recognize yourself.
Speaker A:This is more than just the recurring blue growths that keep appearing on your back, the ones you now just scrape off of yourself about once or twice a Week.
Speaker A:This is an undeniable and radical physical change.
Speaker A:What do you do?
Speaker C:Ryan's gonna try to ignore the increase in his heartbeat, the panic that tries to take over him, and embrace the reality of it.
Speaker C:He's gonna clean out the shower, get the hair out of the drain, throw it down the toilet and move on.
Speaker A:Roll sanity for me.
Speaker A:You know, it's never fun to roll sanity during a home scene.
Speaker C:We didn't have to.
Speaker A:Nope.
Speaker C:We didn't have to.
Speaker E:Didn't have to.
Speaker C:We didn't need.
Speaker E:Sa.
Speaker A:That's a perfect response to this and based off of how you rolled.
Speaker A:But yes.
Speaker A:You know, you're shaken, but you're doing your best to move past it.
Speaker A:What do you do next?
Speaker C:Ryan is gonna call Snediger, who he.
Speaker A:Now knows as Roger Felder.
Speaker A:Based off of the last tomb scene, I think.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:You call it.
Speaker A:Rings three times and a familiar voice answers.
Speaker C:Hey, Roger.
Speaker C:You been keeping your agents alive?
Speaker A:Uh, it's b.
Speaker A:Yes, as best I can.
Speaker A:What the.
Speaker A:What the fuck kind of question is that?
Speaker C:Relax.
Speaker C:Look, I need some firearms practice.
Speaker C:You want to join me?
Speaker C:Can you be free this afternoon around 2pm tomorrow?
Speaker A:You mean it's.
Speaker A: It's about: Speaker A:I can meet you.
Speaker A:Are you alright, Chris?
Speaker C:Then let me change the time code tomorrow.
Speaker C:What the fuck?
Speaker C:Ever.
Speaker C:Sure.
Speaker C:Let me do that again.
Speaker A:I got to keep the continuity.
Speaker A:I realized in the moment.
Speaker A:I realized in the moment I told you it was a sleepless night, so I had to find.
Speaker C:My bad.
Speaker C:Let me.
Speaker C:Let me do it one more time.
Speaker A:No, it was.
Speaker A:I just realized too.
Speaker A:I fixed it.
Speaker C:Okay, fine.
Speaker C:I'll send you the address.
Speaker C:It's outside the city a little bit.
Speaker A:So you do.
Speaker A:So Snedgar agrees to meet with you and yeah, New York City is not really known for its two way friendly shooting ranges.
Speaker A:It's honestly near impossible for non residents like Snedger, presumably to find a gun range in the five boroughs.
Speaker A:So you two meet a couple hours away in Pennsylvania.
Speaker A:It's a place called Sunset Hill that you're familiar with.
Speaker A:And you are waiting when Snedegar arrives.
Speaker A:He walks up to the outdoor booth where you've kind of parked yourself after checking in.
Speaker A:And he's carrying a rifle case and a large shoulder slung pack made out of black vinyl.
Speaker A:As he walks up, he holds out his hand, shakes yours.
Speaker A:He says, not a lot of traffic out here on the weekends.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Figured somewhere discreet is a good call.
Speaker A:He nods.
Speaker A:You two set up Load a few magazines and you bear down on some close targets that the range operator has placed for you to start with some pistol targeting work.
Speaker A:After an hour or so, Snedegar sharing some of his heavily modified sidearms with you that you're quite impressed with, explaining some of the nuances of close range marksmanship in a casual kind of friendly way, which you appreciate.
Speaker A:He does finally note something about your physical appearance.
Speaker A:He says something like so, going for a more sinister look now, Scott.
Speaker A:Some kind of boardroom power play.
Speaker A:He motions his hand over his own coiffed head to indicate that you are quite bald now.
Speaker C:It's not just my head and it wasn't my choice.
Speaker C:I made a couple new monster friends on our last assignment.
Speaker A:Jesus, Scott, do you need to see a doctor?
Speaker A:There are a few program assets who could take a look.
Speaker C:That's nice of you, but no, I'm fine.
Speaker A:Scott, you're.
Speaker A:You're pretty damn thin too.
Speaker A:If this is some lingering effect of work in the field, I need to make some calls, get you some help.
Speaker C:Look, I'm fine and I'm the best we got, so.
Speaker C:So what if I lose all my hair or need to scrape the occasional blue growths off my back or have emergency dental surgery to remove a second set of teeth?
Speaker C:I'm still here, Roger.
Speaker C:And I'm the best we have.
Speaker C:Ryan's going to put his gun down and turn to face Snedger a little bit more seriously.
Speaker A:It seems like he wants to say something, but he's actually taken aback by your response.
Speaker A:Your firmness.
Speaker C:I am always the one facing off against these unnatural creatures.
Speaker C:I get my gut sliced open, tentacle fucked by some insane ceiling goo, and I got caught literally in the middle of a battle between some fucked up gargoyle beasts.
Speaker C:And yet here I am, alive and well.
Speaker C:Maybe I'm not fine, but I'm sure as shit head and shoulders above the rest.
Speaker A:Snedegger takes a moment.
Speaker A:You're breathing heavily and there's some silence between you as he seems to gather his thoughts.
Speaker A:Look, I hear you.
Speaker A:And you.
Speaker A:You just might.
Speaker A:Be that the best we have?
Speaker A:That is, at least in your particular world of expertise.
Speaker A:The work your companies did to absorb some of the lingering shellfronts around Hong Kong Imports, keep those off of DHS's radar.
Speaker A:That was incredibly helpful.
Speaker A:Some of those recovered assets, they're really are actually going to bolster the program's capabilities significantly.
Speaker A:So maybe sending you back into the field is a mistake.
Speaker A:You're honestly much more effective as a support Asset, I think I don't want you getting sick or hurt.
Speaker A:And what I'm hearing from you is.
Speaker C:That you're both support asset.
Speaker C:I'll take that as the compliment you intended rather than the insult it truly is.
Speaker C:And I'll also assume this concern that has come over you is temporary and not see it as weakness getting in the way of what needs to get done.
Speaker A:Snedegar's eyes widen.
Speaker A:He truly seems at a loss for words.
Speaker A:But he.
Speaker A:He finally speaks.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:You're right.
Speaker A:But Scott, the second something changes, I want you to let me know so we can have some of the program specialists take a look.
Speaker A:I'm.
Speaker A:I'm goddamn worried about you.
Speaker A:He looks sincere, Earnest.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:Ryan adopts a more jovial attitude immediately as he returns back to the gun that he was firing.
Speaker A:You both spend the rest of the day going through the firearms you've brought with you.
Speaker A:And make no more mention of your appearance or field work.
Speaker A:It's actually quite pleasant.
Speaker A:And I'm going to actually awards you a narrative delta green bond.
Speaker A:So this is a bond you cannot use for projection with Roger Felder.
Speaker A:Agent Snedgar.
Speaker A:We're gonna put that on your character sheet now.
Speaker A:It will be added at half your current charisma.
Speaker A:What is your charisma?
Speaker C:18 so 9.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:A leader.
Speaker A:A liter of men.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Okay, so it sounds like I'm guessing that you're gonna be aiming at again.
Speaker A:Good pun.
Speaker A:Targeting.
Speaker A:Targeting.
Speaker A:Raising.
Speaker A:Some skills.
Speaker A:Maybe during your.
Speaker A:Your.
Speaker A:Your time between ops.
Speaker A:Am I.
Speaker A:Am I reading it?
Speaker A:Reading what you're putting down?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:Firearms.
Speaker A:And another skill or a stat is my assumption.
Speaker A:Which other skill or stat would you like to try to raise?
Speaker C:I'm going to try to raise a stat.
Speaker C:Specifically dexterity.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:Let's start with firearms.
Speaker A:I think with stats.
Speaker C:Doesn't.
Speaker C:Didn't the thing say you just do it for stats?
Speaker C:Or do you roll?
Speaker A:You still have to roll.
Speaker A:You have to roll first.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So we're gonna.
Speaker A:We're gonna roll to see if you improve firearms first.
Speaker A:So go ahead and roll your firearm skill.
Speaker A:Let's see if you pass or fail.
Speaker A:That's a great roll for success.
Speaker C:Which means that nothing happens.
Speaker A:That's correct.
Speaker A:So you rolled a beautiful two out of the way.
Speaker C:Every time I try to improve a skill, I fail.
Speaker C:The last home scene that I try to improve a skill on failed.
Speaker C:Why am I trying to improve?
Speaker A:It's a roll of dice.
Speaker C:Skills.
Speaker C:This is so dumb.
Speaker C:This all makes sense.
Speaker A:The improve the better skills, the better you get the Harder it is to get better.
Speaker A:It's just so dumb.
Speaker A:The way of life.
Speaker A:It's the way of life.
Speaker C:I should have.
Speaker C:Let's go ahead and.
Speaker A:Let's go.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker E:It's not.
Speaker C:Shit.
Speaker E:On the.
Speaker E:On the.
Speaker E:On the table.
Speaker E:We've.
Speaker A:Yeah, you should have gone to the fucking YMCA with.
Speaker A:With sned.
Speaker A:We go on Dexterity.
Speaker C:Dexterity failure.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:You get plus one to dexterity from basically the aikido lessons, if you remember that, that you kept.
Speaker C:Oh, yes.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So you.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You've continued that.
Speaker A:You've gritted your teeth, and even though you weren't.
Speaker A:You were plateauing early on, you've actually seen it pay off.
Speaker C:Pinnacle of that home scene, the aikido lessons.
Speaker A:So what is your dexterity now?
Speaker C:It was 17 or 15.
Speaker C:Now it's 16.
Speaker A:Now it's 16.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So quite high.
Speaker A:Quite high, yeah.
Speaker A:Excellent.
Speaker A:Excellent, agent.
Speaker C:Now I get.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker A:You are going to be called back into the field, much like our prior scenes with our prior agents.
Speaker A:Tell me about that.
Speaker A:How does it happen?
Speaker A:How do we get you to Boston?
Speaker C:Ryan is heading back to his condo in the city, and as he walks up to his door, he sees a menu for illegal seafood stuck in the door.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker C:He picks it up and sees that on the back where it lists the few locations, one of them is circled and a date and time is on it.
Speaker C:And he realizes that's tomorrow.
Speaker C:So he packs quickly.
Speaker C:His go bag, as the name implies, is ready to go and hops.
Speaker C:Hops on a plane a la Miley Cyrus now.
Speaker C:Okay, please cut that.
Speaker E:No.
Speaker D:Can you please.
Speaker A:Nope.
Speaker E:Nope.
Speaker A:That's.
Speaker A:Sorry, man.
Speaker A:That is.
Speaker C:I will make six railroading jokes in this episode if you don't get that.
Speaker A:All right?
Speaker B:To be fair, you'd probably make six anyway.
Speaker A:I will that.
Speaker A:You're right.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:You know what?
Speaker A:Fuck that.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I'm keeping it.
Speaker C:Trying to stop.
Speaker D:You got to work her into every problem.
Speaker C:Anyway, that's.
Speaker A:That's great.
Speaker A:So, yeah, you're on your way to Boston.
Speaker A:You'll be getting there again like the others, after midnight, local time.
Speaker A:So, Amber, we have for now, retired Agent Roizen.
Speaker A:So you are going to be bringing a new character to this operation, someone we've never met before.
Speaker A:So I would like you.
Speaker A:Obviously, no home scene, but I would like you to introduce Agent Karina Lask.
Speaker A:Did I say that correctly, or is it Corinna?
Speaker B:That is correct.
Speaker A:Karina.
Speaker B:Karina.
Speaker A:Got it.
Speaker A:Introduce her to us and tell us how she gets to Boston, how the program interfaces with her.
Speaker B:Oh, right.
Speaker B:FBI Special Agent Karina Lask has been stuck for far too long behind a desk.
Speaker B:Far too long for her liking.
Speaker B:Fieldwork has slowed to a crawl as the Bureau's San Francisco office has recently recalibrated for seemingly political purposes, and most field agents, like herself, are now processing paperwork to support other interdepartmental initiatives.
Speaker B:That's why Agent Lask lives for the opera.
Speaker B:It gets her back where she wants to be.
Speaker B:Hitting the streets, pulling thread after thread to unravel mysteries or circumvent catastrophe, and just doing something meaningful and impactful.
Speaker B:Not all this skimming through electronic financial records for vague hints of dubious activity.
Speaker B:And the program is more than just an escape from paperwork.
Speaker B:It's a calling.
Speaker B:Again.
Speaker B:Agent Lask lives for the opera.
Speaker B:So when the email from the assistant director arrives, letting her know she has been temporarily assigned to support an ongoing missing persons case with Massachusetts State Police for an indefinite period, she can't help but feel both relief and excitement.
Speaker B:She knows exactly what that indefinite means.
Speaker B:After unceremoniously dumping a towering stack of personnel records needing background checks on a colleague's desk, Agent Lask is soon packed and on a rede flight to Boston International Airport to meet with an Agent Snedeker.
Speaker B:She can't help but smile.
Speaker B:Soon to be back in the field, no matter what might be waiting there to greet her.
Speaker A:Beautiful.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:I just want to let you know you have been officially moved onto a case under your official credentials.
Speaker A:So very important.
Speaker A:Maybe a little different than what we've played before, but since you are an leo, a little bit different treatment for you and what we're going to be calling Operation Fair.
Speaker B:Liminal Resonance should make it interesting.
Speaker A:Let me move y'all to Logan International Airport in Boston.
Speaker A:Agent Lask, you will be arriving last to the scene, and I'll let you know when you walk up.
Speaker A:But in the meantime, each one of our other agents, that's Agent Prentice Paris and Agent Ryan, your flights arrive, you disembark, and you make your way through terminal C to good old Legal Seafoods, where you have been informed through your various channels to receive a briefing from an Agent Snedger.
Speaker A:Now, this is a name that Ryan is obviously familiar with, but I just want to emphasize that ancient parentis.
Speaker A:Agent Paris, you've never worked with this case officer before.
Speaker A:It's a name you have not run across yet in your careers with the program.
Speaker A: ,: Speaker A:It's about the saddest place maybe to spend your time in the city of Boston.
Speaker A:As you each filter towards this near empty restaurant, you spot an obvious man with military baron sitting in a back corner booth.
Speaker A:He waves to each of you until you're all seated with luggage in hand under the table on the booth seats next to you.
Speaker A:You look around and you see familiar faces except for this, this gentleman for you, Paris.
Speaker A:And you, Prentice.
Speaker A:He's a well built gentleman, Caucasian.
Speaker A:He's wearing casual clothes and he has a baseball cap on with, well, no logo.
Speaker A:It's black.
Speaker A:For a moment, you have a chance to order some food, drinks if you'd like.
Speaker A:The harried waiter comes over to take your orders.
Speaker A:This man, Agent Snedeker, presumably orders a double cheeseburger with onion rings and a side of curly fries.
Speaker C:He orders a double cheeseburger at Legal Seafood.
Speaker A:He looks past the surf part of the surf and turf menu, goes straight to the good old American cheeseburger.
Speaker E:Prentice looks briefly through the menu and wrinkles his nose and says, I think I'm good.
Speaker A:There is a drinks menu and a full liquor stocked bar.
Speaker E:Prentice actually chooses not to take anything.
Speaker E:He's good.
Speaker D:Paris looks at the waiter, says, I'll take a.
Speaker D:Take a tequila.
Speaker A:Dressed, he nods, having to write it down in apparently great detail.
Speaker C:How about you bring some appetizers for the table?
Speaker C:Prentice, you're looking, you're looking hungry.
Speaker C:You know, just.
Speaker C:Just throw together a medley.
Speaker C:Bring it all.
Speaker C:This one's on me, guys.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:I think, I think we've got some popcorn shrimp that I can bring out.
Speaker A:Kitchen's kind of running low.
Speaker A:We're waiting for the next.
Speaker A:Well, the next delivery for money service.
Speaker E:Look, are they Gulf shrimp or are they.
Speaker E:Are they farm or that?
Speaker C:Bring the.
Speaker C:Bring.
Speaker C:Bring the shrimp.
Speaker C:Weird thing to tell your guests, by the way.
Speaker D:It's not really weird if I'm not interested.
Speaker C:I don't, I don't care.
Speaker C:Bring the shrimp.
Speaker E:I don't.
Speaker E:I don't eat golf.
Speaker D:Shrimp is the only shrimp to eat.
Speaker E:Just no.
Speaker A:God.
Speaker C:And get this, get this guy points across the table.
Speaker C:Apprentice, you know, bring him, bring him something nice, you know.
Speaker C:Yeah, tequila sounds good.
Speaker C:Get.
Speaker C:Get him, get him.
Speaker E:I don't want that.
Speaker E:That's not gonna have a tequila at 2 in the morning.
Speaker A:Sir, I am very confused right now.
Speaker A:Did you want a tequila or not?
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:I've written it down and crossed it off a few times.
Speaker C:He wants a tequ.
Speaker C:Wants a tequila.
Speaker A:And I'm running out of room on my, on my.
Speaker E:This conversation makes me Want a tequila?
Speaker E:Yes, I'll have a tequila.
Speaker D:Ryan here loves himself some tentacles, okay?
Speaker D:Just get him.
Speaker D:Fry him up nice for him.
Speaker A:We do have calamari.
Speaker A:I can bring that out with the popcorn shrimp.
Speaker D:Why don't you make my tequila double while you're at it?
Speaker A:Okay, I'm going to need to go ahead and get another pad.
Speaker A:I'll be right back, sir.
Speaker C:What a bad waiter.
Speaker C:That Dude's down to 10% easy.
Speaker E:Well, he is a 2am Shifter.
Speaker E:So.
Speaker A:As you're settling in, you see Snedeker, who has said very little so far, doesn't really partake in.
Speaker A:In this banter, but you do see him look past you back at the front of the restaurant, and he waves to someone.
Speaker A:You all can't help but turn and see a young woman who you've never met before look over with recognition in her eyes and with a maybe some rolling luggage behind her, makes her way towards the booth.
Speaker A:Amber, Agent last, takes a seat next to, let's say, 1, 2, 3.
Speaker A:Let's say agent Paris.
Speaker A:Okay, this is.
Speaker A:This is everyone.
Speaker A:But we're gonna wait for a few more moments.
Speaker A:His eyes glance over at the bar, where you see a group of three men in shabby business suits, kind of laughing and converting a bit over drinks.
Speaker A:They seem fairly drunk.
Speaker A:Feel free to order something in the meantime.
Speaker D:Paris glances over, looks back at a guy.
Speaker D:The hat says, is everyone.
Speaker D:Are we missing this?
Speaker A:Is everyone, Agent?
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker C:Okay, Snedgar, those guys aren't.
Speaker C:Aren't gonna hear a word of this.
Speaker C:Go ahead and get started.
Speaker A:Go ahead and roll your charisma, please.
Speaker C:That is a 73 on a target.
Speaker C:90, a success.
Speaker E:Got him?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:He nods.
Speaker A:You're probably right.
Speaker A:Agents, my name is Snediger.
Speaker A:You've been told to meet me here so I can deliver a briefing.
Speaker A:I will be your case officer for Operation Fairyliminal Resonance.
Speaker A:I'd like you to meet one another.
Speaker A:This is Paris, Prentiss, Ryan, and Kane.
Speaker A:He lets each one of you kind of acknowledge one another silently.
Speaker A:I know that Agent Prentiss, Paris and Ryan, you've worked together before, and I am hoping you will extend goodwill and respect to Agent Kane as she joins your team for this operation.
Speaker A:Let's begin.
Speaker A:He sets down his enormous dripping cheeseburger, dabs at the edges of his mouth, clears his throat.
Speaker A:He glances one more time at the raucousness at the bar and begins.
Speaker A:Two months ago, the FCC assigned Agent Clemson Mallory to locate wxxt, a pirate radio station transmitting from somewhere near Northampton, Massachusetts.
Speaker A:And the Subject of dozens of complaints.
Speaker A:The case had stalled at one point, but Mallory was allegedly chasing a new lead when he stopped answering calls from work.
Speaker A:The FCC has requested law enforcement's help in finding him.
Speaker A:Now, most complaints were lodged by another station licensed for WXXT's frequency.
Speaker A: That's: Speaker A:That's 36 miles away.
Speaker A:Now we're more interested in a different set of complaints lodged with the FCC by individual listeners.
Speaker A:He goes ahead and opens up a now meat juice spattered folder that's next to him.
Speaker A:His eyes scan across it carefully.
Speaker A:WXXT turned all the food in one's house black and rotten.
Speaker A:It caused another's teeth to fall out.
Speaker A:And third had to shoot their dog when it became uncontrollably violent.
Speaker A:He closes the folder.
Speaker A:There are dozens of these.
Speaker A:Like I said.
Speaker A:One man filed a complaint earlier this week that, well, says the radio host on WXXT had been speaking to him directly.
Speaker A:And that's why he's been terminated as a school bus driver for Northampton Elementary.
Speaker A:He had allegedly been asking children on his route for their baby teeth, giving them dollar bills and storing them in a jar under his bus driver's seat.
Speaker A:He stops for a moment, taking a beat.
Speaker A:He is watching your faces carefully.
Speaker E:Jesus, says Prentice, as he considers what he was just told.
Speaker E:This is gonna be a trip.
Speaker C:Did you say there were pirates?
Speaker A:Pirate radio station, Agent Ryan.
Speaker A:But yes, I did.
Speaker C:Help me understand what that is.
Speaker A:His eyes closed.
Speaker A:Very.
Speaker A:An open.
Speaker A:A very slow blink and.
Speaker C:Or if Ryan would know, then, Chris, you need to tell me what that is, because genuinely, I don't.
Speaker A:Oh, shit.
Speaker A:Oh, really?
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Oh, Ryan would 100% know.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Pirate radio station is somebody who's just set up.
Speaker A:Set up a.
Speaker A:It's an unlicensed radio station.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Fcc, these guys all the time.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So it's just like, you know, the Alex Jones wannabe that sets up his conspiracy theory channel on the wrong frequency and gets shut down.
Speaker E:See, radio waves are very unsafe.
Speaker E:And there are pirates.
Speaker A:Watch out for the.
Speaker C:So you can actually.
Speaker C:You can cut all of that if you'd like, because that wasn't a bit.
Speaker C:It was genuinely like.
Speaker A:Got it.
Speaker A:He thought.
Speaker A:He thought you were fucking with him.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker C:Not yet.
Speaker A:Snedeker continues.
Speaker A:Every one of these complaints was filed in the last year, but the strange ones appear to be increasing frequency now.
Speaker A:The Massachusetts State Police are leading the search for Mallory.
Speaker A:They've assigned two detectives, Lieutenants Murphy and Prestridge, to this case.
Speaker A:Agent Kane, you have actually been listed as an advisory agent from the FBI.
Speaker A:If you need to use that official capacity, it is 100% within your power to do so.
Speaker A:However, the rest of you, we've gone ahead and set up some identification as MSP officers so that you can perhaps move more freely.
Speaker A:But I will tell you right now, these will not last under intense scrutiny, so please be wise in your field work.
Speaker A:He opens the manila folder again and pulls out what looks like identification papers, not badges for individuals in the Massachusetts State Police.
Speaker A:He passes these out to Agents Ryan Prentiss in Paris.
Speaker C:Chris, what's an MSP officer?
Speaker A:Massachusetts State Police.
Speaker C:God damn it.
Speaker C:It's always obvious.
Speaker C:Yeah, I'm terrible at this game.
Speaker C:Yeah, so bad.
Speaker A:Prentice, according to this set of papers, you are Lieutenant Sacdaw with the msp.
Speaker A:Ryan, you are Lieutenant Trowbridge.
Speaker A:And, Paris, you are Lieutenant Harkness.
Speaker A:Again, it won't be long before someone realizes these officers.
Speaker A:He almost seems like he wants to put quotes in the air, but stops himself.
Speaker A:Assigned to this case are supposed to be drawing pensions, so use these only as appropriate and sparingly.
Speaker A:Okay, Top priority for you is locating WXXT's transmitter and shutting it down.
Speaker A:You may want to track down Mallory's last whereabouts in order to inform the resolution of this primary task.
Speaker A:And honestly, word on Mallory would be good for the official investigation.
Speaker A:But we don't expect you to necessarily pin him down or discover where he's ended up.
Speaker A:That is not what you're here to do, necessarily.
Speaker D:Called a side quest.
Speaker A:What I can tell you is what the FCC knows of Mallory's time spent over the last two weeks.
Speaker A:May want to take note here.
Speaker A:He flips through some of the remaining pages in his folder, takes a juicy bite out of a now obviously cold and soggy onion ring.
Speaker A:Mallory began the initial compilation of complaints, confirmation of their veracity, two weeks ago.
Speaker A:Now, this centered around Northampton.
Speaker A:He then performed grid tracking and amperage pole investigations with the National Grid in Massachusetts Clean Energy center, trying to explain the broad area of the transmission.
Speaker A:Apparently, he had no results.
Speaker A:Or at least that's what he reported to the fcc.
Speaker A:The FCC then arranged for Mallory to stay at the Hotel Northampton to attempt line of bearing work.
Speaker A:This is to hopefully locate broadcast points.
Speaker A:He looks at each one of you, assuming that you're not familiar with such things, it seems.
Speaker E:I'm sorry.
Speaker E:Line of bearing you said.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Lob.
Speaker A:For several days, Mallory reported back on an intricate set of ghosted transmission sources.
Speaker A:Apparently, this is highly irregular and this was causing a Delay in finding that broadcast point.
Speaker A:Most recently in his last reports to his superiors, he had a new lead and this required looking into property records and interviewing a local librarian about regional history.
Speaker A:Now he stopped checking in.
Speaker A:He's been unreachable for five days.
Speaker A:The FCC again has since contacted local law enforcement.
Speaker A:That was yesterday.
Speaker A:He leans back in the booth.
Speaker A:Do you need any clarification on your directives here?
Speaker E:We're to find and terminate this this pirate radio station and if we can locate the whereabouts of Mallory.
Speaker E:Correct.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:The latter probably will help with again the official story.
Speaker E:Sure.
Speaker A:But that is not top of your list.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Agent?
Speaker D:So we need to take WXXT off the air.
Speaker D:I'm so sorry.
Speaker A:How many sunglasses do you put on after that one?
Speaker E:14.
Speaker C:Ryan's gonna reach over and fist bump Paris, thinking that was really cool.
Speaker E:The tentacles that shoot out of his wrist take you by surprise.
Speaker B:Kane just looks at Snedeker.
Speaker B:Please tell me this ain't normal for them.
Speaker D:Oh, we're all fucked up.
Speaker A:I've never worked with this team before, he says.
Speaker A:Now if you have no other questions, you'll be reporting to me through Ryan on this operation.
Speaker A:He looks over at Agent Ryan.
Speaker A:Any field decisions that need to be made will be discussed with and ultimately decided by him.
Speaker A:I want you to regard Ryan as your field team leader for Operation Fair Elemental Resonance.
Speaker A:You're to contact me only in emergencies or if you require restricted resources.
Speaker A:Otherwise, we expect you to cultivate and manage all needed assets on your own.
Speaker A:To accomplish the directive, he provides you now with two phone numbers written on a piece of paper.
Speaker A:I can be reached on one if the other has been disconnected.
Speaker D:What?
Speaker D:I may have missed it.
Speaker D:What.
Speaker D:What town was a local was a librarian that was being interviewed?
Speaker D:What town was that in?
Speaker A:Well, he was in Northampton looking for the signal, so I imagine that's where.
Speaker D:Do the name of the library or the name of the librarian.
Speaker A:It's not in the report to the fcc.
Speaker A:That's what I'm.
Speaker A:That's what I'm reading from.
Speaker E:Agent I'm sure we can probably Google that.
Speaker E:That should be fine.
Speaker A:Or maybe Agent, you could go to the Hotel Northampton.
Speaker A:If you're.
Speaker A:If you're thinking that retracing Agent Mallory's steps would be helpful.
Speaker A:That is where he was staying.
Speaker A:He reaches into his pocket, produces a large rental car key.
Speaker A:There's a Yukon Denali Black parked outside Terminal C in the short term lot.
Speaker A:Find it on the first deck.
Speaker A:Recommend you use it for this operation.
Speaker A:Any last questions?
Speaker D:Can we have a copy of the list of complaints that were lodged to the FCC regarding wxxt.
Speaker D:I know you.
Speaker D:You rattled off a few, but looks like you might have a list right there of everything.
Speaker A:He looks down at it, looks back up at you.
Speaker A:Not relevant.
Speaker A:He closes the manila folder.
Speaker A:Any other questions?
Speaker C:Out of character, Chris, did you tell us when Mallory disappeared?
Speaker C:Probably.
Speaker C:And I missed it.
Speaker A:His last report was five days ago.
Speaker A:And the FCC asked for local law enforcement help directly to the MSP yesterday.
Speaker E:Well, thank you for the information.
Speaker E:This has been extremely pleasant compared to our last handler.
Speaker E:Have a good evening.
Speaker A:Be seeing you, Agents.
Speaker A:So he nods to you as you.
Speaker A:As you all start to gather your things, leave the booth.
Speaker A:And he returns to his cheeseburger with great intent.
Speaker A:He seems ravenous.
Speaker E:Maybe he's got an alien in him, too.
Speaker E:That's got a feed.
Speaker A:Is that what Princess says to the others as you walk away?
Speaker E:No.
Speaker E:No, Prentice does not.
Speaker E:That was out of character.
Speaker E:I'm sorry.
Speaker A:You four leave Legal Seafoods, and before long.
Speaker A:Unless there's something else you'd want to do at the Logan International Airport terminal.
Speaker E:There's so much to do at the Logan International Airport terminal.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:You're now in front of this large black suv.
Speaker A:Agents, the world is yours.
Speaker A:You have received a briefing, a mission.
Speaker A:What do you want to do?
