Not Fit For Reuse

This is the nineteenth episode of SAYER, and the seventh episode of Season Two.

Synopsis
Albeit uncomfortable, both psychologically and socially, corpse collection and disposal is an exceptionally important task on Typhon. Instituted after the previous system, whereby all Residents were expected to perish in a pile in a specific convenient location, the Department of Carbon Based Relocation exists to ensure we aren’t all slowly buried in corpses.

Inconveniently discarded corpses.

Further Information
SAYER contacts Resident Coruseau to inform them that they have been laterally reassigned to corpse collection and disposal. It touches briefly on the idea that Resident Coruseau's profile shows a lack of imagination and this is ideal, given the tendency toward fear and superstition around the dead.

On arrival at Lab 37, Resident Coruseau begins setting up a portable disposal system, but jumps at a sound. SAYER assures that the residents whose bodies are in the lab are dead; that their subcortical neural implants are no longer emitting data, and that this only occurs after "complete and irreversible loss of brain function." It further clarifies (while Resident Coruseau continues setting up the device) that this is the standard of death used on Typhon by Ærolith Dynamics, because these residents will never again be productive. It begins to add that these bodies have been deemed "not fit for reuse" but that in the event that bodies are "fit for reuse," Resident Coruseau will be accompanied by a counterpart from the infirmary, but the resident is again distracted by a cough coming from one of the bodies in the room.

When they point out that they can see the body breathing, SAYER again insists that there is no brain function, and so, these residents are dead. Resident Coruseau begins scanning resident identification numbers and checking them against a list on their datapad, but several of the bodies begin to move as they do. Over SAYER's objections that performance evaluations are soon and that this will not look good, Resident Coruseau flees the lab through a door sealed with a thought password. The corpses, however, manage to open the door. Upon seeing this, SAYER attempts to reinstate one of the subcortical neural implants and advises Resident Coruseau to run. They manage to lock themselves inside a supply closet in the process.

SAYER finds that the corpses are all affected by an unknown biochemical compound which it assumes they are attempting to spread, and that this compound allows a parasitic host both physical and mental control of the affected corpse. Furthermore, these researchers had been studying a type of wasp, which seems to be the parasite in question. SAYER suggests that research on the compound could one day lead to coma patients being able to care for themselves or return to limited work. Due to the infectious nature of the problem, SAYER alerts residents that Floor 31 is sealed and that an extraction team is on the way.

While Resident Coruseau waits for the extraction team, SAYER lowers the temperature inside the closet in an attempt to induce hypothermia and increase their chance of survival by conserving oxygen. It remarks that brain damage is likely, but that research on the biochemical compound affecting the bodies outside the door may lead to Resident Coruseau remaining useful even in that state.

Trivia

 * The portable disposal system Resident Coruseau is meant to use is capable of reaching the proper cremation temperature in four minutes. The failure to properly install its heat shield is what killed the person who held Resident Coruseau's job before them.
 * Resident Coruseau's counterpart from the infirmary is apparently also new to her position.
 * Although it's implied that the ID numbers of the bodies Resident Coruseau scans are 44261 and 44266, they read them as "Halcyon-two-six-one" and "Halcyon-two-six-six."
 * Research on the compound generated by the wasps evidently did not meet with widespread success (at least in the short term), as it does not seem to have been used on Sven Gorsen while he was comatose.

Credits
SAYER is voiced and produced by Adam Bash.

This episode was written by Ashleigh Shadowbrook, based on a concept by AoD Industries.

Intro and outro music composed by Jesse “Main Finger” Gregory.

Additional music by Kai Engel.

Listen to the episode here.