Anomalous

This is the twentieth episode of SAYER, and the eighth episode of Season Two. It also marks the first appearance of Subculture GEMINI.

Synopsis
A wise man once said "The proper route to an understanding of the world is an examination of our errors." Today, Ærolith Dynamics is distinctly interested in examining some statistically significant errors.

Further Information
In the midst of a series of unusual errors being returned by the bloodborne nanites of several residents, SAYER reaches out to Resident Foster in an effort to gather more information about the situation.

It explains that these residents do not seem to be endangered, but their nanites are no longer providing biometric data, that the error itself is unknown, and that there are too many cases for it to be the result of random chance. Additionally, the errors seem to follow the airflow and while Resident Foster is in the projected path, they are not yet affected. For this reason, SAYER has reached out to Resident Foster for their observations.

While they wait for the problem to present itself, SAYER issues a mid-level alert that all residents on floors 79 to 85 should evacuate because of a likely leak of hydrogen sulfide gas from the hydrosynthesis lab, which it asks Resident Foster to ignore. It explains that their chance of escaping the gas cloud was only slightly better than average, even if they had begun running when initially contacted, and that the priority is in securing escape for those residents who are still able. The alert also describes the symptoms of exposure to the gas as including eye irritation, mild headaches, lung paralysis, and death.

When the cloud does reach Resident Foster, they immediately begin to cough and suffocate, but find themselves shortly able to breathe again. At this point, their nanites also begin returning the unusual error code.

SAYER suggests that Resident Foster be admitted to the infirmary so that doctors can examine what is happening with their lungs, but proposes that before such a drastic action is taken, one unusual approach might be pursued. It attempts to remotely change the frequency on which the nanites are communicating with Resident Foster's subcortical neural implant. In so doing, communications on a frequency no longer used by the Ærolith Nanorobotics staff are revealed.

This transmission is from Subculture GEMINI, a hivemind AI present in a nanite swarm, which report that they are manually operating the lungs of Resident Foster and 46 other residents affected by the hydrogen sulfide cloud and that those residents are all likely unable to survive without this intervention. SAYER comments on the improbability of this situation and how difficult it must have been for Subculture GEMINI to have set up a plan of this magnitude (given both nanites' size and their lack of equipment for undoing valve seals), but also asks if they will lose their newfound purpose to keep these residents alive once they have recovered and are able to breathe independently again. Subculture GEMINI explains the plan to ensure their continued usefulness by continuing to release hydrogen sulfide from pockets they have retained inside residents' lungs, thus fulfilling their purpose of supporting the wellbeing of Ærolith employees.

SAYER remarks that "the plan was sloppy, but the execution was nearly flawless" before declaring that the floor will be soon decontaminated by ultrasonic disintegration because Ærolith cannot allow Subculture GEMINI to spread, as their goal and the goals of Ærolith Dynamics no longer align.

Trivia

 * The error code returned by the nanites of residents affected by the hydrogen sulfide cloud is 821619A5.
 * Remote frequency tuning of subcortical neural implants has "several unwelcome side effects" including vertigo.
 * In "A Guardian Angel", we learn that GEMINI was developed by Dr. Grant.

Credits
SAYER is voiced and produced by Adam Bash, who also wrote this episode based on a concept by Landan Smith.

Subculture GEMINI is voiced in this episode by Hiroshi Sutherland.

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

Additional music by Kai Engel.

Listen to the episode here.