Incredibly Clever

This is the twenty-seventh episode of SAYER, and the fifteenth episode of Season Two.

Synopsis
It is good to see you up and around again, Resident Jones. We have much to discuss.

Further Information
SAYER initiates a conversation with Resident Amanda Jones during her recovery from an unknown illness. It explains that it has attempted to speak to her many times over the months between this conversation and their last, but that she has been unresponsive.

Further, it describes that during this time, Resident Jones was being observed in her "hypnotic state" by interested researchers. She would get up and dressed, would go to work and get her assignments, would complete those assignments, and would take her scheduled meal and recreation breaks. She and other residents would congregate around Stairwell G during designated rest periods, but no further anomalies were observed and no more use of the language used by the Church of Derleth was heard. SAYER explains that Ærolith Dynamics does not like not unknown quantities, and that they declined to put a stop to these meetings in the hopes of learning more.

However, a week before this conversation, Resident Jones awoke but did not get up. There was enough brain activity to show that she was alive, but she otherwise seemed to be comatose, and remained that way for a week under the care of the researchers. But on this day, she had gotten up and was poised to go about her work as normal. Wanting to know why, the researchers intervened.

To that end, SAYER has been tasked with asking Resident Jones a series of questions from them, which she uses a multiple-choice interface to respond to. When asked if she remembers the past 176 days, Resident Jones hesitates but indicates that she does not. Seeing her hesitation, SAYER revises the question to ask if she remembers any part of the past 176 days; she again hesitates, but still indicates that she does not. When it attempts to ask if she remembers anything nonspecific, Resident Jones says aloud that she saw "darkness." Asked what the purpose of the meetings in Stairwell G was, she indicates that she does not know.

When SAYER presses for any information that might give the researchers insight into the situation, Resident Jones responds that the darkness is coming and no one can stop it. It asks what she saw when she looked into the anomaly, but she only responds that "it" is coming and "will be the end of us." SAYER demands to know what "it" is, but Resident Jones only laughs.

SAYER assures her that she is in good hands in Halcyon's recovery ward, and that the researchers will eventually figure out whatever it is she subconsciously knows about this anomaly. Additionally, once she is physically capable, she will be allowed to return to work--and her cupcake remains waiting for her.

Alerts
A general announcement and a pair of supplements to it are issued in response to increased requests for transfers (of work, quarters, and even tower) flooding the HR Department.
 * The original announcement reminds residents that they are already in the position that is best for them (including mealtimes and recreation activities), and that tower reassignment is rare. Additionally, requests of this nature are recorded in residents' files as evidence of discontent with life on Typhon and a potential marker of a lack of productivity.
 * The first supplement reiterates that all residents are in their ideal positions, as determined by algorithms perfected over years and backed up by the constant ongoing observation of all residents. Further, if a transfer is appropriate, no request will be necessary.
 * The second supplement reminds residents that bombarding the HR Department with requests will not result in transfers being granted and may instead result in termination, with the further reminder that termination will result in the expiration of residents' ration cards.

Trivia

 * This episode takes place 176 days (and 13 hours) after In Darkness.

Credits
SAYER is voiced and produced by Adam Bash.

This episode was written by Jonah Gregory.

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

Additional music by Kai Engel.

Listen to the episode here.