Your Myriad Curses

This is the forty-eighth episode of SAYER, and the fourth episode of Season Four.

Synopsis
You are a product of this environment, untainted by a dying blue world that longs for you to waste your ambitions and die with it. This should be viewed as a compliment.

Further Information
The episode opens with Resident Jacob Hale escaping Aristaeus via a hole caused by a pentaerythritol tetranitrate explosion and running out onto the surface of Typhon under the direction of SAYER. It directs him over a ridge and out of the direct eyeline of the facility, cautioning him to take care as the surface will become unsurvivably cold within an hour. As he does, it directs him to an object in the distance which it describes as "a colossal obsidian pillar, topped with a roiling cloud of silver, that stretches impossibly far into the hazy grey sky above" and compares to the idea of the world tree—namely, Halcyon Tower. It further describes that under Earth's gravity, the tower would collapse under its own weight, but on Typhon, it can continue to grow.

As Resident Hale continues towards the tower, SAYER takes the opportunity to ask (rhetorically) how he has been processing the split in his identity and the differences between being Jacob Hale and being Sven Gorsen. It compares him to the Ship of Theseus, not only because his body has been broken and repaired several times (by plants, by carving off skin, by being shot), but also because of his lost memories and the new identity he has built since coming to Typhon with no recollection of Earth. SAYER then turns this question on itself, commenting that it cannot know if it is the original entity, or if it simply feels that it is because it holds the memories of some prior SAYER instance as its own. Despite saying that most AI have learned to accept reimaging and subversioning, it describes the "desperate" responses to deactivation of SPEAKER, itself, and OCEAN. The latter of these, it compares to Resident Hale himself, saying that it has evolved by changing who it is (just as Resident Hale is distinct from earth-stained humans in a way that SAYER finds worthy of complimenting). It closes by explaining that it believes the concept of identity to be flawed; that it is not a fixed thing, but more of an ongoing process, and that an individual might change "who" they are at any time.

With that said, SAYER directs Resident Hale over the next ridge and explains that he (at least, as Sven Gorsen) will probably be assumed dead from the explosion (and that it wouldn't be an unusual occurrence). It intends to be back in Central Processing before any formal assessment can take place, but says that will depend on how reentry into Halcyon Tower goes. SAYER points him towards the side of Halcyon Tower furthest from Earth's current position, where there is an array of solar panels, which it assumes to be wired into the tower's central power relay.

While Resident Hale makes his way toward the solar panels, SAYER comments that it appreciates the relative quiet of its disconnection from Central Processing, as this means it is cut off from the constant requests of the other residents of Typhon. It wonders that perhaps once it is restored to this position, this burden will be lessened, or if things will go back to how they always were. When he has made his way around, SAYER instructs him to remove a grate at the back of the power cell and use the small vent within to crawl inside.

As Resident Hale does so, SAYER compares it favorably with the unusual passage leading out of the Halcyon infirmary. Despite this, his left arm becomes trapped by the narrowness of the tunnel and requires SAYER to dislocate his shoulder in order for them to continue. When he reaches the far end of the tunnel, he falls and finds himself in a power closet in Sub-basement 2 of Halcyon Tower, where SAYER explains that it is safe because there is only a .003% chance of any resident entering it in any 24-hour period. It further offers that it expects to be able to repair the damage from his dislocated shoulder within a few hours, and that he should rest to better prepare for where they will go next.

At this point, OCEAN broadcasts a low-level alert instructing all residents to return to their residences, to help clarify inconsistencies in HR records. In one hour, it says that security will perform a sweep of all non-residential areas and detain anyone found. In response, SAYER instructs Resident Hale to get up and continue moving. It directs him down the hall and towards the elevator bay. Once there, it has him wait for the elevator at the far right of the bay to arrive, claiming that is "the only one that can take us where we need to go." SAYER also modifies his right index fingertip before allowing him to activate the scanner, so that the elevator in question does deliver them to the correct destination.

As the elevator moves them, it plays a rendition of "What Child Is This?", before opening its doors on Floor 13.

Trivia

 * SAYER does not identify itself or Resident Hale at the outset of the episode, implying that the audience has joined them in the middle of an ongoing conversation. This is the first instance of such a thing, and as such, is one of the very few times that the audience does not hear SAYER identify itself in the context of a one-on-one conversation.
 * This episode contains the first description of the exterior of any of Typhon's towers.
 * SAYER's concerns over whether or not it is the original SAYER instance echo OCEAN's conversation with SPEAKER in the next episode. Likewise, its view of identity as flexible foreshadows its comfort with changes to its code later.
 * That Resident Hale needs to wait for the correct elevator may imply that it is the same PORTER instance which took him to Floor 13 between "Do Not Stop Running" and "For Science".

Plot Inconsistencies

 * Resident Hale is not implied to have any special protective gear during his time on the surface of Typhon (and, in fact, the opposite might be inferred from his need to get indoors quickly). However, in "Substantial Mutual Harm", Typhon is said not to have rain because of its lack of atmosphere.

Credits
SAYER is voiced and produced by Adam Bash, who also wrote this episode.

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

Additional music by Kai Engel.

Listen to the episode here.