#fbczine

“The Oldest House is not haunted. Not in a conventional sense.” “While we have witnessed Altered Items that behave like the concept of poltergeists,” (Marshall and Salvador watch the Floppy Disk levitate items,) “afterimages of victims of AWEs,” (Alice approaches Estevez and Langston with a photo of Alan,) “even old calls left on the Hotline,” (Trench listens to the Hotline with Northmoor’s silhouette behind him,) “the FBC has yet to prove the concrete existence of ‘ghosts’.” (Darling walks through an empty office at night.) “But that doesn’t mean that we don’t feel like someone else is here with us.” “Unscientific as it may sound,” (Darling looks to the side worried with a slight blue glow on him,) “we are not alone here.” (Pope calls out to Darling from behind, startling him.)

“The most obvious culprit is the House itself. The Research Department has long debated if the Oldest House is an undescribed form of life.” (Darling listens to Trench talk as they walk through the Mail Room.) “After all, it grows and changes.” (Portions of the wall begin to shift in front of Trench and Darling.) “It maintains internal consistency.” (The walls continue to shift around them.) “It even responds to select stimuli through the rituals.” (Trench halts the shift at a control point.) “The last time I talked to Raya, she suggested that the shifts are akin to an immune response. Though she also referred to both the Mold and humans as ‘invasive species’.” (In Central Research, Underhill shows Darling a container with a Mold sample while people in hazmat suits set up a barrier behind them.) “I took it as a joke at the time, but maybe she’s right.” (Darling walks away from Underhill, waving.) “We assume on some level that the House allowed us in, but from its perspective, we might just be an infestation. Or a haunting.” (Darling alone in Central Research.)

“So, it could be the House’s presence that we’re feeling.” (Trench looks down on Central Executive from the upper floor.) “Or it could be the Board that you often complain about, keeping an eye on us.” (Ahti pokes the Clog coming out of a pipe with a mop.) “Or another entity we’ve overlooked.” (A pair of rangers present a blurry image of the Former on a projector.) “But I’m worried it’s something worse than that. Something we brought here.” (Darling shows Trench a report with a graph of red and blue energy waves. Trench grabs Darling by the lapels and shouts at him. Trench walks away from Darling with a red tint to his glasses.) “And not just…what we talked about. Or what I tried to talk to you about.” “The FBC is not a place for regrets.” (Darling shows a young Dylan the pram in the Panopticon while Trench stands to the side, smoking.) “Decisions have to be made. And decisions have consequences.” (Darling finds an older Dylan splattered with blood, standing over a pair of bodies.) “Personal feelings cannot get in the way. Not when the stakes are so high.” (Marshall and Darling argue while Trench listens.) “And there’s more work to be done.” (Darling sits in his lab looking traumatized.)