Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

SASHA
(voice echoing) Oh, hey. I've found... I've found that table you were talking about. Don't really see what all the fuss is about. Just a... basic... optical illusion. Nothing special, just... just a... Wait.

(hushed, panicked) Jon! Jon, I think there's someone here. Hello? I see you! Show yourself!

[DISTORTION INTENSIFIES, BUT IS ABRUPTLY OVERTAKEN BY STATIC.]

[THE THING OF ANGLES AND FACES IS SUDDENLY TACKLED BY A CREATURE OF TOO MANY EYES. A FIGHT ENSUES, DURING WHICH THE STATIC EBBS AND FLOWS. THE THING OF FACES SCREECHES WITH A VOICE LIKE MICROPHONE FEEDBACK, WHILE THE CREATURE OF EYES STABS IT OVER AND OVER. EVERY STAB IS ACCOMPANIED BY A BURST OF STATIC.]

[ANOTHER PERSON RUNS IN, BREATHING HEAVILY]

SASHA
Martin?

FUTURE MARTIN
Sasha!

[HE RUNS PAST THE ONGOING FIGHT TO HUG HER]

SASHA
Oh!

FUTURE MARTIN
Thank God, you're okay. We actually made it.

SASHA
Uh. Thanks? Martin, have you been crying?

[WITH ONE FINAL STAB AND EAR-GRINDING HOWL, THE THING OF FACES FALLS DEAD. THERE'S A SMALL GLITCHY NOISE BEFORE THE LINGERING STATIC FADES.]

[FUTURE MARTIN RUNS BACK TO THE CREATURE OF EYES]

FUTURE MARTIN
Jon! Jon, are you okay?

ARCHIVIST
(speaking through the tape recorder) Yes.

[SASHA SHRIEKS AND DROPS THE RECORDER.]

SASHA
What...? Did you just call that thing Jon?

FUTURE MARTIN
Oh. Yeah, it's, uh...

ARCHIVIST
(relieved, elated) Hello, Sasha. You have no idea how good it is to see you again. I do have to take this, though.

[THE ARCHIVIST PICKS UP THE TAPE RECORDER.]

SASHA
(deeply confused) Okay? Martin, what the hell is going on?!

FUTURE MARTIN
It's complicated?

ARCHIVIST
And we can't afford to stay here. Martin, we need to hurry.

FUTURE MARTIN
Right. We'll explain everything later, I promise. Just wait here until it's safe, okay? It shouldn't be long.

ARCHIVIST
And stay away from that table.

FUTURE MARTIN
Come on.

SASHA
(quickly fading) I... What?

[CLICK]

[CLICK]

[FUTURE MARTIN AND THE ARCHIVIST RUN THROUGH THE MAGNUS INSTITUTE. ONLY FUTURE MARTIN IS HEARD BREATHING HEAVILY.]

[THE ARCHIVIST STOPS BY A DOOR. A SECOND LATER, FUTURE MARTIN SHOVES IT OPEN TO A BACKGROUND HUM OF MACHINERY.]

ELIAS (JONAH)
What in— (grunts)

[FUTURE MARTIN GRABS HIM BY THE COLLAR AND SLAMS HIM INTO THE WALL.]

FUTURE MARTIN
You bastard!

ARCHIVIST
(venomous) Hello again, Jonah Magnus.

ELIAS (JONAH)
Jon? What are you... How is this possible? And why do you have a knife in your—?

FUTURE MARTIN
Shut up! (to Jon) What are we doing? Should we release the CO2 now?

ARCHIVIST
No, there's still plenty of time until... Uh.

FUTURE MARTIN
Until the old you and Tim find that trapdoor, yeah, got it.

ELIAS (JONAH)
(overlapping) Excuse me?

FUTURE MARTIN
What about him? Is the original Elias still in there this time?

ARCHIVIST
Yes. There's only a trace of him left, but it's there. We can bring him out.

FUTURE MARTIN
How?

ARCHIVIST
By removing the impediment. We cut out Jonah's eyes.

ELIAS (JONAH)
(afraid but trying to hide it) Now now, Archivist. You must be aware that if I die, so does the Institute.

ARCHIVIST
I'm aware of exactly how big a lie that is. Everyone who isn't Archival staff will be fine. Tim and Sasha and our other selves will feel an echo of your pain, the other Jon most of all, but they'll live. You were never a beating heart. You're just an inflamed nerve.

ELIAS (JONAH)
E-Even so, there's no need for violence. I'm sure we can come to an agreem—

FUTURE MARTIN
Just shut up! Don't you get it? All this time you've spent putting together your little ritual, lying to us, toying with us, pretending to be someone you're not! And you were just another pawn.

ELIAS (JONAH)
(mildly insulted) I beg your pardon?

ARCHIVIST
It was The Web, Jonah. The Web orchestrated everything. Without it, you'd just be another directionless Avatar, trying to fulfill an otherworldly yearning you could never fully understand.

ELIAS (JONAH)
...I see. If that is the case, then how could you possibly be here?

FUTURE MARTIN
Don't know, don't care. Jon?

[THE ARCHIVIST PUTS DOWN THE TAPE RECORDER.]

ARCHIVIST
I'm ready.

ELIAS (JONAH)
Now, Martin, let's—

[THEY WRESTLE HIM ONTO THE GROUND. FUTURE MARTIN STRADDLES HIM AND PINS ELIAS' HANDS UNDER HIS KNEES. THE ARCHIVIST SITS ABOVE HIS HEAD AND LOOKS DOWN AT HIM.]

[HE PULLS THE KNIFE OUT OF HIS CHEST.]

ELIAS (JONAH)
No! No, Archivist— Jon. We all know that neither of you have it in you to—

ARCHIVIST
Murder you? I just did, Jonah. And I very much enjoyed it. The blood on this knife isn't just mine. I'd say you're lucky I already took out my anger on the other you, but... I'm not the one you need to worry about.

FUTURE MARTIN
What?

[THE ARCHIVIST HOLDS OUT THE KNIFE. AFTER A LOADED MOMENT OF SILENCE, FUTURE MARTIN TAKES IT.]

FUTURE MARTIN
(deep breath) Okay.

ELIAS (JONAH)
No. No no no, Martin, don't—!

[EXTENDED SOUNDS OF MESSY EYE REMOVAL. ELIAS SCREAMS THROUGHOUT.]

[A SUCKING SQUELCH MARKS THE FIRST EYEBALL BEING EXTRACTED. FUTURE MARTIN MAKES A NOISE OF DISGUST.]

ELIAS (JONAH)
(weakly) S-Stop. Please. I don't want to die.

FUTURE MARTIN
(breathing heavily) Tough. We came from a future that you ruined, and we're going to make damn sure you can't do it again.
Here. You do the second one.

ARCHIVIST
Oh. ...Thank you.

FUTURE MARTIN
Just get it over with.

ELIAS (JONAH)
(terrified) No... Jon, no!

[MORE SCREAMS AND FLESHY SOUNDS.]

[THE SECOND EYEBALL COMES OUT WITH ANOTHER WET SQUELCH. THE SCREAMS ABRUPTLY STOP. ELIAS' FLAILING LEGS GO STILL.]

[FUTURE MARTIN'S BREATHING REMAINS HARSH. HE STUMBLES AWAY WITH A GAGGING NOISE.]

FUTURE MARTIN
I think I'm gonna puke.

ARCHIVIST
I wouldn't blame you.

[THE ARCHIVIST, FOR LACK OF A BETTER PLACE TO PUT IT, RETURNS THE KNIFE TO HIS CHEST WOUND. HE PICKS UP THE TAPE RECORDER.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Is that it? Is Jonah dead?

ARCHIVIST
Yes. His body is decaying into dust in the panopticon as we speak.

FUTURE MARTIN
Great. (gag) Great. And Elias? He's still alive?

ARCHIVIST
He is. Though, I'm not sure how long it'll take for him to... Return to himself.

FUTURE MARTIN
(flatly) Wonderful. What now?

ARCHIVIST
I think... We release the CO2, make sure the other Martin doesn't find Gertrude, and call the ECDC and ambulance from Elias' phone.

FUTURE MARTIN
And him?

ARCHIVIST
I don't know. We'll figure something out. Cover your ears.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah.

[WITH A METALLIC CLUNK, THE ARCHIVIST TURNS THE FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM'S RELEASE VALVE. THE HISS OF PRESSURIZED CO2 FILLS THE ROOM, LOUD AT FIRST, THEN QUICKLY FADING.]

[ALMOST AT THE SAME TIME, A SCREAM BUILDS TO A DEAFENING VOLUME, A NIGHTMARISH THOUSANDFOLD SCREAM THAT SEEMS TO RATTLE THE VERY WALLS, SO LOUD THAT THE TAPE ITSELF WHINES UNDER THE STRAIN]

[CLICK]

Chapter Text

[CLICK]

[TWO SETS OF FOOTSTEPS ECHO THROUGH AN UNDERGROUND TUNNEL.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Okay, it should be just up ahead.

[A DOOR CREAKS LOUDLY OPEN ON ANCIENT HINGES.]

FUTURE MARTIN
(sigh) There she is.

ARCHIVIST
Gertrude Robinson.

[THEY STEP INSIDE AND CLOSE THE DOOR. THE ARCHIVIST STARTS SEARCHING THROUGH THE BOXES OF OLD TAPES AROUND THE ROOM.]

FUTURE MARTIN
And you're sure the other Martin won't be coming here anymore?

ARCHIVIST
Yes. Jane's scream pointed him back to the Archives. I can't See exactly where he is in the tunnels, but he'll find his way back soon enough.

FUTURE MARTIN
Good. Good... God, this is weird.

ARCHIVIST
Yep.

[THE ARCHIVIST PLUCKS TWO TAPES OUT OF THE COBWEB-COVERED BOXES.]

ARCHIVIST
Here we are.

FUTURE MARTIN
What is it?

ARCHIVIST
Gertrude's tape to her successor, and the one with her murder. They should help us convince the others of... Well, all of this.

FUTURE MARTIN
Right.

[MARTIN SLUMPS AGAINST THE WALL. HE SLIDES TO THE FLOOR WITH A DEEP, WEARY SIGH.]

[THE ARCHIVIST SITS DOWN NEXT TO HIM. THE SILENCE IS HEAVY WITH UNSPOKEN WORDS.]

ARCHIVIST
...Martin?

FUTURE MARTIN
(tired) What?

ARCHIVIST
What do I look like?

FUTURE MARTIN
Wh— You don't know, you can't feel it?

ARCHIVIST
Not all of it. And I'm... I don't want to Look. I'd like to hear it from you, if that's okay.

FUTURE MARTIN
Uh, sure? Yeah, alright.
Well, you're covered in blood, obviously. And I guess you won a literal Watcher's Crown when you took over the Panopticon.

ARCHIVIST
(intonation similar to a Statement) Fourteen spikes of bleached bone. Fourteen eyes, tall and narrow like the windows of a cathedral. They should not be able to move so freely in their elongated sockets.

FUTURE MARTIN
Pretty much. And the normal eye sockets that should be there just... aren't. It's, it's all bone now. Your whole face is gone. And your jaw, it's like it got torn off. Your windpipe too, the front of your neck is just this big gaping hole. I feel like I'd see right through to your spine if I shone a light in there.

ARCHIVIST
Probably. ...My lungs are gone too.

FUTURE MARTIN
(baffled) They are?

[THE ARCHIVIST THUMPS A FIST AGAINST HIS CHEST. IT SOUNDS STRANGELY HOLLOW.]

ARCHIVIST
I haven't breathed since we got here. I tried, when we were running to Artefact Storage. I can't.

FUTURE MARTIN
...Huh. Is that... bad?

ARCHIVIST
Depends on your definition of "bad", I suppose.

FUTURE MARTIN
Well, you seem to be doing fine without them, at least?

ARCHIVIST
Looks like it.

[ANOTHER LOADED SILENCE. MARTIN TAKES A HEAVY BREATH, AS THOUGH BRACING HIMSELF FOR SOMETHING.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Are you missing your heart too?

ARCHIVIST
No, I... Yes, it's still here. It's just... Stopped.

FUTURE MARTIN
Is that why you're leaving the knife in your chest?

ARCHIVIST
(slightly confused) No. The knife, it, it feels like a part of me now. Like the tape recorders. I think it needs to be near me. And we don't have the sheath for it anymore.

FUTURE MARTIN
Well, we'll buy you a new one or something. Can you please just not leave it jammed in your ribs like that?

ARCHIVIST
Okay.

[HE REMOVES IT FROM HIS CHEST AND WIPES OFF MOST OF THE BLOOD ON HIS ALREADY STAINED CLOTHES. AFTER A MOMENT'S HESITATION, HE SLIPS IT UNDER HIS BELT.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Thank you.

[BEAT.]

ARCHIVIST
I'm sorry, Martin.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah.

ARCHIVIST
I couldn't let them out.

FUTURE MARTIN
But you did, in the end, didn't you? We both did.

ARCHIVIST
I couldn't let you die either.

FUTURE MARTIN
(slightly choked up) Yeah.
(shaky inhale)
Why not? Why couldn't you just let them go? Save the world again? We had a plan, Jon. It would've worked! But you...

 ARCHIVIST
I know. I couldn't... (sigh) I thought I couldn't bear to put someone else in the same position as me. Trapped under the weight of a dead world, wrought by decisions whose consequences I could've never understood until it was too late.

FUTURE MARTIN
(through tears) I killed you. You told me to kill you!

ARCHIVIST
I know.

FUTURE MARTIN
Don't you ever ask me to do something like that again.

ARCHIVIST
I won't. I promise.

[RUSTLING AS THEY HUG EACH OTHER. MARTIN SOBS INTO THE ARCHIVIST'S SHOULDER.]

ARCHIVIST
I'm sorry, Martin. It was the only way I could See that had any chance of saving you.

[THE ARCHIVIST IS SILENT WHILE MARTIN CRIES. SLOWLY, HE CALMS DOWN.]

ARCHIVIST
(careful tone) ...If it matters, banishing the Fears to another world would've likely killed me anyway.

FUTURE MARTIN
(flat chuckle) Of course! Of course it would have. You were never getting out of it unscathed, were you?

ARCHIVIST
I'm afraid not. The moment I started reading Jonah's ritual, it was already too late.

FUTURE MARTIN
Brilliant! Just... Brilliant.

[HE STEADIES HIMSELF WITH A FINAL WEARY EXHALE.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Okay! Okay. It's fine. It's done. Water under the bridge. Let's just move on.

ARCHIVIST
I'm sorry.

FUTURE MARTIN
No, no, it's... (sigh) Look, are you okay? Before everything went to hell, it was like you weren't even there.

ARCHIVIST
(light chuckle) I was feeling all the fear in the world, Martin. There wasn't a lot of room for anything else.

FUTURE MARTIN
And now you're not?

ARCHIVIST
I'm still an Avatar. I'm still closer to the Eye and all the Fears than possibly any other Avatar has ever been to their own patron. But the world, this world, isn't dead. I'm not the fulcrum upon which it turns. I can't destroy other Avatars just by looking at them anymore. But I can... embody the other Fears. Temporarily, at least.

FUTURE MARTIN
What do you mean?

ARCHIVIST
Do you really think I would've been capable of stabbing the Not!Them to death by myself?

FUTURE MARTIN
Oh. So that was...?

ARCHIVIST
The Slaughter. Focused through the knife.

FUTURE MARTIN
Alright then! That'll come in handy against the others.

ARCHIVIST
What?

FUTURE MARTIN
Well, killing Avatars in the Nightmare Fear Apocalypse might not have made a difference, but it will now, right?

ARCHIVIST
Oh. Right.

FUTURE MARTIN
So, we should go back to killing them, right?

ARCHIVIST
(softly) Yes.

FUTURE MARTIN
You don't sound convinced.

ARCHIVIST
No, no, you're absolutely right, I just hadn't thought about it until now.

FUTURE MARTIN
...And?

ARCHIVIST
I wouldn't want us to end up like Trevor and Julia.

FUTURE MARTIN
That's... actually fair. But we're still destroying as many Avatars as we can. We're here to fix things.

ARCHIVIST
Of course. As long as we're not... overeager.

FUTURE MARTIN
Sure.

[BEAT.]

ARCHIVIST
I also want to free Gerry again. Gerard Keay.

FUTURE MARTIN
He's...?

ARCHIVIST
In the Skin Book. With...

FUTURE MARTIN
(resigned) With Trevor and Julia. Yeah, we can do that after we're done with them.

ARCHIVIST
I don't know if we should. Kill them, I mean.

FUTURE MARTIN
What? Why not?

ARCHIVIST
They're Hunters. They're doing pretty much exactly what you want us to do.

FUTURE MARTIN
(uncertain) I... guess? But don't they, y'know, kill normal people too?

ARCHIVIST
Not yet. Not in this world. Without my interference, they might never do so.

FUTURE MARTIN
You don't Kn—? Wait, no, don't answer that. You can't Know the future, I know. (frustrated sigh) Fine, we'll burn that bridge when we come to it. There's plenty of other Avatars to deal with here first.

Should we kill— What was her name? That clown thing, the one that kidnapped you.

ARCHIVIST
Nikola Orsinov.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah, her. I mean we know her ritual can't work.

ARCHIVIST
It can't. And without access to the skin of Gertrude and Leitner—

FUTURE MARTIN
Leitner! God, I forgot about him. He's alive down here, isn't he? Should we find him?

ARCHIVIST
I... would advise against that. For now, at least.

FUTURE MARTIN
You're probably right. Anyway, sorry, what were you saying?

ARCHIVIST
That without any suitably powerful skin, they probably won't attempt it anyway.

FUTURE MARTIN
But they'll still keep terrorizing people?

ARCHIVIST
And occasionally killing them, yes. We'll deal with Nikola eventually. For Tim.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah, he'll like that.

(careful tone) ...Jon?

ARCHIVIST
Yes?

FUTURE MARTIN
Are you...? Will the written Statements be enough to feed you like this? Are you going to have to force Statements out of people again?

ARCHIVIST
I honestly don't know, Martin. But, if I had to guess... Probably.

FUTURE MARTIN
Would Avatars work?

ARCHIVIST
I... suppose? Yes. Yes, I think they would. I'd just have to be careful about them retaliating.

FUTURE MARTIN
Like Jude.

ARCHIVIST
Yes.

FUTURE MARTIN
Okay. That's... better than nothing. I-if it comes down to it.

ARCHIVIST
At least I'll be torturing the torturers?

FUTURE MARTIN
Something like that.

[PAUSE.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Can you See if the other Martin's at the Institute yet?

[BRIEF BURST OF STATIC.]

ARCHIVIST
He'll find the trapdoor any minute now. We should be able to head back up soon.

FUTURE MARTIN
Good.

ARCHIVIST
Are you okay? With food and everything, I mean.

FUTURE MARTIN
I... (tired sigh) Ish? I'm exhausted. I'm hungry. I'm damn thirsty. God, I'd kill for a cuppa right about now. What about you?

ARCHIVIST
I mean... I'm not sure how I'd eat anything besides Statements now.

FUTURE MARTIN
Right, of course.

ARCHIVIST
I could take you to another exit of the tunnels if you want. So you can go up and take care of yourself.

FUTURE MARTIN
No, no, it's... fine. I'd just get the cops called on me, I've got blood all over.
Besides, it's not like we have any money to pay for it. I didn't exactly think to grab our stuff when I was running up the tower after you.

ARCHIVIST
...Sorry.

FUTURE MARTIN
It's fine. It wasn't an accusation.

ARCHIVIST
Okay.

[SILENCE.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Can I ask you something?

ARCHIVIST
Of course.

FUTURE MARTIN
You asked me what you look like, but why do you look like that? Even in the apocalypse, all the other Avatars still looked basically human. Except for Jared, I guess.

ARCHIVIST
(light chuckle) Isn't it obvious? I was the Pupil of the Eye.

FUTURE MARTIN
And that means you get a literal crown of eyes?

ARCHIVIST
Apparently.

FUTURE MARTIN
But what about the rest of it? You didn't have a jawless skull for a face before we ended up here.

ARCHIVIST
I died. Again. And there was the Web. It wove my voice into a conduit through which the Fears could escape. This reality we ended up in already has its own Fears, so ours went elsewhere. My voice went with them.

FUTURE MARTIN
And, what, they also took all the meat you'd use to speak as well?

ARCHIVIST
Seems like it. All I have left are the tapes.

FUTURE MARTIN
That's just rude.

ARCHIVIST
(amused) I suppose it is.

FUTURE MARTIN
Speaking of where we came from... It did work, right?

ARCHIVIST
What?

FUTURE MARTIN
The plan. Is everyone okay?

ARCHIVIST
I... can't say for sure. I can't See beyond our current reality. But, from what I could feel right at the end... Yes, I believe it worked. Hopefully the world after wasn't too badly affected.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah... And we'll make sure this one never gets to that point.

ARCHIVIST
We will.

[LONG SILENCE.]

[RUSTLING WHILE FUTURE MARTIN TRIES TO MAKE HIMSELF COMFORTABLE. HE YAWNS DEEPLY.]

ARCHIVIST (CONT'D)
You could take a nap while we wait, if you want. My shoulder still has all its meat.

FUTURE MARTIN
(chuckle) The fact you even feel the need to clarify that... (sigh) No, I can't. I feel like if I fall asleep now I'm not going to wake up for a week. Keep talking to me.

ARCHIVIST
About what?

FUTURE MARTIN
I don't know. What else we can fix, maybe? Who else we can save?

ARCHIVIST
Melanie. Ghost Hunt UK hasn't fully dissolved yet. We'll need to convince her not to chase her "war ghosts". Or be ready to cut a Slaughter bullet out of her leg before it goes rotten.

FUTURE MARTIN
That already sounds like it's going to get complicated.

ARCHIVIST
Probably.
Daisy. The hunt has her. And without the discovery of Gertrude's body, she'll probably never even meet us.

FUTURE MARTIN
(seeking confirmation) But she's a Hunter. Like Trevor and Julia.

ARCHIVIST
(hesitant) She's further along than them, actually. And yet she's the only one who I know for certain has the capacity to change.

FUTURE MARTIN
So... What do we do about her?

ARCHIVIST
I don't... want, to kill her. But I also have no idea how we could break the Hunt's grasp on her without doing like Breekon and trapping her in the Coffin. Even if we manage that without it, if she decides to stop hunting entirely like she did before, she'll die anyway.

FUTURE MARTIN
But at least it'll be her choice.

ARCHIVIST
(quietly) Yes.

FUTURE MARTIN
...Does that... scare you?

ARCHIVIST
It does. I can't...
When I was in a coma, I chose the Eye to escape the End. I don't want to die any more than Jonah did. The only thing that could convince me otherwise is...

FUTURE MARTIN
Me. My death.

ARCHIVIST
Yes. If I can live exclusively on the written Statements of the Archives, great. But if not... I'm not going to starve myself to death.

FUTURE MARTIN
All the more reason to hunt down as many Avatars as we can.

ARCHIVIST
Mm. On that note, actually, we should burn the web table.

FUTURE MARTIN
Agreed. Probably Gertrude's body as well? Just in case.

ARCHIVIST
Yes. I can do it right before we leave.

FUTURE MARTIN
Okay. Anyone else?

ARCHIVIST
Hmmm. I'm not sure what to do about Leitner. He's not just down here on a whim, he's hiding from everyone who hates him. I'm not sure if he'll be safe anywhere else.

FUTURE MARTIN
True... Wasn't he also doing something with Gertrude before she got killed?

ARCHIVIST
He was helping her destroy the Institute. By the time he was done moving the gas main in the tunnels and found her here, Jonah was already gone, and he never knew the tape with the evidence was left here.

FUTURE MARTIN
Should we... also be thinking about burning the Institute? Are you still tied to it?

ARCHIVIST
Not to this one. And I don't think we need to, not without Jonah pulling the strings. Besides, there's a chance I might need the Archives.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah, fair...
Anyway, about Leitner. What if we went after Salesa?

ARCHIVIST
What?

FUTURE MARTIN
I mean he's got that magic broken camera, right? And if we're not letting the world end again, he's not going to need it anymore. So, what if we track him down, tell him everything, and give the camera to Leitner?

ARCHIVIST
That's... actually a very neat solution. Assuming they both agree, of course.

[MARTIN STARTS TO RESPOND, BUT YAWNS WIDE INSTEAD. HE GROANS, AND RUBS HIS EYES.]

ARCHIVIST (CONT'D)
(amused) Are you sure you don't want a nap? You could at least put your head on my lap.

FUTURE MARTIN
...Yeah, alright. But don't let me fall asleep.

ARCHIVIST
I won't.

[RUSTLING AS THEY REPOSITION. MARTIN SIGHS CONTENTEDLY.]

FUTURE MARTIN
I can see the roof of your mouth from down here.

ARCHIVIST
Sorry.

FUTURE MARTIN
Don't apologize. It wasn't a complaint. Although, I will miss kissing you.

ARCHIVIST
Me too.

FUTURE MARTIN
They just had to take away one last comfort on the way out, didn't they?

ARCHIVIST
Are you surprised?

FUTURE MARTIN
No, just frustrated. But we'll make it work.

ARCHIVIST
(faintly despondent) Yes.

[MARTIN YAWNS A THIRD TIME, THEN MAKES A NOISE OF PROTEST.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Jon, don't pet my hair, you know that puts me to sleep.

ARCHIVIST
(through mild laughter) Sorry. It's hard not to when you're down there.

FUTURE MARTIN
We need to get you a cat.

ARCHIVIST
I'd love to. I don't think Georgie will let me visit the Admiral like this.

FUTURE MARTIN
Eh, I don't know. She is literally fearless. If anyone here can be normal about how you look, it's her.

ARCHIVIST
Potentially. She might learn about me through Melanie anyway.

FUTURE MARTIN
Are they dating already?

ARCHIVIST
Not yet. They're just friends with similar ghostly interests.

FUTURE MARTIN
How spookily romantic.

ARCHIVIST
Don't let the old me hear you say that.

FUTURE MARTIN
Heh, I forgot you used to hate that word. Now I'm definitely going to.

[THE ARCHIVIST HUMS A QUIET CHUCKLE.]

FUTURE MARTIN (CONT'D)
This is still so weird. I mean, there's two of me! And two of you!

ARCHIVIST
There is.

FUTURE MARTIN
At least you look different. I'm—

ARCHIVIST
Martin, your hair is mostly white now.

FUTURE MARTIN
Oh. Right.

[THE ARCHIVIST SNICKERS. THROUGH THE TAPE RECORDER, IT SOUNDS FAINTLY LIKE STATIC.]

FUTURE MARTIN (CONT'D)
(in mock offense) Excuse me for not encountering any mirrors since Salesa's.

ARCHIVIST
(fondly amused) You are excused.

FUTURE MARTIN
Christ, we probably look terrible, don't we? Even without all the blood.

ARCHIVIST
We are also covered in soot, yes. And plenty of other things less visible but equally gross.

FUTURE MARTIN
I bet I can convince the other Martin to let us use his shower.

ARCHIVIST
Probably. It is technically your shower too.

FUTURE MARTIN
Ugh, don't start. It's already hard enough to stay awake without a metaphysical debate about... ownership...

[THE LAST WORD IS SPOKEN THROUGH A MASSIVE YAWN.]

Nope. Nope. I need to move before I pass out.

[HE STANDS UP WITH A GRUNT. THE ARCHIVIST FOLLOWS SUIT SHORTLY AFTER, TAPE RECORDER IN HAND. UNDER THE NOISE OF RUSTLING CLOTHES, THERE'S A QUIET BURST OF STATIC.]

ARCHIVIST
You're in luck. The ECDC is almost done with the other Martin. We can be on our way.

FUTURE MARTIN
Finally. Let's set our old friend on fire already and get out of here.

ARCHIVIST
(amused) Of course. I'd wait outside if I were you.

FUTURE MARTIN
Nah, it's fine. What's one last clandestine cremation?

ARCHIVIST
Suit yourself.

[SLOWLY, A DULL NOISE OF BURNING BECOMES AUDIBLE. IT ABRUPTLY SPIKES INTO A ROAR OF FLAMES THAT ENGULFS GERTRUDE ROBINSON'S CORPSE. ROTTEN FAT SIZZLES AND BONE CRACKS AS SHE IS REDUCED TO ASH, CHAIR AND ALL, IN LESS THAN A MINUTE.]

ARCHIVIST (CONT'D)
Rest in peace, Gertrude.

FUTURE MARTIN
I was expecting more smoke.

ARCHIVIST
The Desolation can be efficient, on occasion.

[HE OPENS THE DOOR WITH A LOUD CREAK.]

ARCHIVIST
After you.

[THEY WALK OUT AND SHUT THE DOOR. THEIR FOOTSTEPS ECHO DOWN THE TUNNEL.]

[CLICK]

Chapter Text

[CLICK]

JON
There. Now tell me again. For the record.

SASHA
(exasperated) Jon, I don't know what else you want me to say.

I was in Artefact Storage next to that table you've been going on about. I saw a weird thing that looked like a migraine that I'm pretty sure was about to kill me. It got attacked by another thing, person, whatever, with a knife and a, a crown of eyes. And then Martin comes barreling around the corner, except he looks like death and he hugs me like he hasn't seen me in years.

JON
And he called this being with eyes...

SASHA
Jon. He called it Jon. It spoke through the tape recorder with your voice.

JON
(quiet) So you've said.

[BRIEF, THOUGH HEAVY, SILENCE.]

TIM
Yeeaah, that's probably not a good sign, is it?

SASHA
I mean, they did kill the, whatever that thing was.

MARTIN
S-Sorry. I'm still— Jon, are you sure you're okay? Tim said you cried blood.

JON
Yes, Martin, I'm fine. The ECDC doctors said there should be no permanent damage.

MARTIN
Well, should doesn't mean—

JON
And they prescribed me eyedrops, which I'm going to buy as soon as we've fully explored the fact that there is apparently some creature posing as a twisted copy of me somewhere in the Institute.

TIM
Don't forget about Martin's hotter double.

MARTIN
Hey!

SASHA
(suppressing laughter) You're not wrong. It was like he stepped right out of an apocalypse movie.

TIM
(overly dramatic) Maybe him and Jon's evil future self came back to the past to take over the Institute.

[SASHA LAUGHS. MARTIN FAILS TO FULLY SUPPRESS HIS OWN LAUGHTER.]

JON
This is not the time for jokes, Tim!

TIM
Says you.

JON
Yes! I do! Because—

[HE CUTS HIMSELF OFF WHEN THEY HEAR KNOCKING.]

JON
Was that...?

SASHA
The trapdoor.

[IT SWINGS OPEN. FOOTSTEPS CLIMB OUT.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Uh. Hi, everyone. (through a smile) Tim.

SASHA
(like she doesn't believe what she's saying) Hi... Martin.

MARTIN
Uh.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah, it's weird. Sorry.

MARTIN
(high) Weird? You look like you murdered someone!

FUTURE MARTIN
(hesitant) I did? Sort of? Or, well, no, Jonah we definitely murdered, but this isn't from that. His was actually—

JON
Enough! Where is it?

FUTURE MARTIN
Where is...?

JON
The other—! (breath) The thing with a crown of eyes.

FUTURE MARTIN
Oh. Well, we were going to wait until later, but... (over his shoulder) Jon?

[THE ARCHIVIST EMERGES FROM THE TRAPDOOR. SOMEONE GASPS.]

ARCHIVIST
(through his own tape recorder) Hello.

TIM
...Wow. You weren't kidding about the eye crown.

SASHA
Of course not.

ARCHIVIST
Tim. It's good to see you again.

TIM
Uh. Happy to be of service?

JON
(confrontational) What are you? Why do you have my voice?

ARCHIVIST
(light chuckle) Ah. Shame. I was curious to find out what being Compelled feels like.

FUTURE MARTIN
Jon...

ARCHIVIST
Sorry. To answer your question: I'm the Archivist.

JON
And that's supposed to mean something?

ARCHIVIST
No... Not yet, I suppose. But maybe these will—

JON
Stay where you are!

[THE ARCHIVIST SIGHS. IT'S FAINTLY LACED WITH STATIC.]

ARCHIVIST
Can you...?

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah, I got it.

[HE RECEIVES THREE TAPES AND WALKS OVER TO THE OTHERS.]

Here's your tape back.

SASHA
Oh! Thanks...

[HE INSERTS ANOTHER TAPE AND STARTS IT.]

[TAPE CLICKS OFF.]

[SILENCE.]

JON
(to himself) Jurgen...?

SASHA
...Huh.

TIM
(overly dramatic) So there really was a geriatric conspiracy.

SASHA
(snicker) Told you.

MARTIN
W-Wait, sorry, can we focus on the fact that Jon is in danger?

ARCHIVIST
I wouldn't worry about that.

MARTIN
Why not?

ARCHIVIST
Because he's not the most important Archivist anymore.

JON
(mildly offended) And you are?

ARCHIVIST
(matter-of-fact) Yes.

JON
(scoff) Why should we even trust anything you say? You're a monster.

SASHA
Jon...

ARCHIVIST
No, it's okay. Let him vent. He has every right to be scared.

JON
I'm not—!

ARCHIVIST
(overlapping) But, I have to point out that you trusted Michael about the fire extinguishers, even after he stabbed Sasha.

JON
He was extracting a worm!

ARCHIVIST
And I killed the thing that was about to kill her. I didn't even have to hurt her for it.

JON
You—!

SASHA
Jon. Stop. I think he's at least proven he's not here to immediately kill us. Let's hear him out.

JON
(huff) Fine. But that still doesn't explain why he and this, this other Martin are here.

FUTURE MARTIN
Well, I don't know why, but I can tell you how, sort of.

[WHILE FUTURE MARTIN SPEAKS, THE ARCHIVIST MOVES TO HIS SIDE.]

Tim, you remember that portal you found? The one the worms were making?

TIM
Yeah?

FUTURE MARTIN
That's where we came out.

TIM
(confused) I pumped two whole extinguishers into that room.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah, I know. We got out before you found it, we must've barely missed each other.

JON
Get to the point.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah, yeah, just a second. (dramatic inhale) We're from the future.

[BEAT.]

[TIM BURSTS OUT LAUGHING.]

MARTIN
What?

SASHA
Are you serious?

JON
That is absurd.

TIM
I was right! (singsong) III waaas riiight, III waaas riiight.

JON
(overlapping) Tim.

TIM
Sorry boss! Looks like we're under new management. Eye-crown-Jon has seniority.

JON
Tim!

[SASHA AND THE ARCHIVIST LAUGH.]

ARCHIVIST
No, I don't think we'll be sticking around forever. In fact, you don't have to either. You can all quit whenever you want now that Jonah is dead.

JON
So you've said, yet according to Gertrude's tape, Jonah Magnus was Elias, and we only found him with his eyes missing.

ARCHIVIST
Jonah extended his life by replacing the eyes of new hosts with his own. They were his lifeline. Without a living body to house them, his original one can't sustain itself. He's dead.

The pain you all felt before was us cutting out his eyes. My past self here was the one most tightly bound to Jonah, so he suffered the worst effects. But thankfully, it's still early enough that the damage wasn't fatal.

MARTIN
Fatal?!

JON
(simultaneous) Fatal?

SASHA
What about Elias? They said he was in a coma, the ECDC took him into quarantine until he wakes up.

ARCHIVIST
He'll be fine. Besides the blindness, of course. He'll wake up eventually.

TIM
(almost laughing) Wait, wait, they said the worms ate his eyes. Did you just leave worms dead worms in his eye holes?

ARCHIVIST
...Yes.

[TIM GUFFAWS. SOME OF THE OTHERS MAKE NOISES OF DISGUST.]

FUTURE MARTIN
We just wanted to avoid the police getting involved. It didn't end well last time.

ARCHIVIST
Yes. To clarify: the future we come from isn't yours. Our presence here has already changed everything. Where we come from, Jonah completed his ritual. The Eye, and all the other Fears, took over the world. It was in the process of turning the world back that we were pulled out of our reality and, somehow, ended up here.

You're not going to end up like me, Jonathan. I'll make sure of it.

JON
...I see.

MARTIN
Thank you? I guess?

SASHA
(hesitant) ...In your future, were me and Tim...

FUTURE MARTIN
Dead.

ARCHIVIST
You to the Not-Them, back in Artefact Storage. Tim two years from now.

TIM
...Oh.

ARCHIVIST
There were more dead, but you don't know them.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah. We didn't choose to be here, but we're going to make the best of it.

MARTIN
...Thanks.

[SILENCE.]

ARCHIVIST
Well, we brought one more tape. It might be unnecessary now, but...

[HE SWAPS OUT THE TAPES AND CLICKS IT ON.]

[TAPE CLICKS OFF.]

TIM
(blows out a breath) Damn. Never thought silver-spoon-Elias would have the guts to kill someone.

MARTIN
I-I mean, they said it wasn't really Elias, was it?

ARCHIVIST
Correct.

SASHA
Does that mean Gertrudes corpse is somewhere below the Institute?

ARCHIVIST
It was. We burned it.

SASHA
Why?

ARCHIVIST
Because it would've been very useful to some of the... Avatars, the incarnations that she talked about, if they ever found it.

JON
Would that be related to this "Dark business", the Grand Eclipse she mentioned?

ARCHIVIST
Not these specific Avatars, no. (pause) Are we ready for an explanation on all the Fears?

SASHA
Yes.

JON
I suppose.

MARTIN
Sure?

TIM
Lay it on me, future boss.

[FUTURE MARTIN SUDDENLY YAWNS.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Oh. Sorry! Sorry. It's been a long, long day.

ARCHIVIST
There is a cot here.

FUTURE MARTIN
Don't remind me.

MARTIN
You can use it. I-If you want. I guess it is kind of yours too.

[FUTURE MARTIN LETS OUT AN EXHAUSTED, EXASPERATED GROAN.]

FUTURE MARTIN
I don't want to leave you explaining everything by yourself...

ARCHIVIST
I think I'll be fine. Get some rest.

FUTURE MARTIN
(sigh) Alright. Don't wander too far.

ARCHIVIST
Never.

[FUTURE MARTIN WALKS OUT. THE SILENCE THAT FOLLOWS IS A LITTLE TOO LONG.]

TIM
Waaait a minute...

ARCHIVIST
(smug) Yes, Tim?

TIM
Are you...?

ARCHIVIST
Are we what, Tim?

[BEAT.]

TIM
You are!

SASHA
No way.

MARTIN
Um...

TIM
They're together! You're together!

MARTIN
(high) What?!

JON
Th-That is highly unprofessional!

TIM
Oh, I'll bet it is.

SASHA
(laughing) Tim...

JON
I am ending this conversation.

TIM
Sure you are.

ARCHIVIST
(calm) Tim, I think that's enough. How about we get back to the Fears?

JON
(grumpy) Please.

TIM
(under his breath) Fear of rejection, more like.

[SASHA SUPPRESSES A LAUGH.]

[THE ARCHIVIST'S VOICE IN THE TAPE RECORDER SOUNDS AS THOUGH HE TAKES A DEEP, STATICKY BREATH.]

ARCHIVIST
(similar to a Statement) You've already begun to learn about the Fears. They're behind all the real Statements that come through here, those with strange wrinkles that never record digitally. Some oppose each other as much as up opposes down, but they are all Fear, aspects of a single thing. Like colors, if colors hated you.

And, much like colors, you could split and classify them in any number of ways. For us, the most relevant is Robert Smirke's classification of 14.

The Institute, and by extension you, if you choose to remain, serves the Eye. Beholding. Ceaseless Watcher. It is the only power capable of changing the world in its image, because the Archivist is the only ritual capable of incorporating aspects of all the disparate Fears.

The previously mentioned Dark is, in many ways, the Eye's most direct opposite. The Forever Blind is the fear of darkness, the unseen and the hidden. The actions of its followers are often a blindspot to us who choose the Eye.

The recently deceased Jane Prentiss was a devotee of the Corruption. The Crawling Rot. The fear of disease, filth, insects and all things that make your skin prickle with disgust. It also encompasses the rot of toxic belonging, the sick blend of being both loved and violated.

Your friend Michael was once one of Gertrude's very own assistants, sacrificed in the name of stopping a doomsday ritual that was always doomed to fail. All that's left of him now is an identity to be wielded by a creature known as the Distortion, itself a fractal outgrowth of the Spiral. The Twisting Deceit. The fear of madness, of your senses lying to you, of the world being somehow askew.

A related Fear is the Stranger. Where the Spiral is madness, the Stranger is uncanny. It is the fear of things not quite human, of unknown intentions, of knowing something is wrong but not what. It has affinity to anything meant to resemble the human form, mannequins, dolls, clowns, waxworks, even taxidermy. The Circus of the Other serves the Stranger. They'd be the ones who'd want Gertrude's skin.

For everything below the skin, there is the Flesh. A Fear born of the slaughterhouse, of the billions of livestock fearing for their deliberately short lifes every day. It tangles itself with our neuroses, body horror, dysmorphia, being nothing more than meat to be consumed. It may be the second newest Fear.

The other animal Fear is the Hunt, a primal fear of being chased, becoming prey. We as humans have largely removed ourselves from the food chain, but we can still feel it and, more importantly, we've always been predators. The Hunt manifests vampires as predators, and they in turn become prey to those of us who enjoy the chase too much not to become Hunters themselves.

Another singularly violent Fear, though wrought entirely by human hands, is the Slaughter. The fear of violence, unpredictable yet inescapable, a Fear that thrives in all the wars ever waged across the face of the Earth. It also has a strange affinity for maddening music.

Then, there is the Desolation. Lightless Flame. Blackened Earth. It is the fear not of violence, but of pain and loss, of potential and hope unceremoniously and torturously snuffed out. Theirs is a fire without heat or light, though they enjoy traditional immolation just as well.

Now, all the Fears can and often do cause death, but fear of death itself is the End. Terminus. All things that live fear it, deep down. All things that live cannot, and will not, avoid it. Death is often patient, for it always comes for all.

What happens after it? Nothing. But some see the end of all things not as it is, but as the end of humanity specifically, and if so, what comes after us? That is the Extinction. The Terrible Change. The newest Fear, not part of Smirke's 14. Doomsday, apocalypse, a global suicide by a thousand million billion emissions and nuclear fissions.

Yes, if such a thing came to pass, it would be less than a blip in the unfathomable scale of the universe. This is the Vast. The Falling Titan. Heights, vertigo, wide open spaces, anything large enough to make us dread the true depth of our insignificance to the uncaring Void.

In the face of all that, many would feel utterly alone, even around other people. These are Forsaken. The Lonely. The fear, and sometimes comfort in, isolation, being forgotten and unnoticed. The Lukas family are loyal followers.

The Vast's opposite is the Buried. Choke. Too Close I Cannot Breathe. In some ways, a simple fear of small spaces, claustrophobia, underground,, but it can also manifest as a more metaphorical kind of pressure and entrapment with debt and poverty.

And finally, our last of the then 14, now 15, is the Web. The Great Spider. The Hidden Machination. The fear of being controlled, manipulated, of being bent to another's will with or without your knowledge. As the name implies, it manifests in spiders and their webs, as well as marionettes and addictions.

(normal tone) Which brings me to your lighter.

JON
(as though coming out of a trance) What?

ARCHIVIST
Your lighter, Jonathan. Hand it over.

JON
Oh. Uh... Here.

[HE PLACES IT ON THE TABLE. THE ARCHIVIST PICKS IT UP.]

[THERE'S A SUDDEN IMPLOSION, A PUFF OF FLAME, A SIZZLE, AND THE FADING WHINE OF HEAT-STRESSED METAL.]

MARTIN
Jesus!

[THE NOW DESTROYED LIGHTER SLIPS OFF THE ARCHIVIST'S PALM AND BOUNCES TO A STANDSTILL.]

ARCHIVIST
Listen closely, all of you. The Web can think. It's the only Fear that has anything resembling a human mind. It orchestrated everything in my world.

It led Jonah to the conclusion that only the Archivist could become a successful ritual. It shepherded me, almost since birth, through every necessary encounter with the other Fears on that path, each one scarring in its own way. It instilled compulsions in me that I can never break away from. And the first real, tangible anchor of its power over me... was this bloody lighter.

I'm going to burn the table in Artefact Storage, and I'd recommend you all develop a healthy suspicion of spiders and their webs as well. Just try not to overthink it. It's an easy trap to fall into.

[SILENCE.]

SASHA
(heavy exhale) Damn.

TIM
(starkly serious) One of them is clowns and skin?

ARCHIVIST
The Stranger. The being you're after is the ringmaster of the Circus of the Other. She currently goes by the name Nikola Orsinov.

My Tim died fighting against them.

TIM
Mm.

SASHA
(gentle) Tim...

MARTIN
Sorry, am I missing something?

[TIM HUFFS AND STORMS OUT, SLAMMING THE DOOR BEHIND HIM.]

SASHA
Tim!

ARCHIVIST
Let him go. He needs time.

JON
What was that?

MARTIN
Yeah, I'm also a little confused?

ARCHIVIST
It's not my story to tell. Let's just say he had... an encounter with the Circus that led to him coming to work here.

JON
...I see.

ARCHIVIST
(amused) You still don't fully believe me, do you? About me being you?

JON
I...

ARCHIVIST
Come now, Jonathan. We both know just how insidious Mister Spider can be.

JON
(frightened gasp)

SASHA
Woah.

MARTIN
Jon? Is everything alright?

SASHA
You look like you're about to pass out.

JON
I... (clears throat) Yes! Yes, I'm fine, everything's fine.

MARTIN
Are you s—?

JON
Yes, I'm sure.

SASHA
Is this also not "your story to tell"?

ARCHIVIST
No, it is. But I won't be the one to tell it. Not today. I think we've all had enough excitement for the time being.

SASHA
Fine. What happens next, then?

ARCHIVIST
I'll put in a requisition for the transfer of the web table before I burn it. Other than that, I'm going to wait until Martin wakes up before I figure out anything else. I'll be here, if Tim wants to talk.

JON
...Right. R-Right! Then I think we could all do with taking the rest of the day off. There's... a lot to think about.

MARTIN
Yeah...

SASHA
Understatement, really.

JON
Can you tell Tim on the way out?

SASHA
Sure thing. Martin, coming?

MARTIN
Oh, uh. N-no, you can go. I still need to get my stuff out of the Archive.

SASHA
Alright. See you Monday. Maybe.

MARTIN
You too.

[SASHA LEAVES.]

JON
You can go, Martin.

MARTIN
...Sure. I'll just be in the other room, I guess.

[MARTIN WALKS OUT.]

[SILENCE.]

JON
So. You are me, then.

ARCHIVIST
Perhaps a more accurate way of putting it is to say that I was you. I am what you would've become, by choice and not.

JON
Would have. But not anymore.

ARCHIVIST
Not if I have a say in it, and I daresay I do.

JON
So it seems.

ARCHIVIST
Go home, Jonathan. Rest. Quit, if you like. I would.

JON
I'll... consider it. Don't... (sigh) Just don't make a mess in here.

ARCHIVIST
Of course.

[JON LEAVES.]

[THE ARCHIVIST CHUCKLES.]

And the Story Spinner continues its work. I suppose I can allow that much. Let's find out just how flexible your web really is, Spider.

Goodbye, for now.

[CLICK]

Chapter Text

[CLICK.]

ARCHIVIST
(sleepy) Mm?

Oh. Listening in again, are we? Is Martin about to wake up?

[BED COVERS BEGIN TO RUSTLE.]

Of course he is. I'm not sure what you expect to hear that's relevant, but suit yourself.

[MORE RUSTLING. MARTIN MOANS SLEEPILY, THEN GROANS, THEN YELPS.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Oh, Christ, Jon. As if waking up to you with your eyes open wasn't bad enough.

ARCHIVIST
Sorry.

FUTURE MARTIN
No. No. It's fine. Just need time to get used to it. (groan) When are we?

ARCHIVIST
It's almost noon, on Saturday, 30th July 2016. We're in the Institute, alone.

FUTURE MARTIN
Right. Time travel. I remember. Did you say noon?

ARCHIVIST
You slept for almost 20 hours. It looked peaceful.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah. God, now I definitely need some tea, I feel like a raisin.

ARCHIVIST
The other Martin left some made for you in the break room. And some clothes. And his credit card.

FUTURE MARTIN
You're joking.

ARCHIVIST
I asked him to before he left. For the card, at least. The rest was his idea.

[RUSTLING.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Wow. There it is. Remind me to thank him next time.

ARCHIVIST
Sure.

FUTURE MARTIN
Okay. (grunt) Okay. Let's go get some food in me. Did you sleep well?

[THEY WALK THROUGH THE ARCHIVE.]

ARCHIVIST
Not exactly. It was the same as back in the tunnels. In our world.

FUTURE MARTIN
Drifting on the edge of sleep?

ARCHIVIST
Pretty much. But it's fine. I'm used to it.

[MARTIN MAKES A SMALL NOISE OF DISPLEASURE. HE STARTS GOING THROUGH THE CABINETS IN THE BREAK ROOM.]

FUTURE MARTIN
And breakfast? Are you going to have a Statement?

ARCHIVIST
No, I... I don't think that'll be necessary. When you found me at the top of the Panopticon, I'd just done one about the Fears themselves. It was (heh) quite filling.

FUTURE MARTIN
About the Fears?

ARCHIVIST
Their origins. How they came to be the Entities we know.

FUTURE MARTIN
Could you repeat it?

ARCHIVIST
I... could? You want to hear it?

FUTURE MARTIN
Sure. That sounds interesting.

ARCHIVIST
Alright then.

[THE SOUND OF MARTIN IMPROVISING BREAKFAST IS OVERTAKEN BY STATIC, WHICH THEN FADES BRIEFLY TO SILENCE.]

[STATIC FADES IN, THEN OUT. THE ARCHIVIST PULLS A BRAND NEW TAPE OUT OF THE RECORDER.]

FUTURE MARTIN
So— Wait. Where did that tape come from?

ARCHIVIST
It's a Statement. I wanted to have it to share with the others later, so it gave me a tape.

FUTURE MARTIN
I— (sigh) You know what, I'm going to stop questioning the damn recorders.

Anyway, the Hunt was the first?

ARCHIVIST
Something like it. Even while I was speaking the Statement, it wasn't clear. Nothing about the Fears is ever set in stone.

FUTURE MARTIN
Always with the dream logic. At least it's not the entire bloody world anymore.

[THE NOISE OF MARTIN DROPPING HIS USED DISHES IN THE SINK GIVES WAY TO STUNNED SILENCE.]

ARCHIVIST
Martin?

FUTURE MARTIN
It's not the entire world.

ARCHIVIST
(pleased) It's not.

FUTURE MARTIN
Jon, I— I slept. No nightmares.

ARCHIVIST
I told you it looked peaceful.

FUTURE MARTIN
You did, and I didn't— We're here! We're really here, we're back. The world isn't over.

ARCHIVIST
It's not.

FUTURE MARTIN
(laughing) I just had breakfast! Because I was hungry!

ARCHIVIST
You did.

[MARTIN'S LAUGH BECOMES SOMETHING LIKE SOBS. HE TAKES A DEEP, HARSH BREATH.]

FUTURE MARTIN
I'm okay. I'm okay. It just hadn't fully sunk in yet, you know?

ARCHIVIST
Yes. What do you want to do in this brave old world?

FUTURE MARTIN
(chuckle) Well, I'd hate to be accused of asking for too much, but a proper bath sounds great right about now.

ARCHIVIST
I don't know about a proper bath, but I'm sure we can figure something with the staff's cleaning supplies. If that pleases your majesty?

[MARTIN LAUGHS.]

FUTURE MARTIN
I'd scrub myself with wire wool if that's all we had.

ARCHIVIST
No need for such drastic measures. Now, if you'll follow me?

FUTURE MARTIN
Lead on, good sir.

[CLICK.]

[CLICK.]

[FOOTSTEPS TOWARD THE GROWING SOUND OF GROCERIES BEING PUT AWAY.]

ARCHIVIST
How was grocery shopping?

FUTURE MARTIN
Oh, there you are. It was fine, just a bit crowded. It was actually kind of nice seeing so many people again.

[A FRIDGE DOOR IS SHUT.]

How about you? Any news?

ARCHIVIST
In a sense.

[NOISE OF PAGES.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Wha— Is that...?

ARCHIVIST
The Seven Lamps of Architecture. I tracked down Leitner in the tunnels while you were out.

FUTURE MARTIN
Right! How'd that go?

ARCHIVIST
He was harder to convince than the others. (amused) He tried to entomb me, like the Not-Them in our world. I managed to talk him down eventually.

FUTURE MARTIN
And the book?

ARCHIVIST
I figure it might come in handy if we're ever up against an Avatar inside a Smirke building. If nothing else, it'll make moving all those boxes in Gertrude's room up here easier.

FUTURE MARTIN
He just gave it to you?

ARCHIVIST
After I explained everything, yes. Otherwise, he'll be staying down there.

FUTURE MARTIN
Are we introducing him to the others?

ARCHIVIST
He asked me not to, and I see no reason to go against it.

FUTURE MARTIN
Probably for the best.

So I was thinking. You said you can "embody" the other Fears or whatever. Could you use that to... fix yourself up?

ARCHIVIST
What do you mean?

FUTURE MARTIN
You know. se some Flesh powers or something to regrow all your missing parts, get rid of the eye crown, all that. Would that work?

ARCHIVIST
I... hadn't considered it. Let me see.

[STATIC RISES, THEN FALLS.]

Mm, no, I can't regrow anything. I could, ah, acquire new flesh and reshape it to look like my face did, but...

FUTURE MARTIN
But that would require desecrating a corpse.

ARCHIVIST
At best. And even if I stole an entire respiratory system, vocal cords and all, I don't think I'll ever speak again without the tape recorders. I can't undo the Watcher's Crown either.

FUTURE MARTIN
Bummer. Can you at least close up that stab in your chest?

ARCHIVIST
Oh. Yes, actually. (brief fleshy sound) Done.

FUTURE MARTIN
Good. ...What about the Lonely?

ARCHIVIST
What about it?

FUTURE MARTIN
When I was with Peter, near the end there, I could sort of... hide? Just not be there if I wanted to avoid someone? Could you do that to go out and such?

[SUBTLE STATIC.]

Wh— Jon?

[AGAIN.]

ARCHIVIST
Apparently yes. I'm not sure how long I could keep it up, though. Channeling the other powers for long gets exponentially harder. Even my connection to the Eye is thinner now. It takes a lot more effort to Know things, especially in the abstract.

FUTURE MARTIN
So no more questions about whether God is real then?

ARCHIVIST
(amused) I don't think so, no.

...Martin, I...

FUTURE MARTIN
What?

ARCHIVIST
I can still open the door.

FUTURE MARTIN
What door?

ARCHIVIST
To the Fears. I could— I'm a successful ritual, Martin.

FUTURE MARTIN
(overlapping) Oh.

ARCHIVIST
I can feel the edges of reality, the Fears pushing against them. It's—

After my come, there was this one time Basira was pushing me about my connection to the Eye. I explained that it felt like a door in my mind, with the entire ocean of humanity's knowledge behind it, and if I opened it, I'd drown.

Now, it's a new door, and if I ever open this one...

FUTURE MARTIN
The world drowns instead.

ARCHIVIST
And the key is always in my hand.

FUTURE MARTIN
(heavy exhale) Okay. I mean, could anyone ever make you use it? Like Jonah did?

ARCHIVIST
I don't know. Annabelle, maybe?

FUTURE MARTIN
Of course it'd be her. I was going to ask what she's up to.

[STATIC FADES IN.]

ARCHIVIST
I...

[STATIC INTENSIFIES. THE ARCHIVIST MAKES SEVERAL STRAINED SOUNDS.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Jon...?

[THE STATIC ABRUPTLY ENDS WITH A GLITCH-LIKE NOISE AND THE SLAP OF A HAND ONTO THE NEAREST SURFACE FOR SUPPORT.]

Jon!

ARCHIVIST
I'm okay! I'm... Ow.

FUTURE MARTIN
What was that? All your eyes just went nuts.

ARCHIVIST
I was trying to See Annabelle and... I couldn't. Can't.

FUTURE MARTIN
Okaaay. What does that mean?

ARCHIVIST
I'm not sure. Maybe I'm not strong enough to See that far anymore. Or maybe she's hidden somehow, like back at Salesa's. She might even be with this world's Salesa.

FUTURE MARTIN
So she's hiding. Great. I already don't like it.

ARCHIVIST
Agreed. I'll try to keep an eye out for her, but...

FUTURE MARTIN
Nothing we can do about it now.

ARCHIVIST
No...

[STATIC.]

I think... she wasn't hidden when we got here.

FUTURE MARTIN
When we came out of the worm portal?

ARCHIVIST
Yes. Obviously I wasn't Looking for it at the time, we had much more immediate concerns, but Seeing it now... She was in Oxford, and while we were waiting down in the tunnels, I think, she started moving north. I don't know where she was headed, I can't follow her trail past somewhere around Yorkshire.

FUTURE MARTIN
So, she moved because of us?

ARCHIVIST
I can't know for sure, but that'd be my guess.

FUTURE MARTIN
If we went up there, would you be able to track her down?

ARCHIVIST
Maybe?

FUTURE MARTIN
Alright. We'll put that on the list. (sigh) Somewhere between "kill all the Avatars" and "stop the end of the world forever".

ARCHIVIST
(amused) You sound tired.

FUTURE MARTIN
It's just... It's a lot. We've got so much to do, and we're just here getting groceries and—

ARCHIVIST
Hey, hey. Easy. We just came out of an apocalypse, Martin. I think we're allowed a single weekend to rest.

FUTURE MARTIN
(heavy sigh) Yeah, alright.

ARCHIVIST
We could use some of this time to plan, if you're really worried, but at the very least, we owe it to the others to stay a while. Besides, we're going to need phones and money if we're getting anywhere. Our past selves can't exactly afford us flying off all over the world.

FUTURE MARTIN
I know, I know. God, I'm not looking forward to all the bureaucracy of new documents. I think I would've preferred that Flesh factory.

ARCHIVIST
Perhaps. Although the wait times there were killer.

FUTURE MARTIN
(deep groan) You know what? Let's maybe not joke about people's literal nightmare scenarios anymore.

ARCHIVIST
Whatever you say. How about we get started on something resembling lunch instead?

FUTURE MARTIN
Sure. Wow me with your microwave prowess, O Mighty Archivist.

[THE ARCHIVIST LAUGHS.]

[CLICK.]

[CLICK.]

[A TRAPDOOR CREAKS OPEN AND SHUT, BRIEFLY LETTING IN FAINT STREET NOISE. FOOTSTEPS QUICKLY APPROACH.]

FUTURE MARTIN
(breathless) You said the fourth one, right?

ARCHIVIST
Yes.

FUTURE MARTIN
Which ones do I scratch?

ARCHIVIST
Third row, first one.

[SCRATCHING.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah, that's a million, alright.

ARCHIVIST
Second row, third one.

[MORE SCRATCHING.]

FUTURE MARTIN
(excited gasp) Okay.

ARCHIVIST
Fourth row, last one.

[AND AGAIN. MARTIN LAUGHS IN ELATED SHOCK.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Oooh my God. That's it! We won! Oh, this feels like cheating.

ARCHIVIST
It very much is. But no one will ever be able to prove it.

FUTURE MARTIN
I can't wait to see the other Martin's face when we give this to him. Come on, let's head back to the Institute. I want to gift wrap it.

ARCHIVIST
(amused) Right this way.

[CLICK.]

[CLICK.]

[A BOX OF TAPES IS PLACED ROUGHLY ON THE FLOOR. MARTIN BREATHES HARD.]

FUTURE MARTIN
That's the last one.

ARCHIVIST
Thank you, Martin.

FUTURE MARTIN
You're going to move Gertrude's room back where it was?

ARCHIVIST
No need, now that it's empty. Besides, using the Lamps does feel unpleasant, even without lungs.

FUTURE MARTIN
Fair. You got all the storage boxes ready?

ARCHIVIST
Yep.

[MARTIN COUNTS UNDER HIS BREATH.]

FUTURE MARTIN
15?

ARCHIVIST
For the Extinction.

FUTURE MARTIN
Ah, of course. So now...?

ARCHIVIST
Pick a box and start sorting tapes. Leave the unlabeled ones to me. The storage boxes are all marked.

FUTURE MARTIN
Where— Oh, I see it. Alright.

[THEY SIT AND RUMMAGE THROUGH THE OLD BOXES. TAPES ARE TOSSED INTO NEW ONES THROUGHOUT.]

...Jon?

ARCHIVIST
Yes?

FUTURE MARTIN
If you can have powers from all the Fears... does that include the Extinction? What would its power even look like?

ARCHIVIST
I... don't know. Powers depend on the Fears they come from as much as the person wielding them, and the Extinction has yet to occupy enough space in the collective consciousness of humanity to claim any Avatars. I have no point of reference to draw from.

FUTURE MARTIN
Your powers from the other Fears are based on what you've seen?

ARCHIVIST
Sort of. I am an Archive. I replicate what I've experienced.

FUTURE MARTIN
Like with your Marks?

ARCHIVIST
Yes. I won't be channelling the Corruption any time soon.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah, can't blame you.

[MORE TAPES ARE SORTED.]

ARCHIVIST
Oh. I didn't tell you about Tim, did I?

FUTURE MARTIN
What about him?

ARCHIVIST
He came by while you were asleep to ask about the Circus. He'll probably be showing up on Monday with Gertrude's stash.

FUTURE MARTIN
You told him about that too?

ARCHIVIST
Why not? We'll need to disrupt their preparations anyway. Might as well have the bombs ready.

FUTURE MARTIN
I guess. But...

ARCHIVIST
What?

FUTURE MARTIN
Well, if their ritual's going to fail no matter what, couldn't we just find some old skin they can use and let them burn themselves out? That'd stop them from trying again for decades, centuries even, wouldn't it?

ARCHIVIST
It would. But plenty of Circus member would likely survive the failed ritual. And Tim deserves his revenge.

FUTURE MARTIN
That he does.

...None of them are going to quit, are they?

ARCHIVIST
Not immediately. Tim will stay until the Circus is dealt with, of course. The other Martin might quit, once he gets that million from the scratchcard. Sasha's always had a genuine interest in the supernatural, if she quits it'll be to take some other position in the Institute, I think. And...

FUTURE MARTIN
You?

ARCHIVIST
(heavy exhale) I don't know. Seeing me might scare him badly enough to leave, or it might just entice him more. Either way, he'll always be tied to the Eye. He'll always be an Archivist. He's just not the Archivist anymore.

FUTURE MARTIN
Right. You're the Eye's favorite now.

ARCHIVIST
I am. For better or worse, I very much doubt that's ever going to change.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah...

[SORTING OF TAPES.]

ARCHIVIST
...I wish I could say I hate it.

FUTURE MARTIN
The Eye?

ARCHIVIST
Being its favourite. I'm... It's hard to remember what it was like to not be... an extension of it. To always have all its knowledge at my fingertips. Now that we're here, it's easier to Look in on my old self than it is to hold my own past experiences in my mind.

I remember talking to Helen once, near the end. Before you were brought to the panopticon, I mean. I asked when the Eye would make me monstrous. Take away the guilt. Make me enjoy it.

FUTURE MARTIN
What did she say?

ARCHIVIST
That it wouldn't. My guilt was just... extra seasoning on top of the fear I fed it. But that was before I became it's Pupil. Now...

FUTURE MARTIN
...Now?

[TAPE SORTING PAUSES.]

ARCHIVIST
I don't know. Helen said she simply chose to stop feeling guilty. About taking people. I don't think I've chosen that, not so deliberately. But it's...

I need to eat. It's trauma and fear and nightmares, yes, and it's also my sustenance. Does a wolf feel guilty about eating a deer? Is it evil?

FUTURE MARTIN
Jon...

ARCHIVIST
I know it's not the same. But if I can't survive on the written Statements, if I have to take live ones... What use is it to feel bad about it? It won't stop me taking Statements, it'll just make me miserable. I'm not stuck at the top of the Panopticon waiting to burn the world in the fires of despair. I'm going to protect this one from it. Is that enough to let me, at the very least, feel neutral about feeding?

Even if it doesn't, what else is there? The Eye is all that's keeping me alive now. My heart is bloodless. My ribcage is hollow. I've changed so much. Fear is like breathing to me now. I can't... (sigh) This is what I am now. What use is there resisting?

[SILENCE.]

FUTURE MARTIN
(firm) You're wrong.

ARCHIVIST
(chuckle) Martin, I'm not—

FUTURE MARTIN
You're wrong. You're not just The Archivist. You're Jon. (softer) You're my boyfriend.

[BEAT.]

[THE ARCHIVIST LAUGHS SOFTLY. THEY LEAN INTO EACH OTHER.]

ARCHIVIST
Yes you are.

FUTURE MARTIN
I don't like it when you talk like your humanity isn't important anymore.

ARCHIVIST
I know.

FUTURE MARTIN
I'm not saying you should want to feel miserable when you take Statements—

ARCHIVIST
It's not about want anymore, I don't think.

FUTURE MARTIN
Well, regardless, you haven't even had to do it yet. I don't think you should be worrying about this until you're sure the written Statements won't be enough.

[THE ARCHIVIST'S TAPE RECORDER MAKES THE SOUND OF A DEEP BREATH AND SIGH.]

ARCHIVIST
Okay.

FUTURE MARTIN
And don't forget that you're still human, okay?

ARCHIVIST
Martin, I have 14 eyes and no face.

FUTURE MARTIN
So? I love you, don't I?

ARCHIVIST
(chuckle) Yes you do. I love you too.

[BEAT.]

[MARTIN MAKES A FRUSTRATED NOISE.]

FUTURE MARTIN
I really wish I could kiss you.

ARCHIVIST
Well... I told you I could fix that.

[TAPE SORTING RESUMES.]

FUTURE MARTIN
No, Jon, we're not desecrating someone's corpse just so I can get my smooches.

ARCHIVIST
Not even if they're an organ donor?

FUTURE MARTIN
Jon.

ARCHIVIST
What? I could find someone who'd be okay with it. That's the problem, right? Consent? Otherwise it's just... dead meat and worm food.

FUTURE MARTIN
I— (sigh) Maybe. If you can be sure, really sure, that they'd agree to you taking their jaw and, and their neck and face meat.

ARCHIVIST
I'll see what I can do.

FUTURE MARTIN
I can't believe I'm actually considering this.

ARCHIVIST
It can't be worse than murdering Jonah.

FUTURE MARTIN
He wasn't innocent.

[TAPE SORTING PAUSE AGAIN.]

ARCHIVIST
So? It was still murder. Would you rather I take the meat off a criminal? A murderer?

FUTURE MARTIN
I don't— I don't know!

ARCHIVIST
That's okay. Just think about it.

FUTURE MARTIN
Fine.

[TAPE SORTING RESUMES A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVELY.]

[CLICK.]

Chapter Text

[CLICK.]

[TYPING AND RUSTLING PAPER.]

SASHA
Okay, how about...

[MORE TYPING, FOLLOWED BY A PING.]

Yes! We're in. Security footage, here we co— Um. Hey, Martin?

MARTIN
What?

SASHA
Oh, no not— the other Martin.

MARTIN
Oh, r-right.

SASHA
We need to come with a nickname for him or something. (loudly) Martin!

FUTURE MARTIN
(distant) Yeah?

SASHA
Can you come over here for a second?

[FAINT NOISE OF THINGS BEING MOVED, FOLLOWED BY FOOTSTEPS. A BOX OF FILES IS PLACED ON A DESK.]

FUTURE MARTIN
What is it?

SASHA
I was just working and I noticed... (picks up the recorder) Is this— Wait. Is it recording?

FUTURE MARTIN
Ah, yeah. Don't worry about it too much, the tape recorders have been following us for a while.

SASHA
"Us"?

FUTURE MARTIN
Me and Jon. Well, my Jon.

SASHA
And by a while, you mean...?

FUTURE MARTIN
For most of the apocalypse we came from.

SASHA
So... are they dangerous?

FUTURE MARTIN
Nnno? I mean, I'm pretty sure they're from the Web? But before it was because they were part of its Big Evil Plan. Now I'm not sure.

SASHA
Should I turn it off?

FUTURE MARTIN
Try it.

[CLICK.]

[CLICK.]

SASHA
Oh.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah. Just leave it. Even if we smash it, another one would just show up in a worse place. Besides, I'm pretty sure the Web doesn't need tape recorders to know what's going on.

SASHA
...Alright then. (puts down the recorder) So what are you up to?

FUTURE MARTIN
Looking for boxes we went through back in my world and pulling out the real Statements. Figured it might make you guys' job easier.

SASHA
Thanks. How many of them are real? Proportionately, I mean.

FUTURE MARTIN
Maybe... About five, ten percent?

SASHA
And they're all the ones that don't record digitally.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah. Never knew why.

SASHA
I have been finding that weird. Why tapes?

FUTURE MARTIN
Apparently, it's "a fine material to spin a web with", whatever that means. That's as much of an answer as I ever got.

SASHA
So it's the Web again?

FUTURE MARTIN
(audibly shrugging) Sure, why not. If you think the dream logic makes sense. That's the only rule these things play by.

SASHA
Mm.

[TYPING. FILES BEING MOVED.]

Are you really not worried? About Tim and— uh, the Archivist?

FUTURE MARTIN
A little. But they'll be fine. More people would've just been more for him to keep track of. It's Tim who needs it, not us.

SASHA
Yeah...

MARTIN
Am I ever going to find out why?

FUTURE MARTIN
Maybe when they get back?

SASHA
It's... He lost someone, Martin.

MARTIN
Oh...

SASHA
Yeah...

(forced cheerfulness) Anyway! How about that nickname?

FUTURE MARTIN
What?

SASHA
To help distinguish between you and our Martin.

FUTURE MARTIN
Ah. Well, I'm open to ideas.

SASHA
How about your last name?

FUTURE MARTIN
Ooh, actually, no, I don't want that.

SASHA
Middle name, then?

FUTURE MARTIN
I, uh...

SASHA
(amused) I'm kidding. I know you don't have one.

MARTIN
What? Sasha!

SASHA
Relax, Martin. I don't think the National Lottery is listening in. Did that Prize Claim Form work, by the way?

MARTIN
(sigh) Yeah. They said they'll respond in a few days.

SASHA
Fingers crossed. Anyway—

FUTURE MARTIN
Keaton. Call me Keaton.

SASHA
Keaton. Alright. What about your Jon?

FUTURE MARTIN
I'm not sure. He's not really one for nicknames, is he?

...Why are you smiling?

SASHA
I've got it. He's the Archivist, right?

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeees?

SASHA
Archie.

[BOTH MEN BURST OUT LAUGHING, THOUGH MARTIN IS MORE SUBDUED.]

FUTURE MARTIN
Oh, he's going to hate that.

SASHA
Too bad. He's Archie now.

[SHE'S ALMOST INTERRUPTED BY HER PHONE BUZZING. SHE CHECKS IT AND BREAKS INTO GIGGLES.]

FUTURE MARTIN
What?

SASHA
It says it's from Tim, but...

[SHE SHOWS HIM THE MESSAGE. HE ALSO LAUGHS.]

FUTURE MARTIN
How many exclamation points is that? That has to be the most he's ever used.

SASHA
I know, right? How does he even know already?

FUTURE MARTIN
He was probably checking in on us at just the right time. Or the wrong time, depending on how you look at it.

SASHA
So he can— Wait. Let me reply to Archie first.

[FUTURE MARTIN SNICKERS. SASHA'S PHONE PINGS WITH THE SENT MESSAGE.]

[CLICK.]

[CLICK.]

[BACKGROUND AMBIANCE OF A STREET WITH MILD TRAFFIC, MUFFLED AS IT'S HEARD FROM INSIDE A PARKED CAR.]

[A DIFFERENT PHONE PINGS. THE ARCHIVIST GIVES AN ANGRY, STATICKY HUFF THROUGH THE TAPE RECORDER IN HIS HAND. HE GIVES TIM HIS PHONE BACK.]

ARCHIVIST
Here.

TIM
Everything alright back home?

ARCHIVIST
Yes.

TIM
That doesn't sound like a yes.

ARCHIVIST
It's fine, Tim. They're just— They're being ridiculous. Let's just focus on the Circus.

TIM
Fine. You're sure you can pull this off?

ARCHIVIST
Yes. So long as you—

TIM
Follow your instructions, yes, you said it a hundred times on the way here. I promise I won't go rogue.

ARCHIVIST
Thank you.

TIM
So when do we go in?

ARCHIVIST
Soon. They're making a few more waxworks. Once they're done, some will leave, and some will... fall asleep, so to speak. It'll give us a good window to get in and plant the explosives.

TIM
And Orsinov?

ARCHIVIST
On her way. All going well, she should get here right when we're done.

TIM
And then we find her and—

ARCHIVIST
Yes.

TIM
Okay.

[PAUSE.]

ARCHIVIST
Thank you for trusting me, Tim.

TIM
Yeah, well. If you wanted to kill me, you could've done it a hell of a lot easier than going on a roundtrip to Great Yarmouth with a trunk full of bombs. Just make sure it's worth it, yeah?

ARCHIVIST
It will be.

[CLICK.]

[CLICK.]

[QUIET SOUNDS ECHO IN A LARGE OPEN ROOM. BOTH TIM AND THE ARCHIVIST WHISPER THROUGHOUT.]

TIM
Are you really sure we can't help them?

ARCHIVIST
Yes. I'm sorry, Tim. They've been flayed and covered in wax. They're only alive enough to be terrified. Now please be quiet, I need to focus.

[MORE SMALL SOUNDS. TIM SHIFTS HIS WEIGHT IN EITHER IMPATIENCE OR ANXIOUSNESS.]

TIM
Oh, heads up!

ARCHIVIST
Shit.

[THE ARCHIVIST QUICKLY GRABS TIM. A SUBTLE WAVE OF LONELY STATIC WASHES OVER THEM.]

[FOOTSTEPS ENTER.]

ORSINOV
Hello, my lovely little dancers! How are we feeling? All scared stiff?

[NO RESPONSE.]

Wonderful! Do keep it up, yes? I know you've been waiting for so very long, but don't you worry, your cue for the dance is coming very soon. Ciao!

[ORSINOV LEAVES.]

[THERE'S ANOTHER RIPPLE OF SUBTLE STATIC, AND TIM LETS OUT A HELD BREATH FULL OF DISGUST.]

TIM
Don't touch me with your weird corpse hands again.

ARCHIVIST
Sorry.

TIM
That was Orsinov?

ARCHIVIST
Yes.

TIM
Then why didn't we jump her?

ARCHIVIST
Because I'm not done with the last bomb.

TIM
Well, hurry up!

ARCHIVIST
I am!

[YET MORE LITTLE NOISES.]

Done.

TIM
Finally. Now what?

ARCHIVIST
Let me See.

[STATIC. THE ARCHIVIST SOUNDS FRUSTRATED.]

She's talking to some of the others. Dammit, I'd hoped we'd be done by the time she came through here.

TIM
Yeah, I noticed. How are we getting her now?

[MORE STATIC.]

ARCHIVIST
I'm not sure. I don't know when she'll be alone.

TIM
I thought you could know everything?

ARCHIVIST
Not the future! We should leave, wait outside.

TIM
I am not letting that thing get away.

ARCHIVIST
And it won't! Not while I'm here. But we can't stake out a building from inside it.

[SILENCE, EXCEPT FOR TIM'S HARSH BREATHS.]

Tim.

TIM
Fine! Fine. Let's—

ARCHIVIST
Wait.

[STATIC.]

She's coming back. Hide. Now.

[TIM RUSHES AWAY. A LOUDER WAVE OF STATIC QUICKLY SWEEPS THE BUILDING. THE ARCHIVIST STANDS IN PLAIN VIEW.]

[FOOTSTEPS APPROACH.]

ARCHIVIST
(normal voice) Nikola Orsinov.

ORSINOV
Oh! Hello! I didn't know we had visitors to the museum! Are you here for the performance?

ARCHIVIST
No, I don't think so. I'm the Archivist.

ORSINOV
You are! Such a good Archivist too! You're much further along than that old woman ever got. Where is she, by the way? We'd love to say hello.

ARCHIVIST
Gertrude Robinson is dead and cremated. And so is your precious gorilla skin. She burned it.

ORSINOV
Well, that wasn't very nice of her, was it? I guess we'll just have to find a replacement. How about... you! You're missing a few pieces, but—

ARCHIVIST
Take one step closer, and you burn. I wouldn't call out either, if I were you.

ORSINOV
Oh. Does the new, mean Archivist have new, mean tricks?

ARCHIVIST
I do.

ORSINOV
Then why are you here? We're all full up on dancers, so if you're not going to be the main act...

ARCHIVIST
Daniel Stoker. I'm here for him.

ORSINOV
Is that name supposed to mean something?

ARCHIVIST
Don't be coy. You know who I'm talking about.

[ORSINOV LAUGHS. AS SHE DOES, HER VOICE SHIFTS TO A MUCH DEEPER REGISTER.]

ORSINOV (AS GRIMALDI)
I was just visit some old stomping grounds. Not my fault he decided to stick his nose where it didn't belong.

TIM
Shut up!

ORSINOV
You have a friend, Archivist! And a familiar face. (as Grimaldi) Would you care to join your brother?

ARCHIVIST
Tim!

[THE ARCHIVIST STOPS HIM.]

Don't let her touch you.

ORSINOV
Spoilsport.

TIM
Don't you dare talk about Danny!

ARCHIVIST
(urgent, overlapping) Tim, keep your voice down.

ORSINOV
Or what, Tim? Are you going to attack me? Because I wouldn't recommend it.

[TIM GIVES AN ANGRY HUFF.]

ARCHIVIST
Enough.

[A SUDDEN BURST OF DEEP, OPPRESSIVE STATIC CRUSHES ORSINOV INTO HERSELF. SHE TRIES TO CALL OUT, ONLY FOR MORE STATIC, CRACKLING LIKE FIRE, TO INCINERATE HER STOLEN VOICE BOX.]

(strained) Help me more her, quick.

[TOGETHER, THEY LIFT ORSINOV'S STIFF FORM AND CARRY HER THROUGH THE WAX MUSEUM. THE ONGOING BASSY STATIC SLOWLY GAINS A TREMBLING EDGE.]

[THEY PUSH THROUGH A HEAVY DOOR AND CLOSE IT, RIGHT WHEN THE THRUMMING STATIC CAN'T KEEP UP THE PRESSURE AND ENDS.]

[THERE'S THE SOUND OF SKIN MESSILY TORN FROM FLESH. TIM BITES OFF A SCREAM.]

ARCHIVIST (CONT'D)
Tim!

[BURNING STATIC BRIEFLY DROWNS OUT ALL OTHER NOISE. THE ARCHIVIST MAKES A SCRATCHY, STATICKY NOISE OF PAIN.]

[THE TAPE RECORDER CLATTERS TO THE GROUND ALONGSIDE ORSINOV, ALL CONNECTION BETWEEN LIMBS AND TORSO REDUCED TO MOLTEN PLASTIC AND CHARRED SKIN. IN THE BACKGROUND, TIM BREATHES HARD AND STRUGGLES TO KEEP QUIET.]

ARCHIVIST (CONT'D) Tim! Tim, I'm here, let me— I'm sorry, but I have to touch you to put your skin back.

TIM
(extremely pained) Fine, fine! Just hurry up!

[LENGTHY, QUIET, FLESHY SOUNDS WITH AN UNDERCURRENT OF STATIC. TIM BREATHES THROUGH CLENCHED TEETH AND TRIES TO SUPPRESS HIS CONTINUED NOISES OF PAIN.]

[FAR, FAR TOO SLOWLY, THE SOUND OF SHIFTING FLESH FADES. THE STATIC ENDS. TIM'S RAGGED BREATHING SETTLES SOMEWHAT.]

[THROUGH THE TAPE RECORDER LEFT FORGOTTEN ON THE FLOOR, THE ARCHIVIST BREATHES A SIGH BOTH RELIEVED AND TIRED.]

ARCHIVIST
How does it feel?

TIM
(bitter laugh) Bad.

ARCHIVIST
Right, sorry. I just meant— Is it properly attached? Try to move your arm.

[TIM MAKES A NOISE OF DISCOMFORT.]

TIM
Yeah, I think so. Just feels...

ARCHIVIST
Wrong. I know. I'm sorry, it's the best I can do. It'll probably never feel the same again.

TIM
Better than bleeding to death.

ARCHIVIST
Take a minute to rest. She's not going anywhere.

TIM
Sure.

[THE ARCHIVIST RETURNS TO ORSINOV. HE GIVES A DEEP SIGH OF SATISFACTION.]

ARCHIVIST
Now you're afraid, aren't you? Just a pathetic, limbless mannequin. Can't even use that grating voice anymore. (sarcastic) What a shame.

[QUIET, CRACKLING STATIC AS THE DETACHED LIMBS MELT FURTHER, GLUED-ON SKIN PEELING LIKE BURNT PAPER. ORSINOV WRITHES.]

[THE ARCHIVIST LETS OUT A HEADY EXHALE THAT BORDERS ON A LAUGH.]

Let's make absolutely sure you're staying put, shall we?

[THE STATIC SWITCHES BACK TO BASSY UNDERTONES. THE CONCRETE FLOOR SHIFTS TO PARTIALLY ENVELOP ORSINOV.]

There. Much better. Now... (staticky) Statement of the entity who was once Joseph Grimaldi, compiled without consent.

[PLASTIC THUMPS AGAINST CONCRETE AS ORSINOV STRUGGLES FRUITLESSLY.]

ARCHIVIST (STATEMENT)

[THE ARCHIVIST EXHALES DEEPLY. IT SOUNDS CALM AND WELL-FED. HE TAKES A FRESH STATEMENT TAPE OUT OF THE RECORDER AND POCKETS IT.]

ARCHIVIST (CONT'D)
Yes. I am proud.

[ORSINOV MAKES AN INDIGNANT THUMP AGAINST THE FLOOR. THE ARCHIVIST STEPS AWAY.]

Tim?

TIM
A little lightheaded, but I'm alright now.

[HE DRAGS HIMSELF TO HIS FEET.]

ARCHIVIST
She's all yours.

[THE ARCHIVIST HOLDS OUT HIS KNIFE.]

Don't worry about finding a heart or brain to stab. Just do as much damage as you can. I'll burn what's left to make sure.

TIM
Thanks.

[TIM TAKES THE KNIFE AND APPROACHES ORSINOV.]

Grimaldi. Orsinov. Whatever you call yourself. You took my brother. You took Danny from me. So I really hope this hurts you as much as it did him.

[EXTENDED SOUNDS OF BRUTAL MANNEQUIN MURDER. PLASTIC IS SHATTERED. SKIN IS TORN OFF. PIECES ARE SCATTERED. BY THE END, TIM IS BREATHING HARD AND TRIUMPHANT.]

[A BURST OF CRACKLING STATIC BURNS AWAY WHAT REMAINS OF NIKOLA ORSINOV.]

TIM (CONT'D)
Good fucking riddance. Let's blow this joint.

ARCHIVIST
Yes. Let's.

[CLICK.]

Chapter Text

[CLICK.]

[RUSTLING PAPERS ABRUPTLY STOP.]

JON
What do you want?

[NO RESPONSE.]

(to himself) Christ, I'm talking to magic tape recorders now.

[MORE RUSTLING PAPERS. SOME TYPING ON A LAPTOP. EVENTUALLY, HE HUFFS IN FRUSTRATION.]

Why are you even here? There is nothing hap—

[THE DOOR OPENS.]

ARCHIVIST
(from his own recorder) Jonathan?

JON
That is our name, yes. One of your pets is already here.

ARCHIVIST
My p— Ah. Of course.

JON
What do you want?

[THE DOOR SHUTS. THE ARCHIVIST TAKES A SEAT ACROSS THE DESK FROM HIM.]

ARCHIVIST
Elias is awake.

JON
Oh. Is he...?

ARCHIVIST
He'll be arriving here soon. But that's not what I'm here to talk to you about.

JON
Go on.

ARCHIVIST
Why haven't you quit? You're terrible at your job.

JON
(overlapping) Wh—?!

ARCHIVIST
Don't argue. I was you. I know exactly just how out of our depth you are with actual archiving. It's not 'just like research', and you know it. You've even heard Gertrude say the job was meant for Sasha.

JON
Well, unfortunately for Gertrude, she's dead, so—

ARCHIVIST
Stop. Deflecting. There's no reason to hide anything from me. I already know why you're still here.

JON
Then why ask?

ARCHIVIST
Because I want you to hear yourself say it.

JON
Fine. I haven't quit because I want to know what's out there. (heh) What goes bump in the night. So I can...

(sigh) No, not just to protect myself. I wan— need, to know.

ARCHIVIST
Yes, you do. And that's exactly what led to my being like this. Look at me, Jonathan.

[JON MAKES A LITTLE NOISE OF EITHER DISCOMFORT OF PETULANCE, BUT OBEYS.]

You have to resist your nature. Before it's too late. You have to quit. You can even sever your connection to the Eye entirely, if you're willing to pay the price.

JON
Which is?

ARCHIVIST
Follow in Elias' footsteps. Cut out your eyes.

JON
I have to point out you gave him no choice in the matter.

ARCHIVIST
No, I didn't. I am giving it to you. I can remove your eyes cleanly, if you want. Even if not, you have to quit, at the very least. Distance yourself from the temptation of knowledge.

JON
And then what? I leave the Archives empty?

ARCHIVIST
No! Because I'm the Archivist. I will always be a part of this place. You don't have to be. It doesn't need you anymore.

JON
(deep sigh) Yes, yes, you've made your point. I'll...

[PAUSE.]

ARCHIVIST
Jonathan...

JON
Look, how do you expect me to just live my life while knowing that these things, these Fears are out there? I can't just—

ARCHIVIST
Yes you can. The entire world does it every day.

JON
And evidently it led to terrible things in your future, so excuse me if I don't find that argument convincing.

[IT'S THE ARCHIVIST'S TURN TO SIGH, DEEPLY FRUSTRATED. THEY STARE AT EACH OTHER, NEITHER WILLING TO BACK DOWN, UNTIL THE ARCHIVIST MOVES AROUND THE DESK.]

JON (CONT'D)
What are you doing?

ARCHIVIST
Take my hand.

JON
...Why?

ARCHIVIST
Take. My hand.

[RELUCTANTLY, HE OBEYS. THE MOMENT THEY TOUCH, JON'S BREATH CATCHES IN HIS THROAT WITH A TERRIFIED EDGE.]

Do you feel that? The unnatural stillness of an unbeaten heart? The hollow inside your chest? The cold of empty veins? The numbness of a face lost to the space between worlds? Do you feel the ceaseless awareness of everything around you?

That is what you have to look forward to if you continue down this path, Jonathan. You'd do well to take it seriously.

[THE ARCHIVIST LETS GO. JON GASPS FOR BREATH.]

JON
(weakly) I uh...

ARCHIVIST
Breathe. Breathe deep.

[HE DOES SO. HIS BREATHING SETTLES.]

JON
R-Right. I see. I'll... (clears throat) I'll take that into consideration. Thank you for the... insight.

ARCHIVIST
Don't thank me. That might've been enough to count as a Mark, now that I think about it.

JON
What?

ARCHIVIST
Nevermind. Finish up your work. Elias will be here soon. I suspect he'll want to speak to everyone.

JON
O-Of course. I'll be there.

[CLICK.]

[CLICK.]

JEANINE
Are you comfortable, mister Bouchard?

ELIAS
Yes, Jeanine, thank you. You can wait outside now.

JEANINE
Sir, are you sure?

ELIAS
I am. I won't be going anywhere, I promise. And we do need to discuss some rather sensitive employee information.

JEANINE
Well... Alright. Just be sure to shout for me if you need anything, sir.

ELIAS
Of course.

[SHE LEAVES. HER HIGH HEELS CLACK ACROSS THE WOODEN FLOOR.]

[ELIAS SIGHS DEEPLY.]

SASHA
Sooo...

ELIAS
Er, yes. Hello, everyone. Again. Properly this time, I suppose. Remind me who's here?

SASHA
The two Jons, the two Martins, and me.

ARCHIVIST
Hello again.

FUTURE MARTIN
Yeah.

JON
Mm.

MARTIN
And I'm over here. I-I'm the Martin you already knew.

SASHA
Tim quit.

ELIAS
He did? I thought he was here for—

ARCHIVIST
He was. We took care of it.

ELIAS
...I see. I won't ask the details. I just hope he filed the right paperwork, otherwise it might not... take.

ARCHIVIST
I made sure of it.

ELIAS
Good. Good. Um.

SASHA
We've been calling Martin and Jon from the future Keaton and Archie—

ARCHIVIST
(overlapping and very grumpy) Archivist.

SASHA (CONT'D)
—for clarity's sake.

ELIAS
So they're from the future? Or uh, you're from the future? I do apologize, I'm still getting used to not being able to see the people around me.

FUTURE MARTIN
It's fine.

ARCHIVIST
We are. A terrible future that we'll do everything in our power to spare this world from.

ELIAS
And, if I may, how exactly did you come to be here? Not that I'm doubting your story, of course.

ARCHIVIST
It was through Hill Top Road. (page rustling) This Statement I have here might help explain. If we're all open to listening?

[THE OTHERS AGREE IN VARIOUS WAYS.]

ARCHIVIST
Statement of Anya Villette, regarding a cleaning job on Hill Top Road. Original statement given April 22nd, 2009.

Statement begins.

ARCHIVIST
Statement ends.

[THE ARCHIVIST CONCLUDES WITH A SMALL NOISE OF DISSATISFACTION. HE ALSO TAKES A FRESH TAPE OUT OF THE RECORDER.]

MARTIN
I don't get it.

JON
Are you saying that Hill Top Road has some kind of, of portal to other worlds?

ARCHIVIST
I wouldn't call it a portal, exactly. It's... a tear. A wound.

I told you the Web can think. It figured out that the world we came from, a world ruled by fear, where the whole of humanity is trapped in its worst nightmares, is finite. No new humans were being born, but for the fear of death to exist, so too must death itself. Slowly, but inexorably, our world would've burned itself out to nothing.

In its quest to escape that fate, the Web found a crack in reality and worked for centuries to hone it into a gap. Once it had this gap, it took the Archivist's voice, my voice, captured on tape, to weave a conduit out through that gap. That way, when the Fears' grip on our world was severed, the only viable path left was out.

They were torn from our world and, apparently, us being in the epicenter of it all as it happened meant that we were dragged out with the current. And now here we are.

[SILENCE. ELIAS LAUGHS.]

ELIAS
So Jonah's plan was doomed from the start. What. A. Pity.

SASHA
What was his plan?

ELIAS
What else? Immortality, the thing all petty men crave. Quite pedestrian, really.

JON
That's all very well and good, but it doesn't explain why you two came out in the tunnels if this wound, this, this crack is on Hill Top Road.

ARCHIVIST
No, it doesn't. I don't think we'll never know for sure. My best guess is that Jane's attempt at a ritual weakened the fabric of this reality just enough in that specific spot to divert our arrival.

JON
Fine.

ELIAS
Archivist? Is our world different from yours? Prior to your arrival, of course.

ARCHIVIST
Prior to that? No, not as far as I can See. You're just at an earlier point in time.

ELIAS
Interesting.

[BEAT.]

MARTIN
Um. Sorry, can I...? Are you really Elias? The original Elias, and not Jonah? It's just that... I thought you'd act different than before.

SASHA
Martin!

MARTIN
Sorry! Sorry.

ELIAS
It's quite alright, Sasha, it's a valid question. And, to be quite frank with you, Martin, I don't really know how else to act. Me and Jonah were one for so long...

JON
You were "one"?

ELIAS
Yes, I believe that might be the best way to put it.

SASHA
Do you want to talk about it?

ELIAS
...I think so. Though I'm not sure where to even begin.

ARCHIVIST
You could give a Statement.

FUTURE MARTIN
Jon...

ARCHIVIST
What? He can't have the nightmares without eyes, but the Eye can still help put his story into words here in the Archives. Seems like the perfect solution to me.

FUTURE MARTIN
...If he's fine with it.

ELIAS
Yes. Yes, I think that will be to everyone's benefit.

ARCHIVIST
Alright. Statement of Elias Bouchard, regar—

FUTURE MARTIN
Wait. Rosie should hear this.

MARTIN
Rosie?

ARCHIVIST
Huh. That's not a bad idea. Elias?

ELIAS
...Bring her in.

ARCHIVIST
Then we'll take our leave. She'll already have enough to process without us here. Keaton?

FUTURE MARTIN
Coming.

ELIAS
Thank you, Archivist. Keaton.

SASHA
I'll go get her.

[THE ARCHIVIST, FUTURE MARTIN, AND SASHA LEAVE.]

[AWKWARD SILENCE.]

MARTIN
So, uh. How've you been? Elias? You were in quarantine, right?

ELIAS
Oh, that was only because I wasn't conscious to answer the ECDC's questions when they got here. Once I was awake enough to do so, they were more than happy to relinquish me to the care of a regular hospital. I held off on contacting you until I felt... more myself.

MARTIN
And the, um, blindness?

ELIAS
Difficult, to put it mildly. But certainly preferable to the alternative.

MARTIN
Right, of course.

ELIAS
What about you, Jon? No burning questions?

JON
Some. But I assume they'll be answered in your Statement.

ELIAS
Probably.

[MORE SILENCE, UNTIL SASHA RETURNS. A SECOND SET OF FOOTSTEPS FOLLOWS HERS.]

ROSIE
Mister Bouchard! I'm sorry, I thought you'd go straight to your office.

ELIAS
My apologies, Rosie, but there are some important matters to be resolved here in the Archives that I forgot to mention. For the sake of expediency, I thought it best to have you join us. Have a seat. And please, call me Elias from now on.

ROSIE
Yes, sir. E-Elias.

ELIAS
Very good. Now, obviously there have been some... developments, since you last saw me, and we're here to clarify what those are. Jon, if you could start us off?

JON
Hm? Oh, right. (clears throat) Statement of Elias Bouchard, regarding...

ELIAS
Let's call it, my journey to the position of Head of the Magnus Institute.

JON
Statement recorded direct from subject August 11th, 2016. Statement begins.

ELIAS (STATEMENT)
I won't bore you with the details of a childhood spent in wealth. The only part of it that matters here is my father, Lawrence Bouchard. He always had high expectations for me. In his eyes, I had to prove myself worthy of the Bouchard name. I hated those eyes. They were always watching me, always judging everything I did. Even at his funeral, dead inside his casket, it was as if they glared at me with disdain.

You can imagine my surprise when I saw those very same eyes in the face of the man interviewing me for a research position, a job I didn't even remember applying to. The man was James Wright, the Head of the Magnus Institute. He looked nothing like my father, not even in the eyes, except for the air of self-assured importance and the way those eyes looked at me, leaving no part of me secret.

I saw things in that interview, memories that I'd done my utmost to forget. Memories of my friend Allan Schrieber from college. When I met him in the library with a book that was far too ancient to belong, and whose pages were blank. When he was curled up behind the sofa in our living room, rambling about some eyeless thing he kept seeing in mirrors, doorways, everywhere, creeping closer each time. And finally, when I woke up the next morning and everything was crimson. The walls. The lightbulb. His empty eye sockets.

Somehow, my terror during the interview satisfied James Wright enough to get me the job. A simple research position. It was easy. Maybe too easy. Except for the constant feeling of being watched, I suppose. It felt like every few months I was getting a new raise, a new promotion. A new responsibility. Every time, the papers pushing me higher were personally signed by James Wright himself. Every step up the hierarchy made the feeling of being watched just a little bit worse.

After five years, James Wright approached me again in person, for only the second time in my life. He told me he was getting on in years, that he wouldn't be around for much longer, though he said it like he was enjoying some private joke. He said he was very impressed with my work so far, and he'd like to name me his successor. I said I'd be honored, of course! He smiled wide and told me to be ready when the time came.

It did, only a few months later. I got a message telling me to meet him at the Institute after hours. There was something he needed to show me, to be absolutely sure that I was ready for the job. It was our third and final meeting. He took me inside, through passages I'd never seen before that looked older the further we went. The brickwork became covered in carved hollows that followed as we passed. We carried no light, and yet I could see every stone pupil that watched me perfectly.

At the end, there was a room. The walls of the corridor curved smoothly out, then back in, forming the shape of an eye when viewed from above. In the center, a wide cylindrical platform rose, first as a shallow step for its iris, then as an altar for the pupil. Rusted chains ending in padded manacles sprouted from the curved sides of this altar like vines.

I was so, so very afraid. I wanted to run. I wanted to scream. But in that room, the feeling of being watched was so intense, I could barely breathe. I was suddenly aware of every organ churning and writhing inside me, every cell that built me, every protein and molecule and atom shivering me into existence. It was too much. It was too much.

I only became aware of the space around me again when the last shackle snapped shut around my wrist. I remember being struck by the incongruity of it, how comfortably its thick padding hugged my skin. By then, my head had already been fully immobilized in its own set of padded binds. I could see James Wright standing over me, holding an eye-shaped knife, a great ridged iris carved into the ceiling above him. His face was like a blur. All I could see of it were those damnable eyes.

It was only when the knife cut into me that the scream that'd been building in my throat finally broke out. I struggled against my chains with a ferocity I never knew I had, and it was useless. The pain stabbed deep into my eye socket, sharp, burning, biting, cutting through muscle, sclera, cornea and retina, until all that was left was a ragged hole.

Then, James Wright reached up to his face and simply... pulled out his eye, like plucking the pit out of a perfectly ripe peach. It kept moving in his hand, even as he carefully lowered it to me and pushed it into my head with his thumb. For a brief, horrible moment, I could see every detail inside the torn meat of my eye socket, before the orb spun around to face its former host.

James Wright was weeping blood now, not just from his empty eye. He could barely stand. With one shaking hand, he held the blade out toward me. With the other, he freed one of my wrists, the one on the same side as the foreign eye in my skull. I tried to punch him, claw at him, anything, but I suddenly realized that arm wasn't mine to control anymore.

I watched my hand take that knife with a firm, steady grip. I watched it raise the bloody blade up to my face again. I watched it drip crimson into my remaining eye. It burned like sea water, and it did nothing to obscure the sight of the sharp tip invading my pupil. Just like before, I could do nothing but watch every cut it took to remove my second eye.

With it gone, the blade clattered to the floor. My hand reached out to James Wright, who leaned in to meet me halfway. My fingers pushed into his still occupied eye socket, around the orb inside. The moment it came loose, he dropped dead, head smacking against the sharp edge of the altar with a sickening crack. Then I placed the second eye into my skull.

Just like that, it was over. I was over. It was us now, and this ancient presence sharing my self was far stronger than me. We freed ourself. We disposed of the body. We became Elias Bouchard, the new Head of the Magnus Institute. The thing in charge of us was Jonah Magnus, the founder himself, and I merely his latest host. There were many days where I lost track of where I ended and he began.

Until... we weren't anymore. With his eyes gone, so was Magnus. I'd faded so much by then it took days for me to regain control of myself, and even longer to be able to walk. But I did. I am Elias Bouchard again, not we. And I have never been more thankful for that.

[ELIAS TAKES A DEEP, SLOW BREATH IN THE SILENCE THAT FOLLOWS.]

JON
(quietly) Statement ends.

ROSIE
...Sir. Elias. I never knew about this.

ELIAS
And that was by design, Rosie. I'm sorry for what we've put you through. You'd be well within your right to quit. But, if you stay, I promise you that things will be different.

ROSIE
Thank you, sir. I...

How will you work?

ELIAS
Pardon?

ROSIE
That woman outside, she's your carer, right?

ELIAS
Aide, actually, but go on.

ROSIE
You handle a lot of confidential employee information. Is she going to help with that?

ELIAS
I... hadn't thought that far yet, to be honest. But, no, technically she shouldn't be allowed to.

ROSIE
Then, let me help. I already see most of it. I could be your eyes.

ELIAS
Do you really mean that, Rosie?

ROSIE
I do, sir.

ELIAS
Thank you, sincerely. I agree, that'll be for the best. In fact, I might have something of a promotion for you, if you're amenable. But we can discuss that in private. Are we done here? Jon, Martin, Sasha?

JON
I think so, yes.

MARTIN
I'm sorry you had to go through all that.

ELIAS
Thank you, Martin.

SASHA
Wait. What about the Institute? You don't serve— Uh, Jonah's interests anymore. Is our mission going to change as well?

ELIAS
Most certainly, though I'm not sure how yet. If you have any suggestions, I'd be glad to hear them.

SASHA
Well, this place hoards knowledge, right? Why not put it out there? Teach people about everything in here so they can protect themselves?

ELIAS
I'll be sure to consider that possibility. Is there anything else?

SASHA
No, that was it.

ELIAS
Then I'll be going now. Could one of you get Jeanine back in here for me, please?

ROSIE
I'll do it.

[ROSIE LEAVES. JEANINE'S HEELS ANNOUNCE HER ARRIVAL SHORTLY AFTER.]

JEANINE
That took a while. Is everything okay?

ELIAS
Yes, we're all done here. Help me to my office.

JEANINE
Of course. Here, let me take your arm.

[SHE HELPS HIM UP.]

ELIAS
Farewell, all of you. Have a good end of the week.

[THEY DEPART.]

[THE ARCHIVIST AND FUTURE MARTIN RETURN FROM THE OTHER ROOM. THE ARCHIVIST RETRIEVES THE NEW TAPE WITH ELIAS' STATEMENT.]

SASHA
Were you listening in?

ARCHIVIST
Keaton was. I didn't need to. I would've Known it no matter where I went.

FUTURE MARTIN
Now what?

JON
I think... Can you let me know when Elias is available? I might want to talk to him about something.

ARCHIVIST
Sure.

SASHA
Can I ask what it's about?

JON
It's...

I think I might quit.

[CLICK.]