The Magnus Archives - MAG 39 Infestation

Starting point is 00:00:00 This is the first radio ad you can smell. The new Cinnabon Pull-Apart only at Wendy's. It's ooey, gooey, and just five bucks with a small coffee all day long. Taxes extra at participating Wendy's until May 5th. Terms and conditions apply. Rusty Quill Presents The Magnus Archives Episode 39 Infestation What are you doing? Almost.

Starting point is 00:01:21 Leave it, it's raw. I got it. Shut up and get the extinguishers. The CO2, it's raw! I got it! Right, exactly. Oh! Shut up and get the extinguishers! What? The CO2! Get the goddamn CO2! Right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, I don't see her, I don't see her, I don't see her! Gardner! Gardner! This way! Come on, this way, this way, this way!

Starting point is 00:01:50 Look out! There we go, recording again. Did you get it? There! And I just want to point out that I didn't make this much of a fuss. I think your removal was substantially cleaner. I'm still not sure why you have this. Drinking in the archives? What? No, no, it's for worms. What?

Starting point is 00:02:12 For pulling the worms out of people, like now. You, er, what? I used to carry around a knife, but I started thinking that, well, cutting into someone laterally wasn't really the most efficient way to get them out. And besides which, they seem to be quite slow burrowing in a straight line, so, given their size, the corkscrew just seemed to be the better option. Look, you guys got to go home every day, okay? I didn't. I've been thinking for a long time about what to do when...

Starting point is 00:02:40 well... you know, this happens. Well... thank you. That's why we're here? Yeah. The room's sealed. I checked it myself when I moved in. Climate controlled as well. Strong door. Soundproof. These old files are far better protected than we ever were. All right. I'll grant you it's a good place to lay low, but...

Starting point is 00:03:03 They could still come in through the aircon. Not easily. And not en masse. It is actually safe. Ha! Except of course that we're trapped. Ah. Yeah. Sorry. Why record it? What? Before, in the office.

Starting point is 00:03:28 It was stupid going for the tape recorder like that. And then when you dropped it out there... I said I was sorry. If I'd known Martin had another one stashed in here, I never would have... No, it's fine. Just, I just don't understand. I thought you hated the damn thing. You're always going on about it.

Starting point is 00:03:42 I do. I did. I just... I don't want to become a mystery. I refuse to become another goddamn mystery. What? Look, even if you ignore the walking soil fact out there and the fact that we are probably minutes from death,

Starting point is 00:03:59 there is still so much more happening here. I'm not entirely sure that we can ignore the... Every real statement just leads deeper into something I don't even know the shape of yet. And to top it all, I still don't know what happened to Gertrude. Officially, she's still missing. But Elias is no help, and the police were pretty clear that the weight to call her dead is just a formality. If I die, worm food or something else, whatever, I'm going to make damn sure the same doesn't happen to me. Whoever takes over from me is going to know exactly what happened.

Starting point is 00:04:43 You don't think that would put them off? I hope so. Only an idiot would stay in this job. Wouldn't that make you an idiot? Yes, Martin, that was my point. Can you see what's going on out there? Ish. When did we last clean these doors? What can you see what's going on out there? Ish. When did we last clean these doors? What can you see?

Starting point is 00:05:09 Worms seem to have backed off a bit. There's a few lurking in the corners. Oh, hey! There's the other tape recorder! Any sign of Prentiss? No. No, it looks like they're... waiting, I think. For what? I don't know. Tim, maybe? Oh, God! I think he For what? I don't know. Tim, maybe? Oh, God.

Starting point is 00:05:29 I think he was out at lunch. Quick, someone call him. Tell him not to come back inside. There's no signal in here. We just have to hope he heard the noise. John, what did you mean by real statements? You know what I mean. The ones that have weird wrinkles, or that just seem to have something solid to them. They all have one thing in common. They don't record digitally. And we have to use the tape recorder. At this stage, if it records to my laptop I almost don't bother.

Starting point is 00:06:04 There, there, there! I see him! What? Tim! Tim's outside. Not this stage. If it recalls to my laptop I almost don't bother. There, there, there! I see him! What? Tim! Tim's outside! Oh god, he doesn't know! He doesn't see them! Tim, Tim, Tim! Tim! Tim!

Starting point is 00:06:13 Tim, look out! It's soundproof, he can't hear you! What is he doing? No, Tim! Just run, leave him alone! No, no, no, no. Oh god, turn around! Just turn around! There she is, there she is! Oh, screw this! Wait, Sasha, no! Oh screw this!

Starting point is 00:06:25 Wait, Sasha, no! Tim, look out! Watch out for the... Is it working? Okay, test, test... What are you doing on the floor? Statement of Joe Spooky regarding sinister happenings in the downtown... Tim, look out!

Starting point is 00:06:44 Sasha? Behind you, run! Oh. Do you hear that? Tim! Damn it. Right. There we go. Martin, what do you see? What?

Starting point is 00:07:17 I can't really stand up yet. I need you to describe what's going on, for the record. Yeah, sure. So, Sasha tackled Tim, and there was a kind of struggle, but she made it out of the archives. That was about two minutes ago, and she's gone to get help.

Starting point is 00:07:35 Probably, I mean, she couldn't, she wouldn't just run, so... Did it look like any of the worms got her before she left? No, I don't think so. Tim neither, I think. It was hard to tell after she tackled him. There was a lot of movement and shouting and wriggling. Stay with it, Martin. Tim. What happened to Tim? They got split up and he

Starting point is 00:08:00 ran into the office. And you said that's where you made the hole. When you were recording. And they all came through. So he's dead. He's dead in there. And he's covering worms. We don't know that. Maybe.

Starting point is 00:08:19 Maybe he found the spare CO2. Spare? What? Where? I never saw any. I hid them in old case file boxes. What? Why? So the worms didn't know they were there. Look, I know it's stupid.

Starting point is 00:08:30 Yes. Yes, it is. They're just... they're just unclassified parasites. They don't have consciousness. They can't plan. They're just an unthinking infection. Seriously. What? Why do you do that? Do what?

Starting point is 00:08:46 Pushed the sceptic thing so hard. I mean, it made sense at first, but now, after everything we've seen, after everything that you've read, I hear you recording statements and you just dismiss them. You tear them to pieces like they're wasting your time. But half of the rational explanations you give are actually far more far-fetched than just accepting it was a ghost or something. I mean, for God's sake, John, we are literally hiding from some kind of worm queen thing.

Starting point is 00:09:14 How could you possibly still not believe? Of course I believe. Of course I do. Have you ever taken a look at the stuff we have in artefact storage? That's enough to convince anyone. Of course I do. Have you ever taken a look at the stuff we have in artefact storage? That's enough to convince anyone. But even before that... Why do you think I started working here? It's not exactly glamorous. I have... I've always believed in the supernatural. Within reason, I mean. I still think most of the statements down here aren't real. Of the hundreds I've recorded, we've had maybe 30, 40 that go on tape. Now those,

Starting point is 00:09:56 I believe, at least for the most part. Then why do you... Because I'm scared, Martin. Why do you... Because I'm scared, Martin. Because when I record these statements, it feels... It feels like I'm being watched. I lose myself a bit. And then when I come back, it's like... Like if I admit there may be any truth to it, whatever's watching will...

Starting point is 00:10:24 know... somehow. The scepticism, feigning ignorance, it just felt safer. Well, it wasn't. No. No, it wasn't. Still, it's not my fault we're going to be eaten by worms. Speaking of, can you see anything? Not much. They're just... there.

Starting point is 00:10:48 How many? Too many. And more keep coming up through the floor. I didn't think they could get through. Prentiss? No, I can't s- oh, there she is. What's she doing? I don't know.

Starting point is 00:11:03 She's messing with the boxes. She's holding one up and... Oh. What's she doing? I don't know. She's messing with the boxes. She's holding one up and... Oh. What? She's... She's destroying them. Sort of. Sort of? Well, I don't really know what the stuff coming out of her mouth is, but I think we should probably burn them. Right. Why are you here, Martin? Well, Apprentice is out there and you can't run, so... I mean the archive in general. Why haven't you quit? Are you giving me my review now? No.

Starting point is 00:11:38 We're clearly doing a whole heart-to-heart thing, and truth be told, the question's been bothering me. You've been living in the archives for four months, constant threat of… this, sleeping with a fire extinguisher and a corkscrew. Even you must be aware that that's not normal for an archiving job. Why are you still here? I don't really know. I just am. It didn't feel right to just leave. I've typed up a few resignation letters but I just couldn't bring myself to hand them in. I'm trapped

Starting point is 00:12:16 here. It's like I can't move on and the more I struggle the more I'm stuck. Martin. You're not... You didn't die here, did you? What? What? No, what? No, I just... No, just the way you phrased that.

Starting point is 00:12:39 Did you think I was a ghost? No, it's... No, no, it's just... Whatever web these statements have caught you in, well... I'm there too. We all are, I think. A ghost? Really? Shut up, Marzen. Right, tell me again, please.

Starting point is 00:13:04 You're kidding! You did bring a tape recorder. I just thought John would appreciate as many supplementary recordings as possible, for the record. Well, for the record, if we don't do something now, it won't matter either way. So these are the worms he and Martin have been going on? The ones terrorising us for months, yes. To be honest, I always thought they were just overreacting. Other staff have seen them around, but no one's reported any aggressive behaviour or anything like that. You know how those two are. John puts on a good show, but sometimes I swear he's worse than Martin. Look,

Starting point is 00:13:34 Elias, I don't know what you think is going on, but I have just seen thousands of flesh worms pouring out of the wall. God knows how long they've been hiding. Tim might be dead and the others... Of course. The fire alarm was a good move, but it does mean most staff have evacuated, so we'll have to deal with them ourselves. There are thousands of them, Elias. Not quite what I meant. On John's insistence, I recently changed the archive's fire suppression system to use carbon dioxide. Should have done it years ago.

Starting point is 00:14:03 So why hasn't he gone off? Because there isn't an actual fire. Right. Right. Can we set it off manually? I think John's got a lighter somewhere. He's not smoking again, is he? Anyway, it shouldn't be necessary. There is a manual release a few floors down.

Starting point is 00:14:18 Wait. Wait. Will it hurt Martin or John? Almost certainly. I'm not a doctor, but I know dumping a lot of CO2 on people isn't generally considered a good idea. I really don't want to have to find another archivist so quickly after Gertrude, but from what you say, it might be a mercy. You know the situation best, so... Let's go. I thought that water was meant to be solid.

Starting point is 00:14:45 So did I. We don't have any sort of weapon, do we? I mean, I suppose we could... Don't say the corkscrew. Okay. How many of them are outside the door? No, I can't see because the window is covered in... Right, right.

Starting point is 00:14:58 Damn. Well, Martin, I guess this is... Hi, guys. Tim. Tim? What the hell? I thought... How did you... You made it? Funny story, really. I guess this is... Hi guys. Tim! Tim? What the hell? I thought...

Starting point is 00:15:07 How did you... You mean it! Funny story really. I ran into the office. Worms everywhere, horrible death and everything. Tripped and fell into some boxes. And there were like 20 cans of gas in there. Are you alright?

Starting point is 00:15:17 You seem a bit... Fine, fine gas, pit light headed. Not a lot of ventilation in the tunnels. Come on. Into the tunnels? Yeah. Actually, not that many worms in there anymore. I think they've mostly gone into the archive. Although the ones down here are faster for some reason, and quieter.

Starting point is 00:15:31 You're not bitten, are you? No, I don't think so. Have a look. Yes, all right, Tim. You look fine. Put them back on, please. Can you walk, John? No, I can limp. Then let's go. Martin, could you pass me the tape recorder? Sure. I think it go! Martin, could you pass me the tape recorder? Sure.

Starting point is 00:15:46 My thing is running out, though. Fine. I suppose I can turn it back on when we're being eaten alive. Why do you have a second tape recorder, Martin? Oh, um... Well, I've been using it to record myself. I write poetry, and I think tapes have a sort of lo-fi charm. I see. Okay John, I know you'll want to know what's been happening. If you're still alive after

Starting point is 00:16:19 this, the worms are on the upper floor. Not as many as down in the archive But enough I set the fire alarm off So everyone's evacuated except me and Elias I didn't see any signs of the fire brigade But I haven't been near a window in a while There was a, I guess you'd call it A wave of worms.

Starting point is 00:16:46 I got cut off from Elias. I hope he made it to the fire system, but who knows? Maybe everyone's dead already. I've had to retreat into artefact storage. That should tell you something about how bad it is out there. God, I hate this place. Did I ever tell you I first joined the Institute as a practical researcher? I had to analyse and investigate all the stuff in here,

Starting point is 00:17:16 take notes after sleeping in the rusted chair, write in the memory book, all that sort of thing. I transferred after three months. Would have quit, but couldn't afford to back then. I never understood why they keep this stuff secret. I mean, we've enough in here to send any sceptic packing, but it's just locked away. I asked Elias about it once, I asked Elias about it once, but he just muttered something about funding and mission statements. He's good at changing the subject, isn't he?

Starting point is 00:17:56 Sorry, I'm rambling. No worms, though, so that's good. Oh, hey, I 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. Just, uh... wait. John. John, I think there's someone here. Hello? I see you.

Starting point is 00:19:10 I see you. Update. I don't know how long we've been down here. These tunnels are a maze. We don't know where we are. We have four of the more i'm getting to that martin has disappeared tim was right about there being fewer worms down here but they are much faster more aggressive none of us have been hit yet but during one of the more alarming encounters martin ran off he thought we were behind him i think he didn't think at all tim

Starting point is 00:19:44 was with me and my leg slowed me down He must have taken a turn we didn't see or something We lost him But Tim has managed to find what looks to be an actual trapdoor So we won't need to bludgeon our way through any more drywall I'm recording this in case In case the trapdoor opens back into the archives And Prentiss is there to kill us.

Starting point is 00:20:07 In as many words, yes. Tim. Tim. Alright. Ah, God. Shit. The Magnus Archives is a podcast distributed by RustyQuill.com and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Sharealike International License. Today's episode was written and performed by Jonathan Sims.

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The Magnus Archives - MAG 39 Infestation

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