The Magnus Archives - The Magnus Protocol 18 – Solo Work

Episode Date: May 30, 2024

CAT1RC2374-20032024-10042024 Memory (derelict) -/- compulsionIncident Elements:- Isolation- Strong Language- Arguments- Trauma Triggers- Mentions of: corpses, autopsy, starvationTranscripts: https://shorturl.at/gzF15This episode is dedicated to John C. Worsley, thank you for your generous support! You can a complete list of our Kickstarter backers https://rustyquill.com/the-magnus-protocol-supporter-wall/Created by Jonathan Sims and Alexander J Newall  Directed by Alexander J NewallWritten by Jonathan Sims  Script Edited with additional material by Jonathan Sims  Executive Producers April Sumner, Alexander J Newall, Jonathan Sims, Dani McDonough, Linn Ci, and Samantha F.G. Hamilton Associate Producers Jordan L. Hawk, Taylor Michaels, Nicole Perlman, Cetius d’Raven, and Megan Nice Produced by April Sumner   Featuring (in order of appearance) Billie Hindle as Alice Dyer Kazeem Tosin Amore as Teddy VaughnShahan Hamza as Samama Khalid Sarah Lambie as Lena KelleyAnusia Battersby as Gwendolyn BouchardSasha Sienna as Georgie BarkerTim Fearon as AugustusDialogue Editor – Lowri Ann DaviesSound Designer – Tessa VroomMastering Editor - Catherine RinellaMusic by Sam Jones (orchestral mix by Jake Jackson) Art by April Sumner  SFX from Soundly, Freesound: kyles, ianaces, Carlvus, TheSupremeMuffinPooter, elonen, and previously credited artistsSupport us on Patreon at https://patreon.com/rustyquill     Check out our merchandise available at https://www.redbubble.com/people/RustyQuill/shop and https://www.teepublic.com/stores/rusty-quill   Join our community:  WEBSITE: rustyquill.com  FACEBOOK: facebook.com/therustyquill  TWITTER: @therustyquill  REDDIT: reddit.com/r/RustyQuill  EMAIL: [e-mail]   The Magnus Protocol is a derivative product of the Magnus Archives, created by Rusty Quill Ltd. and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share alike 4.0 International Licence.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello, it's Kareem, the voice of Simon Fairchild from the Magnus Archives, here to tell you about the audible original George Orwell's 1984. It's 1984, and life has changed beyond recognition. Airstrip 1, formerly known as Great Britain, is a place where Big Brother is always watching, and nobody can hide. Except perhaps for Winston Smith. Whilst working at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history, he secretly dreams of freedom. And in a world where love and sex are forbidden, where it's hard to distinguish

between friend and foe, he meets Julia and vows to rebel. This bold new take on George Orwell's classic features an epic cast including Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo and Andrew Scott, featuring Tom Hardy as Big Brother, and includes a haunting original score by Matthew Bellamy and Nilan Eskerri that takes this thrilling production to the next level. Experience an immersive listening experience like nothing you've heard before, and listen to George Orwell's 1984 on Audible now. To learn more, go to audible.ca.com.au slash big brother. This episode is dedicated to John C. Walsley in honour of his daughter Vivian C. Walsley,

she of the beloved Carrot, the Hungry Sandwich and the Secret Twelve. Rusty Quill presents The Magnus Protocol Episode 18, Solar Work I'm sorry. Teddy? Hey! Teddy! Hey, Alice. Hi. I, uh, didn't recognize you. Way to make a girl feel better. Hey, Alice. Hey, Alice. Hey, Alice.

Hey, Alice. Hey! Teddy! Hey Alice! Hi! I er... didn't recognise you. Way to make a girl feel wanted! Ow! Sorry, not what I meant. It's fine. Kind of assumed you were coming to see me though, given you're lingering where I work. I'm flattered but... Yeah well er...

I mean, I suppose it's possible you're not here to see me, but if it was Gwen she would've already devoured you during mating, so... You do know that. It's Sam, isn't it? You've played it all cool during the leaving party, but you're actually stalking him all hot and heavy with whips and chains and... I'll just let you go ahead and finish, shall I? Best not. I might be a few minutes. God, I've forgotten what it's like being talked at by you. That's my brand, baby. Irritating, yet faintly erotic.

So anyway, why are you here? Oh, I can speak now. I'll allow it. If you must know, I had an interview. I knew you couldn't make it without my delicious charms. You do realise there are other businesses in Royal Mint Court. It's not just the creepy basement nightmare factory. Huh.

I never considered that. Well there you go. How are you doing? I've been better. I've some savings though. I'll get by. It'd be cool if you got this job right. You working here by day and me lurking in the night.

Hey, we could even go for drinks. A little snifter to start your day off right. Sure, maybe. I'll have to keep you posted about the interview. You have to keep me posted about everything. I never see you anymore. Yeah, sorry. We'll go out for drinks. You, me, Sam and Celia. Celia? Oh, you'll love her, mate. She's really weird, but like, in a hot way. She'll make you forget all about your embarrassing obsession with Sam.

But how could I ever forget my one and only Alice Assign true love? Because I'll order you to. I have missed you. Then text me back, you loser! I will! Liar! Anyway, I should get going. Don't want to hold you up.

Especially if Lena's in. Yeah, some things never change. I'll see you around, Alice. Not if I stalk you first! Look after yourself, Teddy. TITLE CREDITS Hey, Lena. Hello.

I don't see you in here often. I forgot to fill my thermos this evening. Right. You seem unsettled. Have you had a difficult case? No. I mean, yeah, but no more than normal. Yet you seem quite nervous. Oh, well, I mean, if I'm being honest, you're my boss, but I've hardly ever actually spoken to you still. Why would I need to talk to you? Your work is satisfactory. Unless you have a work-related issue I can assist you with. Um, no. Nothing like that.

Then consider my silence a compliment, if you like. Right. Oh, I meant to ask, is Celia going to be in today? No. Oh. Can I ask why? You may. Uh. She called in with a childcare emergency.

Good. I hope Jack's okay. Who's that? Uh... She called in with a childcare emergency. Good. I hope Jack's okay. Who's that? Uh...Cevious Kid. Oh. Is that his name? Yeah... No kids of your own? No. No. That makes sense.

I hope you enjoyed our talk. Let me know if you have any problems. Report of medical examiner's investigation for inquest into the death of Violet Parker. Autopsy and examination performed by Dr. S. Rashid. Dissident Violet Abigail Parker. Sex, female. Age, 41. Ethnicity, white. British. Occupation, teacher. Home address, 74, Willow Tree, close. Iconum, Greater London. Type of death found at scene. Notification by London Metropolitan Police. Investigating agency as above. Situation of of body clothed in the middle of Milton Court open space estimated time of death oh 300 GMT 20 oh 320 24 rigor yes eyes gray hair brown height 1 7 2 Rigour? Yes. Eyes? Grey. Hair? Brown. Height? 172 cm. Weight? 31 kg. Marks and wounds? Extreme malnutrition.

Tissue damage on both feet and stress fracture on left ankle. Probable cause of death? Starvation, dehydration, exposure, manner of death unknown. Examiners comments. Hopefully no one will ever read this. God, I hope she stays silent and if she does, then I will burn these notes so they can't be used as evidence to strip me of my position. But if she starts again and others can confirm it then I think it's important to have kept these notes. Shortly before finishing my autopsy, the deceased, Violet Abigail Parker, began to talk. I can confirm absolutely that she was dead when this happened and I was at that moment examining her heart and lungs and neither of them was active. How she could speak with an open thorax is beyond me.

She seemed to be reciting some sort of story almost as an involuntary reflex. I believe it may have some relevance to her death. I managed to transcribe some and have included it in my notes. After a few minutes the cadaver ceased to speak and has not resumed since. Unless the morgue technicians or funeral directors report something similar prior to cremation, I will probably keep this record private. I want to ask the next of kin about it, but unfortunately no one has come forward to claim the body. Besides, I doubt they would appreciate finding out she gave her last words after her death. Transcript as follows.

And of course, Mother always said not to. It was an old house, and an empty house, and Mother said that that made it a dangerous house. There will be spiders, she said, rotten wood to fall through, and oh, so many rusty nails. And most importantly importantly too many rooms so many turning passageways to confuse you so many locked doors that even if you didn't hurt yourself you might never find your way out again and then you'd walk till your feet

broke and you starved to death she wouldn't come for us if we went in there. She'd leave us to wander all alone. That's what Mother said. And we never did go in that house on Church Street. But it's strange. Even though we never went inside, I've been in the house on Church Street my entire life. I try to escape it. If my mother says she needs money, I give it. If Tom needs me to put together more lesson plans, I will. If Hannah needs her clothes washed, I'll do it.

Because if I don't, if I don't listen and I don't do what I'm told, then they won't come for me. I'll be alone in the house. I'll be alone in the house. I'll be alone. And it's always there, waiting for me. I've dreamt of it my whole life, and I still am dreaming. When I was 15, we were told that we had to study words within school. I wandered lonely as a cloud, everyone laughed soppy, stupid poetry. But in my imagination the clouds rolled silent and thick through the old house on Church Street, choking and hiding so that even if anyone had thought to look, they would never have seen me. The daffodils pushed and strained and tore through the old wood of the house, a

rotted mass of yellow that would be my only company. From that day forward, the empty gray of the house was laced with fog and moldering yellow. The house itself is long gone, of course. They tore it down when I was ten, reduced to splinters and stones. But it was already too late. With my mother's help, I had built the house anew. Not on Church Street, but inside me, where no one would find me or ever think to look. And here I am. The corridors stretch onwards with the doors all blank and strange. Even the daffodils are here, stinking of mildew. Someone has brought me here. But who? Some figure reaching, asking questions in an alley. It doesn't matter. They're not here now.

No one's here now. No one ever will be. Because I broke my promise. I went in the house on Church Street, and I'm still here. Now all I can do is walk, walk and hope, and ignore the burning in my throat and the aching in my belly. Keep screaming, hoping someone might hear me through all that cloying fog. But no one is coming to help me. So, I must be careful on the stairs,

or they will break, and I will fall. I must be careful on the floor, or I will step upon an upturned nail. I must be careful with the doors, or the handles will give me splinters, and the fall will break my legs, and the nails will give me tetanus, and the splinters will turn to gangrene, and all the while the daffodils will watch and wilt and laugh. I wander lonely. I wander lonely.

I will die in this place, and no one will miss me. Alice? Were you listening to that one? Sorry, no. Was reading about some guy with an inverted face sitting on the ceiling watching another guy while he sleeps. Pretty gnarly stuff. Why? Well, it was this dead woman was speaking to the medical examiner. G for ghost, comma, recent. Easy. No, it was the corpse itself that was speaking. Speaking as in?

As in telling the story of its death. Sounds like she was trapped in her greatest fear which then actually killed her. Look, I see where you're going with this. You think it's something to do with... with what I saw? Yeah. I think maybe there's something out there that killed them both. Hmm. I see. So you reckon I should have a look at this case? Maybe note down some connections, pin it up on my cork board, circle some key dates in bright red, connect them all with string, and stare at them while moodily sipping bourbon.

I mean, maybe? That's dumb. You can't just ignore this. Why not? Okay, let's assume you're right. These cases are connected and there's a weird murderer who can kill you with your deepest fear and then make your corpse narrate it. Let's take that insane premise as a truth. Fine.

Did your case give any clue as to how to avoid this killer? Err, no, not really. Okay, did it give any hint as to where they were going to be in the future so that I can avoid also being there? Well, no, but... Did it in fact give any details as to how it works, what it looks like, what it wants, why it's here, anything like that? No. Then with the greatest respect, your idea is bad and you should feel bad. But now we know something's out there...

And... is bad and you should feel bad. But now we know some things out there and... And if even one percent of these cases has even a grain of truth to them, then there are hundreds of some things out there. Thousands. This is just the latest flavour of awful. But you might have actually met this one in person. And in case you didn't notice, it messed me up. So why the hell would I want to know more about it? I mean, it might help you come't notice, it messed me up! So why the hell would I want to know more about it? I mean, it might help you come to terms with it, or...

No, Sam. Absolute best-case scenario. It does nothing and just wastes my time. Most likely scenario, it makes me too scared to walk down the street without freaking out. Worst-case scenario, it gets me curious. Because if there's one thing I've noticed with all these cases over the years, it's that it's curiosity that actually gets you killed. So thanks, but no thanks.

Ah. Sorry I brought it up. It's okay. I know you're just trying to help, but... Ooh, trouble in paradise. Lena's on Gwen's case again. I don't know. She looks...

Hey, here comes trouble. Has the barman said to the bull, Oh God, oh God no, please don't kill anyone. We don't have insurance. Don't tempt me. Wouldn't dream of it. Sam on the other hand looks pretty iffy to me what's up nothing it's fine oh good glad that's sorted Sam copy you know since everything is fine when it's just another externals assignment from Lena. And that's a problem because...

Because they're not... ...fun. Oh well, no wonder you throw in a massive strop. Lena can't possibly expect you to do work that isn't a complete hoot every second. That would be completely unreasonable. Sorry, did I miss the part where externals is meant to mean anything? Grumpy contractors from outside the office getting government grants to do F-all. No, it's not.

It's more complicated than that. Complicated how? They're not... I don't think they're people. Not all of them, anyway. Not fully. I mean, are any of us lowly worms people to you? Not now, Alice. What do you mean, not people, Gwen? In the cases. You know how there are often things or places or people or whatever who aren't right?

Who seem to be causing all the awful things to happen. Like the monsters? I guess. Well, it seems some of them... I have to meet some of them to pass them work. Right. Okay. So, like, can you give us an example?

I... yeah, I guess. So, do you remember from TV... Mr. Bonzo? You absolute arsehole, Gwen! You absolutely... You totally had me going there! I was... Christ! Could you imagine though, you turn up to the TV station all like, I have a job for you Mr. Bonzo, and he's all like, Bonzo, Bonzo, Bonzo... Shut up! Shut up! Shut the fuck up! You don't...

So... That was weird. Told you. Curiosity will get you killed. Best try and ignore it. Alice, she's really messed up. You can't just keep ignoring- Can't hear you! Headphones! Oh for god's sake!

Where's Georgie? There! There she is! Oh no! Where's Georgie gone? There she is! There she gone? There she is! There she is! Oh no! Who keeps taking Georgie's face?

Having fun? Always. He's a great kid. He's a hungry gremlin. I've been all over town to find somewhere in stock. Thanks for stopping by to watch him. Of course. It's not like I've got a big journey and I've always got editing work that can do just as easily from here as at home. Well, I really appreciate it.

You know, you can call me beforehand. You don't need to wait until you've already gone to let me know. It's not always that simple. I run out of baby food and he's- Celia, I'm saying you don't need to lie me know. It's not always that simple. I run out of baby food and he's... Celia, I'm saying you don't need to lie to me. I'm not. He woke up hungry after I got here,

so I grabbed one of the many, many food jars you have in the cupboard. Ah. Look Celia, I like you. And I love little Jack! Yes I do! You're so cute! So I'm not going to ask about all these emergencies that you have to run off to or your civil service job that happens to last all night. But if I'm going to be helping out, I need you to be straight with me on something.

Okay. Are you spying on me for the government? I promise I am not spying on you for the government. Illuminati? Masons? Well, no, you wouldn't be spying for the Masons, but you know what I mean. Wait, are you serious? Look, I know it's daft, but I need you to promise. I know it's daft, but I need you to promise.

Fine. I promise I am not spying on you for any government, secret society, or other organization. Or aliens. Or aliens. Good enough? Yeah. Yeah, I believe you. Okay. Thanks. Right then, I should get going. See if I can catch some sleep. Speaking of, have you been out all this time in your pajamas? Yes. Yes I have. Okay! The Magnus Protocol is a podcast distributed by Rusty Quill and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike 4.0 International Licence. The series is created by Jonathan Sims and Alexander J. Newell and directed by Alexander J. Newell.

This episode was written by Jonathan Sims and edited with additional materials by Alexander J. Newell, with vocal edits by Lorian Davis, soundscaping by Tessa Vroom and mastering by Catherine Rinella with music by Sam Jones. It featured Billy Hindle as Alistair, Shahan Hamza as Samama Khalid, Anusha Batasbi as Gwen Bouchard, Lowry Ann Davis as Celia Ripley, Kazine Totin-Amour as Teddy Vaughan, Sarah Lambi as Lena Kelly with additional voices from Tim Fearon. The Magnus Protocol is produced by April Sumner, with executive producers Alexander Janual, Danny McDonagh,

Lin Tse and Samantha F.G. Hamilton, and associate producers Jordan L. Hawke, Taylor Michaels, Nicole Perlman, C.T.S. The Raven and Megan Nice. in nice. Thanks for listening. sponsor Audible. For fans of heart racing, bone chilling and mind bending stories, Audible has everything you need. Audible is the leader in audiobooks, so you'll always find the best and freshest selection of mysteries and thrillers to choose from. Sometimes you just want to get lost in a classic whodunnit, and sometimes you want to get wrapped up in a twisted new mystery where the tension is high and you just can't stop listening until you find out what happens next. Audible can take you places only you can imagine and whenever you want.

On a run, doing errands, commuting or just relaxing at home. And it's not just audiobooks. Audible also gives you binge-worthy podcasts and exclusive originals with thousands of included titles you can listen to all you want and more get added every week. So if you're into secrets and suspense or you want to explore any other genre, remember there's more to imagine when you listen on Audible. Your first audiobook is absolutely free when you sign up for a free 30-day trial at audible.ca.