The Magnus Archives - The Magnus Protocol 37 - Scrutiny

Episode Date: April 10, 2025

CATXXXX-XXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXERROR (Unknown Source)Incident Elements:·     Bullying·     Domestic Abuse·     Child Neglect·     Fatphobia/Eating Disorders·     DysmorphiaTranscripts available at https://rustyquill.com/transcripts/the-magnus-protocol/This episode is dedicated to Riley and Alexys. You can find 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 Alexander J Newall Script Edited with additional material by Jonathan SimsExecutive 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 SumnerFeaturing (in order of appearance) Sasha Sienna as Georgie BarkerShahan Hamza as Samama KhalidBeth Eyre as ArchivistJennifer Austen as Ashe PinesLydia Nicholas as Melanie KingDialogue Editor – Nico VetteseSound Designer – Meg McKellarMastering Editor - Catherine RinellaMusic by Sam Jones (orchestral mix by Jake Jackson) Art by April Sumner  SFX from Soundly and Freesound: ondrosik, deleted_user_7146007, lezaarth, Yuval, SpliceSound, panchtitoohh, ahriik, kyles, as well as previously credited artists.Check out our merchandise available at https://www.redbubble.com/people/RustyQuill/shop and https://www.teepublic.com/stores/rusty-quillSupport Rusty Quill by purchasing from our Affiliates;DriveThruRPG – DriveThruRPG.comJoin our community:WEBSITE: rustyquill.comFACEBOOK: facebook.com/therustyquillX: @therustyquillEMAIL: [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.

Hi folks, Billy Hendel here, the voice of Alice in the Magnus Protocol. Today I'm here to advertise Sunrise on the Reaping, available now on audible.ca. Return to the world of the Hunger Games with Sunrise on the Reaping, a prequel exploring the backstory of Katniss' mentor, Haymitch, by bestselling author Suzanne Collins. When you've been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for? As the 50th Hunger Games begins, the districts of Panem are gripped by fear,

with twice as many tributes chosen for the quarter quell. Hamich Abanathy, torn from his home and the girl he loves, enters the deadly arena with little hope of survival, but a deep urge to fight that could from Court. Thank you for your friendship and introducing me to TMA, which along with you has gotten me through the darkest times. I love you both so much. Rusty Quill presents The Magnus Protocol Episode 37 Scrutiny I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Morning Sam. Morning. How are you feeling? Better. Not great, but definitely better. Good.

It certainly looks like you're on the mend. So they tell me. You could pass for human soon. Gee, thanks. I have to say, your doctor's pretty great, even if her equipment is... Uh... Outdated? Only by a hundred years or so.

We're still mostly off-grid here and we can't resupply often, so we have to improvise a bit. You know how it is. Do I? I don't even know if I'm still arrested. Oh, well, I can answer that one at least. You're free to go. What? Just like that? Just like that. We're pretty sure you're harmless at this point.

Um, thanks. You'll have to remain nearby for a bit longer, but it's not like you'd have been able to find a ride anyway. I don't suppose you have somewhere you can stay? I mean, not really, given the whole trapped in an alternate dimension thing. Not unless I can go back through the portal or... Zone's on lockdown until we've hunted down your archivist and eliminated it, so your trip back will have to wait, assuming it's as easy as you think it is. Not sure weeks of medical treatment counts as easy, but sure.

So where does that leave me? It's not like I have cash to pay for a hostel or anything. You can stay with me. At least for the time being. Oh, thanks, that's kind of you, but I wouldn't want to intrude. Bit late for that, so you may as well do it where I can see you. Okay. But I am free to go. Absolutely. As long as you're with an escort at all times. At least until that archivist situation is resolved.

Right. Thanks. You're welcome. Am I though? Yeah, maybe welcome isn't quite the right word. Anyway, hurry up and get dressed. Melanie will kill me if we're late. Who's Melanie? My better half. Now come on, you don't want to get off on the wrong foot. She's not a people person like I am. I see you.

Forgive me. See me. Oh, see me, please. Let me be known again. Let my name be on your lips. Let my fear shine on your lips. Let my fear shine for you. Ash...

Bines. Yes! Oh, yes! Watch her. See me, see my fear. Take it. Take it all. It is yours.

I give it to you. I give myself to you. Judge me, Deride me. Upjure me. Please just see me. I see you. I felt you in my dreaming. Felt you twisting it about yourself again. I was so afraid of being noticed, being known, being seen and judged, but then... then the dream ended and I've been alone. So alone, unknown and fading.

Send me back. Send me back to my fear. Back to the place where I could never hide. Please, please, I need to go back. I need to be seen again Speak Oh my god, did you see what she was wearing? No makeup again. Can't believe how fat she's gotten Why is her hair so greasy? What's with her glasses? She's so spotty, she's so short, so ugly, so quiet, so weird, so stupid, so lazy, so poor, clumsy, creepy, broken. I can hear my parents downstairs as I wake up. They're talking about me again. They're always talking about me, watching me.

But that's what parents do, right? That's how you know they care. They keep an eye on you. I get up, turn on the TV, and start to get dressed. On the morning news, they're discussing how stupid I looked in PE yesterday, how I shouldn't be allowed to wear the kit, how ugly I looked, but also how inappropriate it was that I was distracting the boys. They've got the PE teacher in for an interview, and he says it's time for the government to take action. I sit on the end of my bed and take notes. I stumble downstairs for a quick breakfast. The bread's mouldy, but I'm late now, so I just pick it off and put it in a toaster anyway. Mum gives me the look that tells me she saw me do it, so I pop the toaster and throw the cold bread away. She's right, I shouldn't be eating carbs anyway. Missed the bus again, so I have to walk it. That's

probably for the best, I need the exercise. I try to hurry but end up tripping over the broken flagstone again. Everyone points and laughs, like always. I should to hurry but end up tripping over the broken flagstone again. Everyone points and laughs, like always. I should look where I'm going. It's just so tricky when I'm trying to stop snouching. They don't stop laughing. I look up and I see the billboards have changed. It used to be cosmetic surgery ads with my face as the before picture. Now it's a fast food ad with me stuffing my face. There's a couple of kids hanging out underneath. One of them sees me, then points to the billboard. They all start making pig noises, so I try to join in. Get into school late and the teachers ignore me. That hurts. I guess they've already given up on me.

Makes sense. I'm a no-one, invisible. Why would they notice me? God, I wish they would notice me. I slip into my chair at the front and try to listen as Mr. Dumfries goes over evolution. I prepare for him to ignore me like the others. Why wouldn't he? I don't deserve his attention, but then he's saying my name. I make sure to laugh with everyone when he gets me to stand up as an example of a primitive hominid. I don't want people to think I'm stuck up. They all point and laugh, and I start to cry. And to laugh.

I'm seen again, and it's overwhelming. Science is next. I forgot it was a dissection today. Miles starts poking me with the scalpel. Mum says it's how boys show they like you. Mrs Winslow shouts at me for distracting him, and so I apologise and try to focus on the work. Seeing the frog splayed out like that, though, I can't help but think it looks like me. And before I know what I'm doing I take the blade and stab it deeply into the body. Too deeply. I slice it open, lay it out and start to rip off all the bad bits.

There's mess everywhere, so now I have to stay late to clean up everyone's desks. I miss lunch, but I get to French early, so I take my seat at the front. It takes a moment for me to realise that I don't recognise any of the kids coming in. They recognise me, though, whispering and pointing. It's only once Mr Andrew comes in and starts to shout that I realize I'm in the wrong room. I rush off to 5B before I miss too much of the lesson. By the time the home bell rings I'm exhausted. I really should walk home. I'll never save money if I keep wasting it like this but it's cold and

I'm missing a shoe. The Hiskin sisters chucked it over the fence. It's my fault really. It wouldn't happen if I didn't leave my stuff lying around. The bus home is packed. Everyone on their phones. There's a new video of me falling down the stairs doing the rounds. I laugh along with them. It's important that people know you can laugh at yourself.

I get home, and Mum and Dad are out. That's when I remember it's Parents' Night again, and they need to discuss what's wrong with me. I decide to skip dinner, and try to catch up on my homework, but I end up putting the TV on. I don't know why I find it so hard to concentrate on stuff. It's no wonder I keep getting in trouble. It's one of those funniest home video shows. This one is top ten most painful injuries, and they're showing that time I broke my leg playing tennis.

I'm not surprised the audience find it so funny. Who manages to break a leg playing tennis? Eventually, I head upstairs, shrug off my clothes and lie there in bed staring up at the ceiling. I really should have a shower, clean my teeth, get some sleep. I've got a test tomorrow. But I can't stop listening to the party down the street. I think it's that concert where I drop the cymbal and everyone stop playing to watch

me pick it up. That one's pretty popular at the moment. I remember being so afraid that people would see me mess up at such an obvious part, so ashamed I'd ruined it all. But to think that I am now so important that everyone knows my name. I start to drift off then, my eyelids slowly closing on me as I lie back and think about the day, about how lucky I am that so many people care so much about me.

I used to be so afraid of the spotlight, but now I don't know if I could give it up. I just want to be seen. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Would you like a hand? In my own kitchen? Right, sorry.

It's fine, but remember I've got a special, heavier cane for smart-arses. Noted. Tea? Er... Do you have tea in your world? Yes, we have tea. So would you like some? Oh, yes. Milk, one sugar, please.

Try again. We've got cold or hot oh hot please so alternate dimension hey seems so is it nice there it's all right I'd say it's pretty normal but I don't really have anything to compare it to yet. Hmm. I suppose that's fair. So go on then. Any idea what the big difference is yet? Sorry?

You're from another world, so presumably there's some big weird difference that completely changes stuff. Like what? I don't know. Like you never discovered antibiotics or World War One never happened, unicorns are real, that kind of stuff. Oh it's kind of hard to be sure. My London's less of a disaster zone and has a lot more people and electricity. Ah that makes sense. Not many people left around here, so they haven't gotten around to fixing the grid. We've got a portable generator for essentials, but that doesn't

include a kettle, apparently. And like, I don't know if this is a thing, but I haven't seen anyone on their mobile. Oh right, yeah, the cell network is still down here. I heard Germany is having better luck on that, but who's to say? Right. So is your supernatural still based on the fears? Sorry, I don't... Corruption, vast, creepy avatars and all that lot.

We've got monsters, if that's what you mean. Close enough. So um I don't mean to be rude but um I've got to ask what happened here? Why is everything so... Fucked? Yeah. From the sound of things, your London is pretty standard, right? You know, internet dating, crowded tubes, extortionate rent, all that? Yeah. Well, don't take it for granted. If you've got monsters, then it could easily happen to you too.

What could happen? Big old supernatural apocalypse. You know, the world ended, then it unended mostly. Ended? How? So, there's this ritual that happens. October 2018. Supernatural forces that feed on fears are unleashed and transform the world into hell on Earth. You know, like a factory farm of terror with humanity in all the cages. London was the centre where it started.

A place called the Magnus Institute. And that became a massive sort of tower of... Now what? Sorry, I just... your Magnus Institute ended the world. It did. Ha! I knew it! I knew it! So you have one in your world too? Had one, yeah. Is that why they wanted all the gifted kids?

For some kind of alchemy doomsday ritual? Huh? Sorry, carry on. I just... yeah. Sorry. Right. Sorry, Gareon. I just... yeah. Sorry. Right. So, these days, they call it the London Incursion, right? But it actually happened everywhere. The sky turned into just this massive eye that's watching it all as everyone wakes up in their own personal hell, and it is... it is not nice. Christ. What was your hell? Okay, firstly, just so you know, that is considered a pretty personal question these days.

And secondly, it was different for Georgie and I. We were special. Long story. But for everyone else, some people are getting tortured and others are doing the torturing. And it all feels like it's going on forever and then just as suddenly it stops. Why? Well that's the thing. Most people have no idea. He happened to have stumbled across two of the only people who actually know what happened. Which is? Short version. We undid the ritual, blew up the tower, and kicked all the supernatural forces to the curb. And lost some friends in the process.

So that's it. Everything's all over. All the personal hells just sort of turn off. Only then shit really hits the fan because everyone comes to where they disappeared. I just thought that was a good thing. Oh really? So what about if you were on a plane when you disappeared? Or a boat? Or in the middle of surgery? So it was all real. People like properly disappeared, it wasn't all in their heads

or anything. It was real alright. Best anyone can tell everyone disappeared for about a week of real time. But it felt like a lot more. Especially if you were in some bullshit time domain or whatever. But hang on, wouldn't that mean they came back where the Earth was when they disappeared? Meaning they would just appear in space and- Gonna stop you right there! Okay? Don't know. Do not care.

I was never very good at following this dream logic bullshit, but people stayed on the planet at least. Sure. Now, what do you think happens when everyone in the world disappears for a week and then either dies or comes back horribly traumatized? I assume you're going to tell me? Chaos. Absolute chaos. Some people tried to help out, but the first few weeks it almost felt like we were back in the domains.

The government didn't do anything? The government had just been through the exact same thing as everyone else. Most major cities were either flooded or collapsed or both. Hell, huge chunks of Asia and the southern US were massive infernos thanks to all the refineries that just ended up exploding because no one was there to stop them. Jesus. We caught a break with the nuclear stuff because it turns out the reactors just sort of turn themselves off if they're left alone but yeah that's about it. It was a pretty rough time. Most of the

emergency generators had already run out of fuel, and that means no water, no power, no infrastructure at all. All the hospitals and that? Immediately overwhelmed. Anyway, it's after that that the reckoning started. So basically, all the hells had split people into victims who suffered and jailers who tormented them and it's not like people forgot who was who. Once everyone came back there were some scores to settle. But weren't people like magically made to

do it? You didn't get an actual choice sure but let's just say that it's a certain type of person that ends up being a jailer. Sadists? Eh, less than you'd think. It was more managers, politicians, cops, CEOs, the kind of people who were used to living with authority. In the end they declared an amnesty for all the revenge killings and now people think twice before chasing power. I'm gonna be honest, that bit doesn't sound totally awful. In principle sure sure. But in practice, a lot of the jailers were the people who controlled the resources that kept everything running. And that meant organising any sort of wide-scale crisis response was

basically impossible. And so when winter set in, there were a lot more cold and hungry people going in than came out the other side. Depends who you ask, but most people think the aftermath killed far more people than the actual incursion. Was there any international response at all? Well they were dealing with their own shit. Besides, don't ask me about the physics of it but apparently everyone in the world had seen the panopticon and was left with the impression that it all was the fault of a British guy with a posh accent. No one was exactly rushing to help us out.

The world's more or less back on its feet now, but for most of the years since Towerfall, Britain's been scraping by on the relief supply as we get by selling off city scrap. I can actually hear your mind blowing. Where did I lose you? No, I'm good. Just a lot to take in. I suppose it is when you plump it all together like that. I do still have a couple of questions though.

Go for it. Georgie won't be back from the wardens for another hour at least. Yeah, so, uh, wardens? I'm guessing those are police? I'll tell Georg Georgia you said that. Uh, no. No. Capital P police are very much not a thing anymore. Not since the reckoning. The wardens are more like a militia, I guess. They volunteer to guard the zones and they help out counties with general labor.

Sandbags, trench digging, that kind of thing. They don't have any official authority or anything but most people trust them enough to accept their help. And the zones? They're what's left of the fears. That's not a bad way of thinking of it. It's more like they're locations that got polluted by too much fear in one place and ended up permanently weird. Georgie won't admit it, but we still don't really know much about them. Okay, so like, who's in charge?

Of the wardens. No, of everyone. There's no government, no police, no army. How's anything getting done? Well, I mean, most people will do stuff, even if they aren't forced to. They'd rather farm than go hungry. They'd rather clean up than live in filth. For big stuff, things are mostly sorted on a county-by-county level. It's not perfect, but it works. Taxes make a lot more sense now.

Right. Anything else, or are we done with remedial apocalypse lessons for today? No, no, I'm good, I think. Great. In that case, you can make yourself useful. You got any training? I mean, I worked for the government in data entry, and before that I worked in law. Sounds like we should get you started on potatoes. They're pretty easy and maybe don't mention the lawyer thing to anyone else Yeah, I mean technically I wasn't a lawyer. That's the spirit So what they just listened to weird horror stories and that was it no alchemy at all if there was it didn't happen while

I was around. Mostly we were just sat in that manky old archive reading paperwork and feeling sorry for ourselves. Huh. Speak of the devil, how was work dear? Don't, not tonight. Something happen? Found another body, civilian. They reckon it was his archivist again. It's not my archivist. Anything new to go on? Nothing. So it could still be him? If it is, he's gone properly off the deep end.

If not, then we're dealing with a completely unknown avatar. Either way, it's bad. And still no clue what it's looking for. Oh no. I have a definite hunch on that. I keep telling you, the only thing special about me is how bad my luck is. Oh really? And not in a weird Magic Monkeys bore way either. Just normal, run-of-the-mill, life-hates-me kind of luck. Hmm. You're still alive, aren't you?

Sounds pretty lucky after everything you've told me. Anyway, special or not, you're my only lead. Not necessarily. Oh yeah? Well, there's a Magnus Institute in both universes, and according to Melanie, you have other versions of people I've met, like Basira and Gertrude. So, stands to reason there'd be another version of me here somewhere, right? So, if you think the Archivist is interested in me, it would go after other me too, right?

So, if we find him, uh, me, then maybe we find the Archivist. Hmm, that's not a bad idea. Really? Yeah, that's why it's the first thing we checked up on once we had your name. Oh. I couldn't find anything on our land, but that's no surprise since our records are hatchy at best. I sent for some records from other nets, but no idea how long that'll take. Did you try Alice? Who? His better half, from the sound of it. We're not actually together, so...

But you were close. Close enough that our doubles might know each other too. Where's the shot? Not like we've got much else to work with. Great! Hmm. Cool, so in that case... Shut up. Excuse me?

Shut up. What is it? Something I never wanted to hear again. Got you, you little shit! 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 Alexander J. Newell and edited with additional materials by Jonathan Sims, with vocal edits by Nico Vitezi, soundscaping by Meg McKellar and mastering by Catherine

Rinella with music by Sam Jones. It featured Shahan Hamza as Samama Kali, Sasha Sienna as Georgie Barker, Lydia Nicholas as Melanie King, with additional voices from Beth Ayer. The Magnus Protocol is produced by April Sumner with executive producers Alexander Janeywell, Danny McDonough, Lynn See and Samantha F.G. Hamilton. And associate producers Jordan L. Hawke, Taylor Michaels, Nicole Perlman, C.T.S. The Raven and Megan Nice. To subscribe, view associated materials or join our Patreon, visit RustyQuill.com. Rate and reviews online? Tweet us at TheRustyQuill, visit us on Facebook, or email us via mail

at RustyQuill.com. Thanks for listening.