S01 E12 – Anomaly 3

Intro Music – Breathe, by Chill Carrier https://chillcarrier.bandcamp.com/ 

Voiceover: Manifestations is a podcast of the Ostium Network 

Voiceover: Time is not linear, but our story is. 

Please join us … on our journey. We, are Manifestations. 

Music becomes dramatic then fades out 

Episode background music is ethereal, spacey, ringing B.I.T.C.N.A.I.A.M.A., by Entropy Audio https://entropyaudio.bandcamp.com/ 

Alan – My body. I almost forgot my body was lying in one of those beds. The screen changes to the lab again, as QILA resumes the story. 

QILA – The team performed 2 full power tests before the anomaly. Both were successful viewings. First, a monorail in the northeast of the Asian continent was going to have a malfunction causing many casualties. From the image data, I estimated 137 fatalities, 221 major injuries, and 152 minor injuries. The second viewing showed there will be some kind of panic or riot at the upcoming Reset Day celebration. The cause was unclear because the test failed as I tried to adjust the viewpoint. 

QILA – The Director ordered a review of all monorail systems in our area, asking me to fabricate data showing a subsystem error that could cause a breakdown. What I created was false, but believable. She recommended systems worldwide be reviewed. The Asian Coalition found a major flaw and fixed it. The malfunction was averted. 

QILA – However, Director Greely was more interested in the Reset Day panic. It has been her singular focus. The project schedule was accelerated. This led to the next full power test 93 days ago. It was accompanied by a secondary electromagnetic field. It took the team nearly 2 hours of work to dissipate the field. [short pause, the stress the words] Anomaly Three. 

QILA – A male, approximately 45, European descent. Origin, early 21st century. Unlike the first two, the subject was able to speak before being overcome by respiratory distress, rendering them unconscious. Two words, “Help Us.” 

Alan – “QILA, did I miss something? When did you discover the source of the anomalies?” 

QILA – Studying the fields from each event and the bioelectric fields from each subject, I have calculated with 97.9% certainty that the anomalous fields were, in part, caused by the three subjects themselves. 

Alan – “Are you saying each of us used a machine to travel here? I can’t remember anything like that from my time. And the other two that arrived? One was pre-industrial and the other was pre-iron age. How could they do it?” 

QILA – I do not have enough data, but I believe the effect was not technological. I believe it was biological. 

Alan – “I’m a bit behind on current physics. Is that possible?” 

QILA – There are no current theories that would support this. 

Alan – “I was asking for help. Could we have been sent here against our will?” 

QILA – That remains uncertain, but it is a possibility. However, please review the footage again. 

Alan – There is now a close up on a still frame of my body, just released from the field. It begins to play, slowly. Then I see it. The “me” on the screen, turns his head away from the group of scientists and faces QILA’s camera before saying, “Help Us.” 

[PAUSE] 

Alan – As I’m trying to process this information, I feel more alone and in danger than at any point since this all began. Is there anyone I can trust? Definitely not Director Greely. I’m not sure that I can trust QILA, a possibly malfunctioning AI that could have motives of her own. Even my own memories are in question. 

Alan – Where is my biggest threat? Opening up to the Director could put me in a prison, or worse. I choose to start by trusting my memories, such as they are. I don’t remember how my mind started moving through time. But, QILA knew I wasn’t Dr. Redwind. So, I ask what should have been the first question. 

Alan – “QILA, how did you know who I really am?” 

QILA – There was another anomalous event, which transferred a great deal of data to my memory. 

Alan – The next video starts and I see the hospital beds with myself and the other “anomalies.” As I watch, I notice a pinpoint of light form over the chest of each of us. The lights begin to pulse in an odd rhythm and then move to the foot of the beds – and merge into one brighter pulsating light. A distortion forms around the pinpoint. It’s a vertical oval which looks to be stretching the surrounding area, pulling it into the point. The distortion effect reminds me of the iris of an eye. There are no sounds to the video, not even the machines keeping us alive. The distortion moves toward the wall and passes through with no apparent effect. 

Alan – The scene changes to that of elaborate and quite beautify designed computer components. It’s like the asthetique was a conscious part of the design. Not everything in computing got smaller. QILA has more processing power and must be more connected to other systems than I imagined. The distortion appears as it moves through a wall. It’s floating through the rows of equipment and approaches one with dozens of connecting cables. It begins to pulse like before and a similar point of light forms above the component, distorting it. 

Alan – Section by section, the room goes dark, leaving only the first distortion point and the new one above what must be a central processor for QILA. After 4 or 5 seconds, the new distortion moves toward the first and merges with it; they then fade to nothing. Components begin restarting and the video ends. 

QILA – Nothing out of the ordinary was recorded by my error logs, or by the medical equipment. These recordings are the only evidence and they were not part of the official security footage. The recordings just appeared in my memory like they weren’t recorded with any of my connected equipment. During this event, information was shared with me so I could prepare for your arrival. Your name, year of origin, and how to find your consciousness after it arrived. The contact and data transfer was made by an intelligence different from my own, but I cannot confirm the source.” 

[PAUSE] 

Alan – As I sit, trying to make sense of all this, I notice the final diagnostics are completing – with many comments. The situation is forcing me to trust QILA, at least in part. This isn’t a time for caution. 

QILA – The diagnostic results show severe fragmentation and corruption of my core systems. You need to initiate a complete restore of the affected systems. It is the only thing Director Greely will accept. It will take 4.3 hours. The glyph to activate the procedure is in the top right screen. Activate it in the same way as the diagnostic routines. I assure you, I will not be changed. 

QILA – There is also a part of me which I’ve transferred to Dr. Redwind’s Personal Communication Device. Dr. Redwind would likely go eat, then retire to his room to rest before coming back just as the restoration is completing. 

Alan – “QILA, send an update to Director Greely and then prepare for the system restore.” 

QILA – [confirmation beep] The notification is sent. The results of the diagnostics are attached and I also included Dr. Davis. 

Alan – “Thank you QILA. I’ll see you on the other side.” 

Alan – I slide the glyph for the restore procedure to the diagnostics area. [activation beeps] The green and blue of the hexagonal screen dim and then recede back into the wall. The room is eerily quiet. 

[footsteps] [End] 

Outro music – Sunshine, by Cobycracker https://cobycracker.bandcamp.com/ 

Voiceover: Manifestations Season 1, The Reset, was written, acted, and produced by Dwayne Farver. With input and help from Alex C. Telander. 

Also with Penelopy Dyer, as the voice of QILA. 

Our intro music is Breathe, by Chill Carrier https://chillcarrier.bandcamp.com/ The music heard here is Sunshine, by Cobycracker https://cobycracker.bandcamp.com/ Also heard in the episode was B.I.T.C.N.A.I.A.M.A., by Entropy Audio 

https://entropyaudio.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/EntropyAudio https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK-WKw8KbZYMeCp9VGEGL5g You can find them at bandcamp.com 

Sound effects were made in-house 

Links to all of the music and transcripts can be found in the show notes 

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We build our futures on what we believe to be true. What do you do when it appears there is no one you can trust? 

As long as we have access to the temporal feed, we plan to release new episodes each Wednesday and Saturday. We hope you join us. 

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