(F)emale voice : It’s [date] and [time], and this is Tech Team Agent [REDACTED]. This recording is for archive purposes, to be added to case file [number] on subject [REDACTED], aka the [REDACTED].
Male voice: [indistinct]
F: No, I’m not doing it in Russian. They can all speak English - if they want it, they’ve got translators. Go away.
[Pause, sounds of movement]
F: Background to investigation: Strike personnel, deployed on six-day target elimination mission in Northern Europe, reported malfunction of [REDACTED] starting approximately seventy-six hours post defrost - post removal from cryo-stasis - and worsening until mission end which was... four hours ago. The… the full report from the squad commander has yet to be issued, but initial communication suggests that the subject has been acting confused and not responding to direct orders. [REDACTED] was involved in a physical conflict with members of the team, resulting in gunshot wound to the right upper leg. The bullet isn’t still in there, we checked. It’s already healing.
He… there are no other injuries apparent. The mission was completed and the subject was compliant upon extract; stripped of weapons and outer clothing and prepared as normal for pre-cryo diagnostic procedures - with the exception of administering intravenous [REDACTED]. ‘Cause that makes him dopey and we need to ask him stuff.
[Pause]
F: Subject is alert and aware of surroundings, he’s looking me in the eye. Except obviously he stops doing that as soon as you mention it, but whatever. Look at me. That’s it. Do you know who I am?
Subject voice: No Ma’am.
[Subject is male, with a North-East American accent which varies in strength during the course of the recording. Translation yet to be obtained for time points where he is not speaking English.]
F: Do you know where you are?
Subject: No Ma’am.
F: Do you know wh… actually this question - I won’t say it - apparently was the cause of some of the trouble earlier. I’ll skip it. Ok. You have a bullet wound in your right leg; do you have any idea why this is?
Subject: I attacked Agent [REDACTED] and one of the others shot me. It hit my left arm but it ricocheted.
F: Why did it ricochet?
[Pause]
Subject: ...because my left arm is made of metal.
F: Ok, don’t give me that look. I know. I was just checking if you -. Ok, fine. Why did you attack Agent [REDACTED]?
Subject: I don’t remember doing it.
F: That was not my question. Why did you attack Agent [REDACTED]?
Subject: I don’t remember.
F: Do you remember what happened before or after you did it?
Subject: He was asking me questions. Then… I must’ve done it. And then… I was sitting on the ground. With my leg....
F: What questions was he asking you?
Subject: I don’t remember.
F: Why was he asking you questions?
Subject: I don’t remember.
[Pause]
Subject: I... disobeyed his orders.
F: Which orders?
Subject: He told me to… he told me not to - they were… they were ch-. Uh, he told me to shut up. Because I talked too much about… about something. I asked him questions.
F: What did you ask him?
Subject: I was walking around and he didn’t like it. I asked him [indistinct Russian].
F: What’s that in English? Hey. He’s just staring at me, hang on. [clicks fingers] Hey. In English.
Subject: Where are we? They said did I fight bears?
F: Did you what?
Subject: Did I fight bears? In Siberia.
F: ‘Did you fight bears in Siberia’?
Subject: That information’s classified, clearance [Russian].
F: I wasn’t aski- ok, fine. Why would they…? Anyway.
Subject: I attacked Agent [REDACTED] before. He said I tried to kill him.
F: Did you try to kill him?
Subject: I don’t know. Probably I did.
F: Probably? You said you attacked him - that would be the second time - because he was asking you questions - about something - after you disobeyed his orders. Why did you do it the first time?
Subject: He told me to put my hands on my head. I… don’t remember doing it.
F: And why was that a problem for you?
Subject: He kept saying the left arm, the left - I, uh… I don’t have a left arm.
F: Are you trying to be smart with me? Or what about with him? Were you sassing him?
[Pause]
Subject: I don’t have a left arm. I’m sorry.
F: You sure about that, Mister? Why don’t you take a look?
Subject: That… that isn’t… [Indistinct, Russian]. I lost it. When. I lost it.
F: It’s right there.
Subject: I’m tellin’ ya, I lost it. Lady, I don’t know what your game is - but makin’ fun of a guy with a war wound, that’s below the belt.
F: Didn’t you just say that y-?
Subject: Look, I’ll do whatever you want me to, I’m sorry - but you can’t… you can’t tell someone to do somethin’ with a limb they don’t have, I don’t care how crazy you are.
[Pause]
F: Didn’t you just say to me that -?
Subject: I’m sorry! I - [Russian].
F: Quiet. Didn’t you just confirm to me that your left arm was made of metal?
[Pause. A mechanical sound.]
Subject: [very quietly] But I don’t….
[Pause]
F: Ok, his heart rate just spiked. It’s stressing him out. He… is… just wiggling his fingers - on the left - and watching them. It’s definitely stressing him out. Hey. Look at me. Look. Ok, he’s looking. You’re gonna do as I say, ok?
Subject: Yes Ma’am.
F: Do you know where you are?
Subject: No Ma’am.
F: Do you know what year it is?
Subject: Nineteen - uh, I - I don’t know. Nineteen - two thousand and - I’m guessing, I mean - I’m sorry, I don’t - I don’t know…
F: Looks like that’s another stress point. [Quietly] For reference - he doesn’t usually know, but he doesn’t make random guesses either and it doesn’t bother him. As far as I’m aware, this is unprecedented. [Louder] You don’t know.
Subject: No Ma’am. I don’t know.
F: What’s the last year you remember?
Subject: Nineteen forty-five. Maybe… forty-seven. Guy told me once it was forty-seven, I think.
F: This is a specific memory that you have?
Subject: You know what they did to him?
F: Is this -?
Subject: They said [entire sentence, Russian], I mean who did he think he was? Giving [REDACTED] information. [REDACTED] doesn’t get that. He doesn’t get to know what the year is, he doesn’t - he can’t - he doesn’t remember. What, you tell him baseball scores? The news about factories and the ships, the bombs, Americans like? They made him read to the, they made him read out, he was going to be killed. He didn’t like that, he was reading his death; they killed him. I killed him.
[Pause]
F: So you’re remembering specific time points?
Subject: I don’t know when it was.
F: You just said the year.
Subject: I don’t know that.
F: You said it was in nineteen forty-seven.
Subject: I don’t know what year it was. It might not have been true.
F: You think the - these people might have been lying to you?
Subject: Yes ma’am.
F: Why would they lie to you?
Subject: To stop me from knowing what year it was.
F: Has anyone ever told you this information?
Subject: No.
F: Has anyone ever asked you to guess or deduce this information?
Subject: Agent [REDACTED] did. I didn’t give him the right answer, so he hit me.
F: Was this when you attacked him?
Subject: I don’t remember.
F: So the first time, he told you to put your left hand on your head, and you didn’t think you had a left hand, and then tried to kill him. And the second time, he asked you questions because you disobeyed a direct order that he gave you, to shut up, and you answered incorrectly and then tried to kill him. Is that right?
Subject: Yes ma’am.
F: Did he shock you?
Subject: I don’t remember.
F: What would your response be if somebody shocked you? In the sense of correction, not, uh… emotionally.
Subject: I just… they just would do it.
F: What would your response be?
Subject: Sometimes I don’t know why they do it.
F: Even so - how would you respond to that?
Subject: [agitated] I didn’t do anything, ok?!
F: That wasn’t my question.
Subject: He grabbed me and I hit him, I didn’t try and kill him!
F: When was this?
Subject: He was - I was just - he grabbed onto me. I meant to make him stop. He’s not my target! Target was [REDACTED], level two, at [REDACTED] coordinates to be eliminated by accidental death setup falling at [REDACTED] Pass with evidence planted to suggest ill-preparedness for inclement weather conditions! We succeeded objective, I didn’t - I didn’t… [indistinct] I’m sorry… [indistinct].
(M)ale voice: He’s very confused, I think he’s seriously losing stability.
F: You think? Maybe we ought to just move him to cryo, we’ll see the report later.
M: Seems like it’s related to temporal drift… not sure what triggered it off. I don’t think we’ll get that out of him, he probably won’t remember.
F: Wipe him?
M: Not without [REDACTED] in his system. There’s not enough time. And I’m not taking any chances, we’ll do it when he defrosts next.
F: You could slap some in now, maybe it’ll work faster. His heart’s going pretty strong.
M: Might be possible. [REDACTED], we need a cannula. Get him prepped. We can administer now and wait to see what happens, no harm in tryi-.
[Loud, mechanical sound and thumps on surfaces. A person cries out in distress. Choking sounds.]
F: [loudly, agitated] Shit!
- End of recording -
Signed, the Tooth Nonnie (ok this is definitely finished now... probably.)
Fill: Make Your Puppet Dance - Epilogue to the Epilogue
(F)emale voice : It’s [date] and [time], and this is Tech Team Agent [REDACTED]. This recording is for archive purposes, to be added to case file [number] on subject [REDACTED], aka the [REDACTED].
Male voice: [indistinct]
F: No, I’m not doing it in Russian. They can all speak English - if they want it, they’ve got translators. Go away.
[Pause, sounds of movement]
F: Background to investigation: Strike personnel, deployed on six-day target elimination mission in Northern Europe, reported malfunction of [REDACTED] starting approximately seventy-six hours post defrost - post removal from cryo-stasis - and worsening until mission end which was... four hours ago. The… the full report from the squad commander has yet to be issued, but initial communication suggests that the subject has been acting confused and not responding to direct orders. [REDACTED] was involved in a physical conflict with members of the team, resulting in gunshot wound to the right upper leg. The bullet isn’t still in there, we checked. It’s already healing.
He… there are no other injuries apparent. The mission was completed and the subject was compliant upon extract; stripped of weapons and outer clothing and prepared as normal for pre-cryo diagnostic procedures - with the exception of administering intravenous [REDACTED]. ‘Cause that makes him dopey and we need to ask him stuff.
[Pause]
F: Subject is alert and aware of surroundings, he’s looking me in the eye. Except obviously he stops doing that as soon as you mention it, but whatever. Look at me. That’s it. Do you know who I am?
Subject voice: No Ma’am.
[Subject is male, with a North-East American accent which varies in strength during the course of the recording. Translation yet to be obtained for time points where he is not speaking English.]
F: Do you know where you are?
Subject: No Ma’am.
F: Do you know wh… actually this question - I won’t say it - apparently was the cause of some of the trouble earlier. I’ll skip it. Ok. You have a bullet wound in your right leg; do you have any idea why this is?
Subject: I attacked Agent [REDACTED] and one of the others shot me. It hit my left arm but it ricocheted.
F: Why did it ricochet?
[Pause]
Subject: ...because my left arm is made of metal.
F: Ok, don’t give me that look. I know. I was just checking if you -. Ok, fine. Why did you attack Agent [REDACTED]?
Subject: I don’t remember doing it.
F: That was not my question. Why did you attack Agent [REDACTED]?
Subject: I don’t remember.
F: Do you remember what happened before or after you did it?
Subject: He was asking me questions. Then… I must’ve done it. And then… I was sitting on the ground. With my leg....
F: What questions was he asking you?
Subject: I don’t remember.
F: Why was he asking you questions?
Subject: I don’t remember.
[Pause]
Subject: I... disobeyed his orders.
F: Which orders?
Subject: He told me to… he told me not to - they were… they were ch-. Uh, he told me to shut up. Because I talked too much about… about something. I asked him questions.
F: What did you ask him?
Subject: I was walking around and he didn’t like it. I asked him [indistinct Russian].
F: What’s that in English? Hey. He’s just staring at me, hang on. [clicks fingers] Hey. In English.
Subject: Where are we? They said did I fight bears?
F: Did you what?
Subject: Did I fight bears? In Siberia.
F: ‘Did you fight bears in Siberia’?
Subject: That information’s classified, clearance [Russian].
F: I wasn’t aski- ok, fine. Why would they…? Anyway.
Subject: I attacked Agent [REDACTED] before. He said I tried to kill him.
F: Did you try to kill him?
Subject: I don’t know. Probably I did.
F: Probably? You said you attacked him - that would be the second time - because he was asking you questions - about something - after you disobeyed his orders. Why did you do it the first time?
Subject: He told me to put my hands on my head. I… don’t remember doing it.
F: And why was that a problem for you?
Subject: He kept saying the left arm, the left - I, uh… I don’t have a left arm.
F: Are you trying to be smart with me? Or what about with him? Were you sassing him?
[Pause]
Subject: I don’t have a left arm. I’m sorry.
F: You sure about that, Mister? Why don’t you take a look?
Subject: That… that isn’t… [Indistinct, Russian]. I lost it. When. I lost it.
F: It’s right there.
Subject: I’m tellin’ ya, I lost it. Lady, I don’t know what your game is - but makin’ fun of a guy with a war wound, that’s below the belt.
F: Didn’t you just say that y-?
Subject: Look, I’ll do whatever you want me to, I’m sorry - but you can’t… you can’t tell someone to do somethin’ with a limb they don’t have, I don’t care how crazy you are.
[Pause]
F: Didn’t you just say to me that -?
Subject: I’m sorry! I - [Russian].
F: Quiet. Didn’t you just confirm to me that your left arm was made of metal?
[Pause. A mechanical sound.]
Subject: [very quietly] But I don’t….
[Pause]
F: Ok, his heart rate just spiked. It’s stressing him out. He… is… just wiggling his fingers - on the left - and watching them. It’s definitely stressing him out. Hey. Look at me. Look. Ok, he’s looking. You’re gonna do as I say, ok?
Subject: Yes Ma’am.
F: Do you know where you are?
Subject: No Ma’am.
F: Do you know what year it is?
Subject: Nineteen - uh, I - I don’t know. Nineteen - two thousand and - I’m guessing, I mean - I’m sorry, I don’t - I don’t know…
F: Looks like that’s another stress point. [Quietly] For reference - he doesn’t usually know, but he doesn’t make random guesses either and it doesn’t bother him. As far as I’m aware, this is unprecedented. [Louder] You don’t know.
Subject: No Ma’am. I don’t know.
F: What’s the last year you remember?
Subject: Nineteen forty-five. Maybe… forty-seven. Guy told me once it was forty-seven, I think.
F: This is a specific memory that you have?
Subject: You know what they did to him?
F: Is this -?
Subject: They said [entire sentence, Russian], I mean who did he think he was? Giving [REDACTED] information. [REDACTED] doesn’t get that. He doesn’t get to know what the year is, he doesn’t - he can’t - he doesn’t remember. What, you tell him baseball scores? The news about factories and the ships, the bombs, Americans like? They made him read to the, they made him read out, he was going to be killed. He didn’t like that, he was reading his death; they killed him. I killed him.
[Pause]
F: So you’re remembering specific time points?
Subject: I don’t know when it was.
F: You just said the year.
Subject: I don’t know that.
F: You said it was in nineteen forty-seven.
Subject: I don’t know what year it was. It might not have been true.
F: You think the - these people might have been lying to you?
Subject: Yes ma’am.
F: Why would they lie to you?
Subject: To stop me from knowing what year it was.
F: Has anyone ever told you this information?
Subject: No.
F: Has anyone ever asked you to guess or deduce this information?
Subject: Agent [REDACTED] did. I didn’t give him the right answer, so he hit me.
F: Was this when you attacked him?
Subject: I don’t remember.
F: So the first time, he told you to put your left hand on your head, and you didn’t think you had a left hand, and then tried to kill him. And the second time, he asked you questions because you disobeyed a direct order that he gave you, to shut up, and you answered incorrectly and then tried to kill him. Is that right?
Subject: Yes ma’am.
F: Did he shock you?
Subject: I don’t remember.
F: What would your response be if somebody shocked you? In the sense of correction, not, uh… emotionally.
Subject: I just… they just would do it.
F: What would your response be?
Subject: Sometimes I don’t know why they do it.
F: Even so - how would you respond to that?
Subject: [agitated] I didn’t do anything, ok?!
F: That wasn’t my question.
Subject: He grabbed me and I hit him, I didn’t try and kill him!
F: When was this?
Subject: He was - I was just - he grabbed onto me. I meant to make him stop. He’s not my target! Target was [REDACTED], level two, at [REDACTED] coordinates to be eliminated by accidental death setup falling at [REDACTED] Pass with evidence planted to suggest ill-preparedness for inclement weather conditions! We succeeded objective, I didn’t - I didn’t… [indistinct] I’m sorry… [indistinct].
(M)ale voice: He’s very confused, I think he’s seriously losing stability.
F: You think? Maybe we ought to just move him to cryo, we’ll see the report later.
M: Seems like it’s related to temporal drift… not sure what triggered it off. I don’t think we’ll get that out of him, he probably won’t remember.
F: Wipe him?
M: Not without [REDACTED] in his system. There’s not enough time. And I’m not taking any chances, we’ll do it when he defrosts next.
F: You could slap some in now, maybe it’ll work faster. His heart’s going pretty strong.
M: Might be possible. [REDACTED], we need a cannula. Get him prepped. We can administer now and wait to see what happens, no harm in tryi-.
[Loud, mechanical sound and thumps on surfaces. A person cries out in distress. Choking sounds.]
F: [loudly, agitated] Shit!
- End of recording -
Signed, the Tooth Nonnie (ok this is definitely finished now... probably.)