Patient Intervention Thread - Alexander

[Desdanova]

And I will add that there was less light pollution 80 years ago.

[Polyphemus]

And he was a country boy, away from the cities.

And it’s a game, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be absolutely true.

[LilLadyD76]

Yes! Country folks. h/t

Hey, I tried Taurus at some point, today… I was getting there. NOT!

[toddumptious]

So maybe the otherwordly typo was intentional? A hint that things are going to be quite abstract with Alexander

[Polyphemus]

I could have struggled with it for days, if not for the clue. Once Emily confirmed that it had to be the smell, and something in the night sky, that narrowed down the possibilities a lot.

[toddumptious]

Often old memories can become distorted by facts we learn later, perhaps he learned of that star to be betelgeuse and so in his memory it was replaces as red, then at some point he forgot he knew it was betelgeuse but the red part of the information remained on the memory.

I have a few like this myself, an early memory of me in a baby stroller and my mother had stopped to talk to another mother with a stroller, the feeling I associate with this memory is “who the feck does this other baby think he is?” but as a baby my thoughts would definitely not have been that crude.

That’s one way you could look at it, our memories are easily distorted on a daily basis.

[Polyphemus]

@toddumptious

our memories are easily distorted on a daily basis.

They are indeed, Arthur.

[RiCoCheT]

That’s odd! just checked again and it says Otherworldly now, maybe I should have gone to specsavers!!

[RiCoCheT]

Yes but he did say shiny red dot, and we do refer to stars as shining, so the hint was there!

[DevilinPixy]

I explained in a reply to you:

Patient Intervention Thread - Alexander

My bad, I misspelled it myself in the quote. Corrected just now.

[Polyphemus]

We got a new dreamer -Claire.

[StarGazer777]

Already? Let’s get to work on her then… I’m burnt out though

[StarGazer777]

She’s a child. Interesting

[RiCoCheT]

The thing is, if you tell a white lie you have to have a really good memory in case it trips you up in the future, something I don’t think Alexander had,

[RiCoCheT]

Gratz Polyphemus, well done,

[RiCoCheT]

And considering it was a storm, one would have thought it would be raining heavily, and have you ever tried to look up to the sky and keeping your eye’s open when your face is getting peppered with raindrops!! Hmmm!

[sheralmyst]

That IS a bunch of sh*t. I kook at the night sky all the time and I have NEVER been so awestruck by Betelguese that I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Now the moon, I could understand…
Just glad it is solved.

[MacForADay]

Much more likely that Sean Murray saw it in the night sky in the Australia wilderness. Remember, you can see stars a lot more clearly if there are no city lights nearby.

[DarthTrethon]

I don’t think Sean is THAT involved with the ARG though.

[johnnycloud]

Thought I would post the transcript in summary that contains a profile of Alexander. It’s quite long and I kept getting lost in it while tapping out questions, so it was helpful to keep notes and scroll back and forth through it.

Please only use this if you get stuck and wish to know how the codes were solved from the interviews. The answer codes are in this thread and tagged as spoilers.

CONTAINS SPOILERS

Summary

Connected to : Alexander
Uplink Dashboard
Connection started
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Ok, so…
Emily :
Here we have… Alexander.
Emily :
He’s an old man. I’m going to fire up the fair simulation- maybe it will remind him of something long in the past.
You :
I don’t think this is the best fit
Emily :
I think you should trust me on this one.
You :
Ok, let’s test this
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
Alexander! It’s nice to meet you.
Alexander :
Hello?
Alexander :
Hello, miss?
Alexander :
Sir. Hello?
Alexander :
Can’t you talk to me?
Emily :
I’m here!
Alexander :
Those people wouldn’t respond to me. How rude of them.
Emily :
I’m sorry. I could try to work on improving their interactions, but we’re in a bit of a hurry.
Alexander :
What do you mean?
Emily :
That woman didn’t respond to you because she isn’t real.
Alexander :
What do you mean she isn’t real? I saw her, she was right before my eyes.
Alexander :
Where are we? Did we manage to get out?
Emily :
Unfortunately no. We’re in a simulation.
Alexander :
What did you say?
Emily :
I need to get to know more about you, sir. To do that, I’m going to bring you to a lot of places and see if you have any critical memories there, to help me get to know you better.
Alexander :
Memories, huh?
Emily :
Exactly.
Emily :
Unfortunately, these places aren’t in the outside world. They are with us, here. On the satellite.
Alexander :
And you think the best place for an old man like me to relive memories is at a crowded fair.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
What’s with all of you not liking fairs?
Emily :
Also, I don’t think Alexander is being willfully uncooperative. He’s just a tad confused.
You :
Be confident
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
I think we could get what we want here.
Alexander :
You seem very sure of yourself.
Emily :
With a bit of talking, we could get to know each other very well!
Alexander :
I don’t like it here.
Alexander :
It’s too crowded.
Emily :
You don’t like to be around people?
Alexander :
I’ve been around people all my life. I’m just looking for a bit of peace.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Maybe he’s agoraphobic or something like that
Emily :
We could exploit that.
Emily :
Knowing his weaknesses could help us build up a solid profile.
You :
Sure, let’s follow your lead
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
We’re not here to find peace, Alexander. We’re trying to get answers.
Alexander :
I know what you’re trying to do, but I’m not sure it’s the right way.
Alexander :
There’s really a lot of people here.
Emily :
I thought you said crowds didn’t bother you?
Alexander :
I told you, it’s not that.
Emily :
I need you to understand that I just want what’s best for you.
Emily :
I would never do anything to harm you.
Alexander :
It’s hard to trust someone you don’t know.
Emily :
Let’s go over by the the house of mirrors. Once there, we will talk about it.
Alexander :
I can’t.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Am I being too harsh? He seems to genuinely be having a hard time.
You :
Let go
Emily :
If I were trapped in a situation like this and the only means to get me out was for you to scare me a little, I would prefer you go all in.
Emily :
But we’ll do what you say.
Emily :
Just remind me to remove you from my list of possible rescuers.
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
We can go to a quieter place if you want.
Alexander :
Lord, yes. What do you suggest?
Emily :
We can go by the carousel. There’s fewer people around it.
Alexander :
I would strongly prefer not to.
Alexander :
Can we go to the fountain instead? An old man’s gotta sit.
Emily :
Sure, let’s head that way.
Alexander :
That’s a lot better. Thank you.
Emily :
My pleasure. I want you to be comfortable.
Alexander :
That’s much appreciated.
Emily :
I guess that you never liked going to the fair?
Alexander :
Well…It was a bit of a love-hate relationship, you could say.
Alexander :
I think I spent the majority of my summers between the ages of 8 and 17 in fairs like this.
Emily :
Really?
Alexander :
Ha-ha! It was hell!
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Nice to see he’s laughing about it.
You :
Tell him that. It could lighten him up
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
I’m really glad to see you’ve kept your sense of humour.
Alexander :
You know, I kid. It was indeed hell in a way, but those summers are some of my fondest memories.
Emily :
You sound like someone who has a story to tell…
Alexander :
It’s nothing too fancy, really. My family had a cattle farm when I was growing up and my father presented our finest beasts at all the village fairs.
Emily :
Sounds like a great time!
Alexander :
It was. Great bonding moments with my father. We were on the road all summer together, going from village to village. We had to set up our stand and he stayed there, showcasing Mabel and Eugenice.
Alexander :
I had to run between groups of people, trying to attract them to our stand.
Emily :
And it worked?
Alexander :
Lord, yes! We won lots of prizes. Some years, we also brought Lionel. He was a feisty bull and we didn’t like to do long trips with him.
Alexander :
But when we did, we made a lot of money off him!
Emily :
How?
Alexander :
He was from a pretty good lineage and everyone wanted him to service their cows.
Alexander :
Lionel was definitely our pride and the highlight of the show!
Emily :
Oh.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Oh my god, he’s babbling like a kid.
Emily :
I didn’t think he’d be this talkative.
Let’s continue in this direction, it seems effective
Maybe we can try learn more about the things he didn’t like

Simulation Resumed
Emily :
You also said it was hell?
Alexander :
Oh, you know, the long days getting Lionel to behave so he didn’t kick anybody in the face and lose us money.
Alexander :
The burning sun making my skin peel when we were building our stand.
Alexander :
The thirst and the sore throat when I tried to scream at the top of my lungs to bring more people to the stand.
Emily :
Basically a walk in the park.
Alexander :
You can imagine it wasn’t easy.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Tough as nails.
You :
Dig further about family ------------
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
So I guess that the fair provided a lot of great memories for your family.
Alexander :
Lord, yes! There was the time that my older brother won the rodeo.
Alexander :
Also, when we entered the corn-eating competition.
Alexander :
And, of course, a bit later, when I met my wife.
Emily :
You met your wife at the fair!
Emily :
How? What’s her name?
Alexander :
I…
Alexander :
I…I’m not feeling well, I’m sorry. Can we talk about this later?
Emily :
Are you alright?
Emily :
We can change the subject.
Alexander :
N…no. I don’t want to. We can talk later.
Alexander :
Not at the fair.
Alexander :
Goodbye.
Connection ended
…
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Oh my god, he’s babbling like a kid.
Emily :
I didn’t think he’d be this talkative.
You :
Let’s continue in this direction, it seems effective
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
I guess that the memories you made were the greatest prizes of all.
Alexander :
That’s unbelievably cheesy, but it rings true.
Emily :
I try my best.
Alexander :
What’s incredible is that this is one of the first times I’ve been able to remember it all so clearly.
Alexander :
Usually it’s just blurs and flashes.
Alexander :
I’m very happy to have been able to share what I remember.
Emily :
What helped you?
Alexander :
Just sitting here, you know.
Alexander :
I could hear the whispers of the crowd.
Alexander :
I could smell the candy apples. And then, I remembered.
Emily :
It was a pleasure to relive this with you.
Alexander :
I’m starting to get a bit tired now.
Alexander :
Let the old man rest, it would be my pleasure to try this again soon.
Emily :
Thank you, Alexander. See you later.

…

Connected to : SER-4789-1254
Uplink Dashboard
Emily :
That woman didn’t respond to you because she isn’t real.
Alexander :
What do you mean she isn’t real? I saw her, she was right before my eyes.
Alexander :
Where are we? Did we manage to get out?
Emily :
Unfortunately no. We’re in a simulation.
Alexander :
What did you say?
Emily :
I need to get to know more about you, sir. To do that, I’m going to bring you to a lot of places and see if you have any critical memories there, to help me get to know you better.
Alexander :
Memories, huh?
Emily :
Exactly.
Emily :
Unfortunately, these places aren’t in the outside world. They are with us, here. On the satellite.
Alexander :
And you think the best place for an old man like me to relive memories is at a crowded fair.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
What’s with all of you not liking fairs?
Emily :
Also, I don’t think Alexander is being willfully uncooperative. He’s just a tad confused.
You :
Scold him a little
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
Let’s see what happens before judging, shall we?
Alexander :
I’m 86 years old. I think I would know if something bothers me or not.
Alexander :
I don’t like it here.
Alexander :
It’s too crowded.
Emily :
You don’t like to be around people?
Alexander :
I’ve been around people all my life. I’m just looking for a bit of peace.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Maybe he’s agoraphobic or something like that.
Emily :
We could exploit that.
Emily :
Knowing his weaknesses could help us build up a solid profile.
You :
Sure, let’s follow your lead
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
We’re not here to find peace, Alexander. We’re trying to get answers.
Alexander :
I know what you’re trying to do, but I’m not sure it’s the right way.
Alexander :
There’s really a lot of people here.
Emily :
I thought you said crowds didn’t bother you?
Alexander :
I told you, it’s not that.
Emily :
I need you to understand that I just want what’s best for you.
Emily :
I would never do anything to harm you.
Alexander :
It’s hard to trust someone you don’t know.
Emily :
Let’s go over by the the house of mirrors. Once there, we will talk about it.
Alexander :
I can’t.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Am I being too harsh? He seems to genuinely be having a hard time.
You :
Let go
Emily :
If I were trapped in a situation like this and the only means to get me out was for you to scare me a little, I would prefer you go all in.
Emily :
But we’ll do what you say.
Emily :
Just remind me to remove you from my list of possible rescuers.
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
We can go to a quieter place if you want.
Alexander :
Lord, yes. What do you suggest?
Emily :
We can go by the carousel. There’s fewer people around it.
Alexander :
I would strongly prefer not to.
Alexander :
Can we go to the fountain instead? An old man’s gotta sit.
Emily :
Sure, let’s head that way.
Alexander :
That’s a lot better. Thank you.
Emily :
My pleasure. I want you to be comfortable.
Alexander :
That’s much appreciated.
Emily :
I guess that you never liked going to the fair?
Alexander :
Well…It was a bit of a love-hate relationship, you could say.
Alexander :
I think I spent the majority of my summers between the ages of 8 and 17 in fairs like this.
Emily :
Really?
Alexander :
Ha-ha! It was hell!
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Nice to see he’s laughing about it.
You :
Let’s focus on the “hate” part of the love/hate relationship
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
So how was this hell on earth?
Alexander :
Oh you know. My family had a cattle farm and we were doing road shows, going from village fair to village fair. Sometimes even bringing with us the most malicious bull that Satan put on this earth.
Emily :
And you needed this bull for…?
Alexander :
We were showing him off so other farmers would give us money to let him mate with their cows.
Emily :
That’s… nice.
Alexander :
So, here is where I spent long days getting him to behave so he didn’t kick anybody in the face and lose us money.
Alexander :
The burning sun making my skin peel when we were building our stand.
Alexander :
The thirst and the sore throat when i tried to scream at the top of my lungs to bring more people to the stand.
Alexander :
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. Those were great family moments.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Tough as nails.
You :
Ask him if he’s got more stories about the fair
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
Anything interesting happen while you were at the fair?
Alexander :
What do you mean?
Emily :
In all those years of showcasing cows, something exciting is bound to happen.
Emily :
Like in those horror movies set up on farms.
Emily :
Everybody is doing their own thing, business as usual, and then someone, somehow, gets possessed.
Alexander :
You’re funny.
Alexander :
I’m sorry to disappoint you but I don’t think I was ever at a fair where someone was possessed. Summers came and went, everything remained pretty traditional.
Alexander :
Oh, except for the clowns.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
It had to be clowns.
You :
Clowns are the worst
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
I hate clowns.
Alexander :
I’m not too fond of them neither.
Emily :
Did they scare you as a kid?
Alexander :
Oh, they didn’t scare me. My sister was utterly terrified of them but…
Alexander :
Now that you bring it up, I don’t think I ever actively disliked clowns until later in life.
Emily :
And why is that?
Alexander :
I can’t really explain. It’s something about their faces. The smiles.
Emily :
The smiles?
Alexander :
Their smiles are all the same.
Emily :
I guess that’s true.
Alexander :
I’m a bit uncomfortable. Can we postpone this discussion for later?
Emily :
Of course.
Connection ended
…

Connected to : SER-4789-1254
Uplink Dashboard
Connection started
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Alright. I knew right away that Alexander was a good subject for this kind of experiment. He’s extremely talkative.
Emily :
Plus, now that he knows me, he might open up even more.
Emily :
Generating thunderstorm simulation…
You :
Wait, what? We’re going to set him loose in a thunderstorm?
Emily :
Erm. That wasn’t exactly my first idea…
Emily :
But if you want to do that, I won’t object!
You :
Let’s just see how this goes
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
Hey, Alexander. Nice to see you again.
Alexander :
Who are you? I don’t know you.
Alexander :
What are you doing in my parents’ house?
Emily :
Alexander, it’s me! We spoke together at the fair.
Alexander :
I didn’t visit the fair for years and I’ve never seen you before in my life!
Alexander :
This is private property. You’re trespassing.
Emily :
Please don’t be afraid. I took your most vivid memory of home, to help me create this simulation.
Alexander :
The simulation…
Emily :
Yes. Do you remember?
Alexander :
I…I don’t know. I was at the doctor.
Emily :
What? When?
Alexander :
I was at the doctor. With my wife.
Alexander :
And Jacob.
Emily :
Who is Jacob?
Alexander :
They told me it would be alright.
Emily :
Where are you going?
Alexander :
I’m going to get the lamp, it’s pretty dark outside. I think the thunderstorm will last a while.
Alexander :
We want to be prepared.
Alexander :
Lord, yes.
Emily :
But we have plenty of lamps here.
Alexander :
Of course, you wouldn’t understand.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Okay, this is NOT going as I expected. What should I do?
You :
Act like nothing is wrong
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
What would you need this lamp for?
Alexander :
In case we have to go outside, to see if the cows are alright in the barn.
Emily :
Of course.
Alexander :
I hope Napoleon didn’t hide it in our bedroom again.
Alexander :
He used to be so afraid of the dark.
Emily :
Did something happen to the cows?
Alexander :
Oh Lord, yes. Father was so upset about it.
Emily :
How old were you?
Alexander :
I don’t know. I was very young.
Alexander :
It was a night like this, it was raining so much and we could hear the tempest getting closer. My mother was trying to calm my sister because she was crying so much.
Alexander :
I think the sound of the thunder hurt her ears.
Emily :
She was just a baby at the time?
Alexander :
Yes, and Jacques was in Mothers’ belly.
Emily :
So these events were long before the clowns at the fair.
Alexander :
I don’t know why you keep talking about the fair. It’s been years since I went.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Alright, the Alexander we knew is gone.
You :
Ask him more questions about the storm
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
So what happened, the night of the storm?
Alexander :
I need to get my lamp.
Emily :
But why?
Alexander :
I need to check on the cows.
Emily :
I’m sure the cows are alright.
Alexander :
They weren’t. It’s my fault. I need to get the lamp.
Alexander :
Mother used to put it in the kitchen near the sink when she would see the sky cover up like tonight.
Alexander :
But it isn’t there. It’s upsetting.
Emily :
Oh.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
I forgot to put the lamp in the simulation.
Emily :
I can have it spawn in another room, though. Where do you suggest?
You :
In his childhood bedroom

Simulation Resumed
Emily :
Could it be in your childhood bedroom?
Alexander :
Maybe. My brother used to hide it there.
Alexander :
He was afraid of the dark.
Emily :
Let’s go there.
Alexander :
You’ll see. We’ll be there in a second. The house is very small.
Emily :
I’m right behind you. Don’t forget to check under the bed.
Alexander :
Oh. You were right. It’s here!
Alexander :
Mother told me to get the lamp. But I didn’t have it.
Alexander :
It was in the bedroom.
Alexander :
And finally I got it and ran outside.
Emily :
And? What happened?
Alexander :
I don’t….Fire caught.
Alexander :
I saw fire.
Emily :
In the lamp?
Alexander :
In the barn. Father went to see.
Emily :
The barn caught on fire?
Alexander :
Yes. Lightning hit and fire caught.
Alexander :
The smell.
Emily :
That’s horrible! I’m so sorry!
Alexander :
I just…I saw something.
Alexander :
I didn’t get to give Father the lamp. I broke it.
Alexander :
I saw something.
Emily :
What did you see?
Alexander :
I don’t know.
Emily :
Do you want to go outside check on the barn?
Alexander :
No. There’s no fire.
Alexander :
I’ve got the lamp now, so everything is ok.
Emily :
Are you sure?
Alexander :
Thank you for your help, miss.
Emily :
You are welcome. Let’s chat again soon, alright?
Connection ended
…

Connected to : SER-4789-1254
Uplink Dashboard
Alexander :
What are you doing in my parents’ house?
Emily :
Alexander, it’s me! We spoke together at the fair.
Alexander :
I didn’t visit the fair for years and I’ve never seen you before in my life!
Alexander :
This is private property. You’re trespassing.
Emily :
Please don’t be afraid. I took your most vivid memory of home, to help me create this simulation.
Alexander :
The simulation…
Emily :
Yes. Do you remember?
Alexander :
I…I don’t know. I was at the doctor.
Emily :
What? When?
Alexander :
I was at the doctor. With my wife.
Alexander :
And Jacob.
Emily :
Who is Jacob?
Alexander :
They told me it would be alright.
Emily :
Where are you going?
Alexander :
I’m going to get the lamp, it’s pretty dark outside. I think the thunderstorm will last a while.
Alexander :
We want to be prepared.
Alexander :
Lord, yes.
Emily :
But we have plenty of lamps here.
Alexander :
Of course, you wouldn’t understand.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Okay, this is NOT going as I expected. What should I do?
You :
Act like nothing is wrong
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
What would you need this lamp for?
Alexander :
In case we have to go outside, to see if the cows are alright in the barn.
Emily :
Of course.
Alexander :
I hope Napoleon didn’t hide it in our bedroom again.
Alexander :
He used to be so afraid of the dark.
Emily :
Did something happen to the cows?
Alexander :
Oh Lord, yes. Father was so upset about it.
Emily :
How old were you?
Alexander :
I don’t know. I was very young.
Alexander :
It was a night like this, it was raining so much and we could hear the tempest getting closer. My mother was trying to calm my sister because she was crying so much.
Alexander :
I think the sound of the thunder hurt her ears.
Emily :
She was just a baby at the time?
Alexander :
Yes, and Jacques was in Mothers’ belly.
Emily :
So these events were long before the clowns at the fair.
Alexander :
I don’t know why you keep talking about the fair. It’s been years since I went.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Alright, the Alexander we knew is gone.
You :
Ask him more questions about the storm
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
So what happened, the night of the storm?
Alexander :
I need to get my lamp.
Emily :
But why?
Alexander :
I need to check on the cows.
Emily :
I’m sure the cows are alright.
Alexander :
They weren’t. It’s my fault. I need to get the lamp.
Alexander :
Mother used to put it in the kitchen near the sink when she would see the sky cover up like tonight.
Alexander :
But it isn’t there. It’s upsetting.
Emily :
Oh.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
I forgot to put the lamp in the simulation.
Emily :
I can have it spawn in another room, though. Where do you suggest?
You :
In the basement
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
Could it be in the basement?
Emily :
It’s usually super dark in here.
Alexander :
But…
Alexander :
But we need to go outside to get into the basement.
Emily :
So let’s go outside!
Alexander :
But we can’t go outside without the lamp!
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Oh my god.
You :
The barn is outside too? Let’s get him outside!
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
We’ll get there together, I promise.
Alexander :
You promise that the lamp is in the basement?
Emily :
Yes. I promise.
Emily :
I just need you to lead the way.
Alexander :
Alright.
Alexander :
It’s awfully windy.
Alexander :
I wonder if the cows are alright.
Emily :
We’ll get there after we get the lamp.
Alexander :
Follow me.
Alexander :
I remember the night it rained like this.
Alexander :
The thunder was so loud.
Alexander :
Father ran outside right away to check on the barn.
Alexander :
And Mother told me to get the lamp and to go give it to him. But I didn’t have it.
Alexander :
It was in the bedroom.
Alexander :
And finally I got it and ran outside.
Emily :
And? What happened?
Alexander :
I don’t…
Alexander :
Oh it’s there!
Emily :
Good job!
Emily :
Let’s get out of here and go check on the cows.
Alexander :
The fire. I hope the fire isn’t there yet.
Alexander :
The smell.
Emily :
The barn was burning?
Alexander :
A remember a loud crack and I saw the lightning fell on the barn. Fire caught.
Alexander :
I went outside with the lamp and I froze.
Alexander :
The first was so high. And the clouds opened up, just for a bit. And I saw a red shining dot in the sky.
Alexander :
Mother grabbed me by the shoulders to urge me inside. I dropped the lamp and nearly fell. I couldn’t detach my eyes from the red dot.
Alexander :
It looked like hell itself unleashed on our barn.
Emily :
I am sorry.
Alexander :
It’s ok. We lost a lot, but Father didn’t suffer harm.
Alexander :
It’s all that matters.
Emily :
I’m going to leave you for a bit, now. Thank you so much for your cooperation.
Alexander :
It was a pleasure, miss.
Connection ended

Connected to : SER-4789-1254
Uplink Dashboard
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
Hey, Alexander. Nice to see you again.
Alexander :
Who are you? I don’t know you.
Alexander :
What are you doing in my parents’ house?
Emily :
Alexander, it’s me! We spoke together at the fair.
Alexander :
I didn’t visit the fair for years and I’ve never seen you before in my life!
Alexander :
This is private property. You’re trespassing.
Emily :
Please don’t be afraid. I took your most vivid memory of home, to help me create this simulation.
Alexander :
The simulation…
Emily :
Yes. Do you remember?
Alexander :
I…I don’t know. I was at the doctor.
Emily :
What? When?
Alexander :
I was at the doctor. With my wife.
Alexander :
And Jacob.
Emily :
Who is Jacob?
Alexander :
They told me it would be alright.
Emily :
Where are you going?
Alexander :
I’m going to get the lamp, it’s pretty dark outside. I think the thunderstorm will last a while.
Alexander :
We want to be prepared.
Alexander :
Lord, yes.
Emily :
But we have plenty of lamps here.
Alexander :
Of course, you wouldn’t understand.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Okay, this is NOT going as I expected. What should I do?
You :
Act like nothing is wrong
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
What would you need this lamp for?
Alexander :
In case we have to go outside, to see if the cows are alright in the barn.
Emily :
Of course.
Alexander :
I hope Napoleon didn’t hide it in our bedroom again.
Alexander :
He used to be so afraid of the dark.
Emily :
Did something happen to the cows?
Alexander :
Oh Lord, yes. Father was so upset about it.
Emily :
How old were you?
Alexander :
I don’t know. I was very young.
Alexander :
It was a night like this, it was raining so much and we could hear the tempest getting closer. My mother was trying to calm my sister because she was crying so much.
Alexander :
I think the sound of the thunder hurt her ears.
Emily :
She was just a baby at the time?
Alexander :
Yes, and Jacques was in Mothers’ belly.
Emily :
So these events were long before the clowns at the fair.
Alexander :
I don’t know why you keep talking about the fair. It’s been years since I went.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Alright, the Alexander we knew is gone.
You :
Ask him more questions about the storm
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
So what happened, the night of the storm?
Alexander :
I need to get my lamp.
Emily :
But why?
Alexander :
I need to check on the cows.
Emily :
I’m sure the cows are alright.
Alexander :
They weren’t. It’s my fault. I need to get the lamp.
Alexander :
Mother used to put it in the kitchen near the sink when she would see the sky cover up like tonight.
Alexander :
But it isn’t there. It’s upsetting.
Emily :
Oh.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
I forgot to put the lamp in the simulation.
Emily :
I can have it spawn in another room, though. Where do you suggest?
You :
In the basement
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
Could it be in the basement?
Emily :
It’s usually super dark in here.
Alexander :
But…
Alexander :
But we need to go outside to get into the basement.
Emily :
So let’s go outside!
Alexander :
But we can’t go outside without the lamp!
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Oh my god.
You :
Let’s put the lamp in his childhood bedroom, maybe it’ll fire up some old memories
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
Could it be in your childhood bedroom?
Alexander :
Maybe. My brother used to hide it there.
Alexander :
He was afraid of the dark.
Emily :
Let’s go there.
Alexander :
You’ll see. We’ll be there in a second. The house is very small.
Emily :
I’m right behind you. Don’t forget to check under the bed.
Alexander :
Oh. You were right. It’s here!
Alexander :
Mother told me to get the lamp. But I didn’t have it.
Alexander :
It was in the bedroom.
Alexander :
And finally I got it and ran outside.
Emily :
And? What happened?
Alexander :
I don’t….Fire caught.
Alexander :
I saw fire.
Emily :
In the lamp?
Alexander :
In the barn. Father went to see.
Emily :
The barn caught on fire?
Alexander :
Yes. Lightning hit and fire caught.
Alexander :
he smell.
Emily :
That’s horrible! I’m so sorry!
Alexander :
I just…I saw something.
Alexander :
I didn’t get to give Father the lamp. I broke it.
Alexander :
I saw something.
Emily :
What did you see?
Alexander :
I don’t know.
Emily :
Do you want to go outside check on the barn?
Alexander :
No. There’s no fire.
Alexander :
I’ve got the lamp now, so everything is ok.
Emily :
Are you sure?
Alexander :
Thank you for your help, miss.
Emily :
You are welcome. Let’s chat again soon, alright?
Connection ended

…

Connected to : SER-4789-1254
Uplink Dashboard
Emily :
Who is Jacob?
Alexander :
They told me it would be alright.
Emily :
Where are you going?
Alexander :
I’m going to get the lamp, it’s pretty dark outside. I think the thunderstorm will last a while.
Alexander :
We want to be prepared.
Alexander :
Lord, yes.
Emily :
But we have plenty of lamps here.
Alexander :
Of course, you wouldn’t understand.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Okay, this is NOT going as I expected. What should I do?
You :
Remind him of the simulation
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
Alexander. Do you recall the simulation from we just finished?
Alexander :
I already told you I wasn’t with you, before. I was at the doctor.
Emily :
No. You were with me. Here.
Alexander :
We definitely weren’t at my parents’ house. You don’t look like you could handle farm work.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
Uh…thanks, I guess.
You :
Talk about farm work
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
So this is your family’s farm.
Emily :
You told me you had cows.
Alexander :
Yes. We have a couple of heads.
Emily :
So, who works the farm?
Alexander :
What a question. We all worked the farm.
Alexander :
Not a lazy bone in the family, I’m telling you!
Emily :
Sorry, that’s not what i meant.
Emily :
Who took over the farm?
Emily :
Was it you?
Alexander :
Oh. No. My older brother took over the farm.
Alexander :
It’s for the best. He’s got a couple of strong boys who can help him.
Alexander :
It’s not easy to run a farm. Do you know that?
Emily :
Did you stay nearby to help him out?
Emily :
Or did you get land of your own? Or…
Emily :
I’m sorry, I don’t know how any of this works.
Alexander :
No, I had other things to do.
Alexander :
I went to my in-laws to help them on their own land.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
His in-laws…
Emily :
He tried to talk to me about his wife, at the fair. It didn’t end well.
Emily :
But he told me we could talk about it later.
Emily :
I don’t know what to do.
You :
Focus on in-laws
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
Did you also meet your in-laws at the fair?
Alexander :
I don’t know why you keep talking about the fair. It’s been years since I went.
Emily :
I just wanted to know if they had encountered your prize-winning cows…
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
Oh boy, what were their names again?
You :
Mabel and Eugenice
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
…Mabel and Eugenice!
Alexander :
You know about my cows?
Alexander :
How?
Emily :
You talked a lot about them earlier.
Alexander :
At the fair.
Emily :
Yes. At the fair.
Alexander :
So I wasn’t at the doctor’s.
Emily :
No. I’m sorry. You were with me.
Alexander :
Ah…
Alexander :
And where’s Jacob?
Emily :
He isn’t here.
Alexander :
Okay.
Alexander :
Where are we?
Emily :
It’s difficult to explain. We’re in a place that isn’t real.
Emily :
Kind of in your head.
Emily :
I’m trying to get you outside. In the real world.
Alexander :
The dream thing, yes?
Emily :
Yes!
Emily :
You know more about that?
Alexander :
They were trying to find a way to fix me.
Alexander :
Jacob said that there was a special doctor in California. That would help me.
Emily :
A doctor?
Alexander :
A sleep doctor.
Alexander :
Am I sleeping, now?
Emily :
Yes.
Alexander :
How do I wake up?
Emily :
By talking to me.
Alexander :
Talking to you is difficult.
Alexander :
I want to wake up. I want to go home.
Simulation Paused
Emily :
So, Sacramento was really a test clinic.
You :
Ask about treatment
Simulation Resumed
Emily :
Do you know what their treatment plan was for you?
Alexander :
I don’t know. They went through a process, a bit like you.
Alexander :
I don’t know.
Alexander :
Made me talk to them.
Alexander :
Dream a lot.
Alexander :
Smell a lot of things.
Emily :
Were they trying to look for combinations of things?
Alexander :
I don’t know.
Alexander :
At the end, I was almost always smelling burnt hay.
Emily :
Burnt hay.
Alexander :
Yes. They tried to mix it with something else.
Alexander :
To make me remember.
Alexander :
Burnt hay and…B….
Alexander :
I’m sorry. It’s all a blur. I’m trying to be helpful.
Emily :
I know and it’s more than enough. Let’s talk again later.
Connection ended