Night 33: Intercom & Radios, Beginning of Night
And the static continued, rising and falling in volume. Slowly, the Institute's radios came to life and began making the same noise of electrical interference, coming to a final crescendo when they suddenly went silent. The Head Doctor's voice could be heard in a massive broadcast throughout the entire Landel's system, but without the usual clarity that the intercom lent him. In fact, he sounded younger, more cheerful, almost.
"Is it recording? Yes, I think--well, you know these things better than I do--we can delete this part, right?--yeah, okay, in any case, all right! One, two.... This is Dr. Martin Landel--"
Another voice spoke, this one just as familiar as the Head Doctor's, but in a decidedly more positive sense.
"And this is Dr. Alec Doyle. We now begin our fourteenth meeting concerning the structure of Landel's Institute; today, we will be discussing for our contributors the predicted benefits and projected costs of construction, as well as the new technology we will be implementing to facilitate the most efficient environment for treating our expected patients."
"We will also be reviewing our potential personnel applicants and their records, including doctors and nurses, as we want to make sure that you, our supporters, are briefed on every step of the process. Accompanying this recording is a digitized presentation...."
The static rose again, drowning out the voices. When it died down, it seemed that the recording had been fast-forwarded to a point farther along in the discussion. Mr. Radio's younger, more professional voice sounded as if he was enthralled with what he was trying to pitch.
"....it's a brand new shielding technology; as you can see here, our outer walls can be kept deceptively short while we still exercise the utmost amount of caution with our inmates."
"This shielding," the Head Doctor's voice added, "will also be used throughout all other sections of the Institute. The computers behind the technology itself will be kept under the strictest of surveillance and password, retinal, and fingerprint input are required for each separate log-in. The security on it, thanks to your financial support, is such that not even the most advanced hacker could break their way into the mainframe--"
The recording suddenly stopped. A snippet of the dialogue replayed, louder in volume.
"Not even the most advanced hacker could break their way into the mainframe."
The static rose again along with loud bursts of electricity that seemed to sound like they were coming from outdoors, perhaps in the direction of the Recreational Field. Suddenly, the interference stopped and the Head Doctor's voice, much older, much less controlled, and much less idealistic, could be heard.
"Shit!" He was breathing hard. "You said this wouldn't happen again, Lydia, you said that with our new measures, there's no way they could possibly...."
He gave a slow pause, as if of realization. He drew a long breath.
"No, of course not. He's gone. We picked his body down to the bone, for Godssakes! At any rate, he could never pull off something of this magnitude, so how could she.... No, proceed with the treatments for tonight as scheduled. I won't be intimidated, and.... well.... it's all just a new game, isn't it? A new playing field? Yes, it's not as if they'll make it out of our realm of influence, and we can implement... it's all under control..."
The Head Doctor began to chuckle as the intercom began to fade out.
"It's too bad they didn't play the rest of the recording. Like a tease without the solution. Too, too bad..."
And then, finally, silence.
"Is it recording? Yes, I think--well, you know these things better than I do--we can delete this part, right?--yeah, okay, in any case, all right! One, two.... This is Dr. Martin Landel--"
Another voice spoke, this one just as familiar as the Head Doctor's, but in a decidedly more positive sense.
"And this is Dr. Alec Doyle. We now begin our fourteenth meeting concerning the structure of Landel's Institute; today, we will be discussing for our contributors the predicted benefits and projected costs of construction, as well as the new technology we will be implementing to facilitate the most efficient environment for treating our expected patients."
"We will also be reviewing our potential personnel applicants and their records, including doctors and nurses, as we want to make sure that you, our supporters, are briefed on every step of the process. Accompanying this recording is a digitized presentation...."
The static rose again, drowning out the voices. When it died down, it seemed that the recording had been fast-forwarded to a point farther along in the discussion. Mr. Radio's younger, more professional voice sounded as if he was enthralled with what he was trying to pitch.
"....it's a brand new shielding technology; as you can see here, our outer walls can be kept deceptively short while we still exercise the utmost amount of caution with our inmates."
"This shielding," the Head Doctor's voice added, "will also be used throughout all other sections of the Institute. The computers behind the technology itself will be kept under the strictest of surveillance and password, retinal, and fingerprint input are required for each separate log-in. The security on it, thanks to your financial support, is such that not even the most advanced hacker could break their way into the mainframe--"
The recording suddenly stopped. A snippet of the dialogue replayed, louder in volume.
"Not even the most advanced hacker could break their way into the mainframe."
The static rose again along with loud bursts of electricity that seemed to sound like they were coming from outdoors, perhaps in the direction of the Recreational Field. Suddenly, the interference stopped and the Head Doctor's voice, much older, much less controlled, and much less idealistic, could be heard.
"Shit!" He was breathing hard. "You said this wouldn't happen again, Lydia, you said that with our new measures, there's no way they could possibly...."
He gave a slow pause, as if of realization. He drew a long breath.
"No, of course not. He's gone. We picked his body down to the bone, for Godssakes! At any rate, he could never pull off something of this magnitude, so how could she.... No, proceed with the treatments for tonight as scheduled. I won't be intimidated, and.... well.... it's all just a new game, isn't it? A new playing field? Yes, it's not as if they'll make it out of our realm of influence, and we can implement... it's all under control..."
The Head Doctor began to chuckle as the intercom began to fade out.
"It's too bad they didn't play the rest of the recording. Like a tease without the solution. Too, too bad..."
And then, finally, silence.