Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Announcer: Records of the Unknown contains horror elements that may be disturbing to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.
You are listening to an atomic broadcasting production, so sit back, relax and enjoy the feature presentation. And remember, do your part. Such as like comment rate and don't forget to tell a friend to tune in for an atomic time.
[00:00:42] GM: Friday, December 20, 1996.
We see the Apple building in California.
Inside we see the the endless rows of cubicles.
We walk past the copier machine down the hall to an office with the name plaque Logan Mitchum.
Coming running through the frame, A young man in a Hawaiian shirt by the name of Joe carrying large stacks of paper.
I got them in. I got them in. It's five minutes before four. I got them in, man.
[00:01:31] Logan Mitchem: You see Logan sitting there tapping a pin on his desk.
Just got him in, but all right, you can have the weekend off.
[00:01:48] GM: Well, thanks. Yeah, Christmas is coming up, so I don't plan to be here, man.
[00:01:54] Logan Mitchem: Well, you got these papers in Joe, so you don't have to.
[00:01:59] GM: Yeah, thanks, man.
I guess. Yeah, I hope you have a great, great Christmas.
See ya.
He heads out, steps outside and he's just like what a prick.
And walks off.
We watch Mitchum working a couple of hours.
He watched 5 o'clock come and go. He knows he's about to be off for quite some time. As he's travel for Christmas vacation with his family, he's fighting that will of wanting to stay and keep working.
At about 7:30 your manager comes by.
Logan, it's 7:30. What are you still doing here?
[00:02:52] Logan Mitchem: Sorry sir, Janu. Just trying to keep up with the paperwork stacked up.
[00:03:02] GM: The paperwork will hold till after. Go ahead and head out. You got your vacation.
[00:03:10] Logan Mitchem: Right, sir. Right. Vacation home?
[00:03:15] GM: Yes. I'm locking up, so this is your time to get out of the chair and leave.
[00:03:23] Logan Mitchem: Right? Right. You absolutely right.
Have a merry Christmas, sir.
[00:03:29] GM: Oh, thank you. You as well.
[00:03:32] Logan Mitchem: Right home.
And he quickly gets up, grabs a stuffed briefcase and walks out.
[00:03:46] GM: We watch your stuffed briefcase as you shut the door behind you. And we intercut to you now standing, snow falling around you, the briefcase still in hand. As you see your wife getting excited and running up to hug her parents. As now we see you holding your briefcase. The snow is now coming down.
It is December 24th and you are now in Tennessee. Your wife and kids get excited as they run up to hug their family at your in laws house. As you stand there with your full.
[00:04:23] Logan Mitchem: Very full briefcase as they're doing all their greetings, Logan is just standing there giving the briefest of hellos. Hi's, How Are yous? Trying very much not to speak too much.
And in the in betweens, he's just nervously half clasping, half unclasping, playing with the briefcase in his hand.
And every now and again, just furtively, just glancing around like a little sound and then trying to hide it as nothing.
[00:05:02] GM: Very on edge as you're following them inside. For just a second, as you're glancing around everywhere you think you see some figure out in the trees, but when you kind of double back your attention, you see nothing.
And then they kind of. Your wife finishes pulling you into the house and your father in law reaches for the briefcase to take it out of your hands.
[00:05:27] Logan Mitchem: No, sorry, no.
It's quite heavy.
[00:05:35] GM: That's all right. That's all right. I understand. I understand. Kind of shoots your wife a weird look and kind of heads off to the kitchen to help his wife with some cooking.
[00:05:45] Logan Mitchem: As he walks away, Logan is just almost protectively holding his briefcase.
[00:05:51] GM: You're not gonna work the whole time we're here, are you?
[00:05:54] Logan Mitchem: No, no, no, no.
This is just. Just a few things to take care of.
I'll put it in the room. You'll hardly even know I've done anything.
[00:06:09] GM: Okay. All right. Let's get unpacked.
And then we cut to that night. The family is all around the Christmas tree, chatting. You see all the presents laid out.
[00:06:23] Logan Mitchem: Logan doesn't have the briefcase.
As everybody's chatting and the kids are excited and moving around the trees.
Logan's just sitting there, glass of whatever forgotten in his hand, staring into the fireplace, just playing with that forgotten drink.
[00:06:49] GM: The fire for just a second feels like it flashes a different color, but at the same point as your wife kind of takes your hand for a second, it's like, are you doing okay?
[00:07:00] Logan Mitchem: And he just starts as her hand just looks charred for a minute, and then he just comes to himself.
Sorry, dear, just stress at work, lost in thought.
I'm all right.
I'm here, aren't I? And our kids are having fun.
[00:07:32] GM: Yes.
I'm glad you're here. It is the first day we're here, but these two weeks should be really good.
[00:07:39] Logan Mitchem: Two weeks? Two weeks, yes. They'll be wonderful.
[00:07:46] GM: As you say that, your eyes kind of wander away from her, not quite back to the fireplace towards the presence. And what you see is one clearly labeled for you is a green triangle.
[00:08:04] Logan Mitchem: He freezes and visibly stiffens up. Wha.
Did.
Did you get me a gift, dear?
[00:08:19] GM: Yes, of course. There's gifts for everyone.
I'm sure that there's a lot with your name on them that you can see that.
[00:08:28] Logan Mitchem: That green one.
[00:08:30] GM: Yeah, of course. And she's getting distracted by the kids and kind of gets up and heads off to, like, deal with the kids. As you're looking at it, everything around you is moving very quickly. The sun is going down as you're just kind of staring. And then your wife's like, I'm heading up to bed.
[00:08:49] Logan Mitchem: Yes, dear. I'll be up to join you. I'll just sit here for a little while.
[00:08:56] GM: Okay.
Don't forget the food is set out for you in the microwave.
I'll be upstairs.
[00:09:04] Logan Mitchem: He gives a very vague gesture as she walks off.
[00:09:11] GM: You see a flash of light outside. There's like a lightning bolt goes off in the sky as the storm's kind of moving in. And then through the blinds in a window in the other room, you see suddenly a flash of green and a flash of red and a flash of yellow. Different colors flashing and flashing coming outside the window.
[00:09:34] Logan Mitchem: He tears his eyes away from that green present and slowly turns his head to that window in his ears.
He just hears his heart rate as his breathing quickens.
And he slowly stands up.
And almost as if he doesn't want to, but he can't help himself, he walks to that window and looks out.
[00:10:16] GM: You see some Christmas decorations outside that have lit up flashing green and red and typical colors you might see. Standing amongst the decorations is a figure in, like, a hood and a robe. As another flash of lightning strike shines everything for a second. When the light dims back down, there's no figure.
[00:10:41] Logan Mitchem: His hands trembling a little bit, he closes the blind and turns to the present under the tree and slowly starts walking towards it to pick it up.
[00:10:55] GM: You start walking towards it. We see the clock on the back of the wall saying, it's one in the morning. At this point, your sense of time is not very strong.
As you're walking up to the present, you hear from upstairs a scream from your daughter.
[00:11:16] Logan Mitchem: Mom.
[00:11:17] GM: Calling for her mother.
[00:11:20] Logan Mitchem: He freezes, his arm outstretched to grab the present. As he turns and looks up the.
[00:11:29] GM: Stairs, you hear your wife starting to, like, head over. And she's like, is everything okay? There's something in my closet.
[00:11:38] Logan Mitchem: He just turns and looks at the present again.
[00:11:41] GM: It still sits there.
[00:11:45] Logan Mitchem: He just has this internal debate or more of which terror do I choose first?
And then he steals himself, turns, and dashes up the stairs and into his daughter's room.
[00:12:04] GM: You come running into the room. Your wife is consoling your daughter, and the closet Is a jar.
[00:12:13] Logan Mitchem: What's, what's wrong? I, I, I heard you downstairs. You said something was in your closet. What did it look like?
[00:12:22] GM: There's an alien in my closet.
[00:12:24] Logan Mitchem: Oh, couldn't have been an alien. Was it possibly your hoodie? On, on.
[00:12:32] GM: No, it was glowing. Had big eyes.
[00:12:38] Logan Mitchem: Aliens don't exist, sweetie.
What were you dreaming?
[00:12:44] GM: The world's so big, you don't know. Maybe there are aliens. No, sweetie, they could be underwater.
[00:12:51] Logan Mitchem: And he just comes up and with a trembling hand, just pats her head.
It's just a bad dream. It's all a bad dream.
You don't have to be scared of aliens, sweetie.
It's all a bad dream.
[00:13:11] GM: She kind of sobs quietly with the two of you comforting her.
[00:13:16] Logan Mitchem: Look out. I'll look in your closet and there'll be no, no aliens in there.
See? And he just gets up, turns to the closet, you know, as if he's just gonna walk over there. He takes one step and freezes.
No aliens. All a dream, he whispers.
All a dream.
[00:13:46] GM: Honey, are, are you okay?
[00:13:51] Logan Mitchem: I left something downstairs, dear.
[00:13:57] GM: Look. And she gets up and she slings open the closet door. And what is in there is a half inflated Halloween decoration. A glow in the dark alien half flopped over as it can't hold its own weight with its lack of air.
Large eyes staring at you, looking ever so similar to those little gray things you saw in the barn.
It's just, it's just an inflatable, honey. Just a decoration from Halloween. I told you it was an alien.
[00:14:31] Logan Mitchem: Well, looks like you're right, sweetie. I'm sorry for doubting you, but it can't hurt you.
[00:14:42] GM: Yeah. Everything's better when the lights are on.
[00:14:47] Logan Mitchem: Absolutely. When you can see everything, it makes it better.
[00:14:54] GM: Thanks, Mom.
[00:14:56] Logan Mitchem: You get some sleep, sweetie, okay? Your, your dad has something to do downstairs. We'll see you in the morning.
[00:15:05] GM: When it's bright out and she's very quickly recovered from this and is heading off to bed. Her brother in the room has not awoken at all. Just sleeping in the corner, snoring.
[00:15:20] Logan Mitchem: He takes a slight glance at the alien and takes a deep breath, walks over to his daughter, tucks her in. It's all be all right in the morning, sweetie. Have a good night. Don't need to be afraid of aliens.
[00:15:39] GM: Yeah. Good night.
[00:15:41] Logan Mitchem: And he just stands up, grabs that alien out of the closet and woodenly walks out the door and starts heading downstairs again.
[00:15:57] GM: Your wife is too tired to bother with this, and she just kind of heads right back to the bedroom as you are heading down the stairs.
You see the presents, you see the room, the Christmas tree. The lights are still on.
As you are coming down, you once again see that robed and hooded figure holding on to the triangle. And then the power goes out.
[00:16:32] Logan Mitchem: If you've ever heard somebody throw a half deflated animal or what have you a blow up, that is exactly the sound that you hear.
[00:16:44] GM: And then it goes about a foot.
[00:16:46] Logan Mitchem: Who are you? What do you want?
I did. I did everything I've said.
[00:16:53] GM: Nothing in your ear.
You hear a snake hissing as if it were on your shoulder. But you feel nothing.
[00:17:05] Logan Mitchem: He freezes.
[00:17:07] GM: And then the power comes back on and there's nothing. But the present sits there now, about two feet in front of the tree, in the middle of the room.
[00:17:19] Logan Mitchem: He's still standing there, trembling, frozen.
And then, after an undefined amount of time, suddenly the trembling stops.
His breathing returns to normal.
He straightens his shoulders, turns his head.
Losing all expression, he walks forward and picks up the present.
[00:17:57] GM: As you pick it up, you feel a little colder in this room. You start to feel like there's a draft.
[00:18:10] Logan Mitchem: What are you?
As he just holds the present, losing anybody that would know him or look at him, he's lost any recognizable mannerism. As if he's a completely different person, as if he shifted back to being Jack Grey.
And he opens the present.
[00:18:45] GM: You open it. Underneath the wrapping is a cardboard box. Inside of that is a pair of socks.
As you examine them, you see these gray socks that have Macintosh computers on them. Says I'm a Mac guy. And in between the socks you see a piece of paper.
[00:19:05] Logan Mitchem: The socks slip to the floor, discarded with a piece of paper left in his hand as he slowly unfolds it and reads.
[00:19:19] GM: As you're reading it, the draft keeps bringing in the cold air to you. You begin to hear a snake hissing amongst the presents, it seems like.
And as you're reading it, you see the words.
I got another present for you.
December 29th.
[00:19:42] Logan Mitchem: Pack.
He reads it, holds it up to the light.
Pack.
As without looking at it, he folds it, turns to the dying fire and tosses it in.
[00:20:32] GM: A week later, December 29, Logan Mitchum, or Agent Gray, steps out the front door, briefcase filled with things.
No one steps outside to watch you leave, but we see them all inside talking as you head out. And a car rolls up and the passenger door opens up and a man inside looks like he's in his early 40s, big, kind of curly brown hair.
Doesn't go off to the side too much like.
Yes. Are you Agent Gray, is that right? Yes.
[00:21:29] Logan Mitchem: Depends on who's asking.
[00:21:33] GM: Right. Well, I'm here to take you on your own business trip.
[00:21:37] Logan Mitchem: Hello?
The business trip?
[00:21:41] GM: Yes, the exhibit in Houston.
[00:21:51] Logan Mitchem: Good thing I packed, like, clothes.
[00:21:54] GM: Wonderful. Yes. Just come on in and we can head on out. I'm Alvin, by the way.
[00:22:02] Logan Mitchem: Jack Gray.
[00:22:04] GM: Ah, a pleasure.
[00:22:07] Logan Mitchem: And he gets in the car.
[00:22:09] GM: The door closes. You guys begin to drive away.
Your wife is just staring out the window.
I was briefed on your last. Your last case situation by Davinger, of course. And we're here to take you to the records. I'm sure he told you that we'd be contacting you.
[00:22:41] Logan Mitchem: I believe I recall that, yes.
[00:22:45] GM: Wonderful. Yes.
Should just be a couple of hours.
[00:22:51] Logan Mitchem: And what am I doing exactly?
[00:22:54] GM: That's not really my area of expertise at the moment. The Archivist will fill you in when we get there.
[00:23:05] Logan Mitchem: Well, in that case, what can you tell me about the next mission?
[00:23:12] GM: The next mission has as many variables as far as I'm aware. She has a file for you to look over to get some context for what's going on. We were expecting all of your friends from last time, but it seems it's just going to be you. We were unable to locate Agent Olive, so it's just going to be you this time.
[00:23:42] Logan Mitchem: And what of Agent Green?
[00:23:44] GM: Preoccupied with his new position. But you won't be alone in the field next time. But where we're going now is not what I would classify as the field, of course.
Music or books on tape?
[00:24:00] Logan Mitchem: He gets a far away look on his face as he's looking out the window, taking the signal that the conversation's done, and softly answers.
Music.
[00:24:18] GM: Ah, wonderful. I just picked up this new lovely cassette. Let's put it in.
Later that day, the two of you pull up in front of a small single story, kind of long in width.
Unmarked building.
It looks like we're here.
I can take you on inside.
[00:24:49] Logan Mitchem: He takes a big breath.
Right, right.
Please lead the way.
[00:25:02] GM: Of course, yes. He comes around. He's like. Do you need help with your luggage or anything?
[00:25:08] Logan Mitchem: No.
As his grip tightens.
[00:25:12] GM: Good, good.
Let's go on. He is not what you've experienced from Delta Green agents before. He's not in the black suit and everything. He's in like a kind of brown, more casual suit with like elbow patches and such. He's got glasses, his hair's a little crazy. He's just moving on very quickly, very nervous.
Right this way, if you will just check us in.
[00:25:40] Logan Mitchem: Beep.
[00:25:42] GM: All right, We'll Be going into the basement, of course.
[00:25:47] Logan Mitchem: Basement.
At the top of the stairs he pauses.
[00:25:58] GM: They're not as steep as they look, I assure you.
[00:26:04] Logan Mitchem: One step at a time.
[00:26:08] GM: Jolly good, I like that. One step at a time.
[00:26:15] Logan Mitchem: And he takes one step and feeling it not change, he continues.
[00:26:27] GM: He turns to continue leading you and he makes a face like I'm not doing very good at this conversation. And we cut to another door. As he opens it up, she's right inside.
[00:26:43] Logan Mitchem: The who was it again?
[00:26:45] GM: The Archivist.
[00:26:46] Logan Mitchem: The Archivist. Do you know a lot of information?
[00:26:53] GM: I suppose it depends on what we are talking about.
What sort of information are you looking for?
[00:27:01] Logan Mitchem: He just looks over at him and has this calculating look you'd know.
And with that vague answer he walks in.
[00:27:17] GM: As you step down this corridor there are lines and lines of empty abandoned cubicles. The lights are dim flashing, some of them hanging from the ceiling as if this were maybe once upon a time an office building that people utilized but has since been run down and unused.
As you continue heading down, there are more and more filing cabinets lined up along the walls.
They seem like you understand how they're sorted and labeled. And then it switches to another sorting and labeling. Then it switches again and then there's some looks like maybe Sumerian symbols. There's lots of many different languages and changes. Maybe a code of some sort if you had time to look at that. But the organization seems to be very quickly beyond your understanding. And you come down to one last room and it's got a see through glass door and there is a table and several filing cabinets inside. She should be waiting for us right in here. And he beeps the cardigan, holds it on. After you of course.
[00:28:30] Logan Mitchem: With a deep breath he walks forward with his briefcase leading the way.
[00:28:36] GM: You step in.
The table before you reminds you of many interrogation tables, rooms you've been in debriefs with Delta Green in the past. There's two chairs, one on each side.
Four single drawer.
Five stack high filing cabinets along the wall.
And it's just the two of you in there, you and Alvin.
[00:29:05] Logan Mitchem: Thank you.
Any turns and frowns.
Your name?
[00:29:17] GM: Oh, me.
Alvin. Alvin. Yes, that's my name.
[00:29:22] Logan Mitchem: Alvin.
[00:29:23] GM: That's what you can call me of course while we're here.
[00:29:26] Logan Mitchem: Mr. Gray, thank you for the ride.
[00:29:30] GM: Of course, yes.
He kind of looks around the room and seeing the two chairs.
Well, I do have other things to take care of for this operation so I will leave you two to it. Yes.
[00:29:45] Logan Mitchem: As he's leaving the room he hears behind him will I Be seeing you again, Alvin.
[00:29:55] GM: Presumably. Of course. I imagine I'll see you maybe later today.
One can never really be too sure when working at this level, right?
[00:30:08] Logan Mitchem: With a clunk he sets his briefcase down, releases it, pulls back the chair, sits down.
His posture is one of an interrogator.
[00:30:24] GM: The light flashes a little bit. This room is very dimly lit as he opens the door and leaves. As the door swings closed, stepping out of the shadows behind the door where clearly there was no room for her.
[00:30:38] The Archivist: Agent Gray.
[00:30:40] Logan Mitchem: He turns with his chair, his fingers drumming the table.
Archivist, I presume.
[00:30:51] The Archivist: She inclines her head as she walks towards him with purposeful strides, setting down a filing folder. Two actually on top of the table in front of him, standing across from him, slightly to his right. You'll need to review these files. I'll walk you through them.
[00:31:14] GM: As you look at the folders. One is labeled Psych Evals and the other labeled Operation Latency.
[00:31:23] Logan Mitchem: His fingers continue to drum on the table.
[00:31:26] The Archivist: That is unless you'd prefer to be the office Scrooge and continue terrorizing our assistance.
[00:31:34] Logan Mitchem: His fingers stop.
[00:31:36] The Archivist: Operation Latency was a delicate procedure that was not fully reconciled. We need to tie up loose ends.
[00:31:48] Logan Mitchem: Latency completely ignoring the Scrooge comment.
[00:31:55] The Archivist: She pulls the cord on a banker's lamp that maybe wasn't on the table before and the room looks slightly different colored than you thought it was in the dark.
Yes, Latency.
[00:32:12] Logan Mitchem: His posture shifts.
[00:32:16] The Archivist: She flips open the COVID of one of the pages.
It will be best to shed some light.
What happened to prepare you after all? Everything is better when the lights are on.
Perhaps it will help you to start with an understanding of the agents who went on assignment. Steel, Adams and Bellamy. It may bring to clarity their choices and and their outcomes.
[00:32:51] Logan Mitchem: For a moment as he's leaning back in the chair in a semi relaxed state, his legs crossed over the other, his arms stretched out, his hands still on the table where he was just drumming.
He takes a deep breath, sits up, leans forward.
Anna laces his fingers and sits on the table in front of him and he says, then let us begin.
[00:33:20] The Archivist: Archivist, be careful not to dive too deep. Mr. Mitchum.
[00:33:37] GM: Thank you for listening to our prologue video for season two of the Records of the Unknown. And thank you to Sven and Olivia for doing such wonderful work in this episode. If you celebrate holidays this time of year, I hope things are going well. Season two's full release is quickly approaching for late January where we'll introduce you to the new cast and we discover together just what happened in Operation Latency. Records of the Unknown is in a Tonk Broadcasting production. Delta Green is copyright Arc Dreams Publishing. Operation Latency is not published or endorsed by Arc Dreams Publishing and is an original module created by Samuel Sarver.
If you want to stay in touch, you can follow us on Instagram or threads, or you can join the community in our Discord server and be sure to like, comment and share with a friend. Links can be found in the description. I hope to see you there and have an atomic time.
And Teal is not needed for this part. Teal's dead.
[00:34:41] Logan Mitchem: Yeah, sorry.
[00:34:43] GM: Let me rerecord what I said.
[00:34:44] The Archivist: Definitely not needed.
[00:34:45] Logan Mitchem: That's okay.
