The file's called "pal1.pdf" and it is a file over Thomas.
The thing's 3 pages long; the first is the cover page there, and then two pages of writing. This is what it said:
PROJECT ASSEMBLY LINE
SUBJECT #1: THOMAS CAROLA
Marionettes recreation of his last staff photo, circa March 28th, 2006.
"NAME: THOMAS CAROLA
STATION: #85
STATION: #85
POSITION: AUDIO ENGINEER
Thomas Carola was originally hired on September 17th, 1999. A friend of Ms. Morita, a board member, he was sped through the hiring process at the only station with an open position, after being laid off from his last job. His former workplace claimed he was negligent and careless, but never offered any proof to him, nor to Upstaged Communications, when the HR department called.
As an audio engineer, his job was to work the sound board on live broadcasts--mix the audio so that people could be heard, while preparing sound effects and music for appropriate moments. Maybe it was because of the false accusations at his prior job making him want to prove himself, or maybe he was just that talented, but he performed fantastically at his job. Always working above and beyond, to the point that he found something he shouldn't have. In 2001, while he was searching the archives in Marionettes for a particular track to use, he stumbled across something. A recording of an indecipherable chatter, sounding as if it were being broadcast from a poorly tuned radio. Confused, he approached Edward Marion about it, who told him that it was simply a recording of an audience. He refused to elaborate.
Thomas was unnerved, but quickly did his best to focus on his work, continuing to be a studious employee that put in more work than anyone would have ever expected. He was so studious and brilliant at his work that he was offered a promotion several times; he turned them all down, claiming that he knew what he was best at, and that he wished to continue doing what he was the best fit for. This was a lie. He continued his current job to ensure he had access to the Marionettes audio archives, where he went searching, and found more strange recordings. More recordings of this audience, and recordings of something new. Recordings of music, which sounded wrong, incomplete and broken, all named coded variations of the word SIGNAL. When he approached Edward about these, he was told that it was of no concern to him.
He could never let go of the voices, or the music. It ate away at him, as he tried to think of what any of it could've possibly been used for, desperately attempting to excuse or explain it. It didn't work. He wouldn't get his answers until 2006.
Having accidentally discovered that something shady was going on at Upstaged Communications, he was prepared when disaster struck. The Signal began propagating through all stations, but he was able to recognize the music, and locked himself away in his office. He only opened the door when Edward came knocking, telling him that there was a plan to save them all from the horrible fate the company wrought upon all its employees. He was one of eight to survive the events that began midnight of October 17th, 2006.
Three days later, Upstaged Communications was dead, the Signal was trapped, and he was free on October 20th. His memory had been only moderately damaged; the memories of what he had been forced to do grew hazy, but he was secure in the knowledge that he was safe. However, the Signal woke back up in 2016, and so he was called to action once again. He was sent a package on October 1st, 2018, and received it on October 3rd, 2018. He received it the same day as Joshua, Lily, Nashiko, and Wyatt.
He was the third receiver the Signal was able to capture in 2018. There is no longer a Thomas Carola."
That's all that was written.
Upstaged Communications knew that the Signal existed. They knew, and kept records of it. It says that Edward had a plan to "save them all from the horrible fate the company wrought upon all its employees," which makes me think that the company knew how dangerous the Signal was. Planned to use it, even.
The damage to his memories explains why he seemed to know some, but not all, of what was going on; I imagine the others all suffered the same thing, to varying degrees. It also says that he received a package in 2018, which matches what Riley told me, back before Marionettes was taken over. She got a package in 2016, and then two years later, everyone else did. Who sent the packages, though? Why did I get mine on the 20th? That was the day the struggle ended, it seems, back in 2006.
It says that eight people survived what happened in Upstaged. I assume they were Thomas, Joshua, Lily, Nashiko, Wyatt, Riley, me, and Edward. What happened to the rest? And what does it mean when it says that there's no longer a Thomas Carola?
I don't like this.
No comments:
Post a Comment