The Magnus Protocol 42 - Hostile Workplace

Speaker 2 If you're a smoker or vapor ready to make a change, you really only need one good reason. But with Zin nicotine pouches, you'll discover many good reasons.

Speaker 3 Zinn is America's number one nicotine pouch brand. Plus, Zin offers a robust rewards program.
There are lots of options when it comes to nicotine satisfaction, but there's only one Zen.

Speaker 3 Check out Zinn.com/slash find to find Zin at a store near you.

Speaker 2 Warning: this product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.

Speaker 4 The market's uncertain, revenues tight, and hiring on hold. That's why results-driven companies are using Upwork to keep work moving.

Speaker 4 Go to Upwork.com today and start hiring proven freelance talent fast. No bulky overhead, no rigid long-term contracts, just the right expert right when you need them.

Speaker 4 Work smarter and faster with Upwork. Go to Upwork.com now and find your freelance expert.
That's upwork.com. Post a job for free and get started today.

Speaker 6 Most people overpay for car insurance, not because they're careless, but because switching feels like too much hassle. That's why there's Jerry, your proactive insurance assistant.

Speaker 6 Jerry compares rates side by side from over 50 top insurers and helps you switch with ease. Jerry even tracks market rates and alerts you when it's best to shop.
No spam calls, no hidden fees.

Speaker 6 Drivers who save with Jerry could save over $1,300 a year. Switch with confidence.
Download the Jerry app or visit jerry.ai/slash Acast today.

Speaker 8 This is Hannah Berner from Giggly Squad. OPIL is the first over-the-counter daily birth control pill available in the U.S.

Speaker 8 Let's be real, getting a birth control prescription is not always easy and it's so much admin. In fact, about a third of women face barriers to access prescription birth control.

Speaker 8 Between scheduling appointments, missing work, class, or just trying to exist, it's a lot. But now OPIL is putting birth control in our control.

Speaker 8 OPIL is a daily birth control that's FDA approved, full prescription strength and estrogen-free, and 98% effective when used as directed.

Speaker 8 Grab it online or at most major retailers, no prescription or doctor's appointment needed. So if you're thinking about birth control, check out OPIL to see if it's right for you.

Speaker 8 Use code GIGLI for 25% off your first month of OPIL at OPILL dot com. That's code GIGLIE at OPILL.com.
Birth control in your control. We love to see it.

Speaker 5 Are you a business owner or entrepreneur in need of a fast funding solution? AmeriFactors provides fast capital. Call today for a free no-obligation quote at 800-884-FUND.

Speaker 5 Startups, rapid growth stage, or struggling, even with less than perfect credit, including bankruptcies.

Speaker 5 In business for over 34 years, thousands of satisfied clients have transformed their cash flow with AmeriFactors. Call AmeriFactors today at 800-884-FUND.
That's 800-884-3863.

Speaker 5 Or visit AmeriFactors.com.

Speaker 10 Welcome to Zenith, California.

Speaker 11 You could get lost in these hills.

Speaker 10 Stream seasons one and two of Zenith in full today, and discover what and who this mysterious mountain town is hiding.

Speaker 1 But don't stay too long.

Speaker 10 A science fiction adventure from High Point Productions, you can listen to Zenith wherever podcasts are found.

Speaker 13 RustyQuill presents

Speaker 13 The Magnus Protocol

Speaker 13 Episode 42

Speaker 13 Hostile Workplace

Speaker 14 Alice, Alice, are you alright?

Speaker 14 No,

Speaker 14 no. Alice, wake up.

Speaker 14 Come on, stop messing around.

Speaker 15 Lost it.

Speaker 15 Damn, that thing moves quick.

Speaker 15 How is she?

Speaker 14 I... I don't know.
She won't wake up. Shit.

Speaker 15 How long has she been out for?

Speaker 14 Twenty seconds? Maybe thirty?

Speaker 14 Wait me in an hour.

Speaker 14 Christ, Alice. Don't do that to me.
No promises.

Speaker 15 I'll radio Melanie. She should be able to call in a medical team to- Uh- Oh!

Speaker 14 What? Your arm. My arm.
Jesus!

Speaker 14 When did it happen? Uh, it must have been when it grabbed me. What's going on? Nothing.
Nothing. I'm fine.
I just need to.

Speaker 14 I'll be back in a second.

Speaker 14 Can you

Speaker 15 see out of them?

Speaker 14 What? No!

Speaker 14 Oh, God, will I start to? I don't know.

Speaker 15 We've seen a lot, but this is

Speaker 14 new.

Speaker 14 What do we do?

Speaker 15 Oh, we can't just leave them in case it gets worse.

Speaker 14 Worse?

Speaker 14 How can it get worse?

Speaker 15 Let's just say we need to get rid of them.

Speaker 14 But how do you get rid of extra eyeballs?

Speaker 15 I mean, I assume the normal way.

Speaker 14 The normal way? Oh, Christ. Everything okay out there? All good.

Speaker 15 Alice, do you have a sewing kit? In the dresser, top drawer.

Speaker 14 Thanks. No.

Speaker 15 It's just like Lansing a boy.

Speaker 14 You don't know that.

Speaker 15 You'd rather they stuck around?

Speaker 14 Well, then.

Speaker 15 Give me a couple of minutes. Just keep an eye on Alice.

Speaker 14 Oh, ha ha.

Speaker 14 How are we doing? Feels like I was drinking tequila all night, but yeah, I'm okay, I think.

Speaker 14 I thought I'd lost you. One all, I guess.

Speaker 14 I don't follow. I already lost you, remember? It was your turn.
Alright.

Speaker 14 Yeah.

Speaker 14 That's alright. I know you're not my Sam, but you're damn close.

Speaker 14 And now you're leaving, too.

Speaker 14 Yeah.

Speaker 14 Sorry. It's okay.

Speaker 14 Are you sure you can't work things out with your Alice? I don't know.

Speaker 14 Last time we talked.

Speaker 14 You should try doing an apocalypse together. Did wonders for us.

Speaker 14 I'll give it some thought.

Speaker 14 Just

Speaker 14 make sure you survive this time, yeah? Alice.

Speaker 14 Okay.

Speaker 15 Good news is I found a nice big needle. Great news is Melanie's managed to call in a med team and they're on their way.
Bad news is, they said we need to sort your arm ASAP.

Speaker 14 What's wrong with Sam?

Speaker 15 Nothing serious, just some minor first aid.

Speaker 14 Right, Sam?

Speaker 14 Uh, yeah,

Speaker 14 yeah, it's nothing.

Speaker 15 So, I heated it over the stove, and I even found some old rubbing alcohol kicking around with some clean rags, so we should be good to go.

Speaker 14 Is it going to hurt? Probably.

Speaker 15 Is that gonna be a problem?

Speaker 14 No, good.

Speaker 15 Bite down and close your eyes.

Speaker 14 Easy for you to see.

Speaker 14 It's all right, Sam. I've got you.

Speaker 14 Hold him.

Speaker 14 Try him.

Speaker 14 It's okay.

Speaker 14 Right.

Speaker 15 That should do it.

Speaker 14 You can let him go now.

Speaker 14 See?

Speaker 15 That wasn't so bad, was it?

Speaker 15 The medics can take a proper look at the station, but if any luck, we've stopped them spreading at least.

Speaker 15 How are you doing?

Speaker 15 If you're gonna puke, try and keep your arm out of the way.

Speaker 15 No,

Speaker 14 no, I'm fine.

Speaker 14 I just

Speaker 14 just need

Speaker 14 to

Speaker 14 some.

Speaker 15 He's out. He'll be fine.
He's had a big day.

Speaker 16 Scratching at the bandages won't help. Trust me.

Speaker 14 You have no idea how.

Speaker 16 You maybe want to try that again?

Speaker 14 Sorry, it just...

Speaker 14 It itches like crazy. Oh god, what if they're growing back? Then I'll take a pair.
Look, I wouldn't worry.

Speaker 16 The doctor isn't. This is nowhere near the weirdest thing we've seen from the zone.

Speaker 16 We had a rookie a a couple of years back who got stuck in there for too long, and you wouldn't believe where he started growing a new face.

Speaker 14 How's Alice?

Speaker 16 Sleeping. But they say she'll recover quick if she doesn't do anything stupid.

Speaker 14 That's good.

Speaker 14 Where's Georgie? I thought she'd want to be here.

Speaker 16 Well, given what we're dealing with, she thought it best to go and get.

Speaker 16 Speak of the devil.

Speaker 15 This is the one I was telling you about.

Speaker 14 Miss Hussain? Have we met? Oh, uh, I suppose not.

Speaker 14 Sorry, I'm Sam. Georgie got me up to speed.

Speaker 14 So you've met my double?

Speaker 14 Yeah, you were a deputy head. At a school? Uh, yeah.

Speaker 14 Huh.

Speaker 14 Was it a good school? I mean, it was pretty fancy.

Speaker 15 Sam, I brought Basira in to help because she, myself, and Melanie are, as far as we know, the last people alive who dealt with our archivist back in the day.

Speaker 14 So it is John then? Or his double at least?

Speaker 15 We don't know.

Speaker 14 But you did see it. What I saw,

Speaker 15 it was so transformed, so inhuman.

Speaker 15 If it was him, he's completely gone now.

Speaker 14 Okay, sorry, hold up. Can I get, like, an explanation of who this John guy is or something?

Speaker 14 As far as I know, this is a monster that came over with me from my world, and now you're acting like he's an old friend.

Speaker 16 Georgie, you care to do the honours?

Speaker 15 You tell it better.

Speaker 14 Alright.

Speaker 16 So, a few years ago, before everything went to hell, we had a

Speaker 16 colleague.

Speaker 14 A friend? Eh.

Speaker 16 A guy called Jonathan Sims. He was the archivist for the Magnus Institute, and we all ended up working there at one point or another.

Speaker 16 Except Georgie.

Speaker 16 So, anyway, he got wrapped up in bad supernatural stuff the same as we did, but he got it the worst. It turned him into kind of um external.

Speaker 14 What? No, no, shut up.

Speaker 16 He turned into something that sent the whole world to hell. Eventually, he managed to undo it, but it killed him and

Speaker 16 someone else we cared about.

Speaker 14 Well, they disappeared.

Speaker 15 At the exact same time that the building they were in completely exploded. That doesn't feel like much of a stretch.
I mean, you say that, but let's not do this again.

Speaker 14 So, you think this archivist might be the same as your archivist?

Speaker 15 Maybe. The eye stuff, the monologues, it's definitely similar.

Speaker 14 Where did your archivist come from? I mean, we don't know exactly. Best guess.

Speaker 14 We have

Speaker 14 had a Magnus Institute in my world, but it burned down about 25 years ago. Lucky.
I guess.

Speaker 14 But me and Alice, my Alice, went poking around in the ruins, and we think we might have accidentally disturbed it.

Speaker 16 Do you know how long it had been down there?

Speaker 14 No, but it must have been trapped a long time. Since the place was destroyed, at least.
Maybe longer. Hmm.

Speaker 14 The timelines don't work.

Speaker 16 That's assuming time is the same everywhere, which we already know isn't the case.

Speaker 14 True.

Speaker 15 The Institute, the one in your world, did it still serve the eye?

Speaker 14 I don't know what that means.

Speaker 16 Did it do a lot of collecting stories, taking statements?

Speaker 14 No, no, I don't think so. It was more into alchemy.
Alchemy?

Speaker 15 What, like lead into gold?

Speaker 14 More like lead plus fear into gold, but yeah, sure.

Speaker 14 Interesting. So then, what's this eye you said your institute was working on?

Speaker 14 Lots to unpack there.

Speaker 16 Not it.

Speaker 14 Fine.

Speaker 14 So in our world, fear was like a supernatural force, okay?

Speaker 14 And it was chopped up into 14 entities.

Speaker 16 14 and a half, really.

Speaker 14 Whatever. The The point is, each one was tied to a specific kind of fear.
Like, the corruption was all disease and filth and bugs. Or the spiral was kind of like madness and not trusting yourself.

Speaker 14 Or the hunt, which.

Speaker 14 You get the idea. And your eye was one of these entities?

Speaker 15 The eye was a power, yes. One obsessed with being watched.

Speaker 16 But that's not how it works where you come from, is it?

Speaker 14 I don't think so. My job is was categorising these things for the government, and we had a whole index of way more specific listings.
Can you give me an example? Uh, sure.

Speaker 14 So, like, when I was a kid, I applied for the Magnus Institute's Gifted Kids Outreach Programme, and, well, long story short, I saw a man's skeleton glow its way free of his body.

Speaker 14 Sounds like flesh to me. Maybe buried.

Speaker 15 So, what did your index say about it?

Speaker 14 Oh, uh,

Speaker 14 I think it was something like alchemy cross-reference with human bones or something.

Speaker 16 Okay.

Speaker 14 But that's not the one I was thinking about. That was just the setup.
Thorn.

Speaker 14 So, going through that left me with a real phobia of skeletons. Not surprising, really.

Speaker 14 I get why it was kind of funny. At least why everyone always laughed when I told them.
So, after a while, I just stopped telling them. It makes sense.
I mean, we see skeletons as kind of goofy, right?

Speaker 14 Dancing cartoon bones and cheesy Halloween decorations. If people have seen a real one, it was probably cleaned, polished, and hung up in a museum somewhere.

Speaker 14 Not many people have seen them fresh and bloody, with fat and muscles still clinging to them.

Speaker 14 As a kid, the phobia was really intense. I don't know how many Halloween meltdowns my parents had to deal with over the years, but I never told them what happened at the Magnus Institute.

Speaker 14 I didn't think they would believe me, and now I'm certain they wouldn't. Even now, I can see you smirking and I do get it.

Speaker 14 But handing the other kids a cheat code for bullying you is a bad idea so by the time I was in my mid-teens I'd learned to hide it, just calling myself a bit of a scaredy cat.

Speaker 14 I still had to steal myself when October rolled around but it generally didn't affect my life as much as it had when I was younger.

Speaker 14 Then I started trading to be a lawyer. I went corporate, nothing sexy like a barrister.

Speaker 14 I'd never had a calling, so I thought I might as well make good money while doing something that I at least found mildly interesting.

Speaker 14 Anyway, it takes years to qualify, even after finishing your degree and taking all the courses, so I took a job as a paralegal at Ackman Blaine. It wasn't what I expected.

Speaker 14 There were three others on my team. Natasha Merrill, Anastasia Russing, and Anthony something.

Speaker 14 I forget his last name. As soon as I met them, I knew we weren't going to get along.
My parents were pretty well off, all told, but these three were something else.

Speaker 14 Every one of them was there because of some family connection, and none of them had any doubt about where their career was going.

Speaker 14 Natasha was occasionally kind to me, in a charity case kind of way, but as far as the other two were concerned, I might as well have been something they scraped off their shoe.

Speaker 14 And on top of all the rest of the pressure that comes with working as a paralegal, it didn't take long for it to start to get to me.

Speaker 14 Six months in, and I was already getting hit hit with the holy trinity of insomnia, depression and burnout.

Speaker 14 Then Halloween came around.

Speaker 14 One of them, I think it must have been Anthony, went around taping little cartoon skeletons to all the monitors. It wasn't aimed at me.
I hadn't been stupid enough to tell any of them, but I...

Speaker 14 uh it reacted badly

Speaker 14 i don't remember what happened exactly But I knew it ended with me crying at my desk.

Speaker 14 Natasha asked me what was wrong, and I don't know, maybe it was because she was occasionally nice to me, but I ended up telling her.

Speaker 14 She nodded, very sympathetic, and said she'd get Anthony to take the skeletons down. He did, and that was the last I heard of it.

Speaker 14 Until about a month later, when Anastasia asked me to help her get a ream of paper down from the top shelf of the stationery cupboard. It wasn't a suspicious thing to do.

Speaker 14 She couldn't have been more than five foot two, and it wasn't the first time she'd asked me to fetch something. So, it came as a complete surprise when the door slammed shut behind me.

Speaker 14 The cupboard was shallow enough that it didn't have a light, and as I was plunged into pitch darkness, I could hear three distinct voices giggling to themselves.

Speaker 14 It was only as I turned to open it that I saw what was waiting for me. Pinned to the inside of the door was a glow-in-the-dark paper skeleton.

Speaker 14 You know the ones with those pale green bones that stand out in the gloom. I froze, terrified.
I wanted to scream, but I choked it down.

Speaker 14 I knew the reaction they wanted, and however close I might have been to a breakdown at that point, I was damned if I was going to give them the satisfaction.

Speaker 14 Then something changed.

Speaker 14 I don't know how to describe it exactly.

Speaker 14 It was like the fear inside me, mixed with something, became something entirely new.

Speaker 14 Not just inside me anymore.

Speaker 14 I screamed when the skeleton began to peel itself off the door. Its two-dimensional grin opened wide as its legs flailed, stretched, and spasmed, dancing like in those old cartoons.

Speaker 14 And it reached out its arms towards me.

Speaker 14 It couldn't have been more than ten seconds between my scream and when our boss Gene Pierce pulled the door open. But apparently, my face was already covered in paper cuts.

Speaker 14 So, yeah, I don't know how that fits into whatever system you use for these things.

Speaker 16 It doesn't.

Speaker 14 Anyone else clock when it turned into a statement? What?

Speaker 16 You think it's nearby?

Speaker 15 I don't think so. The squad has definitely been more eloquent since it arrived, but it seems to just be a general effect near the zone.

Speaker 14 So far. Hmm.

Speaker 16 I'm guessing you didn't stay in that job much longer.

Speaker 14 I tried, but my nerves were shot. A week later, David pulled me into his office for the not everyone can handle the pressure talk, and I was encouraged to move on right out the door.

Speaker 15 Anyway, the point is that, regardless of whether this archivist is John or not, it's not working the same as it did before.

Speaker 14 I don't even know if it's quite the same as it was in my universe either. What do you mean? Well, for one thing, the eyeballs are new.
I'm wondering if this eye thing you have has changed it. Had.

Speaker 14 It's gone now.

Speaker 15 Unless having another archivist changes that.

Speaker 14 Well, shit.

Speaker 14 Yeah.

Speaker 15 So, given all that, if anyone wants out, now's the time, because either way, this is going to get messy.

Speaker 14 I'm still in. And it's not like I've got anywhere else to be.

Speaker 16 You know, I can hear when you're all staring at me, right? Obviously, I'm in. I'll just leave the shooting to you guys.

Speaker 14 Well,

Speaker 15 okay, then.

Speaker 14 So, does that mean I'll be getting a gun? Because I haven't actually.

Speaker 13 distributed by RustyQuill and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Sharealike 4.0 International license.

Speaker 13 The series is created by Jonathan Sims and Alexander J. Newell and directed by Alexander J.
Newell.

Speaker 13 This episode was written by Jonathan Sims and edited with additional materials by Alexander J. Newell,

Speaker 13 with vocal edits by Lo Rianne Davis, soundscaping by Tessa Vroom and mastering by Catherine Rinella with music by Sam Jones.

Speaker 13 It featured Shahan Hamza as Samama Khalid,

Speaker 13 Billy Hindle as Alice Dyer. Sasha Sienna as Georgie Barker.
Lydia Nicholas as Melanie King.

Speaker 13 The Magnus Protocol is produced by April Sumner with executive producers Alexander J. Newell, Danny McDonough, Lynn C.
and Samantha F. G.
Hamilton. And associate producers Jordan L.

Speaker 13 Hawke, Taylor Michaels, Nicole Perlman, Cetius DeRaven and Megan Nice.

Speaker 13 To subscribe, view associated materials, or join our Patreon, visit rustyquill.com. Rate and review us online, tweet us at TheRustyQuill, visit us on Facebook, or email us at mail at rustyquill.com.

Speaker 13 Thanks for listening.

Speaker 17 Hey, I'm Elise Hugh, host of the podcast TED Talks Daily. Did you know Paylocity offers one platform for HR, finance, and IT?

Speaker 17 That means innovative solutions like on-demand payment, which offers employees access to wages prior to payday, flexible time tracking features, which enable staff to clock in through their mobile device, and numerous other cutting-edge integrations are available to all your teams in one single place.

Speaker 17 Learn more about how Paylocity can help streamline work and bring teams together at paylocity.com slash one.

Speaker 2 If you're a smoker or vapor, ready to make a change, you really only need one good reason. But with Zin Nicotine pouches, you'll discover many good reasons.

Speaker 3 Zin is America's number one nicotine pouch brand. Plus, Zinn offers a robust rewards program.
There are lots of options when it comes to nicotine satisfaction, but there's only one Zin.

Speaker 3 Check out zinn.com slash find to find Zinn at a store near you.

Speaker 2 Warning, this product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.

Speaker 8 Coach, the energy out there felt different.

Speaker 18 What changed for the team today?

Speaker 7 It was the new game day scratchers from the California Lottery. Play is everything.
Those games sent the team's energy through the roof.

Speaker 18 Are you saying it was the off-field play that made the difference on the field?

Speaker 7 Hey, a little play makes your day, and today it made the game. That's all for now.

Speaker 1 Coach, one more question.

Speaker 9 Play the new Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Rams Scratchers from the California Lottery. A little play can make your day.

Speaker 9 Please play responsibly, must be 18 years or older to purchase, play, or claim.

Speaker 10 Welcome to Zenith, California.

Speaker 11 You could get lost in these hills.

Speaker 10 Stream seasons one and two of Zenith in full today and discover what and who this mysterious mountain town is hiding.

Speaker 1 But don't stay too long.

Speaker 10 A science fiction adventure from High Point Productions, you can listen to Zenith wherever podcasts are found.

Speaker 19 Surprise! Beach day. No excuses.
I'm in. Give me five.
With Bic Soleil Glide Razor, you'll have hydrated, smooth skin that's ready to go on the fly. No shave cream needed.

Speaker 19 You can prep, shave, and hydrate all in one step thanks to moisture bars that hydrate your skin during and after shaving. Five flexible blades hug your skin for a close shave.
Glide into smooth.

Speaker 19 It's your time to shine with Bic Soleil. Buy now at Amazon and Walmart.
Ready? Your skin looks amazing.

Speaker 1 So smooth and beach ready. Let's go.

Speaker 20 We're interrupting this podcast to ask you a very important question. Have you had your Hershey's?

Speaker 20 When you need to brighten up your day, put a smile on your face with the classic creamy texture and pure milk chocolate flavor of Hershey's Milk Chocolate.

Speaker 20 Whether you're eating it on the go, breaking off a few pieces for s'mores night, or just treating yourself to something sweet, Hershey's Milk Chocolate checks all the boxes.

Speaker 20 Shop for Hershey's Milk Chocolate now at a store near you. Found wherever candy is sold.