Episode 5: Monstrous Mysteries

## Description

After Cassius’s close call, the Breachers regroup at VINCULA to go over their findings. Miss Vaux makes additional demands of the team, placing more pressure on them to perform. Cassius’s pride forces them into another perilous situation.

## Content Warnings

Mentions of: extreme height, death, extortion, being eaten alive, ecoterrorism, vampiric tendencies, dismemberment, freezing to death, wild animals, bears, hypothermia; Explicit language, Loud noises, Tranced state, Water mentions/noises, Cryptid creatures, Heavy breathing, Animalistic noises, Sounds of exertion

## Plot Summary

Silas’s Translation Date: April 22nd, 2021

The episode opens with Cassius saying, "Corporate greed... naïve explorers... monstrous mysteries..."

Scene One takes place inside of the Breach world picking up right around where the previous episode left off. Silas confirms that the VINCULA recording device is broken after falling with Cassius after the flying creature attacked them. Cassius is physically alright and is more concerned with finding out if anyone got a good look at the creature rather than their wellbeing. Elizabeth explains that the creature had bat-like wings and an elongated face similar to that of a goat's, but she didn't get a close look. Cassius assumes that the nest doesn't belong to the flying creature, since it would have likely returned already. They also present their sample collection of invisible fur to the group, all of whom are perplexed by its properties. Silas describes the texture as being similar to steel wool. Cassius suggests that the creatures that were chasing them on the previous trip into the Breach (the ones who were invisible) must have this same kind of fur. Cassius orders everyone to return to the lab so the sample can be analyzed.

Scene Two opens in the Sample Lab right as Cassius is raising some hell to Vaux about the low-quality equipment causing safety concerns for the team. Vaux, however, is having none of it and reminds Cassius that they are replaceable should they not be able to fulfill their duties according to the job (and without taking dangerous risks). Cassius retorts by saying that the risks they take are calculated and have yielded excellent results, particularly with the finding of the invisible fur, which appears to have nerve endings in each hair. Vaux says that Mr. Richardson is pleased by the progress and that is one of the reasons why Cassius is still in the Team Lead position, but also chastises Cassius about being wasteful of VINCULA resources and time. This is also the first time we get Cassius's surname: Thatcher. Cassius is none too pleased about being called by their surname, though. Vaux ends the conversation by telling the group (who have been there listening the whole time) that the Breacher team has been given the job of naming the Breach world, due by the next day before their next trip into the Breach. Vaux also gives Cassius a list of things to look for and collect samples of in the Breach world, a to-do list essentially. Of note is the request for a sample of the acid lake water. After Vaux leaves, the group contemplates reasons why VINCULA is asking for the acid lake water in particular, Lizzy assumes that VINCULA wants to open a resort on the Breach world, but Alyx suggests that VINCULA is just trying to find out as much as possible about the place. As for naming the Breach world, Alyx gives the first suggestion: Breachwood Land. Cassius says it sounds like a theme park and that they need something more "snappy." Elizabeth ponders something similar to Mother Earth. Silas, being the linguist, suggests borrowing a naming system like astronomers use, and puts forth the name "Gaia" after the Greek deity that personifies life and Earth. Elizabeth and Cassius like the name, but Alyx tries to suggest "Denver" on account of the trees, the ziggurat, and Bigfoot. Cassius says they have to ban Alyx from the naming society, but tells Alyx there will be plenty of opportunities to name things given all of the discoveries they are making in Gaia.

Cassius then directs everyone's attention to looking at the invisible fur sample under the microscope now that they've gotten some dye to stick to it. Their current hypothesis about how the fur works is centered around the nerve endings in the core of each fur being able to use some kind of sensory aspect to make them mostly invisible to human vision. Cassius also wonders if infrared cameras might be better able to detect the creatures, and they explain that there needs to be further study and analysis before they learn anything more. The texture of the fur is most similar to that of a gorilla, so that ought to contribute to the naming of the creature. Alyx, of course, suggests "Bigfoot," but Cassius explains that they don't have any confirmation that it's similar to the creature of legend, and instead Cassius suggests the name "Chamelic Ape," due to their camouflage. Before deciding on the name, though, Cassius gives Alyx one more shot, to which she offers up "See-through-ithicus." It is shot down immediately, and the scene ends.

Scene Three opens in Gaia at the acid lake. Cassius is putting on a hazmat suit to go up to the spring to collect the sample, but Elizabeth worriedly suggests that they wait and watch for whatever she saw in the lake last time to appear again. They agree to wait for a short while, but Cassius will attempt to get the sample regardless. While they wait, Elizabeth and Alyx discuss Silas's "Debbie Downer" attitude with Silas. He explains that there are so many different and awful ways that the creatures of Gaia could kill them all, and that is what contributes to his doom-and-gloom attitude. On the topic of death, Alyx mentions that they would rather die in solitude than have someone deal directly with her death, mentioning that she would like it if people just kept a vase of flowers to remember her by. But, Alyx knows that she wouldn't die alone given how her large family would certainly want to be by her side.

Alyx suddenly recalls that she did *almost* die alone once. She was roughly 16 years old and living in the middle of Alaska with her family since her father was stationed there. She was exploring the forest near their house, but she didn't look at her phone because she was having fun in the snow, and she missed her mother's text message calling her back to the house because of a storm warning. The blizzard came in quickly and Alyx lost her way. She tried to use the survival skills her father taught her by sitting next to a tree and trying to make a sort of shelter, but she was growing tired and cold. Then, she saw a huge figure in the blowing snowstorm: what she thought was a polar bear, despite them residing further north in the Arctic Circle rather than in the middle of Alaska. Alyx was ready to meet her fate, but the creature simply approached and leaned down. Taking this as an offer to grab on, Alyx did and the creature half-lifted, half-dragged Alyx along until she passed out. When she awoke, she was in the emergency room at the hospital. She was found by her own back door as her father and a rescue team went out to look for her. Alyx, being the most recently in danger, was closely watched by her family afterward and wasn't allowed to go anywhere until she left for college (but, even then, she was called daily to get checked on). Alyx then explains that she's glad to be on the Breach project since it means she's got some freedom without her family being overly cautious.

Elizabeth suddenly spots something in the sky and looks at it through binoculars, alerting Cassius to the presence of a "visitor." Turns out, it's the same kind of creature that attacked Cassius the previous day. As everyone is looking up at the sky, Alyx calls for everyone to look at the lake, as something about it is changing. A sudden black patch has appeared in the center of the lake without them realizing it. The "horse bat" creature begins to dive towards the black patch in the center of the lake. As the horse bat gets close enough, something large growls and lurches out of the water, eating the horse bat. Silas asks what the creature that jumped out of the lake is, but Elizabeth and Cassius have no clue. Alyx calls it an "Acid Nessie," and Cassius says it's more like an "Acid Leviathan" with how huge it is. Elizabeth says that it most resembles the illustrations she's seen of a plesiosaur, but that this one has black scales. Cassius thanks Elizabeth for making them wait, since it could have very well been Cassius that got attacked instead. They also decide to abandon the task of collecting the lake water and decides that the team should move on with their search for Specimen One.

Scene Four takes place in the Sample Lab where Cassius whispers to someone to "make sure you get this" as Vaux approaches. Vaux expresses her disappointment that the team did not gather the acid lake sample and, after Cassius offers their explanation as to why they didn't (re: the group's safety being paramount), Vaux huffily demands that Cassius stop wasting time and resources. Cassius angrily states that they know what they're doing and that alternative methods of collecting the sample will be explored in due time. Again, Vaux refers to Cassius by their surname and tells them to "prove it," then she leaves. Cassius vents to the group, wondering why exactly it's such a big deal for them to collect the acid lake water. Alyx suggests that the lake water could provide valuable data about geological activity. Silas recalls that VINCULA had no problem giving him a bottle of salt water and sending him into the Breach to pour it on the linkstone, and there are several more linkstones with different sigils on them still at the lab. Cassius wonders if perhaps the different linkstones could bring them to different locations if they are used on the Breach pedestal, and Cassius wonders if there are more Breaches that VINCULA is hiding and waiting to surprise them with. Silas believes it's unlikely, but also mentions that the sigils need to match between the Breach pedestal and the linkstone, anyway. In the case of the Breach leading to Gaia, it needed saltwater, and the other sigils could mean different requirements. Cassius ponders if perhaps that is why VINCULA is so hellbent on getting the acid lake water sample: to test it with other linkstones.

On the topic of sample collection from the lake, Cassius asks if they have anything at their disposal to help with analyzing the lake and Alyx says that they still have a remote-controlled drone they can rig with a sample bottle to try and lower it to collect the sample. Cassius thinks the "Titan Nessie" is too quick, but they can try it next time they're on Gaia.

Scene Five takes place on Gaia at the acid springs lake with Silas's fifth Expedition Log for VINCULA. He reveals that the tentative name for the lake creature is "Titan Plesiosaur." Alyx has control of the drone and is working on getting it up in the air to lower it over the lake with a specimen collection container. As the drone is brought over the lake, the team notices the black spot in the lake returning, and the Titan Plesiosaur growls. Elizabeth calls out that the "bait lilypad" from the Titan Plesiosaur is present. The Titan Plesiosaur attempts to shoot out of the water and grab the drone in its mouth, but Alyx moves it out of the way in time. Alyx tries again, but the same process happens. Cassius decides to put on the hazmat suit and try to grab the sample themself despite protests from Jeremiah and Silas. Cassius instructs Alyx to distract the Titan Plesiosaur with the drone and while it's distracted they will run up to the lake and grab the sample. After a very stressful process of baiting the creature with the drone and Cassius tripping on the way back, the team lead returns to the group with a successful sample collection.

Just as the group is gathering their belongings and packing up the collected sample, there is a sudden distortion in the sound along with some chimes, and Alyx looks to the sky in a trance saying, "Lovely, lovely wings... Graceful in the moonlight..." A moth is suddenly going for the drone, and Silas seems to be in a trance too saying, "Is that... a moth...? It’s so... beautiful..." Then, the episode ends.

## Cast and Crew

Cast:

* Ty Von (Silas Caldwell)
* Beth Sage Phung (Cassius Thatcher)
* Cody Burke (Greg Washburn)
* Elgin Smith (Jeremiah Woods)
* Morgie Bee (Elizabeth Bellanger)
* Jules Christine (Alyx Yard)
* Kaila Crockett (Evelyn Vaux)

Crew:

* Ty Von
* Rowan Odom