Contingency Part I

## Official Summary

The attack on ORPHEUS's Chicago facility had wide-reaching effects, and the city itself is by no means out of harm's way.

With the delivery of terrible news by her handler in a mysterious organization called "The Maenad Directive," Freya Benton springs into action to try to determine the cause of the chaos and put a stop to it, activating a new recruit to her conspiracy along the way.

## Detailed Recap

The episode opens on Freya Benton after the occult ritual which brought back Kiera. Feeling the lift of a decades-persistent burden, she opts to enjoy some Giordano’s pizza and a large soda (notably not shared with Faris). In the midst of her people-watching, she receives a call from Cassandra, who says that the Maenad Directive received a distress signal from Sanctuary in Alaska. Surprisingly, ORPHEUS is not responding. So, the Maenad Directive is dispatching every member to attempt to understand and control the situation at Sanctuary, save for two: Freya, and a new operative, Rhett Bordeaux. She is tasked with forming a cell with Rhett which will figure why ORPHEUS is not responding, and ensure that a response will come to support the Maenads in Alaska.

Rhett is enjoying lunch with Dr. Isaac Stewart, his coworker. Rhett was somewhat recently promoted to being a therapist for field operatives, and they bond over the simultaneous difficulties and fruitful nature of their work. Dr. Stewart asks Rhett advice on a “hypothetical patient,” Mitch, yet their conversation stops abruptly as Dr. Stewart drops his glass. He doesn’t respond to his name, and he seems spaced out, frozen in place. Rhett realizes that everyone else in the diner quickly succumbs to a psychic pressure, entering a state similar to Dr. Stewart. Rhett manages to slide under the grasp of this power, and keeps his wits about him, watching as everyone in the diner subsequently rises to form a small portion of a miles-wide circle. He watches a squirrel attempt to cross the arc, only to be pulverized by a man in the trance-like state, and recognizes that this psychic power is something that only an occult ritual or dozens of trained psychics could accomplish. Furthermore, he realizes the center of this giant circle is likely the ORPHEUS headquarters.

Rhett gets a call from Freya, who informs him of their upcoming mission. They rendezvous at the café, Freya having arrived on a sweet motorcycle which faced no traffic due to the broad scope of the fugue state. The two operatives exchange information, including the fact that Freya was able to fend off the power due to her philosophers stone. They realize that they might be able to cross the circle if they take the subway. Rhett reluctantly leaves Dr. Stewart and the two go searching for answers under the city.

In the eerily empty subway station, Rhett sees that his communicator will not work due to a critical communications failure, and Freya transmits information about the situation to Cassandra. Then, Rhett receives a call from Tiresias through an unstable channel, and tells the team that they must intercept Diana and Orion, who are both incapacitated. They are to get to a train which is carrying the two incapacitated ORPEHUS directors through an off-the-grid track. On the way, Freya feels deep, old, ritual magic that is the primal “Id” of Darren Feldman. Unsettled, she manages to recall how to get to the secret subway line, and the new cell begins their new Priority 0 mission.

## Music Credits

* Opening and Closing Themes by Nathan Kross and Rob Stith
* Naoya Sakamata - **支配された孤独感** - Dark Classical Piano Music
* Borrtex - Peaceful Mind
* Alexander Nakarada - Freedom
* Josh Woodward - She Dreams in Blue (Instrumental)
* Kevin MacLeod - Digital Bark
* Three Chain Links - Gray is the Sky
* ElDude Music - Nameless City
* Josh Woodward - Follow the Road
* Myuu - Jeff the Killer - Sweet Dreams (Marilyn Manson & Creepypasta Tribute)
* Myuu - Ground Noises
* ROZKOL - Last Train in the Station