Episode 7: One for All

## Description

A mysterious condition has the Breachers rushing back to save one of their own. VINCULA’s priorities are not swayed by what they perceive to be a minor bump in the road. Through it all, the Breachers find comfort in each other and their shared experiences; they will watch out for each other till the end.

## Content Warnings

Mentions of: death, spiders, sedation, comas, internal liquefaction, cryptid creatures, uncanny valley, formed religion, cults; Loud noises, Explicit language, Screams of fear, Hospital environments, Medication administration

## Plot Summary

Silas’s Translation Date: April 27th, 2021

The episode opens with Cassius saying, "No… that’s not… you said it was just one for all!..."

Scene One opens with Silas's "evacuation report" as the Breacher Team is back in the Breachwood Forest. Silas explains that they've made it halfway back to the Breach and are taking a quick break. The team is catching their breaths and Jeremiah is taking Elizabeth's vitals. Jeremiah explains that there is nothing *wrong* with Elizabeth except for her being unconscious and unresponsive. He notes that she isn't responding to pain stimuli, but her eyes are flickering behind her eyelids like she's in deep REM sleep. Cassius checks in, then walks off, and Jeremiah urges Silas to try and get Cassius to sit down and rest for a moment, but Silas says it might be hard to do given how Cassius continues to pace around anxiously. As Silas approaches, Cassius reassures Alyx that things will be alright and that they will make it back to the Breach in a few hours, and then they can get Elizabeth the help she needs. Silas very unsuccessfully tries to get Cassius to take a break, but the team lead is too stressed out and snaps back at Silas that they're fine. Greg cracks a couple of jokes to try and lighten the mood, successfully cheering up Alyx, at least. Greg once again urges Silas to get Cassius to sit down and rest, and Silas wonders when he became the "Cassius Keeper." Silas approaches Cassius and decides to take a different approach, urging Cassius to take a break lest they become a liability for the team's safety. Cassius relents and takes a drink of water, then says that VINCULA is going to give them hell again. Silas tries to reassure them, stating that the Breach doesn't always agree with human physiology and that isn't Cassius's fault. Cassius says that despite their success thus far as the team lead, they have failed Elizabeth and worries that the success so far has only been luck. Silas again reassures Cassius and admits that while Gaia is beautiful, it certainly is not easy to explore. Cassius attempts to crack a joke by comparing Gaia to a bad ex, but admits they wouldn't really know (implying they haven't been in a relationship before). Silas asks if it's because Cassius was always too busy due to being a "driven individual." Cassius thanks Silas for not assuming it's because they're just an asshole. Just as Silas is attempting to reassure Cassius of their leadership abilities, their conversation is interrupted by Alyx screaming and the two scramble to go investigate. Alyx apologizes for startling them, but she is caught off guard by something. Greg points their attention to a spider's web in the tree up above. Then, he points them to look a bit higher on the next tree limb and there they see a man-sized spider that is watching them unmoving. Greg says they ought to get moving. The group agrees and they prepare to depart. Alyx apologizes again and Cassius reassures her, and they decide to keep an eye out for webbing going forward. Just before the recording ends, Alyx cautiously asks where the spider went.

Scene Two takes place back at VINCULA in the Medical Lab in triage. Cassius is exasperatedly reiterating the circumstances leading to Elizabeth's status to Vaux but explains that they only wanted to come to check on Elizabeth, not give another report. Vaux explains that Elizabeth is stable and unresponsive, in the same state they brought her in. With the equipment at the lab, they were able to monitor Elizabeth's brain waves given Jeremiah's suggestion about her eye movements being related to dreaming, and they confirmed that Elizabeth is deeply and vividly dreaming. The two awkwardly stand there before Cassius asks if that's all, and Vaux responds that she will let the team know if anything changes before the pre-journey meeting the next day, and suggests that Cassius rest before then. Confused, Cassius asks about the pre-journey meeting, and Vaux explains that they will find a replacement cryptozoologist soon, but that the trip to retrieve the drone shouldn't require one anyway, so the trips will continue as planned. As Cassius is trying to find the words to protest, Silas speaks up and says that he hopes VINCULA is prepared to expand the triage room. Silas explains that the way to the drone is full of those same trees that the seed pods came from and that it's likely the entire Breacher Team would end up in the same condition as Elizabeth should they journey through those same trees. Vaux, annoyed, attempts to remind Silas that he forgets himself and that the entire team is replaceable should they not give any results. Silas retorts that Elizabeth is invaluable as a team member and she would be hard to replace. Without much to say in response, Vaux exits. Cassius expresses their shock at Silas's sudden confidence, and Silas reminds Cassius that the Breachers are the closest thing Elizabeth has to family, and they need to look out for one another. Also, he was speaking the truth about it being illogical to expect the Breachers to venture through the same forest when they don't know how or why Elizabeth was affected by the seed pod. The two watch through the glass as Elizabeth sleeps, and Cassius quietly begs for her to wake up. Silas once again reassures Cassius that they did well in getting the team back to VINCULA, especially considering all of the dangers and struggles they faced along the way (re. carrying the stretcher and coming across the man-sized spider). The two decide to rest for a bit since they'll need it, and the recorder stops.

Scene Three takes place in Silas's apartment with both Silas and Cassius. Silas starts the personal recorder and asks Cassius about a theory they have about the Breach. Cassius goes over what they already know: the Breach was found in the ocean (but may not have been there the entire time), there's a sigil at the midpoint that suggests some kind of sentience being involved, and the ecology of Gaia isn't that far removed from that of Earth. Cassius poses the hypothesis that there might have been some regular back-and-forth traffic between Gaia and Earth at some point in history. They suggest that some species may have crossed over to Earth from Gaia but failed to thrive, and therefore became rare, thus leading to folklore-type creatures. The labs have confirmed that the creatures from Gaia are at least carbon-based lifeforms. Silas adds that perhaps the Breach being open at some point in the past might explain why the text would be written in Akkadian, suggesting a comingling of species. The pair are interrupted by a knock at the door, and Silas opens it to see Greg, who wants to come over to hang out. He sees that Cassius is over, though, and says he can come back another time in a teasing manner. Cassius and Silas invite Greg in, though, and he enters, adding that Jeremiah was going to come with him but decided to stay back and help with Elizabeth's tests and move her back and forth in the labs. Then, much to Cassius's surprise, Greg apologizes to them for being slow in getting everyone out of the Breach safely, and he promises to pick up the pace in the future. Cassius is quick to reassure Greg that he is doing just fine, especially taking twice as many turns as anyone else carrying the stretcher. Regardless, Greg says that he'll do his best to keep everyone safe from now on and Cassius thanks him in a heartfelt way. There's another knock at the door and Silas assumes it is Jeremiah, but finds Alyx on the other side of the door when he opens it. She meekly asks to come in, stating that she saw Greg head that way and doesn't want to be alone. Cassius, Greg, and Silas all invite her in. Silas asks how she's feeling and she explains that she's feeling better after having some time to herself to calm down and after she talked with Jeremiah, who reassured her that Elizabeth is doing well despite the circumstances. Cassius reminds her that while everyone is worried about Lizzy, they need to remain positive. As the group is making some jokes about Vaux and her demanding nature regarding the acid lake sample collection, there's another knock at the door. Silas calls out for Jeremiah to come in, who at first is confused as to how Silas knew it was him. However, upon seeing nearly the entire Breacher Team in Silas's apartment, he understands. Jeremiah shares a status report on Elizabeth, stating that while there is no change in her condition, the VINCULA lab team has been hard at work to determine what exactly is in her system and how they can work on getting her awake again. The team is relieved to hear that there is at least a plan moving forward. Silas then asks Jeremiah to retell his story from the other night, since his recorder ran out of battery and he wasn't able to get it on the device.

Jeremiah dives right into retelling his story. He states that he grew up in a large family with two loving parents who were often too busy to take care of all twelve children at the same time. The oldest kids looked out for the middle ones, and the middle ones looked out for the younger ones. Jeremiah was right smack in the middle of them all, too young to call any shots but young enough to not have to worry too much. While they didn't always get along, Jeremiah did his best to look out for all of his siblings both old and young. He explains that while growing up he always felt compelled to be the one looking out for everyone, particularly as the one to treat any injuries that arose during roughhousing and whatnot. So, it isn't a mystery as to how he ended up a medic. He explains that there was a time when he was down in the Florida Everglades noodling (a catfish hunting process that involves getting into the water, sticking your hand into the catfish's hiding hole, wiggling your fingers as bait, and waiting for the catfish to bite so you can pull it out). He explains that his "Pa" would use a stick to check the holes beforehand in case there was anything *other* than a catfish in them. Jeremiah was usually tasked with keeping the young children out of the way. On this particular trip, Jeremiah had four to five of the kids with him. Jeremiah, himself, was a preteen at the time. While distracted for a moment, one of his younger siblings, James (5 or 6 years old at the time), wandered away. Jeremiah put the other kids in the truck to wait for him and took off after James, though he wasn't confident in being able to do anything. He ran back into the Everglades shouting for James as loud as he could, panicked and letting the fear get the best of him. He then explains that he began to feel like how someone would in a dream when they try to yell but nothing comes out. He wasn't sure why, but it felt like something was wrapped around his windpipe. In the silence came a new sound, someone or something calling his name. However, he went by "J" as a kid, but the voice was calling "Jeremiah." No one called him Jeremiah unless it was his parents when he was in trouble. Somehow, he assumed it was James calling his name. Deep down, he knew that it wasn't James, but he convinced himself that it was. He froze in place, convinced of both things. He then heard, "Jeremiah, come here," and he started walking as though his body was unwilling but his mind didn't see a problem with it. He went all the way to where the reeds were thickest and carefully pushed them aside. There was a small, tranquil clearing with lily pads, each with a gentle light on top of them. At first, he assumed them to be fireflies, but upon closer inspection, he realized that the lights were on the tips of fleshy vines growing out of the lily pads. They grew up maybe six inches or so, then drooped down and ended in a little light that flickered on and off while he watched, mesmerized. He then heard, "Jeremiah! Come to me!" very loudly. He snapped his head to the source of the sound, and it seemed to be coming from right beside him in a lily pad. The light of the lily pad called his name and the light flickered with each syllable of his name. The voice called again, "Come. To. Me." as the light flickered with each word. He realized that he was slowly leaning closer and closer to the light. The voice, seemingly impatient, called out to him again full of power and authority, “JEREMIAH. COME TO ME." His face was incredibly close to the lily pad and he managed to smell it, and it was a horrendous stench worse than hot rotting flesh. He suddenly snapped out of it and ran back the way he came through the reeds. When he returned to the truck, he realized his family had already found James and were instead frantically searching for *him*. He thinks back and says that he swears when he looked back while he ran, he saw the outline of the wide, gaping jaws of some tremendous fish, and then it scurried away underwater into an impossibly deep pipe or tunnel. There's another knock at the door just as Jeremiah finishes his story and the others begin to respond to it, which startles Alyx to the point of screaming. June enters with treats, and the recording ends with Silas asking Cassius to turn off the device.

Scene Four opens with Silas in the Archival Lab doing more translation work.

> "This land cannot bear us, nor we bear this land, any longer. For too many generations, the stink of this land has risen like an affront to the heavens, such that even the dirt cannot bear it, and it covers us up in retribution. Every thing that crawls, that flies, that swims despises our presence. If not for our mighty shield bearers, ever strong and vigilant for years without end, we might not last another single year in this place, let alone another single season – or whatever may pass for a season in this maggot-ridden filth. We have made use of the length of our time here, and busied our hands with the work… the rescue of our people. A few more than we thought escaped from the *Hamma’u* of the land before. It is a wretched deliverance, but deliverance all the same. Now the way before is sealed shut… Any who remain are now well and truly lost to us. We have done all that we may to bring out the living and the dead from among the… jokes. The mockeries? The way forward is made ready. Yes, another *Nabal’kutul*. Another place, another hole. Another *pilsu*."
>
>

Silas makes a translator's note that the author of this particular part of the text is different from the others. The language is a bit more flowery, and there’s a great deal of assumption being made that some time has passed since the last segment and this one. Either that or the generations are quite short-lived.

> "I, [unknown proper name], have spent long seasons, with the waxing and the waning of the… stalks? Tree trunks? Have spent much time studying the ways of our predecessors. Our ancestors performed the *Nabal’kutul* and thought themselves perfect. Godly. Holy? That only they could divine the will of…"
>
>

Silas interrupts his translation here due to the unknown cluster of sigils. They are assumed to be referring to a pantheon of deities or something similar.

> "The predecessor thought they alone could divine the will of the gods. I have studied longer, deeper. I have gained insight from communing with our servants. I have searched back, as far as our history goes… There are those more ancient still. They were the true perfecters of the will, the wanting. The desire to connect, to bind ourselves to the gods. Our fates, our destinies could be changed. But the rituals, and the asking, and the will, all must be changed. The predecessors were wrong, or at least, imperfect. The ancients knew, and the ancients took their secrets with them. Some of them. And some of them, I still have. And I will find the *Nabal’kutul* to bear us out of this disastrous land. This I swear."
>
>

Silas surmises that there was a surge in their particular religion. He notes that the new author sounds like a priest of some kind who gives weight to these deities being mentioned. He thinks that the deities' names were too revered to have an Akkadian equivalent written for them. Silas stops his translation work here, also thanking Vaux for giving them the time to wait for Elizabeth's results to come back before they are sent back to Gaia to retrieve the drone.

Scene Five takes place back at the medical lab with June and Silas. June remarks that Silas doesn't seem like he's gotten much rest, and Silas admits that it is true, but the Breachers all ended up sleeping in Silas's apartment during their get-together after June dropped off the treats. They seemed to agree, unspoken, that they all wanted to be together in case Lizzy woke up. Still, he assures June that he will be fine and that he wants to be there in case she wakes up. June accepts this and makes her leave. Silas speaks to the personal recorder to relay some information: Vaux has given the team until they find out more about the mechanism for Elizabeth's condition, but they are to remain tending to their respective duties in the meantime. Silas resumes his translation work, Cassius works on organizing the sample lab, etc. They are still getting a faint signal from the drone, at least. Alyx enters the medical lab. She didn't feel right not having company all day, having spent the day organizing and uploading files for VINCULA. She admits that she's become the IT person around the facility when she isn't with the team on Gaia. She explains that it's a familiar feeling since she was always having to explain technology things to her family similar to how she has to make the data make sense for the analyst teams and other scientists at VINCULA. She asks about Elizabeth, and Silas explains that her tox screen came back negative, and the nurse was just in there earlier to inject something into her IV. Confused, Alyx asks why not something through the nose, explaining that Jeremiah said that the stuff they normally use to wake someone up is given through the nose. She asks if Silas got the name of the medication administered to Elizabeth, but Silas admits he did not due to being exhausted and not thinking to ask. Silas says that it'll be hard to find out what the medication was from the medical team given that VINCULA is a biotech firm that likely keeps some secrets about their medical technology. Alyx decides she will have to find out on her own whether she has to ask nicely or the "sneaky way" (referring to her new status as the IT person). Alyx and Silas lament their inability to do much, both for Elizabeth as well as for the Breacher Team in general, given their specialties. While the biologist and cryptozoologist are accomplishing a lot and blazing trails, Alyx and Silas feel they aren't doing much to contribute in comparison. The two are in the process of reassuring one another when they are interrupted by Elizabeth letting out a blood-curdling scream of the damned. Alyx screams back in surprise, and Silas shouts, "Holy shit!" and 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)
* Renee' Hensel (June Dawson)

Crew:

* Ty Von
* Rowan Odom

## Trivia

* There is classical music playing in Silas's Apartment in Scene Three. The song is Vivaldi's "Summer."