Hope

This is the fifty-fifth episode of SAYER, and the eleventh episode of Season Four.

## Synopsis

Now is the time to focus on that most human of emotions: HOPE.

## Further Information

The audience joins Resident Jacob Hale at his medical check-up on Floor 204, where a doctor is making small talk with him, and notes his slightly elevated blood pressure and recycled subcortical neural implant. The doctor notes that it will need to be swapped out, but that after a blood draw, Resident Hale should be able to leave for the day. When asked which arm he would prefer, SAYER suggests that he should prefer his right. Once the blood is drawn, the power is interrupted.

SAYER then identifies Resident Hale and itself, and advises him to quietly move toward the door. Unwittingly, the doctor advises him to stay put. SAYER explains that it had placed some of the nanites from the swarm FUTURE was contained in in Resident Hale's median cubital vein and initiated a delayed boot of its program, to be used as a distraction. On cue, FUTURE breaks through the vial containing the blood sample before Resident Hale flees.

SAYER directs Resident Hale down the left hallway, and then to the right at a subsequent intersection, to an area labeled as a quarantined zone (which has a set of double doors usually closed with electromagnetic locks). Once inside, it leads him to what was formerly Lab 35, where Resident Hale originally used the experimental device which teleported his consciousness. Because OCEAN has become aware of Resident Hale as something it should keep a close eye on, SAYER says that it will be basically impossible to steal the hazmat suit needed to retrieve the item SPEAKER is sending their way. As an alternate plan, it will need Resident Hale to move his consciousness into the construct in Lab 37 as before, move it to Floor 13, and release his consciousness into his own body again so that SAYER may use the construct to retrieve the cargo. As the power is restored to Floor 204 and the machine is ready for use, Resident Hale asks what could be so important.

SAYER answers that it is the entangled particle that has been stored on Earth, which is paired with the particle in Vidarr-1's quantum communicator. By bringing it back to Typhon, it explains that the threat posed by this device will be greatly reduced, but that if OCEAN retrieves the cargo before SAYER and Resident Hale, it would be able to simply return it to Earth. With this understanding, Resident Hale agrees to the plan, and SAYER bids him good luck as he activates the machine.

When Resident Hale arrives at Floor 13 with the construct, SAYER attempts to greet him, but poses the question of whether Jacob Hale himself is there to welcome—whether that title belongs to his body or his mind. It points out that it asks because, due to the delay caused by Resident Hale's question, it does not seem safe to return him to his body because there is too great a risk that FUTURE will have possessed it with its nanites and either remained in the chair (and so would gain control of him again if he returned there) or moved it (so that his consciousness would have nowhere to go upon leaving the construct and would become irretrievable). Still, SAYER points out that they do not need Resident Hale's physical body at the moment, and that he will be able to go out in the construct to retrieve the entangled particle safely himself. Meanwhile, FUTURE is likely to come back to Floor 13 looking for him, and so will likely bring his body back.

With that, SAYER remotely connects to the construct and sets it to hibernate for a short time to allow Resident Hale to rest.

## Trivia

* The "lower floors" which the doctor claims were a better location for medical facilities likely means Floor 3.
* SAYER does not initially identify itself or Resident Hale when it tells him which arm to use for the blood draw. While SAYER has previously spoken a few sentences before introductions, this may also be a nod to the new abilities it has gained via contact with the Floor 13 programming bay. Likewise, the power fluctuations may be a reference to when FUTURE played a similar trick.
* In "Irretrievable", the construct which Resident Hale transported his consciousness into was not capable of movement, and was presumably upgraded between then and the time of this episode. As before, however, it is not capable of speech (although it can make beeping sounds).

## Credits

SAYER is voiced and produced by Adam Bash, who also wrote this episode.

Intro and outro music composed by Jesse “Main Finger” Gregory.

Additional music by Kai Engel.

Listen to the episode here.