City Council

"**City Council**" is the sixth episode of the analog horror series, Eventide Media Center, created by Aidan Chick.

## Synopsis

Taking place on October 5, 1987, this entry shows footage of a meeting for Old Gothsford's City Council. After the introduction, the video cuts to the interior of the council chambers, which appear to have very few seats occupied.

The meeting, close captioned for viewers, commences as Mayor Smith addresses the members present (the voices of all participants, including Smith, are heavily muffled and distorted). The mayor begins by going over the expenditures from July to September (with the greatest allocation of funds being put towards an "excavation" project), and the intentions of the council to continue expansion of this project, in addition to other goals. Smith asks if there are any questions; when there is no reply, he announces Priest Osborn of the Church of Gothsford as the next speaker.

Priest Osborn establishes himself as an opponent to the excavation project, citing that it is "interfering" with church services, and proposing that the excavation project's funding be limited, or even stopped altogether, insisting that it is "against Our Lord's wishes." However, before he can finish, he is cut off by Mayor Smith, who moves on to the next speaker. Priest Osborn repeatedly attempts to speak but is ignored and talked over, resulting in the loss of his composure and threats that "the Lord" will punish the council.

Smith introduces the excavation team and its head, Lee R. Carlo (Carlo, however, is noted as a "director of *bio-engineering*"). Carlo goes on to talk about the developments of the project, presenting a map of the regions the project encompasses (it is notable that the highlighted site resembles the outline of a human body). Carlo goes on to reassure a questioner that businesses will be compensated for any losses due to the excavation, and explains future courses of action, such as underground surveys, which he remarks will require a higher budget.

At this point, the camera begins to shake slightly, as a low rumble is heard.

As Carlo continues, he presents a video clip of the excavation digging, with an indigo luminescence coming from underground. Carlo then proceeds to show the team's recent underground "findings". This video shows a massive, beating heart, emanating the same glow as seen in the last clip.

Despite this, Carlo continues with his future plans for the excavation, including a pipeline and lifting specific areas, intending to unearth the creature the massive heart belongs to.

As the presentation ends, rumbling is heard once again as the camera returns to the council chambers. Carlo asks if there are any questions, before the camera is obscured by something bursting out of the earth beneath the chambers. The recording resumes outside above Old Gothsford, as a giant humanoid figure with glowing eyes emerges from the ground, towering above the treeline. The giant slowly looks over and stares at the camera before the footage abruptly ends. The Eventide Media Center logo is then shown.

## Transcript

Note: All errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation are original to the video, and are not typos made by the editor(s) of this article.

"*Old Gothsford*

City Council meeting

October 1987

21 WGFM-TV"

"City Council Meeting

October 5, 1987"

"[MAYOR SMITH] IT IS CURRENTLY FIVE PAST THE HOUR SO WE WILL BEGIN. FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT CITY RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS FOR QUARTER 3."

"Resource Allocations

*Excavation* 58%

*Maintenance* 23%

*Education* 7%

*Industrial Development* 12%"

"HERE IS THE CITY RESOURCE SPENDING FROM JULY TO SEPTEMBER."

"Future Plans

-*Expand excavation project*

-*Cut down on costs of education*

-*Update road infrastructure on Main Street*"

"FOR QUARTER 4 WE PLAN TO EXPAND THE EXCAVATION PROJECT, CUT DOWN ON COSTS OF EDUCATION, AND UPDATE THE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE FOLLOWING THE EXPANSION OF THE PROJECT INTO THE COMMERCE DISTRICT."

"[MAYOR SMITH] ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THESE UPDATES?

I'D LIKE TO HAND IT OVER TO PRIEST OSBORN OF THE CHURCH OF GOTHSFORD."

"Church of Gothsford

-*Located on North Main Street*

-*Affected by excavation project*

-*Project has interfered with weekly service*

[PRIEST OSBORN] I AM PRIEST OSBORN, REPRESENTATIVE OF CHURCH OF GOTHSFORD. AS YOU MAY KNOW, RECENT DEVELOPMENTS HAVE IMPACTED OUR WEEKLY SERVICE. WE ARE PROPOSING TO LIMIT SPENDING ON THE ONGOING EXCAVATION PROJECT."

"Proposal

-*Cut spending on excavation project*

*-Move excavations away from city center*

-*Compensate for Church losses*

WE BELIEVE THAT THE PROJECT HAS HAD NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS ON OUR RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES. WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE PROJECT GOES AGAINST OUR LORD'S WISHES, AND WE REQUEST THAT IT CEASES OPERATION IMMEDIATELY AS TO-"

"[MAYOR SMITH] THANK YOU, PRIEST OSBORN."

[PRIEST OSBORN] EXCUSE ME, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLAIN."

"[MAYOR SMITH] THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN. NEXT UP, WE-

NEXT I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT THE EXCAVATION DEVELOPMENT TEAM, LED BY SENIOR DIRECTOR OF BIO-ENGINEERING, LEE R. CARLO."

"Current Developments

[LEE R. CARLO] I'M PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT OUR WORK IN DEVELOPMENTS OF THE GOTHSFORD EXCAVATION PROJECT. WE'VE PREPARED A MAP SHOWCASING THE REGIONS AFFECTED BY THE PROJECT.

[AUD] EXCUSE ME, BUT WILL BUSINESSES AFFECTED RECEIVE COMPENSATION?

[LEE R. CARLO] THAT'S CORRECT. THAT HAS BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR."

"Upcoming Developments

-*Expansion into the northern region*

-*Underground surveying*

-*Budget increases*

[LEE R. CARLO] AND SO WE ALSO HAVE A FEW THINGS WE'D LIKE TO SHARE REGARDING FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS FOR THE PROJECT. WE ARE PLANNING TO FIRST EXPAND INTO THE NORTH MAIN STREET AREA WHILE ALSO CONDUCTING UNDERGROUND SURVEYS OF THE AREAS BEING STUDIED. OF COURSE, THIS WOULD REQUIRE A HEFTY EXPANSION TO THE BUDGET IN-

[PRIEST OSBORN] THE EXCAVATION IS UNHOLY! YOUR SINS SHALL BE PUNISHED BY THE LORD'S RETRIBUTION. I SHALL TAKE IT UPON MYSELF TO ACT IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!

[LEE R. CARLO] LET'S CONTINUE."

"Progress

[LEE R. CARLO] WE HAVE SOME FOOTAGE PREPARED, IF WE CAN SHOW THAT.

THIS IS SHOWING SOME OF THE WORK BEING DONE IN THE LATEST EXPANSION OF THE PROJECT, SPECIFICALLY IN THE NORTHERN ZONES."

"Underground Surveys

WE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SHOWCASE OUR RECENT SUBTERRANEAN FINDINGS.

RESEARCH IS CURRENTLY BEING CONDUCTED."

"Project Timeline

* *December: Central Pipeline Completion*
* *January: Surveys of Northern Region*
* *March: West Region Lift*
* *May: Central Cavity Lift*

HERE IS A ROADMAP OF OUR PLANS FOR THE COMING MONTHS. AS YOU CAN SEE, BY MAY WE PLAN TO HAVE THE SYSTEM 85% EXPOSED."

"THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?"

## "Bulletin"

On November 1, the official Twitter posted the map of Old Gothsford presented by Lee R. Carlo in the video (though this map is more condensed and similar to a close-up of the excavation site). There is additional information about the project stated on this map, which reads as follows:

"*Planned excavation of West Gothsford to occur within the region marked in indigo. Those affected may be entitled to compensation. Relocation of all property assets is not guaranteed. Heavy breaths may be heard at early hours*."

Interestingly, the Church of Gothsford is located at the very head of the intended excavation region.

## Trivia

* It is unknown if Priest Osborn is referring to the Judeo-Christian God when he mentions "Our Lord," or if he is referring to the entity buried beneath Old Gothsford. This is left highly ambiguous.
* Humorously, many commentors on the video have shown surprise at how low the allocated funding was for education in Old Gothsford, and the proposal to reduce it further.