Shifting Tendons

> *"We can hear you."*
>
>

## Transcript

*[opening shot of a piece of root from an instance of Nature's Mockery in a petri dish]*

SLEEP IMAGE VISUALIZATION

[Barry Johnson]

BEGAN AT

2:30 AM JUL 10

ENDED AT

2:34 AM JUL 10

*[brief clip, starting blurry but becoming clear, showing a person looking through a rectangular hole]*

"HOLDING ROOM" DESIGN

*[visual floorplan/layout of holding room; white stick figures representing BARRY JOHNSON and LEVI JACOBS and a ladder representing the hatch]*

BARRY JOHNSON

ASSISTANT ACTIVITY DIRECTOR

LEVI JACOBS

HEAD OF SECURITY

METAL DOOR W/FEEDING SLOT

ESCAPE HATCH

JUL 16 1991

6 DAYS INTO SELF-QUARANTINE

*[a recording through the feeding slot is displayed; 'Earth Angel' - possibly the version sung by Marvin Berry & The Starlighters, which appears to be from the Back to the Future soundtrack - can be heard]*

[A recording from Warner Area Department of Health]

Fig. 1

*[a standard outline of a human being]*

Fig. 2

*[root infection on right shoulder]*

Fig. 3

*[growth has now progressed to the wrist of the right arm, across the chest, up to the throat, down the sides to the hips, and down to the left elbow]*

Fig. 4

*[the body has been thoroughly infected]*

AUG 06 1991

27 days into self-quarantine

*[a recording is shown, as previously, of footage from one side of the feeding slot; from the other side, slow metal clanging is heard. Groaning and then a sound of bone(s) breaking can be heard from Barry]*

[A recording from Warner Area Department of Health]

1

*[Shows Fig, 4 from the last Warner Area Department of Health video]*

2

*[Shows a decaying human with growths from deep root disease]*

3

*[Show Nature's Mockery with a hand sticking out]*

4

*[Shows a completed Natures Mockery]*

SEP 7 1991

59 DAYS INTO QUARANTINE

STAFF PREPARE TO ENTER HOLDING ROOM FOLLOWING INCUBATION TIME.

STAFF ARE EQUIPPED WITH SUITS TO AVOID CONTACT WITH DEEP ROOT GROWTHS.

*[a book - 'Mostly Harmless' by Douglas Adams - is shown to be laying on the floor, open]*

AN INTERVIEW IS PERFORMED TO DETERMINE BARRY JOHNSON'S PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE

JEANNE DAVISON: CAN YOU HEAR ME?

DAVISON: DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE?

BARRY JOHNSON: CAN YOU HEAR ME?

DAVISON: WE CAN HEAR YOU.

JOHNSON: DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE?

JOHNSON: WE CAN HEAR YOU.

JOHNSON: [UNINTELLIGIBLE]

THE INTERIOR OF BARRY JOHNSON IS DISCOVERED TO BE OCCUPIED.

CAMP STAFF INITIATE PROTECTIVE SAFETY MEASURES.

## Lore

The video begins by showing an extracted Root, which begins pulsating before ejecting something from it.

It then cuts to a Sleep Image Visualization from Barry Johnson, where it shows a slot in a door with a distorted face peering through.

It then shows a diagram of a "Holding Room", which resembles the storm bunkers from Storm Safety Tips, being showcased a cell, a door, and escape hatch, and within the cell is Barry Johnson, who was a staff member of Moonlight Acres Family Camp, who has placed himself into self-quarantine.

Video of the slot on the door is shown with music playing in the background. It then cuts to a sketch of a man, before going through three more sketches detailing what has happened to Johnson, as Roots spread through his body, and in the fourth figure, his eyes drift upwards and to the sides of his head. It cuts to the slot again, this time with no light, and strange sounds are heard. It cuts back to the figures, where he degrades into the humanoid-shaped mass of Roots, arteries, veins, and nerves, then into a Nature's Mockery, and then further into what seems like a mound of roots with a few humanoid-shaped formations.

After 59 days of quarantine, the staff open the door to assess Johnson's state, equipped with protective suits. The only objects in the cell are a book and Barry Johnson himself. A staff member then asks him questions to determine his psychological state, and while at first he seems to be responding, he begins repeating the questions asked, slowly - as if getting still getting used to using the human mouth to make sounds. After a jump cut, the camera shows what looks to be a hand, as Johnson begins moving, more quickly now than before; what remains of eyes are glowing, and his loose jaw opens even wider as something begins to hatch out of the root pile.

The staff then seemingly terminate whatever hatched from the Roots. The video then ends.

## Gallery

Root in MicroscopeRoot plasmaTwisted FaceThe sealed complexThe sealed complex doorRoomFig 1Fig 2Fig 3Fig 4Room 21234DoorDoor 2BookBarry`s handbarry`s RootsBarry`s headBarry`s bodyRoots 2Barry`s Right handScreaming barryBarryRoots 3
## Trivia

* This episode has the second instance of voice acting within Gemini Home Entertainment, alongside The Iris' distorted voice in Monthly Progress Report.
* This shows the end results of Deep Root Disease.
* The name of this episode references a quote from Advanced Mining Vehicle.
* The song that can be heard during the first recording of the quarantine on the radio is a real song, named Earth Angel. The specific song used was in the movie "Back To The Future", and can be heard in its original form here.

## Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ\_Ek67jfHU

VFX Breakdown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YizHF0WcFi8