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The joy of saying fuck it to both your boss and the voice in your head and doing something really dumb is that it means that when you’re out doing something dumb it’s really easy to add more stupid things to do. Given that Alex Reagan is particularly known for doing stupid things, it probably shouldn’t surprise anyone that after seeing Simon in Turkey, as well as touching the Horn of Tiamat that she doubles down on things and decides to change her flight from Turkey to home to Turkey to London.
Nic just sighed when she’d told him that she was going to take a detour to look at the cave paintings in Bath, but he didn’t argue with her other than to tell her that Strand was worried and he was calling every day for information on where the hell she had gone and where the hell she was going and why the hell wasn’t she answering his calls and what stupid thing had she done now. Alex has listened to the voicemails and had read the texts, but she didn’t respond. She has no intention fighting with him from seven thousand miles and multiple time zones away. Alex knows when she gets home it’s going to be a huge fight, but for now that’s a problem for later Alex.
Current Alex has a different problem. When she went to Bath, Alex had discovered that the cave paintings had been closed off and that they required the permission of the Magnus Institute in order to get into them. Alex has heard of it of course—it’s impossible to be in the world of the paranormal as much as she is without hearing about it. Strand had entirely derided it along with the American equivalent The Usher Foundation as being nothing but charlatans who make money off of people who need actual help like The Strand Institute could provide. Indeed, Alex had reached out to the Usher Foundation, but they had sent her a politely worded letter that had informed her that they didn’t do publicity, but if she ever wished to discuss her experiences, then they’d be glad to take a statement from her.
Alex can’t say why the phrase ‘taking a statement’ from her inspired such a cold chill down her spine, but it was too similar to the way that her gut felt about Warren for Alex to ever even consider doing it.
It’s a similar sensation that she has when she’s standing outside of the Institute attempting to get in to see Elias Bouchard for permission to get into the caves. In the end, he doesn’t see her but he does send her down to the archives to see the archivist through Bouchard’s assistant. It doesn’t seem weird because that would be were stuff would be but she still gets a little chill as she walks through the halls. It reminds her unnervingly of being watched and the times that she’s suspected that Simon has been around bilocating. It reminds her of that but it’s definitely not the same for however creepy Simon is about this sort of stuff, Alex is always pretty sure that he’s there to protect her. This isn’t that. This almost has a feeling of...anticipation.
Apophenia Alex tells herself quickly and it’s mirrored by the voice of Strand in her head, but she’s got her professional smile on her face as she adjusts her large bag and knocks on the open door. She’s in slightly rumpled professional gear, nice jeans and blazer over a shirt with a scarf wrapped around her neck and makeup hides the circles below her eyes which are worse than they normally would be, considering the jet lag and everything around the horn. But her voice is the same Canadian radio ready tone as ever when she speaks. “Mr. Sims? My name is Alex Reagan. I’m sorry to bother you, but Mr. Bouchard sent me down here.”
Nic just sighed when she’d told him that she was going to take a detour to look at the cave paintings in Bath, but he didn’t argue with her other than to tell her that Strand was worried and he was calling every day for information on where the hell she had gone and where the hell she was going and why the hell wasn’t she answering his calls and what stupid thing had she done now. Alex has listened to the voicemails and had read the texts, but she didn’t respond. She has no intention fighting with him from seven thousand miles and multiple time zones away. Alex knows when she gets home it’s going to be a huge fight, but for now that’s a problem for later Alex.
Current Alex has a different problem. When she went to Bath, Alex had discovered that the cave paintings had been closed off and that they required the permission of the Magnus Institute in order to get into them. Alex has heard of it of course—it’s impossible to be in the world of the paranormal as much as she is without hearing about it. Strand had entirely derided it along with the American equivalent The Usher Foundation as being nothing but charlatans who make money off of people who need actual help like The Strand Institute could provide. Indeed, Alex had reached out to the Usher Foundation, but they had sent her a politely worded letter that had informed her that they didn’t do publicity, but if she ever wished to discuss her experiences, then they’d be glad to take a statement from her.
Alex can’t say why the phrase ‘taking a statement’ from her inspired such a cold chill down her spine, but it was too similar to the way that her gut felt about Warren for Alex to ever even consider doing it.
It’s a similar sensation that she has when she’s standing outside of the Institute attempting to get in to see Elias Bouchard for permission to get into the caves. In the end, he doesn’t see her but he does send her down to the archives to see the archivist through Bouchard’s assistant. It doesn’t seem weird because that would be were stuff would be but she still gets a little chill as she walks through the halls. It reminds her unnervingly of being watched and the times that she’s suspected that Simon has been around bilocating. It reminds her of that but it’s definitely not the same for however creepy Simon is about this sort of stuff, Alex is always pretty sure that he’s there to protect her. This isn’t that. This almost has a feeling of...anticipation.
Apophenia Alex tells herself quickly and it’s mirrored by the voice of Strand in her head, but she’s got her professional smile on her face as she adjusts her large bag and knocks on the open door. She’s in slightly rumpled professional gear, nice jeans and blazer over a shirt with a scarf wrapped around her neck and makeup hides the circles below her eyes which are worse than they normally would be, considering the jet lag and everything around the horn. But her voice is the same Canadian radio ready tone as ever when she speaks. “Mr. Sims? My name is Alex Reagan. I’m sorry to bother you, but Mr. Bouchard sent me down here.”
no subject
“Pleased to meet you, Miss Reagan,” he says as he rises from his chair with a burn-scarred hand outstretched to shake, though he doesn’t sound especially pleased at all. It’s more that his tone in general is dry and serious, less a bias against Alex personally - one might even guess that Jon is a man who doesn’t often find anything a pleasure.
“Please, have a seat,” he says, gesturing to the empty chair to the side of the desk, kept there for just such an occasion, when a visitor has come to give a statement. “I’ll just need a moment to find a fresh tape for the recorder ... “
The sooner they get this over with, the sooner he can get back to finalizing his travel plans.
no subject
And she’s also definitely more polite than some of the people in her life, and Alex can’t help but being reminded of that particular person as she takes the seat across from Mr. Sims. There’s more than a little feeling of deja vu in Alex at this moment even though his office isn’t as nice as the other one, but she puts it off by giving him a polite, if slightly puzzled smile as she stops fussing in her bag in order to get her recorder.
Because one: he’d mentioned getting tape for his recorder and two: “you guys are using tape here? That seems really kind of inefficient doesn’t it?” It’s something that the radio snob within her can’t help but asking, even if she does actually realize that it was rude. “Sorry. Sort of reflex from the radio,” coupling it with a quick grin that doesn’t quite remove all of the confusion from her expression. That confusion is even more evident when Alex just asks softly: “Are you planning on recording this as well, Mr. Sims?”
no subject
“It’s quite all right,” he says, assuring that he’s not offended by the question about tape. “The former head archivist was rather dreadful about keeping the statements organized, and I’ve been working on getting things in order since I took over.” You know, between being kidnapped and going into hiding after being set up to look like a murderer. “While I admit that tape is not very cutting-edge, it’s better than handwriting statements on paper.” And it is, technically, digital, as Jon learned from Tessa Winters.
Cassette located, Jon shoves the desk drawers shut and returns to his chair, giving Alex a similarly questioning look. “Jon,” he offers, because informality tends to put people more at ease, “and yes, I always record statements when they’re given direct. You were also planning to record this?” Didn’t she just say something about radio?
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"Alex," she offers reflexively, because honestly it's the name that she's most comfortable with, especially if someone is telling her to use their first name as well. That too is a comfort thing for her: make the subject of the interview the most comfortable that they can be, because that way they're more likely to be truthful and more than that, they're going to open up to things easier. Jon has a similar technique, it seems and Alex can see that quite clearly. Which honestly is a little weird considering that cold and watched sensation in her stomach has only grown when he'd mentioned her giving one.
"I'm afraid we've got a bit of a misunderstanding here, Jon. I'm not here to give a statement. I'm a reporter, and I'm working on a story. I went to see Mr. Bouchard because I'm attempting to get into see the Petrographs that are in the caves at Boulder Field in Bath? To my understanding the Mangus Institute came into possession of them quite recently." After she had mentioned them on her show, actually, which Alex finds a little odd but it doesn't feel right in saying so right now. "I came here to get permission to access them. The woman who had replaced the Professor who I had been corresponding with refuses to accompany me without permission." What Alex isn't saying, but is probably clear from her manner is that it's the professor holding her back--Alex herself probably would have simply climbed the fence, but she can't expect someone else to do that. Well, unless it's Nic. She'd have made Nic climb the fence.
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"Petrographs in the caves at Boulder Field," he murmurs, musing aloud. "I'm aware of their existence, I just didn't know they'd been acquired by the Magnus Institute. But why would Elias ... " Send Alex to Jon for permission to access the caves, but he already knows the answer to that, doesn't he - it's more of Elias' cryptic bullshit about Jon needing to experience the world of the paranormal. He shakes his head to clear his mind of these wandering thoughts and refocuses his attention on Alex.
"Erm, I suppose I should start with asking what your interest is in these caves? You said you're a reporter - for a radio show?"
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"It's called The Black Tapes we were investigating the paranormal and the nature of the belief in it in the beginning, but the story has narrowed in scope to a more specific investigation." Alex might have been more delicate with her wording if she wasn't at a place that was supposedly investigating and collecting the paranormal too. "It's involving cults... Well, two specific cults, demons, sacred geometry, and demons. One of the cults that's involved is The Order of the Cenopheus..." There's a pause for a moment and Alex just shifts uncomfortably, as the feeling of being watched almost intensifies around her.
Alex's eyes shift upwards reflexively, checking the corners for security cameras or something, but she doesn't see any evidence of that. So in the end, Alex does what she always does and she just asks a question: "are you recording this with some sort of hidden camera or something?"
nine years later i finally tag you back
The goal of investigating the paranormal is definitely in alignment with the Magnus Institute’s, though “the nature of belief” is a bit flimsier than measurable, verifiable facts. Cults gives Jon a moment’s pause, even if he has encountered a few, both in statements and in person, but it’s demons that raises his eyebrows a bit. Demonology is a known branch of occult studies, of course, but while Jon has seen and experienced more than his fair share of dark, paranormal forces and events, precisely none of them have involved demons. Monsters are real, he knows this well, but not every monster is real.
“No,” he answers, with a shake of his head. “There are security cameras in other parts of the building, but not here in the archives.” And doesn’t Jon have quite the problematic past with that particular fact. He frowns lightly, considering the best arrangement of words for his next question.
“I ... don’t mean to be rude, but I must ask ... is your investigative interest for this podcast primarily of an academic nature, or more for - shall we say, entertainment purposes?”
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Shaking it off, Alex instead focused on the question that the man in front of her asks, and she lets out a little bit of a sigh. "Let me just say that there's no good way of answering that without sounding like I've completely lost it." Which is entirely not a lie considering how well... everything has been going so far. "Initially, when we first started, my show was entertainment. We were investigating a ghost hunter who didn't believe in ghosts to the point where he had offered a million dollar prize for proof in the supernatural. But he had these cases that couldn't be debunked to his satisfaction. Yet. But they're so much more than that. The world we were involved in is so much more and I didn't even have the slightest clue as to what when we started."
Pausing for a moment, Alex just looks into Jon's eyes and says entirely calmly and sincerely: "I think the purpose of my podcast right now is to try and prevent the end of the world from the things that I'd uncovered honestly. And I'm not saying that as someone who has like... A Messiah complex. The forces at play here have used me and my show for their own purposes. And I want to stop them."
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“I see,” he murmurs, and although he does his best to retain his composure, it should be easy for Alex to notice that her disclosure has left Jon a bit shaken. He nods, expression set tight with apprehension. Some people might call Alex crazy for what she’s said - hell, Jon himself would’ve likely dismissed her story out of hand, if she’d approached him when he still wore the facade of a stone-cold skeptic. But Jon knows better now - there are very real things in the world that want to end it, transform it into something terrible, and it’s up to a chosen few to make sure that transformation never comes to pass.
“Can you tell me more about these - these forces at play? What you’re trying to stop from ending the world. Maybe I can help.”
Jon believes her - he just needs more information to determine whether what Alex is facing is another arm of the Stranger or an entirely different threat altogether.
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In that moment, Alex is actually stunned into silence, and she just meets his eyes, because she knows (she knows) that this place isn't like the Strand Institute, and that he's in a similar boat (or has been anyway) to one that she's been in before. Alex Reagan isn't psychic (even though she does believe in them. Sometimes, anyway.) but she trusts her gut and everything in her gut is telling her that she's right about this and him. Alex's eyes just lock with Jon's, and she lets out a long slow breath, weighing the words that she's going to say.
What she starts with, in the end is something that's complex but seems like it's simplistic on the surface. At least it was for her, because Alex was never all that good with math. And now she's involved with a show that seems to be fenced in by it on all sides. "Are you familiar with the theory of the Pythagorean Comma and it's place in musical theory?"
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"I'm passingly familiar with Pythagoras and his teachings, and I know music was a part of them, but I'm afraid I don't have much in-depth knowledge about music theory. There's probably something in the library ... " He makes a mental note to look into that at some point, but quickly yanks his attention back to the present before it trails off any farther. "Erm, what is the Pythagorean Comma? What does it have to do with your work?"
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"Alright so in quantum mechanics, and geometry you can take those equations and turn them into a hexagonal pattern. But they don't always meet up. Often, there's a gap--a discrepancy in the hexagonal pattern. It's small, but it's there. When you are dealing with math the discrepancy happens between two enharmonically equivalent notes. Notes that should line up properly, but actually don't. There's a space there as well."
Without really making sure he's with her so far, Alex just keeps going. Sorry Jon. "The Pythagorean comma fills that gap in both music and quantum physics. And geometry. 1.01364335043822." Alex rambles off the numbers that she's pretty sure she's going to remember on her damned death bed. "It's the sort of thing that way smarter people in science than I am think might hold the code to looking at things differently, to give them a glimpse of the universe that they haven't had before."
Her frown deepens before she adds: "The Cult that I'm investigating, they believe that Pythagoras had darker meanings behind the note. Pythagoras believed that there's a sound at the center of the universe. That everything vibrates on it's own frequency. 1.01364335043822 that's missing. And the Cult that is based on his work? They believe that they can use this missing note to break open the world if they play it as part of a series of a symphony at the proper place. They call it the Axis Mundae."
Taking a deep breath, Alex just admits: "we'd thought that we were just playing sounds that couldn't be explained. That had a sort of urban legend around them, called the Unsound. The Unsound is the noise that the frequency makes. It doesn't kill you in a year, because I'm still here but... We played their symphony on my show and we didn't even know it."