Scene 2 - Seizure Day

As you move forward the new sounds of humming continue - but aren't changing in tone or intensity. You see lots of the small orange points of light, but nothing is flashing, nothing is moving that you can see.

As you move down the corridor, it's more of what you saw on the previous level. Doors off each side at intervals of about 30 feet. There is a break in that pattern, as you come to an open area, with lots of seating. Two of the chairs have been ripped off their stands - you can see them flung off to the side of the space, both caked in dark stains.

As you enter this area, you hear a noise behind you, something moving your way. You hear the sound of something - feet? wheels? tracks? - moving across the floor towards you. As you look behind you, you can see a bright light that seems to be rotating, about a yard above the floor. A voice comes from the source of light saying:

"Barrowmancer Sanatorium. Visitor engagement device. Any visitors to the facility, please make yourselves known. We mean you no harm. We dare because we care."

It's currently about 70 yards behind you - so you're guessing something like 30 yards still to go before you get to the storage room. Your guess is that it's maybe 30 seconds before the light reaches your position.

With Mattie's use of a normal volume of voice - she's right, no need to shout to be heard well here - ........

Suddenly the lights come on!

It's a shock to all of you - your eyes have been adjusted to the low light offered by the lantern and the torches, but now suddenly you're surrounded by what feels like BRIGHT artificial light (it's probably not unusually bright - but it feels overwhelming to your eyes).

Some of the lamps flicker slightly as they seem to be warming up. Others are instantly ON and BRIGHT.

And all of you feel a shiver in your spine. You can tell that now you really are being watched.

And a voice, just at normal speaking volume, comes out of the walls. It speaks in a slow drawling Brooklyn accent

"Well hey little visitor engagement device. Seems like that noise we picked up earlier wasn't just some escaped experimental rat getting all frisky. You've found us some visitors. Yes. That you have. You can go back to your favourite place again now, little robot."

And with that, the stick-legged yard-high shiny automaton that had been moving towards you makes an abrupt full turn and heads back the way it came - the rotating lamp on the top of its head now switched off and no longer rotating. As it departs it says:

"Yes Davey B. Visitor engagement device returning to charging module. Have a nice day, visitors to the facility."

"And what about you, visitors? What are you doing here? Haven't had anyone here to talk with - who'll talk back, at least - in a long time. Apart from myself, that is. And some of these robots. But that conversation, it's not been sparkling, if you get my drift. Not very amusing.

Maybe we can have some fun here together? Maybe you've got some good jokes for me? Now that'd be a treat..."

"Well hey there, Henry son of Thomas of Pennilton from New Canaan, Oscar Potts of Philadelphia, Rose Maynard of New York, and that other silent member of your party. Those are some places I don't hear about very often."

"These days I like to call myself - for others to call me - Davey B. I'm glad you like our facility, Oscar Potts. It's pretty quiet these days, but don't let that deceive you! There's plenty of fun times we can have together here. What's your pleasure? I've got some real sights to show you."

"Mind, though, I need to have some of that fun myself here!"

"Pick a card, any card..."

With that, a section of the metal wall flashes and then shows a fan of playing cards arrayed before you, showing you their backs. The cards are about 50cm high.

"Go on, one of you, pick a card, will you?"

And with that, Davey B makes a quiet sniggering sound.

"Oh ho! Jokes you say, Oscar? If that's what tickles your fancy, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!" (Davey B's voice slips from a Brooklyn accent to a perfect recital of Bogart's famous line from the end of Casablanca)

"Show me what you've got, kiddo - or anyone else. Tell me some of your good ones!"

Davey B lets out another quiet high-pitched titter.