©Rusty Quill 2023 Private & Confidential

The Magnus Protocol

Episode 6
"Introductions"

Written by Jonathan Sims

Edited by Alexander J Newell

Show-Notes are available at the end of the Transcript.

12-09-2023
Draft 2
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©Rusty Quill 2023 Private & Confidential

ANNOUNCER
This episode is dedicated from Eric
Crabtree to LaWanda Anderson -
You will always be my chipmunk and
I love you always. You taught me
that it's ok to seek help and know my
value as a person. I spent so much
time Hunting for reasons to exist and
with help I learned that the reason
lives inside me all along. This world
shines brighter because you exist in
it. I love you always.

[Intro Theme]
ANNOUNCER
Rusty Quill Presents: The Magnus
Protocol.
Episode Six – Introductions
[Music]

1. INT. OIAR OFFICE – NIGHT, CLEAR (COMPUTER)

SAM is typing away on his computer, though the rhythm of it is

unsteady. He is exhausted and keeps almost drifting off to sleep
before jolting himself back awake.

From her desk, ALICE starts to whistle a lullaby at him.

SAM
Not helping, Alice.
ALICE
I’m sorry, I’m meant to be helping
now?

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SAM
I’m going to get another coffee.
ALICE
Have you considered simply
bypassing your mouth altogether
and injecting the beans directly into
your bloodstream?

SAM
Great idea. Why didn’t I think of that?

ALICE
Not enough coffee beans in your
blood.

SAM
Of course.

Beat.
ALICE
Real talk, though, if the first three
coffees haven’t helped, I wouldn’t
get another. More caffeine isn’t
going to make you more awake, it’s
just going to make you shake and
puke.

SAM
(Yawning)
I’ll have to risk it. I’m really
struggling here.

ALICE
Oh sure. Ignore the woman who’s
worked nights for almost a decade.
What would she know?

SAM
So what would you suggest?

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ALICE
Going back in time and buying those
black-out curtains like I told you to.

SAM
I know, I know, I just- we barely see
the sun as it is, it feels wrong to
actively shut it out entirely.

ALICE
Oh Sam. The sun is the enemy. It
rules the world of light but we who
dwell in darkness feel only its wrath.
Get the curtains.

SAM
Yeah, maybe.
ALICE
Or get fired for falling asleep at your
desk. Your call. Incidentally, did you
know you make this adorable little
“mlem” noise when you drop off?

SAM
(affectionately)
You really punish people for daring
to be your friend, you know that,
right?

ALICE
My justice is harsh but fair. Anyway,
you’d best get your nap out of the
way. We need you bright-eyed and
bushy tailed when you meet the new
guy.

SAM
Aren’t I the new guy?

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ALICE
Pffft. You wish. You’re old news,
Sam, basically a dinosaur. There’s a
new new hire coming in. It’s all in
Lena’s email, which you would
probably have read if you were
conscious.
SAM
Is someone else leaving?

ALICE
Hope not, but this job has kind of a
high turnover rate, so Lena likes to
hire a couple of replacements when
an old-timer leaves.

SAM
What, and just assumes one of them
won’t stick it out?

ALICE
She’s usually right. And at this exact
moment, my snoozy darling, the
smart money’s not on you.

SAM
What happens if both of us thrive
here?

ALICE
Then we draw lots and one of you
gets eaten at the Christmas party.

SAM
Well, let’s hope the new guy isn’t too
stringy.
ALICE
Ooh, fighting words!

GWEN enters from the break room.

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SAM
Hey, Gwen, you hear we’ve got a new
hire coming in?

GWEN
Whoopdedoo.

SAM
Not you too?

GWEN
Training someone up takes a lot of
time and we’re massively behind as
it is.

SAM
True but once they’re trained up it’s
another pair of hands to help.

ALICE
If they stick around.

GWEN
Which they won’t. Now, like I said,
massively behind.
SAM
Sure, sorry.

They resume typing in silence, until the computer starts to play

a casefile.

2. CYBER – N/A, N/A (999 CALL)

There is a ringing as a call comes through.

OPERATOR 1
Emergency, which service?

NEEDLES
What a fantastically good question.

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©Rusty Quill 2023 Private & Confidential

Beat.

OPERATOR 1
Police, ambulance or fire?

NEEDLES
Well no-one’s on fire, so probably
not that one. Although they also do
rescue, don’t they, and this poor
fellow really would benefit from a bit
of rescuing right now.

OPERATOR 1
Sir, describe the situation and I can
transfer you as appropriate.

NEEDLES
Hang on, I’ll ask him.

The phone is moved around and held close to a man whose

breathing is ragged and pained.

NEEDLES
(slightly distant)
What do we think? Police or
ambulance?

VICTIM
(pained and mumbling)
…help…

OPERATOR 1
Sir? Sir are you in danger?

The phone is brought away from the victim and back up to

Needles.

NEEDLES
You’ll have to forgive him, he’s full of
needles at the moment.
Beat.

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©Rusty Quill 2023 Private & Confidential

OPERATOR 1
Uh… Sir, can I please have your
location?

NEEDLES
Oh, I thought you got it
automatically?
OPERATOR 1
Not on a mobile so-

NEEDLES
Wonderful! I have longer than I
thought. In that case, we’ll have a
little natter at our end and call you
back once we come to a decision
about which service.
OPERATOR 1
Sir, don’t hang-

A scream of agony from the victim, then the line goes dead.

There computer locates the next call for the case.

Another ringing as a second call goes through to 999.

OPERATOR 2
Emergency, which service?

NEEDLES
We’ve been discussing it, and we’re
going to go with police. Final
answer.

OPERATOR 2
Transferring you now.

The call is put through.

POLICE OPERATOR
Police, what’s your emergency?

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NEEDLES
Yes, hello Police. I’ve got a man here
and, well, let’s just say he’s been
quite stabbed.

POLICE OPERATOR
Are you in any danger?
NEEDLES
(Amused)
Me? Gosh no! No. I suspect he
thought I was at first though. The
way he postured and pulled out his
little knife.

POLICE OPERATOR
Is the attacker still in the area?
NEEDLES
Oh yes, very much so. Although I
really wouldn’t go so far as to call
him an attacker. In fact, in many
ways it was an act of affection by the
end. An embrace. A cuddle, even!
Ha! Yes, let’s call it a cuddle.

He starts laughing to himself.

POLICE OPERATOR
Are you sure you’re ok? Panic is
normal in these situations. Have you
been hurt?
NEEDLES
Of course it hurts, how couldn’t it?
But I’ve come to rather enjoy the
pain by now. All those teeny tiny
holes bright and sharp…

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POLICE OPERATOR
I’m going to need you to stay with
me. The man, the one you said was
stabbed, is he still there?

NEEDLES
I doubt he’s going anywhere ever
again.

POLICE OPERATOR
Is he breathing? Does he need an
ambulance?

NEEDLES
Absolutely, but that isn’t the real
question, is it?

POLICE OPERATOR
I can dispatch an ambulance, but I
need your location. Do you know
your address? Do you know where
you are?
NEEDLES
I know exactly where I am. I grew up
here, you know. It was a decent
place back then. Nice people lived
here, you understand? Not like now.
Now it’s a dreadful place. Not safe to
walk at night. I take some pride in
that, actually.

POLICE OPERATOR
Sir, I need an address or a landmark.
Tell me where you are.

NEEDLES
Oh the land is definitely marked now,
same as me, and it feels good. It
satisfies in a way I never really
thought anything would. It fills that
hollow, lonely hole inside quite
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nicely. It’s not sadism, or

masochism, I tried both of those
already. I think it’s the fear, the look
in their eyes once they realize their
mistake, it just makes me want to
hold them close, so I do.

POLICE OPERATOR
The injured man… Did you stab him?

NEEDLES
Ah well that’s a tricky one. Sort of?
In many ways he stabbed himself on
me. By the time he saw the needles
we were already very close. Close
enough to smell his sweat and cheap
aftershave. In fact, he barely had
time to be afraid before we
embraced. He’s terrified now of
course...

POLICE OPERATOR
I need to put you through to my
supervisor.
NEEDLES
(suddenly sharp)
If you leave this call I shall embrace
him again and I sincerely doubt he
would survive.
(returning to jocular)
You know what? I’d like to change
my answer. I did stab him, yes. I
certainly repositioned myself to
make sure he got some in his face. In
his eyes. Does that count? He keeps
touching them like he’s going to be
able to pull all the metal out but I told
him it will only drive them deeper. It
won’t last too long, thankfully, he’ll
finish bleeding out any minute now,
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but in the meantime that fear wafting

off him as he lies there, half afraid of
death and half afraid of living with
what has happened to him. It’s quite
delightful. And it drowns out the
aftershave nicely.

POLICE OPERATOR
(disturbed but keeping it
together)
Give me your address and remain
where you are.
NEEDLES
Do I frighten you? Mr. Operator.

POLICE OPERATOR
Is that why you called? To try and
scare whoever picked up?

NEEDLES
Call it desert. But you’re not afraid
are you? Unsettled, off-balance but
nothing more. Why is that?

POLICE OPERATOR
I guess I’m just not scared of
needles.

NEEDLES
(irritated)
Not sca- This isn’t some poxy blood
test, some little pinprick, this is
hundreds, thousands of razor sharp
points pushing into your flesh. We’re
talking about the embrace of an iron
maiden, an excruciating agony
formed from a thousand tiny hurts.

POLICE OPERATOR
Sir, you’re clearly not… well. And I
believe you’ve hurt someone who
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may have tried to mug you so if you

give me your location I can send
someone over to help.

NEEDLES
Oh, I see. You don’t believe me. Yes,
I suppose that makes sense. It is
somewhat outlandish and that’s only
exacerbated by the distancing effect
of the phone. Yes, the more I think
on it the more obvious it is that this
call was never going to give me what
I was after. I wonder, though, which
of the police contact centres you’re
hiding in Hendon? Lambeth?

POLICE OPERATOR
Excuse me?

NEEDLES
Lambeth, then and I am sure I could
recognize your voice now.
Beat.

NEEDLES CONT’D
Ah, there it is. There’s the fear. Not
much, just a little prick but we found
it in the end, didn’t we?

Beat.

POLICE OPERATOR
I’m transferring you to my supervisor
now.

NEEDLES
Then I’ll be going. I’ve no interest in
speaking to them, and besides, we
agreed that if you left the call my
friend here would have a last little
cuddle before I go. I do hope speak
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again soon Mr. operator, see if we

can’t find some other frightful little
pinpricks we can explore together…

The call ends with a click.

3.INT. OIAR OFFICE – NIGHT, CLEAR (COMPUTER)

SAM, GWEN and ALICE are all sat at their desks. Sam let’s out a
noise of bemusement at the case. The others clearly weren’t
listening.

SAM
Is that it?

GWEN
Is what it?

SAM
The case. It just kind of ends.

ALICE
What sort was it?

SAM
Didn’t you hear it?

ALICE
I barely hear my own. You tune them
out after a while.

SAM
It was a pair of emergency services
calls.

ALICE
Oh, yeah, you’re not getting any
closure from those. You might be
assigned the follow-up coroner’s
report if something weird happens to
the body but that’s pretty rare. Why,
were you enjoying it?
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SAM
I wouldn’t exactly go that far.
ALICE
Well who knows, maybe you’ll get
lucky and they’ll kill again. What was
it?
SAM
Like… A guy made of needles I think.

ALICE
Needles? Is that scary? I’ve been
working here so long I can’t tell
anymore.

GWEN
Maybe if you’re scared of needles?

SAM
To be fair, he did sound kind of…
sensitive about that.

ALICE
Huh.
LENA enters.

LENA
Good evening everyone.
ALICE
Lena! Little bird told me the new hire
was coming in today.

LENA
Please refrain from referring to me
as a “little bird” Alice.

ALICE
Big bird, then. So where’s the fresh
meat?

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LENA
She is getting a cup of coffee from
the break room. Her name is Celia,
and I trust you will all make her feel
welcome.

GWEN
We’ll certainly try.

CELIA enters with a cup of coffee and a little donut.

CELIA
Lena, these little donuts are
amazing! Where do you get them?

LENA
Celia, these are you co-workers.
CELIA
Oh, god, of course, I’m sorry! Hello
everyone!

SAM
That’s alright, we’re a bit of a
letdown after mini-donuts.
ALICE
Lena likes to put them out when
someone new joins our little family.

LENA
Just ensure you eat them on site.
Now I’ll leave you all to get
acquainted, I have some intake
paperwork to finish. Alice, I’ll have a
word with you about training later
tonight. Celia, come by my office
once you’re done here, we have
some last papers to sign.

CELIA
Will do!

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LENA leaves.

CELIA CONT.
So yeah! Never worked somewhere
with minidonuts before!

ALICE
I wouldn’t get too excited. They’re
probably still left over from when
Sam joined us.

SAM
Well I liked them just fine.

CELIA
You’re Sam, then?

SAM
Yup. Only just joined myself.

CELIA
Awesome! Actually, can I ask you a
question? Your interview…

SAM
Oh my god, yeah, suuuuper weird,
right?

CELIA
Thank you! I was sat there like
“whaaaaaaat?”

ALICE
You should both be proud. Lena only
tries to talk you out of it if she thinks
you’re worth talking to in the first
place.
CELIA
Yeah. It’s been a while since I had an
interview but that was…

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ALICE
Yeah she used to have a real
problem with turnover, people would
take the job and bail after a couple of
weeks, so she changed up her
interview style to make sure she only
got people who were-
SAM
Suitable.

ALICE
Desperate.

CELIA
And I’m both, the system works!
Also, I don’t know if I caught your
name.

ALICE
Alice. I’m the longest inmate down
here, so let me know if you have any
questions: where are the toilets? Do
they have any sharper knives? How
do I make the nightmares stop?
Anything at all. And that chatterbox
over in the corner is Gwen.

GWEN
Sorry, Celia, was it? It’s lovely to
meet you, I hope you have a good
time here now if you’ll excuse me I
have a lot of work to do.

She returns to her typing.

CELIA
Sure, no worries. I’ll be honest, I
thought there’d be more people
working here given the size of the
building?

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SAM
Yeah, no we’re, uh…
ALICE
Streamlined?

SAM
Streamlined. Sure. There is an IT guy
as well, though you might want to
steer clear of him until you’ve got
your bearings a bit.

Alice chuckles slightly to herself at the memory of pranking

Sam.

SAM CONT’D
But mostly it’s just us.
CELIA
Four weirdos in a basement reading
scary stories. Dream job.

ALICE
If you say so.

SAM
Fair warning some of these cases
are… They’re not fun to read.

CELIA
I appreciate the concern but I’m sure
I’ll be alright. I don’t scare so easy
these days.

ALICE
Yeah, you got that hardened killer
look in your eyes.
CELIA
Damn, and here I thought I’d hidden
it behind a sweet and bubbly
demeanor. Anyway, I’d better go

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check in with Lena. Lovely to meet

you all!
SAM
Lovely to meet you too!

Celia leaves.

SAM CONT’D
She seems nice.
ALICE
(thinking)
Yeah…

GWEN
Don’t get attached.

ALICE
Wouldn’t dream of it.

4. OIAR BREAKROOM – NIGHT, CLEAR (CCTV)

Sam is making himself another cup of coffee. He sighs to

himself waits for the coffee machine to finish dispensing.

Alice enters with Celia as he picks up the mug.

ALICE
And here we reach the highlight of
our tour. The breakroom!
CELIA
It’s quite a sight.

ALICE
While I understand you’re awed by
its magnificence, I must warn you
that flash photography can spook
the local wildlife.

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SAM
The “local wildlife” is just getting
another coffee if you want in?

ALICE
Against my warnings.

SAM
It’s fine. I’m fine. I’m still adjusting to
the nights, that’s all.

CELIA
I can’t say I’m looking forward to that
aspect of the job either.

SAM
Has Alice tried to sell you her
second hand curtains yet?

ALICE
Alice had not yet gotten to the advice
section of the tour, but it was next on
the agenda.

SAM
You sure I can’t get you anything,
Celia? Tea maybe? I think there’s
some ancient hot chocolate hidden
behind Alice’s “secret” biscuit stash.

ALICE
I knew it was you, you little thief!
CELIA
Thanks but I’m alright for now Sam,
honestly. I might take you up on it
later.

SAM
Sure thing.

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CELIA
Am I good to head back, Alice? Colin
said he’d have my workstation set up
by now.

ALICE
Go for it. I’ll be over in a bit to take
you through your first cases.

CELIA
Perfect. See ya, Sam!

Celia leaves.

Beat.
ALICE
Wow.

SAM
What?

ALICE
Wow.

SAM
What are you going on about now?

ALICE
You have got it bad, son!
SAM
Oh for god’s sake Alice.

ALICE
“I think there’s some old hot
chocolate”? Why don’t you just get
her name tattooed on your arse while
you’re at it?

SAM
You’re being ridiculous-

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©Rusty Quill 2023 Private & Confidential

ALICE
“Would you like tea Celia? Coffee
perchance? My heart carved from my
chest and arranged on a little doily?
Please, Celia, cut out my tongue so I
can always be there to lick your
stamps for you!”
SAM
Okay firstly, this place is making you
really morbid. Secondly, if you knew
anything about stamps you’d know
that modern prints are self-adhesive
so actually -
ALICE
Also, how do you know where I hide
my biscuits.

SAM
It’s literally the same place you did
when we were students – back of the
top shelf in the upper leftmost
cabinet. Where you think people
won’t be able tall enough to see
them.

ALICE
Touché. But you should be very
careful about sharing such
knowledge. Choco Liebnitz are
simply too powerful for the common
palette.

SAM
If you say so. Anyway, I need to get
back to-

ALICE
Staring into the eyes of your dearest
beloved?

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©Rusty Quill 2023 Private & Confidential

Beat.

SAM
I’d have an incredibly witty retort for
that if I wasn’t so completely
shattered.

ALICE
Awwww! I know sweetums, I know.

[Music]

ANNOUNCER
The Magnus Protocol is a podcast
distributed by Rusty Quill and
licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution Non-Commercial Share-
alike 4.0 International License.
The series is created by Jonathan
Sims and Alexander J Newall, and
directed by Alexander J Newall.
This episode was written by
Jonathan Sims and edited with
additional materials by Alexander J
Newall, with vocal edits by Lowri
Ann Davis, soundscaping by Tessa
Vroom, and masting by Catherine
Rinella with music by Sam Jones.
It featured Billie Hindle as Alice Dyer,
Shahan Hamza as Samama Khalid,
Anusia Battersby as Gwen
Bouchard, Lowri Ann Davies as Celia
Ripley, Sarah Lambie as Lena Kelley.
The Magnus Protocol is produced by
April Sumner, with executive
producers Alexander J Newall, Dani
McDonough, Linn Ci, and Samantha
F.G. Hamilton, and Associate
Producers Jordan L. Hawk, Taylor

[24]
©Rusty Quill 2023 Private & Confidential

Michaels, Nicole Perlman, Cetius

d’Raven, and Megan Nice.

To subscribe, view associated

materials, or join our Patreon, visit
rustyquill.com. Rate and review us
online, tweet us @therustyquill, visit
us on facebook or email us at
[email protected]
Thanks for listening.

[25]
©Rusty Quill 2023 Private & Confidential

The Magnus Protocol 6 – Introductions

CAT1RB4824-09022024-12022024
Injury (needles) -/- intimidation [999 call]

Incident Elements:
 Needles
 Sadism
 Stalking
 Mentions of – mugging, implied murder
 SFX – pained screams

Transcripts: https://shorturl.at/gzF15

This Episode is dedicated from Eric Crabtree to LaWanda

Anderson, thank you for your generous support! You can a
complete list of our Kickstarter backers
https://rustyquill.com/the-magnus-protocol-supporter-wall/

Created by Jonathan Sims and Alexander J Newall

Directed by Alexander J Newall
Written by Jonathan Sims
Script Editing with Additional Materials by Alexander J Newall
Executive Producers April Sumner, Alexander J Newall,
Jonathan Sims, Dani McDonough, Linn Ci, and Samantha F.G.
Hamilton
Associate Producers Jordan L. Hawk, Taylor Michaels, Nicole
Perlman, Cetius d’Raven, and Megan Nice
Produced by April Sumner

Featuring (in order of appearance)

Shahan Hamza as Samama Khalid
Billie Hindle as Alice Dyer
Anusia Battersby as Gwendolyn Bouchard
Hattie Quinlan as Operator 1
Harry Roebuck as Needles
Tom Park as Operator 2
Joe Bence as Police Operator
Sarah Lambie as Lena Kelley
Lowri Ann Davies as Celia Ripley
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©Rusty Quill 2023 Private & Confidential

Dialogue Editor – Lowri Ann Davies

Sound Designer – Tessa Vroom
Mastering Editor - Catherine Rinella

Music by Sam Jones (orchestral mix by Jake Jackson)

Art by April Sumner

SFX from previously credited artists.

Support us on Patreon at https://patreon.com/rustyquill

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The Magnus Protocol is a derivative product of the Magnus

Archives, created by Rusty Quill Ltd. and licensed under a
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International Licence.

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