13: O.V.E.R.

Episode Description
Mike Walters takes in the fresh air and checks out his new digs in the heart of Oldbrush Valley. I wonder what it is about that place.

Plot
Mike is just starting out in Oldbrush Valley Energy and Resources (shortened to O.V.E.R), and he is living in one of the little wooden cabins that are provided to all the employees.

He has been reading up on the history of the place, from cycling through brief nomad settlements to the sparse native population being wiped out by Colonialists, until its incorporation into Government property in the lead up to WWII. It then developed a reputation for being a great place to hide a dead body, inspiring the song "Ol'Brush Valley" which tells the story of a man who killed his wife, tried to bury her there and got apprehended.

Mike has been provided a Field Guide handbook that tells him to avoid, among other things, "Any cabin with a red flag in front of it." They have also given him a button pendant that he should use only in the case of "Emergencies". The definition of an Emergency is left very vague but it is clear that it does not include any usual problems or accidents that a guard may face on patrol. There are severe penalties both for pressing the button in the absence of an Emergency, as well as not pressing it during one.

He recieves a text message from WOE.BEGONE that prompts him to search the cabin 23A and find any documents that may be in it. He locates the cabin, it has a red flag in front of it. He almost reaches the cabin before being seen by a man who introduces himself as Hunter Jeremiah Hartley. Mike acts clueless and pretends to have stumbled there unaware of what the red flag meant. Hunter seems friendly and expresses his theory that O.V.E.R is actually empty, a decoy that only serves to function as propaganda. He then says that he lives in Cabin 44C and that in his first week in O.V.E.R he heard gunshots and discovered some people in important-looking uniforms standing over a body that was wearing a badge that was similar to his. Upon inquiry, the people claimed that the dead man had been trying to break into a higher security area, and attempted to flee upon being spotted.

While sharing backgrounds, Hunter reveals that he had schizophrenic episodes growing up and as an adult, though they are less frequent now and have hopefully subsided for good, while Mike gives him a fake rehearsed story of how he ended up working there. Mike tells him that his cabin is 63A and Hunter informs him about the quick dial landline present in all the cabins, using which they can call any other cabin by dialling a 7 and then the cabin code.

Hunter leaves after inviting Mike to visit or call him any time, and Mike feigns leaving before doubling back to 23A. No one answers his knocks and there is no lock on the door, and the cabin's interiors seem normal with personal effects such as furniture and office supplies. He searches it, and comes across a desk drawer that is locked. He identifies the lock as a Wafer lock, which is said to be easy to pick even though he does not know how to yet. In another part of the desk, he finds a single file folder containing documents that look like diagrams or blueprints. He sends photos of them to WOE.BEGONE, who reply that this is satisfactory for now but that he should pick the drawer lock to find what's inside. Mike starts planning what he calls a heist.

Trivia
Transcript

This episode features the song Ol' Brush Valley (1929)