AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of clarity, Carlos's words (as in, what you can hear him saying in the background of the recording) will be italicized. The stage directions in the boxy parenthesis will continue to be in bold, and are of course not meant to be read. They're simply for clarification on what is going on and to provide nonverbal directions as to what is happening in the recording when Cecil isn't talking or isn't announcing what's going on.

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TAPE 4: EXPERIMENTATION DAY 1

RECORDING . . .

-click-

This is Cecil here! I come to you, listeners, from the laboratory of local celebrity, Carlos. It is a rented laboratory, Night Vale, but he has made it his own in so many ways, from the rack of flannel shirts hanging in the hall to the many, many pages of notebook paper taped to the walls in Carlos's familiar, spidery handwriting; to the inconceivably large and yet fundamentally small masses of dark energy huddling within the farthest reaches of this experimentation room, quietly grasping at sentience as their forms shift and change in density.

Today is day one, Carlos says as he sets up his equipment on a long, white table not unlike the banquet tables of long dead kings and courts. Instead of exotic meats and finely aged wines, Carlos's table holds a large number of labeled chemicals, what appears to be a book of spells, a large vial of human blood (I'm not sure where that came from, or rather who it came from), an EMP device, several ambiguous religious articles, a sacrificial knife, a matching sacrificial doll, a tablet engraved with what appear to be ancient hieroglyphics, a bowl of desert dust, and finally-at the end of the table-a large machine the purpose of which is, as of yet, unknown to me.

Oh! Listeners, it appears Carlos is approaching, and reaching out for the mic-you want to say something, Carlos? Here you go.

[ -Carlos's voice- ]

"Testing. Testing. Experimentation Day: 1. Today's initiative: to attempt to discover a singular binding energy source in and around Night Vale, which may or may not be the cause for the supernatural events that occur within this desert. This is Carlos, scientist and resident of Night Vale, USA. With me is narrator and host, Cecil Palmer. It has been a pleasure. Thank you, from both of us."

[ -rustling, followed by the return of Cecil's voice- ]

Thank you, Carlos!

Now, let's see. Carlos is mixing some chemicals. "Just like practice. Mixing enzymes. Just like grade school."

Ah, Night Vale, there is rarely a sight more beautiful than a scientist hard at work doing what he loves. There is an aura of nostalgia on Carlos's face, and a charm to the way he frowns and nibbles on his bottom lip with concentration.

So, Night Vale, it appears he is mixing enzymes in order to find living matter in inside a mixture of what appears to be...the vial of human blood. Uh, Carlos, I may be wrong here-you are the scientist after all-but I'm pretty sure that is blood, and historically, blood has been considered organic.

"I know…" He is running the test anyway.

Listeners, he has poured one of the enzymes into the vial of blood. Nothing is happening.

"No, no, no! That doesn't make any sense. It's blood! Bloody hell, it's blood!"

He has now resorted to walking around the table and chanting. He appears quite angry, listeners. I am not quite sure what to do. Maybe I should attempt to calm him down.

[ -faraway voice, as if Cecil is away from the mic- ]

Carlos. Carlos...do you need a hug?

No? O-Okay. Okay, I don't really think that throwing the vial is going to do anyone any good. Wait, what are you doing?

[ -return of Cecil to the mic- ]

Night Vale, Carlos has thrown the vile of human blood and enzyme at the wall and is now drawing some sort of conjuring circle out of the blood with his finger. He is now reaching for the spell book and continuing to chant in a much louder voice.

[ -static- ]

"CAN YOU HEAR THAT, CECIL? IT'S...IT'S ENERGY!"

[ -Cecil's voice- ]

I'm not sure if you can hear this, listeners, but the semi sentient beings have begun to expand and now hang over the room like a thick, black fog! Emanating from them is a static-like sound that does not appear to be effecting the recording equipment or the electricity in the room. However, there is definitely a very noticeable concentration of energy in this room! Night Vale, the lights that illuminate Carlos's humble laboratory have begun to glow brighter!

Carlos is continuing to chant! I don't know what he's saying, but he's saying it like a true wielder of the dark arts!

[ -nearly overpowering static- ]

Listeners?

[ -more static- ]

Night Vale?

[ -inhuman humming- ]

Anyone?

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Night Vale, I apologize for the interruption. It was pretty chaotic in here for a little while. But things seem to have calmed down now. The spell books have been put away, the circles of conjuring washed from the walls.

Carlos has, instead, taken to running periodic scans with the large machine that sits at the end of his table.

"Do you really think I'd make a good magician?"

[ -chuckling- ]

Of course you would, Carlos. I have no doubt you'd succeed at nearly anything you tried. You're so talented...and with that lovely hair…

"You...really like my hair?"

Oh yes, Carlos! In all its shaggy and perfectly curled beauty! Never, never cut your beautiful, magnificent hair…

"I don't know why you offered to stick with me like this, Cecil...it's not like I've ever done anything for you."

Oh but you have-

"Everything that I did for your radio show I did for business purposes, as a scientist wanting to spread information. But you, Cecil. You look at me with the eyes of a friend."

I...I am your friend.

Right?

"...Yes. Yes, I think we can be friends. I think I'd like that."

Carlos. Listeners, Carlos continues to write down measures of energy at 5 minute intervals. He is describing to me currently that the levels of energy surrounding Carlos's laboratory have been steadily declining since his earlier conjuring circle spellcasting. I am not sure what he was conjuring, Night Vale, but whatever it was, it was strong.

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Update on the semi sentient beings. They have, since transforming into a dark mist, slowly dissipated and their presence has become less and less crushing over the last several hours. Now, it appears as though they have left Carlos's humble laboratory completely. Good bye, semi sentient beings. Good bye, and good night.

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It is now about 3 in the morning. The time really flies when science is in the air, doesn't it?

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[ -yawning- ] Wow. This energy thing sure is taking a long time.

.

Carlos. Carlos, and his beautiful hair, and his exotic skin. His jawline, sharp enough to cut right through my heart. And his eyes, softer than a man's should be.

.

Carlos.

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[ -the sound of equipment falling- ]

[ -a dull thud- ]

[ -muffled but even breaths- ]

.

Mmmmm…

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Carlos.

END RECORDING. . .

-click-