Play@YSDC

Posted: **Sat Jun 09, 2018 12:54 pm**

Wednesday February 27th, 1929

Dr. Bricknell’s office, Miskatonic campus

Dr. Bricknell is available to meet the companions at 10.30am. Chairs have been arranged and soon everyone is seated. He looks curiously at Harrison Franklin, perhaps wondering how he is involved, but doesn’t press the matter at this point.

“Claude Owen is indeed a member of the School of Medicine, and one with an excellent academic record” Bricknell begins. He has Owen’s file open on his desk. “It seems that his parents died when he was a young child, and he was raised by his maternal grandparents, who are also now deceased. Because of his excellent scholastic record, he was awarded the Dr. Allen Halsey Memorial Scholarship for 1927, which helps to finance his studies. His accounts are paid in full, and there are no financial irregularities.”

He leans back in his chair. “So, if you believe that this young man is somehow involved, you will need to find out more. I cannot indict him on the word of Asenath Derby.” He grimaces at the name.

Posted: **Sat Jun 09, 2018 4:18 pm**

"Of course," says Alice. "That's why we need to investigate further. Do you know how his parents and grandparents died?"

Posted: **Sat Jun 09, 2018 5:50 pm**

Harrison listens attentively with his eyes focused on the floor, not wanting to meet Dr. Bricknell's gaze.

Posted: **Sun Jun 10, 2018 6:27 am**

Bricknell shakes his head at Alice’s question.

”But there’s nothing to suggest anything untoward happened. He’s incredibly unfortunate, is all.”

He hesitates. ”I don’t want to refer a good student to the police without good reason, but if you do find evidence of malfeasance I beg you all to tread carefully. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

Posted: **Sun Jun 10, 2018 7:21 pm**

"Thank you, Dr. Bricknell," says Alice, who had been thinking precisely that something untoward had happened. "We'll continue looking into the matter discreetly and keep you posted."

Posted: **Mon Jun 11, 2018 2:08 am**

Posted: **Mon Jun 11, 2018 3:08 am**

Posted: **Tue Jun 12, 2018 3:43 am**

Bricknell provides the companions with Owen’s dorm details on campus. Unfortunately, he is originally from Utah, which may make investigations of his background quite difficult.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 9:46 am**

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 3:26 pm**

The companions take a walk to Dr. Homer Winside’s office, where that erstwhile botanist greets them warmly.

With the situation explained to him, he pauses to think at hearing the name of Claude Owen.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 6:54 pm**

"I'm sure you remember him. He's a good student but very arrogant." Harrison offers.

Posted: **Thu Jun 14, 2018 2:06 am**

Realisation dawns on Winside’s face.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever met him” he says. “But I know the name. Albert Baumgartner mentioned him a couple of times. Albert said that he was brilliant, and in the possession of rare knowledge. He wanted to collaborate with Owen, but I’m not sure if he ever did. Albert got tight-lipped when I pressed for further details.”

Posted: **Thu Jun 14, 2018 5:06 am**

"Thank you," says Alice. "Albert might have been more willing to talk to us since we rescued him, but he returned to Germany after that."

Posted: **Thu Jun 14, 2018 5:56 am**

“Yes, it’s unfortunate Albert isn’t here. But I would hate to think that he was somehow mixed up in this sordid business”.

Winside raises his hand to his chin. “Actually, do you remember the fungus that Albert was so interested in? Well, I think that he learned about it from Owen. Yes...” he muses, "Albert did mention Owen before he went on his trip to Chapochaug. But like I said, he wouldn't divulge any details."

Posted: **Fri Jun 15, 2018 3:51 am**

"That is interesting," says Alice. "We'll want to talk to Claude Owen at some point, and that's something I'd like to find out more from him."

Posted: **Fri Jun 15, 2018 5:18 am**

Posted: **Fri Jun 15, 2018 6:15 am**

"Is there anyone else that Albert and Claude might have discussed the fungus with?" Harrison asks. "Or one of the professors who would know what Claude was working on himself?"

Posted: **Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:26 am**

Winside shrugs. “I have absolutely no idea. As far as professors, you’d have to talk to someone in the School of Medicine who knows Owen.”

Posted: **Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:38 am**

Isadora Carmichael

"Dr. Winside, did you have a chance to examine samples of the fungi from the Chapochaug Tunnel?"

Posted: **Fri Jun 15, 2018 3:02 pm**

Winside frowns. “You’d better sit down” he says.

His manner now intensely serious, Winside sees to chairs for the companions, no easy task in his cramped office. Once everyone is seated, he begins.

“I ordinarily wouldn’t talk about this at all, but if Owen was involved in Baumgartner’s research it’s imperative that we know for certain. As you may already know, Albert’s spores were indeed found to be a new species. Nothing particularly exciting about that, as there are thousands of species of fungi recorded, and no doubt more will be found. But most importantly, they were found to have a cell structure unlike anything else we’ve seen.”

He pauses.

"The most distinctive property of the spores was that we found that if we inserted cells from the fungi into a dead specimen of another fungi species, it began to show signs of activity at the cellular level, if only for a brief period.”

He looks at the companions in turn. “What is worrying to me, and I believe I mentioned to you before Alice, is that Albert had expressed an interest in Herbert West and his work. Are your companions familiar with the rumours about West?”

Posted: **Fri Jun 15, 2018 4:08 pm**

Isadora Carmichael

HoneyDog wrote: "The most distinctive property of the spores was that we found that if we inserted cells from the fungi into a dead specimen of another fungi species, it began to show signs of activity at the cellular level, if only for a brief period.”

Isadora is trying hard to wrap her mind around these alien subjects - biology is not her strong suit.

"Does that mean that the cells, when transplanted, live on in a different body?"

HoneyDog wrote: He looks at the companions in turn. “What is worrying to me, and I believe I mentioned to you before Alice, is that Albert had expressed an interest in Herbert West and his work. Are your companions familiar with the rumours about West?”

"I'm afraid not... These rumors must be contained inside the campus walls."

Posted: **Sat Jun 16, 2018 2:57 am**

“In reply to your first question, it does mean that, although only for a very short time. West was rumoured to have discovered the means to reanimate dead tissue. At first I thought it must be nonsense, but after examining the fungi, I have to at least begin to entertain the possibility that he may have found something.”

Winside looks thoughtful.

Posted: **Sat Jun 16, 2018 3:27 am**

"I've heard some of the rumors," says Alice. "He's been compared to Dr. Frankenstein, and I can see why. Like in the novel, this research could be dangerous. Does Dr. West know about the fungi?"

Posted: **Sat Jun 16, 2018 3:49 am**

“How would I know anything about West or what he knows? I never met him. He left the university in disgrace years ago before he completed his studies.”

Posted: **Sun Jun 17, 2018 12:35 am**

"We'll have to ask in the School of Medicine to see if anyone there knows about any connection between Owen and West," says Alice, "as well as additional information about Owen. Thank you Dr. Winside, you've been a great help."

Posted: **Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:44 am**

“Well, I doubt you’ll find anyone who can tell you about West. I would concentrate on finding out exactly what Owen is up to. Good luck.” Winside shakes everyone’s hand.

Posted: **Sun Jun 17, 2018 4:42 pm**

Posted: **Mon Jun 18, 2018 7:46 am**

Posted: **Mon Jun 18, 2018 3:35 pm**

The Miskatonic School of Medicine is adjacent to St. Mary's Teaching Hospital, situated in a three-story building. It is well-funded and thus is well-equipped with modern pharmaceutical and pathology labs, a medical library, and dissection and autopsy facilities. Certainly, and particularly in terms of post-mortem medical science, it is probably the best equipped school in the state outside of Harvard.

Entering the school just before lunch, our investigators encounter the reception, manned by a serious but not unkind-looking lady of middle age.

Posted: **Tue Jun 19, 2018 4:42 am**

"Good morning, ma'am," says Alice. "I'm Alice Stanton. I have some questions regarding one of the medical students, Claude Owen."

Posted: **Tue Jun 19, 2018 4:58 am**

The woman frowns at the mention of the name. “I’ve heard of you, Miss Stanton” she says. “What would you like to know about Claude?”

Posted: **Wed Jun 20, 2018 3:26 am**

"Well, let's start with what he's been doing lately," says Alice. "What research has he been pursuing? Have there been any...difficulties with him?"

Posted: **Wed Jun 20, 2018 4:12 am**

The woman snorts in frustration.

“I have no idea about his research, but knowing where he is would be nice. He hasn’t attended classes all week. Although there are some here who might count that as a blessing, I’m getting worried. We’ll have to contact the authorities. Why are you asking about Claude, if you don’t mind?”

Posted: **Wed Jun 20, 2018 5:07 am**

"I'm making inquiries on behalf of the University," says Alice. "I'm afraid I can't go into details, as I need to be discreet in my inquiries, but I'm sure you can imagine what sort of things he might have done. Perhaps there is some clue as to where he has gone in his dorm room. Has anyone looked through it yet?"

Posted: **Wed Jun 20, 2018 3:26 pm**

The woman shakes her head. "I've no idea. Of course I've called his dorm but the monitor there hasn't seen him. Unfortunately I don’t think many people are that concerned – Claude has a habit of alienating people. Still, we plan to inform the police if he isn’t heard from by the end of the day.”

Posted: **Wed Jun 20, 2018 5:07 pm**

"Has he ever missed time like this in the past, perhaps while working on a project?" Harrison interjects.

Posted: **Thu Jun 21, 2018 2:33 am**

The woman turns and grabs a file from a shelf. Rifling through it, she says "There don't appear to be any other long-term absences, so this is out of character".

She closes the file and puts it back on the shelf. She drums her fingers on the counter, looking concerned. "I'll probably have to do another inventory check" she mutters, half to herself.

Posted: **Thu Jun 21, 2018 5:55 am**

"Inventory check?" asks Alice. "Do you think he might have taken something?"

Posted: **Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:33 pm**

She sighs. "Well, he's been known to borrow lab equipment without asking. He always returns it, but of course it doesn’t look good. And anytime anything else disappears, he’s the usual suspect”.

Posted: **Fri Jun 22, 2018 3:24 am**

"We could look in his dorm room to see if there's anything like that in there and bring it back if we find anything," says Alice.

Posted: **Fri Jun 22, 2018 3:35 am**

"Good luck!" comes the reply. "I hope you find him."

Posted: **Fri Jun 22, 2018 4:04 am**

"Thank you," says Alice.

Posted: **Fri Jun 22, 2018 4:02 pm**

Owen's room is listed at the West Dormitory. The companions make their way there and find the resident assistant loitering behind a desk at the front doors, munching a sandwich. This reminds our heroes that lunchtime is soon upon them.

Posted: **Sat Jun 23, 2018 3:26 am**

"Pardon me," says Alice to the resident assistant. "Can you please tell me which room is Claude Owen's?"

Posted: **Sat Jun 23, 2018 5:05 am**

”Yes” mumbles the student, through a mouthful of sandwich. ”It’s room 6, here on the first floor. He’s not there though, thank god.”

Posted: **Sat Jun 23, 2018 4:09 pm**

"What sort of trouble has he been causing?" asks Alice.

Posted: **Mon Jun 25, 2018 1:29 am**

The student finishes his sandwich with a gulp. “He’s impossible to live with. His last two roomies couldn’t stand it and moved out. We can’t find anyone to share with him. He seems to relish driving people away.”

The student shakes his head in exasperation.

Posted: **Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:57 am**

"I'm sorry to hear that," says Alice, "but not surprised. I'm Alice Stanton, and we're looking into Claude Owen on behalf of the University. Can we please look around in his room?"

Posted: **Mon Jun 25, 2018 6:04 am**

“Golly!” exclaims the student. “Well, I don’t have a key to let you in, I’m afraid.”

Posted: **Mon Jun 25, 2018 8:39 am**

Isadora Carmichael

"What were the complaints against Claude?" Isadora inquires.

Then when she learns about the absence of the key, she asks:

"Is there a master key of sorts? But perhaps you'd like to finish your sandwich first - we can go and check on the room, and if it is indeed closed, we can come back and look for the key, or talk to the superintendent of the dormitory?"

Posted: **Mon Jun 25, 2018 9:47 am**

”Well, he’s arrogant and tactless, for a start. Thinks he’s some kind of genius. There’s sometimes the smell of chemicals from his room. I hear complaints about that but he always denies anything.”

He pauses. ”I guess you could get the janitor to open the door. But you’d need permission .”

Posted: **Mon Jun 25, 2018 10:07 am**

Isadora Carmichael

"Thank you! What's the name of the janitor? And where can we find him?"

Posted: **Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:07 pm**

The janitor appears to be at lunch but this at least gives the investigators a chance to update Dr. Bricknell and grab a bite. The genial old janitor makes short work of the large, clumsy lock on the door to Owen’s room, and the companions make their entrance. The time is around 1pm.

Although the window is open, the room reeks of a chemical smell. There is a small, locked cupboard, from which the smell emanates. But what is most noticeable are the piles of papers and books scattered around the room. They lay in heaps across the floor, the bed and on both desks, and the bureau. There is a wardrobe against the wall. In the corner is a covered, box-like shape. The walls are undecorated, and apart from the papers, Owen doesn't seem to have accumulated much else in terms of belongings - at least what is visible.

Posted: **Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:49 pm**

Isadora Carmichael

Isadora covers her mouth and nose with her scarf.

The obscured box-shaped object draws her attention, and she steps forward and uncovers it.

Posted: **Mon Jun 25, 2018 9:54 pm**

As Isadora pulls off the cover, she is greeted by a horrific and piteous sight. The box is a cage, and inside, pinned to a dissection board, is a partly vivisected dog. Incredibly, its organs pulse and limbs twitch, and its heart still beats, which can be clearly seen as there are no skin or ribs to block the sight.

Posted: **Tue Jun 26, 2018 4:34 am**

Alice manages to keep from going to pieces. "Oh, the poor thing!" she cries. "Should we...put it out of its misery?"

Posted: **Tue Jun 26, 2018 5:20 am**

Harrison is revolted by what he sees but manages to keep from vomiting. With a hand over his mouth, he nods in agreement. "We must put an end to it immediately."

Posted: **Tue Jun 26, 2018 8:02 am**

Isadora Carmichael Isadora screams and stumbles back, shocked by this cruel scene. "It's alive! It's alive!" she whispers.

Posted: **Tue Jun 26, 2018 12:55 pm**

Henry Glynn

Spoiler:

"I really don't think it can be saved dear."

Posted: **Wed Jun 27, 2018 4:55 am**

Alice nods, blinking back tears. "Yes, it's the only thing we can do," she says, "but I don't think I could do it myself."

Posted: **Wed Jun 27, 2018 3:49 pm**

Henry Glynn

Henry asks Harrison to take tbe ladies outside for a moment. He then dispatches the hound with several blows to the head with a blunt instrument.

Posted: **Wed Jun 27, 2018 5:53 pm**

innsmouth wrote:Henry Glynn

Henry asks Harrison to take tbe ladies outside for a moment. He then dispatches the hound with several blows to the head with a blunt instrument.

Harrison dutifully complies, happy to get out of there. "I can see why he's not well liked."

Posted: **Thu Jun 28, 2018 1:45 am**

Henry’s brutal act of kindness has the desired effect. The dog’s limbs cease to twitch and its heart stops. He drops the lamp he used as a club and covers the dog with the cage cover.

Posted: **Thu Jun 28, 2018 4:00 am**

"I'd be very surprised if he's not the killer," says Alice. "I'm thinking he probably murdered his parents and grandparents too. 'To lose one parent, Mr. Matthews, may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both looks like carelessness.'" she adds, referencing The Importance of Being Earnest. "To lose both of his grandparents on top of that looks like foul play."

Posted: **Thu Jun 28, 2018 12:03 pm**

Isadora Carmichael

Isadora is slowly regaining control over herself.

"How... how could it be still alive, after being opened up in such a manner? For how long has the poor creature suffered? It couldn't last long in this state, right?"

If only Dr. Balzac was here to provide helpful medical commentary!

Posted: **Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:46 am**

Henry Glynn

"It's at peace now." says Henry wiping some blood from his shirt.

Posted: **Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:04 pm**

"Is anyone a locksmith? After having seen the dog, I'd like to make sure there's nothing suffering in that locked cabinet." Harrison says once he's gained control of himself. He will also peruse the papers and books lying around to see if there is any central unifying theme.

Posted: **Sat Jun 30, 2018 4:49 am**

"The janitor might be able to get it open," says Alice. "If he doesn't have the key, his tools might do the trick. We'll also need to go through the books and papers. They ought to be able to shed some light on this."

Posted: **Sat Jun 30, 2018 10:54 am**

Isadora Carmichael

Isadora joins the others in the investigation of the papers and books.

She expects to find medical textbooks (as this is the room of a medical student), so she is looking for anything outside the realm of standard clinical treatises.

Posted: **Sun Jul 01, 2018 4:18 pm**

The janitor is again sent for, in the hopes that he can gain entry to the cupboard.

In the meantime, the companions busy themselves with looking through the books and papers. The sheer amount and the haphazard way in which they are located signifies that there is a lot of work ahead. This will take some time.

Posted: **Sun Jul 01, 2018 7:53 pm**

Isadora Carmichael

Isadora checks the botany and geography books. Anything on... fungi and Chapochaug?..

Posted: **Sun Jul 01, 2018 11:05 pm**

Harrison begins to scan the open books and notes looking for any mention of experiments to reanimate dead creatures.

Posted: **Mon Jul 02, 2018 1:27 am**

Alice looks for any clues about where Owen may have gone.

Posted: **Mon Jul 02, 2018 2:44 am**

The notes are haphazard, and large portions appear to be missing. While some will be undecipherable to the layman, others are more in the style of observations or journal entries. It takes a long time to sort through.

Harrison and Alice find something of interest though which they share with the others. It seems that in early march of last year Owen had been rooting around in the basement of the School of Medicine library when he came across some notes from another student. They were concerned with the science of reanimation, and the possibility of reversing the process of death through the use of chemicals. Although skeptical, the notes awoke something in Owen, and he decided to transcribe their salient points, not daring to remove them.

Just then the grumbling janitor re-arrives and sets about unlocking the cupboard. As the doors open, the noxious reek of chemicals grows much stronger. The janitor retreats in protest, complaining about the smell.

“I hope someone’s gonna clear this up, ‘cause I ain’t” he says moodily, before leaving.

Inside are bottles of liquid, unmarked for the most part, although one bears the legend ‘Formaldehyde’.

Posted: **Mon Jul 02, 2018 4:08 am**

"These must be the Medical School's missing chemicals," says Alice. "We can let them know, and they can remove them safely. We should probably gather all of the papers and books and study them someplace else. It's probably not healthy being exposed to these fumes for any length of time." Once they are somewhere with clearer air, Alice resumes her study of the notes.

Posted: **Mon Jul 02, 2018 6:17 am**

Posted: **Tue Jul 03, 2018 3:38 pm**

Relocating the notes to a new room takes time, but the companions are able to enlist the help of the student monitor, who regards Owens’ room with awe.

As the afternoon draws on, Alice manages to make another discovery.

Owen has learned the name of the author of the notes, and it confirms the rumours he’s heard – Herbert West. Owen has been inspired to take up the mantle – he will attempt to duplicate West’s experiments.

Posted: **Tue Jul 03, 2018 5:51 pm**

"How did Owen manage to get Herbert West's notes?" Harrison wonders out loud.

Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2018 1:12 am**

Harrison finds a third note pertaining to West. Apparently, West had a farmhouse located north of the town in which he carried out his research, but which later burned down. Owen found it last summer, and found that the basement was still in good enough condition to be used as a clandestine laboratory. The rest of the note describes some of the preparations (cleaning, appropriation of equipment etc.) that Owen undertook.

Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2018 3:25 am**

"He may have gone to that lab," says Alice. "He's likely to be using it. Even if he's not there, it's something we should still see. It's getting a little late, so we might want to head out there first thing in the morning, which would give us time to prepare too."

Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2018 2:08 pm**

Isadora Carmichael

Isadora shivers at the thought of visiting the house.

"An isolated ruined homestead? Clandestine laboratory? This sounds potentially dangerous..."

If there are no janitors or non-Investigators around, she whispers: "We need to bring... weapons."

"And wear sensible clothes..."

Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2018 4:21 pm**

"My thoughts exactly," Alice whispers back. "I still have my shotgun, and a nice pair of boots."

Posted: **Thu Jul 05, 2018 2:56 am**

Posted: **Thu Jul 05, 2018 10:17 am**

Isadora Carmichael

"Unfortunately, there isn't enough time for me to go home and get that strange alien weapon we found in Vermont...

"So where can this house be? If West was a student here, then perhaps there are records about his address at the office? And if there was a fire at the house some years ago, maybe it got into the papers?"

Posted: **Thu Jul 05, 2018 6:50 pm**

"I have my father's handgun that I could bring. Harrison confides and then smiles despite the gravity of the situation. "And I always wear sensible clothes." He continues, "And if he owned the home, we could do property records search for any homes owned by West or his family."

Posted: **Fri Jul 06, 2018 6:37 am**

Posted: **Fri Jul 06, 2018 11:31 am**

Posted: **Fri Jul 06, 2018 12:53 pm**

Posted: **Mon Jul 09, 2018 4:58 am**

"Yes, that's a good idea," says Alice. "We could search through the periodicals to find out where the fire was, or maybe Dr. Bricknell would know. We should keep him informed in any case." She continues looking through the notes.

Posted: **Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:23 pm**

Harrison will check the drawers on both desks and the bureau and search through the wardrobe before he continues shifting through the notes trying to make sense of what Owen has done.

Posted: **Tue Jul 10, 2018 12:19 am**

Posted: **Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:29 am**

Not having much luck with the notes, Alice returns to the room to see if there's anything she missed when Harrison takes his turn looking through them.

Posted: **Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:15 am**

Posted: **Tue Jul 10, 2018 7:17 am**

As the afternoon drags on and the sun begins to sink lower in the winter sky, Harrison manages to find another vital clue amongst the often nonsensical ramblings in the notes, which he shares.

It appears that these thoughts were transcribed a short time after the humiliation suffered by Owen at the hands of Frank Charlton. Owen recounts at length his anger and rage at the mocking Charlton visited upon him after his attempt to join the bohemian set. He particularly focuses on the shame he felt in the presence of Asenath Derby, whom he so desperately wanted to impress.

Full of bile and hatred, the note curses Frank Charlton and plots Owen’s revenge. He plans to kill Charlton, and then reanimate him, with the purpose of killing him again, and again. This will prove to Asenath the power that Owen possesses. It is quite clear from the note that Owen is not of sound mind, at least when he wrote it.

Posted: **Tue Jul 10, 2018 9:05 am**

Isadora Carmichael

Isadora is shocked by the revelations of Owen's motive.

She tries to think, though, to get to the bottom of this all.

"Owen found the notes in the basement of the School of Medicine library. Perhaps there is additional information there? Alice, is it normal for students to deposit their notes at the alma mater?"

Posted: **Tue Jul 10, 2018 2:54 pm**

Posted: **Wed Jul 11, 2018 4:38 am**

"That's a good idea," says Alice. "Let me think..."

Posted: **Wed Jul 11, 2018 8:53 am**

Posted: **Thu Jul 12, 2018 4:11 am**

"Yes, it is common," says Alice. "Some students donate their notes and papers, but others just leave them behind because they don't want them any more, or because they forget about them. Let's see what else we can find there by Herbert West. We might uncover an address too."

Posted: **Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:06 am**

Posted: **Fri Jul 13, 2018 4:02 am**

Posted: **Sat Jul 14, 2018 12:36 pm**

Posted: **Sun Jul 15, 2018 7:07 am**

The companions return to the School of Medicine. The sun is setting but the school and it’s library will be open for hours - medical students have to study a great deal.

The woman who was on duty earlier is at the reception again. She smiles as they enter.

”Any luck with Claude Owen?” she asks.

Posted: **Sun Jul 15, 2018 4:02 pm**

"We checked his dorm room," says Alice, smiling back. "Nobody's seen him there, but we believe he's gone to Herbert West's old laboratory in the basement of a farmhouse outside town to continue his experiments. We just need to find the address of that farmhouse, which we believe we might find in the library here. We found a dog there that he had...partially vivisected. It was horrible! We've also found some chemicals and other supplies in his room that were stored there. Those are probably missing from here. The only one we recognized was formaldehyde. The others were all unlabeled."

Posted: **Mon Jul 16, 2018 2:27 am**

The woman steps back in horror and raises her hand to her mouth. “How dreadful!” she exclaims.

Gathering herself, she indicates the nearby staircase. “You can find the library in the basement. Mr. Gregersen is on duty and should be able to help you with your search.”

She shakes her head sadly. “I had hoped Owen wasn’t that bad”.

The companions head downstairs to the basement.

The library is a vast area, seemingly extending for yards in all directions. The investigators can see rows and rows of books and files on the shelves. An elderly man sits at a desk surrounded by filing cabinets writing something. He looks up as they approach. “What can I do for you?” he asks.

Posted: **Mon Jul 16, 2018 3:05 am**

"Good evening, Mr. Gregersen," says Alice. "I'm Alice Stanton. We're here to look at Herbert West's writings. Claude Owen, who has gone missing, has looked through them himself, and we believe that he has gone to a farmhouse outside of town owned by Herbert West, where there's a laboratory, to continue his work. We're hoping we can find out where that farmhouse is located and learn more about his research."

Posted: **Mon Jul 16, 2018 5:50 am**

“Well, you’re very welcome to look” says Gregersen. “The students’ notes and reports aren’t classified however, so unless you know the location you’re going to be for some time!”

He scratches his bald head.

“Herbert West, you say? Do you know where his notes might be?”

Posted: **Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:29 pm**

HoneyDog wrote:“Well, you’re very welcome to look” says Gregersen. “The students’ notes and reports aren’t classified however, so unless you know the location you’re going to be for some time!”

He scratches his bald head.

“Herbert West, you say? Do you know where his notes might be?”

Harrison groans as he looks at all the files around them. It looks like they'll be in for a long night. "I'm afraid we don't know where they might be. Claude must have spent a great deal of time himself looking for them. Do you recall him down here? Perhaps he left a mess that had to be cleaned up when he was down here?"

Posted: **Mon Jul 16, 2018 11:58 pm**

Gregersen frowns in thought.

” I don’t recall any mess. But I’m sorry, we get a lot of students down here, and I don’t get to meet them all. I might have seen this Owen, but I don’t think I know him”.

Posted: **Tue Jul 17, 2018 3:46 am**

"In Owen's notes," says Alice, "he mentioned that he found West's writings in the basement. I don't think he specified exactly where, though."

Posted: **Tue Jul 17, 2018 4:05 am**

“Yes" says Gregersen. "Well as I said, we keep student notes but they’re not classified or sorted. You’ll find them in the first 15 aisles, but that’s about all I can tell you.”

Posted: **Tue Jul 17, 2018 7:19 am**

Isadora Carmichael

"Are the records perhaps organized by date of entry into the collection? Or the date when the student studies at the university?"

Posted: **Tue Jul 17, 2018 7:46 am**

Gregersen shakes his head.

“The students usually add their notes themselves. They basically decide whether they want to keep them or not, and then bring them here. There used to be a system I believe, but it got out of hand and now we have the present situation. It’s not ideal of course, but nobody wants to start a new system. It would take years to sort things properly”.

Posted: **Tue Jul 17, 2018 2:40 pm**

This sort of disorganization is Alice's bane, but there's nothing that can be done about it now. They don't have time to organize everything, but maybe they can find what they need here in spite of it. "Well, let's get started looking," she says.

Posted: **Tue Jul 17, 2018 3:55 pm**

Gregersen looks aghast. "You want to search through fifteen aisles of files and folders?” he exclaims. “Young lady, you’ll be there for months!”

Posted: **Tue Jul 17, 2018 7:15 pm**

HoneyDog wrote:Gregersen looks aghast. "You want to search through fifteen aisles of files and folders?” he exclaims. “Young lady, you’ll be there for months!”

Harrison looks at Gregersen quizzically. "What choice do we have? We need that information and you have given us no indication that anything other than a search through 15 aisles of files and folders will allow us to procure the information we need. Am I missing something? Because the sooner we begin searching, the sooner we will hope to find what we need."

Posted: **Tue Jul 17, 2018 7:52 pm**

"If there's any way we can narrow the search down," says Alice, "I'm all ears. Maybe we can figure out which aisle based on when West left the university. Chances are that they wouldn't start using a new one until the last one is full."

Posted: **Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:45 pm**

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2018 12:00 am**

Alice thinks of something.

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2018 12:12 am**

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2018 2:18 am**

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2018 3:04 am**

Alice rushes upstairs to the front desk and asks for the latest yearbook. Sure enough, she finds a picture of Claude Owen, an average looking young man with dark hair, glasses and a sullen expression.

Showing this to Mr. Gregersen, she gets a positive reaction.

“Yes, I recognize him. He was in here quite a lot last year, although I haven’t seen him lately.”

He thinks for a moment.

“Yes, I remember. Aisle nine was where I usually saw him.”

He points down the stacks to the location of the aisle.

When the companions arrive at aisle 9, they are still confronted by piles of files and papers. How can they narrow down their search?

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2018 4:02 am**

"Owen would have been looking through the aisle recently," says Alice. "We should look for parts of the shelves with the least amount of dust."

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2018 4:31 am**

Harrison looks around and tries to think where he would start if he were Owen.

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2018 6:17 am**

Alice is correct in her deduction – in the light of the bare bulb which lights the aisle, she notices that the dust has been disturbed on one of the shelves. Looking more closely, Harrison sees that some of the files bear the same mark, which seems to have been recently made in pencil. Looking inside, they can see the name Herbert West.

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2018 7:35 am**

Isadora helps with the papers. But their contents upset her fragile mind...
"Why? Why... I don't understand..." she mumbles. "Such insane cruelty..."

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2018 5:01 pm**

Harrison is horrified at West's notes. "How could anyone read this and want to follow up on these experiments? Because he frequently needs to stop looking to calm himself, Harrison knows that this is going to take awhile.

Posted: **Thu Jul 19, 2018 4:30 am**

It takes Alice a long time, but eventually she finds the information on the farmhouse. However, by that time, she's in tears from having read the details of Herbert West's horrific experiments. "He's a monster!" she says, aghast.

Posted: **Thu Jul 19, 2018 6:02 am**

The companions are fatigued and shocked by the nature of West’s experiments and the ruthless and callous way in which they were conducted. None the less, they press on, and Alice finally finds what they are looking for.

West describes the location of his secret lab as being in ‘the old Chapman farmhouse’, north of Arkham beyond Meadow Hill. It is on the road which leads out to the town dump.

Posted: **Thu Jul 19, 2018 9:10 am**

Isadora Carmichael

Isadora falls asleep in an armchair. As she sleeps, her hands tremble and make sudden unconscious movements. The vision of cruel experiments continue to torture her in her dreams.

As for plans, she proposes to gather weapons, flashlights, clothes, food, and head out to the farmhouse as soon as possible.

Posted: **Thu Jul 19, 2018 4:32 pm**

Henry Glynn

"I can't say I've much enthusiasm for old farmhouses, not after the last one.' muses Henry as he tries to comfort Alice.

Posted: **Fri Jul 20, 2018 1:21 am**

Posted: **Fri Jul 20, 2018 5:22 am**

Alice leans against Henry, resting her head on his shoulder. "We're going to have to go there," she says, "just as soon as we get some sleep and gather our equipment. If we can even sleep..."

Posted: **Fri Jul 20, 2018 5:32 am**

Posted: **Fri Jul 20, 2018 8:04 am**

Spoiler:

Posted: **Fri Jul 20, 2018 5:13 pm**

Posted: **Fri Jul 20, 2018 8:18 pm**

Posted: **Fri Jul 20, 2018 11:07 pm**

Posted: **Sun Jul 22, 2018 7:09 am**

Play@YSDC

Chapter 6: Who is Claude Owen?

Chapter 6: Who is Claude Owen?

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