EXCERPT 23

[…]

WITNESS #9791: “Okay, I answered that one, now’s my time to ask.”

INTERVIEWER: “Ask away.”

WITNESS #9791: “Do you really believe in any of this?”

INTERVIEWER: “Not sure what you refer to.”

WITNESS #9791: “Come on, we both know you do.”

INTERVIEWER: “I honestly don’t. What are we discussing here? The investigation?”

WITNESS #9791: “[Silence] This. This entire thing you got going. You and your people. Do you believe any of that? Or is it just business as usual?”

INTERVIEWER: “You’re asking me if I believe in extralogical phenomena, is that it?”

WITNESS #9791: “Oh no, I know you do. Kinda hard to start doubting it at the point we are right now, don’t you think?”

INTERVIEWER: “I suppose. Explain to me what you mean by ‘this’, sergeant, this is getting tiresome.”

WITNESS #9791: “The zoo, dumbass. Do you even believe any of this shit? What you people do here, what you pass off as some sort of community service or whatever.”

INTERVIEWER: “That’s an interesting question, sergeant. But if you really have to ask, I’d say yes, I believe in what we’re doing here. Thoroughly.”

WITNESS #9791: “And why’s that?”

INTERVIEWER: “Not sure were these questions even lead but again, if you really have to ask, I believe results speak for themselves.”

WITNESS #9791: “What results are there even to speak of? All I see are civilians being harassed and kidnapped. Sightings keep happening, people keep losing their homes and their sanity because of bullshit encounters science doesn’t care enough to explain and the government cares even less to prevent.”

INTERVIEWER: “[Laugh] Sergeant Bosconovitch, trust me when I say that if there’s one thing we do around here is caring more than we should. Getting bent out of shape every time something is out of the ordinary is under everyone’s job description in this company.”

WITNESS #9791: “Explain to me how exactly you think any of this works. You just shoot corporate answers at me until one of them sticks? You keep telling me ‘we’re the good guys, actually’ until I say ‘okay’ instead of ‘no, you’re not’? Did you attend a training program for this.”

INTERVIEWER: “No sir, but I did attend a training program in emergency contingency measures, first respondent medical assistance and a few PR drills, all related to non-catalogued phenomena and its direct impacts in local populations and communities.”

WITNESS #9791: “You guys don’t fuck around, do you?”

INTERVIEWER: “No sir. Any other questions?”

WITNESS #9791: “For you? Not yet, at least. But you could ask me the same thing, for our next one.”

INTERVIEWER: “What, if you believe in any of this?”

WITNESS #9791: “I mean, why not?”

INTERVIEWER: “Because I’m pretty sure I know the answer already.”

WITNESS #9791: “I dunno, go fish. You might be surprised.”

INTERVIEWER: “[Laugh] Okay. Do you believe in any of this, Ivan?”

WITNESS #9791: “A bit, yeah.”

INTERVIEWER: “That’s interesting. Anything you’d like to share?”

WITNESS #9791: “I can think of a few things.”

INTERVIEWER: “Such as?”

WITNESS #9791: “Trust me kid, I know how you feel. About the whole ‘helping civilians’ thing. Believe it or not, I was like you at one point.”

INTERVIEWER: “And what changed that?”

WITNESS #9791: “Realizing I wasn’t. It’ll happen to you, maybe sooner than you think.”

INTERVIEWER: “And when exactly did that realization dawn on you, sergeant?”

WITNESS #9791: “If I had to pick a moment, it would definitely be when I first got a good look at the man.”

INTERVIEWER: “Which man? The one inside the cage?”

WITNESS #9791: “Worse. The man behind the mask.”