308: Infestation

Synopsis

The episode picks up where 307: Smooth Criminal left off. The investigators drive away from the Russell farm with Percival Warthrop directing them north and west toward the old Motley Hill Sanatorium. In the back of the truck, Dr. Simeon studies Corbitt's notes and works out the creatures' reproduction, with the others helping on a Library Use roll. Along the way they pass a turnoff marked for another farm, the Adams family's. After about 45 minutes the sanatorium comes into view. It is a crumbling gothic stone building with broken windows and caved-in roofs. Two vehicles are parked out front: a box truck, and a black Packard that looks like the car the group saw at the cemetery.

Billy swings the truck around to block the drive, though he refuses to slash anyone's tires because he is still an officer of the law. Tallahassee climbs out to confront a nervous henchman. He threatens the man, makes a successful Intimidate roll and draws his .45 when the henchman reaches for a gun. The henchman's boss steps out and calls for calm. He is an utterly nondescript man in a gray suit who introduces himself as Goodman Gray, and he already knows the investigators by name. Gray says that he is not an associate of Bernard Corbitt but is "an interested party" in his research. His people had a head start but lost their leads and had to comb the countryside. They now believe the creature has burrowed tunnels under the sanatorium and is raising a growing brood there. Dom makes a successful Charm roll and proposes that the two groups share information, since nobody benefits from the creatures rampaging across the countryside. Gray agrees to work together to "cull the herd" and suggests they renegotiate afterward. Gray says that he has five men inside and more back in town. He sidesteps questions about his organization and claims he knows the mayor only in passing. Billy's Psychology roll suggests that Gray is evasive but not lying about cooperating, though he may know the mayor better than he admits. The players suspect that Gray wants to capture at least one creature alive. Percival says that he has never seen Gray before and heads inside, and Gray follows him.

As the rest of the group arms up, Dr. Simeon finishes his calculations. Twelve weeks after the June 27 escape, there are probably about 43 creatures: four adults, around 20 adolescents and roughly 19 infants like the one the group killed. Moments later, Major Bakersfield and Billy hear men screaming from deep inside the building. Gray hesitates for the first time, then orders his remaining man to get their truck running. Billy readies the group's truck while Tallahassee, Dom, Bakersfield and Dr. Simeon run for the door. From the lobby they hear screams and gunshots rising from the basement. Percival comes tearing around the bottom of the stairs, firing behind him and shouting at them to run, with one of Gray's men close behind. Large creatures pounce on a straggler at the foot of the stairs. Dr. Simeon makes a perfect throw with a Molotov cocktail that sets the lead creature ablaze and drives the others back. Bakersfield's stick of dynamite slips from his hand and lands at the top of the stairs. Tallahassee tries to kick it down the stairs and fumbles, then spends Luck to avoid the worst of it. He slips on the top step and nearly tumbles toward the creatures, but Percival catches him and hauls him out. Gray flees in the Packard and his henchman takes the box truck. The investigators dive into the back of their truck as Billy gets it rolling. Dozens of creatures burst out through the front doors, hesitating briefly in the sunlight, and then the dynamite explodes. Stone, dust and a couple of creatures fly through the air as the truck speeds away from Motley Hill Sanatorium.

Funny Moments

Tallahassee rides in the back of the truck "spooning" the creature's corpse with his diamond skin, and the table imagines him apologizing to it as Rondo.
The table credits the Keeper's critical-success house rule to "Joe" from another podcast, which quickly turns into "Joe mama" jokes.
Dr. Simeon asks Billy, who won't slash tires, exactly "where this moral line is crossed."
Tallahassee gets the henchman to admit there's nothing for miles, then tells him there will be no one to hear him scream.
Unleash the diamond: the table keeps urging Tallahassee to show off his diamond skin.
The Keeper says Goodman Gray is so nondescript that a casting call for extras would send him home for being overqualified. Someone asks whether his suit is made of drugs.
While Gray is talking, Billy picks up the dead creature and works it like a marionette, introducing it as "my uncle Bernie."
The team insists it always goes in "flying V," and someone calls dibs on being Goldberg.
Dr. Simeon's population breakdown ends with "19 baby sharks."
The Keeper's speech about Dr. Simeon's Little League dreams sets up his perfect Molotov throw.
Asked where he is throwing the dynamite, Bakersfield's first answer is unprintable.
Tallahassee greets a charging creature with "Hey, baby... You want to make smoothies later?"

Notable Quotes

"Want to know where this moral line is crossed." —Simeon Kantstandyerbitz
"Well, then there will be no one to hear you scream." —Tallahassee Turner
"This is my uncle Bernie." —Billy McConnell
"I am not, but I am an interested party in his, shall we say, research." —Goodman Gray
"I don't think them rampaging the countryside and destroying the population benefits either party." —Dom Druncard
"That is why I'm here... they're not the only killers out here." —Percival Warthrop
"We got to make like a tree and get out of here." —Percival Warthrop
"You want to make smoothies later?" —Tallahassee Turner