The Bureau

8:55am, Prelude: "THE UNCONSCIOUS RIDE" (Overture)

8:56am, "WILD HARE" (Opening Theme)

8:59am, Clocking in and Sitting Down.

9:03am, Dreaming of a Life Without a Job.

9:07am, Some Asshole Interrupts You & You're Stuck in a Conversation About Invoices.

9:09am, Walking Away From Your Desk to Calmly Flood Your Head in the Sink.

9:12am, The Light From the Bathroom Ceiling Is Glaring and Controlling.

9:14am, Wondering If the Fire Alarm Lever Really Works.

9:16am, Remembering What Was Said to You Yesterday.

9:19am, There Is a Buzzing Inside the Supply Cabinet.

9:24am, Quietly Flirting at the Water Cooler.

9:26am, Walking Back to Your Desk (a Love So Warm and True)

9:30am, THE MORNING MEETING (Carl's Got a Lot to Say About This)

9:34am, Susan Distributes Her Handouts. Insists You All Read in Full Before Proceeding.

9:39am, Enduring the Powerpoint Presentation (Arrival of the Sweet Hypnotist)

9:44am, Zoning Out During the Conference Call (The Visitor Smiles at You... And Departs)

9:48am, Snapping Back Awake (There Is a Hidden Message in the Motivational Poster)

9:53am, Team Progress Is Discussed, Critiqued, Scrutinized, Compared, & Measured.

9:58am, Meeting Concludes and You Fill With a Sense of Floating, Freedom, & Anxiety.

10:03am, Suddenly, an Announcement: The President Will Be Visiting at Noon!

10:08am, All Applaud Loudly Into the Video Camera, Smiles Clearly Visible for Inspection.

10:12am, The Secret Service Arrives on Horseback and Gather in the Break Room.

10:14am, You're All Told to Calm Down and Get Back to Work.

10:18am, You Find Todd in a Back Room. He Hesitantly Says, "I Refused My Medication."

10:21am, Looking Down, You See You're Holding a Cup & Pills. You Hadn't Even Noticed.

10:22am, "Don't Take Your Pill Today." Todd Says, "I Hear Something Is in the Works."

10:25am, Todd Pours His Pills Down a Nearby Soda Machine Drain & Quietly Walks Away

10:28am, YOUR CHOICE: Do You Pour the Medicine Down, Too, or Do You Drink It?

10:29am, Avoiding the Guards, You Make It Back Safely to Your Designated Workstation.

10:31am, A Sudden Loud Scream From Todd as He's Found by the Project Managers.

10:32am, You Resume Your Job: Shredding Documents & Collating New Material for Review.

10:37am, A Spiked Mood Fills the Room as Medication Appears to Kick in Around You.

10:40am, Quickly Corrected for Misconduct, the Reviewer Returns to Her Tasks.

10:44am, From a Window, You See Todd Dragged Outside & Loaded Into an Ambulance.

10:45am, The Ambulance Drives Away From the Bldg, Down the Hill, & Disappears From View.

10:48am, Inside, Todd Kicks Frantically... But Soon Succumbs to the Methoxyflurane.

10:51am, Looking Away From the Window and Returning to Your Work.

10:53am, The Supervisor Walks in the Room and Does a Check-In at Everyone's Desk.

10:55am, You Receive Your Performance Evaluation: Your Shredding Is Satisfactory.

10:58am, Your Assessment Concludes: But Your Paper Collating Needs Improvement.

11:01am, BASICALLY: "Feel Pride in Your Shredding. But You Need to WORK on Your Collating."

11:03am, Annoyed, You Take an Early Lunch.

11:06am, Thinking Your Supervisor Is a Prick for What He Said About Your Collating.

11:10am, Elsewhere, the Supervisor Screams, "The President Is Visiting! HOORAY!"

11:14am, Your Lunch Is a Delicious Sandwich W/ Spiced Pickled Cabbage & Fresh Mint Tea.

11:18am, You Look Up at the Cafeteria Skylight and Marvel at the Beauty of the Universe.

11:20am, Elsewhere, the Supervisor Screams, "Smile Now, the President's Visit Is SOON!"

11:24am, More Secret Service Arrive, This Time on Bicycles & Hopping in Potato Sacks.

11:26am, Peacefully Enjoying the Automatic Napkin Dispenser as You Finish Your Food.

11:28am, You Return to Work, Collating Five Sets of Red Sheets and Seven Maple Green Ones.

11:31am, You Love Your Collating. No One Collates Better. Not a Single Fucking Person.

11:36am, Fuck Your Boss for What They Said About Your Collating.

11:39am, An Urgent Text From Your Supervisor to Leave Your Room Immediately.

11:40am, You're All Told to Cram Yourselves Into the Auditorium to Await the President

11:43am, Religious Pop Music Pipes Out of the In-Room Speakers.

11:45am, Carl Also Has a Lot to Say About the President's Upcoming Visit.

11:47am, The Local 4th Grade Clarinet Player Practices His Tribute to Our President.

11:49am, A Telegram of Support From Canada Is Read Aloud: "DO NOT BE AFRAID!"

11:51am, Quietly Waiting in Your Seat for the President's Appearance.

11:57am, Filled With an Introverted Grief as You See Co-Workers Mingle and Chat.

12:03pm, Noon Has Passed - The President Is Late!

12:09pm, Rumors Abound as to the President's Delay.

12:10pm, Door Slams Open! The President's Entourage Fills the Room, Dropping Gold Petals.

12:12pm, Custom Theme Blaring, the President Jumps Up Onstage, Grunting & Pointing.

12:13pm, Meanwhile, Outside, Small Groups Circle the Bldg Inspecting the Power Generators.

12:21pm, State TV Provides Analysis, "The President Appears Strongest & Most Intelligent."

12:23pm, Sweating Profusely, and Eager, the Owner of the Company Greets the President.

12:26pm, With Todd Gone, the Policemen Don't Think There's Anybody Else.

12:29pm, Outside, Others Wrap Twine Around the Bldg & Text Via Encrypted Cell Phones.

12:34pm, A Shot Fired and the Room Goes Immediately Dark.

12:38pm, Marchers & Anarchists Outside Take to Celebratory Drumming & Tribal Chant.

12:41pm, State TV Alerts: "The President Is Not Harmed. All Other News Is False Reporting."

12:43pm, Inside, the Lights Are Back On. People Are Running Past You in Slow Motion.

12:46pm, The Podium Is Empty, There Is Blood on the Floor. No President in Sight.

12:49pm, A Smell of Sulfur and Smoke.

12:51pm, Those Remaining in the Auditorium Are Told to Go Back to Their Work.

12:57pm, Focusing on a Flyer on the Back Wall Bulletin Board, "Free Wood for Your Fire."

12:59pm, Filled With a Sudden Unimaginable Joy.

1:02pm, The President Is Missing. His Press Agents Spin Explanations to the Journalists.

1:08pm, The Autopsy Is Quickly Rumored to Be Happening Right Now on Air Force One.

1:11pm, Dead or Alive, the President Awakens to Face a Replay of His Life's Actions.

1:13pm, The Weather Outside Sways With a Warm Breeze. Trees Peacefully Cascade.

1:19pm, End of Act One.

1:21pm, Act Two: Things Are Peculiar Back in the Office. You Find It Difficult to Work.

1:25pm, You Ask Yourself, "Didn't the President Get Shot an Hour Ago, or Is It Just Me?"

1:27pm, A Crack of Sound From the Clouds and It Begins Raining Outside.

1:29pm, Outside, Tribesmen Look Up at the Building. Their Target Must Still Be Inside.

1:31pm, Back at His Desk, Your Boss Is Getting Drunk.

1:33pm, Interlude (You See) "The Wooden Door"

1:39pm, Parable: "The President Is Telepathically Controlled by a Small Infant's Mind"

1:42pm, The Brain-Controlling Messages Have Been Recorded. Listen at Your Own Peril.

1:46pm, Looking for the Child That Controls the President. They Travel Together.

1:48pm, One Brave Soldier Enters the Building Through an Air Vent on the Roof.

1:50pm, All Reports Show the Infant to Still Be There. He Was Abandoned During the Retreat.

1:51pm, The Owner Weeps in His Chamber, Unaware of the Raised Hammer Above Him.

1:53pm, More Are Coming, Over the Hill.

1:55pm, A Weird Break in the Day, When You Question If Your Job Really Matters?

1:57pm, Weapons Are Silently Passed Through the Ducts, Bypassing All Security Scans.

2:00pm, Invariably, Every Day, You Think Back to Lost Loves and Missed Opportunities.

2:03pm, Years of Neglect Has Affected the Entire City.

2:05pm, The Most Clever and Free Thinking Are Forced by Economic Law Into Poverty.

2:07pm, A Light Rain Hits the Rough Building, Dissipating to Reveal a Clear Glowing Sky.

2:12pm, The Active Shooter Casually Walks By, Pretending to Work in the Kitchen.

2:16pm, A Horrible Event.

2:18pm, Lockdown in the Building. News of an Active Shooter Near the Cafeteria.

2:22pm, The Gunman Is Screaming "The Child! Where Is the Brain-Controlling Infant!"

2:23pm, You're Told to Huddle in the Back as Others Slam Furniture Against the Door.

2:25pm, Ten Unusual Minutes, as the Psychic Child Presents Itself in the Hallway.

2:35pm, Suddenly, the Gunman Is Attacked by the Giant Glowing Head.

2:38pm, Others Gather Quietly, Hoping to Surprise Their Target With Gummed Netting.

2:39pm, Unaware of the Trap, the Psychic Baby Brain Taunts the Gunman.

2:41pm, On Their Tip-Toes, the Attackers Suprise the Infant, Covering It in Netting.

2:43pm, ATTACK THE INFANT BRAIN. THE INFANT BRAIN MUST DIE.

2:45pm, With the Brain Down, the Attackers Promptly Begin Disassembling Their Catch.

2:47pm, The CIA Immediately Scrambles Into a Counter Plan. Bldg 4 Must Be Destroyed.

2:49pm, SAND AND PETALS: Bombers Leave From Whiteman AFB With Weapons Loaded.

2:57pm, The Decision Is to Bomb Four OTHER CITIES as a Distraction.

3:09pm, One Bomb Will Be Dropped Inert, Found on the Ground With Russian Decals.

3:14pm, Back Inside, the Lockdown Is Called Off, but the Walls Are Being Covered in Gasoline

3:16pm, The Intercom Messaging System Has Been Overtaken by the Intruders.

3:22pm, You Feel No Need to Collate. You Feel No Need to Shred Paper. You Feel Relief.

3:23pm, You First Notice the Fire. All Around You Seem Dead. It's Time to Leave.

3:24pm, In Shadows, in the Kitchen, You See the Brain Being Sliced Into Small Sections.

3:26pm, Slices Are Placed Into Plastic Bags, Disguised W/ Bread, Lettuce, Cheese, & Tomato.

3:27pm, Fire Spreads. Intruders Quickly Escape, Each With Their Own Piece of the Infant.

3:29pm, Tiny Flames Flicker Out of a Window, as the Bldg Is Viewed From a Satellite Above.

3:30pm, Out to Sea, One Intruder Examines His Reward. His Slice of Brain Glows Like a Jewel.

3:34pm, Inside the Cockpit of One of the U.S. Bombers, as It Moves Towards Its Target.

3:35pm, The Outline of the Office Bldg Is Indicated as a Green Dot on a Rotating Screen.

3:39pm, You've Made It Outside. Dark Wind and Fire. The Building Was Bombed.

3:42pm, Medics Arrive, Begging You to Get Inside the Helicopter.

3:43pm, Inside the Helicopter, a Monitor Has a Horrifying Image: The President Is Alive.

3:44pm, A Sudden Alarm From the Helicopter, as It Appears to Malfunction.

3:45pm, Next Thing, You Are Running on the Ground. Wind Is Cold. You Are Panicking.

3:48pm, You've Got to Keep It Together.

3:51pm, A Small Town Is Visible Ahead, and You've Found a Road.

3:52pm, You Walk Comfortably Forward. There Is No Reason to Feel Any Worry.

3:54pm, The Town Is Interesting. With Stone Streets and a Disconnected Sense of Peace.

3:57pm, Wind Picks Up. You Notice the Town Feeling Suddenly Less and Less Friendly.

3:58pm, You Hear Whispers From Within the Walls, "Brain. Is There Brain NEARBY?"

4:00pm, You Begin Running. Folded in Your Pocket You Find a Slice of the Infant's Mind.

4:03pm, "This Could All Be Easier If You Just Gave Me Back." the Infant Tells You.

4:05pm, The Infant Is Weak, Wrapped in Plastic & Shoved in Bread. But It Still Resonates

4:08pm, The Early Evening News Indicates Todd as a Person of Interest in the Day's Events.

4:16pm, Meanwhile, You've Sunk Under a Tree. The Brain Wants You to Give Up.

4:18pm, Ironically, Despite's the Brain's Insistence, You've Never Felt More Alive and Free.

4:24pm, You Take the Brain Out of the Ziplock Bag and Roll It Into a Wrap. It Complains.

4:27pm, Pondering a Slice of What Controls the Planet, Rolled Up Around Your Fingers.

4:30pm, You Catch a Train Heading Back to Your City. War Has Been Declared on Russia.

4:32pm, The Ride Back Is Pleasant & Swift. The Train Is on High Alert but Mostly Empty

4:33pm, A Live Video of the President Appears on a Monitor. But You Know It's Fake.

4:36pm, The Train Moves in a Way That Feels Like You're Pulling a Cosmic Trigger.

4:38pm, A Stranger Sits Down & Begins Crying About the President Being Alive.

4:40pm, You Tell the Stranger, "I Know He Is Dead. In Fact, I Have a Photo of Him Shot."

4:42pm, As You Dial Through Your Phone, You Are Unaware of the Jet Above the Train.

4:45pm, You Hold the Rolled Up Brain to See If It Affects the President's Speech on TV.

4:47pm, You Are Satisfied the President Is Dead. But You're Worried About the War.

4:49pm, Seven Police Begin Riding Along the Train. Five Drones Join the One Hovering Jet.

4:50pm, The Stranger Looks Up at You, Grabs Your Hand, and Says, "Let's Run!"

4:51pm, You Hurry to the End of the Train Unnoticed. You Might Get Out of Here Alive.

4:53pm, Pulling a Lever, You Manage to Get the Train to Stop... And You Both Sneak Away!

4:54pm, You Begin to Wonder If This Is a New Day. But You Ask, "How Will I I Survive?"

4:56pm, You and the Stranger Find a Small Bar and Watch the Train Drift Off and Away.

4:59pm, "You're Thinking About Money, Aren't You?" the Stranger Asks You.

5:02pm, "Money Is Merely an Agreement," the Sliced Brain Utters.

5:06pm, "I Could Make You the Wealthiest Man Alive. Follow That OTHER Train to the Capitol."

5:07pm, The Stranger & The Brain Make a Proposal. "All Three of Us Might Get Along Well."

5:11pm, ONE QUESTION: "I See You Can't Drink Anymore. Do This for Me. Just One Sip."

5:16pm, YOUR CHOICE: Do You Accept This Drink, or Do You Decline It?

5:17pm, CLEAR WATER: You Begin to Embark on Your New Chosen Path.

5:19pm, It Feels Unfortunate to Say Goodbye to the Stranger. But You Both Understand.

5:21pm, Time Seems to Be Distorting as You Board Another Cabin at the Station.

5:22pm, WATER PARK: You Sink Deeper Into a Quieter, Calmer, More Colorful Truth.

5:27pm, You Find the Ability to Revisit Early Memories, and Edit or Delete Them.

5:29pm, Your Emotions Are Clear, and Open. The World Is Wonderful. You Are Peaking.

5:35pm, • 1. GRIEF •

5:38pm, • 2. FEAR •

5:41pm, • 3. SHEOL •

5:44pm, • 4. BARZAKH (and Death) •

5:46pm, The Train Stops & You're Back Where You Began. But the Bldg Is Burned to Rubble.

5:47pm, A Banged Up HR Videodisc Plays an Exit Interview on the Bombed Out Street.

5:50pm, Finding Streetside Piles of Bound Reports, Mission Statements, Other Pain.

5:51pm, A Trash Fire of Years of Carefully Collated Paper, Much of It Yours, Silently Simmers.

5:53pm, The Ghosts of Middle Managers Try Luring You Back Into Their Endless Purgatory.

5:55pm, Walking Down the Block to Find a Loft Party With Music. They're Celebrating.

5:57pm, Voice: "There Is No Riddle. Life's Meaning Is Merely the Sum of Our Decisions."

6:01pm, The Brain Is Inside Your Head. It Tells You It Wants to Finish the President.

6:04pm, Your Supervisor Walks Out, Covered in Ash, "I Knew This Job Would Kill Me..."

6:07pm, Unexpectedly, He Crumbles to Dust & Is Quickly Sucked Into an Intake Vent.

6:09pm, EPILOGUE: Your Pocket Sings, "Stay, Bloody Valentine..." (It's the Brain)

6:11pm, The Brain Is Still Hungry. But It Is Too Weak. It Will Need Your Help.

6:12pm, HELP THE BRAIN: You Have 1:39 to Bring the President Forward. Concentrate.

6:13pm, "DONE!"

6:15pm, The Remaining Light Abruptly Turns to Night. Wind Flows in Slow Directions.

6:16pm, The President Suddenly Appears Next to You on That Quiet Street, Alone.

6:18pm, Staring Face to Face With the President and Wanting to Cut Him in the Throat.

6:19pm, Small Flies Dart Around the President's Head as He Silently Stares Back.

6:23pm, The President Opens His Mouth, and Out Comes All of the World's Bullshit.

6:26pm, His Eyes Bug Out and He Begins to Malfunction. Brain Implores You to Still Kill.

6:29pm, "I Thought You Were Dead." You Finally Ask the President, Uncertain.

6:30pm, "Don't Matter. Don't Matter If I Die." Concluding: "Nothing... Can Kill... An Idea."

6:30pm, CUT TO BLACK / CLOSING CREDITS - Thank You for Listening, Good Night.