The tape is a slightly modified VHS tape. The casing was slightly larger, and the magnetic tape is a quarter of an inch wider than a standard VHS tape. A custom built solution had been created to translate the data onto a standard tape during research of a previous finding. The magnetic storage technology is exactly the same as VHS, but we couldn’t find records of a tape of a similar size produced in the United States.
Tape was recovered from a vintage video store in <REDACTED>, FL on May 21st, 2022. The tape was listed in an online auction and on several websites inquiring about its origin.
The tape appears to be a training video for a manufacturing company, however there are several cutaways to what appears to be candid footage of workers on the site. The company name, which is redacted for this report, is not registered in any country we were able to pull records from. The video is transcribed below.
Transcription:
Footage opens on a shot of the company logo with the name in big white letters over a cartoon style sky with a few white clouds. Pleasant music plays. Scene plays for exactly 5 minutes (Research note: this was measured to the picosecond).
Scene cuts suddenly to a man walking in front of a large machine of indeterminate use. Audio seems to speed up and slow down almost imperceptibly as he speaks. The pleasant music continues in the background, but is much quieter.
>Eric: Welcome to your first day at <REDACTED> Manufacturing!
The camera pans to the left slowly, following him as he walks. The man’s name and title appear on the screen briefly.
>Eric: Congratulations on your new position, and welcome to the <REDACTED> family. My name is Eric and I’m the head of Safety and Security here at here at the plant. At <REDACTED>, our goal is to make sure your employment needs are met, your environment is comfortable, and most importantly, that everyone remains as safe as possible.
In the background, a man and a woman in lab suits mop up some kind of viscous mess.
>Eric: Now, I know there are people from many departments taking part in our training briefing today. You might feel like a lot of this information doesn’t apply to you, but everyone ends up wondering around eventually. So please pay attention to the safety protocols for all areas of the plant, even if you don’t think your specific job will ever require you to enter them. You never know what the future holds, and being prepared, is being safe!
Footage cuts to a shot of a man high up on a catwalk. There is no music, only the sound of wind. The man appears to be writing down reading from a display above him. He stumbles backwards a few steps, then slumps over the rail and falls. A gasp is heard as the camera pans away quickly.
Footage quickly cuts to the logo screen again. The music starts up again, and the scene plays for exactly 5 minutes. There are more clouds drawn into the background this time, but other than that it is the same as the opening scene.
Footage cuts suddenly to an office setting. Eric is sitting on top of a desk that a woman is working at. She hands him a piece of square paper that appears blank.
>Eric: Thanks, Gwen.
He spends just under a minute staring at the paper before looking back up at the camera.
>Eric: At <REDACTED> Manufacturing, we’re not all wrenches and machine work. Many of you are likely here for one of our office positions. I know the product gets the press, but we wouldn’t be able to operate without the fine folks here in the office taking care of all of our administrative needs.
He places the paper back on the desk and stands.
>Eric: The office is, as you can imagine, one of the safest parts of the plant. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to keep your guard up for.
He begins to walk to the left, and the camera slowly pans to follow him. In the background, most of the office workers appear to be asleep at their desk.
>Eric: Many objects in the office are sharp. On a daily basis you may use things such as staples, letter openers, and paper cutters, just to name a few.
Footage cuts to a top down view of a desk in what appears to be a cramped office. All four walls can be seen in the shot, and they are filled with shelves and books. In the center is a small desk. A man and a woman sit on opposite sides. The woman is clearly distressed.
>Woman: No, just look at it.
>Man: I saw it, okay? I know. Look, it’s probably just some prank, alright?
The woman pushes a square sheet of paper across the desk. It appears to have a full page image on it, but it can’t be made out in the low resolution footage.
>Woman: How can it be a prank? Look, there’s my name on the header, and the document title. This was supposed to be a schedule proposal for maintenance. But it’s a picture of me at the printer taken from the printer. Why does it even have a camera in it?
>Man: I don’t think it does…
>Woman: And what is that…. thing… behind me?
The man picks up the paper and looks at it, shaking his head worriedly.
>Man: I don’t know. You know how the guys in IT are. They’re probably just-
>Woman: I’ve been… hearing things. I never feel like I’m alone, even at home. Even in my car.
>Man: Alright, alright. I’ll… I’ll ask around.
>Woman: I just…
Footage cuts back to Eric walking through the office as the camera slowly pans left. All of the desks are empty and the lights are off.
>Eric: Please use office equipment responsibly, and only for company related work.
Something shifts in a darkened office doorway in the background. (Research note: it’s impossible to tell if this is something roughly human shaped moving in the doorway, or just some video compression artifacts)
>Eric: And finally, in every break room you’ll find a first aid kit. Inside you’ll find everything you’ll need to respond to an office incident. Adhesive strips, bandages, antiseptics, defibrillators, a revolver with 3 rounds loaded, and alcohol wipes.
Footage cuts to a security feed of a dark parking lot. The woman from the previous clip is seen walking to her car. As she reaches into her purse for her key she snaps around quickly and starts looking around the parking lot worriedly.
>Woman<distant>: Hello?
The woman appears to be grabbed by the foot and pulled under her car. Distant screaming can be heard as the car rocks back and forth for a few seconds before the scene goes silent. It sits on a still image of her car in the distance for just over a minute.
Footage cuts back to the company logo. The clouds appear to be a bit darker. It is otherwise the same as the first logo scene.
Footage picks back up with Eric waking through what appears to be some kind of factory floor. The camera pans left slowly to follow him. Behind him, massive machines stretch out of frame in every direction.
>Eric: This segment covers the basics for the safety on the manufacturing floor. Now, you will be instructed on more specific safety protocols based on your individual area of work, but today we’ll cover what you need to know to stay safe in general. First, please pay attention to the lines painted on the floor.
Eric gestures downward and the camera pans down to see a red line painted on the floor. It sits between Eric and the cameraman.
>Eric: If you’re on the same side of the line as the machines, you need to scurry back on over as quickly as is safely possible.
A loud mechanical whirring sound is heard as the camera spins around quickly.
Footage cuts to five men in hard hats and thick jumpers standing in front of a massive machine. They are standing by a circular opening roughly two feet wide with an opened access hatch.
>Man 1: Alright, here you go.
He holds out a mop to a second man.
>Man 2: What… do you want me to do with that?
>Man 3: Scrub the dilution chamber.
>Man 4: Needs to be clean for the next batch.
>Man 2: The manual says it’s self-cleaning.
>Man 1: It is, but the wash module is real finicky. It’s been leaving residue in there that’s been corrupting the batches slightly. Not enough to scrap production, but enough for Q.A. to notice, so we gotta take extra steps until it’s fixed.
>Man 2: But…
The second man looks into the dark chamber apprehensively.
>Man 5: We’ve all been in there. It’s perfectly safe.
>Man 2: <deep sigh> Alright.
The second man scrambles into the small opening and reaches his arm out for the mop.
>Man 2: I need some light.
The first man passes the mop through the opening and starts shining a large flashlight into the machine.
>Man 1: See the marks? There in the back?
>Man 2: <muffled> Yeah. Okay, I’m-
The third man slams the match closed.
>Man 2: <muffled, barely audible> HEY WHAT THE FUCK!?
>Man 1: Hahahaha, welcome to the team, rookie!
The men erupt in laughter as desperate banging can be heard from inside the chamber.
>Man 2: <muffled> Let me out!
>Man 1: Alright, keep your pants on.
There is a sudden, very loud crashing sound from inside the chamber.
>Man 3: What was that?
>Man 4: Intake? Can’t be. The system is..
>Man 1: Too loud, something’s wrong. Get the hatch open.
The third man begins trying to open the hatch.
>Man 3: Shit, it’s stuck. You okay in there, rook?
There is no response.
>Man 1: Oh fuck, rookie? You hearing me?
>Man 4: It’s too quiet in there.
>Man 3: I fuckin’ know!
Something makes a clicking sound and the third man is able to pull the hatch open.
>Man 1: Finally!
The first man shines the light into the chamber.
>Man 1: Rook? Jim? Where you at?
He pushes his upper body into the opening.
>Man 1: <muffled> Jim? Hello?
>Man 3: What do you see in there?
>Man 1: Nothing. He’s just… gone…
>Man 5: <looking around at the various large pipes attached to the dilution chamber> JIM!?
>Man 3: Oh god, we’re all gonna-
Footage cuts back to Eric. He appears to be picking the camera up from the ground. It makes a wet squelching sound as he strains to pull it free from something off camera.
>Eric: Here we go.
As he steadies the camera it pans around the massive factory floor, passing quickly over a puddle of viscous black fluid at his feet before settling back on his face.
>Eric: Also keep an ear out for the bells. One bells means get to the nearest exit as quickly as possible. Two bells means get your mask on. Three means the dilution chamber is-
Footage cuts to a shot of the open hatch. A low mechanical hum is the only sound that can be heard. The camera slowly approaches the chamber as the cameraman starts to breathe heavily, apparently through a mask. Three low toned bells ring out. The low hum mutes a little as the camera enters the hatch and a large, spherical brass chamber can be seen. The camera pans up to see a large opening, roughly four times the size of the entry hatch that leads up into darkness. Along the back wall is a large dark stain about 4 feet long which appears to bubble up from the brass wall about an inch. On either side are two openings, each appearing slightly smaller than the hatch entry. The camera pans around and another identical stain can be seen on the bottom of the chamber near the hatch. The camera snaps up to the larger opening as a high pitched noise bursts so loud it distorts the audio.
Footage cuts to another company logo segment. There are more clouds and they are much darker. Actual rain drops appear to be falling between the image and the camera. This scene plays for exactly 3 minutes.
Footage cuts back to Eric walking down a long hallway. He is being filmed from the front as the cameraman walks backwards.
>Eric: I hope you found this video informative. We here at <REDACTED> Manufacturing hope you have a long, safe career with us. Be sure to check in with your local security and safety advisors for more location and responsibility focused safety procedures. Until-
Eric stops and looks around as the walls seem to shift and warp strangely.
>Eric: What… What’s this?
A flood of shadow pours into the hallway behind them. Eric shields his face and screams as it washes over them. The next few minutes are complete darkness. The sounds of Eric and the cameraman screaming can be heard. They seem to move close to and far from the camera pretty rapidly, over and over. A sound like a low growl is heard, then tearing, then the rush of water.
Footage cuts to a beach. The camera appears to be laying on its side facing an ocean. The back of Eric’s head can be seen laying in the wet sand as the tide washes over it. Another low growl is heard, then Eric’s body begins to be dragged off of the screen as the footage ends abruptly.
Investigation Notes: The beach at the end of the video is believed to be along one of the coasts of Florida. A shirt with the <REDACTED> Manufacturing logo was found washed up on the shore in <REDACTED>, FL, and that’s the same city where the tape was found. The final moments of the tape are believed to be a transition between two realities.
Research believes the world on the tape in a separate reality, but there are too many similarities for it to be completely removed from our own. They have found a number of examples of items from that reality making their way into ours. What’s troubling, is that process always seems to involve <REDACTED> crossing over with them.
Tandjame t1_itvdyjv wrote
Man, it’s been ages since we’ve gotten an incident report from you!
As a Florida resident I…. just don’t know… but this was fucking awesome.