Redwood Bureau: “Visionary Sam” [Personal Operations Log S-2]

Date: January 31, 2026
Host: Eeriecast Network
Narrator/Agent: Josh Tomar as Agent Conroy, with field log by Sam

Overview

This episode presents Sam’s second personal operations log as he recounts a disturbing solo reconnaissance mission for the clandestine Redwood Bureau. With Conroy—the Bureau defector—now guiding him and listeners from the shadows, Sam provides a raw, first-person account of facing horrors at an abandoned industrial site. The episode delves into Sam's evolving relationship with his supernatural "eye," the weight of mercy in extreme circumstances, and the chilling implications of what he encounters.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sam's State of Mind and Post-Ghoul Trauma

• Sam begins the log with a sardonic tone about being called an "anime protagonist," but quickly shifts to the raw discomfort of his mutated body and its unnatural “eye” (01:13).
• He describes lingering trauma: "It's like it comes from my soul—or the eye's soul, if it even has one, and if those two things are even separate at this point." (03:53)
  • Notable Insight: The haunting sensation of “phantom” extra limbs reflects ongoing physical and psychological changes post-encounter with “ghouls” in a previous log.

2. Training and New Instincts

• Sam describes intense training with Conroy, Reese, and Vic that’s intended to ready him for survival—but notes a disturbing side effect: “I can tell I’m getting better because sometimes I’ll catch myself moving without thinking... And instead of feeling proud, I feel afraid. I feel afraid because the eye seems to like it when I move like that.” (06:32)
  • Memorable Line: “The eye seems to like it when I move like that.” (06:42)

3. Incident Recollection: The Rotted House and Mercy

• Brief flashback to a prior case—a home tainted by rot and a “parasite” leading to self-destruction:
  • Conroy’s method: “He ended it fast. Because whatever was happening to that man wasn't fixable. That day was a hard lesson on what mercy looks like in Conroy's world. It isn't comfort. It isn't hand holding. It's decisive and calculated.” (08:31)
  • Takeaway: For Redwood Bureau, “mercy” is blunt—swift death to prevent further suffering or spread.

4. The Solo Recon Mission—Setup and Setting

• Sam is sent alone on low-priority recon to a derelict industrial site linked to disappearances—mainly of marginalized people. He’s to “recon only, confirm and leave.” (10:37)
• Vividly describes the oppressive atmosphere, the absence of natural sounds, and a creeping sense of wrongness.

5. Entering the Factory—Discoveries and Warnings

• Sam notices fresh signs of human activity, then foul odors escalating to “something living died here and didn't stop.”
• The Eye’s Interventions: Begins issuing urgent warnings: “Leave, it said, with no explanation... The command itself should have been enough.” (13:35)
  • Sam repeatedly ignores the eye to investigate further.

6. The Horrific Discovery (18:01–21:44)

• Sam finds:
  • Rooms filled with repurposed ropes of flesh (“like a body turned inside out and repurposed into cable”)
  • Multiple bodies: one with its chest hollowed out, another pinned upright with a bored-out forehead.
  • A living victim, ensnared in the organic cords, “held by thick strands... just holding them tight enough that any struggle would be pointless, like a fly caught in a spider's web.”
• The victim, blood pooling from their mouth, whispers:
  • Quote: "Please." (21:44)
  • "Kill me... please. I can't. I can't." (21:59)

7. Mercy Killing and the Parasite’s Entry

• Sam, recalling Conroy’s decisiveness, reluctantly shoots the victim at their urgent request as the monstrous source of the cables approaches:
  • “There was only the fact that they were trapped, suffering in their own body, begging for mercy, and the sound of whatever had done this getting closer.” (23:45)
  • “I stepped in close and I said I’m sorry, because I didn’t know what else to say. And then I fired once, and they went limp...” (24:11)
• The true entity emerges: “Dark and slick... Surfaces... like exposed muscle... A needle thin appendage unfolded from beneath the mass, jointed, surgical, glistening wet, and shot toward me with the precision of a striking viper.” (24:54)

8. Escape & The Eye’s Guidance (25:00–29:00)

• Sam narrowly avoids being injected or captured by the creature, relying increasingly on the eye’s instructions for survival:
  • “Left. Left. I turned left without arguing, and as soon as I did, something heavy struck the wall to my right...” (27:14)
• The factory itself is infested with organic cables, indicating a long-term parasitic occupation.
• Sam escapes, snags an evidence sample, and flees to safety.

9. Aftermath and Moral Reckoning

• At the safehouse, Sam washes himself obsessively, haunted by both the killing and by the sense of alien autonomy—“It’s hard for me to explain what it feels like to have to compete for your own body and autonomy.” (34:21)
• He omits victim details from the report, explaining: “...I honestly don't think so. I've made the executive decision to leave that out of public information. I don't know if that makes me like the Bureau in some twisted circular way, but I know if it were my mom out there listening, I wouldn't want her to know." (35:42)

10. Debrief with Conroy & Chilling Realization

• Sam summarizes his findings for Conroy over the phone; Conroy’s tone is weary, but efficient, focusing on whether Sam collected evidence and on his exposure risk.
  • Quote:
    • Sam: “It punched through my sleeve.”
    • Conroy: “Check your skin.”
    • Sam: “I did... The eye would be going insane right now if there were another foreign presence in here.” (37:43)
• Key Moment: Sam realizes the specimen’s purpose:
  • Alone, he checks the “eye” in the mirror, which utters a chilling single word:
    • Quote: "Propagation." (40:21)
  • Sam reflects: “It was making more. It was breeding. Fuck, man, this is gonna suck.” (41:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you’re gonna claim the world is full of things that don’t belong in it, you kinda have to show receipts.” (01:19, Sam)
• “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you how I—no, that’s probably not a good idea, actually. The Bureau is definitely listening.” (01:53, Sam)
• “He ended it fast. Because whatever was happening to that man wasn’t fixable. That day was a hard lesson on what mercy looks like in Conroy’s world.” (08:36, Sam)
• “The eye was wide open in my chest, and when it spoke, I felt something in its meaning. Fear or urgency, maybe both. And the host: ‘exit the premises,’ it said.” (23:54, Sam)
• “I know I described this person pretty vaguely, but there’s a reason I didn’t use any identifiers... I don’t want their family and loved ones to have that as their last memory.” (35:23, Sam)
• “Propagation.” (40:21, the Eye)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:13–06:45: Sam’s emotional state and aftermath of "the eye" emergence/training
• 08:05–10:37: Earlier incident (rotted house); introduction to solo mission
• 13:30–16:45: First warnings and entry into the factory
• 18:01–21:44: Macabre discoveries; meeting the living, ensnared victim
• 21:44–25:10: Victim’s plea and Sam’s mercy killing
• 25:00–29:00: Escape from the parasitic entity
• 33:00–35:45: Safehouse aftermath; personal moral reckoning
• 36:15–38:58: Debrief phone call with Conroy
• 40:21–41:13: The Eye’s ominous message: “Propagation”

Tone and Style

The narrative remains bleakly humorous, brutally honest, and deeply introspective, echoing the podcast’s blend of urban horror and personal vulnerability. Sam’s dialogue swings from sarcastic asides to pure existential dread, making the account both personal and chilling.

Takeaway

This operations log offers a harrowing snapshot of what working for or against the Bureau truly entails: navigating a world hostile to human survival, where mercy can be as horrifying as violence, and no one—including your own body—can be fully trusted. The supernatural threat is accelerating, and personal agency is a daily battle.

"Propagation." The word lingers—maybe a warning, maybe a promise of the horrors yet to spread.