1 00:00:01,879 --> 00:00:06,759 For my thirty first birthday, my friends got me a heritage DNA test, 2 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:11,759 one of those where you send a sample again an approximate percentage of what makes 3 00:00:11,839 --> 00:00:16,199 up your background. I don't think there was anything in particular that made them 4 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:20,120 gifted to me, though, I think they ordered one for themselves and got 5 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:24,800 a two for one kind of deal. Still, I figured it'd be fun 6 00:00:24,839 --> 00:00:29,839 to check out. My biological grandpa died when my dad was very young, 7 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:35,920 and my grandmother remarried long before I was born, so I was never told 8 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:40,759 a lot about that side of the family. I'd always been a bit of 9 00:00:40,759 --> 00:00:46,119 a sickly kid, so I've been wary about looking too closely at my family 10 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:52,439 and health history. But I figured this couldn't hurt, so I filled out 11 00:00:52,439 --> 00:00:57,600 the form, provided this sample, and sent it on its way. Then 12 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:03,000 I just sort of forgot about it. When I finally got the results, 13 00:01:03,599 --> 00:01:10,280 it came with a few surprising revelations. While the majority of my heritage was 14 00:01:10,439 --> 00:01:17,560 entirely predictable, there was an eleven percent splash of something called Northern Scandinavian Blue 15 00:01:17,599 --> 00:01:23,439 Hill tribe. I asked my parents about it. While my mother had no 16 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,760 idea what the blue Hill tribe was. She was pretty sure it wasn't from 17 00:01:26,799 --> 00:01:33,959 her side of the family. My dad was equally confused. Sure, he 18 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:38,319 didn't know much about his biological father, but he knew for a fact that 19 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:42,319 the man was from Oklahoma. His mom, on the other hand, was 20 00:01:42,359 --> 00:01:49,599 Minnesotan. Dad got curious and ordered his own test within the hour. As 21 00:01:49,599 --> 00:01:55,280 I ended the call and boxed the packaging up, something fell out, a 22 00:01:55,319 --> 00:02:00,959 sturdy envelope of thin navy blue cardboard and sealed with a sunflower emblem. It 23 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:07,719 had a mild chemical smell to it, like a sweet ammonia. At first, 24 00:02:07,879 --> 00:02:10,280 I thought it was going to be some kind of special offer, much 25 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:15,520 like what got me that test in the first place. But after turning it 26 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:20,919 over, I could see it was addressed directily to me in handwritten cursive. 27 00:02:22,719 --> 00:02:29,560 It read congratulations on your recent result. As part of our effort to explore 28 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:36,080 the diverse world of unified heritage, and in cooperation with our various multinational partners, 29 00:02:36,759 --> 00:02:42,280 we would like to extend an invitation to descendants of Northern Scandinavian Blue Hill 30 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:49,280 tribe for an eventful day of education, connectivity, and celebration. Please consider 31 00:02:49,319 --> 00:02:54,240 this invitation and review the enclosed details at personal link. Using your log in 32 00:02:54,319 --> 00:03:02,280 credentials, we hoped to see you there. I didn't know exactly what to 33 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:07,879 make of it, but I decided to check it out, and holy hell, 34 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:15,759 it reeked of scam. Here's what it offered, A fully paid three 35 00:03:15,879 --> 00:03:21,520 days stay at a hotel in Manchester, New Hampshire, free entry to the 36 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:28,360 company sponsored heritage celebration event, alongside other members of both the Blue Hill tribe, 37 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:34,360 but also other unique and diverse backgrounds. There were several groups listed, 38 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:39,639 mostly hailing from the Scandies, the Carpathians, and the Ural Mountains. I 39 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:43,560 would have to pay for the trip to get there, though, and they 40 00:03:43,599 --> 00:03:49,000 were clear about food, drink, and room service not being included, But 41 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:54,520 all in all, it sounded too good to be true. After several hours 42 00:03:54,599 --> 00:04:00,000 of trying to find my way through the customer service websites, I finally got 43 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:04,560 hold of an actual service rep over the phone. At first, they seem 44 00:04:04,639 --> 00:04:09,599 to have no idea what I was talking about, but when I referenced the 45 00:04:09,639 --> 00:04:14,000 personal case number at the bottom of the envelope, they referred me to a 46 00:04:14,039 --> 00:04:21,360 special events manager. This manager, in turn confirmed everything I know I know. 47 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:26,839 They laughed. I know how it sounds, but this is actually a 48 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,720 sort of golden ticket thing. It's a biennal event and part of a charity 49 00:04:30,759 --> 00:04:34,680 effort, so there's a tax incentive for us as well. If you can 50 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:40,040 make it. I'd recommend checking it out. They got some event photos on 51 00:04:40,079 --> 00:04:46,279 our website for reference. I did as she suggested, and I gotta say 52 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:54,959 I was convinced. I accepted. My flight. Arrived on the morning of 53 00:04:55,040 --> 00:05:00,199 the first event day, about three hours ahead of opening. I I had 54 00:05:00,199 --> 00:05:05,879 an uneventful early check in, spotting the locked doors through the lobby. There 55 00:05:05,879 --> 00:05:12,360 were a few posters marking the Heritage Celebration event, and there were already a 56 00:05:12,399 --> 00:05:16,519 couple of people roaming the halls outside, but I decided to catch my breath 57 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:21,519 a bit before the doors opened. I got to my room and clocked out 58 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:26,839 for a couple of hours. I double checked the event schedule on my phone, 59 00:05:27,399 --> 00:05:31,279 making mental notes of the various talks, guided tours, luncheons, dinners, 60 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:36,680 and get togethers. It was a full two day event. I was 61 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:42,639 surprised at just how much there was to do, considering the event was intended 62 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:47,839 for no more than a couple hundred people at most. Still, I couldn't 63 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:53,720 complain, But just as I drifted off for a nap, I got a 64 00:05:53,759 --> 00:06:00,360 notification on my phone, a text from my dad. Apparently he'd recently gotten 65 00:06:00,399 --> 00:06:09,319 his results back. Strangely enough, he didn't have any percentage of the Northern 66 00:06:09,319 --> 00:06:14,839 Scandinavian blue Hill tribe in his genetic make up. Maybe my mom was in 67 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:19,439 a southern as she thought. Once the doors opened, there are about a 68 00:06:19,519 --> 00:06:26,879 hundred people walking about. Some looked like average Joe Nobody's. Others were clearly 69 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:31,680 some kind of corporate representative. I could tell at least six different accents just 70 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:36,920 by walking around, and a couple of foreign languages. There are a few 71 00:06:36,959 --> 00:06:43,360 booths to check out, mostly advertising various new services and products by the company 72 00:06:43,399 --> 00:06:48,519 behind the DNA test, but also one I was just information about various forgotten 73 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:55,120 or unusual tribes. Going through the pamphlets, I couldn't find one about the 74 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:59,959 blue Hill tribe. So I decided to ask the service wrap behind the counter 75 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:05,519 a blue Hill, He said, raising an eyebrow, I'm not sure. 76 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:13,040 I Another rap whispered something in his ear, and he nodded right. He 77 00:07:13,079 --> 00:07:17,560 corrected, we don't have any reading material on that subject, but ah I 78 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:21,720 think there's an infocession should be part of the Tribes of the North meetup. 79 00:07:23,439 --> 00:07:27,319 I double checked the schedule again and made my way to a couple of events. 80 00:07:28,399 --> 00:07:31,639 The Tribes of the North meetup was an after dinner event, part of 81 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:38,000 the late night off our socializing thing they tried to get going. I spent 82 00:07:38,079 --> 00:07:42,680 the afternoon listening in on various other topics, trying to pass the time. 83 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:47,240 There was a speaker on the topic of nomadic North American tribes, as well 84 00:07:47,279 --> 00:07:53,399 as a workshop about forgotten languages. It was all interesting in its own way, 85 00:07:54,199 --> 00:07:59,240 but I found myself drifting away just after lunchtime. I had to take 86 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:03,959 a rest around them three pm because of an upset stomach, a relic from 87 00:08:03,959 --> 00:08:09,399 my sickly past. Later, I took a walk around town and had a 88 00:08:09,399 --> 00:08:15,120 decent meal at a local restaurant before I headed back to the hotel. I 89 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:18,879 was a few minutes late to the meet up. There were about two dozen 90 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:24,560 people there in total. We didn't really have any common features. We had 91 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:28,160 different skin, hair, eyes, and were all from different parts of the 92 00:08:28,319 --> 00:08:33,919 US. A couple of them were Canadian and there was this one guy from 93 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,879 the Philippines. It was pretty clear who the event organizer was, though, 94 00:08:39,759 --> 00:08:43,360 a chipy young woman in a black pantsuit with a company logo pin and a 95 00:08:43,399 --> 00:08:50,240 digital clipboard. She went around the room confirming that everyone was a member of 96 00:08:50,279 --> 00:08:54,840 the Blue Hill. I overheard an older woman mentioning she was categorized as over 97 00:08:54,960 --> 00:09:01,799 thirty percent, while a young man mentioned he only had five percent. The 98 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:05,720 young woman cleared a throat and excused herself, calmly, demanding the attention of 99 00:09:05,759 --> 00:09:11,480 the room. Thank you all so much for coming, she smiled. I'm 100 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:16,039 sure you have a hundred questions, and we thought this might be a good 101 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:20,559 time to get to know one another a little better. Please follow me. 102 00:09:22,799 --> 00:09:26,000 We were led through a corridor to a smaller open room, a sort of 103 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:31,360 meeting space. In the back. They turned down the lights a bit and 104 00:09:31,399 --> 00:09:35,600 set out a couple of platters of cheeses, crackers, and some alcohol free 105 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:41,000 sparkling wine. There were a couple of people there already. I was about 106 00:09:41,039 --> 00:09:45,159 to spark up a conversation with a fifty year old man who looked as confused 107 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,039 as me, when the chippy young woman took hold of the room again. 108 00:09:50,399 --> 00:09:54,600 She directed our attention to a man that I can't for the life of me. 109 00:09:54,759 --> 00:10:01,279 Remember the name of Western or Wesley, I think in turn, welcomed 110 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:05,320 us and encouraged us to indulge in the various snacks scattered throughout the room. 111 00:10:07,519 --> 00:10:13,879 Then he introduced us to the topic of the evening, the Blue Hill Tribe. 112 00:10:13,919 --> 00:10:18,000 If there is one thing I'm certain of, he started, is that 113 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:22,200 every single person in this room has had a serious medical condition at some point 114 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:30,080 in their life, something unusual. Does anyone might sharing an example. I 115 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:33,480 didn't speak up about the severe ulcers I had as a kid and the partial 116 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:39,600 transplant I had to get. But there were others who openly shared various issues, 117 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:45,960 heart valve issues, cornia transplants, nerve damage. Everyone seemed to have 118 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:52,000 something. The man just nodded, as if expecting this. This is sadly 119 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:56,799 a common attribute of people with lineage dating back to the Blue Hill tribes. 120 00:10:58,519 --> 00:11:03,440 So let's take a closer look at the history and customs of these unique people. 121 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:07,600 And while we do, please feel free to mark yourself in the attendant 122 00:11:07,639 --> 00:11:13,480 sheet. He continued to speak of a group of people native to the northern 123 00:11:13,519 --> 00:11:22,120 Scandinavian mountain ranges. There were dates locations an approximate number of tribal members and 124 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:26,879 a few other sparse details. I marked the form while I waited, realizing 125 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:33,399 pretty early on that what he was saying was suspiciously generic. He spoke of 126 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:37,639 leather and bone craftsmanship and a belief in mountain spirits, but there were no 127 00:11:37,759 --> 00:11:45,200 details, no references, no pictures, drawings, or artifacts. I noticed 128 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:48,840 a lot of people around the room paying close attention and not really thinking too 129 00:11:48,919 --> 00:11:54,440 much about what they were filling out on the attendant sheet, but I took 130 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:58,480 a closer look. Our names were already on the sheet, so we were 131 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:03,919 only suppose to make a check mark. However, there were also percentages printed 132 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:09,480 on the side, corresponding to the percentage of heritage we had in common with 133 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:15,039 this tribe. I recognized my eleven percent and the thirty percent of the old 134 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:20,639 woman. There was also a series of other numbers that I didn't immediately recognize. 135 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:24,279 When I thought no one was looking, I snapped a picture of it, 136 00:12:24,519 --> 00:12:30,519 just in case. After a fifteen minute lecture on the history of the 137 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:35,039 Blue Hill tribe, I came to the realization that I hadn't actually learned anything. 138 00:12:37,159 --> 00:12:39,919 The locations and dates were so generic that there was no way to fact 139 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:46,039 check it, and there were no details as to the various customs and crafts. 140 00:12:46,799 --> 00:12:50,559 Looking around the room, I noticed the chippy young woman was off in 141 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:54,480 the corner, whispering to someone on a bluetooth headset, her eyes scanning the 142 00:12:54,519 --> 00:12:58,799 crowd with a serious demeanor. There was a man in a suit by the 143 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:05,000 doorway taking pictures with his phone, and a hotel functionary offering refreshments being turned 144 00:13:05,039 --> 00:13:11,039 away. This was clearly a private matter and of great interest to the company. 145 00:13:11,159 --> 00:13:16,759 For some reason, I snapped to attention as the room applauded. The 146 00:13:16,879 --> 00:13:22,919 lecture came to an end and we were given some time to mingle, but 147 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:28,440 not without another reminder to make a mark of the intendant sheet. I chatted 148 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:31,320 a bit with a few people, but it all felt a bit forced. 149 00:13:31,919 --> 00:13:35,960 Just a few words here and there. I got the impression that none of 150 00:13:37,039 --> 00:13:41,840 us had very much in common. No one seemed to have any idea where 151 00:13:41,879 --> 00:13:46,799 that part of their heritage actually came from. There was this one guy who 152 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:52,559 had studied his genealogy extensively, who insisted that it was strictly impossible for him 153 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:58,080 to even be partly Scandinavian. I've mapped out every family member for six generations, 154 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:03,759 He scuffed, there's no way. As more and more people filled it 155 00:14:03,799 --> 00:14:09,039 out into the night, I decided to lag a bit to see what was 156 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:13,919 being said behind closed doors. I wasn't sneaking around on all fours like a 157 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:18,399 spy, just lingered a little too long on the other side of the bathroom 158 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:24,639 door, or stopping conveniently to check my email near a hushed discussion. I 159 00:14:24,679 --> 00:14:28,399 picked up a few bits and pieces discussions about our percentages. For example, 160 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,399 there was also talk about a second event the following night, and how it 161 00:14:33,519 --> 00:14:39,519 wasn't officially on the schedule. They referred to it as a sort of closing 162 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:43,360 ceremony. There was also a short talk about inviting a few of us to 163 00:14:43,399 --> 00:14:48,240 a private meeting. I heard two people squabbling a bit about the details, 164 00:14:48,679 --> 00:14:52,879 and I didn't catch much of it, but I clearly heard a sentence as 165 00:14:52,879 --> 00:14:58,480 they finished, just get the ripe ones. One of them snarled, none 166 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:05,480 of that three percent trash. I didn't like that, not one bit. 167 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:11,679 Returning to my room, I decided to pack up my things. I had 168 00:15:11,679 --> 00:15:15,360 a bad feeling about whatever they were up to, and I couldn't help but 169 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:20,919 to imagine that they had something planned maybe it was all a scam after all, 170 00:15:20,879 --> 00:15:26,120 or something worse. Either way, I wasn't eager to find out. 171 00:15:28,559 --> 00:15:33,879 I couldn't find a reasonably priced flight back home until early morning. It was 172 00:15:33,919 --> 00:15:37,480 almost twelve hours away, but I figured I could pull an all nighter and 173 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:41,639 get out as soon as the sun rose. I could wait a few hours 174 00:15:41,639 --> 00:15:48,080 at the airport if need be. With my bags packed and ready, I 175 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:54,440 settled in for a long night. It was somewhere around two a m. 176 00:15:54,960 --> 00:16:00,440 When I found myself staring at late night TV and scrawling on my phone as 177 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:06,519 a salesman prattled on in the background. A stray thought hit me. I 178 00:16:06,639 --> 00:16:11,080 decided to take another look at the attendant sheet photo. There was a set 179 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:17,240 of numbers by each person that didn't make immediate sense to me. I brought 180 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:22,120 out a pen and paper and started breaking them down, first in sets of 181 00:16:22,159 --> 00:16:27,320 twos, then individually, then sets of three, trying to find some pattern 182 00:16:27,519 --> 00:16:33,960 or idea. It took me a little longer than I cared to admit to 183 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:41,960 recognize something. The last four numbers correlated to one pattern four and room number. 184 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:48,879 That left four other numbers, which, when broken down into pairs of 185 00:16:48,919 --> 00:16:53,480 two, correlated to a month and a day. The date itself didn't make 186 00:16:53,559 --> 00:16:57,879 much sense, though for me it was a few days after I'd sent in 187 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:06,240 my first sample. Then it hit me it was probably the day they received 188 00:17:06,279 --> 00:17:11,480 the sample. Taking a closer look at the percentages, I could see that 189 00:17:11,519 --> 00:17:17,559 everyone with a nine percent heritage or lower was situated on lower floors, while 190 00:17:17,599 --> 00:17:22,759 those with ten percent and higher all seemed to have the higher floors. Maybe 191 00:17:22,759 --> 00:17:26,480 there was a sort of unspoken threshold happening at ten percent and up. Could 192 00:17:26,519 --> 00:17:30,799 that be what they referred to when they said to get the ripe ones. 193 00:17:32,559 --> 00:17:37,759 As I scrawled through various images from previously hosted charity events, I got a 194 00:17:37,839 --> 00:17:45,359 notification my phone warned me that my camera app had unexpectedly closed. Strange, 195 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:52,480 seeing how it wasn't open to begin with. A bad feeling settled in my 196 00:17:52,519 --> 00:17:59,079 stomach. I was on the hotel WiFi. Could they be monitoring our activities? 197 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:04,680 I considered the option that I was just being tired and paranoid. That 198 00:18:04,759 --> 00:18:10,960 might very well be the case, But on the other hand, I'd heard 199 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:17,440 what I'd heard. It was stressing me out, further upsetting my already sensitive 200 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:22,359 stomach. I could feel a tinge of pain and decided to go get some 201 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:26,680 mice. Might sound like a stupid home remedy thing, but sucking on an 202 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:33,279 ice cube has always helped me calm down. I followed the corridor, got 203 00:18:33,279 --> 00:18:37,160 myself some ice in a bucket, and returned to my room. As I 204 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:44,680 was about to round the corner, I recognized as familiar sound my hotel room 205 00:18:44,759 --> 00:18:52,599 door being closed and locked from the outside. Peeking around the corner, I 206 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:56,799 noticed two people dressed in black disappearing down the hall, mumbling quietly to one 207 00:18:56,839 --> 00:19:03,400 another, returning to my room. I couldn't help, but the second guess 208 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:08,720 myself. Had the bathroom door always been open was the same channel on the 209 00:19:08,759 --> 00:19:15,160 TV playing Had some one moved my bags? It was hard to tell. 210 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:22,880 That's how I spent the night wondering. My heart sometimes skipped a beat as 211 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:30,319 I thought I noticed something new, but ultimately I couldn't find anything immediately threatening. 212 00:19:30,599 --> 00:19:33,759 I pulled out my phone battery just in case, and kept it in 213 00:19:33,799 --> 00:19:40,559 my other pocket. No one would be tracking me any time soon. I 214 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:44,079 messed my bed to make it look like I had slept in it, even 215 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:47,680 though I spent most of my time in the bathroom. Ready to lock the 216 00:19:47,759 --> 00:19:52,079 door, and call the police. I nodded off a few times, but 217 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:57,720 eventually the sun broke the horizon, a few rays of sunshine slipping in through 218 00:19:57,759 --> 00:20:07,559 the frosted bathroom window. Oh. I got my bags and left. One 219 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:11,720 nervous elevator ride later, I slapped down the hotel key on the reception and 220 00:20:11,799 --> 00:20:18,200 headed for the exit without elaborating. I accidentally made eye contact with the hotel 221 00:20:18,279 --> 00:20:22,839 security guard by the exit, who gave me a curious side eye. Sir, 222 00:20:23,519 --> 00:20:29,880 he asked. I stopped briefly and excused myself. He held up a 223 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:34,960 hand, Sir, may I speak to you, he repeated, I have 224 00:20:36,039 --> 00:20:41,400 an appointment. I smiled, Sorry, it won't take long. He smiled, 225 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:47,039 right this way, looking at the silver colored revolving door that could get 226 00:20:47,079 --> 00:20:52,119 me out of there. I considered my options. I could make a break 227 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:56,799 for it, or I could just see what this was all about. I 228 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:00,079 decided to just talk to the man, banking hard on it not being anything 229 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:15,400 serious. In hindsight, I should have gone for the door. I was 230 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:19,240 taken to a small room right next to the reception. There he asked to 231 00:21:19,279 --> 00:21:23,759 see my phone. I showed him, although the battery was still out. 232 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:30,839 My supervisor has a couple of questions. He said, she's just outside, 233 00:21:30,319 --> 00:21:34,880 won't be a minute. I'm sorry, but I got it. He pocketed 234 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:41,039 my phone, smiled and stepped out of the room. But it wasn't an 235 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:47,920 ordinary service personnel kind of smile. It was almost apologetic, like he knew 236 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:52,559 he'd landed me in some kind of trouble. And through the door came the 237 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:59,680 chipper young woman from the previous night. She wasn't as chipper this time. 238 00:22:00,839 --> 00:22:06,279 She didn't sit down, instead opting to stand on the opposite side of the 239 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:10,920 room with the arms crossed. For a solid minute, she just stood there, 240 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:17,000 considering what to say. Finally, she let out a sigh and took 241 00:22:17,079 --> 00:22:22,839 a step forward. I felt like a scorn schoolboy being dragged into the principal's 242 00:22:22,839 --> 00:22:27,759 office. Are you leaving early? She asked, would be a shame to 243 00:22:27,839 --> 00:22:33,400 mister get together to night. I'm thankful to have been part of this, 244 00:22:33,079 --> 00:22:38,400 I said, but I really ought to get going. Oh, she feigned 245 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:45,920 surprise, family emergency, and that's private, I said. I could still 246 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:51,160 hear the hotel personnel outside, and figured she didn't want to make a scene. 247 00:22:52,319 --> 00:22:57,319 I leaned back in my chair, confident and quiet. She didn't take 248 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:03,200 that too well. I think it'd be best for you if you've stayed a 249 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:08,319 little longer, she continued. I don't think I will. I don't think 250 00:23:08,319 --> 00:23:14,240 there's much to debate. I'm sorry, but you've no. She slammed a 251 00:23:14,279 --> 00:23:18,480 fist on the table and stared me down, unblinking and furious. There was 252 00:23:18,519 --> 00:23:23,279 a slight tremble in a movement. There was no way those outside didn't hear 253 00:23:23,359 --> 00:23:30,079 us, and yet no one moved a muscle. Perhaps she was in more 254 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:34,319 control than I'd anticipated. I think you're going to stick around for a while, 255 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:38,759 she snarled, or we're going to have a problem. You will have 256 00:23:38,799 --> 00:23:45,279 a problem with me, No, I said, shaking my head. Ah, 257 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,119 er, I don't. Then you're going to shut the hell up and 258 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:56,079 play along. I was dumb struck. There was no ambiguity here. She 259 00:23:56,319 --> 00:24:02,640 was outright threatening me. I could barely understan and why. Maybe she'd seen 260 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:06,480 something on my phone while I was connected to the hotel WiFi, or maybe 261 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:11,799 they noticed me spying. Perhaps they saw me pondering the attendant sheet. I 262 00:24:11,839 --> 00:24:18,880 don't know. Either way, they weren't taking any chances. I didn't see 263 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:22,680 that hotel security guard again. Instead, They put me in a room with 264 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:27,880 a very quiet man in a suit. He didn't answer any questions. He 265 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:33,839 wasn't much for small talk. All he did was stand outside the room, 266 00:24:33,319 --> 00:24:38,119 checking in on me as soon as I made a noise. I spent all 267 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:42,880 day in that room, this small ten x fourteen room with little more than 268 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:48,319 a couch, a coffee table, and the most generic looking hotel painting I'd 269 00:24:48,319 --> 00:24:53,400 ever seen. Still as calming as that room was, I was freaking the 270 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:57,720 hell out, but there was nothing for me to do at that point. 271 00:24:59,519 --> 00:25:03,640 No hair schemes could make me magically phase through the wall. I was stuck 272 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:10,079 there, and I sure as hell wouldn't fight That guy didn't take a detective 273 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:15,480 despot. He was armed. The stress made my stomach act up. I 274 00:25:15,519 --> 00:25:18,759 was allowed to use the bathroom, but they kept the stall door open. 275 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:23,920 Then it was straight back to the room. I tried frantically to come up 276 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:29,039 with some kind of plan, or figuring out some specific turn of the corridor 277 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:34,160 where he wouldn't have a clear shot, but it was useless. There were 278 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:41,000 long, wide open spaces and no harsh corners, but that was my mindset. 279 00:25:41,039 --> 00:25:45,119 I was still under the impression that there was something I could do, 280 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:52,079 but in reality I couldn't. Once that started the dawn on me, I 281 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:57,359 realized how screwed I was. It was the emotional equivalent of sinking into a 282 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:06,799 deep black ocean. It was late afternoon when the door opened. Having spent 283 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:10,720 most of the day napping on the couch and anxiously wandering back and forth, 284 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:15,119 I got on my feet like a soldier. One of the guards coaxed me 285 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:19,680 outside. I could tell something was up. People were rushing past us, 286 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:26,720 speaking into their ear pieces removed in the opposite direction, but I caught a 287 00:26:26,759 --> 00:26:30,359 glimpse of a well dressed group of people used as human shields for someone very 288 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:37,680 important. I was quickly ushered along. I was taken through the hotel kitchen. 289 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:41,759 They'd cleared out the staff. They tuk me to what looked like an 290 00:26:41,799 --> 00:26:47,200 abandoned old walk in freezer. I was pushed inside and the door was closed. 291 00:26:48,559 --> 00:26:51,359 I don't know how those walk in freezers, I suppose the work, 292 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:56,000 but this one locked from the outside. There were no lights, and I 293 00:26:56,039 --> 00:27:00,920 could barely make out what was happening through the little windows. I didn't have 294 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:06,440 to wait for long. Just minutes after I could hear other people entering the 295 00:27:06,519 --> 00:27:11,720 room, some curious, some angry, some crying. One by one, 296 00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:15,960 the guests from the previous night were ushered into the freezer, even the old 297 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:25,559 woman. Well, not all the guests, only those ripe enough. There 298 00:27:25,559 --> 00:27:30,480 were nine of us in total. Some were mildly annoyed, others were confused. 299 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:33,680 Finally, they dropped a guy who had been beaten straight onto the floor. 300 00:27:34,559 --> 00:27:38,559 He was clearly not okay, trying his best to breathe through his mouth. 301 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:45,160 That set most of us off. Some banged on the door, others 302 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:48,079 screened at the top of their lungs. No one had a phone or a 303 00:27:48,079 --> 00:27:55,279 weapon. The panic rose, and it spread like wildfire. Soon I was 304 00:27:55,359 --> 00:28:00,000 right there with them, screaming for someone to let us out. I screamed 305 00:28:00,039 --> 00:28:04,400 into my voice hoarse, but no one came. We must have been in 306 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:10,519 there for at least forty to forty five minutes. Our protests died, and 307 00:28:10,599 --> 00:28:15,240 in the following silence we heard someone enter the room, a single set of 308 00:28:15,279 --> 00:28:21,720 footsteps. They approached, and we all quieted down. I could see the 309 00:28:21,759 --> 00:28:26,000 vague outline of a man outside, but our breaths had fogged up the windows 310 00:28:26,039 --> 00:28:30,559 and the door. He had a black suit with a blue tie. He 311 00:28:30,599 --> 00:28:36,519 stood there with his hands in his pocket, watching us. I backed away 312 00:28:36,559 --> 00:28:41,160 from the door. The others did the same, No matter how bad the 313 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:45,480 freezer was. There was something telling me that this guy was somehow worse. 314 00:28:47,799 --> 00:28:52,920 He was too calm, like this was all normal, he'd done it before. 315 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:59,799 As the door opened, we all scrambled to get back. He stepped 316 00:28:59,799 --> 00:29:03,480 into the entrance, obscured by the bad lighting, but for all I could 317 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:08,640 see he was a man, a little shorter than me, a bit round 318 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:15,720 around the stomach, bald, maybe glasses. There was something reflecting off his 319 00:29:15,799 --> 00:29:22,599 face, and yet there was something about him that screamed danger. The man 320 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:26,400 who'd been beaten was ready to roll the dice. He took off running, 321 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:30,799 trying to push past and get out. There was a kitchen exit not too 322 00:29:30,839 --> 00:29:33,559 far away, so if he could just make it past this guy, then 323 00:29:34,039 --> 00:29:41,599 maybe he'd be in the clear. But no, he didn't get that far. 324 00:29:42,559 --> 00:29:48,559 The strange man didn't tackle him, or attack or scream. In fact, 325 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:52,480 he didn't seem to react at all. But the runner, well, 326 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:57,400 he stopped a few steps short of leaving the freezer. He clutched his throat, 327 00:29:57,640 --> 00:30:02,920 gasping for air. The man spoke in a raspy, matter of factly 328 00:30:03,039 --> 00:30:10,039 voice, as if counting the inventory on the supermarket's shelf. Male thirty eight 329 00:30:10,119 --> 00:30:15,440 years old, six years spread, reaching a total of eighteen percent implanted the 330 00:30:15,519 --> 00:30:25,240 Riesophagu's surgery, and then there was this ungodly noise. The runner collapsed to 331 00:30:25,279 --> 00:30:30,519 his knees. He was trying to scream, but all that came out was 332 00:30:30,559 --> 00:30:36,920 a sort of guturo wheeze. It escaped him in waves, involuntarily, until 333 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:41,680 we could see something poking out of his mouth, like the silhouette of a 334 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:48,079 wet branch being pulled out. Finally, there was a snap as it fully 335 00:30:48,119 --> 00:30:52,599 dislodged, and the freezer began to re reek of blood. He stopped moving. 336 00:30:55,799 --> 00:31:00,160 The panic consumed us. I may read calm here in the aftermath, 337 00:31:02,119 --> 00:31:07,160 but in that moment I was an animal. I was scratching on the damn 338 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:11,160 walls trying to get back. I didn't care if I was pushing people into 339 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:17,880 the floor or stepping on someone's head. I was desperate. The strange man 340 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:26,279 spoke again, but this time his raspy voice seemed better improved. Female twenty 341 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:32,880 nine years old, four year spread, reaching a total of fourteen percent implant 342 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:38,680 through spinal surgery. One by one, he counted us off male female, 343 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:44,920 male female, four years, five years, nine eight percentages going up and 344 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:49,400 down, lung cancer, cornea, transplant, dialysis, screams, and blood, 345 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:55,960 one by one, being pulled out of the crowd and then pulled apart. 346 00:31:56,400 --> 00:32:00,960 I'll never forget the sounds. Small bones sound like carrots when they snap 347 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:09,200 bigger ones. It differs the dripping noise as human spillach mixed on the floor. 348 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:15,599 Drops a blood really do sound heavier than water. And with every victim, 349 00:32:15,839 --> 00:32:21,759 I could see something shift in our captor, straightening back, deeper breaths, 350 00:32:22,279 --> 00:32:28,200 like he was absorbing it all into himself, taking something back, harvesting. 351 00:32:30,839 --> 00:32:36,000 The sixth person on the chopping block was me. He read it all 352 00:32:36,039 --> 00:32:42,839 out loud, male. He began thirty one years old, twenty four year 353 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:50,319 spread, reaching a total of eleven percent implant through also treatment. My stomach 354 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:55,519 rumbled, moved, twitched, as if calming alive. It wanted to escape 355 00:32:55,559 --> 00:33:01,160 me, to break free. It strained against me. I collapsed to the 356 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:07,480 floor, my hands slipping on the blood seeping into my skin, itching under 357 00:33:07,519 --> 00:33:15,000 my fingernails. Then I felt something move in my pocket. I almost dropped 358 00:33:15,039 --> 00:33:21,279 it. I still had my phone battery. I took it out and held 359 00:33:21,279 --> 00:33:24,400 it up to my mouth. I could bite down on it, drenching myself 360 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:30,160 in acid. Oh god knows what. My stomach ceased moving, if only 361 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:37,559 for a short reprieve. I looked up at my captor. See see this, 362 00:33:37,279 --> 00:33:42,599 I said, it'll it'll screw us both up. But you need it 363 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:46,880 right, you need me whole. There was no response. I could just 364 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:52,880 see him tilting his head down at me. Yeah, if I destroy myself, 365 00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:58,400 you get nothing right. That's it, isn't it. Huh. I 366 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:01,480 placed it between my teeth, ready to bite down like a rabid dog on 367 00:34:01,559 --> 00:34:07,480 a juicy bone. He didn't move As I got up, He circled one 368 00:34:07,519 --> 00:34:13,519 another. He wasn't about to let me go. He wasn't looking at me 369 00:34:13,639 --> 00:34:19,440 in the eyes. He was staring intently at my stomach. He wanted to 370 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:23,719 pull it out of me, to turn it into something else. Or maybe 371 00:34:24,039 --> 00:34:30,400 it was part of him all along, something coming home. No, he 372 00:34:30,519 --> 00:34:37,280 said it ends. He reached out a hand for me, and I bit 373 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:42,800 down without hesitation. To my surprise, there was just a little puff, 374 00:34:43,559 --> 00:34:49,800 but that was it. The battery tumbled to the floor useless. The man 375 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:54,480 instinctively recoiled, but upon seeing that there was no danger, it all came 376 00:34:54,599 --> 00:35:01,119 back with a vengeance. The pain was immediate and incredible. Something in me 377 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:08,760 moved and I immediately spat up a glob of stomach acid. Then the battery 378 00:35:10,119 --> 00:35:16,920 exploded. It wasn't a big explosion, just a loud bang, like the 379 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:22,480 starting of a pistol race. I slipped and slid my way out of the 380 00:35:22,519 --> 00:35:27,719 freezer and had to make a split second decision. I could close and lock 381 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:31,320 the door behind me, effectively ceiling him and everyone in there. Or I 382 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:37,960 could leave the door open for others to escape. But it wasn't really a 383 00:35:37,079 --> 00:35:43,519 choice, not really. It never is when you get pushed into something like 384 00:35:43,599 --> 00:35:49,559 this. I slammed that door shut and led it auto lock without even thinking 385 00:35:49,599 --> 00:35:53,480 about it. Perhaps he asked the guards to clear out. I don't know, 386 00:35:54,639 --> 00:35:59,840 but there was no one else in that kitchen. I grabbed a knife 387 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:04,000 from one of the counters, burst through the exit door, and disappeared into 388 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:08,159 the night, my stomach stirring like a restless animal, but settling as I 389 00:36:08,199 --> 00:36:15,679 got further away. I can only regret what happened to those left behind. 390 00:36:15,519 --> 00:36:22,239 It still makes my spine itch. A police patrol found me wondering the streets 391 00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:27,760 about an hour or two later. I can't imagine it looked good. I 392 00:36:27,800 --> 00:36:31,559 was taking such small, shallow breaths and I was still clutching the knife. 393 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:37,400 Not to mention, I was covered in blood. They were convinced that I 394 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:42,760 killed someone, but I surrendered willingly and eagerly. I tried to tell a 395 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:47,440 coherent story, but they just didn't understand me. Probably didn't make much sense. 396 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:52,920 A shower and a fresh set of clothes later, I explained my experience 397 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:58,840 of the hotel to the best of my ability. Sadly, it didn't really 398 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:02,360 do much. There were no records of the man I described ever visiting that 399 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:07,559 hotel. As for the missing people, those I claimed had been murdered, 400 00:37:08,599 --> 00:37:13,079 they had checked out one by one at different hours of the day prior. 401 00:37:13,679 --> 00:37:17,679 According to the hotel records, they might be missing, but there was no 402 00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:25,000 indication of foul play. Yeah, I'm calling lies on that. So yeah, 403 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:30,960 that was by far the worst time of my life. Looking back at 404 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:35,880 it, it feels unreal, like it happened to some one else. But 405 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:39,960 even now I can still get little flashes of something there reminds me of that 406 00:37:40,079 --> 00:37:47,199 night, and it just pulls me right back. It never really leaves Whoever 407 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:52,719 that man was. He was important enough to get a whole company to cover 408 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:55,400 for him. I'm sure not all of them knew why they were doing it, 409 00:37:57,239 --> 00:38:01,280 but they were complicit. I think we're looking at someone with a lot 410 00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:07,639 of resources and a lot of reach. I never got a name, and 411 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:12,800 seeing how he seemed to change with every victimy consumed, I can't really tell 412 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:16,039 what he looks like any more, not even his age or hight or weight. 413 00:38:17,639 --> 00:38:22,719 There are surprisingly some real records about a small tribe of people living from 414 00:38:22,719 --> 00:38:29,039 the Blue Hill in the Scandinavian Mountain Range. There isn't much out there about 415 00:38:29,079 --> 00:38:34,880 them, just to mention that they worshiped immortal mountain spirits. Others say they 416 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:40,719 worship devils. It's a mixed bag. I don't know what to believe. 417 00:38:42,679 --> 00:38:45,679 I don't know what I saw, but I'm living with a knowledge that a 418 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:52,199 part of me, something inside me, isn't my own. It moves with 419 00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:55,800 me, it lives with me, but at the snap of a finger from 420 00:38:55,840 --> 00:39:02,599 that thing and it will rebel, it will fail me. And I'm just 421 00:39:02,639 --> 00:39:08,239 at what eleven percent. What happens when I reach fifty or one hundred. 422 00:39:09,679 --> 00:39:14,960 I decided to post this after getting a video ad that I could never have 423 00:39:15,079 --> 00:39:22,000 anticipated. It seems that this company is still in business advertising their new generation 424 00:39:22,119 --> 00:39:25,639 of DNA tests. I'm sure some of you out there have seen it. 425 00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:32,840 Twenty seconds unskippable smiling faces, distant family members being tied together by CGI blue 426 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:38,480 ribbon. I think they have some of those damn sunflowers in the background still 427 00:39:38,519 --> 00:39:46,679 colored that basic company blue, and seeing it like that, it just it 428 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:50,039 made my stomach turn.