Goshawk | Ep. 27

0:00Greetings, listeners, and welcome back to The White Vault Gos-Hawk. I'm K.A. Stats, writer and creator of The White Vault, co-founder of Fool and Scholar Productions, and personal spokesperson for our Patreon. Our company is tiny, independent, and almost entirely funded by listeners. So if you find value in the stories we tell, please consider checking out our Patreon. You are what makes us possible, and in the world of large companies and podcasting giants, we endure. If you are listening to this episode before February 2026, you have an interesting possibility ahead of you. What if you could bring home a piece of our horrors?

0:38Right now, on our Patreon, supporters are signing up for our tantalizing Guardian tier, a level of support for fans who feel the frightening pull of tangible terrors. This year, to mark the end of the White Vault, we're conspiring with talented European craftsmen to build Guardian statuettes. Versions of the White Vault's dark, unsettling creatures in their frozen form for you to bring into your home. As always, to learn more, click on the link in the show notes or go to patreon.com slash foolandscholar. Now we return again to the chill of the white vault. Starting or growing your own business can be intimidating and lonely at times.

1:21Your to-do list may feel endless with new tasks and lists can easily begin to overrun your life. So finding the right tool that not only helps you out, but simplifies everything as a built-in business partner can be a game changer. For millions of businesses, that tool is Shopify. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10 % of all e-commerce in the U.S., from household names like Gymshark, Rare Beauty, and Heinz, to brands just getting started. Shopify has hundreds of ready-to-use templates that can help you build a beautiful online store that matches your brand's style.

1:58And you can tackle all the important tasks in one place, from inventory to payments to analytics and more. No need to save multiple websites or try to figure out what platform is hosting the tool that you need. And if people haven't heard about your brand, you can get the word out like you have a marketing team behind you with easy-to-run email and social media campaigns to reach customers wherever they're scrolling or strolling. Start your business today with the industry's best business partner, Shopify, and start hearing. Sign up for your$1 per month trial today at shopify.com slash realm. Go to shopify.com slash realm.

2:36That's shopify.com slash realm.

2:43Hey, it's Kelly Rowland. You may not know this, but I have eczema. So I get how it can steal your time. But why let eczema take over? when you can talk to your doctor about EBCLIS. EBCLIS Lubrikizumab LBKZ, a 250 milligram per two milliliter injection, is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe eczema. Also called atopic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals or who cannot use topical therapies, EBCLIS can be used with or without topical corticosteroids.

3:17Don't use if you are allergic to EBCLIS. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Epclus. Before starting Epclus, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Paid partnership with Lilly. Respect your time. Ask your doctor about Epclus and visit Epclus.com or call 1-800-LILLY-RX or 1-800-545-5979.

3:52A white vault, Gothug.

4:45Come on, he said... Come on, Georgana, it's gotta be... Here, here, breathe, breathe.

4:55Am I doing this right? Okay, rhythm? Not too much? Go away!

5:08Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, great, great. I can't breathe. Just tight. Don't move. Don't move. Don't speak. Focus on breathing. You stopped breathing for a while, and I... A kid told me about this thing ahead of time.

5:32Don't speak. Yeah, I hear footsteps, too. It's more than one set, or it may be an echo. Don't trust. You know so... God... Stop talking and stop moving. I'll get the pistol. Can you hold the mask to your face? Hey, hey, stay awake. Can you hold the bag? If I see you, drop it. I'll start it again, okay? Just... Hey, awake! Hold the bag.

6:04There's a light, like a flashlight. Those things don't carry light. Maybe it's Adele. Or Kid Lad? Yeah, I know. Whoever is out there, I have a gun and I will shoot. Identify yourself and approach slowly. I also have a gun and will shoot if needed. I don't know that voice. How many are you? We heard more than one set of footsteps. There are two of us. How many are you? Also two. Are you the team sent by Val Cegna? Part of it. If you know that, then you know there's something dangerous here. We can't yell like this. It'll attract attention. Move closer. I promise not to shoot if you remain well-lit.

6:53And don't make any fast movements.

7:03Who are you? Why are you here? I'm Thys. Eldrond Stother of the Sitia family, and this is Koske of the EY. We are here to find someone. Who could you possibly be looking for? We're in the middle of nowhere. We're searching for a possibly dangerous man, Jason Uchida. He came out here several days ago with some graduate students. We don't know what he's doing, but we think those people are in danger. You can come closer. My friend recognizes your names, I think. But don't think I won't hurt you if I need to. This situation has eliminated most of my polite, non-violent tendencies. And as for Jason...

7:48Yeah. He's been a problem. I understand not trusting this, but can you tell me what's wrong with your friend? Maybe we can help. She can't breathe? She was stabbed and... Drogono, wake up. She keeps passing out, and I have to use the bag to help her breathe. Earlier she said her chest felt tight. Dracana, that's the... that's a Val Cicna agent. Wait. Stabbed? By whom? That can wait. She's unconscious. Pulse is weak. Hello? I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm Iwai Kosuke. I'm a doctor, and I'm going to try and help you. You, tell me everything about her condition so far. Yeah, yeah, of course.

8:34She was stabbed around here. The knife was about this long. I have it. If that helps, we were able to bandage it, and it didn't bleed a lot. Not as much as I thought getting stabbed would, but we had to move her from the lake and into the cave so she didn't get to rest. It's gotten progressively worse, her breathing, I mean, and now she can't seem to get air in at all. I didn't know you were a doctor. How can I help? Show me your medical supplies. Please hold the light. Right here, in the pack. Take it. Take whatever you need.

9:07I should have told you, Dease, but it never seemed pressing. I'm the family pediatrician. I wanted to be the family doctor, but we already have one. And as you can imagine, he's healthy and not retiring anytime soon. Give me some space. And stop the ambi bag for now. I need to listen.

9:29It's not the best selection, but you have the bare minimum of what we may need. And that's good enough. She has no breath sounds without assistance. Distended jugular, intermittent consciousness, minimal palpable pulse, tracheal deviation. And listen to her chest cavity. I think she has a pneumothorax. Restart the ambi-bag. Okay. What does that mean, though? Pneumothorax means that the stab she suffered punctured the space between her chest wall and her lung. Air can escape her lung, but has nowhere to go. And that air pressure has been building up in the cavity. This puts a lot of pressure on the lungs, making it more and more difficult to breathe as the air inside increases.

10:10Uh, yeah, yeah, that sounds right. It got worse as time went on, as we moved her. But before continuing, who are you? If that's Dragana, who are you? Were you sent by Volsigna as well? A fucking joke? I'm no one. I was out here taking photos of birds and landed in a pile of shit. Now help her, she's my godmother. Oh. Do something! What do we do? I can attempt an emergency through a cost to me, which means I'll need help.

10:41An earthquake. We're in goddamn Maine. We need to get out of here. We can't move her. Not anymore. She'll need to stay here until the procedure is done and the pressure is dissipated. It's dangerous, but it needs to happen. For her sake. She won't make it much longer otherwise. Right. But there are things in the area. I don't know what you know or what you've seen, but something is happening at the old lake, so we need to get out of here quickly. How can I help? Tell me what to do. First, unbind the wound site. Then the goal of the procedure will be to release the built-up pressure and create a valve for the air to escape her body as needed.

11:23So you'll go in through the stab wound? No. I will have to cut and control a new small hole, directed at the intrapleural space to allow the air to escape. You don't have a large enough catheter or needle to perform a needle thoracotomy. There isn't any more? Where's your pack? That's all we have. I couldn't carry her and all the gear, so I just have this bag. It seemed more useful. Alright, we'll make it work. I'll need sterile gloves, a scalpel, some kind of small forceps, and the benzoin swab's there. I guess I never did ask what you did back home. Wash your hands and arms. I'll find the gloves.

12:05Benzo... Here are these? Yes. Lay out some clean gauze and put them down. Try to keep things clean. Scouple, scouple, scouple, scouple. No, no, let go. That's, uh... Those are our beds. Koski already found your medical kit. There. Look. Sorry, it's just dark. Here, a scalpel. What was the other thing? Forceps, but I have them here already. Now keep her flat and lift her right arm up and out of the way. Got it. Sorry, Georgana. What's your name? Ify. Ify. Take the ambi bag and continue the breathing aid like you were doing when we first arrived. Dees, I need you to find a small-sized plastic bag.

12:49Something flexible, and keep it clean. I'll look. Now, Dragana, right? I don't know how much you're going to be able to feel, or if you can understand me right now, but this is going to hurt. Hopefully you're not too conscious. I'm going to start now. Making a decision. Fifth intercostal space, right side. Top of lower rib. Okay. Clean gauze. Put it under her side to collect the blood. Uh, yeah. Got it. You can add another stabbing to the list, right, Jagana? This is nothing. Is she going to be okay? I'll do my best. Continue with the bag for now. Of course. You've done this before, right? Never in my professional career.

13:44Not a normal visit for a pediatrician. Oh. Gush. Forcep. What? What? Do you need to remove something? No. The forceps help create an open passage. Stop the bag. For the air to escape. Was that the trapped air? Can she breathe now? Give her two more breaths with the ambi bag. If you're squirmish, look away now.

14:18Another breath on the bag. Good. What did you have to feel with your finger? I could feel the reinflation of her lung. And I'm happy to say she's breathing on her own now. She is? The air in the cavity is gone, and... Hear that? Her chest doesn't sound like a drum anymore. And her lung sounds are slowly returning to normal. They're improving with every small breath. Is she going to be okay now? We will need to wait and see if air begins to collect in her lungs again. That might mean the stab wound punctured her lung and the air is leaking in. But for now, we need to tape an improvised valve over the incision.

15:02Hey, Dracana. Can this count as luck? Got you a doctor out of nowhere. Gotta be, right? Please. Please. Just breathe. When should she wake up? If she's breathing, shouldn't she wake up if she was just awake a minute ago? Has she gone unconscious before? Yes, a few times. How long did it take her to wake up from those? It was different each time. And it will be different this time as well. Her body's exhausted. Let her rest. We'll keep an eye on her. If it appears as if her lung is not leaking air, we can think about moving her. Until then, I'm sure we have a lot to talk about Yeah, sure We said we wouldn't let that bitch kill you You'll let go You will

16:19Now that the niceties are out of the way, what did you call me here for? Niceties? We'll never nice. Not to you. I'm nice to your secretaries. Well, they think I'm worth being nice to. I'm sure they do. Your name's on their paychecks. Bad news, then. Perhaps It's been five years And we've still not found a way out of this Not even a full cycle of the sites is completed So I don't know what we expected to learn In such a short amount of time And the research done in the last two decades I don't want to hear your sob stories Your families had hundreds or thousands of years To work on a solution And all you did was twiddle your thumbs And rake in the cash You know that's untrue.

17:13You've seen how much data we've collected. You've helped collect it. The only way we can strive for answers and a possible solution is with modern means, something only the previous two generations have had access to. That doesn't forgive anything. I know, but... I don't want to hear it. What am I here for?

17:37We've secured more partners from more sites. Thankfully, some of the other families have been willing to share information and site access, so long as we don't interfere when their site becomes active. Access to further sites we've secured through less straightforward means. Like me. And others. Dragana, what if there is no safe way to end these cycles? What if the cycles are, by their nature, the most controlled and least harmful system? Least harmful? Are you really the kind who thinks bad news deserves a face-to-face? It's so considerate of you. I understand, as much as I can, your intense distaste for me and mine.

18:24But what if we are the lesser of two evils? Would that suffice? Are you asking me for moral guidance? We have favor with the terrible things that kill people. We benefit from the abhorrent actions, but we have a say in the deaths. The number of deaths is precise and documented. If the solution were death on a much larger and uncontrollable scale, then isn't what we have the better choice? I'm not a scientist. I'm not your family. And I'm certainly not a moral authority. If you think my answer is any different now than before, you're playing with yourself. No, you're actually worried. You want me to say it's okay for people to die to break the cycle.

19:15It wouldn't be us killing them. Not in the same manner, not on as controlled a scale. And they will hate us for it. They will want to stop it. But there may not be another way.

19:31So far, these are your only two options? Yes. Is it indiscriminate? In some ways, yes. In others, absolutely not. If so, I guess one of us may end up dead. Maybe both.

20:18I'll store the ambi bag for now, but be sure it's reachable. I'm really thankful, Doc. But surgery or not, I still don't trust two random people who showed up in the same cave as me in the middle of nowhere. She's been telling me some messed up shit, and I'm not even supposed to trust the people I know, let alone strangers. That's understandable, and good advice. We are here to look for Jason, and because we think some strange things might be happening here, We can't tell you much more than that for now, but we're happy to listen to anything you'd be willing to share. Your godmother works for a company.

20:59In some way, she works for the same company that I do. Ippie! Ippie! We made it out of the cave! If you're still in there, come out! There are creatures in the cave! We need to go now! Come on! Do you? Not her.

21:26Don't make a peep. There are things here. We saw it leave the caves earlier. It must be checking by the entrance again. So you know about the Guardians? Whatever they are, yeah. But I... I don't know how much I should tell you. I don't know if it's safe. We are not here to hurt you or stop you from leaving. In fact, you leaving sounds like the best course of action. No, I mean, I don't know if it's safe for you. Ah. You're right. You never know. We were told that Dragan had a team. Was there someone else with her? Yes, a man, Kidlat. He... Well, I don't know where he is anymore. I hope he's okay.

22:14How did you get here? Did you come with him? No. No, I needed help, so I called her. She came here to help me. Dracana, I didn't... I'm so happy you're awake. How do you feel? Can you breathe? Does anything hurt? Give her a moment. Stay calm. Take your time. Small breaths. Just breathe as you normally would. Try not to overexert yourself.

22:44What? You... Chircata? The fuck are you? You're in cave physician. How's your breathing feel? Does your chest feel tight or small when you try to inhale? Breathing's easier. Stab wound aches like... Are there more of them? Did I get stabbed a second time? That's from the procedure, to let the air out. You sound better? It's good if you can't remember it. Now, please turn your head. Does it feel like you get the same amount of air each time you inhale? Is it getting any worse the more you breathe? Yes... No... It's fine. Thanks for the help. Now, who are you? You're from the families. You look too calm.

23:49It's a dead giveaway. They said their names earlier. You even gave me a nod. I was out of it then. I don't remember any of that. I will guess you're from the EY, based on the accent. And you, your Sidger. I am Dis Eldrosto Terosidia, yes. And I'm Iwai Korske. Can't say it's ever been a good meeting when a Sidger's involved. And even with the ones I've met, your new true daughter. Yes, and he's also a true son. We have the luck, as much as anyone does right now. Wait, they have it too? Are they related to me, or...? Different families. Same problem. Oh, so there's a lot of them. Us? It's a small world we live in.

24:48And a terrible one. Why are you here? This is a far cry from your sights. They said they were following Jason. There's more to it than that. Yes, much more. Fill me in, then. There have also been reports of radiation in the area. The kind usually linked to the sites. As for Jason, we followed a digital paper trail out to Maine, and then to a small town north of here. And after that, we assumed he was headed here based on the radiation readings. There was an earthquake as well, which is also a common indicator of active site activity. It's worrisome, as this is only a newly active Fisher location.