Clinical trials

The radio has a history, but little of it can be fully verified. Some of its anomalous properties could only be inferred. Further firsthand evidence had to be gathered to prove my original hypothesis of power and intent. To this end, two test subjects were put in contact with the radio to see its effects. They will be referred to as Subject One and Subject Two. For control, their personalities and action will be compared to their behavior before contact with the radio. I could be considered a further control group, as repeat contact with the radio has not affected me, and I have yet to hear anything but AM/FM stations from it.

Subject One was a 17-year-old male. He was Caucasian and of roughly average build and height. The radio was presented to him as a gift and while he found the prospect of a radio amusing, he was soon observed to use it. Within three months, he began exhibiting antisocial behavior. When interviewed, he said he "just wanted to be alone." He was observed listening to the radio most nights while pretending to do homework.

After 4 months of exposure, Subject One started to show a pattern of distrust towards authority. At nights, he would turn the radio up loud, so no one could hear what he was saying. It is unclear who he was talking to. On more than one occasion, it appeared that he stole money. When interviewed, he said, "you're paranoid, I never stole anything." Lies like this became more and more normalized leading to the realization that much of the lying and stealing was related to drug use. Around this time bruises and scraps could commonly be observed on his face and body. It was unclear if he was fighting at school or committing some form of self-harm. Family members said, "this doesn't make sense. He was always such a good boy."

As Subject One deteriorated, he withdrew further. He was rarely seen in his last two months as he alienated his loved ones and continued the previously witnessed self-destructive behavior. After 7 months of exposure, he was found dead in a bathtub. He was found bloated and decomposing having been in the water for 3 days. He was floating face down and most of the skin on his arms and legs and sloughed off and made the water viscus and cloudy. The tub itself was permanently stained an off-yellow color from the waxy secretions the remained long after the crumbling body was removed. Not that it would have been used again, the smell of putrification had soaked into the entire room. After the owners sold the house it was gutted and remodeled from the studs to remove all traces of the odor.

Subject Two was a 45-year-old female. She was Caucasian and of average weight and height for her age. Unlike Subject One, Subject Two was exposed to the radio gradually. From afar, it seemed to have no effect. She went for 7 months without any immediate signs of change. But after it was brought into closer proximity, she deteriorated rapidly. She exhibited immediate signs of stress and disassociation. Her mood was constantly shifting, from anxiety to depression, to sudden bouts of sobbing. When interviewed she said, "Why is this happening?" and "I don't understand what went wrong."

As mentioned above, her decline was much faster than Subject One. However, it took an extreme shift in month 9. She suddenly became intensely paranoid and suspicious of her family. For the first time, it appeared as if a victim understood the radio was the nexus of their misfortune and she tried to remove it. Subject Two went missing shortly after.

Three weeks after subject one disappeared she was found by a group of hikers. Her body was burned so severely that the police couldn't positively identify her. There was little left, save a charred incomplete skeleton. Her identification was not helped by the fact that her head and hands were missing, seemingly scattered, or consumed by scavenging animals. A suspect was identified but without evidence or a positive ID, there was no way to convict him. The case remains unsolved.

Findings

Throughout its life, the radio has shown the ability to affect human minds in a variety of ways after long-term exposure. Some of these effects are similar to those exhibited from prolonged exposure to infrasound but that cannot account for all of it. It is also unclear how the infrasound is administered as to most casual listeners it only produces the dialed frequencies.

It is also unclear how it affected the people involved in the Smith Co's incidents. It was unplugged for years, so where was it drawing power from? The lack of standard electrical power seemed to dull its influence, but it also appeared to move Mr. Gillus from miles away.

There is also the inconsistency of its effect and the way it appears to choose one victim at a time. Are they chosen with some purpose in mind or does it simply affect a small minority of listeners? Is there even intention or simply the illusion of such? I am inclined to believe that there is intent. Its attempted escape from Smith Co's along with Subject Two's disappearance indicates that it wants to hurt people, and it will remove obstacles in its way.

Further Study and Potential Applications

While it is still unclear how the radio affects the mind of its victims, I now have a catalogue of the effects it can cause: auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, narrative-based manipulation, nightmares, sleep deprivation, depressive and manic states, feelings of grandeur, paranoia, disillusion, self-harm, and psychotic breaks. There are likely other effects or conditions only observable by the victim, but they will only be revealed through further research.

Though this study has been more than a little macabre, I am sure it is obvious why this work is important. If it can be accepted that this radio is evil, which I do, and we can accept that it causes others to do evil, which it does, we have to surmise that good also exists. If something can broadcast evil upon an unknowing audience, can we not do the same with good? Imagine prisons and reform centers with the sheer force of goodwill broadcast to them. Would the senate purposefully create laws and regulations that hurt the average American if they had pure good filtering into their ears instead of lobbyists? Would anyone lack empathy if it was embedded in popular media? I think not.

While this may seem cruel, the greater good is clear. I will sacrifice my life to this work if necessary, and I'm sure that if they knew, every single victim would agree that it is worth it. I will miss my wife and son, but they would have wanted this. They would have wanted me to keep listening. My mind is swimming with these truths. "Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us." (Eric Hoffer) Compassion is what drives me forward. The future will look back at this work and smile. "Life is neither good or evil, but only a place for good and evil." (Marcus Aurelius) This is why we must push forward and tilt the scales towards good. "The road to heaven is paved with test subjects" (citation needed). I forget where that came from, but it could not be more true. "You are good, you always were good. Your hands are clean and your heart is pure" (unknown). Affirmation isn't necessary for my work but it is nice to hear.

I need to test the effects on repeat victims. Rebecca and the night guard both survived. Will they be more or less susceptible to its influence than before? Maybe they will be aware of the effect this time. Rebbeca has very few fingernails left to remove but maybe she will move on to toenails and teeth?

It should also be clear at this point that the sample size available is insufficient to pinpoint the way the radio causes harm and why. The next stages might need a more direct feed to crowds. Maybe over mall speakers, or at sporting events? Will a full season of exposure be enough to affect fans or will only employees succumb?

We live in exciting times. For thousands of years, philosophers have pondered good and evil. I sit on the cusp of not only proving these concepts are universal truths but uniting the world in categorical goodness. If I can isolate how the radio does evil, I can then harness that effect for the good of mankind. Whether they are willing seems to be irrelevant to its effectiveness.