The Banshee Chapter (Banshee Chapter)

We are not professing to tell you

the complete story of these activities.

We are professing to tell you

the complete story that we know.

But these records that we've uncovered don't tell the story.

They tell pieces of it.

They were looking for fundamental information

on compounds that were...

would be capable of causing...

changes in behavior,

changes in mental attitude.

Did you ever consider

what would have happened if any of these substances

were given to, say, unwitting people?

Testing it out on an American citizen?

I...

I guess I must seem very, very cold-blooded about this,

but I don't recall ever having been

very much preoccupied

with that, uh-- with that issue.

Thousands of government-sponsored experiments

did take place at hospitals, universities,

and military bases around our nation.

Some were unethical, not only by today's standards,

but by the standards of the time

in which they were conducted.

Between the injection and the effects,

the patient was transported to whatever

or wherever it is that DMT leads people.

When the Freedom of Information Act released a bunch of documents,

you found out that all these different subjects

that had taken this chemical

all experienced the same phenomena under the drug.

They experienced something out there

that came to them, that met them halfway.

But what you can't lose sight of

is what all of this would mean

in terms of individual human beings.

There would be deaths,

there would be long-lasting and harmful effects.

Everyone who took this chemical saw

and witnessed the same thing,

and they all named it the same thing,

even though they were separate subjects.

What'd they, uh... What'd they name it?

Well, that's actually the name of the chapter.

These entities were kind of malignant and threatening.

And, actually, a handful of the volunteers

had traumatic and terrible encounters with these entities.

Nobody should have to go through this.

The United States of America offers a sincere apology

to those of our citizens

who were subjected to these experiments,

to their families, and to their communities.

It's something that I think the general public

has no idea that our government was doing

and could really open up some--some eyes.

And would you ever, uh...

Would you ever try the chemical?

Uh, that's a big question, isn't it?

That's the million dollar question.

James Hirsch was a close friend of mine.

We graduated together from Atticus University.

We both took writing courses together,

and we'd often work on stories late into the night.

We wasted countless hours at the bar

arguing about political philosophy and movies.

But four years later, my friend James went missing.

All right, it's on.

Now what do you want me to do with it?

Just, um...

I don't trust myself to take accurate notes

while I'm on the chemical,

so I'm gonna ingest it,

and you're going to record.

Okay.

Okay.

Hello. My name is James,

and this little guy is 150 milligrams

of specially enhanced Dimethyltryptamine, DMT 19.

It's supposedly impossible to find,

but here I have it.

Well, where'd you get it?

Some friends in Colorado.

Oh, uh, FYI, Renny,

if this little chemistry experiment goes sideways,

I want you to finish my book

and dedicate it to me.

Okay. Be a terrible book.

Might be a terrible book anyway.

We're not actually doing anything illegal here.

Whoa, you look so weird, dude.

Shut up.

No, just kidding. You look the same.

Do you feel anything?

No?

No, I don't feel anything yet.

Hey, I don't want to see myself

doing some weird drug on YouTube.

Well, if you do anything remotely funny,

I might actually save it.

Don't fuck with me, Renny.

So if nothing happens,

are you gonna just make something up for your book?

Wait. Do you--

What is that?

Do you hear that?

That radio?

Where's it coming from?

It's like interference.

What is that?

Wait.

What if it's coming from something in the house?

Do you think someone's here?

I don't like this.

We should call someone.

I ingested the chemical, remember?

I took that. We don't...

Oh, fuck, Renny.

What?

It's coming towards the house.

What is?

I don't know.

What is this?!

What do you want me to do?

This...

Help!

Look, you think maybe he was having some kind of spasm,

some kind of reaction to the drug he took?

Look, no. It wasn't...

Can you recall making any movements

to strike or push him when he was convulsing?

Is that how it happened?

No, I--

No. I just ran.

I don't know what happened...

And you didn't take the drug?

No, I didn't. Are you sure?

I didn't take the chemical!

James and I didn't see each other much after college.

True to both our words,

he struggled as a young, but talented novelist.

I got into journalism at an online news site.

Occasionally, we'd drop each other an email

just to check in.

No one could tell me exactly what had happened to James

because no one knew.

Nevada law enforcement officials suspected

he'd been murdered by his friend, Renny Seegan,

after James ingested an enhanced form

of a rare contraband chemical known as Dimethyltryptamine.

I been real nice up to now,

but I'm gonna-- I'm gonna fuck your world, kid.

Have you seen the kind of boys

we got down there in the county lockup?

I'm gonna put you in there with those son of a bitches.

I didn't do-- I didn't do anything.

Fresh piece of fucking chicken!

All I know is he said it was

from some friends in Colorado.

God.

Oh, yeah.

I hear that every time...friends.

What kind of friend gives you poison?

Without a body, police weren't ready

to charge Renny Seegan with any crime.

They would never get the chance.

Renny vanished almost 72 hours later.

He was never seen again.

I decided that James and I would work

on one last project together.

We would find out the truth about what happened to him.

It would be our final collaboration.

"James, I expect you'll find this batch

"will help immensely with your research.

"It wasn't easy to come by,

"but then again, nothing worth doing is,

"so I expect a full report

"when you come out on the other side.

Sincerely, your friends in Colorado."

James, what happened to you?

Hello?

Hello?

Henry Cale? Yes.

We spoke on the phone.

Hi. I'm Anne Roland.