History Recap / CreepshowS2E8WithinTheWallsOfMadness

* JerkAss: Trollenberg is ''not'' the nicest character in the story. While her cold and strict demeanor is understandable since she's a government worker trying to keep order in a top secret facility that's undergoing a critical emergency, she gradually shows her true colors when it's revealed that she's gone insane, sided with the Old Ones, staged a fake containment breach in an attempt to summon them, and may have purposely summoned the Old One that murders Mallory so she can frame everything on Zeller and get off scot free.

In the depths of a maximum security detention facility, grad student Zeller (Drew Matthews), incarcerated for murder, is visited by his appointed attorney Tara Cartwright (Brittany Smith), who doesn't actually care about his status and merely hopes to get the publishing/movie rights for his case. When asked to present the circumstances leading to his arrest, Zeller recounts on how he was previously employed at "Install-511", a top secret "bio-tech research facility" in Antarctica that researched paranormal phenomena for military applications.

Suddenly, the walls begin dissolving, transforming into a wormhole. A massive tentacled creature emerges from the wormhole and grabs Mallory, with Zeller reaching for a nearby axe to try and fight it off. Carson manages to find Trollenberg and takes her to the trio's hiding place. Opening the door, they find Zeller surrounded by Mallory's dismembered corpse, covered in blood, and nervously clutching the axe. The traumatized Zeller claims he saw the creature emerge from the wall and kill Mallory, having failed to save her. Momentarily cutting back to the present day, Zeller assumes that Tara is working out an insanity plea for him. In response, Zeller states that he isn't insane, but does affirm that "demons" are coming and that there is no way to stop them, reminding her that they come in through the walls.

Back in the facility, Trollenberg tasks the rage-fueled Carson with watching over the restrained Zeller, giving him a cattle prod as an incentive. A tearful Zeller pleads with the two of them that the axe he was holding couldn't possibly have been responsible for the massive damage Mallory's body has sustained. He begs Trollenberg to review the security footage to see the creature for herself and prove that he isn't crazy. Trollenberg takes his words into consideration and agrees to view the footage, warning the enraged Carson not to harm Zeller while she is gone. Upon reaching the control room, Trollenberg views the footage, which does indeed display the creature killing Mallory. She watches it with a twisted smile before she purposefully deletes it. Carson, meanwhile, accuses Zeller of killing Mallory because she and Carson were in love and he was jealous. Zeller, who has grown suicidal and decided that nothing matters anymore, reveals that he and Mallory were actually having an affair behind Carson's back and were preparing to tell him, inviting him to blow his head off since he now has a valid reason to do so.

When Trollenberg returns, Zeller asks if she saw the footage. She confirms that she did, but describes that Zeller himself killed Mallory. Carson moves in to kill Zeller in a jealous rage, but his gun jams, giving Zeller enough time to free himself from his restraints and plant the axe in Carson's head. He begs to Trollenberg that his killing was self-defense, but she coldly points out that he's still being recorded. Zeller determines that Trollenberg ''did'' see the footage, but is suggesting otherwise, so he forces Trollenberg to accompany him to the control room, hoping that they can view the footage together. In the control room, the duo watch as a rescue crew descends to the lab. Zeller commands Trollenberg to play the footage, prompting her to play the footage of Carson's murder. Searching for the other footage, Zeller discovers that it's been deleted. He furiously asks Trollenberg why she is protecting the creature, prompting her to reveal the truth: a truth that she declares mankind isn't ready to bear.

Trollenberg then shows the instrument to Zeller, telling him that it is a relic of the Old Ones, as well as the fact that it is what allows for the creation of the wormholes. She tells Zeller, who refuses to accept the Old Ones as his gods, to pray as she begins blowing into the instrument again, watching as it sprouts miniature tentacles and begins levitating. In a panic, Zeller uses the axe to slash Trollenberg's throat, stopping the attempted summoning. The evacuation team then arrives on the scene, holding Zeller at gunpoint.

** Old Lady Spinster's axe from [[Recap/CreepshowS2E3DeadAndBreakfast Dead and Breakfast]] is once again used to shed blood, this time by Zeller.

* CombatTentacles: The Old Ones have them, as they're distincly Cthulhu-esque in nature.

* KillingInSelfDefense: Zeller is forced to reflexively plant his axe in Carson's skull when he attempts to kill him, and then uses the axe to slash Trollenberg's throat when she attempts to summon the Old Ones again.

* MeaningfulName: Tara's full name is "Tara Veronica Cartwright". Once she become famous, she takes on the pen name "T.V. Cartwright", showcasing just how much of a fame whore she is.

* NotWhatItLooksLike: Zeller is framed as a murderer three times in the episode, by Carson, Trollenberg, and the soldiers looking to rescue survivors of the containment breach, who either jump to conclusions or gaslight others into beleving he's indeed a killer.

* StableTimeLoop: In the past, when Trollenberg first glimpsed into a wormhole, whatever she saw on the other side caused her to go insane and pledge her allegiance to the Old Ones, to the point where she staged a fake containment breach so she can summon them and commence Judgment Day. At the end of the episode, as Zeller summons the Old Ones, he glimpses into another wormhole and locks eyes with Trollenberg in the past, revealing that his summoning of them is what made her go insane in the first place.

* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Carson and Zeller are constantly at each other's throats during and after the intial evacuation, with Mallory being the only thing stopping them from killing one another. What's ironic is that she's also the cause for their rivalry, as she's dating Carson but has been having an affair with Zeller.

* RevengeBeforeReason: Though he can see for himself that Zeller couldn't have possibly dismembered Mallory and the grad student himself is on the verge of tears, he's more focused on killing him to avenge his lover, believing that Zeller killed her out of jealousy because she chose Carson over him.

* TheWoobie: Zeller, who witnesses his lover being slaughtered by an eldritch monster, goes insane from seeing said monster, is threatened by the security officer meant to protect him, and is actually being set up as the fall guy for his superior's twisted plans. His appointed attorney is only interested in his case for the publishing rights, and the government frames the incident as though he went mad and killed everyone himself to protect his superior's legacy. It's little wonder that he ended up unleashing the Old Ones on humanity himself after everything he's gone through.

Suddenly, the walls begin dissolving, transforming into a wormhole. A massive tentacled creature emerges from the wormhole and grabs Mallory, with Zeller reaching for a nearby axe to try and fight it off. Carson manages to find Trollenberg and takes her to the trio's hiding place. Opening the door, they find Zeller surrounded by Mallory's dismembered corpse, covered in blood, and nervously clutching the axe. The traumatized Zeller claims he saw the creature emerge from the wall and kill Mallory, having failed to save her. Momentarily cutting back to the present day, Zeller assumes that Tara is working out an insanity plea for him. In response, Zeller states that he isn't insane, but does affirm that “demons” are coming and that there is no way to stop them, reminding her that they come in through the walls.

Six months ago, she led five others on an expedition to a remote cave in the Antarctic landscape where an anomaly had been detected via satellite, an expedition of which she was the only survivor. Inside the cave, she discovered the skeletal remains of a creature with a tentacled head. She also discovered a strange, bone-like instrument buried in the snow. Upon blowing on it to clear the snow off, the instrument began playing a frequency that made an interdimensional wormhole appear. When she gazed into the wormhole, she saw evidence that “The Old Ones”, a race of ancient, primordial, all-powerful beings, are on their way to reclaim the Earth. Trollenberg promptly went insane from the sights she saw and succumbed to the Old Ones' superiority, orchestrating the containment breach as a plot to summon them and bring about the end of days, while pinning everything on Zeller in the process, as revenge on all those who called her crazy for her discovery.

-> '''Creep:''' I hope you're ready for more, because this next sinister story is sure to have you squirming in your seats! It's not one for the faint of heart, so try to stay sane as you join me for this tale I like to call...

!! Within the Walls of Madness
-> Directed By: John Harrison\\

In the depths of a maximum security detention facility, grad student Zeller (Drew Matthews), incarcerated for murder, is visited by his appointed attorney Tara Cartwright (Brittany Smith), who doesn't actually care about his status and merely hopes to get the publishing/movie rights for his case. When asked to present the circumstances leading to his arrest, Zeller recounts on how he was previously employed at “Install-511”, a top secret "bio-tech research facility" in Antarctica that researched paranormal phenomena for military applications.

On a particular day, a containment breach had occurred, placing the facility on high alert. Zeller, along with fellow grad student Mallory (Brooke Butler) and head security officer Carson (Nicholas Logan), managed to escape to a safe location without coming into harm's way. While waiting for EVAC choppers to come and rescue them, Carson moves out to search for the trio’s superior, Dr. Trollenberg (Creator/DeniseCrosby), so she can hopefully be rescued. A nearby speaker then activates, and as Mallory attempts to use it to call for Trollenberg, a high-pitched frequency begins sounding from it.

Suddenly, the walls begin dissolving, transforming into a wormhole. A massive tentacled creature emerges from the wormhole and grabs Mallory, with Zeller reaching for a nearby axe to try and fight it off. Carson manages to find Trollenberg and takes her to the trio's hiding place. Opening the door, they find Zeller surrounded by Mallory’s dismembered corpse, covered in blood, and nervously clutching the axe. The traumatized Zeller claims he saw the creature emerge from the wall and kill Mallory, having failed to save her. Momentarily cutting back to the present day, Zeller assumes that Tara is working out an insanity plea for him. In response, Zeller states that he isn’t insane, but does affirm that “demons” are coming and that there is no way to stop them, reminding her that they come in through the walls.

Back in the facility, Trollenberg tasks the rage-fueled Carson with watching over the restrained Zeller, giving him a cattle prod as an incentive. A tearful Zeller pleads with the two of them that the axe he was holding couldn’t possibly have been responsible for the massive damage Mallory’s body has sustained. He begs Trollenberg to review the security footage to see the creature for herself and prove that he isn’t crazy. Trollenberg takes his words into consideration and agrees to view the footage, warning the enraged Carson not to harm Zeller while she is gone. Upon reaching the control room, Trollenberg views the footage, which does indeed display the creature killing Mallory. She watches it with a twisted smile before she purposefully deletes it. Carson, meanwhile, accuses Zeller of killing Mallory because she and Carson were in love and he was jealous. Zeller, who has grown suicidal and decided that nothing matters anymore, reveals that he and Mallory were actually having an affair behind Carson’s back and were preparing to tell him, inviting him to blow his head off since he now has a valid reason to do so.

When Trollenberg returns, Zeller asks if she saw the footage. She confirms that she did, but describes that Zeller himself killed Mallory. Carson moves in to kill Zeller in a jealous rage, but his gun jams, giving Zeller enough time to free himself from his restraints and plant the axe in Carson’s head. He begs to Trollenberg that his killing was self-defense, but she coldly points out that he’s still being recorded. Zeller determines that Trollenberg ''did'' see the footage, but is suggesting otherwise, so he forces Trollenberg to accompany him to the control room, hoping that they can view the footage together. In the control room, the duo watch as a rescue crew descends to the lab. Zeller commands Trollenberg to play the footage, prompting her to play the footage of Carson’s murder. Searching for the other footage, Zeller discovers that it's been deleted. He furiously asks Trollenberg why she is protecting the creature, prompting her to reveal the truth: a truth that she declares mankind isn’t ready to bear.

Six months ago, she led five others on an expedition to a remote cave in the Antarctic landscape where an anomaly had been detected via satellite, an expedition of which she was the only survivor. Inside the cave, she discovered the skeletal remains of a creature with a tentacled head. She also discovered a strange, bone-like instrument buried in the snow. Upon blowing on it to clear the snow off, the instrument began playing a frequency that made an interdimensional wormhole appear. When she gazed into the wormhole, she saw evidence that “The Old Ones”, a race of ancient, primordial, all-powerful beings, are on their way to reclaim the Earth. Trollenberg promptly went insane from the sights she saw and succumbed to the Old Ones’ superiority, orchestrating the containment breach as a plot to summon them and bring about the end of days, while pinning everything on Zeller in the process, as revenge on all those who called her crazy for her discovery.

Trollenberg then shows the instrument to Zeller, telling him that it is a relic of the Old Ones, as well as the fact that it is what allows for the creation of the wormholes. She tells Zeller, who refuses to accept the Old Ones as his gods, to pray as she begins blowing into the instrument again, watching as it sprouts miniature tentacles and begins levitating. In a panic, Zeller uses the axe to slash Trollenberg’s throat, stopping the attempted summoning. The evacuation team then arrives on the scene, holding Zeller at gunpoint.

Back in the detention center, Tara half-heartedly applauds Zeller’s story, despite not believing a word of it. Zeller informs her that Trollenberg actually looked into the future through the wormhole she created, and warns Tara that the Old Ones are on their way, ready to exterminate humankind for "pillaging" the world. Sometime later, Tara, who has made a fortune publishing Zeller’s case as a best-selling tell-all titled ''Our Demons Ourselves'', arrives to observe Zeller’s final moments, the grad student having chosen to undergo death by lethal injection in lieu of an insanity plea. The prison warden observing the process tells Zeller that his last request, unusual as it may be, is being granted. Zeller is presented with the instrument Trollenberg had unearthed and proceeds to blow into it.

!!Within the Walls of Madness

In the depths of a United States detention hall, graduate student Zeller (Drew Matthews), currently incarcerated for murder, is presented with his appointed attorney Tara Cartwright (Brittany Smith), who doesn't actually care about his status and merely hopes to get the publishing/movie rights for his case. When asked to present the circumstances leading to his arrest, Zeller recounts on how he was previously employed at “Install-511”, a top secret bio-tech research facility in Antarctica that actually researched paranormal phenomena for military applications.

As he does so, the wall in the room adjacent to the euthanasia chamber dissolves. One of the Old Ones appears on the other side and promptly begins slaughtering all those in attendance as Zeller watches. Another wormhole soon appears in front of Zeller, who uses it to lock eyes with Prof. Trollenberg in the past, causing her to go insane. As the Old One kills Tara, Zeller maniacally says that he warned her, then screams to the viewers about how “they come in through the walls” as the end of the world commences. The camera pans down to the cover of Tara's book, which shows a crazed Zeller fighting a tentacled monster.

* AmoralAttorney: Tara, Zeller's appointed attorney, is actually a TV personality who doesn't believe his story and doesn't care about what happens to him, only choosing to take his case so she can get the publishing rights for it and become rich and famous. She becomes one of the first casualties of the Old Ones for her stubborn arrogance.
* ArtifactOfDoom: The eldritch instrument Trollenberg discovered in that Antarctic cave.
* AssholeVictim. Trollenberg and Tara.
* TheBadGuyWins: In the end, Trollenberg actually got what she wanted all along: to have the Old Ones summoned so they can destroy the world. The only problem is that she was killed before she got to see the fruition of her work.
* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: Once Zeller goes insane, he welcomes death with open arms, knowing full well that the Old Ones are coming to reclaim the Earth and can't possibly be stopped.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: Trollenberg, the mastermind of the containment breach.
* BizarreInstrument: Trollenberg finds one buried under the snow inside the cave where she finds the skeletal remains of an Old One. It appears to be made of bone, is able to grow tentacles and levitate when played, and produces a frequency capable of altering time and creating interdimensional wormholes that humans can't hear.
* BlackSite: Publicly, Install-511 is said to be a biotech research laboratory, but as Zeller reveals, it was actually a top secret government facility dedicated to the study of anomalous/paranormal phenomena for military application.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: At the very end of the story, Zeller screams directly to the camera about how the Old Ones "come in through the walls", as if warning the audience themselves.
* BrownNote: The Old One's instrument, when blown into, distributes a frequency inaudible to humans that can alter time and open wormholes.
* BrownNoteBeing: Anyone who glimpses an Old One, especially through one of their wormholes, is rendered incurably insane.
* BullyingADragon: As he's restrained, Zeller tells Carson that he was having an affair with Mallory, his lover at the time. He does so in an attempt to get the enraged Carson to fill him with lead, not wanting to stick around when the Old Ones arrive.

** The interior of Install-511, as much as the viewers can see at least, is similar to the interior of ''Ocula'', the space station from [[Recap/CreepshowS2E5TheRightSnuff The Right Snuff]]. A pair of spacesuits can even be seen on the wall behind the trio.

* CaughtOnTape: Zeller's crimes are constantly being recorded by the facility's cameras.
* DespairEventHorizon: Zeller reaches one instantly once he goes insane, knowing full well that no matter what he does, the Old Ones are on their way to exterminate the human race.
* DestroyTheEvidence: Trollenberg discovers the footage of Mallory being killed by one of the Old Ones, which can easily exonerate Zeller. To move forward with her plot to frame him for everything, she deletes it with a smile.
* TheDogBitesBack: Zeller, after spending the entire episode trying to tell people that the Old Ones are coming and not being believed in, gets revenge on humanity by unleashing the eldritch invaders on them himself.
* DownerEnding: After all the treatment he receives through the episode, Zeller turns traitor and summons the Old Ones himself, watching as they go on to destroy the world.
* TheDragon: Trollenberg is revealed to act as this to the Old Ones once she goes insane, pledging her allegiance to them and attempting to summon them to begin the end of the world.
* DrivenToSuicide: By the end of the story, Zeller volunteers to undergo lethal injection rather than pleading insanity, not wanting to be around when the Old Ones arrive.

* EldritchAbomination: The Old Ones, a race of ancient, all-powerful beings who seek to reclaim the Earth. Mallory is killed by one at the beginning of the story, and the same one is later summoned by Zeller to kickstart the end of humanity.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: As his last request, Zeller is given the opportunity to blow into the same instrument Trollenberg discovered. This causes a wormhole to open in the adjacent room, where an Old One appears and starts killing all in attendance, beginning the end of the world.
* FaceHeelTurn: Zeller apparently underwent one in the time leading to his execution, deciding that Trollenberg was right about humankind and summoning the Old Ones to destroy them all as revenge for not believing him.
* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: Related to the above, Zeller warns the viewing audience in his final moments that the Old Ones come in through the walls, implying that they will come for us as well.
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: Trollenberg was planning to frame Zeller for Mallory's death, which he didn't commit, to throw everyone who investigates the containment breach she set up off her trail. Zeller then eventually kills Carson, who was preparing to fill him with lead, which only gives Trollenberg even more evidence to hide herself with. By the time Zeller kills ''her'', the military arrive, easily piecing everything together.
* GoMadFromTheRevelation: Zeller and Prof. Trollenberg go insane from gazing into the wormholes and learning about the Old Ones, but their mental states differ. Trollenberg bows to the Old Ones' superiority and orchestrates a fake containment breach to summon them and begin the end of the world. Zeller, on the other hand, gradually reaches the DespairEventHorizon, frantically lamenting that the Old Ones are on their way and mankind can do nothing to stop them.
* GovernmentConspiracy: There are subtle hints peppered throughout the episode that the government is covering up Trollenberg's attempted summoning of the Old Ones, and perhaps all evidence that they even exist at all, by painting Zeller as a serial killer who's gone off the deep end to protect the scientist's reputation.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Zeller spends the entire story trying to get people to believe his claims that the Old Ones are coming, including forcing himself to commit murder twice. When people still don't believe him, he instead gets revenge by completing Trollenberg's work and summoning the Old Ones himself, watching as they decimate the populace.
* {{Homage}}: This episode serves as an homage to the works of Creator/HPLovecraft, particularly his story ''Literature/AtTheMountainsOfMadness''.
* HumansAreBastards: Trollenberg gains this mentality after going insane, insisting that the Old Ones gifted humankind the Earth and despise them for "pillaging it". Given Zeller's experiences with Carson and Tara, she may have had a point that humanity is a plague to the planet.
* IWarnedYou: Zeller tells Tara, in her final moments, that he warned her the Old Ones were coming, and that she should have believed him.
* JerkAss: Trollenberg isn't the nicest character in the story. While her cold and strict demeanor is understandable due to the fact that she's a government worker trying to keep order in a top secret facility that's undergoing a critical emergency, she gradually shows her true colors when it's revealed that she's gone insane, sided with the Old Ones, staged a fake containment breach in an attempt to summon them, and may very well have purposely summoned the Old One that murders Mallory so she can frame everything on Zeller and get off scot free.
* KillingInSelfDefense: Zeller is forced to plant his axe in Carson's skull when he attempts to kill him.
* LoveTriangle: The story features one between Zeller, Mallory, and Carson.

* ManipulativeEditing: As part of her plot, Trollenberg deletes the footage of Mallory's death, but keeps the footage of Carson's murder, attempting to pin the whole thing on Zeller.
* MeltingFilmEffect: This happens to the walls as the wormholes are created.

** Zeller admitting that he and Mallory were having an affair behind Carson's back and were planning to tell him is reminiscent of a similar exchange between [[Film/{{Creepshow}} Harry and Richard.]]
** The Grantham ashtray can be seen in the control room, sitting on the console and placed next to Trollenberg as she views the footage of Mallory's murder.
* NothingIsScarier: We only ever see brief glimpses relating to how Mallory is murdered by the Old One that enters the facility, and all we see of the aftermath is her dismembered corpse surrounding Zeller.
** What's even more disturbing is that before the corpse is revealed, Mallory's bloody hand is seen sliding down a window on the door. When we get a look at the corpse, neither of her hands are ''anywhere near the door.''
* SelfFulfillingProphecy: Overlapping with the StableTimeLoop below, Zeller sees that the Old Ones are on their way to destroy the world, and volunteers to be euthanized so he can avoid whatever they have planned for him. His final request has him getting the last laugh when he blows into the instrument Trollenberg found, summoning the Old Ones himself and accomplishing what Trollenberg originally had in mind. He even finds himself face to face with Trollenberg in the past, who goes insane when she sees his own summoning of the Old Ones.

** Trollenberg shares the same name as the town featured in ''Film/TheCrawlingEye'', whose antagonists were decidedly eldritch looking.
** During his interview, Zeller's behavior and demeanor are quite reminiscent of [[Film/SilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal Lecter]], minus the cannibalism.
** When Zeller begs Trollenberg that he killed Carson in self-defense and not insanity, she coldly points out that he's "still on ''Series/CandidCamera''".
** Install-511 has some similarities to the ''Website/SCPFoundation'', being a top secret government organization that dedicates itself to the study of paranormal or otherwise anomalous phenomena.
** The idea of a research station in Antarctica that comes under siege by entities that can destroy mankind is a clear reference to ''Film/TheThing1982''.
* SingleBiomePlanet: Trollenberg hints that the Old Ones are planning to revert the Earth to an entirely aquatic planet once they exterminate humankind.
* StableTimeLoop: In the past, when Trollenberg first glimpsed into a wormhole, whatever she happened to see on the other side caused her to go insane and pledge her allegiance to the Old Ones, to the point where she stages a fake containment breach so she can summon them and begin Judgment Day. At the end of the episode, as Zeller summons the Old Ones, who begin their retaking of the world, he glimpses into another wormhole and locks eyes with Trollenberg in the past, revealing that his summoning of them is what made her go insane in the first place.
* StoppedCaring: After all the pleading he does to convince people that the Old Ones are approaching and being rebuked or called crazy, Zeller decides that he no longer cares about humanity's ignorant JerkAss tendencies, and summons the Old Ones himself to exterminate them.
* TheyCalledMeMad: During her story to Zeller, Trollenberg tells him that her colleagues back home called her crazy for her discovery of the skeletal Old One and the instrument. It can be safe to say that a pretty big factor in her summoning of the Old Ones is revenge on all those who thought she was mad.
* UnwittingPawn: Zeller gradually discovers that Trollenberg knew all along about the Old Ones coming to Earth, since she glimpsed them through a wormhole many months ago and insanely pledged her devotion to them, and was plotting to frame the massacre of Mallory (and later Carson) on him while she continued her plan to summon her new masters to Earth so they could destroy it.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Trollenberg is a highly respected government scientist; the leading pioneer in quantum physics for the last 30+ years. She's so respected, in fact, that Tara and the rest of the government attempt to cover up what happened at Install-511 by framing it so Zeller went insane and killed everyone himself, not wanting her legacy to be tarnished by the small fact that she was actually the insane one and purposefully wanted to summon the Old Ones so they could destroy humankind.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Mallory is only featured in the episode for a few minutes, mainly to get murdered by the Old Ones and chronologically kickstart Zeller's plot.

* TheWoobie: Zeller, who witnesses his lover being dismembered by an eldritch monster, goes insane from exposure to said monster, is threatened by the security officer meant to protect him, and is actually being set up as a fall guy for his superior's twisted plans. His appointed attorney is only interested in his case for the publishing rights, and the government covers up his claims to protect his superior's legacy. It's little wonder that he ended up unleashing the Old Ones on humanity himself after everything he's gone through.
* WorldOfJerkass: Nearly every person who isn't Mallory treats Zeller like a punching bag, a lunatic, or a pawn. Carson, the security officer meant to protect him, is inches away from blowing his head off after what he supposedly did to Mallory (his lover), Trollenberg, his superior, is actually the mastermind behind the phony containment breach and was plotting to use him as a fall guy for her plan to summon the Old Ones to succeed, and Tara, his appointed attorney, blatantly tells him that she doesn't give a rat's ass what happens to him and she only cares about the publishing/movie rights to his case, intending to get rich off of it. All of this leads Zeller to begin believing that Trollenberg herself was actually right about humanity, insisting that they deserve to die.
* YouHaveToBelieveMe: Zeller frantically attempts to tell everyone he meets that the Old Ones are on their way to destroy the human race and that they are the ones who actually killed Mallory, but they continually shoot him down for their own reasons (being to enraged to listen, being the mastermind behind the upcoming arrival, and counting on him being presented as insane for publishing rights, specifically). By the day of his execution, he doesn't care anymore, and gets even on the people of Earth for not listening by summoning the Old Ones himself.
----

** Install-511 has some similarities to the ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'', being a top secret government organization that dedicates itself to the study of paranormal or otherwise anomalous phenomena.

In the depths of a United States detention hall, graduate student Zeller (Drew Matthews), currently incarcerated for murder, is presented with his appointed lawyer Tara Cartwright (Brittany Smith), who doesn't actually care about his status and merely hopes to get the publishing/movie rights for his case. When asked to present the circumstances leading to his arrest, Zeller recounts on how he was previously employed at “Install-511”, a top secret bio-tech research facility in Antarctica that actually researched paranormal phenomena for military applications.

On a particular day, a containment breach had occurred, placing the facility on high alert. Zeller, along with fellow grad student Mallory (Brooke Butler) and security officer Carson (Nicholas Logan), managed to escape to a safe location without coming into harm's way. While waiting for EVAC choppers to come and rescue them, Carson moves out to search for the trio’s superior, Dr. Trollenberg (Creator/DeniseCrosby), so she can hopefully be rescued. A nearby speaker then activates, and as Mallory attempts to use it to call for Trollenberg, a high-pitched frequency begins sounding from it.

* AmoralAttorney: Tara, Zeller's appointed lawyer, doesn't believe his story and doesn't care about what happens to him, only choosing to take his case so she can get the publishing rights for it and become rich and famous. She becomes one of the first casualties of the Old Ones for her stubborn arrogance.

* CallBack: The interior of Install-511, as much as the viewers can see at least, is similar to the interior of ''Ocula'', the space station from [[Recap/CreepshowS2E5TheRightSnuff The Right Snuff]]. A pair of spacesuits can even be seen on the wall behind the trio.

* DespairEventHorizon: Zeller reaches one incredibly quickly once he goes insane, knowing full well that no matter what he does, the Old Ones are on their way to exterminate the human race.

* EldritchAbomination: Fittingly for the story, the Old Ones are this, being a race of ancient, all-powerful beings who seek to reclaim the Earth. Mallory is killed by one at the beginning of the story, and the same one is later summoned by Zeller to kickstart the end of humanity.

* HumansAreBastards: Trollenberg gains this mentality after going insane, insisting that the Old Ones gifted humankind the Earth and despise them for "pillaging it".

** What's even more disturbing is that before the corpse is revealed, Mallory's bloody hand is seen sliding down a window on the door. When we get a look at the corpse, neither of her hands appear to be ''anywhere near the door.''

In the depths of a maximum security detention hall, graduate student Zeller (Drew Matthews), currently incarcerated, is presented with his appointed lawyer Tara Cartwright (Brittany Smith), who does not actually care about his status and merely hopes to get the publishing rights for his case. When asked to present the circumstances leading to his arrest, Zeller recounts on how he was previously employed at “Install-511”, a government research facility in Antarctica that researched paranormal phenomena for military applications.

One particular day, a containment breach had occurred, placing the station on high alert. Zeller, along with fellow grad student Mallory (Brooke Butler) and security officer Carson (Nicholas Logan), managed to escape to a safe location without coming into harm's way. While waiting for EVAC choppers to come and rescue them, Carson moves out to search for the trio’s superior, Prof. Trollenberg (Creator/DeniseCrosby), so she can hopefully be rescued. A nearby speaker then activates, and as Mallory attempts to utilize it to call for Trollenberg, a high-pitched frequency is subsequently broadcasted.

Suddenly, the walls begin dissolving, transforming into a wormhole. A massive, tentacled creature emerges from the wormhole and grabs Mallory, with Zeller reaching for an axe to try and fight it off. When Carson returns with Trollenberg, they find Zeller surrounded by Mallory’s dismembered corpse, covered in blood, and nervously clutching the axe. The traumatized Zeller claims he saw the creature emerge from the wall and kill Mallory, having failed to save her. As Tara works out Zeller’s insanity plea, Zeller states that he isn’t insane, affirming that “demons” are coming and that there is no way to stop them.

Back in the facility, Trollenberg tasks Carson with watching over the restrained Zeller. A tearful Zeller pleads with the two of them that the axe he was holding couldn’t possibly have been responsible for the damage Mallory’s body has sustained. He begs Trollenberg to review the security footage to see the creature for herself and prove that he isn’t crazy. Trollenberg agrees to view the footage, warning the enraged Carson not to harm Zeller while she is gone. Upon reaching the control room, Trollenberg views the footage, which does indeed showcase the creature killing Mallory, but she purposefully deletes it. Carson, meanwhile, accuses Zeller of killing Mallory because she and Carson were in love and he was jealous. Zeller then reveals that he and Mallory were actually having an affair behind Carson’s back and were preparing to tell him.

When Trollenberg returns, Zeller asks if she saw the footage. She confirms that she did, but describes that Zeller himself killed Mallory. Carson moves to kill Zeller in a jealous rage, but his gun jams, giving Zeller enough time to plant the axe in Carson’s head. He begs to Trollenberg that his killing was self-defense, but she coldly points out that he’s still being recorded. Zeller determines that Trollenberg ''did'' see the footage, but is suggesting otherwise, so he forces Trollenberg to accompany him to the control room so they can view the footage together. As a rescue crew descends to the lab, Zeller and Trollenberg watch the footage of Carson’s murder. Searching for the other footage, Zeller discovers that it's been deleted. He furiously asks Trollenberg why she is protecting the creature, prompting her to reveal the truth; a truth that she declares mankind isn’t ready to bear.

Six months ago, she led five others on an expedition to a remote cave in the Antarctic landscape where an anomaly had been detected, an expedition of which she was the only survivor. Inside the cave, she discovered the skeletal remains of a creature with a tentacled head. She also discovered a strange, bone-like instrument buried in the snow. Upon blowing on it to clear the snow off, the instrument began playing a frequency that made an interdimensional wormhole appear. When she gazed into the wormhole, she saw evidence that “The Old Ones”, a race of ancient, primordial, godlike beings, are on their way to reclaim the Earth. Trollenberg promptly went insane from the sights she saw and succumbed to the Old Ones’ superiority, orchestrating the containment breach as a plot to summon them and bring about the end of days, while pinning everything on Zeller in the process.

Back in the detention center, Tara half-heartedly applauds Zeller’s story, despite not believing a word of it. Zeller informs her that Trollenberg actually gazed at the future through the wormhole she created, and warns Tara that the Old Ones are on their way, ready to end humanity. Sometime later, Tara, who has made a fortune publishing Zeller’s case as a best-selling tell-all titled ''Our Demons Ourselves'', arrives to observe Zeller’s final moments, the grad student having chosen to undergo death by lethal injection in lieu of an insanity plea. The prison warden observing the process tells Zeller that his rather unusual last request is being granted. Zeller is presented the instrument Trollenberg had unearthed and proceeds to blow into it.

As he does so, the wall in the room adjacent to the euthanasia chamber dissolves. One of the Old Ones appears on the other side and promptly begins killing all those in attendance as Zeller watches. Another wormhole soon appears in front of Zeller, who uses it to lock eyes with Prof. Trollenberg in the past, causing her to go insane. As the Old One kills Tara, Zeller maniacally says that he warned her, then screams to the viewers about how “they come in through the walls” as the end of the world commences.

* AmoralAttorney: Tara, Zeller's appointed lawyer, does not believe her client's story and doesn't care about what happens to him, only choosing to take his case so she can get the publishing rights for it and become rich and famous. She becomes one of the first casualties of the Old Ones for her stubborn arrogance.

* TheBadGuyWins: In the end, Trollenberg actually got what she wanted all along: to have the Old Ones summoned so they can destroy the world. The only problem is that she is killed before she got to see the fruition of her work.

* BizarreInstrument: Trollenberg finds one buried under the snow inside the cave where she finds the skeletal remains of an Old One. It appears to be made of bone, is able to grow tentacles and levitate when played, and produces a frequency capable of altering time and creating interdimensional portals that humans can't hear.

* TheDragon: Trollenberg is revealed to act as this to the Old Ones once she goes insane, pledging her allegiance to them and attempting to summon them to begin Armageddon.

* EldritchAbomination: Fittingly for the story, the Old Ones are this, being a race of ancient, all powerful beings who seek to reclaim the Earth. Mallory is killed by one at the beginning of the story, and the same one is later summoned by Zeller to kickstart the end of humanity.

* JerkAss: Trollenberg isn't the nicest character in the story. While her cold and strict demeanor is given plausibility due to the fact that she's a government worker trying to keep order in a top secret facility that's undergoing a critical emergency, she gradually shows her true colors when it's revealed that she's gone insane, sided with the Old Ones, staged a fake containment breach in an attempt to summon them, and may very well have purposely summoned the Old One that murders Mallory so she can frame everything on Zeller and get off scot free.

* MythologyGag: Zeller admitting that he and Mallory were having an affair behind Carson's back and were planning to tell him is reminiscent of a similar exchange between [[Film/{{Creepshow}} Harry and Richard.]]
* NothingIsScarier: We only ever see brief glimpses relating to how Mallory is murdered by the Old One that enters the facility. All we see of the aftermath is her dismembered corpse surrounding Zeller.

* TheyCalledMeMad: During her story to Zeller, Trollenberg tells him that her colleagues called her crazy for her discovery of the skeletal Old One and the instrument. It can be safe to say that a pretty big factor in her summoning the Old Ones is revenge on all those who thought she was mad.

* AmoralAttorney: Tara, Zeller's lawyer, does not believe her client's story and doesn't care about what happens to him, only choosing to take his case so she can get the publishing rights for it and become rich and famous. She becomes one of the first casualties of the Old Ones for not believing the story.

* GoMadFromTheRevelation: Zeller and Prof. Trollenberg go insane from gazing into the wormholes and learning about the Old Ones, but their mental states differ. Trollenberg bows to the Old Ones' superiority and orchestrates a fake containment breach to summon them and begin the end of the world. Zeller, on the other hand, insists that he's not insane, but frantically laments that the Old Ones are on their way and mankind can do nothing to stop them.
* HateSink: Trollenberg isn't the nicest character in the story. While her cold and strict demeanor is given plausibility due to the fact that she's a government worker, she gradually becomes a full blown HS when it's revealed that she's gone insane, sided with the Old Ones, staged a fake containment breach in an attempt to summon them, and may very well have purposely summoned the Old One that murders Mallory so she can frame everything on Zeller and get off scot free.

* HumansAreBastards: Trollenberg gains this mentality after going insane, insisting that the Old Ones gifted humankind the Earth and despise them for pillaging it.

* NothingIsScarier: We only ever see brief glimpses relating to how Mallory is murdered by the Old One that enters the facility. All we see of the aftermath is her dismembered corpse surrounding Zeller.

* WeHardlyKnewYe: Mallory is only featured in the episode for a few minutes, mainly to get murdered by the Old Ones and chronologically kickstart Zeller's plotline.

* HateSink: Trollenberg becomes one when it's revealed that she's insane, has sided with the Old Ones, staged a fake containment breach in an attempt to summon them, and may very well have purposely summoned the Old One that murders Mallory so she can frame everything on Zeller and get off scot free.

* TheDragon: Trollenberg is revealed acts as this to the Old Ones once she goes insane, pledging her allegiance to them and attempting to summon them to begin Armageddon.

In the depths of a maximum security detention hall, graduate student Zeller (Drew Matthews), currently incarcerated, is presented with his appointed lawyer Tara Cartwright (Brittany Smith), who does not actually care about his status and merely hopes to get the publishing rights for his case. When asked to present the circumstances leading to his arrest, Zeller recounts on how he was previously employed at “Install-511”, a government research station in Antarctica that researched paranormal phenomena for military applications. One particular day, a containment breach had occurred, placing the station on high alert. Zeller, along with fellow grad student Mallory (Brooke Butler) and security officer Carson (Nicholas Logan), managed to escape to a safe location without coming into harm's way. While waiting for EVAC choppers to come and rescue them, Carson moves out to search for the trio’s superior, Prof. Trollenberg (Creator/DeniseCrosby), so she can hopefully be rescued. A nearby speaker then activates, and as Mallory attempts to utilize it to call for Trollenberg, a high-pitched frequency is subsequently broadcasted. Suddenly, the walls begin dissolving, transforming into a wormhole. A monstrous, tentacled creature emerges from the wormhole and grabs Mallory, with Zeller reaching for an axe to try and fight it off. When Carson returns with Trollenberg, they find Zeller surrounded by Mallory’s dismembered corpse, covered in blood, and nervously clutching the axe. The traumatized Zeller claims he saw the creature emerge from the wall and kill Mallory, having tried and failed to save her. As Tara works out Zeller’s insanity plea, Zeller states that he isn’t insane, affirming that “demons” are coming and that there is no way to stop them. Back in the facility, Trollenberg tasks Carson with watching over the restrained Zeller. A tearful Zeller tells the two of them that the axe he was holding couldn’t possibly have been responsible for the damage Mallory’s body has sustained. He begs Trollenberg to review the security footage to see the creature for herself and prove that he isn’t crazy. Trollenberg agrees to view the footage, warning the enraged Carson not to harm Zeller while she is gone. Upon reaching the control room, Trollenberg views the footage, which does indeed showcase the creature killing Mallory, but she purposefully deletes it. Carson, meanwhile, accuses Zeller of killing Mallory because she and Carson were in a romantic relationship and he was jealous. Zeller then reveals that he and Mallory were actually having an affair behind Carson’s back and were preparing to tell him. When Trollenberg returns, Zeller asks if she saw the footage. She confirms that she did, but describes that Zeller himself killed Mallory. Carson moves to kill Zeller in jealous anger, but his gun jams, giving Zeller enough time to plant the axe in Carson’s head. He begs to Trollenberg that his killing was self-defense, but she coldly points out that he’s still being recorded. Zeller determines that Trollenberg ''did'' see the footage, but is suggesting otherwise, so he forces Trollenberg to accompany him to the control room so they can view the footage together. As a rescue crew descends to the lab, Zeller and Trollenberg watch the footage of Carson’s murder. Searching for the other footage, Zeller discovers that it's been deleted. He furiously asks Trollenberg why she is protecting the creature, prompting her to reveal the truth; a truth that she declares mankind isn’t ready to bear. Six months ago, she led five others on an expedition to a remote cave in the Antarctic landscape where an anomaly had been detected, an expedition of which she was the only survivor. Inside the cave, she discovered the skeletal remains of a creature with a tentacled head. She also discovered a strange, bone-like instrument buried in the snow. Upon blowing on it to clear the snow off, the instrument began playing a frequency that made an interdimensional wormhole appear. When she gazed into the wormhole, she saw evidence that “The Old Ones”, a race of ancient, godlike beings, are on their way to reclaim the Earth. Trollenberg promptly went insane from the sights she saw and succumbed to the Old Ones’ superiority, orchestrating the containment breach as a plot to summon them and bring about the end of days. Trollenberg then shows the instrument to Zeller, telling him that it is a relic of the Old Ones, as well as the fact that it is what allows for the creation of the wormholes. She tells Zeller, who refuses to accept the Old Ones as his gods, to pray as she begins blowing into the instrument again, watching as it sprouts miniature tentacles and begins levitating. In a panic, Zeller uses the axe to slash Trollenberg’s throat, stopping the attempted summoning. The evacuation team then arrives on the scene, holding Zeller at gunpoint. Back in the detention center, Tara half-heartedly applauds Zeller’s story, despite not believing a word of it. Zeller informs her that Trollenberg actually gazed at the future through the wormhole she created, and warns Tara that the Old Ones are on their way, ready to end humanity. Sometime later, Tara, who has made a fortune publishing Zeller’s case as a best-selling tell-all titled ''Our Demons Ourselves'', arrives to observe Zeller’s final moments, the grad student having chosen to undergo death by lethal injection in lieu of an insanity plea. The prison warden observing the process tells Zeller that his rather unusual last request is being granted. Zeller is presented the instrument Trollenberg had unearthed and proceeds to blow into it. As he does so, the wall in the room adjacent to the euthanasia chamber dissolves. One of the Old Ones appears on the other side and promptly begins killing all those in attendance as Zeller watches. Another wormhole soon appears in front of Zeller, who uses it to lock eyes with Prof. Trollenberg in the past, causing her to go insane. As the Old One kills Tara, Zeller maniacally says that he warned her, then screams to the viewers about how “they come in through the walls” as the end of the world commences.

* TheDragon: Trollenberg acts as this to the Old Ones once she goes insane, pledging her allegiance to them and attempting to summon them to begin Armageddon.

* EldritchAbomination: Fittingly for the story, the Old Ones are this, being a race of ancient, all powerful beings who seek to reclaim the Earth. Mallory is killed by one at the beginning of the story. The same one is later summoned by Zeller to kickstart the end of humanity.

* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: Related to the above, Zeller warns the viewing audience in his final moments that the Old Ones come in through the walls, possibly implying that they will come for us as well.

* {{Homage}}: This episode serves as an homage to the works of Creator/HPLovecraft. Particularly his story ''Literature/AtTheMountainsOfMadness''.

* WholePlotReference: To Creator/HPLovecraft's story ''Literature/AtTheMountainsOfMadness''.

In the depths of a maximum security detention hall, graduate student Zeller (Creator/DrewMatthews), currently incarcerated, is presented with his appointed lawyer Tara Cartwright (Creator/BrittanySmith), who does not actually care about his status and merely hopes to get the publishing rights for his case. When asked to present the circumstances leading to his arrest, Zeller recounts on how he was previously employed at “Install-511”, a government research station in Antarctica that researched paranormal phenomena for military applications. One particular day, a containment breach had occurred, placing the station on high alert. Zeller, along with fellow grad student Mallory (Creator/BrookeButler) and security officer Carson (Creator/NicholasLogan), managed to escape to a safe location without coming into harm's way. While waiting for EVAC choppers to come and rescue them, Carson moves out to search for the trio’s superior, Prof. Trollenberg (Creator/DeniseCrosby), so she can hopefully be rescued. A nearby speaker then activates, and as Mallory attempts to utilize it to call for Trollenberg, a high-pitched frequency is subsequently broadcasted. Suddenly, the walls begin dissolving, transforming into a wormhole. A monstrous, tentacled creature emerges from the wormhole and grabs Mallory, with Zeller reaching for an axe to try and fight it off. When Carson returns with Trollenberg, they find Zeller surrounded by Mallory’s dismembered corpse, covered in blood, and nervously clutching the axe. The traumatized Zeller claims he saw the creature emerge from the wall and kill Mallory, having tried and failed to save her. As Tara works out Zeller’s insanity plea, Zeller states that he isn’t insane, affirming that “demons” are coming and that there is no way to stop them. Back in the facility, Trollenberg tasks Carson with watching over the restrained Zeller. A tearful Zeller tells the two of them that the axe he was holding couldn’t possibly have been responsible for the damage Mallory’s body has sustained. He begs Trollenberg to review the security footage to see the creature for herself and prove that he isn’t crazy. Trollenberg agrees to view the footage, warning the enraged Carson not to harm Zeller while she is gone. Upon reaching the control room, Trollenberg views the footage, which does indeed showcase the creature killing Mallory, but she purposefully deletes it. Carson, meanwhile, accuses Zeller of killing Mallory because she and Carson were in a romantic relationship and he was jealous. Zeller then reveals that he and Mallory were actually having an affair behind Carson’s back and were preparing to tell him. When Trollenberg returns, Zeller asks if she saw the footage. She confirms that she did, but describes that Zeller himself killed Mallory. Carson moves to kill Zeller in jealous anger, but his gun jams, giving Zeller enough time to plant the axe in Carson’s head. He begs to Trollenberg that his killing was self-defense, but she coldly points out that he’s still being recorded. Zeller determines that Trollenberg ''did'' see the footage, but is suggesting otherwise, so he forces Trollenberg to accompany him to the control room so they can view the footage together. As a rescue crew descends to the lab, Zeller and Trollenberg watch the footage of Carson’s murder. Searching for the other footage, Zeller discovers that Trollenberg had deleted it. He furiously asks why Trollenberg is protecting the creature, prompting her to reveal the truth; a truth that she declares mankind isn’t ready to bear. Six months ago, she led five others on an expedition to a remote cave in the Antarctic landscape where an anomaly had been detected, an expedition of which she was the only survivor. Inside the cave, she discovered the skeletal remains of a creature with a tentacled head. She also discovered a strange, bone-like instrument buried in the snow. Upon blowing on it to clear the snow off, the instrument began playing a frequency that made an interdimensional wormhole appear. When she gazed into the wormhole, she saw evidence that “The Old Ones”, a race of ancient, godlike beings, are on their way to reclaim the Earth. Trollenberg promptly went insane from the sights she saw and succumbed to the Old Ones’ superiority, orchestrating the containment breach as a plot to summon them and bring about the end of days. Trollenberg then shows the instrument to Zeller, telling him that it is a relic of the Old Ones, as well as the fact that it is what allows for the creation of the wormholes. She tells Zeller, who refuses to accept the Old Ones as his gods, to pray as she begins blowing into the instrument again, watching as it sprouts miniature tentacles and begins levitating. In a panic, Zeller uses the axe to slash Trollenberg’s throat, stopping the attempted summoning. The evacuation team then arrives on the scene, holding Zeller at gunpoint. Back in the detention center, Tara half-heartedly applauds Zeller’s story, despite not believing a word of it. Zeller informs her that Trollenberg actually gazed at the future through the wormhole she created, and warns Tara that the Old Ones are on their way, ready to end humanity. Sometime later, Tara, who has made a fortune publishing Zeller’s case as a best-selling novel titled ''Our Demons Ourselves'', arrives to observe Zeller’s final moments, the grad student having chosen to undergo death by lethal injection in lieu of an insanity plea. The warden overseeing the process tells Zeller that his rather unusual last request is being granted. Zeller is presented the instrument Trollenberg had unearthed and proceeds to blow into it. As he does so, the wall in the room adjacent to the euthanasia chamber dissolves. One of the Old Ones appears on the other side and promptly begins killing all those in attendance as Zeller watches. Another wormhole soon appears in front of Zeller, who uses it to lock eyes with Prof. Trollenberg in the past, causing her to go insane. As the Old One kills Tara, Zeller maniacally says that he warned her, then screams to the viewers about how “they come in through the walls” as the end of the world commences.

* {{Homage}}: This episode serves as an homage to the works of Creator/HPLovecraft. Particularly the Franchise/CthulhuMythos and his story ''Literature/AtTheMountainsOfMadness''.
* HumansAreBastards: Trollenberg gains this mentality after going insane, insisting that the Old Ones gifted humans the Earth and despise them for pillaging it.

In the depths of a maximum security detention hall, graduate student Zeller (Creator/DrewMatthews), currently incarcerated, is presented with his appointed lawyer Tara Cartwright (Creator/BrittanySmith), who does not actually care about his status and merely hopes to get the publishing rights for his case. When asked to present the circumstances leading to his arrest, Zeller recounts on how he was previously employed at “Install-511”, a government research station in Antarctica that researched paranormal phenomena for military applications. One particular day, a containment breach had occurred, placing the station on high alert. Zeller, along with fellow grad student Mallory (Creator/BrookeButler) and security officer Carson (Creator/NicholasLogan), managed to escape to a safe location without coming into harm's way. While waiting for EVAC choppers to come and rescue them, Carson moves out to search for the trio’s superior, Prof. Trollenberg (Creator/DeniseCrosby), so she can hopefully be rescued. Mallory attempts to utilize a speaker to call for Trollenberg, but upon activating it, a high-pitched frequency is broadcasted. Suddenly, the walls begin dissolving, transforming into a wormhole. A monstrous, tentacled creature emerges from the wormhole and grabs Mallory, with Zeller reaching for an axe to try and fight it off. When Carson returns with Trollenberg, they find a traumatized Zeller surrounded by Mallory’s dismembered corpse, covered in blood, and nervously clutching the axe. A traumatized Zeller claims he saw the creature emerge from the wall and kill Mallory, having tried and failed to save her. As Tara works out Zeller’s insanity plea, Zeller states that he isn’t insane, affirming that “demons” are coming and that there is no way to stop them. Back in the facility, Trollenberg tasks Carson with watching over the restrained Zeller. A tearful Zeller tells the two of them that the axe he was holding couldn’t possibly have been responsible for the damage Mallory’s body has sustained. He begs Trollenberg to review the security footage to see the creature for herself and prove that he isn’t crazy. Trollenberg agrees to view the footage, warning the enraged Carson not to harm Zeller while she is gone. Upon reaching the control room, Trollenberg views the footage, which does indeed showcase the creature killing Mallory, but she purposefully deletes it. Carson, meanwhile, accuses Zeller of killing Mallory because she and Carson were in a romantic relationship and he was jealous. Zeller then reveals that he and Mallory were actually having an affair behind Carson’s back and were preparing to tell him. When Trollenberg returns, Zeller asks if she saw the footage. She confirms that she did, but describes that Zeller himself killed Mallory. Carson moves to kill Zeller in jealous anger, but his gun jams, giving Zeller enough time to plant the axe in Carson’s head. He begs to Trollenberg that his killing was self-defense, but she coldly points out that he’s still being recorded. Zeller determines that Trollenberg ''did'' see the footage, but is suggesting otherwise, so he forces Trollenberg to accompany him to the control room so they can view the footage together. As a rescue crew descends to the lab, Zeller and Trollenberg watch the footage of Carson’s murder. Searching for the other footage, Zeller discovers that Trollenberg had deleted it. He furiously asks why Trollenberg is protecting the creature, prompting her to reveal the truth; a truth that she declares mankind isn’t ready to bear. Six months ago, she led five others on an expedition to a remote cave in the Antarctic landscape where an anomaly had been detected, an expedition of which she was the only survivor. Inside the cave, she discovered the skeletal remains of a creature with a tentacled head. She also discovered a strange, bone-like instrument buried in the snow. Upon blowing on it to clear the snow off, the instrument began playing a frequency that made an interdimensional wormhole appear. When she gazed into the wormhole, she saw evidence that “The Old Ones”, a race of ancient, godlike beings, are on their way to reclaim the Earth. Trollenberg promptly went insane from the sights she saw and succumbed to the Old Ones’ superiority, orchestrating the containment breach as a plot to summon them and bring about the end of days. Trollenberg then shows the instrument to Zeller, telling him that it is a relic of the Old Ones, as well as the fact that it is what allows for the creation of the wormholes. She tells Zeller, who refuses to accept the Old Ones as his gods, to pray as she begins blowing into the instrument again, watching as it sprouts miniature tentacles and begins levitating. In a panic, Zeller uses the axe to slash Trollenberg’s throat, stopping the attempted summoning. The evacuation team then arrives on the scene, holding Zeller at gunpoint. Back in the detention center, Tara half-heartedly applauds Zeller’s story, despite not believing a word of it. Zeller informs her that Trollenberg actually gazed at the future through the wormhole she created, and warns Tara that the Old Ones are on their way, ready to end humanity. Sometime later, Tara, who has made a fortune publishing Zeller’s case as a best-selling novel titled ''Our Demons Ourselves'', arrives to observe Zeller’s final moments, the grad student having chosen to undergo death by lethal injection in lieu of an insanity plea. The warden overseeing the process tells Zeller that his rather unusual last request is being granted. Zeller is presented the instrument Trollenberg had unearthed and proceeds to blow into it. As he does so, the wall in the room adjacent to the euthanasia chamber dissolves. One of the Old Ones appears on the other side and promptly begins killing all those in attendance as Zeller watches. Another wormhole soon appears in front of Zeller, who uses it to lock eyes with Prof. Trollenberg in the past, causing her to go insane. As the Old One kills Tara, Zeller maniacally says that he warned her, then screams to the viewers about how “they come in through the walls” as the end of the world commences.

* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: Related to the above, Zeller warns the viewing audience in his final moments that the Old Ones come in through the walls, as if saying that they will come for us as well.

In the depths of a maximum security detention hall, graduate student Zeller (Creator/DrewMatthews), currently incarcerated, is presented with his appointed lawyer Tara Cartwright (Creator/BrittanySmith), who does not actually care about his status and merely hopes to get the publishing rights for his case. When asked to present the circumstances leading to his arrest, Zeller recounts on how he was previously employed at “Install-511”, a government research station in Antarctica that researched paranormal phenomena for military applications. One particular day, a containment breach had occurred, placing the station on high alert. Zeller, along with fellow grad student Mallory (Creator/BrookeButler) and security officer Carson (Creator/NicholasLogan), managed to escape to a safe location without coming into harm's way. While waiting for EVAC choppers to come and rescue them, Carson moves out to search for the trio’s superior, Prof. Trollenberg (Creator/DeniseCrosby), so she can hopefully be rescued. Mallory attempts to utilize a speaker to call for Trollenberg, but upon activating it, a high-pitched frequency is broadcasted. Suddenly, the walls begin dissolving, transforming into a wormhole. A monstrous, tentacled creature emerges from the wormhole and grabs Mallory, with Zeller reaching for an axe to try fight it off. When Carson returns with Trollenberg, they find a traumatized Zeller surrounded by Mallory’s dismembered corpse, covered in blood, and nervously clutching the axe. A traumatized Zeller claims he saw the creature emerge from the wall and kill Mallory, having tried and failed to save her. As Tara works out Zeller’s insanity plea, Zeller states that he isn’t insane, affirming that “demons” are coming and that there is no way to stop them. Back in the facility, Trollenberg tasks Carson with watching over the restrained Zeller. A tearful Zeller tells the two of them that the axe he was holding couldn’t possibly have been responsible for the damage Mallory’s body has sustained. He begs Trollenberg to review the security footage to see the creature for herself and prove that he isn’t crazy. Trollenberg agrees to view the footage, warning the enraged Carson not to harm Zeller while she is gone. Upon reaching the control room, Trollenberg views the footage, which does indeed showcase the creature killing Mallory, but she purposefully deletes it. Carson, meanwhile, accuses Zeller of killing Mallory because she and Carson were in a romantic relationship and he was jealous. Zeller then reveals that he and Mallory were actually having an affair behind Carson’s back and were preparing to tell him. When Trollenberg returns, Zeller asks if she saw the footage. She confirms that she did, but describes that Zeller himself killed Mallory. Carson moves to kill Zeller in jealous anger, but his gun jams, giving Zeller enough time to plant the axe in Carson’s head. He begs to Trollenberg that his killing was self-defense, but she coldly points out that he’s still being recorded. Zeller determines that Trollenberg ''did'' see the footage, but is suggesting otherwise, so he forces Trollenberg to accompany him to the control room so they can view the footage together. As a rescue crew descends to the lab, Zeller and Trollenberg watch the footage of Carson’s murder. Searching for the other footage, Zeller discovers that Trollenberg had deleted it. He furiously asks why Trollenberg is protecting the creature, prompting her to reveal the truth; a truth that she declares mankind isn’t ready to bear. Six months ago, she led five others on an expedition to a remote cave in the Antarctic landscape where an anomaly had been detected, an expedition of which she was the only survivor. Inside the cave, she discovered the skeletal remains of a creature with a tentacled head. She also discovered a strange, bone-like instrument buried in the snow. Upon blowing on it to clear the snow off, the instrument began playing a frequency that made an interdimensional wormhole appear. When she gazed into the wormhole, she saw evidence that “The Old Ones”, a race of ancient, godlike beings, are on their way to reclaim the Earth. Trollenberg promptly went insane from the sights she saw and succumbed to the Old Ones’ superiority, orchestrating the containment breach as a plot to summon them and bring about the end of days. Trollenberg then shows the instrument to Zeller, telling him that it is a relic of the Old Ones, as well as the fact that it is what allows for the creation of the wormholes. She tells Zeller, who refuses to accept the Old Ones as his gods, to pray as she begins blowing into the instrument again, watching as it sprouts miniature tentacles and begins levitating. In a panic, Zeller uses the axe to slash Trollenberg’s throat, stopping the attempted summoning. The evacuation team then arrives on the scene, holding Zeller at gunpoint. Back in the detention center, Tara half-heartedly applauds Zeller’s story, despite not believing a word of it. Zeller informs her that Trollenberg actually gazed at the future through the wormhole she created, and warns Tara that the Old Ones are on their way, ready to end humanity. Sometime later, Tara, who has made a fortune publishing Zeller’s case as a best-selling novel titled ''Our Demons Ourselves'', arrives to observe Zeller’s final moments, the grad student having chosen to undergo death by lethal injection in lieu of an insanity plea. The warden overseeing the process tells Zeller that his rather unusual last request is being granted. Zeller is presented the instrument Trollenberg had unearthed and proceeds to blow into it. As he does so, the wall in the room adjacent to the euthanasia chamber dissolves. One of the Old Ones appears on the other side and promptly begins killing all those in attendance as Zeller watches. Another wormhole soon appears in front of Zeller, who uses it to lock eyes with Prof. Trollenberg in the past, causing her to go insane. As the Old One kills Tara, Zeller maniacally says that he warned her, then screams to the viewers about how “they come in through the walls” as the end of the world commences.

* {{Homage}}: This episode serves as an homage to the works of Creator/HPLovecraft particularly the Franchise/CthulhuMythos and his story ''Literature/AtTheMountainsOfMadness''.

* TheDragon: Trollenberg acts as this to the Old Ones once she goes insane, pledging her allegiance to them and attempting to summon them in an attempt to begin Armageddon.

In the depths of a maximum security detention hall, graduate student Zeller (Creator/DrewMatthews), currently incarcerated, is presented with his appointed lawyer Tara Cartwright (Creator/BrittanySmith), who does not actually care about his status and merely hopes to get the publishing rights for his case. When asked to present the circumstances leading to his arrest, Zeller recounts on how he was previously employed at “Install-511”, a government research station in Antarctica that researches paranormal phenomena for military applications. One particular day, a containment breach had occurred, placing the station on high alert. Zeller, along with fellow grad student Mallory (Creator/BrookeButler) and security officer Carson (Creator/NicholasLogan), managed to escape to a safe location without coming into harm's way. While waiting for EVAC choppers to come and rescue them, Carson moves out to search for the trio’s superior, Prof. Trollenberg (Creator/DeniseCrosby), so she can hopefully be rescued. Mallory attempts to utilize a speaker to call for Trollenberg, but upon activating the speaker, a high-pitched frequency is broadcasted. Suddenly, the walls begin dissolving as a wormhole is created. A monstrous, tentacled creature emerges from the wormhole and grabs Mallory, with Zeller reaching for an axe to try and fight it off. When Carson returns with Trollenberg, they find Zeller surrounded by Mallory’s dismembered body parts, covered in blood, and nervously clutching the axe. A traumatized Zeller claims he saw the monster emerge from the wall and kill Mallory, having tried and failed to fight it off. As Tara works out Zeller’s insanity plea, Zeller states that he isn’t insane, affirming that “demons” are coming and that there is no way to stop them. Back in the facility, Trollenberg tasks Carson with watching over the restrained Zeller. A tearful Zeller tells the two of them that the axe he was holding couldn’t possibly have been responsible for the damage Mallory’s body has sustained. He begs Trollenberg to review the security footage to see the monster for herself and prove that he isn’t crazy. Trollenberg agrees to view the footage, warning the enraged Carson not to harm Zeller while she is gone. Upon reaching the control room, Trollenberg views the footage, which does indeed showcase the monster killing Mallory, but she purposefully deletes it. Carson, meanwhile, accuses Zeller of killing Mallory because she and Carson were in a romantic relationship and he was jealous. Zeller then reveals that he and Mallory were actually having an affair behind Carson’s back and were preparing to tell him. When Trollenberg returns, Zeller asks if she saw the footage. She confirms that she did, but describes that Zeller himself killed Mallory. Carson moves to kill Zeller in jealous anger, but his gun jams, giving Zeller time to plant the axe in Carson’s head in self-defense. He begs to Trollenberg that his killing was self-defense, but she coldly points out that he’s still being recorded. Zeller determines that Trollenberg saw the footage, but is suggesting otherwise, so he forces Trollenberg to accompany him to the control room so they can view the footage together. As a rescue crew descends to the lab, Zeller and Trollenberg watch the footage of Carson’s murder. Searching for the other footage, Zeller discovers that Trollenberg had deleted it. He furiously asks why Trollenberg would want to protect the creature, prompting her to reveal the truth, a truth that she declares mankind isn’t ready to bear. Six months ago, she led five others on an expedition to a remote cave in the Antarctic landscape where an anomaly had been detected, being the only survivor. Inside the cave, she discovered the skeletal remains of a creature with a tentacled head. She also discovered a strange, bone-like instrument buried in the snow. Upon blowing on it to clear the snow off, the instrument began playing a frequency that prompted an interdimensional wormhole to appear. When she gazed into the wormhole, she saw evidence that “The Old Ones”, a race of ancient, godlike beings, are on their way to reclaim the Earth. Trollenberg promptly went insane from the sights she saw and succumbed to the Old Ones’ superiority, orchestrating the containment breach as a plot to summon them and bring about the end of days. Trollenberg then shows the instrument to Zeller, telling him that it is a relic of the Old Ones, as well as the fact that it is what allows for the creation of the wormholes. She tells Zeller to pray as she begins blowing into the instrument again, watching as it sprouts miniature tentacles and begins levitating. In a panic, Zeller uses the axe to slash Trollenberg’s throat, stopping the attempted summoning. The evacuation team then arrives on the scene, holding Zeller at gunpoint. Back in the detention center, Tara half-heartedly applauds Zeller’s story, despite not believing a word of it. Zeller informs her that Trollenberg actually gazed at the future through the wormhole she created, and warns Tara that the Old Ones are on their way, ready to end humanity. Sometime later, Tara, who has made a fortune publishing Zeller’s case as a best-selling novel titled ''Our Demons Ourselves'', arrives to observe Zeller’s final moments, the grad student having chosen to undergo death by lethal injection in lieu of an insanity plea. The warden overseeing the process tells Zeller that his rather unusual last request is being granted. Zeller is presented the instrument Trollenberg had unearthed and proceeds to blow into it. As he does so, the wall in the room adjacent to the euthanasia chamber dissolves. One of the Old Ones appears on the other side and promptly begins killing all those in attendance as Zeller watches. Another wormhole soon appears in front of Zeller, who uses it to lock eyes with Prof. Trollenberg in the past, causing her to go insane. As the monster kills Tara, Zeller maniacally says that he warned her, then screams to the viewers about how “they come in through the walls” as the end of the world commences.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: At the very end of the story, Zeller screams directly to the camera about how the Old Ones "come in through the walls", as if warning the audience.
* TheDragon: Trollenberg acts as this to the Old Ones once she goes insane, pledging her allegiance to them and attempting to summon them and begin the end of days.

* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: As his last request, Zeller is given the opportunity to blow into the same instrument Trollenberg discovered. This causes a wormhole to open in the adjacent room, where an Old One appears and starts killing all in attendance, beginning the end of humanity.
* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: Related to the above, Zeller warns the viewing audience in his final moments that the Old Ones come through the walls.

* {{Homage}}: This episode serves as an homage to the works of Creator/HPLovecraft, particularly the Franchise/CthulhuMythos and his story ''Literature/AtTheMountainsOfMadness''.
* HumansAreBastards: Trollenberg gains this mentality after going insane, insisting that the Old Ones gifted humans the Earth, and despise them for pillaging it.

* NothingIsScarier: We only ever see brief glimpses relating to how Mallory is murdered by the Old One that enters the station. All we see of the aftermath is her dismembered corpse surrounding Zeller.
* ShoutOut: Trollenberg shares the same name as the town featured in ''Film/TheCrawlingEye'', whose antagonists were decidedly eldritch looking.
* StableTimeLoop: In the past, when Trollenberg first glimpsed into a wormhole, whatever she happened to see on the other side caused her to go insane and pledge her allegiance to the Old Ones, to the point where she stages a fake containment breach so she can summon them and begin the end of the world. At the end of the episode, as Zeller summons the Old Ones, who begin their retaking of the world, he glimpses into another wormhole and locks eyes with Trollenberg in the past, revealing that his summoning of them is what made her go insane in the first place.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Mallory is only featured in the episode for a few minutes, mainly to get murdered by the Old Ones and kickstart Zeller's plotline.