TPH01
[Date: Dec/1/24]
[Cycle: SNOW PRIME]
[Barista: Vanilla]
[Subject: Mr. Nex]
[File Reference: TPH01]
Different Cycle. Different Cafe. Same old gig.
A patron came in today—surprised to see us—but still looking for some Cafe comfort food. She was trembling, clutching one of those static shards like it was the only thing keeping her grounded. Apparently, her boyfriend was watching TV—because that’s all anyone seems to do in this Cycle—and he stumbled on something called The Tonight Show with O.B. Nex. Never heard of it. Sounds like the usual Tonight Show shtick, though I’m guessing it’s infinitely more tolerable sans Fallon.
At first, it seemed harmless enough, she said. Not a show she personally recognized, but fairly normal talk show stuff—until it wasn’t. The host was…off. A slender man with an oversized mascot head—a giant green sphere with a black question mark smack in the middle. O.B. Nex, apparently.
From what she caught, O.B. was interviewing some washed-up director. Standard late-night fare, right? But as the questions rolled on, they got… too personal. Like they weren’t meant for the guest, but for the viewer.
Then came the applause break. The screen fuzzed. That’s when her boyfriend got up—didn’t say a word, didn’t look back. Just walked out the door and vanished into the night. The only thing he left behind was one of Snow’s static shards.
By the time she finished talking, I could feel the shard humming in my hand. Crackling. Almost whispering. Its surface buzzed faintly, and then—clear as day, but still distorted, like a broken radio—I heard it:
"Let’s dive into the truth behind the mask…"
The voice had this unnerving smoothness to it, like it was trying to be charming, but there was something wrong underneath. That was all the shard gave me. No more clues, no more answers. But I think I’m starting to piece it together. The Tonight Show with O.B. Nex—how much do you want to bet it was airing on whatever Channel Zero is?