This former 60-minute orientation film for Dr. Marshall Redgrave's retreat at The Mission in Sonoma, California, was warped by the temblor zone at the St. Francis Hotel at Westercon '73. The Sony U-Matic cassette survived its 10-story fall to Geary Street due to its new status as a reality shard.
The cassette-as-reality shard is designed to be shown to someone ("the viewer") at the behest of a programmer or programmers. On the cassette, the narration begins in English but slowly over the first couple of minutes Sumerian terms begin to slip into Dr. Redgrave's narration. Anyone viewing the contiguous first few minutes of the Redgrave Videocassette must roll Will to avoid obtaining a Sense of Duty up to Small Group to whomever the programmer dictates (5 points - 20% = 4 points). The viewer must also roll Will at this point to avoid wanting to see the rest of the video; obviously, the viewer can be forced to view the tape thus obviating the necessity of forcing them to do so.
If the viewer watches past 10 minutes, they will notice Redgrave's narration, both VO and on-screen slips entirely into Sumerian. Also, during the tour of the Mission, more and more History B features will slide into view: the Mediterranean architecture of the Mission buildings replaced with Sumerian tower blocks, the Mission's horses fitted with ancient reins and bridles, the Mission employees eschewing Nehru jackets and flowing hippie robes for ancient Mesopotamian ritual wear, occasional Irruptors viewable in the far background, etc. During this portion of the video, the viewer is highly suggestible to any Brainwashing, Brain Hacking, Hypnotism, or other Skills used to either change people's minds or plumb their memories: assess a +4 bonus to the programmer using any of these Skills. (15 points - 30% = 11 points). If the viewer is still watching without being forced to, they must make a second Will check, this time at -4, to avoid wanting to watch to the end.
Finally, if the viewer watches to the end of the tape, Dr. Redgrave and the Mission will eventually be subsumed entirely by visions of History B; Dr. Redgrave and his celebrity testimonials are entirely replaced by shouting humans and Irruptors in Sumerian, all shouting hosannahs of joy and praise to Those Who Provide (the Anunnaki). If a programmer lets the viewer view to the end of the tape, the programmer can program the viewer with Extreme Fanaticism for a cause or cluster of tightly-related causes of his choice. This Extreme Fanaticism will last until the goal or task is fulfilled. (15 points - 40% = 9 points). If the programmer imbues a viewer with this Fanaticism, the programmer will roll double the usual Corruption for using a Reality Shard (2d6 instead of 1d6).
Can Be Stolen (easily snatched/requires special equipment): -40%, Unique: -25%: 24 - 16 = 8
Double Corruption if used entirely: 3 points Sadism (12) for 1d6 days after being the programmer (even using this tape for a minute will imbue the programmer with this Disadvantage!): 5 points