Carl Fletcher and Rich Talbot

Graduate students at UC Berkeley assigned to the Space Sciences Laboratory. Both studied astrophysics, with Carl focusing on cosmology and Rich focusing on engineering. They were ardent fans of Andrew Krane’s Atlantis Rising novels, and were partially-witting dupes of a kulullû whom Carl referred to as the "Old Man." With the Old Man's tutelage and direction, they were able to trigger a reality temblor at the St. Francis Hotel during Westercon.

The event did not go well for them: Rich had his mind and soul obliterated attempting to escape the bounds of the subduction zone, rendering him something like a zombie. Carl was apprehended by Roger and Mitch. Subsequently interrogated by Marshall, he revealed all he knew about his plan and the Old Man before his mind snapped under the weight of too many contravening memetic loads. Still, he was able to escape URIEL’s bivouac suite while the team was distracted and absconded to the uppermost floors of the hotel. Again apprehended by Roger and Mitch, he was safely evacuated from the building after URIEL contained the temblor event.

Marshall arranged to stage Carl and Rich's suicide, hypnotizing Carl to lead a vacant-eyed Rich to the Golden Gate Bridge, there to plummet to their deaths. Using his contacts at the CIA, he had a “lover’s suicide” note placed at the pair’s apartment in Berkeley, implicating them in a tawdry homosexual affair.