They face sabotage from the PES board, led by a sentient spreadsheet named . C.R.E.E.D. cuts their lighting budget, so they film by candlelight. C.R.E.E.D. deletes their sound files, so they record dialogue in a whispering closet.

They made a story.

Popular Entertainment Studios doesn’t close. It becomes something new: . Their first release? A three-hour black-and-white documentary about a man who knits sweaters for slugs. It bombs horribly.

The writers gasp. A woman in the corner faints.