Five-Day Mystery: The Dead Man's Livestream

Original Story

Puzzle situation

It's the replay of a livestream from last night, 8-10pm. The picture is dim, lit by only a few candles. A man in a black robe kneels before a stained-glass window, preaching. Outside, the rain never lets up. "You call it a monster. But He is a god. He is piecing His body together. He needs our hands, our feet, our eyes... I offer Him my arm." The viewer count holds steady at around 800. The live chat floods with "It's coming," "I've seen it," "Take me." Every so often he pauses to read out viewers' names and answer their questions. But his smile always arrives half a beat late, and there's something off about the rhythm of his blinking that you can't quite name. Harper leans back in his chair. "Streams like this have been popping up all over lately. Bunch of cranks. At least this guy was alive last night. We can bring him in as a witness." Logos: "Tracing the stream's IP." You stare at the window. "Did it rain last night?" Logos: "No." You drag the progress bar to the final minute. The man raises his left hand high toward the camera. Tattooed on the back of it is an open eye. Logos pauses for half a second. "Match complete. This hand is currently stitched onto the Three-Armed Man." Harper jumps to his feet. "Impossible! He was answering viewers last night... How does a dead man answer viewers?!" Logos: "Technically, that is not impossible."