“EVERYBODY GET OUT OF THE GALLEY!” She came at me, screaming. What was that smell? I started to choke. She grabbed me by the neck and pushed me towards the exit. Everyone was racing out of the galley, holding their hands over their mouths. What was going on here?
It was Suzie. Well, we will call her that, though it wasn’t her name.
Suzie, a few years back, had been a decently high ranking executive in Scientology. She was a formidable figure to most of us. We had all been a little afraid of crossing her for fear of the ethics and justice that might ensue. But that was years ago. Now she was just another RPFer, busted for some reason or other from her “executive” position. She was scum like the rest of us. We had all done something (petty) horribly wrong, all in our own ways trying to destroy Scientology with tiny errors or mistakes.
Suzie had done something particularly bad, because she was on the RPF’s RPF. That was the place that the really bad RPFers were sent. She had been sent to clean the pots and pans in the galley. There were hundreds of pots and pans that had been left neglected and dried out. It was long and tedious work for anyone assigned. Well, Suzie got this idea that the stronger the chemicals, the quicker she could get the work done. And so she had mixed bleach and ammonia. A lot of it, before she ran out choking. It took a few hours to clear out the air in the galley and dinner (for the entire PAC Base, at that time, around 5,000 people) ended up being even later than ever because of it.
And, of course, Suzie ended up in more trouble than she was already in. She got reassigned her RPF’s RPF (minimum stay is two weeks. Hers started over that day). And I, at the age of 17, was assigned to watch over Suzie, a fully grown adult. My job was to make sure she didn’t blow or try to kill herself.
I wouldn’t say that Suzie was suicidal or anything, not that I was in any way qualified to know, but she certainly needed some kind of help and support. All I was allowed to provide was a militaristic type of enforced “get to work” to get her mind off the spinning going on in her head.
Because Suzie had been a well-known executive around PAC, she couldn’t be seen in this state. It was already bad enough that she was on the RPF.
For this reason, we were assigned a task that made us not visible for other staff or public: we were assigned to clean the vents in the galley, then the rest of the entire base. We spent 8 to 10 hours per day scraping grease and oil, then and wiping down the inside of each vent. These vents were so large both of us could fit in them, in most areas, standing up. There were a few areas where we had to crawl, but not many.
There would be times where Suzie would stop working and start screaming or laughing uncontrollably. Or she would just sit and do nothing and stare. I stayed with her through these times, but had little to offer her in the way of comfort. I wasn’t sure how to help her. Honestly, she still scared me a little from the years before when she had yelled at me or sent me for ethics or justice or threatened me with the RPF. It was such a huge difference between that person and this one in front of me.
After we spent eight to ten hours in the vents, we were allowed two and a half hours of study time. This was time set aside for us to better ourselves. Well, Suzie didn’t want to do anything except punish herself. She decided that she was a very, very bad person, and the only way for her to get better was to take laps. In the RPF, laps are a sort of mini-punishment for wrong-doing. Each infraction has a specific amount of laps to be done. The idea is that once the laps are done, the infraction is “forgiven” in a sense.
I remember the infraction she kept talking about: FALSE REPORT. This infraction is a big no-no in the Sea Org and carries a larger penalty, which is called a Big Lap. Big Laps were always taken outside, around the Big Blue complex. I want to say each one was about half a mile. Suzie made up as many False Report infractions as she could, so we would spend two and a half hours a day running around Big Blue. Some of her “false reports” were that she said she wasn’t hungry when she actually was. So she would take a big lap for each and every invented false report that she could. She wore a baseball cap and went fast, and I had to keep up with her. I’m not sure how she was not recognized, but she wasn’t as far as I know.
This was my first month on the RPF’s RPF. I can’t even remember why I was there in the first place. Maybe because I had wanted to leave the Sea Org? That’s where you get sent for wanting to leave the Sea Org, at least back in those days.
I can’t say I helped her, but I can say that however many miles of ducting the Big Blue has, they were spotless. And our fitness level was sky-high, running two and a half hours a day for a month.
What did we learn from it? I have no idea.
I find it continually interesting to compare the things I was told while in the Sea Org with the actual importance of them. In the Sea Org, we really think that everything we do here and now is urgent and affects the future and safety of all mankind. And yet, looking back, what is accomplished? We of course would like to think that our actions have helped others to become better people, but have we accomplished that?
— Sunny Pereira
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Bonus items from our tipsters
Only four days to go — can they make it?
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“I just had a phone call from California, by the way: A girl who was on the handbook — fifteen hours, really, on the handbook, running it through — went down to a secretarial course (never seen a typewriter before), sat down and read the chart, spent ten minutes reading the chart, sat down at the typewriter with blank keys and started writing at twenty-five words a minute. Here sits an atom bomb. That atom bomb is a complete threat to this whole society, culture, your body, your civilization.” — L. Ron Hubbard, February 18, 1952
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“Outside this universe there is no time. There is only this huge movie we see creating itself more and more into the future. Since all of this movie is present outside the physical universe, a being can enter into any time period he wants if he has the level of awareness that allows him to do so. I was sent to this period of time as a new creation. The purpose was and is to raise the vibrations of the planet. This will, by itself, align this period of time and alter the future to make everything better. There were a million of me created from one of the Gods. They might be operating bodies on or off the planet. Most are Orbs that are directly connected to source so they are all around the planet raising the vibrations of the planet. I would say there is less than 10 of me operating bodies on this planet. The rest would be Orbs just observing and raising the vibrations.”
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“I was just ruminating that Manson probably got the idea for ‘creepy crawl’ from some Scientology experience.”
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Start making your plans…
Head over to the convention website and meet us in St. Louis!
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Is Beck divorcing Scientology along with his wife? Here’s the evidence for and against.
[TWO years ago] Scientology opened an ‘Ideal Org’ in Salt Lake City yesterday. We have its secret plans.
[THREE years ago] Augustine: Why is it so hard to find a Scientologist in good standing?
[FOUR years ago] David Miscavige wastes no time once the stay is lifted in Monique Rathbun’s lawsuit
[FIVE years ago] TAMPA SHOWDOWN: Scientology’s religious exception faces mini-trial today
[SIX years ago] Going three feet back of your head: Scientology’s Original Operating Thetan Level Six!
[SEVEN years ago] Tom Cruise Under Oath: We Have His Deposition Questions!
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology Campout: Commenters of the Week!
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,852 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,356 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,876 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 896 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 787 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,094 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,962 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,736 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,510 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,856 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,422 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,341 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,509 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,090 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,351 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,389 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,102 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,627 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,154 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,717 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,857 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,177 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,032 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,152 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,507 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,810 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,916 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,318 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,190 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,773 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,268 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,522 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,631 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on February 18, 2020 at 07:00
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The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2018 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2018), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
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