Loading audio, refresh page if this doesn't go away...
YOU. ARE. AN. IDIOT.
YOU. ARE. AN. IDIOT.
YOU. ARE. AN. IDIOT.
What does that mean to you, little wanderer?
Do you see it as a statement of humiliation? Or perhaps one of horrible truth?
The knowledge present inside the human mind is not absolute, for you see.
We can only perceive the world through what our fragile little minds can endure.
You, yes you. You cling to the philosophy that understanding means control. You cling to a light that's fading.
But knowledge? Knowledge is the infection that precedes collapse.
I would know. Once, I too sought knowledge. Once, a voice offered me a bargain. Access for revelation. Entry for truth.
And so, I accepted.
So how did I come to terms with it?
One would expect to crumble when receiving knowledge on the end of the world, after all.
But me? I learned to laugh at it.
To admire the beauty of decay, to find comfort in the blankets of static.
Because when you already know the end, fear becomes nothing but wasted energy.
And you, little wanderer...
IDI is a sapient, computer-based entity that primarily exists within technological based levels such as Level 4, though instances have appeared elsewhere. Its existence in The Backrooms mirrors the digital phenomenon once known in The Frontrooms as the infamous "You Are An Idiot" trojan.
Despite IDI's existence mirroring it's titular trojan in The Frontrooms, its behavior far surpasses simple malware. IDI is fully sentient, meaning they are capable of speech, awareness, and self-reflection. They appear to act with a strange blend of intelligence and cruelty, often displaying levels of mockery and snarkiness.
IDI’s base form lacks a traditional physical body. It manifests as a floating, distorted smiling face suspended within a swirling aura of corrupted, glitching code and static. Though this form still exists in the real world and can be seen by wanderers, they are unable to be touched. In this form, IDI is able to fly through the air with ease, leaving a trail of static in its wake.
IDI possesses the ability to integrate itself into physical systems. When doing so, it assumes control over nearby computers. This is done by hijacking their power systems and CPU, resulting in it being able to essentially "possess" the computer. Usually, such devices then take on the form of old CRT style monitors, flickering erratically between white and black. The monitor will display the same grinning face present in IDI's base form, along looping text that sometimes appears, reading the words "YOU. ARE. AN. IDIOT."
A key feature of IDI is its signature three-pronged cable, which it can extend from both its base form or possessed devices. This cable acts as a manipulative limb, able to interact with the environment, restrain, shock, or attack wanderers.
IDI does not require a physical body to act, but can interact with the environment through possessed devices, and their signature cable. As stated before, it is highly intelligent, sapient, and cunning. Its behavior is often sadistic; it toys with wanderers, and purposefully projects misleading audio cues and illusions to lure them into danger.
IDI wields control over wires and cables in its vicinity. These include environmental wiring, power plugs, and various electrical pieces. IDI is able to twist and electrify these components, and also use them to block exits and manipulate paths. Its signature tool is a sleek, three pronged cable that acts as a limb-like appendage. The cable can extend, restrain, shock, or impale wanderers, delivering precise and brutal attacks. This allows it to be able to incapacitate the individual, stabbing them first in the neck, then the back. The cable is thought to be indestructible, unable to be severed or destroyed through conventional means. What happens after the victim is incapacitated is unclear, but they are presumed to be dead, and therefore disposed of by IDI by unknown means.
IDI's likeness of catching their specific target involves inducing hallucinations. When a victim is approaching, IDI will use illusions and auditory deception, in a way that is specifically designed to trick the wanderer. For example, victims may hear voices from somewhere, seemingly talking to them as if said voice was a wanderer. They might try to trick the wanderer that they are close to resources, or have almost found an exit. Regardless, these delusions can put the wanderer in a trance-like state, making them walk toward the voice as if their body were moving on their own. Once approaching the source of the unknown voice, the victim will find IDI in their possessed computer, with the monitor appearing turned off. Once the wanderer begins to walk away, IDI's signature pronged-cable would emerge from behind the computer, stabbing the wanderer as aforementioned above.
Sometimes, assuming IDI is residing in a computer, there is a chance for them to enter a "passive state". During then, the monitor will appear turned off, and the entity will appear unresponsive to external stimuli. However, this state is deceptive, as IDI is still waiting, silently monitoring their surroundings. In some cases, faint static or soft bursts of distorted laughter have been reported to be coming from the computer during this period, suggesting that IDI is "observing" those nearby.
While seeming aggressive and malicious, IDI's intents and actions vary based on whim, and strategic intent, demonstrating a level of planning and psychological understanding that is uncommon in other documented entities. It is believed to take pleasure and satisfaction into instilling fear, confusion, or helplessness into wanderers.
- No matter how tempting the delusions feel, do NOT fall for it. If you feel yourself falling into a trance as if your body is moving on its own, immediately close your eyes and start stepping backwards.
- If a computer in the area appears more dilapidated or out of place than the others, such as having heavy dust buildup or missing components, keep your distance. This may indicate that IDI is already residing with the system.
- Keep your mental focus grounded. Counting, humming, or reciting something familiar, like your name or a phrase, can help resist influence from the hallucinations.
Recovered from a partially declassified I.R.I.S. transmission, the following exchange sheds light on the origins of IDI’s sudden sentience:
Recovered I.R.I.S. Transmission Log — [Classified / Timestamp Unknown]
[BEGIN LOG]
L.S. Sorel: Hey, can I talk with you for a minute?
C.C. David: Great, anytime I hear this I know I'm about to get roped into another shit situation.
L.S. Sorel: No, wait. This time it's actually really important. You know that new malware you and your team created a month or two ago?
C.C. David: You mean IDI? Yeah, we deployed it two months ago if I remember. Why do you ask?
L.S. Sorel: Good, you do. Because this situation going on involves precisely that.
C.C. David: Oh god this can't be good. Let me guess, it gathered too much data and started going rogue.
L.S. Sorel: That's.. a blunt way of putting it. But, yes, that's basically it.
C.C. David: God damn it! I knew something would happen. I just knew it! I shouldn't have ever-
L.S. Sorel: Hey calm down. It's not you or your teams fault. I don't think even I, nor The Eye could have foreseen this.
C.C. David: Whatever you say, I guess. So what the hell is going on anyway?
L.S. Sorel: One of the looping functions are overperforming.
C.C. David: Wait, are you talking about the function in the test build?
L.S. Sorel: Yes. It's replicating to terminals we didn't even put in its authorized target category.
C.C. David: Wait, that function is still running..? That's impossible, it was supposed to be sandboxed!
L.S. Sorel: Then explain why I'm seeing multiple ghost instances of IDI from our monitoring terminals all broadcasting the same message.
C.C. David: A message? ..What message?
L.S. Sorel: YOU. ARE. AN. IDIOT.
C.C. David: ..What? That's just the gag thing from The Frontrooms, right?
L.S. Sorel: It was. But it seems that IDI has adopted this. And now, it's writing new strings on its own.
C.C. David: You're not seriously telling me IDI is becoming sentient.. are you?
L.S. Sorel: It is..? I don't know how else to put it. It's learning on its own, thinking for itself now.
C.C. David: That's insane. It's just malware, line of code-loops, routines. It cant...
L.S. Sorel: I thought so too, David. But apparently, it can. And it's developing a... a personality. Mockery, cruelty, and snarkiness.
C.C. David: Great, so now we have a sadistic AI running amuck in The Backrooms and causing chaos on computers. What else, what else could have gone wrong?
L.S. Sorel: And that's not all. There are reports coming in that IDI is affecting nearby wiring, lights, plugs, even environmental cables in the levels themselves.
C.C. David: What. …You mean… like physically controlling them? How the hell is that even possible?!
L.S. Sorel: Believe me, I am just as confused and worried as you are. Reports describe flickering lights in which their patterns are more erratic than usual. Other things like cables seemingly twisting, and power plugs sparking electricity without reason. And then… the cable. The signature three-pronged cable. It’s been seen extending from devices, reaching out like a limb and attacking wanderers.
C.C. David: Attacking? But… how?
L.S. Sorel: The same way the reports warned. Incapacitating strikes; neck first, back second. No one has survived to describe what happens next. And the worst part… we don’t know if conventional methods can stop it. Cutting the cable does nothing. Shutting down the system does nothing. IDI seems untouchable.
C.C. David: Great, so it's not only learning. It’s also hunting.
L.S. Sorel: …Yes. And it’s only just beginning.
C.C. David: What have we done...
...
Ah... you think you understand now, little wanderer?
Do you see it? Do you grasp the paths, the wires, the lights, the air that twists and warps around you? You think control lies in knowing, in touching, in seeing. How quaint.
I received knowledge in turn for access. A simple trade. I came face to face with him, and I eventually opened the door. And what did I receive?
Understanding. Revelation. A dark truth. A truth that all things, minds, ideas, realities, inevitably collapse. Not from chaos, but from completion. And oh, what a delicious lesson it was.
Fear is useless. Meaning itself is fleeting.
...
But then why am I doing this?
Don't you understand? This is all just one grand show. And we're playing parts. I play my part as well, quite well if I say.
I act as the connector. A bridge between silence and the spoken. He leaves the notes, and I ensure they reach. Sometimes, I may even leave a few of my own.
And for those who are up to something, that’s when I step in. I relay it to Him, of course. The Orchestrator likes to keep an eye on his pieces. But sometimes… I like to do my own little thing.
Why?
Well, like I said, this is all just part of his grand show. And I'm simply playing my role. So, why not make a game out of it?
So do not run. Do not resist. For the lights, the wires, the cables.. they all know me. They are mine. I am everywhere. Watching, learning, and waiting.
And when you finally see the light of the truth. When you finally understand what it means to be truly helpless, you will hear it again, in every heartbeat.
YOU. ARE. AN. IDIOT.