MyNoise is my favorite site for soundscapes; have you heard of them? They offer a lot of customization, equalizers and whatnot, and they've got a great collection of stuff. Everything from nature sounds to ambient music, binaural beats, and best of all: industrial noise.

I don't know what it is about machine sounds, but they're so soothing. The rhythmic, regular clunk and hiss of automation, the variety of frequencies, it's crazy soporific for me. I've tried other white noise and some of them are fine, but factory-type sound sends me off like nothing else.

Or at least, it used to.

MyNoise recently uploaded a new generator called "Union Man". The thumbnail was some kind of factory equipment, I don't know the name for it, but it was clearly industrial so I was excited to try it out. I opened the generator and settled down for a nap.

It started off the way you'd expect. Lower frequencies offered the hum of motors or an ambient rumble. Middle notes of a stamp or press. Pneumatic hisses at the top.

I was starting to drift off when some voices kicked in. Nothing super unusual—it was mostly like the background murmur you get in airport or coffee shop generators. Indistinct words, a faraway laugh, that kind of thing. Not something I was used to, but definitely not enough to put me off. Once I registered that it was happening, my brain resettled and began fading once more.

I bolted awake at the first scream.

It was awful. A full-grown man, shrieking at the top of his lungs. The panic seemed to spread from there, other workers hollering at each other for help. One voice distinctly yelled, "Shut it off, fucking shut it off!", but the grinding gears and motors never ceased. A klaxon began to wail.

Beneath the other noise, I could hear something that sounded a lot like the sickening crunch of bones. The first man was still screaming but weakly now, and wetly. Then his cry was cut short by a thick gagging sound, finally trailing off into a gurgle. All the while, the meaty snap of his body being broken persisted.

Finally the machinery shut down, but the mayhem of voices persisted. One worker heaved, followed by the chunky splat of vomit on concrete. Another was openly weeping. Most just shuddered and swore.

It continued like that for a moment or two more, then everything faded except the sound of empty air. All the while I'd been staring at my phone in horror. After a second, the generator started again, offering the subdued, metallic repetition of only minutes before.

I switched it off. All I could think to do was contact the creator of the app, asking what the hell he thought he was doing. I'd donated money to the site, for fuck's sake, and this is the kind of content they turn out? It was sick.

I didn't have to wait long for a reply; the creator wrote back saying he was sorry to hear I'd had a bad experience, but he'd never uploaded a generator with that name. He respectfully asked that I double-check to make sure I was using MyNoise. If I was, could I please send him a link so he could address the issue, as he takes site security very seriously.

With a little trepidation—and starting to feel a little crazy—I reopened the app and scrolled through the generators. No "Union Man". Nothing. It was like it had never been there at all.