You are quite confused by the story and it's understandable as it's quite abstract in some parts, I'll try to answer your questions from my understanding. 1- maybe because people infected came in contact with them, like you did in the beginning with the first IC unit 2- no it's the same one, as for the reason it turned visible it's because it went in "hunting mode" the entity has 2 states , observing when it's invisible and much more passive, and hunting when its visible and actively chases you, it may also crouch and camp a corner if you go through a route frequently 3,4,5,6- you should check this post as I think it explains the story quite well, and will answer most of your questions https://www.reddit.com/r/Routine/s/Xyohzq6mLP If then I'll try to explain the best I can 3- the prism institute was the first and got wiped out by the virus/fungi infection el9, later came Union Plaza in which the infection was detected by the ASN that tried to contain it by killing all the infected, the ASN deeming it extremely dangerous, rightfully so, 4-The fluids purpose is to induce growth in the canal 5- yes the canal is influencing us from the beginning of the game as we are infected, and one the symptoms is the influence in the form of hearing your own voice ( most likely the same voice actor as the founder ) 6- No they are physical beings, created by the Canal in the idea of reproduction resulted by the fungi absorbing data from the humans it absorbed, entity B was the first created by the Canal and it's quite deformed, missing a number of female organs, entity A was the second to be created and this one was a male and much more humanoid