- After fantasy and horror books were banned, librarian William Stendahl builds a replica of Edgar Allan Poe's "House of Usher" and populates it with androids set to murder government officials.
- Twenty years after the government has banned all fantasy novels, Stendahl seeks revenge by having an architect build an enormous castle populated by androids and based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. When the government censor, Garrett, comes to inform him it will be burned to the ground. Stendahl kills Garrett and replaces him with an android to lure the other members of the government censor committee to his castle and destroy them in a suitable manner.—Gislef
- Men in a library incinerate books.
Twenty years later in 2125, Stendahl reads from 'The Fall of The House Usher", as he stands in front of the image of the same house. He's paid a fortune to have it created by the architect Bigelow, and Bigelow assures Stendahl that he and his team had it made to Stendahl's horrific specifications. Stendahl is satisfied with Bigelow's work. They go inside and Bigelow asks Stendahl what he intends to do with it. The architect admits that he knows nothing of Usher or Edgar Allan Poe, and when Stendahl goes on about both and how the books of writers like Poe were burned in the Great Fire, Bigelow realizes that Stendahl is one of "those". They walk through the hole and Stendahl complains about how "they" passed a law banning such book.
Bigelow has no idea what Stendahl is talking about. When he says that from what he heard, the burning was a good thing, a furious Stendahl calls him an idiot and orders him out. Bigelow runs out, Stendahl's curses echoing in his ears.
Later, Stendahl is watching and rewatching an old horror movie. A former actor, Mr. Pikes, is serving as his butler. Pikes is the "monster" in the movie, and Stendahl heaps praise on the actor's talent for makeup and portraying monsters. They sympathize over how they both suffered when Stendahl's collection and Pikes' films were burned, and they share a toast to the House of Usher.
One of the investigators from Moral Climates, Garrett, arrives. Stendahl answers the door and Garrett says that word gets around and soon Moral Climates will have the place as tidy as a pin. On Garrett's inquiry, Stendahl says that the place is a haunted castle and he has a built a sanctuary for the imagination. He invites Garrett in and suggests that he take a tour of the place so he can make an accurate report. Stendahl talks about how he has recreated all of the horrors as robots. Garrett says that they'll have to tear the place down, and Stendahl says that he had hoped Moral Climates would not have been so quick.
Garrett says he has seen Stendahl's file, and twenty years ago Stendahl's library causes them a great deal of trouble. The investigator draws a gun and tells Stendahl that no tricks, and Stendahl asks Garrett for 24 hours to play with his "toy". Garrett refuses, and turns and blasts a robot rat. A robot witch comes up on Garrett, and Stendahl assures the investigator that it's a robot. Garrett admits that he has a certain reluctant genius for Stendahl's creativity, and asks Stendahl why. Stendahl says that it's bureaucracy, but he doesn't have time to explain. He tells the witch "now", and it strangles Garrett.
Soon, Pikes is making a robot of Garrett. Stendahl comes down and compliments Pikes work, and tells Pikes to burn the body of the real Garrett. The robot says that it will go to Moral Climates, say that Stendahl has undergone a full mental rehabilitation, and invite the full committee to come and see the Fall of the Second House of Usher as evidence of Stendahl accepting his crimes. Stendahl tells Garrett to go, and when it does so, Pikes and Stendahl agree that they will have a very jolly time.
The robot Garrett goes before the committee and tells them that Stendahl has seen the error of his ways, and extends the invitation to the party. The committee applaud Garrett.
That night, the committee arrive at the house. Stendahl greets them and they go inside, and see the robots peering out of the corners. He says that they will see its destruction, but first there must be a costume ball. The committee members see it as a blasphemy, but Stendahl assures them that they will have one night of celebration and then see the place destroyed.
As the committee members go to change, Pikes tells Stendahl that he cleaned out the incinerator and discover that Garrett's remains were those of a robot. Garrett sent an android in his place. Stendahl figures that the real Garrett won't know the difference between his android and theirs, and the next time he'll come himself because he thinks it's safe.
There's a knock at the door, and Stendahl answers it to find the real Garrett there. Garrett says that he sent his android to make his initial report, but the android's report was too lenient and he has called for the dismantlers. When Garrett wonders what's going on, Stendahl cheerfully admits that murder is going on.
There's a scream, and Garrett runs ahead. A woman tells him that one of the committee members has been strangled and stuffed up a chimney. The real committee member is there, greets Garrett, and says that an android of herself was killed. Stendahl tells Garrett that it's party games.
Another committee screams as he's strapped to a pendulum. The real committee member is there and looks on, and Garrett looks on in horror and Stendahl offers him a drink of wine. More committee member androids are killed in the manner of Poe's stories, Garrett looks on in horror and drinks, and Stendahl laughs.
Stendahl finally takes Garrett to see what he has planned for him. The now-drunk Garrett goes along into the cellar, and Stendahl manacles him to a wall and starts to wall him in just like in 'The Cask of Amontillado'. Stendahl says that he's going to leave Garrett there, and the others are dead and the android duplicates stood by and watched. Garrett screams for help, and Stendahl tells him that Garrett listened to other people's opinions about Poe's books, and never read them or he would have known what Stendahl was doing. Garrett finally recites the last line of the story in return for Stendahl offer to set him free, but Stendahl finishes walling up the investigator and walks away.
Later, the dismantlers arrive and burn down the place, under the orders of the android Garrett and the android committee members. Pikes drives Stendahl away in a carriage, and Stendahl reads from his book about the fall of the House of Usher.
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