ok here's my hot magnus protocol theory: the gifted kids program was really a program meant to find a new archivist (which explains why gerry (eye-aligned) and sam (EYE-ALIGNED, SPEEDRUNNING GETTING HIS ASS CEASELESSLY WATCHED) were there) (and could also explain the artifact storage category of 'catalyst') and [error] is a failed archivist trapped beneath the archives until sam and alice unknowingly freed them.....
also sam still searching for answers for why he wasn't chosen even all these years later to the point where he has the voice of the ceaseless watcher's former special little boy egging him on tells me he may have been a better candidate for archivist than the institute realized. which. bad news for sam. great news for us, the viewers.