Joseph and Conway talk outside Equus Oils
Joseph Wheatree is an old poet and gas station attendant encountered by Conway at Equus Oils in Act I.
Past[]
Though his past is mostly a mystery, we do know from Limits and Demonstrations that Joseph had a partnership with Lula and Donald. The three of them met in college. He also mentions to Conway that he has an advanced degree in electronic writing that never got him very far.
Some time before Act I begins, Joseph likely opened Equus Oils.
Joseph is blind. Lula asks about a cat of his, which seems to be gone now. Interestingly, a cat seems to follow the protagonists, boarding the Mucky Mammoth with them from the Bureau of Reclaimed Spaces. This cat might be Joseph's.
Act I[]
Joseph is first encountered when Conway approaches him at Equus Oils for directions to Dogwood Drive. Joseph is the first character to inform Conway of the Zero, saying that he will have to take the highway to reach his destination.
In the basement of Equus Oils Conway encounters Emily, Ben, and Bob. Joseph denies Conway's claims about the apparitions.
While looking for the Marquezs' address, Conway comes across an email from Donald to Joseph suggesting that he is close to a discovery. He asks Joseph to join him, then apologizes and wistfully reminisces about their past research.
There is also an email from the Consolidated Power Co. warning Joseph of his late payments and the risk of having Equus Oil's power switched from "Low-Reliability Dirty Power Plus" to "Sustained Brownout Select", which may explain the loss of power.
Act II[]
Lula informs Conway and Shannon of Joseph's love for her. He does not make a physical appearance in Act II.
Act III[]
The player can revisit Equus Oils in this Act and speak to Joseph again, with a few more points of conversation. Joseph will have remarks about Johnny and Junebug, and will explain a bit about his past now that they are familiar with Lula. A virtual facsimile of Joseph also appears inside Xanadu, and this version of him is also apparently blind, suggesting that Joseph may have had his disability from a young age.