Promptly received a call from a charming recruiter. Very positive experience there. Within a few days, I moved on to a telephone interview with the software team lead and two software engineers, and that's where things got strange.
All three of these folks were downright hostile from the moment they said hello. I did not let it bother me and remained polite and respectful, and did my best to try to keep the tone light. By the end of the interview, I had the distinct impression that they disliked me because of the field of my previous software development experience, which I understood they did not find interesting. They seemed bizarrely hung up about the whole thing, while at the same time they expressed absolutely no joy or enthusiasm for their own work. It's been weeks and I'm still telling people how absolutely bizarre this interview was, for an intern-level position paying the lowest salary for that position in the area (they told me upfront it was a firm $15).
Needless to say, I did not receive an offer, and the recruiter ghosted me when I politely asked for feedback on their profound displeasure.