This page is an archive for a contest entry that was hosted at a special URL. The article has since been ported to the main site as RPC-776.
Registered Phenomena Code: 009
Object Class: Omega-White
Hazard Types: Sapient, Teleportation, Memory Alteration, Tychokinetic
Containment Protocols: Due to the unpredictable nature of RPC-009, sightings of the anomaly are to be explained to the public through multiple disinformation campaigns to further public skepticism and disbelief. Witnesses are to be amnesticized, RPC-009 manifestations are to be pursued and containment attempts are to continue as its nature has the capability to heavily damage normalcy.
Description: RPC-009 designates a human figure which superficially resembles the deceased American singer and actor Elvis Aron Presley as he appeared in his thirties. Upon manifestation, the entity dresses in streetwear common to the location of manifestation, and is always observed wearing a pair of gloves.
The anomaly manifests and de-manifests at random intervals worldwide, most often around locations associated with the late Presley, mainly in Memphis, Tennessee. The anomaly seems to have an innate grasp on when it’s being observed, and uses this knowledge to try to avoid being looked at directly in the face. Generally, the anomaly will attempt to have a meal before de-manifestation, opting for food that the late Presley was purported to enjoy. RPC-009 manifests and de-manifests when not under direct observation: it actively seeks for unpopulated and unobserved areas when intending to de-manifest. Occasionally, RPC-009’s de-manifestation will leave behind a small mound of sand.
Any individual that identifies RPC-009 as "Elvis Presley", consciously or subconsciously, will become affected by a negative probabilistic anomaly targeting any attempt to pursue RPC-009. This phenomenon manifests itself as a series of statistically improbable non-fatal events that impede approaching or damaging it. Because of this, all containment attempts as of yet have ended in failure. The activation of this anomaly often leads to RPC-009 choosing to de-manifest shortly afterward.
Observed examples of this anomaly at play include:
- The jamming of firearms
- A random shift in crowd interest, leading to a large group of people knocking over the pursuant
- The suffering of a spontaneous, nonfatal heart attack
RPC-009 is also capable of exerting a memetic effect on certain surrounding individuals; said effect causes said individuals to view the anomaly as a related, mundane individual. Individuals influenced by the anomaly are unaffected by RPC-009’s probabilistic anomaly, but following its de-manifestation, any memory of RPC-009 will be erased from said individuals. These effects may be counteracted through the usage of QUIE glyphs1 and other counter-memetic measures.
Discovery: RPC-009’s first documented manifestation occurred on August 19, 1977,2 where it manifested within the bathroom at Marlowe’s Ribs & Restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee. The anomaly exerted its memetic effect on all surrounding individuals after manifestation, save for one Sandra █████, hereon referred to as "witness", and proceeded to order and consume a plate of mashed potatoes. Because the witness did not pursue the anomaly, it only de-manifested following its egress from the establishment. Said witness later reported the encounter to a local newspaper. Following similar incidents in the following months, the Authority confirmed RPC-009's existence.
Addendum: