Containment Protocols: Due to the widespread nature of RPC-708, containment efforts are to focus on media suppression. Mobile Specialized Team X-Ray 6 ("Annullifers") is to ensure that no news publications beyond local prints or networks report on RPC-708 activity. This is to maintain a cover story of the phenomenon being highly localized and nonanomalous in nature.
Agents charged with recovery are to be equipped with a manilla folder why manilla specifically? Why not just an envelope or a plastic sample bag or something? and gloves. They are to be reminded to not make skin contact with the item. Should the agent fail to properly observe these protocols and activate an instance of RPC-708, they are to report the number removed, undergo Class A amnesticization, and be reprimanded.
RPC-708 instances are to be contained in the low security lockers of Site-012. Instances are to be individually labelled with the designation RPC-708-###.
As of 21/06/2019, all experimentation has been suspended until further notice by command of the Global Directorate. RPC-708 has been upgraded from Yellow to Orange and is assumed to demonstrate a tychokinetic hazard.
Description: RPC-708 is the collective designation for anomalous papers that manifest throughout suburban areas in predominantly English-speaking countries. Instances manifest nailed to utility poles and pinned to publicly available bulletin boards. At the time of writing this, no individual or group has ever been connected to RPC-708.
All instances of RPC-708 are 22 cm by 28 cm pieces of printer paper. The correct and formal designation for this size of paper is A4, so you can just call them A4 paper. I'd also clarify if there's anything unusual about the composition of the paper, since it's relatively doable to identify brands of paper by their pulp/chemical composition. The words "Free Numbers" are printed at the top followed by a paragraph describing the purpose of the anomaly. 16 columns of 20 numbers are printed at the bottom of each instance. The numbers are random with their exact order being insignificant. What about the nails and pins? Are they anomalous?
When a human subject makes skin contact with an instance of RPC-708, they will be compelled to remove a random number from it. These numbers will invariably correspond to a significant event involving the subject that will occur after their removal. Pieces of RPC-708 instances lose their anomalous effects upon removal. Notably, removing numbers without actually activating an instance sorry, clarify- you mean removing a number without making skin contact?results in no corresponding event.
Addendum 708-1: The following paragraph is printed on every instance of RPC-708.
Want to know your future but don’t like dealing with psychics, demons, and/or ancient sun gods? Want to just have a number for a password? Or maybe get a random phone number? Then you have come to the right flier. Just tear you off a bit I'd throw in a [sic] here, 'cause that grammar is a bit wonky. and do whatever you want with it. Just make sure that no matter what it has some significance in your life.
Addendum 708-2: The following is an abbreviated log of experiments involving RPC-708. For a complete log please contact Head Researcher Albert Montague.
Date: 01/11/2004
Subject: CSD-9082
Procedure: CSD-9082 was instructed to remove a number from RPC-708-014.
Results: Subject removed the number 45. 3 months following the procedure, the subject celebrated his 45th birthday and finished his time as a CSD. The subject was amnesticized, released from Authority custody, and monitored for a two month period. No further activity was observed. GOOD END
Notes: [N/A]
Date: 21/03/2005
Subject: CSD-7486
Procedure: CSD-7486 was instructed to remove the number 14 from RPC-703-015.
Results: Subject removed the number 17. 2 months following the procedure, the subject was assaulted by CSD-8905 in the Site-012 cafeteria. Subject suffered 17 stab wounds and died of excessive blood loss while being treated by medical personnel.
Notes: Following this incident, all experimentation is to be limited to L2 and L3 CSD. RPC-708 is to be upgraded from White to Yellow. Clearly if RPC-708's definition of significant can involve death it could easily involve any number of other horrible things. - Dr. Montague I'd work in more obvious repetition of 17s here, this seems a little tenuous as a connection.
Date: 25/03/2005
Subject: CSD-7486
Procedure: CSD-7486 was instructed to remove the number 14 from RPC-703-015. Subject was informed that failure to complete the task would result in termination.
Results: Subject removed the number 96900. Subject was not terminated. 5 days after the procedure, an ongoing audit being performed on the subject discovered that they had laundered 96,900 USD from where? when? After they became a CSD?. This resulted in the subject being charged with felony money laundering and having a further 20 years added to their prison sentence. You can get a 20-year sentence for money laundering?
Notes: Not sure if this is a good thing or not. - Dr. Montague
Date: 30/03/2005
Subject: CSD-9230
Procedure: CSD-9230 was instructed to remove the number 14 from RPC-703-015. Subject was given gloves to ensure no skin contact would be made with the item.
Results: Subject removed requested number without issue. At the time of writing, in the 14 years since this procedure no significant event with a notable reference to 14 has occurred involving the subject. Eh, this one's a little weak.
Notes: [N/A]
Date: 23/02/2014
Subject: CSD-8905
Procedure: CSD-8905 was instructed to remove a number from RPC-708-083 before being moved to an isolation cell at Site-014.
Results: Subject removed the number 0437. See Incident Report Fail-Safe for further information.
Notes: Testing is to be suspended and RPC-708 is to be upgraded to Omega-Orange immediately. Let's work a little harder to keep track of who touched these things ok? - GD-WEST I'm trying to figure out if this twist is clever or really dumb.