Fig. 1: RPC-364
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Registered Phenomena Code: 364 | Level 2 |
| Object Class: Beta-Orange Neutralized | Restricted |
Hazards: Aggression Hazard, Ecological Hazard, Organic Hazard, Regenerative Hazard, Sapient Hazard, Contact Hazard, Extreme Temperatures, Meta-Physical Hazard, Memory Alteration Hazard, Visual Hazard
Containment Protocols: The observation tower has been torn down. All Authority assets and personnel are to fall back to Installation-016. Any personnel who stay behind are to be deemed lost.
Fig. 2: Waterfall at western border of RPC-364 territory
RPC-364 is to be continuously monitored via MST Alpha-09 "Ghosts of Gaia" for RPC-364-1. Direct eye contact with RPC-364-1 is to be avoided at all times. No experiments whatsoever are to be conducted in RPC-364. No contact with RPC-364-1 is allowed. Those that violate these protocols will be severely reprimanded.
RPC-364 is to be permanently closed off to the general public, and MST Alpha-09 "Ghosts of Gaia" is to patrol the border for any unauthorized persons. Non-Authority persons are to be actively turned away at gunpoint. Under no circumstances is anyone to enter RPC-364 for any reason.
The area formerly designated RPC-364 is to be abandoned by all personnel. Installation-016 is to refocus containment efforts on other anomalies in the Northeastern United States. Should RPC-364 begin exhibiting anomalous properties again, personnel are to repossess the area.
Description: RPC-364 is a 25 km2 forested expanse located in the White Mountains.1 This plot of land is surrounded on all sides by mountains and hills that make RPC-364 a deep valley relative to its surroundings. This is despite RPC-364 sitting at an elevation of around 1,375 m above sea level. The temperature of RPC-364 during the year is typical of the surrounding area, except in the winter, when it is an average of 4 °C colder in RPC-364 than elsewhere in the mountain range.
Fig. 3: Northern border of RPC-364 territory
The geography of RPC-364 is consistent with that of the White Mountains. On the northern border of RPC-364 sits a deteriorated post and rail fence atop an elevated, rolling hill that drops off into a steep ridge. It is known among mountaineers for being one of the most difficult climbs across the entire United States. The eastern border is the western peak of Mount ████████, an area devoid of any major activity due to the high elevation gain on the eastern face of the peak, which sits on the shared border between New Hampshire and Maine. South of RPC-364 is the ████ ████ ski resort. 500 m separates the two, with this zone rising above both the resort and RPC-364 with its own trees and a similar rotted fence. As the area is known to attract dangerous mountain animals, it is closed off to the general public. RPC-364’s western border is a snowy plain that gradually rises into a sharp cliff that dumps water into RPC-364, resulting in a substantial waterfall. In the center of RPC-364 is a large, frozen lake that is estimated to reach an average depth of 3.5 m. Patches of RPC-364 are open plains while the rest of it is heavily forested. RPC-364 itself is a normal forested area in most regards.
Anomalous properties manifest primarily in the trees of RPC-364. The leaves of any tree rooted in RPC-364 are colored a bright crimson red year-round, despite being identifiable as common types of trees.2 These trees will shed their leaves during the winter season and regain them during the spring in a manner typical to non-anomalous trees. If any tree from RPC-364 is cut down, falls down or dies through some other method, after 24 hours, any of its material will suddenly disappear and the tree will reappear in its previous spot alive and healthy. Wood samples gathered from RPC-364 indicate nothing anomalous about the wood itself, and RPC-364 trees possess identical wood to their non-anomalous counterparts. Currently, there are 300,343 trees inside RPC-364. Records taken over its ██-year history with the Authority indicate that this number remains largely constant.
The trees in RPC-364 are now completely normal. A large collection of Lotus flowers has grown around the area formerly designated RPC-364.
Fig. 4: Rows of trees in RPC-364
Any animal that tries to enter RPC-364 is temporarily and instantaneously phased out of existence. These animals phase back into existence at the opposite side of RPC-364, completely unchanged from when they vanished. As such, RPC-364 is completely devoid of any animal life whatsoever, however, humans have proven immune to this effect, allowing for manned research expeditions into RPC-364. Thermal scans, x-ray scans, and other forms of imaging have proven unsuccessful in identifying what happens during the infinitesimally brief period of time between the animals’ teleportation.
RPC-364-1 is a singular teenage Caucasian girl, estimated to be 15 years of age. It stands at roughly 1.63 m tall and has mid back length, light brown hair. The color of RPC-364-1's eyes is unknown. RPC-364-1 is always seen wearing a white summer dress with a red polka-dot pattern, and appears to be barefoot. Despite this, RPC-364-1 seems to be entirely unaffected by both the weather and the low temperature. RPC-364-1 can often be spotted deep in the woods weeping to itself, and will ignore all research teams entering RPC-364.
Any individual who makes direct eye contact with RPC-364-1 for any amount of time enters an inattentive state for as long as they maintain said eye contact. During said state, affected individuals will not respond to any audio or visual cues, and will not move or talk. The moment eye contact with RPC-364-1 is broken, affected individuals will return to normal, having no memory of RPC-364-1. Said individuals will not even know of its existence, often disputing the validity of records discussing RPC-364-1. This effect is magnified through photographs or video footage of RPC-364-1, and as a result, no photography of RPC-364-1 exists. No level of cognitohazardous resistance is able to overcome these effects. Roughly 90% of Installation-016 personnel have fallen under the effects of RPC-364-1, making documentation rather difficult. Blind individuals and those wearing blindfolds are not affected by RPC-364-1 whatsoever. RPC-364-1 has retreated deep into the woods and appears to be hiding from MST Alpha-09 "Ghosts of Gaia" as they patrol. RPC-364-1 seems to be able to detect when anyone enters or leaves RPC-364, and will not try to hide from non-armed personnel.
Upon direct physical contact with RPC-364-1, muscle tissue in the area of contact with RPC-364-1 will immediately reach sub-zero temperatures. This immediately induces frostbite into the given area, significantly damaging those parts of the body. Hypothermia is a very common outcome of making physical contact with RPC-364-1. RPC-364-1 seems to be immortal. In addition, RPC-364-1 has demonstrated a level of meta-physical control over RPC-364, being able to manipulate the trees to fall onto or around victims, shedding their leaves instantaneously as to disorient them, or even shedding branches to fill their corresponding tree wells with sharp sticks.
RPC-364 appears to be the roaming grounds of RPC-364-1. It has not been seen outside RPC-364, but can seemingly teleport to any point in the forest at any time. RPC-364-1 is invisible on x-ray scans and thermal scans show that it is the same temperature as its surroundings, explaining the failure to initially classify it alongside RPC-364 upon RPC-364's discovery. RPC-364-1 seems to only manifest during the winter season, and is absent for the rest of the year. RPC-364-1 has seemed to halt all aggressive tendencies towards Authority personnel. The aggression hazard remains, but the object has been reclassified as Beta-Orange.
The entity formerly known as RPC-364-1 has been returned to its family. RPC-364-1 no longer possesses any anomalous properties whatsoever.
Discovery: RPC-364 was discovered in September, 19██ by MST Alpha-09 "Ghosts of Gaia," who were passing through the area to reach another assignment. Upon discovering the anomalous properties of the trees, Alpha-09 marked the location for retrieval and the area officially came under Authority control within the next few days. After the construction of Installation-016, testing began next December. Test logs can be found in Addenda 364.1 and 364.2, along with video recordings between personnel in Addendum 364.3.
RPC-364-1 was discovered in December, 19██ by agents scanning the forest for a creature presumed to exist in the area. Both agents were stunned by RPC-364-1 upon discovery, at which point a third agent arrived, realizing RPC-364-1's effects. He made sure to catalog RPC-364-1 without making direct eye contact, and then was successful in removing the other two agents from its anomalous state. All three were chased by RPC-364-1 out of the woods, though no one was injured.
Addendum 364.8: Letter from Head Researcher to Installation-016 Staff
To those who it may concern,
I understand that the sudden neutralization of RPC-364-1 (and subsequently RPC-364) may be a cause for celebration among many of the staff at Installation-016. I know that I would be celebrating under different circumstances. RPC-364-1 has caused us a great deal of senseless harm, and it is relieving to know that it will not be a threat to us anymore, period. My intent with this missive is not to reprimand those who are currently celebrating, rather, to set an example.
The tenets of the RPC Authority are “Research, Protection, Containment” for a reason. I’m sure many of you have noticed that Researcher James Saicho has not joined in the celebrations. In fact, he cannot be found anywhere in Installation-016. The truth of the matter is that Saicho was the individual responsible for the neutralization of RPC-364. I do not want any of you to take that as something to look up to. What Saicho did, however noble or kind it may have seemed, was irresponsible and dangerous to the Authority. He did not seek approval from any higher ups whatsoever, he flagrantly disobeyed orders to not enter RPC-364, and he jeopardized the secrecy of the Authority by releasing the entity formerly known as RPC-364-1, now a regular teenage girl, into the world without administering any sort of amnestics or delivering any sort of punishment whatsoever. I have notified the Global Directors about this and have asked Amnestics to do the job Saicho forgot to do. As much as I have always held Saicho in high esteem, he has been administered Class F amnestics and is currently being reintegrated into broader society. You will never see him again.
Standard protocol dictates that we do not neutralize entities that do not pose a catastrophic threat to the Authority and the world. RPC-364-1, at the height of its power, couldn’t change the flight path of a fly if it was outside of RPC-364. The trees in RPC-364 have been counted ever since its first discovery. That number has never changed. Ever. There have been few outliers where one month, there was one less tree or one more tree than the month before. That number returned to normal the following month. RPC-364 was not growing. Period. RPC-364-1 was not a threat to the world. Period. We cannot understand the threats we face if we destroy everything that slightly perturbs us on sight.
The past is in the past, I suppose. Please, do not let my harsh tone dampen your mood. Celebrate. There are bound to be far worse horrors down the road for us to soon face. We need the well-earned rest.
Research. Protection. Containment.
- Head Researcher
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