« ATTENTION »
THE FOLLOWING PHENOMENON IS A STAGE VIII COGNITOHAZARD.
THIS DOCUMENT IS LEVEL 3 CLASSIFIED.
UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS IS FORBIDDEN. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Fig. 1: RPC-364
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Registered Phenomena Code: 364 | Level 3 |
| Object Class: Beta-Red Beta-Orange | Classified |
Hazards: Aggression Hazard, Ecological Hazard, Organic Hazard, Regenerative Hazard, Sapient Hazard, Contact Hazard, Extreme Temperature Hazard, Teleportation 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.
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.
Fig. 4: Photo of RPC-364 tree taken during the spring
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.
Fig. 5: 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.
Fig. 6: RPC-364-1 spotted near the eastern border of RPC-364 (cognitohazards removed)
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 heard humming the classic Christmas carol "In the Bleak Midwinter," except that it is converted to, and, consequentially, sung in, the key of C minor. 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. Given the rather sociable nature of RPC-364-1, 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 is actively hostile to all Authority personnel, and 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. These sudden revelations about RPC-364-1's danger has contributed to the reclassification of RPC-364 as Beta-Red.
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.
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, 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 364.7: Interaction between Head Researcher and RPC-364-1
NOTE: A message was broadcast on all radio transponders within RPC-364 until RPC-364-1 responded. The following is the resulting conversation.
AUDIO LOG
00:00 – 02:13 RPC-364-1: … Hello?
Head Researcher: This is the Head Researcher.
[ It is assumed that the name of the Authority slips from RPC-364-1’s mind. ]
RPC-364-1: From the… uh…?
Head Researcher: RPC Authority.
[ RPC-364-1 breathes a sigh of relief. ]
RPC-364-1: … Thank you so much for talking to me. I’m sorry I—
Head Researcher: Please state your intentions, RPC-364-1.
[ RPC-364-1 sounds confused. ]
RPC-364-1: … What?
Head Researcher: Why are you contacting the Authority?
RPC-364-1: I… I just want to leave this place. You all should know how, right? I-I mean, you’re, y’know, scientists and all that…?
Head Researcher: We know nothing about you that you have not told us.
RPC-364-1: Oh… right.
Head Researcher: Even if we did, we are not going to forget about the casualties we have suffered at your hands.
RPC-364-1: B-but I said I was sorry…
Head Researcher: An apology cannot absolve you of the amount of gross wrongdoing you are guilty of. Like it or not, you are a threat to the Authority.
[ There is temporarily radio silence. ]
RPC-364-1: I… I’m not—
Head Researcher: Even then, you are a low-threat anomaly. Standard protocol is to contain low-threat anomalies. Not neutralize them. Outside of RPC-364, you pose no threat to anyone.
[ RPC-364-1 begins to beg. ]
RPC-364-1: I have to leave. I have to! I have family—
Head Researcher: I have made our intentions clear. Unfortunately, RPC-364-1, you are to remain in RPC-364 indefinitely—
RPC-364-1: NO! Please, you don’t understand. This place is like hell, I don’t even know what it looks like without snow because every year I collapse when it starts to melt and then I wake up under one of these trees and there’s more freaking snow everywhere!
Head Researcher: RPC-364-1—
RPC-364-1: I NEED to go back to my family. They NEED me. I need to apologize to them. I miss my dog. I MISS MY PARENTS! YOU CAN’T KEEP ME HERE!
[ There is a moment of silence. The Head Researcher responds calmly. ]
Head Researcher: I apologize, RPC-364-1, but our mission is to research, protect and contain. You have already made it clear that you do not want to cooperate with our research teams. If you were this concerned with seeing your family again, you should have reconsidered massacring twenty people. OUR people. The Authority’s only option is permanent containment.
[ RPC-364 makes a final, rapid-fire, desperate plea. ]
RPC-364-1: If you let me go, I will answer the first hundred questions that you can think of, honestly, I swear. Please.
Head Researcher: Goodbye, RPC-364-1.
RPC-364-1: WAIT—
[ The Head Researcher cuts communication here. A large crack is heard five seconds after disconnection, followed by static. For the next five hours, soft sobbing can be heard on different abandoned transponders. ]
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