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The two tunnels leading to RPC-073. The picture was taken from the North Section of OL-Site-73.
Registered Phenomena Code: 073
Object Class: Alpha-Orange
Hazard Types: Bio-Hazard, Emotional Hazard, Aggression Hazard, Extra-Dimensional Hazard
Containment Protocols: OL-Site-73 has been set up around RPC-073 and consists of two sections; North Section and South Section. Both sections are located 200m away from the northern and southern exits of the tunnels respectively.
As of 17/01/19██, all regular trains route through an alternate set of tunnels. All tunnels and maintenance shafts leading to RPC-073 have been sealed off from the public under the guise of ongoing engineering works.
OL-Site-73 will maintain a fleet of eight trains each consisting of one driving motor car at the front (modified to be remotely initiated, and programmable), two trailer cars in the middle, and a non-driving motor car (a motor car with no cab for a driver) at the rear.
Authority staff must send one unmanned train through both the northbound and the southbound tunnels towards RPC-073 every six hours, regardless of whether a previously dispatched train has exited RPC-073 or not.
Failure to dispatch trains every six hours is to be considered a breach of containment and will trigger automatic lockdown fail-safes in both sections of OL-Site-73. Lockdown will persist until a train is sent into RPC-073 from both sides simultaneously.
Motion, laser tripwire, CCTV, and proximity sensor suites at all entrances and exits of the tunnels must be monitored at all times, and maintained daily.
Any instances of RPC-073-1 should be avoided at all costs as direct physical contact results in an extremely fast onset of Bubonic Plague symptoms and death within 5 - 15 seconds, regardless of vaccinations. There are currently no known means to defend against or repel instances of RPC-073-1.
Any unauthorized persons attempting to enter OL-Site-73 or any tunnel leading to RPC-073 are to be apprehended and interrogated.
Description: RPC-073 is a set of anomalous underground train tunnels below London, United Kingdom. The tunnels are located between the █████ ████ and ██████ ██████ London underground train stations on the ████████ Line. The RPC-073 tunnels show no structural or design differences to standard tunnels; One tunnel is designed for northbound travel, while the second tunnel is designed for southbound travel.
The distance between the █████ ████ and ██████ ██████ stations is 2.9 km and would normally take 2 minutes to traverse at an average speed of 80.4 kph. However, RPC-073's anomalous properties cause anything passing through the tunnels to take wildly varying amounts of time to reach the other side, regardless of speed.
The exact internal size of RPC-073 has so far proven impossible to determine as each test has produced different results. However, test results do adhere to standard calculations and all recorded data correlates with the other variables. EG: Distance traveled data matches the expected result when calculated by using the velocity readings and total time taken. This confirms that while anomalous in its overall size from test to test, the interior of RPC-073 does adhere to Euclidean principles. (See Experiment Logs for more information.)
Subjects on a train that passes through RPC-073 report hearing abnormal screeching, screaming, wailing, and similar sounds. Subjects also report catching glimpses of black silhouettes in all reflective surfaces within the train. These silhouettes have been designated RPC-073-1.
The glimpses and sounds are extremely unsettling for anyone witnessing them and instil feelings of dread and anxiety that increase in intensity the longer the subject stays within RPC-073. Subjects also report feelings of being watched by the RPC-073-1 instances.
There are no reports of RPC-073-1 instances causing any physical harm to subjects aboard a moving train passing through RPC-073 however, instances are to be considered extremely hazardous and all physical contact is to be avoided at all costs. Post-mortem autopsies on subjects that had direct physical contact with RPC-073-1 instances indicate that subjects were infected with an extremely fast-acting strain of the Bubonic plague. According to eyewitnesses and security CCTV footage, subjects died from the infection within 5 - 15 seconds after contact with an RPC-073-1 instance.
It is still unknown what RPC-073-1 instances are made of, if they are sentient, what their motives are, and how or why they manifest. All attempts to communicate with RPC-073-1 instances have failed. (See Incident Log 02.)
Discovery: RPC-073 was discovered on 04/12/19██ when the 8:45 train from ███████████ ███████ to ███████ failed to arrive at the ██████ ██████ station until 4 hours and 23 minutes later. The driver overrode the ATO system, activated the emergency brake system, then jumped out of his cabin before the train had fully arrived at the station. The train came to a halt with only 4 of its 8 cabins at the platform. Station staff was overwhelmed by hysterical, dehydrated, and lightly injured passengers fleeing the train.
Authority agents embedded within the emergency services that responded to the incident swiftly contained the situation and administered medical attention and amnestics to all station staff and passengers. No loss of life was reported, however, the train driver fled the scene before containment could be established.
The train driver has not been located or identified thus far. While it is unlikely the train driver will cause any kind of breach of secrecy or lead any unauthorized persons to attempt to breach containment, he has been designated PoI-073-1 and must be apprehended for questioning as soon as possible.
Experiment Log 01:
Test 01 - 02/04/19██
Procedure: Send a well-supplied research team equipped with high-powered radios and recording equipment on a train northbound through RPC-073.
Result: The train took approximately 3 hours and 12 minutes to reach the other side of RPC-073. On-board sensors indicate the train was traveling at an average speed of 72.4kph, thus traveled approximately 232km. No radio contact could be made for the duration of the experiment due to extreme interference. The cause and source of the interference are unknown, as there is no 'dead-zone' above the tunnels that would be expected if there were some kind of jamming signal or device. All members of the research team reported hearing extremely abnormal screeching and wailing noises, however all research staff report that the source of the noises was 'inside their head'. All research staff also report seeing the black silhouettes designated RPC-073-1 throughout the entire journey on all reflective surfaces including camera lenses, laminated lanyards, and polished leather footwear. Captured video footage and photographs show no signs of any reported RPC-073-1 instances, however, audio recordings do pick up the reported screaming and wailing but are unable to pinpoint the source. All members of the research team were sent to the psychology department of Site-███ due to severe mental trauma, and a number of research team members have requested amnestics. No malfunctions or abnormalities were found in the communication or recording equipment.
Notes: I'm never going back in those [EXPLETIVE REDACTED] tunnels! We need to find another way of doing this. I don't think Dr. █████ is ever going to be able to ride a train again… - Dr. Lloyd
Test 02 - 03/04/19██
Procedure: Send a train fitted with optical, audio, thermal, radiation, sonar, laser, and █████ sensors southbound through RPC-073.
Result: Train took approximately 5 hours and 36 minutes. The train traveled at an average speed of 98kph, thus traveled approximately 550km. As before, all standard video footage showed no signs of any RPC-073-1 instances, however, this time audio recordings did not pick up any anomalous noises. Only the EM spectrum sensors registered any interference, however, all footage resembled white noise.
Notes: The EM spectrum interference goes some way to explain how 073 messes with our heads and radio gear… but the exact method is still a mystery, or indeed what is causing this and why. The other questions raised are; Why did the audio recording equipment not pick up any noises this time, and why did this train take longer to navigate the tunnels when it was programmed to drive faster? - Dr. Lloyd
[At this point testing is interrupted by Incident 02. See Incident Report 02 for more details.]
Incident Report 02:
Date & Time: 03/04/19██, 4:05 PM.
Report: [The following is a transcript of events constructed from multiple staff interviews, debriefs, and security CCTV footage.]
<16:06> Distant anomalous screeching and howling is heard coming from both the northern and southern tunnel exits of RPC-073, which steadily increases in volume.
<16:09> Site Overseer ███████ activates emergency lockdown procedures as a precaution. Armed ASF takes up defensive positions around both tunnel exits as the screams continue to increase in volume.
<16:26> The howls reach a cacophony and a small number of shadowy humanoid silhouettes (quickly identified as RPC-073-1) begin slowly walking out of the tunnels towards both north and south ASF positions.
<16:28> ASF members at both tunnel exits attempt to communicate with the RPC-073-1 instances, but have no success.
<16:29> More and more RPC-073-1 pour out of the tunnels causing members of both ASF teams to panic and open fire.
<16:30> Standard firearms appear to have no effect. Bullets harmlessly pass through the RPC-073-1s as if being fired at shadows, which causes morale to break. ASF members start to abandon their positions.
[Reports are inconsistent for this period. However, reports do indicate that the Site Overseer, North, and South ASF Commanders were in contact with each other, and coordinated launching trains into both northbound and southbound tunnels with the hope that it would do something, anything, to the RPC-073-1s.]
<16:43> Both trains enter the tunnels. All RPC-073-1 instances immediately cease movement and begin slowly fading away. The cacophony of noises begins to slowly decrease in volume.
<16:52> All anomalous activity ceases.
Conclusion: ██ ASF and ██ research staff confirmed KIA. Both sections of OL-Site-73 were temporarily quarantined. HAZMAT clean-up crews requested additional counseling after the quarantine was lifted. Containment procedures updated to have regularly scheduled trains traverse RPC-073, proximity and other motion sensor suites installed, monitored, and maintained at the tunnel entrances and exits, and to warn of the dangers of interacting with RPC-073-1 instances. The two trains sent into RPC-073 during the incident remain unaccounted for but replacements have been requisitioned.
Notes: I still can't believe I survived… Hats off to Site Overseer ███████, and ASF Commanders ██████ and ████. Without them we'd all be dead and we wouldn't have figured out ramming trains into it will stop… whatever you want to call this 'event'. - Dr. Lloyd
Experiment Log 02:
Test 03 - 10/04/19██
Procedure: Send an unmanned drone into RPC-073 in an attempt to locate the source of the EM interference.
Result: Drone was sent into the northbound tunnel, and exited the other side 9 minutes and 40 seconds later. Drone traveled at an average of 16kph, thus only traversed 2.6km. EM spectrum footage shows zero interference for the first 2 minutes, a huge spike that overloads the sensors and stays constant for the next 5 minutes, then abruptly dissipates as the drone nears the exit of the tunnel on the other side. Small splinters of human bone were found in the treads of the drone's wheels. Tests indicate these shards date back to the 14th century and show signs of Bubonic plague infection.
Notes: Although no specific source of the EM interference could be located, the test has still given us very useful data:
1. 073 must be linked to the 14th century Black Plague outbreaks somehow. The bone fragments are highly likely to have come from one of the many mass graves used during said outbreaks. There are multiple recorded cases of long-forgotten mass graves being breached and unearthed during the London Underground tunnel network construction and various expansion projects over the years.
2. The drone traveled 0.3km less than the tunnels should actually be, as the tunnels should be 2.9km long. It seems slow-moving and lower mass objects passing through 073 are affected in different ways compared to larger and faster objects. Are effects identical for both tunnels? Further testing is required. - Dr. Lloyd
Test 04 - 12/04/19██
Procedure: Send a heavily stripped-down driver carriage (Just drive train and auto control mechanisms, no hull, seats, or additional carriages) into the northbound and southbound tunnels through RPC-073 at the same time, with both trains set to travel at 32kph. Repeat experiment after both trains have exited RPC-073.
Result:
First results:
- Northbound train took 2 hours and 9 minutes to exit. The recorded distance traveled was 70km.
- Southbound train took 6 hours and 33 minutes to exit. The recorded distance traveled was 210 km.
Second results:
- Northbound train took 5 hours and 12 minutes to exit. The recorded distance traveled was 167.5km.
- Southbound train took 47 minutes to exit. The recorded distance traveled was 25km.
Notes: Well that blows our previous hypothesis out of the water. Sadly I think we have reached the limits of what unmanned tests will provide us. That said I am extremely hesitant to send live subjects into 073 considering my personal experiences, the hypothesis that we may be dealing with some kind of mutated Bubonic plague strain, and the events of Incident 01. - Dr. Lloyd
Test 05 - 13/04/19██
Procedure: Load various animals onto a train scheduled to enter RPC-073 as part of the containment procedures. Animals selected were the following:
- One female Canine (Dog) of the Labrador breed.
- Two male, and one female Rattus Rattus (Black Rat).
- Two male Columbidae (Pigeon).
- One female Pan (Chimpanzee).
Animals were loaded into separate carriages and locked in cages large enough for them to freely move around in, but not be able to sit on any seats or have direct contact with the doors, windows, or ceilings of the carriages. Extra cameras were installed in each carriage.
Result: Aside from the expected distress of being in an unfamiliar environment, the animals were not harmed nor showed any signs of being exposed to RPC-073-1s. Video recordings verified that the animals were not reacting to anything out of the ordinary. Audio recordings also did not pick up any anomalous noises.
Notes: It would seem that 073 only affects humans. This raises far more questions than it provides answers to. - Dr. Lloyd
Test 06 - 15/04/19██
Procedure: Send four CSD personnel with enough supplies to last 12 hours on a northbound automated train programmed to reach and maintain 80kph for 20 minutes, come to a complete stop, wait 10 minutes, then return to speed until exiting RPC-073. The doors of the train were not programmed to open until the train exited RPC-073 and arrived at the South Section platform. Each CSD is to be put into their own separate carriage, and windows of each carriage welded shut. The CSDs were not informed of the specifics of the test.
Result: Train took 1 hour and 14 minutes to exit RPC-073. Recorded distance travelled was 86km. All CSD personnel were found dead inside their cabins and all showed the same symptoms of Bubonic plague as the victims of Incident 01. Video footage shows all CSD personnel frantically attempting to get away from unseen assailants, before the quick onset of plague symptoms and death.
Notes: I want it to go on record that I was completely against this test, but I was overruled by my supervisor Dr. [REDACTED]. We already knew the RPC-073-1 were extremely dangerous, so what exactly have we learned here? That they will attack if we stop the train inside 073? Was that worth killing four people to learn?! - Dr. Lloyd
Test 07 - 17/04/19██
Procedure: Send two teams of two CSD personnel equipped with high-powered lighting devices, gas masks, digital cameras, survival gear, and enough batteries and rations to last a week northbound and southbound into the same RPC-073 tunnel. All CSDs are to be administered all currently known vaccines for the plague. Teams are to be instructed to watch for scheduled trains and to take cover in tunnel recesses when necessary. Both teams are to regularly document and record any findings. The teams are to be instructed to pass each other halfway through the tunnel and to continue until they reach the far end.
Result: Video footage of the tunnel entrances show both CSD teams enter the tunnels. Direct visual contact is lost as they walk around a curve in the tunnel. Light from their torches fades until there is no trace of the teams. Eleven days elapse before staff end the experiment. All four CSDs are considered MIA.
Notes: What is wrong with you people?! I was against this idea too, but I was overruled by [REDACTED] again. Exactly what happened to those CSDs we may never know, but really we all know they are dead. I refuse to be a part of any more manned expeditions into 073. - Dr. Lloyd
Addendum 073-01: Due to the questions raised by Incident 13, additional resources and staff are being assigned to OL-Site-73.
Incident Report 13:
Date & Time: 01/02/2020, 1:22 PM.
Report: Sensors picked up a train emerging from the RPC-073 southbound tunnel moving at a far slower pace than was expected of a regularly scheduled train.
Upon visual contact the emergency lockdown system was triggered as the train was very clearly not a part of the maintained fleet.
The train was a 1967 Stock that was in use from 1 September 1968 until 30 June 2011, which looks distinctively different to the trains currently in use.
Somehow the train’s ATO system still functioned, which also somehow recognized the southbound platform’s signaling system, allowing it to bring all 8 cars to a shuddering stop at the platform.
ASF first response units held defensive positions and made no attempt to enter the train. HAZMAT geared ASF units were on the platform 3 minutes later and relieved the first response ASF units.
Almost all of the windows were smashed and thick black soot covered every surface both inside and out.
ASF units forced open the main doors and made entry into the train. Despite the thick layer of black dirt ASF units quickly identified a large number of human skeletal remains in the cars. The doors between cars and the driver cab were all found in the very last car at the end of the train, arranged into a bunker-like structure. Inside were the remains of a number of smaller human skeletons, clearly children.
Small samples of the dirt, tattered clothing, and bones were collected and tested for Bubonic Plague markers. No traces of the plague were found.
Conclusion: 304 human skeletons recovered along with personal effects. All identified remains do not correspond to any known missing persons nor have any traces of these individuals been found in any records.
Closer inspection of the remains revealed 58% had malnutrition but 72% had breaks and/or fractures suggesting physical trauma as the cause of death. 78% of remains had small scratch marks identified as being made by human teeth.
All remains and personal effects have been cataloged and stored in Site-██’s non-anomalous bulk storage sector.
The train was towed away and also stored in the bulk storage sector after receiving a full inspection. None of the car identification markings were found in any London Transport Train Fleet records, or the records of the manufacturer company (Metro-Cammell), despite being built to the official specification blueprints.
Notes: Well this was unexpected. How long was that train in there? What the hell happened onboard, and why can’t we find any records of this train or its passengers? - Dr. Lloyd
