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Registered Phenomena Code: 217
Object Class: Beta-White
Hazard Types: Sapient Hazard, Animated Hazard
Containment Protocols: RPC-217 is to be kept in a low-priority Beta-class containment vault stocked with a minimum of 200 sheets of paper. Paper must be at least 21.59 x 27.94 cm (8.5 x 11 inch), printer-quality. At 2100 hours, any used paper is to be replaced with new sheets, and the writings collected and screened for anomalous effects before filing. Writings can be declassified for recreational reading at the discretion of Level 4 Researcher ████████.
While many pre-containment writings can remain public, their origins are to be omitted.
Description: RPC-217 is an old Japanese inkstone capable of producing its own ink; any ink lost from the pan is replaced over time from an unknown source. Chemical composition of ink is identical to Vulpes Vulpes (Red Fox) blood.
Once a day, numerous1 vaguely fox-like entities roughly 2 cm tall made from the ink (designated as RPC-217-1) will emerge to write themselves into any paper they find at the expense of their mass. Though they share no known method of communication, they are shown to be well-organized when writing, illustrating, and moving paper. RPC-217-1 entities are not hostile, and are known to vaporize if they are contained or destroyed in a way that prevents them from their objective. Expended or destroyed instances are immediately replaced.
Writings and the accompanied illustrations are in the style of early 20th century "pulp fiction", and often episodic in nature. Testing with modern fans of pulp fiction has shown RPC-217's writings to be indistinguishable when compared to original works.
On ██/██/████, Site-███'s inventory check has revealed a gross loss of printer paper which was found in RPC-217's vault. Security footage has discovered an unknown entity (designated RPC-217-2 by association) appropriating the paper before vanishing in the shadow cast by the shelving unit.
Discovery: RPC-217 was found at the home of a retired Los Angeles police officer in 196█. The Authority's investigation found that his lungs were filled with ink, possibly from RPC-217-2. The officer had a collection of self-written "pulp fiction" that were published over time. The subject's records revealed that the inkstone was previously owned by a Japanese immigrant who was interned near Moab, Utah. The officer discovered the anomalous properties after stealing RPC-217 and used it to write pulp stories. He eventually allocated the writing and creative processes to RPC-217 after discovering RPC-217-1 and sending selected drafts for publication. He cataloged many of the stories RPC-217 wrote, and the descriptions match those published by [DATA EXPUNGED] at the time.
Investigations as to why RPC-217 currently writes in English, and the identity of the previous owner are ongoing.
Addendum 217-01:
Note from Researcher █████:
While we don't believe RPC-217-2 is hostile as its only purpose seems to be to collect paper for RPC-217-1, it does bring into question [DATA EXPUNGED]'s death. Did it just not find paper? This is something we're not going to test until we can determine RPC-217-2's range. As long it has a steady supply of paper we can keep it within the vault.