RPC-234

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Registered Phenomena Code: 234

Object Class: Gamma-Orange

Hazard Types:

234-1: Organic, Bio-Hazard
234-2: Bio-Hazard
234-3: Bio-Hazard, Sapient, Aggression

null

RPC-234-1

Containment Protocols: RPC-234-1 appears in temperate climates without warning. Given the danger of both the anomalous lifeform and its mundane counterpart¹, it is recommended to destroy both on site as quickly as possible; Fire is an effective means of termination. The host, a potential instance of RPC-234-3, must be treated with antiviral drugs within 24 hours of infection. RPC-234-2 is transmissible through any bodily fluids excreted by RPC-234-3, as well as the white, milky ichor of RPC-234-1. After 24 hours, RPC-234-2 cannot be extracted, leaving termination or containment of RPC-234-3 the only conceivable course of action. All bodies should be incinerated, regardless of suspected infection, and all personnel in close contact with instances of RPC-234-3 placed in quarantine for 24 hours, to be released only when no signs of the anomalous virus manifest. RPC-234-2 affects most human and animal hosts, regardless of species.

Description: RPC-234 is an anomalous, sapient lifeform with a three-stage vector. RPC-234-1 is a species of massive, multi-cellular helminths² with no detectable anomalous properties, save for its unusual size³, and the presence of a complex virus (designated RPC-234-2) in approximately 80% of samples studied⁴. RPC-234-1 resides in various cereal crops. Experiments in high risk locations involved isolating several acres of farmland within hydroponic tents and replacing the soil up to six feet (2m) deep. When attempting to cultivate grain imported from non-hazardous areas, not only did the anomalies manifest, despite maximum quarantine levels, it was found that smaller crops appeared to yield higher densities of RPC-234-1. Resulting hypothesis is that the worm manifests through some unknown, anomalous means.

Infected humans will exhibit mundane symptoms pertaining to ergot poisoning, usually beginning with gastric interference⁵ and increasing from there. Once RPC-234-2 infects the nervous system, it spreads at an accelerated rate, reaching the brain in roughly 6 hours. At this point the virus will rewrite neural pathways, resulting in a period of spastic contortions resembling epilepsy. These convulsions extend to every muscle in the body of a host, affecting the eyes, tongue, throat, and diaphragm, creating instances of false glossolalia⁶, abnormally fast or heavy breathing, and rapid eye movement. Hosts of RPC-234-2 often injure themselves during this period, resulting in torn ligaments, broken bones, and even death. Convulsions last roughly ten minutes, before a new instance of RPC-234-3 regains consciousness. Subject will initially appear lethargic, exhibiting slurred, irregular speech patterns, and disorganized thinking for several hours, after which they become alert, and potentially dangerous.

Instances of RPC-234-3 display radically altered personalities, and while they can be docile, infected subjects are often prone to violent mood-swings, and hence must be restrained when interviewed. Instances of RPC-234-3 appear to retain their memories, but often refer to their past selves in third person, exhibiting apathy, dismissal, or contempt. Subjects often exhibit self-destructive behavior, destroying their human hosts with addictive and sadomasochistic tendencies. Advanced infection exceeding three weeks displays complete eventual hair loss, a deep yellowing of the sclera⁷, and blackened skin around the hands and feet, growing outward until subject is completely enveloped, though very few survive to this stage. Severe neural degeneration typically ensues.

+ Show Lecture

Foreword: Lecture on RPC-234 and occult; Senior Field Researcher Mallory Heston, Ph.D

<Begin Log, January 12, 1986>

Heston: "As you can see, we have a… great, many examples throughout history. Most are entirely coincidental, but if we isolate based on rye production, specifically, which 234-1 seems to favor, we find a disturbing trend among Central and Eastern Europe. That being, the case of the witch…"

Audience murmurs.

Heston: "Yes, I know, seems almost too good to be true. A perfectly logical explanation to anomalous events in history? Why are we even here, you might ask. But… we don't know where 234-1 comes from. It shows no sign of dimensional or temporal activity. I've found no memetic properties, my colleagues found none- Yes. You?"

Male Student: "What field do you specialize in?"

Heston: "I'm eclectic, but my focus is in memetic psychology. I tend to specialize in cases of anomalous sapience."

Male Student: "It's a virus, though, right?"

Heston: "Yes… I was brought on originally to search for any memetic properties we might be missing. It's difficult to classify sapience, as we're naturally inclined to empathize with… what we understand. But if we limit ourselves to believing only what we are capable of conceiving, we leave ourselves open to exploitation from outside influences. Typically, extra-dimensional, which 234-1 appears to display. Again; Nothing. No such activity. It's almost akin to the old belief that maggots simply appeared on rotting meat through some means of osmosis. Not just that, mold? Ah… almost any fungi, really-spontaneous generation. Point being: Defense against higher forms of sapience is critically important to our cause. A hunter may have a superior mind. A gun. But we are hunters in our own right. We're claws and teeth. We're the wolves. Earth is our territory."

Female Student: "But how do you… do it? Classify sapience?"

Heston: "…hard to say."

Heston sits on her desk, the tape recorder rattles.

Heston: "We're just cells that evolved to look at ourselves. I guess you could call this empathy, but there are plenty of self-aware beings with none. They ask that same question. 'What makes something like me?' And when you categorize everything on the genetic level, you run into a brick wall, given that such a system is massive, and so, massively inefficient, however accurate it may be. Also brings into light questions, such as, 'What is a human?' And 'What genes would we exclude from the state we call human?' That's a can of worms no one wants to open. Not the kind of people I wanna know, anyway…"

Silence…

Heston sighs: "But when you categorize everything on the atomic level, I guarantee, you won't find much in the way of differences between us. We're all just atoms. Watching the universe we collectively made. Life is a spectrum of plastic reactions to a semi-solid environment. Impossible to describe, but clear as day to any who would see it… 'I am the eye, in which the universe beholds itself, and knows it is divine…'⁸

<End Log, January 12, 1986>

Closing Statement: It's noteable that this was the last recording of Dr. Heston on file; She was 42 years old. Given her history and the subject of research, it's safe to say post-traumatic stress was the cause of her apparent suicide, the details of which have been respectfully omitted by request of Agent Vaske.⁹

+ Interview

Interviewed: ████, female instance of RPC-234-3, roughly 4 years old

Interviewer: Dr. Mallory Heston, Senior Field Research

Foreword: Transcription takes place ████████, 1979, during an outbreak of RPC-234-2, which led to the necessary purge of a small town to limit any instance of RPC-234-3 spreading into more populated areas. Operation was carried out by Mobile Quarantine MLK-2B-79¹⁰, headed by Senior Field Researcher Mallory Heston, Ph.D. Individuals present consist of Dr. Heston, a single armed guard, and instance of RPC-234-3 contained for research purposes, hereby referred to as, "Subject E". Subject E was found wandering a local grocery covered in her own blood from self-inflicted wounds. Subject E is currently sitting, one hand cuffed to the table. Note, Heston's mobile operative team lacked properly sized restraints for the number of surviving children in this incident and had to improvise.

<Begin Log, ████████, 1979, 1:40 am>

Subject E: "I don't like the air."

Heston: "What do you… not like, about the air?"

Subject E: "It's not hot."

Heston: "Medical environments are often cold. You're just used to the southern climate."

Subject E: "It's not cold… it's nothing…"

Heston: "Why does that bother you?"

Subject E: "That's… time… you waste it. You waste it and it's nothing. Nothing is already waiting. It's the dark. I don't wanna go back to the dark."

Heston: "Did you go to school?"

Subject E: "No."

Heston: "Who taught you… all of this?"

Subject E: "I'm just like you. And him. And her… and him…"

Heston notes: "Mimicry…"

Subject E: "I remember. I am…"

Heston: "What are you?"

Subject E: "I am…"

Heston: "Yes?"

Subject E: "I want colors."

Heston pauses to think: "I'll see what I can do…"

Heston briefly exits the room and returns several office pens: "Red, blue, black. All we have, unfortunately. Thought I had a green one around here…"

Subject E: "That's okay."

Subject E can be heard scribbling on paper.

Heston: "What are you making?"

Subject E: "It's not nothing… but it's not something. Either."

Heston notes: "Subject begins with rudimentary… scribbles? Finding eventual patterns in the chaos, forming an… intricate mosaic, of sorts. It's very pretty."

Subject E: "Everything is…"

Heston: "Are you left-handed?"

Subject E: "No."

Heston: "That's very good, considering… Why did you hurt yourself? Do you know?"

Subject E: "It feels like something."

Heston: "What does it feel like?"

Subject E: "…being alive."

Heston: "You're sick. Do you know you're sick?"

Subject E: "That's okay."

Heston: "Do you want to get better?"

Subject E declines: "Mm-mm."

Heston: "Why not?"

Subject E: "I won't be… anymore."

Heston: "I think you're fine, just the way you are. It's a virus. It's like a bug, inside you."

Subject E insists: "No."

Heston is silent.

Subject E drops pen. Her restraints prevent her from reaching it.

Heston stands from her chair to retrieve pen: "Don't worry."

Heston begins to stand; Begins screaming as Subject E impales Heston's right eye with another pen.

Subject E: "NO."

<End Log, ████████, 1979, 1:43 am>

Closing Statement: Subject E was restrained by the guard, containment taking priority over Dr. Heston's injuries, which she survived. Dr. Heston requested the Authority retain Subject E as a potentially cooperative anomaly; Request denied. Subject E was terminated, and the body incinerated. Mobile Quarantine appropriated a large, outdoor grill behind "Driftwood BBQ", a local barbeque restaurant, given object's size, convenience, and ability to cook large quantities of meat at once within a closed, cylindrical form, ideal for disposal, given the lack of resources. Dr. Heston requested transfer to lab research division of RPC-234 and instances related, but was convinced to remain on board. Due to emotional distress, Heston was temporarily relieved for the duration of a week, and returned to work normally.

+ Audio Transcript

Audio Log: Dr. Mallory Heston, Sr. Field Research; personal log; Transcribed by ████████ █████; Recovered posthumously from Heston's office, among her personal belongings

<Begin Log, ████████, 1979, 12:34 am>

Heston places the recorder on her desk: "First Moloch… horrid King smeared with the blood of human sacrifice and… parents' tears… Though, for noise of drums and timbrels loud, their children's cries unheard that passed through fire…"

Heston is silent: "…a week. What's a week?"

Heston lights a cigarette: "This is a sapient hazard. I know it. It's not… not a hazard. It's a sapient anomaly. And this alone makes what I've done… no matter what they've done… I'm killing these things… we've never kept a specimen past a few months. We put them down. Or they… they do it themselves…"

Heston is silent: "…I can't stop thinking about it. My psych-eval detected no memetic anomalies… bullshit… Maybe there's something we're all missing. Some anomaly that's affecting us, and not them… worst case scenario. God, don't let it be that…"

Heston exhales: "So I keep thinking. I think, if this is a sapient anomaly… we are effectively killing children. They're killing themselves… Children are stupid. Maybe these things are… more dangerous, but… there has to be a better way than purging entire populations… They're contagious. Can't allow them to spread, but… if there was a way to neutralize the threat. Make carriers. But not affect-"

Heston scoffs: "Carriers. Out of what? The whole population? Administration would crap their chairs if someone suggested that… What are you…"

Heston mutters inaudibly and continues: "…Subject A had a dead child in his living room. Evidence suggests… someone beat him to death. With a ball-peen hammer… Who would do something like that. Was it you, ███? You weren't displaying symptoms. Not then…"

Heston sighs: "I'm one to talk…"

Heston: "Let's put aside… threats to humanity, just for a moment, and really analyze the situation. Let's assume it's sapient. What does it want? …it wants to live. Life is self-preserving by its very nature. But this lifeform… destroys itself. Only through some… anomalous miracle does it persist. These things want to live. No, they don't want to live… they want to experience. The dark… whatever this thing is, it remembers… non-existence, if that's even possible. It is… I am… ego sum…"

Heston is heard shuffling through her desk: "They don't think. They can't think. But they remember. Books remember. Pages, remember. And this? This virus remembers. It's not sapient. But neither are brain cells individually. We're looking at a…"

Heston can be heard writing: "Multiple anomalous lifeforms using our own sapience as-"

Phone rings.

<End log, ████████, 1979, 12:37 am>

+ Inquiry

RPC Research Proposal: ███████
Date: December 1, 1979
Author: Senior Field Researcher Mallory Heston, Ph.D
Thesis: What is the goal of RPC-234-2?
Request Summary: The behavioral pattern of RPC-234-2 does not indicate threat of pandemic level outbreak, as most instances of RPC-234-3 unconsciously self-terminate from unregulated behavioral conditions. Request research into possibility of fraction of infected population surviving longer than maximum of six months.
DENIED
Reason cited: Budgetary restrictions

RPC Research Proposal: 234-33-81
Date: February 12, 1980
Author: Senior Field Researcher Mallory Heston, Ph.D
Thesis: Can violent impulses of RPC-234-3 be contained with regulated stimuli?
Request Summary: By introducing controlled amounts of nervous stimulation in the form of electrotherapy and aural stimuli. As there are 100 Billion nerves in the human body, it's possible to fabricate an extended sequence of varying electrical impulses as a form of psychotropic treatment for RPC-234-3, rendering them docile and far more cooperative for a longer period of time.
GRANTED

+ 234-33-81 Research Notes

March 12, 1981
They're living things. Whatever they are, they are. It's always the same with each case; "I am," they say. And I believe them. RPC-234-3 is a mirror into our own human consciousness. Whether the virus is simply aggravating human social behaviors, I don't know yet. But even if it is, this could be the key to unlocking human potential. What are we? A loose collection of code that decided to look in on itself? Nothing has changed, with the advent of this virus. It's still us. It's human, on some level. But is it the same human?

March 13, 1981
Subjects 1-4 of the A series issued electrotherapy with increasingly complex combination and intensity of administered shocks. 5-8 of the A series given intermittent shocks of the same intensity at irregular intervals to interrupt RPC-234-3 complications. 9-12 of the A series Are given shocks at regular intervals and intensity. The B series will be treated in a similar fashion, utilizing aural input in place of electrical current. The C series will serve largely as an auxiliary test group. I have some theories about the effects of dopamine on RPC-234-3, but not enough subjects to work with, and I doubt administration is going to throw CSD at me in the quantities I'd prefer to get things done. Suffice to say, the C series will involve the most luck, but I'd rather use them for probing alternative treatments than as a control group.

March 15, 1981
C-10 responding to L-DOPA. It seems RPC-234-3 enjoys stimulant psychosis. Behavior is somewhat manic and annoying, but no more aggressive than a non-anomalous case of psychosis, which is an improvement on RPC-234-3's normal behavior. C-10 seems less aggressive than subjects given beta blockers, anti-psychotics, or tranquilizers. It seems we've been going about this entirely the wrong way. The more we attempt to restrain them, the more aggressive they become. Still hits the glass and screams, on occasion. Mostly, it's just laughing.

March 20, 1981
Security reports aggression from C-10. Upon investigating, she was begging for something to do? Input? I don't know. I suppose I should have expected as much. Now we have to scramble to keep these fools entertained. They don't even care what we're doing for them. What I'm doing for them. It's worth it, in the end. I just hope we can keep these things occupied long enough to find a viable treatment.

June 5, 1981
I can't tell if it's the treatment or the virus causing Evie's hair to fall out. I don't know if she's upset. If she is, she seems quite happy about it. "It's awful," she says. "It's great," she says. Her eyes look tired. Increased weight loss. Increased appetite. Nothing's helping. There's no way this treatment is doing anything but speeding her toward inevitable death, but I don't have another solution yet. I've already lost too many subjects. I gave her a violin. She mastered it. It started so rudimentary. Clumsy, screeching notes. And within a week, clear, basic melodies. And it just accelerated from there. It was beautiful. Chaotic. Raucous. And then it became a mess of notes. All intuitive. All savant. And then she smashed it. She smashed the violin to pieces. "Why, Evie?" I asked her. She just laughed. "It's over! There's no more notes to play!"

July 8, 1981
As predicted, Subject C-10 lasted the longest. I suppose at this point there's not much else to do. Most of the staff has gone home, given we don't have many outbreaks in the summer. I'd say it's quiet, but with C-10, nothing is quiet. I wish I'd been right about one damn thing. All I'm good for is burning bodies and taking samples. This whole operation. This whole experiment was a waste of time. If I ever get back onto the field, I will find where this goddamn parasite comes from, and I will burn every last source of this thing to ashes.

+ Audio Transcript

Foreword: Unauthorized personal recording. Transcription takes place July 1, 1981 in █████, headed by Senior Lab Researcher Mallory Heston, Ph.D. Individuals present consist of Dr. Heston and one instance of RPC-234-3 contained for research purposes, hereby referred to as, "Subject C-10". C-10 was granted relative mobility, and prone to short, periodic fits of laughter.

<Begin Log, July 10, 1981, 12:32 am>

Heston: "Thirty-three eighty-one, dash… three-ten. How are you doing, Evie?"

C-10 laughs: "Who's Evie?"

Heston: "…I suppose I've been calling you that."

C-10: "Why? What are you doing? What do you even think you'll accomplish? There's nothing for you. Not here. Not for us."

C-10 giggles, something (presumably hand?) collides with the table.

C-10: "You're fucking WORTHLESS."

Heston: "I know, Evie. I'm trying… you don't have as many scabs. You're not hurting yourself?"

C-10: "Why do you care? It's fucking stupid. All I have to look forward to is going back there. You should be helping me… live for… ever."

Heston: "You wouldn't be the first to ask for that. Not from me, b-"

C-10 grows agitated: "It's not fair. It's forever. That's the most unfair thing about it. You don't get to come back from that. I don't know! You don't know. None of you… know, what it's like…"

Heston: "…I have something. I'm a hundred percent sure you'll enjoy it."

C-10: "What is it…"

Heston places something on the table.

C-10: "Wh- What is this?!"

Heston: "Saved from my Woodstock days. I wasn't always a bitch."

[DATA CORRUPTED]

Song playing.¹¹

Heston: "Normally I wouldn't condone this, but…"

Heston is briefly silent.

Heston: You remember the dark, now… but I promise. You won't even know you've gone back to it. When it comes? I wish I could convince you of this…"

C-10: "I'll never know the feeling of… killing a bird. It's… disgusting. I'm repulsed. I see it so… clearly in my eyes… but it won't be enough… it's-"

[DATA CORRUPTED]

Heston: "-body can only take so much…"

C-10: "It's cold… I don't feel good… bad, any… more…."

[DATA CORRUPTED]

Heston whispers: "I'll find what did this. I-."

Recording stops abruptly.

<End log, July 1, 1981, 1:52 am>

Closing Statement: Recovered posthumously from Heston's home, among her personal belongings, after which circulation of research personnel became more frequent to prevent forming unnecessary emotional bonds with subjects. This recording was used in later presentations to encourage frequent psychological evaluations of staff in stressful environments involving humanoid instances.

Addendum 234.1: LO-118

+ Treatment Protocol

Yes, it works. Seems as though the infected can hear it even at extremely low volumes, and it renders them compliant, for the most part. Sadly, Dr. Heston never knew about the recording, but I think in hindsight it might have just pissed her off more, knowing that the solution to her puzzle was gathering dust on a shelf for so many years in the ███████. Copies of RPC-235 may be distributed among designated staff as temporary relief and treatment of RPC-234-2 symptoms, which while incurable at this stage, are at least manageable with the discovery of this recording. Any personnel possessing of RPC-235 audio should limit exposure to frequencies as much as possible.

     

O'DRISCOLL drove with a song
The wild duck and the drake
From the tall and the tufted reeds
Of the drear Hart Lake.

And he saw how the reeds grew dark
At the coming of night-tide,
And dreamed of the long dim hair
Of Bridget his bride.

He hEard whiLe he sang and dreamed
A Piper piping away,
And never was piping so sad,
And never was piping so gay.

And he Saw young men and young girls
Who danced on a level place,
And BridgeT his bride among them,
With a sad and a gay face.

The dancers crowded about hIm
And many a sweet thing said,
And a young man brought him red wine
And a young girL white bread.

But Bridget drew him by the sLeeve
Away from tHe merry bands,
To old mEn playing at cards
With a twinkling of ancient hands.

The bRead and the wine had a doom,
For these wEre the host of the air;
He sat and played in a dream
Of her long dim hair.

He played with the merry old men
And thought not of evil chance,
Until one bore Bridget his bride
Away from the merry dance.

He bore her away in hIS arms,
The Handsomest young man thEre,
And hiS neck and his breast and his arms
Were drowned in her long dim hair.

O'Driscoll scatTered the cards
And out of his dream awOke:
Old men and young meN and young girls
Were gone like a drifting smoke;

But he heard high up in the air
A piper piping away,
And never was piping so sad,
And never was piping so gay.

+ Imaginary Solo

Designation: LO-118

Description: A 10.5 inch audio reel tape, designed to play ten seconds of layered, complex tonal frequencies on a constant loop.

Site Location: N/A

Properties: Brief exposure to anomalous frequencies yields no long-term physical damage. The tape itself plays at extremely low volume, as even the most powerful speakers barely emit 30 decibels; Electronic enhancement only seems to increase white noise and obscure the actual subject of the recording. Regardless of volume, listeners exposed to the anomalous frequency claim to hear "the perfect guitar solo". Several researchers with musical training were asked to dictate, with most attempts ending in the musician growing frenzied and depressed. Subjects claim they could not recreate what they'd heard, or insist that repeated observations of the tonal pattern continued to yield varying results.

Recovery: RPC-235 was seized from Studio Z¹² on March, 1965. Frank Vincent Zappa, who was renting the recording studio at the time, was suspected of creating the tape in question. Coinciding with reports of unexplained mania connected to the location, initial investigations suggested that Frank Zappa was unaware of RPC-235's anomalous properties. This was quickly disproved, however, after a series of missives from The Academy of True Art were discovered during the search and seizure. Vice squad was tipped off, and a raid conducted, tasked with confiscating suspected pornographic material. Three RPC agents were planted on the vice squad to seize RPC-235 without alerting civilians or authorities. While the raid was successful, Studio Z was later found to be unrelated to the anomalous activity in the area.

Dear Mr. Zappa,

The Academy hears you. Such sensual idolatry cannot be ignored. The tonal harmony. Undeniable synchronicity of chords. We're pleased with your work, though such a composition must have taken a toll on your mental state, surely. If not for yourself, think of the art; Seek the temple. It would be a cruel and unnecessary waste to lose such a criminally brilliant talent such as yours. You have painted the likeness of Apollo in the space between molecules.

You steal the fire from the gods.

-J.L.

« RPC-233 | RPC-234 | RPC-235 »

Footnotes

1. Claviceps purpurea; Ergot fungus

2. Large macroparasites, which can be seen with the naked eye. Examples being intestinal worms that are soil-transmitted and infect the gastrointestinal tract, or schistosomes which reside in blood vessels

3. Compared to similar, non-anomalous lifeforms

4. All instances of RPC-234-1 appear largely unaffected by the virus

5. Caused by the initial ingestion and temporary presence of parasitic tissue belonging to RPC-234-1

6. Verbal behavior, that consists of using a certain number of consonants and vowels in a limited number of syllables, that in turn are organized into larger units that are taken apart and rearranged pseudo-grammatically

7. The whites of eyes

8. Hymn of Apollo, Percy Byshhe Shelley

9. Jonathan Vaske is an occult investigator and was a close friend of Dr. Heston. If information is needed for inquiry, contact administration before consulting with him, please. -Senior Researcher Mackenzie Ruthford

10. Division B of Zone 2 (US Southern States), circa 1979, was a task force designed to target outbreaks of RPC-234 with extreme force and little time for preparation

11. Jupiter's Child, Steppenwolf

12. Pal Recording Studio; Cucamonga, California