Flesh Aflame
tagnone
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April 12, 1967
| Registered Phenomena Code | 458 | ■ ■ ■■■■ |
| Informal Designate | FLESH AFLAME | ■ ■■■■ ■ ■ |
| Object Risk | RED | ■ ■ ■ ■ |
| Containment Degree | SEVERE | ■■■ |
| Primary Hazard | SAPIENT/AGGRESSIVE | ■■■■ ■■ ■ |
| Secondary Hazard | FIRE/EXTREME HEAT | ■■ ■■ ■■ ■ |
| Tertiary Hazard | REGENERATION | ■■ ■ ■ ■■■ |
| Number Contained | 1 | ■■■■ |
| Reporting Personnel | C.DIR. ANISH MEZA | ■■ ■■■ ■ ■ |
Containment Systems: The entity is substantively uncontainable for any permanent timeframe. Some months ago, the entity was transported by reinforced carrier-truck to an OL-SITE within the Mojave Desert. The estimated maximum distance RPC-458 can be transported is ~150 miles before the transporting vehicle is entirely melted. If it ever becomes possible to transport RPC-458 safely by greater distances, the entity should be transported and contained within a suitably populated cold desert/region.
The current facility contains RPC-458 within a chamber of 2-inch stone-material with thermal conductivity no less than 1.8 W/m.K, atop stilts within a greater chamber containing 14k gallons of coolant liquid, which absorbs heat on contact with the stone.1 The coolant-chamber is built with 2ft concrete walls. The surrounding facility is constructed with additional concrete walls in a labyrinthine fashion, with a dense-concrete exterior about the facility.2
If the stone chamber becomes penetrated, the coolant water automatically drains into a subterranean reservoir. This is to prevent RPC-458 from making direct contact and vaporizing the liquid, creating extreme pressure and potentially combusting the coolant chamber.
1965 October UPDATE: Drains fitted with active pumps have been added to the sides of the chamber.
In the event of breach into the wider facility, RPC-458 is to be lured back to the stone chamber by means of unwilling disposable subject(s). Once within the chamber, the breached containment is to be reconstructed in the ~20 minutes while RPC-458 is preoccupied with incinerating the subject.
1967 December UPDATE: Stuffed animals previously belonging to children should be attempted for bait if the disposable subjects are not sufficient.
In the event of critical containment failure and breach into the outside, RPC-458 will move rapidly to reach some population. The RPC-458 OL-SITE is located where many low-population towns and single-family residents are found. RPC-458 will likely reach one of these and be preoccupied long enough for a temporary containment chamber to be constructed surrounding the entity. Relocation to the OL-SITE facility will be attempted once the entity is secured.
NOTE: At least two additional 458 OL-SITEs are to be prepared to house RPC-458 in case of severe damage to the one in current use.
A number of ASF personnel are stationed with temporary 458 containment apparatuses at nearby populations in case of severe containment breach.
A radio transmission is to be made to all stationed ASF in event of RPC-458 breach.
Object Description: RPC-458 is a triclops humanoid entity composed only of flesh, a brain and three eyes positioned in a triangular configuration. The entity's method of locomotion is presumed anomalous/telekinetic in nature per the lack of any bones, joints or muscles. RPC-458 is in a state of constant burning, its flesh charring and regenerating in perpetual. When unconfined, the entity is capable of extreme agility, upward of 500 MPH. No method of destroying RPC-458 has been found; the entity possesses extreme regenerative abilities. RPC-458's volume and mass seem constant irregardless to dismemberment or absorption of additional mass.
Behavioural Characteristics: The entity is viciously hostile, seeking persons and engulfing them in flames. RPC-458 melts the victim into the entity's own mass over the course of 20–30 minutes.
RPC-458 actively attempts escape by applying steady heat to a portion of its containment chamber until a hole is breached within the surface, at which point it pries the hole open with both hands and makes exit.
RPC-458 has eventually breached every containment design tested, whether by consistent brute-forcing of containment materials or by exploitation of a design oversight.
Incident Report: RPC-458 1965 Breach (3rd)
| Incident Date: | 10/10/1965 | ■■■■■ ■■■■■■ ■ |
| Anomalies Involved: | RPC-458 | ■■■ ■ ■■■■■ |
| Incident Type: | Hudson Killzone | ■■■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■ |
| Incident Location: | Mojave Desert- Arizona | ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■ |
| Cause of Incident: | Critical containment failure | ■■ |
| Status: | Resolved | ■■■■ |
REPORT DESCRIPTION:
On the 10th, the entity melted through and escaped from the bottom of its containment chamber. This prevented significant drainage and resulted in a pressurized blast which destroyed the coolant-chamber and much of the labyrinth infrastructure. The entity quickly breached the damaged ceiling of the facility and made way westward.
The entity reached ████████ █████ California, a town of population ~300, and quickly burned through several houses before attacking and incinerating a resident (male, age 42). While pacified, the entity was contained and transported by reinforced carrier-truck to one of the fallback 458 OL-SITEs.
████████ █████ residents were amnesticized. The incident was blamed on a major gas leak and subsequent fire with unidentified cause of ignition.
DAMAGES AND CASUALTIES:
- Severe structural damage to 458 OL-SITE
- Severe damage (structural, fire) to ████████ █████ resident homes (8)
- ASF personnel (3) received 2nd degree burns during recontainment
- Residents (10) received 1st degree burns during the incident
- Additional residents (3) received 2nd degree burns during the incident
- One resident killed, incinerated by RPC-458
- One resident burned to death due to close proximity to RPC-458
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
New drainage systems are being experimented with in order to avoid future occurrences of this breach.
ASF personnel (1) stationed at ████████ █████ reported his observation of the event.
I received the radio signal and saw the entity over the horizon just thirty seconds after. First time ever seeing the thing- hopefully the last. As it barreled through the town, I believe I could see its three eyes darting from person to person. It didn't attack anyone until a few minutes of running had passed. It seemed almost arbitrary which of the dozens of people it would go after.
Per protocol, there was nothing I could do but watch the carnage in horror and wait for it to become preoccupied before I could intervene. Any premature action would have risked my life, and risked the chance the monster would escape the town uncontained. All I could do was watch in sorrow when the entity came sprinting into mainstreet, and a little girl was frozen directly in its path.
But then it just- it stopped. It just stopped, ten feet or so from her. Its eyes stared on her for a moment, before it turned and ran toward the other side of town, and eventually killed some poor sod. I was able to contain it from there, with just a few burns.
Containment Director Meza
Looking through 458 records, it seems there's never been a case of the entity attacking a child. I recall this being noticed before, but was written off as a likely coincidence. There weren't enough deaths to make that kind of judgement, but now there's a clear bias in its behavior. Mayhaps we can exploit it.
Anomaly Processing Document (Excerpt)
Precautions:
Dec 1967
The entity was transported between OL-SITES. Several items were placed within the new containment chamber, each a few paces apart from one another.
Items:
- A child-like mannequin
- A child's crayon drawing
- A photograph of a child
- A child's stuffed panda-bear
An observation window housing a surveillance camera has been inserted into chamber's east wall.
We hypothesize that the entity will not burn these items.
Once within the chamber, the entity walked toward the mannequin and set it aflame. It did not immediately burn anything else.
The entity stood in one place and stared intensely at the remaining items for some (5) minutes.
Over 30 seconds, RPC-458's flames began to dissipate until it was no longer on fire, and became cool enough not to ignite the items on contact. The entity carefully picked up the stuffed animal, and hugged it tightly. Tears began to flow from its eyes.
After 120 seconds, the flames returned. The tears quickly evaporated and the stuffed animal was incinerated. RPC-458 walked by each of the other items, incinerating them as well.
RPC-458 seemed to resume standard behavior, concentrating heat against the northern wall in an attempt to escape.
Containment Director Meza
Well, doesn't seem to be as useful as I'd hoped.
I expected it would refuse to burn the items, and we could cover the chamber walls with stuffed animals, mannequins and photographs of random children, and it would finally stop trying to melt through.
Anyhow, maybe we can still make use. Let's hope throwing stuffed animals at the thing will pacify it well enough more than human sacrifices.